When is a “Catholic” wedding not really Catholic?

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:05 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

When it is performed by this fellow, “Chaplain Bill,” who operates a service he calls “Progressive Catholics & Interfaith Weddings.” Someone alerted me to his operation after reading this post, about a Catholic priest who assisted at a wedding involving two men. So what, exactly, is the “Progressive Catholics” wedding service? In a nutshell, it is whatever you want it to be. From the website: We offer an all-inclusive Catholic and interfaith wedding ministry. Whether a first or second marriage,... Read more

Report: 11-year-old Christian girl with Down syndrome arrested in Pakistan, charged with burning Quran

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:05 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Details: An 11-year-old Christian girl has been arrested and detained on charges of blasphemy for allegedly desecrating pages from the Quran in the Pakistan capital Islamabad. According to a statement released by the President’s office on Sunday, the girl, identified as Ramsha, was accused by a local resident of burning pages of the Muslim holy text after she gathered paper as fuel for cooking. Local media reports said the girl has Down syndrome. CNN was unable to confirm these reports, however... Read more

NY Times: Some Catholic schools retooling for the wealthy

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:05 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Details: Catholic schools have been bleeding enrollment and money for years, and many have been forced to close. But some, like St. Stephen of Hungary, on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, have found a way to thrive — attracting a more affluent clientele by offering services and classes more commonly found in expensive private schools. Selling points include small class sizes and extracurricular activities beginning in the youngest grades. And by often charging far less, these schools have been able... Read more

Does Paul Ryan have a “Catholic problem”?

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:05 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Ed Morrissey just had to ask: That question has come at me several times in the nine days since Paul Ryan joined the Republican ticket as Mitt Romney’s nominee — and not meant in the same way that JFK had a “Catholic problem” in 1960. People wondering about Ryan’s relationship with Catholic voters usually results from Ryan’s attempts to restructure federal spending, or his supposed devotion to Ayn Rand. The last question is easiest to answer, since I’ve read Rand... Read more

Followup: first Mass celebrated at Miami International Airport

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:05 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

You may remember this posting from a few weeks back, announcing weekly Mass at Miami’s airport. A local TV station was there for the first liturgy. Video below. (And check out those deacons!) Read more

Mitt at prayer: Mormon reporter covers his trip to Mormon church service—UPDATED

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:05 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Last week brought us a glimpse at Paul Ryan attending church. This week, it’s Mitt Romney’s turn. An interesting item from the New York Times “The Caucus” blog, which posted excerpts of today’s pool report from McKay Coppins of Buzzfeed: “Following an hourlong drive from their Concord, NH hotel, your pool arrived in Mitt Romney’s Wolfeboro neighborhood at about 9:00 am. After getting swept, we joined the Romney motorcade at 9:50 and are en route to a Mormon church service... Read more

On the wedding announcements page: priest assists at same sex wedding?

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:05 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

A wedding announcement in this Sunday’s New York Times: Roger Thomas Danforth and Richard James Termine were married Friday evening in New York. The Rev. David C. Parsons, a Lutheran minister, officiated aboard the Lexington, a chartered yacht, on the East River, with the Rev. Michael DeVito, a Roman Catholic priest and a cousin of Mr. Termine, assisting. Mr. Danforth, 63, is the artistic director of the Directors Project, a career development program for theater directors run by the Drama League, a... Read more

First of its kind: New Orleans opens house of discernment for women

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:05 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Details: With finger sandwiches, prayers and the good wishes of dozens of visiting nuns, the Archdiocese of New Orleans on Wednesday turned over a vacant Uptown rectory where single women will live together while deciding whether to undertake lives as nuns. Archbishop Gregory Aymond, who dedicated the St. Rita Parish rectory to its new use, said the Magnificat House of Discernment for Women is the first of its kind in the country. The center occupies the second and third floors of the St.... Read more

Olympic swimmer dedicates her medals to Mary

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:05 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Details, from Catholic News Agency: Spanish swimmer Mireia Belmonte offered her two silver medals from the London 2012 Olympic Games to Our Lady of Monserrat in Barcelona. The 21-year-old – who won silver in the 800 meter free-style and the 200 meter butterfly – posed for a picture before the image of Our Lady of Monserrat and posted the photo on her Twitter account, which has grown from 7,000 followers to 56,000. Read more. Read more

Whatever happened to confession? — UPDATED

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:05 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Recently, Rick Santorum mentioned something in public that Catholics rarely talk about at all anymore: confession. It was startling, and not just because a politician mentioned it on the stump. It was a reminder that a sacrament that once seemed commonplace has virtually vanished in some parts of the world. A writer in the U.K. dissects the phenomenon in the Tablet. One priest told me that in his rural parish in Oxfordshire, no one has come to confession for... Read more