The Johnny Cash biopic “Walk the Line” was on Ovation tonight, and the scene below just knocks it out of the park. Struggling songwriter and door-to-door salesman J.R. Cash (the incredibly good Joaquin Phoenix — why didn’t he get the Oscar for this?) gets a chance to audition for legendary record producer Sam Phillips, who is less-than-impressed with what he hears. But watch what happens. Writer-director James Mangold nails it. It’s a great moment in the movies—and, in a way, a... Read more
This video is starting to make the rounds: Father Gerald O’Reilly prays outside of Chick-fil-A, (Watertower) in Chicago, Illinois on the 8th of August, 2012. Watch what happens. UPDATE: Elizabeth Scalia has some thoughts on this video that may surprise you. Read more. Read more
Periodically, people ask me what my Sundays are like. I answered that question a few years ago when my blog was at Beliefnet. I re-read the post recently. To my surprise, not much has changed. A snip: SATURDAY 4:45 – Arrived for 5 pm vigil mass. Looked over the gospel and the Prayers of the Faithful, to see what strange and hard-to-pronounce names might be listed among the deceased. Dragged my chair out of the sacristy, to place next... Read more
An interesting glimpse at Paul Ryan’s wife, from the Washington Post: Janna Ryan, wife of Republican vice presidential pick Rep. Paul Ryan, is the poster girl for Generation X women who wanted to have it all. Ryan, 43, like many of her 40-something peers, is a stay-at-home mother with an impressive resume. She prefers her husband’s hometown, Janesville, Wis., to Washington and remains out of the political limelight. But Janna Christine Little Ryan hails from Oklahoma, a state known for its... Read more
Details from the New York Times: She has been arrested 40 or 50 times for acts of civil disobedience and once served six months in prison. In the Nevada desert, she and other peace activists knelt down to block a truck rumbling across the government’s nuclear test site, prompting the authorities to take her into custody. She gained so much attention that the Energy Department, which maintains the nation’s nuclear arsenal, helped pay for an oral history in which she... Read more
It happened Friday night. Profiles of the men can be found here. Names of the ordained and their wives (thanks to Eric Meisfjord, Director of Communications for the Diocese): José Aparicio, (Graciela) Bonifacio Arebalo, (Maribel) Craig Blomgren, (Cindy) H. Roy Buck, (Marge) Brian Ernst, (Julie) James Evermann, (Maureen) Dan Glatt, (Debby) Thomas Heavey, (Mary) James Kestell, (Kathleen) Victor Lopez, (Evangeline) Perry Pearman, (Sheila) Allen Peterson, (Linda) Maclobio Robles, ( Maria) Nick Senger, (Brenda) Jim Schwarzer, (Ann) José David Torres,... Read more
After the news about Paul Ryan, analysis has begun to pour in. An overview, from CNN’s Belief blog: Mitt Romney’s selection of Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan as his vice presidential running mate promises to cast a spotlight on American Catholicism in an election year when the tradition has already been a major focus. Ryan, a Catholic who chairs the House Budget Committee, is better known for his outspoken fiscal conservatism than for leading on conservative Catholic social causes like opposing abortion... Read more
[Click here for readings.] A few weeks ago, the Columbus Dispatch newspaper in Ohio printed a story about a First Communion – but it’s one unlike any other you may have heard. It says something beautiful, I think, about the power of the Eucharist, the “bread of life.” But it is also a story of qualities in short supply in our world today: forgiveness and reconciliation. The story began 33 years ago. Late on a cold night in December of... Read more
Some weeks back I wondered, “Will Romney pick a Catholic?” Now, all indications are that the answer is yes: Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney will announce his running mate at the beginning of a four-day, four-state bus tour in Norfolk, Virginia, on Saturday at 9 a.m. ET, his campaign announced in a statement late Friday night. Three Republican sources told CNN that Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin would be Romney’s running mate pick. GOP sources also told CNN that Florida Sen.... Read more
[Click here for readings.] A few weeks ago, the Columbus Dispatch newspaper in Ohio printed a story about a First Communion – but it’s one unlike any other you may have heard. It says something beautiful, I think, about the power of the Eucharist, the “bread of life.” But it is also a story of qualities in short supply in our world today: forgiveness and reconciliation. The story began 33 years ago. Late on a cold night in December of... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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