From the vault, my thoughts on this feast from a few years ago… + If you want a sense of what this feast today is all about, you need to hear the story of Jim Schmitmeyer’s grandmother. Father Jim Schmitmeyer is a priest and writer from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, and in one of his books he describes the last days of his grandmother, who suffered from Alzheimer’s. “Everything had grown completely strange to her and nothing was familiar,” he... Read more
A fascinating and inspiring glimpse at diakonia from Crux: Providing sustenance for life’s journey is what the Eucharist is about, and during the recent Adoremus Eucharistic Congress for the Church in England and Wales, the deacons of the Archdiocese of Liverpool decided to focus on the physical hunger facing people around the world. The archdiocese sponsored a “parallel program” taking place at parishes around the city during the Sept. 7-9 meeting, and the Liverpool Order of Deacons hosted an event... Read more
He posted this on his blog today: For my shortcomings of the past and of the present I take full responsibility and wish that I could wipe away all the pain, confusion and disillusionment that people feel, and I wish that I could redo some decisions I have made in my three decades as a bishop and each time get it right. As I have said in a series of letters to priests in the archdiocese, I hope you will sense something... Read more
I received the following email from Deacon Dale Nees, Director of Diaconate Formation for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee: We had a beautiful Diaconate Ordination on Saturday September 8that the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist – Milwaukee, WI. I attached a picture and the following names: Front Row Left to Right (New Deacons): Deacon James Matthias, Deacon Douglas Gundlach, Deacon Larry Ramsey, Jr., Deacon Moualee Thao, Deacon Michael Hoffman, Deacon Anton Nickolai, and Deacon Timothy Waldoch Back Row Left to Right:... Read more
Dear Vatican Media: Thank you for all you do to help tell the story of our faith and keep us up to date on what the Holy Father is saying and doing. It is an invaluable service. But, please note: when Pope Francis is meeting with bishops to hear how the church in the U.S. has been “lacerated by the evil of sexual abuse,” to the point where many believe our church is facing one of its biggest crises ever,... Read more
From The Washington Post: Pope Francis has ordered an investigation of Bishop Michael J. Bransfield of Wheeling-Charleston, W.Va., in connection with sexual harassment charges and accepted his resignation, church officials announced Thursday. The pope instructed Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore to conduct a probe into allegations that Bransfield, 75, sexually harassed “adults,” the Archdiocese of Baltimore said in a statement. Church officials and witnesses in court cases previously said Bransfield was accused of molesting teenage boys. Bransfield has denied the... Read more
From Reuters: Roman Catholic clerics in Germany sexually abused thousands of children over a 70-year period, Der Spiegel magazine reported on Wednesday, citing a study commissioned by the German Bishops’ Conference. Der Spiegel said the study, conducted by three German universities, had revealed that 1,670 clerics and priests had sexually abused 3,677 minors, mostly males, in Germany between 1946 and 2014. Asked about the report, a spokesman for the Bishops’ Conference told Reuters: “We are checking the matter.” He added... Read more
Details, from CNA: Pope Francis has called for all the presidents of the Catholic bishops’ conferences of the world to meet at the Vatican in February to discuss the issue of sexual abuse of minors. A statement from the pope’s cardinal advisory board Sept. 12 said, “The Holy Father Francis, hearing the Council of Cardinals, decided to convene a meeting with the Presidents of the Bishops Conferences of the Catholic Church on the theme of ‘protection of minors.’” The summit... Read more
It happened in August, and the bishop, Richard Pates, wrote about them in his blog: August 4th was a banner day for the Diocese of Des Moines. Seventeen men were ordained to the permanent diaconate. Ours was one of the first dioceses to restore the reinstituted diaconate nearly five decades ago. As a result, the corps of deacons has grown to 90, 59 of whom are active. The remainder have retired. Similar to many pursuits in life, deacons first receive an... Read more
From CNA: The Archbishop of Washington told priests Tuesday that he intends to meet with Pope Francis soon to discuss his resignation from office. In a letter sent to priests of the Archdiocese of Washington Sept. 11, Cardinal Donald Wuerl wrote that a decision about his future role in the archdiocese is “an essential aspect so that this archdiocesan Church we all love can move forward. “I intend, in the very near future, to go to Rome to meet with... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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