The Deacon's Bench
And you can read all about them in the San Francisco Catholic, in pdf format. Congratulations, brothers, and welcome! Ad multos annos! Read more
And you can read all about them in the San Francisco Catholic, in pdf format. Congratulations, brothers, and welcome! Ad multos annos! Read more
This comes from the good folks over at Jesus Creed, my blog neighbor here at Patheos, and while it’s not specifically geared toward Catholic seminarians, its truths are universal and offer some old fashioned common sense: Social media has changed the way we interact with one another. Sometimes it is for the good, sometimes not. As a seminary prof who happens to be chummy with his students on Facebook as well as following a few on Twitter, I’ve noticed some... Read more
Another chapter — perhaps the final one — in the saga that broke earlier this year: A priest who denied communion to a lesbian at her mother’s funeral is no longer in ministry with the Archdiocese of Washington, a spokeswoman for the archdiocese said Monday. Rev. Marcel Guarnizo, who served at St. John Neumann parish in Gaithersburg, Md., was placed on leave in mid-March for engaging in intimidating behavior, NBCWashington.com reported at the time, and now he is leaving for good.... Read more
The “Improvising Priest” has had his preaching faculties removed. Details: A priest forced out of his parish by Belleville’s Catholic bishop for improvising prayers during Mass will no longer be able to preach in public as of today. The Rev. William Rowe said Monday that Bishop Edward Braxton has suspended him and removed his “faculties,” or license to practice ministry under church law. The move has been associated in recent years with the punishment of clergy accused of sexually abusing... Read more
Details: The Episcopal Church on Monday overwhelmingly voted to allow the ordination of transgender people. At its triennial General Convention in Indianapolis, the church House of Deputies approved a change to the “nondiscrimination canons” to include “gender identity and expression.” The move makes it illegal to bar from the priesthood people who were born into one gender and live as another or who do not identify themselves as male or female. The church, which has 1.9 million members in the... Read more
The stars came out in the afternoon in New York City today — all to pay tribute to writer/director/friend to everyone, Nora Ephron. Details: Of course there were recipes — different recipes in the programs the ushers handed out. One was for coconut macaroons. “Makes about 22,” it said. That would not have been enough to serve the 800 or so people who attended a memorial on Monday for the writer and filmmaker Nora Ephron, who made hits like “Sleepless... Read more
Details: Five years after revealing that she had started to study Scientology, Katie Holmes has officially returned to the Catholic faith, registering as a parishioner at the Church of St. Francis Xavier in New York City. “Everyone is thrilled to have Katie join us,” a member of the church’s choir told me. “She has not yet attended a service, but when she does she will be welcomed with open arms.” The church, located on 16th Street between Fifth and Sixth... Read more
A succinct reminder of what’s going on these days, from Sister Mary Ann Walsh at the USCCB: Look in the United States, where freedom of religion is guaranteed by the First Amendment’s free exercise clause, and you see a sophisticated type of assault. It is unbloody, but far-reaching. Ironically, the assaults are not from some guerilla group or despot, but from the government. Foreign nations that look to the U.S. to protect their religious freedom have to shudder. The assaults vary, but... Read more
The Philadelphia Daily News has a brief profile this morning of the ubiquitous Rocco Palmo: Rocco Palmo is only 29. The born-and-bred South Philly guy, thin at 5 feet 11 inches, is the go-to person for reporters and followers of the Catholic Church. The New York Times quoted him last month after the verdicts in the landmark Philadelphia church sex-abuse trial. So did the Washington Post. And CNN. On Sunday afternoon, we’re sitting outside the Grindcore House coffee shop at... Read more
That seems to be the headline-making quote from a fresh interview with the new head of the CDF, Gerhard Muller. Details, and translation, from Catholic Church Conservation: This is a long interview with the Mittelbayerische Zeitung- now complete. Relaxed and at ease, Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller returns a week after his appointment as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to the Diocese of Regensburg. A series of interviews for journalists are on the agenda for Friday:... Read more
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