Interestingly, Euteneur himself is not named as a defendant. But this item was posted today on the website of Courthouse News Service: A Roman Catholic priest “kissed (a woman) on all parts of her body” during a so-called “exorcism” session, and “frequently explained full, passionate kisses as ‘blowing the Holy Spirit into’ her,” the woman claims in court. Jane Doe sued the Catholic Diocese of Arlington, its Bishop Paul Loverde – who is not the priest accused of the abuse... Read more
This happened in May, but I just got the first pictures today. Details: A deacon is called to be a sign of the Catholic Church’s permanent availability to the servant mysteries of Christ, which are embodied in such things as the spiritual and corporal works of mercy, said Deacon James Keating, director of the permanent diaconate program in the Archdiocese of Omaha. The archdiocese welcomed 12 men from rural and urban areas to the role of servant in the permanent... Read more
From Sky News: For the first time, the Queen has stepped inside a Roman Catholic church on the island of Ireland in what is being seen as a hugely symbolic moment. It came as she visited the town of Enniskillen – the scene of one of the worst atrocities of The Troubles – during a two-day Diamond Jubilee tour of Northern Ireland. Her Majesty was cheered as she waved to the crowds outside St Michael’s Church and then those inside... Read more
Imagine the life of Christ told by inmates in jail — and you will have the astonishing production recently staged in Louisiana’s State Penitentiary in Angola. NPR has more: The Life of Jesus Christ featured 70 inmates, men and women acting together for the first time — in costume, with a real camel, performing for the general public. For the untrained actors, this production held special meaning as they saw pieces of their own lives revealed in the characters they... Read more
Or so it seems, according this item: The Black Eyed Peas singer and her husband Josh Duhamel tend to enjoy low key weekends, thanking God for all he has given them rather than partying their nights away. Fergie told UsMagazine.com: ”On Saturday nights, we like going to mass, then dinner. ”It feeds our spiritual side, and it’s great to hear Josh sing in church – he’s a great singer. ”Then we go out and have a really nice wine, like all good Catholics.” Fergie... Read more
Periodically, when people hear I’m the Executive Editor of a Catholic magazine, they ask me which one. “ONE,” I reply. “Right,” they’ll say. “But WHICH one?” And then we’re off to an Abbott and Costello routine. If anyone really wants to know WHICH one, it’s THIS one: ONE (shown above,) published by CNEWA. At the Catholic Press Awards Friday night, ONE won one, including the big one. And 18 others, to boot. Check out the details here, at our award-winning... Read more
I got the following e-mail press release today from the Anglican Ordinariate’s Susan Gibbs, and there’s at least one compelling detail worth noting: Six former Episcopal priests from the Fort Worth area, including a father and son, will become part of history when they are ordained Catholic priests together on June 30. The six are part of the first ordination class for the new Catholic Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter. Based in Houston, the ordinariate is equivalent to... Read more
And, on top of that, two transitional deacons, to boot. I had to catch a plane Saturday afternoon and couldn’t be there, but The Criterion’s Sean Gallagher alerted me to this great photo gallery, just posted today, and some highlights below: A story in a recent issue of the paper underscored the significance of this event: The reach of deacons ministering in central and southern Indiana—which only began on a wide-scale basis four years ago—will soon grow considerably. On June 23,... Read more
And, on top of that, two transitional deacons, to boot. I had to catch a plane Saturday afternoon and couldn’t be there, but The Criterion’s Sean Gallagher alerted me to this great photo gallery, just posted today, and some highlights below: A story in a recent issue of the paper underscored the significance of this event: The reach of deacons ministering in central and southern Indiana—which only began on a wide-scale basis four years ago—will soon grow considerably. On June 23,... Read more
Those two words may just win the award for Most Understated Comment of the Year, as a young man and his wife learn whether the treatment to battle his lymphoma is working. As the filmmaker who put this clip on YouTube explained: My friend, Jake Bouma, meets with his oncologist on June 22, 2012, after four rounds of chemotherapy to treat his Hodgkins lymphoma. This clip is part of a documentary I am creating on his journey, “Let’s Do This:... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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