Hail, Mary: Israeli actress Odeya Rush to play Mary in “prequel to ‘Passion of the Christ'”

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:08 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Well, that’s how one Hollywood writer is describing a promising new film scripted by the “Passion” scribe Benedict Fitzgerald and Barbara Nicolosi. Details: The movie about Mary, Mother of Christ that has been bouncing around Hollywood for years may be moving closer to reality. The Wrap reports that Alister Grierson has been tapped to direct the film. The screenplay is co-written by Benedict Fitzgerald, who co-wrote “The Passion of the Christ” and later sued Mel Gibson for unfair deprivation of compensation... Read more

LC leader admits he knew for years about Williams’ child

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:08 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Another shoe drops: The leader of the Legionaries of Christ admitted on Tuesday he knew for years the scandal-plagued religious order’s most famous priest had fathered a child but still allowed the popular cleric to preach about morality. The religious order, still reeling from revelations that its founder was a sexual abuser and drug addict with two secret families, suffered another major blow last week when it admitted that Father Thomas Williams, an American based in Rome, had also led... Read more

Now I won’t feel so bad when people yawn during my homilies

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:08 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

There are other factors at work. Or, at least, that’s what this guy says. I’ll buy that. Read more

Dolan: White House “strangling” Catholic church

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:08 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

He made the remarks this morning: The spat between Catholic leaders and the Obama administration over its contraception policies is heating up again, with one of the nation’s most prominent bishops charging that the White House is “strangling” the church over the matter. Archbishop Timothy Dolan told “CBS This Morning” Tuesday that the compromise reached earlier this year is not sufficient because the exemptions made for churches are too restrictive. “They tell us if you’re really going be considered a... Read more

Happy blog-o-versary

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:08 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Last Saturday marked the five-year anniversary of my ordination; this week marks the five-year anniversary of “The Deacon’s Bench.” Flipping through the archived scrapbook of memories, I found this warm appreciation of the diaconate by Rocco Palmo, who was an early booster of the blog. Others began dropping by and mentioning The Bench — people like Amy Welborn and Julie Davis, the “Happy Catholic.” But from Day One, an even bigger influence was my Blogmother, the then-anonymous woman hiding behind... Read more

Turn off the computer and go to bed

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:08 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Because it turns out that social networking is increasingly breaking up marriages: More than a third of divorce filings last year contained the word Facebook, according to a U.K. survey by Divorce Online, a legal services firm. And over 80% of U.S. divorce attorneys say they’ve seen a rise in the number of cases using social networking, according to the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. “I see Facebook issues breaking up marriages all the time,” says Gary Traystman, a divorce... Read more

Quote of the day

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:08 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

“We applaud this courageous action by so many individual dioceses, charities, hospitals and schools across the nation, in coordination with the law firm of Jones Day. It is also a compelling display of the unity of the Church in defense of religious liberty. It’s also a great show of the diversity of the Church’s ministries that serve the common good and that are jeopardized by the mandate – ministries to the poor, the sick, and the uneducated, to people of... Read more

Snapshot of the Class of 2012: America’s new priests

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:08 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

As has become its custom, the USCCB has posted a survey with some interesting facts about the men who are being ordained this spring: The average age of men ordained to the priesthood in 2012 is trending younger with the median age for the 2012 class at 31. Two-thirds of the class are between the ages of 25 and 34. This is slightly younger than last year and follows the trend over the past six years. These figures stand out... Read more

“The worst thing you can do is send your kids to a Catholic school if you want them to retain their faith.”

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:08 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Those are the attention-getting words of the founder of Domino’s Pizza and Ave Maria, Tom Monaghan. Here’s more: Around the time he sold Domino’s Pizza and the Detroit Tigers about 20 years ago, Tom Monaghan stopped doing most interviews. He devoted himself to Catholic education, most prominently by founding Ave Maria University, now based near Naples, Fla., where he spends much of his time these days raising money for the school. But in a rare local appearance Friday morning at... Read more

Update: no collars for deacons in Brooklyn

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 5:03 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Returning now to a favorite topic of debate on The Bench: deacons wearing the collar. I sit on the diaconal council for the Diocese of Brooklyn, and during our most recent meeting last week the subject was once again broached. Some men were wondering about wearing the collar while engaging in some ministries — notably when serving as chaplains at hospitals or prisons, or when presiding at wakes. Once again, the bishop said no. It’s too confusing, he said, and... Read more