A deacon reader writes: How does the pope preach to a morning audience on diakonia and never say the word “deacon” in his speech? Does this concern you that the pope has failed to mention the word “deacon” in any of his addresses in Mexico and Spain on his past trips? He even started his homily’s and speeches with “My fellow bishops, brother priests, religious, and laity.” I felt like he wasn’t even talking to me since I don’t fall into... Read more
And the bids could take it even higher than that: Among personal-computer enthusiasts, there are many rare and desirable models from years’ past. The Apple Lisa. Steve Jobs’s NeXT computer. The Canon Cat. But there’s a machine selling on eBay right now that’s arguably the rarest of them all: a prototype of the original Apple Macintosh computer. As you might imagine for such a once-in-a-lifetime find, the prototype Mac 128k is commanding a hefty sum: The starting bid is $99,995. The auction only has hours... Read more
Late today, I stumbled on this story, about a tour of the damaged cathedral — and noticed an unusual detail: The Washington National Cathedral will be offering tours of its unique stone carvings for the first time since the building was damaged by an earthquake last year. Tours exploring more than 100 gargoyles perched on the cathedral’s facade will begin again Sunday at 2 p.m. The gargoyles include monsters, dogs and horses, as well as “Star Wars” villain Darth... Read more
Yesterday, I posted on the passing of Catholic philanthropist George E. Doty. Now there’s word that another great New York benefactor has died: Florence D’Urso of Pelham Manor, one of the most important benefactors of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, who was also responsible for restoring many works of art at the Vatican, died Tuesday at Calvary Hospital in the Bronx. She was 79. She was the widow of Camillo D’Urso, who founded the Key Food supermarket chain... Read more
He made his remarks in a speech at Georgetown: U.S. House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, under criticism from some fellow Catholics, said his financial plan’s call for cuts in federal aid to the poor is consistent with the church’s teachings. In a speech today at Georgetown University, a Catholic institution in the nation’s capital, Ryan said his proposal complies with the church’s admonishments to care for the needy. “The work I do as a Catholic holding office conforms to... Read more
Now that Mark Shea has weighed in on this peculiar screed — wherein, it seems, I’m part of a vast all-male conspiracy — I just want to add my two cents. The author of that posting, one Stephen K. Ryan, is not unfamiliar to me. He wrote me many months back, wondering why I don’t post more about Medjugorje. I told him. And now I’ll tell you. First of all: I have some serious personal misgivings toward these “apparitions,” because at... Read more
The comedian and his wife recently made a big donation to a Catholic community center in Baltimore, which was named in their honor. And Bill Cosby had some hilarious things to say about God, money and nuns. Read more here. But check out the video below. Read more
As the media focuses attention on the 20th anniversary of the LA riots, a Los Angeles TV station tracked down the youngest victim — an unborn child shot in her mother’s womb. Details: Twenty years ago, amid the shock of the ongoing Los Angeles riots, there was a story that really grabbed headlines: The youngest victim of the violence had been shot while still in her mother’s womb. On April 30, 1992, Elvira Evers, then 7 ½-months pregnant, watched her... Read more
A giant in Catholic philanthropy has passed away: George Doty, one of Fordham University’s biggest donors and the man who funded the restoration of the great dome of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. From CNEWA’s blog ONE-TO-ONE: Over the years, George and his wife Marie, who died in 2008, have given selflessly to many causes near and dear to their hearts. They have been especially good to Catholic concerns for alleviating poverty, strengthening higher education and supporting... Read more
Details: Officials from the Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs have turned down a $750 tourism grant from Montgomery County to help pay for the canonization ceremony of Kateri Tekakwitha. The county Board of Supervisors awarded the grant in February, one of several given to area agencies to promote tourism. County officials believe as many as 5,000 people will come to Auriesville for the ceremony conferring sainthood on Kateri, a member of the Mohawk tribe who was born in 1656... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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