Two Pennsylvania colleges will remove bishops’ names from buildings

Last updated on: August 23, 2018 at 11:22 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

First, there was this announcement from the University of Scranton: Dear Members of the University Community, The recent release of more than 1,300 pages of grand jury proceedings detailing sexual abuse by Catholic priests in Pennsylvania and failures by Church leaders in responding to these situations is justifiably generating international attention and outrage. Since the report’s release last week, the University has considered how best to respond to the deeply disturbing report and to past honors and recognition it has... Read more

Bishop returned priest to ministry who was accused of ‘grooming’ and ‘stalking’ boy

Last updated on: August 23, 2018 at 10:38 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

The bishop is Richard Malone, from Buffalo. Details, from Buffalo station WKBW: In 2011, Father Art Smith caused a controversy at St. Mary of the Lake school in Hamburg when he sent a Facebook message using the words “love you” to an eighth-grade boy. The boy’s mother, along with St. Mary’s principal Kristine Hider, took their concerns to the diocese, according to internal diocesan records obtained by 7 Eyewitness News. In one memo, written by the former Catholic schools superintendent, a... Read more

‘Please have mercy on us priests, because not all of us ordained clergy are monsters…’

Last updated on: August 22, 2018 at 1:29 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

This was posted on social media early this morning by Father Douglas Vu, from the Diocese of Birmingham. I can only imagine what he and so many other good and faithful priests are going through. Our Lady, Queen of the Clergy, pray for us! Lord have mercy, indeed. Read more

Kavanaugh: Roe v. Wade is settled law

Last updated on: August 21, 2018 at 8:09 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

From CNN: Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, told Republican Sen. Susan Collins he agreed that Roe v. Wade is settled law, Collins told reporters Tuesday. “We talked about whether he considered Roe to be settled law. He said that he agreed with what Justice Roberts said at his nomination hearing in which he said it was settled law,” Collins said after meeting with Kavanaugh for more than two hours on Tuesday. Collins, the much-watched senator from Maine,... Read more

UPDATE: Attack on Byzantine priest branded a ‘hate crime’

Last updated on: August 22, 2018 at 7:21 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

A followup on yesterday’s report, via The Chicago Tribune: Police are investigating an attack on a priest Monday in Merrillville as a hate crime, an official said. The Rev. Basil John Hutsko was knocked unconscious by an unknown person around 9 a.m. inside St. Michael Byzantine Catholic Church, 557 W. 57th Ave., Commander Jeff Rice, Merrillville police spokesman, said. Attempts to contact Hutsko and St. Michael were not immediately returned Tuesday. Two area priests who know him expressed disbelief. “He’s... Read more

Priest who admitted giving teen porn and a back rub was still in ministry this year

Last updated on: August 22, 2018 at 6:19 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

From KDKA in Pittsburgh: Until three months ago, retired priest Richard Terdine, accused of molesting a 16-year-old boy in the 1980s, was still serving Mass at churches around the Pittsburgh Diocese. Bishop David Zubik found that Terdine had been cited in the 800-page grand jury report that the diocese restricted him. “Would no longer be able to go around to other parishes to have Mass,” said Monsignor Ronald Lengwin. Terdine is listed on the diocesan website as a having an unsubstantiated claim... Read more

Cardinal says some abuse accusers ‘should be careful’ because ‘they have long tails’

Last updated on: August 21, 2018 at 11:03 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

From Crux: Swimming against the tide of promises to crack down on abuse and cover-up led by Pope Francis, a newly created Mexican cardinal said that some accusers should be “ashamed” to point their finger at clerics because many of them have skeletons in their own closets. The victims of pedophilia who “accuse men of the Church should [be careful] because they have long tails that are easily stepped on,” said Cardinal Sergio Obeso Rivera. The cardinal, emeritus Archbishop of... Read more

Some good news, at last: a beautiful new church rises in Georgia

Last updated on: August 21, 2018 at 8:40 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

This has been a long time coming. Some readers may remember I first reported on this remarkable undertaking a decade ago. The idea: to dismantle a shuttered Catholic church in Buffalo and move it, brick by brick, to a lot in Georgia. The plan hit a few roadblocks along the way, but something close to that original vision is about to be realized: “I would like to think the people (in the parish) will be happy because they’ve been planning... Read more

Assailant attacks Byzantine priest, shouting ‘This is for all the kids!’

Last updated on: August 20, 2018 at 8:15 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

From my friend and brother deacon Daniel Dozier, who received this communication from the chancery of the Parma Eparchy: PRAYER REQUEST: Fr. Basil Hutsko was attacked and knocked unconscious this morning in the altar servers sacristy at his parish in Merrillville, Indiana after celebrating Liturgy. The attacker choked him and slammed his head to the ground. Fr. Basil lost consciousness. Before going unconscious Fr. Basil heard the attacker say, “This is for all the kids!” (reference to the clergy sex... Read more

Sign of rage: Name defaced at Cardinal Wuerl High School in Pennsylvania

Last updated on: August 20, 2018 at 1:44 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Details: As pressure grows to have Cardinal Donald Wuerl’s name removed from North Catholic High School, the school’s sign was vandalized. On Monday morning, it was discovered that someone sprayed red spray paint over “Cardinal Wuerl” on the sign. The school’s principal, Luke Crawford, said the vandalism happened sometime between 8 p.m. Sunday and 6 a.m. Monday. Cranberry Township police are investigating. Meantime, there is also this: Backlash is growing this week for Cardinal Donald Wuerl after a grand jury... Read more