Fans of the blockbuster musical — you know who you are — will appreciate these shots from the Daily Mail, with the first glimpses of Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean and Russell Crowe as his nemesis Javert. Others in the cast include Anne Hathaway as Fantine, and Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter as the Thenardiers. Best casting news: Colm Wilkinson makes a cameo as the Bishop of Digne who inspires Valjean’s conversion. The movie musical opens in December. ... Read more
Details: Religion can influence suicide rates, a new study shows. While data have long shown that Protestants are more likely to commit suicide than Catholics, the relationship remains little understood. The study by Professors Sascha Becker (University of Warwick, U.K.) and Ludger Woessmann (University of Munich, Germany) demonstrates a causal link between Protestantism and suicide. Becker and Woessmann sought to find whether the higher suicide rate among Protestants was due to self-selection. There could be some factors that influence whether... Read more
This story first broke in the New Jersey press last week, but is now getting more attention. The report below is in this morning’s USA TODAY: As part of a survey to understand why they have stopped attending Mass, a few hundred Catholics were asked what issues they would raise if they could speak to the bishop for five minutes. The bishop would have gotten an earful. Their reasons ranged from the personal (“the pastor who crowned himself king and... Read more
Must-see video alert! The latest sensation from “Britain’s Got Talent.” It’s 17-year-old Jonathan Antoine and 16-year-old and Charlotte Jocanelli, performing “The Prayer.” Un. Real. Or, as Simon Cowell put it: “Wow. Wow. Wow.” (You’ll need to click thru and watch it on YouTube. Do. It’s worth it.) Read more
It happened in Uganda: Pomp and excitement engulfed Christians of Nebbi Cathedral, in Nebbi Town on Saturday as 219 couples exchanged marriage vows to remain together till death does them apart in a mass wedding. The wedding was organized by Nebbi Catholic diocese and sponsored by friends and well-wishers through St Peters Clever, Mulagu community parish. The Bishop of Nebbi Catholic diocese Rt Rev Lino Sanctus Wanok presided over the mass which he described as the first of its kind... Read more
Wow. An amazing story from Texas. H/T to Nancy over at What She Said. Check this out: Patrick Greene says he has always been “treated like dirt” by Christians because of his atheistic beliefs. That recently changed, leaving Greene “completely flabbergasted.”It happened when some Henderson County Christians offered Greene financial assistance with a medical problem despite his opposition to a nativity scene on the courthouse square. Greene is the San Antonio atheist who threatened to sue in an attempt... Read more
It was supposed to happen in Colorado. Not this year, though. Details: An annual Easter egg hunt attended by hundreds of children has been canceled because of misbehavior last year. Not by the kids, but by the grown-ups. Too many parents determined to see their children get an egg jumped a rope marking the boundaries of the children-only hunt at Bancroft Park last year. The hunt was over in seconds, to the consternation of eggless tots and the rules-abiding parents.... Read more
The digital world is changing — and fast: For a while now, tech pundits have talked about mobile as the future of computing. Many non-tech-pundits have responded with skepticism. Sure, there are a lot of people with iPhones. But the best web browsing experience is with a desktop computer, right? And besides, why should we spend so much time developing a mobile-friendly website when maintaining our desktop-friendly one already takes more time away from “real ministry” than it should? Well,... Read more
Science is showing that the head and the heart may share a closer connection than we may realize: As the most social apes, we inhabit a mirror-world in which every important relationship, whether with spouse, friend or child, shapes the brain, which in turn shapes our relationships. Daniel J. Siegel and Allan N. Schore, colleagues at the University of California, Los Angeles, recently discussed groundbreaking work in the field at a conference on the school’s campus. It’s not that caregiving... Read more
“The Annunciation is wildly, defiantly countercultural. It is rebellious. It is a challenge that is offered – and, to our amazement, accepted. Gabriel comes to a virgin and tells her something stunning. She will bear a child. It is an event she never anticipated, one she never planned for. She’s practically a child herself, in a poor town, and she is being told that God wants her to play a critical role in salvation history. The angel makes clear: what... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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