From the NY Post: His new post as a cardinal comes with a princely red hat, but Archbishop Timothy Dolan isn’t letting the promotion go to his head. When asked by a reporter yesterday whether he should be called an archbishop or a cardinal-designee, the portly priest flashed his famous sense of humor. “Just call me for dinner,” Dolan quipped. He said he didn’t expect there to be too many additional duties with his new position. “Maybe one or two... Read more
From the Diocese of Des Moines Facebook page: Thanks to Mercy Medical Center for providing this image from Africa, taken of Msgr. Frank Bognanno celebrating Mass on the eve of the Epiphany. The service, attended by Catholics, Christians, Jews and Muslims, was for a group of cancer survivors and caregivers, including Msgr. Bognanno, who are climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. Pretty cool. Anyone know more?? Read more
From the President of CatholicCulture.org: Those of us with dogmatic personalities—and that includes many who take the Faith seriously in a hostile culture—have an additional spiritual hurdle, because we so often confuse our commitment to God’s principles with our own self-importance as God’s spokesmen. This can lead to a habit of self-righteous indignation, as if we must denounce others in defense of Christ, though to be sure He has already indicated His complete willingness to suffer disrespect in order to... Read more
A story that’s been lurking on the sidelines for several months (just Google “Corey Feldman”) has finally made the Los Angeles Times: Advocates and professionals who work with victims of child sexual abuse say predators exploit the glittery lure of Hollywood to prey on aspiring actors or models. They assert that the problem is more widespread than the industry is willing to acknowledge and have called for tougher laws and better screening of those who represent or work with children.... Read more
From the AP: More than 3 million Roman Catholic worshippers paraded with a charred Christ statue through the Philippine capital in an annual procession Monday despite a warning from the president that terrorists might target the gathering. The black wooden statue known as the Black Nazarenewas displayed at the seaside Rizal Park where Manila’s Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle led a Mass and offered prayers for victims of tropical storms and landslides over the past year. Organizers then brought the statue — believed to... Read more
…this time, from a blogging bishop. Christopher Coyne, from Indianapolis, offers his own take on Catholic websites, broken into two parts, over at his blog Let Us Walk Together. It has some names that are familiar — and maybe some that aren’t. Take a look! UPDATE: He just posted Part Deux. Read more
This box was in the sacristy this morning, waiting to be filled. Read more
This popped up before Christmas, and I’m just catching up with it now. But I laughed out loud. Several times. Enjoy. (A jolly h/t to Marcel at Aggie Catholics.) Read more
“Christ is bathed in light; let us also be bathed in light. Christ is baptized; let us also go down with him, and rise with him. John is baptizing when Jesus draws near. Perhaps he comes to sanctify his baptizer; certainly he comes to bury sinful humanity in the waters. He comes to sanctify the Jordan for our sake and in readiness for us; he who is spirit and flesh comes to begin a new creation through the Spirit and... Read more
Here’s an unusual look at an often-unreported aspect of the recession: ministers who are unemployed. From the Columbus Dispatch: When ordained minister Rudy Alexeeff talks about his job search, it’s clear he’s looking for more than just a paycheck. He and his wife, Maggie, could definitely use more money, but he wants to find exactly the right job as a pastor. He has to believe in the church and its mission, he said, and his personality must mesh with its... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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