The Deacon's Bench
A couple weeks back, I posted on the diaconal ordination of Sean Suckiel. Below is a lovingly produced slideshow of the event, which also includes his profession of faith and Deacon Sean’s first vespers/Benediction. Read more
A couple weeks back, I posted on the diaconal ordination of Sean Suckiel. Below is a lovingly produced slideshow of the event, which also includes his profession of faith and Deacon Sean’s first vespers/Benediction. Read more
Who doesn’t crave that, especially this time of year? It turns out, we not only crave it, we need it. From author Pico Iyer, in this Sunday’s New York Times: LAST year, I flew to Singapore to join the writer Malcolm Gladwell, the fashion designer Marc Ecko and the graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister in addressing a group of advertising people on “Marketing to the Child of Tomorrow.” Soon after I arrived, the chief executive of the agency that had invited... Read more
Actually, this quote comes from a blog posting last week, but I just discovered it today (thank you, Deacon Scott Dodge!). From Deacon Bob Yerhot’s blog Catholic Faith and Reflections: Diaconal ministry is not about always doing more. It is about doing what is right in front of you with the grace of the diaconate. Remember, the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council envisioned the restored diaconate as a ministry largely focused on bringing the sacramental presence of Jesus the... Read more
The teenager died Christmas Day, just a week after making the brief videos below. Read more about his life here and here. But watch these two brief YouTube clips (which have become a phenomenon on the Internet). They are his legacy — moving, heartbreaking, but ultimately luminous and full of hope. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord… Read more
Would counseling have helped? Better pre-Cana? Details: The Italian man, identified by lawyers in the case only as Antonio C, was rifling through an old chest of drawers when he made the discovery a few days before Christmas. Notwithstanding the time that had elapsed since the betrayal, he was so upset that he immediately confronted his wife of 77 years, named as Rosa C, and demanded a divorce. Guilt-stricken, she reportedly confessed everything but was unable to persuade her husband... Read more
How cool is this? For information on how you can get your own, check out this website. They can accommodate iPads and various types of Kindle tablets, too. Read more
I shudder to think what baptisms would be like. Details: A church built entirely of ice and snow has opened in Bavaria — a century after villagers first built a snow church in an act of protest. The church at Mitterfirmiansreut, near the Czech border, is more than 65 feet in length and boasts a tower. It’s made up of some 49,000 cubic feet of snow. The structure was bathed in blue light as it opened Wednesday evening with a... Read more
This story broke in the fall — and a resolution was reached just before Christmas. Details: The nurses in the same-day surgery unit of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey can remain in their current jobs and will only be required to help patients with abortions in a life-threatening emergency when no other nonobjecting staff members are available and only until someone can be brought in to relieve them, according to the Dec. 22 agreement. U.S. District... Read more
He’s the latest GOP contender to have caught the fancy of caucus-goers — but his timing may be much better than the others. Details: Rick Santorum is the latest Republican candidate for president to gain momentum, as two other contenders, Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich, are either solidifying support or losing it rapidly. ust five days before Tuesday’s Iowa caucuses, former Pennsylvania senator Santorum is surging in the polls behind the support of caucus participants who identify themselves as born-again... Read more
I have. Several this morning, in fact. You can add these to the list of reasons why I need to wear an alb. These Occasions for Sin are a holiday staple at my in-laws: confections of colored marshmallows, wrapped in dark chocolate, and packed with enough calories to knock you out until the Rose Bowl parade. You can google for recipes, but here’s one I found. Some use coconut, gum drops or nuts. I like the simple marshmallow-and-chocolate variety myself. ... Read more
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