I just got back from a diaconal retreat in scenic East Flatbush, Brooklyn — the junkyards are lovely this time of year, by the way — and thought I’d share this little day-brightener, while I’m still enjoying a little post-retreat serenity. From “The Muppets” movie, due out this week, the opening number performed by the composer, Bret McKenzie, and his little green friend. Enjoy. Read more
Get a load of these intriguing details, courtesy Kathy Schiffer at Seasons of Grace: According to Tim Busch, one member of the Crystal Cathedral’s board told him as the court proceedings drew to an end, “I like the way you guys have handled this, and I’m going to convert to Catholicism.” Wednesday evening in the courtroom, she walked up to the bishop and repeated that. Schuller himself gave his blessing to the sale. “I could not abide the thought,” the... Read more
A parishioner took this and sent it my way: receiving a blessing from retired Brooklyn Bishop Thomas Daily before proclaiming the gospel at our parish’s Founders Day Mass last Sunday, a kickoff to the celebration of our parish centennial. Read more
A new study breaks ground and adds insight: The African-American community’s relationship with the Christian faith is well known and has been thoroughly documented, but a new study focusing on Black Catholics specifically, challenges common assumptions about one of the Black community’s less popular Christian churches. Overall, the findings show that the U.S.’s estimated three million Black Catholics are highly educated and deeply engaged in the church; they value the social and communal aspects of religious worship and are concerned about the status... Read more
From the National Catholic Youth Conference now underway in Indianapolis. Photo: from CNS. (See more pics here.) A local TV report: More than 23,000 Catholic youth are converging on Indianapolis for a gathering focused on faith, prayer and community. The National Catholic Youth Conference is a three-day event for high schoolers with workshops and service projects covering topics ranging from chastity and bullying to using social media to share faith, RTV6’s Julie Pursley reported. “We love doing events with our church,... Read more
While browsing the interwebs this morning, I stumbled on this bit of advice for public speakers in Forbes. I think it has some timely applications for those who speak from the ambo. In a nutshell, it offers five important tips: Meet the audience where they are Make a heartfelt human connection Show respect for the listener Inspire follow-up thinking/action Leave a lasting message of significance. Isn’t that, in a nutshell, what goes into a good homily? Read more. RELATED: When... Read more
Put simply, it’s a newfangled word that describes following the “path” to “theos” — the path to God. That and other intriguing nuggets can be found in this magazine piece that takes a look at how this website got started, and what it aims to do. Snip: [Founder Leo] Brunnick wanted to create a place where people could go to find answers for their faith-based questions: “Does God exist?,” “What are the origins of Islam?,” “What language did Jesus speak?”... Read more
It’s the latest sensation for some devoted — and devout — football fans: Tim Tebow delivered another miracle for the Broncos on Thursday night – at least that’s what many of the quarterback’s devout fans believe. After doing next to nothing all game, Tebow took his team the length of the field, scoring the winning touchdown in the final seconds. As Rick Sallinger of CBS News’ Denver affiliate CBS-4 reports, to fans in Denver, Tebow has been a savior. After a... Read more
The bidding war is over, and the Diocese of Orange will soon have a new cathedral in one of the most famous worship spaces in America. Details: In the end, 2,000 years of tradition carried the day. An Orange County bankruptcy judge ruled Thursday that the Crystal Cathedral, a monument to modernism in faith and architecture, will be sold for $57.5 million to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, which plans to consecrate it as a Catholic cathedral. The ruling... Read more
The miracle of life illustrated in a powerful and humbling new way. Take 10 minutes and be awed. Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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