If you find yourself in Los Angeles, in between going on tours to see the homes of the stars or dining at Spago, take a side trip to 555 Temple Street. There, in a corner of the city that’s a little off the beaten track, you’ll find a home for some other stars – the kind you might not have expected to see. It’s the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels – a big, boxy, modernist building dedicated in... Read more
Really? REALLY? Yep. Check out the website. Read more
When was the last time a presidential candidate was able to sing like THIS? Whatever your political leanings, you gotta admit: Herman Cain’s got a fine set of pipes. He rocks the house at the National Press Club. Read more
“Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow.” — Steve Jobs’ final words, according to his sister. Read her eulogy. Read more
That appears to be the case in Europe, at least. Details: Catholics are more likely to support government intervention in the economy than Protestants and also have a stronger preference for sharing wealth equally, a European Central Bank study said. The research paper also said Max Weber’s theories about the Protestant work ethic were supported by the results of the study and that they apply more widely than thought, including in the choice of political institutions and in explaining income... Read more
If you find yourself in Los Angeles, in between going on tours to see the homes of the stars or dining at Spago, take a side trip to 555 Temple Street. There, in a corner of the city that’s a little off the beaten track, you’ll find a home for some other stars – the kind you might not have expected to see. It’s the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels – a big, boxy, modernist building dedicated in... Read more
It’s a face that is increasingly diverse, and foreign-born, according to his report from the AP: The schedules for Mass at the two Roman Catholic churches in Jaffa, on Israel’s Mediterranean coast, reveal a change that has dramatically, if quietly, altered the face of Christianity in the Holy Land. The two Masses in Arabic for the town’s native Arab Christian population are outnumbered by four in English, attended mainly by Filipina caregivers. Then there are others in Spanish, for South Americans;... Read more
With people starting to wander afield, and the conversation growing increasingly acrimonious, I decided to close comments on this thread about ordaining women as deacons. I’m passing the baton to one of the authors of the book in question, Deacon Bill Ditewig, who was more than happy to continue the conversation over at his joint. He notes: After the fantastically positive experience of writing the book itself and the equally positive reception at the launch at Loyola University, Chicago, it... Read more
For years, people have decried the commercialization of Christmas. Now, it’s Halloween’s turn. A priest from Bakersfield, CA takes note of this phenomenon: The Roman Catholic Church in a sense baptized numerous customs of the cultures which were converted, as long as they were not in open conflict with the gospel and doctrines of the faith. This essentially allowed the faith to spread more quickly. This is how Easter acquired Easter eggs and the Easter bunny, and Christmas acquired holly,... Read more
What happens when a dummy — a real one, not just a dumb one — goes trick-or-treating? Stuff like this. As the YouTube description notes: For a Halloween Prank we dressed up a 4 foot dummy to look like a trick or treater complete with bag of candy (and a hidden microphone). Then we went door to door with our fake “Timmy” to see what kind of reactions we would get. Take it away, Timmy. Read more
The Deacon's Bench
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In