With “Godspell,” as with so many things, you never forget your first time. Mine was in the spring of 1973, on an 8th grade class trip that took us down to Ford’s Theater in Washington to see that “hippie musical about Jesus,” as one of the nuns in the school disdainfully called it (though to this day, I think she had it confused with “Jesus Christ, Superstar”). Anyway, in 1973 all the kids at St. Peter’s School in Olney, Maryland... Read more
With the world population about to hit seven billion, the United Nations says the teaching of the Catholic Church isn’t really a factor, in part because few people actually follow it : The Catholic Church’s ban on the use of contraception is not to blame for the population boom that is about to tip the world over the seven billion mark because most Catholics ignore it, a UN Population Fund (UNFPA) official said on Wednesday. “In Catholic countries like Italy, Spain... Read more
Details, from the New York Times: A constitutional amendment facing voters in Mississippi on Nov. 8, and similar initiatives brewing in half a dozen other states including Florida and Ohio, would declare a fertilized human egg to be a legal person, effectively branding abortion and some forms of birth controlas murder. With this far-reaching anti-abortion strategy, the proponents of what they call personhood amendments hope to reshape the national debate. “I view it as transformative,” said Brad Prewitt, a lawyer and executive... Read more
Check out this touching video about an animal rescue out west. The story: Nili was dumped in the desert, and just sat there, waiting for her owner. My dear friends, Liraz and Alan saw her as they were driving home from Nevada to California and tried to help her. They spent 6 hours the first day, 6 hours the second day, and then they called me for help. Find out more at Hope For Paws. And see Nili’s story below. Read more
With “Godspell,” as with so many things, you never forget your first time. Mine was in the spring of 1973, on an 8th grade class trip that took us down to Ford’s Theater in Washington to see that “hippie musical about Jesus,” as one of the nuns in the school disdainfully called it (though to this day, I think she had it confused with “Jesus Christ, Superstar”). Anyway, in 1973 all the kids at St. Peter’s School in Olney, Maryland... Read more
Raymond Arroyo has a glimpse inside the profound faith of this Catholic singer — and Aaron Neville himself speaks movingly of his journey into drug addiction and back: “It’s four o’clock in the morning in New York, and I’m staying at a friend’s house, and I’m sitting there by myself with a tape recorder. And I’m singing Sam Cooke and the Soul Stirrers: ‘Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?,’ ‘One of These Mornings I’m Going Home.’ And I... Read more
If you find yourself in Chicago Thursday, you might want to wander over to the Simpson Living Learning Center (1032 West Sheridan Road) at 4 p.m. for what promises to be a lively presentation and discussion on the topic of women deacons. It’s to mark the official publication of the long-aborning book “Women Deacons: Past, Present and Future,” written by my good friend and brother deacon William Ditewig with Gary Macy and Phyllis Zagano. The discussion (including Q&A) will be... Read more
The astute John Allen has a take on the new Vatican document on economics that helps put it in perspective: Critics, dismayed by the note’s content, rather predictably have challenged its Vatican standing. George Weigel dismissed it as the product of a “rather small office in the Roman Curia” while Bill Donohue said it contains “neologisms” not found in the thought of Pope Benedict XVI. To be fair, there’s merit to these points. The note is hardly a dogmatic definition,... Read more
If you find yourself in Chicago Thursday, you might want to wander over to the Simpson Living Learning Center (1032 West Sheridan Road) at 4 p.m. for what promises to be a lively presentation and discussion on the topic of women deacons. It’s to mark the official publication of the long-aborning book “Women Deacons: Past, Present and Future,” written by my good friend and brother deacon William Ditewig with Gary Macy and Phyllis Zagano. The discussion (including Q&A) will be... Read more
Details: American Catholics have by and large remained loyal to the core teachings and sacraments of their faith, but increasingly tune out the hierarchy on issues of sexual morality, according to a new study released Monday (Oct. 24) The sweeping survey shows that over the last quarter-century, U.S. Catholics have become increasingly likely to say that individuals, not church leaders, have the final say on abortion, homosexuality, and divorce and remarriage. That trend holds true across generational and ideological divides,... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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