He never gives up, does he? Details: A U.S. Catholic priest who supports ordination for women was detained briefly by police Monday after marching to the Vatican to press the Holy See to lift its ban on women priests. The Rev. Roy Bourgeois and about a dozen supporters had marched down the main boulevard leading to the Vatican holding a banner “Ordain Catholic Women” and chanting outside St. Peter’s Square “What do we want? Women priests! When do we want... Read more
My brother-in-law who teaches at Notre Dame sent me this great story this morning: a boy genius in Minnesota who was home-schooled — and who is weighing all his career options: Most people enter college as a teenager with the hope of graduating in four to five years, but in that same time span, one University of Minnesota freshman will be getting his driver’s license. Eleven-year-old Lucas Kramer is nearly finished with high school, but he spends most of his time... Read more
The movie about the fabled basketball team opens this Friday — did you know the original title was “Our Lady of Victory”? — but it took a long time to happen. The AP has the scoop: Here’s a sports fairy tale that never gets old: Underdog team with few resources but a lot of heart beats the odds and comes out on top. That is what actually happened to the 1971-72 women’s basketball squad at tiny Immaculata College. It’s also what... Read more
A remarkable story from the world of boxing, about a man who spent a quarter century behind bars for a murder he didn’t commit and finally, at the age of 52, lived his dream. From ESPN: Dewey Bozella landed a hard right cross on his opponent’s jaw at the final bell, and the 52-year-old boxer raised his arms in victory. After 26 years behind bars for a murder he didn’t commit, Bozella triumphantly realized a dream deferred in his first... Read more
The Church in Ireland has developed an innovative way to spread the word about vocations — one you can hold in the palm of your hand. Details: An establishment viewed as a bastion of tradition is turning to a new app to encourage more “applications.” The app, says the church, is “designed to promote vocations to the priesthood.” It is being hailed as a “world first” by the church in Ireland. “The app is an original approach to assist current... Read more
How does a diocese deal with having its bishop indicted? The New York Times visited a parish in Kansas City — the former parish of Fr. Shawn Rattigan, the priest at the center of the scandal — to find out. The Rev. Justin Hoye was struggling to figure out what, if anything, to say on Sunday to his parishioners at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church about the new turmoil facing the local Roman Catholic diocese. Days before, news had broken that... Read more
The interfaith prayer gathering happening next week will carry Pope Benedict’s own stamp, according to CNS, and welcome into dialogue in a special way nonbelievers and agnostics: The Oct. 27 event marks the 25th anniversary of the first such gathering. As in 1986, it is expected to draw representatives from many Christian denominations and more than a dozen other faiths. In convening the prayer summit, Pope Benedict XVI is clearly reaffirming the ecumenical and interreligious outreach of his predecessor, Blessed... Read more
While the standoff between Fr. Frank Pavone and his bishop appears to be at an impasse, (and some observers still find the whole thing far too murky) the local newspaper in Amarillo takes a closer look at the financial records of Priests for Life. Some details will be familiar to those who have been following this story, but it helps put the clash in context. Details: In a 1,883-word plea for donations, the Rev. Frank Pavone warns of “heralds of... Read more
It happened near the Lateran basilica during the “day of rage” planned for many cities around the world yesterday. Details: The Vatican has condemned Saturday’s violent clashes in central Rome including an attack by protesters on a church in which a crucifix and a statue of the Virgin Mary were destroyed. Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said he “condemned the violence and the fact that a church was desecrated by some protesters who broke in and destroyed some images.” He referred... Read more
That’s the question a woman asked me after Mass last night, as we introduced the altered musical settings for the new edition of the Roman Missal. A friend who was with her echoed the sentiment. She was baffled. “Are they going to change back?,” she asked. This, after months of bulletin announcements and articles about the coming changes — and multiple write-ups in the diocesan newspaper and in a variety of Catholic media that have been anticipating this moment. How... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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