Cardinal: priests have no experience, credibility to prepare couples for marriage

Last updated on: July 4, 2018 at 2:22 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

From The Irish Times: Priests have no credibility when it comes to training people for marriage, according to the most senior Irish cleric in the Vatican. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, from Drimnagh in Dublin and prefect (head) of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life said “priests are not the best people to train others for marriage. “They have no credibility; they have never lived the experience; they may know moral theology, dogmatic theology in theory, but to go from there to putting it... Read more

Diocese of Springfield’s oldest parish gets its first deacon administrator

Last updated on: July 4, 2018 at 3:30 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

This is already happening in other places around the country. Details: Assignments have been announced for two recently ordained priests in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield as well the announcement that Holy Name of Jesus Parish in Chicopee — the diocese’s oldest — will have its first deacon administrator. Deacon David Southworth, long a permanent deacon in the diocese, will be responsible for the day-to-day administrative and pastoral functions of the parish with no priest in residence. Permanent deacons have... Read more

This may be one of the hardest things a Christian can do. But do it anyway.

Last updated on: July 3, 2018 at 7:17 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Like everyone else, I’ve been encountering too much bitterness, anger and acrimony online lately. The Independence Day fireworks are starting early. There has to be a better way. There is. And it isn’t easy. Indeed, it may be one of the hardest things a faithful Christian can do. It goes against every instinct we have as fallen children of Adam — but it is the way of the saints. From the vault, I offer you this tender advice from Pope Francis: “Too... Read more

What about singing a patriotic song at Mass?

Last updated on: July 3, 2018 at 5:50 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

I first wrote about this several years back in these pages: We marked [4th of July] today with a rousing verse of “America the Beautiful,” segueing into “God Bless America” after the final announcements, and before the final blessing. The flag was also dragged out from its place in the corner, and planted prominently beside the pulpit. (Despite that, we heard grumblings about only singing one verse of “America the Beautiful,” as if that were somehow illicit or, at least,... Read more

Kate Spade’s Catholic funeral

Last updated on: July 3, 2018 at 6:48 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

This didn’t garner much attention when it happened a little over a week ago, but it seems worth noting. From the Kansas City Star: The funeral service for fashion icon and Kansas Citian Kate Spade began with the singing of “The First Noel,” because she was born on Christmas Eve and her middle name was Noel. It ended with some 1,000 voices — friends, family and hundreds of others who simply admired the designer — singing “Danny Boy,” honoring her... Read more

Bishops at the border describe ‘somber’ experience visiting detained migrant children

Last updated on: July 3, 2018 at 6:29 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

From CNS: In less than 48 hours, a group of Catholic bishops saw the faces of triumph and relief from migrants who had been recently released by immigration authorities, but ended their two-day journey to the border with a more “somber” experience, visiting detained migrant children living temporarily within the walls of a converted Walmart. During a news conference after the second and last day of their visit July 2, they stressed the “urgent” need to do something to help... Read more

‘We’re at the top of the roller coaster now’: Newly ordained deacon launches blog about his daily life in Holy Orders

Last updated on: July 2, 2018 at 11:38 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

This is simply a great idea, from Deacon Ken Crawford from the Diocese of Sacramento: I was ordained on June 30th, 2018 at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament by Bishop Jaime Soto. This website is a journal of my life as a Deacon. My intent is to post a journal entry every morning in 3 formats: video, audio podcast and text blog-post. Some background on me: I am a life-long Californian, born to fallen away Catholics. I was raised... Read more

On Amy Barrett, abortion and questions of faith

Last updated on: July 2, 2018 at 11:07 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

The National Law Journal has a good overview of Judge Amy Coney Barrett, said to be on Donald Trump’s short list of contenders to replace Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court. There’s a lot to love about Barrett—a Notre Dame grad, observant Catholic, and mother of seven children who has written about her faith and drawn some fire for it. The Journal notes: If Barrett gets the nod, the stakes are much higher, and “strict scrutiny” inside and outside of... Read more

WATCH: This will knock you out

Last updated on: July 2, 2018 at 8:47 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

Social media has lots of videos of babies hearing sound for the first time. It’s wondrous and wonderful. But you don’t often see this, from another point of view: the mother. Over the weekend, the brief video became a sensation on social media. Details: “I thought she would probably cry and scream when her CIs (cochlear impants) were activated—and she did do that later when it became overwhelming—but to see her hearing sound and enjoying it was just incredible,” she... Read more

‘I like to sneak the vegetables in’: how a Catholic writer brings faith to ‘Madam Secretary’

Last updated on: July 2, 2018 at 7:05 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

A great profile of the kind of person you don’t find very much in Hollywood, Catholic screenwriter Joy Gregory, via NCR: “I like to ‘sneak the vegetables in’ without people knowing about it,” Gregory told NCR, referring to how she works in storylines of redemption, spiritual struggle and even overt references to faith as a television writer and producer. That has been easier in her last two jobs on “Madam Secretary” and the teen fantasy drama “Joan of Arcadia” —... Read more