I’ll be dropping by the studios of Sirius Radio later today to appear on The Catholic Channel’s “Word to Life” program, where I’ll be talking about this Sunday’s scripture readings with Fr. Bruno Shah, O.P. The show airs at noon ET, channel 129. If you’re looking for something to help you sleep, this could do it! Read more
That sound you hear is my palm slapping my forehead. Details: In this horrific age of LGBT kids taking their own lives, they need to know that they ARE BEAUTIFUL and their lives are worth living. Aside from those that are committing suicide, the bullies that facilitate these tragedies need to learn that homophobia is NOT okay. They need to know that acceptance of their fellow human beings would indeed plant a seed of peace that will reverberate throughout the... Read more
He’s attracting a lot of attention as he opens a new show near Boston. From the Boston Globe: John Frederick Arens is a cutting-edge artist. His Allston studio is stuffed from floor to ceiling with paintings of every size. Stacks of small, colorful abstracts jostle for space in the shadow of a 6-foot blue mammoth. An unfinished sketch of a bodhisattva in prayer teeters on a leaning pile of seascapes. His newest series, scattered amongst the chaos, features oversized, colored-in... Read more
“The prevailing goals are to see creditors satisfied, adequately provide for all constituents and stakeholders, and accommodate the Diocese of Orange’s need for a new cathedral, while respecting the CCM ministry and its legacy. It is the Diocese’s intention to safeguard Rev. Schuller’s cherished landmark from potential commercial development or general purpose uses. ‘This sanctuary should remain a place of worship and remembrance, nothing less,’ said Bishop Tod D. Brown. ‘Further, the Diocese itself would have access to a much-needed... Read more
People ask me that question all the time, and Taylor Marshall offers the answer on this day, the saint’s feast: The Venerable Pope Pius XII declared Saint Clare of Assisi as patroness of television in 1958 when televisions were becoming universally common. Why did the pope choose this thirteenth century Franciscan foundress who was dedicated to evangelical poverty and would not have owned a television? The reason is that Saint Clare, way back in the 1200s, was the first to... Read more
A Catholic parish in Syracuse, New York plans to do just that in tribute to the man listed as the first official fatality of the 9/11 attacks, Fr. Mychal Judge. From Religion News Service: Like most Americans, Brother Edmund Dwyer was stunned by early coverage of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C. As he struggled to grasp the scope of the carnage, scrolling type along the bottom of his television screen announced the death of... Read more
This one is unfolding in Florida: The folks who live in this sparsely populated rural region along Florida’s upper west coast don’t like outsiders butting in, especially when it comes to their religious beliefs. They’re miffed, to put it politely, and appealing a federal judge’s order to remove a five-foot high granite monument that prominently displays the Ten Commandments in front of the Dixie County courthouse by Sunday. It’s the latest skirmish in a years-long conflict across theUnited States between state... Read more
You’re looking at it. Internet use — and misuse — is straining marriages more than ever in at least one country, according to a new report: The Catholic Church’s marriage counselling service says the misuse of the internet is the fastest-growing cause of marital difficulty in Ireland. ACCORD’s annual report for 2010 showed that while the number of people listing internet usage as a factor in their difficulties only accounted for a small number of the total complaints, it was... Read more
Because their vending machines dispense fresh baguettes. See it in action, below. Read more
How’s this for a wedding-a-palooza, from Catholic San Francisco: St. Thomas More Parish in San Francisco is hosting a wedding for as many as 20 couples — one parish’s response to a decline of almost 50 percent in weddings among Catholics in the past two decades. “We’ll be doing a real shebang. Areal wedding,” said Joe Espinueva, a parishioner and organizer of “Operation I Do,” a totally free wedding and reception for couples who were civilly but not sacramentally married... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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