2016-09-30T17:40:15-04:00

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:40 pm   By

The numbers are grim, but sadly unsurprising, given the bad news out of the German church last year. Details: The number of people leaving the Roman Catholic Church in Germany jumped by nearly 50 percent in 2010 as an abuse scandal widened, new data showed Friday. Some 181,000 people quit their memberships last year, up from 124,000 in 2009, official numbers released by Germany’s Roman Catholic Church showed. Deaths and people turning away from the church heavily outnumbered baptisms, which reached a record... Read more

2016-09-30T17:40:15-04:00

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:40 pm   By

At my parish, we’re in the middle of an annual novena to St. John Vianney, praying for vocations to the priesthood. It’s a beautiful tradition in our church; we begin the novena with a jubiliarian celebrating mass, and we conclude nine days later with a newly ordained priest, who also offers special individual blessings after the Sunday liturgy. I thought of this today when I stumbled on this enlightening post by Msgr. Charles Pope, about the busy life of a... Read more

2016-09-30T17:40:15-04:00

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:40 pm   By

And now for something completely different. This is news to me, but apparently they do this every year.  The copy accompanying the video says simply: Hundreds of clowns made their annual pilgrimage to the Basilica of Our Lady Guadalupe in Mexico City to pay homage to the Virgin of Guadalupe. The artists are members of the Clown Club of Mexico and have been making the pilgrimage for 30 years. Read more

2016-09-30T17:40:15-04:00

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:40 pm   By

A group from the House Speaker John Boehner’s home state of Ohio sent him a letter today, as the debt crisis continued. The letter says: As one of the most powerful Catholics in Congress, you are now faced with a monumental choice. You can heed the consistent moral calls from Catholic leaders who have urged lawmakers to decrease our debt fairly and protect the most vulnerable, or you can yield to growing political pressure from Tea Party Republicans willing to... Read more

2016-09-30T17:40:15-04:00

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:40 pm   By

In tribute, a great poet reads a great poem by another great poet. Stanley Kunitz pays tribute.  The final lines remain among the most beautiful and hope-filled ever written.  Enjoy. Read more

2016-09-30T17:40:15-04:00

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:40 pm   By

One of my happiest memories is a visit to the Holy Land that my wife and I undertook in 2000.  This brief video brought back some of that experience, describing a pilgrimage known as “The Gospel Trail,” centering around the world that Jesus would have known and the path he would have walked. Take a look.  And check out more info at this link. Read more

2016-09-30T17:40:16-04:00

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:40 pm   By

Grab a Kleenex and take three minutes to watch this artful, heart-felt commercial for a life insurance company. Read more

2016-09-30T17:40:16-04:00

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:40 pm   By

The sudden death of Pietro Sambi may have a few people wondering.  Sambi had a critical role in planning Pope Benedict’s trip to the U.S. (below) in 2008.  But that’s just the beginning. A good explanation, from the USCCB: The nuncio is the Vatican’s ambassador to the United States.  (The United States and the Holy See have had full diplomatic relations since 1984.)  Like other ambassadors, Archbishop Sambi represents the Holy See’s views on various issues to the U. S.... Read more

2016-09-30T17:40:16-04:00

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:40 pm   By

As Washington confronts a potential economic catastrophe, two bishops sought to keep attention on those who are often forgotten. From the USCCB web site: In a July 26 letter to the U.S. House of Representatives, Bishop Stephen E. Blaire of Stockton, California, and Bishop Howard J. Hubbard of Albany, New York, called on Congress to remember the human and moral dimensions of the ongoing budget and debt ceiling debate. The bishops wrote, “A just framework for future budgets cannot rely... Read more

2016-09-30T17:40:16-04:00

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:40 pm   By

Rocco broke the news late yesterday, and notes that it’s the first time a papal legate to the U.S. has died in office: Pope Benedict’s representative to these shores since 2006 — and tipped to be in line for a Vatican post just a few weeks back — Sambi turned 73 in late June. As previously reported here, the veteran diplomat — a beloved figure in chancery and embassy circles alike — had been in grave condition at Johns Hopkins... Read more

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