Behold: below, the world’s largest over-water bridge, in China. Just over 26 miles long, it was inaugurated today, after four years of construction, at a cost of $2.3 billion. Fun fact: it’s six miles longer than the English Channel at its narrowest point. Details here. Read more
For some unapologetic couch potatoes, that’s a little like saying “How to make beer a source of happiness.” But — like beer — TV can also cause a few problems. Here are some helpful suggestions (courtesy, The Happiness Project) for avoiding those problems (other than just turning it off or giving it away): At lunch today, I was part of a spirited conversation on the pros and cons of reality TV. That’s a broad category, of course, covering a wide... Read more
How’s this for a Rocky Mountain High? Details: The Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception was filled with family, friends and clergy on June 25 to witness the ordination of eight men to the diaconate. Seven of the men—Matthew Archer, Charles Hahn, Steven Hinkle, Timothy Kelly, Jerome Kraft, Christopher Pomrening and Johnie Riviera—were ordained to serve the Archdiocese of Denver. One of the men—Colin Coleman—was ordained for the Community of the Beatitudes, a Catholic community that includes consecrated and lay... Read more
Just in time for the Independence Day holiday weekend, some disturbing allegations out of Texas. Details: Veterans in Houston say the Department of Veterans Affairs is consistently censoring their prayers by banning them from saying the words “God” and “Jesus” during funeral services at Houston National Cemetery. Three organizations — the Veterans of Foreign Wars, The American Legion and the National Memorial Ladies — allege that the cemetery’s director and other government officials have created “religious hostility” at the cemetery... Read more
Christian leaders including the Vatican, have agreed on guidelines. Details: The Vatican and other Christian representatives have issued a series of recommendations for evangelization in multifaith societies, rejecting aggressive or coercive methods but defending the right to profess, propagate or change one’s religion. The principles were outlined June 28 in a document titled, “Christian Witness in a Multi-Religious World: Recommendations for Conduct,” issued jointly by the Pontifical Council for the Interreligious Dialogue, the World Council of Churches and the World... Read more
Want to light a candle for someone you love? America’s most famous cathedral now lets you do that from the convenient comfort of your laptop: Each day, visitors from all over the world come to St. Patrick’s Cathedral to light a candle as an act of prayer. We invite you to participate in our community of faith by lighting a virtual prayer candle online. The contribution that accompanies the virtual prayer candle helps to maintain a safe and holy environment... Read more
“We ought to care that traditional marriage is in crisis. It is clear that children thrive best under the care of a mother and a father, and that removing this fixture from our culture is devastating to children and to our culture. If we do not fix marriage and family, we are doomed. Legislators defining marriage out of existence is going to make any restoration of it quite difficult. Some may argue that the phrase “defining marriage out of existence”... Read more
The software was developed by an Israeli team and it’s giving new insight into the multiple hands that wrote the scriptures. Details: The new software analyzes style and word choices to distinguish parts of a single text written by different authors, and when applied to the Bible its algorithm teased out distinct writerly voices in the holy book. The program, part of a sub-field of artificial intelligence studies known as authorship attribution, has a range of potential applications – from... Read more
From Alaska comes this unusual story of a divorced father recently ordained a priest (shown below with his daughter): It started out as just another routine day on patrol for Officer Steve Gallagher cruising the streets of Olympia, Wash. At an imposing 6’ 4” and 240 pounds, armed with a .45 caliber Heckler and Koch semiautomatic pistol, handcuffs and pepper spray, he was always ready to respond to the call. Like all cops, his goal at the end of his... Read more
Amazing: first pitch tossed out Monday night by a performer with Cirque du Soleil. Read more. Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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