Hundreds of members of United Methodist Church file formal complaint against Jeff Sessions

Last updated on: June 19, 2018 at 6:56 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Details: More than 600 members of the United Methodist Church have issued a formal complaint against Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a fellow church member, charging that his “zero tolerance” policy on immigration violates church rules and may constitute child abuse. Officially, the complaint charges Sessions with violating the United Methodist Church’s Book of Discipline, its code of laws and social principles. Such charges could lead to a church trial, though few expect that to happen to the attorney general, the... Read more

Bishop on border separation: ‘We cannot choose which parts of the truth we believe in’

Last updated on: June 19, 2018 at 7:11 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

From Bridgeport Bishop Frank Caggiano: As our nation continues to grapple with the practice of separating children from their families at the border, we must distinguish our political feelings on this issue from the actual teachings of the Lord Jesus, who is the fullness of Truth Himself. As a son of immigrants, the thought of separating children from their parents as an instrument of immigration policy is personally very troubling to me. It is also inconsistent with our moral values... Read more

Chris Pratt tells young people at MTV Movie Awards ‘God is real. God loves you.’

Last updated on: June 19, 2018 at 6:47 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

It’s not often you hear a Hollywood speech like this one. Actor Chris Pratt — about to hit the screens in “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” — was honored at the 2018 MTV Movie and TV Awards yesterday. He delivered an earthy, frank, funny, gross, yet inspirational speech that encouraged young people to learn how to pray, reassured them that God loves them — and also offered practical advice on how to minimize bathroom odor at a party. I’ll say this:... Read more

Visiting the cathedral in Green Bay: Was St. Stephen a Packer?

Last updated on: June 21, 2018 at 9:08 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

While in Wisconsin for the Catholic Media Conference, I got to attend Mass at Green Bay’s beautiful St. Francis Xavier Cathedral and meet Bishop David Ricken. About the cathedral: Saint Francis Xavier Cathedral was consecrated on November 20, 1881 after five years of construction. The original cost of $35,000 was contributed by the immigrant population of the area, the Bavarian Mission Society in Germany, including a donation from King Ludwig I and friends of Bishop Francis Xavier Krautbauer, the second Bishop... Read more

A former pro football player is about to become a nun. I’m not kidding.

Last updated on: June 18, 2018 at 3:48 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Seriously. Read on, via CNA: Every single vocation story is different, but Sr. Rita Clare (Anne) Yoches is probably one of the more unusual. Sr. Rita Clare, who this month will profess final vows with the Franciscan Sisters T.O.R. of Penance of the Sorrowful Mother, was a four-time national champion professional football player prior to entering the convent. Yes, that’s American football. (She was a fullback.) Nowadays, the only football Yoches is playing is the annual two-hand touch game she organizes with... Read more

Ordination update: 16 new deacons for Philadelphia

Last updated on: June 18, 2018 at 11:03 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

Details from CatholicPhilly.com: Sixteen men drawn from various walks of life — chemist, doctor, driver, sales director, engineer, pharmacist and accountant, just to name a few — were ordained as permanent deacons by Archbishop Charles Chaput on the morning of June 9 at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul. …In his homily Archbishop Chaput spoke of the level of alienation in society today including loneliness as a mounting health problem, and the rising rate of suicide — for... Read more

Steve Bannon tells ABC News he’s missing Mass to be on TV — and then he slams the Pope

Last updated on: June 17, 2018 at 11:03 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

The former top advisor to President Trump went on ABC News This Week on Sunday to talk about the White House’s controversial move on immigration — enforcing a policy that separates parents from children at the border — and spoke about growing criticism from religious leaders, including Pope Francis. From the transcript, in Bannon’s interview with correspondent Jonathan Karl: KARL: So what about the religious leaders? What about — you have the evangelicals, people like Franklin Graham calling it disgraceful,... Read more

Called to surf: Remembering the ‘Surfing Padre’ who transformed California culture

Last updated on: June 17, 2018 at 7:13 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Somehow this slipped off my radar screen, but the man who was a legend among surfers in Southern California died in late April: Beloved Rev. Christian Mondor, known for starting the annual Blessing of the Waves in Huntington Beach, died Wednesday just two days before his 93rd birthday, Sts. Simon & Jude Catholic Church told its families Thursday. “He loved life to the fullest and the people to whom he ministered, fighting to stay with them until the very end,” Rev.... Read more

Kellyanne Conway criticizes border separation policy ‘as a mother, as a Catholic’

Last updated on: June 17, 2018 at 6:55 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Details: White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said Sunday “nobody likes” the Trump administration’s policy of separating families who cross the border illegally, but indicated President Trump will not act unilaterally to change it. “As a mother, as a Catholic, as somebody who’s got a conscience … I will tell you that nobody likes this policy,” Conway said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “Congress passed the law that it is a crime to enter this country illegally. So if they don’t like that law, they... Read more

What does it really mean to be pro-life and pro-family?

Last updated on: June 17, 2018 at 9:32 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

From an op-ed in today’s New York Times by Charles Camosy, of Democrats for Life: What does “pro-life, pro-family” really mean? The idea behind that phrase has long been an important organizing principle for pro-life groups like Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council. For many who work for these organizations — or who vote for candidates endorsed by them — being “pro-life, pro-family” is not a euphemism for opposing abortion and same-sex marriage. It acknowledges that protecting children, including ones... Read more