A reader alerted me to this item in the Huffington Post, recalling the so-called “Immortal Chaplains” who went down with the USAT Dorchester in 1943. As Wikipedia notes: The “Immortal Chaplains” were four United States Army chaplains who gave their lives to save other civilian and military personnel during the sinking of the troop ship USAT Dorchester during World War II. They helped other soldiers board lifeboats and gave up their own life jackets when the supply ran out. The... Read more
This evidently kicked up a storm (pun intended) last week: news about a Canadian couple that has decided to keep their new baby’s gender a secret. Details: When Kathy Witterick gave birth to her third child in January, friends and family knew not to send blue or pink balloons. The Toronto Star reports that, following their home waterbirth, Witterick, 38, and her husband, David Stocker, 39, sent a simple email to everyone in their social network, explaining that they planned... Read more
I had these when I was a kid, and now I remember why I loved them so much. Get a load of the video below: a life-sized Hot Wheels car, driven by Top Gear‘s Tanner Foust, nails a world record-setting 332-foot jump in a modified Pro 2 truck. Cool. Way cool. Maybe next time he could try a loop? (Um, btw, don’t try this at home…) Read more
With Memorial Day tomorrow, we marked the occasion 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, irreverent.) All of which makes you wonder: is... Read more
And he’s been called that because of ardently pro-Catholic letters he writes for the hometown newspaper in Minnesota. From the Duluth News Tribune: Every 30 days or so he and his opinions are published in the letters to the editor section of the News Tribune. He’d be in more often if we let him, no doubt, if we didn’t insist writers wait at least a month between submissions to give others a chance to have their words read. For half... Read more
Back in the 1940s, a father found himself spending one too many Saturday afternoons at a California amusement park with his two young daughters. He’d spend a couple hours on a park bench, reading the paper or watching the skies for signs of rain, mostly feeling bored. And he would look around and see dozens of other parents doing the exact same thing, while their children rode the carousel. And he thought: wouldn’t it be great if there was a... Read more
Think I could overlook Brooklyn? Fuggedaboutit. From the In My Backyard Desk: the ordinations happened this morning, and will surely mark a Memorial Day weekend these men and their families will never forget. The sacrament was celebrated at Our Lady of Angels Church in Brooklyn — one of the largest in the diocese, and a frequent site for episcopal ordinations. (A footnote: I received the Rite of Acolyte there back in 2006.) The parish was also home to a number... Read more
Think I could overlook Brooklyn? Fuggedaboutit. From the In My Backyard Desk: the ordinations happened this morning, and will surely mark a Memorial Day weekend these men and their families will never forget. The sacrament was celebrated at Our Lady of Angels Church in Brooklyn — one of the largest in the diocese, and a frequent site for episcopal ordinations. (A footnote: I received the Rite of Acolyte there back in 2006.) The parish was also home to a number... Read more
Back in the 1940s, a father found himself spending one too many Saturday afternoons at a California amusement park with his two young daughters. He’d spend a couple hours on a park bench, reading the paper or watching the skies for signs of rain, mostly feeling bored. And he would look around and see dozens of other parents doing the exact same thing, while their children rode the carousel. And he thought: wouldn’t it be great if there was a... Read more
Tuesday, my wife and I marked our 25th wedding anniversary with a special mass in Orlando, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary Queen of the Universe. (A big hat tip to my friend, blog reader, and hard-working Disney employee Fernando Martinez, who made it all possible — and provided cupcakes after! His son, Fernando Jr., served as roving photographer.) The celebrant for this little liturgy — those in attendance, including my wife and me, numbered six —... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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