2016-09-30T17:44:20-04:00

She’s a widow, doing her thing outside Baltimore (go Terps!) and took a moment to chat with Margaret Cabaniss at  Inside Catholic. Snip: What does your average day look like? If you go back to the desert fathers, they say, “Go sit in your cell, and your cell will teach you everything.” That’s the kind of life it is. You’re in silence, you live simply. In a religious community, you would have a Rule; as a hermit, I have to... Read more

2016-09-30T17:44:20-04:00

The organization yesterday released an update on the sex abuse crisis still roiling the Catholic Church: Reports of current instances of sexual abuse of minors continues to decrease, with seven credible allegations against seven priests reported in 2010, according to the 2010 Survey of Allegations and Costs done by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, CARA. At the same time diocesan audits are uncovering weaknesses in audit compliance and finding reports of boundary violations short of abuse, such... Read more

2016-09-30T17:44:21-04:00

Some churches go all out to cover statues and crosses before Holy Week; others do hardly anything at all. The New Theological Movement has an interesting explanation: We will reproduce here the historical study offered by Fr. Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum Pontifical University (taken from Zenit): “It probably derives from a custom, noted in Germany from the ninth century, of extending a large cloth before the altar from the beginning of Lent. This cloth, called... Read more

2016-09-30T17:44:21-04:00

Get ready to update your PayPal account.  Now you can own some priceless religious objects — for a price. From the Associated Press: A lavishly jeweled cross and a ring once owned by Pope Paul VI are heading to auction on eBay. The items have turned up at a U.S. store owned by a Southern Baptist with a flair for self-promotion. It’s the latest stop on a strange journey involving luminaries ranging from UN Secretary General U Thant to Evel... Read more

2016-09-30T17:44:21-04:00

I went for a walk during lunch and stumbled on the scene below, just two blocks from my office.  (Incredibly, I took the shot with my cell phone.) Across the East River, on Roosevelt Island, there were no signs of either King Kong or the Green Goblin (despite what you might see in the movies.) But I did spot something else: little cherry blossom buds on the trees. Spring has finally come to New York.  Cue the Gershwin music, Woody. Read more

2016-09-30T17:47:09-04:00

It could happen — most notably in the late pontiff’s native Poland. The Vatican today released guidelines for observing the soon-to-be-Blessed’s feast day — to be marked on October 22 — along with the collect for that feast day’s mass, and other details: In the Diocese of Rome, where Pope John Paul served as bishop, and in all the dioceses of his native Poland, his feast day is to be inserted automatically into the annual calendar, the decree said. Oct.... Read more

2016-09-30T17:47:09-04:00

A gentle reminder: there are guidelines for posting comments.  Please make yourself familiar with them. Any comments that use slurs involving someone’s race, religion, political ideology or sexual orientation will be automatically deleted. Thank you for your cooperation. Dcn. G. Read more

2016-09-30T17:47:10-04:00

While the Diocese of Scranton’s decision to cancel an appearance by Michael Voris has made headlines, his standing in his own diocese is meriting a closer look. A reader posted the following in the comments: The Archdiocese of Detroit recently issued the following statement regarding St. Michaels’ Media and Real Catholic TV: “In 2006, St. Michael’s Media of Ferndale, Michigan, through its chief executive, Michael Voris, and his associates, requested approval of its apostolate and programming from the Archdiocese of... Read more

2016-09-30T17:47:10-04:00

Tim Drake over at the National Catholic Register has the scoop: A new report, “A Scandalous Relationship: Catholic Colleges and Planned Parenthood”, by the Manassas, Va.-based Cardinal Newman Society, reveals more than 150 current and past connections between Catholic colleges and universities and Planned Parenthood. The Cardinal Newman Society broke the connections down into seven different categories: Counseling and Medical Referrals; Internships and Fellowships; Job Referrals; Faculty, Staff, Leaders; Campus Clubs and Events, Academic Activities and Referrals; and Student and Alumni Recognition.... Read more

2016-09-30T17:47:10-04:00

With Holy Week approaching, a reader from Canada sent this my way: Leonard Cohen’s ubiquitous classic, rewritten to tell the story of Christ’s Passion, by singer Kelley Mooney. Read more

Follow Us!



Browse Our Archives