Last month, Norma Jean Coon renounced her attempted ordination to the diaconate. And on Friday, the feast of the Annunciation, she publicly announced that her excommunication was lifted: The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has lifted any canonical sanctions that I incurred by attempting ordination as a deacon. A letter from Bishop Robert Brom states that I may now return to the full practice of our Catholic faith. I have been very touched at the remarkable support of... Read more
In tune with today’s gospel, Peter, Paul and Mary perform a classic folk spiritual (evidently from a televised performance in Japan…) Read more
One of the most famous — some would say, infamous — Catholic politicians of the last 30 years has died after a long battle with cancer. For a time, she was a regular at my parish in Queens, and people still talk about rounding the corner in the grocery store and nearly crashing into her shopping cart, amazed to see her there, picking up cans of creamed corn or eyeballing cuts of beef. Details: Geraldine Ferraro, the Democratic congresswoman who... Read more
Today’s gospel poses this intriguing challenge: What would happen if we met Jesus in the middle of an ordinary day? How would we react? Well, consider the story of a young Japanese woman named Satoko Kitahara. Last week the new Archbishop of Los Angeles, Jose Gomez, used one of his homilies to tell her story. I think she has much to say to us today. Satoko was a wealthy young woman who lived in Tokyo in the years after World... Read more
Today’s gospel poses this intriguing challenge: What would happen if we met Jesus in the middle of an ordinary day? How would we react? Well, consider the story of a young Japanese woman named Satoko Kitahara. Last week the new Archbishop of Los Angeles, Jose Gomez, used one of his homilies to tell her story. I think she has much to say to us today. Satoko was a wealthy young woman who lived in Tokyo in the years after World... Read more
Santa Cruz Media, which owns and distributes Fr. John Corapi’s CDs and DVDs has posted the following statement on his website: We are a secular corporation and not affiliated with the Catholic Church in any way. As such, we are not under the jurisdiction of any bishop or other official in the Catholic Church, although we have the utmost respect for Church authority. We fully support Rev. John Corapi in this terrible trial, not surprisingly having begun on Ash Wednesday.... Read more
Further proof that there’s a blog for everyone, and about everything: word from across the pond that there’s now a blog up and running that pays tribute to the traditional headgear worn by priests. (Below, an image of one being worn by deacons!) You can visit the blog, Domus Birettarum, to see more for yourself. The tone is playful and puckish. A snip: It being spring, as good a time to start as any, we thought we’d begin with a... Read more
The Annunciation, as depicted in the movie “The Nativity”: This morning, a priest burst into my cubicle and said cheerfully: “Happy Feast Day! We are all announcing the Good News! This is our feast!” Then he bopped on to the next cubicle to repeat the same message. Well, it’s not quite the same annunciation that Mary received, but what a blessed reminder that you never know where, or how, one of God’s heralds will visit you. Happy Feast Day, Christians... Read more
A few weeks back, I posted this prayer by St. Therese. Now seems a good time to revisit it: O Jesus, Eternal Priest, keep your priests within the shelter of your sacred heart, where none may touch them. Keep unstained their anointed hands, which daily touch your sacred body. Keep unsullied their lips, daily purpled with your precious blood. Keep pure and unearthly their hearts, sealed with the sublime mark of your priesthood. Let your holy love surround them, and... Read more
A beautiful illustration of the Annunciation, celebrated every March 25th, as interpreted by one of my favorite biblical artists, James Tissot: Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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