Some may remember the story I posted about this family a couple months back. Well, the stork just made a delivery: The wait is over. The well-known Kent County couple with 13 sons has welcomed another baby into the family and — you guessed it — it’s another son. Jay and Kateri Schwandt on Wednesday, April 18 announced the birth of a baby boy weighing 8 pounds, 4 ounces and 21 inches long. The baby was born shortly before 6... Read more
From The Washington Post: First Congregational Church of Oakland shares a neighborhood with many homeless people who often come to the church in times of mental health crises. Sometimes church members feel unequipped to deal with the erratic behavior: The most heart-wrenching scenes, volunteer leader Nichola Torbett says, are the times when the church is closing for the day, and a person with nowhere else to go absolutely refuses to leave the building. At least once or twice a month,... Read more
This arrived in my in-box this afternoon. Exciting news about Deacon Digest: Deacon Dominic Cerrato has been named editor of Deacon Digest magazine, a publication of Our Sunday Visitor serving permanent deacons and their families. The announcement was made April 19 by Gretchen R. Crowe, editor-in-chief of Our Sunday Visitor. “Deacon Dominic is the ideal person to be editor of Deacon Digest as it seeks to support, serve, form and inform permanent deacons in the United States and around the... Read more
Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Rick Astley performing That Song (you know which one) with Choir! Choir! Choir! last month in Canada. Click and watch and smile. Seriously. Read more
From Catholic News Agency: The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has reportedly rejected a planned proposal by the German bishops’ conference to publish guidelines permitting non-Catholic spouses of Catholics to receive the Eucharist in some limited circumstances. Austrian news site kath.net has reported that Vatican sources say the CDF, with papal approval, has suspended the German bishops’ proposal, and sources close to the congregation have confirmed this to CNA. It is not clear whether the Vatican has asked the bishops’ conference to... Read more
A reader sent me the snapshot below, announcing diaconal ordinations next weekend. Among other things, the story evidently has the wrong day. It’s Saturday, not Sunday. Another report has more: Six men will be ordained permanent deacons for the Diocese of New Ulm April 21. The six men will be ordained by Bishop John M. LeVoir at 10 a.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Sleepy Eye. This will be the second group of men to be ordained as permanent... Read more
The resemblance is uncanny: At 80 years old he has a career spanning more than five decades. Yet Sir Anthony Hopkins proved he has no plans to slow down as he threw himself into work filming a Netflix movie that will explore the relationship between Pope Benedict and Pope Francis. Donning papal robes as he made his way around the set in Rome on Wednesday, the legendary actor was transformed in his role as Pope Benedict XVI. As Sir Anthony was seen leaving... Read more
From The New York Times: Even in the final days of her life, Barbara Bush retained the sharp tongue that belied her grandmotherly image. When her eldest son, former President George W. Bush, visited about 10 days before her death, the two playfully needled each other in the way they always did. At one point, Mrs. Bush turned to her doctor. “You want to know why George W. is the way he is?” she asked. The doctor looked a little surprised.... Read more
I just love this picture of New York’s Cardinal Timothy Dolan, sharing a laugh with Syrian refugee children in Lebanon. The cardinal is on a pastoral visit for CNEWA. Read all about it at ONE-TO-ONE, CNEWA’s blog (which, not coincidentally, Your Humble Blogger edits.) Read more
From the BBC: One of Scotland’s top bishops claims the Catholic Church may be its own worst enemy in spreading its beliefs. The Bishop of Galloway has released a letter suggesting: “It could be argued that the greatest obstacle to preaching the gospel today in Scotland is the Catholic Church itself.” The clergyman’s letter came just days after a priest from his diocese was jailed for child sex abuse. He said negative publicity was “embarrassing” to Catholics. The pastoral letter... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In