This is, quite literally, the sound of silence, in England: It’s not the most obvious subject for a podcast, but a group of young Quakers in Nottingham have recorded their 30-minute silent meeting so as to share their “oasis of calm” with the world. In an episode of the monthly Young Quaker Podcast, called the Silence Special, you can hear a clock ticking, pages being turned and the rain falling, as the group meets and sits in silence at the Friend’s Meeting House... Read more
This is a new practice to me, but evidently it’s common in some parts of the world: As Orthodox Christians around the world celebrated Easter on Sunday, a town on Greece’s Peloponnese peninsula observed the holy day by burning an effigy of Judas at sea. The ritual burning of Judas is a custom also observed by Roman Catholics in parts of Latin America as a symbolic punishment for Judas’ betrayal of Christ for a monetary reward. The tradition dates back centuries... Read more
From Gallup’s website: Weekly church attendance has declined among U.S. Catholics in the past decade, while it has remained steady among Protestants. From 2014 to 2017, an average of 39% of Catholics reported attending church in the past seven days. This is down from an average of 45% from 2005 to 2008 and represents a steep decline from 75% in 1955. By contrast, the 45% of Protestants who reported attending church weekly from 2014 to 2017 is essentially unchanged from... Read more
From the pope’s timely and welcome exhortation released today: 114. We need to recognize and combat our aggressive and selfish inclinations, and not let them take root. “Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger” (Eph 4:26). When we feel overwhelmed, we can always cling to the anchor of prayer, which puts us back in God’s hands and the source of our peace. “Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything, by prayer... Read more
An interesting development. From the Archdiocese of Philadelphia website: In July 2014, Saint Mary Parish merged with Saint Matthew Parish, both located in Conshohocken (Montgomery County), as part of the Parish Areas Pastoral Planning Initiative taking part throughout the five-county Archdiocese. At that time, the Saint Mary Church building became a worship site of Saint Matthew Parish and was made available for occasional liturgical use as is customary whenever possible in the case of a parish merger. Additional information regarding... Read more
It’s not unusual to see magazine stories about Mary or the Nativity during the Christmas season. Most end up being cynical, skeptical or flat-out incredulous —intent on debunking what believing Christians consider miraculous, but what more snarky historians might label as myth. So I was pleasantly surprised to pick up a special edition of National Geographic and find a full issue devoted to the subject of Mary—treated, to my surprise, with respect and even a certain degree of reverence. Written... Read more
The bishops of Missouri have issued a statement on gun violence, and one of the bishops has given an interview explaining the thinking behind it: Missouri’s four Roman Catholic bishops said the frequency of shootings in the United States is making the public “numb to the profound impact on those directly affected,” in a recently issued joint statement. The Rev. W. Shawn McKnight, bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Jefferson City, said the state’s bishops are in complete agreement that... Read more
This great Easter season hymn of Marian devotion and rejoicing returns! It was sung last weekend at the Vatican: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGR5NhlJj9U Some background: The Regina Cæli or Regina Cœli (“Queen of Heaven“) is an ancient Latin Marian Hymn of the Christian Church. It is one of the four seasonal Marian antiphons of the Blessed Virgin Mary, prescribed to be sung or recited in the Liturgy of the Hours at the conclusion of the last of the hours to be prayed in common that day, typically night prayer (Compline or Vespers). Any one of these four... Read more
I had a wonderful two days up in Boston, where I was privileged to give the keynote at this year’s Co-Workers in the Vineyard Conference. I was given a warm welcome by the Rev. Christopher O’Connor, the President of the Theological Institute at St. John’s Seminary and Dr. Aldona Lingertat, who directs the Master of Arts in Ministry program at the Institute. (Their staff was pretty awesome and welcoming, too!) I spent Thursday night after my arrival at St. John’s... Read more
From ANSA, an update on a story that shocked and saddened so many: A 29-year-old US seminarian found dead in his room in Rome on Monday, Anthony Freeman, died of a congenital heart condition, the Legionaries of Christ said after an autopsy Friday. Freeman died of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a condition in which the heart’s ability to pump blood is decreased because the heart’s main pumping chamber, the left ventricle, is enlarged and weakened. In some cases, it prevents the... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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