From the Catholic Standard, here’s a great profile of love and service, featuring brothers who are deacons in the Archdiocese of Washington: In the fall of 1987, Deacons Joseph, James and John Somerville were interviewed and photographed by the Catholic Standard newspaper of the Archdiocese of Washington, for a story that noted their distinction then of being the only three brothers in the United States to be serving as permanent deacons in the Catholic Church. Describing the close-knit brothers, the... Read more

The debate about arming teachers in classrooms reminded me of this post from a few years ago, which raised the question about whether priests should be armed. From Father Z:  Priests and bishops can carry hand guns, according to the laws of the place where they live. Priests are not second class citizens. They are – right now at least – not prohibited by laws of the state or laws of the Church. Should bishops carry hand guns?  That is another question.... Read more

In an unusual move, a bishop — Thomas Paprocki of Springfield, Illinois —has posted this public statement on the diocesan website: I agree completely with His Eminence, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities, who called the U.S. Senate’s failure to pass the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act “appalling.” Fourteen Catholic senators voted against the bill that would have prohibited abortions starting at 20 weeks after fertilization, including Sen. Richard Durbin, whose... Read more

Johnny Galecki  is one of the executive producers behind “Living Biblically,” which CBS debuts next week.  It’s an audacious and, it seems, sincere attempt to treat religion with some seriousness—albeit, in a sitcom. Details:  “The Big Bang Theory” star Johnny Galecki is taking a leap of faith with his new show “Living Biblically.” The actor, who plays physicist Leonard Hofstadter on the CBS hit comedy series “The Big Bang Theory,” has taken his talents behind the camera for his new... Read more

Great wisdom from a great Christian, who entered eternal life today at the age of 99: When Billy Graham preached, he said that death was, of course, inevitable. As no one knew when Christ would return, he said, everyone should think instead about the sure thing they did know: the certainty of their own death. While some fundamentalists predicted that some believers would escape death in the Rapture, the evangelist repeatedly insisted that death fell on everyone. In his remarks at former president... Read more

She’s become a force on YouTube and social media, and now the 22-year-old woman behind Lizzie’s Answers is making the biggest leap of her life, becoming Catholic. Lizzie Estella Reezay announced it on YouTube (you can watch it above). Her background: Hi, I’m Lizzie!  I worship God, am addicted to editing videos and zebra print makes me really happy!!  I created my YouTube channel LizziesAnswers when I was 15.  Now I’m 22 and a graduate of Pepperdine University!  While I was a student there, I studied Philosophy & Religion,... Read more

Well, here it is. Details:  Fr. Nolan, a priest from the Diocese of Boise, Idaho, is hitting the slopes while playing the bagpipes to help raise the money needed to build a new church for a parish he was previously assigned to. You’ve got to admire his passion and ability to put the skills God gave him to good use! To find out more or to donate, visit the St. Joan of Arc website. Read more

The press release:  Late last week, the Senate failed to achieve the 60 votes needed to move forward with debate on legislation to provide relief to Dreamers. Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, USCCB President; Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, USCCB Vice President; and Bishop Joe S. Vásquez of Austin, Chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration, together issued the following statement: “We are deeply disappointed that the Senate was not able to come together in a bipartisan manner... Read more

It’s happening in San Jose:  “This Lenten initiative is a wonderful way for all of us to celebrate God’s limitless mercy and compassion. We celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation, because it is a celebration of God’s unconditional love,” said Father John Hurley, CSP, Vicar for Evangelization whose department is overseeing this initiative. “As a confessor, I am in awe sometimes for how open people are in these challenging times and all they want to really hear is that God still... Read more

Details, from Seton Hall University:  The Center for Diaconal Formation of Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology is pleased to announce Called to Greater Love, a blog designed to serve wives of deacons and deacon candidates from around the world. Developed by our advisory committee of wives of deacons and the Center’s assistant director, this unique blog is a resource for wives of deacons and deacon candidates. Through personal stories, inspirational messages, and suggested reading, our mission is to spiritually enrich and nourish wives... Read more