From The Wichita Eagle: Regular church attendees will likely notice strangers filling their pews and parking lots this weekend. They call those people “C ‘n’ E’s” – urbandictionary.com even has definitions for “Chreaster” – “Those Christians who only show up to religious services on Christmas and Easter.” Pastors at several Wichita churches say it’s their goal to turn the Chreasters into active churchgoers, but they won’t go as far as to alienate the rest of their congregation while they do... Read more

Details: The new U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, Callista L. Gingrich, presented her credential letters to Pope Francis on Friday morning. The ceremony took place in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace. Her main responsibility as Ambassador will be to serve as the liaison between the Holy See and the U.S. Government. [img attachment=”264695″ align=”aligncenter” size=”full” /] Read more. Photo: Vatican Media Read more

This is exceptional: an op-ed piece in The New York Times, in which a woman writes of the powerful experience of being on retreat, noting, “There is something powerful about being in the presence of faith when you yourself are doubting.” Excerpt: Three years ago this week, I was a guest at a cloistered Catholic abbey in rural Connecticut. I spent my days in near-silence, waking before dawn for Mass, working the farm alongside nuns in full habit. When bells... Read more

It’s happening in Cincinnati: The Rev. Benedict O’Cinnsealaigh looks out his office window at the courtyard below, marveling at how much his view has changed in just a few weeks. Once home to green grass and well-manicured shrubs, the courtyard is now a muddy mess. Heavy equipment rumbles throughout the day and temporary fences surround ditches and overturned earth. O’Cinnsealaigh thinks it’s beautiful. As president of Mount St. Mary’s Seminary at The Athenaeum of Ohio, he knows what this big... Read more

From The Times of Israel:  An expectant woman who arrived at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem to give birth earlier this week astounded staff when she revealed that the baby would be her 20th child. The ultra-Orthodox woman, 42, was from the Mea Shearim neighborhood of Jerusalem, the hospital said in a statement Wednesday. Midwife Aliza Altmark was chatting with the woman in preparation for the birth when the mother revealed that she already had 19 children — including one set... Read more

A stunning performance by the Australian Christian music duo For King & Country, recorded live in Phoenix. Rock on. Read more

Here’s something you don’t see every day: a cabinet meeting that opened with a prayer from HUD Secretary Ben Carson: In an unusual moment, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson led members of the Trump cabinet in prayer during a meeting on Tuesday, thanking God “for a President and for cabinet members who are courageous, who are willing to face the winds of controversy in order to provide a better future for those who come behind us.” This... Read more

This may well be a first. From The Catholic Standard: Cardinal Donald Wuerl, archbishop of Washington, and Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, have issued a joint letter announcing that a plenary indulgence can be obtained by the faithful who “take part in the sacred celebrations, along with the great assembly of people, throughout the whole course of the annual event that is called ‘March for Life.’ “ The letter is dated Dec. 20 and addressed to Cardinal Wuerl’s and... Read more

Check out this beautifully executed video Christmas card from the Redemptorists in Australia. Read more

From The Catholic Standard in Washington, Mark Zimmerman has a nice write-up about the recent deacon convocation in the Archdiocese of Washington, featuring sterling remarks by Cardinal Donald Wuerl, along with some drivel by a New York blogger: As they have since the beginning of the Church, deacons today play a vital role in providing Christ-like service at parishes and in a variety of ministries, Cardinal Donald Wuerl said at a recent Permanent Deacon Convocation held at St. Joseph Parish... Read more