From The Tampa Bay Times:  Faith now counts among the ties that bind Tampa and Cuba thanks to the completion soon of the first new Roman Catholic Church in the island nation since its government embraced the atheist tenets of Marxism nearly 60 years ago. The new church in the city of Sandino at the western tip of Cuba is being funded entirely with $95,000 in donations collected by St. Lawrence Catholic Church of Tampa. “We are very happy,” said... Read more

In his weekly newspaper column in the Brooklyn Tablet, my bishop, Nicholas DiMarzio, reflects on the diaconate in Brooklyn just days ahead of the ordination that will bring 12 more men into Holy Orders to serve the Church as deacons: The Permanent Diaconate was reinstated by the Second Vatican Council, not just as a response to a reduced number of priests, but also in order to emphasize that the Permanent Deacon living in the world and serving in the Church forms... Read more

I know where I was: the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Brooklyn, New York. This day, 10 years ago, I received the sacrament of Holy Orders and was ordained a deacon. Thank you, God, for this priceless gift. A blessed and happy 10th anniversary to the Diocese of Brooklyn diaconate class of 2007— what a blessing this time has been! Ad multos annos!  “How can I repay the Lord for his goodness to me? My vows to... Read more

Katrina Fernandez today looks at the growing phenomenon of secularizing the Mass—taking note of things like Mother’s Day to confer special blessings on some in the congregation, an act that can often have unintended consequences: Mother’s Day can be an especially painful day. To many women Mother’s Day can be a bitter reminder of infertility, miscarriage, abortion, or the death of child. It’s also a difficult holiday for people who have lost their own mothers or have estranged relationships with them.... Read more

As Springfield, Massachusetts prepares to ordain nine new deacons this weekend, The Springfield Republican newspaper looks at how this vocation has grown and the impact it is having in the local church: The ordination of nine permanent deacons this weekend, four of whom are Spanish speaking – a need in some diocesan parishes – and the majority married, will bring to 86 the number of active permanent deacons in the diocese where about 108 priests actively serve in parish ministry... Read more

From Crux:  Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, N.J., issued a strong call on Wednesday for American Catholic leaders to resist the immigration stance of the Trump administration, saying “you really have to believe in inflicting cruelty on innocent people to choose to support the policies we’ve seen in recent months.” Tobin, a Pope Francis appointee, urged Catholic and political leaders alike to get involved in the defense of immigrants. He asked, “What if every cardinal accompanied a person who crossed... Read more

This information was released last month in a summary accompanying the Pontifical Yearbook: The population of permanent deacons shows a significant evolutionary trend: an increase in 2015 of 14.4% compared to five years previously, from 39,564 to 45,255 units. The number of deacons is improving on every continent at a significant pace. In Oceania, where they do not yet reach 1% of the total, they have increased by 13.8%, amounting to 395. The figure is also improving in areas where their... Read more

Details: UNESCO will announce the Holy Family route in Egypt as a world heritage site, said Director General of International Relations at the Tourism Development Authority Adel al-Gindy. Gindy added that this announcement will have a positive effect on the volume of tourism; three million tourists joined the Holy Family journey in the first year of its launch. Read more.  There is a rich history of folklore surrounding the Holy Family’s flight into Egypt. Read all about it.  Photo: Wikipedia Read more

This question popped up via CNS, and was answered by the Rev. Kenneth Doyle: Q. My question has to do with the role of a deacon. Our own parish deacon had been preaching at our weekend Masses once a month, but lately that has crept up to twice a month. Recently he preached the homily at Masses on Easter Sunday and also on the following Sunday, which happened to be first Communion in our parish. Our priest-pastor is young and,... Read more

From BBC:  A Mexican priest is hospital after being stabbed during Mass in Mexico City’s cathedral. Father Miguel Angel Machorro is said to be in “delicate but stable” condition after Monday evening’s attack, according to government and ecclesiastical sources. A suspect, who was reportedly detained on site as he tried to flee, told law enforcement officials he was a North American artist. His identity has not been confirmed. The assault left the priest lying on the ground, with blood soaking... Read more