Details:  Masses will not be said at any church in the Diocese of Limerick next Tuesday, April 25th – the first time since Catholic Emancipation in 1829 that this has happened in any Irish diocese. Instead, there will be only lay-led liturgies of the Word (readings) and public prayers in churches, with no Mass and no Communion on that day. The lack of services in the Limerick diocese is directly related to the fall-off in priestly vocations, despite major efforts... Read more

Details:  Astonishing: a clip from an Egyptian news broadcast in which a Muslim journalist reacts to an interview with the widow of the gatekeeper who prevented a suicide bomber from entering an Alexandria church yard on Palm Sunday, thereby saving countless lives. As the clearly moved TV anchor notes after: “Egyptian Christians are made of steel! These people have so much forgiveness! This is their faith and religious conviction.” Read more

This puts him on the same list as Donald Trump, Steve Bannon,  Viola Davis, Jeff Bezos and Melinda Gates. Cardinal Blase Cupich writes about the pontiff: Who is Jorge Mario Bergoglio? Francis told us in his first interview after being elected Pope: “I am a sinner,” he said. “This the most accurate definition. It is not a figure of speech.” Before hearing confessions in St. Peter’s Basilica, he kneels in confession himself—because one cannot accompany a suffering world without acknowledging one’s... Read more

From CNS, an interview with the head of the Friars Minor reveals a sensibility that is, to my way of thinking, beautifully diaconal: For St. Francis of Assisi, following Christ meant imitating his humility and forsaking riches, power and status; the men who call themselves Franciscans today believe they are called to embrace the same attitudes, including in their governance. In early April, the ministers general of four men’s branches of the Franciscan family — the Friars Minor, Capuchins, Conventual... Read more

Well, now…this is different:  Living in a cave with no running water or electricity would sound more like a punishment than a dream job to most people. But divorced Belgian Stan Vanuytrecht had to fight off competition from 50 people to get the position as one of Europe’s last hermits in the Austrian town of Saalfelden. The Mayor of Saalfeden, a town in the west of Austria near Salzburg, said they chose Mr Vanuytrecht, a Catholic deacon, because ‘his personality... Read more

The same day the Fox News host lost his job, he shook hands with the pope. From The New York Times:   Bill O’Reilly, the powerful Fox News host forced out of his prime-time position on Wednesday amid a barrage of sexual harassment allegations, spent the morning of his firing briefly meeting Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square during the pontiff’s weekly general audience, shaking hands with a religious leader he once lectured over immigration. Mr. O’Reilly, on vacation in... Read more

This question arrived in my e-mail today: Last evening, we had a good number of permanent deacons at the ordination of a couple of transitional deacons. We were vested and seated together near the front of the church. Here is my question: What actions should deacons with no liturgical role take at such Masses? We had some confusion last evening. Basically, most of us stood, knelt or sat when the deacons that had liturgical roles did. A couple of our group followed the lead... Read more

Check this out, from The New York Times: Young men in Sancraieni have risen early on Easter Monday for as long as anyone can remember. So have the women and girls — to be soaked in ice-cold water and sprayed with patchouli. “Sprinkling” is a spring rite in the heart of Transylvania, in central Romania, when women are watered like flowers. The water, freshly drawn from a well, is believed to secure health, beauty and perhaps even love for the... Read more

From Britain’s Got Talent, a four-Kleenex stunner:  For Peter Boxell, appearing on last night’s Britain’s Got Talent had a truly personal resonance. For when the 70-year-old grandfather sang I Miss You with the mesmerising Missing People Choir, it was to perform a song he wrote himself in memory of a child who has been gone for nearly 30 years. Lee Boxell, his only son, disappeared on September 29, 1988, after telling his father he was going to watch Crystal Palace... Read more

From CNS: A grass-roots effort calling on Catholic churches around the world to celebrate a special Mass on the May 8 birthday of the late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen could see its goal of 1,000 Masses soon reached. As of April 13, close to 900 churches had pledged to celebrate a Mass in memory of the prelate, who was an Emmy-winning televangelist and who spread the Gospel message far and wide as head of the Propagation of the Faith from... Read more