This is a great reflection from my friend T.J. Burdick: The Luminous mysteries are the mysteries of the Permanent Diaconate. It would seem that since their introduction by St. Pope John Paul II in October of 2002, each and every bead prayed during for the Luminous mysteries has inspired the vocation of a new Permanent Deacon. Diaconate vocations have risen significantly since 2002 and I have every reason to believe that it is because of the Luminous mysteries. Allow me... Read more

From La Croix:  Cardinal Christoph Schönborn OP has voiced cautious openness towards re-introducing the female diaconate in the Western Church, saying it was once a centuries-long tradition and continued to be practiced in the East. In a wide-ranging interview with the Austrian daily Wiener Zeitung on April 8th in the run-up to Easter, the cardinal said the fact that women were ordained deacons in the West up to the Middle Ages should give the Latin-rite Church food for thought. “The... Read more

Details:  The cause for beatification of Father Jacques Hamel, who died as a martyr in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray in July 2016, officially opens today. A symbolic date, as on Holy Thursday when the Church commemorates the institution of the Eucharist and honors all its priests. “Make him a saint!” The friendly injunction of Pope Francis to the Archbishop of Rouen, Monsignor Dominique Lebrun, was not left unanswered. “The Beatification of Father Jacques Hamel? If I did not think about it, I’d be deaf!”... Read more

From AP: The top Roman Catholic bishop in the U.S. lauds President Donald Trump for his anti-abortion views, for comments on the importance of Catholic schools and for promising to defend religious liberties. When it comes to refugees and immigration, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo says he and Trump will “have to agree to disagree.” In a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press, DiNardo, the archbishop for Galveston-Houston and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, expressed concerns about Trump’s now... Read more

On this sacred night—when we recall the first Mass and the institution of the Eucharist—we recall, too, the institution of the priesthood. In particular, we reflect this evening on humble service—what it means to “wash the feet” of another. I want to tell you tonight about one man who did that beautifully. His name was Stanley Rother. Stanley was born to a farm family in Okarche, Oklahoma in 1935. After he graduated high school, he heard the call to become... Read more

Details from Kansas:  Father Marvin Reif, 53, walked away from the Protection Valley Manor in Protection, KS on Apr. 3. A priest in the Dodge City Diocese, Fr. Marvin has suffered from mental illness for a number of years. He has served in churches throughout central and southwest Kansas. A search party has been organized by family and friends to search the area where he was last seen. Volunteers are asked to meet at the Protection Valley Manor in Protection... Read more

From AP:  A Russian cosmonaut who has returned to Earth after a mission on the International Space Station said on Wednesday he had taken a relic of a Russian Orthodox saint with him. Astronauts and cosmonauts routinely take small items such as their children’s toys or CDs with them as reminders of home. Sergei Ryzhikov told Russian news agencies that he would give the tiny relic of St. Serafim of Sarov’s body, which he received from its home monastery last... Read more

The announcement appeared today: The Holy Father has appointed as Consulters of the Secretariat for Communication the Rev. Fr. Ivan Maffeis, under-secretary for the Italian Episcopal Conference; Fr. José María La Porte, dean of the Faculty of Institutional Social Communication of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross; Dr. Peter Gonsalves, S.D.B., dean of the Faculty of Social Communication Sciences of the Pontifical Salesian University; Fr. Eric Salobir, O.P., Promoter General for social communications for the Order of Preachers; Fr.... Read more

From RNS: A priest is being asked to take a break from his parish in the small Italian town of Montesilvano after some in his congregation reportedly stormed out of Mass when he openly criticized Pope Francis on Palm Sunday (April 9). Media reports claimed the congregation shouted “Shame, shame!” at the Rev. Edward Pushparaj when he said Pope Francis had only been “bad” for the Catholic Church. Palm Sunday commemorates the arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem and is a solemn... Read more

Thanks to my friend Regina Faighes, who had her iPhone handy and captured the processional into our church Sunday morning. (Be patient. It may take a minute to load.) https://www.facebook.com/regina.faighes/videos/10155206683168967/?permPage=1 Read more