This, and some other highlights of his recent visit, can be seen in the video above. Read more

A few people have written to me, confused about what’s going on with my blog. “Has Aleteia dropped you? Where is it?” As noted a couple weeks back, Aleteia launched a new design, and it still has a few bugs they’re trying to work out. But here’s a quick primer. On the Aleteia home page, you’ll find a section titled “Blogs”—it’s the third section on the page—which has my latest blog post. If you click on the name, Deacon Greg Kandra,... Read more

What the…? Somewhere in Italy, they’re doing things like this. (Please be patient. It may take a minute for the video to load…)  N.B.: It’s not clear what the context is—whether this was part of a Mass or some other event in the church. https://www.facebook.com/SPYit.it/videos/1319281951463804/ Read more

From this morning’s New York Times, from writer Thomas Groome: Amid Mr. Trump’s dysfunction as president, Democrats may have a chance to reclaim their Catholic base in the 2018 midterm elections. By tradition and by our church’s teaching on social justice, many Catholics could readily return to voting reliably Democratic. But for this to happen, their moral concerns regarding abortion must get a hearing within the party, rather than being summarily dismissed. How might that happen? To begin with, Democratic... Read more

A fascinating vocation story from The Washington Post:  In the city around him, Anthony Ferguson’s fellow millennials were just waking up, shaking off hangovers, checking messages on dating apps and getting ready to make their way in the world. But Ferguson was already out the door on this Friday morning — wearing the same black shirt and white collar he always wears — sitting in a chapel under the warm light streaming through stained-glass windows. Before 8 a.m., he’d listened... Read more

Sweet. Just plain sweet. Check out the video below. (Please be patient. It may take a minute to load.) https://www.facebook.com/VaticanRadioEnglish/videos/1499023193442613/   Read more

A welcome update on a story from last week, via Melbourne Catholic in Australia: Fawkner parish priest, Rev. Tomy Mathew, who was stabbed before celebrating Mass a week ago at St Matthew’s Church, has resumed his priestly duties, and has forgiven his attacker. Father Mathew was preparing for Mass a week ago, and, while the congregation was singing ahead of the service, he was attacked by a 72 year old man. The priest only discovered he had been stabbed when parishioners saw... Read more

Some may remember this story from November, about a Florida deacon candidate diagnosed with stage four colon cancer who was ordained several months early. Earlier this month, he entered eternal life:  After a four-year battle with cancer, Elias Amado Coll passed on March 11, 2017 in Orlando, FL at the age of 63. When diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer in 2012, Elias was at the beginning of his diaconate formation. He continued his formation and several church ministries as well as... Read more

From Reuters:  Mexicans who help build President Donald Trump’s planned border wall would be acting immorally and should be deemed traitors, the Catholic Archdiocese of Mexico said on Sunday, turning up the heat on a simmering dispute over the project. In a provocative editorial, the country’s biggest Archdiocese sought to increase pressure on the government to take a tougher line on companies aiming to profit from the wall, which has strained relations between Trump and the Mexican government. “Any company... Read more

A remarkable odyssey, chronicled in The Boston Globe:  In the basement chapel of Gate of Heaven Church in South Boston, the early arrivals — bundled against a bracing wind — have completed the rosary and rise in unison as the priest enters the sanctuary for the 9 a.m. Mass. Father Frank Daly is 74 now and, like many of the congregants before him, he’s the product of Irish immigrants. He looks the part, a familiar, friendly, white-maned man whose tone... Read more