A little girl got to meet the pope today during his General Audience and…well, just watch. CNN has some background: It’s 3-year-old Estella Westrick’s first afternoon in Rome and she’s already causing a stir. When her family took her to meet the Pope after his Wednesday audience, she tried to steal his skullcap! Video shows a Vatican aide, known as a Papal Gentleman, lifting Estella to meet the Pope. As the Pope plants a kiss on Estella, she reaches for his zucchetto... Read more

From The Catholic Leader in Australia: Olivia Hargroder is a Year 12 student at Southern Cross Catholic College, Scarborough, Queensland. Olivia was born with Down Syndrome and was told by doctors that she would never learn to speak. A member of the Down Syndrome Association of Queensland, Olivia made her public speaking debut last year at a national education conference. She was recently invited to speak at the 12th World Down Syndrome Day conference held on March 21 at the United... Read more

Inspired by the HGTV hit “House Hunters,” someone has put together this satire, “Church Hunters,” showing Protestant pew sitters looking for just the right parish. At least, I think it’s satire. Check it out. Read more

From The Los Angeles Times:  Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch told senators at his confirmation hearing that he would be reluctant to overturn any decision a previous court has made, including in the landmark Roe vs. Wade case that affirmed the right to abortion. How a nominee might rule on the right to abortion has long been a litmus test at such hearings, and nominees have long declined to provide any concrete assurances. Gorsuch was no different. But faced with Democrats still... Read more

From the Rev. Joshua J. Whitfield in the Dallas Morning News:  Calls to change the discipline of celibacy are usually either ignorant or forgetful of what the church calls the “spiritual fruit” of celibacy, something largely incomprehensible in this libertine age, but which is nonetheless still true and essential to the work of the church. Now being married certainly helps my priesthood, the insights and sympathies gained as both husband and father are sometimes genuine advantages. But that doesn’t call... Read more

Details from Australia:  An incident that occurred this week in the North Fawkner parish has left many parishioners shocked. Fr Tomy Kalathoor Mathew was stabbed in the neck, just as he was about to commence the 11am Italian-language Mass at St Matthew’s parish. A 72-year old Fawkner man was arrested last night, and it is believed that he had previously voiced displeasure with the priest’s Indian heritage. Prior to stabbing Fr Mathew, the man accused him of being Hindu or... Read more

From Ireland, no less. This happened in February. The YouTube listing notes: What a surprise this was for the bride and groom just after they exchanged their marriage vows at their wedding in Kincasslagh, Co. Donegal. This was well organised by the bride’s friend Gavin Boyle and with a host of local celebrities – Daniel O’Donnell, Majella, Derek Ryan, Tony Kenny, Shaun Cuddy, Tony Allen and more all sang choruses of ‘How Great Thou Art’. The Bride and Groom –... Read more

Now, here’s a great lede to a great obit about a great writer. I give you Dan Barry, who had the unenviable task of writing about Jimmy Breslin and came up with this:  Jimmy Breslin, the New York City newspaper columnist and best-selling author who leveled the powerful and elevated the powerless for more than 50 years with brick-hard words and a jagged-glass wit, died on Sunday at his home in Manhattan. He was 88 and, until very recently, was... Read more

From The New York Times:  Rafat and Zoreen Ansari, medical doctors who were born in Pakistan, have spent the last four decades working and raising their three children in a suburb of South Bend, Ind., where they also have earned a reputation as civic leaders. By their estimation, they have given at least $1 million and thousands of hours of their time to nonprofits focused on children with autism, which afflicts their youngest child, Sonya. But a year and a... Read more

Details:  When Nick Adam graduated from college with a degree in journalism, his ultimate dream was to become a sportscaster on ESPN. Those dreams were just a memory Friday night as Adam took his next step to becoming a Catholic priest through his ordination at Saint Patrick Church in Meridian as a transitional deacon. Upon college graduation from the University of Alabama, Adam moved to Meridian in 2008 to work at WTOK. It was while working at the television station, Adam, then... Read more