A lot of attention has been focused on recent remarks by Rep. Steve King: Since Mr. King’s election to the House in 2002, and before that in the State Legislature, where he first tried out his English-only trademark talking point, Mr. King, a Republican, has injected himself into the immigration debate with inflammatory and at times boorish statements. Against the backdrop of an emboldened white nationalist movement in the United States, his Twitter post over the weekend — “We can’t restore our... Read more

From Jonathan Aigner over at Patheos, some good reasons why the best instrument for a lot of congregational singing is the increasingly-scarce pipe organ: In my experience, the fiercest pipe organ opponents are baby boomers, who view the instrument as a symbol of the church of their youth, from which many persist in their rebellion, even in their advancing years. I believe it’s time to take another look at the unique benefits the organ can bring into worship. It sustains and strengthens congregational singing.... Read more

From the Wall Street Journal:  Near the end of a long day of radio and TV appearances from home, Robert Kelly, an expert on East Asian affairs, prepared for another live video interview at 7 p.m. As he finished up a soda and tightened his necktie before a Skype call from the BBC, he forgot to lock the door of his office in his high-rise apartment in Busan, South Korea’s second-biggest city, something he usually does. That oversight has set... Read more

A few people read my remembrance of a beloved parish priest and were puzzled by one reference. A couple have asked me, “What’s the ‘Mass of Transferal’?” I thought this a good opportunity to repost something from a few years ago that explains the customs surrounding the burial of a priest—including that particular Mass. Fr. Joshua Janko blogged about this a few years ago: What are some of the traditional practices that accompany a priest when they die? Well, I should... Read more

From Reuters:  Hungarians should overcome prejudice and help refugees to settle in the country, the Catholic bishop of Vac said trying to ease a hostile attitude towards migrants. Miklos Beer, whose comments are a rare show of support for migrants among high clergy in Hungary, has backed up his stand by housing two asylum-seekers from Afghanistan and one from Cuba in his church quarters situated in the quaint town north of Budapest. Now the 73-year old bishop is afraid that... Read more

You could be dealing with this: This house encased in snow and ice up to 7 inches thick may look fake, but photographer John Kucko assures his social media followers it’s anything but. The beach home in Webster, New York, about 5 miles from Rochester, is located in a “very remote” area near the shoreline of Lake Ontario. In the spring and summer, it’s a weekend getaway; but when it comes to winter, it’s more of a hazard than anything... Read more

Sunday night, I attended the Mass of Transferal in Brooklyn for Msgr. Patrick Fursey O’Toole. The celebrant, Bishop Raymond Chappetto, mentioned in his closing remarks that it has been a rough few weeks for the priests of Brooklyn; eight priests had died recently, and the funerals just never stop. He asked for prayers for the priests of the Diocese of Brooklyn, who are grieving the brothers they have lost. Over the weekend, the grief deepened. This one hit especially close to... Read more

This first attracted a lot of attention in December. Now it’s official. Details:  The Archdiocese of Oklahoma City announced that one its native sons, Father Stanley Rother, a North American priest who worked in Guatemala and was brutally murdered there in 1981, will be beatified Sept. 23 in Oklahoma. “It’s official! Praised be Jesus Christ! Archbishop Coakley received official word this morning from Rome that Servant of God Father Stanley Rother will be beatified in Oklahoma City in September!” the... Read more

From The South Bend Tribune:  One of the first things you notice inside the expansive new St. Pius X Catholic Church is a wooden crucifix that dangles in the air over the altar. Crafted entirely of wood, the bottom of the crucifix forms an anchor, creating ledges where sculptures of Jesus’ mother, Mary, and Gospel author St. John will look up to the figure of Christ. The sculptures themselves have yet to arrive from their artist in Germany. But like... Read more

From CNN: An Illinois high school has been accused of body-shaming after a 21-slide presentation about acceptable prom attire was published online. Boylan Catholic High School’s guide says that girl’s dresses should not have necklines low enough to show cleavage, and that the skirts of the dresses should hit below the mid-thigh. Critics have taken issue with a line in the guide that suggests different standards will be applied to girls with different figures. “Some girls may wear the same... Read more