Here’s a haunting carol for you, courtesy King’s College, as we prepare for the last week before Christmas: “The Angel Gabriel.” The words: The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came By: Basque carol, para. Sabine Baring-Gould, 1834-1924 The angel Gabriel from heaven came, With wings as drifted snow, with eyes as flame: “All hail to thee, O lowly maiden Mary, Most highly favored lady.” Gloria! “For know a blessed mother thou shalt be, All generations laud and honor thee; Thy son... Read more
The statement: As he marks his 80th birthday tomorrow, I join the American people in extending our best wishes to His Holiness Pope Francis. In both word and deed, Pope Francis has inspired people around the world with his message of compassion, hope, and peace. He has called on us to see ourselves in one another, reach out to those who are at the margins of society, extend mercy, and care for the planet we all share. It was my... Read more
Details: Yarmulkes, hijabs, wigs, turbans and habits are all religious head coverings allowed for wear in U.S. driver’s license pictures. Add “horns of power” to the list. A Maine man named Phelan MoonSong is now the proud carrier of a state-issued driver’s license that shows his bespectacled eyes peering out beneath a pair of pointy goat horns emanating from his forehead. “My horns have become very important to me, the feel of them on my head,” MoonSong told The Wild... Read more
This puts most weddings—Indian or American—to shame. Read on: An Indian businessman has donated 90 houses to the homeless instead of spending more than £93,000 on his daughter’s wedding. According to the Free Press Journal, Ajay Munot, a trader of cloth and wheat, constructed a colony for the homeless, in which each home is 12 by 20 sq. ft, has two windows, two doors, a light fitting and is painted. Speaking to ANI, his daughter Shreya said she was very happy with... Read more
You need to see this. What other major retailer has done anything approaching this? Bloomingdale’s? Macy’s? Target? Anyone? The effort has raised over 24 million Euros to aid the people of Syria. Thank you, IKEA. Check out the video above. Read more
What we have come to: An Italian priest is under fire from locals for deciding against setting up the typical Nativity scene in his town’s cemetery this year, Italian news source Corriere della Sera reported on Friday. The priest, Father Sante Braggie, was concerned that the display would offend Muslims, as well as atheists and people of other faiths. Fr. Braggie serves as the chaplain of the Municipal Cemetery of Cremona and curate of the local parish in northern Italy.... Read more
From The Los Angeles Times: A 73-year-old man in the early stages of dementia was killed by a Bakersfield police officer after a neighbor called 911 and erroneously reported the man was carrying a revolver, authorities said Tuesday. The officer fired seven rounds toward Francisco Serna, who died just feet from his home. But when police searched Serna for a gun, they found only a dark, faux wood crucifix. “My dad did not own a gun. He was a 73-year-old retired grandpa,... Read more
You may remember this item from a couple weeks ago. Now, a followup: Texas Catholic bishops and the state’s Catholic cemeteries are working together on efforts to provide a proper burial for children lost to abortion. Effective Dec. 19, new state regulations from the Department of State Health Services require the interment of the remains of all children who are lost through abortion or miscarriage at a health care facility or abortion clinic. According to a Dec. 12 news release... Read more
That’s one of the scoops from this interview with New York Times Executive Editor Dean Baquet, who spoke with Terry Gross on NPR’s “Fresh Air.” He discussed the challenges of covering Trump and, late in the interview, brought up the subject of religion: I want to make sure that we are much more creative about beats out in the country so that we understand that anger and disconnectedness that people feel. And I think I use religion as an example... Read more
You may remember this story from the other day. Now the paper that published it is having second thoughts: Last Sunday, the News Sentinel published the story of a Campbell County Santa Claus actor, Eric Schmitt-Matzen, who said a terminally ill child had died in his arms. Immediately, the story went viral. Follow-up interviews and video recordings by local and national television outlets showed a very emotional Schmitt-Matzen retelling the story in virtually the same words he gave to the News... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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