August is full of feast days devoted to some of the greatest saints in the Church—Claire, Lawrence, Maximilian Kolbe, among others—and one we shouldn’t overlook is one of the youngest, Tarcisius, who actually has a close connection to deacons. His feast day is August 15. From EWTN: Tarcisius was a twelve-year-old acolyte during one of the fierce Roman persecutions of the third century, probably during that of Valerian. Each day, from a secret meeting place in the catacombs where Christians... Read more

And it’s happening thanks to a surge in Catholics from India, who are bringing with them one of the treasures of the Eastern churches, the Syro-Malabar rite. Details, from the Catholic Herald: In June, the ordination of a deacon in Southwark diocese attracted headlines in Catholic publications across the world: Joice James Pallickamyalil is the ancient Kerala-rooted Church’s very first married deacon. (He is also, I feel loyalty-bound to note, a product of the St Mary’s University formation programme.) And last... Read more

I’ve heard this argument before, and the Rev. Thomas Reese expounds on it further in the National Catholic Reporter: A layperson can preside over a Scripture service or a funeral, things that deacons commonly do. True, a layperson cannot give a homily after the Gospel at Mass. But that is simply a rule of canon law, which can be easily changed. There is no need to ordain people so they can give homilies. Just change the law. True, deacons can... Read more

This trailer has been online for a couple months now, but just crossed my radar screen yesterday. (Aleteia threw a spotlight on the trailer when it first debuted in May, but I was out of the country and missed it.) From the movie’s website: OUTCASTS is a new documentary from the award winning film production company “Grassroots Films.”  The film, which is 10 years in the making, gives a never before seen look into the lives of the world’s outcasts... Read more

There’s a lot wrong with this. A lot. Details from Catholic News Agency:  Ryan Scheel was shopping for a rosary on eBay when one listing caught him off guard. A first class relic of the bone of a saint, still in its wax-sealed reliquary, was listed for sale – to the tune of $3,600. “The listing was crass enough to even describe the relic as ‘ex ossibus,’ a Latin term meaning ‘from the bones,’” Scheel told CNA e-mail comments. He... Read more

The Washington Post reports on what they call “the most extensive religious speech of the campaign season,” with vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine speaking at a Baptist convention. Unsurprisingly, his support for abortion rights—and abortion’s devastating impact on African Americans—did not come up. Read on:  In perhaps the most extensive religious speech of the campaign season, which doubled as a plea to black voters, Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Tim Kaine on Thursday described his faith identity and values as shaped... Read more

Details:  The nation’s oldest Roman Catholic university announced this week that it has appointed its first “director for Hindu life,” who they are noting to be the first Hindu priest chaplain in the nation. Georgetown University’s newspaper The Hoya explained on Tuesday that Interim Vice President for Mission and Ministry Howard Gray, S.J. sent out a campus-wide email advising that Brahmachari Vrajvihari Sharan had been selected for the appointment. “Br. Sharan was drawn to Georgetown by its commitment to interreligious student formation, and... Read more

I know a few deacons who have had this experience. But here’s a story from Ireland, where deacons are still something of a novelty: John Taaffe walked his only daughter Amy down the aisle of St Mary’s Church in Drogheda, then nipped into the vestry, donned his clerical garb, and re-emerged to conduct the ceremony as Amy married long-time sweetheart David Cunningham. A deacon in Louth town’s St Peter’s parish, John said: “It was emotional when I walked Amy down... Read more

What is their secret?  They should bottle it. Details:  St. Mary’s Catholic Center is blessed to have many students who discern the call to priesthood and religious life. There are many reasons why we have a culture of discernment here, which include – a strong campus ministry, the ability to get to know multiple priests and religious (who are in love with Jesus) personally, the kind of student attracted to A&M, the culture locally, etc. Because our students have many... Read more