From the website of the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist:  Mother Rosemae Pender, FSE, Mother Foundress of the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist, entered eternal life suddenly during the celebration Mass for her 75th Jubilee of vows. Mother Rosemae had received the renewal of vows of Mother Shaun Vergauwen, FSE, Mother General, also a jubilarian, and then renewed her own vows into the hands of Mother Shaun. Following the renewal of vows, Mother Rosemae presented the Constitutions of the... Read more

  Details:  The Society of St Pius X (SSPX) has accused Pope Francis of spreading confusion and errors about the faith. A statement from the traditionalist group suggested that a new attempt at reconciliation with Rome had stalled, and that the society was divided over next steps. The statement indicates that the SSPX believe that “painful confusion” currently exists within the Church and considers “a large number of pastors, including the Pope himself” responsible for what the group regard as doctrinal errors in... Read more

From Catholic New York:  After the Mass at which he was ordained in St. Patrick’s Cathedral June 25, Deacon John Tomasicchio recalled the beginning of his personal journey to the permanent diaconate. Father Michael McLoughin, then pastor at St. Stephen the First Martyr parish in Warwick, told him to stick close by the side of Deacon Emmett Noonan for a year, to observe and learn about what a deacon does, to see if it might be something he would like... Read more

A beautiful and heartfelt tribute from one successor of Peter to another: Pope Francis and Pope emeritus Benedict XVI on Tuesday made a rare appearance together, at a ceremony to commemorate the 65th anniversary of Benedict’s ordination to the priesthood. Pope Francis praised and thanked the Pope emeritus for spending his priestly life for the Lord with a gaze and heart always turned to God, and for contributing to contribute to the growth of the Church through his prayer and... Read more

The legendary women’s basketball coach from Tennessee has died at the shockingly young age of 64. She was extraordinary. We profiled her on “60 Minutes Wednesday” back in 1999, and I remember that her fierce determination and tireless energy were something to behold. She was riveting. This tribute from the ESPY Awards a few years ago, when she announced her retirement because of early onset dementia, captures her spirit beautifully. Her obituary on her foundation’s website says: “This is one simple statement... Read more

The man many pundits are touting to be Clinton’s running mate talked about his religion Sunday on “Meet the Press”:  “How would you describe your abortion position?” NBC’s Chuck Todd asked Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) on Sunday’s “Meet the Press.” “I would say people use labels all the time,” Kaine responded. “But I’m kind of a, look, traditional Catholic. I don’t like — personally, I’m opposed to abortion, and personally, I’m opposed to the death penalty… “I deeply believe — and not... Read more

From RNS:  A single chime rang out after each abuse victim’s statement was read over the speakers at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in downtown Kansas City, a solemn echo to enduring pain. It was a simple, symbolic gesture but one that had an almost inexpressible resonance for those who had been abused, and for many Catholics in a diocese so identified with clergy abuse that its last bishop was forced to resign. “The pain was so intense, I... Read more

I’ve never heard of a bishop doing something like this before. From Canada:  Thirty-six hours may not seem like a long time to be without a home, but for Bishop Donald J. Bolen of Saskatoon and nine others, it was long enough to better understand what being homeless is really like. The bishop, who lives in an apartment in central Saskatoon, said the brief experience of living on the streets opened his eyes. “The most powerful experience was the vulnerability... Read more

Fasten your seatbelts for another in-flight news conference that will probably bring unexpected turbulence. Details:  The Catholic church and other Christian communities must apologize to gay people and to many groups they have let down or offended throughout history, Pope Francis has said. In a press conference Sunday on the flight back to Rome after his weekend trip to Armenia, the pontiff said bluntly: “The church must say it’s sorry for not having comported itself well many times, many times.”... Read more