Reading about the pope’s recent remarks on marriage, in which he speculates that many, if not most, Catholic marriages may well be null—I was reminded of a conversation I had some months back with a priest. We found ourselves sitting next to each other at a fundraising dinner at a banquet hall. While the bread baskets and limp salad were being passed around, he mentioned that he was a rector of a large seminary—and also had a background in canon law. Since part of my ministry includes... Read more

Some of you may remember this story from some weeks back, about a mother cradling in her arms her infant daughter as she lay dying. Now, a sequel of sorts, from the Facebook page of the mother in question, Laura Kelly Fanucci: Dear Internet: You need feel-good stories this week? I’ve got a doozy. Yesterday I opened the mailbox and found a small package with Stitch Fix as the return address. Strange, I thought. I hadn’t ordered anything – and besides,... Read more

From Vatican Radio:  A group of nine Syrian refugees, including two Christians, arrived in Rome on Thursday from the Kara Tepe refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos, following the visit of Pope Francis to the island on April 16, when he accompanied three families of refugees back to Rome. The Vatican Gendarmeria, with the help of Interior Ministry of Greece, the Greek Asylum Service, and the Community of Sant’Egidio, accompanied the refugees from Athens to Rome on Thursday. The... Read more

From The Angelus, the online edition of The Tidings in Los Angeles, a glimpse into the formation process for the diaconate: Five years ago, 13 men embarked on a journey together to become deacons, meeting each other for the first time on a silent retreat. On June 11, that journey culminated in these men and their spouses being greeted by clamorous cheers emanating from the men, women and children who flocked to downtown Los Angeles’ Cathedral of Our Lady of... Read more

Details:  Pope Francis said Thursday that the great majority of sacramental marriages today are not valid, because couples do not enter into them with a proper understanding of permanence and commitment. “We live in a culture of the provisional,” the Pope said in impromptu remarks June 16. After addressing the Diocese of Rome’s pastoral congress, he held a question-and-answer session. A layman asked about the “crisis of marriage” and how Catholics can help educate youth in love, help them learn... Read more

From Australia comes this story about schoolchildren transformed by the practice: Two Catholic teachers with a devotion to Eucharistic adoration have introduced young children to the Real Presence of Christ with heart-warming responses. Acting assistant principal for religious education at St Finbarr’s Primary School, Ashgrove, Luke Thomsen and fellow staff member Naimh Healy organised Eucharistic adoration sessions for 187 students aged four to 11 during Corpus Christi week. The adoration initiative is part of a school-wide pioneering program called Kids in Action, and... Read more

Take and read:  It can be difficult to feel hopeful after a tragedy of the magnitude of the Orlando nightclub shooting this past Sunday. Yet after the event, many people have come together to support one another, deciding to combat hate with love, and stand in solidarity with those who need it most. This display of unity was evident on a recent Jet Blue flight to Orlando, where one victim’s grandmother was flying to be with family. Kelly Davis Karas, a flight... Read more

Attention should be paid:   Just hours after the shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando called the Pulse that left 50 dead (including the gunman) and more than 50 wounded, six bilingual staffers from Catholic Charities arrived at the Hampton Inn in downtown Orlando, a meeting place for family and friends of the victims. Deacon David Gray of the Diocese of Orlando was coordinating a pastoral response to the crisis and spread the word about the need for Spanish-speaking... Read more

This is something you just don’t hear from politicians. It comes from Utah’s Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox, who spoke at a vigil Monday night in Salt Lake City. He begins:  Ladies and Gentlemen, Thank you for being here tonight on this very solemn and somber occasion. I begin with an admission and an apology. First, I recognize fully that I am a balding, youngish, middle-aged straight, white, male, Republican, politician… with all of the expectations and privileges that come with... Read more