This is something extraordinary:  While Parisians have long been sympathetic to their homeless population, a recent pilot initiative in the 11th arrondissement aims to offer more concrete aid. Founded by local resident Louis-Xavier Leca last November, the Le Carillonproject—which coincidentally shares a name with the café that was targeted in the devastating terrorist attacks in the city last fall—has partnered with about 70 small businesses in the area to distribute stickers indicating their support of needy Parisians. Each sticker features... Read more

With another election cycle heating up, this seems a good time for a refresher course on the role of Catholic clergy when it comes to politics. We all need to be reminded from time to time of what is and is not appropriate, particularly on social media. I posted on this in 2014: Some days back, I posted the historic news about the wife of a deacon serving on her state’s Supreme Court.  On another forum a couple of deacons noted that,... Read more

Check this out, from India:  In a historic development, a layman, that too a married man, has been conferred with deacon status by the Syro-Malabar Church. Though the Church has conferred deacon status on laymen in the past, it is for the first time that a permanent diaconate is being conferred on a married man after the Syro-Malabar Church became an independent Church. Deacon, a ministry in the Christian Church, is generally associated with certain specific services. However, it varies... Read more

From my friends at the St. Pio Foundation:  On Friday, May 27, 2016, just a few days after the world celebrated the 129th anniversary of the birth of Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, the Saint Pio Foundation organized its second Saint Pio Award Ceremony at the Café Milano, in Washington, D.C.. More than one hundred guests participated at the event and met the awardees and special guests of the event, among which were the acclaimed actors Joe Mantegna and Tony Lo... Read more

It’s all over People magazine, don’cha know? Snip:  Maggie Rose “ain’t your mama” – but now she’s somebody’s wife! The country singer tied the knot over the weekend, saying “I Do” to longtime love Austin Marshall in Potomac, Maryland, on Saturday. “We were surrounded by family and friends from all over the world in my hometown of Potomac, Maryland,” Rose tells PEOPLE exclusively of her nuptials. “My mom and unofficial wedding planner Lizz Durante worked so hard to give us... Read more

It sounds impossible—but meet a mother who explains how it’s done. From Aleteia’s sister site, For Her: How do working mothers of really big families do it? How to they manage the demands of a career, and say, 10 kids? To find out, we talked to Juliette Kulda, an award-winning realtor (ranked the #5 Keller Williams individual agent in 2015) in Half Moon Bay, California. Kulda is wife to Derek and mom to their 10 children, ages 1 to 22.... Read more

Over the weekend, I posted the talk I gave during the Jubilee for Deacons in Rome. Now I’m pleased to offer the address Deacon James Keating gave on the subject of the Deacon as Image of Mercy in the Family. From Church Life Journal: The mission of the deacon in relation to the family is profoundly cyclical: the deacon is raised in a family as a boy and, statistically, will fall in love and begin his own family before the call... Read more

A first look at the new crew, from the Facebook page of Catholic New World, the archdiocesan newspaper. The men were ordained Saturday June 4 at Holy Name Cathedral by Archbishop Blaise Cupich. More details to come. Meantime, congratulations and ad multos annos!     Read more

This is the sort of news that doesn’t get reported very often—but should be: “Our Christian brothers” must be thanked for they are an element of peace and coexistence for Iraq, because “despite having suffered a lot,” they have never responded to attacks with violence, but have continued to promote unity in a country that “has to be of and for everyone,” Shia religious leader Ali Al-Yacoubi told AsiaNews. Speaking at the prayer for peace in Iraq, Syria and the... Read more