I posted on this a couple days back, and now the Dominican priest at the center of the story is revealed:  Meet Father Jude McPeak, a Dominican friar, an active member of the St. Paul’s Catholic Church network, and the man of the cloth whose great habit contributed to the biggest false alarm IU has encountered since Read Residence Center’s most recent literal false alarm. He’s actually been an active member of the community since he became an ordained priest and came... Read more

Here’s something you don’t see every day: a big story in The New York Times about the papal document scheduled for release tomorrow. Take a look: In what could be an important moment for his leadership of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis is scheduled to issue a major document on Friday regarding family issues. It is titled “Amoris Laetitia,” Latin for “The Joy of Love.” In the document, known as an apostolic exhortation, the pope could change church practice on... Read more

  Details from NBC News:  In a decision by the U.S. Army Thursday, Capt. Simratpal Singh, a decorated Sikh-American officer and combat veteran, has received a long-term religious accommodation to serve with long hair, a beard, and turban in accordance with his Sikh faith. In December, Singh — a West Point graduate, Army Ranger, and Bronze Star recipient — received a temporary accommodation to serve in the military with his articles of faith intact. In March, a U.S. district judge... Read more

I spotted the ad above in the subway station this morning, and a Facebook commenter said there’s a TV version, as well. Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUbhWUu2Jbo If you visit RockingNuns.com, you can find the full playlist, with the tag line “Thou Shalt Rock.” The ad is pegged to the album of music that was released some months back, featuring Pope Francis. Seems to me this is another surprising reminder of the impact Pope Francis continues to have on the popular culture.... Read more

And just in time for Passover. From CNN:  Ten young children sit around a table as Lila Kagedan walks into their synagogue’s after-school program. Paper plates filled with art supplies are waiting for them to tear into. Kagedan introduces herself as the new rabbi at their synagogue. Not one of the elementary-school-aged children seems surprised. But her announcement is surprising — historic, even: Kagedan, of Mount Freedom Jewish Center, is the first woman to have the title of rabbi serving... Read more

What happens when a Dominican gets a hankering for some frozen yogurt?  This. It happened at Indiana University in Bloomington:  Rumors of a klansman on campus have proven false after a priest innocently made his way through Bloomington. Last night around 9:15 PM, social media became a furious storm of confusion regarding a man in white robes roaming along 10th St. and purportedly armed with a whip. Students thought the white robes indicated Klu Klux Klan affiliation. In the spirit of Hoosiers helping Hoosiers, students... Read more

From NCR: The Vatican will be hosting a first of its kind conference next week to reexamine the Catholic church’s long-held teachings on just war theory, bringing some 80 experts engaged in global nonviolent struggles to Rome with the aim of developing a new moral framework that rejects ethical justifications for war. Participants say the conference — to be cohosted by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and the global Catholic peace network Pax Christi International April 11-13 —... Read more

Last month, I was privileged to visit Westfield, Massachusetts on behalf of CNEWA, and spoke at a parish as part of their Lenten speaker series. The terrific Peggy Weber reported on my talk for the diocesan TV program “Reel to Reel” and she shared it with me on YouTube, below. (Meantime, to support suffering Christians in Iraq, and the good work CNEWA is doing on their behalf, visit this link.) Photo: Deacon Greg Kandra Read more