Posted on Facebook with this note: God used Sr. Kibeho’s old passions of dance on the day of the Investiture of the Religious Habit as her and her father tap danced at the reception. She is so beautiful and full of joy! It was posted in mid-January. From what I can piece together, this is at St. Kateri’s Novitiate in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. (The picture above appears to be with Washington’s retired Cardinal Theodore McCarrick.) About the order: The Institute... Read more

They went there last night, and the result was Catholic nerd-vana. Watch. (h/t to Tony Rossi!) My take: I know this isn’t the most pristine form of catechesis, and this doesn’t exactly rank up there with the Summa in terms of its penetrating insight into the nature of God. But really: this is remarkable. And in this day and age, pretty surprising. As I’ve noted before, you rarely see this sort of conversation on network television, and never from a star... Read more

I was struck by the powerful image referenced at the beginning of this piece; you can see a full reproduction at this link. (You will also notice that one of the angelic figures at the manger is evidently wearing a dalmatic.) That was the 16th century. But now, these angels among us with Down syndrome are rapidly vanishing—or, more accurately, being killed. The sobering story, from The Telegraph:  A painting hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York called The Adoration... Read more

From Australia:  Sr Berenice Twohill celebrated 80 years as a Daughter of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, one of nine anniversaries of profession for the order last week. The Sisters renewed their vows of poverty, chastity and obedience at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Kensington, before Bishop Terry Brady, 14 members of the clergy, family, friends and fellow Sisters. Together the Sisters have lived out their vows for a combined 530 years. Sr Berenice, who turns 100 later this... Read more

Details via CNN:  Nearly 19,000 civilians were killed in Iraq between January 2014 and October 2015 — a toll the United Nations calls “staggering” in a new report. The report, released Tuesday, outlines the horrific impact that Iraq‘s ongoing conflict is having on its civilian population. The numbers are mind-boggling. In the 21-month period: • At least 18,802 civilians were killed, about half of them in Baghdad. • Another 36,245 were injured. • About 3.2 million people were internally displaced,... Read more

What a great idea:  Call it winter warmers on wheels. A Buffalo church sent a crew of volunteers to help clothe some city residents in Tuesday morning’s single-digit temperatures. True Bethel Baptist Church rolled out its “Shepherd’s Closet” bus, handing out gloves, hats and scarves to children waiting for school buses and others on city streets. The church’s Shepherd’s Closet is a converted school bus, with racks of coats and containers of winter wear inside for men, women and children.... Read more

The other day, I posted an item about Princess Charlene of Monaco’s impending audience with Pope Francis and the story behind her deep faith.  The meeting happened Monday—and it’s worth noting what she was wearing and why:  She is one of seven women in the world that has been given “the privilege of the white” – or the ability to wear white when meeting with the pope. Called le privilége du blanc in French or il privilegio del biacno in Italian, the special... Read more

As explained by McKay Coppins in today’s New York Times:  In the Gospel According to Trump, there is only one blessedly normal, all-American faith: mainline Protestant Christianity. The Presbyterians, the Methodists, the Baptists — those believers who once made up this country’s midcentury religious mainstream — are Mr. Trump’s “chosen ones.” He regards their customs and values as essentially as American as apple pie, while all other faith communities, even other forms of Christianity, seem to rest somewhere on a... Read more

Fron CNN: Last year was the most violent for Christians in modern history, rising to “a level akin to ethnic cleansing,” according to a new report by Open Doors USA, a watchdog group that advocates for Christians. In total, the survey found that more than 7,100 Christians were killed in 2015 for “faith-related reasons,” up 3,000 from the previous year, according to the group’s analysis of media reports and other public information as well as external experts. Open Door’s report... Read more