Pope Francis paid a brief visit this morning to  the Grand Mosque of Koudoukou in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, meeting with the city’s Muslim community. The text of his remarks, via Vatican Radio:  Christians and Muslims are brothers and sisters.  We must therefore consider ourselves and conduct ourselves as such.  We are well aware that the recent events and acts of violence which have shaken your country were not grounded in properly religious motives.  Those who... Read more

Earlier today, Aleteia posted this very good overview on the tragic death of Officer Garrett Swasey—who, in fact, was also the Rev. Garrett Swasey, co-pastor of an Evangelical Church. Now, on this bleak Sunday, Rev. Swasey’s wife has released a statement, published on the Facebook page of the Colorado Springs Police Department. The statement, in full: This is shared at the request of the Officer Swasey’s family: Nov. 29, 2015 Statement by Rachel Swasey, wife, Officer Garrett Swasey The family... Read more

Boom! The vocation keeps growing. A preview of yesterday’s big event: During the Mass of Ordination, scheduled for 10 a.m. in the Cathedral of St. Peter, Bambera will ordain the following men to serve permanently in the Order of Deacon: Thomas V. Amoroso, Tobyhanna; Alan S. Baranski, Tobyhanna; William F. Behm, Mountain Top; Donald J. Crane, Wilkes-Barre; Albert V. Giacometti, Old Forge; Frank H. Hine, Wilkes-Barre; Michael S. Imbrogno, Wilkes-Barre; Walter G. Janoski, Exeter; André F. Kabacinski, Duryea; James R.... Read more

From The Boston Globe:  The Archdiocese of Boston has hired a top Democratic consultant to poll Catholics in Eastern Massachusetts — most of whom no longer attend weekly Mass — to find out what they think about the church and its leaders. John Marttila, who served as a strategist for Joe Biden, John F. Kerry, and Deval Patrick, has overseen a phone survey this month on behalf of the church, asking active and inactive Catholics a wide-ranging series of 90... Read more

Advent brings back, once again, this ancient hymn—and some of the controversy surrounding it. When I heard the first strains of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” during Mass last night, I was reminded of a posting I put up a few years ago. See below, with an update at the end.  +++ At the beginning of Advent, I quoted the first line of that timeless chant in my homily, and after Mass a parishioner took me to task.  “Deacon Greg,”... Read more

This is a great story that can teach any priest, and any parish, how to get things done and make things happen.  It’s the story of a young priest, Father Fredy Angel, who was assigned to a struggling mission parish, Queen of Peace, in Lakeland, Georgia. From Emily Stimpson at OSV:  After taking stock of the situation, Father Angel got to work. The first thing he did was clean. “Everywhere I went, I cleaned,” he said. “The bathrooms, the classrooms,... Read more

Since we were traveling, my wife and I spent the first Sunday of Advent away from our home parish this weekend. We attended the Saturday night vigil Mass at her parents’ parish: St. Raphael’s, in suburban Washington, DC. [img attachment=”79867″ align=”aligncenter” size=”medium” alt=”IMG_3925″ /] [img attachment=”79868″ align=”aligncenter” size=”medium” alt=”IMG_3927″ /] I’d been there many times over the last 40 years or so, and it’s undergone a few renovations—most notably, adding a new altar (depicting Raphael and other angels) and a special altar for the... Read more

Now for something completely different: a woman whose house just screams “Christmas.” Meet Tracy Dyke:   “I have a Dickens house tree, a white tree, a food tree, a Husker tree, a sign tree, a black and white tree…a red and green tree.” Trees everywhere you look. Dyke’s love for Christmas came from her grandparents in Hastings, Nebraska. Their home is so decorated, it made the newspaper back in 1972. “My grandfather would come home from work every night and... Read more

Remarkable and inspiring, via the BBC:  For more than 17 years, a Catholic nun named Neyda Rojas has been serving God in a place that many describe as hell on earth – a Venezuelan prison. For decades, penitentiaries here have been criticised by human rights organisations for allowing serious human rights violations to take place behind their walls. Although the government has introduced reforms to improve living conditions, some Venezuelan prisons are still among the most violent and overcrowded in... Read more

Everything you need to know about “The Peanuts Movie” is contained in its first shot and its last. The movie opens with black circles being drawn on a white screen. Gradually, they come alive, color is added, and you realize what you are watching are animated snowflakes falling. Ninety-three minutes later—after an adventure that has taken us from winter to summer, from despair to hope, from failure to friendship and even to something approaching young love—the color again fades to black... Read more