In new interview, Pope Francis addresses refugee crisis, blames “culture of ‘well-being’” for low birth rate in Europe

Last updated on: September 14, 2015 at 5:52 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Details from CNA: In a new, wide-ranging interview Pope Francis spoke at length of the European refugee crisis – saying that incoming migrants are now filling the void left by a sterile continent that refuses to have children. “The migrant phenomenon is a reality…when there is an empty space, people look to fill it. If a country doesn’t have children, migrants come to occupy that place,” the Pope said in a recent interview with Portugal-based Radio Renascença (Renaissance). He referred to the... Read more

Meet the candidates

Last updated on: September 14, 2015 at 5:47 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

The following picture popped up on my social media feeds this morning: Bishop Edward Slattery of the Diocese of Tulsa with the deacon formation class of 2020. The men were received into candidacy yesterday. Congratulations! I was struck by the clerical dress. Does anyone else know of places where permanent deacon candidates wear cassocks and surplices? Read more

Chris Matthews writes about growing up Catholic in Philadelphia

Last updated on: September 14, 2015 at 5:41 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

From Philadelphia Magazine: We lived in a totally Catholic world — Irish Catholic. Mass at St. Stephen’s was definite old-church. You dressed up. Everybody did, especially the adults. Grandpop always put on his three-piece gray suit. It was all in Latin, and the priest stood with his back to us just like it showed in those stages of the Mass in the missal. The altar boys rang the bells more often than they do now. And people came on time.... Read more

Ordination update: 5 new deacons for Stockton

Last updated on: September 14, 2015 at 5:27 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

I received the following email Monday afternoon from Virginia Meagher, Director of the Office of Worship, Music, Christian Initiation in the Diocese of Stockton: On Saturday, September 12, Bishop Stephen Blaire ordained five new permanent deacons for the Diocese of Stockton. The five men are Deacon Fidel Carrillo, Jr., Deacon Thomas Driscoll, Jr., Deacon Juan Estupiñan, Deacon Eric Hougland and Deacon Juan Vargas. This brings the total number of permanent deacons in the Diocese to 51 (11 retired), relative to... Read more

Ordination update: 5 new deacons for Stockton

Last updated on: September 14, 2015 at 8:14 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Chris Matthews writes about growing up Catholic in Philadelphia

Last updated on: September 14, 2015 at 4:10 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Meet the candidates

Last updated on: September 14, 2015 at 12:14 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

In new interview, Pope Francis addresses refugee crisis, blames “culture of ‘well-being'” for low birth rate in Europe

Last updated on: September 14, 2015 at 11:22 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

“At the cross her station keeping…”

Last updated on: September 14, 2015 at 10:56 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

My parish, Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, traditionally celebrates its feast day tomorrow, the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. Fittingly, it follows today’s feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. From the vault, I found this homily from 2008, with some thoughts on those feasts. + This Sunday, marks the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. And like we do at every Sunday mass, we began this celebration with a procession down the aisle, following that cross. It leads... Read more

Changes in Catholic America: a snapshot of the country the Pope will be visiting

Last updated on: September 14, 2015 at 10:20 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

The good folks at Pew offer this demographic snapshot of the country Pope Francis will be visiting next week: Today, immigrants make up a considerable share of Catholics, and many are Hispanic. At the same time, there has been a regional shift, from the Northeast (long home to a large percentage of the Catholic faithful) and Midwest to the Western and Southern parts of the U.S. Our research also has documented the decline of Catholics as a share of the U.S. population.... Read more