From a California newspaper comes this profile of a Catholic with a very unusual hobby: The first thing you notice walking into Jim and Vicki Asbury’s house in Browns Valley is that it is full of grandchildren and pets. The second thing you notice is the life-size statue of Jesus at the top of the front staircase. Jim Asbury, a retired construction company owner and longtime Napa resident, has been collecting Catholic statuary for over 20 years. He has about... Read more
The Fox News anchor made a splash Thursday night during the GOP debate, which racked up record ratings. But a profile of him in today’s Los Angeles Times also mentions his faith and a singular event that changed his life: When Baier settles in over a New York strip and a glass of cabernet and is asked about the pressure of the bright spotlight that’s about to hit, he exudes an inner calm. It’s the anchor’s way since the harrowing... Read more
Madison’s Bishop Robert Morlino makes clear his opposition: I want to be cautious and fair about the SSPX. Many of their concerns are legitimate. Many of their values and aspirations are admirable, and their zeal is impressive. Their priests wish to serve the Lord and His people. The people who attend their chapels are fervent. We should always be cordial, respectful, and welcoming to them as brothers and sisters in Christ. Yet, their relationship with the Church is complex and... Read more
From The New York Times: Since the advent of front-facing cameras on cellphones, selfies have been a matter of eye-rolling and vague embarrassment even among those who take them (often making a pouty lip “duckface” if female or asymmetrically setting the eyebrows if male). Now, though, it seems a line has been drawn at mounting a camera phone on a perspective-enhancing stick — as if to confine selfies’ intrusion into society to at most arm’s length. Psychologists, technologists, behavioral economists, art... Read more
From a California newspaper comes this profile of a Catholic with a very unusual hobby: The first thing you notice walking into Jim and Vicki Asbury’s house in Browns Valley is that it is full of grandchildren and pets. The second thing you notice is the life-size statue of Jesus at the top of the front staircase. Jim Asbury, a retired construction company owner and longtime Napa resident, has been collecting Catholic statuary for over 20 years. He has about... Read more
The Fox News anchor made a splash Thursday night during the GOP debate, which racked up record ratings. But a profile of him in today’s Los Angeles Times also mentions his faith and a singular event that changed his life: When Baier settles in over a New York strip and a glass of cabernet and is asked about the pressure of the bright spotlight that’s about to hit, he exudes an inner calm. It’s the anchor’s way since the harrowing... Read more
Madison’s Bishop Robert Morlino makes clear his opposition: I want to be cautious and fair about the SSPX. Many of their concerns are legitimate. Many of their values and aspirations are admirable, and their zeal is impressive. Their priests wish to serve the Lord and His people. The people who attend their chapels are fervent. We should always be cordial, respectful, and welcoming to them as brothers and sisters in Christ. Yet, their relationship with the Church is complex... Read more
From The New York Times: Since the advent of front-facing cameras on cellphones, selfies have been a matter of eye-rolling and vague embarrassment even among those who take them (often making a pouty lip “duckface” if female or asymmetrically setting the eyebrows if male). Now, though, it seems a line has been drawn at mounting a camera phone on a perspective-enhancing stick — as if to confine selfies’ intrusion into society to at most arm’s length. Psychologists, technologists, behavioral economists, art... Read more
View image | gettyimages.com From The Washington Post: David Cahoon does what Jesus did, and Jesus’ earthly father before Him. He’s a carpenter, and like the Christian figure whose life he has sought to emulate, Cahoon embraces the task of transforming mundane pieces of wood into works of religious glory. His latest project calls for building a semi-permanent altar for Pope Francis’s visit to the United States next month. The altar — whose design was chosen in a competition between 18... Read more
Recently this question popped up in a newspaper column by Rabbi Marc Gellman: Our children attended religious school and were bar and bat mitzvahed. Our son, now 30, has been dating a wonderful woman for two years and they’re contemplating marriage. She’s Catholic and wants her children to be baptized and confirmed. Our son wants his son to have a bris and his children to be bar or bat mitzvahed. Their discussions about religion usually end without resolution. At one... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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