President Obama: “Every human being, made in the image of God, deserves to live in dignity”

Last updated on: June 9, 2015 at 11:39 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

[getty src=”476442384?et=lPG_klJDTzNmlY57MdBoIg&viewMoreLink=on&sig=VPtVhe9Uv-XbeKT7P3RckxjdN0mhn-RDWZto_DlwjVg=&caption=true” width=”594″ height=”417″] View image | gettyimages.com From the transcript of his remarks today to the Catholic Health Association: My first job in Chicago when I moved after college to work as a community organizer — my first job was funded by the Campaign for Human Development, an anti-poverty initiative of the Catholic Church. And my first office was at Holy Rosary Church on the South Side of Chicago, across from Palmer Park. (Applause.) You’re clapping there — she knows... Read more

Polish president rescues host during Mass

Last updated on: June 9, 2015 at 9:31 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

H/T to Gerard Nadal, who posted this remarkable item on Facebook: On the National Thanksgiving Day, which was established in late 18th Century to commemorate Poland’s patriotic struggle for independence, thousands of the inhabitants of Warsaw took part in an annual open-air Holy Mass, also massively attended by top state officials with the President-Elect Andrzej Sebastian Duda in person. During the Holy Communion a sudden gust of wind blew off one of the consecrated Hosts from the chalice that was... Read more

Ordination update: 7 new deacons for Worcester

Last updated on: June 9, 2015 at 9:18 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

The diocese hasn’t posted any news or pictures since the ordination last weekend, but you can find the entire ordination rite preserved on video right here. A pre-ordination announcement notes: On Saturday, June 6 at 10:00 am at the Cathedral of St. Paul, Worcester, Most Rev. Robert J. McManus, S.T.D. will ordain seven men to the permanent diaconate for the Diocese of Worcester. The seven men are Christopher Finan, Bryan Lagimoniere, David Lajoie, Thomas Marshall, Van Nguyen, Paul Reuter, and... Read more

Pope Francis cautions against faith based on “predicted visions”

Last updated on: June 9, 2015 at 8:19 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

Perhaps another hint of what may be coming on the Medjugorje front? From National Catholic Register: Days after declaring that a decision on the Medjugorje apparitions would be coming soon, Pope Francis cautioned against basing one’s faith solely on predicted visions or anything other than Christ himself. In his June 9 daily Mass at the Vatican’s St. Martha Guesthouse, Pope Francis cautioned against those who look for God “with these Christian spiritualties that are a little ethereal,” calling them “modern... Read more

Ordination update: 21 new deacons for Philadelphia

Last updated on: June 9, 2015 at 8:06 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

From CatholicPhilly.com: The number of permanent deacons for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia increased by 21 on Saturday, June 6, through the ordination ceremony and Mass celebrated by Archbishop Charles Chaput at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul. This newest class of permanent deacons was unique in several respects. It is the second largest class since the permanent diaconate was instituted in the archdiocese in 1981. It was almost evenly balanced between city and suburban candidates, countering recent years... Read more

The story behind the cappa magna

Last updated on: June 9, 2015 at 3:28 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Every now and then, a sharp-eyed observer armed with a camera and a pair of binoculars treks into the wild, sets up a base camp and waits patiently for the arrival of a creature both rare and exotic—and perhaps, to some bird-watchers, comical. He’s looking for the Cappa Magna Cardinal. This seems to be what has happened, once again, with a recent piece in Crux—which, as Terry Mattingly has noted, treats Catholics devoted to tradition with a detached curiosity you normally only... Read more

Is the priest shortage a “manufactured crisis”?

Last updated on: June 8, 2015 at 7:18 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

[getty src=”143070469?et=mqgF1ezmSNVbKhEsOuBLDQ&viewMoreLink=off&sig=ezDbrKtA4oAqj0HemxyiMoW6g9rhD5J3F4ytL6Erc6A=” width=”507″ height=”338″] View image | gettyimages.com From TribLive in Pittsburgh, a look at some of the challenges facing priests and deacons in Pennsylvania: Paul Sullins, a sociology professor at The Catholic University of America in Washington, cautions against overreacting to what he calls an artificial crisis “manufactured by those who say we need to make these radical changes in order to solve the problem,” referring to proposed changes such as expanding priesthood eligibility to married men and —... Read more

Report: abortions down in most states, dropping 12% since 2010

Last updated on: June 8, 2015 at 7:08 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

From AP: Abortions have declined in states where new laws make it harder to have them — but they’ve also waned in states where abortion rights are protected, an Associated Press survey finds. Nearly everywhere, in red states and blue, abortions are down since 2010. Explanations vary. Abortion-rights advocates attribute it to expanded access to effective contraceptives and a drop in unintended pregnancies. Some abortion foes say there has been a shift in societal attitudes as more women choose to... Read more

Must-see: trailer for “Risen,” detective thriller about the Resurrection

Last updated on: June 8, 2015 at 6:58 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Details about the movie, which serves as a kind of sequel to “Passion of the Christ”: Joseph Fiennes appears fully Roman in Risen. But there’s a lot of director Roman Polanski in him, too, the British actor says. He believes his Roman military tribune offers a new perspective on the Bible’s resurrection story by taking after Polanski’s famed Chinatown detective Jake Gittes. “Risen is an incredible noir detective tale. That’s the angle that appealed to me,” says Fiennes. The movie, which arrives in theaters Jan. 22, 2016,... Read more

The largest priest ordination class in the U.S.: Paterson, NJ—UPDATED

Last updated on: June 8, 2015 at 6:34 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Last year, the distinction belonged to Brooklyn. Now, a neighbor to the northwest earns that title. Check it out, from the diocesan website via The Beacon: Bishop Serratelli had the joyful distinction of ordaining the largest ordination class in the nation May 23 in St. Philip Church here. The 14 men of diverse cultural backgrounds and life experiences that he ordained to the priesthood for the Paterson Diocese were matched only by the Archdiocese of Chicago in number as the most... Read more