View image | gettyimages.com On this anniversary of the D-Day invasion, it’s worth hearing again part of what may be the greatest speech Ronald Reagan ever gave, written by Peggy Noonan for the 40th anniversary, delivered 31 years ago in Normandy: The Rangers looked up and saw the enemy soldiers — the edge of the cliffs shooting down at them with machineguns and throwing grenades. And the American Rangers began to climb. They shot rope ladders over the face of... Read more
[getty src=”3229549?et=KjXrI6YlS01CytKAEBnftw&viewMoreLink=off&sig=iaudYi7EaF5PJPPt3hEFXdW2jI30jRMb-Cu3n9RUeQQ=” width=”594″ height=”394″] View image | gettyimages.com On this anniversary of the D-Day invasion, it’s worth hearing again part of what may be the greatest speech Ronald Reagan ever gave, written by Peggy Noonan for the 40th anniversary, delivered 31 years ago in Normandy: The Rangers looked up and saw the enemy soldiers — the edge of the cliffs shooting down at them with machineguns and throwing grenades. And the American Rangers began to climb. They shot rope ladders... Read more
View image | gettyimages.com A deacon friend sent this my way. It’s not new, but it sure is good, from Meredith Gould, inspired by Teresa of Avila: Christ Has No Online Presence but Yours Christ has no online presence but yours, No blog, no Facebook page but yours, Yours are the tweets through which love touches this world, Yours are the posts through which the Gospel is shared, Yours are the updates through which hope is revealed. Christ has no... Read more
Details: Twenty-one men will be ordained permanent deacons by Archbishop Charles J. Chaput for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia on Saturday, June 6 at 10 a.m. at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul, Philadelphia. All the faithful are invited to attend the ordination Mass and to pray for the men as they become ordained clergy in the archdiocese. The link includes biographies of the deacon candidates—a list which includes a pizza maker, a consultant at IBM, a retired cop, an... Read more
[getty src=”475582242?et=hwzDow-IS31qK_vOH-XEdw&viewMoreLink=on&sig=iTzCyXOSaGboBvuLleEHHyuEbRus9_SC6nMZy9L7wSg=&caption=true” width=”594″ height=”395″] View image | gettyimages.com A Franciscan friar, repelled by some responses on social media, asks that question and blogs: What has troubled me this past week has been the response of far too many so-called Christians, and even those who are called forth to be leaders in the Christian community to this public announcement. Over the course of the last week, I have come across blog posts or articles that have had titles like, “How Christians... Read more
From the Post-Gazette: Sheila Ryan said she sensed she has had an unusual call from God from the time of her upbringing in McKeesport. It wasn’t until recently, though, that she learned the Catholic Church had a name for it and an official liturgy to formalize it. Early Sunday morning at St. Richard Church in Richland, the retired school teacher and administrator became the first woman in the Diocese of Pittsburgh to receive the Rite of Consecration of a Virgin... Read more
From The Tidings in Los Angeles, a story about the 19 men who will be ordained to the diaconate tomorrow: Ramon Nuñez’ father told him, “If you don’t serve, you don’t know what you were born for.” He also put these words into practice. “When was I was little, all I ever saw was my parents always serving somebody — in the home, in the church and at school. Always serving,” Nuñez said. “I always looked for ways to serve,”... Read more
From The Minneapolis Star Tribune: The Ramsey County Attorney’s office filed criminal charges Friday against the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis for “failing to protect children” from an abusive priest. The charges stem from the archdiocese’s oversight of former priest Curtis Wehmeyer, who is now serving a prison term for abusing two boys while he was pastor of Blessed Sacrament Church in St. Paul. “Today we are alleging a disturbing institutional and systemic pattern of behavior committed by the... Read more
[getty src=”165626898?et=E1y_f3NlSx1qPzzCEJ1z9A&viewMoreLink=off&sig=KJhDmMPI9nGXIbcrjsr8FQ3ZQrdcEq2W1iOwep3hwRY=” width=”310″ height=”310″] View image | gettyimages.com A deacon friend sent this my way. It’s not new, but it sure is good, from Meredith Gould, inspired by Teresa of Avila: Christ Has No Online Presence but Yours Christ has no online presence but yours, No blog, no Facebook page but yours, Yours are the tweets through which love touches this world, Yours are the posts through which the Gospel is shared, Yours are the updates through which hope is... Read more
From The Minneapolis Star Tribune: The Ramsey County Attorney’s office filed criminal charges Friday against the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis for “failing to protect children” from an abusive priest. The charges stem from the archdiocese’s oversight of former priest Curtis Wehmeyer, who is now serving a prison term for abusing two boys while he was pastor of Blessed Sacrament Church in St. Paul. “Today we are alleging a disturbing institutional and systemic pattern of behavior committed by the... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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