Conversion story: abandoned church turned into a brewery

Last updated on: May 27, 2015 at 12:49 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

[getty src=”537381373?et=05tdGkVHSqpBpcG9fMsLRw&viewMoreLink=off&sig=-AQiMfffgtWxOtHpCsoqn16Hw_CxJYweyVT4QgiFAeo=” width=”451″ height=”380″] View image | gettyimages.com From RTV6 in Indianapolis: If you worship at the altar of beer, we’ve found just the spot for you. “Hands go up (in the church) as if they are praying,” Part-owner Karl Vann says. “But they actually have an iPhone and are taking a picture.” It used to be St. Joseph Catholic Church. Now, it’s St. Joseph Brewery and Public House. But some of the old history still remains in this new... Read more

Vroom vroom: meet the priest who is also a biker

Last updated on: May 27, 2015 at 12:40 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

From The Pittsburgh Gazette: A priest walks into a motorcycle club. Don’t bother reading further if you’ve heard this one before. Then again, if you know the Rev. Lou Vallone, perhaps you’ve seen it happen. The pastor of St. John of God in McKees Rocks and St. Catherine of Siena in Crescent is a man of many gears. A master scuba diver, a self-proclaimed barbecue expert — and a man of God. But above all else (under the heavens, that... Read more

Seton Hall priest who was removed over Facebook post admits he’s gay, requests sabbatical

Last updated on: May 27, 2015 at 12:32 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

A reader sent this my way today. This story got a lot of attention a couple weeks back, and now the other shoe has dropped: Just before graduation last year, campus priest Warren Hall was walking across Seton Hall’s grounds sipping some coffee when a student ran up to him. The student thanked Hall for his tutelage and posed a question he hadn’t heard before. “Are you gay?” Hall nearly dropped his coffee cup. She reminded him that he had always taught... Read more

And now, some advice for engaged couples from the pope

Last updated on: May 27, 2015 at 10:36 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

From Vatican Radio: Pope Francis on Wednesday spoke to couples who are engaged to be married and told them not to be superficial as they prepare to enter into a life-long covenant of love. In yet another catechesis dedicated to the family, the Pope chose to speak of the importance of engagement as preparation for marriage. Engagement – the Pope said – has to do with trust and reliability. He said it is beautiful that two people who are engaged... Read more

Is being single a vocation?

Last updated on: May 27, 2015 at 10:04 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

View image | gettyimages.com Msgr. Charles Pope address that provocative question—and provides some equally provocative answers—over at his blog: Simply being single does not seem to qualify for what we have traditionally termed vocations. Consider first some basic differences. 1. Those who marry as well as those who enter religious life or the priesthood make promises and vows. What promises and vows do those who are single make? To whom? For what purpose? Unless they become consecrated virgins or hermits, do singles make... Read more

Muslims call on world to protect endangered treasures of Palmyra from ISIS

Last updated on: May 27, 2015 at 8:48 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

From my colleague Fr. Elias Mallon, over at the CNEWA blog One-to-One: Now that ISIS has gained control of Palmyra — and, some fear, could destroy many of the priceless artifacts in the ancient Syrian city — an important Muslim voice has been raised, calling on the world to protect and defend these treasures. Al Azhar, one of the oldest universities in the world and a center of Sunni Muslim learning, has declared that “protecting archaeological sites from destruction and plundering... Read more

Conversion story: abandoned church turned into a brewery

Last updated on: May 27, 2015 at 7:00 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

View image | gettyimages.com From RTV6 in Indianapolis: If you worship at the altar of beer, we’ve found just the spot for you. “Hands go up (in the church) as if they are praying,” Part-owner Karl Vann says. “But they actually have an iPhone and are taking a picture.” It used to be St. Joseph Catholic Church. Now, it’s St. Joseph Brewery and Public House. But some of the old history still remains in this new brewery and restaurant. Karl... Read more

Vroom vroom: meet the priest who is also a biker

Last updated on: May 27, 2015 at 10:53 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

News alert: weddings do not have to break the bank

Last updated on: May 26, 2015 at 6:14 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

View image | gettyimages.com My blog neighbor Jane the Actuary has a little news today about spiraling wedding costs, and points out that the numbers you’ve been hearing—upwards of $30k—may not be accurate. And she adds this personal detail at the end: That the wedding industry has done such a good job of convincing couples that an expensive say-yes-to-the-dress type dress is obligatory, and a sit-down dinner reception, and so on, that couples think that getting married is all about... Read more

If you think gays wrecked marriage in Ireland, think again

Last updated on: May 26, 2015 at 2:11 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

View image | gettyimages.com From Aleteia, some analysis from Michael Cook: As an institution, marriage has been on the skids in Ireland for decades and Friday’s result was a natural result. It wasn’t the gays who trashed marriage; it was the straights. Consider the four essential features of traditional marriage: permanence, monogamy, procreation and sexual complementarity. Permanence: Ireland amended its constitution in 1995 to legalise divorce (with a 62 percent voter turnout), copying what other jurisdictions had done decades before. So... Read more