Catholic broadcaster Adrian Chiles recently set himself a challenge for Lent: to go to church every day for more than a month, and never the same one twice. Some of what he found, from the BBC: Wherever I went in the country, and most of my Masses were in London, Birmingham, Swansea and Manchester, it was striking how similar the congregations were at weekday Masses. There’s no getting away from it: the average age must be somewhere in the seventies.... Read more
View image | gettyimages.com A look at the historic vote Saturday to legalize same-sex marriage, via The New York Times: The country’s cultural evolution reflects a blend of disaffection with the church, and Ireland’s willingness to embrace a wider vision of itself in the world. As the church lost many people in its scandals and its unwillingness to yield to sexual freedoms, the European Union found itself with a willing and eager member. The shift didn’t happen overnight. After Ireland broke from Britain... Read more
The female half of Stiller and Meara died this weekend at the age of 85 and left behind a rich comic legacy—much of it built on her background as an Irish Catholic born in Brooklyn. Many will remember the hilarious routines she did with her husband Jerry Stiller to promote Blue Nun wine: In 1969, legendary advertising executive Jerry Della Femina hired them to do radio commercials for Blue Nun Wine, a liebfraumilch. At the time, there was much doubt... Read more
From AP: For 98-year-old Sister Angela Rooney, it was one of the most jarring moves of her life. She always thought she would live out her days as she had for decades, in a convent under the time-honored Roman Catholic tradition of younger nuns dutifully caring for their older sisters. But with few young women choosing religious life, her church superiors were forced to look elsewhere for care, and in the past year have sent Rooney and dozens of other... Read more
Saturday night, I attended the party celebrating the ordination of Deacon Dean Dobbins, from the next parish over, Our Lady of Mercy in Forest Hills. Sunday, I was privileged to vest and take part in Dean’s Mass of Thanksgiving. It was a great opportunity to celebrate the ministry and the dedicated men who give their lives to it. Ad multos annos, Deacon Dean! Read more
The female half of Stiller and Meara died this weekend at the age of 85 and left behind a rich comic legacy—much of it built on her background as an Irish Catholic born in Brooklyn. Many will remember the hilarious routines she did with her husband Jerry Stiller to promote Blue Nun wine: In 1969, legendary advertising executive Jerry Della Femina hired them to do radio commercials for Blue Nun Wine, a liebfraumilch. At the time, there was much doubt... Read more
From AP: For 98-year-old Sister Angela Rooney, it was one of the most jarring moves of her life. She always thought she would live out her days as she had for decades, in a convent under the time-honored Roman Catholic tradition of younger nuns dutifully caring for their older sisters. But with few young women choosing religious life, her church superiors were forced to look elsewhere for care, and in the past year have sent Rooney and dozens of other... Read more
Saturday night, I attended the party celebrating the ordination of Deacon Dean Dobbins, from the next parish over, Our Lady of Mercy in Forest Hills. Sunday, I was privileged to vest and take part in Dean’s Mass of Thanksgiving. It was a great opportunity to celebrate the ministry and the dedicated men who give their lives to it. Ad multos annos, Deacon Dean! Read more
A few readers have taken issue with my posting on the decision to remove the controversial Fr. Joseph Illo as chaplain at Star of the Sea in San Francisco. One person directed me to this item on a Catholic news site, which he noted gives a more positive assessment of the situation: The appointment of Fr. Perrone, a priest of impeccable orthodoxy, does a number of things. It ensures that the students at Star of the Sea will continue to receive the... Read more
A few readers have taken issue with my posting on the decision to remove the controversial Fr. Joseph Illo as chaplain at Star of the Sea in San Francisco. One person directed me to this item on a Catholic news site, which he noted gives a more positive assessment of the situation: The appointment of Fr. Perrone, a priest of impeccable orthodoxy, does a number of things. It ensures that the students at Star of the Sea will continue to receive the... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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