“Dear Church…”: A millennial writes about how to keep his generation in the pews

Last updated on: May 18, 2015 at 1:00 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

[getty src=”200294560-001?et=BGk-n8zEQIZ3pYEn-zkYog&viewMoreLink=on&sig=IRpN6iEmJKHzYYIbjeJuwnFxLgZYk1L-ekEneZwRsbI=” width=”507″ height=”338″] View image | gettyimages.com This was written by a young Protestant—United Methodist, actually—but it should be read by everyone (Catholics, I’m looking at you). He offers a few modest proposals, including: Don’t expect a “worship style” to do your dirty work. Contemporary worship hasn’t worked. The longer we extend the life of this failed experiment, the more we see the results. In my experience, contemporary worship brings in three groups. Baby boomers who are still stuck in their rebellion... Read more

Jude Law to star as “The Young Pope”

Last updated on: May 18, 2015 at 12:56 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

Pope Lenny?? From Variety: Jude Law will topline Italian director Paolo Sorrentino’s TV series, with the working title “The Young Pope,” about an imaginary pontiff who is the first Italian-American pope in history. Rupert Murdoch’s paybox Sky and France’s Canal Plus will co-produce with HBO, marking the first multiple-player production of this type in Italy. The series is being produced by Italy’s Wildside, and co-produced by France’s Haut et Court TV. Executive producers for Wildside are Lorenzo Mieli and Mario Gianani together with John... Read more

Professional actors help seminarians with “Preaching Boot Camp”

Last updated on: May 18, 2015 at 12:53 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

From the Detroit Free Press: Let’s be honest, Catholic priests aren’t known for soul-stirring preaching. And according to Pope Francis and many ex-Catholics, that’s a problem. Boring sermonizing does not fill the sanctuary or pay the bills. It certainly will not curb the steady march of American Catholics from the faith. “Priests today have to compete with a digital media culture where sounds bites, tweets and social media updates are the currency of communication. It’s a real challenge for preachers... Read more

“Here is a happy priest”: homily for a priest’s 25th anniversary

Last updated on: May 17, 2015 at 3:44 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Today Fr. Antonin Kocurek, a priest in our parish who ministers to the Czech apostolate in the Diocese of Brooklyn, celebrated the 25th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. He asked me to serve and preach at the Czech Mass marking this occasion in Astoria, Queens. Here’s what I had to say. +++ The last time I was in this chapel was a few years ago, when Fr. Antonin was returning to the Czech Republic after several years here. Back... Read more

Meet the newly ordained Catholic priest with two Muslim daughters

Last updated on: May 17, 2015 at 3:19 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

This may be one of the most unusual vocation stories you’ll ever encounter. From The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: Like most seminarians, the Rev. Dennis Saran could tick off the many influences that bolstered and shaped him in his yearslong path to the priesthood. There was his Catholic upbringing, of course. His teacher-priests and fellow seminarians. Long-dead theologians whose writings and ruminations have spoken to him through the ages. But Saran includes among them three influences few seminarians can claim: his adult... Read more

Meet the newly ordained Catholic priest with two Muslim daughters

Last updated on: May 17, 2015 at 12:38 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

“Here is a happy priest”: homily for a priest’s 25th anniversary

Last updated on: May 17, 2015 at 12:44 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

Great moments in education: teacher screens “Fifty Shades of Grey” for high school students

Last updated on: May 16, 2015 at 11:16 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Details: Part of the erotic movie “Fifty Shades of Grey” was shown in a West Virginia high school classroom this week after students convinced their teacher to let them watch it as a reward for good work. The Charleston Daily Mail reports that the teacher apparently didn’t know what the film was about. Hampshire High principal Jeff Woofter says the film was shut down after 10 minutes when an assistant principal walked by and saw what they were watching. Read more. Read more

There go the Germans. Again.

Last updated on: May 16, 2015 at 11:12 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

From the National Catholic Register: A public dispute has broken out between Germany’s top lay Catholic organization and a German bishop, after the organization issued a statement calling for a raft of new pastoral practices, which the bishop and other critics say are opposed to Church doctrine. The Zentralkomitee der deutschen Katholiken (Central Committee of the German Catholics, or ZdK) issued a statement Sunday calling for the admittance of civilly remarried divorcees to holy Communion, acceptance of all forms of cohabitation, the blessing of same-sex... Read more

Marching for life in Queens

Last updated on: May 16, 2015 at 10:55 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

This morning, my parish hosted once again the great Msgr. Philip Reilly and his remarkable apostolate Helpers of God’s Precious Infants. The turnout was small—a couple dozen people—but it was a drizzly, miserable morning. Mass began at 7:45, celebrated by my pastor, Bishop Paul Sanchez, and then we all headed out the door and down Queens Boulevard to pray outside a nearby abortion clinic. A sign of hope: the original location of the clinic has changed; evidently, the clientele just isn’t... Read more