From Associated Press: Pope Francis on Tuesday accepted the resignation of Bishop Robert Finn, who led the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph. Finn pleaded guilty in 2013 to failing to report a suspected priestly child abuser in the first known case of a pope sanctioning bishops for covering up for pedophiles. The Vatican said Tuesday that Bishop Robert Finn had offered his resignation under the code of canon law that allows bishops to resign early for illness or some “grave”... Read more
A great young videographer named Connor Eberhart accompanied us on the trip. He was tireless and he was everywhere—photographing everything we did, every place we saw. (Did he ever sleep? I’m not so sure…) Here, in roughly chronological order, are some of the videos he posted on his Vimeo site, which give a great sense of the experience. Most are short, just a minute or so. Below that, I’ve posted links to all my blog posts on the trip. [vimeo... Read more
A followup on yesterday’s posting, from MichiganLive: Christ the King Church in Ann Arbor will no longer offer concealed pistol license (CPL) classes, the church’s priest announced on Facebook Tuesday afternoon. Edward Fride had sent out a letter defending his decision to offer the book-based portion of the course—not the live fire instruction—at the church after some parishioners expressed concern. The Detroit Free Press reported Monday that the Lansing Catholic Bishop Earl Boyea said in a statement that guns and gun lessons do not belong... Read more
While reading the bulletin for Christ the King Catholic Church in Ann Arbor (see here for more on that story), I spotted this item: Peter James Lawrence from this parish is scheduled to be ordained as a transitional Deacon on May 16, 2015, for service to the Diocese of Lansing. Anyone knowing a serious reason which impedes his Ordination should make this known to Rev. John Linden, Director of Seminarians, Diocese of Lansing, 228 North Walnut, Lansing, MI 48933, no... Read more
From The Detroit Free Press: An Ann Arbor Catholic priest has urged his parishioners to arm themselves and attend classes at Christ the King parish to earn a concealed pistol license (CPL). In a letter sent to Christ the King parishioners recently, the Rev. Edward Fride explained why he believed it was necessary to get concealed pistol licenses because of recent crime in the area. During a Palm Sunday mass last month, Fride announced that the parish would be holding... Read more
From John Allen in Crux comes this excellent glimpse into the work of Catholic Near East Welfare Agency (CNEWA), where I work: Founded by Pope Pius XI in 1926, CNEWA is an agency of the Vatican sustained primarily by the Church in the United States and Canada. Its first president was a legendary American Jesuit priest named Edmund Walsh, who was also the founder of the prestigious Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. CNEWA’s mandate is to support the Eastern churches... Read more
From CatholicPhilly.com comes this profile of one local couple—and a conversation that will be familiar to many deacons and their wives: I was stunned when my husband, Donald, mentioned he was considering becoming a permanent deacon in the Catholic Church. This really took me by surprise. Donald was raised in the South as a Baptist! He is now a convert to Catholicism. Donald has always been a considerate, loving husband and an excellent father of our four children, but I... Read more
From The Chicago Tribune: Grey skies and muddy grounds didn’t keep Yolanda Gamboa from quietly praying at a service for 63 of Cook County’s unclaimed miscarried or stillborn fetuses at Chicago’s Mount Olivet Catholic Cemetery Thursday. “I heard about it on the radio this morning, and it just touched my heart,” said Gamboa, an Oak Lawn resident, adding that the issue hit close to home: “I miscarried my first child, and this brought it all back.” Gamboa, who said she... Read more
This is something to read and share—and, I suspect, there is abundant material here for a good homily. From Huffington Post: In the healthiest sense possible, Heather Lende has an intimate relationship with death. She is the longtime obituary writer in her small Alaska hometown of Haines, having memorialized some 400 departed locals, neighbors, friends. She volunteers at the hospice center, and had her own close brush with oblivion. Ten years ago, Lende was hit by a truck while bicycling; the vehicle ran over... Read more
This is something to read and share—and, I suspect, there is abundant material here for a good homily. From Huffington Post: In the healthiest sense possible, Heather Lende has an intimate relationship with death. Portgreenbackdrop-largeShe is the longtime obituary writer in her small Alaska hometown of Haines, having memorialized some 400 departed locals, neighbors, friends. She volunteers at the hospice center, and had her own close brush with oblivion. Ten years ago, Lende was hit by a truck while bicycling;... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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