From his homily this morning, via Vatican Radio: It is easy to judge others, but we can only progress on our Christian journey in life if we are capable of judging ourselves first, said Pope Francis at Monday morning Mass in Casa Santa Marta. The readings of the day focused on the subject of mercy. The Pope, recalling that “we are all sinners” – not “in theory” but in reality – said that the ability to judge oneself is “a... Read more
Meet a man who knows. A fascinating and informative video on the profession—and on so much more—from the gifted Robert Duncan at CNS. Share this with a priest or seminarian you know. (He may even find rich source material here for a homily on Good Shepherd Sunday…) Image via Wikipedia Read more
I’ll be curious to hear how this event went. Vatican Insider reports: From 12 noon yesterday (Friday 27th) until midday today (Saturday 28th) local time, the doors of many Catholic churches in Chicago will be open to all those seeking forgiveness, mercy and consolation through prayer. The “Festival of Forgiveness”, promoted by the Archbishop of Chicago Blase Cupich, is taking place on the second weekend of Lent. This pastoral initiative is a first for the diocese, with chapels, sanctuaries and parishes... Read more
This is a nice problem to have. From The Wisconsin State Journal: Midway through the Sunday Mass at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Dodgeville, the service took a sharp turn toward fundraising. Monsignor Daniel Ganshert, the parish priest, told parishioners that for years, people in the Madison Catholic Diocese had been praying for more men to be called by God to the priesthood. The Holy Spirit has responded, Ganshert announced jubilantly. There are now 33 seminarians, or priests-in-training, up from... Read more
From The SF Weekly: There’s a new contender in the faith-fueled fight between Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone and parents, students, and teachers of local Catholic schools. Media relations heavyweight Sam Singer is now representing the embattled Catholics of conscience in the holy war of public relations. Archbishop Cordileone issued new morality clauses banning teachers from public displays of support for homosexuality and other “sinful acts.” The schools in question — Riordan, Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, Serra, and Marin Catholic — are... Read more
Sophia Jones from the Huffington Post has interviewed the families of some of the 21 Coptic martyrs and posted this moving glimpse into the lives they lived: Death is everywhere in Al Aour. When a video surfaced late Sunday showing Islamic State fighters beheading 21 men in Libya, it seemed no family here was spared. Thirteen of the victims hailed from this dusty Egyptian town, roughly three hours south of Cairo. The men were laborers, gone for months on end, who... Read more
These were composed by Archbishop Samir Nassar, the Maronite Archbishop of Damascus, and published in the UK’s Catholic Herald. From the 4th Station, Jesus Meets His Mother: Wounded and suffering, carrying the cross of humanity, Jesus meets his mother and the face of all humanity. In this mutual suffering between son and mother a new humanity is born. O Mary, Mother of God, you saw your son suffer. Help our moms who are deprived of their children, whose children suffer and... Read more
Music director Richard J. Clark has some wise advice on climbing this Everest of chants, and he concludes: Most every line is a gem. But while trying to concentrate on the notes, make sure you allow the boundless blessings of this text to supersede all that you communicate to the faithful. Here’s how: • Patience. Revel in the text and do not worry about mistakes. Make them and move right past them. Even the best of singers will make plenty of... Read more
Details from The Catholic Herald: Egyptian charity Coptic Orphans has launched a crowdsourcing fund to support the children of the Coptic martyrs killed in Libya. The charity, which was founded in 1988 by Copts in the United States, says it has identified 12 children left fatherless when ISIS murdered the 21 men in Libya on February 15. The Christians, believed to be 20 Egyptians and a Ghanaian, had been kidnapped by the terrorist group weeks earlier as the Islamists took over large swathes of... Read more
From AP: The Rev. Theodore Hesburgh was always a man of conscience. He did what he thought was right during his 35 years as president of the University of Notre Dame, even if it meant challenging popes, presidents or legendary football coaches. Hesburgh died late Thursday night on the university campus in South Bend, Indiana. He was 97. His cause of death wasn’t immediately known. “We mourn today a great man and faithful priest who transformed the University of Notre Dame and touched... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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