It must have been a slow news day in San Francisco, since it appears this led the local news last night: A Bay Area church is now under fire over a controversial new policy saying only boys can be altar servers. The new practice is making waves at the century old church Star of the Sea. Since the ’70s, they’ve used altar girls during masses. The well-known Richmond District church also has a school serving about 230 kids. When the new priest... Read more
Over at the blog Pray Tell, Anthony Ruff notes a recent letter regarding the Sign of Peace during Mass: One of the last acts of Cardinal Llovera as prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship was to sign, along with secretary Arthur Roche, the circular letter on the Sign of Peace of June 8, 2014. Pope Francis had approved and confirmed the document the day before. (Pope Francis transferred Cardinal Llovera back to Spain in August.) The new CDW document... Read more
From CNA/EWTN: Servant of God Aloysius Schwartz is one of the 11 causes for canonization that Pope Francis advanced yesterday, and will be granted the title “Venerable” with the pontiff’s recognition of his heroic virtue. Pope Francis approved the advancement of the causes for canonization during a private Jan. 22 audience with Cardinal Angelo Amato S.D.B., prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. In addition to Fr. Schwartz, six other Servants of God were recognized for heroic virtue,... Read more
From Vatican Radio: Pope Francis received the judges and advocates of the Roman Rota on Friday, to inaugurate the tribunal’s 2015 judicial term. The Roman Rota is the highest ordinary appellate court in the Church’s judicial system. The bulk of the work of the Rota involves deciding cases of marital nullity – marriage annulments, in colloquial parlance. In remarks to the Rota on Friday, Pope Francis reminded the judges and advocates of the tribunal that the highest law is the salus... Read more
I received this email this morning: As of a week ago the new Chancellor & Diocesan Ecumenical Officer for the Diocese of St. Augustine is Deacon David Williams. And his assistant is also a deacon. His first appearance on the ecumenical scene was on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2015 as seen in this photo. [Deacon Williams is on the far right.] The Ecumenical Vespers was started in January 2014 under Bishop Felipe J. Estevez and Deacon Williams’s predecessor, Fr. Michael P. Morgan,... Read more
Treasa and George Matysek rest their hands on their unborn baby, Georgie, when he was still in his mother’s womb. (Courtesy Matysek family / Catholic Review) This comes from my friend George Matysek in the Catholic Review of Baltimore. If you read only one pro-life story this day, this should be it. Pass it on. His account of life, and loss, and love: The ultrasound technician who gently swept a probe across my wife’s gel-covered belly spoke hardly a word... Read more
“There is no sin which He won’t pardon. He forgives everything. ‘But father, I don’t go to confession because I have committed so many really bad sins, so many that I can’t be forgiven….’ No, this is not true. He forgives everything. If you go (to confession) repentant, He will forgive everything. When… so many times He doesn’t even let you speak! You start to ask for forgiveness and He lets you feel that joy of forgiveness before you have... Read more
Photo from Vatican Radio From Vatican Radio: The Vatican has issued Pope Francis’ Message for the 49TH World Day of Social Communications, the only worldwide celebration called for by the Second Vatican Council (Inter mirifica, 1963). The theme of this year’s message: “Communicating the Family – a Privileged Place of Encounter with the Gift of Love.” The World Day of Social Communications is celebrated in almost all countries on the Sunday before Pentecost. The announcement comes on the eve of 24... Read more
View image | gettyimages.com From Huffington Post: While Republican lawmakers squabbled over a single bill banning abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, the anti-abortion movement’s leadership found common ground Wednesday discussing long-term strategy at a summit in the nation’s capital. Much media attention focused on the annual March for Life, when tens of thousands of anti-abortion protesters converged Thursday on the National Mall. But a small related conference the day before, held at a hotel one mile north, revealed significantly more about how the movement... Read more
Photo by Ashleigh Buyers | Catholic Herald Following up on the beautiful photo from last weekend, here’s a fuller report from The Arlington Catholic Herald: Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde ordained 11 men to the permanent diaconate Jan. 17 at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More. The 11 new deacons are: Robert E. Benyo, Robert R. Gillispie, Rafael A. Goldsmith, Helio A. Gomez, Thomas H. McQuillan, Michael J. Mochel, Patrick A. Ouellette, Antonio J. Remedios, Atanacio Sandoval, James R. Van de Voorde... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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