From The New York Daily News: Msgr. David Cassato, pastor of St. Athanasius Church in Bensonhurst, will say a special Month’s Mind Mass at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday to mark the one-month anniversary of the assassinations of Police Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu. “It will be a month on Tuesday, but the Month’s Mind Mass will take place on Sunday because it’s time to start the healing process,” says Cassato, an NYPD chaplain coming off two surgeries who rushed... Read more
Photo: from Harstdale Pet Cemetery website From The New York Times: In December, Pope Francis got the attention of pet owners everywhere when he was quoted as saying, “Paradise is open to all of God’s creatures.” Alas, media outlets, including The New York Times, confused the remarks and the circumstances under which they were made. The pope had actually made a broader comment about heaven during an event in November. The quotation itself was reportedly taken from remarks made years... Read more
From Vatican Radio: Pope Francis improvised a special prayer at the end of the Holy Mass celebrated for the survivors of the typhoon Haiyan at Tacloban, Philippines on Saturday. Praying spontaneously in Spanish with an aide translating it simultaneous in English, he filled the hearts of the survivors with gratitude and hope. The text: We have just celebrated the passion, death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus preceded us, he went there before us on the journey. And... Read more
St. Peter’s Basilica by Wolfgang Stuck / Wikipedia From The Daily Mail: He made headlines the world over by coming out earlier last year, and then even more by kissing his boyfriend on live TV. Now Michael Sam, the first openly gay player to be drafted into the NFL, has taken another leap of confidence – and likely controversy – by proposing to his longtime love from what is renowned as one of the holiest Catholic sites. Sam confirmed his... Read more
The AP confirms it: Pope Francis issued his strongest defense yet of church teaching opposing artificial contraception, using a Friday rally in Asia’s largest Catholic nation to urge families to be “sanctuaries of respect for life.” Francis also denounced the corruption that has plagued the Philippines for decades and urged officials to instead work to end its “scandalous” poverty and social inequalities during his first full day in Manila, where he received a rock star’s welcome at every turn. …Francis... Read more
Father Edward Smith celebrates Mass in Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Academy auditorium in a makeshift worship space Jan. 11. (Photo: Marie Elena Giossi / The Tablet) Several days ago, I posted on this devastating fire that hit a church in my diocese. Now a followup, giving witness to the resilience and faith of this remarkable parish. From The Tablet: On the first weekend after fire burned through the choir loft and roof of Our Lady of Sorrows Church, Corona, the parish... Read more
From The Minneapolis Star Tribune: The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Friday, saying it cannot meet its financial obligations from an unprecedented wave of clergy sex abuse lawsuits. The move freezes lawsuits against the church, protecting the archdiocese from creditors while allowing it to develop a reorganization plan. “I make this decision because I believe it is the fairest and most helpful recourse for those victims/survivors who have made claims against us,’’ wrote Archbishop John... Read more
From Vatican Radio: Pope Francis made an unscheduled stop at a center for street children in Manila Friday shortly after celebrating mass in the Filipino capital. Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi confirmed that the Pope visited a home for street children run by the ANAK-Tnk charitable foundation. Fr. Lombardi said the Pope spent almost a half an hour with some 320 children who celebrated his visit at the centre with songs and dance, hugs and an exchange of brief words. Fr. Lombardi... Read more
It made big news this week, and now it’s not going to happen: Duke University canceled plans Thursday to begin a weekly Muslim call to prayer from the campus chapel this week, an initiative that had set off debate on social media. A school spokesman and a Duke Muslim leader said that a serious and credible security threat played a role in the decision. The university had announced that Muslim students would chant the ‘adhan,’ the call to a weekly... Read more
From AP: Four leading French imams and the Vatican issued a joint declaration Thursday denouncing the Paris newspaper massacre and warning that the world is a dangerous place without freedom of expression, but urged the media to be respectful of religions. The Vatican’s office for interreligious dialogue said the four Muslim spiritual leaders, who were visiting the Vatican this week, joined Pope Francis in condemning the attack and urging all believers to show friendship and solidarity to the victims. The... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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