Bizarre: A Canadian family lived with a corpse in their upstairs bedroom for six months because they believed the deceased man would be resurrected if they prayed, but the body was discovered when the family was evicted for not paying the mortgage. Kaling Wald, 50, pleaded guilty to failing to notify police that her husband had died, an offense under the provincial Coroner’s Act, and was sentenced on Monday to probation and counseling, her lawyer told Reuters on Tuesday. Peter... Read more
Details: He has dismissed and demoted cardinals, bishops and the Vatican secretary of state, and now Pope Francis’s reformist zeal has claimed a new scalp – the head of his own private army, the Swiss Guard. In a dispassionate one-sentence notice, the Vatican’s official newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, announced on Wednesday that Daniel Anrig will no longer serve as the commandant of the 500-year-old corps after the end of next month. No official explanation was given for the decision, but it... Read more
Details: The American Atheists organization posted billboards in Memphis, Nashville, Milwaukee, St. Louis and Arkansas aimed toward “in-the-closet atheists who are pressured to observe religious traditions during the holidays.” That’s what organizers say about the billboards, which show a kid wearing a Santa hat with a pen in hand. The kid is writing a letter that reads, “Dear Santa, all I want for Christmas is to skip church. I’m too old for fairy tales.” The Memphis billboard is located on I-240 near... Read more
Details: As the sun was getting ready to set Monday in northeast Provo, hundreds of people dressed in white were bathed in its glow. Oh, and add in a camel, donkey and a couple of sheep. It broke a Guinness World Record for the most living figures in a Nativity scene. Officially, there were 1,039 participants in the scene. The previous record was 898. “It was set in Lancashire in the United Kingdom in December 2013,” said Michael Empric, an... Read more
From The Catholic Anchor: The historic Holy Family Cathedral in Anchorage was vandalized on Dec. 2. The Dominican priests who staff the parish found it damaged and in disarray at about 4:30 p.m. A video of the damage taken by Dominican Father Mark Francis Manzano shows overturned pews, spilt holy water, toppled liturgical furniture, including the archbishop’s presider’s chair and debris scattered throughout the sanctuary. Advent candles and the ambo were also thrown to the floor and a microphone connected... Read more
In Great Britain, a longstanding tradition is becoming utterly unrecognizable. From The BBC: The traditional school nativity play is under pressure to modernize the story and remove religious figures, according to users of a parenting website. Parents on Netmums have given examples of characters such as spacemen, Elvis Presley and footballers being introduced to the nativity story. There are also claims Christmas plays are being called “winter celebrations”. Netmums co-founder Siobhan Freegard said parents were concerned Christmas traditions were being “pushed... Read more
From the In My Backyard Desk … Hot on the heels of last year’s buzz-worthy campaign, my diocese has done it again this year for Christmas. The press release: On Dec. 2, the Diocese of Brooklyn launched a new advertising campaign encouraging people to return to Mass. The campaign showcases different messages inviting people of Brooklyn and Queens to join their closest church. “By coming among us as a man, God expresses His solidarity with humanity. Christmas is that time... Read more
I attended a deacon vicariate meeting tonight and this beautiful prayer was given to us on a holy card. It is credited to Deacon Lazaro J. Ulloa. A Deacon’s Prayer Come to my assistance my Lord and my God, that I may do for You all that you ask. Strengthen me in adversity and do not let me succumb to my feelings of worthlessness. Help me to feel in my heart all that You speak to me, and help me... Read more
Some heartening news from a report released Friday: From 2010 to 2011, the total number and rate of reported abortions decreased 5% and the abortion ratio decreased 4%, and from 2002 to 2011, the total number, rate, and ratio of reported abortions decreased 13%, 14%, and 12%, respectively. In 2011, all three measures reached their lowest level for the entire period of analysis (2002–2011). In 2011 and throughout the period of analysis, women in their 20s accounted for the majority... Read more
I got an email about this morning. Here’s the news on the Saint Pio Foundation website: A biographical film on the life of Saint Padre Pio is in the works. The film will be produced by the American Actor Joe Mantegna and his long time producing Partner Danny Ramm through their company Acquaviva Productions, for theatrical release. Shot in English, filmed on location in Italy, and distributed worldwide, the film will highlight Padre Pio’s impact on the Catholic Church and the building of his hospital, Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza in San Giovanni Rotondo, Puglia,... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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