The Christian writer Philip Yancey has a very good rumination on “preaching without words” over at Huffington Post, with examples of some who do it best. Take a look: Writing for the Internet, I’ve learned, is a bit like taking on the hecklers at the Speakers’ Corner in London’s Hyde Park. The normal rules of civil dialogue do not apply. Especially if the topic is religion–any religion–you’ll likely provoke a reflexive verbal blast. Apart from the typos and bad... Read more
Priests and deacons understand that key moments in life—baptisms, First Communions, Confirmations, weddings and funerals—are often ripe opportunities for evangelization. With two important feasts approaching, All Saints and All Souls, CNS looks at the role cemeteries can play: Beyond their traditional roles as predictably quiet and often-beautiful places, “cemeteries have a huge opportunity to evangelize and a responsibility to stand for what the church represents,” said Andrew Schafer, executive director for Archdiocese of Newark Catholic Cemeteries in New Jersey.People who come to... Read more
Give a subscription to Deacon Digest! Deacon Digest is the only publication written especially for Catholic permanent deacons, deacon candidates, and their families. It’s a rich trove of information on the life and ministry of the deacon, with helpful and interesting articles on preaching, marriage, liturgy, you name it. The brainchild of veteran journalist Jim Alt (who, incredibly, is not a deacon himself), Deacon Digest started out as a modest operation in Jim’s home three decades ago and soon became a helpful... Read more
David Mills noted yesterday: “Pope Francis made a significant rhetorical break with Catholic tradition Monday by declaring that the theories of evolution and the Big Bang are real,” announced MSBNC reporter Daniel Berger. He is, to excuse him a little, a “policy wonk” who covers politics and whose favorite tv shows are The Rachel Maddow Show, Hardball with Chris Matthews, and Morning Joe — but only a little because a reporter is honor-bound not to make claims when he has no idea what he’s talking... Read more
Take a look: The story: Kaya the Humboldt penguin is just four months old — so young its gender is still unknown. But Wednesday marked the big day that Kaya, whose name means competence or ability in Tagalog, separated from its parents and took its first swim at the Manila Ocean Park in the Philippines. For the special occasion, Roman Catholic priest Jacob Gomes was on the premises to bless the little penguin. The priest also took the opportunity to... Read more
From today’s audience: Often, we hear people say: the Church doesn’t do this …the Church doesn’t do that!’ ‘Tell me who is the Church? – ‘Well the Church is the priests, the bishops, the Pope …’ We are all the Church! All of us all of us Baptized! We are the Church, the Church of Jesus’”. This was the message at the heart of Pope Francis’ general audience Wednesday, which he dedicated to the relationship between the visible and spiritual... Read more
Deacon Richard Tolcher, left, and Deacon Gregory Pecore pray with inmates at Clayton County Prison in Lovejoy, Ga. (photo: Clayton County Prison/Michael Alexander) Sister Camille D’Arienzo has a regular column in NCR, and this week she speaks with Deacon Richard Tolcher, 71, Director of the Prison and Jail Ministry for the Archdiocese of Atlanta. Snip: When did you become a permanent deacon? 1987 What was your profession before you assumed this full-time work? I was a prison chaplain for 13 years... Read more
From Vatican Radio: In a private meeting with leaders of the inter-denominational Ark Community, Pope Francis said Christians should not wait for theologians to reach agreement, but should walk, pray and work together now. His words came during an October 10th encounter at the Casa Santa Marta with members of the community founded by Evangelical leader Tony Palmer who was killed in a road accident last July. Palmer became friends with Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio when he worked in Buenos... Read more
A 21st century problem gets a closer look this morning from CNS: Entire families navigate their smartphones while sharing meals at restaurants. Students text in class. Parents take phone calls at their children’s sporting events and plays.It’s no surprise that cellphones affect even church.It has become common for parishes to place blurbs in their bulletins about silencing cellphones and for lectors to make announcements about it before liturgies, reminding parishioners they’re in a place of worship. In some places, Massgoers... Read more
Details: Pope Francis on Monday (Oct. 27) waded into the controversial debate over the origins of human life, saying the big bang theory did not contradict the role of a divine creator, but even required it. The pope was addressing the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, which gathered at the Vatican to discuss “Evolving Concepts of Nature.” “When we read about Creation in Genesis, we run the risk of imagining God was a magician, with a magic... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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