Leading Italian bishop: Church must make “unconventional couples” feel at home

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:52 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

From Zenit: Addressing a national conference on the liturgy on Wednesday, Bishop Nunzio Galantino said the Church must make everyone feel at home, including “unconventional couples”. “Couples in irregular matrimonial situations are also Christians, but they are sometimes looked upon with prejudice,” he said, according to Italian news agency ANSA. “The burden of exclusion from the sacraments is an unjustified price to pay, in addition to de facto discrimination,” the prelate maintained. Avvenire reported that he said the Eucharist “is and... Read more

From Marquette, a prayer for James Foley

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:52 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Photo by Xidan Zhang via the Marquette Tribune. From the university’s website: The Marquette University community gathered to remember alumnus and slain journalist James Foley at a vigil yesterday at the Church of the Gesu in Milwaukee. Foley, a 1996 graduate, was working as a war correspondent when he was kidnapped in Syria in November 2012 and then killed by Islamic State militants last week. Political and religious leaders around the world expressed their shock and heartbreak over Foley’s murder,... Read more

A deacon recounts the final moments of a man on death row

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:52 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

A haunting testimony about the death of Joe Woods, from Deacon Ed Scheffer in the Diocese of Tuscon, via The Catholic Sun: I prayed the rosary seven times as I sat in a small cinderblock room watching Joe gasp for air. He finally died one hour and 58 minutes later. In that time of prayer came oneness with Mary in my heart. I realized that no amount of screaming or pleading by me was going to stop what was unfolding.... Read more

“Would you like a rosary?”

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:52 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Catholic San Francisco this week has this glimpse at an unusual lay ministry—one that is, literally, taking it to the streets: Office workers on their lunch hour, shivering tourists, local street folk and others crisscrossing the sidewalks near San Francisco’s Metreon complex Aug. 18 walked past – and a few around – the burly man in their path clutching a bouquet of colorful plastic rosary beads in one outstretched hand, a Chihuahua-dachshund mix named Buddy in the other. “Would you... Read more

St. Monica: two different views

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:52 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Today marks the feast of the mother of St. Augustine. Below, two dramatically different depictions of this woman who died sometime late in the 4th century. The first comes from John Nava, and is one of the studies he did for the gorgeous tapestries at the cathedral in Los Angeles. The artist for the second is unknown. Since Monica came from northern Africa, some speculate that she and her son were dark-skinned. Whatever her age, her looks, her race, or... Read more

“This woman has never never gossiped. Such a woman can be canonized tomorrow.”

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:52 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

The Holy Father returned to one of his favorite themes—the sin of gossip—during his weekly audience this morning: Francis, during the general audience, emphasised that “experience shows that there are many sins against the unity of the Church: let us not think only of schisms but also of very common faults within our communities, the “parish” sins”. He continued: “Sometimes our parishes, that are called to be places of sharing, are sadly divided by envy, jealousy, dislikes. Everyone gossips, there... Read more

What if your child had Down syndrome? “If he can’t have a shot at becoming president, we don’t want him”

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:52 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Because, you know, it’s all about getting what we want when we want it. Otherwise, forget it. Details: The abortion rate for Down syndrome babies is tragically high. Some studies put the number at 90%. Our culture puts so much value on independence and individual achievement that human beings who do not “measure up” to certain standards can be rejected and aborted. Children become commodities that can be tested and found wanting and then destroyed. Only if they pass a criteria... Read more

Great moments in journalism: CNN interviews man who pinpoints origin of California earthquake—and it’s not what they thought

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:52 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

From The Washington Post: Breaking news coverage is challenging: Updates are flying in from everywhere; official sources don’t communicate everything they know; competition is brisk; and there are pranksters, as MSNBC learned earlier this summer upon the downing of MH17. Someone claiming to have been a U.S. military official got on the network’s live coverage and claimed that a burst from the derriere of Howard Stern was responsible for the plane crash. Yesterday morning on CNN, just before 9 a.m., CNN,... Read more

Home run: one church’s smart idea for improving Mass attendance

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:52 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

A great location and a savvy social media campaign combine to create a textbook example of New Evangelization. It also provides further proof that (as someone once said) if you build it, they will come. Check this out, from The Washington Post: Fans who stream into the Navy Yard district before Nats games are now greeted with increasingly varied entertainment choices, from Yards Park for fresh air and views of the Anacostia River to the Fairgrounds for frat-rock music and... Read more

Thinking of living together before getting married? Read this first.

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:52 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

This won’t surprise a lot of us, but it is surprising to see it in The New York Times. Snip: The research stems from a study that began with 1,294 young adults ages 18 to 34 recruited to the Relationship Development Study in 2007 and 2008. Over the next five years, 418 of the individuals in the study married, offering the researchers a glimpse into the lives and decision-making of couples before and after marriage. The researchers collected data on... Read more