In Iraq, one man’s “No” led to a massacre

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:53 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Chilling details of what is happening in parts of Iraq, via Reuters: When Islamic State militants stormed into a northern Iraqi village and ordered everyone to convert to Islam or die only one person refused. But that did not satisfy the Sunni insurgents who are even more hardline than al Qaeda. The militants, who have seized much of northern Iraq since arriving from Syria in June, wasted no time after the village’s leader, or sheikh, stood up for his ancient Yazidi faith. Khalof Khodede,... Read more

James Wright Foley, Catholic, writes of praying the rosary in prison

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:53 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

What happened to this man yesterday is beyond imagining. But few accounts of his brave life and horrible death have mentioned one significant fact: his faith. My blog neighbor Frank Weathers has the scoop, with an excerpt from a piece Foley wrote for the Marquette alumni magazine three years ago: Myself and two colleagues had been captured and were being held in a military detention center in Tripoli. Each day brought increasing worry that our moms would begin to panic.... Read more

“Blessing of the planes” in Alaska

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:53 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Details: Some Anchorage pilots may feel safer in the skies now that a Catholic priest has blessed their planes. Rev. Leo Walsh of St. Benedict’s Catholic Church performed a blessing ceremony Tuesday evening at Lake Hood Seaplane Base. The Catholic priest sprinkled holy water and prayed over about a dozen planes while their owners looked on. Walsh, a longtime pilot, says he’s performed blessings on many things in his career but holds a special place in his heart for airplanes.... Read more

“I’m a straight woman married to a woman…”

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:53 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

And now for something completely different. I’ve never seen a story quite like this before. This isn’t exactly the ordinary couple next door. From The Washington Post: I’ve never questioned my sexuality, my desire to be with a man. Still, when I first encountered the person who would become my husband, he was wearing makeup and a purple dress. We met at a gathering hosted by a mutual friend, a psychotherapist and expert on transgenderism. David, the man in the dress,... Read more

The struggles of being a woman minister—and staying employed

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:53 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

We don’t usually think about people in ministry being out of work and struggling to make ends meet. But this profile of one woman in New York City offers a different perspective: The Rev. Dominique C. Atchison stood at the lectern in the church fellowship hall, her voice soaring, her body swaying. There were joyful and troubled hearts in the seats before her. She sang to soothe their spirits. She preached to inspire their faith. “Beautiful! Beautiful!” the congregants called... Read more

One priest’s challenge to the “ice bucket challenge”

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:53 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

You may have read about the moral problems of donating to ALSA.org. via the “ice bucket challenge.” Now, a blogging priest, Fr. Michael Denk, is offering a challenge of his own…to ALSA.org. Check it out. And, like my blog neighbor Fr. Mike Duffy (who first raised ethical questions about this gimmick) he offers an alternative to donating to ALSA.org: An ethical way to donate to the cure for ALS: The John Paul II Medical Research Institute may be a more worthy group... Read more

St. Louis archbishop issues letter on Ferguson, encourages prayer to Our Lady, Undoer of Knots

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:53 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

From the Archdiocese of St. Louis website: Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, We are all aware of the turmoil and tragedy our St. Louis community is experiencing. The residents of Ferguson, Missouri, are struggling to find peace in the chaos. As people of Christ, we are struggling to find direction in the unrest. I have personally visited Ferguson and Michael Brown’s memorial to offer my prayers for everyone affected by this tragedy. As I have been observing this situation... Read more

RIP, Don Pardo

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:53 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

One of the most familiar voices in the world is silent. Details: Don Pardo, the magisterial announcer of Saturday Night Live for nearly 40 years — the highlight of seven heard and hardly seen decades at NBC — has died. He was 96. Pardo died Monday evening, an NBC spokesperson confirmed toThe Hollywood Reporter. He died in his sleep. He broke his hip in March 2013, causing him to miss two episodes of the SNL season, but he was back introducing the cast starting in... Read more

Pope Francis on Iraq: “To stop the unjust aggressor is licit”

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:53 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

From Catholic News Service: Pope Francis said the use of force can be justified to stop “unjust aggressors” such as Islamic State militants in northeastern Iraq, but he declined to endorse U.S. military airstrikes against the militants and said such humanitarian interventions should not be decided on by any single country.The pope also said he was willing to travel to the war zone if necessary to stop the violence. Pope Francis made his remarks Aug. 18 during an hourlong inflight... Read more

A plea for Iraq: “As a daughter of Nineveh, a sister in Christ, I write to you…”

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:53 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

This morning, I got an unexpected phone call from Mother Olga of the Sacred Heart, who runs a community of sisters in the Archdiocese of Boston known as the Daughters of Mary of Nazareth. Mother Olga was born and spent much of her life in Iraq, and has now embarked on a special ministry to encourage prayer for the suffering men, women and children of her homeland. (Read her biography here.) Her appeal to me was simple and direct: can you... Read more