From Michael Daly in The Daily Beast: The medical evacuation plane reached Dobbins Air Force Base in Georgia at 11:20 a.m. on Saturday with a hero from the hot zone who is the equal of any from a combat zone. Among his fellow devout Christians, 33-year-old Dr. Kent Brantly should be honored as someone who has lived the answer to the question of What Would Jesus Do? But he is a no less worthy example for those of any faith,... Read more
An unusual report, in the secular press, on a unique liturgy being celebrated in Norfolk, Virginia: St. Mary’s should be felt both ways – empty and full. With no one in the pews, it’s a monument of soaring arches, stained glass and carved marble, where your voice instinctively sinks to a whisper – so impressive it’s the only Catholic church in Virginia to earn “basilica” status, chosen by the pope as a special place of pilgrimage. Packed with worshippers, it’s... Read more
Once again, my parish is in the midst of a great tradition, offering the annual novena to St. John Vianney —patron saint of parish priests—and praying for vocations to the parish priesthood. Every year, we open the novena with a Mass celebrated by a jubiliarian, and bring it to a close with a Mass celebrated by a newly ordained priest. In between, the parish prays in a special way at each daily Mass for an increase in vocations to the priesthood. Lists... Read more
From the Christian News Wire: The Vatican has issued a decree that lifts its 29-year suspension on Father Miguel F. d’Escoto Brockmann, a Maryknoll priest. The Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers is the mission society of the U.S. Catholic Church.Father d’Escoto, 81, was ordained a Roman Catholic priest on June 10, 1961. He helped found Orbis Books, the theological publication division of Maryknoll, and he was an official with the World Council of Churches. During the 1970s, Father d’Escoto became engaged... Read more
A perspective we rarely hear: So what do you say to your son when you know he is seriously discerning this life’s vocation? There is such a fine line. While you want to be supportive, you don’t want to be too excited. And honestly, you worry. The life of a priest is not easy, and your son is saying, “Yes, I will consider this completely counter cultural life.” I’ve learned that when a young man chooses to open his heart up... Read more
Hard to believe, but true: A North Carolina diner is offering a very different sort of discount to its customers, the prayerful ones. Mary’s Gourmet Diner in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, is offering a 15 percent “praying in public” discount. Owner Mary Haglund confirmed the discount to The Blaze on Friday saying that she has actually been offering the rebate for four years now. The discount, which she said is not aligned with any singular religious affiliation, hasn’t been advertised and is... Read more
Details: A Catholic church will soon “take over” the space currently being rented by the last free-standing abortion clinic in Lansing, the Lansing Diocese announced this week. Bishop Earl Boyea authorized the Church of the Resurrection, located at 1531 East Michigan Avenue, to lease the 4,100-square-foot office space at 1601 E. Grand River. The church and the building’s owner have reached an agreement that the Diocese said in a press release would “ultimately put an end to business for WomanCare... Read more
An interesting overview on how discernment works in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, from the directors of vocations: Something good is happening in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in the area of priestly vocations. In the Office of Vocations, we are continually receiving inquiries via telephone, email and social media from young men (and sometimes not so young men) every day. There is great reason to be optimistic and hopeful. The challenge for us in the Office of Vocations is... Read more
From The Richmond Register in Kentucky: Throughout its history the Roman Catholic Church has been associated with Latin language and lettering, so passersby on West Main Street were surprised Thursday to see a strange symbol emblazoned on the church’s door.Some were even more surprised to learn it was an Arabic character.It is the Arabic character for N, which stands for Nazarene, explained the Rev. James Sichko, St. Mark pastor.The large character was posted to show the church’s solidarity with the... Read more
From The New York Times: Atheists are angry, and watch out, because now they have a television channel. This week the organization American Atheists announced the premiere of Atheist TV, available through the streaming service Roku and over the Internet. That news will certainly prompt assorted knee-jerk reactions in some quarters, and perhaps some confusion: “Atheist TV? It’ll be full of incest and smut and debaucheries of all kinds. Oh, wait; that’s HBO.” “Atheist TV? It’ll be nonstop mockery of conservative... Read more
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