From the vault, my homily for Ascension Thursday in 2008: The other day I read the news that Tamar Hennessey had died. Don’t be surprised if you’ve never heard of her. She was an obscure figure to most Catholics, but not insignificant. She was the daughter of Dorothy Day. Long after her mother had died, Tamar remained active in the causes that Dorothy Day championed. She worked tirelessly to help those who were poor, disadvantaged, outcast. She supported the newspaper... Read more
“I don’t work for the Church anymore. My real job now is to give witness and stand up for what I believe in. I’m not leaving Catholicism. There’s much I love, especially the inner core, the mystics, the great tradition of wonderful staff. It’s the patriarchy that’s the downer.” — Lillian Lewis, who could probably use a little spiritual direction. Read more. The best response to all this? Prayer. Read more
From The Detroit Free Press: Detroit-area Catholics rated a priest shortage as the biggest issue facing the Catholic Church, and nearly two-thirds of Catholics gave their parishes a “good” or “excellent” rating in promoting Catholic goals, according to results released Wednesday of an Archdiocese of Detroit survey of some 41,000 Catholics. Some eight out of 10 respondents said the top challenge facing the church is the shortage of priests. The next biggest challenge, cited by some 64% of respondents, was... Read more
From The Philadelphia Inquirer: Have it your way. No, not your fast-food burger. Your prayer. In an age when convenience is king and religion is often ridiculed, some churches looking to widen their outreach efforts are embracing what community banks and pharmacies have utilized for decades: the drive-through. The latest to offer a bit of spiritual uplift in the comfort of your car is Hope United Methodist Church in Voorhees. “People go to Dunkin’ Donuts for coffee, not because it’s... Read more
The New York Times notes the passing of a legend: Massimo Vignelli, an acclaimed graphic designer who gave shape to his spare, Modernist vision in book covers and shopping bags, furniture and corporate logos, even a church and a New York City subway map that enchanted aesthetes and baffled straphangers, died on Tuesday at his home in Manhattan. He was 83. His death, after a long illness, was confirmed by Carl Nolan, a longtime employee of Mr. Vignelli’s. An admirer... Read more
Twelve years ago, when I began formation, the director of the diaconate program was a short, wiry, affable Italian with piercing eyes and boundless energy known simply as Father Frank. He was a force of nature, and among the most gifted priests I’ve ever met—brilliant, generous, compassionate, prayerful. The men in my huge class—52 of us—absolutely adored him. You knew he was the real deal. Now, Fr. Frank is Bishop Frank, the Bishop of Bridgeport. All the qualities we knew... Read more
A reader wrote me to take issue with the story posted the other day about a controversial capital campaign in the Diocese of Charlotte. The author is a member of the cathedral parish. Some excerpts from the email: St. Patrick doesn’t have eucharistic ministers except for one or two non-ordained men mainly because every priest and deacon is available at all masses so there is no need for them in such a small parish. There used to be a female... Read more
With this item from Pope Francis making news, the usual debates about priestly celibacy are again taking place. Here’s a point of view you don’t often hear, though, from the wife of a Byzantine Catholic priest. While her experience may not be universal, it offers a lot of food for thought. She lists a number of warnings for women who are considering marrying a seminarian. A snip: 1. He might not be ordained as a deacon and priest, and he... Read more
One atheist professor’s interesting take: The world could see a resurgence of Christianity driven by population decline in sceptical countries, the geneticist Steve Jones has claimed. Professor Jones said history had proven that religion grows rapidly during large population booms, particularly in poorer countries. He argued that rapid growth in Africa could spark a new resurgence of major religions like Christianity. However in increasingly atheist countries in Europe people are no longer reproducing in sufficient numbers to avoid population decline,... Read more
Details: Bishop Paul Bradley of the Catholic Diocese of Kalamazoois warning Catholics not to participate in a ceremony Saturday in which a Three Oaks woman will be ordained by the group Roman Catholic Womenpriests. The May 31 ceremony for Lillian Lewis, 75, will be held at First Congregational Church in Three Oaks. The ceremony will be conducted by Joan Houk, a Womenpriests bishop. In a two-page letter inserted in the weekly newsletter distributed at Catholic Masses over the weekend, Bradley strongly... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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