Answering Father White: why children belong in church

Last updated on: January 31, 2019 at 10:59 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

An excellent rejoinder from Timothy O’Malley in Church Life Journal: In a recent blog post, Fr. Michael White (author of Rebuilt: Awakening the Faithful, Reaching the Lost, and Making Church Matter) argues that young children and toddlers are unable to understand the Eucharistic liturgy, and therefore a parish ought to offer a “special” worship experience for them that is age appropriate. Lacking the capacity to participate in the act of Eucharistic worship, they create a disruption that disturbs the ability of the... Read more

Study: People who go to church are happier

Last updated on: January 31, 2019 at 10:37 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

That probably won’t surprise the jolly people in the pews, who knew that already. It’s not quite clear if people are happier because they go to church, or if people who go to church are just happier to begin with. Details: People who are active in religious congregations tend to be happier and more civically engaged than either religiously unaffiliated adults or inactive members of religious groups, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of survey data from the... Read more

LISTEN: A widowed deacon talks about his journey to the priesthood

Last updated on: January 30, 2019 at 10:38 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Here’s something great: an interview by Iowa Catholic Radio’s Jon Leonetti with my pal Deacon Sean Smith, who talks at length about his journey to the diaconate, his marriage — and his journey now toward the priesthood. It’s a remarkable vocation story. He’s a seminarian at Mundelein (keep him in your prayers!) and an otherwise all around great guy. Check it out: Read more

On Cuomo: ‘The governor is taunting the Catholic community and would wear excommunication as a badge of honor’

Last updated on: January 30, 2019 at 1:45 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

From my bishop, Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn: Recently, some in the Catholic community have called for the excommunication of Governor Andrew Cuomo and those Catholic members of the legislature who supported the change in the law to allow for the termination of a pregnancy up until the moment of birth. Such calls are very understandable. The gravity of evil merits such a call. Excommunication is meant to have a medicinal effect. It is intended to be so severe a penalty... Read more

So help me God, this is a bad idea

Last updated on: January 30, 2019 at 10:39 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

From The Hill: The House Committee on Natural Resources is reportedly seeking to have the words “so help you God” removed from the oath recited by witnesses who testify before the panel, according to a proposal obtained by Fox News. The rules proposal states that witnesses appearing in hearings before the committee would be administered the following oath: “Do you solemnly swear or affirm, under penalty of law, that the testimony that you are about to give is the truth, the whole truth,... Read more

Asia Bibi headed to Canada

Last updated on: January 30, 2019 at 9:44 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

From The Catholic Register: Asia Bibi, the Catholic woman who spent eight years on death row in Pakistan, will be welcomed to a small town in Canada, where she will be reunited with her two teenage daughters, along with the family who aided and protected her daughters in Lahore while the mother sat in jail through years of legal appeals. The location of Bibi’s daughters and their family friends must remain secret for now, a Canadian bishop who has worked... Read more

Ordination update: 8 new deacons for Atlanta

Last updated on: January 30, 2019 at 2:34 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

It happened last weekend, and the Archdiocese of Atlanta Twitter feed sent out the joyous news, below. Congratualtions, brothers, and welcome! Ad multos annos! Yesterday in @archatl, eight men were ordained to serve as permanent deacons. +Gregory encouraged them to embrace the ministry as "icons of Christ the servent." pic.twitter.com/49jQUMeESs — Georgia Bulletin (@georgiabulletin) January 27, 2019 Read more

MUST-SEE VIDEO: An anthem for a Michigan snow day

Last updated on: January 29, 2019 at 3:17 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

As reported: A Michigan school district took their snow day announcement to the next level this week. Swartz Creek Community Schools Superintendent Ben Mainka and Principal Jim Kitchen appeared in a video this week to announce a snow day. Take it away, guys Watch below. Why didn’t they do cool things like this when I was in school? Read more

Advice every one of us needs to hear right now

Last updated on: January 29, 2019 at 12:24 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

This comes from David Brooks in The New York Times, who sums up his philosophy here in four little words: Kindness is a Skill. We need to remember that, and master it. Read on: I went into journalism to cover politics, but now I find myself in national marriage therapy. Covering American life is like covering one of those traumatizing Eugene O’Neill plays about a family where everyone screams at each other all night and then when dawn breaks you... Read more

Meet the CBS anchor who prays every morning and is an ordained minister

Last updated on: January 29, 2019 at 9:11 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

From The Washington Post, meet James Brown, prepping for the Super Bowl: The early morning Acela Express had been heading north toward New York for nearly an hour when James Brown opened his eyes again. First, there had been the thank-yous to the men who had helped with his bags. “God bless you, gentlemen.” Then the hugs for the women who had helped with his tickets. “Thank you, Miss Cynthia.” A call to his wife, Dorothy. “I appreciate you for... Read more