Can Pope Francis help keep Latin America Catholic?

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:56 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

From Reuters: Despite a high-profile first year as the head of the Vatican, Pope Francis has not been able to stem the tide of fellow Latin Americans turning away from Catholicism and toward Evangelicalism, or secularism in more prosperous countries. The number of Roman Catholics in Latin America, a historical stronghold, dropped to 67 percent in 2013, from 80 percent in 1995, a survey by Chile-based pollster Latinobarometro showed on Wednesday. “In the recent data we don’t see an impact... Read more

Homily-palooza

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:30 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

As we prepare to begin the Triduum, I thought I’d post a few homiletic thoughts from the last few years… Holy Thursday 2010: Tonight, God gets down on his knees for us.Tonight, He lowers himself. Tonight, He becomes a servant to the world — as humble as a slave, as meager and plain as a crumb of bread. From this, we learn what it means to be like Christ. The overwhelming impression is surprising, and challenging. It is God becoming... Read more

“The sacred and profane collide on the Via Dolorosa”

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:56 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Thousands of pilgrims walk the streets of Jerusalem every year, retracing the footsteps of Christ, the Stations of the Cross, along the Via Dolorosa or “Way of Sorrows.” Some years back, writer George Martin described his experience of that Way of the Cross, and it’s been posted this week over at my other blog, CNEWA’s One- to-One: Why is the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem such a sign of contradiction? One reason stems from unconscious expectations brought by pilgrims to the... Read more

New bishop chooses to live in parish house in an area of “deprivation”

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:56 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

From The Herald in Scotland: As Scotland’s newest Roman Catholic bishop he could easily have opted for the opulent residence set aside for a man in his position. But Bishop John Keenan, who grew up in a high-rise in Maryhill, Glasgow, has shunned the more comfortable address to move into a parish house in a housing scheme in an area of multiple deprivation. Explaining his decision, Bishop Keenan said the Catholic church was going through a cultural shift and would... Read more

Must-see: special Mass for kids with autism

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:56 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

An former colleague from my days at CBS sent this my way: a brief video he produced about a Palm Sunday Mass for children with special needs in New York City. As the website notes: On Palm Sunday The Church of the Blessed Sacrament in New York City held a special needs mass for families. The church holds a special needs mass every third Sunday. Families are allowed to make noise and walk around during the service without feeling ostracized. In the... Read more

Spy Wednesday, when we realize who we really are

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:56 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

This day marks “Spy Wednesday,” when Judas plotted Christ’s arrest and “spied” for an opportunity to betray him. From the vault: Think [Judas] was the only one? Think again. How many of us break bread with Christ on Sunday—sharing a dish, savoring his grace, experiencing his presence—only to damn him on Monday? How many of us veer away from living the gospel as soon as it becomes too hard, too challenging, too complicated? How many of us lose heart, lose... Read more

Boston’s O’Malley: “Say no to pessimism”

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:30 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Some great stuff here, from Cardinal Seán O’Malley’s Chrism Mass homily yesterday: We gather for the annual oil change and tune up. The oils are the tools we use in the ministry we share, but just as important is our own tune up as we gather as presbyterate to recommit ourselves to follow Christ and to shepherd His people. These oils will be used for 20,000 Baptisms, 15,000 Confirmations, more than 150,000 Anointings, nine Ordinations and it is our priests... Read more

On the Holy Thursday foot washing: “It didn’t exclude women until 1955…”

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:56 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Some interesting history on this controversial rite, from David Gibson at Religion News Service, via NCR: Accounts of Christian foot-washing rituals go back as far as the sixth century. As Peter Jeffrey writes in his 1985 book, A New Commandment: Toward a Renewed Rite for the Washing of Feet, there were generally two forms: the “Mandatum Pauperam,” or washing of the feet of poor people, and the “Mandatum Fratrum,” the washing of the feet of “the brothers.” Neither were part of... Read more

Cleared: Chicago priest reinstated in parish after board calls sexual misconduct charges “unfounded”

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:56 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

A reader sent this my way with a note: “People need to know that sometimes allegations against priests are unfounded.” He’s right. These kinds of stories don’t get reported often enough. From The Chicago Tribune: A priest has been reinstated to a parish in the Lakeview neighborhood after an investigation concluded that an allegation of sexual misconduct against him “was unfounded,” according to the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago. The Rev. Michael W. O’Connell stepped down as pastor of St. Alphonsus... Read more

Two churches, Catholic and Episcopal, bless palms together

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:56 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

The Rev. Noah H. Evans, center, rector of Grace Episcopal Church, and the Rev. Chip Hines, pastor of St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Parish, greet one another at the beginning of the joint celebration. Great idea, from the Medford Transcript in Massachusetts: For more than 30 years, Medford’s St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church and Grace Episcopal Church have joined together to bless palms on Palm Sunday. The Rev. Noah H. Evans, rector of Grace Episcopal Church, and the Rev. Chip Hines,... Read more