Zach King is creating a whole new art form from six-second Vine videos. This stuff is outrageously fun to watch. Big H/T to Brandon Vogt who posted this on his FB page. Thanks, Brandon. Now I’m addicted. Check out the compilation below. Here’s more about the wizard behind this: In the world of six-second Vine videos, the art of capturing an audience’s attention is vital – and few are better at it than Zach King. The Los Angeles-based filmmaker has only... Read more
While there are no indications that she plans to resign the throne, Queen Elizabeth is reportedly planning to hand over more ceremonial responsibilities to her son in a move that some are calling a “job share.” Details: A royal rush to restructure responsibilities is under way in Britain. The monarchy’s staff is shuffling around as Queen Elizabeth II grows older and slowly withdraws from her public duties. Prince Charles, the 65-year-old heir to the throne, is expected to start taking... Read more
I’ll be in scenic Seneca, South Carolina next week, at the kind invitation of Fr. Gregory West, giving a parish mission at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church. If you’re in the neighborhood, stop by and say hello! The theme comes from one of the dismissals of the Mass. I hope it will offer a little bit of spiritual nourishment, along with inspiration on how we can all live out the mandate of that dismissal and “glorify the Lord” with... Read more
Deacon Bill Ditewig reminds us that we are beginning the International Week of Prayer for Christian Unity—and after the recent controversy over that picture with Cardinal O’Malley, quotes this passage from Lumen gentium: The Church recognizes that in many ways she is linked with those who, being baptized, are honored with the name of Christian, though they do not profess the faith in its entirety or do not preserve unity of communion with the successor of Peter. . . . We... Read more
“Remember that, we embrace men and women of every color, every creed, every orientation, every economic class. In our family are gathered everyone from the abject poor of Essex County in New York, to the enlightened affluent of the gold coasts at both ends of the nation. And in between is the heart of our constituency — the middle class, the people not rich enough to be worry-free, but not poor enough to be on welfare; the middle class —... Read more
Details: Two weeks ahead of the Super Bowl, half of American sports fans say they believe God or a supernatural force is at play in the games they watch, according to a new survey. That percentage includes Americans who pray for God to help their team (26 percent), think their team has been cursed (25 percent) or more generally believe God is involved in determining who wins on the court or in the field (19 percent). Overall, half of Americans... Read more
Photo: by Gerald Martineau Full L-R: Brian R. Majewski, Steven M. Clifford, Scott A. Ross, Bishop Loverde, Edward C. Gliot, Christopher. G. Moore, John P.Allen. Happy news from Virginia: Bishop Paul Loverde ordained six men to the permanent diaconate today, January 18, at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington. Shown above are the new deacons. You can read more about them in the Catholic Herald. Congratulations and welcome, brothers! Ad multos annos! Read more
You’ll recognize this tune a few notes into the first verse—but I don’t think you’ve ever heard the sentiments expressed quite like this. Beautiful and consoling. Thanks to Paul Snatchko for sharing words we all need to hear every now and then. Read more
Details: A Greek Orthodox church in Portland on Friday yanked permission for the Multnomah County Republican Party to hold a Lincoln Day fundraising dinner tied to a controversial gun raffle. The Multnomah County GOP received national attention earlier this week when it announced it would raffle off an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle in honor of “two great Republicans” — Abraham Lincoln and civil rights leader Martin Luther King — both of whom had been killed by gun-wielding assassins. The party originally said the... Read more
Diane has the scoop: (Vatican Radio) The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, confirmed on Saturday that the international commission investigating the events in Medjugorje held its last meeting on 17 January. The commission, created by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, is presided by Cardinal Camillo Ruini. The commission has reportedly completed its work and will submit the outcomes of its study to the Congregation. Some anlaysis: The best possible outcome for devotees... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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