I can’t remember attending a funeral with black vestments (although my parents might have taken me to one when I was very young.) Diane over at Te Deum laudamus has some striking images from the funeral of Grace Perrone, the mother of Father Eduard Perrone of Assumption Grotto Church in Detroit. It was a Mass celebrated in the Extraordinary Form, with prayers from the Mass for the Dead, which has the following Collect: O God, whose property is ever to have... Read more
Two years ago, for the first feast day of Blessed John Paul, my parish held a special Mass to mark the occasion. This is the homily I preached that day. Happy Feast of Blessed John Paul! +++ By a happy coincidence, this gospel touches on a theme that was so vital to Pope John Paul. In the parable, a tree is given one more chance to bring forth good fruit. The gardener gives it that chance; he offers... Read more
Carol Glatz at CNS has a blog post up today about how the Vatican’s senior media advisor views the pontiff. Former TV reporter Greg Burke describes the pope as “not politically correct,” and goes on to list 10 important things to know about him. To wit: 1.Mercy — The story of the Prodigal Son is a recurring theme and the pope repeatedly says that God never tires of forgiving and welcoming his lost children back home. “The church is waiting here... Read more
The picture above appeared on the diocese’s Facebook page today. The men were ordained on Saturday by Bishop Francis DiLorenzo. You can read more about the new deacons in the Catholic Virginian. Meantime, congratulations, brothers, and welcome. Ad multos annos! Read more
Well, Orlando, at least. I spent three days rubbing elbows with the deacons of Orlando and their wives—presenting a series of talks for their continuing education weekend on ways to “glorify the Lord” in liturgy, in ministry, and in the home and workplace. The conference was held at the diocese’s lovely San Pedro Center, a sprawling complex of buildings situated on a large lake. There was lots of room to roam, and more than enough space for the 70 or so... Read more
It’s hard not to love this ingenious new commercial from Honda, which teases the brain and tricks the eye. Enjoy. Read more
Photo: Tom Tracy A rare glimpse at the Middle East crisis, from Florida Catholic: When he came to study medicine in Jordan’s capital through a scholarship program for Holy Land Christians, Tareq Nasrawi had expected to see heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer and other basic public health concerns. But the 21-year-old Roman Catholic and native of Jerusalem, who studies at the Jordan University of Science and Technology and now works in seven or eight hospitals in Jordan, is also seeing... Read more
From the Charlotte Observer: One Catholic Church in Charlotte fired music director Steav Bates-Congdon after he married his longtime male partner. Now another has pulled out of hosting the city’s largest interfaith service rather than allow Bates-Congdon to be part of the team planning the annual event. Mecklenburg Ministries’ 38th annual Thanksgiving Interfaith Service is still on for Nov. 26. But it’ll be held at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Dilworth, not at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Ballanytne – Charlotte’s... Read more
A beautifully rendered story of survival and faith, from CNS and videographer Tyler Orsburn. Take a look. Keep this young woman in your prayers! The Dialog in Wilmington published this profile of the postulant: Up until a few weeks ago, Iliana Maldonado was a typical 20-something in the United States. She had a steady job and income. On her days off, she went out with friends her age, regularly posting and commenting on Facebook from a Samsung Galaxy smartphone that... Read more
Details: The Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., is arguing in a new lawsuit that the Obama administration is engaged in a “conscious political strategy to marginalize and delegitimize” Catholic “religious views on contraception by holding them up for ridicule on the national stage.” At issue in the lawsuit is whether the administration can force the archdiocese to secure a third-party administrator for its self-insurance plan who will provide sterilizations, contraceptives and abortion-inducing drugs at no cost to church employees at some of the... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In