The Deacon's Bench
A friend posted this on her FB page, and it’s striking: a 1942 image from LIFE magazine of a priest in Quebec taking communion to someone who is sick. He’s being led by an altar boy carrying a candle. Read more
A friend posted this on her FB page, and it’s striking: a 1942 image from LIFE magazine of a priest in Quebec taking communion to someone who is sick. He’s being led by an altar boy carrying a candle. Read more
From Religion News Service: After decades of glum trends—fewer priests, fewer parishes—the Catholic Church in the United States has a new statistic to cheer: More men are now enrolled in graduate-level seminaries, the main pipeline to the priesthood, than in nearly two decades. This year’s tally of 3,694 graduate theology students represents a 16 percent increase since 1995 and a 10 percent jump since 2005, according to Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA). Seminary directors cite... Read more
From the Twin Cities Pioneer Press: Since taking over University of St. Thomas this summer, President Julie Sullivan has heard from gay faculty and students that they feel a need to “hide” on campus. In her recent convocation address, the first lay, female president at the Roman Catholic school in St. Paul vowed to change that. “We are called to love and support everyone in our community regardless of their sexual orientation,” Sullivan said. “And, I might add, regardless of... Read more
Actually, it’s Orthodox priests. But, this gives an interesting window into what some clergy get paid. The site breaks down salaries and benefits for both married and single priests. Details from Orthodox Christian Laity: A newly-assigned priest that has just graduated from the Seminary should make an annual salary of $49,128-$66,528 plus extra benefits such as insurance, an automobile, a house (or an allowance for one) retirement contributions, seminars expenses, among other ones. A priest with 35 years of ministry... Read more
[Click here for the readings.] This gospel couldn’t be more timely—or more challenging. This familiar story of a “Have” and “Have not” comes at a moment when it seems the gap between the rich and the poor in our country has never been greater. The numbers tell the story. About one in six Americans are on food stamps. Over 46 million are living in poverty – including 16 million children. Over 600-thousand of those poor are also homeless. The hard... Read more
Walmart, not content with just offending parents and Catholics, was until recently also doing its best to offend 9/11 victims (which, frankly, is every American) and Sikhs. Details: Under pressure from the Sikh community, Walmart on Friday pulled a turban-themed costume from its website that the Sikh Coalition has said is offensive to 9/11 victims and perpetuates “negative stereotypes about turbans and beards that have led to violence and discrimination against Sikhs and other minorities.” The Sikh advocacy organization sent letters... Read more
From the Washington Post: A new poll finds that major changes in religious affiliation are underway among Hispanic Americans, who are becoming less Catholic and more evangelical and unaffiliated. The poll released Friday by the Public Religion Research Institute shows 53 percent of Hispanics identify as Catholic, compared with 69 percent who say they were raised Catholic as children. Thirteen percent call themselves evangelical today, compared with 7 percent raised evangelical. Twelve percent say they have no religious affiliation, compared with... Read more
From the New York Daily News, and reporter Lee Moran, here’s my nominee for the cheesiest Catholic news story of the year. Moran should have his knuckles rapped with a ruler, and his editor should be forced to stay after class and clean the blackboard. Take a look: A Catholic priest in California is about to be another kind of father — after he unleashed his unholy spirit and begot a child. Father Daniel McFalls quit his job at St.... Read more
From the Boston Pilot: At the ordination Mass of 12 new permanent deacons at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Sept. 21, Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley described their ministry in terms of the ministry of Pope Francis. “The deacon has got a special call to be a bridge builder, a peacemaker, an artisan of community — revealing the merciful face of the Lord to those who are suffering, weak and forgotten,” the cardinal said. In his homily, the cardinal referred... Read more
An instant classic. And she even mentions the pope. You have to see this for yourself. Suffice it to say: my sides hurt. Read more
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