Details: An original copy of Schindler’s list — not the movie, but the actual list of Jewish refugees that German businessman Oskar Schindler is credited with saving from the Nazis — will be available on eBay Friday evening, the New York Post reports. The document, which is 14 pages long and contains the names of the 801 “highly specialized munitions Jews laborers” Schindler saved, was typed out on April 18, 1945, right before the end of World War II, according to CNN. Schindler... Read more
And now the court battles are beginning. Details: Lawyers contesting the will of a widow who gave some $60 million to a secretive and disgraced Roman Catholic religious order are trying again to have their case heard, filing court papers in an attempt allow the woman’s niece to sue. The papers, filed Wednesday with the Rhode Island Supreme Court, argue that Mary Lou Dauray has the right to intervene in the estate of her late aunt, Gabrielle Mee, a devout... Read more
The snapshot here went viral shortly after it was published, showing the diaconate ordination of former Anglican priest Patrick Allen, accompanied by his young son. Now Patrick Allen is a Catholic Father — in every sense — and here’s the rest of the story: It was barely a week into Father Patrick Allen’s new ministry when, in the course of taking his two children to activities in his nonreligious clothes, at least five people asked: So, what do you do... Read more
Details: First the Italian edition of Vanity Fair and now Time magazine. Time has dedicated the front cover of its 29 July issue to “The People’s Pope”. But only the front covers of the European, Asian and South American editions. The U.S. edition has dedicated its front cover to the Trayvon Martin case … The cover of the other editions, shows a close-up profile picture of Francis who is smiling and seems to be looking out of a window. His... Read more
This flitted by on my Twitter feed, and really gave me pause, from the Association of American Law Schools: The AALS Section on Defamation and Privacy invites papers for its program on “Children’s Privacy Rights Against their Parents” for the Annual Meeting, to be held on January 2-5, 2014. Topic Description: Electronic surveillance technology and social media have significantly changed childhood in the Twenty-First Century. The digitization and electronic monitoring of children have altered the parent-child relationship and have significant... Read more
[Click here for readings.] I’m not scheduled to preach this weekend, but here’s a homily adapted from one I delivered three years ago. The original version was preached to a gathering of deacons in Ohio and focused on the notion of the deacon as servant—how we are too often Martha, not Mary. Three summers ago, New York was mourning the loss of a legend, George Steinbrenner. But the same week, another legend of the New York Yankees died, and... Read more
Details: A former monastery for Catholic nuns is preparing for new life. It will now become home to Life House Crisis Maternity Home, which has partnered with Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri. For more than forty years, it was a quiet place of prayer. “They were here praying, praying for all of us in southern Missouri, and praying for peace throughout the world,” says Maura Taylor, Executive Director of Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri. The sisters of The Carmel of... Read more
[Click here for readings.] I’m not scheduled to preach this weekend, but here’s a homily adapted from one I delivered three years ago. The original version was preached to a gathering of deacons in Ohio and focused on the notion of the deacon as servant—how we are too often Martha, not Mary. Three summers ago, New York was mourning the loss of a legend, George Steinbrenner. But the same week, another legend of the New York Yankees died, and it... Read more
Details: Fire crews were battling a blaze Friday night at the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception at Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, according to college spokesman Christian Kendzierski. The fire, which was first reported at 8:41 p.m., had not been extinguished at 9:30 p.m., according to Brian Easterday, the manager of communications at the Frederick County Office of Emergency Communications. “I can confirm that the bell tower is on fire and there are (fire) engines at the scene,” Kendzierski... Read more
I knew this was in the works, and my blog neighbor Lisa Hendey got the scoop: You can now follow Thomas Peters’ recovery at a new website that just launched this afternoon. First entry: The halo has been installed but we are in one of the waiting rooms waiting to be allowed to go back in. The surgeon came out and said it went well and he was pleased. We will be establishing a new mode of communication since Thomas cannot... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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