From the Catholic Key, a rare and fascinating glimpse at the lives of two men who might be considered pioneers: June 11 was a memorable day for Deacons Don Schmit and Dick Muraski. It was the 40th anniversary of their ordination to the Order of Permanent Deacons in the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph. The two deacons, surviving members of the first diaconate class in the diocese, have for 40 years, with their families, embraced their ministry in the everyday... Read more
Details: Pope Francis answered a letter from former singer Patricio Santos Fontanet, which begins: “Pato, I received the letter you sent me three days ago. Thank you for your gesture …,” indicated yesterday the Buenos Aires newspaper Clarin, to which Estefania Miguel from Cordoba, who had a child by “Pato” nine months ago, said: “This gesture of Francis filled my heart and gave me the strength to fight for the truth.” “I read the complete text to him on... Read more
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From the New York Times: Clad in proper Pacific Northwest flannel, toting a flask of “rocket fuel” coffee typical of Starbucks’ home turf, Steven Greenebaum rolled his Prius into a middle school parking lot one Sunday morning last month. Then he set about transforming its cafeteria into a sanctuary and himself into a minister. He donned vestments adorned with the symbols of nearly a dozen religions. He unfolded a portable bookshelf and set the Koran beside the Hebrew Bible, with... Read more
If you visit the Holy Land, there is a museum that is getting a lot of attention. It stands on the road between Jerusalem and Jericho – the very same road mentioned in today’s gospel. The museum holds various religious artifacts and mosaics. But what may be most intriguing is that it sits atop an archeological dig. Beneath the museum is the foundation of an ancient inn – dating back to the Byzantine era, and possibly even beyond. The museum’s... Read more
If you visit the Holy Land, there is a museum that is getting a lot of attention. It stands on the road between Jerusalem and Jericho – the very same road mentioned in today’s gospel. The museum holds various religious artifacts and mosaics. But what may be most intriguing is that it sits atop an archeological dig. Beneath the museum is the foundation of an ancient inn – dating back to the Byzantine era, and possibly even beyond. The museum’s... Read more
From the Catholic Key, a rare and fascinating glimpse at the lives of two men who might be considered pioneers: June 11 was a memorable day for Deacons Don Schmit and Dick Muraski. It was the 40th anniversary of their ordination to the Order of Permanent Deacons in the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph. The two deacons, surviving members of the first diaconate class in the diocese, have for 40 years, with their families, embraced their ministry in the everyday... Read more
The other day, I posted the remarkable story of Rev. Thomas Vander Woude, and his passionate plea on Facebook to save an unborn child with Down syndrome. It turns out that one of Fr. Vander Woude’s brothers was born with Down syndrome. That brother nearly died in a horrible accident a few years back. The story of how he was saved by his father—also named Thomas— was the subject of a homily I preached four years ago: His name... Read more
The U.N. designated today as “Malala Day,” the 16th birthday of the Pakistani girl shot by the Taliban for promoting education. Today, she spoke at the U.N.: Dear brothers and sisters, do remember one thing. Malala Day is not my day. Today is the day of every woman, every boy and every girl who have raised their voice for their rights. There are hundreds of Human rights activists and social workers who are not only speaking for human rights, but... Read more
This arrived in my mailbox yesterday. A woman writes: I would love your opinion on a Catholic deacon attending a gay wedding. I feel this would be seriously wrong, especially since he is a deacon and is called to live by the Catholic teachings. I replied: Speaking for myself: I wouldn’t do it, even if it was a close family member, for all the obvious reasons. Sometimes there are personal and pastoral considerations that come into play with things like... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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