It’s a serious question among many of us in the non-profit Catholic world. And it’s a source of concern for pastors and administrators, as well. America magazine took a survey of its readers and reported last week: Many respondents told America that they had reduced their financial contributions to the Catholic Church in the wake of the sexual abuse crisis. Fifty-seven percent of respondents said they had lowered the amount they gave to their bishop’s appeal, while 47 percent said... Read more
The comedian posted this on Twitter yesterday — and I think a lot of people will be able to relate. Enjoy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3jbL-Q5uzM Read more
We haven’t heard or read much about the acting attorney general’s religious background. I was curious and did a little Googling to see what I could find. While it hasn’t been widely reported, it turns out that Matthew Whitaker has strong opinions on the law and public life that are closely related to his Christian faith. NPR interviewed Berit Berger, the executive director of the Center for the Advancement of Public Integrity at Columbia Law School. He noted: He has taken... Read more
Yep. The Harvard Crimson reports: Theologian Janet E. Smith delved into the Catholic Church’s stance on sex and sexuality in a lecture hosted by the Catholic Student Association in Emerson Hall Thursday evening. The event was the capstone of the inaugural Catholic Sex Week, a series of talks organized by the CSA intended to provoke thought and discussion about the relationship between faith and sexuality. It follows last week’s Harvard Sex Week, an annual series of workshops, lectures, and discussions that... Read more
Details: Catholic parish in South Boston that sits within feet of the Winter Hill Gang’s former headquarters on Old Colony Avenue hosted a private Mass this morning for the crew’s notorious slain leader, James “Whitey” Bulger Jr., the Archdiocese of Boston confirmed. Among those who gathered at St. Monica Church to honor the serial killer’s memory were Bulger’s younger brother William M. Bulger, former president of both the state Senate and the University of Massachusetts, and Margaret McCusker, 67, the... Read more
By now, you’ve probably seen the video of Jim Acosta’s wrestling match with President Trump at Wednesday’s news conference. If you missed it, here it is: The whole thing was an embarrassment for all concerned. Acosta looked like an unprofessional prima donna — swatting away the arm of a White House intern trying to take back the mic — and the president looked like a petulant, temperamental scold. Neither man brought honor to himself or his profession. In a matter... Read more
Here’s an insightful and even inspiring analysis on the wearing of the collar — from the very beginning, a controversial topic here at The Bench — from a Protestant minister. H/T to my sibling from The East, Father Deacon Daniel Gordon Dozier, for passing this along. Take a look! Read more
The Arlington Herald in Virginia continues its terrific series on the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the diaconate with a profile of Dr. Scott Ross, who runs the Mother of Mercy Free Clinic — a life-affirming medical facility built from what had been an abortion clinic. Snip: When Scott Ross was growing up in Dunbar, Pa., he was eager to serve at the altar. Age restrictions didn’t deter him from asking the priest. “You need to wait,” the priest... Read more
Details via CNA: A Catholic designer has spoken about how God and his faith inform his work. As a visual set designer at Pixar Animation Studios, Philip Metschan helped create the environment of “Incredibles 2,” most notably, the superhero Parr family’s new home. Metschan told CNA that one of his favorite parts of being an environment builder is getting to take inspiration from the real world, filtering it through his own experience “to produce a world that’s never existed –... Read more
I had a great time today chatting with New York’s Cardinal Timothy Dolan and the irrepressible Father Dave Dwyer today on Conversation with Cardinal Dolan on Sirius XM’s Catholic Channel. He even asked me to autograph a copy of my book for his mother, Shirley. Ain’t that something? We talked about Advent and CNEWA, and he even offered an audacious idea: do a similar book for the season of Christmas, which extends, after all, into February. Why not? A good time... Read more
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