On Nov. 13, Warner Bros. releases Alcon Entertainment’s “The 33,” a fast-based story about the miraculous rescue of 33 Chilean miners trapped in a mine collapse in 2010. As family, friends and the world watched via television and the Internet, all 33 men imprisoned who had been 2.300 feet underground for 69 days were rescued one by one, raised up a long narrow shaft in a capsule, using international drilling teams and even NASA technology. Despite their ordeal, which included the... Read more
But, the percentage of folks who aren’t religious at all is steadily growing. Two words, people: Mission Field. From the email inbox: U.S. Public Becoming Less Religious, But… Pew Research Center Survey Shows Modest Drop in Overall Rates of Belief and Practice, but Religiously Affiliated Americans Are as Observant as Before WASHINGTON, DC (Nov. 3, 2015) – An extensive new survey by the Pew Research Center of more than 35,000 U.S. adults finds that the percentages who say they believe in God,... Read more
Prayer for the Faithful Departed By Kate O’Hare “My God, my God, Why have You forsaken Me?” From the depths of Your Passion, sweet Christ, You cried unto the Father. From the depths of our grief We cry unto You. With wounded hearts, Empty arms, We cry unto You. For the souls of our beloved departed, Purifying in Purgatory, Especially those whose wounds most need Your healing mercy, We cry unto You. For the faithful souls in Heaven, Who gaze... Read more
This isn’t new, but it’s new to me. Was just watching New Zealand trounce Australia in the Rugby World Cup 2015 — Go All Blacks! — when this 2013 ad came up. Being a lover of Irish music, as I am, it caught my ear, and then it caught my eye, and then it caught my heart. It encompasses brotherhood, love, the self-sacrifice and joy of marriage, a divine benediction, and a reminder that if Ireland loses her love for... Read more
Batten down the hatches, St. Louis, cablenet Destination America is playing with fire, offering a live broadcast of an illicit exorcism rite from the site of the events that inspired “The Exorcist.” Both Catholic writer William Peter Blatty’s 1971 novel and the 1973 movie based on it are fictionalized accounts of an exorcism that took place in 1949. As related in a 1998 article in the Arlington (Virginia) Catholic Herald: The true story began in January 1949 and involved a 13-year-old... Read more
I’ve owned a dachshund, and one thing they like — along with food, digging and warm place to sleep — is attention, and Louie is no exception. As the video above notes, Louie came into Minneapolis resident Megan Determan’s life before her fiance, Chris Kluthe. So, when Louie decided to assert himself during the photo shoot, Karin Berdal, of DnK Photography, just went with it. Berdal said to ValleyNewsLive: “I thought it was hysterical off the bat but I had... Read more
The other day, I was listening to a radio talk-show host discussing Rep. Paul Ryan’s bid to be Speaker of the House. A caller complained that Ryan wasn’t a “true conservative,” and that he hadn’t upheld conservative principles in all his votes. The host asked whom the caller would like to have as Speaker instead. The caller named two or three other GOP House members, only to be told by the host that these people either hadn’t thrown their hats... Read more
There’s mercy, and then there’s a Mulligan. One is always available, but the other … not so much. It’s a hard fact that there are mistakes you can’t come back from, that will haunt, scar and dog you for the rest of your life. You may seek forgiveness and even receive it, but there will still be a temporal price to pay, whether it’s physical, psychological or legal. The Case of Ray Rice In Feb. 2014, NFL player Ray Rice... Read more
Director Brian DePalma’s 1987 version of “The Untouchables” is one of my all-time favorite movies, and it features Sean Connery playing one of my all-time favorite Catholic characters, Irish-American Chicago cop Jimmy Malone. Here’s a scene between Malone and Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner), in which Ness sees Malone fiddling with a medallion attached to a keyring. Also there is cop recruit George Stone, a k a Giuseppe Petri, played by Andy Garcia. Ness: What is that? Malone: [surprised] “What is that?” Ness:... Read more
Today in the inbox, hot off the press from PBS: MEDIA ADVISORY MASTERPIECE and PBS Announce New Sherlock Special to Premiere on January 1 Event Marks the First Time for a Sherlock US-UK Same Day Premiere October 24, 2015 – MASTERPIECE and PBS today announced that Sherlock: The Abominable Bride, a 90-minute special, will premiere Friday, January 1, 2016 on MASTERPIECE Mystery! on PBS at 9:00 p.m. ET, and simultaneously online at pbs.org/masterpiece. The special will have an encore broadcast on Sunday, January 10 at 10:00... Read more
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