2016-09-30T15:54:59-05:00

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:54 pm   By

Argentinian lawmakers, proud of the first pope to hail from their country, may soon honor Pope Francis by putting his face on a coin. Argentina’s 480 million Catholics were thrilled by the announcement in March 2013 that then-Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who served as archbishop of Buenos Aires, would become the new Pontiff. The tribute coin was first proposed in April by Rep. Oscar Cachi Martinez, and quickly gained support from congressional committees.  The Argentinian congressman announced the successful... Read more

2016-09-30T15:54:59-05:00

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:54 pm   By

Pot, here’s Kettle. The federal government—the government that brought you the Website That Wasn’t, the failed healthcare.gov site—now wants to join in a lawsuit against H&R Block because of its website.  But wait: Does the H&R Block website work?  Yes. Does the federal government’s Obamacare website work?  No. Now, though, the U.S. government has sought to intervene in a lawsuit accusing tax preparers H&R Block of operating a website which is inaccessible to people who are blind or deaf or... Read more

2015-01-22T08:14:23-05:00

Last updated on: January 22, 2015 at 8:14 am   By

Apple Bailey is a 16-year-old runaway with an indomitable spirit.  She dreams of finding happiness and of escaping from the bleak street life she has known with her mother (Rosario Dawson), an addict and prostitute.  Apple, played by Vanessa Hudgens, tracks down the father she never knew (Brendan Fraser), who is now a successful Wall Street broker; but after only a few days in his home, Apple learns she is pregnant. When her father and stepmother direct her to seek... Read more

2015-12-18T08:37:28-05:00

Last updated on: December 18, 2015 at 8:37 am   By

Is it too early to think about Christmas? I don’t think so!  And to help get you ready for the season, the a cappella group Pentatonix has just released a new MP3 Christmas album which is a great anthology of holiday classics (O Come, O Come Emmanuel, Angels We Have Heard on High, Carol of the Bells, O Holy Night, and more). The Arlington, Texa-based a cappella group Pentatonix includes vocalists Scott Hoying, Kirstie Maldonado, Mitch Grassi, Avi Kaplan and... Read more

2016-09-30T15:54:59-05:00

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:54 pm   By

The following may be the worst story I’ve ever reported.  After writing this, I think I’ll need a shower.  *     *     *     *     * Ten years ago, defrocked priest Joseph Pilger was brutally murdered, beaten to death in his home by an intruder with a pickaxe. Until now, this is how the story’s been told:  Pilger was a former priest who had a history of sexual abuse of children.  He had pled... Read more

2016-09-30T15:54:59-05:00

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:54 pm   By

A sad update to my November 18 post regarding the spire atop Detroit’s historic St. Josaphat Church, which sustained major damage in last week’s windstorms. Things aren’t looking good for the iconic 112-year-old steeple, which will likely have to be removed permanently.  The steeple was seen swaying in the wind during the storm.  It now has missing shingles, certainly, but also appears to be listing, and the large golden cross at the top appears to be cracked. Although no one... Read more

2016-09-30T15:54:59-05:00

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:54 pm   By

Three-year-old Thérèse sat at her mother’s feet, watching as her mother quickly moved the bobbins and pins on the small pillow.  Only when she was older would Thérèse realize that her mother was the finest lacemaker in all of Alençon, and that Alençon, France was where the finest lace in the world was created.     *     *     *     *     * I’m telling you a story I recall from my own childhood.  I was perhaps five or six when I received... Read more

2016-09-30T15:54:59-05:00

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:54 pm   By

Francis: The Pope from the New World, the Knights of Columbus’ new documentary, is coming to television screens in Canada, courtesy of Salt + Light TV. The hour-long documentary will air on Sunday, November 24 at 9:30 p.m. and 1:30 a.m. Eastern Time, and Wednesday, November 27 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. It will also be live-streamed at the Salt+LightTV website.  The DVD is available for purchase at Amazon.  Following is the description from the film’s website: On March 13,... Read more

2016-09-30T15:54:59-05:00

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:54 pm   By

Pope John Paul I was head of the Catholic Church for only one month:  from August 26, 1978 until his sudden death 33 days later, on September 28.  Italians call him “the Smiling Pope” (“Il Papa del Sorriso”).  Time Magazine called him “The September Pope.” He took his name as an homage to the two popes before him:  Pope John XXIII, and Pope Paul VI. In his last papal address before his unexpected death, Pope John Paul I spoke in... Read more

2016-09-30T15:55:00-05:00

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:55 pm   By

The United States is scaling back its diplomatic mission at the Vatican—making plans to close its Vatican Embassy headquarters, and instead conduct its operations in a smaller building within the walls of the U.S. Embassy to Italy. The Obama Administration cites “security concerns” following the attack in Benghazi, and claims that they can better protect embassy staff in a consolidated compound.  According to government authorities, once construction is completed in 2015, the Vatican Embassy will have a separate entrance and... Read more

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