Godly scammers? Be on the look-out, Floridians, because a pair of young “nuns” have been hitting the doorsteps in Florida, asking for donations and pushing their way into homes. The young women, believed to be in their early 20s, are wearing the habits of Roman Catholic nuns–“nun costumes,” police believe–and begging on behalf of St. Raphael’s parish in Lehigh Acres. The problem is that the women have no association with the parish, and in fact, there’s only one real nun... Read more
I was going to completely ignore the Kendrick brothers’ newest movie WAR ROOM. I’d read some sullen reviews by critics who complained that its religious theme was a no-brainer (“Prayer is good”). Its simplistic plot, said those critics, failed to engage the viewer, offering pablum instead of a respectable plot with a climax and denouement. But then the film opened across America, and acclaim from viewers began piling up in social media–on Facebook and Twitter. Entertainment critics touted it as a “box office success” and “number... Read more
In anticipation of Pope Francis’ historic visit to the United States later this month, a new website invites Catholics and non-Catholics alike to submit a joke about the Pope or the Catholic Church. Between September 8 and October 2, funny guys are invited to submit their best Catholic joke–either in writing or via video–to the website jokewiththepope.org, which is sponsored by the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States. The self-identified comedians can then choose one of three charitable causes that... Read more
There’s been a calm here at SEASONS OF GRACE for a few days. The whooshing sound you may have heard was only me, rushing back and forth to pack for a two-day trip, then flying to Atlanta where I stood on the red carpet for the World Premiere of Giving Films’ “90 Minutes in Heaven.” “90 Minutes in Heaven” tells the story of Pastor Don Piper’s death in a car-truck collision, his visit to heaven and finally, his return to earth... Read more
A 30-year-old seminarian at St. Paul Seminary-School of Divinity died unexpectedly in his sleep August 31 while visiting his mother’s home in Anamosa, Iowa. John Wesley Lawrence had graduated from Iowa State University and worked an accountant in downtown Des Moines when he heard God’s call to the priesthood. He entered the seminary in January 2013, and was expected to be ordained to the priesthood in June 2018. He was looking forward to traveling to Philadelphia with other seminarians from the Dioceses of... Read more
From my earliest college days, I’ve railed against some of the major tenets of psychology. As an undergrad majoring in social psychology at the University of Michigan, I was immersed in the radical behaviorism of B.F. Skinner. If a person experienced “A” in childhood, my professors explained, he would do “B” in adulthood. The theory stood in stark contrast to the biblical concept of “free will” and left me skeptical. Likewise I scoffed at hereditarianism, birth order as determinant of... Read more
A pro-life protester died last week at a demonstration in front of Planned Parenthood’s clinic in Livonia, Michigan. Robert Adis of Canton, Michigan, was one of the estimated 68,000 pro-life Americans who joined in prayer and protest at Planned Parenthood clinics across America on Saturday, August 22. The 73-year-old Adis pushed his wife Joan, who is confined to a wheelchair, to the line where over a hundred abortion opponents prayed, sang, and held signs protesting Planned Parenthood’s support for abortion and illegal sales... Read more
In Des Moines, Iowa, the Catholic Worker House is no longer permitted to hold liturgies on the premises, after conducting a service in which a woman who claims to be an ordained priest celebrated a Eucharistic service in their chapel. The celebrant was Janice Sevre-Duszynskaper, who attempted ordination in 2008, being “ordained” by the Association of Catholic Women Priests. The group and the ordinations which it attempts are not recognized by the Vatican, and Sevre-Duszynskaper is therefore excommunicated. Bishop Richard Pates, bishop of... Read more
In what must certainly be a grave lapse in professional judgment, the publicist who serves the National Abortion Federation has added me to her email distribution list. It’s like being given the keys to a Ferrari (if you know to what I refer): I sit at my desk, minding my own business, and behind-the-scenes information and misinformation from the enemy pops up in my inbox. I’m sure that the pastiche of callous disregard and jumbled thinking that the organization vomits will eventually contain a real scoop–so I take... Read more
Last week a shocking headline insinuated that Vatican employees–perhaps priests or even bishops?–were among those whose names and email addresses were released in the Ashley Madison hacking scandal. The Catholic Herald reported: Vatican workers listed among users of Ashley Madison site According to the Catholic Herald, Websites of at least two dozen people with the .va address are among those who had signed up to meet married people for liaisons. The reader could only imagine the ramifications for the Catholic... Read more
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