2016-09-30T15:58:23-05:00

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:58 pm   By

YES to logic, kindness and Christian witness. NO to bluster, star-status and division. YES to dialogue, reasoned debate and logical argumentation. NO to an aggressive and divisive atmosphere.   That’s Pope Benedict XVI’s vision for the appropriate use of social media, according to his message for World Communications Day.  The message was released on January 26, the feast of St. Francis de Sales, patron of journalists. Monsignor Paul Tighe, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, carried the Pope’s... Read more

2016-09-30T15:58:23-05:00

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:58 pm   By

A travel agency.  A drive-through coffee shop.  Zumba classes.  In southeastern Michigan and across the nation, places of worship are expanding their offerings to meet the needs of their congregants, to appeal to a wider audience of believers, and to generate revenue through new sources. A recent article in the Detroit News lists some of the more prominent megachurches which have developed new, fun-filled mid-week activities and services. Some of the programs—a Job Seekers group for the unemployed, a bipolar... Read more

2016-09-30T15:58:23-05:00

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:58 pm   By

Episode 1 of the new series, “Autotune the Clergy.” It’s pretty creative, actually! Read more

2016-09-30T15:58:23-05:00

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:58 pm   By

The fashion world was buzzing on January 22, as French fashion designer Alexandre Vauthier launched his Women’s Spring/Summer 2013 Haute Couture fashion collection. They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.  Shall we infer, then, that Vauthier has a great love of the Catholic priesthood? You can check out Vauthier’s full spring/summer collection at his website.   Read more

2016-09-30T15:58:23-05:00

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:58 pm   By

IN PHILIPPINE MYTHOLOGY, there is a monster known as a “manananggal.” A fearsome creature, the manananggal is a beautiful older woman who preys on unsuspecting pregnant women in their homes. The vampire-like manananggal destroys the developing fetus in the womb, killing it by sucking the child’s heart. The myth is full of weirdness: The manananggal splits into two—and while her lower torso remains behind, the upper torso, aided by huge, bat-like wings, flies off into the night, seeking an unsuspecting... Read more

2016-09-30T15:58:23-05:00

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:58 pm   By

Everyone needs to get away once in a while.  Could it be that Jesus, too, needed to kick back, enjoy some music and some fries, and check out the sights in balmy San Diego? Retired 911 operator Chuck Rickman, 64, thinks so.  Rickman was out taking a walk on the weekend of January 19-20 when he spotted the Son of God in a window of the Hard Rock Hotel San Diego.  Quickly, he pulled out his cell phone and snapped... Read more

2016-09-30T15:58:24-05:00

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:58 pm   By

This is one of those cute little Internet memes that are forwarded via Facebook and email—but it was so cute, I just had to join the party. Canadian photographer Patrice Laroche and his wife, Sandra Denis, created this hilarious photo story titled “How to Make a Baby.”  The creative couple visited the same car wash over and over during Sandra’s pregnancy, wearing the same clothes and taking pictures as Sandra’s belly expanded. New mothers will appreciate that feeling that one’s... Read more

2016-09-30T15:58:24-05:00

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:58 pm   By

Sweet St. Agnes had taken a vow of chastity—so she refused when suitors wanted her hand in marriage.  Even the governor’s son Procop could not win her heart, since she was pledged to God.  Angered, Procop accused her of being a Christian—which was illegal—and when she would not renounce her faith, she was condemned to death.  She was only 13 years old when she was beheaded for her faith. On January 21, the Feast of St.Agnes, Pope Benedict continued a... Read more

2016-09-30T15:58:24-05:00

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:58 pm   By

This morning while you were probably still at church, Barack Obama was sworn in as President of the United States for a second term by Chief Justice John Roberts.  The small private ceremony in the White House was unique in several respects: TWO CEREMONIES.  This year, there will be not one but two separate inaugurations.  Because the Inauguration must occur on January 20, but the formal celebration is not typically held on a Sunday, the President will repeat the oath... Read more

2016-09-30T15:58:24-05:00

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:58 pm   By

On Tuesday, January 22, Washington National Cathedral will host President Barack Obama and Vice President Joseph Biden in an interfaith prayer service. If you fly into Washington DC, you’re likely to see the neo-gothic Episcopal cathedral, officially named the Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, towering over the corner of Massachusetts and Wisconsin streets, in the northwest quadrant of the nation’s capitol.  The cathedral is the sixth largest cathedral in the world, and the second largest in the... Read more

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