Last November, I reported on the serious damage done to the iconic steeple at St. Josaphat Catholic Church during a heavy windstorm. At the time, with the steeple twisted and so many slate tiles missing, it was necessary to close the church and redirect parishioners to another church in the downtown Detroit cluster. Here’s a peek at the work being done. The campaign to save the steeple has brought in donations totaling more than $90,000; but more is needed. Total... Read more
Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd,but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, “Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? Then how does each of us hear them in his native language? We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and... Read more
“Warm, personable and full of joy.” That was Joel Osteen’s description of Pope Francis, after meeting with him at the Vatican on June 5, part of a visit to promote interfaith understanding and ecumenical prayer. According to the Deseret News, Osteen was part of a delegation organized by The International Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to world-wide development. The delegation included political and religious leaders from the United States including Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah), former U.S. Interior Secretary Dick Kempthorne,... Read more
Half-hearted Catholics–those who believe only some of the Church’s teachings–aren’t really Catholics at all. “They may call themselves Catholic,” said Pope Francis at his morning Mass at the Domus Sancta Marthae, “but they have one foot out the door.” * * * * * The Holy Father drew his inspiration from the Gospel reading for June 5, taken from John 17:20-26, and Jesus’ prayer that there would be unity, not divisions and... Read more
On June 6, 1944, as the dawn broke on Normandy beaches, troops from America, Britain, Canada and France executed a dangerous plan to liberate France from Nazi tyranny. The operation was to storm the five Normandy beaches–arriving by ship and by air, overtaking the German troops. There were 156,000 paratroopers under General Dwight D. Eisenhower; and as their commander said, “The eyes of the world are upon you.” The sky filled with men and parachutes. Many died under enemy fire... Read more
SISTER CRISTINA WON!!! By now you’ve undoubtedly heard that Sister Cristina Scuccia, the talented nun whose performance on Italy’s The Voice has garnered more than 51 million views on YouTube, is the season’s big winner. Deacon Greg Kandra reported the story this morning over at The Deacon’s Bench. I wrote about her in March, when she belted out the Alicia Keyes song “No One” during the blind auditions for the show. * * * ... Read more
Bishop Gregory J. Hartmayer got a standing ovation after throwing out the first pitch at a game between the Savannah Sand Gnats and the Asheville Tourists. The Southern Cross, the newspaper for the Diocese of Savannah, captured the windup and the impressive pitch on camera, showing His Excellency’s brown Franciscan robe blowing in the wind at Grayson Stadium. More than 1,500 Catholic fans were in the stands for the charity game benefitting the Savannah Social Apostolate, an outreach of the... Read more
Pope Francis has sent a “personal message” to Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, inviting him to meet and indicating that “he is willing to meet at any place.” Apparently, Pope Francis sent the message while on pilgrimage to the Holy Land, where he embraced the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I. AsiaNews reports that the the message was delivered by Msgr. Massimo Palombella, director of the Pontifical Sistine Chapel Choir, when the choir performed in Moscow on May 27. The choir... Read more
My bookcase is filling up with great reads–things which deserve more time and thoughtful reporting than I’m going to give them here today. I know, though, that Father’s Day is coming–and I don’t want to miss the chance to help you with your shopping, and help some excellent Catholic writers to get the word out about their newest titles. If you’re considering giving Dad the gift of the printed word, let me recommend a few ideas to get you started:... Read more
If you die on Malta, if a proposed alternate corpse disposal system is approved, your soft tissues could be melted down into a thick, syrupy paste, then along with standard waste, it could be dumped into the sewer system or used to fertilize crops, Your bones could be ground up, then returned to your family, like ashes, to be scattered. The island of Malta is pretty small–only about 95 square miles. And it’s pretty crowded, with more than 450,000 residents. So getting rid... Read more
Seasons of Grace
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