Legendary blogger and “Currents” contributor Rocco Palmo is used to covering the news.  But now he’s actually making some.   

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

Rocco Palmo’s life has been infused with four major blessings — his large Italian family, journalism, baseball and the Roman Catholic church.

All four will coalesce Friday as the 27-year-old blogger, who lives in and works from his parents’ home in Philadelphia, receives an honorary doctorate from the Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis. His parents will be there as Palmo gives the commencement address to the seminary’s 77 graduates. He’ll also watch his beloved Phillies take on the Cardinals this week.

“Rocco has shown that someone with his background — a Christian commitment, but also his abilities and background in journalism — can use the blogosphere in a very powerful way in terms of communicating the message of the church,” said the Rev. Richard Peddicord, president of the Aquinas Institute.

Aquinas has never awarded an honorary degree to a journalist, and the only other journalist who has given Aquinas’ commencement address was Peter Steinfels of The New York Times in 1993.

In awarding Palmo an honorary doctorate, the 84-year-old Dominican seminary is making a statement about the changing relationship between journalism and the Catholic church. The award for Palmo’s work on his blog Whispers in the Loggia is also an expression of how American Catholic leaders hope to encourage a younger generation to engage their faith through news.

“Palmo has done something no mainstream journalist has ever done — scooped announcements by the Vatican of new U.S. bishops or archbishops,” said Debra Mason, executive director of the Religion Newswriters Association. “That’s a formidable task and one that requires serious reporting skills.”

Continue for more on Rocco’s background. And congratulations, Rock!