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The Deacon's Bench

While many new Catholics this week are basking in the afterglow of their Easter baptism, one former Protestant (and a former clergywoman, at that) is reflecting back on her first year in the faith, with both gratitude and awe: I am not sure I fully grasped then either the magnitude of the decision or the…

If you think sex abuse is committed at a higher rate by priests…think again: The Catholic sex-abuse stories emerging every day suggest that Catholics have a much bigger problem with child molestation than other denominations and the general population. Many point to peculiarities of the Catholic Church (its celibacy rules for priests, its insular hierarchy,…

Anyone who thinks the media has been treating the Church fairly over the last few weeks should take a moment to read what Sr. Mary Ann Walsh has to say in today’s Washington Post: Some quarters of the media in the past few weeks seem to have a difficulty in getting stories right and fair.…

That’s how Melinda Henneberger concludes this heartfelt explanation of why she remains Catholic: Though Benedict has his admirers, I’ve not led any parades for him, and this is not my first or second rodeo with the rest of these cowboys, either. So when I’m asked how I could stay in a church whose leaders are…

One of the most beloved saints of the modern era is going to get a new resting place: The Capuchin friars of San Giovanni Rotondo have announced that St. Pio of Pietrelcina’s body will be moved into the new church, adjacent to his current resting place on the Monastery grounds. Against the wishes of some,…

I just love this story: a poignant and heartfelt look at one new Catholic’s journey to baptism at the Easter Vigil. Take a look. And welcome, Javier.

One of the best-kept secrets of advertising may be in the back of your church bulletin: Massage therapist Dan Snyder has discovered it’s better for business with God on your side. The 62-year-old owner of Dan’s Hands Therapeutic Massage and Body Work picked up 10 new customers with just one business-card sized ad in the…

The President offered some words Tuesday morning on a topic you normally don’t hear him discussing — Christ and the resurrection: Speaking of Christ’s sacrifice and “the promise of redemption in the resurrection,” President Barack Obama welcomed Christian leaders from across the country to an Easter prayer breakfast at the White House April 6. “I…

The local press is taking a closer look at Archbishop Jose Gomez — and everybody seems to be scratching their heads: Gomez, 58, who will succeed Cardinal Roger Mahony, is a reflection of the future of American Catholicism. Born in northern Mexico, now an American citizen, he is one of the millions of Latinos who…

That’s how a London paper is characterizing his pick of Opus Dei bishop Jose Gomez to lead the Archdiocese of Los Angeles: Jose Gomez has been parachuted into the archdiocese of five million to try to lure the increasingly lapsing faithful of southern California back to Church. The appointment was described as the Pope’s revenge…
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