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The Deacon's Bench

“I have known Archbishop Gomez since he became Auxiliary Bishop of Denver in 2001, and subsequently, the Archbishop of San Antonio in 2004. Over the years he has been a most effective leader working with priests serving the Spanish-speaking communities across the country, and his leadership in proclaiming the dignity and rights of our immigrant…

“When we reread the New Testament narratives about the first Easter, we notice a common theme. Everyone who comes in contact with the risen Lord comes away from that encounter with the urgent desire to run and tell others what they have witnessed. St. Mary Magdalene, upon encountering the risen Lord outside the empty tomb,…

That’s what the lead headline at New Advent is teasing, with an announcement reportedly set for tomorrow. Archbishop Jose Gomez, of San Antonio, has a fascinating resume — including being born in Mexico, and being ordained a priest of Opus Dei after getting degrees in both philosophy and accounting (!). He’s been named by Time…

I kid you not. Take a look: With her careers as veterinarian, astronaut and U.S. president behind her, Barbie has at last found her true calling: as a second-career Episcopal priest. The 11.5-inch-tall fictional graduate of Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, Calif., has donned a cassock and surplice and is rector at…

My blog neighbor Rod Dreher this morning posted a reflection on the idea of a priest/pastor being a “spiritual father” — a concept, he concedes, that is increasingly elusive: Catholics and Orthodox (at least) have a different relationship with their priest, in that the most important thing he does is dispense the sacraments. Protestants demand…

In case anyone missed it, Elizabeth Scalia has some powerful, soul-searing answers: The darkness within my church is real, and it has too often gone unaddressed. The light within my church is also real, and has too often gone unappreciated. A small minority has sinned, gravely, against too many. Another minority has assisted or saved…

When my wife and I called her parents last night, to wish them a Happy Easter, they asked if we’d heard about something extraordinary that the Archbishop of Washington had done during Holy Week. It was news to me. And it really is extraordinary. I’m not aware of another bishop doing anything like this, ever:…

“It is morning in the church. It is opening day not just for the Yankees, but for all of us. Hope conquers despair.” — Archbishop Timothy Dolan, Easter homily, April 4, 2010

The greatest food in the world? No contest. Hands down, it’s this: Second important discovery: it goes great with coffee first thing in the morning.

A lot of people have written, asking: “How was your Triduum? How about the Exultet? Are you still alive?” Well, yeah. I’m here. Let me try to sort it all out. Here’s what I remember. Thursday Morning. Spent some time polishing a homily for the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. My pastor was scheduled to…
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