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The Deacon's Bench

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Who is Adele Brise, the visionary who is responsible for the first approved Marian apparition  in the United States? The Compass has the answer: Adele Joseph Brise’s story began when she arrived from Belgium with her parents, Lambert and Marie Catherine Brise, two sisters and a brother in 1855. They bought a farm at Red…

Just in time for the holidays, a chef in Washington has created an extraordinary gingerbread house — er, church — of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington. From the Georgetown Patch:(with a H/T to CNS) Crafting gingerbread houses since age 3, Executive Pastry Chef Charles Froke has mastered the art of gingerbread…

He’s a judge in Canada — and he’s talking about how his faith intersects with his job, following a controversial sentencing in a high-profile case. From the B.C. Catholic in Vancouver: Ontario Superior Court Judge Alf Stong is not particularly bothered by the front-page scolding he got from a Toronto Star columnist at the end…

Starting Monday, December 13th, you’ll find it at Patheos.com.  Check out the new site here. Come by for a visit. And remember to change your bookmarks!

Another married Episcopalian is swimming the Tiber — and is about to be ordained a priest. From the Billings Gazette: When the Rev. Bart Stevens is ordained a Catholic priest in Billings on Thursday, he will share the moment with friends and family — including his wife and five children. Stevens, 35, joins a small…

An unusual project in Switzerland reported some news this week: An unwanted baby has been left at a hospital in Einsiedeln. The foundling is the sixth in the nearly ten-year history of the baby window, which is unique in Switzerland. While the central Swiss abbey town was in the final throes of its annual Christmas…

Leave it to the innovative media wizards in the Archdiocese of Boston to come up with a church-finder app for your iPhone. From the Boston Globe: In the latest example of an ancient institution deploying the latest technology, the Archdiocese says a free iPhone app is available that will display all the nearest Catholic churches…

For the first time ever, a Marian apparition in the United States has received formal approval. Details: Bishop David Ricken announced today that he officially approves the Marian apparitions at the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help at Champion. The announcement was made during a special Mass for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception…

Things are moving along — ha! — over at my new home. When you have a minute, stop by and check it out. A reminder: “The Deacon’s Bench” will be relocated over there on Monday, December 13th. Reset your bookmarks! Subscribe to the RSS! Send fruit baskets!
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