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The Deacon's Bench

“The CNN culture is still very strange. You walk into that building, you think you’re the Jesuits and you’re protecting a certain legacy. They still look at Fox as a carnival–not Fox as a brilliant marketing entity. It’s weird. They’re decades into it, and they’ll protect it to the end.” — Disgraced former governor-turned-TV-host Eliot…

“O God, who bestowed on the Priest Blessed John Henry Newman the grace to follow your kindly light and find peace in your Church; graciously grant that, through his intercession and example, we may be led out of shadows and images into the fulness of your truth. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who…

Over at Deacons Today, Bill Ditewig offers a fascinating glimpse at how deacons are formed in Europe: In Germany, anyone who wishes to pursue official ministry (whether as a lay person or a deacon) must FIRST complete either a degree in Theology or, if that’s not possible, a nationally-approved certificate program in Theology (approved by…

An inspired little take-off on those Old Spice commercials, courtesy The Muppets. Go ahead. Laugh. I did.

Last week I went to see the new movie “The Social Network.” It’s a fascinating look at the creation of “Facebook” – the social networking site that started among a few people at Harvard and became a phenomenon, now touching half a billion lives around the world. One of the compelling elements of the story…

Did you hear the one about the people who are trying to find humor in ministry? Check it out: Can you say the word “breast” in a sermon? If so, how often? When trying to keep a congregation’s attention during a long homily, how much disrobing in the pulpit is too much? And what is…

This week, my own bishop, Nicholas DiMarzio, offered some thoughts on the collaboration between priests and deacons in his weekly newspaper column: On the day of ordination, the ordaining bishop asks the deacon candidate the following question: “Are you resolved to discharge of the office of deacon with humility and love in order to assist…

Longtime readers of this blog will remember that I posted several items about the final months of Randy Pausch — I even preached about him one Sunday. Now comes word that his widow is writing a book about what it was like to be his caregiver: Jai Pausch, the widow of Mr. Pausch, who died…

The bishops of New York state have just released a statement about the upcoming election. A snip: “We Catholics are called to look at politics as we are called to look at everything – through the lens of our faith. While we are free to join any political party that we choose or none at…

Evidently, Andrew O’Hehir of Salon, in reviewing (unfavorably) “Secretariat,” took a few gratuitous swipes at director Randall Wallace. And now Chicago’s legendary Roger Ebert is calling him on it: O’Hehir mentions that Randall Wallace, who directed the film, “is one of mainstream Hollywood’s few prominent Christians, and has spoken openly about his faith and his…
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