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The Deacon's Bench

As we continue the countdown to Easter — 10 days until the Vigil! — it’s heartening and inspiring to read about those who are making the journey toward that baptismal font. The St. Anthony Messenger has a great piece this month about what that pilgrimage is like: Spring—a time for new beginnings. Twenty-three people with…

If you’re looking for a little context on the upcoming papal visit, you’ll do no better than to drop by Amy Welborn’s superlative blog, where she offers us this pearl of great price: Over the next two months, before the Pope arrives in our country, there is going to be a constant battle, it seems…

Over at Clerical Whispers, there is news about a “Year of Vocation” being trumpeted in Ireland — a place that needs vocations (singular and plural) more desperately than most of us can imagine. (N.B. near the bottom, a reference to bringing the permanent diaconate to Ireland.) Read on: It cannot be disputed that the Catholic…

This hasn’t gotten too much attention outside Utah, but it should. The picture below is part of a series of controversial photographs which have been criticized for showing disrespect toward Catholicism by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints: LDS Church officials have apologized for three Mormon missionaries who allegedly vandalized…

I’m sure you’ve been wondering: ‘Where on earth can I get my Hell’s Angels leather jacket repaired and find a nice rosary, too?” Look no further. There’s news about one in Colorado, from columnist Dan England: Four years after they got married, Laura and Tom Hodge were traveling down a winding road with no real…

‘Tis the season. Awards season, that is. And you might want to wander over to the Bloggers Choice Awards to see who the contenders are in different categories. (Your Humble Blogger is listed in Best Religion Blog.) There are a gazillion nominees — so take your time and, to quote Paul Simon, “stroll around the…

In New Jersey, a nominee for the state’s Superior Court happens to be a man training to become a Catholic deacon. And that may cause a conflict, according to this South Jersey paper: A judge in Middlesex County who is also training to become a Roman Catholic deacon eased some lawmakers’ concerns Monday but may…

As Catholic stories go, it sounded like a bombshell: the pope had added seven new deadly sins that could send a person to hell — and one of them was polluting the environment! I was assigned to write that story for last night’s CBS Evening News, and the more I read about it, the more…

As we prepare for Holy Week, our Jewish brothers and sisters are preparing for Passover. And that led me to this peculiar video (h/t Rod Dreher) which is — as Rod put it — “jerky.” I agree with him. Why on earth would a kid use a religious celebration to declare publicly that he doesn’t…

New York governor Eliot Spitzer and his wife Silda, March 10, 2008. Photo: by Mary Altaffer, AP
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