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The Deacon's Bench

As we celebrate and honor the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., a Catholic paper in Rhode Island is taking a look at black Catholicism in America: John A. Daluz has seen many changes in his life, many of which he attributes to the dedication and courageous efforts of slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin…

With all the buzz surrounding “Bella” this fall, the Catholic press paid scant attention to another passionately pro-life movie about an unwanted pregnancy and a mother who chooses life: “Juno.” I finally caught up with “Juno” last night. You might call it a “Bella” for cynics, but that would do a disservice to cynics. It’s…

Once, it seemed like every Catholic politician in America was running for president. But no more. An interesting summary of what happened, and why, from CNS: Less than a year ago, nearly a dozen Catholics — Republicans and Democrats — had either declared as candidates for president, started an exploratory committee or been widely mentioned…

No, we’re not having a Don Ho moment here at The Bench. The bubbles in question are found at an innovative new spiritual website called Other6. It seeks to feed people who are seeking spiritual food for the other six days of the week. Hence the name. (Duh.) The good people at Busted Halo profiled…

Has the ecumenical movement lost steam? That’s the big question behind Peter Steinfels’ column this Saturday, marking the centennary of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. A snip from the New York Times: In many countries, Christians deeply devoted to unity among their separate groups will gather in one anothers’ churches to pray and…

Last winter, the Washington Post decided to try something unusual. A reporter wanted to see what would happen if they hired a world famous violinist to play during rush hour on a Washington subway platform. Would anybody notice? Would anybody stop and listen? Would they toss any money into his violin case? To take part…

And now for something completely different — and utterly surprising: the story of a Georgia couple who reversed a sterilization procedure, and welcomed a bouncing baby boy: Etched into David Hanson’s memory is the image of his wife, Catherine, having just delivered their sixth child by emergency C-section, being wheeled on a gurney away from…

A Wisconsin paper has the story of a deacon — soon to be a priest — who has followed an unusual career path: After working as an insurance agent and a waiter at Tippin’s, Mike McLain is now adding deacon to his resume. McLain, 57, is the new transitional deacon at five area parishes, including…

With the Super Bowl soon upon us, we’ll be inundated with expensive and over-produced commercials. Again. But the classics never go out of style. Twenty years after it first aired, this still makes me laugh.

The excommunicated married archbishop is at it again. CNS does the honors: Excommunicated Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo said the Catholic Church should not fear accepting married men into the priesthood. “There is no contradiction between marriage and priesthood,” he told reporters at a Jan. 17 press conference unveiling a new book on his life. “It is…
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