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The Deacon's Bench

This story from CNS is such a jaw-dropper, I’ll let it speak for itself: So what’s a nice, mild-mannered, 72-year-old Dominican priest doing collecting thousands of dollars in royalty checks for a rock ‘n’ roll classic that he co-wrote in the 1950s — a song eventually made famous by Ricky Nelson and one that has…

A few people have asked me how my retreat went last weekend. Very well, thank you. It was probably the most restful 48 hours I’ve had since ordination — and the first time I’ve had two consecutive days off since then, too. For the uninitiated: deacons are almost genetically pre-disposed to overwork; we have a…

With more lay people taking on vital roles in American parishes, a church in Illinois has given two vital roles to one lay woman: “I’m in heaven every day. I love what I do. I wonder why it’s taken so long to find this,” commented Paulette Shea, pastoral minister and parish nurse at SS. Peter…

That is how Emily Dickinson famously described hope. I doubt Pope Benedict will take that tack when he releases his next encyclical which, according to news from the Vatican, is on that very subject: Pope Benedict XVI has completed his second encyclical, a meditation on Christian hope, Vatican sources said. The text, tentatively titled “Spe…

The good people over at Busted Halo have just posted a fascinating chat with Stephen Prothero, author of American Jesus and a new book called Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs To Know And Doesn’t, which more or less bemoans our stupidity on all things relating to religion. Prothero is the chair of the religion…

The always thought-provoking Deal Hudson is provoking thought this week on the subject of Hillary Clinton and Catholics. He wonders who is to blame if Hillary collects the Catholic vote next year: “If Giuliani and Clinton are the nominees, then Hillary Clinton will certainly win the Catholic vote in 2008.” This is the opinion of…

Burn off a few minutes before the whistle blows by creating your own Mr. Picassohead. You can thank me later.

Since this is the feast of St. Teresa of Avila — “Big Teresa,” as she is sometimes known — I thought it worth posting what may be the most stunning image of her: the breathtaking sculpture by Bernini that manages to be both sensual and spiritual. St. Teresa described this moment this way: I saw…

On the other side of the world from where I live, another journalist has just become a deacon — but will soon enough be ordained a priest. A paper from Down Under (New Zealand, actually) has this Top Story: New ground was broken in Invercargill this week with the ordination of a family man to…

Rumblings from Rome indicate a follow-up document is coming — a sequel, if you will — that may clarify the motu proprio and perhaps clear up a few misunderstandings: The Ecclesia Dei commission is preparing a new document on the application of the motu proprio allowing wider use of the traditional Latin Mass, according to…
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