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The Deacon's Bench

This has only the faintest echoes of the classic movie starring David Niven, Cary Grant and Loretta Young. But it does involve a curious spiritual triangle, as an Irish Anglican bishop finds himself in somewhat awkward circumstances: The wife of an Irish Anglican bishop has entered the Roman Catholic Church, with her husband’s public support.…

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s stellar religion reporter, Ann Rogers, this morning tackles a topic rarely discussed in the Catholic Church: infertility. But it’s a subject of increasing interest, and concern, among many couples who are waiting longer to get married or start a family. In her piece, Rogers focuses on doctors who are specifically trying to…

Surfing around the internet, I stumbled upon a terrific new design for the website for Florida Catholic, which serves several dioceses in the Sunshine State. It’s bright, user-friendly, beautifully designed, and eminently readable. And among the choice nuggets this week is an inspiring vocation story from Palm Beach: Tom Lafreniere heard God calling him to…

A new church has just opened in Portugal, to help comemmorate the 90th anniversary of the apparitions of the Blessed Mother in Fatima. The new facility is not exactly intimate, according to this report from the BBC: Thousands of pilgrims have flocked to a ceremony in Portugal to consecrate one of the world’s biggest churches.…

Well, it’s gotten a fair amount of attention in the blogosphere, and even on TV, where no less a luminary than Bill O’Reilly took note of it. I’m referring, of course, to San Francisco’s archbishop giving communion to the two gentlemen pictured on the left. Now, Catholic Online has offered its own stinging critique by…

More and more deacons are spending time behind bars. Ministering, that is. Which is one reason why this item caught my eye. A story this weekend reports on the amazing growth in prisons built on faith: Killer-turned-artist Manny Hernandez on the prison where he’s finishing an eight-year term: “It’s a blessing to be here.” Fellow…

Boy, you take a couple of days off, and the world goes just a little bit nuts. I returned from my diaconate retreat Sunday afternoon to find that the Catholic world had its knickers in a knot over an Italian priest who, according to television reports, was caught making sexual overtures toward a young man.…

I’m headed for a weekend retreat with my brother deacons at this place. I’ll see you all again next week. Meantime, rest assured: you will all be with me in my prayers. Blessings to you all,+ Deacon Greg

That’s how many pregnancies worldwide end in abortion, according to a new study. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg: Women are just as likely to get an abortion in countries where it is outlawed as they are in countries where it is legal, according to research published Friday. In a study examining abortion…

October is dedicated to the rosary — and the month includes the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. Now, a local paper just north of New York City is writing about the rosary and, specifically, the anniversary of a modern Marian event: Ninety years ago tomorrow, tens of thousands of people in the town…
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