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The Deacon's Bench

Remember “My Three Sons,” with Fred MacMurray? Well, consider this an episode of “My Three Priest Sons.” This remarkable event occured near Pittsburgh a few days ago: three brothers, all ordained as priests, concelebrated mass: When the Geinzer boys were growing up in Ingram in the 1940s and 1950s, their grandpa built them a miniature…

The Eucharist began with a supper, so it makes perfect sense for a priest to put out a spiritual cookbook. Doesn’t it? Anyway, that’s what one priest has done — and the way things are going, he could be TV’s next Emeril: What began as a joke in the kitchen will become a published cookbook…

The Air Force has just released a stirring story of a Catholic chaplain working in one of America’s war zones — in many ways, the “forgotten war zone,” Afghanistan: “I’ve been deployed to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Turkey, amongst others,” said Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Michael Weber, who is deployed from Pacific Air Forces at Hickam…

Just in time for the Solemnity of the Assumption, news crackled over the wire of a radio program devoted to — who else? — Mary. According to the press release: Mary’s Touch, a program of stories from people who have had life-changing encounters with Mary, the Mother of God, has begun airing from Catholic Radio…

From the Dutch, who gave us chocolate and tulips, comes another interesting diversion, courtesy one of their bishops: Bishop Martinus Muskens (seen on the left) of Breda, Netherlands, suggested in an interview with Radio Netherlands that Christians should refer to God as Allah, which would promote better relations with Muslims. The 71-year-old bishop told the…

‘Tis the season: time to go uniform-shopping. Those of us who went through Catholic school remember it well — and remember the dreaded, terrible same-ness of what everyone wore. Which, of course, is part of the point of having school uniforms: they focus the mind and the eye on physics or Faulkner, not fashion. The…

This morning, I Goggled and found this gorgeous poem by Thomas Merton: a reflection on the Visitation — which, of course, is the subject of today’s gospel. Enjoy. The Evening of the Visitation – Written in 1947 Go, roads, to the four quarters of our quiet distance, While you, full moon, wise queen, Begin your…

Department of Shameless Self-Promotion: the folks at Busted Halo have just posted a reflection by Your Humble Blogger, with a thought or two on a familiar form of Catholic prayer: The other day, while I was unfolding my New York Post—there’s a confession for you!—I caught sight of a very serious young woman seated across…

The gospel today begins with a journey. “Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste…” This time of year, I think, a lot of us can appreciate the idea of taking a trip. Millions of us are headed to the beach or the mountains, National Parks or Disney World. But what Mary…

Imagine running a parish with 50,000 members and 20 masses a week. That about sums up life for the chaplains working at some of America’s busiest airports. They worry less about security than about salvation: Can you find holiness at an airport? Father Michael Zaniolo thinks so. Father Zaniolo has been an airport chaplain at…
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