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The Deacon's Bench

A research group has released its “Trust Index” for 2010 — and (perhaps unsurprisingly) members of the clergy didn’t fare well: Firefighters enjoy the highest levels of trust internationally. The clergy and marketing specialists have suffered a considerable deterioration in their reputation, and trust in politicians has also fallen once again. Conversely, the reputation of…

The pontiff endorsed the discipline during the final hours of the Year for Priests. From Rome: Standing before more than 10,000 Roman Catholic priests, Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday strongly reaffirmed the Vatican’s commitment to priestly vows of celibacy, cutting off speculation that he might reconsider the issue in light of the church’s sexual abuse…

Continuing its tradition, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has announced the new “deacon couples” who will be serving parishes upon the ordination of the new deacons this weekend: Cardinal Roger Mahony will ordain 14 men to the Sacred Order of Deacon on June 12 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. Those to…

The photo above is worth a thousand words — and at least one psalm. From Julie at Happy Catholic: Staff Sgt. Edward Rosa reads the Bible and extends a cigarette to Pfc. Jorge Rostra Obando, who was stunned by an explosion in Afghanistan’s Arghanab Valley. One comrade was killed and two injured in the blast.…

Another sad sign of the times. This news comes from the Diocese of Fall River, in Massachusetts: The Rev. Jay Mello sat on a metal dugout bleacher, a baseball bat in hand. He laughed and joked with several members of the Bishop Stang High School boys baseball team as they went through batting practice Monday.…

Well, for starters, check out Matthew Warner’s suggestions in the National Catholic Register. He makes some very good points.

It’s no secret that composers and music publishers are scrambling to create new musical settings for the new translation of the Roman Missal, due to take effect late next year. But we have a rare window into the process over at the blog Pray Tell, where composer Michael “On Eagles Wings” Joncas describes some of…

 Lord and Master of my life,   keep from me the spirit of indifference and discouragement,  lust of power and idle chatter.   Instead, grant to me,   Your servant,   the spirit of wholeness of being, humble-mindedness, patience, and love. O Lord and King,   grant me the grace to be aware of my sins and not to judge…

‘Tis the season for ordinations. I get a lot of e-mails this time of year, from readers wondering what sort of gift they should get for that newly ordained priest or deacon. When I was ordained, I got a lot of gift certificates for religious stores. (This place is a good online resource, by the…

What a journey!  It’s the first Catholic ordination in one Pennsylvania community — and it’s one for the history books: St. Joseph’s Church in York will be the setting on Saturday for an event sure to go down in local religious history, and perhaps more. Paul Schenck, born into a Jewish family, eventually ordained as…
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