News Hub archives: August 2006 to March 2007
If anyone cares, this is an archive of the CNS News Hub from when it was born in August 2006, back in the days when it was hard-coded (ugh!):
Catholics and the telling of the truth under oath
The Tidings
A story in the Los Angeles Times on clergy sex abuse “is insulting to all Catholics,” according to a statement issued by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The Tidings in Los Angeles provides the text of the statement; here is a link to the story in question.
Sacred art: Etching faith onto eggs
St. Anthony Messenger
With Easter coming, St. Anthony Messenger profiles a Pennsylvania nun the magazine calls “a maestro with an egg” because of how she can breathe new life into the ancient style of Byzantine art.
First Communion gifts range from jewelry to prayer guides
The Catholic Spirit
First Communion season is just around the corner for many Catholic parishes, so The Catholic Spirit in St. Paul-Minneapolis offers readers ideas for gifts to give youngsters to mark their reception of the sacrament.
Will Easter happen this year?
The Georgia Bulletin
“Easter does not happen if we keep running away from, denying, blocking out, avoiding Good Friday,” writes a priest serving in the Atlanta Archdiocese in a column in The Georgia Bulletin. Only by embracing life’s pains, sorrows and dyings — something our secular society for the most part tries to avoid — can we arrive “at the Easters that can and will give us new life.”
Eighth-graders grow in faith by critiquing controversial film
The Criterion
Members of an eighth-grade class in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis decided on their own initiative to critique the Discovery Channel’s “The Lost Tomb of Jesus” documentary. The Criterion In Indianapolis reports that the students were well-equipped to counter the documentary’s claims.
Climate change getting attention
Catholic Universe Bulletin
Catholics in Ohio are getting ready for a major examination of climate change, according to the Catholic Universe Bulletin in Cleveland. The keynote speaker for an upcoming conference, which will examine the relationship of climate change with Catholic social teaching, will be the papal nuncio to the United Nations.
Three priests to begin training in Byzantine rite liturgy
Tennessee Register
Responding to the request of the Byzantine Catholic archbishop whose territory includes Tennessee, three clerics in the Diocese of Nashville are planning to be trained as bi-ritual priests with the faculties to celebrate liurgies in both the Latin and Byzantine rites. The Tennessee Register reports that both the priests and Byzantine Catholics they will serve are excited about the changes.
An open (and non-judgmental) invitation
Hawaii Catholic Herald
The Hawaii Catholic Herald has a feature on efforts in the Honolulu Diocese to encourage non-practicing Catholics to return to the church. Even the couple that began the program are themselves returning Catholics.
Break down the barriers built from grudges
Catholic Explorer
For your Lenten reflection, the Catholic Explorer in the Diocese of Joliet, Ill., has a column by Bishop J. Peter Sartain of Joliet on the importance of forgiveness. He writes that he once asked schoolchildren if they knew what a grudge was and got a very insightful answer from an 8-year-old.
City honors Civil War priest who saved downtown churches
The Georgia Bulletin
Don’t miss this if you have any interest in the U.S. Civil War: An Irish-born priest who served both Union and Confederate soldiers helped persuade Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman to spare Atlanta’s five churches from the fire that Sherman used to destroy the city, according to this story in The Georgia Bulletin. A separate story in the same edition tells how the priest’s crypt was discovered in the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception’s basement nearly 120 years later.
Knights make a difference in Iraq
The Catholic Review
An Army major on his second tour of duty in Iraq helped form a Knights of Columbus round table in Baghdad. The Catholic Review in Baltimore reports that Knights there help distribute Communion to other soldiers and aid members of the Iraqi Catholic minority in the city.
We need to take action to save the world’s water
The Catholic Register
For the observance of World Water Day, The Catholic Register in Toronto published a commentary about the importance of preserving fresh water as a public trust. Water is a sacred symbol for most religions. including Christianity, the commentary notes, and should not become a commodity for the rich.
Appeals judge rejects arguments of diocese and insurers
The Catholic Observer
Neither side is happy with an appeals court judge’s ruling that the Diocese of Springfield, Mass., must turn over certain documents about its handling of clergy misconduct cases. The Catholic Observer explains.
Omaha seminarian excels in Rome soccer tournament
The Catholic Voice
Priests and seminarians in Rome are competing in a soccer tournament for the first Clericus Cup (for background, click here, here and here). The Catholic Voice in Omaha, Neb., profiles star goalie Andrew Roza, who is to be ordained to the priesthood in June (and who’s absence from the tournament because of a retreat led to a shootout loss to a Croatian team).
We need to stop pornography, now
Denver Catholic Register
Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Denver, in his regular column in the Denver Catholic Register, says sexual behavior is never merely a “private” matter, whether it be homosexual acts, sexually transmitted diseases or the impact of pornography.
Hundreds of parishioners are gone; Albanian immigrants deported
The Michigan Catholic
The Michigan Catholic in Detroit notes that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been rounding up ethnic Albanians who have lost their political asylum appeals, an action that’s impacting two Detroit-area ethnic Albanian parishes. Hundreds of families have been split by the action.
Bravo!: A parish in Erie explores the art of community
Faith
Our Lady of Peace Parish in the Diocese of Erie, Pa., has it’s own acting community, called the OLP Playhouse, that has done musicals, plays and dinner theaters, among other things. One of the founding members calls it a ministry, not just a parish organization. Faith magazine in the Erie Diocese tells how the playhouse was born and why members think it helps them grow in faith.
Sister Doris walking journey with Texas death row inmate
Arkansas Catholic
A Texas death row inmate scheduled to die later this month has a friend in an Arkansas nun who has been accompanying him on his journey since 1998. The Arkansas Catholic tells the story about how their friendship began and what it has meant to her opposition to capital punishment.
Sculptor enlivens Stations of the Cross
Catholic Sentinel
The Catholic Sentinel in Portland, Ore., introduces readers to a sculptor whose bas relief Stations of the Cross are intended to remind people of the power and beauty of the Gospel message. Some older depictions of the stations are “rather boring,” says Tomasz Misztal, whose stations — as depicted in this story — seem anything but.In a related item, The Leaven of Kansas City, Kan., has a video story on one Boy Scout’s project to build outdoor stations. (Mac version available here.)
Applying lessons learned from Mother Teresa
Catholic Herald
While Jim Towey spent more than four years at the White House as head of the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, he still talks about time spent with Blessed Mother Teresa as being the most significant in his life. The Catholic Herald in Milwaukee caught up with Towey when he was there earlier this month.
L.A. chaplain: A ministry of presence in Iraq
The Tidings
The Tidings in Los Angeles has a fascinating first-person account from a priest currently serving as a U.S. military chaplain in Iraq. Father Jose A. Bautista says his work is maybe the most rewarding ministry of all and tells the story of how soldiers and chaplains pitched in to help Iraqi civilians after a recent truck bomb exploded with massive casualities.
Bridging the gap with Catholic radio
Pittsburgh Catholic
Relevant Radio is a growing network of Catholic radio outlets, and the Pittsburgh Catholic interviewed their local station’s manager to get a sense of what the network is trying to accomplish, both locally and nationally.
Cod Squad searches for good fries, faith sharing
St. Louis Review
You never can have too many good fish stories for Lent: The St. Louis Review reports on young adults — the “Cod Squad,” naturally — who go fish-fry “hopping” on Friday evenings at local parishes. It’s becoming quite the tradition and it’s better than bar hopping, says the paper.
Spring training games drive in extra funds for Catholic groups
The Catholic Sun
This is one parish fundraiser that only works in certain places and certain times of the year — working the concession stand at spring-training baseball. The Catholic Sun in Phoenix has a few examples and says at least one Major League Baseball team also helps raise funds for a Catholic charity.
Home sellers count on the intercession of St. Joseph for success
Catholic Chronicle
“Should he be upside down or upright? Facing toward the house or away? In the front or backyard? Is it better to place him near the ‘for sale’ sign?” That’s the lead paragraph in a story in the Catholic Chronicle of Toledo, Ohio, on the venerable tradition of burying a statue of St. Joseph to seek his help in selling your home. Though the practice can border on superstition, it can also be a true appeal in faith, explains the chancellor of the Toledo Diocese.
Ex-gang ‘poster child’ arrested on drug charge
The Tidings
Here’s a sad story in The Tidings of Los Angeles about a former gang member who straightened out his life, earned a master’s degree in social work and worked hard to counter the influence of gangs, only to be arrested on a drug charge. His colleagues are described as devastated.
Bishops sound alarm on stem-cell issues
The Leaven
Concerned about last year’s fight in Missouri over stem cells and cloning, the bishops of neighboring Kansas have launched their own multifaceted education effort on the controversial issues, reports The Leaven in Kansas City, Kan. The paper also links to the full text of the Kansas bishops’ pastoral letter on stem-cell research, and to an educational video on stem cells introduced by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City.
New bishop installed for Salt Lake City
Intermountain Catholic
The Diocese of Salt Lake City and the Intermountain Catholic newspaper are celebrating the March 14 installation of Bishop John C. Wester as their new leader. As part of the celebration, the paper’s Web site includes a video from the installation Mass (QuickTime player required).
Tim Russert thanks Catholic teachers for their special vocation
Catholic Standard
The moderator of NBC’s “Meet the Press” told an audience of teachers in Washington that it was the Sister of Mercy who was his seventh-grade teacher who changed his life and launched him on a career in journalism. Washington’s Catholic Standard tells how Tim Russert continues to honor that Mercy nun today by sponsoring an outstanding teacher award, which carries with it a $1,500 prize.
Lots of locks — and love — in Lent
The Catholic Post
A teaching intern and five students at a Catholic elementary school in Peoria, Ill., gave a Lenten sacrifice they’ll not soon forget: They donated locks of their hair to an organization that makes wigs for sick children. The Catholic Post in Peoria reports that the rest of the school learned a valuable lesson as well.
St. Joseph was a man of mystery—like my dad
The Georgia Bulletin
Two days after St. Patrick, it’s time for St. Joseph: A commentary by Lorraine V. Murray in The Georgia Bulletin says St. Joseph reminds her of her father — both were men of few words. Because Joseph has no speaking lines in the Gospels, he remains an enigma, she notes.
Police, parish work to resolve missing funds
The Michigan Catholic
A case of embezzlement of thousands of dollars of parish funds by a parish business manager in the Archdiocese of Detroit is being investigated by police and parish officials, according to The Michigan Catholic.
Confession’s comeback
National Catholic Register
The National Catholic Register calls confession “the church’s most underutilized sacrament” but cites several examples it says show confession’s comeback. An editorial in the same edition is titled “7 Ways to Promote Confession.”
Living the Catholic Faith conference enriches, rejuvenates faith of attendees
Denver Catholic Register
The Denver Catholic Register reports that more than 2,000 people attended the Denver Archdiocese’s annual Living the Catholic Faith Conference.
Making sure ‘Catholic’ means Catholic
The Catholic Spirit
A new Catholic Identity Standard Accreditation program is being implemented for Catholic schools in Minnesota, according to The Catholic Spirit in St. Paul-Minneapolis. Among the benefits of the new program, officials say, is that it helps teachers, students and families to reflect on the elements that make their school Catholic.
Parish that sowed much, reaped more works toward repeat harvest
St. Louis Review
An almsgiving program in a Missouri parish is being repeated this Lent after parishioners turned $1,000 into more than $10,000 last year. The St. Louis Review tells some of the creative methods parish families used to turn $1 in seed money into something far greater, such as the man who used his dollar for water and flour, then made noodles.
Prison ministers take the word behind bars
Florida Catholic
If you’ve ever wondered why prison ministry is so important in the church, this story in the Florida Catholic on the Diocese of Orlando’s Criminal Justice Office will answer some of your questions. As one prison minister notes here, a number of the church’s saints spent time in jail.
Politicians challenged over rising poverty
The Catholic Register
Child poverty in the Canadian province of Ontario is on the minds of a prominent lobby group there, according to The Catholic Register in Toronto.
Middle schoolers stand up for poor at ‘That’s Not Fair’ rally
The Catholic Key
Students at 16 schools in the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Mo., are in the midst of a poverty awareness program called “That’s Not Fair,” and many of them came together for a rally to “get fired up” to fight the problem. The Catholic Key tells about the program and covered the recent rally.
Right ways and wrong ways to express dissent
The Catholic Spirit
Two recent events that disparaged the Catholic faith or Christianity can serve as a reminder that prayerful, peaceful protests work better than sarcastic personal attacks in changing minds and hearts, says an editorial in The Catholic Spirit of St. Paul-Minneapolis.
I’d like to say: Sunday Mass is more than obligation
St. Anthony Messenger
Why aren’t more people at Sunday Mass? That’s one of the questions a Capuchin Franciscan priest asks in an article in St. Anthony Messenger magazine. A solution to getting more Catholics to Mass, he says, lies in restoring a healthy sense of obligation while realizing that we willingly accept obligations — to family, to work, to community service — in other areas of our lives.
There’s something fishy going on (the grill)
The Leaven
Yet another Lenten fish story (but this one’s healthy!): The Leaven in Kansas City, Kan., reports that some parishes are abandoning the Friday fish fry in favor of healthier fare, like grilled salmon, boiled shrimp or baked fish.
Lenten dining delights: pierogi, potato pancakes, fish — and muskrat?
The Michigan Catholic
A few days ago in this space you may have seen a couple links for Lenten recipe ideas (click here and here if you missed them). Now comes The Michigan Catholic with four stories on Lenten culinary specialties. There are pierogi that raise funds for one parish, potato pancakes made with love at another parish, a third parish with drive-thru service for their Friday fish or mac and cheese dinners — and then there’s the standing dispensation to eat muskrat on Ash Wednesday and Fridays during Lent for one area of southeast Michigan. Yum!
Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day
The Catholic Review, The Leaven, The Tablet
St. Patrick’s Day is coming, and various Catholic papers are celebrating. First, The Catholic Review in Baltimore writes about an 81-year-old grandmother who wouldn’t think of missing Baltimore’s St. Patrick’s Day parade. Next The Leaven in Kansas City, Kan., tells the story of The Elders, a local Celtic rock band. And The Tablet in Brooklyn, N.Y., has photos of the St. Patrick’s Day parade earlier this month in the borough of Queens.
Catholics and cremation: Times have changed
The Catholic Telegraph
If you’re uncertain what the church teaches about cremation, this article in The Catholic Telegraph of Cincinnati offers some basic history along with options for purchasing a cremation urn.
Future saint?
Catholic Herald
If you’ve never heard of Father Samuel Mazzuchelli — or even if you have — you should read this story in the Catholic Herald of Madison, Wis., on the latest efforts to have him beatified. An editorial in the same edition calls him the “living legacy” of an order of Dominican sisters in Wisconsin that he founded in 1847.
Jesus’ tomb? It’s here
Florida Catholic
Just when you thought James Cameron and the Discovery Channel might be onto something when they say they’ve found the “lost tomb of Jesus,” there’s word that Jesus’ ossuary has been at the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art since early December. The Florida Catholic explains.
No deal, Rudy
National Catholic Register
In a hard-hitting editorial, the National Catholic Register says Republicans who want pro-lifers to accept a “deal” to support the candidacy of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani don’t understand what the pro-life movement really cares about.
Mother shares joys, blessings of raising a son with Down syndrome
The Long Island Catholic
When people tell Robin Roach they’re sorry her son has Down syndrome, her response is, “I’m not” The Long Island Catholic reports that Roach is concerned that many will exaggerate the problems associated with Down syndrome and overlook the child.
Restoring order
The Catholic Sun
Speaking of confirmation (see “Clearing up the confusion about confirmation” below), The Catholic Sun in Phoenix writes about the ongoing adjustment in that diocese, where confirmation is being moved to before first Communion. The article says parishes are using the change as an opportunity to connect students to a deeper spirituality at an earlier age.
Clearing up the confusion about confirmation
West River Catholic
Bishop Blase J. Cupich of Rapid City, S.D., has written two columns as part of a broader examination in his diocese of the best age to administer the sacrament of confirmation. Currently in his diocese, confirmation takes place during high school, but as the bishop notes in his first column in the West River Catholic, “only about 50 percent of those who are baptized as infants come to confirmation preparation in their high school years.” His second column discusses developments in the theology of confirmation — we no longer use the phrase “soldier of Christ” for those who have been confirmed — and the rediscovery of the sacrament as an initiation into the eucharistic community.
Honoring the call to ministry and marriage
The Tidings
Former Episcopalian priests who are married have been admitted to the Catholic priesthood for more than two decades now, and this spring a new one will be ordained in Los Angeles. The Tidings has the story of a couple who left the Episcopal Church not because they were angry or upset but because they were drawn to Catholicism for positive reasons.
Boon or boondoggle?
National Catholic Reporter
A story in the National Catholic Reporter questions whether a hotel built on land leased from the Archdiocese of Detroit has been, as the headline says, a boon or a boondoggle. The archdiocese, for it’s part, says the hotel “is not owned, managed or supported” by the archdiocese and that no archdiocesan funds were used in it’s construction, but that it cannot comment further on lease details out of concern for the privacy of the hotel’s investors. Related to this, there’s an editorial in the same edition of the Reporter questioning why many dioceses omit their assets and liabilities from their financial reports, and a story published earlier this year in The Michigan Catholic, Detroit archdiocesan newspaper, saying the archdiocese follows proper accounting procedures.
Experts say no high-speed screening software is foolproof
National Catholic Register
Parents should not rest easy thinking that software they install on their computers to block family members from viewing inappropriate material actually works all the time, according to this story in the National Catholic Register.
Campus ministry leaders start school in Uganda
The Catholic Virginian
They describe themselves as “ordinary Catholic campus ministry alums” and they credit their Catholic service projects while they were in college with helping them create educational opportunities for children in Africa, according to The Catholic Virginian in Richmond.
Sons of Adam to support men touched by abortion
Tennessee Register
The Tennessee Register in Nashville reports on a local priest who is starting a discussion group for men who are suffering from an experience of abortion.
Caritas helps uninsured obtain coverage
The Pilot
Massachusetts made national headlines nearly a year ago when it mandated health insurance coverage for all its residents. The Pilot, Boston archdiocesan newspaper, says one Catholic agency there has assisted 30,000 patients in enrolling in the program.
‘Amazing Grace’ and the task of living our faith more deeply
Denver Catholic Register
Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Denver recommends the new film “Amazing Grace” as a compelling portrait of William Wilberforce, a man “on fire with his faith and its consequences.” In his column in the Denver Catholic Register, Archbishop Chaput says the movie points to our own duties as Christians.
Shattered lives: ‘Secret’ addiction can carry not-so-secret price tag
The Leaven, The Catholic Key
The devastating effect that a hidden addiction to pornography had on one family is detailed in The Leaven of Kansas City, Kan., while in neighboring Kansas City, Mo., The Catholic Key has an article on their bishop’s warning on pornography’s assault on human dignity.
Priest guides blind skiers down slope
Catholic Herald
A Wisconsin priest has volunteered for 20 years to help the blind learn how to ski. The Catholic Herald in Milwaukee tells how he and his fellow volunteers do it.
Bishops: HPV vaccine bill has problems
Florida Catholic, The Tidings
The nationwide push for a mandatory vaccination against the human papillomavirus is getting the attention of the church. The Florida Catholic has a story on the objections that state’s bishops are raising there and an editorial likening the measure to jumping off a bridge because everyone else is doing it. The Tidings in Los Angeles, meanwhile, has a backgrounder on what Catholic leaders elsewhere are saying about the issue.
Illinois bishops, leaders hold ’summit’ on Catholic schools
The Catholic Post
Catholic school officials from across Illinois held the state’s first Summit for Catholic School Education to discuss the challenges and hopes for strengthening elementary and secondary education. The Catholic Post in the Diocese of Peoria, which hosted the meeting, says calls were voiced throughout the day for increased cooperation between dioceses and for a greater embracing of stewardship.
XV Años: Quinceañera rituals welcome young Hispanic women into responsibilities of adulthood
Arkansas Catholic
The Arkansas Catholic offers readers a feature on a girl’s quinceañera, featuring a Catholic family that wanted to keep as true as possible to the religious significance of the day.
Kinko’s co-founder to students: Be ’stupid’ — and trust
The Tidings
Be stupid? That’s not traditional advice for students. But when you read this story in The Tidings in Los Angeles you’ll understand what Kinko’s co-founder Paul Orfalea was trying to say recently at the Catholic Center of the University of Southern California.
New ideas for Lenten dining
The Criterion, Hawaii Catholic Herald
Looking for some new meatless recipies for Lent? We found two Catholic papers with stories that may help. The Criterion in Indianapolis has a Lenten feature with links to four recipies (one from the archbishop of Indianapolis), and the Hawaii Catholic Herald writes about its annual Lenten luncheon and shares a dozen recipies so readers can get through Lent “without ever having to eat a McDonald’s Filet-o-Fish.”
Reconciliation is personal encounter with Christ
Arkansas Catholic
Here’s another good feature to encourage people to return to regular confession: The Arkansas Catholic interviewed a number of people in the Little Rock Diocese — priests and lay — for their stories on the great spiritual benefits of participating in the sacrament of reconciliation.
Praying the Stations of the Cross
The Catholic Spirit
Save this page for the rest of Lent. The Catholic Spirit in St. Paul-Minneapolis has a unique gift for its readers: a photo presentation of living Stations of the Cross performed by a local youth group. Each of the stations in this online slideshow has reflections to guide your prayer. It’s worth a weekly visit!
Bishop testifies against death penalty
The Catholic Review
As part of an effort to abolish the death penalty in Maryland, a Baltimore auxiliary bishop testified in favor of a bill that would replace the death penalty with life sentences without parole. The Catholic Review in Baltimore tells why the bishop’s testimony was unusual and tells how one Catholic state senator could cast the deciding vote.
Gambling culture a scandal, says bishop
Western Catholic Reporter
A Canadian bishop’s pastoral letter against gambling also gives Catholic parishes, schools and other organizations in his diocese up to three years to stop pursuing revenues derived from gambling, according to the Western Catholic Reporter in Edmonton, Alberta. The paper also has a link to the full text of the letter.
40th anniversary of charismatic renewal is celebrated
The Michigan Catholic, The Catholic Spirit
Earlier we posted a link here to a pastoral letter on the charismatic renewal by Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory. Here are two more items marking the movement’s 40th anniversary: a story in The Michigan Catholic on an anniversary conference in Detroit that attracted 3,000 people, and another story in The Catholic Spirit of St. Paul-Minneapolis that combines some history of the movement and its growth in the local community there.
The sacrifice of Lt. Col. McCloud
Hawaii Catholic Herald
A memorial Mass was celebrated in February for Marine Corps Lt. Col. Joseph Trane McCloud, who died when his helicopter crash landed in western Iraq. The Hawaii Catholic Herald tells the story of this Marine’s devotion to his family and to the Corps.
Confession: Do we still need to go?
The Catholic Free Press
For the beginning of Lent, The Catholic Free Press in Worcester, Mass., examines the falloff in Catholics going to confession, interviews some local priests on their experiences, and asks in a separate story (scroll down) how often one should go.
Book ban lifted
The Catholic Register
A Catholic school board near Toronto initially pulled the novel “Snow Falling on Cedars” by David Guterson from classes, but a review committee determined that the book was appropriate for school libraries and decided it could remain in the curriculum for 11th graders. The Catholic Register in Toronto tells the story.
Lenten remembrance
The Catholic New World
Here’s a Lenten tradition you may not be aware of: Byzantine-rite Catholics, in addition to the usual increase in fasting, prayer and almsgiving, also pray for the souls of their departed loved ones every Saturday during Lent. The Catholic New World in Chicago explains.
Today’s athletes, tomorrow’s leaders
The Michigan Catholic
Character-building for high school athletes was one of the goals of a daylong seminar held recently in the Detroit Archdiocese to help build teens’ leadership qualities. This story in The Michigan Catholic might help other communities develop similar programs and ministries.
Men’s conference hears heavy dose of Catholicism
Catholic Herald
An inaugural “Men of Christ Conference” held in the Milwaukee Archdiocese attracted more than 2,000 men, far more than organizers initially expected. The Milwaukee Catholic Herald tells how it came about, what the men were told about living the Christian life, and provides an audio slideshow of photos from the event.
Work of Mercy: Students help with burial of woman
The Catholic Key
A teacher and 13 fourth- through eighth-grade students at a Catholic school in Missouri adopted the cremated remains of a woman who died in 2003. The Catholic Key in Kansas City-St. Joseph, Mo., has the amazing story of how the adoption came about and what the students learned from the experience.
Rachel’s Vineyard retreats: A chance to find healing
Catholic Herald
The Catholic Herald in Madison, Wis., has a feature on Rachel’s Vineyard, a weekend retreat to help women and men heal from the trauma of an earlier abortion.
Discernment is tough habit for college senior
Catholic Explorer
The Catholic Explorer in the Diocese of Joliet, Ill., profiles a local student attending the University of Illinois who is now trying to discern a call to religious life. Even though she opted to attend a public university, she found a vibrant Catholic ministry program on campus that helped support her beliefs.
Perspectives on Lent
Various publications
Now that Lent has arrived, here are several perspectives on it from around the Catholic press:
- Bishop: Lent is a season of blunt honesty (The Catholic Spirit, Austin, Texas)
- Cardinal: This is a time for personal, communal growth in holiness (The Michigan Catholic, Detroit)
- Leaders urge Catholics to move beyond a ‘cultural’ Lent (The Catholic Sun, Phoenix)
- Unlock Lent’s gift with the key of prayer (Western Catholic Reporter, Edmonton, Alberta)
- Christ crucified should be focus of our prayer and penance, and our hope (The Catholic Voice, Omaha, Neb.)
- Cardinal Mahony’s Lenten message (The Tidings, Los Angeles)
Couples learn how to stay engaged after marriage
Intermountain Catholic
Communication is not the key component in marriage, a family ministry expert told a workshop in the Salt Lake City Diocese, according to the Intermountain Catholic. In fact, the workshop learned, the world is full of couples who are communicating and divorcing, and so there are other factors couples must consider in staying married, the paper reported.
Bishop: Work of Cuba’s church will continue despite political climate
Florida Catholic
Bishop Thomas Wenski of Orlando, Fla., visited Cuba in early February, invited to attend an annual meeting of Caritas Cuba, the Cuban version of Catholic Charities. The Florida Catholic has a story on the visit as well as a column by the bishop on the progress the church is making there.
Abstinence saves lives
National Catholic Register
It’s time for the church to go on the offensive on the AIDS epidemic in Africa by insisting that condom backers are promoting a failed dogma to address the disease, says the National Catholic Register in an editorial which says only one African nation — taking a different approach — has shown success in fighting new HIV infections.
Rights groups fight refugee deal
The Catholic Register
In Toronto, The Catholic Register reports on efforts to persuade a Canadian judge to suspend Canadian co-operation with the United States on handling of refugees. The allegation is that the United States violates basic human rights by sending some refugee applicants back to their country of origin to face torture and death.
Time to act on global warming
National Catholic Reporter
“Now it’s time for policymakers to do their jobs” on global warming, says an editorial in the National Catholic Reporter, which adds that “future generations are depending on us to do whatever we can to turn things around.”
Parishes work together to honor fallen firefighter
The Michigan Catholic
A funeral for a firefighter who dies in the line of duty is always a major event, and in this case the funeral Mass had to be moved to a neighboring parish to accommodate all the mourners. The Michigan Catholic gives the details and has several photos as well.
Pastoral letter gives ‘loving witness’ to charismatic renewal
The Georgia Bulletin
Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory of Atlanta has written a pastoral letter marking the 40th anniversary of the charismatic renewal movement in the church. The full text is in The Georgia Bulletin.
Fortified by faith, Filipinos weave their way into tapestry
The Catholic Advocate
The Catholic Advocate in Newark, N.J., reports that Filipinos make up one of the fastest growing minority groups in the Newark Archdiocese and bring fervent Catholic faith while emphasizing family values and community spirit.
Tithing for social justice
The Catholic Spirit
A Minnesota parish is combining its social justice efforts with paying down a parish mortgage. Read in The Catholic Spirit in St. Paul-Minneapolis why one parish leader thinks the approach is “novel and unique.”
Cancer gives catechist new perspective on prayer, religious education
The Criterion
A young man’s battle with a malignant brain tumor has undoubtedly had an impact on how he approaches catechetical ministry, according to The Criterion of Indianapolis. Read here how he hopes his story will strengthen other people’s faith.
Hospitals eye ethics, economics
Catholic Courier
The lead sentence in this story in the Catholic Courier in Rochester, N.Y., sums up the issue: “In this day and age, more and more Catholic health care facilities face the immense challenge of protecting their ethical principles while seeking nonsectarian partners to maintain operational stability.” Mandates unique to New York State, the story notes, makes the issue even more complicated there.
Archdiocese of L.A. will continue its HIV/AIDS ministry
The Tidings
After an announcement this winter that the National Catholic AIDS Network will shut down this year due to lack of funding, the Los Angeles Archdiocese said its HIV/AIDS ministry will continue. According to The Tidings in Los Angeles, the ministry is two-fold: helping people face their reality and being a Good Samaritan to them.
Holy Name Housing celebrates 25 years
The Catholic Voice
In Omaha, Neb., a story on the good works of the church is in The Catholic Voice in a report on Holy Name Housing, founded 25 years ago to help families achieve the right to a decent home.
Every Christian has a calling, cardinal tells BC students
The Pilot
Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley of Boston, famed already for his blog and podcasts, told a group of Boston College students that church teachings are often challenging, but there’s a good reason for that. The story is in The Pilot.
New program’s goal: From Sunday-only to everyday Catholics
Arkansas Catholic
A program called “Why Catholic?” is being launched throughout Arkansas this Lent to give adult parishioners an opportunity to learn more about the faith through reading and sharing about the Bible and the catechism, according to the Arkansas Catholic.
Dentists volunteer at clinic event to help underprivileged children
The Michigan Catholic
Free dental care for underprivileged children was the goal of a volunteer effort held at the University of Detroit Mercy. According to The Michigan Catholic in Detroit, the smiles of children who saw colored pictures of superheroes covering the walls, streamers, balloons and clowns to paint their faces were made even brighter by the work of an array of dental professionals.
Parish families play cupid with married couples
Catholic Explorer
This may be the month for Valentine’s Day, but an Illinois couple interviewed by the Catholic Explorer in the Joliet Diocese downplays the day’s impact on their ministry to other married couples because marriage enrichment goes beyond candy and flowers.
Unique collaborative project leads to art exhibit through students’ eyes
Intermountain Catholic
The Salt Lake City Cemetery was the subject of a collaborative project of Catholic high school writers, illustrators, photographers and other young people who captured the cemetery’s history and environment through students’ artistic expressions and feelings in an art exhibit and landscape survey, according to the Intermountain Catholic, Utah’s Catholic newspaper.
‘Master’ rosary maker gives back to God
The Catholic Post
The Catholic Post in Peoria, Ill., tells the story of Eddie DePauw, who the paper says won’t cure cancer or get elected to public office but who has a gift with the potential to change lives around the world.
‘Showers’ of grace for Bowl coaches
Florida Catholic
An editorial in the Florida Catholic says it was refreshing to see two coaches in this month’s Super Bowl whose faith was so integral to their lives.
Immigrant experiences of Hispanics, Africans shared at conference
Denver Catholic Register
An annual meeting in the Archdiocese of Denver that usually focuses on African-American spirituality, according to the Denver Catholic Register, addressed instead the rhetoric surrounding immigration and showed that it’s not a Hispanic-only issue.
How to support your child if they say they have been abused
The Tidings
As part of the ongoing church effort to ensure that children are safe from abuse, The Tidings in Los Angeles published an article that includes nine specific guidelines parents can use to assure children that they are safe and that reporting abuse was the right thing to do.
Local station manager views radio as way to evangelize
The Catholic Spirit
The Catholic Spirit in St. Paul, Minn., interviewed the station manager for the local Relevant Radio station, Paul Sadek, about the network’s Catholic-based programming and about the things that are the most rewarding about Sadek’s job.
It’s February: (En)lighten up!
The Leaven
Nothing wrong with a little shameless promotion of the Catholic press: Father Mark Goldasich, editor of The Leaven in Kansas City, Kan., writes an enjoyable column about February being Catholic Press Month. “It’s an annual reminder that there’s much more to our faith: more to learn, more to experience, more to love, more to put into practice,” he says (but only after telling a tall tale about a mountaineer, his wife and their dog on a rainy night).
Bicentennial logo unveiled
The Pilot
You may not realize that the Archdiocese of Boston was founded nearly 200 years ago. The archdiocese has unveiled a bicentennial logo, and The Pilot tells you what it symbolizes.
Blogging from Guatemala
The Colorado Catholic Herald
Jim Myers, assistant editor of The Colorado Catholic Herald in Colorado Springs, is, as of this writing, blogging from Guatemala, where he’s on a one-week mission awareness trip with the Christian Foundation for Children and Aging. Plenty here to read and see, including photos he’s taking along the way.
Here comes everybody
America
In an editorial, America magazine calls the current list of presidential candidates for 2008 “the most diverse presidential pool in U.S. history.” It adds, “It is possible that barriers to the government’s top spot may finally be starting to melt like a warmed-up glacier.” (For a related item, don’t miss our own story on who the Catholic candidates are and what the race could mean for the church.)
‘Materialize your spirituality,’ archbishop urges young adults at Theology on Tap
Denver Catholic Register