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The Deacon's Bench

They don’t get nearly enough attention, but the wives of deacons often play a critical role in their husbands’ ministry. Now, some wives and widows in Connecticut have embarked on a ministry of their own. From the Catholic Transcript newspaper: “We couldn’t wait to come here and present these quilts to you,” said Sharon Tartaris,…

A Catholic paper in Alaska has this interesting profile of a priest who serves as a chaplain to state troopers in Palin’s hometown of Wasilla — and whose wardrobe includes not only a white collar, but also a bullet-proof vest. From the Catholic Anchor: A body is found along a lonely stretch of the Parks…

“‘The sign’ has to be, and may indeed be, the most splendid weapon of the ‘seers’ of Medjugorje and of the propagandists of the ‘apparitions’. The same ‘seers’, from the beginning, have asked the lady that appeared to them for it. They asked for it and ‘begged’ for it, as we have seen. Then, through…

Benedict has what is probably the biggest pulpit in the world — and a lot of people reportedly got to see the pontiff in person: The Prefecture of the Pontifical House released statistics today detailing the estimated numbers of faithful able to attend public events with the Pope in 2009. Estimates reach well over two…

In all the excitement about Milwaukee’s new archbishop — installed yesterday — a little known detail of his early life has gone largely overlooked. He’s an old radio guy. Read on: Chicago radio airwaves have carried great voices such as Harry Carray, Wally Phillips, Paul Harvey and Bob Collins. But there’s a duo that deserves…

And now there’s scientific evidence to back it up: It is widely known that women tend to gain weight after giving birth, but now a large study has found evidence that even among childless women, those who live with a mate put on more pounds than those who live without one. The differences, the scientists…

From Afghanistan comes this remarkable story of a Catholic soldier who has become the lay spiritual leader for many in his battalion: Like all Marines, Cpl. Matthew Munoz is there for his buddies, but the 23-year-old also has stepped forward to help tend to the spiritual well-being of his comrades in arms. Cpl. Munoz is…

The recent visit of a Cardinal to Medjugorje has attracted a fair amount of attention — and the local bishop isn’t happy: Most Rev. Ratko Peri?, the Bishop of Mostar-Duvno in Bosnia-Herzegovina, released a statement in which he criticizes Vienna, Austria’s Cardinal Christoph Schönborn for making a highly publicized “personal visit” to the region in…

Yep.  I can’t imagine these things popping up at a Catholic mass, but you never know.      Anyway: now this invention is getting even more attention because of a lawsuit: A holy war of sorts has broken out in the communion-wafer-dispensing space. A Minnesota marketer of communion-wafer dispensers is accusing its former president of patent…

It’s more complicated than most people realize. You can get a good idea from this primer, which focuses on the process now underway in Scranton: The process for selecting a bishop begins before a see is vacant. During periodic meetings, the bishops in each province vote on well-regarded priests to add to a list of…
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