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The Deacon's Bench

The ads are popping up in parts of Wisconsin — supposedly with an endorsement of a Catholic organization of young people. Details: There are some new ads airing on radio and TV in Northeast Wisconsin that endorse emergency contraception. The problem? They come from a group that claims to be Catholic. It’s members call the…

You never know how God will work on people — and this story of love, loss, and resurrection offers much to ponder: Even a year after her passing, Nancy Graf’s work continues. Only these days, it’s through her husband. A formerly inactive Catholic, Bill Graf, 61, now plays the part once played by one of…

Devoted Mertonites (including Your Humble Blogger) will not be surprised at this bit of news, but it’s evidently raising a few eyebrows: Rarely has a romance seemed so star-crossed. He was 51, she 25. She was a pretty, petite student-nurse; he was stocky and bald, with a roving intellect and a boisterous laugh. He was…

What we think happened may be far from the truth — at least if we just use scripture as our guide. This clever cartoon explains the fact and the fiction of the Nativity:

My blog neighbor Rod Dreher points me to the unusual video below, and a lot of other links with other curious information, and quotes from a blog in the Los Angeles Times: Hundreds, if not thousands, have been lining up for hours every night at the Virgin Mary Orthodox Church in a Cairo neighborhood just…

That’s the spin that’s being put on this intriguing singing competition in Florida: So you think you’ve had a busy few days? Consider Jacqui Urbuteit’s schedule since last Thursday: She took her final exams for college. She worked at an after-school day care center. She celebrated her 22nd birthday. She graduated from University of Florida.…

“Network anchors are a bit like European monarchs: they don’t really matter much anymore, but people still perk up for a royal wedding or a changing of the stars. CBS, which weathered Dan Rather’s scandal-tinted abdication and the splashy ascension of Katie Couric, carries some of the melodrama and tabloid pizazz of Britain’s royal family.…

Stories of Christmas giving don’t get any better than this, from a diner in Philadelphia. Click below and enjoy. Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

That seems to be the conclusion of at least one scholar, based on an exhibition now on display in Rome: Three mysterious signatures on pages of parchment bound in leather and kept under lock and key may prove the theory that William Shakespeare was a secret Catholic who spent his “lost years” in Italy. An…

Looking for a great flick for the holidays? Catholic New World, from the Archdiocese of Chicago, has some terrific suggestions (h/t CNS), and even a few surprises (I’m glad that someone else besides me also appreciates the goofy charms of “Elf.”) Which reminds me of this: ah, New York…
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