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The Deacon's Bench

At a time of great financial uncertainty, and growing need, stories like this one are a revelation. And something of a miracle. From the Los Angeles Times: When the ceiling began to collapse at Sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the impoverished desert town of Mecca, Father Eliseo Lucas sprang into action. With 5,000…

Several readers have alerted me to this superb profile of Thomas Merton, which aired last month on PBS. December 10th marks a twin anniversary: the 67th anniversary of Merton’s entrance into the Abbey of Gethsemane in Kentucky, and the 40th anniversary of his death. Check out the Merton clip and assorted links at the above…

“We declare, pronounce and define that the doctrine which asserts that the Blessed Virgin Mary, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God, and in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, Saviour of the human race, was preserved free from every stain of original sin is…

It’s beginning to sound a lot like Christmas. And if you find yourself in Queens next weekend, you might want to stop by my parish to hear great, truly great, holiday music. It’s our 25th annual Christmas concert: the first half is too haute to Handel (“Messiah,” you know), and the second is a collection…

Everyone else is cranking them out now — over two weeks before the Main Event (or, shall we say, Manger Event) — so why shouldn’t MCPF Stephen Colbert? This is priceless. From his recent TV special. Enjoy. The Colbert ReportMon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c A Colbert Christmas: Another Christmas Song Colbert at ChristmasColbert Christmas…

Tapped by Bosco Peters for this esteemed honor, I’m now going to pass it along, as per his rules. First, there’s the Mother of All Spiritual Blogs — the Mother Superior, in every sense — The Anchoress. Have you heard her podcasts? (Get thee to a nunnery? Please. Get thee to NPR, girl. Someone needs…

Well, ain’t this a kick in the head? I’m gobsmacked. And speechless. (But, of course: it was the feast of St. Nicholas. My stockings are now filled to overflowing.) Advent blessings, and heartfelt thanks, to one and all.

St. Nicholas, from St. Nicholas Anglican Church in Cardiff, Wales. Today marks the feast of the legendary and enigmatic St. Nicholas. While little is known about his life, the web is chock full of links and lore. You can find lots of information (which may or may not be entirely true) at the St. Nicholas…

This Sunday, after a week of turkey sandwiches, turkey casserole, turkey a la king, turkey burgers, turkey pot pie and turkey surprise… locusts and honey is starting to sound pretty good. We are here in the second Sunday of Advent – in the desert, with a strange and disheveled figure dining on strange food and…

We tend to think of chaplains as being assigned primarily to hospitals or military bases — but you will also find them at some of America’s busiest airports. And — increasingly — they are deacons. From Florida Catholic: It’s lunchtime, and Daniel Dooling is sitting in the chapel at Miami International Airport, reading his Bible.…
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