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The Deacon's Bench

This may not sound like a big deal, but it is. It’s a proposal — passed overwhelmingly by the Synod of Bishops — to admit women, formally, to the ministry of lector. Among other things, this is significant because lector has historically been one of the stepping stones to Holy Orders. (Though the Synod was…

How is the economic crisis going to impact churches and synagogues? This weekend, there are some thoughts on that from Rabbi Marc Gellman, the Jewish half of the “God Squad” (the other half being Catholic priest, Monsignor Thomas Hartman). From Newsweek: The impact of the financial crisis on the election will end on Nov. 4.…

It happens more often than you may think. Someone will ask me after mass, “Deacon Greg, if priests could be married, wouldn’t you like to be a priest?“ Well, the answer for me is no. God called me to this particular vocation, not to any other, and I’m happy being a deacon. But this Sunday…

This is, in a word, brilliant. And hilarious. Happy Friday. Crank up the volume and boogie! h/t Rod Dreher. http://view.break.com/592648 – Watch more free videos

Over at the National Catholic Reporter, John Allen hits a homerun, with a trenchant and clear-headed column about politics, the election, Catholics and those among the electorate (that would include Your Humble Blogger) who feel “politically homeless.” Take a gander: Most analyses of the “Catholic vote” presume there are three basic camps: pro-Obama Catholics, pro-McCain…

This is so funny and so true: Louis CK explains to Conan why nobody is happy. H/T to St. Jude RE & RCIA Director’s Blog. Enjoy.

Could the latest music sensation in Europe be…three singing priests? CNN has a fascinating report about this trio at this link. The story: You could call them New Clergymen on the Block: three Roman Catholic priests from Northern Ireland who on occasion swap their rosary beads for microphones and their parishes for studio time. The…

How can you get young people involved in the Church? A recent gathering in Arlington, Virginia gave a tantalizing answer: At a youth rally this weekend at Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington, Catholic teenagers came together to celebrate their faith and meet Catholic teens outside their own parishes. As Bishop Paul Loverde celebrated the…

Is Obama gaining among Catholic voters? This latest poll seems to indicate as much: The bigger news is Obama’s jump among white Catholics, where he’s totally reversed McCain’s lead. Last month, McCain led 48-percent to 41-percent among white Catholics. Now, Obama’s up 49-percent to 41-percent. And here’s a fascinating tidbit: McCain’s 16-point lead among White…

A reader who was ordained a deacon in 1976 is wondering how many visitors to The Deacon’s Bench are “pioneers.” He asks: Can you elicit a survey of your readers to ascertain who are some of the ‘elders’? That is, the diaconate came into being in the US in 1971, I think. Who are the…
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