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The Deacon's Bench

While the head-scratching and hand-wringing continues over the “Ixnay Yahweh” decision, composer Dan Schutte is talking about what led him to write “You Are Near,” and reveals that he’s revising it. H/T to Catholic Sensibility. Here’s what Schutte had to say: There certainly has been a flurry of discussion arising from the recent directive from…

The Diocese of Richmond just got its very first vocation that isn’t a priest, nun brother or deacon. Take a look: Fresh-faced and vivacious, Bernadette Snyder says she grew up in Virginia assuming Catholic girls like her either became nuns or found a man. At 29, she is still single, and assuredly not a nun.…

This week, in the Boston Globe, I read the story of an elderly couple named Sol and Rita Rogers. They’ve been married 61 years. They’ve raised a family and lived a long and happy life together. A few years ago, that began to change. Rita developed Alzheimer’s. And she is slipping deeper and deeper into…

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has a new chancellor for canonical affairs joining the staff next week: Jennifer M. Haselberger, bishop’s delegate for canonical affairs of the Diocese of Fargo, N.D., will join the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis as chancellor for canonical affairs on Aug. 18. She succeeds Sister Dominica Brennan,…

A Pope John Paul II tee shirt! Here’s Robert Downey, Jr., showing his true colors. Check out American Papist for more on this swanky attire. And, it turns out, you can get one of your own right here.

Watching this again, it almost looks like ancient history. Were we ever that carefree? But it’s a nice summer spritzer that actually echoes a familiar theme of the gospels: “Be not afraid.” (I’m not sure this is quite what Pope John Paul had in mind when he made that theme so central to his papacy…)…

And chants! The Anchoress’s elegant and eloquent literary voice has long been a force in cyberspace — and now you can hear the real thing. Late yesterday, as part of her online retreat (ending tonight) she chanted the vespers of the day. A very good recording is right here. If you visit her page, you…

I first posted this item last summer. Judging from what I see at mass, maybe it’s time for a refresher. So here: Bulletin Announcements I’d Like To See.

I’m sure this is a nice idea. A thoughtful and civic-minded notion, really. But aren’t there more important things the Church should be worrying about, above and beyond the “pastoral care of roadways”? From Catholic News Agency: The Secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, Msgr. Agostino Marchetto,…

This is just too good to resist. Hot on the heels of the kerfuffle about using the name YAHWEH in liturgy, I stumbled on this gorgeous rendition of “You Are Near.” Watch. Listen. It’s lovely. And the sign language interpretation is just pure poetry. H/T to Paul Snatchko.
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