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The Deacon's Bench

The Maryknoll priest who participated in — and preached during — the ceremony ordaining a woman has been called out to the woodshed. CNS has the details: Maryknoll Father Roy Bourgeois will meet Aug. 18 with the three members of his order’s General Council to discuss his participation in a recent ceremony sponsored by Roman…

The answer might surprise you. This comes from Steve Waldman at Beliefnet: One of the most interesting evangelicals these days is Joel Hunter, senior pastor at Northland Church in Florida. He does not consider himself a part of the religious left. He’s a registered Republican, strongly anti-abortion, author of “A New Kind of Conservative,” and…

“Mary set out in haste…” Every year when we encounter this gospel reading on this feast, I’m struck that Mary is on a journey. The excerpt from Luke begins and ends with her traveling – embarking, really, on the greatest adventure in human history. Pope Benedict has described this moment, the Visitation, as the “first…

Today marks the feast of one of the great martyrs of the last century, Maximilian Kolbe. And, fittingly, The Anchoress offers us — as part of her ongoing online retreat — some reflections on sacrifice. Giving more than you ever imagined. Surrendering everything. This is what the saint said when he was arrested: “Courage, my…

When I looked over the proposed new language about abortion in the Democratic party platform, I shrugged. That’s it? Is that the best they could do? The plank still “strongly and unequivocally” endorses Roe v. Wade and the right to a “safe, legal” abortion. The rest, it seems to me, is window dressing. But others…

My friends, this is what web logs were made for. If you have a few minutes — or more — visit this site, Days With My Father. It’s brilliant, and brave, and brutally honest. It’s also unexpectedly beautiful, in every way that you can imagine. It will lift your heart, and then break it. It’s…

While the world watches in fascination the Olympics in Beijing, Asia News has taken a moment to remind us of the original Chinese champion, who gained fame more recently from the movie “Chariots of Fire.” (Okay now: everyone start humming the theme…da dum da dee dum dum…) Take a look: Not everyone may know that…

Looking ahead to this Sunday, and preparing my homily, I have been re-reading the story of Canaanite woman. The episode has many facets, but what strikes me, again and again, is this woman’s brave persistence and perseverance. (You’ll have to wait until Sunday to see what I’m able to do with that…I’m sort of curious…

Just in time for the 40th anniversary of Humanae Vitae, here’s some surprising news: some of our non-Catholic brothers and sisters are riding the Natural Family Planning (NFP) wave. This comes from the Austin American-Statesman in Texas: Phaedra Taylor abstained from sex until marriage. But she began researching birth control methods before she was even…

A Catholic mother is making news this week out on Long Island, for refusing to have her son vaccinated. A deacon friend and classmate sent this my way, and it’s an eye-opener. From Newsday: A Bayport mother has asked the Bayport-Blue Point Board of Education to allow her son to enter the sixth grade without…
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