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The Deacon's Bench

Wonder what these guys are talking about? Probably not baseball.

One of the most famous — some might say, infamous — religious orders in the world is getting something of a cold shoulder from the Archbishop of Baltimore. John Allen reports, from this week’s NCR: Demanding what he calls greater “transparency and accountability” from the controversial religious order known as Legionaries of Christ and their…

An alert reader sent this my way: an article from The Tidings, the Catholic paper of Los Angeles, on the ordination of deacons there last week. Read closely — there are some interesting details about the ceremony and the inclusion of the deacons’ wives: The recent liturgy of ordination to the diaconate honored the ministry…

I just got back from two weeks in Florida on vacation, and in between spending time with Mickey Mouse, and a few of his friends, I did something a little unusual: I attended the first mass of a newly ordained priest. The priest, Fr. Hector Vasquez, had been ordained the day before, in Orlando’s cathedral.…

A hearty Deacon’s Bench welcome to a bouncing new blog — “Pontifications”, over at Beliefnet, authored by the gifted Catholic journalist, author, sage (and convert) David Gibson. Gibson is perhaps best-known for his two books, “The Coming Catholic Church” and “The Rule of Benedict.” But he also pops up often in the New York Times…

A clearly emotional Tom Brokaw spoke those words Friday afternoon. Our world, and the world of journalism, is poorer without Tim Russert in it. Brokaw said, in part: “Tim loved his family, his faith, his country, politics, the Buffalo Bills, the New York Yankees, and the Washington Nationals.” There is a cruel irony in Tim…

That’s the sentiment expressed below about a priest who was falsely accused of sexual misconduct — and has finally been cleared. I couldn’t agree more. I know this priest. He traveled with us to Italy on pilgrimage in 2004. I served mass with him in the catacombs, at the house of the Holy Family in…

Sifting through my “in” box, I found this very good piece by Fr. James Martin, picking up on a theme that was blazing hot when I left here: the notion of priests preaching politics from the pulpit. I don’t know if it’s gotten much circulation, but it’s well worth a read: Nine years ago I…

Did you miss me? Ha. I didn’t think so. I hope to get up to speed in the next day or two and post some things. Meantime, to the left is a picture from our vacation. If you’re stumped — and I wouldn’t blame you if you are — I’m the one in the light…

The Deacon’s Wife and I will be away from the Bench for a bit, taking a much-needed break. See below. Posting will be light, but I’ll be back soon. Tanned, rested and ready to blog!
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