Author Archives: Deacon Bob

About Deacon Bob

Moderator: Deacon Bob Yerhot of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota.

Blessed Giuseppe Toniolo

Soon-to-be Blessed John Paul II has claimed the headlines in recent days, and rightly so, but it is worth noting that the Holy Father also decreed that Giuseppe Toniolo, a Catholic layman who was an economist and sociologist during the … Continue reading

Posted in Church News, Saints and Prophets | 4 Comments

Quote for the Day

“Train yourself in all works of charity both for the healthy as well as for the sick. Be sure of this: if, while you frequently say, ‘O Lord, all for love of you,’ you will always say it when not … Continue reading

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Yes, God Can Heal You

Yesterday, as I was proclaiming the Gospel at 6:30 am Mass, I was left wondering. The Gospel was about Jesus healing a man, both of his sin and of his physical illness, and how the people accused him of blasphemy … Continue reading

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Congratulations, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown!

The Holy Father announced today the appointment of Msgr. Mark L. Bartchak as bishop of the diocese of Altoona-Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Bishop-elect Bartchak was ordained a priest of the diocese of Erie in 1981 and has served various posts during his … Continue reading

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Update! Blessed John Paul II

The Vatican this morning has announced that Pope John Paul II will be beatified on May 1, 2011 (Divine Mercy Sunday) in a Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI. Let us thank God for this wonderful pope who showed the … Continue reading

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Blessed John Paul II

Mr. Andrea Tornielli of the Italian newspaper, Il Giornale reported in yesterday’s edition that the bishops and cardinals of the Congregation of the Cause of the Saints met and officially approved the miraculous healing of the French nun who was … Continue reading

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Faith in Politics

It is well-known that in the United States we have separation of church and state. All of us who were required to take Civics in high school also know that this constitutional separation prohibits the government from adopting a state … Continue reading

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St. Basil the Great on Virtue and Vice

I ran across great definitions of virtue and vice in today’s Office of Readings. Here is what St. Basil the Great said (my translation of the Italian text): “In fact, the definition of vice is this: the evil use, alien … Continue reading

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Quote for the Day

“If you have God, you have everything; without Him, you have nothing.” — Fr. Larry Richards

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Papa Luciani on Freedom, Life Model, the World and the Church

Pope John Paul I, while Cardinal of Venice, wrote in December 1973 a fictitious letter to St. Bonaventure which is included in Luciani’s book Illustrissimi. I’d like to quote an excerpt below on freedom, Christ as a model, the world, … Continue reading

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Deacon Bob’s Audio Homily for the Baptism of the Lord

Here is my homily for this weekend.  It went a bit longer, so I had to break it up into three sections for downloading purposes. Baptism of the Lord – Part 1 Baptism of the Lord – Part 2 Baptism … Continue reading

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Quote for the Day

“The truth is not afraid of your questions. The question is, are you afraid of the truth?” — Christopher West

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A Request for Information Regarding Papa Luciani

One of my readers has asked for information as to where he might obtain video of Pope John Paul I’s papacy. His comment can be read in the Recent Comments log to the lower right. I have directed him to … Continue reading

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Did You Know…?

New York City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene released a statistic recently that is startling. Forty-one percent (41%) of all pregnancies in New York City end in abortion. Forty-one per cent! The national average is 23%, according to the … Continue reading

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Chastity

The virtue of chastity is often misunderstood. For many, it has a negative connotation and references a lot of “noes” to this or that regarding sexual activity. For others, chastity applies only to priests or religious men and women who … Continue reading

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