Category Archives: Church News

Philadelphia and the Tsunami

Posted on March 18, 2011 by Deacon Bob

I have been rather quiet lately. Writer’s block of sorts. I haven’t found much to write about in a weblog format and have been busy preaching and ministering – the former at the parishes, the latter in the clinic and … Continue reading →

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The “Great Fast” of Eastern Catholicism

Posted on March 7, 2011 by Deacon Bob

I want to thank a parishioner for posing the question to me last Sunday before Mass about the Great Fast of the Eastern Churches. His question was what is the Great Fast and what is the difference between it and … Continue reading →

Posted in Church News, Spirituality | 1 Comment

A Pakistani Martyr for the Faith

Posted on March 5, 2011 by Deacon Bob

The Episcopal Conference of Pakistan came together for its General Assembly at Multan, Pakistan from March 20-25 and looked at the proposal to forward to the Holy See an official request to declare Shabaz Bhatti a martyr. As you may … Continue reading →

Posted in Church News, Saints and Prophets | 2 Comments

Preach with Fervor

Posted on March 1, 2011 by Deacon Bob

The Holy Father recently appointed 52 year old Bishop-elect Christopher Coyne as auxilary bishop of Indianapolis. He will be ordained tomorrow. He has said that preaching has for too long been an afterthought for pastors. He suggests that bad preaching, … Continue reading →

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Congratulations, Diocese of Pittsburgh

Posted on February 25, 2011 by Deacon Bob

The Holy Father announced this morning that Fr. William J. Watersheid, a priest of the diocese of Harrisburg is the new auxilary bishop for the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Bishop-elect Watersheid was born in 1956, went to nursing school in the … Continue reading →

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Hey Deacons! We are Growing by Leaps and Bounds!

Posted on February 21, 2011 by Deacon Bob

The new statistics for the Catholic Church came out recently and were presented to the Holy Father this past Saturday. Lots of statistics, but one stands out: the number of permanent deacons grew 2.5% from 2008-2009. The totals were 37,203 … Continue reading →

Posted in Church News, Deacons | 2 Comments

Three New Saints Coming Up

Posted on February 21, 2011 by Deacon Bob

The Holy Father approved three new saints this morning during the celebration of Midday Prayer in the Sala del Concistoro del Palazzo Apostolico Vaticano. They are: Bl. Guido Maria Conforti (1865-1931) Archbishop of Parma and founder of the Pius Society … Continue reading →

Posted in Church News, Saints and Prophets | 2 Comments

Happy 80th Birthday, Vatican Radio

Posted on February 19, 2011 by Deacon Bob

On February 12, 1931, Pope Pius XI broadcast his first radio message to the world, on Vatican Radio. Radio broadcasting was in its infancy and the pope asked the Italian inventor of wireless technology, Guglielmo Marconi, to build the Vatican’s … Continue reading →

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Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant

Posted on February 18, 2011 by Deacon Bob

I would like to draw your attention to an article in Catholic News Agency about Msgr. Richard Antall, a priest of the diocese of Cleveland who has spent 20 of the last 25 years as a missionary in El Salvador. … Continue reading →

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A Diocese Responds

Posted on February 17, 2011 by Deacon Bob

Matthew Gambino, of Catholic New Service has reported that a new grand jury report has brought criminal indictments against several former archdiocese of Philadelphia priests. The charges include rape, assault and other felonies related to minors. Cardinal Justin Rigali of … Continue reading →

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iPhone Confessions?

Posted on February 10, 2011 by Deacon Bob

The news outlets have been abuzz with reports about a new application for the iPhone titled Confession: A Roman Catholic App developed by a South Bend, Indiana publisher, Little iApps, LLC. I have not seen this application, nor have I … Continue reading →

Posted in Church News, Sacraments | 4 Comments

Hot Off the Press?

Posted on February 8, 2011 by Deacon Bob

I heard on Catholic talk radio this morning as I was driving into work that the Pope is excited about a new catechism that is to be released in March that is geared toward adolescents and young adults. The new … Continue reading →

Posted in Catechism of the Catholic Church, Church News | 2 Comments

Have We Lost a Generation?

Posted on February 4, 2011 by Deacon Bob

The conference titled “Lost? Twenty-somethings in the Church” co-sponsored by Fordham Center on Religion and Culture and the Francis and Ann Curran Center for American Catholic Studies is getting a little blog time among us Catholic weblog editors. This conference … Continue reading →

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And the Answer is…

Posted on January 31, 2011 by Deacon Bob

John H. Garvey, the newly installed 15th president of Catholic University in America said it. (See post below.) To read the report about it, log on to: Catholic News Service. To read his entire address (worth your time!) log on … Continue reading →

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Who Said This?

Posted on January 30, 2011 by Deacon Bob

Here is a quote from a recent address reported in the Catholic press. Do you know who said it? “The challenge for Catholic universities is finding a place for Bibles and papal decrees between our telescopes and microscopes…. A Catholic … Continue reading →

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