Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

The Deacon's Bench

Home
Catholic
Religion News

Great links

Select a Category "Mad Men" 9/11 advent All Things New Amazing video amazing videos amazon america Anglicans Anti-Catholicism art ascension thursday ash wednesday Atheists baltimore Bible Bishops Blogging bonnie engstrom Books bridgeport Brooklyn Chaplains children christian art christmas Church Churches CNEWA Converts criticism Deacons Death Penalty easter eastern christian Eastern Christians Ecumenism Education education Eucharist Europe euthanasia Evangelization Exorcism Family Feasts Gay rights Good Friday Great links Great Moments in Journalism Hanging with the saints heather renshaw Hispanic Catholics Hispanics History homelies Homilies Humor Hymn of the Week Immigration indianapolis Inspiration Interfaith news ireland Jesus Jews Journalism Judaism lent Liturgy logos Marriage Mary Media Medical news Mental health Middle East Monks Movies Music Muslims My world and welcome to it New Evangelization new york News Nuns Parenting Parish life peoria Persecution politics Politics Pope pope francis pope john paul Prayer Preaching Priests Pro-life Quote of the day radio rebecca frech ripp Ripped from the headlines rippred from the headlines Sacraments saints Scripture sex abuse Sex abuse crisis SEX ABUSE CRISIS TAGGED WITH: SEX ABUSE CRISIS The people in the pews the visitation project theatre This & that Thomas Merton Trappists TV uncategorized Uncategorized VATICAN Vatican vocation Vocations Voices & Views Women Worth a thousand words Writing Year of Faith year of mercy young people

Select a Month December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010

December 2011

December 17, 2011

“All are indeed welcome in this place…”

Over at his blog, Deacon Bill Ditewig shares a timely and thought-provoking dream: The dream? ...

December 16, 2011

The new normal: parents making out with their kids

Incest, anyone? The Anchoress has veins bulging out of her neck over this -- and...

December 12, 2011

Remembering “a humble and prayerful giant”

That would be the late, great Cardinal John Foley, who died over the weekend after...

December 11, 2011

What the modern world could learn about compassion from monks

A British writer just back from a monastic retreat shares some insight into welfare and...

December 10, 2011

The role of religion in the Civil War: “It was absolutely pervasive”

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War, and at...

December 05, 2011

Health care, chaplains — and the story of one deacon’s wife

She's the widow of a classmate of mine, Jim Hynes, and her story begins this...

December 01, 2011

Answering the call: meet a seminarian…and his wife

Here's something we don't encounter very often: a story about seminarians preparing to get married....

November 2011

November 29, 2011

Have we become the Pharisees? — UPDATED

That's the provocative question that Mike Hayes poses over at his blog, Googling God: Where...

November 23, 2011

Merton, his “Mountain,” and me

It started with a pocket watch. In 1994, after my mother’s funeral, my sister, an...

November 23, 2011

Merton, his “Mountain,” and me

It started with a pocket watch. In 1994, after my mother’s funeral, my sister, an...

November 07, 2011

“Show me the data”

Sister Mary Ann Walsh of the USCCB is continuing to hold HHS's feet to the...

November 02, 2011

Morning must-read: on HHS, Catholics and conscience

Sister Mary Ann Walsh at the USCCB offers this eyebrow-raising overview of a story in...

October 2011

October 29, 2011

Oops

"The reports from the Phoenix Diocese concerning the expiration of an indult regarding Communion under...

October 25, 2011

Looking south: another view on the Vatican note on the economy

The astute John Allen has a take on the new Vatican document on economics that...

October 20, 2011

7 Habits of Highly Effective Catholics

Marcel LeJeune over at Aggie Catholics compiles his list, with a h/t to Stephen Covey....

October 13, 2011

Hope springs eternal: Benedict Groeschel on Dolores Hope

"When I first met the Hopes 30 years ago, I was very impressed with the...

October 11, 2011

49 years ago today…

...what the world now knows as Vatican II began. For that reason, today is Blessed...

October 04, 2011

"Mr. President, you are ignoring the plight of Christians in the Middle East!"

The head of the Maronite Church, Patriarch Peter Bechara, has stirred up controversy in his...

October 03, 2011

Worth a thousand words: Hail, Mary!

For the month of the rosary, a striking image from a shrine in India. Source....

September 2011

September 27, 2011

Quote of the day, on baseball

"Baseball is a game of inches. And hours. And in those moments between release and...

September 25, 2011

The humbling experience of being an EMHC

After the recent decision in Phoenix, cutting back on distributing the Precious Blood at communion,...

September 22, 2011

"The miraculous healing power of lips to scars…"

If anyone wonders what it means to be married and in love after decades together,...

September 21, 2011

From the Balkans to the ghetto

The Anchoress hits the nail on the head this afternoon, as only she can: The...

September 19, 2011

It is finished: remarkable hand-drawn Bible goes on display

It's quite an achievement and, as those who have seen it can attest, it is...

September 18, 2011

Go ahead. Be amazing.

Since this is Catechetical Sunday, it seems a good time to turn a nice shiny...

September 16, 2011

Fr. Pavone: "Nobody needs anybody's permission to save a life…" — UPDATED

The latest, from Fr. Pavone: It’s so encouraging to see so many people on the...

September 16, 2011

Something fishy: meatless Fridays return to England and Wales today

And a priest has a few observations, along with some recipes: The Filet-o-Fish sandwich was...

August 2011

August 30, 2011

"Would you dress like that to meet the Queen of England?"

"We have reached the point that just about anything goes. We keep making appeals to...

August 23, 2011

And now, some wise words from the catechism …

We hear a lot around The Bench about what the catechism teaches. Lest we forget:...

August 21, 2011

Sacred transformation: another wedding story

You might consider this the flip side of the story I posted yesterday, courtesy Fr....