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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

October 2019

October 30, 2019

Sing out: ‘Your church suffers when your voice is silent’

We just marked our annual "Choir Sunday" at my parish, with the choir singing at...

October 23, 2019

When the deacon runs the parish — UPDATED

It's happening in more places around the United States, and that includes my diocese of...

October 03, 2019

A pastor explains why his parish won’t be blessing pets Friday

This comes from the public Facebook page of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School in...

September 2019

September 24, 2019

Bust: Catholic baptisms, marriages plummet in Philadelphia

Whoever follows Archbishop Chaput has his work cut out for him. Details: Much like the...

August 2019

August 16, 2019

Gun violence: Is your church safe?

More houses of worship are encouraging pastors to train church personnel how to deal with...

August 14, 2019

Pittsburgh parish cancels festival after ‘disturbing’ handwritten letter

A sign of the times: A Pennsylvania parish has cancelled a scheduled festival in...

August 11, 2019

Revolt: parishioners protest changes at parish in Portland, Oregon — UPDATED

Evidently, one pastor's efforts to restore a sense of orthodoxy to a progressive parish met...

August 08, 2019

‘A vivid example of how NOT to Catholic’

This is worth your time, a lesson for us all from Larry Denninger at A...

July 2019

July 15, 2019

Message to Pastors: ‘Don’t go looking for those who are prudent, measured, detail-oriented…’

Some surprising and challenging advice: The papal vicar for Rome has asked every pastor in...

July 14, 2019

A Catholic Parish Braces for an ICE Storm

“We defend the right of the nation to make sure its borders are secure, but...

July 09, 2019

‘I’m sorry, Mom, but I don’t think I’ll be Catholic when I’m an adult…’

Dear Church: can't we do better than this? This cri de coeur comes from my...

June 2019

June 05, 2019

Giving Jesus the Cold Shoulder: When Casual Catholics Take ‘Casual’ to a New Level

The heated debate about bare shoulders during Mass reminded me of this post from a...

January 2019

January 12, 2019

Hail Mary pass: Kansas parish changes Saturday Mass time for football game

Hmmmm...: For the first time ever, a church in Prairie Village is changing its Mass...

December 2018

December 27, 2018

Christmas came anyway: Parishioners rebuild after man plowed SUV into church on Christmas Eve

Details: Members of Our Lady of Lavang Parish in Portland, Oregon did not let an...

December 17, 2018

How one priest is trying to increase Mass attendance

After reading the diocesan report of slumping Mass attendance, what is a priest to do?...

December 13, 2018

So just what is a ‘Parish Life Coordinator,’ anyway?

The story out of Bridgeport a few days ago garnered a fair amount of attention,...

December 10, 2018

Bridgeport’s Bishop Caggiano appoints laywoman to lead parish

This is a first for the diocese — and, perhaps, a sign of more change...

October 2018

October 26, 2018

A great sign of hope: a brand new parish is created in Knoxville

Presumably, this is now the newest parish in the United States. Details: Bishop Richard F....

October 05, 2018

How the Kavanaugh nomination fight is dividing his Catholic parish

From The Washington Post: A couple of weeks ago, the prominent congregation of the Shrine...

September 2018

September 20, 2018

A growing trend, Sunday night Mass: ‘It’s amazing how popular it is’

CNS picks up on something many of us have noticed: the increasing popularity of Sunday...

September 02, 2018

A pastor writes to his flock: ‘Let’s be honest, Satan loves this crisis.’

My friend Father Michael Duffy from the Diocese of Rockville Centre posted this letter in...

July 2018

July 31, 2018

Meet the ‘Rosary Runners’ of Alta Loma, California

Now for something different, via The Inland Catholic Byte in the Diocese of San Bernardino:...

April 2018

April 24, 2018

Crunch time: Pittsburgh to announce major consolidation of parishes, resources

Details: The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh counts 632,138 people as members of its fold, though...

March 2018

March 26, 2018

‘Easter is calling me back to the Church…’

Here's one woman's perspective, from the op-ed page of The New York Times. She stopped...

March 03, 2018

In a first, archdiocese unveils it parish pastoral plan for Amoris Laetitia

The news comes from the Archdiocese of Washington. It was announced a couple days ago...

October 2015

October 14, 2015

A “practicum year” for deacon candidates?

Someone posted this item on Facebook earlier today: The 16 members of the Diocese of...

October 14, 2015

A “practicum year” for deacon candidates?

Someone posted this item on Facebook earlier today: The 16 members of the Diocese of...

August 2015

August 31, 2015

Scranton installs nun as first parish life coordinator

From The Scranton Times-Tribune: When Diocese of Scranton Bishop Joseph C. Bambera envisions the future...

August 31, 2015

Scranton installs nun as first parish life coordinator

From The Scranton Times-Tribune: When Diocese of Scranton Bishop Joseph C. Bambera envisions the future...

August 15, 2015

Bye bye basket? Texas churches experiment with tablets, kiosks for collections

Details from The El Paso Times: The Catholic Church has always been steeped in tradition...