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March 2013

March 25, 2013

Biden attends Cardinal Dolan’s Palm Sunday Mass at St. Patrick’s

And before anyone asks: yes, he evidently did receive communion. Details: Vice President Joe Biden attended...

March 25, 2013

Have you been to confession lately?

This is Reconciliation Monday for the greater New York area -- every church in New...

March 07, 2013

Deacon baptizes man on death row before scheduled execution

From the Georgia Bulletin: Warren Hill received the sacraments of the Catholic Church on Feb....

February 2013

February 25, 2013

What’s wrong with giving out blessings during communion? —UPDATED

Lots. Especially if the one doing the blessing is a lay person. Fr. Z rants...

January 2013

January 30, 2013

The truth about dishonesty—and how confession helps us change our behavior

A colleague at work said, "Hey, you should put this on your blog," and sent...

January 29, 2013

“A historic moment”: Catholic, Protestant churches agree to recognize each other’s baptisms

Details: Leaders of U.S. Roman Catholic and some Protestant churches will sign a historic agreement...

January 21, 2013

In the E-mail: “The priest had his finger up his nose…”

A reader writes: Holy hands are not always CLEAN hands. As I have observed men in...

January 16, 2013

Vatican preparing guide for priests on how to celebrate Mass

This could have interesting ramifications, judging from the comments below. From Zenit: The Congregation for...

January 15, 2013

Speaking of altar rails…one priest’s experience

Fr. Jay Finelli of the Diocese of Providence stumbled on yesterday's post and recounted on...

January 14, 2013

I’ve changed my mind. It’s time to bring back the altar rail.

It's not about architecture. It's about attitude. I write about it here: Hey, I'm as...

January 13, 2013

Pope baptizes 20 babies in Sistine Chapel

Details: The frescoed walls of the Sistine Chapel are ringing with the wails and coos...

January 13, 2013

Flu outbreak: Boston suspends using the cup

New York's governor has just declared that the flu this season has reached epidemic proportions: ...

January 12, 2013

Homily for January 13, 2013: Baptism of the Lord

[Click here for readings.] At home, I have a little green book that someone gave...

January 12, 2013

Homily for January 13, 2013: Baptism of the Lord

[Click here for readings.] At home, I have a little green book that someone gave...

December 2012

December 12, 2012

Seattle lays out “policy refresher” regarding same sex marriage

From the Archdiocese of Seattle website, some guidelines that I suspect will soon be appearing...

December 10, 2012

One of the most commonly asked questions about communion…

I hear this a lot. "I've already received communion. Can I receive again?" No less...

December 01, 2012

West Point chapel hosts first same-sex wedding —UPDATED

Another sign of the times, from Associated Press: Cadet Chapel, the landmark Gothic church that...

November 2012

November 19, 2012

Confirmation controversy: another teen also “chose not to enter into full communion” over same sex marriage

The story that broke last week keeps widening. The latest: The teenager who was not...

November 17, 2012

That teenager who was denied Confirmation? There’s more to the story

The media firestorm has so far not included anything more than cursory comments from the...

November 13, 2012

Congratulations, George and Treasa!

FOB (Friend of the Bench) and assistant managing editor of the Catholic Review in Baltimore,...

November 13, 2012

A sacrament on the digital continent

A remarkable and utterly 21st century experience from Concord Pastor Fr. Austin Fleming: Yesterday afternoon...

November 10, 2012

After Sandy, parish unites to save a couple’s wedding

I don't know about you, but I could use a little good news about now. ...

August 2012

August 20, 2012

When is a “Catholic” wedding not really Catholic?

When it is performed by this fellow, "Chaplain Bill," who operates a service he calls...

August 18, 2012

Whatever happened to confession? — UPDATED

Recently, Rick Santorum mentioned something in public that Catholics rarely talk about at all anymore:...

July 2012

July 26, 2012

Fly the faithful skies: Miami Airport to offer Mass

Details: Prayer is on the move in South Florida. First, the Archdiocese of Miami began...

July 24, 2012

33 years later, man receives forgiveness for shooting police officer and is received into the Catholic Church

A stunning story of forgiveness in Ohio. (H/T New Advent.): Ron McClary, debilitated by multiple...

July 15, 2012

Come Holy Ghost: Class receives Sacrament of Confirmation in hospital with leukemia patient

A Texas reader sent this my way, describing it as "awesome" -- and she's right....

July 10, 2012

UPDATE: Priest who denied communion to lesbian leaves archdiocese

Another chapter -- perhaps the final one -- in the saga that broke earlier this...

July 02, 2012

On Alec Baldwin’s wedding and his daughter’s “illegitimate” status

Last week, a New York tabloid noted that celebrated hothead Alec Baldwin was having a...

July 01, 2012

Historic father and son ordination: “A great moment in the history of our faith”

It's believed to be the first time in the U.S. that a father and son...