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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

January 2019

January 21, 2019

‘To avoid rash judgment’: an important lesson in the wake of the Covington mess

Every one of us who works in social media should bookmark this and read it...

August 2018

August 30, 2018

‘Getcher hot news now!’

A couple weeks ago, a parishioner who follows this blog asked me if she could...

May 2018

May 02, 2018

Hey, look who’s got a new blog at Patheos: Father Matthew Schneider!

I'm delighted to welcome a longtime social media pal, faithful priest, and all-around great guy,...

January 2014

January 14, 2014

Questions to ask before posting to social media—UPDATED

This could serve as a handy companion piece to my Examination of Conscience for the...

November 2013

November 08, 2013

I’m back! And look who I bumped into!

I'm back from my quick jaunt to Washington, which actually was a quick jaunt to...

September 2013

September 14, 2013

“There is a growing tendency to ‘tabloidism’ in the Catholic press…and the worrying phenomenon of blogs”

Some of the remarks from Most Rev. Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop of Dublin, on the New Evangelization: We...

August 2013

August 28, 2013

Look who’s talking…

Some New Evangelizers chat about new evangelizing. You may see one or two familiar names....

June 2013

June 25, 2013

A Deacon Writes of His Own Conversion: “What a Difference a Habit Can Make”

Fr. Dwight Longenecker has invited Deacon Richard Ballard as a guest blogger this week over...

May 2013

May 04, 2013

One reason why Heather King is my hero

For thoughts like this: I don't read most Catholic blogs for the same reason I...

March 2013

March 11, 2013

How the media transformed the papacy

Courtesy Sister Mary Ann Walsh, blogging from Rome for the USCCB: Jesuit Father Norman Tanner...

March 04, 2013

Rocco balks: “Whispers” writer scraps plans to go to Rome

The latest on the uber-blogger, from Poynter: During an interview this weekend with Philadelphia Inquirer...

February 2013

February 19, 2013

A hearty “Welcome” to another piece of furniture!

The Bench is pleased to welcome The Couch—and Greg the Deacon welcomes Greg the Doctor,...

February 07, 2013

It’s come to this: dad pays teenage daughter $200 to quit Facebook

A writer at CNET takes note: If there's one thing young people truly understand, it's...

November 2012

November 11, 2012

Report: many Catholics use social media, but few follow blogs on the Church or faith

Here's the press release from the USCCB for the report connected with the blogging encounter...

November 05, 2012

“We must rediscover the human dimension of our communication…”

Food for thought on a Monday morning, from Archbishop Claudio Celli, via CNS:

October 2012

October 18, 2012

If you do nothing else online today…

Bookmark this page. That's the Year of Faith page for Patheos, and it can drive...

October 08, 2012

How can you be a better Catholic blogger?

Well, just ask some folks who do it -- and TJ Burdick did. The results...

September 2012

September 04, 2012

“There’s too much invective and anger out there. Let’s not add to it.”

If you drop by some of my neighbors here in the Catholic cul-de-sac of Patheos,...

July 2012

July 10, 2012

Social media advice for seminarians

This comes from the good folks over at Jesus Creed, my blog neighbor here at...

July 01, 2012

The “10 Commandments” of blogging

Some weeks back, a writer working on a book project dropped me an email and...

June 2012

June 29, 2012

Catholic bloggers: missionaries at the keyboard

From the Shameless Self Promotion Desk: Catholic News Service, via the Boston Pilot, has a...

June 25, 2012

It’s true: it don’t rain there in the summertime

When I arrived in Indianapolis for the 2012 Catholic Media Conference, one of the prevailing...

June 24, 2012

Leah speaks: “Christianity offered an explanation I came to find compelling”

My blog neighbor -- one-time-atheist-and-soon-to-be-Catholic -- Leah Libresco popped up on CNN today to talk...

June 15, 2012

“Is it too much to ask that grown-ups act like grown-ups?”

Over at the NCR Today blog, Heidi Schlumpf notices a trend in the Catholic blogosphere...

June 13, 2012

Welcome to another boy from Queens!

That would be a longtime FOB (Friend of the Bench) Pat McNamara, who is bringing...

June 05, 2012

Egregious Twaddle is here! Awright!

That picture pretty much sums up my feelings right now. The terrific Joanne McPortland (longtime...

May 2012

May 24, 2012

All about Eve

That would be Eve Tushnet, who has just arrived at Patheos with her self-titled blog....

May 23, 2012

Anatomy of a viral video

How does something uploaded onto YouTube turn into a sensation? Travel blogger Joel Oleson can...

May 22, 2012

Happy blog-o-versary

Last Saturday marked the five-year anniversary of my ordination; this week marks the five-year anniversary...

May 21, 2012

Turn off the computer and go to bed

Because it turns out that social networking is increasingly breaking up marriages: More than a...