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The Holy Father’s Angelus message centers around today’s passage from the Gospel of Mark in which a man with an unclean spirit is cleansed by Jesus. Benedict XVI made a remarkable comment on the nature of authority. We all have … Continue reading →
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Back on February 19, 2000, J. Francis Cardinal Stafford, then President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, spoke on the “Ideal Family of the Permanent Deacon.” He said a lot but I would like to underscore one small piece. … Continue reading →
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This weekend I was blessed to celebrate mass with the deacon aspirants for the Diocese of Knoxville who meet monthly for their formation at a nearby hotel. Deacon Joe Stackhouse delivered an inspiring homily for the feast of the Epiphany. I am happy he has agreed to allow me to post it here. The feast [...]
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Today is the feast of St. Stephen, called the protomartyr as he was the first martyr of the Church. He was stoned to death not long after Christ’s death for preaching the Gospel. He was also one of the first … Continue reading →
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I have been ordained now for over two years. Occasionally, I will hear a deacon say, “I don’t think I am doing enough!” (making reference to what he perceives his ministry to be in the parish or diocese). Perhaps … Continue reading →
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Here are some more interesting facts about the permanent diaconate in the United States, according to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate(CARA) in their 2009/2010 report: 92% of permanent deacons in active ministry are married, 4% are widowed … Continue reading →
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Fides (www.fides.org), the Vatican’s agency on world missions, reported on October 23rd its annual statistics on various aspects of the Church througout the world. Included in this report were interesting data regarding the diaconate. Last year, the number of permanent … Continue reading →
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Today and tomorrow I have the privilege of celebrating mass for our new class of aspirants to the diaconate. I discovered this morning that several of the men who are still near the beginning of their formation are ones I have known for several years. A few of them I have known since I was [...]
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I want to thank Deacon Greg Kandra over at The Deacon’s Bench (see link under Blogroll below right) for putting me on an article about Deacon Robert Kinghorn’s ministry to the prostitutes and drug dealers on Toronto’s streets. Klinghorn has … Continue reading →
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I ran across a very interesting article today from The Catholic World Reporter (www.catholicworldreport.com/Item/976/servants-of-the-lord.aspx) looking at the permanent diaconate in the United States. It is well worth your time to read. It discusses the differences in the prevalence of the … Continue reading →
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I would refer you to a wonderful story of a deacon’s vocation discernment in Afghanistan back in 2005. Deacon Catarino Villanueva was ordained to the diaconate in December 2010 for the diocese of Brownsville, Texas. He had served with Charlie … Continue reading →
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I didn’t take the time to write a post about the anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council. I should have. On October 11, 1962, Pope John XXIII opened the Council. As those of us old enough to … Continue reading →
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I received a comment on yesterday’s post about preaching that makes several points, but I would like to focus on the last one made, specifically that all the bold preaching done from a pulpit does no good to someone who … Continue reading →
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We hear more and more about Catholics neglecting to attend Mass each Sunday, and we ask, “Why?” Why is it that for generations, Catholics in this country showed up in high proportions to attend Sunday Mass each week? I am … Continue reading →
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Today, the memorial of the Queenship of Mary, is the second anniversary of my ordination to the diaconate. To all my classmates I extend my best wishes! Seems like yesterday, but what a wonderful couple of years it has been! … Continue reading →
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I read with interest today a report from The Catholic News Service that Fr. Roy Shelly and Deborah Wilhelm of the Diocese of Monterey, California said that a good homily should be only 6-8 minutes in length on Sundays and … Continue reading →
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I would be remiss if I didn’t post something on St. Lawrence, whose feast day it is today. Yes, this is a feast, not just a memorial, which means it is “kinda important” in the Church calendar. Lawrence was one … Continue reading →
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Ran across a great description of orthodoxy today, written by Fr. John Hardon. Here is what he says: “As a mark of orthodoxy, the Church’s catholicity is part of a mysterious paradox whereby the same essential faith and worship are … Continue reading →
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