After 1,500 years of consecutive church services, a Catholic parish in Ireland canceled Mass for its parishioners. The Church of the Sacred Heart, in Boho, Co. Fermanagh, canceled a regularly scheduled service because of a shortage of priests. This is a serious concern in Ireland and around the world. According to The Catholic News Agency; Read more
Can you say where in the Gospels Jesus institutes the presbyterate (priesthood) and the deaconate? Hint: nowhere. St. Paul mentions deacons along with bishops in his letter to the Christians of Philippi. Later, in the first epistle to Timothy, Paul (or more likely someone writing in his name) talks of the qualifications for those ministries. Read more
In her 2004 Pulitzer-Prize winning novel “Gilead,” Marilynne Robinson sketches a portrait of the Rev. John Ames, a small- town pastor in 1950s Iowa who is humble, self-aware, compassionate and devoted to his family and his congregation, and they to him. Americans no longer hold clergy in such high regard, according to a recent poll, Read more
For committed Catholic Kate Englebrecht, most days at her home in Mudgee in the central west of New South Wales start with a simple routine — quiet reflection and prayer. It is in stark contrast to the recent turbulent times for the church, including a royal commission which exposed widespread sexual abuse, and the conviction Read more
On Tuesday night, Feb. 19, I will fight in the 89th annual Bengal Bouts boxing tournament put on by the University of Notre Dame’s amateur boxing club. Three years ago, I was the first priest to fight in the tournament—and lost in a split decision in the heavyweight final. I consider it an honour to Read more
Father Harry Costello was ordained 60 years ago, at the age of 25. Costello and three others will have their decades of service celebrated in a Jubilarians’ Mass at St Mary’s Church in Whanganui on September 18. Continue reading
Cardinal John Dew says the Catholic Church will follow up Pope Francis’ apology to victims of clerical abuse with “concrete actions” to ensure children are protected and perpetrators are held to account. Dew, the archbishop of Wellington New Zealand, was speaking to The Irish Times on the fringes of a pastoral conference on The Future Read more
A Jesuit priest who has been on the frontline of advocating for survivors of clerical sexual abuse and developing detailed programs to prevent abuse said the crisis unfolding, again, in the United States is a summons to a new way of envisioning the church and taking responsibility for it. “I am not surprised” by the Read more
Bishop Charles Drennan of the Diocese of Palmerston North was this year’s keynote speaker at the Archdiocese of Sydney’s clergy formation conference. The topic given to Bishop Charles was: “Icons of Christ: developing personally and professionally as leaders of local faith communities for the new evangelisation. Bishop Charles noted that leadership is currently a hot Read more
Pope Francis this weekend will ordain eleven new priests for the Diocese of Rome. At a Mass in St Peter’s Basilica to celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Easter, otherwise known as “Good Shepherd Sunday,” the pope will also ordain five other men for two different religious orders. But only five of Rome’s 11 new priests Read more