December 28, 2017

In California, a former Vietnamese refugee becomes a bishop

The Diocese of Orange, California, received an early Christmas present in the form of a new bishop Dec. 19, when a man who entered the country as a young refugee from Vietnam in 1973 became its new auxiliary bishop.

Bishop Thanh Thai Nguyen, 64, became the second priest born in Vietnam to become a bishop in the United States. The first, Bishop Dominic M. Luong -- an auxiliary bishop of the Orange Diocese from 2003 until his retirement in 2015 -- died days before, on Dec. 6, at age 77.

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Bishop Vann told the new bishop during the ordination ceremony: "You, in another way, daily, will be a bearer of light to those in need of guidance and hope, who are surrounded by darkness at times, who are trying to find their way back to God," according to a Dec. 26 article from the Daily Pilot, a community publication of the Los Angeles Times.

As a young man, Bishop Nguyen had part of his religious journey interrupted when he was forced to flee his native country as a seminarian, spending 18 days at sea without food or water in a boat with others trying to flee the violence of the war. He and his family became part of a statistic of 3 million Vietnamese refugees who survived but were displaced from their native land, and were among the two million refugees from Vietnam resettled in the United States. In his adopted home, he continued his education, which included religious formation.

https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2017/12/28/california-former-vietnamese-refugee-becomes-bishop

December 22, 2017

'God bless you, Father!' Parishioners support pastor who reveals he is gay

Fr. Greg Greiten was halfway through his homily, during which he shared that he is a gay, celibate priest, when a woman rose from her pew and shouted, "God bless you, Father!" The rest of the congregation at St. Bernadette Parish, where Greiten is pastor, responded with applause.

More applause and a standing ovation came when Greiten finished explaining that he was going to "no longer live in the shadow of secrecy" during the 10:30 a.m. Mass Sunday, Dec. 17.

After Mass, over coffee and doughnuts, parishioners responded positively or with nonchalance.

"I could care less," said Madge Powell, a parishioner for eight years. "I love him for the person he is."

https://www.ncronline.org/news/parish/god-bless-you-father-parishioners-support-pastor-who-reveals-he-gay

December 21, 2017

No discipline for GRPD officers who cuffed girl

Source: WOOD TV8

The Grand Rapids police officers who held an 11-year-old girl at gunpoint, handcuffed her and put in her the back of a cruiser as they searched for an attempted murder suspect will not be disciplined.

An internal investigation into the incident involving 11-year-old Honestie Hodges found the officers did not violate department policy, a late Wednesday afternoon release from the Grand Rapids Police Department said.

However, Chief David Rahinsky added that “in no way diminishes our commitment to identifying what can be done to prevent similar incidents in the future.”

“Concrete steps are being taken to ensure equitable outcomes in our interactions with the community,” a statement from the chief continued.

Read more: http://woodtv.com/2017/12/20/no-discipline-for-grpd-officers-who-cuffed-girl/

December 20, 2017

Cardinal Bernard Law has died at 86

Bernard Law, the former Boston cardinal who resigned in disgrace during the clergy sex abuse scandal, has died at age 86 in Rome, sources tell WCVB.

For all his brilliance, attainments and good works, Law’s legacy was tarnished by his handling of the scandal.

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At his height, Law was widely regarded to be America's most influential prelate.

By every such measure, the pedophilia scandals that shattered his regime, leaving him stripped of authority and respect, were made more dramatic. Nor did his efforts to atone, rectify, even apologize, register with much effect.

http://www.wcvb.com/article/former-cardinal-bernard-law-dies-at-age-86-sources-say/14453640

News of his death is likely to bring back some painful memories for a lot of victims. Let us lift them in our prayers.

December 17, 2017

Burglary suspect gets stuck in chimney, calls 911 for help

Jesse Alan Berube, 32, was arrested on Wednesday in Citrus Heights, California, where police say he tried to wriggle down a chimney in an attempt to break into a business.

The would-be burglar got stuck about halfway down the chimney of a bar in the northeast suburbs of Sacramento, though, according to police.

Unable to go up or down, Berube was able to move just enough to access his cell phone, and called 911.

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'Criminal Santa does not have the same skills as the real deal,' cops noted in a press release.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5186447/California-burglary-suspect-gets-stuck-chimney.html

December 15, 2017

"Doug Jones is gonna run it all the way back! DOUG JONES IS GONNA WIN THE FOOTBALL GAME!"

https://twitter.com/Deadspin/status/940952006839160832

November 22, 2017

Went to Fr. Solanus Casey's beatification in Detroit on Saturday.

It was an impressive ceremony.

My grandmother was a big fan of his work as a Capuchin priest in Detroit, and I wish she could have joined us on Saturday. Nevertheless, I was glad to make it there along with my dad.

Here's coverage from CNN and Local 4.

November 17, 2017

Tobin and Cupich: Battling the bullies; creating a culture of encounter

Speaking to his brother bishops, he said that if Catholics attend Mass each week and hear the gospel and leave church still imitating divisive rhetoric, then something is seriously wrong.

Following that intervention on the floor of the conference, he told Crux, “The real issue and challenge that we have today is that people are…living in our own camps. We have such a tribal approach to politics.”

Cupich recalled a recent meeting of Catholic Extension, a fundraising body that provides support to mission dioceses across the United States, where many of the bishops told stories about hurricanes and floods that had hit their dioceses hard.

“People put aside their ideologies and their political persuasions and everyone pitched in-black and white, men and women, Republicans and Democrats,” Cupich recounted. “Anything that we can do to bring people together and just encounter each other as the Holy Father is asking us to do.”

https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-usa/2017/11/17/tobin-cupich-battling-bullies-creating-culture-encounter/

November 15, 2017

What's the plural of 'phoenix'? Utah father thinks it's vulgar and a bad mascot name

The mythical namesake of Arizona's capital and biggest city has appeared in countless pieces of literature, on flags and in even comic books, but one Utah parent is concerned that the phoenix should not be the mascot of a new high school in his town.

Farmington High School is set to open in 2018. Kyle Fraughton, of Farmington, doesn't think phoenix should be the school's mascot because the word sounds similar to "penises" when pluralized.

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Chris Williams, a district spokesman, said administrators remain confident students will mirror the reputation of the mascot.

"We don’t see anything about the plural version of phoenix having anything to do what’s going to be happening at the school or on the football field," he told Salt Lake City's Fox 13. "We think students are going to rise to the occasion."

http://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/people/2017/11/14/z-utah-school-mascot-phoenix-plural/861982001/

"We think students are going to rise to the occasion."

October 4, 2017

Catholic church to make record divestment from fossil fuels

More than 40 Catholic institutions are to announce the largest ever faith-based divestment from fossil fuels, on the anniversary of the death of St Francis of Assisi.

The sum involved has not been disclosed but the volume of divesting groups is four times higher than a previous church record, and adds to a global divestment movement, led by investors worth $5.5tn.

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Church institutions joining the action include the Archdiocese of Cape Town, the Episcopal Conference of Belgium and the diocese of Assisi-Nocera Umbra-Gualdo Tadino, the spiritual home of the world’s Franciscan brothers.

A spokesman for the €4.5bn German Church bank and Catholic relief organisation Caritas said that it was committing to divest from coal, tar sands and shale oil.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/oct/03/catholic-church-to-make-record-divestment-from-fossil-fuels