After going to church regularly for more than 20 years, Jerry Garner of Lenox Township, Pennsylvania, is now consciously making a decision to join the Catholic faith.
National News
Supreme Court Lets Lawsuit Continue Against Florida City’s Prayer Vigil
The U.S. Supreme Court said on March 6 that it would not weigh in on a dispute between city officials of Ocala, Florida, and atheists who are suing the city. The lawsuit claims that a 2014 prayer vigil in Ocala — held after a series of drive-by shootings — violated the First Amendment.
Bishops Urge Congress to Pass Legislation Banning Transgender Athletes from Girls’ Sports
The leaders of two U.S. bishops’ committees sent a letter of support on March 3 to congressional leaders who have introduced legislation to ban transgender athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s team sports.
Bishop O’Connell’s Legacy: ‘He Brought Us All Closer Together’
There was an instance at the March 2 memorial Mass for Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell that Gregory Warner realized wouldn’t have happened in years past: the Knights of Peter Claver and the Knights of Columbus came together as an honor guard for the casket.
Post-Pandemic Church Numbers Gradually Increasing, But Still Lag
Three years ago, in mid-March, COVID-19’s outbreak in the United States quickly and drastically up-ended life as people knew it, as businesses, schools, and houses of worship closed.
Wilmington Diocese Insists That Confessional Secrecy is ‘Nonnegotiable’
After a Delaware state representative introduced a bill to abrogate priest and penitent privilege when child abuse or neglect is suspected, the Diocese of Wilmington has pushed back, insisting that the confidentiality of confession is “nonnegotiable.”
Bishop O’Connell Ministered Even ‘To The Margins’ on L.A.’s Skid Row
At a street corner outside San Julian Park in the heart of Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles on March 2, homeless people line up outside a bright yellow food truck to receive what will likely be their only hot meal of the day.
Bishop O’Connell’s Work Is Not Done, Nephew Says At Funeral Mass
Speaking to more than 3,500 people gathered for the funeral Mass of Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell, his nephew, also David O’Connell, took the opportunity to urge everybody to “pick up where he left off and to carry the example that he set” of compassion and caring.
L.A. Singer Honors Her Friend, ‘Father Dave,’ In Song
“You were the light, peacemaker, and the joy of God.” That is how Catholic singer/songwriter Andrea Vicich remembers her good friend “Father Dave,” or as he’s more commonly known, Bishop David O’Connell, in a song she wrote and published in honor of the late Los Angeles auxiliary bishop.
Priceless Honor Bestowed Upon Celia Cruz, the Queen of Salsa
While many legendary musicians, including Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Celia Cruz, have appeared on U.S. postage stamps, only one, Ellington, has ever been honored on a U.S. coin.