Religious leaders are the “trusted soldiers” people turn to when dealing with mental health issues, and their ability to identify God’s presence in people’s lives gives hope and strength to hurting members of the community, according to speakers at a Mental Health Summit for faith leaders in Manhattan Feb. 13.
National News
Practice of Ashes Has Old Testament Roots
Almost half of adult Catholics, 45 percent, typically receive ashes – made from the burned and blessed palms of the previous year’s Palm Sunday – at Ash Wednesday services, according to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University.
Living with Purpose: New Book Details Rockaway Nun’s Life, Devotion to Justice Unto Death
Eileen Markey’s new book, “A Radical Faith: The Assassination of Sister Maura” (New York: Nation Books, 2016, pp. 336), is a beautiful and eye-opening depiction of a Maryknoll Sister from the Brooklyn Diocese who was brutally murdered, assassinated really, in El Salvador on Dec. 2, 1980. There were three other American women horribly killed with her: Ita Ford, also a Maryknoll nun from Brooklyn, Jean Donovan, a laywoman missionary volunteer from Connecticut, and Dorothy Kazel, an Ursuline nun from Cleveland.
Where’s the Order on Religious Freedom?
Talk of President Donald Trump possibly signing an executive order on religious freedom – which drew both criticism and praise – has been replaced with discussion about what happened to it and what a final version, if there is one, will look like.
‘Almost Eternal’: Rare Della Robbia Exhibit Celebrates Renaissance Art, Family and Faith
This spring, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., hosts “Della Robbia: Sculpting With Color in Renaissance Florence,” a rare exhibit of some 40 works of painted terracotta sculpture, mostly the creation of three generations of the renowned della Robbia family of artists.
Posters Criticize Pope
People look at a poster expressing criticism of Pope Francis in Rome Feb. 5.
Former Minister, Now a Congressman, Supports Repeal of Johnson Amendment
People of goodwill can disagree on matters of public policy – even if they’re ordained clergy, and the public policy under debate has the potential to affect the way they conduct their ministry.
Bishops Seek Order On Religious Freedom
Saying “religious freedom in America has suffered years of unprecedented erosion,” the U.S. Catholic bishops have posted an online letter for Catholics to send to President Trump urging him to sign an executive order promoting religious freedom.
Bishops Oppose Death Penalty for Priest Killer
Saying “justice needs to be tamed by mercy,” Bishop Felipe J. Estevez of St. Augustine, Fla., and two brother bishops called for the state of Georgia to drop the death penalty in the case of accused priest killer Steven J. Murray.
Dominicans Appalled by Immigration Order
In response to President Donald Trump’s executive order temporarily halting immigrants from seven terror-prone countries, the Sisters of St. Dominic, Amityville, L.I., say they were “appalled” by the action.