Both Sides Dissatisfied With Same-Sex Ruling

WASHINGTON (CNS) – When the Supreme Court declined to review the appeals on rulings striking down same-sex marriage bans as unconstitutional, many people were left second-guessing why this happened and what it means for the future of same-sex marriages and bans on such marriages.

Nuns Respond to Declining Numbers in Different Ways

WASHINGTON (CNS) – A longtime trend of declining numbers of women in religious orders is unpacked a bit in a new study by Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA).

Synod Shifts Emphasis on Moral Issues

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – In strikingly conciliatory language on situations contrary to Catholic teaching, an official midterm report from the Synod of Bishops on the family emphasized calls for greater acceptance and appreciation of divorced and remarried Catholics, cohabitating couples and homosexuals.

Despite Revisions, Bishops Object to Healthcare Rules

WASHINGTON (CNS) – The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) urged the federal government “to reconsider” its new rules to allow religious institutions – and potentially some for-profit companies – to opt out of the contraceptive mandate in the Affordable Care Act.

Spotlight on Newark, N.J. (with slideshow)

Sacred Heart Cathedral-Basilica in Newark, N.J., was the setting for the first beatification ceremony in the U.S. on Saturday, Oct. 4 when Sister Miriam Teresa Demjanovich, S.C., was ranked among the Blesseds. Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, a native of Newark, was among those present.

Music at St. Joseph’s Co-Cathedral

Music at St. Joseph’s Co-Cathedral, Prospect Heights, will present the Metro Chamber Orchestra, Friday, Oct. 17 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 19 at 3:30 p.m., with an array of upcoming classical talent under the direction of artistic director Philip Nuzzo.

Family Fun in Bayside

Sacred Heart School, Bayside, kicked off the year with its first Family Fun Day. The roots for this activity took hold last spring in one of the Mother’s Club meetings.

Boerum Hill Pets Receive ‘Fur’-vent Blessing

Wearing a blue rain slicker, 10-year-old Blaze, an Australian Cattle Collie, was the first to arrive for a noontide animal blessing on the feast of St. Francis at St. Paul’s Church in Boerum Hill.

Vatican Says ISIS Must Be Stopped with Force

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Extremist groups in the Middle East, including the “Islamic State,” must be stopped with sanctioned military force and through dialogue, said a Vatican statement.