WORCESTER, Mass. (CNS) – Assumption College held a noon prayer service in the school’s Chapel of the Holy Spirit to remember Colleen Ritzer, a 2011 graduate found dead early in the morning on Oct. 23. Assumptionist Father Dennis Gallagher, the college’s vice president for mission, said the time of quiet, prayerful reflection also would be […]
National News
NJ Pro-lifers Win Victory for Life
by Chris Donahue MANVILLE, N.J. (CNS) – Some pro-lifers get discouraged that bringing an end to abortion isn’t happening overnight, but the power of prayer is making a difference, said Kevin Dugan, a parish pro-life ministry leader. For years members of Dugan’s parish, Immaculate Conception in Somerville, have been joined by other faith communities in […]
Most Catholics Read Print Media
by Carol Zimmermann WASHINGTON (CNS) – Most U.S. Catholics are not looking for spirituality online; in fact, half of them are unaware the Church even has an online presence, according to researchers at Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA). The most widely used communication tool in the Catholic Church is the […]
Cardinal O’Malley to Meet with Lawmakers
by Christopher S. Pineo BOSTON (CNS) – Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley has invited state lawmakers whose districts are within the Boston Archdiocese to an informal private meeting Oct. 17 to help them “get to know us” and to build relationships, said archdiocesan spokesman Terrence C. Donilon. He said the meeting at the Union Club on […]
Synod on Family Will Deal With Divorce, Remarriage
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The predicament of divorced and remarried Catholics will be a major topic of discussion when bishops from around the world meet at the Vatican in October, 2014. The Vatican announced Oct. 8 that an extraordinary session of the Synod of Bishops will meet Oct. 5-19, 2014, to discuss the “pastoral challenges […]
Virginia Diocese Copes with ‘Shutdown’ of Government
by Maria-Pia Negro ARLINGTON, Va. (CNS) – Catholic charities and churches across the Arlington Diocese in northern Virginia have been looking at how to lessen the impact of the government shutdown on the community. In response to the government freeze, Arlington diocesan Catholic Charities was giving non-perishable food to families affected by the shutdown through […]
October Is a Special Time to Respect Life
by Carol Glatz WASHINGTON (CNS) – Boston Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley urged Catholics to “share the truth about human life” with the world in his Respect Life Month message. The cardinal, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, said any work on behalf of life must be grounded in “love that seeks to […]
Franciscan Charism Still Attracts Vocations
by Rhina Guidos WASHINGTON (CNS) – Up until a few weeks ago, Iliana Maldonado was a typical 20-something in the U.S. She had a steady job and income. On her days off, she went out with friends her age, regularly posting and commenting on Facebook from a Samsung Galaxy smartphone that she rarely left behind. […]
Religious Leaders Decry Government Shutdown
WASHINGTON (CNS) – Anticipating the worst, religious leaders gathered the day before the federal government shut down to denounce what they called “political brinkmanship.” “Shutting down the government will do real damage,” said the Rev. David Beckmann, a Lutheran minister and president of the Christian citizens’ anti-hunger lobby Bread for the World. “Risking our nation’s […]
HHS Secretary Addresses Religious Liberty Issue
by Jennifer Brinker ST. LOUIS (CNS) – During a visit to St. Louis, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius addressed the ongoing issue of religious liberty and the implications the Affordable Care Act and its contraceptive mandate present to business owners who have moral objections to the mandate. Sebelius was […]