►6/15/2008
Tim Russert--"In His Own Words"
Father's Day Special
NBC TODAY Video
In honor of Father's Day, this video presents excerpts of Tim Russert (1950-2008) from his audio book In which he talks about the importance of family.
Contraception: Catholic teaching for married couples
11/9/2007 - The Tidings
Helping contemporary Catholics understand the Church's teaching about birth control is a pastoral challenge in almost every Catholic community. Too often, however, the Church's teaching regarding birth control is reduced only to a moral rule, removing it from the sacramental teaching that is its most authentic context.
Quintuplets bring couple joy, teach lesson in patience
11/4/2007 - Catholic Explorer
The Brooks quintuplets Owen, foreground, Jesse, Emily, Ruth and Helen, are pictured in their home in Olathe, Kan., Oct. 7. The quintuplets of Kate and David Brooks were born Oct. 10, 2006. The Kansas couple said learning they were the parents of quintup lets was shocking, numbing, and exciting all at once. Click on photo to see larger photo.
Why dads matter
11/4/2007 - Zenit News
Children need more than ever the presence and guidance of fathers in family life. According to a recent collection of essays, a significant body of scientific research clearly documents the vital role a father plays in the formative years of a child's life.
Cardinal beatifies Austrian farmer killed for refusing to fight for Hitler
11/2/2007 - The Boston Pilot
Blessed Franz Jagerstatter offered an example of how to live the Christian faith fully and radically, even when there are extreme consequences. Blessed Jagerstatter was beatified as a martyr, which means he was killed out of hatred for the faith...In 1943, after being called to active duty, he reported to his army base and stated his refusal to serve. A military court rejected his assertion that he could not be both a Nazi and a Catholic, and condemned him to death for undermining military morale.
A radical call: Lay Catholic community Agape
11/2/2007 -
National Catholic Reporter
Lay Catholic community Agape lives off the land, following gospel of nonviolence with no compromise. Amid the hum of crickets and tree frogs, at the end of a rocky lane deep in the New England countryside, more than 200 people are gathered on folding chairs on the knobby grass on a surprisingly warm October Saturday. The crowd is a mix of gray-haired grandparents and tattooed college students, full-time peace activists and middle-class homeowners who believe Christ’s central message was a radical call to nonviolence.
Basic Training: Catholic college students get schooled in peace and protest at the annual School of the Americas vigil
10/30/2007 - U.S. Catholic Magazine
“Close it down!” Patrick Eccles, a Loyola University Chicago chaplain, shouted to a group of 50 Loyola students about to embark on a trip to Columbus, Georgia to protest the U.S. Army School of the Americas (SOA). “Close it down,” they replied weakly, seeming unsure of their voices, mission, and comrades.
Carlos Acutis: A fifteen-year-old saint?
10/26/2007 - Catholic News Agency
In October of 2006, Carlo Acutis was 15 years old and was fading fast from leukemia. A native of Milan, Acutis touched family members and friends with his witness of offering the sufferings of his illness for the Church and the Pope. His testimony of faith, which could lead to his beatification in the coming years, has moved Italy.
Indian Catholics strive to keep culture, faith alive in Cleveland
10/25/2007 - Catholic University
Dr. Maria Coutinho grew up in Pune, India and like other Catholics, attended Catholic school. Sunday Mass and religious education classes were compulsory. Her family gathered for morning and night prayers and recited the rosary every week. Participation in parish activities was encouraged. In 1985 Coutinho immigrated to the United States and is today a parishioner of Our Lady of Peace Church. She strives to make her Catholic faith meaningful to her children.
Lay Catholics step up during priest shortage
10/22/2007 - The Clarion Ledger
Nearly 31,000 Catholics nationwide work as lay ecclesial ministers, doing everything from running religious education programs to working as church business managers. The reforms of Vatican II in the 1960s paved the way for increased lay involvement. But a church law established in the early 1980s expanded the role of laity by allowing them to lead parishes.
Fifth-graders learn about 'unique' vocations
10/18/2007 - The Georgia Bulletin
A fireman. A doctor. A teacher. A rock star. These are common responses to the perpetual question posed to children—“what do you want to be when you grow up?” But the archdiocesan Vocations Office and Office of Catholic Schools hope that the responses from fifth-graders in the archdiocese will also include occupations like priest, sister, deacon or brother.
Widower pursues sainthood for wife
9/9/2007 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
There are men who say, "My wife is a saint for putting up with me." But an Ohio man, Jerome Coniker, may prove it. The Vatican has given approval to pursue sainthood for his late wife, Gwen, who was 62 when she died in June 2002.
