USCCB Blog

Five Things To Remember On May 24

2013-05-24T13:12:00.000-04:00

1. Archbishop Jose Gomez, of Los Angeles, praised the passage of a new immigration reform bill out of a Senate committee this week. Archbishop Gomez is chairman of the USCCB's Committee on Migration. He urged a Senate-wide vote and said, "The path to citizenship should be widened, so that the maximum number of persons can access it and come out of the shadows," he said. "To leave a large

Five Things To Remember On May 22

2013-05-22T15:07:00.000-04:00

1. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, president of the USCCB, pledged prayers and support for the people impacted by the tornado in Oklahoma . Cardinal Dolan wrote a letter to Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, saying, "Our hearts ache with you as we learn of the terrible tornadoes that struck your archdiocese yesterday in the town of Moore outside Oklahoma City." 2. Don Clemmer takes a look at why Pope Francis

Five Things To Remember On May 21

2013-05-21T16:28:00.000-04:00

1. Pope Francis prayed for the people of Oklahoma today during his daily Mass and sent a tweet, saying, "I am close to the families of all who died in the Oklahoma tornado, especially those who lost young children. Join me in praying for them." 2. Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City has encouraged people to give to the Oklahoma City Catholic Charities, which is

What's In (Chanting) a Name?

2013-05-21T11:41:00.000-04:00

Pope Francis had some gentle words of correction for the crowd gathered in St. Peter's Square for the Pentecost vigil. He took issue with people making the pope the focus of the event: "Jesus. What is the most important thing? Jesus. If we push ahead with planning and organization, beautiful things indeed, but without Jesus, then we are on the wrong road. Jesus is the most important thing. I

Five Things To Remember On May 20

2013-05-20T13:59:00.000-04:00

1. Catholic News Service explores why the Church has spoken against last week's cloning breakthrough. 2. Pope Francis told a crowd this past weekend that they should chant Jesus' name rather than his. 3. We are just a month from starting the second Fortnight for Freedom, a 14-day campaign to build awareness of domestic and international religious liberty issues. It'll open in Baltimore,

The Vocational Journey Series

2013-05-20T13:43:00.005-04:00

Below is an index for a series of blogs submitted by deacons from the North American College in Rome: El Camino a la Vocación: Nicholas Nelson The Vocational Journey: Nicholas Nelson El Camino a la Vocación: Peter Heasley The Vocational Journey: Peter Heasley El Camino a la Vocación: Ryan Browning The Vocational Journey: Ryan Browning El Camino a la Vocación: Mark Bentz The Vocational Journey

Five Things To Remember On May 17

2013-05-17T14:01:00.000-04:00

1. Sunday is Pentecost, which is known as the Church's birthday. It's the culmination of 50 days of Easter and is when Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to his disciples. 2. Sister Mary Ann Walsh's blog today about Kermit Gosnell explores the unintended lessons of the verdict in his trial. 3. Pope Francis swiped his finger on his iPad and unlocked the new Missio app from the Pontifical Missions

Gosnell: Doing Massive Harm

2013-05-17T09:05:00.001-04:00

By Father Ronald Roberson A couple of interesting ecumenical developments occurred of late regarding relations with the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Anglican Communion. First, His Holiness Tawadros II, the Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church, has been on an official visit to Rome (

Five Things To Remember On May 16

2013-05-16T14:13:00.002-04:00

1. Yesterday, we published a blog about the anniversary of three different social teaching encyclicals and closed it with the idea that Pope Francis was likely to share his voice soon. We didn't know it would it be the next day, but Pope Francis spoke of the "cult of money" and the need for ethical financial reform this morning and it's drawing major attention. 2. Archbishop William E. Lori of

Five Things To Remember On May 15

2013-05-15T15:31:00.000-04:00

1. Cardinal Seán O’Malley, OFM Cap., chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the USCCB, called for reflection, greater respect for human life and healing in the wake of the May 13 convictions of Dr. Kermit Gosnell of Philadelphia. “Dr. Gosnell’s trial brought much-needed attention to the tragedy of abortion,” said Cardinal O’Malley, of Boston. “His murder convictions of newly

Today, a Social Teaching Triple Header

2013-05-15T11:23:00.004-04:00

One of the pope's most prominent and important roles is to be a moral voice in the face of suffering and confusion in the world. That's the lesson the Church celebrates in triplicate today. On May 15, three popes made major contributions to the development of Catholic social teaching: Pope Leo XIII with his landmark encyclical letter Rerum Novarum (1891), Pius XI with Quadragesimo Anno (1931)

Five Things To Remember On May 14

2013-05-14T15:22:00.001-04:00

1. Masses in Washington and Baltimore will frame the second Fortnight for Freedom, which will last June 21-July 4. Archbishop William E. Lori of the Archdiocese of Baltimore said, "The need for prayer, education, and action in defense of religious liberty has never been greater. The Fortnight for Freedom exists to meet that need. This year's Fortnight occurs just weeks before August 1, when the

The Only Sin Is Not To Be Kind

2013-05-10T13:32:00.000-04:00

An old Italian woman once told me the only sin is not to be kind. It’s a wise summary of the greatest commandment: To love the Lord with all your heart and to love your neighbor as yourself. Catholicism can be as easy as that. Over the years as a reporter I’ve heard some anecdotes that explain principles of the Catholic faith in easy terms. You’re called to serve where your shadow falls. Some

Five Things To Remember On May 10

2013-05-10T09:15:00.000-04:00

1. This weekend, Catholics around the U.S. will support the Catholic Communication Campaign to share their faith through media outlets. 2. Earlier this week, we asked our Facebook followers to share what was the best advice their mother ever gave to them. We also asked mothers how motherhood changed them. The answers are funny, moving and insightful. 3. The 2013 Farm Bill is an opportunity

Five Things To Remember On May 9

2013-05-09T21:34:00.000-04:00

1. The annual audit of diocesan compliance with the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People found a drop in the number of allegations, number of victims and number of offenders reported in 2012. 2. This photo of Pope Francis sharing his skull cap with a young girl has been circulating all over the place today. You get a real sense of the pope's joy. 3. Back in November bishops

Five Things To Remember On May 8

2013-05-08T14:50:00.000-04:00

1. The Solemnity of the Ascension, a Holy Day of Obligation, is observed on Thursday in dioceses in ten states tomorrow, including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and Nebraska . Everywhere else in the US (as in most of Europe), it is transferred to this coming Sunday, which is the seventh Sunday of Easter. 2. Pope

Five Things To Remember On May 7

2013-05-07T10:41:00.000-04:00

1. May is the month of Mary and Sister Mary Ann Walsh and our Facebook followers recently shared their favorite Marian titles. 2. Did you ever think a pope would use the phrase, "Mr and Mrs. Whiner" in your life? If you haven't read Don Clemmer's blog about Pope Francis' "unmistakable" voice, it's a must. He highlights everything the new pontifex is doing on social media. The pope continues to

Five Things To Remember On May 6

2013-05-06T15:08:00.000-04:00

1. The school-choice movement is gaining some momentum, according to Catholic News Service. Five schools in the past two years have passed school-choice legislation. This is encouraging after so many school closings in the last several years. 2. Pope Francis has named Auxiliary Bishop Mark Seitz of Dallas, 59, as bishop of El Paso, Texas. El Paso is an area that is 80 percent Catholic. In case

Guardian of the Internet, Pray for Us

2013-05-02T09:59:00.001-04:00

By Sister Mary Ann Walsh The Blessed Virgin claims special honor in the Catholic Church. It’s rooted in her giving birth to Jesus, the Son of God. The references to Mary in the Bible are few but powerful. There’s the Annunciation, where she said, “Be it done unto me according to thy Word. I heard it taught to children simply and succinctly in a song “Mary said Yes to God.” There’s the Wedding

El Camino a la Vocación: Nicholas Nelson

2013-05-01T13:53:00.000-04:00

By Peter Heasley, Transitional Deacon, Archdiocese of New York When I tell visitors in Rome that I was an architect before entering the seminary, their response is usually, “You must be so happy to be surrounded by all these beautiful churches!” I agree, and what amazes them, and me still, is that such a simple need for space has been met by the most

El Camino a la Vocación: Ryan Browning

2013-05-01T13:47:00.002-04:00

Por Ryan Browning, Diacono Transicional, Diócesis de Rockford Hace diez años regrese a la fe católica de la cual me había alejado. Yo había disfrutado mi vida como un profesional del golf, tal vez una carrera la cual Dios pensó que me ayudaría en conversaciones futuras con feligreses. Sin embargo, siempre hacía falta algo, un sentido de paz, que me