News
Priest cleared to return to ministry, despite violation of ‘Boundaries’ code
Father Joseph DiGregorio, a former Army priest chaplain who served in Iraq but since last year was one of 26 priests suspended following a 2011 grand jury report on child sexual abuse, has been found suitable to return to priestly ministry by Archbishop Charles Chaput, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced Oct. 15. The archbishop approved the recommendation for Father DiGregorio based on the work of the Archdiocesan Review Board and the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) of more than 20 investigators with experience in child abuse issues. But the team found that the priest had violated the Standards of Ministerial Behavior and Boundaries in an incident more than 40 years ago. In itself, such a violation of the Archdiocese’s code of conduct would preclude a return to ministry, but the archdiocesan statement cited “compelling evidence that makes him suitable for ministry.”
Jesuit Father Kevin Gillespie inaugurated as St. Joseph’s University’s 27th president
St. Joseph’s University inaugurated Jesuit Father C. Kevin Gillespie as its 27th president on Oct. 12. His appointment as president marks a return to St. Joseph’s for the Narberth-raised Father Gillespie, who after graduating from SJU in 1972 went on to earn master’s degrees in psychology from Duquesne University and in divinity from the Jesuit […]
Five honorees inducted in to the Archdiocese Hall of Fame
On Thursday October 11,2012 the Archdiocese of Philadelphia honored five remarkable Catholic school graduates with its 2012 Distinguished Graduate Award, also known as the Archdiocesan Hall of Fame. The event honors Catholic school alumni who have not only achieved professional success in their chosen fields, but also demonstrate a commitment to living their lives by the Gospel Values that guide and define Catholic education in the Archdiocese. Bishop Michael Fitzgerald presented the honorees with their awards. The Emcee for the evening was Mr. Bob Kelly, CBS 3 Traffic Reporter and Graduate of North Catholic High School. Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. offered remarks as well as the final prayer. Mayor Michael Nutter also attended to congratulate the honorees. Guests were entertained by the 20 members of the All Catholic Jazz Band under the direction of Mr. Matthew Schwartz. Rachel Campana, a student at Archbishop Wood High School in Bucks County sang the National Anthem and Collin McDonald a student at Bishop Shanahan High School in Chester County performed on the piano.
Local events mark Year of Faith across Philadelphia Archdiocese
Archbishop Charles Chaput will launch the local efforts in the universal Church’s Year of Faith to deepen the faith of Catholics with a Mass Oct. 14 at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul in Philadelphia. The Year of Faith began Oct. 11 with a Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI in Rome, which was also the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the Second Vatican Council and the 20th anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. “The entire purpose of the Year of Faith is an encounter with the living Christ,” said Auxiliary Bishop John J. McIntyre, who with his staff is working to promote and coordinate activities for the year in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. “Through his writings the Holy Father constantly points out that Christianity is an encounter with the living God and out of that flows everything else.”
The Year of Faith and how we’re called to live it
In leading us into the Year of Faith, which began October 11, Pope Benedict calls on each of us as believers to “rediscover [God’s] joy,” to “radiate [God’s] word,” and to make our Christian witness “frank and contagious.” Now those are wonderful words, but how do we actually live them? We need to begin by realizing that we’re not being asked to do the impossible – only the uncomfortable and inconvenient. Benedict is asking us to examine our hearts and our habits of life without excuses or alibis. He’s asking us to tear down the cathedral we build to ourselves, the whole interior architecture of our vanities, our resentments and our endless appetites, and to channel all the restless fears and longings of modern life into a hunger for the Holy Spirit. If you think that sounds easy or pious, try it this week.
‘No religious affiliation’ now describes nearly fifth of US population
WASHINGTON (CNS) — People who say they are unaffiliated with any religion constitute nearly 20 percent of the American public, making them almost as numerous as Catholics, who accounted for 22 percent of participants in a new Pew Research Center study released Oct. 9. The survey of 2,973 adults conducted this summer found people who […]
Study: Climate change could fry key crops for Central American farmers
WASHINGTON (CNS) — A small plot of land provides a single mother in Honduras with the corn and beans her family needs to eat, but as a result of recent droughts, she’s left peeling back the husk of her shrinking cornstalks asking, “What can I do?” Paul Hicks, regional coordinator for Global Water Initiative, an […]
South Sudan seminary limits students as it confronts challenges
JUBA, South Sudan (CNS) — Already facing a shortage of priests, the Catholic Church in the world’s newest nation has closed a portion of its seminary, leaving dozens of young men stranded on the road to the priesthood. When classes start at the end of October at St. Paul’s Major Seminary in Juba, only 64 […]
Evangelization must flow from experience, Anglican leader tells synod
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Evangelization is not a project, but the natural “overflow” of an experience of Christ and his church that transforms lives, giving them meaning and joy, the spiritual leader of the Anglican Communion told Pope Benedict XVI and the Synod of Bishops. “Those who know little and care even less about the […]
Georgia’s Catholic archdiocese, diocese file suit against HHS mandate
ATLANTA (CNS) — The Archdiocese of Atlanta, the Diocese of Savannah and other Catholic entities in Georgia, including Catholic Charities and Christ the King School in Atlanta, filed a federal lawsuit Oct. 5 challenging the Health and Human Services’ contraceptive mandate. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court in Atlanta. Defendants are the […]