News
Nashville Diocese, others file suit to stop HHS contraceptive mandate
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (CNS) — The Diocese of Nashville and seven of the Catholic entities operating in middle Tennessee have filed suit in federal court to block implementation of a mandate by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services requiring them to cover services they find morally objectionable. The mandate, which went into effect Aug. […]
New head of doctrinal congregation says abuse victims are first concern
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The senior Vatican official with authority for investigating priests accused of sexual abuse said that, in such cases, “always and everywhere the most important concern is for those who have been the victims of this terrible abuse.” Archbishop Gerhard L. Muller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, […]
Stephen Colbert, Cardinal Dolan, trade jokes but get serious about faith
In Fordham University's Rose Hill Gymnasium, television comedian Stephen Colbert joined forces with Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York Sept. 14 to discuss faith, humor and spirituality before an audience of 3,000, mostly made up of cheering students. The session was moderated by Jesuit Father James Martin, author of "The Jesuit Guide to Nearly Everything" and "Between Heaven and Mirth." He is the official chaplain of Colbert's show as well as culture editor at the Jesuits' America magazine.
Encounter with God only answer to suffering and evil, says ethicist
ROME (CNS) — Pain, suffering and human mortality shouldn’t be explained away, ignored or denied, but embraced by faith in God, said an expert in the philosophy and ethics of science. In fact, only a concrete encounter with the Lord can provide solace for people grappling with the question of how there can be a […]
Powerful preacher, devoted Deacon Champagne dies at 83
Deacon , 83, a retired permanent deacon previously assigned to Our Lady of Hope (formerly Holy Child) Parish, Philadelphia, died Sept. 9. Born Baptist, he was brought to the Catholic faith through the example of his future wife Lenora Robinson. He was actually received into the Church while serving in the U.S. Army and they […]
Permanent deacon and Polish WWII veteran dies at 89
Retired Permanent Deacon Boleslaw S. Wojewadka, who served in St. Hedwig and St. Katharine Drexel Parishes in Chester and Sacred Heart Parish in Clifton Heights, died Sept. 8. Deacon Wojewadka was born May 14, 1923 near Tarnopol, which was then part of Poland. He was taken from his home by the Russians in 1940 near […]
Pastor of Ascension Parish suspended for abuse allegations
Father Michael Chapman, 56, pastor of Ascension of Our Lord Parish in Philadelphia, has been placed on administrative leave by Archbishop Charles J. Chaput following allegations of sexual abuse of minors. The priest was suspended in March 2011 for an alleged violation of the Standards of Ministerial Behavior and Boundaries, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s guidelines […]
At workshop for catechists, Archbishop Chaput tells how to ‘render unto God’
The 150 or so catechists who attended the Sept. 13 Fall Professional Development Day at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary were in for a special treat – their own catechist for the day was Archbishop Charles Chaput. His topic — issues to consider in this election year, especially life issues — was at the top of […]
Archdiocese’s shore home for priests sold for $4.5 million
A vacation house at the South Jersey shore used by generations of elderly priests was sold at auction by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for $4.5 million Sept. 15. Steve and Ilene Berger of Newtown Square won the bidding at $4.125 million for Villa St. Joseph by the Sea, a 19-room, 9,800-square-foot mansion in Ventnor, N.J., […]
Getting ready for a Year of Faith
Before I was a bishop and even before I became a priest, I was a Capuchin Franciscan. The Capuchins were a reform movement within the Franciscan community. They wanted to get back to the real St. Francis; the radical, simple St. Francis. History calls Francis the vir Catolicus — the embodiment of everything a Catholic believer should be; a person filled with faith, joy, simplicity, courage, charity and zeal for Jesus Christ. Francis had all these qualities, and of course even non-Catholics remember him because of his love for life and nature, and his witness for peace.