The Eleventh Annual Napa Catholic Conference was held July 22-24, 2021, with an impressive lineup of Catholic speakers on the theme “All Things Made New.” The conference included Mass and a wide range of talks, including religious and spiritual topics, lots of commentary on current Church and world events, apologetics and some very practical subjects…
CNA—On Sunday, July 11th, the Christian Liberation Movement (MCL) called on Cubans to continue to pressure Cuban communist authorities to open general elections after thousands of people took the streets of major local cities to protest the unprecedented scarcity of essentials and the death rate produced by COVID-19. After months of food and medicine shortages…
CNA—The Catholic archbishop of Tokyo has asked visiting Olympic athletes and coaches to refrain from attending local Catholic churches to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Archbishop Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi said on July 12 that the Tokyo archdiocese had made a “commitment that we will not be infected nor will we allow others to be infected.”…
CNA—July 14, 2021—Four Cuban-American bishops issued a statement Tuesday indicating their support for Cubans seeking recognition of their human rights, following protest’s of the island’s communist government. “We, Cuban-American bishops, join in solidarity with the Cuban people in their quest for responses to their human rights and needs. We are deeply troubled by the aggressive…
21 years after her graduation from Thomas Aquinas College — and 16 after she left the United States to enter the religious life in Italy — Mother Madeleine Marie of St. Joseph (Mary Kay Ellis ’99) returned to the California campus last week. As Superior of the Sister Adorers of the Royal Heart of Jesus…
Catholics make up only 12% of the population in Hong Kong. Yet these 12% are making a big difference for the sake of the greater good in the once free and thriving city, now oppressed by Communist China’s rule. You may not know their names or faces, but among this 12%, there are countless Catholic…
The only challenge in reading a compelling new biography of Fr. Aloysius Schwartz, a Washington, D.C. native—entitled Priest and Beggar: The Heroic Life of Venerable Fr. Aloysius Schwartz— is that it seems to transcend reality at times and bring the reader into the realm of mythical superheroes. However, in reading we learn that Aloysius was…
CNA, Rome—An international alliance of Catholic groups has criticized a report adopted by the European Parliament asserting that abortion is a “human right.” In a joint statement issued ahead of last month’s vote, 14 organizations said that they stood united in the defense of human life from conception until natural death. “Abortion eliminates an innocent…
The Federalist—In Hong Kong right now, Jimmy Lai is sacrificing all — his fortune and possibly his life — for his God, his fellow man, and for freedom. Lai is a billionaire, although he wasn’t always one. Born two years before the Communists defeated the nationalists in China’s civil war, his father fled and his…
First Things—Lynn Fitch, the attorney general of Mississippi, faces the most consequential litigation decision of the last 50 years: whether to ask the Supreme Court to reverse Roe v. Wade, the 1973 case that created a right to elective abortion, striking down abortion prohibitions that had long been in place in the states. She should…
CNA—Ohio state law now includes conscience protections for medical professionals, after Governor Mike DeWine (R) signed a state budget bill into law on June 30. “Governor DeWine should be commended for his commitment to dignified health care. His clear understanding that health care professionals must have the right to freedom of conscience is vital to…
Book reviews of “The Catholic Guide to Miracles” and the “Diary of an American Exorcist” I fully embrace the reality of a spiritual dimension to life. It cannot be proven with science, but it can be observed and for some, experienced. I am grateful for having numerous spiritual guides and experiences over many years that…
Prolife Bank (proposed) is near opening. Its distinguishing feature is that it will be a bank that refuses to support anything remotely connected with the killing of innocent unborn babies. Who knew that many of the mainstream banks with which we do business actively support causes including abortion and abortion-related nonprofits whose activities and principles…
Lifesite News/ The Daily Wire—The University of California San Francisco, a hub for all things abortion in the U.S., is harvesting aborted babies’ genitalia and other organs for research, according to documents obtained by pro-life advocates. The Daily Wire reports Pro-Life San Francisco made the gruesome discovery in documents that it requested through the California Public…
Sycamore Trust—Most readers know that President Biden was not this year’s Notre Dame Commencement speaker, but many may not know that Father Jenkins did invite him. The White House disclosed the invitation, dissembling as to the reason, while the University refused to comment. What follows is an account of this episode and the dozens of…
CNA—Pope emeritus Benedict XVI is praying for Pope Francis after he underwent intestinal surgery on Sunday. Archbishop Georg Gänswein, Benedict’s personal secretary, told Italian media that the retired pope “lovingly directs his thoughts to Pope Francis and fervently prays for him,” the German section of Vatican News reported. Pope Francis is recovering at Rome’s Gemelli…
Enjoy THE TEXAS TENORS : God Bless the U.S.A. More about The Texas Tenors, from Wikipedia (including their footnote references): The Texas Tenors are a three-time Emmy Award-winning classical crossover, trio vocal group formed in 2009 by country singer JC Fisher, pop singer Marcus Collins and opera singer John Hagen. They were a…
The Declaration of Independence Note: The following text is a transcription of the Stone Engraving of the parchment Declaration of Independence (the document on display in the Rotunda at the National Archives Museum.) The spelling and punctuation reflects the original. In Congress, July 4, 1776 The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When…
Between 1769 – 1823, the Franciscan friars built a total of 21 missions stretching for 700 miles between San Diego and Sonoma, Calif., most of them thanks to the extraordinary charity and leadership of Saint Junipero Serra. Father Junipero Serra brought Christ to the Indians of California and also protection. He did not want the…
July 1, 2021
(originally posted Oct 13, 2015)—Well, as my T-shirt proclaims, “Pope Francis in America…. I WAS THERE.” I was specifically there for the canonization of Fr. Serra, an old family friend so to speak. Serra and I go way back–I knew him even before he was venerable. One of the happy sources of this connection was…
