By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
Bishop Martin Tetsuo Hirago, of the hard hit diocese of Sendai, Japan, said the tragic 9.0 earthquake and resulting tsunami that struck the area last Friday has had "a strong emotional impact on society," and has left one priest dead of a heart attack.
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By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
Even though it was widely expected to pass, Maryland's same-sex marriage bill will be shelved for another year after a last minute effort from black churches and the Maryland Catholic Conference influenced a majority of House members to turn against the bill.
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By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
Under cover of darkness, Father Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, arrived in Ontario, Canada, Sunday night to rescue Baby Joseph Maraachli from the London Health Sciences Centre and see him safely transferred to a Catholic hospital in St. Louis.
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"The mission of the priest is to save souls. But he cannot do this effectively unless he has helpers. Now woman, by reason of her deeply religious nature and her power over man, is ideally suited for this task. She should, therefore, joyfully and methodically cooperate with the clergy in the noble task of extending Christ's Kingdom on earth.
Rev. James Alberione
For Reflection:
In what one way can I cooperate with the clergy "in the noble task of extending Christ's Kingdom on earth?"
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"The soul about to receive Holy Communion should be pure, that it may be purified; alive, that it may be quickened; just, that it may be justified; ready, that it may be incorporated with God uncreated who was made Man, and that it may be one with Him unto all eternity."
Blessed Angela of Foligno
For Reflection:
What is the state of my soul today? Am I "ready" to receive Holy Communion?
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"The isolation of my soul, the constant and painful injuries caused by those who are hostile or indifferent, especially when they are near and dear to me, the sadness of feeling unequal to the great task to be accomplished, the sufferings of my heart, the difficulties of my life, the misery of my physical weakness - this is the rugged soil, my God, in which Thou wilt cause joy to grow."
Elisabeth Leseur
For Reflection:
What is the "soil" out of which God desires to grow joy in my life?
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By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
The future of Dr. Donald Berwick, the man put in charge of Medicare who supports rationing health care, is unable to gain the support he needs to be confirmed and may have to give up his position by the end of the year.
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By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
Mother Mary Clare Millea, ASCJ, Apostolic Visitator for Institutes of Women Religious in the United States, held a concluding workshop last week for the religious who assisted with on-site visits to congregations of women religious, signaling the end of the years-long visitation.
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By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
Prayers are desperately needed for the people of Japan where one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded struck 80 miles offshore, spawning a deadly tsunami that left hundreds dead.
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By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
Authorities in Beijing are considering a relaxation of the country's controversial one-child-only policy, not because they've seen the light, but because officials are beginning to realize that the population has become dangerously imbalanced.
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