Boys’ Haven begins to train workers for equine industry

A Louisville archdiocesan agency that serves abused, homeless and struggling youths is opening a new horse barn — on the Monday after the Kentucky Derby, naturally — so that clients can be trained to work in the area’s thriving equine industry, according to this story in The Record in Louisville.

‘Origins’ this week features abortion ruling, climate change, Iraq, and more

Here’s the rundown on what’s in the latest edition of Origins: CNS Documentary Service:

The syllabus of Gonzales v. Carhart outlines the Supreme Court’s decision upholding the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act. (Subscribers: click here)
Climate change threatens everyone, but some people, nations and regions are more threatened than others. That’s why “a sound concern for the [...]

Surviving the Virginia Tech shootings

If out of tragedy comes triumph, then one of the best stories to come out of the Virginia Tech massacre was the story of Derek O’Dell from Jean Denton, who writes for The Catholic Virginian, newspaper of the Diocese of Richmond. If you missed it earlier, O’Dell’s story of faith as the gunman opened fire [...]

The church in the South: growing pains

In a feature article in its May edition, St. Anthony Messenger magazine reports that the church in the U.S. South has been blessed with amazing growth since 1966 due to a number of factors. But new members bring new challenges.

Retiring pastor recalls struggles for justice and peace

A priest well-known in the Diocese of Oakland, Calif., for his justice advocacy is retiring from active ministry this spring. The Catholic Voice in Oakland says Father Tony Valdivia presided over his last Holy Week at his parish, but neighborhood shootings at week’s end left a young parishioner dead and two others hospitalized, reminding him [...]

More links …

Catholic schools help refurbish computers for shipping to Africa — The Catholic Voice, Omaha, Neb.
Music industry veteran takes God’s word on the road — Catholic Explorer, Joliet, Ill.
Phoenix Diocese works to quell youth ministry burnout, turnover — The Catholic Sun, Phoenix.
Connecticut community activist, inspired by JFK, still speaking out — The Catholic Transcript, Hartford, Conn.
Fundraiser [...]

CNS stories on limbo

When the Vatican’s International Theological Commission issued its document on limbo this month, readers of the Catholic press should not have been surprised at its content. Take a look at this CNS headline from last October: Theologians: Unbaptized babies in heaven makes more sense than limbo. That was on a story about the commission’s meeting [...]

Finding God’s comfort

The pastor of the parish in Blacksburg, Va., near the Virginia Tech campus is a native of the Detroit area, so The Michigan Catholic called him to see if he had a message for Catholics far from the tragedy. The priest, Father James Arsenault, told the paper the grace of God is stronger than any [...]

Students helping soldiers

 Students fill shoe boxes with items that will be sent to military personnel overseas. St. Bernadette School in Milwaukee hosted the event April 20 and invited students from St. Catherine and Our Lady of Good Hope schools to join them. More than 100 sixth- through eighth-grade students filled shoe boxes with snacks, personal hygiene items, [...]

More links …

Trying to make sense of Virginia Tech tragedy — The Criterion, Indianapolis.
Recognition as martyr sought for priest who served in Seattle Archdiocese — The Catholic Northwest Progress, Seattle.
Woman is able to serve others despite her disability — Intermountain Catholic, Salt Lake City.
Aspiring deacons pitch in to buy monstrance at auction, plan to donate it to [...]