Catholics poised for historic role?

In an editorial, the National Catholic Register says “Catholics are poised to take on a historic role in America that can transform the future of our country.” See why the editors say that Catholics can be “the most important force preserving and promoting the American ideal.”

Awards …

Honors for two longtime friends of CNS:

• The Catholic Sun in Phoenix won an “Award of Excellence” in four categories and an “Award of Merit” in another at the annual Associated Church Press convention in Chicago.

• The Catholic Register, a Canadian national newspaper based in Toronto, won four first-place awards and six other honors in the annual Canadian Church Press journalism competition.

Catholic blogger relates to young adults at Theology on Tap

Rocco Palmo, the ubiquitous author of the “Whispers in the Loggia” blog, spoke recently in Madison, Wis., and the local diocesan paper, the Catholic Herald, was there to cover it. If you’ve never heard of Rocco or Whispers, see why the priest who invited him said after the talk, “I think Rocco is a star.”

Cardinal blogs about visit to Las Vegas

Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston said recently in his blog, reprinted in The Pilot, the Boston archdiocesan paper, that he never thought he’d visit Las Vegas — but there he was because Las Vegas was chosen to host this year’s 18th annual American Cardinals Dinner, a fundraiser for The Catholic University of America. In the true spirit of blogging, the cardinal shared his experiences and wrote that next year’s dinner is in Boston, adding, “We have no strip or casinos in Boston, but I guess we will put our guests on the Duck boats … lol.” (That’s “laughing out loud” for you non-bloggers.)

Utah paper offers podcast from bishop

In Salt Lake City, the Intermountain Catholic diocesan newspaper has launched what it hopes will be a regular podcast from recently installed Bishop John C. Wester. There are instructions for how to subscribe to the podcast through an RSS feed or through iTunes, or you can just click to listen in your browser.

Parish life collaborators to aid future church life

Responding to the priest shortage, the Diocese of Pittsburgh is about to launch a program for parish life collaborators, reports the Pittsburgh Catholic. The program’s director told the paper that a parish life collaborator is a deacon or professional minister appointed by the diocesan bishop to share in the exercise of the pastoral care of a parish.

High-tech Scriptures

Seminarian Brian Carpenter works at his laptop computer to record a segment of “Your Sunday Reader,” a podcast he and youth minister Dawn Burdick record each week for St. Mary Church in Canandaigua, N.Y. The two read and discuss the Sunday Scripture readings in the podcasts, which can be downloaded from the parish Web site. (CNS photo/Mike Crupi, Catholic Courier.

Parishes respond to violence with gun collection, peace vigil

Two Baltimore parishes are responding to the city’s high murder rate with positive actions of their own, according to The Catholic Review, Baltimore’s archdiocesan paper. One is giving $50 to anyone who brings in a working gun, no questions asked.

‘Babe Ruth worshipped here’

No, that’s not exactly the headline on this story in Catholic New York about legendary baseball star Babe Ruth’s youngest living granddaughter’s recent visit to the New York church where the Babe attended Mass. She discovered during the visit how the New York Yankee legend was a major benefactor of the parish.

What’s in a name?

The Catholic Sun in Phoenix reports that thousands of children in the Phoenix Diocese are choosing confirmation names and that catechists are using the process as a way of introducing the children to the communion of saints.