Posts

Shroud of Turin update - Pope Francis supports the relic as a religious icon

Image
Echo essay published in The Conversation by : The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin, Italy , houses a fascinating artifact: a massive cloth shroud that bears the shadowy image of a man who appears to have been crucified. Pope Francis prays in front of the Holy Shroud in the Cathedral of San Giovanni Battista during a visit to Turin, Italy, in 2015. Grzegorz Galazka/Archivio Grzegorz Galazka/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images By  Eric Vanden Eykel :  My mother pinged me the other day to suggest w e do a story on claims of authenticity regarding the Shroud of Turin, which some Catholics believe is the cloth used to bury Jesus. The cloth bears the “shadowy image of a man who appears to have been crucified,” which believers say was miraculously imprinted when he was resurrected. A 2022, study that suggested the shroud could be 2,000 years old, recently got a lot of attention from backers of this claim. I mentioned it to our always-on-the-ball senior religion editor, Kalpana Jain
Post a Comment
Read more

Christians want to support Kamala Harris because she represents teachings of Jesus

Image
Anti-Trump evangelical Christians make the case for Harris "Our faith reminds us we are not alone. A brighter future is ahead if we keep moving forward. And I was taught that faith requires action. I joined with faith leaders at the National Baptist Convention to pray for the future of our families, our nation, and our democracy—and I appreciated their prayers for me," Vice-President Kamala Harris Echo essay reported in Religion News Service  by Katherine Stewart.  " A group of mostly progressive evangelical political strategists are trying to help religious conservatives see Harris as the more biblically faithful of the two candidates." (RNS) — In his presidential campaigns in 2008, and 2012, Barack Obama captured 26% and 21% of white evangelical Christian voters, respectively — and won. Hillary Clinton got only 16% of the white evangelical vote in 2016, and lost. In the past two elections, Donald Trump took more than 80% of the white evangelical vote. Most analys
Post a Comment
Read more

Jesus, Mahatma Gandi and Martin Luther King - seninar about Peace at Saint Joseph's College

Image
Living Peace, Practicing Nonviolence: The Lessons of Jesus, Gandhi, and King For Today. Reported on the Unity for Spiritual Growth website. Saturday, September 28, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at St. Joseph’s College , 278 Whites Bridge Road, Standish, ME 04084. Unity for Spiritual Growth Join renowned author, activist, and peace teacher Fr. John Dear for an inspiring and transformative event.  Drawing from the wisdom of Jesus, Mahatma Gandhi, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Fr. John will guide us in exploring the path of nonviolence as a powerful force for change in our world. During this event, you’ll discover: Gospel Nonviolence: Fr. John will delve into the teachings of Jesus, emphasizing the call to practice nonviolence in our daily lives. Legacy of Gandhi and King: Learn how the legacies of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. King continue to inspire movements for peace, justice, and equality. Global Grassroots Movements: Explore how you can actively participate in global grassroots movements working t
Post a Comment
Read more

Remembering Dorothy Day's legacy with memories from her granddaughter

Image
  Martha Hennessy shared the ongoing mission of Catholic Worker and some favorite stories about her famous grandmother. Report echo published in Aleteia by  Theresa Civantos Barber   Catholic Worker Nearly 100 years after Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin began the Catholic Worker — their mission of solidarity, service and community, and newspaper of the same name — the movement continues with a strong presence throughout the world and especially the U.S. Day’s granddaughter, Martha Hennessy, is an active leader with Catholic Worker today. She shared with Aleteia the ongoing mission of Catholic Worker as well as some of her favorite stories about her famous grandmother. Fond and funny memories:  Growing up as Dorothy Day’s granddaughter, she recalled moments of spiritual guidance and warm affection. Dorothy Day and the Holy Family of the Streets icon by Kelly Latimore.  “When I was 3, I recall sitting on her lap with my ear on her chest, feeling the presence of God so close to her heart
Post a Comment
Read more

Modern iconography by Kelly Latimore

Image
For this Episcopal iconographer, migrants and refugees are ‘images of God in plain sight’ by  Egan Millard (published by Episcopal News Service in 2021 ) [Episcopal News Service] You may not know Kelly Latimore’s name, but if you’ve been active on any Christian social media pages in the past few years, you’ve probably seen his work . His modern take on the centuries-old tradition of iconography presents familiar biblical scenes in unexpected ways – such as a pietà scene with a fallen Jesus who looks like George Floyd – as well as saintly depictions of modern figures from Dietrich Bonhoeffer to Marsha P. Johnson . One of his most widely shared images – “La Sagrada Familia” – shows the Flight into Egypt with the Holy Family depicted as Latin American migrants. Painted the day after the 2016 presidential election, the icon went viral on social media and ende d up serving as the cover art for a collection of Pope Francis’ writings on welcoming migrants and refugees. That icon and other
Post a Comment
Read more

Rembering the Army Chaplains who served during the June 6, 1944 Normandy D-Day invasion

Image
  While thousands of troops faced stiff Nazi resistance, priests were with them to offer spiritual care and moral support. Published in Aleteia by John Burger:  June 6th marks the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the beginning of the largest seaborne invasion in history, the Normandy Landing. Among the more than 351,000 men of the US, British, and Canadian militaries who would invade, chaplains sailed and parachuted in, providing spiritual care and moral support. There was Conventual Franciscan Friar Ignatius Maternowski, for example, a 32-year-old native of Holyoke, Massachusetts. Ordained just six years earlier, he was a member of the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division. The story of Franciscan Father Ignatius Maternowski (1912-1944) , the only American chaplain killed in the initial days of the invasion of Normandy 78 years ago, continues to gain momentum, especially in three ways: He received more honors when a new stained-glass window commemorating him and h
Post a Comment
Read more

My welcome Bangor Daily News blog to Bishop James T. Ruggieri

Image
Check out my blog on the Bangor Daily News Bangor Daily News here:  https://francoamerican.bdnblogs.com/2024/05/31/franco-american-news-and-culture/maine-franco-american-catholics-and-church-history/ Pope Francis named the Most Rev. James T. Ruggieri, a Rhode Island native as the 13th Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland. Saint John the Baptist Church Brunswick Maine May 29, 2024 Franco-Americans will appreciate remembering the history of Maine’s Roman Catholic leadership when French Bishop Jean Lefevre de Cheverus (1768-1836) was appointed in 1798, as the first bishop of Boston when this responsibility included Maine. In a comprehensive biography by Annabelle M. Melville, “Jean Lefebve de Cheverus” published in 1958, the colonial era bishop is described as a man who was blessed with an irresistible personality an infections humor and an extraordinary amount of tact. He was able to transcend the bias against Catholics in Massachusetts in the early 1800s, and he won the lov
Post a Comment
Read more