PHILADELPHIA — The City of Brotherly Love greeted its new archbishop with a warm welcome at his installation Mass Sept. 8.

Archbishop Charles Chaput was installed today at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul before a celebratory congregation of 1,500 Church and civic dignitaries, priests, religious and well-wishers.

Tomorrow, he is expected to address both a clergy abuse crisis that prompted the suspension of 26 priests and an unexpected strike of teachers working in the archdioceses 17 high schools that enroll 16,502 students and opened with limited staffing on Sept. 7.

During the rite of installation at the cathedral, jubilant attendees were prepared to set those controversies aside,...READ MORE

Happy Birthday Mary! - Catholic Spiritual Direction

The Blessed Virgin Mary’s Birthday - Elizabeth Hillgrove, VirtuousPla.net

Ark of Grace, Mary’s Immaculate Conception - Carlos Caso-Rosendi, Catholic Lane

Catholyc Chat Acronyms - LarryD, Acts of the Apostasy

Small Miracles - Donald R. McClarey, The American Catholic

Beauty and Sadness - Santiago Ramos, Catholic Vote

End Child Pornography: Enforce Adult Pornography Laws - Patrick A. Trueman, Public Discourse

New Mission Territory: Young Adult Catholics - Randy Hain, Integrated Catholic Life™

UK to Enforce Same-Sex Ceremonies at Churches - William Oddie; More from Simon Caldwell, Catholic Herald

Science Came From Catholic Doctrine -...READ MORE

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (EWTN News/CNA)— Pope Benedict XVI told a group of Indian bishops visiting his summer residence on Sept. 8 that they should take special care to ensure that Church institutions convey the message of the Gospel.

“As you know, all of the Church’s activities are meant to glorify God and fill his people with the truth that sets us free,” Pope Benedict told a group of Indian bishops at Castel Gandolfo.

“This saving truth, at the heart of the deposit of faith, must remain the foundation of all the Church’s endeavors, proposed to others always with respect, but also without compromise.”

The audience was the Pope’s second meeting with the Indian bishops, the last of four...READ MORE

O come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation!
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! — Psalm 95:1-2

The opening words of this Psalm, with which Catholics have begun Morning Prayer for centuries, take on renewed meaning as the English-speaking world soon begins to sing the words of the new translation of the Roman Missal.

This long-anticipated translation of the Mass will replace the one that we have been using for nearly 40 years. It is the fruit of the intense labor of hundreds of bishops, scholars, translators and two popes — within a sometimes tangled and confusing vineyard....READ MORE

Imagine yourself, a senior in college, sitting in the middle of your dream medical-school interview. Because you have done your homework, the interview is going exceedingly well. You seem to have established a rapport with the interviewer, and your answers are crisp, clear and intelligent. It’s going so well that you are starting to feel confident regarding your chances of gaining admission.

That is, until the interviewer hits you with this question: “Suppose a young pregnant woman and her boyfriend come to you seeking an abortion. What would you do?”

What would you do? How would you answer? For pro-life medical-school candidates, there is only one answer: You counsel the couple not to...READ MORE

Raleigh, N.C. (CNA/EWTN News) —The Diocese of Raleigh, N.C., plans to build a new 2,000-seat cathedral, dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus, Bishop Michael Burbidge announced Sept. 7.

The announcement is a “monumental and historic moment in the life of the Catholic Diocese of Raleigh and the state of North Carolina,” the bishop said.

The proposed cathedral campus is on a 39-acre tract of land adjacent to Western Boulevard and Centennial Parkway. The property is a remnant of 400 acres purchased in 1897 by Father Thomas Price, the “Tar Heel Apostle” who was the first native North Carolinian to be ordained a Catholic priest. He established an orphanage on the site called the Nazareth...READ MORE

KANAS CITY, Mo. — Bishop Robert Finn of Kansas City-St. Joseph released a report that criticized his supervision of a troubled priest, and recommended changes in his policies for addressing sexual misconduct.

Released Sept. 1, the report was commissioned by Bishop Finn, following the arrest of Father Shawn Ratigan, a diocesan priest, for possession of child pornography. The report summarized the findings of an independent investigation directed by former United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri Todd Graves, who oversaw a team of attorneys, former prosecutors and Federal Bureau of Investigation officials.

The investigators concluded that the diocese’s response was...READ MORE

The Mass: The Gift of the Father - Fr. James V. Schall SJ, Ignatius Insight Scoop

The Importance of Dad - Carolyn Moynihan, MercatorNet/Family Edge

A Pilgrimage Not A Vacation - Trista Garttner, VirtuousPla.net

St. John of Avila, Master of Contemplation & Renewal of the Church - Dr. Anthony Lilles, Beginning to Pray

Emotional Detachment in the Search for God’s Will - Anna Owens, Benedictus Dominus

Simple Works Can Contribute to Spirituality - Catholic Complementarian

Orthodox Christian Economic Thought - Dylan Pahman, Acton Institute/PowerBlog

Employment for All: A Response - DarwinCatholic, The American Catholic

Disenchanting Determinism - Caitrin Nicol, The New Atlantis

The First...READ MORE