SOUTH BEND, Ind. — “Notre Dame is a place that is not clear about its mission and identity. There is a debate here as to whether it will be a Catholic university at its heart or just in a peripheral way.”

So says Notre Dame history professor Father Wilson Miscamble.

While Notre Dame has made headlines in recent years over salacious — and scandalous — controversies involving The Vagina Monologues on campus, honoring President Barack Obama, and, most recently, a now-former trustee who was generous in her support to abortion-advocacy organizations, daily Mass continues in single-sex dorms on campus. Meanwhile, many faithful professors lie low but provide solid anchors to the school’s...READ MORE

What to do in Adoration - Marcellino D’Ambrosio PhD, Catholic Lane

Baptism by Blood and the Apostle James - Taylor Marshall, Canterbury Tales

Conjugal Love Receives a “Higher Value” through NFP - Chris. J. Stravitsch, HLI America

Quæritur: Morning Sickness & the Eucharistic Fast - Father John Zuhlsdorf, What Does The Prayer Really Say?

Our Lady of Mount Carmel and My Conversion to Catholicism - Dan Burke, Catholic Spiritual Direction

What Bible Did the Sadducees Use? - Joe Heschmeyer, Shameless Popery

The Erotic Theology of Mad Men - Michael P. Foley, First Things/On the Square

10,000 March for True Marriage in New York - Jeremy Kryn, LifeSiteNews.com

. . . Car. Moynihan:  Plural...READ MORE

NEW YORK (EWTN News/CNA) — The World Trade Center cross is still a “sign of comfort” to many people, says the Franciscan priest who describes himself as its “unofficial guardian.”

On Sept. 13, 2001, construction worker Frank Silecchia found a 20-foot, cross-shaped T-beam from World Trade Center 1 standing almost upright in the wreckage of World Trade Center 6.

Father Brian Jordan blessed the cross later that year on Oct. 4 and promised that it would be preserved.

Now, almost 10 years after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the priest again blessed the cross in a July 23 ceremony before its relocation to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.

“It’s a sign of consolation and comfort...READ MORE

HONG KONG — Relations between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China have deteriorated rapidly and seriously in recent weeks. The state-run agency for Catholics dragooned several papally named bishops to participate in the ordinations of two priests who were appointed bishops without Rome’s approval.

After the Holy See responded by pronouncing the two ordinands excommunicated, the State Administration of Religious Affairs replied on July 25, calling Rome’s action “extremely unreasonable and rude.”

Explanations for China’s new heavy hand range from Beijing’s growing confidence in world affairs to its apprehension about the ripple effects of the so-called Arab Spring, the...READ MORE

WASHINGTON (EWTN News) — Opponents of embryo-killing stem-cell research said they intend to review their options for appeal after a federal judge rejected a lawsuit that would have ended federal funding for the research.

“Americans should not be forced to pay for experiments that destroy human life, have produced no real-world treatments, and violate federal law,” said Steven Aden, senior council at the Alliance Defense Fund, which supported the lawsuit.

“The law is clear, and we intend to review all of our options for appeal of this decision. In these tough economic times, it makes no sense for the federal government to use taxpayer money for this illegal and unethical purpose.”

Obama...READ MORE

Give Me that Old Time Religion to Reduce Crime - Doctor Jeff Mirus, CatholicCulture.org/On the Culture

An Interview with a Carmelite Nun - Dan Burke, Catholic Spiritual Direction

Cardincal Canizares: “Entire Church” Should Receive Communion Kneeling - Father John Zuhlsdorf, What Does The Prayer Really Say?

Archdiocese of Philadelphia Fights Back Mainstream Media Demagoguery - TheMediaReport.com

How 11,000 Roman Jews Saved by the Venerable Pope Pius XII - Giacomo Galeazzi, La Stampa/Vatican Insider

My Journey to Motherhood - Matt & Pat’s Sister, Creative Minority Report

Three Strong Pro-Life, Orthodox Bishops Appointed in Quebec - Patrick B. Craine, LifeSiteNews.com

Cooperation: A...READ MORE

WASHINGTON — The death of Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the Holy See’s representative to the United States, prompted expressions of sadness and esteem from Church leaders here and abroad.

Dubbed the “Super-Nuncio” by his many admirers in the Church, Archbishop Sambi personified the best of the Holy See’s diplomatic corps, combining pastoral sensitivity with an in-depth expertise in high-stakes negotiations — gifts on display in flash points like Jerusalem and Cyprus. While a series of striking U.S. episcopal appointments drew applause from orthodox Catholics, the nuncio also earned praise for his role in the the 2008 visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the United States, when the Pontiff met with...READ MORE

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated since this morning.

WASHINGTON (CNA) — Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the Holy Father’s diplomatic representative to the U.S., died the evening of Wednesday, July 27, at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, where he had been placed on assisted ventilation after complications following a lung surgery performed two weeks ago. He was 73.

On Monday, July 25,  the nunciature, along with Archbishop Sambi’s family, who traveled to Baltimore from Italy after the worsening of Archbishop Sambi’s condition, asked “bishops, priests, religious, and lay faithful” to offer “sacrifices and prayers” for the nuncio’s recovery.

Archbishop Sambi was appointed by Pope...READ MORE