Thursday, January 3, 2013
Cardinal Francis George releases a strongly worded letter as the State Legislature moves closer to a vote on gay marriage.
As gay marriage moves closer to a vote in the Illinois General Assembly, Cardinal Francis George has released a letter attacking the notion of same- sex marriage itself and urging Catholics to voice their objections. UPDATED: Illinois State Senate members went home on Thursday without voting the bill up or down in the final days of the veto session, although a senate committee did vote in favor of the bill to allow same-sex marraige. Supporters are hoping the bill will be passed after new lawmakers are sworn in on Jan. 9, however, it may be weeks before the bill goes before the state senate for a full vote. The marriage equality bill's failure to go before the senate for a full vote on Thursday was credited to pushback from the Catholic …
Friday, October 5, 2012
Long a Catholic tradition centered on St. Francis, the patron saint of animals, pet blessings have grown in popularity recently. A local deacon gives his reason why, and Patch shows you where you can get your pet blessed Saturday.
Most pet owners consider the animals in their lives to be blessings. So it's perfectly understandable that some of these same owners would want to return the favor. Pet blessings are a time-honored tradition in the Catholic Church, usually held near the Oct. 4 feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, said Deacon Joe Stalcup, who has been performing these ceremonies for St. Stephen, Deacon and Martyr Catholic Church in Tinley Park for about 15 years. READ: Deacon Blesses the Animals at Sunday Ceremony in 2010 "Within the past 15 to 20 years, [pet blessings have] developed more than ever before," Stalcup said. He attributes some of the rising popularity of these ceremonies to the evolving attitudes of people when it …
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St. Stephen, Deacon & Martyr Catholic Church
17500 84th Ave, Tinley Park, IL
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Friday, April 27, 2012
Former students seeking claims against Irish Christian Brothers must show religious order knew certain members were a danger to children. Deadline to file is Aug. 1.
Documents amassed by a Seattle-based law firm show that although the Irish Christian Brothers knew one of its members may have molested students at Brother Rice High School, they still sent him to other schools. The allegations came to light after a bankruptcy filing by the Irish Christian Brothers in an attempt to cap any damages from former students filing claims alleging sexual or physical abuse by members of the religious order who taught at the high schools. Sign up for the O-L Patch newsletter and breaking news alerts. Brother Edward Courtney, who ran extracurricular activities and served various teaching and administrative roles at Brother Rice's South Side Chicago campus from 1960 to 1968, has been named in lawsuits and court …
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Orland Park mother and daughter see a wealth of giving grow beyond a few used communion dresses.
Makayla Shinnick followed her mother Teresa up the side stairs of St. Helena’s of the Cross, both carrying several white dresses wrapped in plastic and a couple small suits. Doris O’Connor followed the two, holding a few dresses and several veils she made herself, gripping the clothes hangers as the materials flapped in strong winds. Once inside the school, near Halsted Avenue and 99th Street and about a 20 minute drive from the Shinnicks’ home in Orland Park, the two women and nine-year-old Makayla handed off the clothes to Patricia Durkin, principal of St. Helena’s of the Cross Catholic School. Durkin smiled and thanked the three, before looking for a place to hang the latest donation of communion clothing. It took Durkin a minute to …
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Head of Chicago-area Catholic Church helps Our Lady of the Woods celebrate its 25th anniversary.
Francis Cardinal George, Archbishop of Chicago and the leader of the local Catholic Church visited the area Saturday, performing mass at Our Lady of the Woods as part of the parish's 25th anniversary. "That's just part of what you do for the 25th anniversary of your parish," said Pastoral Associate Mary Ellen Stanley. Speaking before a packed church, George spoke of the appropriateness of the Saturday celebration coming shortly before Mission Sunday, which honors Catholic efforts to proselytise and reach out to non-Catholics. "For 25 years, that's been the purpose of your parish, Our Lady of the Woods, as it is every parish," George told the audience. Our Lady of the Woods' story started in 1983, when a committee recommended building a new…
Dan Lambert
11:32 am on Monday, January 7, 2013
Thanks for all the comments on this post, but the discussion has gotten a bit off-topic and I think it's time to close the comments section. Thanks for reading. more ›