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Good-bye to this blog

I'm shuttering Journey to Vatican III today. It was a bit of a tough decision for me, because the blog has been a way to research Catholic issues and I've "met" Catholics from around the world who e-mailed me after reading blog items. ( Full post )

Mark Your Calendar

The last Catholicism for a New Millennium lecture for the Fall will be this Thursday, November 29, at 7:30 at the Gonzaga Law School. John Perry SJ, from the University of Manitoba speaking on �Torture: Religious Ethics and National Security� ( Full post )

Do you know some of these Hospice pioneers?

(This post is being simulblogged at Matter of Opinion. Go there if you do know some of the pioneers mentioned below. Almost all of them are well-known to people in regional Catholic Land.) ( Full post )

Oregon Jesuits settle for $50 million

From the Associated Press: ( Full post )

"I would plant a tree"

I didn't write in this blog for more than a week, because work has been both sad and stressful since Nov. 1 when layoffs were announced. At least 25 of my colleagues will be gone by the end of this month, some voluntarily, some not. Many left very soon after Nov. 1. ( Full post )

The Pope, Latin America, Liberation Theology

John Allen's weekly column in National Catholic Reporter had an interesting analysis of the pope's relationship with Latin American bishops. Liberation theology is always a sticking point. ( Full post )

What would Jesus ask?

My life goes in cycles when I'm around groups of people or in social situations when no one -- but me, usually -- is asking any questions. ( Full post )

Oprah's example for the bishops

This is not an original thought I'm presenting here. I heard it Monday morning on MSNBC when a Catholic commentator said he wished the Catholic clergy had been so open and accepting responsibility of the sex-abuse scandal in the church as Oprah has been about the sex-abuse scandal in her South African school.
As CBS/AP reported:

Oprah Winfrey said Monday she was not responsible for hiring at her school for disadvantaged South African girls but that the screening process was inadequate and "the buck always stops with me."

( Full post )

Second Saturday Sessions

From the Ministry Institute at Mater Dei ( Full post )

All Saints/Souls Days coming right up

As I've blogged here in years past, we always got the day after Halloween off. As young kids, we thought it might be to recover from the fun of the night before and have a day to barter candy from siblings. We thought this even though the nuns told us again and again the reason we had it off was because it was a feast day (and the mandatory Mass was a reminder it wasn't just a fun, fun day.) ( Full post )

Thomas Merton on war and hatred

Monk and mystic Thomas Merton wrote these words in his 1949 book Seeds of Contemplation. See any parallels to today's world? ( Full post )

Halloween Candy: Testamints anyone?

Beliefnet has a cute cover story today reviewing 10 religious Halloween candies, representing a variety of faith traditions. (These are actual candies, mostly available through religious Web sites.) ( Full post )

Catholics: By the Numbers

Just discovered a wonderful Web site which I should have uncovered long ago. It's the Woodstock Theological Center which describes itself as "an independent nonprofit institute at Georgetown University that engages in theological and ethical reflection on topics of social, economic, business, scientific, cultural, religious, and political importance." ( Full post )

Theology and Agriculture: Mark your Calendars

As part of Gonzaga�s year-long discussion of �food� issues, Catholicism for a New Millennium will present Professor Mark Graham�s talk on �Theology, Ethics & Agriculture� at 7:30 on November 1 in the Globe Room in Cataldo (across from St. Aloysius Church) ( Full post )

Older age: The Great Leveler

My Aunt Martha died recently and this past weekend, my cousins held her memorial service in West Seattle. ( Full post )

50 years as a Jesuit: The thinning line

Father Dan's Jubilee homily contained some great Jesuit history. And now the big challenge facing the Jesuits is lower numbers than the society once had. Interesting side note: California politico Jerry Brown was a year ahead of Father in the Society. He left in his fourth year. ( Full post )

The Burning Pope?

From Britain's newspaper The Telegraph: ( Full post )

More on Mary Magdalene

Blog reader Kipling L. McVay was in search of information about Mary Magdalene and her condemnation by Pope Gregory. (See post below.) ( Full post )

Working the vineyards: More on the Jubilee

When Jesuit Dan Kendall was a novitiate in 1957 in California, the young men worked the seminary's vineyards. ( Full post )

Dan Kendall and the Jubilee Class of 1957

Took a long weekend to fly to San Francisco to celebrate Jesuit Dan Kendall's 50th year as a Jesuit. ( Full post )