Page 1782 – Archdiocese of Baltimore

WASHINGTON – Syndicated columnist Robert Novak has made a living writing articles containing information from his carefully cultivated sources, and when he first became interested in Catholicism, it was, coincidentally, a former source who aided him in his conversion. His story about a source turned priest who baptized him, as well as many other stories about his life and his work as a journalist, appear in his new book, “The Prince of Darkness: 50 Years Reporting in Washington.”

British woman steers worldwide Caritas aid network

VATICAN CITY – Lesley-Anne Knight has a warm smile and a big vision, but not one that includes doing anything single-handedly. Knight, 51, is the new secretary-general of Caritas Internationalis, the umbrella organization for 162 national Catholic charities around the world.

Vatican official says Dominican Sisters show vitality of U.S. church

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the second highest ranking official at the Vatican, pointed to the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia in Nashville as an example of the vitality of the Catholic Church in the United States. Cardinal Bertone, who is secretary of state, was in Nashville to attend the 125th annual national convention of the Knights of Columbus. He took time out to celebrate Mass for the Dominican Sisters at their motherhouse Aug. 8, the feast of St. Dominic.

New York Catholics visit mosque, learn about Islam

WAPPINGERS FALLS, N.Y. – In late July, carloads of curious Catholics caravanned north from their church to a mosque in the next county. Three dozen Catholics who regularly attend Mass at the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement’s Graymoor Spiritual Life Center in Garrison accepted a Muslim visitor’s invitation to attend services at Masjid Al-Noor, his mosque in Wappingers Falls.

Bishop Pelotte moved to Houston hospital to be near his brother

WASHINGTON – Bishop Donald E. Pelotte of Gallup, N.M., has been moved to a Houston hospital closer to where his brother lives, after spending more than two weeks in a Phoenix hospital recovering from injuries he said he sustained in a fall at his home July 22. In an Aug. 9 posting on the diocesan Web site, Deacon Timoteo Lujan, chancellor, said Bishop Pelotte was transferred the day before to Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center for ongoing treatment of traumatic head injuries.

Struggle by indigenous to regain land in Brazil is deadly serious

DOURADOS, Brazil – In Brazil, the struggle by indigenous people to regain their right to the land once inhabited by their ancestors is deadly serious. Ortiz Lopes, a member of the Guarani Kaiowa indigenous group who was murdered by a gunman July 8, was the 20th Guarani leader killed so far this year in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, according to the Catholic Church’s Indigenous Missionary Council, known by its Portuguese acronym as CIMI.

Faith-based investors say proposed rule could gut rights

WASHINGTON – In the 10 years since John Wilson joined Christian Brothers Investment Services, the number of shareholder resolutions filed by the socially responsible investment firm has decreased and the number of resolutions withdrawn after being introduced has increased.

Why the flip side of the coin?

It was with heartfelt anguish that I read the cartoon (CR, July 26).

God: Trinity or personal savior

I was watching EWTN’s “Journey Home” program last night (July 30, 2007) featuring a panel of three former Pentecostal preachers who had converted to Catholicism. After much praise of Pentecostal individuals and depth of devotion, they went on to present their criticisms.

Missionaries of Charity embrace the poor and sick

On a sweltering August morning, Matthew Walinsky leaves the sanctuary of the AIDS hospice at St. Wenceslaus, Baltimore, where he resides, to volunteer around the corner at the Missionaries of Charity summer Bible camp. Though he appears robust, the 50-year-old former altar boy from St. Jane Frances de Chantal, Pasadena, suffers from a host of AIDS-related health problems that make the vigorous unpaid volunteer sessions a taxing labor of love. “The sisters have been so good to me and have set such a great example of the amount of work we can all do if we have the will, that I’m more than happy to help out,” said Mr. Walinsky, referring to the six Missionaries of Charity who run several free programs in the community.

Group hopes education helps undercut violence in Darfur

NYALA, Sudan – An ecumenical relief organization working in Sudan’s Darfur region is hoping to undercut violence by educating displaced people about human rights and peace. For instance, the organization – Darfur Emergency Response Operation – has helped displaced women build more efficient cooking stoves, lessening the number of trips they have to make out of the camps to forage for firewood – journeys that often result in rape by Arab militia members. After police failed to respond to the women’s complaints about rape, the ecumenical organization began educating women about their rights, while training local paralegal committees to accompany the women when they go to the police to report the assaults.

Pope’s meeting with priest does not affect Jewish relations