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While leaders of the Maryland Catholic Conference were pleased that Gov. Martin J. O’Malley included money in his budget for nonpublic school students, they expressed deep disappointment that he boosted funding for embryonic stem cell research and did not support a proposed abortion alternatives program promoted by Cardinal William H. Keeler. Just one day after taking office, the governor unveiled his first budget Jan. 18 in Annapolis.

Throughout the evening, Seton Keough’s head indoor track and field coach Jim Lancaster stood 20 feet from the finish line and cheered for his team, event after event. He jumped, screamed and waved his arms as runners approached the finish line. He believed in his team the Seton Keough Gators.

Top-ranked Mount St. Joseph High School, Baltimore, cruised to another Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association’s Indoor Track and Field championship title Jan. 19 at Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex, Landover. This was the Gaels’ ninth title in 11 seasons, their first since 2005. After handily defeating their league competition by an average of 40 points every meet, the Gaels were focused on regaining the MIAA championship title, taken from them in 2005 by Archbishop Curley and in 2006 by McDonogh School. The Gaels, with 149 points, left nothing in question in 2007, outscoring second-place Gilman by 82 points and third-place Loyola Blakefield by 98 points.

When Marie Beck first started volunteering at Our Lady of Fatima School in Baltimore 16 years ago, her grandson always called her “grandmom” when he saw her on campus. Before long, other students began addressing Ms. Beck as their “grandmom,” too. The name stuck and that’s how Ms. Beck is now known by everyone from the preschoolers to the principal. Wearing a blue sweatshirt proclaiming her the “#1 Grandmom at Our Lady of Fatima,” Ms. Beck said she considers the title a tremendous honor.

WASHINGTON – Despite the fact abortion has been legal throughout the United States for 34 years, there are “reasons for rejoicing,” primarily because of lower abortion rates and increased public opposition to abortion, said Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia. Cardinal Rigali, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, was principal celebrant and homilist at a Jan. 21 Mass on the eve of the annual March for Life. It was held at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington.

Hundreds of Marylanders gazed at the colorful Tibetan prayer flags that bedecked Baltimore’s Renaissance Hotel for Catholic Charities annual dinner Jan. 19, celebrating the distinguished service of two of its employees, one of its volunteers and a school full of students who have provided the elderly with enthusiastic companionship. Catholic Charities executive director Harold A. Smith told the guests who packed the ballroom the white, red, green, yellow and blue Tibetan prayer flags were synonymous with the altruistic service all of the award recipients bestow upon the needy in Maryland. Just as the prayer flags “bless the air passing through them,” Mr. Smith said the honorees “share their wisdom, compassion… and hard work with the community.”

Stopping short of a merger, St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore and St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson are joining forces in a new strategic alliance hospital leaders say will improve quality and increase access to medical care in the Baltimore area and beyond. The partnership, called “Mission Health Partners,” will initially be made up of St. Agnes and St. Joseph, but officials hope it will expand to include other faith-based and secular hospitals with similar missions.