Page 1807 – Archdiocese of Baltimore

WASHINGTON – Pope Benedict XVI has accepted the resignation of Archbishop Thomas C. Kelly of Louisville, Ky., and named Bishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Knoxville, Tenn., to succeed him. The changes were announced June 12 by Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States. Archbishop Kelly, a Dominican who turns 76 on July 14, has been a bishop since 1977 and head of the Louisville Archdiocese since 1982. Archbishop Kurtz, a 60-year-old priest of the Diocese of Allentown, Pa., was named bishop of Knoxville Oct. 26, 1999.

British cardinal urges Muslims to join Catholics in fight for freedom

LONDON – A British cardinal said Muslims should join Catholics in fighting for “genuine religious freedom.”

St. Katharine Drexel named a parish

Cardinal William H. Keeler has recognized St. Katharine Drexel in Frederick as its own independent parish. The news was announced June 10.

Parish youth contacts received education in child sexual abuse

As part of the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s ongoing efforts to promote a safe environment for children, the Office of Child and Youth Protection met with parish youth contacts June 6 at Church of the Resurrection, Ellicott City, to discuss youth protection policies.

Bush, Catholic community discuss poverty, war, Iraqi Christians

ROME – U.S. President George W. Bush praised the Catholic lay Community of Sant’Egidio for being part of an “international army of compassion” that helps the poor.

Immigration bill stalled, not dead, backers say

WASHINGTON – With the June 7 failure of a procedural vote intended to bring the bill to a vote, the Senate’s attempt to pass comprehensive immigration reform will go back behind the scenes, though the bill’s backers in both parties vowed to bring it to the floor again.

Father Bak, ‘pioneer’ in diaconate, dies

George P. Matysek Jr.

Local News, News, Obituaries

Father Bernard S. Bak, one of the first permanent deacons ordained in the United States who later became a priest for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, died in his Dundalk home June 8. He was 85. A funeral Mass was offered June 11 at St. Casimir in Canton, the parish in which Father Bak grew up and where he served as a deacon after his 1971 ordination. Father Bak also served as a deacon at Christ the King in Dundalk. After his wife of 35 years, Antoinette Stefanowicz, died in 1984, Father Bak petitioned the archdiocese to become a priest. He studied at St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Roland Park and was ordained a priest in 1988.

Childhood obesity: A growing problem in the U.S.

About 15 percent of children living in the United States between the ages of 10 and 18 can be classified as obese, said Dr. Robert Ancona, the head of pediatrics at St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson.

College of Notre Dame launches program in Panama

College of Notre Dame of Maryland, Baltimore, now offers its master of arts in teaching program in Panama.

Pope, Bush discuss wide range of issues, including Christians in Iraq

UPDATED VATICAN CITY – Meeting for the first time, Pope Benedict XVI and U.S. President George W. Bush spoke about the precarious situation of Christians in Iraq and a wide range of other foreign policy and moral issues. The pope and president looked relaxed as they greeted each other and spoke briefly before reporters before their 35-minute private encounter June 9. Bush later held a separate 40-minute meeting with the Vatican’s top foreign policy officials.

Papal patience causes chafing among some Vatican bureaucrats, media

VATICAN CITY – More than two years into his pontificate, Pope Benedict XVI has proven to be a very patient decision-maker – so patient that even some of his Vatican bureaucrats are chafing a little.

Monsignor Auer celebrates 50 years as a priest