Page 1879 – Archdiocese of Baltimore

In the Hispanic culture, the Epiphany is almost as important as Christmas. It is the day when the three kings traveled far from home to visit a newborn baby, in the City of Bethlehem. For the past four years, Woodmont Academy, Cooksville, Spanish teacher Patricia Stack has been helping to educate students from pre-kindergarten to third grade about this joyous event as they learn about the Hispanic culture. This year she organized holiday festivities for her 150 students from Jan. 4-5.

Scouting helps youths discern vocations

IRVING, Texas (CNS) — Participating in Boy Scouts is a great way for youths to meet people in all walks of life and help them discern their own vocations, says Monsignor John B. Brady, a 65-year veteran of Scouting. In an interview with Scouting, a family magazine published by the Boy Scouts of America, Monsingor Brady said jamborees — nine-day national or international gatherings of Scouts and their leaders — provide opportunities for vocational discernment “not equaled in any other environment.”

Current events spark interest of homeless

Aaron Wiggins may be homeless, but it doesn’t mean he isn’t interested in discussing current events. Mr. Wiggins is among the six to 10 individuals who come weekly to St. Vincent de Paul’s Beans & Bread Outreach Center in Fells Point, ready to discuss the issues of the day. “A lot of the missions and shelters in the city don’t want you to be near their building until they are ready to let you in for the night, because the neighbors don’t want to look at us,” Mr. Wiggins said. “They want us to be invisible, like we don’t exist. At least here…, at this group, I don’t feel like I’m invisible. I feel like what I have to say matters.”

Retreat helps men discern calling to priesthood

As David Tolar sat in the sun-filled lobby of St. Mary’s Seminary and University, Roland Park, the son of a Baptist father and Lutheran-baptized mother reflected on how far he has come in his journey to Catholicism and possibly the priesthood. Mr. Tolar joined three other men chosen by their pastors and pastoral life directors to attend the annual Discernment Retreat on Diocesan Priesthood Dec. 28-29 at the seminary. During the invitation-only event begun by Cardinal William H. Keeler 10 years ago, the men have the opportunity to get to know seminarians, Father Gerard Francik, director of vocations for the archdiocese and the cardinal on a one-on-one basis as they seriously consider their call to the priesthood.

Archbishop takes over despite helping communists

OXFORD, England (CNS) — Archbishop Stanislaw Wielgus has become the new head of the Warsaw Archdiocese, despite findings by a church commission that he collaborated with Poland’s former communist secret police. “From the material presented, it seems various bad intentions and attitudes about the church are being attributed to me,” Archbishop Wielgus said in a Jan. 5 statement. “This is a falsification. There is absolutely no documentation to prove it, beyond the words of functionaries who viewed my person and the whole issue in their own way. “I never betrayed Christ and his church in deeds, words or intentions. I never inflicted any harm on anyone,” the bishop said.

Catholic officials back advice to end death penalty

TRENTON, N.J. (CNS) — Catholic officials have praised the recommendation by a New Jersey panel that the state abolish the death penalty in favor of life imprisonment without parole. The New Jersey Death Penalty Study Commission, created in 2005, submitted its findings Jan. 2 to Gov. Jon S. Corzine. In their report commission members said they did not find compelling evidence in support of capital punishment and also found that it costs taxpayers more than it does to incarcerate prisoners for life. The commission voted 12-1 in opposition of the death penalty and said capital punishment is “inconsistent with evolving standards of decency, serves no legitimate penological purpose such as deterrence or retribution and is not worth the risk of making an irreversible mistake.”

Current events spark interest of homeless

Ambassadors to Vatican have diverse backgrounds

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — At first glance, the ambassadors accredited to the Vatican seem to be a group of elegant, older men gracefully ending their diplomatic careers in a posting filled with pomp and circumstance. The suits with tails, the swords, the plumed hats, sashes and medals highlight the formality of public occasions and the long tradition of nations sending envoys to the Vatican, said Giovanni Galassi, dean of the Vatican diplomatic corps and San Marino’s ambassador to the Holy See. “But we also must have something real to say; we must serve the world in some way,” Galassi said Jan. 3, the 20th anniversary of the day he presented his credentials as ambassador to Pope John Paul II.

Catholics honor Baltimore’s homeless at memorial

Wearing a black tattered coat, gloves with a hole in the left palm and a knit skull cap, a homeless woman calling herself Miss L.A. shed a tear as Baltimore City political leaders called out the names of her fellow street dwellers who died in the past year. The 16th Homeless Persons’ Memorial Service held Dec. 21 at Baltimore’s War Memorial Plaza, drew about 200 candle-holding spectators and gave Miss L.A. ample opportunity to beg for change.

MCC has high hopes for new legislature

ANNAPOLIS – With the Jan. 10 start of the 423rd session of the Maryland General Assembly, leaders of the Maryland Catholic Conference have high hopes the new legislature and the newly-elected governor will give attention to issues they believe have been neglected in recent years. Chief among them are a long-sought repeal of the death penalty, an expansion of programs benefiting the poor, the establishment of a business tax credit to help nonpublic schools and a ban on human cloning. The political lobbying arm of Maryland’s Catholic bishops will also seek $1 million for a new program aiding women in crisis pregnancies and a restoration of funding to the textbook/technology loan program for students in nonpublic schools. Although Gov.-elect Martin J. O’Malley will inherit a $1.3 billion surplus when the Democratic mayor of Baltimore leaves City Hall for Annapolis Jan. 17, long-term structural deficits are projected for coming years as the gap between revenues and spending is expected to widen. That will mean MCC leaders will spend much of their time convincing lawmakers to spare the poor and vulnerable from the budget-cutting ax.

Fire causes serious damage to Grantsville church

St. Ann, Grantsville, pastor Father James Hannon, associate pastor Father Ty Hullinger, and parishioners Camilla and David Rawe stood for some time in shock Dec. 23 as they watched dozens of firefighters battle an early-morning fire at the nearly 30-year-old Garrett County church. No one was injured in the blaze, which caused thousands of dollars in damage, destroying a portion of the church. “The part of the parish plant that was used for religious education, meeting space, sacristy and liturgy space was heavily damaged by the fire,” said Father Hannon, who has served as pastor for six months. “Books, vestments, computers and many liturgical items were lost to the fire.”

Nigerian priest decries racism in America