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As support from parishes and schools in the Archdiocese of Baltimore continues to help relief efforts in violence-riddled North Sudan, a Catholic Relief Services representative working in that country urged local Catholics to endorse United Nations aid. “The Catholic population has been extremely generous throughout this conflict,” said Mark Snyder, a CRS field representative stationed in Khartoum, who was in the organization’s headquarters in Baltimore for a press call Jan. 10. “But, we need the people here to lobby their political representatives for more U.N. support and to insure funding, so our programs won’t fade away.”

The Cardinal Gibbons School, Baltimore, mourns the loss of yet another member of their school community – 49-year-old former head basketball coach and athletic director Bob Flynn died of a massive heart attack in his Catonsville home Jan. 12. Flynn was rushed to St. Agnes Hospital, Catonsville, where he later died, just a stone’s throw from his high school alma mater and coaching dream.

WASHINGTON. (CNS) – A federal judge in Louisville, Ky., has denied a Vatican request to dismiss a sex abuse lawsuit seeking damages from the Holy See. U.S. District Judge John G. Heyburn II ruled Jan. 11 that U.S. bishops and priests are employees of the Vatican within the terms of the Federal Sovereign Immunity Act.

WASHINGTON – An increase in the federal minimum wage, its proponents would argue, is not only an idea whose time has come, but an idea whose time had come long ago. The minimum wage was last increased in 1997. The 10-years-and-counting gap between increases is the longest since the minimum wage was instituted in 1938. Its purchasing power also has dropped. According to Catholic Charities USA, it’s now equal to $3.95 in 1995 dollars – when the minimum wage was $4.25.

When Tom Kinstle of Homeland retired from Lockheed Martin in 2002 and joined his wife’s Timonium-based design business, he wasn’t worried that too much togetherness would cause conflicts at work or at home. “I dabble here,” the 73-year-old Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, Homeland parishioner said. “It’s Ruth’s business.” That statement caused his youthful-looking 60-year-old wife to erupt in laughter and then wag her finger at him. “Wait a minute,” Ms. Kinstle playfully protested. “I don’t know that I like the tone of that. It sounds like you want to spend more time on the golf course. You can’t quit on me.”

Erica and Sean Kerchner are a military couple who have been married for three years and at the moment find it hard to spend quality time together. Mr. Kerchner has been training with the U.S. Navy in Norfolk, Va. for four months while his wife stays with her parents in Silver Spring. Mrs. Kerchner said her husband comes to visit on the weekends and it is important for them to find time just for themselves in between visiting friends and family. They try to set aside one night to go out to dinner or a movie, “nothing really fancy,” she said. She said if they can’t have a full night together they will make sure to set a few hours aside to go up a local pizza place or just talk.

Ruth Harrison of Churchville has visited famous churches throughout Europe and found her January tour of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary to be among the best – made especially unique by the historical knowledge imparted by volunteer docent Frank Twardzik. The retired radiologist from Howard County, and his wife Barbara Twardzik, are among 50 volunteers who give guided tours of the newly restored Baltimore landmark and church leaders are ready to recruit additional men and women to join the Basilica’s legion of docents.

Bishop Denis J. Madden, urban vicar, presented the Archdiocesan Medal of Honor to three parishioners of St. William of York, Baltimore, during a Jan. 7 Mass at the parish concelebrate by Father Martin Demek, pastor. The recognition is bestowed to clergy, religious and laity for their outstanding service to the archdiocese and their respective parishes or institutions. The medal is imbedded in lucite with the coat of arms of the archdiocese on one side and on the other flames of fire representing the Holy Spirit and the words, “love, service, disciple.”

Idalia Peraza should not have lived past the age of 20. Over the last 36 years Ms. Peraza, a developmentally disabled woman from Honduras, has been suffering from a common congenital heart defect called Tetralogy of Fallot. When Ms. Peraza was born she had a hole in her heart causing her to literally turn blue when the blood crossed through the hole without entering the lungs. For years Ms. Peraza has been suffering with nausea and breathlessness. A few months ago she started having terrible fevers, vomiting and chest pain. Her sister, Mercedes Ruiz whom she lives with, took her to see Midatlantic cardiologist, Dr. Stacy Fisher who diagnosed her heart problem.