Page 1838 – Archdiocese of Baltimore

Within the last several years, a wave of Catholic school closings has hit several big cities. In 2005 alone, the archdioceses of Chicago and Detroit each closed 18 schools and the Diocese of Brooklyn closed 19 schools. The Archdiocese of Baltimore closed or consolidated 10 schools over the last several years, and the Diocese of Rochester, N.Y., closed or merged 11. To prevent more schools from shutting their doors, many dioceses are looking at alternative approaches to Catholic education. The days are long gone when schools were strictly parish-based institutions that relied on women religious, priests and brothers to serve as teachers and staff.

Hundreds expected at Holy Rosary

Busloads of Catholics seeking absolution are expected to flock to Holy Rosary, Fells Point, April 15 for its annual Divine Mercy Sunday Mass and chaplet. As the official Archdiocesan Shrine of Divine Mercy, Holy Rosary has been host to hundreds of Catholics from Maryland and throughout the Mid-Atlantic states for the service the Polish parish has been celebrating since 1993 – seven years before Pope Paul II proclaimed the Sunday following Easter Divine Mercy Sunday.

Trappistine monastery to be focus of new show

DUBUQUE, Iowa – Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey, near Dubuque, is known for the lives of prayer the Trappistine Sisters lead there and for the delicious caramels they make. Now an even wider audience will get a glimpse into their lives. A four-part television series, “The Monastery,” filmed in Dubuque a year ago, will be shown on the TLC cable channel. It was to debut at 2 p.m. EDT on Easter, April 8, and continue for three more Sundays at the same time. Five women who answered a casting call were chosen to spend 40 days and nights in a women’s monastery somewhere in the United States. That “somewhere” turned out to be Our Lady of the Mississippi.

Use faith to help survive ‘the blitz’

WORCESTER, Mass. – California businessman Tom Brady Sr. didn’t come to the seventh annual Worcester Diocesan Men’s Conference to tell Hollywood-ready tales about a Super Bowl-winning son and a family leading perfect lives. He came to tell the truth – and to challenge area Catholic men to use their faith to deal with life’s pressures.

Work must not just be about productivity, but also charity

VATICAN CITY – The working world must not just be about competition and productivity; today’s workers must also make room for charity and defending human dignity, said Pope Benedict XVI. “Today more than ever it’s urgent and necessary” to live as Christians in the workplace and to become “apostles among workers,” the pope said. “Becoming more competitive and productive is not the only thing that matters,” he said in a message to young people. “Paying charitable witness” in the workplace and elsewhere is necessary, he said.

Volunteers help Oklahoma Benedictines

HULBERT, Okla. – With a crisp spring breeze in the air, more than 175 volunteers from throughout the southwestern United States came together March 10 to assist the Benedictine monks of Our Lady of Clear Creek Monastery near Hulbert in northeastern Oklahoma. The effort, which was organized by Tulsan Dan Doyle, assisted the monks with a number of construction and maintenance duties on the 1,050-acre ranch where they are building a monastery near Hulbert. When completed, the 70,000-square-foot monastery – including the monks’ residence and church – will cost an estimated $32 million.

Coalition fights on against assisted suicide

LOS ANGELES – Buoyed by the resounding defeat of an assisted suicide bill in Vermont March 21, opponents of AB 374 – the California Compassionate Choices Act – are stepping up statewide campaign efforts against the measure proposing the legalization of physician-assisted suicide. Members of Californians Against Assisted Suicide, a diverse coalition that includes medical professionals, disability rights groups, pro-life advocates and religious leaders, are actively lobbying legislators to reject AB 374.

Parishioner serves up special meals

Every third Tuesday of every month Arthur Jasmin and a few of his fellow parishioners from St. Gabriel, Woodlawn, feed the hungry in Baltimore City. For the last 15 years, Mr. Jasmin, 63, has been coordinator of the Our Daily Bread volunteers from the parish. To his surprise, he was asked to head the group of volunteers after the original coordinator stepped down. He had never worked with Our Daily Bread, and he didn’t have a lot of experience volunteering outside of the parish.

Community spirit at St. Benedict inspires couple

After six years of retirement in Florida, Dave and Phyllis Gemmell returned to Catonsville in 2002 to be closer to their children and grandchildren, and wound up as devoted volunteers for their adopted parish, St. Benedict in Baltimore. The couple says the community spirit in their parish is so strong, it inspires them to help out in any way they can.

Superintendent sees benefit of hosting NCEA convention

Serving as host of the National Catholic Educational Association’s 104th convention and exposition brings a lot of benefits to Baltimore, according to Dr. Ronald J. Valenti, superintendent of Catholic schools for the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Not only will the archdiocese get to showcase its rich educational history and experience April 10-13, Baltimore teachers will be able to learn from some of the top Catholic educators in the country.

Pope looks for bridge to tradition

VATICAN CITY – Sometime soon, Pope Benedict XVI is expected to broaden permission to use the Tridentine Mass, a long-standing request of traditionalists who favor the rite used before the Second Vatican Council. The move is aimed at ending a liturgical dispute which has simmered for more than 20 years. In the process, it could clarify how the pope intends to implement what he once described as a “liturgical reconciliation” in the modern church.

‘Grandma’ Dixon keeps on moving