Page 1861 – Archdiocese of Baltimore

TOLEDO, Ohio – Like moviegoers everywhere, the 100-plus people who filled the auditorium at WGTE-TV in Toledo on a recent evening were looking forward to the show – complete with popcorn and beverages. But this was no ordinary “night at the movies.” It was the result of two years’ work and a partnership between Toledo’s public television and the eight congregations of women religious who serve in the area. The crowd gathered Jan. 17 for the premiere of “Hearts Afire,” a 30-minute made-for-PBS TV program which showcases the histories, contributions and contemporary lives of Catholic sisters who have been a part of the Toledo scene for more than 160 years. The program was broadcast to the public the following night at 8 p.m. as part of the station’s regular lineup.

Expressing love during the season of Lent

Lent is a time of prayer, a time of penance and a time for sacrificing to draw closer to Jesus and his ultimate sacrifice, said Father James Farmer, pastor of St. Ursula, Parkville, while sitting in his corner office reflecting on how his parishioners and Catholics everywhere can make the most out of the Lenten season. The season of Lent runs from Ash Wednesday, Feb. 21 through Holy Thursday, April 5 in the Latin rite of the Catholic Church. “Lent is a special season of the liturgical year, were we focus upon the love Jesus has for each of us,” said Father Farmer. “We know that love is proven in sacrifice. We focus upon the sacrifice Jesus made to bring us to salvation.”

Grease helps loosen rivalry among schools

Scattered throughout the auditorium of The Cardinal Gibbons School, Baltimore, students from Mount de Sales Academy, Catonsville; Institute of Notre Dame, Baltimore; The Seton Keough High School; Cardinal Gibbons; and Mount St. Joseph High School, Irvington, practiced their lines, dance moves and songs. When dressed in costume, no one could tell which student was from which school and that’s the way the Five Corners Theatre Group likes it. On Feb. 15 -18 the stage at Cardinal Gibbons will light up and the sounds of familiar songs like, “You’re the One that I Want,” Hopelessly Devoted” and “We’ll Always be Together,” will ring in the audience’s ears as they watch “Grease” come alive. “This is most of the group’s last show, and we want to go out with a bang,” said Brooke Wheeler, a sophomore at Seton Keough and costume designer for the show.

Pope says life will be judged on acts of charity

VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI said people’s lives will be judged not on the basis of abstract ideals but on the concrete acts of charity. In a Feb. 10 talk to Italian volunteer groups that provide medical assistance and blood donation programs, the pope said the organizations were helping to spread the “Gospel of God’s love for all people.” Citing the Gospel of St. Matthew, he recalled that when Christ spoke of the last judgment he said people would be asked whether they fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, welcomed the stranger and opened their hearts to the needy.

Debt cancellation, relief still a top issue

WASHINGTON – In January, as many of the world’s political movers and shakers met in Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum, thousands of would-be societal movers and shakers met in Nairobi, Kenya, for the seventh World Social Forum.

Protect poor in acting on global warming, bishop says

WASHINGTON – Congress should heed the warnings of a recent report on global warming, with priority given to how climate change will affect the poor, the chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on International Policy urged. In a Feb. 7 letter to congressional leaders, Bishop Thomas G. Wenski of Orlando, Fla., said the recently released report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has clearly and compellingly outlined the case for urgent action to address the potential consequences of climate change.

Catholic Maryland voters shift to GOP?

At a time when Catholics nationwide seem to be returning to their Democratic roots, Catholic voters in Maryland are increasingly casting their ballots for Republican candidates. According to CNN exit polls, Maryland Catholics solidly favored the Republican candidates for governor and U.S. senator in November’s election.

Loyola winning streak continues

It was just another day at the office for the Loyola Blakefield swim team, or was it?
After finishing the regular season with a record of 5-0, the defending champion, Loyola Dons traveled to McDonogh School, Owings Mills, Feb. 10 for the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association’s Swimming Championships.

A 3-2 Maryvale win deflates five-time defending champion IND

Before the start of the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland indoor soccer championship game Feb. 9, Maryvale Preparatory School, Brooklandville, athletic director, Terri Moeser walked into the Clarence Du Burns Arena, Canton, carrying the IAAM B Conference Traveling Championship Bowl secured last season. When he left, the athletic director was carrying the Traveling Championship Bowl for the A Conference.

Nineteen parishes in Baltimore hold regular Spanish Masses

With a consistent congregation of more than 100 each week, a two-month pilot program offering a weekly Spanish Mass at St. Michael the Archangel, Overlea has become a permanent fixture on the parish’s schedule.

Vatican’s No. 2 man keeps high public profile

VATICAN CITY – Listening to an early morning talk show on the radio one recent morning, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone grew annoyed as callers complained about the Vatican’s “silence” on soccer violence. So the Vatican’s secretary of state picked up the phone and soon found himself on the air, giving listeners an earful. Cardinal Bertone pointed out that Pope Benedict XVI, the Vatican newspaper and the cardinal himself had all condemned the recent killing of a policeman at a soccer match – and said if people didn’t know that, they weren’t paying attention. He added that it was a huge mistake to suggest, as some listeners had done, that the pope was somehow detached from the concerns of average people.

U.S. urged to stop Marianas trafficking