Page 1775 – Archdiocese of Baltimore

WASHINGTON – After decades of being the behind-the-scenes – and consistently off-the-record – point man for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in lobbying on Capitol Hill, Frank Monahan seemed simultaneously tantalized by and wary at the prospect of talking openly with a reporter about the work he did for 36 years.

Dank dungeon for common criminals

VATICAN CITY – For the first time in a decade, summer tourists could make their way down steep stone steps deep into the dark, dank interior of a papal fortress and crawl into prison cells that housed countless common criminals as well as Rome’s errant elite. The 1,900-year-old Castel Sant’Angelo, which stands near the Tiber River, was built as a mausoleum for the Emperor Hadrian, then was converted into a fortress by medieval popes. At times, the turreted castle served as a refuge for beleaguered and besieged pontiffs and as a high-security prison.

African clergy celebrate unity, diversity of work in U.S.

CLARK, N.J. – Calling for unity among African missionaries and religious in the United States, a New Jersey pastor welcomed “those worthy ambassadors from the African soil” at the eighth annual convention of the African Conference of Catholic Clergy and Religious in the United States.

Campaign for Human Development provides a way out

As Our Lady of Pompei, Highlandtown, parishioner Paula Cisneros talked Aug. 23 about learning the English language and working to create a safer neighborhood, she noted that she and other members of the Latino group Proyecto Esperanza are not alone.

Body of first bishop of Mississippi exhumed in Baltimore

The first Bishop of Mississippi recently made his final trip from Baltimore to Natchez, Miss. – 155 years after he died in Maryland. Born in Baltimore Oct. 4, 1795 to refugees of St. Domingue (now Haiti), Bishop John J. Chanche, S.S., was ordained a priest in the city in 1819, became the president of St. Mary’s College on Paca St. in 1834, was named the first bishop of the Diocese of Natchez – the original diocese of Mississippi – by Pope Gregory XVI in 1841.

Booming oil industry spurs Catholic Church’s growth

WASHINGTON – The Catholic Church in the western Asian nation of Kazakhstan is facing unprecedented growth spurred by the country’s burgeoning economy and an influx of foreigners working in the oil industry.

Caribbean Catholics stress need for solidarity

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – “God is good,” Caribbean speaker Gerard Granado called out Aug. 17 during the second national convention of Caribbean Catholics of North America. “All the time,” participants answered in unison.

Peruvians begin to put tragedy behind

ICA, Peru – The evening before his 12th birthday, Denis Sulca stood near the end of a line of more than 100 children, hoping for a ration of milk. Eight days earlier, Aug. 15, a magnitude 8 earthquake destroyed the adobe house where his family lived in a shantytown in this city of about 300,000 people on Peru’s southern coast. “We’re sleeping in a tent in the street,” said Denis, the oldest of six children. “My little brothers are sick.”

Catholic groups sign on for safe water

WASHINGTON – A dozen Catholic organizations have joined other religious groups in calling for U.S. leadership to increase access to safe water for the world’s people. “Water is a gift from God to be preserved and shared for the benefit of all people and the wider creation,” said the Religious Working Group on Water’s statement, “Water for All.”

Vatican confirms pope will meet with Israeli president

VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI is scheduled to meet with Israeli President Shimon Peres at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, a Vatican official confirmed to Catholic News Service Aug. 24.

Bauer to coach Cavs, Sexton pitches to victory

Archbishop Spalding High School, Severn, announced the appointment of Andrew Bauer as their new head varsity boys’ basketball coach. Bauer, a longtime junior varsity head coach and varsity assistant to Pat Clatchey of Mount St. Joseph High School in Irvington, will bring a wealth of experience, a history of success, and a tradition of winning basketball, among his strengths as a coach. Bauer knows the strength of the competition in the MIAA, and will likely provide solid leadership for the Cavaliers’ basketball program.

Friar runners pay tribute to our troops and our country