Page 1883 – Archdiocese of Baltimore

Buoyed by Pope Benedict XVI’s successful visit to Turkey, Vatican officials began trying to gauge its long-term effect on ecumenical and Catholic-Muslim dialogue in other parts of the world. Would the rave reviews and upbeat headlines carry over into coming weeks and months? And in the case of Islam, would the pope’s outreach to a Muslim population on the edge of Europe make a similar impact in Arab and East Asian countries?

Christian dalits fast in India’s capital to protest for equal rights

Catholic laypeople have been fasting in India’s capital for nearly two weeks to end discrimination against Christian dalits, or low castes without equal rights.Franklin Thomas, coordinator of the National Council of Dalit Christians, spoke to Catholic News Service about the hunger protest. The activists are reigniting the demand for Christian rights while the Indian Parliament is in its winter session.

The graffiti is on the wall

Maryland citizens may drive by walls, buildings, bridges and other graffiti-covered structures every day and not think twice about the spray-painted messages. But for the Anne Arundel County Police Department, “the graffiti is on the wall” when it comes to area gangs.

St. Michael’s Creative Corner instills love of reading in the young

Maria “Gladys” Garcia believes the key to a good educational foundation can be found between the colorful covers of books, and she has found a corner in St. Michael’s Church where she can join other parents who read to their children.

Vivacious St. Mary’s minister shares special connection with teens

For Ginny Dauses, the 2,000 minutes included in her cell phone plan just aren’t enough. After all, the St. Mary High School, Annapolis, campus minister is constantly fielding calls from young people who want to say hello, see how she is doing, talk about their problems or ask what is on the schedule for the new God Uniting Students program.

Catholic Digest partners with National Council of Catholic Women

Catholic Digest and the National Council of Catholic Women have announced a partnership that they hope will both benefit the bottom line for the women’s organization and boost circulation for the magazine.

Faith, determination inspire St. Athanasius parishioners to open hearts, wallets

When fund-raising efforts to restore the old church at St. Athanasius, Curtis Bay began in 2005, life-long parishioner Helen Swinko imagined it would take years before she would see the place where she received her first Communion utilized

‘Hate eats you inside’: 95-year-old Holocaust survivor speaks at John Carroll

Georges Selzer stood naked in the snow when guards at the Auschwitz death camp in Nazi-occupied Poland tattooed a camp number on his left forearm: 101100. Standing at a podium more than six decades later, the 95-year-old Jewish Holocaust survivor calmly unbuttoned and rolled up his left sleeve to show some 30 students at The John Carroll School in Bel Air the deep purple digits that remain emblazoned on his body and in his soul.

1st Northeast Baltimore Spanish Mass attracts more than expected

Maria Santini of Parkville received an early Christmas present during her weekly visit to St. Michael the Archangel, Overlea. Dec. 3 – a Mass celebrated in her native Spanish language The Venezuelan-born parishioner of the church joined her two daughters and bilingual husband, along with more than 100 fellow Spanish-speaking Catholics, for the parish’s first Mass articulated in this language.

Vatican spokesman says pope did not ask Kissinger to be his adviser

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI does not have a foreign affairs advisory board, and he has not asked former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger to become one of his advisers, the Vatican spokesman said.

Court to hear case over federal backing of faith-based group funding

WASHINGTON (CNS) — The Supreme Court Dec. 1 agreed to review a case challenging the Bush administration’s support for federal funding for faith-based institutions.

Packing hope in a box