Page 1700 – Archdiocese of Baltimore

The pressure was on for Steve Ryan to produce a great best man speech at the wedding of his good friend, Michael Williams. Mr. Williams had been Mr. Ryan’s best man more than a year earlier – delivering a stellar speech that guests remembered as funny, witty and touching.

CRS says agencies won’t evacuate amid rising tension

NAIROBI, Kenya – A church aid worker said Catholic aid agencies in Kenya will not evacuate their staff, but he expressed concern over the increasing insecurity across the country.

Youths gather to discuss keeping alive Holocaust memory

JERUSALEM – The murder of 6 million Jews by the Nazis is a human tragedy that must not be forgotten regardless of one’s religion or nationality, said several Catholic participants in the first International Youth Congress on the Holocaust.

Sister Dorothy Marie Hennessey, peace activist, dies

DUBUQUE, Iowa – Franciscan Sister Dorothy Marie Hennessey, a teacher turned activist who made national news at age 88 when she was sentenced to federal prison for trespassing at a Georgia military base, died Jan. 24 at the age of 94.

Canadian bishop addresses hearings on aboriginal schools

OTTAWA – One of seven Canadian bishops who met for the first time with the Assembly of First Nations’ national chief said he hopes the upcoming hearings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission will be balanced.

Aim of science to help not the same as respect for life

VATICAN CITY – The Catholic Church supports scientific research aimed at helping people, but the destruction of human embryos or their use as “biological material” demonstrates that a desire to help does not always coincide with respect for every human being, Pope Benedict XVI said.

Sainthood cause opened for founder of first black parish

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The process to declare a former Brooklyn pastor a saint has begun. The name of Monsignor Bernard Quinn, founding pastor of St. Peter Claver Parish in Bedford-Stuyvesant, the first parish established for black Catholics in the Brooklyn Diocese, will be sent to Rome to be considered for canonization.

Comrade makes it his “business” to stand by best friend

Usually 22-year-old Corey Fick has to lift his best friend Ryan Major out of a wheelchair and place him in bed at night. But lately, Mr. Major, 23, is capable of putting himself to bed, in spite of the fact that his legs and several fingers are missing – injuries sustained in the Iraq War as a squad leader in the U.S. Army. Mr. Fick recalled the first time his friend demonstrated this latest feat.

The newly restored historic Cemetery Chapel at St. Louis

Clarksville parish restores 1855 chapel

George P. Matysek Jr.

Local News, News

CLARKSVILLE – Only a few years ago, the quaint little chapel that served as the first church of St. Louis in Clarksville was on the verge of ruin. After decades of neglect, the historic house of worship was in a terrible state of disrepair, suffering structural weaknesses and cracked walls. At some point, a gaping hole had even been carved out of a wall to make room for tractors and lawn-care equipment that rested atop the chapel’s dirt floor.

Holy Family School reduces tuition costs

In an effort to encourage more parishioners to register their children at Holy Family School, Randallstown, Father Andrew S. Mohl, pastor, has announced a significant drop in the school’s tuition.

In St. Petersburg, churches are like museums

Time Magazine’s designation of Vladimir Putin as the person of the year for 2007 has served to spotlight one of the most beautiful cities in the world, St. Petersburg – where churches may function as museums and museums may function as churches.

The Holy See and Islam: the diplomatic dance continues