Page 1803 – Archdiocese of Baltimore

VATICAN CITY – The Vatican has issued a set of “Ten Commandments” for drivers, saying motor vehicles can be an “occasion of sin.” A document titled “Guidelines for the Pastoral Care of the Road” said driving can unleash road rage and other immoral behavior, including excess speed, reckless passing, cursing and just plain rudeness.

Papal preacher won’t lecture in Medjugorje after bishop nixes plan

MOSTAR, Bosnia-Herzegovina – The preacher of the papal household has withdrawn from plans to deliver a series of lectures in Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina, after the local bishop denied him permission to speak there. Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa, who has been the pope’s preacher since 1980, was to be the keynote speaker at the 12th International Seminar for Priests July 3-5 in Medjugorje, the site of thousands of alleged appearances of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Cardinal Keeler undergoes surgery

Shortly after undergoing brain surgery at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, June 18, Cardinal William H. Keeler was cracking jokes with a family member, a sign the procedure went well, officials from the Archdiocese of Baltimore said. Deacon Rod Mortel, director of the Office of the Propagation of the Faith for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, visited the cardinal in his hospital room June 19. “I was surprised to see him in such good shape just 24 hours after having surgery. He is doing very well,” said Deacon Mortel, a retired physician. “He was alert and in good spirits. He even got up and walked around, with a little help, of course.”

Gaza priest says nuns’ compound was ransacked, looted

JERUSALEM – The Gaza compound of the Rosary Sisters was ransacked and looted and sacred objects were destroyed during Palestinian infighting that led to the Hamas faction’s takeover of the Gaza Strip. Monsignor Manuel Musallam, pastor of Holy Family Parish in Gaza, said gunmen used rocket-propelled grenades to break down the doors of the compound, which is located some distance from the Holy Family Parish compound in the Tenalhawa section of Gaza. He estimated damages at more than $500,000. “This is more than vandalism,” he said. “They forced open the door and entered and destroyed everything. The even put the sisters’ beds on fire.”

Anti-racism training for Catholic leaders called historic step

WASHINGTON – In what one participant called “truly a moment of historical significance for the U.S. church,” two dozen leaders of national Catholic organizations recently gathered outside Washington for two and a half days of training on how to recognize and dismantle institutional racism.

Take truth, justice to the world’s streets, says Vatican document

VATICAN CITY – Truth, justice, charity and hope must be taken to the streets, lanes and alleyways crisscrossing the world’s cities and villages, said a new Vatican document.

Cumberland outreach helps clothe children

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CUMBERLAND – Standing next to piles of neatly folded children’s shirts and dainty toddler’s dresses hanging overhead on hangers, Ellie Mantheiy was pleased with the quantity and quality of the apparel. “It’s mostly used clothing donated by parishioners,” said Ms. Mantheiy, coordinator of the children’s clothing outreach program at St. Mary, Cumberland. “Some of it is brand new. Our parishioners are very generous.” The outreach program started about three years ago to help struggling parents throughout the community clothe their children. The church accepts donations of pants, shirts, dresses, jackets and more which are then distributed free of charge to anyone who needs them.

St. Margaret competes in Scholympics

Three teams of seventh-graders from St. Margaret School, Bel Air, competed in Scholympics, an annual academic competition held at Institute of Notre Dame, Baltimore.

Faith helps foster care student overcome odds

Living with eight different foster parents over the course of six years isn’t exactly a recipe for stability, but 18-year-old Morris Johnson didn’t let it hold him back. With strong support from Catholic educators and a deep faith in God, the young convert to Catholicism made it through Mother Seton Academy in Fells Point and graduated this June from Loyola Blakefield in Towson. He plans to study business at Goucher College in Towson this fall. A few days after receiving his high school diploma, Mr. Johnson said he is grateful for the opportunities he has received through his Catholic upbringing. He’s not sure where he would be today had he not attended Catholic schools, he said.

Our Lady of the Fields celebrate the feast of St. Anthony

The aroma of baked lasagna and homemade sauces wafted through the parish hall of Our Lady of the Fields, Millersville, June 16, as the parish celebrated the feast of St. Anthony with an Italian Festival. “It’s a good way to evangelize,” said Lisa Pitocco, coordinator of the event and a native Italian. “We get the Italians from all over to get together and even people who aren’t Italian come and experience the culture and good food.”

Mass-goers pray for Cardinal Keeler’s speedy recovery

As Cardinal William H. Keeler underwent surgery to remove excess fluid from his brain June 18, well wishers and fellow Catholics prayed for the 76-year-old Archbishop of Baltimore during a 12:10 p.m. Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Baltimore. Bishop W. Francis Malooly, western vicar and vicar general, told the congregation and members of the media who assembled for the service he had celebrated Mass with the cardinal earlier that morning and said the cardinal was optimistic about the outcome of the surgery at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore.

Pope meets Orthodox archbishop, calls for prayers for unity