William Hemsworth's Blog, page 19

LEGO to release Notre Dame de Paris model in June

Notre Dame de Paris is on track to meet its scheduled reopening in time for Christmas 2024, but every one of us will soon have a chance to rebuild the iconic cathedral with LEGO blocks. This June, LEGO has planned to release an official architectural set for Paris’ beloved Notre Dame. Far from the painful-to-step-on […]

LEGO to release Notre Dame de Paris model in June

Two priests kidnapped from parish rectory in Nigeria

By Jude Atemanke ACI Africa, Feb 6, 2024 / 11:00 am A religious missionary order in Nigeria is appealing for the safe release of two of its members who were abducted from a parish rectory on Feb. 1. In a statement issued Feb. 2, Father Dominic Ukpong, the provincial secretary of the Congregation of Missionaries […]

Two priests kidnapped from parish rectory in Nigeria

The Augustine Institute and Catholic Sprouts Team Up to Release a New Show Empowering Catholic Parents to Evangelize Their Children

Denver, CO, January 31, 2024—The future of the worldwide Catholic Church is in the hands of today’s Catholic parents… and no one is more keenly aware of it than those parents themselves. During Catholic Schools Week, the Augustine Institute and Catholic Sprouts honor children’s primary educators in the faith—their moms and dads—with a new six-episode series. The Catholic Parent is designed to encourage and empower parents on their quest to hand on the Catholic faith to the next generation. 

“Parents are sometimes difficult to reach with resources and encouragement because they are busy raising children. With FORMED, we saw an opportunity to reach Catholic parents right where they are—in their own homes,” Nancy Bandzuch, founder of Catholic Sprouts, said.

Nancy Bandzuch is a Catholic mom dedicated to supporting other Catholic parents in their vocations. She founded Catholic Sprouts, an organization that provides educational and catechetical tools designed to assist parents in building their own domestic church. The Augustine Institute drew on the expertise of Catholic Sprouts and other acclaimed teachers of the Catholic faith to tell real stories about real parents trying to form their children well in the faith amid the messiness of life. With artful storytelling, relatable faith formation, and beautiful videography, The Catholic Parent promises to be a powerful viewing experience for parents.

“We want Catholic parents to see that they’re not alone and that there are others who are in the trenches of motherhood or fatherhood along with them, attempting to live God’s will for their lives,” Bandzuch said.

The makers of The Catholic Parent want viewers to walk away encouraged, edified, and with a few more tools to live Catholic family life to the fullest. With topics like Mass as a family, Confession, joyful giving, and making sacrifices, parents gain wisdom through shared experiences of handing on the treasure of the faith. Special appearances from theological experts facilitate a deeper understanding of how parents can communicate the Catholic faith to their family.

Each of the six episodes is 30 minutes long and focuses on one topic. Discussion questions and other resources are available for those watching The Catholic Parent in a small group setting. Other parish promotional materials are available at https://watch.formed.org/the-catholic-parent. The Catholic Parent is now streaming on FORMED.org and the FORMED app alongside the other high-quality Catholic content subscribers have come to trust since 2015.

Florida priest and his sister killed in shooting spree

From OSV News:  A retired Florida Catholic priest and his sister were killed in a multi-location rampage that also took the life of another man, left two police officers injured and ended with the death of the suspect. Father Robert Hoeffner and his sister, Sally Hoeffner, were found slain at a Palm Bay, Florida, residence […]

Florida priest and his sister killed in shooting spree

Future U.S. Military Leaders Join 51st Annual March for Life

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Dozens of future U.S. Army and Navy officers braved freezing temperatures, ice, wind, and snow in the Nation’s Capital on Friday to walk in the 51st annual March for Life—the second in a post-Roe America—along the National Mall. His Excellency, the Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio, J.C.D., Archbishop for the Military Services and President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), led the group of 40 cadets from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, NY, and 36 midshipmen from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, among others.

       The marchers included staff and clergy of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS), including the Rev. Monsignor Anthony R. Frontiero, Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia; Father Mark Rutherford, J.C.L., Judicial Vicar; and Father Curtiss P. Dwyer, LCDR, CHC, USN, 2nd Battalion Chaplain at the U.S. Naval Academy. The AMS delegation joined the march on Constitution Avenue near the National Archives where they traveled by public transportation after a noon Mass in the main chapel of the Edwin Cardinal O’Brien Pastoral Center, the AMS headquarters in Northeast Washington.

       In his homily Archbishop Broglio reflected on the day’s readings, the first of which was 1 Samuel 24:3-21 wherein David declines the opportunity to kill King Saul:

       “Today as we walk in testimony to the dignity of the human person, especially of the unborn, let us remember David’s example of respect. We must raise our voices and ensure the rights and the dignity of the defenseless. We must be the voice of the voiceless. But we do so with respect.

       “There are always those with other points of view, and in dialogue we must never forget that they are also created in the image and likeness of God. They too have a dignity. Sometimes in the midst of the shouting there is a tendency to forget that fact and identify the error with the person who is mistaken. Remember that Jesus calls sinners to repentance. He calls each one of us to be the best we can be. But He also ate with the sinners and He eats with us….

       “I firmly believe that the violence in our society, the criminality, the mass shootings, and the inability to sustain civil discourse can find a root cause in the disrespect for the unborn. If the defenseless child in her mother’s womb can be snuffed out, then why not someone else who blocks my way. Or has what I want….”

       His Excellency noted, “My first participation in a March for Life was in 1978 as a recently-ordained priest. It was also in the snow,” drawing chuckles from the congregation. He added, “We should not be daunted. We renew our commitment to insert this notion of respect for the other in everything that we do.”

       Tens of thousands of pro-lifers from around the country took part in the peaceful procession on the one-mile route from near the Washington Monument to the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court, where the Justices in June 2022 overturned Roe v. Wade (1973) with their decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, ending a “constitutional right” to abortion in America. The theme of this year’s March for Life was “With every woman, for every child,” focusing on the need to care for both mother and child during the nine months of pregnancy and in the years after. Speakers included U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), who told marchers he was born as the result of a surprise pregnancy when his parents were teenagers; Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ), Focus on the Family President and CEO Jim Daly, and former NFL tight end Benjamin Watson.

Report: 33 churches in Canada destroyed by fire since May 2021

Catholic News Agency, Joe Bukuras: Arson attacks against churches in Canada are on the rise, according to a Canadian news outlet, which reported that since May 2021, 33 churches in Canada have been burned down to the ground. The outlet, CBC News, reported that 24 of those devastating fires were intentionally set, while two were determined […]

Report: 33 churches in Canada destroyed by fire since May 2021

Couple to Couple League Rolls Out Revelation90

Cincinnati, OH, January 10, 2024 – Couple to Couple League, the premier provider of Natural Family Planning resources just launched Revelation90, a 90 day course where women take a deep dive into their wellness habits to reveal their healthiest, happiest selves. Drawing on the expertise of program partners SoulCore and Temple+Table, Revelation90 provides a holistic answer to the persistent health problems that women face today. The inaugural Revelation90 challenge will kick off on Ash Wednesday, February 14, and end 90 days later on the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, May 13.

Katie Zulanas, Executive Director of Couple to Couple League, says Revelation90 is the answer to a problem that the Couple to Couple League has observed for years. “Working with hundreds of thousands of women in helping them learn about and understand their fertility, we have unfortunately seen a disturbing trend of cycles becoming more irregular,” Zulanas said. “A woman’s cycle is an extremely accurate indicator of overall health. Revelation90 will not only give you great insight into your health, it will give you the tools needed to design a happier, healthier, smarter lifestyle.”

Amidst the throng of diet and exercise programs out there for women, Couple to Couple League wants to use their aptitude for teaching to offer something truly unique – something that was focused on the health of the woman’s mind, body, and soul – not necessarily just a woman’s physique. 

“When it comes to your health, it truly is what’s on the inside that counts,” Zulanas said. “We are not only interested in helping women look healthy; we want a woman’s health to be evident in every aspect of her life – physically, spiritually and mentally,” Zulanas said. “Becoming the authority of your own fertility and health will benefit you throughout your life.”

That’s why Revelation90 not only comes with a premium subscription to the PeakDay app for cycle tracking, but it also comes with resources from SoulCore to create habits of body-positive physical activity and nutrition webinars and cooking classes from Temple+Table. Participants will be encouraged to chart their biomarkers each day and join in the daily Angelus prayer.  Then they will use the resources provided to design a program based on personal goals.  Participants receive all of the resources needed to complete these four tasks including a personal journal, access to CCL’s PeakDay app, community support through an online platform, nutrition strategies and cooking classes as well as prayers and exercise routines.

Participants can enroll in Revelation90 at revelation90.org. Course cost is $40. 

Box of lost keepsakes may offer breakthrough for U.S. sainthood cause

By Our Sunday Visitor, January 10, 2024 (OSV News) — A Wisconsin Catholic hopes his discovery of long-lost keepsakes of Joseph Dutton can help further the sainthood cause of the layman who ministered to people with leprosy in Hawaii alongside St. Damien de Veuster and St. Marianne Cope. This past June, Steve Skelly, of Janesville, found long-lost […]

Box of lost keepsakes may offer breakthrough for U.S. sainthood cause

‘Come, Let Us Adore Him’ Is Not Just a Christmas-Time Lyric

If you were to hear, “Come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord,” you most likely would assume it is the month of December, as you recall these as lyrics coming from the famous Christmas-time hymn, “O Come, All Ye Faithful.” However, adoring our Lord is not supposed to be resigned to just the four…

‘Come, Let Us Adore Him’ Is Not Just a Christmas-Time Lyric

Vatican official: Time to ‘discuss seriously’ a married priesthood

Details:  The Church should look into revising its rules to allow Catholic priests the option to get married, Archbishop Charles Scicluna told Times of Malta. The time is ripe to “discuss the issue seriously” and “take decisions on it”, he said, adding that he has already openly spoken about it at the Vatican, but acknowledged it […]

Vatican official: Time to ‘discuss seriously’ a married priesthood