East Texas Catholic

By Joan Kurkowski-Gillen
Catholic News Service

GRANBURY, Texas (CNS) — “Overwhelmed.” That’s how relief volunteer Julie Lyssy described the families who sought shelter inside St. Frances Cabrini’s Family Life Center after a tornado ravaged their neighborhoods May 15.

A rescue worker combs through debris May 16 after tornadoes swept through the town of Granbury, Texas, late May 15. At least six people were killed and about 100 injured as three tornadoes ripped through a stretch of Texas near the Dallas-Fort Worth area , destroying a number of homes, authorities said. (CNS photo/Richard Rodriguez, Reuters)

The deadly funnel cloud, one of several tornadoes that ripped through parts of north Texas, killed six, injured more than 100, left seven missing and destroyed more than 50 homes and trailers in the Rancho Brazos subdivision. Injuries and damage were also reported in the nearby Pecan Plantation community.

Many of the affected — including some of the deceased — are members of St. Frances Cabrini Parish, 35 miles southwest of Fort Worth.

“The 15 to 20 people who came here last night knew there was nothing else they could do,” said Lyssy, the church’s communications spokesperson, who coordinated emergency outreach efforts with her husband, Thomas. “As soon as they realized they were safe, everyone turned to prayer.”

Storm victims formed two circles inside the parish hall. One group recited the rosary in English and the other in Spanish. The church’s pastor, Msgr. Juan Rivero, spent the night comforting visitors and offering a blessing when asked. (more…)

Read Full Post »

By Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis was scheduled to help the Pontifical Mission Societies of the United States broaden its reach around the world by unlocking a smartphone app.

During an audience with national directors of pontifical mission societies from around the world, the pope was set to launch the organization’s new Missio app from the Vatican May 17, sending news and content in eight languages.

News and information will be available in English, Spanish, Italian, German, French, Portuguese, Chinese and Arabic from Fides, the Vatican’s missionary news agency, and news.va. The app also includes videos from news.va and Catholic News Service. (more…)

Read Full Post »

By Catholic News Service

ST. PAUL, Minn. (CNS) — The “full social and legal effects” of state lawmakers’ decision to legalize same-sex marriage “will begin to manifest themselves in the years ahead,” said the Minnesota Catholic Conference.

“Today the Minnesota Senate voted to redefine marriage in Minnesota. The outcome, though expected, is no less disappointing,” the conference said in a statement.

The state Senate in a 37-30 vote gave final approval May 13 to a same-sex marriage bill. The state House passed the measure May 9. Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton said he would sign it May 14.

The law is to take effect Aug. 1, making Minnesota the 12th state to allow same-sex couples to marry. Earlier in May, Rhode Island and Delaware became the 10th and 11th states, respectively, to legalize same-sex marriage. (more…)

Read Full Post »

By Catholic News Service

PHILADELPHIA (CNS) — A Philadelphia jury May 13 found Dr. Kermit Gosnell guilty of murder in the deaths of three babies born alive during abortions and acquitted him of a fourth similar charge. He also was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the death by a drug overdose of a patient who had an abortion.

Gosnell, 72, was accused of snipping the spines of babies born alive during illegal late-term abortions. Pennsylvania law prohibits abortions after 24 weeks of gestation.

A few weeks earlier in the six-week trial, after the prosecution had rested its case, Judge Jeffrey Minehart of the Common Pleas Court, dismissed three other murder charges against Gosnell, saying they lacked evidence. (more…)

Read Full Post »

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The number of Catholics in the world and the number of bishops, priests, religious men and seminarians all increased in 2011, while the number of women in religious orders continued to decline, according to Vatican statistics.

The number of permanent deacons is showing “strong expansion” globally, but especially in Europe and the Americas, it said.

At the end of 2011, the worldwide Catholic population reached 1.214 billion, an increase of 18 million or 1.5 percent, slightly outpacing the global population growth rate, which was estimated at 1.23 percent, said a statement published May 13 by the Vatican press office. (more…)

Read Full Post »

By Mark Pattison Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON (CNS) — The Obama administration told a federal appellate court May 3 that it would not seek to block an injunction the court had granted in November that had allowed a Christian book publisher to not comply with the contraceptive-coverage mandate of the federal Department of Health and Human Services.

Tyndale House Publishers, based in Carol Stream, Ill., won the injunction Nov. 16 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. (more…)

Read Full Post »

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Two days after the head of the Vatican office overseeing religious life said he had not been consulted by the Vatican’s doctrinal office about a controversial investigation of American nuns, the two bodies affirmed their “common commitment” to reform of the U.S.-based Leadership Conference of Women Religious.

Brazilian Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz, prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, told an international gathering of sisters May 5 that his office had not been consulted about the doctrinal congregation’s investigation of the LCWR and he expressed hopes for “a dialogue, something which did not take place previously.” (more…)

Read Full Post »

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

ROME (CNS) — The Vatican-ordered revision of the statutes of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious will continue, but it must be accompanied with a real dialogue, which has been missing from the process, said Brazilian Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz, prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.

“It is not a matter of ‘We’re right and they’re wrong,’ but of believing it is possible to have a dialogue, something which did not take place previously,” the cardinal said May 5, in comments that were rare precisely because they questioned the working method of another Vatican official. He spoke after celebrating Mass with and answering questions from some 800 superiors of women’s religious orders from 76 countries. (more…)

Read Full Post »

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

Israeli President Shimon Peres hands a copy of the Scriptures in English and Hebrew to Pope Francis during a private meeting at the Vatican April 30. Peres officially invited the pope to Israel and left their meeting telling him, “I am expecting you in Jerusalem and not just me, but all the people of Israel.” (CNS photo/Ettore Ferrari, pool via Reuters)

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Israeli President Shimon Peres officially invited Pope Francis to Israel, telling the pope “the sooner you visit the better, as in these days a new opportunity is being created for peace, and your arrival could contribute significantly to increasing the trust and belief in peace.”

The Israeli president’s remarks were reported in a statement released by the Israeli Embassy to the Vatican after Peres met Pope Francis April 30.

The statement said Peres told Pope Francis about efforts to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, mentioning specifically the meeting April 29 in Washington between U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and the foreign ministers of the Arab League. Peres also told the pope that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas “is a genuine partner for peace,” the statement said.

Peres left the meeting at the Vatican telling the pope, “I am expecting you in Jerusalem and not just me, but all the people of Israel.”

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, told reporters, “The pope would be happy to go to the Holy Land,” although there are no concrete plans for the trip.

The Vatican said that during their half-hour private conversation, the pope and the president discussed “the political and social situation in the Middle East, where more than a few conflicts persist.” (more…)

Read Full Post »

By Catholic News Service

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (CNS) — A suspect was being held on $75,000 bond after being arrested following the stabbing of four worshippers at an Albuquerque parish near the end of Mass April 28.

The suspect, Lawrence Capener, 24, also had his hand lacerated in the scuffle following the initial attack.

Two stabbing victims remained hospitalized the day after the attack at St. Jude Thaddeus Church in Albuquerque. (more…)

Read Full Post »