A married deacon cannot fully function within his ordained ministry unless his wife is truly one with him by supporting him in formation before ordination and after ordination in his ministry of altar, word and charity. So intimate is their relationship and unity in the sacrament of marriage, that the Church requires the wife’s consent before her husband can be ordained a deacon.

I write to you concerning an alarming and serious matter that negatively impacts the Church in the United States directly, and that strikes at the fundamental right to religious liberty for all citizens of any faith. The federal government, which claims to be “of, by, and for the people,” has just dealt a heavy blow to almost a quarter of those people—the Catholic population—and to the millions more who are served by the Catholic faithful.

I used to think we were a nation committed to freedom of conscience.  Heck, I used to think we had a body of law effectively defending that freedom.  After the events of the past few months, I’m not so sure.

There’s something about the New Year that is appealing to the majority. Just the words themselves offer a positive image, a new year, a fresh start. We know that there is always something we can change to make our lives better every day. Why do we wait until the New Year? Why not change it right here, right now? 

“Order our steps in the way of peace.” This is the theme for the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration that will take place on Jan. 16, at Holy Cross Church at 10:30 a.m. Bishop Edward U. Kmiec will preside and our guest homilist will be Father Brian Guadalupe Walker, OP. 

My journey through the Diocese of Buffalo as director of Communications and editor-in-chief of this paper began more than 11 years ago and has been one of many twists and turns, ups and downs and unexpected detours, much of which has been reflected in the pages of the Western New York Catholic and in my monthly columns.

Small Christian communities typically consist of eight to 12 adults who meet regularly in people’s homes, often studying and reflecting on the Scriptures for the upcoming Sunday Mass. They are not to be confused with small parishes, nor are they prayer groups, Bible study, support or service groups.

Just this fall, a billboard appeared on a major thoroughfare outside of Buffalo.  It read: “You don’t need God - to hope, to care, to love, to live.” Shortly before Christmas last year, rival billboards appeared at the entrance of one of the tunnels connecting New York City and New Jersey. 

Even a quick survey of international Christmas rituals converges around a few points: light, a newborn, food and song. Each of these symbols evoke “comfort and joy” to such a degree that McDonalds marketing attributes the same effect to its 2011 holiday hot chocolate and coffee specials.

The often painful emotional aftermath of abortion – marked by intense grief, sadness and remorse – has been treated only obliquely, if at all, in Hollywood films.