Inspired by the story of the Good Samaritan, the young people of Grace Mennonite Church Manitoba challenged their church to collect toilet paper for Steinbach Community Outreach by the end of the month. The goal was to gather a total of 2021 rolls within the span of one month. The pastor says his church was Read more
Posts Tagged ‘COVID-19’
Catholic priest fined for public Masses in lockdown
Thursday, March 25th, 2021
Police in Ireland have fined a Catholic priest for celebrating public Masses during a nationwide lockdown. The Gardaí (police) fined Fr. P.J. Hughes, 500 euros (NZ$830) after he offered Masses with a small number of parishioners present. This was the second time Hughes defied the gardai’s request to lock the church’s doors when he celebrated Read more
After Covid, Mass will never be the same. Maybe that’s a good thing.
Monday, March 22nd, 2021
Even though there is no congregation at Sunday Mass, the community at St. Benedict the African Parish in Chicago has never been so close. As Chicago entered a strict lockdown in March 2020, young members of the community helped the parish transition to broadcasting its liturgies and some of its weekly offerings, like Bible studies, Read more
How not to talk about vaccines: Culture war vs common good
Monday, March 8th, 2021
Why are some US bishops of the Catholic Church telling Catholics to avoid the newly approved Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine? Why did some U.S. Catholic leaders rush to issue warnings about this vaccine even though the Vatican has already said that it can be morally acceptable to receive it? Most importantly, why did these Read more
US bishops ‘ethically unhelpful’ and ‘pastorally dangerous’
Thursday, March 4th, 2021
“Pastorally dangerous” and “unhelpful” is how South African ethicist Anthony Egan SJ is labelling the Archdiocese of New Orleans claim the Johnson & Johnson Covid Vaccine is “morally compromised”. He made the claims in America Magazine. Egan’s irritation is that just one day before the US Food and Drug Administration granted emergency authorisation to a Read more
Christians unite against COVID vaccine conspiracy theories
Thursday, March 4th, 2021
The Catholic bishop of Auckland, Patrick Dunn is urging Catholics in the diocese to cooperate with policies in place and for the community to combat COVID-19. “In particular we recognise the importance during this Alert Level 3 period of not gathering in our churches, staying home unless essential, and not leaving the borders of the Read more
Learning from liturgical disruption – have your say
Thursday, March 4th, 2021
Masses cancelled, funerals with just ten people, marriages postponed, sacramental programmes delayed, no shared chalice, and a new way to exchange the sign of peace, touchless ashes on Ash Wednesday, no ashes on Ash Wednesday are a few of the now-familiar marks of what has been termed a Liturgical Disruption. Add to them, the lengths Read more
Refugees bound for Levin travel disrupted
Thursday, March 4th, 2021Refugees bound for Horowhenua are stuck in Ecuador due to a lack of international flights and safe travel routes. The quota programme started again in early February after borders around the world were closed due to Covid-19, and the first group of 35 quota refugees arrived within the week. The 90 refugees bound for Levin Read more
Destiny Church lashes out at critics
Thursday, March 4th, 2021Destiny Church has lashed out at critics after condemnation of Brian and Hannah Tamaki fleeing Auckland hours before lockdown. They have accused the “elitist” media of discrimination and say in this time of crisis the Tamakis must continue their “essential work” which cannot be done from the “comforts of home.” “In difficult times, people need Read more
Religious services are essential services says Vatican official
Monday, March 1st, 2021
A Vatican official is insisting religious services should be seen as the highest of essential services. Pandemic practices over the past year have shown they are not automatically super-spreader events, Vatican foreign minister Archbishop Paul R. Gallagher told the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva. “There are numerous examples of how the freedom of worship Read more