Wednesday, April 1, 2009 By Father Earl Fernandes In his online report March 20, John Allen of the National Catholic Reporter wrote: “It’s almost as if the pope has made two separate visits to Cameroon: the one reported internationally and the one Africans actually experienced. In the U.S. and many …

Wednesday, April 1, 2009 By Scott Mussari Three essentially obscure men — Gregory Bryant-Bey, Brett Hartman and Dismas — are separated by thousands of years and tens of thousands of miles, and yet are linked by one common distinction. All three were considered useless and worthless and deemed disposable by …

Wednesday, April 1, 2009 Franciscan Father Stanley Bir, who served the Province of St. John the Baptist for 65 years, died March 23 at Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati following a long battle with cancer. He was 84 years old.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009 Franciscan Father Marian Douglas, a former teacher and associate pastor in Cincinnati and a pioneer in inner-city ministry, died  March 22. He was 81 and had been a member of the Franciscan Friars of the Province of St. John the Baptist for 59 years.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009 Franciscan Brother Gerald (Jerry) Jackson, a native of Detroit whose expertise with cars served him well in his life as a Franciscan friar, died March 25 in Cincinnati. He was 75 and had battled multiple health issues.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009 By Father Tim Schehr Palm Sunday: Isaiah 50:4-7; Philippians 2:6-11; Mark 14:1-15:47 Is there a way to make this Sunday’s “long Gospel” seem a little shorter? Try listening for the many spiritual lessons we can find in the lesser known characters in Mark’s account of the …

Tuesday, March 31, 2009 ARCHDIOCESE — The 25th annual Walk for Justice and Peace will take place in downtown Dayton on Good Friday, April 10, from noon to 2 p.m., beginning at Courthouse Square at Third and Main streets.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009 By Eileen Connelly, OSU CATHEDRAL DEANERY — On a recent Sunday morning the Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains resonated with sacred music as the voices of the choir rang out in songs of faith and praise. Currently comprised of 18 professional singers (nine women and …

Monday, March 30, 2009 By Carmen M. Hubbard ST. MARGARET MARY DEANERY — Rather than head to Florida for sun and parties during spring break, a group of college students from Montana chose to serve those in need in Cincinnati by taking part in the Franciscans for the Poor Volunteer …

Wednesday, March 25, 2009 ST. ANDREW DEANERY — Archbishop Moeller High School is now collecting donations for a rummage sale to benefit Unifat (the school in Uganda it helps support, along with 120 of the school’s children), Moeller’s freshman leadership program, and tuition assistance. All leftover items from the sale …