Catholic Thoughts: Easter a time for Catholics to come home
Thousands of Catholics in our archdiocese will come to Mass on Easter Sunday. At least 40 percent of these good people haven’t been to church since Christmas. For their sake and for the sake of all of us who are so pleased to see them, I offer a few instructions …
What keeps me Catholic? I can’t hide
One thing that both amuses and frightens me about Jesus is His table manners or, better and more honestly put, His table mates. In contrast to the ascetical practices of John the Baptist, Jesus is accused of being “a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners” …
Prayer and trembling: Cardinals recount experience of conclave

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Chanting the Litany of the Saints, asking a host of holy men and women to help them, the cardinals enter the Sistine Chapel in procession, aware of their enormous responsibility to elect a new pope. Less than half of the …
Between popes, a time of speculation and suspense

By Francis X. Rocca Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The period immediately following a pontificate is one of excited speculation, more or less loose, about the identity of the next pope. Though secrecy rules do not forbid cardinals from naming their preferences, custom and prudence effectively do. In …
Archbishop Schnurr celebrates mass for the election of the pope [Video]
On March 1, Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr celebrated mass at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains in downtown Cincinnati. The video above is his homily from that mass. Included below is the complete text of Archbishop Schnurr’s homily. Mass for Pope Benedict XVI Homily of Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr …
Cardinals’ meetings begin with business, then look toward choosing pope
By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The world’s cardinals were to begin meetings at the Vatican March 4, and while onlookers are focused on who may be the next pope, the cardinals have business to deal with. Honduran Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Tegucigalpa said the …
Sister of Mercy heads archdiocesan Tribunal with skill, faith
By Dan Andriacco For The Catholic Telegraph Sister of Mercy Victoria Vondenberger, director of the archdiocesan Tribunal, grew up as the oldest child in her family, with four brothers and no sisters. “When I entered the community my brother Dan was in the first grade and told his friends that …
Have a question for our bishops? Have it answered during Lent
Ask a Bishop! Have you ever wondered what a bishop does all day? Are you curious about Archbishop Dennis M Schnurr or Bishop Joseph R. Binzer’s thoughts on a particular subject? What are their favorite memories of Pope Benedict XVI? What they do in their spare time? Now’s your chance …
Sede vacante in the digital age
By John Stegeman The Catholic Telegraph Since the papacy of Pope Benedict XVI ended not in death, but abdication, the usual grieving and somber attitude of this particular period of sede vacante has been somewhat abated. Add to that a Catholic community more connected than ever through social media and …
Archbishop’s Letter: ‘Live generously in a Year of Faith’
Dear partners in the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, I write to you at this time to urge your generous participation in the 2013 Catholic Ministries Appeal in all our parishes. This year’s theme, prompted by our Holy Father’s call to renew and share …