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birthday cake
Let's not make Mass about the insiders

Should we keep the birthday celebrations outside of Mass? Or does a round of "Happy Birthday" to parish staff show deserved appreciation? Read this month's Sounding Board, and give us your feedback.

 

magazine
  October 2011

October 2011

 

Weekly Bulletin Archive 

Weekly Bulletin
September 20, 2011

Are you in? Or are you out?       

 

Your birthday's on a Sunday this year and you've decided to kick off your next year by going to morning Mass before heading to a birthday lunch with your friends and family. At the end of Mass, just after the announcements, the choir director stands up and says to the whole congregation, "Today we have a special birthday!" You're flattered, wondering who told them, but the choir director continues, "So let's sing for Father O'Malley."

Greg Pierce thinks that situations like these send the wrong message to parishioners and argues that celebrating birthdays and anniversaries of parish staff, or even a job well done by the choir, should be left out of Mass. Is he right? Or are these people under appreciated and deserving of a round of applause now and then? Take our Sounding Board survey and let us know what you think.  

    

This week on USCatholic.org

Life: Don't wait for marriage  

With many young adults delaying marriage to their late 20s, John Van Epp issues a counter cultural call to put a ring on it.

Church:
Hispanics in the pews, but not on the altar  

The number of U.S.-born Hispanic Catholics is increasing rapidly, but not so for priests, reports J.D. Long-Garcia.

Culture:
Starved for attention  

Cutting foreign-aid hurts the poor and the United States' image, writes Kevin Clarke.

 

 

USCatholic.org blogs

 

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Margin Notes: "Class warfare" calculations 

I wonder how many refrigerators Rep. John Fleming (R-LA) can afford to buy so that he won't be mistaken for being poor. 

 

The Examined Life: A misguided move by pro-lifers

The controversy surrounding Priests for Life head Father Frank Pavone being recalled to the Diocese of Amarillo has continued to snowball, and a bad situation is rapidly getting worse.

 

Margin Notes: Meet your MakerBot 

In Player Piano, Kurt Vonnegut depicted a world in which the average working schmoe was completely redundant. 

 

The Examined Life: Cafeteria Catholicism for uber conservatives?

News yesterday that the Vatican has given the schismatic Society of St. Pius X a "doctrinal preamble" to sign as a condition for further restoration of communion raises the obvious question: What's on the list?  

 

Read more blog posts

The week in Catholic news

 

Priests urged to preach about effects of poverty, job loss on families

Vatican calls for improved medical care to combat maternal deaths

Does Mario go to Mass? Catholic gamers and the video game industry.

 

U.S. Catholic review

 

Music: Neon Blue BirdNeon Blue Bird
By Ollabelle (Thirty Tigers, 2011)