Put this in your "must-reads" list over the next couple days: Global Sisters Report is running a series looking at retirement issues among religious communities: Using creativity, strategy, communities plan for retirement care. New stories will be added throughout the week, so visit it daily.
And speaking of Global Sisters Report, the staff continues to collect news and views leading up to next week's release of the Vatican's final report on the apostolic visitation of U.S. women religious women's communities. Check this frequently.
You know, if you haven't made Global Sisters Report part of your reading regime, you're missing some of NCR's best reporting and features. Check it out.
Catholic Bishops Take Divergent Public Stances on ‘Personhood’ Measures
File this in the "What???" file: A Lancaster, England, Catholic concerned about parish closings wrote an open letter to his bishop, Michael Campbell, and ended it with the assertion that he doubted that Campbell would ever see the letter, let alone actually respond to it. Well, that sparked a response: Campbell said the accusation as defamatory and threatened libel action would follow.
Did you see this story yesterday? The archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has hired a prominent criminal defense attorney to continue its investigation into possible sexual misconduct by Archbishop John Nienstedt. The last statement I saw from the archdiocese said the accusations did not involve children or criminal activity. Why a criminal defense lawyer, then?
'Die-ins the new sit-ins of civil disobedience'
The "Francis effect" in Waterloo, Iowa? The Catholic parishes in Waterloo will host a “Listening Session” for inactive, alienated, disillusioned or former Catholics at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Kimball Ridge Center.
Rhode Island high court hears arguments over $30 million bequest to Legion of Christ. The niece of a woman who gave more than $60 million to the now-disgraced Catholic order says the Legion defrauded her aunt. Read NCR's coverage of this case from 2013: Legion of Christ's deception, unearthed in new documents, indicates wider cover-up and more here. Background and depositions.
Political Divide About CIA Torture Remains After Senate Report’s Release
Lima, Peru -- Global group of Catholic bishops call for end to fossil fuels. An "economic order based on the primacy of the market and profit" is destroying the environment and killing people, the bishops' statement says.
For Advent: O Antiphons with the sisters of the Monastery of Mount St. Scholastica in Atchison, Kan. -- O Dawning Light, bring your warmth and clarity to our muddled ways.
Looking for a little inspiration to begin your day? NCR's sister publication, Celebration, gives you two options, both based on the Scripture readings of the day:
Pencil Preaching is a blog in which Celebration editor Pat Marrin combines Scripture and sketching to reflect on the Word.
Daily Bread is a series of short reflections written by four authors who meet regularly to share the readings. Daily Bread is intended to help daily preachers and others who pray from the assigned Scriptures each day to orient themselves to the Living Word addressed to the church in the world. It's a great way to begin the day.
