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“I think really that the church needs to do a reality check, a reality check right across the board, to look at the things it’s doing well, to look at the areas where we really have to start and say, ‘Look, have we drifted away completely from young people?’” | Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin, speaking to state broadcaster RTE as it became clear May 22 that Ireland would become the first country in the world to approve same-sex marriage by popular vote. He described the result as a “social revolution.” (Catholic News Service)
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Obama’s visit an ‘honor’ for priest
MIAMI – The priest prayed an Our Father. The president lit a candle. And while gazing together at a revered image of Cuba’s patroness, the priest reminded the president of the suffering of Cuba’s people.
“Only in the United States that’s possible,” said Father Juan Rumin Dominguez, rector of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Charity in Miami, as he recalled the whirlwind, unexpected visit of President Barack Obama early in the afternoon of May 28.
The president was on his way to the airport after attending a Democratic fundraiser the night before and spending the morning at the National Hurricane Center.
“For me it was an honor and a sign that we live in a free country,” said Father Dominguez, himself a Cuban exile. “To be able to tell President Obama to his face about the feelings of thousands of people who visit the shrine every day.” (CNS)
Saints under 40
Full-size faith
The life of St. Pancras is largely a mystery, but tales of his bravery and faith have made him a popular figure worldwide.
St. Pancras was born at the end of the third century and is said to have been raised by his uncle after his parents died. He grew up in Rome and became a devout Christian — to the point where he was beheaded in 304 at age 14 for refusing to renounce his faith.
The teenage saint is very popular in England, where a district is named after him. The devotion stems in part from St. Augustine of Canterbury, who dedicated his first church to St. Pancras. (www.catholic.org)
