The carnival musician who almost married but then became a monk is now heading Heiligenkreuz. The 84 voting monks of the "conservative" Cistercian abbey of Heiligenkreuz near Vienna elected Fr Simeon Wester, 61, as their new superior today. He will lead the community for the next three years without becoming abbot. Born Karl Wester in Unkel on the Rhine, Germany, he grew up as one of five children. Music came early: piano, organ and trombone, followed by formal studies in choral conducting, singing and church music. As a young man, he was involved in the Rhineland carnival scene. Years later, when the musician decided to become a monk, the Cologne tabloid Express put the story on its front page: “Our carnival fool is going to the monastery.” Wester had felt drawn to monastic life since his teens but initially chose music. Around the age of 35, close to marrying his long-term girlfriend, he finally made the leap. He entered Heiligenkreuz in 2001. Music followed him behind the monastery …Ibindi
Bishop Laurent Le Boulc’h announced in late August that the Diocese of Lille will shrink from 106 parishes to just 30, and from 14 deaneries to 5. Consultations run through 2026, with new boundaries due in 2027 and implementation in summer 2028. The sweeping restructuring is presented as part of the diocese’s “missionary renewal.”
Diocèse de Lille : de 106 paroisses à une trentaine en 2027, une réforme d’ampleur Le diocèse de Lille prépare une réorganisation historique : environ 30 paroisses en 2027 contre 106 aujourd’hui. Une réforme qui pose la question de la proximité sacerdotale et sacramentelle. Lire la suite sur LeCatho : Lille : le diocèse va passer de 106 paroisses à … #ACTUALITE#FRANCE#RELIGION#diocesedeLille
The female "Archbishop" of Canterbury has given Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi an award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation. He's the chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council - a group of Islamic scholars. The lady next to him is his wife. (Apparently, this is not a Monty Python sketch. )
Bishop Strickland rejects yesterday's Vatican document marking 60 years of Nostra Aetate. Bishop Emeritus Joseph Strickland from Tyler, Texas, wrote on X.com on September 16 that the new Vatican document - approved by Leo XIV - “must be rejected and repudiated by all who hold Jesus Christ and His Church as the only way to the Father.” He refers to §54 on ‘The Path of Hope’: “The defensive entrenchment in one’s own position and the view that proselytism is the only way to engage with the other no longer make sense in a world that increasingly resembles an interconnected and constantly evolving global village.” Strickland counters: “Truth is not constantly evolving, Truth is Jesus Christ present with us in the world and His Church is the vehicle for our salvation.” #newsZzmwnhglqh
Christ, the Son of God, and the second Person of the Blessed Trinity said without HIM and baptism, one will not enter the kingdom of Heaven. This cannot be denied or watered down.
Belgian Bishop Trains Married Men to Be Ordained Priests by 2028. Bishop Johan Bonny of Antwerp, Belgium, told LaLibre.be on September 14 about his plan, announced already in March, to ordain married men to the priesthood by 2028. In June, he informed two Curia Cardinals about his course of action: Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy, and Cardinal Mario Grech, Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops. Monsignor Bonny claims that the move is driven "by necessity", pointing to the acute shortage of priests in Flanders. Antwerp diocese has fewer than 70 priests under the age of 70, two-thirds of whom are from abroad. The Cardinals replied that they would discuss it with Pope Leo XIV. Bishop Bonny has identified several candidates for priestly ordination. They are receiving theological and pastoral training comparable to that of seminarians. The preparation is being conducted “in a transparent but discreet manner, away from the media spotlight,” he …Ibindi
Homily Friday, September 18, 2026 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 "Christ is risen." Life goes on. Luke 8:1-3 "Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God." The mere fact that Jesus passed among people was already Good News. Joy and peace flooded hearts, and miracles became possible. Biblical texts: NAB-RE Normand Thomas.
Archbishop goes unrecognized. On 12 September Archbishop Mario Delpini of Milan made an unannounced visit to the Fondazione Menotti Bassani in Laveno Mombello, a healthcare facility for the elderly. Arriving in a polo shirt, he asked to see the chaplain. The person who received him asked: “Who should I announce?” Delpini replied: “The Archbishop.” Picture: Laveno Mombello E Dintorni, facebook, #newsQmfgzdlist
VIRGINIA BISHOP URGES CATHOLICS TO OPPOSE AMENDMENTS ON MARRIAGE AND ABORTION | SG News Catholic Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington has taken an unusually direct step ahead of Virginia’s November election, urging Catholics across his diocese to oppose two proposed constitutional amendments involving abortion and marriage. In a letter communicated across the Diocese of Arlington’s 70 parishes, which serve more than 430,000 Catholics in Northern Virginia, Bishop Burbidge described the proposals as “two dangerous ballot initiatives.” The first, Ballot Question 1, is the Virginia Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment. The proposed constitutional amendment would establish a fundamental right to make decisions concerning pregnancy, including abortion, contraception, miscarriage management and fertility care. It would allow Virginia to regulate abortion during the third trimester, but would prohibit the state from banning an abortion when, in a physician’s professional judgment, it is …Ibindi
Diocese of Fresno Freezes Retirement Accounts, Retirees Concerned 23ABC News | KERO Retirement accounts for current and former employees of the Diocese of Fresno were frozen in June, creating uncertainty...
Dr. Robert Ventresca has studied the life and work of Pope Pius XII extensively. He talks here about the the life of Pope Pius XII, his legacy, and the significance of the cause for his canonization.
Dr. Robert Ventresca: Canonizing Pius XII. SaltandLight on Apr 8, 2015 Pope Pius XII led the church through the Second World War. The turmoil of that period has attached itself to his memory, and today there are very different opinions of his legacy. Dr. Robert Ventresca has studied the life and work of Pope Pius XII extensively. He talks here about the the life of Pope Pius XII, his legacy, and the significance of the cause for his canonization.
CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE - COURSE THIRD - CHAPTER 23 - Christianity preserved and propagated - St. Hilarion, St. Ambrose, St. Augustin -2nd General Council - 4th and 5th Centuries - AN HISTORICAL, DOCTRINAL,MORAL, AND LITURGICAL EXPOSITION OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION Translated from the French of Mgr Gaume by REV. F. B. JAMISON ....Download, print, and above all share !to be continued
Bishop Hendriks to Celebrate Mass in the Roman rite in Amsterdam. On 20 September, Bishop Jan Hendriks of Haarlem-Amsterdam will celebrate Mass at St Agnes Church in Amsterdam for the 20th anniversary of the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter’s presence there. Hendriks has administered Confirmations according to the 1962 liturgical books at St Agnes since 2013, but this is his first Holy Mass. #newsHuiffmsixd
Bishop Laurent Le Boulc’h announced in late August that the Diocese of Lille will shrink from 106 parishes to just 30, and from 14 deaneries to 5. Consultations run through 2026, with new boundaries due in 2027 and implementation in summer 2028. The sweeping restructuring is presented as part of the diocese’s “missionary renewal.”Diocèse de Lille : de 106 paroisses à une trentaine en 2027, une réforme d’ampleur
)
Archbishop goes unrecognized.