Catholic New World - News Digest

News Update

Statue to be incoronated

The statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel at the Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, 1101 N. 23rd Ave. in Melrose Park, will be crowned at a special papal high Mass at 2:30 p.m. June 28.

The Society of Our Lady of Mount Carmel at the parish received special papal permission to incoronate the statue, said Paul Scarlato, a spokesman for the group. It will be only the fifth statue to receive the honor in the Americas, he said.

The statue, which includes both Our Lady and the baby Jesus, will receive crowns for both figures. They were made with gold and precious and semi-precious stones donated by parishioners. Those who did not have gold to donate could offer money, Scarlato said.

The Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel has been celebrated in Melrose Park since 1894, when a local woman, Emmanuella de Stefano, organized the commissioning of a replica of the famous Italian statue. She and others built a shrine, which became a parish in 1903. Two years ago, the parish re-established its status as a shrine, and shortly after that, began the process of getting permission to incoronate the statue.

The 2:30 p.m. Mass will be celebrated by Bishop Thomas Paprocki and Bishop Joseph Perry. It will be preceded by a 1:30 p.m. procession from the 900 block of 24th Street, where the original shrine was built.

For information, visit www.olmcshrine.org or call (708) 344-4140.

Project Rachel support group

The archdiocesan program Project Rachel is starting a Bible-based support group for post-abortive women who feel the need for forgiveness and healing.

The group will meet from 7-9 p.m. on Thursday evenings this summer for 11 weeks.

Confidentiality will be stressed.

Call Margie at (312) 534-5335 for details.

News Digest

Year for Priests: Pies, prayers not enough; clergy need love and support, says cardinal

Each and every one of the world's 408,000 priests should feel loved, respected, valued and supported in his vocation to bring the Gospel to an increasingly secular - but still open - world, said Cardinal Claudio Hummes.

The Brazilian cardinal, prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, said the 2009-2010 Year for Priests, which began June 19, must recognize the new challenges and possibilities Catholic priests face.

New papal physician explains doctors' role in sainthood process

The path to sainthood passes through a team of physicians, who pore over medical texts, patient charts and test results to make sure a healing is medically inexplicable.

That does not mean the medical experts declare a miracle, because "the recognition of a miracle is not a matter for medical science," said Dr. Patrizio Polisca, president of the group of physicians who serve as consultants to the Vatican Congregation for Saints' Causes.

Catholic Chicago blog launched

An interactive communication that invites people of all ages to participate in an exchange of ideas around weekly, topical commentary has been launched on the Archdiocese of Chicago's Web site www.archchicago.org.

Cardinal George authored the first message and welcomed viewers' comments that will be posted on Catholic Chicago Blog.

Joyous congregation in St. Louis greets Archbishop Carlson

Archbishop Robert Carlson smiled and waved in thanks to the joyous congregation that attended the Mass where he was installed as the new shepherd of 550,000 Catholics in the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

"I'm delighted to be here," the new archbishop said. The seats of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis were full to capacity for the Mass and many attendees stood throughout the liturgy. The cathedral is estimated to hold about 2,000 people. Those present at Archbishop Carlson's installation included Cardinals George and Justin Rigali of Philadelphia, two dozen bishops and a large procession of priests, deacons, seminarians, equestrian orders and ecumenical guests.

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