The Coffeehouse

Study: Half of children poor at birth spend formative years in poverty
Jul 23 2010
WASHINGTON – A study released by the Urban Institute shows that 49 percent of children who are poor at birth go on to spend at least half of their childhoods living in poverty, but Lisa Sheehan of St. Ann’s Infant and Maternity Home in Hyattsville said that helping young, single mothers can help turn that around.

USCCB issues guidelines for use of social media
Jul 21 2010
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has issued a set of guidelines for using social media, especially as social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter continue to gain in popularity.

Teens, adults bitten by power of JAW
Jul 19 2010
Before he departed for potentially five years of studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome July 18, Seminarian Josh Laws had one last thing he wanted to do in the Archdiocese of Baltimore: be a staff member in Justice Action Week.

Focus on the goodness in every parish
Jul 15 2010
I went to the St. Louis Clarksville Fair recently. Despite wearing a white hat, sunglasses, shorts and ‘sneakers’, I was still recognized by Mary Helfrich! How come Lois Lane never recognized Superman as Clark Kent? A pair of glasses made that much difference?

Capitol Hill briefing assesses far-reaching consequences of pornography
Jul 10 2010
WASHINGTON – Opponents of pornography came together in Washington recently for a briefing that explored the increasing consequences of illegal pornography in today’s world.

Blakefield graduate does mission work in El Salvador
Jul 09 2010
Larry Parr has one fear. “The violence,” he said. “Where I am, there’s a lot violence. Just seeing that, and how people are affected, is something that’s very tough.”

Bishop praises Byrd for service to West Virginia’s past and future
Jun 29 2010
WHEELING, W.Va. – Bishop Michael J. Bransfield of Wheeling-Charleston praised Sen. Robert C. Byrd as “a great statesman and public servant” after the June 28 death of the longest-serving member of the U.S. Senate in American history.

Cardinal urges Chicago parishes to promote anti-violence initiatives
Jun 27 2010
CHICAGO - As temperatures climbed and most schools closed for the summer, church leaders called on their congregations to step forward and protect young people from the violence that often seems pervasive in Chicago.

Eagle of the Cross honorees “hard-wired for God”
Jun 14 2010
Julia Schmidt looks at serving others as a natural extension of Catholicism.

Frederick student builds future in construction
Jun 11 2010
FREDERICK – One day when his dad was working on the roof of a cabin, 4-year-old Dillon Fitzgerald decided to climb a 10-foot ladder and see what was happening.

Study finds lasting problems for those conceived through sperm donation
Jun 10 2010
WASHINGTON – Those who were conceived through sperm donation are more likely to experience depression, delinquency and substance abuse than their counterparts who were adopted or raised by their biological parents, according to a new survey by the New York-based Commission on Parenthood’s Future.

Complexities of immigration
May 27 2010
When Arizona passed its recent law about immigrants, emotions flared. People of good will are caught between the truly American sentiment of the rule of law, and the equally American instinct to help the less fortunate and protect the vulnerable.

Church’s impact on youth more important than ever
May 13 2010
Anyone who needed indication that all is not lost with the youths in Baltimore City would have gotten their fair share of reassurance at a church in northwest Baltimore recently.

Haiti priest provides for displaced - Second in a series
May 13 2010
ST. MARC, Haiti – Riclaine Lescailles was hanging clothes outside her Port-au-Prince home Jan. 12, when a magnitude 7 earthquake toppled an adjoining home onto hers.

Archbishop names Paulist head of new evangelization department
May 11 2010
During the last seven months, Paulist Father John Hurley served as a consultant for Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien, a man he had known for years