Clergy visit highlights Pittsburgh-Ireland ties

From Pittsburgh-

Pittsburgh’s connections with Ireland may not seem apparent at first, but they are deep and ongoing — well beyond the late Pittsburgh Steelers President Dan Rooney’s stint as U.S. ambassador.

An Ireland Institute of Pittsburgh event at the Duquesne Club in Downtown Pittsburgh on Nov. 6 provided an introduction to that relationship with a visit from an Irish delegation.

The visitors were the Rev. Gregory Dunstan, dean of St. Patrick’s Cathedral Armagh, and Francis “Frank” Costello, an American historian and author who has lived in Belfast for 21 years.
“Pittsburgh’s been a really important place on what is the long traditional, cultural and economic link [with Ireland],” Costello said.

The Ireland Institute of Pittsburgh has been organizing student and professional exchanges between Pittsburgh and Ireland since 1989. “We’re forever bringing people in, helping people from Pittsburgh go there, on different kinds of projects,” said James Lamb, institute president.

More here-

https://triblive.com/local/pittsburgh-allegheny/clergy-visit-highlights-pittsburgh-ireland-ties/

Pittsburgh institute expects rise in Newman interest, visits after sainthood

From Pittsburgh-

The Catholic Church’s newest saint may soon be attracting people to Pittsburgh.

Cardinal John Henry Newman, an Anglican churchman who converted to Catholicism in 1845, will be canonized in Rome on Sunday.

Among those attending the canonization Mass will be Ryan Marr, director of the Oakland-based National Institute for Newman Studies, and institute co-founders the Rev. Drew Morgan and Catharine Ryan.

Founded in 2002, NINS is now the largest curator of digital archives for Newman and the foremost center for Newman studies and research in North America. In August, the institute launched the NINS Digital Collections, an interactive, online platform that is home to more than 250,000 Newman archives. Marr said interest in Newman is booming and is likely to bring Newman-related tourism to Pittsburgh.

More here-

https://triblive.com/local/pittsburgh-allegheny/pittsburgh-institute-expects-rise-in-newman-interest-visits-after-sainthood/

So Long, Cardinal Wuerl

From First Things-

As bishop of Pittsburgh, Wuerl was years ahead of his peers in responding to what would become the sexual abuse crisis. From the moment he arrived as bishop in 1988, Wuerl was meeting personally with victims at a time when many bishops would not even consider doing so. Within a year, Wuerl had established a diocesan committee to evaluate policies for responding to abuse allegations, a committee that grew to become the current Diocesan Review Board, nearly a decade before the Dallas Charter called for every diocese to have such a body. Wuerl also imposed a personal policy of “zero-tolerance” which stands comparison to any other diocesan policy today.   

Despite the grand jury report’s frequent mentions of Wuerl, that document cannot dent the core statistic: During Wuerl’s nineteen years as bishop of Pittsburgh, nineteen new allegations were brought forward against diocesan priests, and eighteen of these priests were immediately and permanently removed from ministry. And curial officials have not forgotten the time Wuerl flew to Rome to personally resist an order to reinstate an accused cleric, a contest of wills he eventually won.

More here-

https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2019/05/so-long-cardinal-wuerl

In the LGBTQ community, faith brings comfort and pain. Six Pittsburghers reflect on feeling rejected for who they are.

From Pittsburgh-

While many Americans see religious communities as places of comfort and hope, many of those same communities have been openly hostile to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer [LGBTQ]* people. Not only have they labeled LGBTQ people as “sinners,” but they’ve also opposed measures like same-sex marriage.

In recent years, some of these long-standing tensions have shifted. Over the past decade, Americans with a religious affiliation have increasingly supported same-sex marriage. According to the Public Religion Research Institute, support by religious Americans for legal protections for LGBTQ people has also grown. PublicSource recently explored faith communities that have openly welcomed LGBTQ members.

Yet a large majority of LGBTQ adults viewed mainline religions as “unfriendly" toward people who are LGBTQ, according to a 2013 survey from the Pew Research Center. 

To explore the impacts of rejection on members of the LGBTQ community, PublicSource is telling the stories of six people who’ve felt mistreated by religious individuals and institutions.

More here-

https://www.publicsource.org/lgbt-religion-comforting-harmful-rejection-pittsburgh/

Members of Charleston church that was the scene of 2015 mass shooting visit Tree of Life

From Pittsburgh-

The four Coakley sisters stood together in front of the Tree of Life synagogue Friday afternoon, listening as the rabbi recounted small details about the 11 congregants whose lives ended there Oct. 27. 

They traveled to Pittsburgh with a group from Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C., to share with those here their own experience. 

Their sister, Myra Thompson, was among the nine people killed at the church known as Mother Emanuel on June 17, 2015, as she led her first Bible study.

Ms. Thompson, 59, had just received her license to preach that day.

More here-

https://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2019/05/03/Members-of-Charleston-church-that-was-the-scene-of-2015-mass-shooting-visit-Pittsburgh/stories/201905030125

Pittsburghers treat each other as one community. We should all learn from them.

From The Washington Post-

The horrific shooting at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh happened on the eve of the anniversary of my own bar mitzvah there, some 51 years ago. Pittsburgh’s Jewish community was then, and remains today, a giant family. Even those of us who moved away have stayed closely connected to it and to each other. Our hearts ache as one.

The synagogue is at the heart of the close-knit Jewish community in Squirrel Hill, a bustling neighborhood filled with tree-lined streets and ethnic restaurants. Pittsburgh is a city where neighborhoods like this are still common, where people get to know one another, where they welcome new neighbors and mourn the passing of old ones. It is a city of grit and compassion, one that can offer a model of how to counter the hatred that is tearing America apart.

The suspect in the 11 synagogue murders was reportedly motivated by anti-Semitism and anti-immigrant hatred. A particular target of his venom, according to news reports about his apparent online posts, was the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, or HIAS, an organization that assists refugees of all faiths. I am proud to serve on its board.

More here-

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/pittsburghers-treat-each-other-as-one-community-we-should-all-learn-from-them/2018/10/28/27c47360-dabc-11e8-b3f0-62607289efee_story.html?fbclid=IwAR1ZvkXz5X3AFC8XylbjA67--PKfDIg4xbC6NcgU8hD0Ntgf9wjiRYkiwSQ&noredirect=on&utm_term=.e1688a584af9

Pope accepts Cardinal Wuerl’s resignation

From D.C.-

Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Donald Wuerl from his position as the Archbishop of Washington, DC.

This morning the Archdiocese of Washington released an English translation of a letter of Pope Francis to Cardinal Wuerl accepting his resignation “from the pastoral government of the Archdiocese of Washington.”

The letter reveals that the Holy Father had received a request from the cardinal on September 21 to be released from his office. Wuerl arrived in Rome on September 17 to discuss his resignation. 

Pope Francis said that he was aware that Wuerl’s request “rests on two pillars” in his ministry: “to seek in all things the greater glory of God and to procure the good of the people entrusted to your care.”  He observed that their shared mission is “to take care that the people not only remain united, but become witnesses of the Gospel.”  (Full “unofficial courtesy translation” from the Archdiocese of Washington published below.)

More here-

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/breaking-pope-accepts-cardinal-wuerls-resignation

also here

http://catholicphilly.com/2018/10/news/national-news/cardinal-wuerl-led-high-profile-endeavors-in-32-years-as-a-bishop/

Cardinal Wuerl says he's ready to 'step aside' so the Catholic Church can heal

From Pittsburgh-

Cardinal Donald Wuerl told parishioners Friday that he is repenting for the “wounds that were caused by my bad judgments or failures” as he prepares to discuss his resignation with Pope Francis. 

Wuerl — the archbishop of Washington and former Pittsburgh bishop entangled in two far-reaching child sex abuse scandals — introduced a six-week “Season of Healing” during a special Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C. 

During the homily portion of the service, Wuerl said that he hopes that all church leaders will demonstrate transparency as the Roman Catholic Church moves away “from the darkness of sin and failure — abuse and shame.” 

The remarks during Mass echoed the cardinal’s expression of remorse conveyed in a blog post on Thursday , in which Wuerl said he regrets some of his decisions over the past 30 years. 

More here-

https://triblive.com/local/allegheny/14081126-74/cardinal-wuerl-says-hes-ready-to-step-aside-so-the-catholic-church

In letter, Wuerl says he’s prepared to step down ‘to begin the healing’

From Washington DC-

Cardinal Donald Wuerl says he is prepared to step down in the wake of an intense firestorm of criticism over his handling of sex abuse claims dating back decades.

“Those called to serve the Church in a leadership capacity must recognize that we are to lead not only by word, but also by personal action,” Wuerl wrote in the Sept. 13 letter posted on the Archdiocese of Washington’s website. “We must be prepared to do whatever is needed, including stepping aside. This action on my part is an essential aspect of the healing so that this archdiocesan Church we all love can move forward.”

n a letter to priests sent earlier this week, Wuerl said he planned to meet with Pope Francis “in the near future” to discuss his possible resignation. Wuerl, 77, submitted his resignation nearly three years ago when he turned 75, which is customary.

More here-

https://wtop.com/dc/2018/09/in-letter-wuerl-says-hes-prepared-to-step-down-to-begin-the-healing/ 

and here-

http://dcist.com/2018/09/cardinal_wuerl_will_ask_pope_franci.php

Cardinal Wuerl Recognizes Calls for ‘New Leadership’ – Proposes Season of Healing

From NCR-

Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington on Thursday recognized calls for new leadership in the archdiocese, including from local priests, but did not say whether he was considering stepping down.
In a September 6 letter to the priests of the archdiocese, Wuerl referenced a 90-minute period of prayer and discernment he had held with the priests of diocese three days earlier, before the annual Labor Day cookout.

“Among the many observations was that the archdiocese would be well served by new leadership to help move beyond the current confusion, disappointment and disunity,” he said in the letter.
Wuerl, who has faced growing calls for resignation over allegations of mishandling abuse reports, did not elaborate on his future leadership intentions. Sources have told CNA that Wuerl had hoped to stay on as Archbishop of Washington until the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ fall general assembly in November.

More here-

http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/cardinal-wuerl-recognizes-calls-for-new-leadership-proposes-season-of-heali 

and here-

http://catholicherald.co.uk/news/2018/09/07/cardinal-wuerl-acknowledges-calls-for-new-leadership/

Churchgoer shouts 'shame on you' at Cardinal Wuerl during Mass

From ABC-

Protesters confronted the archbishop of Washington in Mass on Sunday as he addressed the ballooning sexual abuse scandal within the church. 

One parishioner shouted "shame on you" and walked out as Cardinal Donald Wuerl spoke about the scandal on Sunday, while another turned her back in protest of him, according to video posted on social media. 

"Yes, my brothers and sisters, shame. I wish I could redo everything over these 30 years as a bishop and each time get it always right," Wuerl said in response to the protesters. 

More here-

https://abcnews.go.com/US/churchgoer-shouts-shame-cardinal-wuerl-mass/story?id=57570736

Wuerl to address his role in Pennsylvania sex-abuse scandals with priests in archdiocese: Report

From D.C.-

The archbishop of Washington will reportedly hold a meeting Monday of priests in the archdiocese over his role in the Pennsylvania sex-abuse scandals.

“A spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Washington” confirmed Sunday night that Cardinal Donald Wuerl will address his priests on the grand-jury report on that matter, TV station WTTG (Fox 5) reported.

Cardinal Wuerl was bishop of Pittsburgh from 1988 to 2006, part of the period investigated by the Pennsylvania grand jury and his mishandling of sex-abuse charges was widely detailed in its report. All told, according to the report, six of the state’s dioceses knew of more than 300 priests accused of varying forms of sex-abuse against more than 1,000 young people.

In addition, according to Fox-5, Cardinal Wuerl will also discuss with his priests the case of Theodore McCarrick, his predecessor as Washington archbishop who resigned from the College of Cardinals over charges of sexual abuse of boys and young men — his seminarians and other men discerning the priesthood among them — going back decades.

More here-

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/aug/19/donald-wuerl-meet-priests-over-sex-abuse-scandals/

Westmoreland County church leaders to get firearms training

From Western PA-

Local church leaders concerned about shootings at their places of worship soon will have a chance to get actual firearms training, including range time.

Rodney Smith, a Westmoreland County native and certified firearms instructor, plans to return to the area June 22-23 to offer a 16-hour advanced security course to interested churches.

Smith, 59, of Flowery Branch, Ga., taught free, three-hour courses in Bolivar, New Florence and Fairfield Township last year and at a Hempfield church in February. Nearly 100 people attended the first round of training sessions for the general public.

The upcoming course is for pastors and lay leaders who have a state firearms permit and who can bring their own handgun and ammunition.

“What we train is situation awareness, active shooter, active threat, use of deadly force, carry laws and room clearing,” Smith said. “Our goal is to enhance our students' awareness to respond and react to an active threat situation.”

More here-

http://triblive.com/local/westmoreland/13636713-74/westmoreland-county-church-leaders-to-get-firearms-training

Megachurch Pastor William Curtis Draws Criticism Over $230K Bentley Bentayga

From Pittsburgh-

Leader of the 10,000-member Mount Ararat Baptist Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, William H. Curtis, has sparked a vigorous debate online after his $230,000 Bentley Bentayga, which costs nearly twice as much as the median home in the church's Larimer neighborhood, was photographed outside the church.

The photograph of the pastor's Bentayga, which Bentley boasts is the fastest SUV in the world with a top speed of 187 mph, was posted to Facebook Monday by Jarrell Taylor who criticized the pastor's opulent display.

"If ya pastor driving a Bentley truck ... he's sucking ur community dry with hope and tithes," Taylor wrote.

The Christian Post reached out to Curtis for comment about his choice of transportation Thursday and his assistant said she did not believe he would respond to questions about his car but promised to deliver our message to him. She also acknowledged that the church had been getting direct reactions to the vehicle as well but would not confirm the sources of the criticism.

More here-

https://www.christianpost.com/news/megachurch-pastor-william-curtis-draws-criticism-over-230k-bentley-bentayga-217166/

Pittsburgh Diocese Settles Suit Over Birth Control Mandate

From Pittsburgh-

The Pittsburgh and Erie Roman Catholic dioceses have settled lawsuits seeking to overturn an Affordable Care Act mandate that would have forced them to provide contraceptive and abortion-inducing drugs or services as part of their employee health care plans.

President Donald Trump's administration announced Oct. 6 that it was rescinding the mandate that was part of the health reform laws known as "Obamacare." The new rules also broadened "conscience protections" to include nonprofits and certain other businesses that claim a moral objection to contraception or abortion, even if it's not religious-based.

But lawsuits filed in 2012 challenging the mandate still remained after the U.S. Supreme Court last year ordered the religious entities and the government to settle the dispute.

More here-

http://wesa.fm/post/pittsburgh-diocese-settles-suit-over-birth-control-mandate#stream/0

A Pittsburgh Group Dedicated To A 19th Century Cardinal Digitized His Life's Work

From WESA Pittsburgh NPR-

A Pittsburgh research center devoted to the works of a theologian, who later became a Catholic cardinal, has finished the first part of a project to digitize his manuscripts.

Archivists in Birmingham, England worked for four years to take high-quality images of John Henry Newman’s unpublished writings on theology, education and philosophy. It will take another year to upload the nearly 30 terabytes of material to a website operated by the Pittsburgh-based National Institute for Newman Studies in Oakland.

“As funding sometimes gets thinner at universities, it’s really helpful for scholars in different parts of the world, as scholarship becomes international, that they can access the original material that the thinkers they are working on were using,” said institute director Bud Marr. “To see those things in quality, high-definition images will really be important.”

More here-

http://wesa.fm/post/pittsburgh-group-dedicated-19th-century-cardinal-digitized-his-lifes-work#stream/0

Only the Vatican Has More Christian Relics Than Pittsburgh

From Atlas Obscura-

TROY HILL, POPULATION 3,000, IS situated on a small plateau overlooking Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It’s a historically German, but quintessentially Pittsburghian, neighborhood characterized by cozy row houses, gritty neighborhood bars, cool new restaurants, and lovingly decorated front porches bedecked with Steelers flags and flower baskets. But there is more in Troy Hill than meets the eye.

At 1704 Harpster Street sits St. Anthony’s chapel, which houses the second-largest collection of Christian relics in existence after the Vatican. Within the greige brick facade are the bones, blood, teeth, ashes, hair, and personal belongings of the holiest members of the Christian church: the apostles, saints and martyrs. There are approximately 5,000 relics in total.

Inside the church, the eye is first drawn to a ceiling painted with religious symbols and names and then to tall walnut cases displaying hundreds of metal artifacts behind glass. There are miniature metal churches, monstrances, chasses (caskets), and medallions pinned to burgundy velvet. Each ornament contains a tiny, mysterious particle, tied in red embroidery thread and sealed with wax, which can be viewed through a clear glass or crystal aperture. There are what look like fingernail slivers and jagged pieces of porous grey bone. Some hold bits of cloth stained with drops of dried brown liquid.

More here-

http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/only-the-vatican-has-more-christian-relics-than-pittsburgh?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=atlas-page

Travel guide here-

https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/15762

Commission recommends merging Pittsburgh Catholic diocese's parishes into 48 groups

From Pittsburgh-

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh should merge its 188 parishes into 48 groups to address its declining attendance and number of priests, according to a report released by a diocesan commission.

The diocese's On Mission Commission said each group would “become one parish over time,” but no church buildings are scheduled to close when the groupings take effect in fall 2018.

A list of the proposed groupings can be found here.

Bob De Witt, a spokesman for the diocese, said the commission report is just a proposal. No final decisions will be made until next year, he said.

Bishop David Zubik is expected to announce a final decision on the groupings plan in April. No church mergers or closings would take place until 2019 at the earliest, De Witt said.

“Bishop Zubik has said the first step is helping people come together. We must develop our relationship with God and with people in our parishes, and get to know one another,” De Witt said.

More here-

http://triblive.com/local/allegheny/12748464-74/commission-recommends-merging-pittsburgh-catholic-dioceses-parishes-into-48-groups

At gathering in Squirrel Hill, clergy say call for racial justice is still urgent

From Pittsburgh-

First they listened to the words of preachers from more than 50, 100 and 1,000 years ago.

Then they voiced some of their own, seeking to bring those historic messages of tolerance off the page and into the present.

Scores of clergy gathered at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh in Squirrel Hill Monday afternoon to issue a statement against bigotry and then urge each other to live out that resolve in the daily lives of their congregations and families.

More here-

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2017/08/28/race-forum-JCC-squirrel-hill-pittsburgh-christian-associates-southwest-pennsylvania-rodef-shalom-charlottesville/stories/201708280146

Historic sanctuaries' future in the balance

From Pittsburgh-

Julie Bubanovich worships in the same Roman Catholic church, St. Nicholas in Millvale, as her parents and her immigrant grandparents, and she’s taken a lead role in helping preserve its renowned murals.

Virginia Fisfis also worships where her grandparents once did, St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Church, whose brick facade and golden cupolas rise over an open area near the Strip District’s historic Produce Terminal.

Like many other Catholic parishioners, they are anxiously awaiting the results of a major downsizing planned by the Diocese of Pittsburgh in Allegheny and five neighboring counties in response to declines in worshipers, priests and funds.

More here-

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/region/2016/12/18/Historic-sanctuaries-future-in-the-balance/stories/201612050186