There was a belated presentation to Bishop Denis Brennan last week to mark the occasion of his golden jubilee of 50 years as a priest in the Diocese of Ferns.
Although the Bishop celebrated his golden jubilee in front of a small congregation of 10 at Rathnure Church back in June, it was rather fitting that the presentation took place on Ash Wednesday - the 15th (liturgical) anniversary of the announcement of his appointment as Bishop of Ferns back in 2006.
It was a delayed, an indeed a greatly reduced gathering, due to the ongoing pandemic, but Bishop Brennan was presented with a bronze representation of The Last Supper by Irish artist Fergus O Farrell.
No cross on foreheads at local churches this Ash Wednesday
Churchgoers will instead have ashes sprinkled on top of their heads.
KFSN
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FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) Local Catholic Churches are adjusting Ash Wednesday rituals due to the pandemic.
It s traditionally the time of year when believers get a cross of ashes applied to their foreheads, but social distancing restrictions are forcing church leaders to rethink that approach.
Rather than getting the familiar cross of ashes on their foreheads, Roman Catholics and Episcopalians will instead have ashes sprinkled on top of their heads. It s very biblical. It is the preferred method in the Old Testament literally, when people would dress in sack cloth and they would cover their head in ashes, said Bishop Joseph Brennan.
WHEELING Despite a tumultuous 2020 fiscal year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston took the necessary steps to keep its finances stable, according to an independent audit released Friday.
That audit was just the second full audit released to the public in the diocese’s history, spokesman Tim Bishop said. The first was released last year. The diocese had released financial statements before that, but never a full audit.
In his letter to the diocese about the audit, the Most Rev. Mark Brennan, bishop of the Wheeling-Charleston Diocese, likened the 2019-20 fiscal year to “the roller coaster rides I took as a youth: lots of ups and downs.”
By Catholic News Service
COLUMBUS, Ohio (CNS) Several women protesting the Catholic Church’s teaching against abortion disrupted an annual Respect Life Mass being celebrated by Bishop Robert J. Brennan at a downtown Columbus cathedral.
The protesters, which a video posted by
The Columbus Dispatch showed to number about seven, stormed into St. Joseph Cathedral during the liturgy Jan. 22 and marched through the sanctuary. They shouted that abortion was under attack and carried cardboard signs with messages supporting abortion.
Police and diocesan officials escorted the women out of the cathedral without incident. No arrests were made.
Bishop Brennan thanked police officers for their quick response to restore order in a statement released after the Mass, which commemorated the 48th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion.