Report: Catholic membership has dropped 20% since 2000 (CNA) The percentage of Catholics who say they are a “member” of a church has dropped by nearly 20 points since the year 2000, according to a new report by Gallup released on Monday. Among respondents who said they were Catholic, only 58% actually said they were a member of a church. This figure is down 18 points from the 76% of Catholics who said they were a member of the Church, in a previous Gallup survey from 1998-2000. In the past decade, Catholics saw a twice-as-steep decline in members than did Protestants, which saw a 9% decline in professed members of churches from 73% to 64%…
Catholic center in Detroit declared a shrine (AP) A Catholic center in Macomb County has been granted the title of Archdiocesan Shrine by Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron. The recognition was given to The Divine Mercy Center in Clinton Township, north of Detroit, the archdiocese announced Friday. The center was founded in 2006. It is under the care of the Servants of Jesus of The Divine Mercy, a lay association, and also home to The Women of Jesus’ Merciful Passion, a women’s community aspiring to become a religious order…
Funeral Mass for Officer Eric Talley (CNA) A funeral Mass was held Monday in Denver for Officer Eric Talley, a Catholic father of seven who was killed while responding to last week’s mass shooting at a grocery store in Boulder, CO. “Eric has shown what is best about the service you give to our community, our cities, and to our country,” Archbishop Samuel Aquila said in remarks to the shoulder-to-shoulder packed congregation, many of whom were police officers…
Joyful Iraqi Catholics hailed as “heroes” on Palm Sunday (CNS) Syriac Catholic Patriarch Ignace Joseph III Younan, visiting from the patriarchate in Beirut, led about 20,000 Christians through the streets of Qaraqosh Palm Sunday, March 28. Patriarch Younan told the faithful that the Syriacs of Qaraqosh “are the pupils in the eyes of our Syriac Church. You are the best lung in which our Syriac Church breathes, this lung that exudes faith, preaches goodness, and invites us all to renew our hope in the Lord Jesus in the midst of difficulties and challenges, for he is the one who says, ‘Do not be afraid…’”
Myanmar Catholics pray for peace amid tears (CNS) While Catholics in Myanmar observed Palm Sunday, many in the Buddhist-majority country were crying at the funerals of more than 100 people killed the previous day. At least 114 people were killed by security forces March 27, the bloodiest day since the military seized power Feb. 1, reported ucanews.com. The day has been labeled Bloody Saturday. Dozens of victims were bystanders — including children — who were not taking part in anti-coup demonstrations…
