Hello! I’m so glad you’re here. After a longer-than-expected hiatus, I’m pleased to unveil the new home of The Deacon’s Bench at my very own website, TheDeaconsBench.com. 

Thank you for your patience over these many weeks. The holidays and various commitments (and a bad bout of bronchitis) delayed the re-launch, but here we are. The site is still very much a work-in-progress, so please excuse the dust, wood shavings and odd splashes of paint here and there. It will be tidied up soon enough. Some day, I hope to add a podcast and a few other things. But for now, it’s very much the old bench in some new digs.

If it’s your first time visiting, welcome! You can learn more about me and what I’ve been up to right here. 

To help you find your way around: 

At the top right hand corner of the site, you’ll see a spyglass (for searching) and three little lines (for the menu). Click on the menu lines and it will offer you a host of other places to seek out for more about me, my writing and my speaking.

Looking for more blog posts? Just click DISCOVER MORE under the top category, THE LATEST. 

Want to subscribe? Go to the bottom of the page and fill out the form.

Want to revisit from time to time? Just bookmark this:

TheDeaconsBench.com. 

It’s good to be back and blogging. Let’s whisper up a prayer to all the various patrons of the media — St. Isidore, St. Claire, St. Francis de Sales, St. Maximilian Kolbe, Venerable Fulton Sheen (remember him?) — that this little apostolate can continue to serve the faithful with light and with hope. When it launched in 2007, just days after my ordination, I thought it would be a fun place to dump my homilies and write about my life as a new deacon. I’m amazed at everything that followed. My humble thanks to all who have followed The Bench along the way.

And a special diaconal bow to the mighty John Flynn at Kickstart Media who has been shepherding this project along from Day One. He designed and executed this and gave me great ideas and feedback and wasn’t afraid to tell me when I was about to do something stupid. I like that. Two thumbs up!

A couple years ago, Aleteia (one of my old stomping grounds) offered this reflection from St. Thomas Aquinas for all who use the internet:

Infinite Creator,
Who, from the treasures of Your wisdom,
have established three hierarchies of angels,
have arrayed them in marvelous order
above the highest heavens,
and have marshaled the regions
of the universe with such artful skill,

You are proclaimed
the true font of light and wisdom,
pour forth a ray of Your brightness
into the darkened places of my mind;
disperse from my soul
the twofold darkness
into which I was born:
sin and ignorance.

You make eloquent the tongues of infants.
refine my speech
and pour forth upon my lips
The goodness of Your blessing.

Grant to me
keenness of mind,
capacity to remember,
skill in learning,
subtlety to interpret,
and eloquence in speech.

May You
guide the beginning of my work,
direct its progress,
and bring it to completion.

You Who are true God and true Man,
who live and reign, world without end.

Amen.

Alrighty then. Let’s get started.