Pope passes on Easter Monday at age 88
MyChamplainValley spoke with the Bishop of Burlington, John McDermott, who tells us he thinks the Pope will be remembered for three specific things: his emphasis on God's mercy, the fraternity of humanity and reaching out to the poorest of the poor.
The Bishop is planning a memorial service for the Pope later this week on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Jospeh's.
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Chicago Tribune
18 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Cupich celebrates 50 years as a priest. ‘Every day was an opportunity to live out my priesthood.'
In one of the most exhilarating moments in his half century as a priest, Cardinal Blase Cupich watched in awe from an adjacent balcony in May as newly-elected Chicago native Pope Leo XIV gave his first address to the world on the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica, While the experience was unprecedented, the head of the Chicago Archdiocese says he has felt that same spirit of joy and elation laced throughout his five-decade career, ever since he was ordained Aug. 16, 1975. 'I have to say that I brought the same excitement of that day to every day that I've been a priest,' he told the Tribune during a recent interview. 'I've always looked for moments in which being a priest could be a benefit to other people.' Cupich will celebrate the 50th anniversary of his ordination with a golden jubilee Mass at 5:15 p.m. Saturday at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago. The service will be livestreamed for those who can't attend in person. Despite major challenges facing the global Catholic Church — from financial woes to ongoing fallout from the church sex abuse crisis — Cupich says his love for pastoring and service hasn't waned since his ordination five decades ago. 'Whether I was teaching kids in high school my first years after I was ordained or serving in the Vatican embassy in Washington, D.C., or being the pastor of a parish, and then of course being named bishop, I always felt that every day was an opportunity to live out my priesthood,' he added. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1949, the grandson of Croatian immigrants believes his roots helped shape his ministry and leadership, particularly in an ethnically and racially diverse part of the country such as Chicago, where he was installed as archbishop in 2014. At the helm of the third-largest Catholic archdiocese in the country, he serves roughly 2 million Catholics at 216 parishes. Cupich, the third of nine children in a devoutly Catholic home, recalled his grandparents 'tried as immigrants to come here and start a life and family that would become more prosperous than where they came from.' 'And I think that is the story of all immigrants,' the 76-year-old cardinal said. 'That's why I'm so very focused on immigrants' rights, not only to protect their dignity but also to make sure that the country doesn't forget that we've been enriched by immigration.' Often deemed more a pastoral leader and less authoritarian in style than his predecessor, the late Cardinal Francis George, Cupich has been criticized by a more conservative faction of Catholics for his focus on issues such as gun violence and poverty, as opposed to more politically right-of-center causes such as abortion opposition. Illinois abortion opponents last year condemned Cupich for giving the invocation on the opening night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, an event that included pro-reproductive rights organizations, including Planned Parenthood. Yet the archbishop of Chicago says that he's championed the dignity and sanctity of human life throughout his ministry, adding that 'the full gamut of issues that deal with respect for life have always been a center of my attention.' 'It may be that people don't see that gun violence and poverty and homelessness and war and peace are necessarily pro-life. I would disagree with that,' he said. 'I think that the Holy See, the teachings of the church and the catechism and the works done by (Pope) John Paul II all the way to Pope Leo are very clear: We have to have a consistent ethic of life.' In 2016, Cupich's influence over the international church expanded when Pope Francis elevated him to cardinal at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. During the ceremony, he received the iconic red hat, also known as a biretta, which symbolizes a cardinal's willingness to shed blood in service of the church. The service was attended by then-Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the governor at the time, Bruce Rauner, as well as members of Cupich's family. 'I told myself, as I went up to the pope to receive the red biretta, that I was going to just drink in the moment and enjoy it as much as I could and be present to the situation. And not be distracted by anything else,' Cupich recalled. 'It was a proud moment, not just for me, but I think for Chicago. Chicago has had a special place in the life of the church and I think that was recognized on that occasion.' As cardinal, Cupich took part in the papal conclave's May historic election of Pope Leo, the first American-born leader of the world's estimated 1.4 billion Catholics, who grew up in south suburban Dolton. During Pope Leo's first three months, Cupich has seen a renewed spirit among local Catholics as well as excitement across the area among folks of all faiths and backgrounds that a Chicago native was named pontiff. It's like nothing the archbishop has seen in his 50 years of service since ordination as a priest. 'There's a new pride that I'm seeing in having the pope come from Chicago, for people to know that Chicago produced a pope,' he added. 'So there is a new kind of energy that I'm seeing.'
Newsweek
19 hours ago
- Newsweek
Hearts Melt Over How One Pup Brought Into Litter Is 'Not Like the Others'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The internet has fallen head over paws for a puppy who looks a bit different from the rest of the litter. Jen Francis of Eagleridge Goldens in Florida told Newsweek via email that one of her dogs had a singleton pup. This means a litter of only one puppy. While a one-pup litter is not inherently bad, it does present its fair share of challenges. The mothers of a singleton pup may either overproduce milk or under-lactate, an article from Revival Animal Health said. Plus, the single puppy will not have the support of littermates during nursing, which causes them to use extra energy to latch and stay warm. These pups might also experience behavioral issues, including the risk of being spoiled and poor socialization. Knowing these possibilities, Francis always incorporates the single puppy into another litter. She recently did this with a singleton named Winston. And while Winston joined another litter of golden retrievers, Francis noticed he was "not like the others" despite being the same dog breed. Screenshots from a June 11 Instagram video of a breeder asking people to spot the odd puppy out in a litter of golden retrievers. Screenshots from a June 11 Instagram video of a breeder asking people to spot the odd puppy out in a litter of golden retrievers. @eagleridgegoldens/Instagram In a June 11 Instagram video, posted to the account @eagleridgegoldens, Francis zoomed in on the puppies, hoping viewers could spot the odd pup out. Winston's much larger and chunkier head was impossible to miss, earning himself the nickname of "Chooch." Thankfully, Winston didn't seem to mind his bigger size. He threw himself right into the mix. He loved being surrounded by all the other puppies. Francis said Winston joined the other litter when they were about 4 weeks old, right around the time they started eating mush and began weaning off their mother. "We never leave the pups alone so whenever we took mama out, we would put him in with them," she said. She added that it is easy to introduce a singleton pup to another litter. Because of their young age, they adapt quickly. They all play, eat and nap together. Winston wasted no time in getting to know his step-siblings, joining the "puppy puddle" snuggle session. As of Friday, the Instagram video reached over 1.5 million views, as people obsessed over Winston. "Ohhh I am dyyying !! He's the most adorable fluffy potato chonk," commented one viewer. Another added: "They're so darn cute!" But despite the size difference now, Francis shared in the caption that all these golden retrievers will be about the same size as adults: Males reach about 65 to 75 pounds, while females are a bit smaller at 55 to 65 pounds. Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@ with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Boston Globe
31-07-2025
- Boston Globe
‘Just a jumble of bones.' How a baby grave discovery has grown to haunt Ireland
One of the boys, Franny Hopkins, remembers the hollow sound as his feet hit the ground. He and Barry Sweeney pushed back some briars to reveal a concrete slab they pried open. 'There was just a jumble of bones,' Hopkins said. 'We didn't know if we'd found a treasure or a nightmare.' Hopkins didn't realize they'd found a mass unmarked baby grave in a former septic tank — in a town whose name is derived from the Irish word meaning burial place. It took four decades and a persistent local historian to unearth a more troubling truth that led this month to the Advertisement The Tuam grave has compelled a broader reckoning that extends to the highest levels of government in Dublin and the Vatican. Ireland and the Catholic Church, once central to its identity, are grappling with the legacy of ostracizing unmarried women who they believed committed a mortal sin and separating them from children left at the mercy of a cruel system. Word of Hopkins' discovery may never have traveled beyond what is left of the home's walls if not for the work of Catherine Corless, a homemaker with an interest in history. Advertisement Corless, who grew up in town and vividly remembers children from the home being shunned at school, set out to write an article about the site for the local historical society. But she soon found herself chasing ghosts of lost children. 'I thought I was doing a nice story about orphans and all that, and the more I dug, the worse it was getting,' she said. Mother and baby homes were not unique to Ireland, but the church's influence on social values magnified the stigma on women and girls who became pregnant outside marriage. The homes were opened in the 1920s after Ireland won its independence from Britain. Most were run by Catholic nuns. In Tuam's case, the mother and baby home opened in a former workhouse built in the 1840s, for poor Irish where many famine victims died. It had been taken over by British troops during the Irish Civil War of 1922-23. Six members of an Irish Republican Army faction that opposed the treaty ending the war were executed there in 1923. Two years later, the imposing three-story gray buildings on the outskirts of town reopened as a home for expectant and young mothers and orphans. It was run for County Galway by the Bon Secours Sisters, a Catholic order of nuns. Mothers and their children carried that stigma most of their lives. But there was no accountability for the men who got them pregnant, whether by romantic encounter, rape, or incest. Around the time Corless was unearthing the sad history, Anna Corrigan was in Dublin discovering a secret of her own. Advertisement Corrigan, raised as an only child, vaguely remembered a time as a girl when her uncle was angry at her mother and blurted out that she had given birth to two sons. To this day, she's unsure if it's a memory or dream. While researching her late father's traumatic childhood confined in an industrial school for abandoned, orphaned, or troubled children, she asked a woman helping her for any records about her deceased mom. Corrigan was devastated when she got the news: before she was born, her mother had two boys in the Tuam home. 'I cried for brothers I didn't know, because now I had siblings, but I never knew them,' she said. Her mother never spoke a word about it. A 1947 inspection record provided insights to a crowded and deadly environment. Twelve of 31 infants in a nursery were emaciated. Other children were described as 'delicate,' 'wasted,' or with 'wizened limbs.' Corrigan's brother, John Dolan, was described as 'a miserable, emaciated child with voracious appetite and no control over his bodily functions, probably mental defective.' He died two months later in a measles outbreak. Despite a high death rate, the report said infants were well cared for and diets were excellent. Corrigan's brother, William, was born in May 1950 and listed as dying about eight months later. There was no death certificate, though, and his date of birth was altered on the ledger, which was sometimes done to mask adoptions, Corrigan said. In a hunt for graves, the cemetery caretaker led Corless across the street to the neighborhood and playground where the home once stood. A well-tended garden with flowers, a grotto, and Virgin Mary statue was walled off in the corner. It was created by a couple living next door to memorialize the place Hopkins found the bones. Advertisement Some were thought to be famine remains. But that was before Corless discovered the garden sat atop the septic tank installed after the famine. She wondered if the nuns had used the tank as a convenient burial place after it went out of service in 1937, hidden behind the home's 10-foot-high walls. 'It saved them admitting that so, so many babies were dying,' she said. 'Nobody knew what they were doing.' When she published her article in the Journal of the Old Tuam Society in 2012, she braced for outrage. Instead, she heard almost nothing. That changed, though, after Corrigan, who had been busy pursuing records and contacting officials from the prime minister to the police, found Corless. Corrigan connected her with journalist Alison O'Reilly, and the international media took notice after her May 25, 2014, article on the Sunday front page of the Irish Mail with the headline: 'A Mass Grave of 800 Babies.' The article caused a firestorm, followed by some blowback. Some news outlets, including The Associated Press, highlighted sensational reporting and questioned whether a septic tank could have been used as a grave. The Bon Secours sisters hired public relations consultant Terry Prone, who tried to steer journalists away. Despite the doubters, there was widespread outrage. Corless was inundated by people looking for relatives on the list of 796 deaths she compiled. It is expected to take two years to collect bones, many of which are commingled, sort them, and use DNA to try to identify them with relatives like Corrigan. Advertisement Some people in town believe the remains should be left undisturbed. But Corrigan hopes each child is found. 'They were denied dignity in life, and they were denied dignity and respect in death,' she said. 'So we're hoping that today maybe will be the start of hearing them because I think they've been crying for an awful long time to be heard.'
