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Miami Herald
05-03-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Scenes from Ash Wednesday mass at one of South Florida's oldest Catholic churches
Pews were packed at an Ash Wednesday mass led by Miami's Archbishop Thomas Wenski at Broward's oldest Catholic Church earlier this afternoon. The mass, held at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Fort Lauderdale, marks the beginning of the holy season of Lent for Catholics and Christians, a time for reflection and repentance ahead of the celebration of Easter. 'Lent is a season of grace and salvation,' said Wenski during his homily at the mass. 'A good confession should be a part of every Catholic's lenten observance.' Wenksi explained that during the 40-day period of lent, Catholics will revisit the sacrament of 'penance', or the way believers receive forgiveness for their wrongdoings. One's personal changes, made through prayer and fasting, must come first before fixing other worldly problems, Wenski said. 'Lent reminds us ... that the world we live in cannot be helped in any other way than by our repentance,' Wenski said. 'We can complain about the state of the world .. What can we change without first changing ourselves?' For Catholics over the age of 14, Ash Wednesday is also a day to abstain from meat, and a day of fasting — one full meal and two small meals, with nothing eaten between meals — for adults ages 18-59, according to the Archdiocese. Though for Catholics lent is a time for external sacrifices, it is also a time to 'starve your sins, not just your stomach,' Wenski said. And though the Catholic Church gets a lot of flack about 'guilt trips,' he said, lent is more about turning back to one's faith. 'Lent is not about laying a guilt trip on us, it's about bringing us to make a reality check, an examination of conscience.' The midweek noon mass was widely attended. Believers received ashes on their foreheads in the sign of a cross as a symbol of their willingness to live life according to the gospels, Wenski said. The ashes are created the day before the mass by burning palm branches across throughout parishes in the Archdiocese in Miami. St. Anthony Catholic Church, dedicated in December of 1922, is Broward's first Catholic Church, credited with pioneering Catholic education in the area, opening its private school in 1926. In 1932, the school became the first Catholic high school in Broward County with grades one through twelve, according to its website. This story was produced with financial support from Trish ad Dan Bell and from donors comprising the South Florida Jewish and Muslim Communities, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Why the First Amendment is important it and why it's my beat
My name is Angele Latham, and I am the First Amendment reporter at The Tennessean — a first-of-its kind beat created through a partnership with The Tennessean, the Freedom Forum and the Journalism Funding Partners. I cover a wide variety of fascinating topics throughout the state, including protests, lawsuits over free speech and religious liberty, investigations, books bans and extremism, just to name a few. Anything that impacts your freedoms enshrined in the First Amendment, I'm there. The First Amendment contains five freedoms: religion, speech, press, assembly and the right to petition the government. The importance of these rights cannot be overstated. These rights transcend our work as reporters — they shape the lives of everyday Americans and how they interact with the world around them. This beat has surprised even me with how well it has been received. Since this is the first dedicated First Amendment beat in the nation, I have a consistent onslaught of story tips coming in from across the country. There is a massive untapped well of First Amendment issues that need coverage, and I am honored to be at the helm. A recent example: The fight over TikTok and how to balance the free speech rights of those who use the social media app and the national security interest of the United States and its relations with China. I also recently wrote about a nonprofit with Tennessee connections and its First Amendment rights to send aid to Israeli settlers in the West Bank. Consistent inspection of legislative bills often reveal new First Amendment issues. As do lawsuits, such as a recent one where a Smyrna man won the right to protest outside a business wearing a chicken mask. I also keep close watch on school boards for any book removals, and keep my ear to the ground on social media for brewing problems. The best way to find stories, however, is simply by talking to people. The First Amendment is inherently about the people's speech, and well, that means I need to talk to people. Making connections and listening will always be the best way to report stories that matter and make an impact. Got a First Amendment issue you want to let me know about? Don't hesitate to reach out. I'm at alatham@ This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Why the First Amendment is important it and why it's my beat
