Daily Links Fri., Nov. 18: Mass changes and cathedral exchanges

It’s Friday, and as the week is winding down, so is Ordinary Time, as Advent is soon to begin. This weekend’s Sunday Mass will be the last Sunday we celebrate the Mass that at least my generation has always known and many have loved. We’ve created a special section on all of our coverage of the changes head. In the coming weeks, we look forward to hearing from all our readers on how things are going in your parishes.

The Crystal Cathedral and its 31-acre campus now belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, California. The cathedral sold for a whopping $575 million. Orange bishop Todd D. Brown said the cathedral will become the diocese’s new cathedral. So, he’ll have to be extra careful to make sure no glass stones get thrown. (Ba-dum-ching)

According to a study by the National Black Catholic Congress and the University of Notre Dame, 78 percent of black Catholics say their parishes are meeting their spiritual needs, compared to 69 percent of white Catholics. The study is historic, even before its findings, because it represents the largest sample of black Catholics ever surveyed. The report revealed that while black Catholics are more satisfied with parishes than white Catholics, they feel that racism still exists as “fellow parishioners reluctantly shake their hands and that they have experienced racial insensitivity from their priest.”

And finally, as the editors spent some time with former Vatican Observatory director George Coyne, S.J. today, I leave you with these excellent images of stars, star clusters, and supernovas. Coyne, an astronomer, reminded us today of how vast and complex and remarkable the universe really is—and how little we really know. Good fodder for theological reflection.

About the author

Meghan Murphy-Gill

Meghan Murphy-Gill is a writer living in Chicago. Read more from her at meghanmurphygill.com.