MCHENRY – Tightly holding a large waterlogged sponge in his fist, 9-year-old Isaac Fike wound up like Orioles pitcher Erik Bedard and launched the soggy missile towards its target. As other children squealed with delight, Isaac hit his mark on his first try – smack in the face of Father Donald Parson, pastor of St. Peter the Apostle in Oakland. “If you want to go to heaven you’ll stop it,” shouted a smiling Father Parson, his soaked face poking through a cutout hole in a plywood angel figure topped with a halo. Father Michael Triplett, a newly ordained priest recently assigned to the parishes of Western Maryland, quickly jumped to Isaac’s defense.
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Cumberland outreach helps clothe children
CUMBERLAND – Standing next to piles of neatly folded children’s shirts and dainty toddler’s dresses hanging overhead on hangers, Ellie Mantheiy was pleased with the quantity and quality of the apparel. “It’s mostly used clothing donated by parishioners,” said Ms. Mantheiy, coordinator of the children’s clothing outreach program at St. Mary, Cumberland. “Some of it is brand new. Our parishioners are very generous.” The outreach program started about three years ago to help struggling parents throughout the community clothe their children. The church accepts donations of pants, shirts, dresses, jackets and more which are then distributed free of charge to anyone who needs them.
Inaugural meal at new Our Daily Bread served with little fuss
The location was new, but the crowd was familiar as Catholic Charities served its first meal to the poor and homeless at its new Our Daily Bread Employment Center June 4. Before the dining room opened at 10:30 a.m., 18 people who normally eat at Baltimore’s largest soup kitchen registered for employment training.
Father Murphy new chaplain at Towson University
After three years at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Middle River, Father T. Austin Murphy will be leaving July 1 to become the new chaplain of the Newman Center at Towson University. “As a priest you don’t forget your first parish,” said Father Murphy, 34, who is a graduate of University of Maryland Baltimore County. “I know I will leave with their prayers.” Father Murphy said he has truly enjoyed working with the elementary and high school students and helping with the sacraments.
Destroyed by fire, Grantsville parish to rebuild
The fire that devastated St. Ann in Grantsville two days before Christmas may have taken the tiny faith community’s church building but it failed to claim the parish’s spirit. Parishioners now worship in the chapel at Newman Funeral Home in Grantsville and the religious education program has adopted a home-based approach under the direction of Camilla Rawe.
Father Kelmartin, area pastor, dies
Father John. J. Kelmartin, a former pastor of St. Bartholomew in Manchester and Our Lady of Victory in Arbutus who taught in several seminaries across the country, died March 7 at Stella Maris Hospice in Timonium. He was 83.
Blakefield alumnus runs coast to coast for cancer survivors
One may think running 3,400 miles from California to Rhode Island would form a blister or two on a runner’s feet. Not so for one Loyola Blakefield, Towson, alumnus who changed running shoes every 100 miles to ensure his feet were as comfortable and fresh as possible during a five and a half month run to raise money for cancer survivors. “Blisters and foot soreness were not an issue,” said the slender Christian McEvoy, 24, who spoke to students at his alma mater, the School of the Cathedral in Homeland, Feb. 28. “I had some slight body aches and injuries, but nothing really stopped me.”
Xavia’s heart
As the small jet carrying 10-year-old Xavia Pirozzi’s new heart approached Philadelphia International Airport the evening of Jan. 5, there was a 20 percent chance the aircraft would not be able to land in the dense fog. Inside the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Xavia’s parents, Nicolle Borys-Pirozzi and Ralph Pirozzi, waited anxiously, knowing the fog was just one of many challenges their daughter has weathered in her short lifetime.
Date night helps couples keep spark alive
Erica and Sean Kerchner find it hard to spend quality time together at the moment. Mr. Kerchner has been training with the U.S. Navy in Norfolk, Va., for four months while his wife of three years stays with her parents in Silver Spring. Mrs. Kerchner said when her husband visits on the weekends, it is important for them to find time for themselves in between visiting friends and family. They try to set aside one night to go out to dinner or a movie, “nothing really fancy,” she said.
Basilica pastor celebrates Mass for Ravens
Before they stepped into noisy M&T Bank Stadium for the AFC Divisional playoff game Jan. 15, some members of the Baltimore Ravens quietly gathered for morning prayer at their downtown hotel.
Absence of Bob Flynn lingers longer than Ravens’ loss to Colts
The last time I saw Bob Flynn was in the summer of 2006, during Baltimore Ravens’ training camp at McDaniel College. Flynn was the men’s basketball coach there, literally had the keys to the gym, but he was like any other fan, excited to see professional athletes honing their craft.Jan. 13 marks the fifth anniversary […]
Cardinal-designate O’Brien used to new and varied assignments
WASHINGTON – The priestly ministry of Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien, named a cardinal Jan. 6 by Pope Benedict XVI, has been marked by frequent assignments, so that he rarely stays in one place very long. And even when he is ensconced somewhere for a while, he gets to moving.