While parishioners at Towson’s Immaculate Conception were coming to terms with his retirement announcement in mid-November, Monsignor F. Dennis Tinder was talking about a greater transition.

As Baltimore’s Franciscan Center celebrated its 40th anniversary with a block party, Sept. 10, volunteer Ellen Daniels stood in the hubbub and spoke about how the nonprofit organization was able to help her.

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.

Father John C. Kemper, S.S. can’t help but feel humbled when he works as the director of the St. Mary’s Spiritual Center and Historic Site on Paca Street in downtown Baltimore.

As 2008 begins, the pastor of St. Vincent de Paul, Baltimore, will order all makeshift tents used by the homeless in the park adjacent to the church to come down.

Patrick Williams always wanted to play football, but his parents thought he would get hurt.

Charles G. Tildon Jr., who served the church in a variety of capacities and received the papal honor of being named to the Knights of St. Gregory the Great, died Dec. 16 of cancer. He was 81.

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.

John and Gat Meredith planned on marking the first anniversary of their daughter’s death quietly.

When St. Edward, Baltimore, parishioner Willie B. Harris Sr. retired from the Department of Defense 20 years ago, he knew he had to expend his pent-up energy in a productive manner.