Monthly Archives: August 2010

McFadden to hear confessions in each deannery

Posted on August 30, 2010 by melissa nann burke

As he gets to know the Diocese of Harrisburg, Bishop Joseph P. McFadden will visit each deanery to hear confessions, also known as the sacrament of Reconciliation. McFadden noted during his installation homily earlier this month that he wants to … Continue reading →

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The Week in Pa. religion news: Aug. 29, 2010

Posted on August 29, 2010 by melissa nann burke

A former Pittsburgh pastor, the Rev. Jane Spahr, was found guilty of misconduct Friday by a regional court of the Presbyterian Church (USA) for officiating the weddings of 16 gay couples when same-sex marriage was legal in California in 2008. … Continue reading →

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Conservative Lutherans form new denomination

Posted on August 29, 2010 by melissa nann burke

Former members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America voted in Ohio on Friday to form a new denomination that leaders claim will follow the Scriptures more faithfully: the North American Lutheran Church. They left in part because the ELCA … Continue reading →

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Faith helped sustain caving rescuers

Posted on August 24, 2010 by melissa nann burke

I was engrossed yesterday by this two-part narrative in the Salt Lake Tribune about rescuers trying to free a 26-year-old caver from a tight crevice that trapped him inside Nutty Putty cave 60 miles south of Salt Lake City on … Continue reading →

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First woman Lutheran pastor, 40 years later

Posted on August 23, 2010 by melissa nann burke

The first woman ordained as a Lutheran pastor in North America graduated decades ago from the nearby Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg. The Rev. Elizabeth A. Platz, now 69, has served her entire ministry as the Lutheran campus pastor at … Continue reading →

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The Week in Pa. religion news: Aug. 22, 2010

Posted on August 22, 2010 by melissa nann burke

Several prominent Episcopalians in Philadelphia said that their newly reinstated bishop, Charles Bennison, should resign, even though a church appeals court cleared the way for his return to office last month. Bennison has said he messed up by not investigating … Continue reading →

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Prepping for the bishop’s installation

Posted on August 16, 2010 by melissa nann burke

The diocesan center outside Harrisburg is abuzz this week with staff getting ready for Wednesday’s installation of Bishop Joseph P. McFadden, who will be the 10th bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg. Among the clerics expected at the installation … Continue reading →

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The Week in Pa. religion news: Aug. 15, 2010

Posted on August 15, 2010 by melissa nann burke

Friends this week remembered Glen Lapp, the Mennonite aid volunteer and nurse who was killed in Afghanistan on Aug. 5. The Mennonites, a historic peace church, have a long history of volunteerism. Doctors in the region said they won’t let … Continue reading →

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30 mosques, 30 states, 30 days

Posted on August 15, 2010 by melissa nann burke

I heard an NPR interview on my way to work today about two American Muslims, Bassam Tariq and Aman Ali (at right), who are visiting 30 mosques in 30 different states during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which began … Continue reading →

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Lancaster man among aid workers killed in attack

Posted on August 8, 2010 by melissa nann burke

A 40-year-old Lancaster man was among the 10 members of a medical team gunned down in the mountains of northern Afghanistan last week. The Mennonite Central Committee said Glen D. Lapp, who was trained as a nurse, worked with an … Continue reading →

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