Free Republic

*The Indian Express* reports an upsurge in Hindus, Muslims, and Buddhists visiting Catholic shrines dedicated to the Blessed Mother. As it says in its report, [which we could not directly link due to technical problems]: "In an unexpected twist of globalization, Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims and other pilgrims regularly worship at famous Roman Catholic shrines to the Virgin Mary such as Lourdes in France and Fatima in Portugal. They drink the holy water, light votive candles and pray fervently to the Madonna for help with life's hardships. Many venerate her like one of their own goddesses, a view that would be...

"Once a week, Ken and Darcy Maggio head to a beautiful old church with five children in tow, for what they consider a beautiful old service, the Latin Mass. The worshipping community isn't a parish, but among the handful of emerging conservative Catholic groups to establish roots in the Dallas Diocese. ... Many are drawing young Catholics like the Maggios, who are in their 30s. "We've discovered a treasure in the church we didn't know existed," said Ken Maggio of Dallas, an engineering manager at Texas Instruments."