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Dear friends of Fr. Benedict,Today is Thursday, January 15. Here is the latest update on Fr. Benedict. Today I was able to spend some time at Fr. Benedict's bedside. Thank God, he is even looking better. He has good color and the swelling of the body has decreased. He is still highly sedated, so he is a "sleep state" and is slightly aided in his breathing with a respirator. His right arm is suspended due to the operation he received last evening. He has a few metal pins or rods sticking out of his bandaged arm. As I mentioned in...

The Gray Friars, six Franciscan monks from the Bronx, have set up a mission in one of the poorest areas of London's East End 2 of 8 "We look odd and people are afraid of what looks odd," says Brother John Paul. "People were stand-offish, but now it's great." 3 of 8 The friars open their doors to 30 homeless people. "Poverty here isn't a lack of food, it's not having friendship." 4 of 8 The friars live simply and rely on donations to put a roof over their own heads and to offer shelter and food to others 5...

Says New Mysteries Will Encourage Reading of GospelsNEW YORK, JUNE 10, 2003 (Zenit.org).- Inspired by John Paul II's declaration of the Year of the Rosary, a Franciscan Friar of the Renewal, Father Benedict Groeschel, has written a book of meditations on all 20 mysteries of the rosary. Father Groeschel, director of the office of spiritual development for the Archdiocese of New York, recently spoke with ZENIT about "The Rosary: Chain of Hope" (Ignatius), which was written during his personal recitations of the rosary. Q: What have the five new luminous mysteries added to the spirituality of the rosary? Father Groeschel:...