A blessing (from to bless, Old English bleodsian or bletsian ... formal blessings of the church are performed by bishops, priests, and sometimes deacons, but as in many other religions, anyone ...

St. Mary’s Church of the Immaculate Conception in Wilkes-Barre had a final Mass with a full-throated choir accompanied by hand bells and rumbling timpani on Sunday.

The high school is now located on the site of the old church ... appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: History Spotlight: St. Joseph Catholic Church ...

Nevertheless, the Catholic Church held fast to its opposition. The Vatican's stand against contraception was centuries old. For much of that time, however, birth control had remained a dormant issue.

As in Great Britain, the Catholic Church has experienced similar periods of prominent conversions on this side of the pond over the years, and many of the most famous Catholics in U.S. history ...