Northern New Jersey felt a rumble Saturday morning after it was hit with an earthquake.

At 1 a.m., a minor earthquake, rating 2.1 on the Richter Scale, according to the United States Geological Survey, was reported throughout most of Ringwood in Passaic County. VIDEO

Luke 2:[34] And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother: Behold this child is set for the fall, and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted;

Quote from Pope Francis:

“When you don’t understand something, when desperation hits you then look at the cross. That is the great failure of God, that is the destruction of God, and it’s a challenge to our faith. And this is hope, because history did not end in that failure. Rather it’s in the resurrection of Christ that renewed all of us. I am going to tell you something personal. It’s 12 (o’clock) are you hungry? I am going to tell you something private. In my pocket I always carry two thing: a rosary to pray something which seems odd, this is here is the history of God’s failure, it’s the way of the cross, a small way of the cross, as Jesus suffered and when they condemned him right up to where he was buried with these two things I do the best I can. And thanks to these two things, I never lose hope.” MORE

In Northern Iraq, it’s dangerous to celebrate Christmas…Many persecuted Christians celebrate Christmas in secret. As refugees, they have already sacrified so much for their faith.

Recently, a team from CitizenGO went to Northern Iraq to deliver direct aid to these persecuted refugees and to spread some Christmas cheer

When it comes to religious hate crimes, Jews and Jewish institutions were the biggest targets in America again last year, hands down.

But when it comes to hate crimes overall, the single biggest motivation by far was not religion at all; it was race—a situation that has prevailed for years.

Those are two of the takeaways the public can glean from the FBI’s recently released annual review of hate crimes for 2014. MORE

Vol 9 Issue 1 ~ Editor: Rev. Fr. Courtney Edward Krier
January 2, 2015 ~ Our Lady on Saturday

1. Baptism: Means of Salvation (49)
2. Sunday after Circumcision (Bauer)
3. Holy Name of Jesus (O’Sullivan)
4. Christ in the Home (24)
5. Articles and notices

Dear Reader: Continue reading →

DENVER (Reuters) – Nearly 200 workers, mostly Somali immigrants, have been fired from a meat-packing plant in Colorado after staging a walkout to protest what they said were insufficient prayer accommodations, the company and Islamic advocacy groups said on Thursday.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said the workers were treated in a “discriminatory manner” by managers at the Cargill Meat Solutions [CARGIL.UL] facility in Fort Morgan, about 75 miles northeast of Denver. MORE

A storm system that’s recently brought extreme weather across the country also caused temperatures to rise about 50 degrees Fahrenheit above normal in the North Pole today.

The North Pole “unfroze” today, experiencing a temperature high of upwards 40 degrees Fahrenheit, a temperature that’s “unheard of” in the area during winter months, according to ABC News meteorologist Melissa Griffin. It’s usually minus 15 to minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit there at this time of year. MORE

Having both accumulated the trappings of power in a hierarchical system – entourages, chauffeurs, private aircraft – the two personalities tied for second place as 2015’s most esteemed man draw throngs of enthusiasts wherever they alight, faithful acolytes thirsting for their unique messages of redemption.

Yet that’s where the similarities between Pope Francis, the humble leader of the Catholic Church, and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump – co-runners-up in Gallup’s polling measurement of the Most Admired Man living anywhere in the world – end. MORE

The first military plane carrying Syrian refugees to be resettled in Canada has arrived in the country.

Welcoming the 163 refugees, new Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country was “showing the world how to open our hearts”. MORE

SAUDI OFFERS “CASTRATED AFRICAN SLAVE” FOR SALE ON FACEBOOK
Saudi Arabia had an estimated 300,000 slaves in 1960. Slavery was then officially abolished, but unofficially continues to exist. MORE

A relatively unknown map of the Middle East, NATO-garrisoned Afghanistan, and Pakistan has been circulating around strategic, governmental, NATO, policy and military circles since mid-2006.  MORE

For the first time in more than a decade, all categories of crime rose across Los Angeles in 2015 as police struggled to get control of the problem, according toLAPD data.

Violent crime in L.A. climbed 19.9% and property crime increased 10.3% through Dec. 26 compared with the same period last year, according to the police data. It marked the second year in a row that violent crime rose, but the first time since 2003 that both violent and property crime rose. MORE

Gun control legislation going into effect in California next week will allow authorities to seize a person’s weapons for 21 days if a judge determines there is potential for violence. MORE