In January, the Diocese of New Ulm, MN, released a national media kit to promote Vocations Awareness attracting young males, ages 13-24, to their "Our Men In Black" website, www.ourmib.org. The website, launched in early 1999, averages 5,000 hits per month offering ongoing conversation with interested candidates for the priesthood. Other promotional items developed to "tease" people to the website include: a Hollywood style poster featuring Our Men In Black II - The Seminarians; phone cards; postcards, pencils, mouse pads, caps, jackets, T-shirts. A series of 15 second television commercials designed to interest people in the website have also been produced with air time scheduled locally during the Superbowl!

The Vatican adopted the euro, the joint European currency, under a December 29 agreement with Italy. Under the accord, Italy agreed to mint coins worth a total of 670,000 euros, or about $631,000, on the Vatican’s behalf. The new currency value is the same as what the Vatican had been allowed to coin in Italian Lira, Monsignor Celestino Migliore, Vatican undersecretary for relations with states, told Catholic News Service. Like other participating states, the Vatican will be able to design one side of its euro coins; the other side is common to the whole euro zone.

More than $118 million in debt owed by parishes, schools, and agencies is being forgiven by the Diocese of Brooklyn, Bishop Thomas Daily announced. Among the beneficiaries are 102 parishes, whose combined loans of nearly $106.8 million have been written off. Debts of almost $9.3 million owed by 26 schools and $2.4 million owed by six diocesan programs or agencies also were given.

More than a dozen members of the U.S. Congress and the chaplain of the House of Representatives were to present Pope John Paul II with the Congressional Gold Medal last month at the Vatican. The House of Representatives agreed to award the medal to the Pope last May, and the Senate followed suit in early July, with President Clinton signing the measure July 27. The legislation honors the pope "in recognition of his many and enduring contributions to peace and religious understanding."

More than 24.2 million people came to Rome during the jubilee year by the time of its conclusion January 6. The total number of visitors to the city in 1999 was just under 18 million, according to the city’s jubilee agency. Almost 40 percent of the year 2000 visitors were "excursionists," mostly Italian tourists and pilgrims who did not spend the night.