National News

Engage young adults, support Black Lives Matter, bishops told

A standing-room-only crowd of young black Catholics told bishops, priests, and women and men religious why they stay in the church, what threatens to drive them away and that they want a stronger voice from church officials for the Black Lives Matter movement.

Catholic Extension announces eight finalists for Lumen Christi award

Catholic Extension has announced eight finalists for its Lumen Christi Award, which recognizes Catholic leaders "for bringing the light of Christ" to poor communities across the United States.

Archbishop Broglio asks prayers for 16 killed in Marine plane crash

Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services asked for prayers for the 15 Marines and one Navy corpsman who died July 10 when a Marine refueling and cargo plane crashed in a soybean field in rural Mississippi near the town of Itta Bena.

Q-and-A on the Vatican’s recent instruction on bread, wine for Communion

Bishops should look at ways to help verify and guarantee the validity and worthiness of the bread and wine used for the celebration of the Eucharist, the Vatican said in a recent document.

Bishop sees Cleveland faithful as missionary disciples answering pope

As he was introduced to diocesan staff and the media at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist July 11, Bishop Perez said he wanted to follow in the footsteps of Pope Francis and develop a church of missionary disciples.

Priest gets grant to study tie between spiritual direction, moral life

The funding begins in September and will support creation of a book on spiritual direction and the acquisition of virtue, as well as DVD, CD and MP3 materials on the subject and a social-media-friendly website.

Oregon Catholic Conference denounces state’s abortion funding bill

Calling state lawmakers "intolerant of widely held opposing views" and religious beliefs, the Oregon Catholic Conference is denouncing a Legislature-approved bill that requires health insurers to cover abortion on demand.

Braxton: Micah’s words on justice, love must be ‘written in our hearts’

UPDATED - The theme of the 12th National Black Catholic Congress July 6-9 in Orlando focused on a passage by Micah, known as the prophet of social justice, whose warnings and criticism of political corruption and urging of caring for the poor still ring true 2,700 years later.

A different type of immigrant: Boston parish ministers to Brazilians

Father Carlos Barbosa, a Scalabrinian priest originally from Brazil, was sent to St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Everett, Massachusetts, to help minister to the Brazilian community. "We are the second-largest Brazilian parish (in the Archdiocese of Boston)," he said.

Black Catholics at congress urged to ‘listen, learn, think, act and pray’

More than 2,000 converged on Orlando July 6-9 for the 12th National Black Catholic Congress where speakers -- clergy, lay and religious -- addressed a variety of topics and concerns facing black communities and families.