National News
Moving to her own rhythm, gymnast defies limits of Down syndrome
Lani DeMello became a world gymnastics champion last year as she overcame difficulties through hard work and perseverance. She wasn't the only one to shed a tear while the National Anthem played as she received the gold medal.
El Paso Mass scrapped, but not papal Mass across border
Elizabeth O'Hara, a spokeswoman for the El Paso Diocese, said security concerns over the size of the anticipated crowd for a U.S.-based Mass taking place at the same time as the Juarez Mass prompted the change in plans.
Two bishops seek end to deportation raids
"We disagree with the underlying rationale behind this action: that sending children and families back to the dangerous environment they fled will serve as a deterrent for other children and families who are considering fleeing Central America."
Supreme Court rules Florida’s death penalty system unconstitutional
The U.S. Supreme Court Jan. 12 said the state of Florida's death penalty system is unconstitutional because it allows judges, rather than juries, to determine whether a convicted criminal should get a death sentence.
Foes of death penalty address its ‘indefensible’ moral, economic toll
An Atlanta deacon hopes a summit he led will serve as a springboard for clergy and laypeople in families, workplaces and neighborhoods to "spread the truth about the death penalty."
U.S. bishops show support for Little Sisters in Supreme Court case
Catholic and non-Catholic groups signed a legal brief in a case the high court will hear this year to decide whether a religious order and other ministries can be forced to comply with the government's contraceptive mandate.
President’s action on guns draws fire from all sides
When President Barack Obama unveiled a series of executive orders Jan. 5 intended to make a dent in gun violence in the United States, people reacted. And how.
Ohio parish rebuilds two years after being destroyed in a tornado
Bishop Daniel E. Thomas of Toledo, Ohio, congratulated the congregation on the accomplishment of rebuilding the sanctuary and reminded them that they are also living temples of the Lord.
California bishops saddened that drive to overturn physician-assisted suicide fails
Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento, in a statement issued Jan. 5, said that the bishops were heartened by the tens of thousands of Californians who "are demanding to have a voice in one of the most dangerous public policies ever enacted" in the state.
Guatemalan educators come north to learn from Benedictine counterparts
Two administrators from the Benedictine school visited Fort Smith in December to learn more about the American education system, both public and private, and get ideas on how to improve their own programs.