National News
Miami Catholic hopes app will help people ‘fall in love with the Mass’
As a young man, Dan Gonzalez drifted from the church and stopped attending Mass. As he learned about the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, his life's work caught fire: explaining the meaning and value of the Catholic Mass to the young.
Massachusetts abbey now producing only Trappist ale outside Europe
The new Belgian-style ale, brewed by Trappist monks in Massachusetts, sold out in liquor stores in two hours, and demand for more is heavy. After covering living expenses of the monks and maintenance of the grounds, all profits from the sale of the ale will be donated to charity.
Think globally, act locally: Strategies emerge to help the poor help themselves
Participants at a social ministry gathering learned how Texas parishioners combated predatory "payday lending" by setting up their own credit union for poor people to bank safely. Also, a housecleaning co-op lets poor working mothers spend time with sick children.
Catholics take stand against ‘scourge’ of human trafficking
Up to 50,000 people are forced into slavery in the United States each year, 12.3 million globally. New programs include a U.S. government "dirty list" that identifies products produced by forced labor, by child labor, or both.
Prison chaplain sees focus on the personal as needed in healing
Sixteen years ago a lawyer's wife dared him to lecture at a prison. After she died he became a priest and today he still ministers to prisoners. He advocates for a shift in criminal justice from punishment to healing -- for victims, criminals and all of society.
Cardinal says pope wants to ‘stir things up,’ let people ask questions
BALTIMORE (CNS) -- U.S. Cardinal Edwin F. O'Brien doesn't know what will come out of the Synod on the Family set for October, but the former archbishop of Baltimore believes it will be significant.
New study on abortion rate doesn’t tie drop to new state restrictions
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Almost two weeks after the national March for Life rally in Washington, the Guttmacher Institute reported a 13 percent drop in national abortion rates from 2008 to 2011 -- making for the lowest rate since 1973 when abortion on demand was legalized in the U.S.
USCCB initiative fosters young leaders for church’s social justice work
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Nearly 70 students from Catholic colleges worldwide came to Washington for the Catholic Social Ministry Gathering's Youth Leaders Initiative. Both the annual gathering, held this year Feb. 2-5, and the initiative are projects of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Six agencies of the USCCB sponsor the gathering with 15 other Catholic organizations.
College leaders urged to learn from students’ social media use
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- It's probably no surprise to anyone in academia that their students are very comfortable navigating their way around social media. What they may not have seriously considered is taking a page, online of course, from their students' use of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Archbishop warns against any ‘affiliation, support’ for abortion clinic
NEW ORLEANS (CNS) -- Faced with the looming construction of a multimillion-dollar, regional abortion facility by Planned Parenthood Gulf South, New Orleans Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond has cautioned local Catholics and businesses they would be "cooperating with the evil that will take place" at the clinic if they participated in its preparation or construction.