National News
Low water levels prompt California bishops to urge prayers for rain
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CNS) -- California's Catholic bishops are asking Catholics and all people of faith to pray for rain as lower-than-normal rainfall in the state enters its third year.
Jesuit who is nationally known peace activist no longer member of order
TOWSON, Md. (CNS) -- Jesuit Father John Dear, a nationally known peace activist who also is a popular author, retreat leader and lecturer on peace and justice issues, is no longer a member of the Society of Jesus after 32 years with the religious order.
Senate vote clears way for resumption of unemployment benefits
Leaders in the Republican-controlled House have said they would not consider a bill for extending emergency benefits until savings were found elsewhere in the budget to offset its expected $6.4 billion cost over three months.
Catholic agencies in U.S. plan to keep services going in nasty weather
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- With a huge swath of the United States -- from the upper Midwest to the Atlantic Seaboard -- alternating between one-two punches of cold snaps and snowstorms, everybody's talking about the weather. Catholic service providers are also doing something about the increased need for emergency services that such weather brings.
How did we get here? View on evolution marked by partisan, religious divides
The culture wars show no sign of abating in 2014. A Pew Research Center study issued Dec. 30 showed a deepening partisan divide about whether humans existed in present form since the beginning of time or whether they evolved. And, if they did evolve, whether God guided the process along.
New year holds hope for homeless clients seeking work
PHOENIX (CNS) -- The new year will be a brighter beginning for Terrance Alston. The 49-year-old, who spent enough years on the streets, is now fixing up his own home and mending family bonds.
Courts give some last-minute relief from HHS contraceptive mandate
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CNS) -- In the midst of their New Year's Eve celebration with low-income elderly residents, the Baltimore-based Little Sisters of the Poor learned that the Supreme Court issued an injunction temporarily protecting them from the Affordable Care Act's contraceptive mandate.
Milwaukee project makes, markets soaps to help former prostitutes
MILWAUKEE (CNS) -- Soothing aromas of peppermint, lavender, gingerbread and lemon verbena waft through the hallways of the Franciscan Peacemakers headquarters in Milwaukee.
Response to ‘On Eagle’s Wings’ over the years humbling for composer
Father Jan Michael Joncas has composed more than 300 liturgical songs, but his name is widely known for the one that tops a list of favorites: "On Eagle's Wings."
New CLINIC chairman approaches immigration reform as ‘pastor of souls’
Bishop Kevin Vann, an immigration reform advocate, leads the Orange (Calif.) Diocese that is home to the largest Vietnamese community outside Vietnam and encompassing one of the 10 U.S. counties with the greatest Hispanic population.