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Fathers key to strong family and society, writer tells Serra Club
Members of the club that prays and works to promote vocations heard a speaker reflect on fatherhood and warn of the societal dangers when children grow up without a father. Almost half of those kids will live in poverty.
Villa Joseph Marie students dance for 10 hours, raise $89K to fight child cancer
Students of the Bucks County girls' high school wore out shoe leather all year by gathering donations from the community ahead of the dance-a-thon last Friday night. The money they raised blew away last year's total of $12,000.
Pope writes to Syrian president, pleading for peace and aid corridors
UPDATED - Pope Francis urged Syrian President Bashar Assad to do everything possible to end the war in his country, to protect civilians and to ensure humanitarian agencies can deliver emergency aid to the people.
Four churches to close in Philadelphia, Montgomery and Chester counties
The churches, which mostly had been worship sites of merged parishes, include St. Augustine, Bridgeport; Assumption B.V.M., West Grove; and St. Therese and St. Madeleine Sophie, both in Philadelphia’s Mount Airy section.
Give flesh to the Gospel like Mary did, pope says on Guadalupe feast
"To look at the Guadalupana is to remember that the presence of the Lord always passes through those who manage to make his word flesh, who seek to embody the life of God within themselves, becoming living signs of his mercy," Pope Francis said.
Self-centeredness is first obstacle to becoming a good priest, pope says
"How can I notice Christ if I only look at myself?" he asked. "How can I experience the beauty of the church if my only concern is to save myself, my energy and get out of every situation unscathed?"
Alabama man executed after Supreme Court denied stay
The Supreme Court did not offer an explanation for any of the orders it issued in his case. In November, it granted a last-minute hold to stop another Alabama man's death sentence but gave no reason there either.
Violence fixes nothing; world needs politics of peace, pope says
Calling for a new style of politics built on peace and nonviolence, Pope Francis also called for disarmament, the eradication of nuclear weapons and an end to domestic violence and abuse against women and children.
Thousands gather for Walk With Mary in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe
People on the sidewalks of Washington momentarily stopped their holiday shopping and paused in the cold Dec. 10 to take in the sight of hundreds of pilgrims processing through the streets alongside images of Mary.
Pope asks Catholic farmers to preserve, respect rhythms of nature
Family farmers, he said, live the biblical ideal of working the land and making it produce sustenance while respecting creation and preserving it for future generations.