News
Studying for the GED, one student at a time
Nicole Yezik teaches English at St. Gabriel’s Hall and mentors young men seeking their GED certificate. The youths have few academic skills, so tutors focus on the individual. "Whatever they need to succeed, we do.”
From the ‘living hell’ of youth, a young man’s future looks bright
Felix Alberto came from a dysfunctional family and a boyhood in which he thought it to be better dead than alive. After years of delinquency he turned his life around with help from staff at a Catholic program for troubled boys.
U.S. bishops, Iran religious leaders issue joint declaration
"Christianity and Islam share a commitment to love and respect for the life, dignity and welfare of all members of the human community," said the declaration.
Retired Pope Benedict says it was his ‘duty’ to resign from papacy
After his visit to Mexico and Cuba in March 2012, he felt he was "incapable of fulfilling" the demands of another international trip, especially with World Youth Day 2013 scheduled for Brazil.
Vatican newspaper: ‘Amoris Laetitia’ is authoritative church teaching
While Pope Francis did not invoke his teaching authority in a "definitive way" in the document on marriage and family, it is an example of the "ordinary magisterium" to which Catholics must assent, a theologian wrote.
Big bump in seminary enrollment another sign of vigor for vocations
This year St. Charles Seminary will be home to 160 seminarians, with 67 studying for the Philadelphia Archdiocese, 18 of which are new arrivals. Enrollment at the seminary is up 33 percent from two years ago.
Catholic mission set up to bring God to hipsters
They have established a ministry of presence to help bring the word of God to a segment of society that tends to be suspicious of, or oblivious to, organized religion.
Trustees agree to protect whistleblowers at Irish national seminary
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin referred to claims of what he described as a "gay culture" in the seminary and further allegations that some seminarians have been using a gay dating app. Archbishop Martin said some of the allegations had been shown to be true.
Louisiana floods called worst U.S. natural disaster since Superstorm Sandy
Civil authorities reported that at least 13 people died in the floods and that about 60,000 homes were damaged, although a Baton Rouge economic development group put the number of damaged houses at 110,000.
For Catholics choosing a new parish, it’s location, location, location
They choose nearness over other considerations, including the quality of the homilies, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.