News
Bishops designate Wisconsin site of Marian apparitions as national shrine
Nearly 160 years ago, on Oct. 9, 1859, Mary appeared to a young Belgian immigrant living in Kewaunee County. Today, it is the only approved Marian apparition site in the United States.
Black women faced racism in pursuing religious vocations, says historian
Although they had to face tests of "passing for white" to join a religious congregation and accept subservient roles in those orders, or form their own, religious black women were highly regarded by black Catholics.
Pope names Dallas bishop head of new office for laity, family, life
After establishing the new Vatican office, Pope Francis named Dallas Bishop Kevin Farrell to lead it. He will join his brother, Bishop Brian Farrell, as the only two brother bishops ever to serve in the Vatican at the same time.
South Phila. seniors see start of new affordable housing
Officials broke ground and blessed St. John Neumann Place II, the latest archdiocesan facility to be redeveloped at a former Catholic school. Fifty-two subsidized apartments will join the existing 72 units on the campus.
Women religious urged to face crisis with contemplation
The president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious told 800 members that they must find "a new way of exercising hope" even as the number of women religious serving the church continues to dwindle.
A living link to black Catholic history, parishioner leads the way into future
“Mother” Alma Bailey, 91, grew up in the segregated South before becoming Catholic in 1949 after serving as a nurse in WWII at Tuskegee. Today at B.V.M. Parish in Darby, she raises funds and welcomes new African arrivals.
Violence in Milwaukee unrest ‘a self-inflicted wound,’ says archbishop
Protesters burned down six businesses in the city in response to the police shooting of Sylville K. Smith as he fled a traffic stop earlier that day. Pastors were discussing the causes of "the anger and the hopelessness that lead to violence."
CRS uses lessons learned from Ebola to fight Zika in Cape Verde
The dust had hardly settled on Catholic Relief Services' work fighting the world's worst Ebola outbreak before the team began responding to the Zika virus in the West Africa's Cape Verde, which has about 7,500 Zika cases.
Catholic women an important voice in Canada’s national conversation, bishop says
Women who belong to Catholic organizations give witness to God by the causes they support and the influence they bring to bear on many issues, said an archbishop at a Canadian women's conference.
As floods displace 20,000 people, Louisiana bishop comforts evacuees
Catholic churches in the Baton Rouge Diocese called for volunteers to help those driven from their homes by extreme flooding. A tropical storm system dumped nearly 2 feet of rain on southern Louisiana.