News

Synod shows solidarity with people of Middle East, Ukraine, Africa

Basic principles of human dignity are being violated repeatedly in the Middle East as conflict continues, particularly in Syria and Iraq, but also in Jerusalem and other areas of the Holy Land, said members of the Synod of Bishops on the family.

Churches in Manayunk, Fallsington set to close

St. Mary in Philadelphia's Manayunk section and St. Joseph the Worker in Bucks County, both of which previously had become worship sites in merged parishes, will formally close Nov. 1.

Local and global plans laid out for Year of Mercy

An extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy -- described by Pope Francis as "the bridge that connects God and man," will begin Dec. 8 throughout the world. In Philadelphia, the Holy Door will be opened Dec. 13 with Mass at the cathedral.

Mexico mops up after Patricia; ‘nature was kind,’ official says

An official with Caritas Mexico, the church's charitable arm, says the storm left a mess in parts of the dioceses serving the western states of Colima, Jalisco and Nayarit with flooding and property damage, but mostly impacted small settlements and rural areas.

Catholic League sports this weekend

See CatholicPhilly.com's schedule of Catholic League football games Oct. 24-25, and current standings for football and boys soccer.

St. Louis pastors, civic leaders puzzled by church fires

Catholic and Protestant pastors in the city are grappling with, and coming together over, a spate of fires at seven churches over two weeks.

Synod’s process good but has glitches, Archbishop Chaput says

The archbishop described in an interview what he hopes the final document will say about families and the need for proclaiming the truth with mercy.

If synod’s work came alive in church, judgment would end, says bishop

"It could be the start of a new church" that welcomes, accompanies, listens and "also speaks clearly" about God, Bishop Lucas Van Looy of Ghent, Belgium, said at a Vatican news conference Oct. 23.

Annual celebration helps parents cope with the loss of their babies

Whether they have lost a child recently or a while back, the parents still carry a heavy heart. They gather to honor the memory of their child and reflect on the uphill road they have faced in their mourning.

St. Maria Goretti called a friend who never leaves ‘a heart untouched’

From September to November of this year, the major relics of St. Maria Goretti are making a pilgrimage to the United States in what is called the "pilgrimage of mercy" -- an effort to prepare and catechize the U.S. for the Year of Mercy beginning Dec. 8.