News
Ways of teaching about family can alienate people, synod members say
Delegates at the Synod of Bishops on the Family in Rome are grappling with how to "reach out to those families that do not fit into traditional categories" and how the church can use words that touch people's real experiences.
Communion for remarried would undermine doctrine, Polish bishop says
If civilly remarried divorcees are allowed to receive Communion it would open the sacrament "for all who live in mortal sin" and eliminate the need for the sacrament of penance, an archbishop said at the Synod of Bishops on the Family.
Simple homes and villages in Nicaragua expand, in Father Chuck’s memory
A Philadelphia priest wanted to memorialize Father Chuck Pfeffer by helping the poor people of Nicaragua. Eight years and $5 million later, more than a thousand concrete homes in 16 villages are helping to ease the sting of poverty.
Franciscan Sister Janice Bahl, serving in schools and parishes, dies
The Sister of St. Francis of Philadelphia served 48 of her 50 years in the congregation in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, ministering in education and parish services.
Synod surprises: Universal compassion, inaccurate coverage, couples say
Two couples attending the Synod of Bishops on the family said what surprised them most about their first synod in Rome was reading inaccurate media coverage of the closed-door proceedings, the diversity problems families face around the world and the synod fathers' great concern and compassion for the family.
‘Our families’ need friendship, cardinal says
New Zealand Cardinal John Dew said Oct. 12 that the church must "be friends to people who are struggling or are in difficulty in any way. It's not denying any doctrine, but saying, 'Look, we're here to help you, to work with you.'"
Msgr. Bartholomew O’Brien, humble and humorous, dies at 76
The former pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Philadelphia is remembered for his simplicity, musical gifts and pastoral wisdom, by younger priests who served with him.
Deacon Albert George of South Philadelphia dies at 66
The permanent deacon and retired Boeing specialist had a saying he and his wife shared: “Each for the other and both for the Lord.” Those were the last words the couple spoke before he died.
Visit to Africa listed among pope’s upcoming events
The pope's liturgical schedule, released at the Vatican Oct. 12, includes mention of the "apostolic visit to Kenya, Uganda and the Central African Republic" at the end of November.
Citing new rules, India’s Missionaries of Charity to end adoption work
The Missionaries of Charity statement said the nuns "will continue to serve wholeheartedly and free of charge unwed mothers, children with malnutrition and differently abled children" in all their institutions "irrespective of caste, creed and religion."