News
NCCW past president receives Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Medal from pope
Patty Johnson received the award during a Mass opening the Knoxville Diocesan Council of Catholic Women convention April 23.
Pope signs decrees in causes for Blessed Serra, married couple, martyrs
The decrees included recognition of the martyrdom of Oblate Father Mario Borzaga and Paul Thoj Xyooj, a lay catechist, killed by communist fighters in Laos in 1960. In addition, Pope Francis recognized the heroic virtues of Sergio and Domenica Bernardini, an Italian married couple who raised 10 children.
Today’s teaching on the family
See the daily excerpt from the preparatory catechesis for the 2015 World Meeting of Families, “Love is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive.”
National meeting in Philadelphia explores poverty before papal visit
Before Pope Francis’ visit to Philadelphia this September, his message of greater solidarity with poor people was the subject of two-day conference last week in Philadelphia, launching a year-long effort.
U.S. priest lives with ‘suffering Christ’ at U.N. base in South Sudan
Behind the blue-helmeted U.N. soldiers ringing the periphery, their tanks and heavy weapons pointed outward, Maryknoll Father Mike Bassano's parish is a tightly packed maze of tents and tarpaulins filled with people hiding from war.
Pope Francis to meet Raul Castro ahead of Cuba visit
The meeting between the pope and Castro will take place "in a strictly private manner" in the study of the Paul VI audience hall, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said May 5.
Pope: Marriage is brave promise to love like Jesus, not showy ceremony
Marriage is an act of faith between a man and woman who are both fragile and limited, but courageous enough to follow Christ and seek to love each other as he loves them, the pope said May 6 during his general audience in St. Peter's Square.
Baltimore prays for peace, progress in addressing systemic injustices
The calls for prayer followed hours of rioting and looting the night of April 27-28 that rocked West Baltimore. The violence came in response to the death of Freddie Gray, who died April 19, a week after he was seriously injured while in police custody.
Jordan faces shortfall in aid to support 1.4 million Syrian refugees
With no end in sight to the Syrian conflict, now in its fifth year, officials are calling the situation critical. So far this year, Jordan has received only 7.2 percent of $2.9 billion needed for services to Syrian refugees and host communities.
In paintings, Syrian artist shows the pain war has caused his country
At a recent exhibit, his oil on acrylic works ranged from depictions of damaged church and mosque mosaics, to a broken icon of Mary and a refugee woman forced into servitude by the need to survive.