News
National shrine for St. John Paul II features artifacts and insights
In the heart of the national shrine dedicated to one of the most revered figures in church and world history, a new exhibit pays further homage to the man who embodied the Catholic Church for more than 25 years.
Family support for mental illness
St. Ignatius of Loyola Parish in West Philadelphia will be hosting a National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) Family Support Group on the third Saturday of each month starting Oct. 18.
Scarecrow Festival in Lansdale
Mater Dei Catholic School in Lansdale will celebrate autumn by hosting its first Scarecrow Festival Saturday, Oct. 18 from 10 a.m. to noon.
Medical Mission Sisters celebrate 75 years in Philadelphia
Archbishop Chaput will celebrate a Mass Oct. 27 at the Medical Mission Sisters' headquarters in Fox Chase. The order was invited to minister in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia by Cardinal Dennis Dougherty in 1939.
Gospel is joyful path, not burdensome rules, Canadian archbishop says
The church needs to find better ways to show how the Gospel message is a way of life meant to bring great joy to couples and families, and is not a burdensome set of rules aimed at exclusion, one member of the extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the family said.
Synod hears of positive, negative aspects of Catholic-Muslim marriages
When a Catholic and a Muslim marry, each brings a strong commitment to family life and their union can be a seedbed for teaching respect for other religions, but fundamentalist currents often create serious challenges for the Catholic spouse, said members of the Synod of Bishops.
Captors release Franciscan priest kidnapped in Syria
There was no immediate word on 20 other Christians who were abducted Oct. 5-6 from a small Christian village in northwestern Syria. Groups linked to a branch of al-Qaida operating in Syria are believed to be behind the abductions.
New rules to opt out of HHS mandate still unsatisfactory, says USCCB
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Oct. 8 urged the federal government "to reconsider" its new rules to allow religious institutions -- and potentially some for-profit companies -- to opt out of the contraceptive mandate in the Affordable Care Act.
Nurse says listening to God’s call to volunteer ‘changed my life’
When Alexis Weber decided to answer a classified advertisement for volunteer nurses in the Pittsburgh Catholic diocesan newspaper in 1994, it led her to a mutually beneficial relationship with St. Joseph House of Hospitality.
U.S. bishops emphasize traditional marriage after Supreme Court action
After the Supreme Court Oct. 6 declined to review rulings overturning five states' bans on same-sex marriage, several U.S. bishops criticized the court's inaction and reiterated that according to church teaching, traditional marriage is a union between one man and one woman.