News
Nigerian church groups organize prayers for missing schoolgirls
LAGOS, Nigeria (CNS) -- Religious groups in Nigeria's northeastern Borno state have organized prayer sessions and other activities to support the rescue of kidnapped schoolgirls.
The calling, the denial, and how the rosary led to priesthood
Deacon Bob Gross heard God calling him to be a priest. So he prayed the rosary as a way to quiet the interior voice, but instead it calmed him and helped him accept the call. Learn Gross’s story in this fifth of six profiles on the men to be ordained priests May 17.
Hope and hard work: Vatican’s Philly priest trusts in Christian unity
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The issues dividing Christian communities have changed over the past 50 years but Msgr. Gregory Fairbanks, a Philadelphia archdiocesan priest working at the Vatican, is confident that Christian unity is possible. For him, "the healing of memory" makes the difference.
Marriage March ready to make statement in Washington
The march on June 19, in the style of the annual March for Life, aims to support traditional marriage through public witness.
When you pray, speak from the heart and ask God for help, pope advises
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Never forget to pray, even while commuting, taking a walk or when waiting in line, Pope Francis said during his weekly audience May 7. And don't just stick to prayers memorized from childhood, but include heartfelt requests and pleas for help, advice and guidance, he said.
Mater Dei School to hold May procession, crowning of Mary
The regional Catholic school in Lansdale will host the procession from the school and a prayer service honoring the Blessed Mother at nearby St. Stanislaus Church May 15.
Needs for ministry to Hispanics loom as large as their population
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. (CNS) --- Training of pastoral leaders and provision of most other resources for Hispanic ministry aren't keeping up with the fast-approaching time when Hispanics will make up the majority of Catholics in the United States, according to a new report.
Living diversity: How to welcome equals, not just guests
St. Thomas Aquinas Parish is among the 32 in the archdiocese celebrating Masses in Spanish, with another 30 parishes celebrating Masses in other languages. The South Philadelphia parish hosted a workshop for turning global solidarity into action in local neighborhoods.
Vatican official says church making progress in stopping sexual abuse
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Appearing before a U.N. committee monitoring adherence to an international treaty designed to fight torture, a Vatican official insisted that, over the past 10 years, the Catholic Church has "in a systematic, constructive and effective way," worked to prevent clerical sexual abuse of minors and assist victims.
Francis effect? Observers see shift in stance of Mexico’s bishops
MEXICO CITY (CNS) -- Mexican prelates normally prize cordial and close relations with politicians and refrain from criticizing public policy. But Mexico's bishops posed uncomfortable questions for President Enrique Pena Nieto in a May 2 meeting, challenging him on the government's agenda of structural reforms and sharing the sense of dissatisfaction they hear from many ordinary Mexicans.