News
Syrians fleeing to Jordan say Homs residents starving from lack of food
MAFRAQ, Jordan (CNS) -- Syrians fleeing to neighboring Jordan from the besieged central city of Homs said some people there are starving to death for lack of food. "People are dying of hunger especially, babies and young children," said Um Mohamed, the mother of four children, who fled with her family to this northern Jordanian town in mid-2013.
USCCB initiative fosters young leaders for church’s social justice work
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Nearly 70 students from Catholic colleges worldwide came to Washington for the Catholic Social Ministry Gathering's Youth Leaders Initiative. Both the annual gathering, held this year Feb. 2-5, and the initiative are projects of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Six agencies of the USCCB sponsor the gathering with 15 other Catholic organizations.
College leaders urged to learn from students’ social media use
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- It's probably no surprise to anyone in academia that their students are very comfortable navigating their way around social media. What they may not have seriously considered is taking a page, online of course, from their students' use of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Archbishop warns against any ‘affiliation, support’ for abortion clinic
NEW ORLEANS (CNS) -- Faced with the looming construction of a multimillion-dollar, regional abortion facility by Planned Parenthood Gulf South, New Orleans Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond has cautioned local Catholics and businesses they would be "cooperating with the evil that will take place" at the clinic if they participated in its preparation or construction.
Legionaries of Christ elect new leaders, apologize to founder’s victims
ROME (CNS) -- Representatives of the Legionaries of Christ, meeting to reform their troubled congregation nearly four years after it was effectively taken over by the Vatican, announced a new slate of leaders and formally apologized to victims of their disgraced founder.
Chester County Catholic school shelters residents without power
Pope John Paul II Regional Catholic School in West Brandywine opened its doors as an emergency shelter Feb. 5 and 6 for people who lost electricity and heat in their homes due to the ice storm that tore through the region Tuesday night.
Villanova U and Rosemont College lose power, shut campuses
The two Catholic colleges on the Main Line succumbed to the ice storm Wednesday, Feb. 5 that left the campuses without power or heat, along with more than half a million PECO residents in the Philadelphia region. The schools will remain closed through Friday while emergency generators provide a minimum of comfort.
Senate OKs farm bill; Obama pledges to sign it
In addition to nutrition programs, the farm bill's provisions cover crop insurance, conservation, subsidies to farmers and overseas food aid. The $800 million cut to the food stamp program in the bill will result in $90 less per month for 850,000 Americans.
Eyeing retirement, Cardinal O’Hara president reflects on career in education
Bill McCusker’s life in Catholic education began in Delaware County schools, and will end there in June when he retires from Cardinal O’Hara High School, where he spent 31 years.
Scotland passes same-sex marriage law, with opt-in for churches
EDINBURGH, Scotland (CNS) -- The Scottish Parliament has passed a bill that will allow same-sex marriages, but religious organizations have the right not to perform them. Lawmakers had rejected pleas from the Catholic Church to oppose the bill and resisted attempts to amend it.