News
St. Aloysius School in Pottstown turns 100, keeps up with the times
When it opened in 1913 St. Aloysius School had 178 students, and over the years there have been ups and downs. But this year, according to principal Sarah Kerins, there are 250 children from pre-school through grade eight. Bishop Michael J. Fitzgerald visited the Pottstown school on Sunday, Sept. 15, to celebrate a centennial Mass in the parish church for this singular milestone.
Cause for G.K. Chesterton’s sainthood investigated in England
MANCHESTER, England (CNS) — The bishop of Northampton, England, has appointed a priest to investigate the possibility of opening the cause for sainthood of G.K. Chesterton, a British journalist and author of the early 20th century. A statement released Sept. 19 by the diocese in central England said that the decision to investigate the cause […]
Syrian Christians targeted by outsiders, Syriac Catholic leader says
JERUSALEM (CNS) -- Christians in Syria are continuing to be targeted by outside fundamentalist groups who have joined the country's long civil war, and the situation in Syria may become like that in Iraq, where half the Christian population has fled, said the head of the Syriac Catholic Church in Jerusalem.
Pope Francis says focus on morality can obscure Gospel message
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- In a lengthy and wide-ranging interview with one of his Jesuit confreres, Pope Francis spoke with characteristic frankness about overemphasizing Catholic teaching on sexual and medical ethics; the reasons for his deliberate and consultative governing style; and his highest priority for the church today.
Pope tells bishops to be humble, stay home, return phone calls
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Don't be on the road all the time, aloof or deaf to people's needs; be simple, loving and always close by, just like a spouse would be for his wife, Pope Francis told new bishops. Bishops are pastors, not princes, so always return people's calls, listen to parishioners, recognize one's limitations and sharpen that sense of humor, he said Sept. 19 to some 120 recently appointed bishops from around the world.
Northeast Philadelphia Catholic school wins $20K grant
St. Katherine of Siena School received a $20,000 grant from the Healey Education Foundation Sept. 5 for its school advancement efforts. Recent enrollment gains, a new governance board, fundraising and other initiatives show “a level of professionalism once seen only in higher education institutions."
La Salle prof brings St. Augustine’s classic biography into English
It has taken more than 20 years, but La Salle University professor and St. Augustine scholar Frederick Van Fleteren is nearing completion of the first full translation to English of a 17th-century classic French biography of Augustine of Hippo. “It is by far the most comprehensive and intensive biography of Augustine ever written," he said.
Pope says church should face wayward members like a merciful mother
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis said the church should approach its members with the face of a patient, merciful and understanding mother, who always forgives her erring children and never ceases to pray that they resume the path of Christian living.
Many flood victims have lost all, but ‘still have the Lord,’ says woman
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Mary Jurgensmeier, a member of St. Peter Catholic Church in Greeley, Colo., said she knows people in her community who have lost everything. "We still have the Lord," said Jurgensmeier, who was evacuated from her home Sept. 13. "We will never lose him."
Christ the King’s 30 parish services on display at Ministry Fair
Christ the King Parish in Northeast Philadelphia is sponsoring its fourth annual Ministry Fair Saturday, Sept. 21 from 5 to 7 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 22 from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The event in the parish hall showcases each of the parish’s 30 ministries, along with displays by the parish school and parish religious […]