News
Pope sends $1 million in aid for Syria, cardinal delegate to Lebanon
Pope Benedict XVI appealed for dialogue to end the Syrian conflict, saying: "We have to do everything possible because one day it could be too late."
Local collection for Sandy relief coming Sunday after Thanksgiving
Archbishop Charles J. Chaput invites all 257 parishes in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to consider taking up a special second collection for relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Sandy during the weekend of Nov. 24-25, the archdiocese announced Nov. 8.
Sexuality and Catholic teaching topic of talk
Regina Coeli Academy and the archdiocesan Office for Life, Family and Laity present “Beyond the Birds and the Bees” with Catholic authors Dr. Greg and Lisa Popcak Friday, Nov. 30 at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of Our Lady Help of Christians Church, 1500 Marian Road, Abington. This lecture is for parents, grandparents, clergy and […]
Gift of $20 million helps launch Georgetown Environment Initiative
WASHINGTON (CNS) — A $20 million gift is expected to help boost Georgetown University’s profile as a major center for environmental education and research. The gift from an anonymous donor affiliated with the school launches the Georgetown Environment Initiative, which university officials said will advance the interdisciplinary study of the environment in relation to society […]
Don’t be satisfied with achievements; pursue greater good, pope says
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI called on people to never be satisfied with their earthly achievements because true happiness entails seeking out the greater good. He said people should “not be discouraged by fatigue or by obstacles born of our sins,” because striving for the greater good is demanding and cannot be built or […]
Latin Americans ponder abortion laws, safety and exceptions
SAO PAULO (CNS) — Maria Lucia Tavares, 43, works as a maid in one of the most affluent neighborhoods in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The mother of three girls is four months pregnant and hoping for a boy this time. “Although I don’t know how me and my husband will make ends meet with the extra […]
Dispute over $2.3 million water bill could hurt Jerusalem holy site
JERUSALEM (CNS) — A dispute over an unpaid water bill reportedly running to $2.3 million could threaten the daily functioning of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, one of Christendom’s most holy sites. The dispute stems from a unilateral cancellation of a long-term agreement — dating to Turkish rule — which exempted the Church of […]
Maryland passes in-state tuition law for undocumented immigrants
WASHINGTON (CNS) — The immigration status of Maryland students will no longer be an obstacle to them receiving lower tuition rates available to other in-state residents, after 59 percent of voters approved a referendum Nov. 6. The Maryland Catholic Conference and other church leaders were among supporters of the law, likened to the federal DREAM […]
New Jersey couple says Sandy didn’t destroy their faith in God, mankind
LITTLE EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP, N.J. (CNS) — When Michael Santo returned to his Hurricane Sandy-ravaged neighborhood in Tuckerton, he was horrified by what he saw, and then thanked God he and his wife, Barbara, were still alive. “It really looked like it was bombed,” Santo told Catholic News Service as he looked at the storm […]
Mass offers ‘spark of fire’ for those coping with mess left by Sandy
BELMAR, N.J. (CNS) — Catholics from around the greater Belmar area and way beyond braved highways barren of traffic lights and a landscape badly mangled by Hurricane Sandy to attend Mass Nov. 4 at St. Rose Church with Bishop David M. O’Connell of Trenton. They came, despite gas rationing and hard-to-navigate roadways realigned by the […]