News
Pope says women’s love makes them privileged witnesses of Christ
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Women have a privileged role in the church because of their ability to pass on the faith through love, Pope Francis said.
Theology on Tap coming to a head in Northeast Philadelphia
A fun and interactive faith sharing opportunity for young adults is brewing in Northeast Philadelphia. Starting Monday, April 8, a new Theology on Tap series will take place at Gearo’s Grille on Welsh Road. The four-night event was organized by Father David Friel, parochial vicar at St. Anselm Parish.
Safeguarding creation expected to be major theme at WYD in Rio
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- When hundreds of thousands of young Catholics gather with Pope Francis in Rio de Janeiro in the summer, reflections on safeguarding the environment will be part of the program.
Small town celebrates 31 years of dedication to Divine Mercy
SAUK CENTRE, Minn. (CNS) — Many people come to Sauk Centre to visit the birthplace of famed novelist Sinclair Lewis, but four local men would argue that the small community can offer something much more — the gift of the Divine Mercy. Thirty-one years ago, a retired insurance agent, a restaurant night cook, a motel […]
U.S. Catholic school enrollment dropped last year but 28 schools opened
HOUSTON (CNS) -- Catholic educators opened 28 new schools and closed or consolidated 148 others during the 2012-13 school year, according to a report issued by the National Catholic Educational Association. And while a number of Catholic schools have closed, more than 32 percent of U.S Catholic schools have waiting lists.
New book on American nuns tells tales of sacrifice, dedication, faith
It started with 12 and how appropriate that would be. That was in 1727, when 12 Ursuline Sisters arrived in New Orleans, long before it was part of the United States. They were the vanguard for a vast army of women religious in America that probably peaked at about 180,000 around 1965 and has since dwindled to 54,000.
Sister Irene Regina, I.H.M.
Sister Irene Regina, I.H.M., formerly Irene McConnell, died March 25 in Camilla Hall, Immaculata, after a brief illness. She was in the 59th year of her religious and was 76. Born in Philadelphia, Sister Irene entered the Congregation of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in 1954 from St. Athanasius Parish […]
13 state AGs urge wider exemption for contraceptive mandate
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Thirteen state attorneys general asked the federal government to expand the religious exemption under the Affordable Care Act's contraceptive mandate to private companies. They said in a March 26 letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius that the exemption should be extended beyond religious institutions.
College presidents discuss promoting Catholic identity on campus
The president of Neumann University in Aston was one of four presidents of Catholic institutions of higher learning who spoke about the findings of a new study titled "The Catholic College and University President." "Catholic presidents need to be intentional" about their school's Catholic identity and they cannot expect it to just happen on its own, said Rosalie Mirenda, president of Neumann University.
Students want to ease global poverty; Villanova conference shows them how
More than 160 students of Villanova University and Cabrini College learned how to break into the field of global development and poverty relief through presentations at the Global Development Day hosted April 2 at Villanova along with partner Catholic Relief Services, the U.S. Catholic bishops’ overseas relief and development agency.