News
Defending life, liberty part of the new evangelization, archbishop says
At what is a critical time for American Catholics to stand up in defense of life and religious freedom, they must engage in the church's new evangelization effort, deepening their faith and sharing it in their everyday lives and in the public square, Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori said Oct. 14. He made the comments in the homily at a Mass and Pilgrimage for Life and Liberty at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, which drew a standing room crowd of an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 people, and for which he was celebrant and homilist.
St. Albert Parish celebrates 50 years serving Huntingdon Valley
June 6, D-Day, is certainly auspicious in American history. It’s auspicious too in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia because that’s the date 50 years ago St. Albert the Great Parish was erected. One of the larger parishes in the Archdiocese, its campus is in Huntingdon Valley, Montgomery County, but many parishioners live in adjacent Northeast Philadelphia. […]
Bishops tell synod church needs lively parishes, Bible literacy
The liturgies of African Catholic churches are a model for other Catholic communities seeking to invigorate their parishes and reach out to lapsed members, a Nigerian bishop told the world Synod of Bishops. Bishop Emmanuel Badejo of Oyo told the synod Oct. 15 that "the solemn, but exuberant multimedia liturgy" found in many African parishes helps people focus on the action of the Holy Spirit. He said church leaders need to leave the "catacombs of fear and self-consciousness" and go where people spend their time, including "the streets, town squares, market places, nightclubs, shopping malls, even pubs and the slums."
Cardinal says converts’ top 3 Catholic things are penance, pope, Mary
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Adult converts to Catholicism regularly cite three things about Catholicism that they find attractive: the sacrament of confession, the pope and devotion to Mary, said New York Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan. “Those three things, guess what, were kind of de-emphasized” after the Second Vatican Council, the cardinal said Oct. 15 during […]
Vienna to reduce its parishes by more than 75 percent over 10 years
Austria's Vienna Archdiocese will press ahead with a major reorganization that will including liquidating most of its parishes over 10 years, despite objections from some local Catholics. The archdiocese's 660 parishes will be merged over the next decade into around 150 larger parishes, each served by three-five priests and offering regular Masses.
The mysteries of Christ’s life through the sacraments
Oct. 16 Jesus’ words and actions during his hidden life and public ministry were already salvific, for they anticipated the power of his Paschal mystery. They announced and prepared what he was going to give the Church when all was accomplished. The mysteries of Christ’s life are the foundations of what he would henceforth dispense […]
Archbishop Chaput speaks at St. Elizabeth Parish on faithful citizenship
Archbishop Charles Chaput hosted a town hall style forum on faithful citizenship on Saturday October 13, 2012. St Elizabeth parish in Uwcland hosted the event. Hundreds of people from the area attended to hear Archbishop Chaput speak and answer questions about Catholics and politics. He addressed issues of social justice, the HHS mandate, being Catholic and being Pro-Choice is not possible among others. When addressing the people he said “I call you as a Catholic to forget about the labels, be a liberal sometimes, a conservative sometimes, but a Catholic first”.
Faith: The gift of God
Oct. 15, 2012 When St. Peter confessed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, Jesus declared to him that this revelation did not come “from flesh and blood”, but from “my Father who is in heaven.” Faith is a gift of God, a supernatural virtue infused by him. “Before this faith […]
Study your faith in Year of Faith, Archbishop advises in opening Mass
Archbishop Charles Chaput officially opened the Year of Faith called for by Pope Benedict XVI at the 6:30 p.m. Mass Oct. 14 at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul. Judging by the turnout it should be a very good year. There were 1,127 members of the laity, bishops, priests and religious filling the Cathedral for the liturgy. We know the precise figure because this happens to be October when the cathedral staff, along with every other parish, counts the house. Although many of us think we know all about the Catholic faith, none of us really do, and all must continue to study, the Archbishop explained.
Priest cleared to return to ministry, despite violation of ‘Boundaries’ code
Father Joseph DiGregorio, a former Army priest chaplain who served in Iraq but since last year was one of 26 priests suspended following a 2011 grand jury report on child sexual abuse, has been found suitable to return to priestly ministry by Archbishop Charles Chaput, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced Oct. 15. The archbishop approved the recommendation for Father DiGregorio based on the work of the Archdiocesan Review Board and the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) of more than 20 investigators with experience in child abuse issues. But the team found that the priest had violated the Standards of Ministerial Behavior and Boundaries in an incident more than 40 years ago. In itself, such a violation of the Archdiocese’s code of conduct would preclude a return to ministry, but the archdiocesan statement cited “compelling evidence that makes him suitable for ministry.”