News
Lebanese Guides, Scouts hope to raise Christmas hope amid despair
In an effort to brighten an otherwise bleak Christmas, the Maronite Girl Guides and Boy Scouts of St. Joseph Maronite Catholic Parish in Mtaileb, north of Beirut, initiated a food drive for the needy.
Creches tell the Nativity story using materials, symbols of local culture
The ubiquitous manger scene makes the perfect illustration of enculturation, that is, adapting the principles of faith to a specific cultural setting. The Incarnation, the moment God becomes human, allows the nations to envision Christ as one of their own.
Martin Saints keeps Advent on right note
Students of the classical high school invite all to join in the Festival of Lessons and Carols, featuring Scripture readings and carols to sing along, Jan. 17 at Holy Martyrs Church, Oreland.
The hardest time: Man recounts wrongful 28-year incarceration
The Peace and Justice Ministry of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Germantown and Art for Justice welcomed Chester Hollman III, who was freed from prison last July, for praise music and reflection on criminal justice.
Christmas bazaar sign of vibrancy at St. Athanasius Parish
The Northwest Philadelphia parish, home to two churches and a Catholic school, invited the community to its fun daytime event and hosted an evening cabaret. The parish boasts numerous ministries and clubs.
Pope blesses statues of baby Jesus, ‘face of the neediest’
Pope Francis invited children to pause in prayer on Christmas Day and, like Jesus, to be bridges where they live. "What is better, building bridges or walls?" he asked them. "Bridges," they shouted.
Prayers of the old are powerful, pope tells elderly peers
On the eve of his 83rd birthday, Pope Francis met with a group that defends the rights of older workers. "Talk to young people," he said, "not to clobber them" but "to sow something. This dialogue is the future."
Marking 50 years as priest, pope presents writings of his mentor
Pope Francis personally presented a multi-volume collection of writings Dec. 13 by his longtime spiritual director, the late Jesuit Father Miguel Angel Fiorito, calling it a "distillation" of "spiritual mercy."
‘God has all of me:’ Crisis led woman to life as virgin
Next May, Miriam Marston, 38, will wear a white dress, receive a ring and stand in front of the altar. The former agnostic, having fallen in love with God, will be consecrated to him in one of the oldest rites of the church.
U.S. clothing drive helps babies in Christ’s hometown
The ask was simple: "Swaddling clothes needed." A collection of onesies by Washington's Franciscan Monastery will help swaddle some of the 4,700 babies born each year in Holy Familiy Hospital, Bethlehem.