During Advent, don’t wait — run

We shouldn’t sit and wait quietly for the coming of the Lord this Advent, writes columnist Michelle Francl-Donnay. Like Elizabeth greeting Mary, we should run impatiently to Christ.

Teens make a Joyful Noise, drawing young people to parish church

A high school senior and member of Epiphany of Our Lord Parish in Plymouth Meeting did not see many people her age, or joyful people, at Mass. She thought the music was alien to her culture, so she started a group to change that. Now many are joining her and enlivening the parish. “Vibrant music is the key," said one young man. "Young people want to come here.”

Archbishop: HHS mandate aims to drive wedge between church’s faith, worship

NEW ALBANY, Ind. (CNS) -- Defending the religious rights of the Catholic Church against the government's contraceptive mandate is tied to the church's ministry to those in need, Baltimore Archbishop William Lori said Nov. 29. The church's worship life and its faith-driven ministries to the poor and others cannot be separated from one another, he said.

German bishops eye guidelines for divorced Catholics to take Communion

WARSAW, Poland (CNS) -- Church officials in Germany defended plans by the country's bishops' conference to allow some divorced and remarried Catholics to receive Communion, insisting they have the pope's endorsement.

Current state of U.S. immigration ‘an offense against God,’ say bishops

SAN ANTONIO (CNS) -- In a new pastoral letter "Family Beyond Borders," the bishops of the border region of Texas, New Mexico and Mexico humanize the immigration debate by placing it in a moral context with specific illustrations of struggling children and families.

New books offer variety of options for spiritual reading during Advent

Browse our list of 31 books suitable for your spiritual reading during Advent, which begins Dec. 1, and the Christmas season.

What to tell Catholic parents who don’t want their child baptized

Let the child decide when he or she is old enough to choose a religion, some say. Father Kenneth Doyle responds by asking if one would refuse to teach children math until they are old enough to decide if they like it. Parents pass on what they value, especially the values of Christian faith, he writes in his weekly column.

The war on the poor, and agents of relief

On the front lines of this war, defending the poor, is the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. As regular as turkey and football on Thanksgiving, this time of year brings criticism of that agency for doing what the church should be about.

Notre Dame professor to present lecture at Gesu Church

John McGreevy, dean of arts and letters at the University of Notre Dame, will present a lecture, “The Gesu, St. Joseph’s Prep, and Pope Francis: Notes Toward a More Global Catholic History,” Monday, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. in the Church of the Gesu, 18th and Stiles streets in North Philadelphia. The lecture is part […]

Egyptian university hoping to restart stalled talks with Vatican

CAIRO (CNS) -- Officials at Egypt's Al-Azhar University said they are eagerly awaiting a message from the Vatican that could jump-start their stalled talks. Their dialogue faltered and was eventually suspended altogether by Al-Azhar in 2011 after a series of remarks made by now-retired Pope Benedict XVI.