Call-Mission-Conversion

Posted by - January 19, 2017

I thought about a 3 letter acronym for today’s gospel, CMC. The first C stands for Call, M stands for Mission, and the last C stands for Conversion. In the gospel Jesus begins His ministry. From the start, we notice that Jesus called disciples or students to accompany Him and learn from Him. As He

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Bishop Ryan begins parish visitation and listening sessions

Posted by - January 19, 2017

His Excellency Ryan P. Jimenez, DD will begin visitation of all parishes of the diocese this weekend by conducting listening sessions with every group of each parish. “I would like to meet as many groups as possible and I wanted to listen as much as possible,” says Bishop Ryan. He will spend the whole weekend

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Pastoral Planning (Part 6)

Posted by - January 19, 2017

The product of this phase of the pastoral planning process is a series of objectives which address the identified problems. Further, the objectives must be consistent with the doctrine of the Catholic Church and cultural values of the community. The most elegant plan ever developed is a waste of time, money, and effort if it

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Pope Francis baptizes one of 28 babies in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican Jan. 8. (CNS photo/L'Osservatore Romano, handout)

Guard the faith, make it grow, pope tells parents at baptism

Posted by - January 12, 2017

 By Junno Arocho Esteves, Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Parents are charged with guarding the faith given to their children at baptism and helping them become true witnesses by example rather than just rules, Pope Francis said. By asking the church for faith for their children through the sacrament of baptism, Christian parents

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Pope Francis speaks during his general audience in Paul VI hall at the Vatican Jan. 11. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

Success, well-being at any cost will deceive, disappoint, pope says

Posted by - January 12, 2017

By Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Watch out for the tempting promises and easy rewards of false gods and idols because they always lead to confusion, disappointment and even death, Pope Francis said. “We are tempted to seek even fleeting comfort, which seems to fill the emptiness of solitude and ease

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Pope: Jesus amazed because he was humble, helpful, not a hypocrite

Posted by - January 12, 2017

 By Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Jesus astonished people with the way he taught and interacted with others because he wasn’t aloof, domineering or hypocritical, Pope Francis said in a homily. “Jesus wasn’t allergic to people. Touching lepers, the sick did not disgust him,” whereas the Pharisees — who strolled around

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Pope Francis kisses a figurine of the baby Jesus as the start of a Mass marking the feast of the Epiphany in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican Jan. 6. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

Magi’s journey reflects people’s longing for God, pope says on Epiphany

Posted by - January 12, 2017

 By Junno Arocho Esteves, Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Magi had the courage to set out on a journey in the hope of finding something new, unlike Herod who was full of himself and unwilling to change his ways, Pope Francis said. The Wise Men who set out from the East in

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Pope: Vocations require prayers, open doors, big hearts, busy hands

Posted by - January 12, 2017

By Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — While God is the one calling people to a vocation, clergy and religious have to cooperate by being inspirational role models, keeping their doors open and giving restless young people constructive things to do, Pope Francis said. Praying for vocations and holding meetings to discuss

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Pope Francis poses in the Sistine Chapel with members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See at the end of an audience for the traditional exchange of new year's greetings at the Vatican Jan. 9. The pope said that religions are "called to promote peace" and appealed to "all religious authorities to join in reaffirming unequivocally that one can never kill in God's name." (CNS photo/Alberto Pizzoli, pool)

Pope to diplomats: Break bad habits of war, injustice

Posted by - January 12, 2017

 By Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — At the start of a new year, Pope Francis laid out a laundry list of suggested resolutions for religious and political leaders for making a joint commitment toward building peace. No conflict exists that is “a habit impossible to break,” the pope said, but he

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Maternity leave: Why the pope wants the church to be a loving mother

Posted by - January 12, 2017

 By Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Mother’s Day came early this year at the Vatican. A number of feast days over the Advent and Christmas seasons gave Pope Francis a fresh opportunity to pay homage to the world’s mothers and insist further on how and why he wants the entire church

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