Last May the Bishop of Erie ordained four men as permanent deacons. One was a theology teacher at a local Catholic high school. Another was a professional psychologist. The third as an insurance executive. The fourth was a correctional official recently retired from the prison system. All four were college graduates. Two of them were
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — God wants everyone to be saved, which is why those who evangelize must avoid letting their prejudices get in the way of God’s plan, Pope Francis said. “An evangelizer cannot be an obstacle to the creative work of God, who ‘wills everyone to be saved,’ but one who fosters an encounter
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Every Christian is called to be a missionary, sharing the good news of salvation in Christ and making disciples for him, not for oneself or one’s clique of like-minded believers, Pope Francis said. “What instructions does the Lord give us for going forth to others? Only one, and it’s very simple:
KIEL, Wis. (CNS) — After David and Maria Schuette got married in 2015, they wanted a family right away but months later they found out that infertility issues would likely prevent them from having children of their own. “It was tough knowing that everything I thought about growing a family as a little girl …
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — While indigenous cultures may have difficulty accepting the concept of celibacy, indigenous candidates for the priesthood are more than capable of understanding that it is a gift from God, said an indigenous priest from Brazil. “Celibacy is not something that is born in a human person; it is something that is
WASHINGTON (CNS) — “Nones,” those who profess no religious affiliation, are now the largest subgroup in American society, their numbers having grown in the past decade while the percentage of Catholics in the United States slipped over the past 10 years. In a Pew Research Center “religious landscape” report issued Oct. 17, nones have jumped
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Existing formation programs are not preparing priests and other pastoral workers to be leaders in a church with an Amazonian and indigenous face, according to bishops participating in the synod for the Amazon. “It’s not the same to evangelize in the city as in the Amazon,” Bishop Rafael Cob Garcia of
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Resolving the global crises of world hunger and malnutrition demands a shift away from a distorted approach to food and toward healthier lifestyles and just economic practices, Pope Francis said. “We are, in fact, witnessing how food is ceasing to be a means of subsistence and turning into an avenue of
WASHINGTON (CNS) — After the Washington Nationals won the World Series Oct. 30, the team’s chaplain said the players’ example carried a spiritual message that goes beyond baseball. “Their witness is an inspiration not only to others in baseball but to all of us: ‘Stay in the fight,’ he said, referring to the team’s rallying
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Told that some people think Pope Francis isn’t exactly a fan of the rosary, Jesuit Father Federic Fornos practically shouted, “What?” “Pope Francis says the rosary is the prayer of his heart. He prays it every day,” said the international director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, formerly known as the
