VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis has abolished the obligation of secrecy for those who report having been sexually abused by a priest and for those who testify in a church trial or process having to do with clerical sexual abuse. “The person who files the report, the person who alleges to have been harmed
GUILFORD, Vt. (CNS) — Christmas comes early to Shirley Squires’ Guilford home. Actually, it never quiet leaves her home if the scores of Nativity sets she leaves on display year round count as keeping Christ in Christmas 365 days a year. Squires, a parishioner of St. Michael Church in Brattleboro, has collected more than 1,500
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Celebrating the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Pope Francis said she reminds Catholics of her true essence as a woman, a mother and a “mestiza” or person of mixed race. She revealed herself to St. Juan Diego as a “mestiza” to show “that she is everyone’s mother,” and she speaks
ERIE, Pa. (CNS) — Three years ago, Betty Koscinski, 75, lost her son to suicide. She now spends most of her time and energy spreading hope and educating others about mental illness. “Not many people at my age start out on a new path,” said Koscinski, a member of Notre Dame Parish in Hermitage, Pennsylvania.
WASHINGTON (CNS) — Throughout his papacy, Pope Francis has welcomed dialogue that has led to often candid assessments from clergy and papal advisers about the path he is charting for the Catholic Church. From discussions during the recent Synod of Bishops on the Amazon about the possibility of allowing married clergy to his handling of
Gospel Reflection for the Fourth Sunday of Advent by Rev. Fr. Jayferson Baldelovar, OAR, Nuestra Señora Bithen delos Remedios Parish
“Regalut-a todos para guiya, para uta cosigue ginen este, I langit yan i satbasyon-ta!” These were the words of Saipan’s own poet, Mr. Juan A. Sanchez when Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church was consecrated and dedicated 70 years ago. Referring to the newly built Church, it means: “Our gift to Him so that, from
One of the most common questions that music coordinators ponder as they plan their song line up for a mass is whether Marian songs are appropriate and if they are which part of the liturgy can it be sung. Our focus this week is to provide a simple guideline on determining whether Marian Hymns can
On Thursday, December 20, 1928 Mother Margarita departed from Saipan with the other sisters for a six-day voyage to Japan. She described her sentiments as “sadness mixed with happiness and joy, because with Christ and through Christ every sacrifice is small.” This was a time of great uncertainty for the missions. Mother Margarita had many
“Behold you will conceive and bear a son and you shall name him Jesus.” (Luke 1: 31) Depressing and doomy news of tragedies, calamities, disasters, war, loss of lives and other ominous global occurrences are what we read and hear papers and broadcast media almost daily. But amid these stark and foreboding news, is the good
