VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis called on more religious orders of men and women, as well as foundations and benefactors, to get involved and help an international network of women religious in the fight against human trafficking. He praised the many institutes of consecrated life that already have supported their members working on prevention,
Someone shared with me the story about a school teacher who was holding five apples in one hand and five oranges on the other then asked his students; “ What do I have in my hands? One student quickly replied; “ Five apples and five oranges”. Another said; “ Ten fruits Sir”. But little Jimmy
We islanders are not going to let a bit of flooding get in the way of a good time. So on the morning of Sunday September 15th when, about fifteen minutes before Karidat’s first “Our Lady of Karidat Fundraiser Luncheon” was scheduled to begin, the streets of Garapan started to overfill from rainfall accumulation of
We were still children when we were baptized. Though we received the gift and the grace of the sacrament of baptism, we do not fully understand what we received. The seed of faith was entrusted to our parents and godparents. It was through the Sacrament of Confirmation that the baptismal grace is confirmed and strengthened.
“There’s water on the table. Feel free to stand and get one if you are thirsty. The restroom is over there if you need.” This was how Pope Francis started his audience with the bishops of the Episcopal Conference of the Pacific (CEPAC), welcoming them in his private library at the Apostolic Palace. He was
“Remain close to the people!” This was the message of Pope Francis to Bishop Ryan and the Church of Saipan regarding the CW issue that haunts the Northern Marianas’ immigrants for years now. One of the things that Bishop Ryan shared with Pope Francis during their private audience last Monday, was the plight of many
Heavenly Father, when your only begotten Son Jesus Christ rose from the dead, he commissioned his followers to “go and make disciples of all nations” and you remind us that through our Baptism we are made sharers in the mission of the Church. Empower us by the gifts of the Holy Spirit to be courageous
“Purihin ang Panginoon” means “Praise God!” This is the song that everyone sings after a prayer delivered by an assigned preacher in El Shaddai. Indeed, praise God for His guidance and protection for 25 years in existence of El Shaddai prayer partner here in Saipan. According to Sister Rica, a founding member of El Shaddai
Last week on “Liturgy in our Diocese”, we focused on the various symbols used in a funeral liturgy. Our focus this week is on CREMATION. Before 1996, the Order of Christian Funerals did not make any provision for the presence of the cremated remains of a body at the Funeral Liturgy. On August 06, 1996,
The deacon is an ordained minister in the Catholic Church. Ordination implies a permanent commitment, a stable role in the Church and sacramental grace. There are several important words in this description of a deacon. The first is the word “is”. When we speak of a deacon the focus is not on what he can
