VATICAN CITY (CNS) — God forgives sins so that joy, not sadness, can flourish once again in one’s heart, Pope Francis said. “How do you conquer evil? By welcoming God’s forgiveness and the forgiveness of one’s brothers and sisters,” the pope said Sept. 15 during his Sunday Angelus address. With confession, God forgives and takes
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Having gone to Africa as a pilgrim of peace and hope, Pope Francis said he hoped the seeds planted there by his visit would bear abundant fruit for everyone. Following in the footsteps of evangelizing saints before him, the pope said he sought to bring with him “the leaven of Christ”
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Sentencing someone to life in prison without the possibility of parole is “not the solution to problems, but a problem to solve,” Pope Francis told Italian prison guards, prison chaplains and officials from the Ministry of Justice. “If you close hope in a cell, there is no future for society,” the
On September 17, 2019, Mount Carmel School, otherwise known as MCS, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the grand reopening of its gymnasium after the destructive impact by Super Typhoon Yutu. The ceremony began with a prayer and blessing led by Most Reverend Ryan Jimenez, Bishop of the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa and Corporate Sole of
Two weeks ago, we had published an article, here at the North Star, titled CCD 101: What are the Outward signs of the Sacrament of Baptism that show or speak of an Invisible reality? Here, we explained Baptism according to the first distinct idea contained in the definition of Sacrament (Sacrament is defined as “an
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis said the challenges facing humanity and the Earth are so urgent and important that he has invited world leaders, educators and young people to come to the Vatican next spring to launch a global alliance for building a new, more humane future. “Never before has there been such need
Losing someone to death is always very stressful for everyone who in one way or another is affiliated with the deceased. I am sure that we all have experienced in our lives that no matter how prepared we may be, whenever death occurs in our family, it automatically becomes very stressful. In our hearts, we
“Religious instruction will not just be about teaching doctrines, but always include the witness of the Gospel!” By Julie Ann Loong, for the North Star Attending Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, better known as CCD, has been a tradition in the Catholic church practiced generation after generation. Adults will remember their parents telling them, “Go attend
The young Christian community in Jerusalem grew by leaps and bounds during the first few years after Pentecost. People were attracted by the teachings of Jesus which were shared by the disciples. They were attracted by the warm and supportive community of believers who tried to bring Jesus’ teachings to life. They were moved by
The Blessed Mother, under the title Our Lady of Mercy, is celebrated each September 24 by Mercedarians worldwide. She was God’s instrument to call forth into existence in the year 1218 a new religious family—The Order of Mercy (a.k.a. Mercedarians) for the Church. One cloistered Mercedarian convent of women in the small village of Berriz,
