‘God’s love is the reason for your priesthood’
(On June 1, Archbishop José H. Gomez ordained 11 men to the priesthood at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. The following is adapted from homily.) Brothers, the words of Jesus that we just heard in the Gospel were spoken at the Last Supper. They were addressed to the Twelve, to his apostles, […]
Anti-poverty arm’s future, Indigenous and youth ministry plans top US bishops’ spring agenda
Liturgical texts, Indigenous Catholics, youth and young adults — along with funding for a decades-long anti-poverty effort — are under discussion when the nation’s Catholic bishops convene in June for their annual spring meeting. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops announced May 13 that its 2024 Spring Plenary Assembly takes place June 12-14 in Louisville, […]
‘The Chosen’ Season 4 now streaming; show’s creator gives Season 5 preview
The creators of the hit series “The Chosen” announced May 29 that Season 4 would be available for public streaming exclusively on “The Chosen” app and on the show’s social media platforms beginning Sunday, June 2, at 7 p.m. ET. Episode 2 will be released on Thursday, June 6, at 8:30 p.m. ET with ensuing episodes […]
Where are all the pilgrims? The current state of religious tourism in the Holy Land
During the month of May in Jerusalem, the major holidays of the three major religions — Christian Easter, Jewish Passover, and the month of Ramadan — passed with an almost total absence of pilgrims from abroad. The holy sites and the streets of the Old City are usually crowded with tourists and pilgrims at this […]
Bishops congratulate Mexico’s new president, Claudia Sheinbaum
Mexico’s bishops congratulated Claudia Sheinbaum, who overwhelmingly won Mexico’s presidential election to become the country’s first female president — a historic accomplishment overshadowed by the killing of candidates and questions over the future of the country’s democratic institutions. In a June 3 statement, the Mexican bishops’ conference described the previous day’s voting as “a great […]
Why Do Catholics Ask Mary and the Saints to Pray for Us?
f A saint is one who is holy. In most languages, the two terms are synonymous (sanctusin Latin,santoin Spanish, etc.). The New Testament refers to all living Christians as saints. That is so because the Spirit sanctifies every Christian at baptism in Christ’s blood, becoming sanctified after yielding his body to righteousness, by abstaining from […]
Our Communion With the Trinity
Read: Dt 4:32-34, 39-40; Rom 8:14-17; Mt 28:16-20 I frequently encounter penitents in the sacrament of confession who appear discouraged and weighed down by their habitual sins. They seem distraught and tired of having to confess the same sins over and over again. I always take time to remind them that, no matter the gravity […]
What Makes a Catholic Education Unique?
Editor’s Note: This is the first article in a 3-part series on Catholic education. Today, let’s delve into the roots of our educational system and understand the historical significance and unique aspects of a Catholic education. Our Historical Foundations: The Birth of the Modern Educational System Medieval universities, most of which were founded under the […]
Reverent Liturgy Calls to Young Hearts
It is now rather difficult to deny the fact that young Catholics are flocking in droves to reverent, even traditional, liturgies. Many older Catholics watch confusedly as young people overlook the cultural fads of the seventies and eighties that have long infiltrated much of the Church in the United States. Seeing these fads to be […]
Leading Syrian Orthodox prelate visits Vatican (Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity)
Pope Francis received Metropolitan Filüksinos Yusuf Ҫetin, the leading Syrian Orthodox prelate in Turkey, in a June 1 audience. The prelate is reciprocating an October 2023 visit by Cardinal Kurt Koch, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, to Istanbul, for the groundbreaking of a Syrian Orthodox church there—the first new Christian church that […]