Music for the season will fill the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Baltimore, Dec. 13 as Catholic Charities presents “1st Christmas Festival at the Basilica of the Assumption.”Read More

WASHINGTON – When Americans fill out their census forms April 1, none of the 10 questions will ask about their religion.Read More

When the Baltimore area has gotten more snow this winter than my native Chicago area (45 inches as of Feb. 8, compared to 32 inches in the Windy City), something must be terribly wrong with the balance of nature. Yes, we’ve heard all about the El Niño effect, and moisture coming from the Gulf of...Read More

An official from Baltimore-based Catholic Relief Services called the recently concluded Annapolis peace conference a “very positive first step” toward achieving peace in the Middle East. But she warned that the next year will be “very volatile,” requiring a commitment on all sides to see the process through no matter what setbacks may come.Read More

VATICAN CITY – By inviting a varied group of Muslim scholars to meet with him, Pope Benedict XVI has opened the possibility for a higher-level dialogue between Catholic and Muslim leaders, the Vatican newspaper said.Read More

Although he acknowledged that the path to the elimination of nuclear weapons will be “long and treacherous,” Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien said humanity “must walk this path with both care and courage in order to build a future free of the nuclear threat.”Read More

Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien thanked a group of Maryland Catholic business leaders for the centrality of their faith Jan. 27 after a Mass and dinner for the Baltimore chapter of Legatus.Read More

VATICAN CITY – In a liturgy that emphasized the church’s cultural diversity and its unity of mission, Pope Benedict XVI created 23 new cardinals from 14 countries.Read More