When parishioners of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary began planning a special 50th anniversary celebration for their rector’s ordination, Monsignor James V. Hobbs initially resisted the commemoration. “He’s a very gentle man and he doesn’t ever see the need to be in the spotlight,” said Michael...Read More

MEXICO CITY – Mexico’s National Immigration Institute is looking to boost the country’s image among its neighbors.Read More

GUARATINGUETA, Brazil – In a meeting with recovering Brazilian drug addicts, Pope Benedict XVI said drug dealers will face God’s judgment for the damage they have inflicted on individuals and society. The pope made the remarks during a visit May 12 to Fazenda da Esperanca, or Farm of Hope, a church-run drug rehabilitation center in...Read More

St. Michael the Archangel School and parish in Overlea have forged a mutually beneficial bond with the Kempske family.Read More

HAGERSTOWN – Balancing a shiny brass tuba on his thigh, Father Kevin Mueller took a deep breath and pumped a lungful of air into the slightly-dented instrument. At the priest’s command, the tuba sprang to life – filling his rectory office with deeply resonant, low-pitched oom-pahs that flew out of the big horn at a...Read More

VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI met privately Dec. 1 with two dozen Iraqis who were injured when their cathedral in Baghdad was attacked Oct. 31.Read More

UPDATED SAO PAULO, Brazil – Pope Benedict XVI’s comments on excommunication for pro-abortion Catholic politicians touched on huge and sensitive issues – so sensitive that the Vatican issued a toned-down version of his remarks the following day. Speaking with journalists on the plane taking him to Brazil May 9, the pope left the impression that...Read More

VATICAN CITY - The Vatican did not endorse an 11-page final statement in favor of easing restrictions on and allowing more widespread use of genetically modified crops, especially in poorer nations, said a Vatican official.Read More