John Hesterly, a parishioner of St. Patrick in Havre De Grace, has received many honors and awards in his lifetime, but on May 11 he was truly humbled and privileged to accept a Distinguished Alumnus Award from his alma mater, Henderson State University in Arkansas. “I was thrilled beyond words,” said Mr. Hesterly. “I’m still...Read More

WASHINGTON – As two Kansas abortion clinics prepared to close their doors because of new licensing requirements that took effect July 1, a federal judge blocked enforcement of a South Dakota law mandating a 72-hour waiting period and setting several informed consent provisions.Read More

APARECIDA, Brazil – More than halfway through a major meeting in which bishops from Latin America and the Caribbean are hammering out pastoral priorities, the “great continental mission” that several bishops predicted would emerge has not been a priority. “We haven’t discussed it, so we don’t know what it will be like or if it...Read More

Leave it to Grandpa to put things in perspective. It was half way through our second annual Christmas party, and I was flitting around, refilling glasses and collecting empty plates.Read More

LONDON – A surgeon who testified about the miraculous healing of a baby at a British hospital said he remains mystified by the child’s recovery, the miracle that cleared the way for the canonization of Malta’s first saint. Dr. Anil Dhawan, professor of pediatric hepatology at King’s College Hospital, London, told Catholic News Service May...Read More

VATICAN CITY – A United Nations-mandated report on compliance with international obligations regarding the protection and rights of children will be ready for submission this autumn, a Vatican diplomat said.Read More

WASHINGTON – Only one-third of Catholics in a national survey said they had heard of the U.S. bishops’ policies to prevent child sex abuse and respond to abuse allegations, the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate said May 16. Only one-sixth said they have heard of the abuse prevention programs in their own diocese,...Read More

St. Thomas Aquinas Elementary School in Baltimore’s Hampden neighborhood won $1,000 and top state honors in the first Great American Can Roundup – School Challenge.Read More