When Father Gerard Francik recently interviewed a 19-year-old man who was thinking about becoming a priest, the archdiocesan vocations director asked him to talk about his prayer life.Read More
WASHINGTON – Wangari Maathai, a Catholic environmentalist and political leader who became the first black African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to empower women to work for environmental, economic and social justice, died Sept. 25 after a bout with cancer. She was 71.Read More
ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – For 30 years the Chicago-based National Center for the Laity has been helping lay Catholics respond to the Second Vatican Council’s call to them to change the world through their daily activities and regular responsibilities.Read More
BERLIN ¬ Pope Benedict XVI celebrated Mass in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium and appealed for a better understanding of the church, one that goes beyond current controversies and the failings of its members.Read More
VATICAN CITY – At first glance, the scholarly Pope Benedict XVI – sometimes dubbed “the pope of reason” – might seem an unlikely devotee of St. Francis of Assisi, the mystic friar of simple faith.Read More
The Division of Youth and Young Adult Ministry is shifting from a focus on young adult programs to an approach they hope will infuse young adults throughout parish life.Read More
WASHINGTON - A delegation of Christian and Muslim leaders returned to the United States from Iran hoping that their six-day visit will improve relations between the two squabbling countries in a way that diplomatic channels have not.Read More
NEW YORK – Archbishop Timothy J. Dolan predicted his style as New York’s archbishop will differ from that of his predecessors, but the substance will be the same.Read More
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand – Not many changes from his last trip to Antarctica, reported a priest from New Zealand: The ice runway is nearer to the base, it’s colder than 10 below zero, but the sky is blue, he added.Read More
With the memory of 9/11 still an aching scar on the nation’s psyche, and in the wake of the many recent natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes and floods, the government and people of the United States must develop a “culture of resiliency” in order to successfully absorb future onslaughts.Read More
WASHINGTON – Instead of taking a typical vacation on a tropical beach, more college students are choosing alternative spring-break service trips to help the poor in the United States and around the world.Read More