WASHINGTON – The U.S. bishops are studying a draft curriculum guide for Catholic high school religion courses across the country. Prepared by the Committee on Catechesis of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the draft sets the framework for six core semesters plus five elective courses from which schools may choose two – preferably in...Read More

Memorial Day is a legal holiday, observed annually on the last Monday in May to honor our nation’s armed forces who served gallantly in too many campaigns. The holiday, originally called Decoration Day, is traditionally marked by parades, speeches, ceremonies and the decoration of graves with flowers and flags, hence the original name. Memorial Day...Read More

BEIJING (CNS) -- Sometime after Easter, Pope Benedict XVI will issue a letter to Chinese Catholics that many hope will call for reconciliation and unity between those who have registered with the government and those who have not registered. In some places in China, that might cause surprise -- but for different reasons in different...Read More

BEIJING – The Chinese bishop who served in Beijing for more than 25 years was given a funeral for a state leader. A three-part funeral was held April 27 at Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery for Bishop Michael Fu Tieshan, 76, who died of lung cancer April 20. The cemetery is the main burial ground for revolutionary...Read More