VILLA MARIA, Pa. – Serving a prison sentence in a federal penitentiary is something that Sister Sheila Salmon will never forget. But she learned some life lessons there that she will carry with her wherever she goes. Among them: that federal prisoners are treated as things, not as people; that many people in prisons should...Read More

VATICAN CITY –At the five-year mark, two key objectives of Pope Benedict XVI’s pontificate have come into clear focus: creating space for religion in the public sphere and space for God in private lives.Read More

Sharon Bogusz sees the hand of God working daily, but never more than when she looks at the number of people fully joining the Catholic faith at Easter Vigil April 3.Read More

VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI accepted the resignation of Zimbabwean Archbishop Pius Ncube of Bulawayo, the most outspoken critic of the country’s leadership who is also facing allegations of adultery. In an undated letter written by the archbishop and released by the Vatican press office Sept. 11, the archbishop wrote that he offered his...Read More

ERIE, Pa. – Dottie and Skip Glover could have done what many couples do when they retire: travel, spend more time with friends or take up a new hobby. Instead, they enlisted with Mercy Volunteer Corps, a program of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas that invites women and men to serve people who...Read More

The Archdiocese of Baltimore is clearly winnowing away schools that are deemed untenable. Perhaps an unintended side effect will be that the remaining high schools, although financially blessed, will only be accessible by the wealthiest Catholics and some students with certain talents and needs. I fear that the majority of middle-class families will soon have...Read More

A new wrinkle has been added to the annual Youth and Young Adult Pilgrimage. Using an idea from Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien, the March 27 walk through Baltimore City will start with the sacrament of reconciliation.Read More

VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI makes his first papal visit to Austria in early September, a three-day mission to strengthen the faith and its public impact in one of Europe’s traditionally Catholic countries.Read More