A funeral Mass for Jesuit Father John Nissel, a Baltimore native who served as a missionary in Japan, was held Jan. 28 at St. Ignatius Church on the campus of Sophia University in Tokyo. A memorial service will be held March 21 at 10 a.m. at St. Agnes Church in Catonsville. Father Nissel died Jan....Read More

An official from Baltimore-based Catholic Relief Services called the recently concluded Annapolis peace conference a “very positive first step” toward achieving peace in the Middle East. But she warned that the next year will be “very volatile,” requiring a commitment on all sides to see the process through no matter what setbacks may come.Read More

While acknowledging the pain endured through child sexual abuse, Catholic leaders urged lawmakers Feb. 5 to reject a bill that would significantly extend the time period when victims can file civil lawsuits in Maryland.Read More

VATICAN CITY – By inviting a varied group of Muslim scholars to meet with him, Pope Benedict XVI has opened the possibility for a higher-level dialogue between Catholic and Muslim leaders, the Vatican newspaper said.Read More

As he approached death in the fall of 2008, Joseph Barranco was in terrible pain. Living at Baltimore’s St. Elizabeth Rehabilitation & Nursing Center, the Halethorpe resident had become edgy as he suffered from bladder cancer and the early effects of dementia.Read More

Morgan State University senior Cina Morris thinks her mother overextends herself with her never-ending volunteer projects. But St. Francis Xavier, Baltimore, parishioner Delease Ryce says it’s a labor of love that brings her too much joy to slow down.Read More

Woodmont Academy students in Cooksville devoted Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday to a day of apostolic service, performing works that benefitted the school community and a school in El Salvador.Read More

VATICAN CITY – In a liturgy that emphasized the church’s cultural diversity and its unity of mission, Pope Benedict XVI created 23 new cardinals from 14 countries.Read More