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Global
By Jude Atemanke
A religious missionary order in Nigeria is appealing for the safe release of two of its members who were abducted from a parish rectory Feb. 1. In a statement issued Feb. 2, Father Dominic Ukpong, the provincial secretary of the Congregation of Missionaries Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (also known as the Claretians), […]
Global
By Justin McLellan
VATICAN CITY — Catholic priests are increasingly confronted with solitude and secularism, so they need support and encouragement from their parishes, the church as a whole and one another, said the prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for the Clergy. Today, many priests are “tired and discouraged, caught off guard by the challenges of today’s society […]
Pope Francis
By Cindy Wooden
VATICAN CITY — Feeling sad, disappointed, or ashamed of oneself sometimes is normal and even can lead to conversion, but when people wallow in their sadness it becomes a dangerous vice, Pope Francis said. “We all go through ordeals that generate sorrow in us, because life makes us formulate dreams that are then shattered,” the […]
National
By Joan Frawley Desmond
When the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast honors Helen Alvaré with its annual Christifideles Laici Award Feb. 8, the pro-life legal scholar and speaker will deliver some hard truths to her Beltway audience. Given the headwinds facing the Catholic Church and the pro-life movement, Alvaré said lay Catholics “can’t leave the challenge of communicating the faith […]
Global
By Tyler Arnold
Newly appointed Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill made history over the weekend by becoming the first Catholic and first Irish nationalist to lead the country’s government in its 103 years of existence. “As an Irish republican, I pledge cooperation and genuine honest effort with those colleagues who are British, of a unionist tradition, and […]
Columns
By Lucia A. Silecchia
Many have noticed already that Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, falls on Ash Wednesday this year. At first glance, this is an odd juxtaposition. The date usually associated with chocolates, flowery festivities and fine meals is, this year, a day of fasting and abstinence, and the start of the penitential season that will lead us through […]
Local
St. John Bosco Church in Woodstock held their annual 12-Hour-Dance-A-Thon fundraiser benefitting the Shenandoah County Pregnancy Center Jan. 13 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The youth event started with 17 couples, and nine persevered to the end. The event raised more than $13,000, nearly triple the goal of $5,000.
Local
Parishes
What is your parish’s charism? Giving. This is a very generous parish. Whenever you ask, parishioners always provide, including support for the Catholic Charities Christmas collection. Donations to the Bishop’s Lenten Appeal perennially exceed the parish’s fundraising goal. One charism for the time being is hope. The lack of a traditional parish hall has hindered […]
Local
By Ana Lucia Batista
Diocesan Catholic Charities held its annual ball Feb. 2 at the Ritz-Carlton in Tysons Corner. Around 970 people came together to celebrate the work of Catholic Charities. The initial goal of $1.4 million was surpassed, and more than $1.6 million was raised to support Catholic Charities ministries. “Catholic Charities served more than 90,000 people in […]
Local
By Jim Hale
Statistics released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in June 2023 indicating an increase in teenage suicides captured national attention and left many in disbelief. But Victor Sellier saw the crisis coming years ago and devoted himself to helping teenagers heal from mental health problems through a relationship between Catholics and Youth For […]
