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Parishes
St. John the Baptist Church in Front Royal celebrated Mass for the Preservation of Peace and Justice May 20 to honor members of the community who are first responders: fire and rescue, EMT and medical service providers and law enforcement. Father Michael R. Duesterhaus, associate pastor, who spent many years as a U.S. Marine chaplain, […]
Local
By Anna Harvey
Deborah Watson-Simcock went on a camping trip in February while vacationing in Eastern Australia with her husband, Graham Simcock, his sister and his brother-in-law. While they all were exposed to mosquitoes, only Watson-Simcock contracted a rare, mosquito-borne disease called Murray Valley Encephalitis. After she contracted the virus, her brain and spinal cord became infected. […]
Schools
The Basilica School of St. Mary in Alexandria hosted the 17th Annual Seminarian Sprint May 18, where pre-K through eighth grade students raced against each other and visiting seminarians. The relay-style competition was held under the nearby Woodrow Wilson Bridge. The Seminarian Sprint raises funds for seminarian education, as part of the diocesan Office of […]
Local
Thirty parishes sent 174 men and women to complete their initiation into the Catholic Church May 21 as Bishop Michael F. Burbidge administered the rite of confirmation during an Ascension Sunday Mass at St. Raymond of Peñafort Church in Springfield. The church teaches the sacrament was instituted by Christ when he appeared to the disciples, […]
Pope Francis
By Justin McLellan
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis will visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Fátima during his trip to Portugal for World Youth Day 2023, the Vatican said. In a statement May 22, Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, confirmed that the pope will travel to Lisbon Aug. 2-6 and will visit the […]
Global
By Carol Glatz
VATICAN CITY — World No Tobacco Day is observed every May 31 to highlight the harmful effects of tobacco on people’s health and the environment. Because of the growing evidence of its dangers, St. John Paul II first banned smoking inside all Vatican buildings, including private offices, corridors and any rooms open to the public […]
Pope Francis
By Cindy Wooden
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has asked Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi of Bologna to lead a mission “to help ease tensions in the conflict in Ukraine,” the Vatican press office said. The appointment of the cardinal, who is president of the Italian bishops’ conference and a longtime member of the Sant’Egidio Community, was confirmed May […]
Pope Francis
By Carol Glatz
VATICAN CITY — The Ascension of the Lord into heaven means Jesus is there with his Father to intercede on behalf of the faithful, Pope Francis said. “He did not leave us alone. In fact, before ascending, he told us, as the Gospel says today, ‘I am with you always, until the end of the […]
Global
By Cindy Wooden
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis formally recognized the martyrdom of an Italian priest shot by Nazi soldiers after they discovered he was helping his parishioners hide about 100 Jews. The martyrdom of Father Giuseppe Beotti, who was arrested and shot July 20, 1944, in Sidolo in northern Italy, was one of nine decrees in sainthood […]
The ascension of the Lord