Opinion

ST. PAUL, Minnesota — Scripture makes clear that the Sabbath is a day of rest. But for most Americans, including many Catholics, it ends up being a day of restlessness. A nice brunch might be prioritized, trips to the office might be foregone and Mass might even be included. But rather than fulfillment, joy and ... read more

BALTIMORE — The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary will begin offering perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament May 31, the same day it celebrates its 200th anniversary. Immediately following an afternoon anniversary Mass of the nation’s first cathedral, Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori will dedicate a recently upgraded ... read more

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky — From a low brick building on a commercial stretch of highway in Louisville, Our Lady’s Rosary Makers packages enough beads and other supplies to make 6.5 million rosaries each year. The lay apostolate was born of Xaverian Brother Sylvan Mattingly’s desire in 1949 to do something special for the Blessed Virgin Mary, ... read more

BAY SETTLEMENT, Wisconsin — When Bob Tuszynski heard about a request in May 2020 for buglers and trumpeters to perform “Taps” at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day, he jumped at the opportunity. “At that time, I had not touched my trumpet in four to six months and not practiced in earnest in almost four years,” ... read more

ROME — When the special Laudato Si’ Anniversary Year closes May 24, it will celebrate progress made over the past five years, and it will launch a new wave of initiatives for the next decade in an ongoing response to Pope Francis’ call for the care of creation. “For we know that things can change” ... read more

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana resettlement groups are eager to resume their work with an increase in U.S. refugee admissions that had been slashed under former President Donald Trump. The organizations applaud President Joe Biden’s decision this month to boost the refugee limit from 15,000 a year to 62,500. The lower Trump caps led to only 21 ... read more

ROME – Two great global organizations are headquartered in Rome, the Catholic Church and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). I’ve always thought there’s something symbolically appropriate about that, because Rome is at least as much about food as it is faith. Actually, that puts it poorly. Better said, Rome is a place ... read more

This past week, the Church celebrated the highly charged Feast of Our Lady of Fatima. The holy day also marked the fortieth anniversary of the attempted assassination of Pope St. John Paul II. Although the events happened over six decades from each other, there has been a spirited effort to show a connection between the ... read more

Did you know that more copies of the Bible have been sold than any other book in the past fifty years? (3.9 billion copies to be exact!) In fact, the Bible is not only the bestselling book year after year, but also the bestselling book of all time, and it has been translated into every ... read more

ROCKVILLE CENTRE, New York — Bishop John O. Barres of Rockville Centre is inviting Catholics in the diocese to participate in activities marking the Ignatian Year to celebrate the life and teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola. “St. Ignatius stands among the great saints in the breadth and depth of his contributions as well as ... read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Two Jesuit priests who minister to some of the most marginalized population groups in the United States are the subject of separate documentaries that make their debut later this year. Jesuit Father James Martin, whose work with gay and lesbian Catholics over the past few years has won him both praise and ... read more

PHILADELPHIA — Federal investigators have ruled arson was the cause of a blaze that destroyed a Catholic church once considered the heart of Northeast Philadelphia’s historic Tacony neighborhood. Early in the evening May 9, fire ravaged the former St. Leo the Great Church, gutting the structure. The blaze, which originated in the church, also severely ... read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Catholic college graduation ceremonies — like everything else this past year — look different. But they are primarily happening in-person unlike last year, when many ceremonies were canceled or took place virtually. Some commencement ceremonies will be in bigger venues to give crowds more space to be socially distant, while others will ... read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As more Americans see internet connectivity for their homes every bit as essential as water, heat, electricity and telephone service, Congress has stepped in to give some of the nation’s most cash-strapped households a hand. Called the Emergency Broadband Benefit, or EBB, the subsidy will pay $50 of a household’s monthly internet ... read more

TROY, New York — Just a few seconds after walking into her home, there is no doubt that Sopia Grate is Catholic. Each room holds a photo of Jesus or Mary, and in her front window sill is a display of Jesus, lined with roses and candles of saints in a homemade shrine. Similarly, photos ... read more

But compelling performances elevate the sometimes familiar material, along with a gratifyingly frank, therapeutic depiction of mental illness, in this case schizophrenia. Adam Petrazelli (Plummer), a high-school senior, has trouble knowing what’s real and what isn’t. Like Russell Crowe’s John Nash in A Beautiful Mind, he’s orbited by a cast of supporting characters that ... read more

ST. PAUL, Minnesota — Scripture makes clear that the Sabbath is a day of rest. But for most Americans, including many Catholics, it ends up being a day of restlessness. A nice brunch might be prioritized, trips to the office might be foregone and Mass might even be included. But rather than fulfillment, joy and ... read more

BALTIMORE — The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary will begin offering perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament May 31, the same day it celebrates its 200th anniversary. Immediately following an afternoon anniversary Mass of the nation’s first cathedral, Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori will dedicate a recently upgraded ... read more

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky — From a low brick building on a commercial stretch of highway in Louisville, Our Lady’s Rosary Makers packages enough beads and other supplies to make 6.5 million rosaries each year. The lay apostolate was born of Xaverian Brother Sylvan Mattingly’s desire in 1949 to do something special for the Blessed Virgin Mary, ... read more

BAY SETTLEMENT, Wisconsin — When Bob Tuszynski heard about a request in May 2020 for buglers and trumpeters to perform “Taps” at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day, he jumped at the opportunity. “At that time, I had not touched my trumpet in four to six months and not practiced in earnest in almost four years,” ... read more

ROME — When the special Laudato Si’ Anniversary Year closes May 24, it will celebrate progress made over the past five years, and it will launch a new wave of initiatives for the next decade in an ongoing response to Pope Francis’ call for the care of creation. “For we know that things can change” ... read more

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana resettlement groups are eager to resume their work with an increase in U.S. refugee admissions that had been slashed under former President Donald Trump. The organizations applaud President Joe Biden’s decision this month to boost the refugee limit from 15,000 a year to 62,500. The lower Trump caps led to only 21 ... read more

Disney’s 1998 Mulan, loosely inspired by Chinese folklore about a woman named Hua Mulan who disguises herself as a man to take her father’s place in battle, is a Renaissance cartoon — but the remake, from director Niki Caro (Whale Rider) and several writers, including husband-wife reboot specialists Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver (Rise ... read more

ROME – Two great global organizations are headquartered in Rome, the Catholic Church and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). I’ve always thought there’s something symbolically appropriate about that, because Rome is at least as much about food as it is faith. Actually, that puts it poorly. Better said, Rome is a place ... read more

This past week, the Church celebrated the highly charged Feast of Our Lady of Fatima. The holy day also marked the fortieth anniversary of the attempted assassination of Pope St. John Paul II. Although the events happened over six decades from each other, there has been a spirited effort to show a connection between the ... read more

Did you know that more copies of the Bible have been sold than any other book in the past fifty years? (3.9 billion copies to be exact!) In fact, the Bible is not only the bestselling book year after year, but also the bestselling book of all time, and it has been translated into every ... read more

ROCKVILLE CENTRE, New York — Bishop John O. Barres of Rockville Centre is inviting Catholics in the diocese to participate in activities marking the Ignatian Year to celebrate the life and teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola. “St. Ignatius stands among the great saints in the breadth and depth of his contributions as well as ... read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Two Jesuit priests who minister to some of the most marginalized population groups in the United States are the subject of separate documentaries that make their debut later this year. Jesuit Father James Martin, whose work with gay and lesbian Catholics over the past few years has won him both praise and ... read more

PHILADELPHIA — Federal investigators have ruled arson was the cause of a blaze that destroyed a Catholic church once considered the heart of Northeast Philadelphia’s historic Tacony neighborhood. Early in the evening May 9, fire ravaged the former St. Leo the Great Church, gutting the structure. The blaze, which originated in the church, also severely ... read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Catholic college graduation ceremonies — like everything else this past year — look different. But they are primarily happening in-person unlike last year, when many ceremonies were canceled or took place virtually. Some commencement ceremonies will be in bigger venues to give crowds more space to be socially distant, while others will ... read more