In a joyful announcement that resonated through the halls of the XVIII Assembly of the Italian Catholic Action in Sacrofano, Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, declared that Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati will be canonized during
Many Catholics know the roles priests and women religious play in the Church, but are less familiar with other vocations to the ordained and religious life. What follows are brief introductions of brothers, monks and deacons. Brothers A religious brother is not
I used to make the sign of the cross casually as a nice gesture for beginning and ending my prayers. But about a decade ago, probably nudged by the Holy Spirit, I took it more seriously. I began to sign myself more
Part I: The Liturgy of the Word Introductory rites The Mass begins with a procession of, at minimum, the priest into the sanctuary. The priest and anyone who accompanies him represents the congregation, and their journey symbolizes the Christian journey through life
It is one of the most important events a Catholic community celebrates in a person’s life, but one so often misunderstood and increasingly ignored. The funeral Mass. The funeral liturgy in a church setting is a final opportunity to commend the deceased
On March 30, 2006, Heidi Kauffman of Port Royal, Pa., didn’t feel her baby moving, and the next day, he was delivered stillborn. Heartbroken, she and her husband held him and loved him, and they named him Kail Howard. She later learned
Tithing is often misunderstood by Catholics. It’s one of the most frequent issues I’m asked about, so this column addresses the most commonly asked question on tithing I receive: Does the Church provide what percentage to give? The short answer is that
In July, archaeologists working in Turkey announced that they had discovered what they believed to be the tomb of the apostle St. Philip. The octagonal tomb was found on Martyr’s Hill near the ruins of a fifth-century church dedicated to St. Philip.
The apostle James made it all seem so simple. In his canonical epistle, he wrote: “Religion that is pure and undefiled before our God and Father is this: care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained from
A few years ago I started to pray using the Examen of St. Ignatius Loyola. Everything changed for me. Prayer took on a new, refreshing character. I became an evangelist for the Examen. I buttonholed friends, wrote blog posts and a book,
The Catholic presence stretches around the globe, and its numbers are increasing worldwide, according to statistics from the 2011 Annuario Pontificio (“pontifical yearbook”). Approximately 1.18 billion belong to the big Church, the Body of Christ. In many cases they are also living