Staff Report The Fortnight for Freedom is underway. It began June 21 and runs through July 4. The now annual occurrence urges Catholics and others to pray, fast and work towards an environment that fosters religious freedom. This year marks the fourth anniversary of the  Fortnight for Freedom. For today’s …

By Susan Szalewski Catholic News Service PAPILLION, Neb. — About 7,000 people spent part of their Father’s Day with their spiritual fathers — their priests — at a Nebraska softball matchup between priests of the Archdiocese of Omaha and the Diocese of Lincoln. The two teams met at Werner Park …

By Michael Swan Catholic News Service TORONTO — The Paulist Fathers don’t want to leave Toronto, but they say they must. The unusual uptick in vocations after the World War II has worked its way through the system and there are not enough priests left to staff the ambitious little …

By Laura Ieraci Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — The deep hurts that spouses inflict on each other cause great suffering to their children and, in some cases, lead to a separation that is “morally necessary” to protect spouses and children from more serious forms of violence, Pope Francis said …

By Catholic News Service KOLKATA, India — Sister Nirmala Joshi, who succeeded Blessed Teresa of Kolkata as superior general of the Missionaries of Charity and led the order for 12 years until retiring in 2009, died early June 23 in Kolkota at age 81. Church and political leaders paid tribute …

By Laura Ieraci Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY  — The working document, intended to guide discussions at the Synod of Bishops on the family in October, included a much wider array of issues affecting the family than were in the final document released after the extraordinary synod last year. Last …

By Walt Schaefer For The Catholic Telegraph Twenty-two delegates — representing all areas of the archdiocese from Cincinnati to Dayton and farther north — travelled to Columbus last month as part of Legislative Advocacy Day. The event was coordinated through the Catholic Conference of Ohio in Columbus. The conference represents Ohio …

Staff Report Cincinnati Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr has corresponded with the priests of the archdiocese offering thoughts and a course of prayerful action concerning violence in the U.S., following the mass killing in a Charleston, S.C., church June 18.   His letter to the archdiocese’s pastors follows:   “We have …

By Eileen Connelly, OSU What started as a very damp and dreary day was brightened by the faith and enthusiasm of a small group that gathered June 20 for the kick-off ceremony for the construction of a new Habitat for Humanity house, the building of which is being sponsored in …

By Karen Sampson Hoffman Catholic News Service BALTIMORE — Archbishop William E. Lori reminded those gathered for Mass June 21 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore that when it comes to religious freedom, American Catholics and Christians worldwide are …