IMAGE: CNS photo/Shannon Stapleton, Reuters By MOBILE, Ala. (CNS) — As of March 6, the number of lives lost in Alabama during a violent tornado that swept through the central part of the state remained at 23, and USA Today reported that anonymous donors have now offered to pay for …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Paul Haring By Cindy Wooden ROME (CNS) — Marked with ashes, Christians set off on a Lenten journey where they strive to leave behind everything that will turn to dust and instead focus on drawing closer to God and God’s promise of eternal life, Pope Francis said. After …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Paul Haring By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The kingdom of God is being established slowly in the world through patience and gentleness and not by violence or force, Pope Francis said. Jesus’ petition for his father’s kingdom to come "is not a threat at all; …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Katie Rutter By Katie Rutter COLUMBUS, Ind. (CNS) — Smoke billowed from a small fire pit, rising nearly as high as the steeple of St. Bartholomew Church in Columbus. About 100 students watched from a safe distance March 4 as church staff stoked the flame and periodically tossed …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Bob Roller By Carol Zimmermann WASHINGTON (CNS) — When Lent begins March 6, U.S. Catholics will likely be more than ready for it. This set-aside time for prayer and reflection — after all the church has been through in recent months — could provide both a healing balm …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Laura Ann Phillips By Laura Ann Phillips PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (CNS) — A Catholic all-male secondary school in Trinidad and Tobago has adopted an unusual element in its student formation program: a traditional African warrior craft called kalinda, also known as stick fighting. Once banned among African slaves, kalinda …

IMAGE: CNS photo/courtesy St. Francis DeSales High School By Tim Puet COLUMBUS, Ohio (CNS) — When it comes to upholding tradition and pride in a particular school, the Whalen family of suburban New Albany takes a back seat to no one. The Whalens stand alongside families in which it’s not …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Vatican Media By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — What makes a politician "Catholic" is not party affiliation, but dedication to promoting the common good, particularly through listening to and empowering people who often are overlooked, Pope Francis said. "I invite you to live your faith with great …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Paul Haring By Cindy Wooden ROME (CNS) — Lent is a good time to concentrate on fighting the urge to gossip about others and instead trying to correct one’s own faults and defects, Pope Francis said. Reciting the Angelus prayer at noon March 3 with pilgrims in St. …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Vatican Media By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Declaring that the Catholic Church is unafraid of history, Pope Francis announced that documents in the Vatican Secret Archives relating to the wartime pontificate of Pope Pius XII will be open to scholars in 2020. Researchers, particularly those interested …