Pope to visit marginalized communities in Mexico in February
IMAGE: CNS photo/Reuters By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis will visit some of the most marginalized communities in Mexico and seek to bring hope to a country deeply suffering from crime, corruption and inequality when he visits in February. The Vatican announced Dec. 12 details about the …
Vatican releases instruction on identity, mission of religious brothers
IMAGE: CNS photo/Jim West By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — To help appreciate and better promote the vocation of religious brothers, the Vatican released a 50-page reflection on the importance of their life and mission of evangelization, fraternity and sacrifice. The Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies …
Athenaeum Lessons and Carols inspire
The Annual Advent Service of Lessons and Carols at the Athenaeum of Ohio was held Monday, Dec. 7. The popular service centers around the celebration of the feast of Mary’s Immaculate Conception in the midst of the Advent season. Chants with handbells, traditional and new Advent carols for choir and congregation, beautiful …
Time for forgiveness has begun, pope says as holy doors open worldwide
IMAGE: CNS/Paul Haring By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — With the opening the Holy Door at the Basilica of St. John Lateran, Pope Francis declared that the time for tenderness, joy and forgiveness had begun. As holy doors around the world were opened at city cathedrals, major churches and …
Pope Francis will venerate Mary at Mexico shrine next year
IMAGE: CNS/Paul Haring By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) - On the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Pope Francis announced that he would travel to the Marian shrine in Mexico City and pray to Mary so that Christian communities “may become oases and rivers of mercy.” “To ask …
Archdiocese archives now doing genealogy research
The Chancery Archives of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati contains items and documents of historical significance to the entire region, but it also contains critical information for those researching their family’s past. For the first time since 2012, when the archives were closed for renovation and moving, the Archdiocese of Cincinnati is …
Students from St. Vincent Ferrer given Sparkleboxes
Catholic Schools throughout the 19-county Archdiocese of Cincinnati spend Advent festively preparing their students for the birth of Christ at Christmas. Last week at St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic school in Kenwood, students in Kindergarten through third grade gathered in the chapel and heard the story of The Sparkle Box, by Jill …
Catholic schools give high marks to sweeping new federal education law
IMAGE: CNS photo/Jonathan Ernst, Reuters By Carol Zimmermann WASHINGTON (CNS) — When President Barack Obama signed the sweeping bipartisan legislation Every Student Succeeds Act Dec. 10, he described it as a “Christmas miracle.” “This is an early Christmas present. After more than 10 years, members of Congress from both parties …
Faith groups meet Hollande, present requests for fair climate agreement
IMAGE: CNS photo/Michel Euler, pool via EPA By James Martone PARIS (CNS) — Faith-based groups presented French President Francois Hollande with 1.8 million signatures of people seeking a fair climate change agreement that would stop global warming and protect the poor, reported religious groups in Paris for the U.N. climate …
Proposals to restrict religion raise ‘alarms,’ says U.S. bishop
IMAGE: CNS/Bob Roller By Junno Arocho Esteves ROME (CNS) — The threat of terrorism must be confronted sensibly and not by restrictions based on religion, which ultimately threaten religious freedom and incite more violence, said Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee for …