Did St. Francis really tame a savage wolf? A look at the legend
By Jonah McKeown, Kate Olivera CNA Staff, Oct 4, 2023 / 04:00 am In the Italian town of Gubbio, some 130 miles north of Rome, sits the church of San Francisco della Pace — the Church of St. Francis “of the Peace.” The church is large and old, and its white stone exterior is …
New film ‘Mother Teresa and Me’ portrays the ‘human being behind the saint’
By Francesca Pollio Fenton CNA Staff, Oct 3, 2023 / 11:30 am A new movie weaves together the lives of two women experiencing self-doubt, but, in the end, both women meet the challenge of their vocations despite their personal struggles. “Mother Teresa and Me”tells the story of Kavita, a young woman …
Be joyful, the Eucharist is not just a metaphor, Bishop Burbidge says
By Daniel Payne Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 3, 2023 / 17:15 pm Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, recently urged Catholics at Philadelphia’s Eucharistic Congress to “open ourselves to wonder” before the Eucharist and to seek the “strength, consolation and countless graces” the Blessed Sacrament offers the faithful …
Pope Francis: Synod on Synodality’s primary task ‘to refocus our gaze on God’
By Courtney Mares Vatican City, Oct 4, 2023 / 04:15 am Pope Francis opened the Synod on Synodality’s three-week assembly on Wednesday with a call to remember that the Church exists to bring Jesus to the world and should face today’s challenges with a gaze fixed on God rather than “political …
Ahead of major abortion vote, thousands to descend on Ohio’s capital for March for Life
By Joe Bukuras CNA Staff, Oct 3, 2023 / 18:15 pm An estimated 5,000 Ohioans will be marching for life this Friday in the state’s capital of Columbus just one month ahead of a November election that could fatally influence the futures of many unborn children. In a battleground abortion state …
Bellarmine Chapel, Xavier University
St. Robert Bellarmine at Xavier University is both a parish and a university chapel. As late as the 1940s, students (then all men) were not permitted at parish Masses, but attended student Masses as part of their Jesuit formation and education. 1831 The Athenaeum (men’s high school and college) in downtown …
Seeking the Lord in Our Drudge
When I was growing up, my mom would say, “God has a plan for you today, Katie.” Her comment had implications and truth that took decades to sink in. Family life can be monotonous. There is so much sameness played on repeat; work and sleep without much in between. And …
Chicago Auxiliary Bishop Kevin Birmingham, 51, passes away in sleep
By Daniel Payne CNA Staff, Oct 2, 2023 / 17:55 pm Kevin Birmingham, an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago, passed away in his sleep last night, the archdiocese confirmed on Monday afternoon. He was 51. Father Manuel Dorantes, the pastor at St. Mary of the Lake Parish in Chicago, wrote …
Obituary: Fr. Louis Bartko, OFM
Father Louis (Lou) Bartko, OFM, died Sunday, Oct. 1 at St. Margaret Hall in Cincinnati. Fr. Lou was 82 years old. Born on Sept. 12, 1941, in Toledo, Ohio, Father Bartko was one of two children of Louis and Anna (Gurecky) Bartko. Although a spastic condition left him disabled and …
Guest Commentary: Artisans of the culture of life
by Sister Constance Veit, lsp Each October the Catholic Church in the United States observes Respect Life Month as a time to focus on the protection of God’s precious gift of human life. The theme of the month varies from year to year, but it usually concentrates our attention on …
