by Hannah Brockhaus Rome Newsroom, Mar 16, 2022 / 08:47 am One way Catholics can pray for people in need, both the living and dead, is through having a Mass said for that intention. According to Church law, priests may accept a donation — often around $10 per Mass — …

by CNA Staff Moscow, Russia, Mar 16, 2022 / 09:52 am Pope Francis discussed the Ukraine war on Wednesday with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church. The pope and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia addressed the conflict during a video conference call on March 16. The conversation, …

The St. Patrick Cathedral Choir, and Mick Moloney, his musicians and the Washington Square Harp & Shamrock Orchestra to perform at historic St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York.

by CNA Staff Vatican City, Mar 15, 2022 / 10:40 am Pope Francis will consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the Vatican announced on Tuesday. The Holy See press office said on March 15: “On Friday, March 25, during the Celebration of Penance at which he will preside …

Some years ago, St. Pope John Paul II named St. Francis of Assisi the patron of ecology, which inspired the Franciscans to add “Care for Creation” to our commissions of peace and justice. It is also a great reminder that our gardens’ St. Francis statues are a sign of this …

Have you ever spent time thinking about your wedding ring? The deep meaning behind that circular band is so profound that, on the day we receive it, we are changed forever. We become one with the person from whom we received it, and through our marriage, we become witnesses of …

St. Bernard

Death is a central motif in Christianity. In Catholic moral and spiritual reflection, death has a more dominant place than it does in most other forms of Christian theology. Indeed, some forms of American evangelicalism minimize – or even practically ignore – Christ’s crucifixion, rushing straight to His resurrection. This …

I’m somewhat of a genetic weirdo. I’m a twin. The hair on my head is dark brown, but my beard is red. I’m also left-handed. It’s frustrating to be left-handed in a right-handed world. Scissors never cut right. When you hold a measuring cup in your left hand, you’re stuck …

“Play” in the spiritual life makes me think of people dressed as clowns at Mass, or hand motions for grade school songs being imposed upon high schoolers, or the sort of unbearably sanguine exuberance that clashes with a sometimes sorrowful reality. I can think of all sorts of shallow and …