April 27: St. Zita of Lucca
On April 27 the Catholic Church honors Saint Zita, a 13th century Italian woman whose humble and patient service to God has made her a patron saint of maids and other domestic workers. Born into poverty during the early 1200s, Zita was taught by her mother from an early age …
Pope Francis names new Catholic archbishop of Paris
by CNA Staff Vatican City, Apr 26, 2022 / 04:03 am Pope Francis on Tuesday named Archbishop Laurent Ulrichas the new Catholic archbishop of Paris. Ulrich, the archbishop of Lille, northern France, succeeds Archbishop Michel Aupetit, who resigned in December. The new Paris archbishop was born in 1951 and ordained a priest of the …
A Question of Faith: Mass Offerings
What does it mean when a priest says a Mass is being offered for a person? As part of the prayers of the Mass, the priest may offer a Mass for a particular intention, which is often for the repose of a deceased person’s soul, though Masses can be offered …
Queens of the Court
By the time Archbishop Alter and Purcell Marian high schools reached their respective girls basketball state tournament finals on March 12, they were ready to make a statement. In Division II, Alter left no doubt with a 54- 38 victory over Thornville Sheridan, while in Division III, Purcell Marian dispatched …
April 26: Our Lady of Good Counsel
On the Feast of St. Mark, April 25, 1467, at the close of a festival in Genazzano, Italy, a cloud descended upon an ancient 5th-century deteriorated church, dedicated to Our Lady of Good Counsel. When the cloud disappeared, the festive crowd found a small, fragile image of the Blessed Virgin …
‘Extraordinary courage’: Nun intervenes to stop man stabbing Catholic priest in France
by CNA Staff Nice, France, Apr 25, 2022 / 04:10 am A 72-year-old religious sister has been praised for her “extraordinary courage” after she sought to disarm a man stabbing a priest at a Catholic church in Nice, southeastern France. Sister Marie-Claude reportedly intervened after a 31-year-old man entered the …
Our Lady Star of the Sea
Heaven never tires from pursuing our hearts through the saints and different titles of Jesus and Mary. If you’re drawn to certain saints or holy titles, consider it a nudge to the soul from the Holy Spirit. I once got lost driving through the middle of nowhere in southernmost Louisiana. …
April 25: Saint Mark, the Evangelist
St. Mark, the Evangelist, is the author of the second Gospel and the patron saint of notaries. He wrote the Gospel in Greek for the Gentile converts to Christianity. Tradition says the Romans asked St. Mark to record the teachings of St. Peter about Jesus. St. Mark is often depicted …
A Closer Look: The Dignity and Purpose of Work
In 1955, Pope Pius IX established May 1 as the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker, a day set aside to seek St. Joseph’s intercession on behalf of laborers. The date was chosen as an alternative to International Workers’ Day, to celebrate workers while avoiding association with May Day’s historical …
Easter isn’t over yet. Here’s when it officially ends
by Katie Yoder Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Apr 21, 2022 / 17:00 pm Catholics recognize Easter — when Christ rises from the dead after sacrificing his life for all of humanity — as the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the spring equinox. But, as it turns …
