President Biden awards Pope Francis the Presidential Medal of Freedom with distinction
By Tina Dennelly CNA Staff, Jan 11, 2025 / 19:45 pm U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with Pope Francis on Saturday and named him a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom with distinction, the White House said in a statement. As the nation’s highest honor, the medal is “presented to individuals …
Imagining Heaven
What will Heaven be like? Heaven surpasses human understanding. None of us knows for sure what it will be like. The Church’s teaching provides few details, calling Heaven “a mystery of blessed communion with God,” which “is beyond all understanding and description” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1027). While it …
Godparent Guide
Requirements to be a Catholic Godparent: “Each child may have a godfather and a godmother, the word ‘godparents’ is used in the rite to describe both.” (Rite of Baptism for Children 6) Only one godparent is necessary. The godparent must be a fully initiated Catholic (Baptized, Confirmed, received Eucharist), at …
Pope Francis sends prayers, condolences as Los Angeles battles wildfires
By AC Wimmer CNA Newsroom, Jan 11, 2025 / 06:15 am Pope Francis expressed his condolences Saturday to Los Angeles communities affected by devastating wildfires that have destroyed homes and churches, including the historic Corpus Christi Catholic Church. In a telegram released by the Vatican’s secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, …
Cincinnati’s Basilica
When the official announcement was made on Aug. 15, 2020, the Solemnity of The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, that Pope Francis had granted the title of Minor Basilica to the Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains in downtown Cincinnati, it was a moment of great joy for its …
The Vice of Indifference
A few months ago, I was struck by a seemingly ordinary phrase: “The time that we have.” I’d heard versions of it before, but this time, it stirred something in my mind that wouldn’t go away. My habitual indifference toward daily life was, if only temporarily, extinguished. That is not …
From Curiosity to Conviction: Catholic Schools Spark New Believers
Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati have always been places where students grow closer to God. Recently, there has been an uptick in their non-Catholic students choosing to become Catholic. One such student is new catechumen Emma Schmeig , a junior at Mount Notre Dame High School, who was …
Marigolds at Carroll High School
Archbishop Carroll High School has a unique way to recognize teachers: the Marigold Project. Launched in September 2024, the monthly project celebrates a staff member. “The marigold supports the plants around it,” said Elizabeth Emser, Director of Teacher Development at Carroll. “It takes on the hardship of different insects and …
‘Families who have lost everything’: Los Angeles Archdiocese responds to deadly wildfires
By Daniel Payne CNA Staff, Jan 9, 2025 / 12:30 pm Archdiocesan officials and local Church leaders in Los Angeles are working to shelter and assist victims of the ongoing wildfires there as the blaze consumes entire neighborhoods and lays waste to significant portions of the suburban area. The fires began …
