When I was a kid, I used to hate making my bed. To me, it just didn’t make any sense. Why am I making my bed when I’m just going to mess it up again? Is someone coming over? If not, why bother? But, despite my protests, I had to …

by Hannah Brockhaus Rome Newsroom, Jan 10, 2021 / 03:52 pm MT (CNA).- For the first time in over 54 years, the Franciscan friars of the Custody of the Holy Land were able to offer Mass on their property at the site of Christ’s baptism, located in the West Bank. …

The 2020-21 school year began in earnest with students, teachers and parents yearning for learning to go back to the classroom, but everyone knew things would be different and all would have to do their part to stay on campus. “It was tough in the beginning, but it has gotten …

by Hannah Brockhaus Vatican City, Jan 9, 2021 / 09:51 am MT (CNA).- Pope Francis has said he was surprised by the news of the incursion of pro-Donald Trump protestors into the U.S. Capitol Building this week, and has encouraged people to learn from the event in order to heal. …

by Courtney Mares Vatican City, Jan 10, 2021 / 05:30 am MT (CNA).- Pope Francis prayed Sunday for the United States, asking the Immaculate Virgin Mary to help foster a “culture of encounter” after the recent violence at the U.S. Capitol Building. “I extend an affectionate greeting to the people …

Sometimes, our most difficult experiences are what prepare us for a life’s mission. This is certainly true for Maureen “Mo” Prikkel, the Pre-K through eighth grade campus minister at Catholic Central School in Springfield. Catholic Central is an institution with a proud, 90-year history of providing a faith-based, college-prep education. …

CNA Staff, Jan 9, 2021 / 05:00 am MT (CNA).- In an online panel Friday, the incoming chair of the U.S. bishops’ doctrine committee discussed the Church’s opposition to the death penalty as a matter of fighting the “throwaway culture.” “[B]asically the Church is stating the state cannot and should …

by Christine Rousselle Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jan 8, 2021 / 05:02 pm MT (CNA).- A Catholic podcast featuring a priest reading and analyzing the Bible has been at the top of the Apple Podcast charts since Jan. 2, ahead of secular podcasts produced by such organizations as The New York …

by Kary Ellen Berger For eight years, Dawn Pickerill has led students, teachers and administrators as principal of St. John XXIII Catholic School in Middletown. Her love of education and children, though, have been a constant throughout her entire life. Growing up with her father in the U.S. Navy, Pickerill …

Why did Jesus need to be baptized? If Jesus is God, wouldn’t baptism be unnecessary? Many have considered this question throughout history, so it is a good one. When Jesus approached John the Baptist to be baptized, John replied, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are …