Experts offer a path to reopening churches, and the sacraments

CNA Staff, Apr 30, 2020 / 04:00 pm MT (CNA).- As more Catholic dioceses begin to resume public Masses during the coronavirus pandemic, a group of theologians and medical experts has provided guidance for doing so as safely as possible. “With proper safeguards to prevent infection, and integrating the scientific …
Whom Shall I Send, and Who Will Go For Us? Catholic Social Services Provides Health Transportation to Seniors

by Mark Danis Mahatma Gandhi said, “A nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members.” The onslaught of the coronavirus has exposed the frighteningly fragile support structure for a vulnerable segment of our society: the elderly. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports the highest percentage of …
Pope Francis Prayer Intentions for May

Pope Francis Prayer Intentions for May For Deacons We pray that deacons, faithful in their service to the Word and the poor, may be an invigorating symbol for the entire Church
The Role of Family in God’s Designs From “House Churches” to the “Domestic Church”

by Father Robert J. Hater The old black rosary hangs on the headboard of the bedroom once occupied by my father and mother. More than 60 years ago my father brought it home, a gift from a Marianist brother who gave it to him for Christmas. It’s been there ever …
Set The Banquet Table to Prepare Family Style Meals for Distribution

Local Agencies Working Together to Respond to Community Food Needs Dayton, Ohio – April 2020 — In a coordinated response to address the food needs of the Miami Valley, SBT Chefs, a division of Set The Banquet Table, is prepping an inventory of bulk, family-style meals to be served through …
Potential postulants wait and see as COVID puts convent plans in question

by Mary Farrow Denver Newsroom, Apr 30, 2020 / 03:01 am MT (CNA).- If everything were going according to plan, Jessica would be entering the convent on August 22. But, thanks to coronavirus, everything is not going according to plan. “I was accepted to pre-postulancy with an order, and as …
Catholic university stages a ‘digital play’ amid quarantine

by Perry West Denver Newsroom, Apr 29, 2020 / 05:13 pm MT (CNA).- While the coronavirus has shut down universities and artistic events, the drama department of a Catholic university performed a play nevertheless, through a video conference. A production of Shakespeare’s “Measure for Measure” was meant to be staged …
Pope Francis postpones Peter’s Pence collection amid pandemic’s economic downturn

by Courtney Mares Vatican City, Apr 29, 2020 / 02:00 pm MT (CNA).- Pope Francis has postponed this year’s Peter’s Pence collection until next fall as the Vatican confronts the economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. The collection, which traditionally takes place in churches across the world on June 29, …
White House consults bishops on church reopening guidelines

by Ed Condon Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Apr 29, 2020 / 02:22 pm MT (CNA).- The White House has consulted four Catholic bishops who have reinstated public Masses, as the Trump administration considers issuing guidelines on the safe reopening of churches and religious services during the coronavirus pandemic. Multiple sources confirmed …
Catholic at Home: Seize the Hope Set Before Us

Weeks have now turned to months of living with COVID-19. We’re adapting from total upheaval to the “new normal” of living with an infectious disease in the area; and the big shifts we’ve made to keep life going in our own ways are, in a word, unprecedented. School and work …