Undertakers wearing face masks carry a coffin in a cemetery in Bergamo, Italy, March 16, 2020. Credit: AFP via Getty Images
by Courtney Mares Rome Newsroom, Apr 30, 2020 / 11:45 am MT (CNA).- After eight weeks without funerals, Italian families will be able finally to gather together to mourn and pray at funeral Masses for the victims of the coronavirus starting May 4. In Milan, the largest city in Italy’s …

CNA Staff, Apr 30, 2020 / 09:30 am MT (CNA).- More than 130 members of Congress are asking the Supreme Court to allow states to defund Planned Parenthood. In an amicus brief filed at the Supreme Court on Wednesday, 108 representatives and 29 senators argued that states should have the …

Bishop Peter Baldacchino celebrates Mass on Holy Thursday. Credit: David McNamara/Diocese of Las Cruces
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 …

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 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      

Street in First Century Jerusalem (Photo by Greg Hartman)
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 …

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 …

Credit: Milkovasa / Shutterstock.
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 …

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 …

St. Peter's Basilica. Credit: Marco Mancini/CNA
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, …