Development proposals at synod raise questions about indigenous rights
IMAGE: CNS photo/Paul Haring By Barbara J. Fraser VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Proposals for Amazonian development made by well-known observers at the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon could conflict with the expectations of indigenous people unless they are included in decision-making, some synod participants said. In his four-minute presentation …
Couple says adoption is a blessing, gift and ‘roller coaster of emotions’
IMAGE: CNS photo/Sam Lucero, The Compass By Benjamin Wideman KIEL, Wis. (CNS) — After David and Maria Schuette got married in 2015, they wanted a family right away but months later they found out that infertility issues would likely prevent them from having children of their own. "It was tough …
North American indigenous support Amazonian indigenous at synod
IMAGE: CNS photo/Paul Haring By Cindy Wooden ROME (CNS) — As the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon heard pleas to defend the rights of the region’s indigenous people and of the land they hold sacred, indigenous leaders from Canada and the United States came to Rome to support them. …
Seniors Tackle Social Justice at Chaminade Julienne

By Susie Bergman Small groups are making a big difference at Chaminade Julienne High School (CJHS) in Dayton. The Catholic high school, founded on the Marianists and Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur orders, has cultivated an atmosphere of faith in action (with a hint of good-natured competitiveness) through the …
2019 Spirit of Sister Dorothy Stang Awards

These awards honor the works of Sister Dorothy Stang, who went to Brazil nearly 50 years ago along with four other Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. In 1966, the sisters established a new convent at Coroatá in the state of Maranhão. As the sisters learned about the oppression of …
Finding Common Ground: Twinning Parishes Break Down Distance and Cultural Barriers

By Susie Bergman Imagine boarding a plane to leave the comfort and security of your homeland to begin a mission solely focused on relationship-building with people you’ve never met. It’s a mission that will take you to places you have never experienced before, with an unfamiliar culture and a significant …
Vatican promotes ‘smart rosary,’ selling for $109

Vatican City, Oct 15, 2019 / 09:44 am (CNA).- The Vatican promoted the launch of a ‘smart rosary’ bracelet Tuesday compatible with an iOS and Android app, which costs over $100. “In a world of indifference and in the face of so many injustices, poverty, elementary rights denied, praying for …
MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS FRANCIS FOR WORLD MISSION DAY 2019

Baptized and Sent: The Church of Christ on Mission in the World Dear Brothers and Sisters, For the month of October 2019, I have asked that the whole Church revive her missionary awareness and commitment as we commemorate the centenary of the Apostolic Letter Maximum Illud of Pope Benedict XV …
Safe injection sites for drug addicts ‘a form of euthanasia,’ priest says
IMAGE: CNS photo/Gina Christian, catholicphilly.com By Gina Christian PHILADELPHIA (CNS) — Safe injection sites are "a form of euthanasia," according to a Philadelphia priest who has spent almost 50 years ministering to those suffering from addiction. Officials are seeking to make Philadelphia the first U.S. city to open a safe …
Inadequate formation a factor in lack of vocations, bishops say at synod
IMAGE: CNS Photo/Paul Jeffrey By Barbara J. Fraser VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Existing formation programs are not preparing priests and other pastoral workers to be leaders in a church with an Amazonian and indigenous face, according to bishops participating in the synod for the Amazon. "It’s not the same to …