On June 16 the Catholic Church celebrates the memory of Saint John Francis Regis, a 17th-century French Jesuit known for his zealous missionary efforts and his care for the poor and marginalized. In a 1997 letter to the Bishop of Viviers, Pope St. John Paul II commemorated the fourth centenary …

by Courtney Mares Rome Newsroom, Jun 5, 2021 / 03:00 am The Benedictine monks and nuns who tend to the first papal vineyard in France have launched an appeal to sell their wine to help the families of local wine growers. Located on a hill in the Rhône Valley, the …

By CNA Staff Paris, France, May 31, 2021 / 04:00 am The archbishop of Paris on Sunday lamented an attack on Catholics taking part in a procession commemorating the city’s 19th-century martyrs. Archbishop Michel Aupetit deplored May 30 the “anger, contempt and violence” directed at the group of around 300 …

CNA Staff, May 14, 2021 / 12:00 pm America/Denver (CNA). Pope Francis urged scouts Friday to “spread light and hope” wherever they go. Addressing members of the Scouts Unitaires de France, a Catholic scouting movement founded in 1971, the pope appealed to young people not to become apathetic when confronted …

St. Bernadette Soubirous is the renowned visionary of Lourdes. She was born into a poor family in Lourdes, France, in 1844 and was baptized with the name Mary Bernard. Our Lady first appeared to the 14-year-old Bernadette on Feb. 11, 1858, in a cave on the banks of the Gave …

by Courtney Mares Rome Newsroom, Feb 11, 2021 / 08:00 am MT (CNA).- On the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, the papal delegate for the Marian shrine urged masked pilgrims and virtual viewers alike not to lose hope in the face of sickness and difficulties. “Lourdes is the place …

by Courtney Mares Rome Newsroom, Nov 16, 2020 / 10:04 am MT (CNA).- Catholics in France gathered outside churches in multiple cities this weekend calling on the government to allow them to attend Mass during the national lockdown. Protests took place across France, including in Nantes, Strasbourg, Bordeaux, Rennes, and …

CNA Staff, Oct 29, 2020 / 12:00 pm MT (CNA).- U.S. Catholic bishops joined Pope Francis in mourning a deadly attack at a basilica in Nice on Thursday. “We join our prayers with Pope Francis and pray for the Catholic community in Nice, especially the families of those who have …

by Hannah Brockhaus Vatican City, Oct 29, 2020 / 07:00 am MT (CNA).- After three people were killed in a terrorist attack in a basilica in Nice, France, on Thursday, a Vatican spokesman condemned the violence and said that Pope Francis was praying for the victims and those who mourn …

CNA Staff, Oct 29, 2020 / 06:30 am MT (CNA).- The French bishops asked churches across the country to toll their bells Thursday in memory of three people killed at a basilica in Nice by an attacker shouting “Allahu Akbar.” In a statement Oct. 29, the French bishops’ conference asked …