By Sister Constance Veit, lsp Five years ago this month, life as we knew it came to a standstill. COVID-19 cast a pall over the entire world, forcing us to face our radical vulnerability and our powerlessness in the face of death. About a week after we had gone into …

Anchorage, Alaska, Mar 16, 2009 / 06:24 am On Mar. 17, the Catholic Church especially honors St. Patrick – Catholic bishop, “Apostle of Ireland” and one of the most well-loved and celebrated saints of all time. From special Masses to parades, the world rejoices on St. Patrick’s day. In an …

By Andrés Henríquez ACI Prensa Staff, Mar 9, 2025 / 07:00 am With the season of Lent, Catholics around the world have entered into a time of prayer, almsgiving, and penance in preparation for Holy Week. There are many and varied sacrifices that the faithful choose to adopt during these days, …

Lent is a season of moral and spiritual growth. For some, the principal approach is to deprive oneself of non-essential goods; we give up some pleasure or luxury. Others observe Lent by performing spiritual or corporal works of mercy; we add some activity or assume some burden. And, of course, …

Why do Catholics abstain from meat on Fridays during Lent? What is the history behind the practice? The Church’s penitential traditions date back to the first Christians. Jesus provided a model for fasting and abstinence during His 40 days in the desert and taught that fasting would be part of …

By ACI Prensa ACI Prensa Staff, Feb 11, 2024 / 07:00 am Lent is a time of conversion and penance that the Catholic Church offers to believers to prepare for and live the Easter triduum — the mystery of the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus. During the 40 days (this …

By Hannah Brockhaus Vatican City, Feb 25, 2025 / 10:55 am In his message for Lent 2025, Pope Francis emphasized the importance of living one’s life as a constant journey of conversion, choosing to walk in peace and hope aside one’s fellow humans. “May the hope that does not disappoint, the …

by Rebecca Sontag There is no Easter without Lent. Prayer, penance and fasting can be tough for anyone. And meditating on the Last Four Things (death, judgment, heaven and hell) is a heavy task at any age. While it is tempting to ignore the tough spiritual preparation that results in …

By Matt Hadro Washington D.C., Feb 22, 2023 / 04:00 am God commanded it, Jesus practiced it, Church Fathers have preached the importance of it — fasting is a powerful and fundamental part of the Christian life. But for many Catholics today, it’s more of an afterthought: something we grudgingly do …

By Kristina Millare Rome Newsroom, Mar 2, 2025 / 06:00 am Though many Catholics may associate the liturgical season of Lent more with the practice of fasting and abstaining from food, many families around the world use the 40-day season to prepare specific homemade delicacies to remind them of the life …