COLLECTION OF CATHOLIC PRAYERS ETC.
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — At Mass before the conclave that will elect the next pope, the dean of the College of Cardinals urged his brothers to choose the shepherd the church and all of humanity need “at this difficult and complex and tormented” turning point in history. “Today’s world expects much from the church regarding…
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As the cardinals gather in Rome today to begin the conclave, the faithful may wonder what to do. Nothing more than watch nervously from afar? Should we break out the popcorn or antacids? Even if we can’t enter the Sistine Chapel, there is more than waiting we can do to participate in this important moment…
On May 3, 1606, the Jesuit priest Henry Garnet was hung, drawn and quartered in London. No one applauded when his executioner held up Garnet’s heart for all to see and then said the traditional saying: “Behold the heart of a traitor.” Fr. Garnet was the superior of the outlawed Jesuits in England. In 1534,…
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Reading 1 Acts 8:1b-8 There broke out a severe persecution of the Church in Jerusalem, and all were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria, except the Apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made a loud lament over him. Saul, meanwhile, was trying to destroy the Church; entering house after house and dragging out…
U.S. cardinals receive a sendoff from seminarians at the Pontifical North American College in Rome May 6, 2025, as they prepare to travel to their temporary residences inside the Vatican where they will stay during the conclave to elect a new pope. From left they are Cardinals Blase J. Cupich of Chicago; Daniel N. DiNardo,…
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Blessed Rose was born at Viterbo in 1656, the daughter of Godfrey Venerini, a physician. Upon the death of a young man who had been paying court to her, she entered a convent, but after a few months had to return home to look after her widowed mother. Rose use to gather the women and…
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When President Trump signed an executive order on February 18, 2025 calling for a 90-day policy review and recommendations to lower the cost of IVF, he launched a discussion about the morality of assisted reproductive technology. The Catholic Church has declared this procedure illicit ever since 1897 when scientists first considered extending artificial insemination from…
I was privileged to interview Fr. Jonathan Meyer last week. Fr. Meyer was ordained a priest in 2003 for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. After his ordination he served as the Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Archdiocese. He has also served at several parishes, prior to being named as the pastor of…
Read More “The “Mock” Conclave: Using Creative Catechism to Transmit the Faith” »
ROME (CNS) — In a full church on a Monday evening in Rome, just two days before the conclave to elect a new pope was set to begin, Cardinal Robert W. McElroy of Washington shared a confidence: “I have no guess” who will be chosen. Like many cardinals did the previous day, Cardinal McElroy celebrated…
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Reading I Acts 7:51—8:1a Stephen said to the people, the elders, and the scribes: “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always oppose the Holy Spirit; you are just like your ancestors. Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They put to death those who foretold the coming of the righteous…