Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Church

Residents in the affected regions argue that decades of deforestation and industrial activity linked to the pulp, palm oil and mining sectors intensified the destruction by stripping hillsides of trees, draining natural buffers and disrupting river paths, leaving rainwater with nowhere to go. When Cyclone Senyar arrived, the land was less able to absorb heavy Read More…

In Sumatra, Indonesian Capuchins put Laudato Si’ into practice

February 24 will mark four years of war in Ukraine. After leading the midday Angelus, Pope Leo was insistent that it is past time for peace. Four years have passed since the beginning of the war against Ukraine. My heartfelt thoughts remain focused on the tragic situation unfolding before the eyes of the whole world: Read More…

“Peace cannot be postponed”: Pope Leo on 4 years of Ukraine war

On this first Sunday of Lent, after visiting a Roman parish, and hours before beginning his own Lenten retreat, Pope Leo took a few minutes to orient the faithful about what Lent should be for us. “The liturgy invites us to view Lent as a luminous path,” he said. “We can renew our cooperation with Read More…

How to see Lent: Pope’s thoughts (and ideas for living it)

During his second Lenten visit to a parish of his diocese, Pope Leo went to the parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus near Termini station. In his homily, the Holy Father reflected that freedom is not “the pursuit of personal power, but love that gives itself.” Delving into the history of the parish of Read More…

Pope visits church John Bosco built at request of Leo XIII

A years-long saga over a monument to Italian heritage reached a resolution this week with the announcement that a statue of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini will replace a statue of Christopher Columbus in Chicago’s Little Italy neighborhood. The statue of Christopher Columbus had become a lightning rod of controversy in recent years. It was the Read More…

Mother Cabrini to replace Columbus statue in Chicago’s Little Italy

Sometimes the best way to describe something is to describe what it’s not. For instance: Confession is not a time to make excuses, the Eucharist is not just a symbol, and Christmas is not about the gifts. So I went on a hunt for negative wisdom about Lent.  “Lent is not about our sinfulness,” said Read More…

9 Things Lent is not (and 3 things it kind of is)

In modern society, chairs are everywhere and they serve the most ordinary functions. We use chairs when eating at our tables, working at a computer, and listening in a classroom. Chairs are largely seen as a necessary part of everyday life, so it is strange when we hear that the Catholic Church has a separate Read More…

St. Peter’s chair played an important role in the early Church

In the modern world, slowing down is not considered a virtue. If anything, we’re speeding up. We want everything faster, easier, and more conveniently. Everything slow and inefficient must be ruthlessly eliminated. The great speeding-up has been happening for a while, but it seems to be picking up steam in recent years. I remember just Read More…

Shaped for greatness by a forgotten virtue: long-suffering

This week’s Catholic news highlights span spiritual milestones, cultural achievements, and Vatican diplomacy, illustrating a Church deeply engaged with tradition, global concerns, and American Catholic life. Barcelona’s Basílica de la Sagrada Família has finally reached its planned apex with the installation of the upper arm of the cross atop the Tower of Jesus Christ, bringing Read More…

5 Top Catholic Church headlines this week

Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, the Archbishop of Kinshasa and President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), recently emphasized the enduring relevance of Pope Saint John Paul II’s 1995 Apostolic Exhortation, [...]