Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Church

May “these days of healthy competition contribute to building bridges between cultures and peoples, promoting welcoming, solidarity, and peace.” This is Leo XIV’s wish for the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, in a telegram published on January 29, 2026. The Vatican sent this message on the occasion of the presentation of the “Olympic cross” to the athletes, Read More…

Pope Leo XIV’s message for 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy

Frank D. Gilroy lays bare the emotions of love and hate, empathy and dejection, in his loosely-autobiographical award-winning play The Subject Was Roses, set in 1946 West Bronx, New York, featuring the Cleary family, John and Nettie, and their son Timothy. Debuting on May 25, 1964, on Broadway — starring Jack Albertson and Martin Sheen — Read More…

‘The Subject Was Roses’: Navigating love’s thorns

From Montecassino Abbey to La Verna Sanctuary, Italy has no shortage of monasteries and abbeys located in picturesque locations. But as far as island monasteries go, it’s hard to beat the Monastery of St. Julius, in Italy’s Lake Orta. Just 900 feet long and 500 feet wide, the island stands at the center of Lake Read More…

The tiny Italian Alpine lake that celebrates St. Julius on January 31

Catholic parents are always looking for ways to inspire holiness in their kids, often worrying if they will grow up and lose their faith like so many of their peers. While the modern world certainly has its unique challenges, that doesn’t mean we can’t look back and learn how saints were raised by their parents. Read More…

How St. John Bosco’s simple childhood can help parents today

St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome will not have a “bistro” on its roof. Rather, its current “simple and appropriate” refreshment area is set to be expanded. This was clarified by the Petrine basilica in a statement released on January 29, 2026, following articles published in the Italian press and relayed in media outlets in other Read More…

No “bistro” on St. Peter’s roof, but a “simple” refreshment area

Leo XIV may soon move into the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, but not into the traditional papal apartment on the third floor, according to La Repubblica in its January 30, 2026, edition.  While renovation work has been observed in recent weeks in and around the apartment, the Italian daily suggests that the Pontiff has Read More…

Leo XIV to move into the attic rather than the papal apartment?

You may have seen that Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), called on priests and bishops around the United States to offer a “Holy Hour for Peace” to promote the healing of society. And you may have seen the warnings from numerous other bishops, speaking out on the Read More…

US Bishops call on Catholics to be instruments of peace

As energy rises for Super Bowl LX between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots, a funny coincidence is going viral. Every time a new pope has been elected in the 21st century — in 2005, 2013, and 2025 — the Seattle Seahawks have reached the Super Bowl the following winter. Often they’ve won Read More…

The funny connection between a new pope and the Super Bowl

“We are deeply concerned about the plight of our Haitian brothers and sisters living in the United States,” the chairs of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Committees on Migration and International Justice and Peace said in a joint statement issued January 29. “There is simply no realistic opportunity for the safe and orderly return Read More…

Extend protection for Haitians, U.S. bishops’ chairs ask administration

Guillermo del Toro was born to make a Frankenstein movie. Growing up in Guadalajara, Mexico, he divided his time between the Catedral de la Asunción de María Santísima and local cinemas, where he was exposed early on [...]