Benedict XVI included a big announcement in his homily on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, but it was hardly a surprise. For weeks, journalists had speculated that plans for a trip Mexico and Cuba would be unveiled at the special Mass for Latin America. The bishops of Cuba had essentially confirmed the trip ...read more

Holy Father’s Angelus address at Freiburg Airport: Dear Brothers and Sisters! At the end of this solemn celebration of holy Mass we now pray the Angelus together.  This prayer constantly reminds us of the historical beginnings of our salvation.  The Archangel Gabriel presents God’s plan of salvation to the Virgin Mary, by which she was ...read more

Today is January 6th, and I am thinking of the three wise men. And the three wise men make me think of distances. I was always intrigued about distances in Israel. When I read that Mary and Joseph walked from Nazareth to Bethlehem, or that Mary rode on a donkey, it’s hard to appreciate how ...read more

As we enter into a New Year, the Church celebrates the great solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. The Church also commemorates the World Day of Peace today. (You can read Pope Benedict’s message for the day, which focuses on religious freedom, here.) As we mark there two occasions, let us pray to our ...read more

Salt + Light Television presents a series of blogs reflecting on Advent and Christmas by Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto, Bishop William McGrattan, and Salt + Light CEO Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB.  The series will look at Mary, Joseph, the Word Made Flesh, and the Magi, and will be spread over the next two weeks.  We ...read more

MONTREAL — The beauty of icons is in their ability to allow people to encounter the sacred and to apprehend what is essential to their lives. Following a long-standing Church tradition to write icons of the saints, two official icons of Canada’s newest saint were written. The new icons of Brother André, written by Quebec ...read more

Have you ever had the experience of praying the Rosary and come to the end of a decade only to ask yourself: “Um, did I just say 10 Hail Marys?” Sometimes we lose our place, we get lost in the repetition, or we are distracted.  And when I say distracted, I’m not talking about wrapped ...read more

Are you a beekeeper? A climber? A candlestick maker? Do you like Dijon mustard? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, you may be interested to know that today the Church celebrates St. Bernard of Clairvaux . Among other things (as you saw), St. Bernard is renowned for his deep devotion to the ...read more

Castel Gandolfo was busy yesterday as Pope Benedict XVI marked the solemnity of the Assumption. First there was the celebration of Mass at the Church of St. Thomas, located just across from the summer Papal residence.  Later in the day, the Holy Father welcomed the faithful to Castel Gandolfo for his Angelus address. Of course, ...read more

For nearly thirty years it has been claimed that the Blessed Virgin Mary has been appearing in Medjugorje, a small town in western Bosnia and Herzegovina. Many believe, while many are skeptical. Earlier this month, Pope Benedict XVI launched an investigation into the alleged apparitions. Today on the Catholic News Service Vatican Report, Carol Glatz ...read more