In his homily during the Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Benedict highlighted the great joy around Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem – “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is coming! Hosanna in the highest!” (MK 11:9-10)  The Holy ...read more

For many of us, it feels as if we were celebrating World Youth Day in Madrid just yesterday. Another World Youth Day is already upon us, although not on the same scale. Every two to three years, World Youth Day is celebrated with a week-long international gathering in a different host city. That particular city ...read more

On Good Friday, the Pope asks every parish in the world to take up a collection for the Church in the Holy Land. Which raises the question, what exactly does the Church in the Holy Land do with this? Among the most prominent Catholic institutions in the region is the Franciscan Custody of the Holy ...read more

Each year on Good Friday, dioceses and parishes in Canada and around the world hold a Collection for the Holy Land. Cardinal Leonardi Sandro, Prefect of the Congregation for Oriental Churches, has issued a letter to promote this Collection. His letter includes a report (in English only) by the Custody for the Holy Land on ...read more

This post comes to us from Fr. Jim Phalan, CSC courtesy of the Holy Cross Family Rosary Blog “World at Prayer” During a recent to our Family Rosary Missions in AfricaI had the opportunity to visit Kibeho, Rwanda where  Our Lady appeared many times between 1981-83 a  dozen years before the well known genocide. Though ...read more

We tend to forget about Joseph after the Christmas season, but his feast day provides the opportunity for us to contemplate the influential role he played in the life of Jesus. ...read more

On the first night of the 2012 Canadian Catholic Youth Ministry Network Conference, a multitude of youth ministers, lay pastoral associates, archdiocesan youth directors, and university chaplains gathered in St. Patrick’s Basilica in downtown Ottawa.  This conference, that happens every two years, was held at the Ottawa Marriott hotel. Nearly 300 people gathered together to ...read more

We are about halfway through lent already, the point at which many people begin to think “why did give up chocolate?” or “why did I decide to get up earlier to pray before I start my day?” It’s also the point when many people feel the need for more spiritual nourishment in order to get ...read more

The following post was contributed by Fr. James Mallon, founder and director of the John Paul II Media Institute. Fr. James hosts the new series “Dogmatic Theology“, which airs on S+L on Wednesdays at 8:00 pm ET / 5:00 pm PT. The program repeats Thursdays at 1:00 pm ET and Fridays at 9:00 am ET. ...read more

Photo: Basilica of Santa Sabina, Roman station church Countless Churches around the world, and here at home, have their own particular way of praying the Stations of the Cross during the liturgical season of Lent. Rome has its own special way of marking the season of Lent known as “Station churches.” These are churches appointed ...read more