BLOG: Apostolic Journeys,Saints and Blesseds
Pope Francis spontaneously addresses Religious in Sarajevo: “A man and a woman who consecrate their lives to the Lord, but don’t know how to forgive, are worth nothing.” On Saturday June 6, Pope Francis was set to deliver a speech during a meeting in Sarajevo with men and women religious. But after listening to first ...read more
Pope Francis arrives in Sarajevo: “Heal the wounds of the past and look to the future with hope” Pope Francis arrived shortly after 9 a.m. in Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the destination of his eighth apostolic trip. The central theme of the Holy See’s concern for Bosnia-Herzegovina – visited twice by St. John Paul ...read more
On the evening of June 3, 1963, as Mass was being celebrated in the plaza below his window, Pope John XXIII quietly passed away. He had been suffering from stomach cancer for some time, although his illness had only been revealed to the public in March of that same year. Still, he faced that final ...read more
I am particularly curious about Pope Francis’ next trip to Sarajevo, which he will embark on in a few hours. I’m interested in the arrival of the pontiff to a place that is so different and seeped in history and drama, a city stained with pain. It caused the Balkan war in the 90’s. Just ...read more
The problem with holiness is that we don’t think it’s for us. We believe that we are made for Heaven. We believe that God wants us to go to Heaven, but how many of us would say that we belong in Heaven? How many of us would say that we are going to Heaven? Sure, ...read more
Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia – Herzegovina, June 6. The one day trip is packed full significant meetings. Vatican spokesperson, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi told journalists this week it would be “notevolissimo” or “highly noteworthy” if the Holy Father arrives at the Sarajevo airport on time at the end ...read more
“The gift of the Holy Spirit renews the earth” Pope Francis against the backdrop of St Peter’s Basilica and dressed in scarlet vestments, celebrated Mass on Pentecost Sunday. In his homily, the Holy Father began by focusing on Sunday’s readings saying that, “the word of God, tells us that the Spirit is at work in individuals ...read more
At 10:00 this morning, El Salvador time, in the Plaza del Divino Salvador del Mundo in San Salvador, the Mass of Beatification took place for Archbishop Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez, born on August 15, 1917 Ciudad Barrios (El Salvador) and martyred for “odium fidei” (hatred of the faith) on March 24, 1980 while celebrating ...read more
Traditionally, the church recognizes someone as a martyr when he or she refuses  to renounce their faith and is killed as a result. The beatification of Archbishop Oscar Romero, who was killed, opens the door to a new, expanded definition of martyrdom. Romero, who was gunned down while celebrating Mass, was never pressured to renounce ...read more
All around us, this miracle of nature reveals the life-giving work of the Holy Spirit. Fifty days after the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead, we celebrate the great Feast of Pentecost – when the same Spirit who at the dawn of time hovered over the chaos of nothingness to give us God’s gift of ...read more