A nun makes a cross on a woman’s forehead with ashes during Ash Wednesday Mass at the cathedral in Bamako, Mali. (CNS photo/Joe Penney, Reuters) ...read more

Today, fifteen members of the S+L team depart for the Holy Land for a ten-day Lenten pilgrimage where we’ll visit the major Christian holy sites and film a number of programs. We’ll be joined by a larger group of pilgrims from across Canada and the US who are participating through our Blessed Journeys program. Few ...read more

A lay minister and nun use ashes to mark a cross on the forehead of churchgoers during Ash Wednesday Mass outside of a church in Manila, Philippines. (CNS photo/Erik De Castro, Reuters) ...read more

People kneel during Ash Wednesday Mass at the cathedral in Guatemala City.(CNS photo/Jorge Dan Lopez, Reuters) (March 6, 2014) ...read more

Cardinal Roger Mahony Archbishop Emeritus of Los Angeles February 18, 2016 AT THE US-MEXICO BORDER, EL PASO – When the visit of Pope Francis to Mexico reached its close with his February 17th Mass at Ciudad Juarez, I could’ve had the privilege to cross the border and concelebrate with him. Instead, however, I chose to ...read more

Among the phrases that captured people’s attention during the Pope’s visit to Mexico was a phrase ad-libbed during his homily in Ecatepec. Lifting his gaze from the text in front of him, lifting his right hand to his forehead, Pope Francis exclaimed “let’s get this in our heads, you cannot dialogue with the devil.”   ...read more

Vatican City, 19 February 2016 (VIS) – As is customary in his apostolic trips, the Pope answered questions posed by journalists during the return flight to Rome, on his visit to Mexico and his encounter in Havana, Cuba with the Patriarch Kirill. The Holy Father addressed a series of themes that ranged from his Mexican ...read more

Pope Francis, in white, attends a weeklong Lenten retreat with senior members of the Roman Curia in Ariccia, Italy.(CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano via Reuters) ...read more

Immediately following the conclusion of Pope Francis’ whirlwind visit to Mexico this week, I switched over to CNN to get caught up on the US presidential race.  As troublesome as it can be to watch things like last night’s GOP Town Hall from Greenville, South Carolina, I stuck it out, and near the end of ...read more

A young volunteer displays food prepared for dinners served at a Friday evening fish fry at Sweetest Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Detroit. The Friday fish fry is a big event during Lent for many people in Catholic parishes and is especially popular in some regions of the United States. (CNS photo/Jim West) ...read more