BLOG: Inside the Synod,Prayer,Synods
A reflection by Deacon Pedro on the meaning of Lent, in order to help us understand fasting and abstinence, and about what we can do and can’t do. ...read more
Join us in prayer for the intentions entrusted to us by Pope Francis. For February 2015, we join the Holy Father in praying for: Prisoners. That prisoners, especially the young, may be able to rebuild lives of dignity. Marriages. That married people who are separated may find welcome and support in the Christian community. Daily ...read more
When in October 2013 the Vatican announced the first ever two-stage Synod of Bishops, many in the Catholic Church were hopeful about the possibilities of an in-depth discussion and consultation. After all, a year in between the two Synods is a lot of time, right? Not necessarily. The Vatican didn’t publish the Lineamenta—a discussion guideline ...read more
By Most Reverend John Corriveau, OFM Cap. Bishop of Nelson, British Columbia Between 1994 and 2012, I was privileged to participate in five Assemblies of the Synod of Bishops. These five Synods touched a variety of challenges in the Church: Consecrated Life and its Role in the Church and the World (1994), Special Assembly for ...read more
The recent extraordinary assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the theme “Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the Context of Evangelization” will be remembered as a milestone in the history of the Church. At this world gathering of Catholic Church leaders Synod, Pope Francis invited the universal Church to journey together and reflect on ...read more
  On October 19th, 1904, the first Mass was celebrated in the Little Oratory in Montreal, dedicated to Saint Joseph and founded by St. André Bessette. On October 19th, 2010, nearly one hundred years later, Salt + Light Television launched its live broadcast of daily Mass from the crypt church in Saint Joseph’s Oratory. St. André ...read more
Below you will find the English language translation of the Holy Father’s address in Italian, delivered this morning at the Colloquium on the complementarity of Man and Woman at the Vatican. Dear sisters and brothers, I warmly greet you. I thank Cardinal Muller for his words with which he introduced our meeting. I would like ...read more
Archbishop John Dew of New Zealand offers a reflection about his experience in the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family. See below for full reflection: As I return from the Synod on Marriage and the Family I’m aware that the gathering, the discussion and the topics have caught the attention of the secular media ...read more
On October 5, 2014, Pope Francis presided over the Opening Mass for the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family. Below you will find the full text of his address: Today the prophet Isaiah and the Gospel employ the image of the Lord’s vineyard.  The Lord’s vineyard is his “dream”, the plan which he nurtures ...read more
On October 4, 2014, Pope Francis presided over a prayer vigil leading up the the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family. Below is the full text of his address: Dear families, good evening! The evening falls on our assembly. It is the hour in which one willingly returns home to the same meal, in ...read more