Pope Francis today released his 2017 Lenten Message for World Youth Day, in anticipation for World Youth Day Panama 2019. Below, find the full text of his address: ...read more

Sometimes, because it’s Lent we may overlook some feasts or solemnities that fall during the season. It’s hard to ignore the Feast of St. Patrick, but how many really pay attention to the Solemnity of St. Joseph? ...read more

A reflection for the Second Sunday of Lent What keeps us going through difficult times? What inspires our hope when the situation is bleak? What makes us persevere when it would be easier to give up? In the Gospel reading for the Second Sunday of Lent, we see Jesus ascend Mount Tabor with His three ...read more

A reflection for the First Sunday of Lent It seems almost scandalous to think that Jesus experienced temptation. We think of temptation as something shameful, something that only happens to us and not to others, something that distances us from God. But in the Gospel for the First Sunday of Lent we see Jesus tempted ...read more

Salt + Light Producer and Host Sebastian Gomes recalls Pope Francis’ visit to a favela in Rio during World Youth Day in 2013. ...read more

One of the greatest but often overlooked gifts given to us by the Catholic Church are the many saints canonized over the years. They are given to us as examples of hope during all possible combinations of human hardship we might find ourselves in. This group provides real examples of people who have overcome great tribulations, ...read more

Words of the Archbishop of Panama, Jose Domingo Ulloa Mendieta at the press conference announcing the date of WYD 2019. We would like to reiterate our gratitude to Pope Francis in choosing Panama to host World Youth Day (WYD) in 2019, with the motto: “I am the servant of the Lord. May it be done ...read more

At Salt + Light we spend a lot of time reading, analyzing and sharing the words of Pope Francis. And over the past four years, the Pope has given us a lot to think about and act upon. Of the many recurring themes that emerge in his speeches and official documents, one that has not ...read more

On a Friday night in July 2002, during the World Youth Day celebration in Toronto, I was standing just down the street from the Royal Ontario Museum. As a member of the World Youth Secretariat under the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs, I was assigned to stand by a viewing area for local dignitaries ...read more

Update: The video reflection was completed! Check it out above: Some of the Salt + Light team are in the Holy Land on pilgrimage. We are also preparing something special for you to watch in the near future. Stay tuned! In the meantime, here is the text of a reflection that was recorded at the ...read more