This week brings two big new items: the analysis of Pope Francis trip to Cuba and the United States, and the upcoming opening of the Synod of Bishops on the family. Below are links to some articles well worth reading for a well rounded picture of both. The Cuba – US trip was by all ...read more

There’s this great scene early in the Wizard of Oz where Dorothy unsuccessfully tries to relate to her family about an incident involving her dog Toto. After she’s brushed off with the admonishment “find yourself a place where you won’t get into any trouble” Dorothy muses to her dog Toto, “‘Some place where there isn’t ...read more

  Cheridan Sanders learns how Sr. Catherine Martin, O. Carm discovers her life-long love for art through an unwitting contribution to her father’s artwork. The best part of my job? The people. I love meeting the people who make up this beautiful reality we call the Church. There are so many stories to share and ...read more

The idea that a pope, or any pastor, would call his flock to assess how their lives are impacting the earth, caused waves and turned heads last week. Barely a week later, the Vatican has released the working document, or “lineamenta” for the upcoming Synod on the Family. Scheduled for October 2015, the synod is ...read more

When I was a kid, growing up in Panama, quite often, our parents would take us to the Convent of the Visitation to visit with (no pun intended) the sisters. The Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary was founded by St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane Frances de Chantal in France in 1610 ...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

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