Pope Francis offered New Year’s greetings of peace Wednesday to the tens of thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square to recite with the Holy Father the Angelus prayer at the start of 2014. The Pope said his wishes for the new year are “those of the Church:” Christian wishes that put Jesus Christ ...read more

From December 17-23, I’d like to share with you these antiphons, that you will pray with them and they will help you continue to prepare for the Advent of our Lord. May they become part of your Advent tradition as they are becoming part of mine. For December 22, the antiphon is based on Isaiah ...read more

From December 17-23, I’d like to share with you these antiphons, that you will pray with them and they will help you continue to prepare for the Advent of our Lord. May they become part of your Advent tradition as they are becoming part of mine. For December 20, the antiphon is based on Isaiah 22:22, ...read more

From December 17-23, I’d like to share with you these antiphons, that you will pray with them and they will help you continue to prepare for the Advent of our Lord. May they become part of your Advent tradition as they are becoming part of mine. For December 19, the antiphon is based on Isaiah 11:1, ...read more

From December 17-23, I’d like to share with you these antiphons, that you will pray with them and they will help you continue to prepare for the Advent of our Lord. May they become part of your Advent tradition as they are becoming part of mine. For December 18, the antiphon is based on Exodus ...read more

I vaguely remember my mother telling us, during the Season of Advent, while growing up, about the “O” antiphons. I never really understood what these were. Even as an adult, she would occasionally send me various reflections on the “O” antiphons. I must say, with regret that while I thought it to be an important ...read more

In his first Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis writes, “I am mission on this earth” [EG 273]. That phrase really stuck with me, partly because I was on my way down to Maracaibo, Venezuela for the 4th Missionary Congress of the Americas (Cam 4) and the 9th Latin American Missionary Congress (Comla 9). In ...read more

Cardinal Fernando Filoni is the Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, the congregation of the curia responsible for the transmission and dissemination of the faith throughout the whole world, in particular the coordination and guidance the Church’s diverse missionary efforts and initiatives. Some may know it by its former title, the Sacred ...read more

The fourth Missionary Congress of the Americas (CAM 4) and the Ninth Latin American Congress (Comla 9) began last night with an outdoor Mass on the plaza in front of the Basilica of Maracaibo. The Most Rev. Ubaldo Santana, Archbishop of Maracaibo greeted the 3000 present, “Missionary America, welcome to Maracaibo!” The Mass was presided ...read more

The Letter to the Hebrews reminds us that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and for ever (13:8). This is why the mission of God, this mission for all humanity, a mission we should all be taking seriously, calls us today to discern how best to fulfill it to our people in our day. ...read more