Men salute as Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services arrives on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis to visit troops around Christmas in 2011. The archdiocese provides priest chaplains, with the permission of their home dioceses, to minister to the military. The chaplain’s ...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

The late Cardinal Francis George of Chicago gives communion to detainees during Mass at Cook County Department of Corrections, Division 6, a medium-security facility in Chicago on Christmas Day. The cardinal also made a stop at Children’s Memorial Hospital to visit with families and their children who are hospitalized and could not be home for Christmas. ...read more

Call it an early Christmas Gift, call it a message about the kind of mercy Pope Francis wants us to show to the world. Whatever you want to call, the end result is the same: Mother Teresa is going to be canonized. A second miracle attributed to her intercession has been approved by Pope Francis. The ...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

In this Dec. 24, 2013 CNS file photo, Polish miners and their families gather for Christmas Eve Mass at the Wieliczka Salt Mine. CNS photo/Jacek Bednarczyk, EPA ...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

A woman prays during Christmas Eve Mass at Lai Yen Catholic Church in Hanoi, Vietnam, Dec. 24, 2013 CNS photo/Kham, Reuters ...read more

Children dressed as angels carry candles as they attend Christmas Mass at a Catholic church in Beijing Dec. 24. CNS photo/Kim Kyung-Hoon, Reuters ...read more