On Saturday, February 27, 2016, we drove to Nazareth from our residence on the Mount of Beatitudes to visit the site of Mary’s home and where Jesus lived as a child. But first we stopped off at Nazareth Village, a complete replica of what the small Nazarene village would have been looked like over two thousand years ago. We ...read more

Cana is a Galilean town five miles northeast of Nazareth. Its population of around 8,500 includes both Muslims and Christians. “The wedding at Cana” is a bible reading to tell us about the first miracle of Jesus, the water into wine. There are many symbolic meanings in this reading. Let us focus on some of them ...read more

The Sea of Galilee is located in the east side of the Galilee, in the north of Israel. There are many stories related to Jesus along the Sea of Galilee. For instance, he called his first disciples by the sea, preaching the parable of the sower, the walking on the water, the calming of a ...read more

Pope Francis, in white, attends a weeklong Lenten retreat with senior members of the Roman Curia in Ariccia, Italy.(CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano via Reuters) ...read more

In this video, Fr. Rob Galea talks about the Season of Lent. ...read more

Here is some of what we’ve been reading this week across the country: In Ontario, Catholic Crosscultural Services is helping government-assisted refugees settle into their home In Saskatoon, an elementary school has stepped up to sponsor a refugee family from Burundi. From Edmonton, we get this look at what Lent is and is not.   ...read more

Children exit a church after receiving ashes during an Ash Wednesday Mass in Guatemala City. Catholics around the world began the penitential season of Lent with prayer, fasting and the mark of ashes. (CNS photo/Joe Penney, Reuters) ...read more

‘I HAVE SET BEFORE YOU LIFE AND DEATH’ Message for Lent 2016 by the Most Reverend Douglas Crosby, O.M.I., President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops My brothers and sisters in Christ, The readings of the liturgy for the opening days of Lent invite us to focus on some basic questions as we begin ...read more

Pope Francis released his 2016 Lenten Message based on the verse ” I desire mercy, and not sacrifice” (Mt 9:13). Read the full text of his message, titled ‘The works of mercy on the road of the Jubilee,’ below: “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice” (Mt 9:13). The works of mercy on the road of ...read more

The Pope decrees that not only men may be chosen for the washing of the feet in the Liturgy of Holy Thursday. Please see below for the full text of the decree and for a commentary on the decree by Archbishop Arthur Roche, Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments: ...read more