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

Producer Cheridan Sanders shares her thoughts and experiences leading up the premiere of The Church Alive in 2013. Read her story below: Last year, when Fr. Thomas Rosica first gathered the S+L team around the conference table to share thoughts in anticipation of the upcoming Synod on the New Evangelization, I never expected that Sebastian Gomes ...read more

On October 5, 2014, Pope Francis presided over the Opening Mass for the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family. Below you will find the full text of his address: Today the prophet Isaiah and the Gospel employ the image of the Lord’s vineyard.  The Lord’s vineyard is his “dream”, the plan which he nurtures ...read more

On October 4, 2014, Pope Francis presided over a prayer vigil leading up the the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family. Below is the full text of his address: Dear families, good evening! The evening falls on our assembly. It is the hour in which one willingly returns home to the same meal, in ...read more

Things are returning to a normal pace at the Vatican after the end of the extraordinary synod. Pope Francis kept a full schedule this week, which included his daily masses, a meeting with members of popular movements from around the world (non-religious movements that advocate for worker’s rights, indigenous land rights, fair wages, and access ...read more

Earlier this afternoon, Vatican released the full, official English language translation of the “Relatio Synodi” of the III Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops: “Pastoral Challenges to the Family in the Context of Evangelization” (5-19 October 2014). Read the full text of the document below, dated October 18, 2014, the day the text was ...read more

Below you will find the full text of Pope Francis’ opening address of the Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops: Your Eminences, Your Beatitudes, Your Excellencies, Brothers and Sisters, I give you my warm welcome to this meeting and I thank you from my heart for your caring and qualified presence and assistance. ...read more

Read the full text of Pope Francis' homily during the closing mass of the Synod and the beatification of Pope Paul VI on Oct. 19, 2014. ...read more

Earlier this year, Pope Francis declared Francois de Laval and Marie de l’Incarnation saints. These two missionaries were amongst the first pioneers who laid the foundations of the Church in Canada. This past Sunday, October 12, pilgrims gather at the Vatican for a special mass celebrated by the Holy Father in honour of their canonization. ...read more

On September 27, 2014, as early as 7:00am, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from over 80 countries made their way to Madrid’s Parque de Valdebebas for the Beatification of Bishop Alvaro del Portillo, the first successor of the founder of Opus Dei, St. Josemaria Escriva. Our group of 50 Canadians travelled by Metro to the ...read more