Pope Francis watches as young people dramatize building a church, during the WYD Rio 2013 vigil on Copacabana Beach. The performance was inspired by God’s call to St. Francis “rebuild my church” and symbolized the constructive role of young people in today’s church. — (CNS Photo/ Paul Haring) ...

This week, on a special edition of the SLHour, Ken Ogorek offers suggestions on finding meaning and direction to life; We meet the owners of the angelic voices of Seraphim and speak with singer/songwriter Danielle Rose. Also a featured conversation with Mother Dolores Hart whose new book, The Ear of the Heart, is now out. ...

The final days of World Youth Day Rio were an exercise is letting God surprise us all. Days of rain made the field at Guaratiba unusable and the final events were moved to Copacabana Beach. Cariocas (residents of Rio) are used to having parties on the beach. They have two giant parties there every year: ...

The memories I have of Rio de Janeiro –aside from the sight of 3 million people on Copacabana Beach -are the moments of the Way of the Cross. That beautiful beach was the stage for one of the most moving moments I had the opportunity to live. The WYD organization intended for each station to ...

Homily of Pope Francis for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Castel Gandolfo, August 15, 2013 Dear Brothers and Sisters! At the end of its Constitution on the Church, the Second Vatican Council left us a very beautiful meditation on Mary Most Holy. Let me just recall the words referring ...

The Papal Welcoming Ceremony kicks off what some call the World Youth Day Triduum. The event is celebrated on the Thursday evening before the Way of the Cross (Friday evening), Vigil (Saturday evening) and Closing Mass (Sunday morning). The Papal Welcome is a highlight for many pilgrims; there’s always lots of excitement and given that ...

The following conference was given by the Most Rev. Gerald Cyprien Lacroix, Archbishop of Quebec and Primate of Canada to the Conference of Major Superiors of Men in Nashville, Tennessee on August 9, 2013 “Religion is a fundamental part of culture, not as a dogma nor a belief, but as a cry.”(Maurice Merleau-Ponty, French Philosopher, ...

Read Fr. Michael Knox, SJ's reflection on the life of St. Maximilian Kolbe: Franciscan martyr of WWII in honour of his feast day. ...

As far as I can tell in our day and age, only church councils and papal transitions can attract the kind of global attention for the Catholic Church that is both honest and positive.  While working in Rome in February and March of 2013, I was struck by this reality and by how the intrigue ...

Returning home after World Youth Day Rio 2013 there were several things I didn’t miss: the long walk from our accommodations to the media centre because traffic was closed, the language barrier, and the weather that fluctuated between hot beach weather, and damp, winter rain. One thing I discovered I really do miss the incredible ...