After the conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd late Tuesday, April 20, Catholic Church leaders said America needs to continue to work on the issue of racial justice.
Author: John Lavenburg
Border Priest Says Migrant Children Need Protection, Assistance
When the priest of the lone Catholic parish in the U.S.-Mexico border city of Donna, Texas, considers the present situation at the border, his first concern is for the unaccompanied minors trying to gain entry to the United States. Father Yuantoro presides over St. Joseph Catholic Church, which serves about 3,000 Catholic families — part of a total population of around 16,500 — in the south Texas city.
Recognizing What’s Worth Living For Can Guide a Faithful Life, Archbishop Says
When it comes to people Christians should try to emulate, Archbishop Charles J. Chaput puts Samwise “Sam” Gamgee (a companion to protagonist Frodo Baggins in Lord of the Rings) at the top of the list.
Northern Mexico Border Cities Bear Brunt of Border Challenges, Advocate Says
As migrants from Mexico and Central America flee north simultaneously, the United States is deporting hundreds of migrants a day, advocates on the Mexico side of the border say they’re bearing the brunt of both realities.
Catholic Immigration Advocates Say ‘Christian Response’ Needed at Border
While Democrats and Republicans are trading accusations for who is to blame for the present crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border, one U.S. bishop says enough is enough.
Marathon-Running Bishop Says Exercise Can Help Spiritual Life
In his new book, Running for a Higher Purpose, Bishop Thomas Paprocki uses his life as a runner, and insights from the lives of others — such as Abraham Lincoln, Tommy John and Steve Prefontaine — to guide readers through eight steps to spiritual and physical fitness, which he calls interwoven.
New Book Says Former Notre Dame President Was ‘Church’s Public Intellectual’
Decades ago, Father Theodore Hesburgh sought answers to the issues that plagued the nation through an approach that many people preach is needed to solve the issues of today: He listened. He listened to both sides, in particular to those who were affected most.
U.S. and Mexican Bishops Call for Better Migration Policies at Border
As the number of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border continues to soar, more than a dozen Catholic bishops from both countries issued a reminder April 1 that “there is a shared responsibility of all nations to preserve human life and provide for safe, orderly, and humane immigration, including the right to asylum.”
Chilean Teen’s Battle With Cancer Inspires Faith in Friends, Family
On March 15, Constanza Alva de Urmeneta got in the car behind the hearse for the funeral procession of her 15-year-old daughter, Pía Urmeneta. Typically somber occasions, it was apparent from the second they drove off the church lot that this was instead a celebration of Pía’s life, just as she had wanted.
Good Friday Focuses Attention on Plight of Christians in Middle East
When Michael La Civita of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association considers how the agency prioritizes where to send aid, he says the best way to describe it is like a “triage,” given the crises so many countries face.