In 1956, 17-year-old Sister Cora Marie Billings of Philadelphia entered the Sisters of Mercy in Merion, Pennsylvania, becoming the first Black member of the Philadelphia community.
National News
As Pandemic’s Limits Ease, Palms Burn in Preparation for Ash Wednesday
Among the world’s supply shortage, add to it the palm frond.
Black Catholic Recalls Making History With Commission as Air Force Officer
Sandra Williams Ortega was stunned to see two high-ranking ROTC leaders standing on her front porch as she was coming home from classes at Morgan State College in Baltimore.
Bishops From Europe, U.S., Canada Back Call for Conference on Lebanon
Catholic leaders from Europe, the United States and Canada called on their governments to support Lebanese Cardinal Bechara Rai’s appeal for an international conference to protect Lebanon.
Only In Print: Pro-Life Advocates Cite Suffragists as Allies
Susan B. Anthony fought for decades for women to have the right to vote, a historical fact that has been known for a long time. But pro-life advocates of today said that another battle she waged is not as well known — the fight against abortion.
Church Leaders Join Ukrainian Americans in Praying for Loved Ones, Homeland
Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori offered solidarity with the Ukrainian community, greeting parishioners prior to morning worship and listening to harrowing stories of family members besieged in Ukraine. He strongly condemned the invasion.
Loyola’s Leaders Say Pope Francis’ Dialogue With Students Was Weeks in the Making
When leaders at Loyola University Chicago set out to find a way to discuss the upcoming world Synod of Bishops on synodality with students, they did not set out to host a dialogue with Pope Francis.
Donnelly Will Soon Head to Rome as New U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See
Vice President Kamala Harris Feb. 24 held a ceremonial swearing-in of Catholic lawyer Joe Donnelly of Indiana as the new U.S. ambassador to the Holy See.
People at Washington Shrine Pray for Peace in Ukraine, Stand in Solidarity
On a day when the world saw the heart-rending images of Russia launching a brutal invasion of Ukraine, people gathered at the Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family in Washington Feb. 24.
Biden Calls His Supreme Court Nominee a ‘Proven Consensus Builder’
President Joe Biden announced Feb. 25 at the White House that he has chosen a “proven consensus builder” by nominating Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, a federal appeals court judge, to serve on the Supreme Court.