VATICAN CITY (CNS) – This new year will be brighter only if everyone steps outside their safe havens, gets involved and works together to solve local problems, Pope Francis said. May Mary “teach us to welcome God made man so that every year, every month, every day be overflowing with his eternal love,” he said […]
Uncategorized
Over Six Million Vatican Visitors in 2013
by Francis X. Rocca’ In the first nine and a half months of Pope Francis’ pontificate, more than 6.6 million people participated in papal events at the Vatican, including weekly general audiences, group audiences, liturgies and recitations of the Angelus and “Regina Coeli” on Sundays and holy days. The statistics, compiled by the Prefecture of […]
Transitioning To Stability – Nonprofit Helps Homeless Rebuild Resumes and Lives
by Ambria Hammel PHOENIX (CNS) – The new year will be a brighter beginning for Terrance Alston. The 49-year-old, who spent enough years on the streets, is now fixing up his own home and mending family bonds. He attended his first big family dinner in 20-something years over Christmas, just days after moving from Phoenix […]
Pope Helps to Pay Off Youth Day Debt
RIO DE JANEIRO (CNS) – Pope Francis has pledged a donation of almost $5 million to help pay part of the debt incurred by the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro for World Youth Day, said the Local Organizing Committee. A statement from the committee said the pope recognized “the great effort made by the Local […]
St. Anthony’s Relics – Back in the Diocese by Popular Demand
by Marie Elena Giossi Local devotees of St. Anthony of Padua received a special gift this Advent – the opportunity to see and venerate relics of their beloved saint. As part of a world tour marking the 750th anniversary of the discovery of St. Anthony’s remains by St. Bonaventure, the relics have visited England, Ireland, […]
Bensonhurst Show Goes On! (with slideshow)
Despite a winter storm, St. Athanasius Church, Bensonhurst, went ahead with its Winter Wonderland extravaganza Dec. 14. The Choir from St. A’s performed prior to Mass and afterward outside the church.
Pope Blesses Creche Figures
A girl in St. Peter’s Square holds Baby Jesus figurines for Pope Francis to bless during his Angelus at the Vatican, Dec. 15. Children observed an annual tradition by bringing their Nativity figurines for the pope to bless.
Vatican Christmas Tree Arrives Ahead of Time
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – If Germans are known for being punctual, it turns out even their trees show up early. This year’s Christmas tree from Bavaria’s Bohemian Forest was scheduled to arrive on the feast of St. Nicholas, Dec. 6. Instead, cameramen and photographers had to scramble Dec. 5, when images starting showing up on […]
Christmas Lights – They Remind Us That Jesus Is The Light of the World
by Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The lights glowing on the Christmas tree in St. Peter’s Square, like Christmas lights everywhere, are reminders that Jesus is the light of the world, Pope Francis said. While he did not attend the Vatican’s tree-lighting ceremony Dec. 13, the pope personally thanked the German donors and their […]
Pope Rejects Marxist Label; Says ‘No’ to Women Cardinals
by Francis X. Rocca VATICAN CITY (CNS) – In another wide-ranging interview with an Italian journalist, Pope Francis denied he was a Marxist but said he took no offense at the label; dismissed the notion of women cardinals; and reflected on Christmas as an occasion of joy, tenderness and hope. The pope made his remarks […]