Three Kings Parade

Among the participants in Williamsburg’s Three Kings Parade were members of the religious education program at Most Holy Trinity-St. Mary’s parish and three camels who accompanied the Magi. The march, which honors the Feast of the Epiphany, took place along Graham Avenue from Meeker Avenue to Broadway.

Vibrant Service at the Altar

Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church, Forest Hills, boasts more than 100 members of its Altar Server Society. College and high school members were among the 50 servers who joined with Auxiliary Bishop Paul Sanchez, pastor, and the parish priests and deacons at Christmas Midnight Mass. Also shown are Fathers Francis J. Passenant and Antonin […]

Judge’s Generosity Helps Catholic School Students

Thanks to the continued generosity of Judge Louis Fusco and the Tri-State Italian-American Congress, 116 students enrolled in 36 Catholic elementary schools and academies within the Diocese of Brooklyn and Queens can begin the New Year rejoicing in a special gift – the gift of a scholarship to attend Catholic school. Overall, $80,000 was awarded […]

Pope Visits Creche At St. Peter’s

Pope Francis visits the Nativity scene in St. Peter’s Square after leading an evening prayer service in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Dec. 31. Pope Francis said Rome, like all communities, will be more beautiful, hospitable, welcoming and kind in the new year “if all of us are attentive and generous toward whoever is […]

Pope Says Peace Begins at Home

by Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Welcoming in a new year, Pope Francis said it was time to stop provoking and ignoring violence, tragedy and conflict in the world and begin building peace at home. “Justice and peace at home, among us – you begin at home and then you move on to all […]

Mideast Patriarch Puts Hope in Papal Visit

by Dale Gavlak AMMAN, Jordan (CNS) – Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal of Jerusalem welcomed the announcement of Pope Francis’ May visit to the Holy Land and said he hopes the pilgrimage will be a “cry for peace,” particularly for Palestinians, Israelis, Syrians and others beset by conflict. Pope Francis announced his first trip as pontiff […]

Egypt’s President Visits Coptic Pope

CAIRO (CNS) – In an unprecedented and highly symbolic move, Egypt’s interim President Adly Mansour paid a Christmas visit to the leader of the country’s Coptic Orthodox, Egyptian Pope Tawadros II. Previous presidents have extended Christmas greetings through presidential envoys or by phone. Mansour’s visit to Pope Tawadros’ papal seat in St. Mark’s Coptic Orthodox […]

Pope: Step Outside Your Comfort Zone, Get Involved

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 […]

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 […]