On Monday, April 3, churches in the Archdiocese of New York, the Diocese of Brooklyn, and the Diocese of Rockville Centre will celebrate “Reconciliation Monday,” an opportunity where parishes will offer the sacrament of penance to all who wish to come during several hours over the day.

“It is a duty to guarantee persons with disabilities access to buildings and meeting places, to make languages accessible,
and to overcome physical barriers and prejudices,” Pope Francis said late last year.

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has long been a persecutor of the Catholic Church in the Central American country, and the communist leader recently stepped up his attacks.

The pope was asked about a purported “gay lobby” among priests at the Vatican who protect each other. He condemned any such lobby, and said it was important to “distinguish between a person who is gay and someone who makes a gay lobby.” 

The Diocese of Brooklyn held two gatherings last weekend, showcasing the strength of faith within. The first saw Bishop Robert Brennan returning to the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington, New York, where he was once a seminarian, to welcome 27 young men for a vocation retreat on Feb. 25.

One of the great traditions in the city of Rome is the Station Church Pilgrimage. Sponsored by the Pontifical North American College, the U.S. seminary in the Vatican, it is an opportunity to attend Holy Mass at a different church or basilica in Rome. 

The playing field between pro-life advocates and abortion zealots has tilted again toward the pro-abortion crowd with recent decisions by lawmakers, publishers, and a left-wing language maven. 

As the Church celebrates National Marriage Week, one of the biggest challenges facing parochial ministry in the Diocese of Brooklyn is the plunge in the number of sacramental marriages in our parishes. The diocese has a robust marriage preparation program available in the many languages of our parishioners. 

As the U.S. embarks on Catholic Schools Week, the importance of a faith-based education cannot be overstated. 

These days, people who have returned to the office may be having a different kind of water-cooler conversation. In the past, what was on TV the night before or game scores may have been the hot topic, but now eavesdroppers may hear them chatting about how utterly frustrating buying a tube of toothpaste at the pharmacy has become.