A man of many talents — photographer, painter, author and preacher — Carmelite Fr. Tom Butler from the PCM Province found himself involved in founding St. Bernadette's parish in Houston, Texas. He would live there from 1977 until 1996, as…

At midday on Monday, the Pope received Archbishop Angelo Comastri, archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica, accompanied by the vicar, canons and coadjutors.

The Holy Father recalled how the chapter of the papal basilica of St. Peter's dates back to 1053, "when…

Brother Teodoro Brovello, O.Carm., shares his reflections:

Br. Teodoro Brovello entered Carmel in March 1997 and made his Solemn Profession on October 7, 2006 at the Carmine in Florence, Italy.

From the time he was 14 years old, he studied furniture restoration "as working with…

Benedict XVI traveled to Assisi's cathedral of San Rufino where he met with priests, deacons, religious, superiors and students of the pontifical seminary of Umbria.

In his talk to them, the Holy Father insisted that "it is not enough" for…

Made public was the Holy Father's Message for 81st World Mission Day which this year is due to be celebrated on Sunday October 21 on the theme: "All the Churches for all the world."

In the Message, dated May 27,…

It was another Monday morning in Room 207 filled with bleary-eyed students trying to focus on German as their minds circled back to the weekend.

And then their promising young lives came to an abrupt end.

Across the globe, we wondered…

The continent of Asia already has more than 3.5 billion people and covers half the globe from Tokyo to Jerusalem and Moscow to Jakarta. Now, with China and India's industrial explosion, it is also home to the world's fastest growing…

A great wind blew upon that day,
As for a ship that broke upon the sea,
To fill its sails and pull it from the bay
From where it once and long had lain
Upon the journey that its last would be.

A…

On Monday afternoon in St. Peter's Square, Benedict XVI presided at a Eucharistic concelebration with cardinals in commemoration of John Paul II. More than 30,000 people were present at the event, many of them having come from Poland to attend.

The…

Unless you're an avid follower of college basketball, staring at a blank bracket for the March Madness tournament is overwhelming.

The sheet looks glaringly bare — so many lines, so many options. There are more than 65,000 different combinations of teams…

During a meeting held on Thursday morning in the Vatican with pastors of the diocese of Rome, the Holy Father answered a number of questions addressed to him by priests on such matters as the pastoral care of youth, the…

In Wednesday's general audience Benedict XVI resumed his catechesis on outstanding figures of early Christianity, concentrating on the three principal collaborators of St. Paul: Barnabas, Silas and Apollos. The audience was held in the Paul VI Hall in the presence…

Catholic Video Spotlight: Interview with Filmmaker Audrey Geyer, GL Productions

The life of Capuchin Franciscan Fr. Solanus Casey is a model of humble faith and service.  Through a new video documentary, The Healing Prophet: Solanus Casey Catholic families can learn more about…

On Monday, in his remarks prior to praying the Angelus, the Pope recalled cloistered religious communities who, on November 21, celebrate the Day <i>pro Orantibus</i>, which is dedicated to them.

"This is a particularly appropriate occasion," said the Pope to the…

From the knees up, they look like normal teens. One dons a black concert t-shirt and the other is garbed in a Notre Dame Football jersey. Both wear crumpled khaki shorts that have surely been pulled off the floor next…

In the talk he delivered yesterday to the first group of prelates from the German Bishops' Conference, at the end of their ad limina visit, the Pope affirmed that the secularization of society represents "a providential challenge that must be faced…

The Holy Father received participants in the fifth international congress of Military Ordinariates. The congress marks the twentieth anniversary of the Apostolic Constitution Spirituali Militum Curae, promulgated by Servant of God John Paul II.

In his address, Benedict XVI recalled…

On Friday, November 4, in a customary practice for the month of November, the Pope celebrated Mass at the Altar of the Cathedra in the Vatican Basilica in remembrance of the cardinals, archbishops and bishops who died during the course…

This morning, Benedict XVI received prelates from the Irish Episcopal Conference, who have just completed their ad limina visit.

At the start of his English-language address to them, the Pope dwelt upon the Irish people's “constant witness to their faith in…

during the Eucharistic celebration held this morning in St. Peter's Square, which was attended by around 30,000 people, the Pope canonized the following Blesseds: Rafael Guizar Valencia (1878-1938), Filippo Smaldone (1848-1923), Rosa Venerini (1656-1728), and Theodore Guerin, nee Anne-Therese (1798-1856).

At…

On Tuesday, September 12, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI presided at the celebration of Vespers with religious, priests and seminarians.

“Under the watchful gaze of Saint Anne, in whose home the greatest vocation in the history of salvation developed,” that of…

The World Trade Center attack changed some priests forever, according to reports from clergy involved in 9/11.

Writing to the US bishops’ Office for Vocations and Priestly Formation, priests showed the depth of the experience on parishioners, firefighters, families and themselves.

Msgr.…

O Immaculata, Queen of Heaven and earth, refuge of sinners and our most loving Mother, God has willed to entrust the entire order of mercy to you. I, (name), a repentant sinner, cast myself at your feet humbly imploring you…

Parish Priest: Father Michael McGivney and American Catholicism by Douglas Brinkley and Julie M. Fenster (New York: William Morrow, 2006) tells the story of the founder of the Knights of Columbus, one of the largest charitable organizations in the Church. The…

We buried a giant last Easter. John Paul the Great’s death, more than any in recent memory, reminds young Catholics that we stand on the shoulders of spiritual giants, pedestals from which we can view the glory of lives well-lived…

The sky had grown dark of late. To the east of the towering city set on a mountain, black armies of foul creatures mustered. A festering menace corrupted that land of shadows and was spreading westward to that of the…

Made public today was a Message from the Pope to participants in the Second World Meeting of Ecclesial Movements and New Communities which is taking place in Rocca di Papa, south of Rome, from May 31 to June 2 on…

Have you ever been in a near-disaster situation, totally out of control? Perhaps the time that the 70-foot pine tree jumped into your path during a ski trip; or that incident involving a mountain bike, a mountain, and badly frayed…

The World Day of Prayer for Vocations provided the theme of the Pope's brief reflections before praying the Regina Coeli at midday on Sunday.

Speaking from the window of his study, the Holy Father greeted the pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's…

“What do I want to do today?” A question most people don’t ask themselves very often. Most have a set routine — up at 6:30 a.m., shower, dress, coffee, cereal, car, work — a determined lifestyle.

Everything is clockwork: Since…

Father James Martin, author of the wonderful new spiritual memoir My Life With the Saints (Loyola Press, March 2006) has great news for those of us who may feel that we fall short of the devout role models provided by the…

Opus Dei is launching an all-new version of www.opusdei.org on March 22. The site will be offered in 22 languages. During 2005, Opus Dei’s site was visited by more than 3 million people.

The website offers information about Opus Dei, as well…

During remarks prior to praying the Angelus at midday on last Sunday with thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square, Benedict XVI dedicated his attention to the figure of St. Joseph, whose feast day was celebrated on Monday.

The…

DALLAS — The relics of six Knights of Columbus canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000 began a nationwide tour of the US on Saturday, March 18, at the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Dallas. The…

What in the world does Winnie the Pooh have in common with Lent? Does anyone know if there’s a Catholic parish in the Hundred Acre Wood? The little bear isn’t mentioned anywhere in the writings of Ignatius, Aquinas or Avila.…

Cardinal Secretary of State Angelo Sodano sent a Message, in the Pope's name, to Archbishop Stanislaw Rylko, president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, for the first Meeting of Ecclesial Movements and New Communities in Latin America, which was…

Now don’t call the police or anything. I’m being followed, and have been for years. At first I didn’t realize it. This guy is really subtle — you might even say hidden. It all started in 2002, but I suppose…

Already dedicated to him through Baptism, the person who surrenders himself to the God he loves above all else thereby consecrates himself more intimately to God's service and to the good of the Church.— Catechism of the Catholic Church, 931

An…

This is the first part of a four part series about Mother Angelica. For the rest of the article, click the following links for Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.

Mark Belnick was a 50-year-old Wall Street lawyer living in wealthy…

Navigating the sea of Manhattan skyscrapers is ordinarily no small feat. In the months following the September 11 attacks, however, entering a “Big Apple” building became a feat in itself, and usually implied a security screening. Some were as simple…

As a child, my family had a close personal relationship with the pastor of our parish. He frequently dined in our home and was a visitor at holiday celebrations. In today’s age of priest shortages, I found myself wondering about…

Interest in bible study resources written from a Catholic perspective remains strong, as evidenced by the close to 5.5 million results yielded from a recent Google search on the topic. The challenge, however, is selecting a study that is both…

What is vocation? The word “vocation” often intimidates, frightens, or even repels if considered as just a “religious calling.” Vocation, which comes from either the Latin verb vocare (to call) or the noun vox (voice), is God’s unique invitation to individuals to…

Advent is coming soon! This means a new liturgical year, Year B, begins on the First Sunday of Advent, November 27, 2005. Bryan Cones has compiled a prayer book, Daily Prayer 2006, that can be of great help to those…

Catholic author and academician Phyllis Zagano, PhD, has an impressive list of qualifications and publications. However, when asked about herself in relation to her book On Prayer: A Letter to My Godchild (Liguori, December, 2001, paperback 79 pages), Zagano states, “Well,…

Think it is a story mainly for Mexican Catholics? Or, as many pro-life Catholics like to emphasize, is it an appearance of Our Lady to emphasize the sanctity of life? Or, is it about an event that happened so long…

VATICAN CITY — On September 23, the Holy Father received prelates from the Mexican metropolitan sees of Jalapa, Mexico, Puebla and Tlalnepantla, and from their suffragan dioceses, who have just completed their “ad limina” visit.

The Pope affirmed that the central…

Santa Barbara City College marketing and e-commerce professor Julie Ann Brown is your Internet go-to person for holy cards.

Brown, 45, is on a personal mission to preserve and share “God's calling cards” lovingly made over 75 years ago by…

Boston College professor of philosophy Peter Kreeft, a Protestant convert to Catholicism, says apologetics remains in disrepute in some circles. “Traditional apologetics has a bad reputation among modernists, who hate tradition and don’t believe in the supernatural; among postmodernists, who…

U.S. travelers are feeling the effects of worldwide terrorism in unprecedented numbers. Promoters of the 10th annual Path to Rome Conference and Pilgrimage, sponsored by the Catholic lay organization Miles Jesu, are being challenged to recruit pilgrims to attend this…