Calling for formal recognition of “those lay men and women who feel called by virtue of their baptism to cooperate in the work of catechesis,” Pope Francis has instituted the “ministry of catechist.” more

Pope Francis issued a decree declaring the sainthood of Blessed Margaret of Città di Castello, a much-loved Italian Dominican laywoman. more

Updating the laws that govern the Vatican’s civil judicial system, Pope Francis stated that cardinals and bishops accused of a crime can now be tried in a Vatican court. more

The John Paul I Vatican Foundation announced the recovery of a collection of the late pope’s writings. more

With President Joe Biden now proposing several ultra-expensive infrastructure, education and family-related bills, the president’s controversial Equality Act may get a slower hearing in the U.S. Senate. more

Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Bishop W. Francis Malooly of Wilmington, Del. and named Msgr. William E. Koenig, vicar for clergy for the Diocese of Rockville Centre, to succeed him. more

Pope Francis has called for a global prayer marathon for the entire month of May, praying for the end to the pandemic. more

The chairman of the U.S. bishops' pro-life committee April 20 called on the Biden administration to fund research "that does not rely upon body parts taken from innocent children killed through abortion." more

The biggest risk Afghanistan might face with a withdrawal of U.S. troops could be civil war, said the Italian priest in charge of the small Catholic community in Afghanistan. more

As closing arguments began April 19 in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd, Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda and priests across the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis offered special Masses “For the Preservation of Peace and Justice.” more

“As a pastor I can testify first-hand about the difficulties of our people this past year caused by this terrible pandemic, as they struggle to pay their rent, to buy groceries, to keep the lights and the heat going, purchase medicine, pay even the modest tuition to attend one of our excellent Catholic schools. I am grateful to our priests, parishes, Catholic Charities, ArchCare, and schools for rising to the occasion to provide assistance. more

The archdiocesan Catechetical Office’s Family Catechesis Advisory Committee and William H. Sadlier Publishing are sponsoring a virtual Lenten retreat Thursday, March 11, at 7 p.m.
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The 2021 New York Encounter, an annual three-day public cultural event featuring panel discussions, artistic performances and special exhibits, will be held virtually Friday to Sunday, Feb. 12-14. The conference will be broadcast live online in collaboration with the Sheen Center for Thought and Culture in lower Manhattan and made available on the New York Encounter website, www.newyorkencounter.org more

The following statement was released Friday, Jan. 29, by the Archdiocese of New York: more

After 17 seasons in the NFL, quarterback Philip Rivers will begin his next career as head football coach at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Ala., in the Mobile Archdiocese. more

If great minds had brainstormed how to create a podcast that would jump to No. 1 in Apple’s podcast rankings, they never would have landed on “The Bible in a Year,” joked Jeff Cavins, a Bible scholar and creator of the Great Adventure Bible Timeline. more

Catholic schools in the archdiocese, along with several Catholic school parents, have filed a lawsuit seeking to compel the New York City Department of Education to live up to its legal obligation to provide Covid-19 testing for its students, as required by New York state law. The case was filed Nov. 18 in New York State Supreme Court on Staten Island. A hearing is set for Monday, Nov. 23, at 2:30 p.m. more

The following statement was released by Cardinal Dolan on the “McCarrick Report,” issued today by the Vatican. more

Since the re-opening of our churches last summer, I’ve made it a point to visit, unannounced, various parishes, in order to celebrate Mass and spend some time with parishioners. At each visit, I am not allowed to enter the church until my temperature is taken; ushers are there to distribute face masks to anyone who has left theirs at home. Hand sanitizing stations are located around the church, and social distancing and crowd limitations are enforced. When Mass is over, I slip back into the church, and always find eight or so parishioners already hard at work, scrubbing and sanitizing the pews, door handles, and altar area before the next Mass. more

The Diocese of Brooklyn filed a lawsuit in federal court Oct. 8 against New York state, charging Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s new orders reducing church capacity violates the First Amendment’s guarantee of the free exercise of religion. more