Catholic New York

Lenten Retreat for Families, Catechists, Parish Leaders 

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.  more

2/26/21

Cardinals Sarah, Comastri Retire From Vatican Posts

Pope Francis accepted the resignations of 75-year-old Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, and 77-year-old Cardinal Angelo Comastri, archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica and vicar for Vatican City State. more

2/24/21

This is the cover of the Italian book, “Abbi a cuore il Signore,” a collection of meditations and notes written in the 17th century by an anonymous Cistercian monk. Pope Francis sent copies of the book to members of the Roman Curia to guide them in their Feb. 21-26 Lenten retreat, which will take place individually this year because of Covid-19.

Pope, Curia Prepare for Personal Lenten Retreat

Pope Francis sent copies of a 17th-century book of spiritual meditations to members of the Roman Curia to help guide them during their Lenten retreat. more

By JUNNO AROCHO ESTEVES | 2/19/21

An altar server holds a copy of the Roman Missal during Mass at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Alexandria, Va., in this 2011 file photo.

Word Change in Missal Doxology Takes Effect on Ash Wednesday

A change in wording to the concluding doxology of orations in the Roman Missal, from “one God, for ever and ever” to “God, for ever and ever,” took effect on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 17. more

2/19/21

Pope Francis sprinkles ashes on the head of a cardinal during Ash Wednesday Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Feb. 17.

For Lent, Ask If One’s Life Is Centered on God or Oneself, Pope Says

Lent is a time to reconsider the path one is taking in life and to finally answer God’s invitation to return to Him with one’s whole heart, Pope Francis said. more

By CAROL GLATZ | 2/17/21

A girl holds up a poster with pictures of the Christians beheaded by the Islamic State group in Libya, during a show of solidarity in front of the Egyptian embassy in Amman, Jordan, in this Feb. 17, 2015, file photo. In a Feb. 15, 2021, video message to mark the “Day of Contemporary Martyrs” Pope Francis honored the Christians beheaded on the beach in Libya in 2015.

Pope Marks Anniversary of Christians Martyred in Libya

Marking the sixth anniversary of the beheading of 21 Christians on a beach in Libya, Pope Francis said they gave witness to Christ through their martyrdom. more

By JUNNO AROCHO ESTEVES | 2/17/21

The U.S. Capitol is seen near the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Jan. 10.

House Bill Recognizes Fetal Pain, Would Bar Most Abortions After 20 Weeks

Citing leading experts in the field of fetal pain, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, said the proposed Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act would end the “excruciating suffering and physical pain of unborn babies” by barring most abortions after 20 weeks gestation. more

2/16/21

Sleet covers tree branches near the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. Feb. 14, the same day President Joe Biden signed an executive order reestablishing the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

President Biden Reestablishes White House Faith-Based Partnership Office

President Joe Biden signed an executive order Feb. 14 reestablishing the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships as a means to work with religious and secular organizations to help with Covid-19 and economic recovery and confront systemic racism. more

By CAROL ZIMMERMANN | 2/16/21

Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., is seen outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. June 7, 2017.

Bill Would Block Taxpayer Funding of Abortion, Make Hyde Amendment Permanent

U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, has introduced a bill to prohibit use of federal taxpayer dollars to fund abortions. more

2/12/21

People walk along the National Mall and the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Feb. 8.

Meet Elected Officials as ‘Missionary Disciples,’ Archbishop Gomez Says

“When we speak to our elected officials, we speak as missionary disciples, as followers of Jesus Christ,” said Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles in a Feb. 9 closing message to the Catholic Social Ministry Gathering. more

2/12/21

Twenty-one couples celebrate the convalidation of their marriages in a ceremony at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Alexandria, Va., June 24, 2017. Convalidation celebrates the sacrament of marriage according to the rites of the Church for couples married civilly. World Marriage Day, observed annually on the second Sunday of February, is Feb. 14 this year.

World Marriage Day to Be Celebrated This Year on Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day

This year, World Marriage Day, observed annually on the second Sunday of February, will be celebrated Feb. 14, which also is the feast of St. Valentine and which since the eighth century has been a celebration of love and affection. more

2/12/21

A Vatican television operator is seen as Pope Francis leads his general audience in the library of the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican Feb. 10. The pope spoke about the importance of daily prayer.

A Day That Begins With Prayer Is a Good Day, Pope Says

Prayer makes every day better, even the most difficult days, Pope Francis said. more

By CINDY WOODEN | 2/12/21

Pope Francis hears the confession of a priest at the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome in this March 7, 2019, file photo. In his message for Lent this year, Pope Francis said the season is “a time for renewing faith, hope and love.”

Lent Is Time to Grow in Faith, Hope, Love and to Share Them, Pope Says

As Christians pray, fast and give alms during Lent, they also should consider giving a smile and offering a kind word to people feeling alone or frightened because of the coronavirus pandemic, Pope Francis said. more

By CINDY WOODEN | 2/12/21

Virtual New York Encounter Set for Feb. 12-14

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

2/4/21

Pope Adds Martha, Mary and Lazarus, Church Doctors to Universal Calendar

Recognizing their welcome of and witness to Christ, Pope Francis has approved changing the liturgical feast of St. Martha to include her sister and brother, Mary and Lazarus, on the Church’s universal calendar of feast days. more

By JUNNO AROCHO ESTEVES | 2/2/21

Bishop Naumann: Biden Action on Title X Makes Abortion Part of Family Planning Program

President Joe Biden’s decision to rescind a regulation governing the Title X family planning program that was enforced by the Trump administration “will force abortion” to be part of the program and “may be unlawful,” said the chairman of the U.S. bishops’ pro-life committee. more

By JULIE ASHER | 2/1/21

New apartments and housing units are seen in Washington, D.C. Jan. 19.

Bishops Support Biden’s Racial Equity Orders Related to Housing, Prisons

The chairmen of two U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ committees welcomed recent executive actions by President Joe Biden to address racial equity in housing and the use of private prisons by the federal government. more

2/1/21

March for Life participants walk past St. Joseph’s on Capitol Hill Church on their way to the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C. Jan. 29, amid the coronavirus pandemic.

March Is Small, But Group’s ‘Message of Solidarity’ With Unborn Strong as Ever

It was the coldest national March for Life in some years, it was the smallest, and it also may be remembered as the bravest. more

By KURT JENSEN | 2/1/21

Catechists Must Share God’s Love, Uphold Church Teaching, Pope Says

Religious education must focus on leading people to a personal relationship with Christ and building a community of believers where the talents of each person are valued and where all go out to share the Gospel and serve the poor, Pope Francis said. more

By CINDY WOODEN | 2/1/21

Activists hold placards during a protest in Kathmandu, Nepal, Feb. 1 after Myanmar’s military seized power from a democratically elected civilian government and arrested its leaders.

Prayers Needed for Myanmar, Says Yangon’s Auxiliary Bishop

After a military coup and the detention of top government leaders in Myanmar, the auxiliary bishop of Yangon, the nation’s largest city and former capital, called for prayers, caution and stocking up on provisions for the people. more

By CAROL GLATZ | 2/1/21