The Catholic Sun

The longer I live my faith, the more I am struck by the beauty and power of baptism as a lifelong mission that calls us into who we are. Baptism is more than an entry point into the Church. It is our awakening to a sacred mission that reveals a world far greater than any one person. Yet, in that vastness, God loves each of us uniquely and fully, without exception. This is true for every person, and baptism is our recognition of and commitment to live out this truth! 

AllThrive 365, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping individuals and their caregivers age safely, independently and with peace of mind, received a $100,000 grant award from The Wellik Foundation to expand and sustain essential food, transportation and basic-needs services for Wickenburg, Ariz., residents. Operating out of the George & Vi Wellik Senior Center in Wickenburg as one of their locations of service, AllThrive 365 has long served as a critical lifeline in the rural area for older adults and low‑income households seeking connection, nutrition and stability. This grant strengthens their legacy of support, ensuring that vital, year‑round services remain accessible to every resident who needs them.

The first-ever Spanish-language cohort of students in the Diocese of Phoenix of those pursuing a certificate in theology and ministry through Loyola University New Orleans is set to begin studies Feb. 23.   LIMEX, Loyola’s Institute for Ministry Extension, is offering the program for adult learners interested in studying graduate-level theology. The courses feature Ignatian spiritual formation as students deepen their Catholic faith and explore the call to holiness in everyday life. 

When Omar Gómez thinks about what it was that drew him to becoming Catholic, he smiles. “I feel like God was using my girlfriend as an instrument so that I would turn to the path toward God.” That was four years ago when life looked different for Gómez. He was born into a nominally Catholic family in California that later relocated to Arizona. “My parents were Catholics, but they didn’t go to church,” Gómez explained. He was never baptized, and the family did not attend Mass. When he was just 16 years old, Gómez’s mother died, leaving him and his seven sisters. His father died a few years later, and just like that, Gómez found himself faced with the heavy responsibilities of family life. 

In “From Atari to the altar,” the second video of a four-part series on getting to know Bishop-elect Peter Dai Bui, the bishop-elect shares how a video game console played an integral role in his vocation to the priesthood.  Growing up in New Orleans, he and two of his brothers would often go to a friend’s house to play Atari video games after school. That’s when Bishop-elect Bui made a pact with God: he would sneak out every morning before school to attend daily Mass if God gave him and his brothers an Atari gaming console for Christmas. 

In 1858, Our Lady appeared more than a dozen times to Bernadette Soubirous, a humble 14-year-old girl from a poor family in Lourdes, France. The holy waters that sprang forth during one of these encounters, and the stone grotto where they took place, have become the site of 72 approved miraculous healings and continue to draw millions of visitors annually who are in search of physical and spiritual healing.  But not all who desire to make the pilgrimage are able to travel to France.   That’s where Our Lady of Lourdes Hospitality North American Volunteers come in. 

More than 800 Catholic school students, teachers, staff members and chaperones gathered Wednesday (Jan. 28) in downtown Phoenix for the annual Catholic Schools Week Mass and rally. The celebration coincides with National Catholic Schools Week, the annual, nationwide celebration of Catholic education in the United States. 

ROME (CNS) -- All Christians are called to invite everyone to trust in Christ, who enlightens and consoles, Pope Leo XIV said."Every authentic encounter with the Lord is, in fact, a transformative moment that grants a new vision and a new direction for the task of building up the Body of Christ," the pope said as he closed the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Jan. 25 during an ecumenical evening prayer service at Rome's Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. Every year, the week "invites us to renew our commitment to this great mission, bearing in mind that the divisions among us -- while they do not prevent the light of Christ from shining -- nonetheless make the face which must reflect it to the world less radiant," he said.

The last days of January are collectively known as Catholic Schools Week across the nation's 5,800 Catholic elementary and high school campuses that span...

These are the words God the Father spoke over Jesus during His baptism in the Jordan River. But it isn’t just a nice phrase or a happy sentiment that was shared during a historical event 2,000 years ago. These words hold immense significance in each and every one of our lives, pointing toward our deepest identity as beloved sons and daughters. The Lord loves to reveal Himself and deeper realities through images and stories, and when we take a closer look at the account of Jesus’ baptism in Matthew 3:13-17, there are three wonderful details that help us understand the magnificence of what took place during our own baptism.