The Catholic Sun

As the Church’s Jubilee Year of Hope draws to a close, its culmination is anything but the end of the hope that defined the...

Adding a manager to its Catholic schools pilot program, expanding its signature parish-level spaces and launching outreach to those in prison are among the latest developments within the Diocese of Phoenix’s groundbreaking Mental Health Ministry as it enters its fourth year. The developments were discussed in a wide-ranging interview with Mental Health Ministry Director Mary Permoda and Accompaniment Program Manager Richard DiCarlo during a recent edition of “The Bishop’s Hour,” a weekly radio program airing Saturday mornings at 9 a.m. on Relevant Radio 1310 AM, presenting Church news and theological reflections, and discussing contemporary issues facing today’s Catholics in Arizona.  

Fr. Julius Kayiwa was installed as pastor of two parishes this weekend by Bishop John Dolan in the Northern region of the Diocese of Phoenix. This first pastor installation Mass took place at Good Shepherd of the Desert Catholic Church in Congress, Ariz., on Dec. 20, and the second took place the following morning at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Bagdad, Ariz. The two parish communities near Wickenburg, Ariz., are about 50 miles apart.

Diocesan Pastoral Center (DPC) staff had a special surprise when Bishop John Dolan announced the appointment of Bishop-elect Peter Dai Bui by Pope Leo XIV at their annual Advent retreat today (Dec. 19) at Mount Claret Retreat Center in Phoenix. Vicar for Clergy at the DPC since 2022, the bishop-elect received a standing ovation from his fellow staff members including laypeople, priests and religious. Bishop Dolan presented Bishop-elect Bui with his pectoral cross and Auxiliary Bishop Eduardo Nevares presented him with his fuchsia zucchetto — two unique symbols that represent the office and authority of Catholic bishops. During his upcoming installation Mass, the bishop-elect will also receive his miter, crozier and ring.

Msgr. Peter Dai Bui to become 2nd auxiliary bishop in diocesan history Pope Leo XIV has appointed Monsignor Peter Dai Bui, a priest of the...

Susan Brown never intended to drift away from her Catholic roots. The Strawberry, Ark., resident, whose maiden name is Volpe, grew up in a Catholic home, first in semirural northwestern New Jersey, and then in Phoenix, where the family moved when she and her sister, Gina, her only sibling, were under 10 years old. The girls and their parents attended Our Lady of the Valley Church in Phoenix near 35th Avenue and Greenway Road, where they were very active as teenagers. 

The second annual diocesan Simbang Gabi drew an overflow crowd Sunday evening (Dec. 14) at St. Paul Catholic Church in Phoenix, as Bishop John Dolan celebrated the Mass that kicks off a nine-day series of novena Masses at six different parishes in the Diocese of Phoenix. Established in the 1600s, Simbang Gabi is a cherished Filipino Catholic Christmas tradition, consisting of a nine-day series of dawn Masses leading up to Christmas. It is one of the most vibrant and beloved expressions of Filipino faith and culture.

Life is often filled with uncertainty, challenges and moments that test our faith. Yet, in the midst of it all, we hold to the promise of our Catholic faith: Jesus is the Way. He is the One Who walks with us in every season — whether joyful or difficult — reminding us that we are never alone. I experienced this truth profoundly in 2001, when I traveled to Peru. At the time, I was still carrying the weight of my own son’s life-threatening health scare. The fear, the sleepless nights and the prayers for his healing had left a lasting imprint on my heart. And then, in Peru, I encountered families who walked for days — sometimes hundreds of miles — just to receive basic medical care for their children. 

Bishop John Dolan released his pastoral plan today (Dec. 12), the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The plan, entitled “El Camino Real; Year Two of a Seven-Year Pastoral Plan,” delves into the bishop’s heart and themes for 2026 of his plan on evangelization leading up to the 500th anniversary of Our Lady of Guadalupe’s apparitions to St. Juan Diego in 2031. Click below to access the plan in English and Spanish. 

Thousands turned out on Saturday morning (Dec. 6) for the 20th annual Honor Your Mother event, the Diocese of Phoenix’s celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The day began with a rosary, followed by an outdoor Mass and procession through the streets of downtown Phoenix. Several priests joined Bishop John Dolan, Auxiliary Bishop Eduardo Nevares and Archbishop Miguel Cabrejos Vidarte, OFM, of Trujillo, Peru, for the Mass.