The Catholic Sun

National organizations have recently taken notice of the Diocese of Phoenix and recognized four of its employees in one office to key roles. Jose Antonio Martinez, Junuee Castro, Eneida Scoby and Armida Escarcega all work in the Office of Evangelization, Discipleship and Spirituality (OEDS) at the Diocesan Pastoral Center in downtown Phoenix, but their influence stretches beyond the confines of the Phoenix Diocese. The team, led by Director Diane Saunders, has attracted the attention of national organizations, including the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Living in hope means accepting that one does not have answers to all questions and staying calm amid conflicts and tensions, Pope Leo XIV said. "We do not have the answers to all the questions already. But we have Jesus. We follow Jesus. And so, we hope for what we do not yet see," the pope told pilgrims at a special Jubilee general audience Oct. 25. In the pope's brief remarks, he offered pilgrims the example of Nicholas of Cusa, a German cardinal and papal diplomat in the 1400s, which the pope described as "an equally troubled age" of wars between nations and divisions among Christians.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Leo XIV will issue a document on Catholic education Oct. 28, marking the 60th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council's declaration on education, a top Vatican official said. Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, also told reporters Oct. 22 that in the document Pope Leo will name St. John Henry Newman "co-patron" of Catholic education.

Thousands travelled from across the Diocese of Phoenix to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary under her title of Our Lady of Guadalupe this month (Oct. 19) at the annual Arizona Rosary Celebration. Organizers of the 50th anniversary of the event said the celebration drew one of the largest crowds ever to the Phoenix Convention Center, surpassing 5,000 attendees in person and thousands more who watched via Facebook and YouTube. Arizona Rosary Celebration, organized by the Knights of Columbus, Arizona State Council, with assistance from the Diocese of Phoenix, Legion of Mary, Catholic Daughters of America and other lay organizations, featured a procession, matachín dancers, the praying of the Rosary and a presentation by a budding Marian expert. 

The Diocese of Phoenix will celebrate its annual Red, White and Blue Mass to honor and pray for military veterans, Sunday, Nov. 9, two days ahead of Veterans Day, the national holiday to honor American servicemen and women. The Mass at St. Mary’s Basilica in downtown Phoenix, will begin at 11:30 a.m. Fr. Estevan Wetzel, who serves as chaplain for the Arizona National Guard, will serve as one of this year’s celebrants. Fr. Wetzel, who is also the diocese’s director of Prison Ministries, will deliver the homily. He will concelebrate the Mass with Fr. Fernando Camou, rector of St. Mary’s.

“When my parents got married, they wanted a lot of kids. My dad jokes that he wanted his own personal sports team, but my mom's body didn't work right, and the doctors told her that she couldn't have any children.” Twelve-year-old Benjamin “Bubba” Mark Taylor, Jr., of Prescott Valley, Ariz., drew in the crowd as he shared his story during the annual Life Connections banquet at the Espire Events Center in Prescott, Ariz., earlier this month. The sixth grader was invited to speak at the event because of the impact he has made in the community, personally fundraising $7,274.30 for the pro-life pregnancy resource and referral center since August of this year. And it’s all thanks to an expired walk-a-thon flyer, a creative idea and some sweet lemonade.

More than 90 men and women religious gathered for an Evening of Gratitude and Jubilee on Saturday (Oct. 18) at Mt. Claret Retreat Center in Phoenix. The annual event which celebrates the gift of Religious Life and honors religious who serve in the Diocese of Phoenix is sponsored by the Serra Club and organized by the diocesan Office of Religious Life. This year had the highest attendance in the event’s history.

For those with disabilities and their families, attending a regular Mass can be more than a little challenging. In that vein, the Office of Evangelization, Discipleship and Spirituality and the Office of Worship and Liturgy responded to the need expressed by a diocesan committee known as the Committee for Pastoral Ministry with Persons with Disabilities and their Families. The two diocesan offices worked together to organize and hold what’s known as a sensory-friendly Mass at St. Mary’s Basilica in downtown Phoenix on Oct. 18.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Holiness flourishes in those who serve the weakest, and Christians should defend the truths of the faith, no matter the cost, Pope Leo XIV said, highlighting key traits of the new saints he proclaimed. Meeting with visitors from different countries who were in Rome for the Oct. 19 canonization of seven new saints, Pope Leo said, "the men and women we proclaimed saints yesterday are shining signs of hope for all of us, because they offered their lives in love for Christ and for their brothers and sisters."

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Leo XIV traveled 23 miles by car to board the "Bel Espoir" sailboat and speak to the crew about peacemaking. The boat, whose name means "beautiful hope," had spent the previous eight months sailing to 30 Mediterranean ports where rotating crews of 25 young adults met their peers and talked about their faith and the challenges to peace. Meeting the last crew Oct. 17 at the marina in Ostia, outside of Rome, Pope Leo told them the world needs "signs, witness, impressions that give hope."