Bishop Dolan

Six Catholic bishops and over 50 priests representing 11 dioceses gathered for Mass on Tuesday evening (Nov. 18) at All Saints Catholic Church in Mesa, Ariz., to kick-off the bi-annual Leadership Council gathering of the National Association of Filipino Priests-USA.  The Mass also marked the 30th anniversary of Fr. Joevensie “Jovi” Balang’s ordination to the priesthood.   Bishop John Dolan and Auxiliary Bishop Eduardo Nevares of Phoenix were joined by Archbishop Rex Alarcon (Archdiocese of Caceres - Philippines), Auxiliary Bishop Rey Bersabal (Diocese of Sacramento), Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Celino (Diocese of El Paso) and Auxiliary Bishop Andres Ligo (Diocese of San Jose) for the special occasion.  

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.

My grandmother’s name was Josephine, though she was affectionately called “Jo” by her friends and “Gramma” by us grandkids. When I was growing up, she lived at home with us. Gramma was quiet and helpful in the house. I still remember her holding me in her lap, reading to me in my earlier years and how she loved to watch the Padres on television, keeping score and stats on each of the players during the game. As she aged, my parents made the difficult, yet important decision for her to move into an assisted living facility. As you can imagine, there were a lot of ups and downs, as well as struggles and reliefs that came with this decision.

Bishop John Dolan continues to elevate the importance of mental health outreach. Earlier this week he toured Valleywise Health’s 192-bed behavioral health hospital in Maryvale, Ariz. Valleywise Health is one of the largest providers of behavioral health services in Arizona, Ariz. Valleywise Health’s Maryvale facility is one of the organization’s three behavioral health hospitals, with a combined licensed capacity of 412 inpatient beds — the only provider of court ordered evaluation in Maricopa County, and the largest provider of court ordered inpatient treatment to individuals challenged by serious mental illness.

I’ll never forget the day I yelled at God. I was in seminary, and I had recently lost my sister, Therese, and my brother-in-law, Joe, to death by suicide on the same day. This came years after my brother, Tom, had died by suicide when I was in eighth grade. I was hurting, I was angry and I had no idea why God let all of this suffering take place. At the time, I was studying at the University of San Diego. I went for a walk in my unrest and found myself at a large, empty field that overlooks Mission Bay.

Bishop John Dolan led the diocese in celebrating a special Mass for grandparents and the elderly Sunday. The Mass of thanksgiving at Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral in Phoenix coincided with the Church’s fifth annual World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. It wasn’t just a Mass honoring grandparents, but the time-tested practice of one generation passing on its love of God to the next.

Since the beginning of his role as the shepherd of the Diocese of Phoenix in August 2022, Bishop John Dolan has spent a lot of time listening. Within his first year in the diocese, he went on a listening tour, visiting 35 parishes, all seven Catholic high schools and three Newman Centers, nearly 30 ministries and charities, groups of religious sisters and a variety of cultural groups. His goal was simple: to get to know the heart of his flock. Now, three years into his role as Bishop of Phoenix, Bishop Dolan is focusing his listening in a particular way on young adults.

After more than 50 years serving at St. Agnes Parish in Phoenix, the Carmelite priests are departing. They leave behind a parish imbued with Carmelite spirituality and a community that has been deeply affected by it. Joan Gore, a parishioner since the early 1960s, said she and her husband raised seven children in the neighborhood and sent them all to St. Agnes Catholic School. As a Third Order Carmelite, Gore has great love for the 800-plus-year-old order and its members. “All of them have been so dear to me through the years,” Gore said. “I start crying when I think about it because they’ve always been dear friends, all of them. I’m going to miss them terribly.”

Mother Teresa was one of the most well-known figures in the world.  At just under five feet, her small stature and blue-striped sari were recognized across cultures, oceans and belief systems. She's especially known for spending much of her life serving the poorest of the poor in the slums of Calcutta, India. It was in these overcrowded, unsanitary and severely underserved neighborhoods that she spent her days accompanying the dying, tending to the wounded and feeding the hungry. 

In this Jubilee Year, one of Pope Francis’ 10 hopes is for youth and young adults to experience the joy and beauty of living the Gospel. Four young adults share the stories of their unique journeys to finding hope and fulfillment in God.