FEATURED

The Diocese of Phoenix announced a new role established to support the human, spiritual, physical and emotional wellbeing of priests — the vicar for priestly life and ministry. After more than 13 years as pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish (OLPH) in Scottsdale, Ariz., Fr. Greg Schlarb will step into the position on July 1, and he will work in tandem with Bishop Peter Dai Bui, who currently serves as the vicar for clergy. While Bishop Bui’s role focuses on practical support for priests such as priestly assignments, day-to-day personnel management and support when problems arise, the new role will take on a more proactive and personal approach.

When I was a kid, Easter mornings were always exciting. The night before, all of us Dolan kids would line up our Easter egg baskets in front of the fireplace. When it was morning, we would race out to see what goodies filled them. But we didn’t simply receive whatever was given to us — we spent the morning counting. Every single one of us looked in our own baskets, and each other's, to make sure we all had the exact same number of Easter eggs and jellybeans. Looking back, I can’t help but laugh. We just wanted an equal share in the excitement of the morning, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But we also needed to do some growing; we eventually would need to get out of our own selfish way to start considering those around us. I think the same can be said of the spiritual life, especially during the Easter season. 

The Diocese of Phoenix’s historic Together Let Us Go Forth ~ Juntos Sigamos Adelante campaign officially came to a close March 31, after nearly nine years of impact.  The $100 million initiative, which launched in 2017 under the visionary leadership of Bishop Emeritus Thomas Olmsted, emphasized discipleship and evangelization through building, renovation, beatification and development projects across a myriad of parishes, schools and ministries within the nearly 44,000-square-mile diocese.    What started as a diocesan-wide study indicating the need for a new high school in the West Valley, soon turned into a full-fledged campaign, which carried the potential for a much broader impact.  

Bishop John Dolan visited the new construction site of St. Thomas the Apostle (STA) grade school in Phoenix on Tuesday (March 31). The $25 million project will provide a brand-new K-8 academic building — a 76,000 square-foot, three-story structure with a basement. In addition to classrooms, the build will include a cafeteria, theater stage, science lab and collaborative common spaces for group learning and projects. 

Nearly 200 priests from around the Diocese of Phoenix — the largest turnout in more than a decade — gathered with Bishop John Dolan, Auxiliary Bishop Eduardo Nevares, Auxiliary Biship Peter Dai Bui and Bishop Emeritus Thomas Olmsted at Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral in Phoenix on Monday (March 30) to concelebrate the annual Chrism Mass. The liturgy drew a standing-room-only crowd.

An avid hiker and member of the creation care team at her parish, Sacred Heart in Prescott, Ariz., Charlene Hoffman has nurtured a longtime love for the earth. So when she heard about the Creation Summit hosted by the Diocese of Phoenix, she knew she had to get involved. “It was like an answer to prayer,” she said.  Hoffman was one of nearly 100 attendees at the inaugural Creation Summit in January 2025, at St. Francis Xavier Parish in Phoenix. Through panels and small group discussions, the interfaith event invited participants to reflect on topics such as spirituality and climate challenges.  

The surge in the number of those seeking to become Catholic is catching the attention of parish staffs across the Diocese of Phoenix. Whether it’s disappointment with the empty promises of secularism, a deep hunger for something authentic, the election of the first U.S.-born pontiff or a combination thereof, parishes have seen a strong uptick in inquiries. Not everyone fits in the standard model for the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), the process by which men and women become Catholic. From nurses and police officers who work nights to truck drivers and those in hospice care, a welcoming, flexible approach is helping hundreds become Catholic. We checked in with parishes in four corners of the Diocese of Phoenix to see how creative OCIA leaders are adapting in order to welcome more people into the Catholic Church. 

A new collaboration between the Diocese of Phoenix and the University of Mary in Bismark, N.D., welcomed potential students at an open house held...

Bishop John Dolan met with more than a dozen members of the National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC) and other Catholic chaplains who serve in healthcare settings across the state of Arizona on Tuesday (March 24) at the Diocesan Pastoral Center in downtown Phoenix. The gathering took place to discuss the shared mission of bringing Christ to the sick, suffering and vulnerable. . The role of chaplains is to “accompany patients and their families in moments when life is often most fragile,” said NACC Arizona State Liaison Rev. Dr. Fidelis Igwenwanne, BCC.

On the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Bishop John Dolan took part in a special celebration for the 80th Anniversary of Our Lady of Mt. ...