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Places that serve as "oases of encounter" are needed today so that visitors can be inspired to live wisely and well, Pope Francis told representatives of a Buddhist organization.

Planning an ecumenical prayer vigil for the Catholic Church's Synod of Bishops and making a commitment to participating in it is an expression of "an ecumenism of solidarity," said the Rev. Anne-Laure Danet, ecumenical officer for the French Protestant Federation.

The aesthetic and artistic elements surrounding the liturgy must foster prayer and a sense of communion, Pope Francis said.

Being an apostle does not mean climbing up the church's hierarchy to look down on others but humbling oneself in a spirit of service, Pope Francis said.

There was a major surprise for Xavier College Preparatory President Sr. Joan Fitzgerald, BVM, at a March 16 all-school Mass celebrated by Bishop John P. Dolan of the Diocese of Phoenix.

Bishop Dolan returned to the West Valley on Wednesday, as he toured Saint John Paul II High School and celebrated Mass at St. Thomas Aquinas, where he was installed August 2, 2022.

The clanking of billiard balls fills the air, mingling with the lyrics of “We Will Rock You” that have many heads in the room bobbing. Word searches are being penciled in, arts and crafts are in the works, and friends catch up over a cup of coffee as the smell of fresh, gooey brownies delights the senses.

Catholics from St. Bernadette Parish stood shoulder to shoulder March 9, praying the rosary outside Family Planning Associates, an abortion clinic in Phoenix.

Establishing clear procedures for protecting vulnerable people against abuse "must become a priority in every local church," Pope Francis said.

Conflicts cannot be resolved "by dividing," said Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state.