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In a celebration blending religious and civic pride in one of Peoria's most famous and influential historic residents, the street outside St. Mary's Cathedral in Peoria was given the honorary designation of "Bishop Fulton Sheen Avenue" Feb. 4.

Since childhood, the typical U.S. Catholic's response to Lent is giving up, as in "What are you giving up for Lent?"

Prayer makes every day better, even the most difficult days, Pope Francis said.

U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, has introduced a bill to prohibit use of federal taxpayer dollars to fund abortions.

Immaculee Ilibagiza found freedom in forgiveness after seeing her family wiped out by genocide in Rwanda, and she shared her extraordinary journey toward that forgiveness in an evening keynote Feb. 5 during the SEEK21 conference.

Inequities in U.S. health care have long existed, but the coronavirus pandemic has exposed them to wider scrutiny, according to Kathy Curran, senior director of public policy for the Catholic Health Association.

This year, World Marriage Day, observed annually on the second Sunday of February, will be celebrated Feb. 14, which also is the feast of St. Valentine and which since the eighth century has been a celebration of love and affection.

"When we speak to our elected officials, we speak as missionary disciples, as followers of Jesus Christ," said Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles in a Feb. 9 closing message to the Catholic Social Ministry Gathering.

The only ethical and practical response to the coronavirus pandemic is solidarity, not competition -- including when it comes to the vaccines, said a priest working on the Vatican COVID-19 Commission.

The hurdles on the path toward a fair, global distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine are economic, technical, political and moral.