FEATURED

Bishop John Dolan attended Housing for Hope’s, an affiliate of Catholic Charities Community Services, grand opening of the second phase of Acacia Heights Apartments, an affordable housing complex near 7th Avenue and Camelback in Central Phoenix, where he blessed the newly developed property and took part in the ribbon cutting ceremony. On Jan. 23. Acacia Heights II, which features 66 units of varying sizes, joins more than a dozen affordable housing projects Catholic Charities runs throughout Greater Metro Phoenix and Northern Arizona.

In light of recent statements and actions of our federal government we are compelled to express our solidarity with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), a host of ecumenical and faith leaders, and many others in our combined support for migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. 

Linda Kumar is hurting but hopeful. And though she has good reason to complain, the lifelong Catholic and St. Bernadette parishioner prefers to live seeking God’s love, the unsurpassed sense one can experience in quiet moments with her heavenly Father. Around 5 a.m. every day, Kumar arrives at the church on 60th street about a mile south of Bell Road in Scottsdale, Ariz., to refill its holy water fonts and maintain the candles in the grotto outside.

Deviating from the traditional music often heard during the weekly televised Mass from Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral, in Phoenix, the Umoja Gospel Youth Choir from St. Josephine Bakhita Mission Parish led attendees and viewers in worship, singing music derived from African-American spirituals as part of the Diocese of Phoenix’s first-ever celebration Black History Month Mass celebrated on Feb. 9.  “Enslaved people denied earthly freedom still found the liberation in the Gospel. Their spiritual songs like ‘Wade in the Water’ and ‘Swing Low Sweet Chariot,’ and our closing song today, ‘Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing,’ they were not just points of music,” said Bishop John Dolan in his homily. “They were prayers, affirmations of faith and cries of justice.” 

Tucson-February 11, 2025—Pope Francis has named Bishop Edward J. Weisenburger as the next Archbishop of Detroit. The priests, deacons, religious women and men of the Diocese of Tucson as well as the Pastoral Center staff and all the lay faithful of the diocese enthusiastically congratulate Archbishop-elect Weisenburger on his appointment by Pope Francis. Archbishop-elect Weisenburger will be greatly missed as he has served our diocese generously and with the care of a good shepherd since his arrival in 2017. His prayerful leadership over these past seven years has benefitted our Catholic community in many ways. He will be remembered for his zeal for vocations, for deepening the faith of the young, and his concern for our struggling parishes.

Each year, the Charity and Development Appeal (CDA) raises funds to support more than 70 ministries, charities and organizations throughout the Diocese of Phoenix. The multi-million-dollar appeal, which impacts thousands of lives annually will launch in most parishes throughout the diocese the weekend of Feb. 15-16.   This year’s CDA theme is “Hope does not disappoint,” aligning with Pope Francis’ focus for the 2025 Jubilee Year and year one of Bishop John Dolan’s seven-year pastoral plan on evangelization, TILMA.  

In the hall where the 60 or so participants meet each week for St. John Vianney Parish’s youth ministry, in Goodyear, Ariz., the atmosphere goes well beyond learning about Jesus, the Blessed Mother and the sacraments. “It really is a place where you can be yourself without worrying about anyone judging you,” said Abigail Navarro, a teen who has been involved with youth ministry since middle school. “The friends you make here, you’ll keep for the rest of your life. The people here, you won’t find them anywhere else. You won’t find the faith that they have. You won’t find the love that they have for you,” she said.  

Every Sunday all eight of us Dolan kids would pile out of the van and head into Mass while my dad parked the car. “I’ll meet you in the church,” he’d say. At that time, I was so small that I couldn’t see above all of my siblings. As I shuffled along, I remember thinking, how will my dad be able to find us? If I can’t see over the crowds, he probably can’t either.  Of course, spotting a row of eight kids as an adult wasn’t too hard, but as a little kid every time he slid into the pew, I remember thinking, “Wow, my dad is awesome! How did he do that? He always finds us!” I really thought he was a superhero. I still do.

Valley Interfaith Project (VIP) trains, educates and organizes people on the margins to become leaders and advocate for themselves. As a local non-partisan interfaith organization, VIP is committed to building relationships and organizing people for sustainable, social and economic improvement. An avenue of this work involves partnering with Catholic parishes within the Diocese of Phoenix. St. Louis the King in Glendale, Ariz., and St. Francis Xavier in Phoenix are two parishes that are working with VIP particularly to meet the needs of their migrant communities.  

Lent is a sacred time in the liturgical calendar, a season set aside for intentional spiritual growth. With its emphasis on prayer, almsgiving, and fasting, Lent invites Catholics to adopt practices that challenge us to step outside our everyday routines and grow closer to Christ. These practices, when embraced authentically, provide repeated opportunities to deny ourselves in order to live more fully in Him.