NEWS

Xavier College Preparatory in Phoenix has been named the No. 1 high school for student-athletes in Arizona and No. 5 in the United States by Niche.com, one of the nation's leading school ranking organizations. The ranking places Xavier among the country's elite athletic programs while competing against all public and private schools, including coed schools. Niche evaluates schools using a combination of student and parent surveys, athletic participation and data from the U.S. Department of Education.

I am so grateful for the priests of our diocese. Two hundred and eighty-nine good men who come from diverse backgrounds and enhance the vibrance of our local Church. Men who serve with a variety of gifts, strengths and charisms. Men who love their parishioners and walk with the people of God by embodying pastoral care and compassion. Men who remain faithful and engaged by continuing to serve as demands grow in the ever-thriving Diocese of Phoenix — which has quickly become one of the fastest-growing dioceses in the country. At the core, our priests are men who share their hearts and their very selves with the Church, and they are a great gift.

A self-described "normal kid who just wanted to help out in the Church" has seen his desire fulfilled for 21,915 days of ordained life — and counting. This month Fr. Pierre Hissey, a retired priest in the Diocese of Phoenix, celebrates his diamond jubilee honoring 60 years of priesthood. While no priestly journey is exactly alike, Fr. Hissey's pathway has a litany of notable moments, dichotomies and ministries since 1966. The people of St. Steven's Catholic Church in Sun Lakes, Ariz., honored them all during a special 60th anniversary Mass and reception in the spring. 

In a world where young people often lose sight of the faith during their college years, Holy Spirit Newman Center in Phoenix serves as a beacon of hope. Ministering to students who attend Grand Canyon University and led by the Fr. David Loeffler, pastor, and religious sisters of the Servants of the Precious Hearts of Jesus and Mary (SCTJM), the Newman Center is engaging young hearts and minds and leading them to Christ. In addition to fellowship, Bible studies, free meals and an intentional sense of communal life, Holy Spirit Newman Center places a unique emphasis on the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), the formation program that prepares adults to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church. This past Easter alone, 22 students completed the program.

MADRID (CNS) -- In a highly anticipated and historic speech to Spain's parliament, Pope Leo XIV urged modern-day leaders to be guided by ancient and Catholic principles that gave birth to universal human rights based on the inalienable dignity of the human person. While Church and state legitimately remain separate, many virtues and aims of good governance and just laws are rooted in values profoundly marked and inspired by the Christian tradition, he told hundreds of lawmakers and leaders of judiciary branches June 6 in Spain's Congress of Deputies.

The Diocese of Phoenix, one of the nation’s fastest growing, has four new priests. Fr. Nathan Blanchard, Fr. Paul Graupmann, F.H.S., Fr. Simon Ortiz, and Fr. Jeff Pooley were formally added to the fraternity of clergy during a Mass of Ordination celebrated by Bishop John Dolan at St. Thomas Aquinas parish in Avondale, Ariz., Saturday. Family and friends of the new priests made up the congregation of more than 1,800 worshippers, which also included priests, women religious, deacons, laity and seminarians who are part of the largest formation wave in diocesan history.

Father Eusebio Kino had a vocation that has impacted generations. As a Jesuit priest, he founded 20 missions in Southern Arizona and Northern Mexico in the late 1600s, riding on horseback while spreading God’s love.  The Kino Catechetical Institute in the Diocese of Phoenix, named after this horse-riding priest, helps students experience a deeper sense of their vocation. Founded in 1972 by Father Ernest Larkin, the Kino Institute offers faith formation programs for Catholic school teachers, aspiring deacons, parish catechists and any Catholic adult seeking to deepen their faith. 

Br. Damien Van Amerongen, F.H.S., made final vows on Saturday (May 30) with the Franciscan Friars of the Holy Spirit, a community founded in the Diocese of Phoenix with the mission to tend to the pastoral and spiritual needs of Native American communities. Auxiliary Bishop Peter Dai Bui presided over the liturgy. Below is a letter from the Franciscan Friars of the Holy Spirit describing what final vows are, sharing significant details of the liturgy and explaining what this step means for Br. Damien and the community. If you haven't heard the exciting news, Br. Damien made his final promises to the community this past Saturday, and we couldn't be more thrilled for him! We get a lot of questions about the different stages of the formation process, one of the questions being, what is final promises?

Bishop John Dolan celebrated the annual Mass of Thanksgiving for Priests and Seminarians on Wednesday (June 3) in the Virginia G. Piper Chapel at the Diocesan Pastoral Center (DPC) in downtown Phoenix. The standing-room-only celebration included DPC staff, 12 priests who support the bishop in a variety of capacities at the diocesan level and 36 of the Diocese of Phoenix’s current 52 seminarians including Dcn. Nathan Blanchard, Dcn. Paul Graupmann, F.H.S., Dcn. Simon Ortiz and Dcn. Jeff Pooley, who will be ordained to the priesthood on Saturday, June 6. Bishop Emeritus Thomas Olmsted, Auxiliary Bishop Eduardo Nevares and Auxiliary Bishop Peter Dai Bui were concelebrants of the Mass.

The call to the priesthood came during a junior high retreat for Dcn. Nathan Blanchard. After receiving communion he felt the Lord say clearly, “Nathan, I want you to be a priest.” But the journey wasn’t always easy — and he almost walked away. Tune in to hear Dcn. Nathan’s story of perseverance, deep faith and the providential journey that led him to priestly ordination.