BRIEFS

Bishop John Dolan made his first visit to Andre House on Tuesday evening (Dec. 2) in downtown Phoenix, touring the facility and serving food to guests. Founded in November of 1984 by two Holy Cross priests from Notre Dame University, Andre House of Arizona responds to the basic needs of the poor while encouraging others to do the same.

The ordination of Nathan Blanchard to the Order of the Diaconate was celebrated by Bishop John Dolan on Saturday (Nov. 22) at San Francisco de Asis Catholic Church in Flagstaff, Ariz. Over a dozen priests from the Diocese of Phoenix and Bishop Gary Janak, JLC, from Assumption Seminary in San Antonio, Texas, were concelebrants at the special Mass. Also in attendance were Blanchard's parents, Dcn. Greg and Christina Blanchard, and his five siblings.  

Fr. John Muir, the vicar general for the Diocese of Phoenix, led a special blessing of the new offices and the employees at the Arizona Republic newspaper on Monday (Nov. 17) morning in central Phoenix, the first day reporters and staff moved into the new space.

The sisters of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (IBVM), also known as the Loreto Sisters, who have served at Ss. Simon and Jude school in Phoenix since 1954, merged with the Congregation of Jesus (CJ) on Tuesday (Nov. 4). While still being known as the Loreto Sisters, their title has changed to Congregation of Jesus, and the initials after their names will now be CJ instead of IBVM. The official celebration of this historic merger, combining two congregations with the same founder, took place at a Eucharistic celebration in Loyola, Spain.

Bishop John Dolan visited with Pope Leo XIV this morning after his weekly General Audience before St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. Tonight, and tomorrow, Bishop Dolan will be one of the keynote speakers at an international conference in Rome on mental health. The three-day conference is organized by the Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers (ACMHM) under the patronage of the Pontifical Academy for Life. People from all over the world involved in the pastoral care of mental health have gathered for the conference in Pius X Hall, located on via dell’Ospedale. Today’s talk from Bishop Dolan will be on his personal reflection on Our Holy Father’s November Prayer Intention and tomorrow he will share practical approaches on mental health, specifically tied to the historic Office of Mental Health Ministry in the Diocese of Phoenix, which opened in December of 2022.

Church of the Ascension in Fountain Hills, Ariz., kicks off a year-long celebration this week in honor of the parish’s 50th anniversary. Beginning on Sunday, Nov. 9, and carrying the theme “Reflect, Rejoice, Renew,” the parish will honor this milestone with a series of expanded outreach programs, intentional opportunities to learn about the church’s history and mission and celebratory events designed to honor the parish’s past, celebrate it present and look forward to its future. The jubilee year celebration will culminate with a Mass celebrated by Bishop John Dolan in October 2026.

A Mass of thanksgiving was celebrated Sunday (Oct. 26) in honor of the 25th anniversary of St. John Paul II Polish Catholic School at Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish in Phoenix. The Polish parish, which was founded in 1995 and celebrates Masses in Polish, teaches young children the Polish language, culture, history and geography as well as Polish patriotic and Catholic traditions at the St. John Paul II school on Saturdays. The school is named after the late pontiff, who was a native of Wadowice, Poland. Bishop John Dolan presided over the Mass. Afterward, the community had a meal, where the school children, graduates and teachers prepared a special program.

Housing for Hope, an affiliate of Catholic Charities Community Services, unveiled Joshua Tree Apartments on Friday (Oct. 17), the organization’s first-ever Kingman affordable housing development. In late 2023, Housing for Hope began renovations to convert the vacant Motel 66 on Andy Devine Avenue into a 20-unit apartment building. Construction is now complete, and due to high demand, Joshua Tree is nearly fully leased.

More than 90 men and women religious gathered for an Evening of Gratitude and Jubilee on Saturday (Oct. 18) at Mt. Claret Retreat Center in Phoenix. The annual event which celebrates the gift of Religious Life and honors religious who serve in the Diocese of Phoenix is sponsored by the Serra Club and organized by the diocesan Office of Religious Life. This year had the highest attendance in the event’s history.

Bishop John Dolan joined Bishop Gerald Kicanas of the Diocese of Tucson, Bishop Enrique Sánchez of the Diocese of Mexicali and Bishop Gregory Gordon of the Archdiocese of Las Vegas, along with other bishops, priests and pilgrims on Sunday evening (Oct. 12) to celebrate a Mass in solidarity with migrants.