NEWS BRIEF: St. Mary’s girls win first-ever 4A flag football title, while Brophy Prep advances...
St. Mary's Catholic High School freshman Ava Gonzales kicked the game-winning field goal, a 19-yarder with 46.4 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to give the Knights a 10-7 victory over Prescott High School in the Arizona Interscholastic Association's 4A flag football state championship on Saturday. Held at Chandler High School, the win completed a perfect season for No. 1 seeded St. Mary’s at 14-0 under Head Coach Chris Horn.
NEWS BRIEF: First-ever Nazareth Seminary Breakfast Fundraiser a Huge Success
The first-ever breakfast fundraiser for the Nazareth Seminary was a roaring success, raising $1.2 million dollars thanks to a matching grant from The Diane and Bruce Halle Foundation. Held on Sunday, Nov. 17, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Scottsdale, Ariz., the brunch included a live auction, music, tours and guest speakers.
Xavier Prep Gators capture state titles in volleyball and golf
Xavier College Preparatory, a Phoenix-based girls’ Catholic high school from the Diocese of Phoenix, captured both the girls Class 6A state volleyball championship and the Division 1 girls’ golf state title this month. The No. 1 seed, Xavier Prep avenged their lone regular season loss on November 16th at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, defeating Corona del Sol High School in four sets, 25-16, 25-16, 17-25, 27-25 to win the Class 6A championship. Sophomore Tessa Larkin led Xavier with 22 kills while Elle McCreery and Vivian Hickman combined for 26 kills. Entering the match ranked 15th nationally by MaxPreps, Xavier’s only AIA regular season loss was on Oct. 29 at Corona del Sol, 3-1. This marks Xavier Prep’s 14th state volleyball title.
NEWS BRIEF: Pope Francis appoints bishop of Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic eparchy of...
This past Friday, Pope Francis appointed the Rev. Artur Bubneyvch, of the clergy of Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix, as bishop of the same eparchy. He previously served as a parish priest of Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish in Albuquerque, N.M.
“Save the Pieces”
An abundance of flowers filled our living room, the refrigerator was stacked with homemade casseroles from friends and neighbors, and kind words of condolence were spoken. After my brother Tom died by suicide, there was an outpouring of support from the community, which got us through those initial hard days.I was just about to start eighth grade as my parents, seven other siblings and I went through this profound loss. In those first months after the funeral, there was a lot of what I call “incidental accompaniment”—people would share a kind word or gesture, “we are praying for you” and “our hearts go out to you,” but it was often one-time or in passing. After all, people don’t usually know what to say to someone who has lost a loved one by suicide.
NEWS BRIEF: 14 men ordained permanent deacons for the Diocese of Phoenix
Before a standing room only crowd on Saturday morning, 14 men were ordained to the permanent deaconate at St. Bernard of Clairvaux Catholic Church in Scottsdale, Ariz. This was the largest cohort of deacons in recent years for the Diocese of Phoenix. Leading up to the day of ordination and lifelong call of service, candidates went through a rigorous formation program, including five years of study along with the two-year Kino Catechetical Institue program as part of their discernment.
NEWS BRIEF: Three Catholic high schools advance to state football playoffs
When the first round of the Arizona Interscholastic Association's (AIA) state football playoffs kick-off on Friday night, three local Catholic high schools will be among the contenders fighting for the coveted state championship. Seton Catholic Prep, making their first playoff run since 2019, will play at Arcadia High School in Class 4A, while Brophy College Prep hosts Boulder Creek High School from Anthem in Class 6A, and Notre Dame Prep travels to Verrado High School in Buckeye for Class 5A action.
NEWS BRIEF: Feast of St. Francis of Assisi animal blessing
On the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, an Italian who founded the religious order of the Franciscans and was known for his patronage of animals, Bishop John Dolan visited St. Vincent de Paul in Phoenix to bless residents’ animals and the new Marion and Bob Auray Companion Animal Clinic. Housed at St. Vincent de Paul's newest interim housing communities, Rosalie’s Place and De Paul Manor, the clinic will provide care for the pets of guests and neighbors in need.
Diocese of Phoenix Opens St. Mary’s House at Historic Basilica
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix continues to show growth and vibrance with historic and record-setting numbers. Tuesday morning the 54-year-old diocese, one of the fastest growing Catholic dioceses in the country, officially opened its third seminary house located next to the historic St. Mary’s Basilica in downtown Phoenix. The diocese also announced plans for a significant development project that will positively impact people of all faiths in downtown Phoenix.
Families At Promise program provides wraparound services and hope to Catholic school families
By Rose DeFer, courtesy of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School
Students at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School (SVdP) have hopes and dreams and...