BRIEFS

Have you ever gotten what looked like an email or a text from your pastor or boss asking for money or gift cards? You are not alone. Unfortunately, frauds and scams are abounding in this technological age.   Detective Mark DiBone from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office joined The Bishop’s Hour podcast for a segment to help the faithful learn more about frauds and scams and how to protect themselves against them. 

Auxiliary Bishop Eduardo Nevares is celebrating two significant dates this week, including his 44th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood on Friday and his 15th anniversary of his episcopal ordination on Saturday.     Bishop Nevares was ordained a priest on July 18, 1981, and was ordained as the first-ever auxiliary bishop for the Diocese of Phoenix on July 19, 2010. Prior to his arrival in Phoenix, he served as the co-director of vocations in the Diocese of Tyler, Texas, from 2002 until 2008, and vice rector of the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, from 2009-2010.  

Selected from more than 2,200 women, Catholic Education Arizona President and CEO Nancy Padberg and AllThrive 365 President and CEO Tammi Bohannon were named two of the 34 Most Influential Women in Arizona Business for 2025 by Az Business. This acknowledgement is “a testament to exceptional leadership, vision and impact” and a recognition of “significant contributions across various sectors, including business, real estate, technology, healthcare and nonprofits,” Az Business stated.

Xavier College Preparatory’s Spanish language students have achieved exceptional results on the 2025 National Spanish Exam (NSE), securing the fourth-highest medal count in the entire U.S. and ranking No. 1 in Arizona. Among more than 80,000 participants nationwide, Xavier students earned 31 Gold Medals (greater than or equal to the 95th percentile), 90 Silver Medals (greater than or equal to the 85th percentile) and 83 Bronze Medals (greater than or equal to the 75th percentile). In addition, more than 200 students received Honorable Mentions, underscoring the commitment across all levels of Spanish instruction.

This week, eight young adults from the Diocese of Phoenix are heading to Nairobi, Africa, as the inaugural group of Bishop John Dolan’s newly developed program, Engage your Equal (E.Y.E.) — an opportunity to facilitate global solidarity among young adults around the world and to foster a deeper understanding of the universal Church. This service immersion experience in a foreign country is the first of three major components of the program, which also includes intentional community support among participants and implementing shared experiences into ministries throughout the diocese upon their return.

The Diocesan Pastoral Center (DPC) staff gathered at the Virgina G. Piper Chapel in downtown Phoenix this week to honor priests and seminarians of the Diocese of Phoenix by celebrating the annual all-staff Mass of Thanksgiving, followed by a luncheon.   The Mass was celebrated by Bishop John Dolan. There are currently 52 seminarians discerning a priestly vocation, an all-time high for the Phoenix Diocese, and more than 30 of them attended the event — from those who have been discerning for three months to those who have been in seminary for 10 years.  

Emily Merrell, a seventh-grade student at St. Mary-Basha Catholic School in Chandler, Ariz., has launched Pack Up with a Purpose, an inspiring community service project to support individuals experiencing homelessness. Witnessing fellow students discarding gently used backpacks, lunch totes and reusable water bottles at the end of the school year sparked an idea in Merrell: to repurpose these items for the benefit of others.  Pack Up with a Purpose aims to collect often-overlooked necessities for a local organization committed to outreach and support for the population experiencing homelessness. Recognizing the daily struggles faced by those without stable housing, such as the lack of a way to carry their belongings or access clean drinking water, Merrell envisioned giving these items a second life through providing essential support. 

For the second consecutive year, two Phoenix Catholic high schools repeated as state champions in their respective spring sports, as Xavier College Preparatory won the 2025 6A Arizona High School State Softball Championship and Brophy College Preparatory captured the 2025 6A Arizona High School State Tennis title. 

The first U.S.-born cardinal, Robert Francis Prevost, has been named the Roman pontiff on Thursday, taking the name Leo XIV.   Following the opening Mass (The Mass for the Election of the Roman Pontiff) on Wednesday, 133 cardinals entered the Sistine Chapel later that day to begin the conclave. To elect a new pope, a two-thirds majority was required, meaning at least 89 votes were needed out of 133 electors. On Thursday afternoon in Rome, the white smoke indicated the new pope had been selected.  

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Valley of the Sun affiliate named Bishop John Dolan of the Diocese of Phoenix an “Unsung Mental Health Hero” on Thursday at the 9th Annual Giving Breakfast in Phoenix. Themed “Heroes Among Us: Shining a Light on Unsung Mental Health Heroes,” the event celebrated individuals and organizations making a profound impact in the mental health community.