LOCAL NEWS

More than 6,000 children and adults in the Diocese of Phoenix have received the sacrament of confirmation in the past six weeks alone. According to diocesan records, around 25-percent of those anointed are adults, which is a 10-to-15-percent increase in the past three-to-five years. Bishop John Dolan began confirmation season at seven parishes in the northern region of the diocese, including El Cristo Rey Catholic Church in Grand Canyon Village, Ariz., San Francisco de Asis in Flagstaff, Ariz., St. Joseph the Worker in Williams, Ariz., St. John Vianney in Sedona, Ariz., Immaculate Conception in Cottonwood, Ariz., St. Frances Cabrini in Camp Verde, Ariz., and St. Germain in Prescott, Ariz. Bishop Dolan most recently celebrated confirmation Masses at St. Louis the King in Glendale, Ariz., and Immaculate Heart of Mary in Phoenix.

On summer days in the 1950s when Monica Domingo and Cornelia Garcia weren’t cooling off in the Gila River, they were helping the nuns at St. John’s Indian School varnish desks, getting them prepared for the school year. Domingo and Garcia were students who attended the school on the Gila River Reservation.  The nuns were part of a Franciscan religious order from Santa Barbara, Calif., and taught the 400 students who attended the school. The school went through 12th grade, made up of students from all different tribes. Priests from the same religious order provided access to the sacraments for the students and community members who attended St. John the Baptist Mission. 

The lights dim, the crowd quiets. A choir boy carrying a candle slowly weaves through the hall at St. Anne parish in Gilbert, Ariz., singing a Latin hymn that transports the audience into a sacred reenactment of 15 historical encounters with Mary in the original production Hail, Holy Queen.    “It was more a prayer than a play,” said Mary Ryan, who directed the production that showcased in October 2024. It is one of multiple performances produced by FiAt Productions since 2022, when the nonprofit debuted its well-received presentation of Karol Wojtyla’s , now Pope St. John Paul II, The Jeweler’s Shop.  

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. 

A special altar dedication and blessing of the chapel at St. Mary’s House in downtown Phoenix took place early Tuesday morning, with Bishop John Dolan presiding.   Joined by five priests, seminarians and donors, Bishop Dolan anointed the altar with chrism and incensed it before covering it with linens and lightning candles.  The new altar and ambo were designed and built by Dcn. Chris Georges from Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Glendale, Ariz.

Br. Paul Graupmann, Jeff Pooley and Simon Ortiz came one step closer to the priesthood this past weekend. Pooley and Ortiz celebrated their Transitional Diaconate Ordination before a standing room only crowd at Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral in Phoenix on Sunday. Auxiliary Bishop Eduardo Nevares presided over the Mass, and he was joined by more than two dozen priests and deacons from across the Diocese of Phoenix.   Br. Paul Graupmann’s Transitional Diaconate Ordination was celebrated by Bishop John Dolan on May 24 at St. Anthony Mission in Sacaton, Ariz., and was a summation of the profound surrender these three men have embodied within their vocations.  

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. 

One day at lunch with colleagues, we were discussing the story of the fig tree. Yes, it’s what we do — working for the Church has its perks! In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus tells a parable about a barren fig tree that hasn’t produced fruit for three years. Now that’s annoying! By definition, a fig tree is created to give forth fruit, that is its purpose. Not only has the fig tree not produced a harvest, but it has likely been actively tended for three years — symbolic for “plenty of time.” The owner of the land is understandably ready to uproot this waste of resources.

The presence of Jesus is peaceful when walking through the doors of the new 24-hour adoration chapel at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church (OLMC) in Tempe, Ariz. Upon entering Divine Mercy Adoration Chapel, one’s gaze cannot help but fall upon the consecrated Host, nestled within the glowing, gold monstrance. For the 450 signed-up adorers, and anyone else who decides to stop in, the chapel will serve as a sacred space to experience the love and grace of God. Plans to construct the chapel began in 2021, and were eventually entrusted to Fr. Robert Aluinzi, the current pastor of OLMC, upon his arrival at the parish. He was excited and personally invested in the project from the beginning.  

The smell of freshly brewed coffee fills the air and you’re greeted by a warm smile as you walk through the door of the Upper Room coffee shop at Holy Spirit Parish in Tempe—except it feels less like a coffee shop and more like a home, where the smooth granite countertops display a variety of homemade baked goods and the face of the person across the counter lights up with genuine delight that you are here.   The fireplace, gallery wall of sacred art oil paintings, soft color scheme and cozy steel-blue leather couch only enhance the feeling of welcome.