NEWS

“I just want you to know we are here, and you are always welcome.” These were the words of Fr. Matt Lowry, parochial administrator and 16-year pastor of Northern Arizona University’s Holy Trinity Newman Center in Flagstaff, Ariz. He was speaking to a freshman who was walking by the Catholic Newman Center table at a college fair for new students. Fr. Lowry didn’t say these words because the young woman seemed interested in the ministry and couldn’t wait to get involved – quite the opposite. 

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Envy is poison, and when envy and individualism prevail over communion, life becomes difficult, Pope Francis said. "When we are content with what is necessary, even with little, with God's help we are able to go forward and get along, sharing what there is, everyone renouncing something and supporting each other," he said before praying the Angelus in St. Peter's Square July 14.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican has made public its 1974 decision denying the authenticity of Marian apparitions alleged to have occurred in Amsterdam between 1945 and 1959. A statement released by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith July 11 revealed that a ruling of "constat de non supernauralitate" -- a judgment declaring that a phenomenon is not supernatural -- was reached in 1974 by the then-Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and approved by St. Paul VI regarding the alleged apparitions and revelations of "The Lady of All Nations."

Below are the comments from Bishop Dolan on Saturday following the shooting at a Pennsylvania rally: “My heart goes out to those who suffered during today’s act of violence that took place in Pennsylvania during President Donald Trump’s campaign rally, including the former president himself. I am praying for those who were injured and lost their lives.

Home is often defined as a physical structure or dwelling place, but in the Diocese of Phoenix, the word home means so much more. It calls to mind a sense of accompaniment and belonging — it’s a space where we are seen, formed and intentionally fostered in our individual gifts and stories. It’s also the place of our roots, as well as the place we can always come back to, a place of comfort, stability and security because it is at home that we are fully known and loved. This sense of home is deeply integrated into every aspect of Nazareth Seminary, the first fully local seminary formation program in the Diocese of Phoenix.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Catholics are called to be active participants in political life and be a force against the decline of democracy worldwide, Pope Francis said. "In today's world, democracy -- let's be honest -- is not in good health," the pope told some 1,200 participants at an event during Italian Catholic Social Week in Trieste, Italy. The pope traveled to the northern Italian city for a one-day visit July 7 to participate in the four-day conference organized by the Italian bishops' conference on the theme "At the Heart of Democracy." The Vatican published his talk the same day.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- God is present in the "dark corners" of local communities and in people's lives, Pope Francis said. "His presence reveals itself precisely in the faces marked by suffering and where degradation seems to triumph," the pope said in his homily at Mass in the northern Italian city of Trieste July 7. "God's infinity is concealed in human misery, the Lord stirs and becomes present, he becomes a friendly presence precisely in the wounded flesh of the least, the forgotten and the discarded," he said.

Seton College Preparatory named Ian Rodgers as the school’s new head softball coach, replacing Arizona High School Hall of Famer Jerry Mullin, who retired in May. Rogers will begin his role for the Chandler, Ariz., based high school for the 2024-25 school year. “We couldn’t be more happy to have Coach Rodgers as part of our program here at Seton Catholic,” Athletic Director Jim Shewbridge said. “He has been a part of building strong club programs here in the East Valley and, most importantly, is a man of integrity that plans on building upon the legacy that is Seton Catholic Softball.”

For the second consecutive year, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix received high honors from their employees, being named one of the “2024 Top Workplaces,” according to a special report in The Arizona Republic newspaper this past Sunday. The result of an employee survey given to over 5,300 organizations across Arizona, the Diocese of Phoenix ranked 22nd in the “Large Companies” category. “This is as much a reflection of our culture across our parishes, schools, missions, seminary and pastoral center, as it is about the people with Christ being in the center,” said Bishop John Dolan, the fifth bishop in the 54-year history of the diocese. “We are honored to receive this accolade and I thank the people who are devoted to work for the common goal of the mission.”

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The sacrament of the anointing of the sick is not just for those who are nearing the end of their life, Pope Francis said. "Let us remember that the anointing of the sick is one of the 'sacraments of healing,' of 'restoration,' that heals the spirit," the pope said in a video message released July 2 by the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network.