NEWS

Landmines wound innocent civilians, "prolong war and nurture fear" long after conflicts have ended, Pope Francis told delegates working on the full implementation of an international treaty banning the production and use of anti-personnel mines.

The Congregation for Clergy signed a formal decree approving the group's statutes and granting it "private juridical personality," which recognizes the group's autonomy as an organization of Catholics not operating in the name of the Catholic Church, but as having some accountability to the Vatican.

Visitors will find another construction zone at St. Francis Xavier beginning June 30. Temporarily, the primary point of contact for the general public has moved to the Marian Shop's front alcove near the church's front entrance. It's all to make room for a new parish center and additional parking.

In three of the cases, the court simply declined to review them, meaning the rulings by lower courts prevail. In the other three, the cases were sent back to the appeals courts with instructions to reconsider them in light of Burwell v. Hobby Lobby.

The Catholic Sun Newspaper was recognized with several awards at the annual Catholic Media Conference last month in Charlotte, N.C.

As the flames ate away at a Catholic Charities facility on June 20, workers were left wondering where to begin in the process of restoration.

As this summer marks the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, parishioners at St. Francis in Greenwood, Miss. have a vivid reminder of the related events in their town. They can look up and see where a bullet went through the window

One of few people who can say they worked for every bishop in the Diocese of Phoenix’s 45-year history is retiring June 30. Sr. Maria Celia Molina, SNDdeN, has spent the last 16 of those years working with adult faith formation at the diocesan level.

Catholics from around the Diocese of Phoenix packed into Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral June 28 to witness Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted ordain Kevin Grimditch, Keith Kenney and Scott Sperry to the order of priests.

In a narrowly tailored 5-4 ruling, the Supreme Court June 30 said closely held companies may be exempted from a government requirement to include contraceptives in employee health insurance coverage under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.