NEWS

Benedictine Sister Josine Krausnick, who spent 45 years teaching at St. Thomas the Apostle School before retiring June 7, required one last thing of...

A mock structure fire on the last day of school signaled the start of a summer remodeling project at St. Theresa School, 5001 E. Thomas Road. Unlike a typical fire scene, this rebuild was well-planned long before the destruction. Demolition crews were expected back this week to officially knock down the “fire scene”: old maintenance homes turned storage facilities next to St. Theresa’s preschool. It’s the first of a multi-phase effort to create dedicated space for an early education center.

Three bishops weighed in on the ongoing congressional debate on immigration reform legislation June 10, warning against amending a Senate bill in ways that would block the path to legalization for undocumented immigrants, but urged support for its passage.

Priests in the Diocese of Phoenix now have a house of prayer where they can take time away for prayer and solitude. Merciful Heart Hermitage was established May 21 by Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted. The oratory, as it is referred to in canon law, is on the premises of the former residence of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration.

A lunchtime sidewalk rally in front of an abortion facility just north of downtown Phoenix June 6 drew people from all over the Valley. They came to voice their concern about late-term abortions, and more particularly, infanticide.

A church that is rich and lacking in praise for the Lord is an old, lifeless church that neglects the true treasure of God's free gift of grace and salvation, Pope Francis said in a morning homily.

A priest who directs the Jesuit Cultural Center in Alexandria, Egypt, blasted Western support of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt during a visit to Parliament Hill.

Don't look now, but Dolores Hart is about to become a star again, 50 years after her last movie. Hart -- that's Mother Dolores, the prioress of a Benedictine women's monastery in Bethlehem, Conn. -- has just had her memoir published a year after a documentary featuring her life in as a cloistered nun picked up an Oscar nomination for best documentary short subject.

Religious freedom is talked about more than it is protected, Pope Francis said. "The serious violations inflicted on this basic right are causes of serious concern," and the world's nations must act together to uphold "the intangible dignity of the human person against every attack," he said.

Unlike many of his predecessors since the early 1600s, Pope Francis has decided not to spend the summer months at the papal villa in Castel Gandolfo south of Rome, although he will observe a reduced schedule in July and August.