NEWS

Carrying on the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Catholic high school students from throughout the Diocese of Phoenix worked to establish his “beloved community” in their own neighborhoods through a service contest sponsored by the Office of Black Catholic Ministry. This is the second year the office has sponsored the contest. Student winners were recognized at the annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Mass and Service Awards Breakfast Jan. 18 at Xavier College Preparatory. The first MLK Mass was celebrated in 1992 and has been a rich tradition in the diocese ever since.

In an ongoing effort to reach people where they are, the Diocese of Phoenix continues to expand their communication efforts through social media, television and print by creating more robust and varied digital content.   Over the past two years, the diocese has experienced exponential growth across social media platforms, bringing in 2,000 new YouTube subscribers with more than 435,000 average monthly views, as well as more than 4,800 new followers on Instagram and Facebook. Additionally, video content has more than quadrupled with the development of weekly and monthly video and podcasts series, including TILMA, A Seat at the Table, Christ in Our Neighborhood, Word and Art and Mental Health Minute, among others.  Today, on the feast day of St. Francis de Sales, the patron saint of the Catholic press, the Office of Communications for the diocese announced the new title of the official bilingual diocesan magazine, which shares engaging stories and spiritual encouragement that reflect the heart of Bishop John Dolan and the ongoing mission of the local Church.  

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Artificial intelligence or any other technology that worsens inequality around the world and increases fake news should not be embraced as "progress," Pope Francis told business and government leaders meeting in Davos, Switzerland. "Technological developments that do not improve life for everyone, but instead create or worsen inequalities and conflicts, cannot be called true progress," the pope said in a message to the World Economic Forum.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- God tells Christians not to be afraid because he is always close, accompanying the faithful throughout their lives and through all their challenges, Pope Francis said "God says 'Do not be afraid' to Abraham, Isaac" and many others in the Bible, but "he says it to us, too. 'Be not afraid,' keep going," because God "is your traveling companion," the pope said Jan. 22 during his weekly general audience in the Paul VI Audience Hall.

More than 100 parish leaders and teams from across the Diocese of Phoenix took part in a daylong seminar at Mount Claret Retreat Center Jan. 25. The event, held in conjunction with the National Community of Catechetical Leadership (NCCL), is the first of five workshops given by national consultants over the next two years as part of a grant-funded project designed to be responsive to today’s families. The grant program encompasses 200 Catholic parishes throughout the U.S., including 19 teams from the Diocese of Phoenix.  

Bishop John Dolan has established a new Office of Human Dignity within the Diocese of Phoenix.  The action involves the restructuring of several existing offices that have operated under separate umbrellas. It also fulfills a core piece of Catholic Social Teaching that has been emphasized by Pope Francis during his papacy, and more prominently as the Church approached the 2025 Jubilee Year. 

In a solemn yet poignant outreach to mothers and fathers who have lost babies to abortion, miscarriage, stillbirth and other causes, the parish of St. Gabriel the Archangel in Cave Creek, Ariz., held its 3rd annual Memorial Mass for the Holy Innocents on Friday. Celebrated by candlelight in a dimly lit church nave and sanctuary, the rite featured the addition of 22 babies’ names to the parish’s permanent Memorial to Holy Innocents.  

Bishop John Dolan shared a visit with two very special guests at the Diocesan Pastoral Center in downtown Phoenix last week.  Joe and Laurie Kay, who recently relocated to Phoenix, were the first two pilgrims in the Diocese of Phoenix to visit all six 2025 Jubilee Year pilgrimage sites and scan the unique QR codes at each site, completing the virtual puzzle which reveals a beautiful image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  

I am so excited to share with you that the Together Let Us Go Forth ~ Juntos Sigamos Adelante magazine has undergone a name change. It’s the same high-quality magazine with a new name, well—kind of! If you’ve received Diocese of Phoenix-related news over the last 40 years, you’re probably familiar with The Catholic Sun—the official news source of the Diocese of Phoenix. In the 80’s it began as a newspaper that told exciting stories of folks encountering the living Christ and it was sent to every registered parishioner household in the Diocese of Phoenix. That’s more than 121,000 newspaper copies printed and delivered every month.

More than 100 participants attended the first diocesan Creation Summit at St. Francis Xavier Parish in Phoenix on Jan. 25. This interfaith event welcomed Catholics, Buddhists and other non-denominational groups from Prescott, Ariz., Tucson, Ariz., and locally from throughout the Valley. All joined together to discuss climate change, cultivate care for God’s creation and put a plan into action for improving the climate.