The Sun rises again
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.
Pilgrims of Hope
It’s hard to believe that Christmas is just a few weeks away. Advent is a wondrous gift of our Church. We sit waiting with anticipation the birth of Christ anew in our lives. Thousands of years ago the Holy Family made a pilgrimage, a journey, to Bethlehem. Mary and Joseph went with faith and trust where they were called. I remind myself often that this faith and trust doesn’t mean they weren’t afraid, concerned or anxious. Nevertheless, they journeyed forward along the path that brought them to the unassuming town of Bethlehem and a humble shelter shared by animals.
A Year of Hope
There is a Hebrew term “shalom” which is often translated as “peace” and is spoken as a phrase of greeting and blessing. But it holds a much more profound meaning at its core – it portrays a concept that means “wholeness,” “restoration to fullness” and “completeness.” In Biblical times, if someone stole a loaf of bread from their neighbor, shalom was not simply making things right by replacing one loaf of bread with another. Rather, after taking this step, there would be an active effort on the part of both parties to restore right-relationship and to work together so that everyone had enough bread to go around.
A hope-filled home
The pink and violet candles are nestled in their base, ready to be lit on their special Sunday during Advent—hope, peace, joy and love. Each week, we focus on a new theme for the heart, starting with the candle of hope. It’s fitting, as peace and joy aren’t always present in our homes. That’s a reality of living with others and navigating our fallen nature. Yet, we can always strive to remain hopeful.
Bishop Dolan launches historic seven-year pastoral plan on evangelization
Almost 500 years ago, a poor peasant wearing a simple cloak came face-to-face with a heavenly reality in the hills of Mexico – changing the lives of millions of people forever. When Juan Diego, a native Aztec and Christian convert, set out for catechism class one morning in December, he heard a voice calling him by name. He climbed the nearby Tepeyac hill and encountered the most beautiful woman he had ever seen – Our Lady of Guadalupe.
“If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured” -Mark 5:28
One of the most striking stories of healing in the Gospels is that of the bleeding, or hemorrhaging woman. Having suffered immensely for 12 years, she not only lived with physical pain, but she was also considered unclean according to the Mosaic law. This would have made her an outcast and someone to be avoided at all costs. No matter how many doctors she sought out, she only grew worse with time, spending her whole life savings along the way.
Beauty, healing presence of Christ draw millions to Sedona’s Chapel of the Holy Cross
They come from all over the world — Denmark, Australia, India, France, the Philippines and beyond — to gaze upon one of the hidden jewels of the Diocese of Phoenix. Nestled among the majestic red rocks of Sedona in Northern Arizona, the Chapel of the Holy Cross draws some 2 million visitors a year. The tiny church seats 65, but the majestic views from the floor-to-ceiling windows behind the altar reveal a stunning view of the picturesque valley below.
“You are not alone!”
At the mental health ministry in our diocese people hear these words daily - “You are not alone.” This is something for us all to be incredibly proud of. Peoples’ lives are being positively changed and God is transforming hearts. Because this ministry is so desperately needed by so many experiencing struggles, the positive echoes are reverberating around the globe, which can be seen in the numerous dioceses, and even countries, that are turning to our ministry as an example.
The Diocese of Phoenix, Catholic schools and Catholic Charities team up for an unprecedented...
Almost from the time she met Bishop John Dolan, Barb Rechterman sensed that one day she would work with him. One of 10 children, Rechterman lost her oldest sister to suicide in 1998. In the time leading up to her death, Rechterman recalls how, as she describes it, her sister “lost God in the process” of her mental-health struggle.
‘St. Mary’s House’ welcomes seminarians for Diocese of Phoenix
Ten men who are studying to become priests for the Diocese of Phoenix will have a new place to call home. St. Mary’s House, based at St. Mary’s Basilica, next to the downtown Phoenix Diocesan Pastoral Center, is the third house to be established in the local seminary underway for the Diocese of Phoenix. St. Mary’s House will officially open with a ribbon cutting on Oct. 1. A fourth, St. Joseph’s House, is under development and will house seminarians for their theology studies. All four local houses will form Nazareth Seminary for the Diocese of Phoenix.