September 6, 2026

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Local News

Inspiring local Catholic news from around the Diocese of Phoenix

Avila launches second year in West Valley as newest Catholic university in the Diocese of Phoenix

The Diocese of Phoenix’s expanding faith-based higher-education options are alive and well as Avila University Arizona welcomed its second-ever class of students earlier this week. The Missouri-based Catholic university opened its Goodyear, Ariz., campus in...

Pray with Pope Leo XIV, September 2026

Abigail Poole, the coordinator of Catholic Social Teaching for the Diocese of Phoenix, steps in for Bishop John Dolan this month to share a personal video reflection on Pope Leo XIV’s September 2026 prayer intention:...

Choose to love

At one of my bridal showers back in the 1990s, I received a litany of marital advice. I was young, the first of my siblings to get married, and I listened with sharp attention. Now,...

One Church, one Lord, one mission

For the first time in diocesan history, a bishop will be leading a group of Diocese of Phoenix young adults to World Youth Day, an international gathering of millions of young Catholics from around the...

The joy of love: A vision for marriage, family life and spirituality

For Jose Antonio Martinez, his first and best catechism teachers were his parents. Now married for 29 years with three children of his own, the love and accompaniment he experienced growing up now pours into...

Seniors find joy serving at the altar

Some parish ministries have a target age range built into their names — youth and young adult ministry. Others cast a wider net — choir members, lectors and extraordinary ministers of holy Communion. Yet wider...

Diocese hires new assistant superintendent of schools

With the new academic year in full swing at seven Catholic high schools and 29 Catholic elementary schools across the Diocese of Phoenix, the Catholic Schools Office has hired Camryn Friel as the new assistant...

Mass honors Fr. William Wasson and thousands of lives he impacted

Bishop John Dolan celebrated a special Mass on Sunday (Aug. 16) at Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral in Phoenix, honoring the legacy of Fr. William Wasson. Sunday marked the 20th anniversary of Fr. Wasson's death...

4th Annual Catholic Night; A night of celebration and giving back

Faith, fellowship and baseball are coming together in downtown Phoenix on Friday, Sept. 11, as the Arizona Diamondbacks are set to host the 4th Annual Catholic Night at Chase Field. The matchup against the Texas...

Love grows here; Mentoring friendship strengthens marriages

“How many of you know three couples who have the kind of marriage you want? They’re happy, they’re faithful, they love each other, they have a sense of humor, they’re open to life?” It’s a...

Love that endures

When Richard and I married 39 years ago, our wedding day was joyful, beautiful and full of hope. Like most young couples, we looked forward to building a life together and believed we understood what...

Catholic Community Foundation awards over half-a-million dollars to local Catholic school students

The Catholic Community Foundation (CCF) recently celebrated 43 students receiving a combined $521,000 in scholarships for the 2026-2027 school year during its Scholarship Awards Ceremony at St. Francis Xavier in Phoenix earlier this month. Scholarship...

Auxiliary Bishop Bui preaches to 80,000 in Missouri

Auxiliary Bishop Peter Dai Bui celebrated Mass and preached to the largest crowd of his life on Friday (Aug. 7), addressing an estimated 80,000 Vietnamese Catholics during his first-ever visit to Marian Days, an annual...

Mourning the passing of Bishop Dolan’s father

The Diocese of Phoenix mourns the passing of Gerald “Jerry” Francis Dolan, father of Bishop John Dolan. We offer our prayers and deepest condolences to Bishop Dolan and his entire family. Jerry entered into eternal...

Bishop Dolan celebrates Mass and Rite of Investiture

Bishop John Dolan celebrated a special Mass on Thursday afternoon (Aug. 6), to welcome three women into the next stage of their religious formation at the Carmelite Missionaries of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus...

Diocesan-wide listening sessions on the sacraments set to kick off

On December 9, 1531, Juan Diego was walking to catechism class in modern day Mexico City, when an encounter with the Blessed Virgin Mary on Tepeyac Hill changed his life — and the lives of...

A transformative encounter

When I was a pastor at St. Rose in the Diocese of San Diego, we established a program for engaged couples called “Engaged in Love.” For four weeks, couples would attend Mass together, then gather...

Phoenix priest to be honored for transforming the lives of thousands of abandoned and orphaned children

The Diocese of Phoenix is holding a special Mass this month to commemorate the anniversary of the passing of Fr. William Wasson, whose single act of compassion toward a young thief more than a half...

Diocese encourages ‘radical hospitality’ in evangelization

More than 100 formators, administrators and parish staff members representing nearly 48 parishes from the Diocese of Phoenix gathered at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Saturday (Aug. 1) to receive...

Fourteen new leaders ready to impact Catholic education

With the new academic year beginning this week at seven Catholic high schools and 29 Catholic elementary schools across the Diocese of Phoenix, the Catholic Schools Office has hired 14 leaders who are ready to...

Pray with Pope Leo XIV, August 2026

Bishop John Dolan shares a personal video reflection on Pope Leo XIV's August 2026 prayer intention: Let us pray that in large cities often marked by anonymity and loneliness we find new ways to proclaim...

A historic day at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico City

Bishop John Dolan celebrated his first-ever Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City on Tuesday (July 28). The basilica is the most visited Catholic pilgrimage site in the world, welcoming...

New Catholic Sun launches today

The Diocese of Phoenix has launched a rebranded, mobile-friendly digital platform for The Catholic Sun, creating a single digital destination for local, national and global Catholic news. The new site at catholicsun.org includes an innovative...

St. Mary Magdalene Parish celebrates patroness, displays first-class relic

St. Mary Magdalene parishioners gathered Tuesday (July 21) evening to celebrate the solemnity of their patroness with a vigil Mass anticipating her feast day on July 22. Auxiliary Bishop Eduardo Nevares presided over the liturgy...

Bishop John Dolan to celebrate Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City

Be part of history as Bishop John Dolan celebrates Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City on Tuesday, July 28 at 1 p.m. Phoenix time by joining the liturgy via...

Natural family planning transforms marriages

Catholics across the United States are observing Natural Family Planning (NFP) Awareness Week during July 19-26. The annual initiative promotes the education of fertility awareness-based methods and the Church’s teachings on marital love and responsible...

Upcoming Mass to honor grandparents and the elderly

“Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained in the way of righteousness.” - Proverbs 16:31 The Diocese of Phoenix and Bishop John Dolan are inviting the public to celebrate grandparents during a...

New perpetual adoration chapel in Surprise invites worshippers to encounter Christ

St. Clare of Assisi Parish in Surprise, Ariz., began welcoming faithful to their new adoration chapel in May. The high ceilings, stained glass windows and alcoves brushed with gold leaf accent the focal point of...

Seeking God’s will for our kids

One of my standard mama prayers in these past two decades of parenting has been: “Make Your will clear, Lord!” I have prayed this for myself, and on behalf of my husband, friends, parents and,...

Diocese of Phoenix establishes new territorial parish in Laveen

For the first time since 2021, the Diocese of Phoenix has established a new territorial parish on the corner of 43rd Avenue and Dobbins Road in Laveen, Ariz. Divine Word Parish will serve one of...