The Catholic Sun

More than 90 men and women religious gathered for an Evening of Gratitude and Jubilee on Saturday (Oct. 18) at Mt. Claret Retreat Center in Phoenix. The annual event which celebrates the gift of Religious Life and honors religious who serve in the Diocese of Phoenix is sponsored by the Serra Club and organized by the diocesan Office of Religious Life. This year had the highest attendance in the event’s history.

For those with disabilities and their families, attending a regular Mass can be more than a little challenging. In that vein, the Office of Evangelization, Discipleship and Spirituality and the Office of Worship and Liturgy responded to the need expressed by a diocesan committee known as the Committee for Pastoral Ministry with Persons with Disabilities and their Families. The two diocesan offices worked together to organize and hold what’s known as a sensory-friendly Mass at St. Mary’s Basilica in downtown Phoenix on Oct. 18.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Holiness flourishes in those who serve the weakest, and Christians should defend the truths of the faith, no matter the cost, Pope Leo XIV said, highlighting key traits of the new saints he proclaimed. Meeting with visitors from different countries who were in Rome for the Oct. 19 canonization of seven new saints, Pope Leo said, "the men and women we proclaimed saints yesterday are shining signs of hope for all of us, because they offered their lives in love for Christ and for their brothers and sisters."

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Leo XIV traveled 23 miles by car to board the "Bel Espoir" sailboat and speak to the crew about peacemaking. The boat, whose name means "beautiful hope," had spent the previous eight months sailing to 30 Mediterranean ports where rotating crews of 25 young adults met their peers and talked about their faith and the challenges to peace. Meeting the last crew Oct. 17 at the marina in Ostia, outside of Rome, Pope Leo told them the world needs "signs, witness, impressions that give hope."

Everyone needs a grandparent. When my son started college in a distant state, he prioritized finding “his people.” He found them, or maybe I should say her, at the church. She was a kind older woman, sitting in the pew, who smiled at him with quiet encouragement. Over the coming year, she became a surrogate grandmother, and when I visited at the end of the year, she was one of the people he was most excited for me to meet. My children have the rare blessing of knowing all of their grandparents, and a few honorary ones as well. They’ve benefited greatly from what researchers now refer to as “The Grandparenting Effect.”

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Modern hermits seek solitude not to escape the world but to learn how to listen more closely to God, to their neighbors and to creation, Pope Leo XIV said as he met about 50 Italian hermits who came to the Vatican for the Jubilee of Consecrated Life. The hermits, both men and women, include members of religious orders, diocesan priests and diocesan hermits who have chosen to live mostly alone in prayer, study and manual labor. For a short period each day, many of them also welcome visitors coming for spiritual direction.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Christians must avoid using their faith to label those who are different -- often the poor -- as enemies to be avoided and rejected, Pope Leo XIV said. "Some forms of worship do not foster communion with others and can numb our hearts," he said in his homily during Mass in St. Peter's Square Oct. 12 for the Jubilee of Marian Spirituality. "Mary's path follows that of Jesus, which leads us to encounter every human being, especially the poor, the wounded and sinners," Pope Leo said in his homily. "Because of this, authentic Marian spirituality brings God's tenderness, his way of 'being a mother,' to light in the church."

Bishop John Dolan joined Bishop Gerald Kicanas of the Diocese of Tucson, Bishop Enrique Sánchez of the Diocese of Mexicali and Bishop Gregory Gordon of the Archdiocese of Las Vegas, along with other bishops, priests and pilgrims on Sunday evening (Oct. 12) to celebrate a Mass in solidarity with migrants.

“It was 125 degrees in my house. It was living hell.” These are the words of Edward Littell, a long-time resident of Mesa, Ariz., who has lived in his mobile home for 29 years. He is also just one of thousands of people who AllThrive 365, a local nonprofit providing services that uphold the dignity of those who are aging, has helped. When his AC unit broke down, Littell’s home became “unbearable.”

When a woman becomes a mother her world changes forever. Yet, within the walls of homes and hospitals, countless women experience a devastating end to their pregnancy long before their child is born. Statistics suggest that nearly 46-percent of women will suffer miscarriage or stillbirth at some point in their childbearing years. For Catholic women in particular, miscarriage can compound the grief experienced and even test their faith, suggests Jocelyn Abyad, founder of We Carry You Still, a nonprofit outreach program that serves women and men coping with child loss, both during pregnancy and for babies that are born alive, but pass soon after.