The Catholic Sun

My grandmother’s name was Josephine, though she was affectionately called “Jo” by her friends and “Gramma” by us grandkids. When I was growing up, she lived at home with us. Gramma was quiet and helpful in the house. I still remember her holding me in her lap, reading to me in my earlier years and how she loved to watch the Padres on television, keeping score and stats on each of the players during the game. As she aged, my parents made the difficult, yet important decision for her to move into an assisted living facility. As you can imagine, there were a lot of ups and downs, as well as struggles and reliefs that came with this decision.

Catholic Education Arizona awarded tuition scholarships to 4,100 Catholic School students in the Diocese of Phoenix in September, including 140 scholarships to students with disabilities and 18 students in the foster care system through the AZ Disabled/Displaced Corporate Tax Credit. Through AZ Individual and Corporate tax credits, thousands of students are able to attend Catholic schools who would not otherwise have the opportunity. “Education scholarships for students in grades K–12 are truly life-changing and community-transforming,” said Nancy Padberg, MBA, president and CEO of Catholic Education Arizona. “We believe every family deserves the opportunity to choose the education that best fits their children’s needs.”

Morning Star OB/GYN celebrated 20 years of providing holistic and life-affirming reproductive care to women in Gilbert, Ariz., on Monday (Sept. 29) with Mass at the Mercy Gilbert Medical Center chapel. Dr. Clint Leonard, founder of the practice, and Dr. Erica Kreller, his colleague, provide medical care that combines respect for fertility with unique technology that honors God’s design for women. The chapel was filled with family members of the physicians, friends and individuals present to celebrate and support the achievement.  

Christ in Our Neighborhood is a parish-based program consisting of small Christian communities that gather in the home weekly to prayerfully discuss the upcoming Sunday Mass readings. It’s easy to form a community and you can find out more at Christ in Our Neighborhood - The Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix (dphx.org)   This coming Sunday, we celebrate All Souls’ Day. Check out the question the Christ in Our Neighborhood reflection poses: Can you trust that Jesus will not reject the one you’ve lost — or the one you’ve become?

NOTE: Christ in Our Neighborhood is a parish-based program consisting of small Christian communities that gather in the home weekly to prayerfully discuss the upcoming Sunday Mass readings. It’s easy to form a community and you can find out more at Christ in Our Neighborhood - The Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix (dphx.org)   This coming Sunday, we celebrate the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Check out the question the Christ in Our Neighborhood reflection poses: Where are the poor in your life?

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Leo XIV, the object of dozens of "deepfake" videos, has chosen "Preserving human voices and faces" as the theme for the Catholic Church's celebration of World Communications Day in 2026. The Dicastery for Communication announced the theme Sept. 29. Just two weeks after his election in May, the dicastery warned people about "deepfake" -- AI-generated -- videos of the pope as well as manipulated or wholly AI-generated photos and quotes.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Leo XIV announced he will proclaim St. John Henry Newman a doctor of the church Nov. 1 during the Jubilee of the World of Education. Speaking after Mass Sept. 28 for the Jubilee of Catechists, the pope said St. Newman "contributed decisively to the renewal of theology and to the understanding of the development of Christian doctrine." The Dicastery for the Causes of Saints had announced July 31 that Pope Leo "confirmed the affirmative opinion" of the cardinals and bishops who are members of the dicastery "regarding the title of Doctor of the Universal Church which will soon be conferred on Saint John Henry Newman, Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, Founder of the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri in England."

A pilgrimage is more than a journey — it’s a sacred venture in which the pilgrim opens their heart to be changed by an experience of God. Pilgrimage is an integral part of the Jubilee Year. It is an invitation both to a personal journey of the heart, as well as physically visiting places of grace, like the six holy sites around our diocese that Bishop John has designated. More than 1,000 folks have visited these sites and what a blessing it has been not just for them, but for their families and for our entire diocesan community. But today, I invite us to consider a different kind of pilgrimage: the pilgrimage of life. In every moment, whether filled with grief or joy, boredom or blessing, we are offered an opportunity to seek the face of God. Personally, I find it easier to reach for God in times of sorrow or elation. Yet, God calls us to seek Him even in — indeed, especially in — the ordinary and mundane. In every single step, God is present and active, longing to walk with us, just as He did with the disciples on the road to Emmaus. (Lk 24:13-35)

St. John Bosco Catholic School in Phoenix celebrated the momentous occasion of being recognized as a 2025 National Blue Ribbon School this week (Sept. 26) with a school-wide assembly, community prayers of thanksgiving and a sweet on-theme treat: Blue Ribbon ice cream bars. The nomination was the first in the school’s history and St. John Bosco (PreK-8) was the only private-school honoree from Arizona this year.

The 3rd Annual Catholic Night at Chase Field was a huge success on Friday evening (Sept. 19), as the Dioceses of Phoenix and Tucson came together for a night of faith, family and fun. The faithful were well represented throughout the stadium, with more than 3,400 tickets sold — an all time high for the popular event. Five dollars from every ticket went toward Catholic School Support 365.