The Catholic Sun

Bishop John Dolan held a Mass in celebration of the opening of the seminary year on Thursday (Aug. 28) evening at the Virginia G. Piper Chapel at the Diocesan Pastoral Center in downtown Phoenix. Nazareth Seminary, the Diocese of Phoenix's local seminary formation program, has a record 55 seminarians beginning study this month, and nearly 40 men were in attendance. Nazareth Seminary incorporates an innovative home-style model of formation where seminarians live in community with one another and their formators in a home setting near an existing parish rather than an institutional setting. Eight priests that live in residence with the seminarians, providing formation and spiritual direction, con-celebrated the kickoff Mass.

As the world mourns the mass shooting at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis, Domonic Salce, superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Phoenix, offers...

As faith formation staff and volunteers from across the Diocese of Phoenix gear up for the new catechetical year, Bishop John Dolan thanked and blessed them for their work on behalf of the Church. “Thank you for your yes to the Gospel,” Bishop Dolan told the crowd gathered at St. Mary’s Basilica in downtown Phoenix for the annual Mass for catechists. “As leaders of faith formation, you are not simply passing on information, you are helping people encounter Christ to be transformed.”

As David and Laurie Schwartzner were updating their will, they had a plan. The Chandler, Ariz., couple and St. Juan Diego Church members already had made sure in their original document that their three adult children and five grandchildren were provided for. But they also wanted to leave something to the causes close to their hearts. “We thought, ‘What do we do for charity?’” David recalled.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- When Jesus described the path to salvation as a "narrow gate," he was not placing limits on God's mercy but was challenging people who were convinced they had done enough to be saved, Pope Leo XIV said. "The Lord does not want worship detached from life. He is not pleased with sacrifices and prayers, unless they lead to greater love for others and justice for our brothers and sisters," the pope told visitors gathered in St. Peter's Square Aug. 24 for the recitation of the Angelus prayer.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Even as Christians continue the dialogue aimed at restoring their unity, they are called to work together to bring peace and reconciliation to a deeply divided world, Pope Leo XIV said. "We believe that the unity Christ wills for his Church must be visible, and that such unity grows through theological dialogue, common worship where possible and shared witness in the face of humanity's suffering," the pope wrote in a message to church leaders meeting in Stockholm.

How do we teach our children to face challenges — and where is God in it all?  Somehow, I ended up on the Struggle Bus, a season of hardship, this year. As the days melted into months, I kept looking for my stop — my chance to hop off and step into a season free of stress or conflict. But that stop never came. So, I settled in for the long ride and wondered how to bring my family along.  Years ago, during a time of grief, I asked a priest how to shield my children from the pain my husband and I were facing. His answer was one word: “Don’t.” I’ve thought about that advice a lot this past year. If we hide life’s hard parts from our kids, we do them a disservice. Just as we model love and kindness, we also have the opportunity — and the responsibility — to model fortitude, courage, perseverance and surrender. If we shield them from struggle, we give them an incomplete picture of adulthood. 

The Catholic Community Foundation, which is committed to making Catholic education more accessible, recently awarded $479,000 in scholarships to 40 students in the Diocese of Phoenix.   At the Foundation’s annual Scholarship Award Ceremony earlier this month, 18 seventh-grade students received the Catholic Community Foundation Scholarship, which is awarded to students who embody strong Catholic values and show a financial need to attend Catholic high school. In the past six years, the Foundation has awarded over 104 scholarships totaling more than $1.7 million through this award.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Leo XIV paid a private visit to the Shrine of Our Lady of Grace of Mentorella, high in the Monti Prenestini mountain range of central Italy. On his last full day in Castel Gandolfo, Aug. 19, the pope made the hour journey northeast to pray in the shrine church and the Cave of St. Benedict, where a pious tradition holds that St. Benedict lived for two years early in the sixth century. Pope Leo visited with the Polish priests of the Resurrectionist order, which has cared for the shrine since 1857, and they helped him ring the church bells at noon before praying the Angelus together.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- God never gives up on anyone, even when the person betrays God's love, Pope Leo XIV said. Christian hope flows from "knowing that even if we fail, God will never fail us. Even if we betray him, he never stops loving us," the pope said Aug. 13 at his weekly general audience. Arriving in the Vatican audience hall, Pope Leo welcomed the visitors in English, Spanish and Italian and explained that the audience would be held in two parts -- in the hall and in St. Peter's Basilica -- so people would not be forced to stay outside under the very hot sun.