The Catholic Sun

“Beloved sons … are you resolved to renew in the presence of your bishop and God’s holy people, the promises you once made?” asked Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted as the more than 100 priests standing in the pews of Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral before him listened, then each answered in unison, “I am.”

PARIS (CNS) — Church leaders joined government officials in saying they expect that Notre Dame Cathedral’s grandeur will be restored as firefighters extinguished the last flames of a fast-moving blaze that seriously damaged much of the iconic structure.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis told high school students to break their phone addiction and spend more time on real communication with others and in moments of quiet, personal reflection.

ROME (CNS) — Drawing attention to the special needs of people with Alzheimer’s disease, Pope Francis made an afternoon visit to a community of group homes designed to keep residents active and living as normal a life as possible.

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Undergraduate students at Jesuit-run Georgetown University voted overwhelmingly April 11 to pay a new student fee that would be for reparations to the descendants of slaves owned and later sold by the school.

PARIS (CNA) — The Cathedrale Notre-Dame is on fire, according to the Paris fire department. Multiple eyewitnesses shared photos and videos of the cathedral with visible plumes of smoke and flames across the cathedral’s roof.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Like those who play soccer, people must learn to work together, help one another and race toward a clear goal, Pope Francis said.

Each of the 14 stations included a special prayer intention for sexual abuse victims. "Two together are strong but one alone will despair," the bishop said.

Their love for the sacramental life of the church and sharing of their time builds up the body of Christ, one priest said.

"I just have to keep telling myself that everything is just part of his plan, and there's a reason why," Elizabeth Perez said.