The Catholic Sun

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Reflecting on his weeklong trip to Spain, Pope Leo XIV said one of his clearest impressions came from the Canary Islands, where migration revealed both the challenges facing Europe and what he described as a Christian path toward a "civilization of love." Speaking at his weekly general audience June 17, the pope said the archipelago's role as a gateway for thousands of migrants from Africa offered a "comprehensive insight" into a complex issue that also challenges Christians to reread the Gospel in today's world.

Auxiliary Bishop Peter Dai Bui celebrated the Kino Catechetical Institute graduation Mass for 32 individuals from the Diocese of Phoenix on Tuesday (June 16) at St. Mary’s Basilica in downtown Phoenix. Originally founded by the Carmelites in 1972 and restructured by Bishop Emeritus Thomas Olmsted in 2011, Kino provides a key component of faith formation in the Diocese of Phoenix. With an emphasis on catechetics, a term that refers to passing on the teachings received from Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago, students come to understand what Catholics believe and why they believe it.

Nazareth Seminary — the Diocese of Phoenix's fully local seminary formation program — continues to be a place of profound joy, growth and hope for the future of our diocese. As we prepare to open the fourth formation home, St. Agnes House at St. Agnes Parish in Phoenix this fall, we are reminded that this moment represents far more than a new building. It is a visible sign of God’s faithfulness and the increasing vitality of vocations, a witness to the Holy Spirit at work in our Church.

1. The Lord is a refuge for the poor (cf. Ps 14:6). The words of the Psalmist point the way forward as we prepare for the 10th World Day of the Poor. Once again, we must return to the Word of God to reaffirm the importance of the poor in the life of the Church. The words of the Psalm serve as a standard for Christian living because they reveal the face of God and acknowledge human poverty. Indeed, at a dramatic moment in history — the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem — the people felt deprived of God’s presence and experienced unprecedented material and moral misery.

Xavier College Preparatory in Phoenix has been named the No. 1 high school for student-athletes in Arizona and No. 5 in the United States by Niche.com, one of the nation's leading school ranking organizations. The ranking places Xavier among the country's elite athletic programs while competing against all public and private schools, including coed schools. Niche evaluates schools using a combination of student and parent surveys, athletic participation and data from the U.S. Department of Education.

I am so grateful for the priests of our diocese. Two hundred and eighty-nine good men who come from diverse backgrounds and enhance the vibrance of our local Church. Men who serve with a variety of gifts, strengths and charisms. Men who love their parishioners and walk with the people of God by embodying pastoral care and compassion. Men who remain faithful and engaged by continuing to serve as demands grow in the ever-thriving Diocese of Phoenix — which has quickly become one of the fastest-growing dioceses in the country. At the core, our priests are men who share their hearts and their very selves with the Church, and they are a great gift.

A self-described "normal kid who just wanted to help out in the Church" has seen his desire fulfilled for 21,915 days of ordained life — and counting. This month Fr. Pierre Hissey, a retired priest in the Diocese of Phoenix, celebrates his diamond jubilee honoring 60 years of priesthood. While no priestly journey is exactly alike, Fr. Hissey's pathway has a litany of notable moments, dichotomies and ministries since 1966. The people of St. Steven's Catholic Church in Sun Lakes, Ariz., honored them all during a special 60th anniversary Mass and reception in the spring. 

In a world where young people often lose sight of the faith during their college years, Holy Spirit Newman Center in Phoenix serves as a beacon of hope. Ministering to students who attend Grand Canyon University and led by the Fr. David Loeffler, pastor, and religious sisters of the Servants of the Precious Hearts of Jesus and Mary (SCTJM), the Newman Center is engaging young hearts and minds and leading them to Christ. In addition to fellowship, Bible studies, free meals and an intentional sense of communal life, Holy Spirit Newman Center places a unique emphasis on the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), the formation program that prepares adults to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church. This past Easter alone, 22 students completed the program.

MADRID (CNS) -- In a highly anticipated and historic speech to Spain's parliament, Pope Leo XIV urged modern-day leaders to be guided by ancient and Catholic principles that gave birth to universal human rights based on the inalienable dignity of the human person. While Church and state legitimately remain separate, many virtues and aims of good governance and just laws are rooted in values profoundly marked and inspired by the Christian tradition, he told hundreds of lawmakers and leaders of judiciary branches June 6 in Spain's Congress of Deputies.

The Diocese of Phoenix, one of the nation’s fastest growing, has four new priests. Fr. Nathan Blanchard, Fr. Paul Graupmann, F.H.S., Fr. Simon Ortiz, and Fr. Jeff Pooley were formally added to the fraternity of clergy during a Mass of Ordination celebrated by Bishop John Dolan at St. Thomas Aquinas parish in Avondale, Ariz., Saturday. Family and friends of the new priests made up the congregation of more than 1,800 worshippers, which also included priests, women religious, deacons, laity and seminarians who are part of the largest formation wave in diocesan history.