Sarah Morris loves her Catholic faith. She attends Mass at St. Thomas the Apostle in Phoenix and enjoys worship and the fellowship of the faithful. But she needed a spiritual connection to others like her: a vehicle that would bring the companionship of Christian women, particularly other Catholics. “I think [as a culture] we’re disconnected [and] the Internet is ‘no bueno,’” she said, sitting at a table with several other women last Saturday at St. Helen Parish in Glendale, Ariz.| The Catholic Sun
More than 180 priests from across the Diocese of Phoenix gathered in Flagstaff, Ariz., this week for the annual Priest Convocation, the largest number of priests to ever attend. The four days of prayer, fellowship and formation carried the theme “The Priesthood of Tomorrow; For the New Millennium” and featured several presentations on the Diocese of Phoenix’s historic and fully local Nazareth Seminary.| The Catholic Sun
As Arizona’s population has risen steadily, fueling growth in the Diocese of Phoenix, there has been an increase in need for new projects. It’s a busy time in the diocesan Office of Buildings and Properties, which serves the demographic of more than 2 million Catholics. “There is a lot of development going on all over the place,” noted Sr. Mary Pierre Jean Wilson, RSM, director of Buildings and Properties. “We have a list of almost 100 projects, large and small, that are in some ph...| The Catholic Sun
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pain must never give rise to violence, and every Catholic needs to learn to safeguard with tenderness those who are vulnerable, Pope Leo XIV said during a prayer vigil dedicated to people experiencing pain and affliction due to illness, bereavement, violence or abuse.Recognizing that some members of the church "have unfortunately hurt you," the pope said, the church "kneels with you today before our Mother (Mary). May we all learn from her to protect the most vulnerable ...| The Catholic Sun
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Crying out to God during moments of extreme trial does not mark a crisis of faith but can reflect an act of total surrender to and enduring trust in God, Pope Leo XIV said. "In the journey of life, there are moments in which keeping something inside can slowly consume us," the pope told thousands of people huddled under umbrellas or dressed in rain gear in St. Peter's Square Sept. 10 for his weekly general audience. "Jesus teaches us not to be afraid to cry out, as long ...| The Catholic Sun
When Bishop John Dolan needed to staff St. Augustine Parish in Phoenix almost three years ago, he knew where to turn. The author of the Diocese of Phoenix’s bold seven-year pastoral plan, whose broad themes are tied together through evangelization, contacted the Society of the Divine Word’s (SVD) Western USA Provincial Superior, Fr. Jon Kirby, SVD. Having become good friends with Fr. Kirby while serving in the Diocese of San Diego, where SVD serves a number of California parishes, Bisho...| The Catholic Sun
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 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Check out the question the Christ in Our Neighborhood reflection poses: In what way are you re...| The Catholic Sun
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 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Check out the question the Christ in Our Neighborhood reflection poses: Are you waiting for th...| The Catholic Sun
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- In a Jubilee year dedicated to hope, Pope Leo XIV and Christian leaders will commemorate "new martyrs and witnesses of the faith" -- people whose lives were signs of hope to the people around them and who died firm in the hope of being welcomed into God's presence, said the secretary of the Vatican Dicastery for the Causes of Saints. Archbishop Fabio Fabene, dicastery secretary, told reporters Sept. 8, "Pope Leo hopes the blood of these martyrs will be seeds of peace, re...| The Catholic Sun
