The fire began around 2:30 p.m. Parish leaders believe it may have been caused by a lightning strike, though the cause has not yet been confirmed. While no one was injured, flames and water left visible damage to several parts of the building, including the reconciliation room, vestibule, downstairs restroom and the stairwell leading to the bell tower, according to the parish.| Catholic Review
In early April, it was announced that Pope Francis appointed Bishop Bruce A. Lewandowski, C.Ss.R., to be the next bishop of Providence, R.I. The Holy Father could not have chosen a better bishop to guide that important diocese in the years ahead.| Catholic Review
Bishop Bruce A. Lewandowski, C.Ss.R., announced his arrival at the doors of the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Providence, R.I., May 20. The main entranceway to the cathedral then opened, welcoming Bishop Lewandowski to be formally installed as the 10th bishop of the Diocese of Providence.| Catholic Review
For Bishop Bruce Lewandowski, C.Ss.R., the changes to his coat of arms are few, but important, as he becomes bishop of the Diocese of Providence, R.I.| Catholic Review
As Bishop Lewandowski prepared for his May 20 installation as the 10th bishop of Providence, R.I., people from throughout the Archdiocese of Baltimore thanked him for his nine years of ministry here.| Catholic Review
El Obispo Auxiliar Emérito Denis J. Madden dejará de servir como Vicario Urbano en la Arquidiócesis de Baltimore a partir del 1 de octubre, según una carta publicada por el Arzobispo William E. Lori el 31 de agosto. El Obispo Auxiliar Bruce Lewandowski, C.Ss.R., pasará a ser el nuevo Vicario Urbano mientras continúa su labor como Vicario Episcopal para los Católicos Hispanos.| Catholic Review
From Boston to Baton Rouge, La., faithful across the nation are reaching out to bring material and spiritual aid to those impacted by the devastating July 4 flash floods in the Texas Hill Country.| Catholic Review
A Fells Point man is still in jail following a car crash that damaged the entrance of the Esperanza Center in the early hours of July 20.| Catholic Review
Since 1998, the Dragon Boat races have been a biennial tradition, except for a pandemic pause. The event was born from a visit to China by Hal Smith, a former executive director of Catholic Charities of Baltimore.| Catholic Review
Catholic Charities of Baltimore announced it will name its $32 million community center in West Baltimore the Carolyn E. Fugett Intergenerational Center, honoring the beloved community leader whose faith and commitment to West Baltimore shaped generations.| Catholic Review
For families like the Goluekes, fairs, open houses and shadow days across the Archdiocese of Baltimore ease the decision-making process. Fairs bring together representatives from every Catholic high school with information tables and Q-and-A opportunities. Open houses, often held in October and November, let students and parents see schools in action.| Catholic Review
Pope Leo XIV commended the Knights of Columbus for uniting Catholic men in prayer and fraternity, while extending "generous service to vulnerable populations," as the fraternal organization holds its 143rd Supreme Convention in Washington.| Catholic Review
The Knights of Columbus opened their 143rd Supreme Convention Aug. 5 in Washington, D.C., with a call to charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism, as Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly urged members to be “heralds of hope” in a world searching for meaning.| Catholic Review
Pallottine Father Frank S. Donio, a former pastoral director of St. Jude Shrine in Baltimore, earned the 2025 International Blessed Michael McGivney Medal, the highest honor given annually to a Knights of Columbus chaplain.| Catholic Review
Through prayer, testimony, and the arts, the Ladies Program during the Knights convention in Washington offered a space to reflect on how Christian hope is lived and led by women across the church.| Catholic Review
The fraternity fostered by the Knights of Columbus “contributes to our unity” and helps Knights grow in holiness and build up the Body of Christ, members of that Catholic fraternal organization were told at an Aug. 5, 2025 Mass to open their annual convention.| Catholic Review
True disciples of Christ listen to and understand others, and they always speak the truth, even in the presence of those who are powerful, Pope Leo XIV said.| Catholic Review
As the Pontifical Commission for the Protection Minors concluded its Sept. 29-Oct. 3 assembly in Kraków, "following five days of intensive dialogue, reflection and strategic planning," it prepares to publish its second annual report Oct. 16.| Catholic Review
Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop James F. Checchio of Metuchen, N.J., as coadjutor archbishop of New Orleans.| Catholic Review
A large majority of Americans said political violence is a big problem, but sharp partisan differences persist on who they see as responsible, a new Marquette Law School national survey found.| Catholic Review
During his Sept. 13-15 visit to Philadelphia, Cardinal Mykola Bychok of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Sts. Peter and Paul in Melbourne, Australia -- at age 45, the Catholic Church's youngest cardinal -- sat down with OSV News to share his thoughts on hope, war, his time in Russia, and the church in Australia.| Catholic Review
As conflicts rage in several African nations, a U.S. Catholic bishop has underscored his support for African bishops and faithful.| Catholic Review
Pope Leo XIV expressed his sorrow following a devastating 6.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Afghanistan's eastern region, which killed hundreds and injured thousands.| Catholic Review
Pope Leo XIV offered his prayers for the dead after days of heavy rain triggered a landslide in a remote area of Sudan, and he prayed for all involved in the ongoing search and rescue operations.| Catholic Review
Pope Leo XIV said prayers for victims of a 6.9 magnitude earthquake in the central part of the Philippines that killed at least 72 people late Sept. 30, according to Archbishop Alberto Uy of Cebu.| Catholic Review
A year after Helene devastated Western North Carolina, signs of recovery are everywhere -- from rebuilt roads and bridges, to refurbished homes, to revived workplaces. Yet scars remain, too.| Catholic Review
Catholic Church leaders have spotlighted a cholera outbreak in South Sudan and Sudan, as some faith-based humanitarian agencies moved to respond to the crisis.| Catholic Review
New Orleans' battered, 300-year-old history has been marked by fire, pestilence and storm, but Katrina was unprecedented in scope and pain: 1,400 people died; 200,000 homes in Orleans Parish -- 80 percent of the city -- flooded; and hundreds thousands fled or were transported to safe havens across the country, many never to return.| Catholic Review
Catholic Review Editor Christopher Gunty sat down with columnist Rita Buettner to talk about how she is able to find links between what’s going on at home and what the saints have to say.| Catholic Review
Three months after a lightning strike sparked a devastating fire at St. Rita Church in Dundalk, parishioners are weighing in on the future of the heavily damaged building as part of a discernment process that will help Archbishop William E. Lori decide how to move forward.| Catholic Review
Richard A. Zmuda, a parishioner of St. Mary in Annapolis and author of “The Mole of Vatican Council II: The True Story of Xavier Rynne,” tells the tale behind the pseudonym: Redemptorist Father Francis Xavier Murphy, the priest who became Vatican II’s whistleblower.| Catholic Review
The Archdiocese of Baltimore filed a form plan for reorganization in its Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which sets a proposed amount of contribution from the archdiocese and affiliated organizations, including parishes and schools.| Catholic Review
A new 25-foot-high mural that covers the walls of the entrance to St. Patrick's Cathedral and was officially dedicated during Mass Sept. 21 celebrates New York's sacred and secular history.| Catholic Review
Over a century in the making, the Tower of Jesus Christ, designed by famed Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí, will soon crown the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, making it the tallest Catholic Church in the world.| Catholic Review
After 800 years of silence, the pipes from the oldest organ in Christendom played again, filling the reception hall of Jerusalem's Franciscan Monastery of St. Saviour with the unique sound of the 11th-century liturgical chant, Benedicamus Domino Flos Filius.| Catholic Review
November, being the month of All Souls, is a time when many choirs (ecclesiastical and secular alike) perform music centered on the faithful departed. Local music lovers will have a chance to experience it when the Baltimore Basilica — America’s first cathedral — hosts Nov. 1 at 8 p.m. a one-night-only performance of Mahler’s Titan Symphony and Duruflé’s Requiem.| Catholic Review
The northwestern French city of Nantes waited for this moment for five long years and on Sept. 27, reopened its cathedral after the 2020 arson attack. The church celebrated with local and state officials present, and topped its reopening with ballet dancers flying on the cathedral's square.| Catholic Review
For better or worse, the sports biopic "The Smashing Machine" (A24) registers as a highly realistic film. With both a real-life figure as its focus and a documentary as its source material, that may be unsurprising. But the low-key, unsensational approach adopted by writer-director Benny Safdie ultimately produces varied results.| Catholic Review
Viewers allergic to cats, whether physically or by temperament, should steer clear of the colorful but cutesy musical fantasy "Gabby's Dollhouse: The Movie" (Universal). So, too, should cynics, curmudgeons and anyone given to even occasional grumpiness.| Catholic Review
Returning to the big screen for the first time in nearly eight years in "Anemone," Daniel Day-Lewis plays this central figure, Ray Stoker. Day-Lewis also co-wrote the screenplay with his son, Ronan, who directed the film.| Catholic Review
Capsule reviews of theatrical movies available now for streaming or scheduled for broadcast on network or cable television, as well as notes on TV programming for the same week.| Catholic Review
A new documentary on the abuses allegedly committed by Father Marko Rupnik and survivors' pursuit of justice received high praise at the Toronto International Film Festival, or TIFF, including for Gloria Branciani, an alleged victim who received a four-minute standing ovation.| Catholic Review
A Catholic high school boys' choir from Chicago made it to the top five on the season finale of "America's Got Talent" Sept. 24, prompting a message of pride and encouragement from Chicago Cardinal Blase J. Cupich.| Catholic Review
St. Thérèse is often seen as a "sweet saint of roses," a childlike figure whose holiness seemed effortless. Yet behind this image was a young Carmelite who embraced the demands of cloistered life, endured spiritual darkness, and suffered from tuberculosis, dying at just 24.| Catholic Review
More than five centuries after her birth, we can ask this Carmelite reformer to help us travel the paths of joy, prayer, fraternity and time in our own pilgrimage to God.| Catholic Review
The Catholic Review is the official news outlet of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.| Catholic Review
In a city renowned for its seemingly genetic ability to parade, party and partake, the 100th anniversary of Xavier University of Louisiana has focused on the gifts of faith, love and reading the signs of the times.| Catholic Review
The joyful sound of 75 voices singing in praise filled St. Bernardine Catholic Church all the way up to its trademark gold dome July 27 as the church’s beloved choir celebrated its 50th anniversary with a reunion concert.| Catholic Review
On a national scale, Father Boxie expressed concern about the Trump administration's efforts to eliminate what are known as DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) initiatives in America through executive orders.| Catholic Review
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.| Catholic Review
In the first major appointment of his papacy, Pope Leo XIV chose an Italian expert in canon law to succeed him as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.| Catholic Review
The level of trust in the Catholic Church in Poland hit a record low with only one third of traditionally Catholic Poles trusting the church.| Catholic Review
A new documentary on the life and crimes of Father Marcial Maciel Degollado was another chance for members of the Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi to confront the truth of their founder's dark past and the suffering inflicted on innocent victims, said Father John Connor, general director of the congregation.| Catholic Review
Clerical sexual abuse continues to be "a real crisis," one that the Catholic Church still must learn to deal with, particularly in improving the way it helps survivors while also ensuring the rights of the accused are respected, Pope Leo XIV said.| Catholic Review
If it seems like batches of states are suddenly legislating mandatory clergy reporting laws -- legal decrees that require clergy to report child abuse or neglect revealed in the confessional -- Father John Paul Kimes, a canon lawyer, has some current and historical context to offer.| Catholic Review
Two of the most important tenets of the Catholic faith are the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and the pope as the successor of Peter, who unites and guides the church, Pope Leo XIV said.| Catholic Review
Pope Leo XIV decried "the rise of antisemitic hatred in the world," particularly as evidenced by "the terrorist attack in Manchester," England, Oct. 2, an attack that killed two men.| Catholic Review
Police work is a service for the safety and security of people and institutions, Pope Leo XIV said, but it is also a way for Christians to give witness to their faith.| Catholic Review
Sharing the Gospel with one's neighbor, welcoming migrants who are Christian or setting off to a foreign land to share God's love through charity and proclamation are concrete expressions of belief that the church is "catholic" and that God wants to save all people, said Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle.| Catholic Review
The federal government shutdown stretched into its third day with indications it would continue after lawmakers once again failed to pass a spending bill.| Catholic Review
Pope Leo XIV's first papal trip abroad will be to Turkey and Lebanon Nov. 27-Dec. 2, the Vatican press office announced.| Catholic Review
The U.S. Supreme Court began its fall term Oct. 6, with cases on its docket that include legal battles over some of President Donald Trump's policies and use of executive authority.| Catholic Review
More than 400 people helped the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton celebrate the 50th anniversary of St. Seton’s designation as the patroness of American service personnel who go to sea.| Catholic Review
On the Catholic Church's Roman calendar, October is designated as the Month of the Holy Rosary, with the liturgical Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary falling on Oct. 7 -- and indeed, it's a traditional practice to pray the rosary all 31 days.| Catholic Review
Catholics involved in interfaith efforts have offered their condolences to the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the death of their president, Russell M. Nelson, Sept. 27 at age 101.| Catholic Review
Celebrating vespers in the chapel of the Domus Australia in Rome Oct. 6, the eve of the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii, the pope said, "this devotion to Our Blessed Mother holds a special place in my heart."| Catholic Review
A funeral Mass will be offered Sept. 17 for School Sister of Notre Dame Mary Michael Tashiro at Villa Assumpta in Towson. Sister Mary Michael, a former teacher at Notre Dame Preparatory School in Towson, died Aug. 28. She was 93.| Catholic Review
Pope Leo XIV praised the late Duchess of Kent, who joined the Catholic Church in 1994, for her "Christian goodness" and her many years of charity work and care for vulnerable people.| Catholic Review
A funeral Mass was celebrated at the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine in Oklahoma City Sept. 24 for retired Archbishop Eusebius J. Beltran, followed by interment at Resurrection Cemetery. He died Sept. 12 at age 91.| Catholic Review
Father Thomas Gills, a former military chaplain who ministered to critically wounded servicemen and later served as pastor of St. Peter the Apostle in Oakland and St. Peter at the Lake in McHenry, died Sept. 6 at his home in Little Orleans. He was 71.| Catholic Review
Deacon Michael Dodge, who served for many years as a permanent deacon at The Community of St. Athanasius (Curtis Bay) and St. Rose of Lima (Brooklyn), was remembered by family and friends for his special way of sharing time with people.| Catholic Review
Asked about some Catholics' criticism of the Archdiocese of Chicago giving an award to Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, Pope Leo XIV said, "I would ask first and foremost that there be greater respect for one another."| Catholic Review
Whether Planned Parenthood will ultimately be stripped of its federal funding remained in question amid ongoing lawsuits over a provision in President Donald Trump's legislative agenda that would cut those funds for one year.| Catholic Review
After lawmakers returned to Washington from their August recess, they faced a familiar deadline: Passing legislation to fund the federal government and avert a shutdown at the end of September.| Catholic Review
The Archdiocese of Chicago is scheduled to present Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., a "Lifetime Achievement Award" for his work on immigration issues in November, but the decision has been criticized by some Catholic bishops over Durbin's public position on abortion.| Catholic Review
In an interview Sept. 24 with OSV News, Bishop Paprocki said that regardless of Sen. Durbin's record on other issues, his public position supporting policies to protect legal abortion disqualifies him from receiving any awards, per policies of both the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Archdiocese of Chicago itself.| Catholic Review
Founded in 1996, the PIE scholarship program, funded by corporate partnerships, foundations and individuals, has awarded 31,2000 tuition-assistance scholarships, more than $42 million in tuition aid.| Catholic Review
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., has decided not to receive a "Lifetime Achievement Award," scheduled to be presented in November at the archdiocese's "Keep Hope Alive" celebration, according to a statement by Chicago Cardinal Blase J. Cupich Sept. 30.| Catholic Review
Since a new front in America's ongoing battle against drug smuggling has apparently opened -- there have been two additional U.S. attacks on Venezuelan boats, the latest on Sept. 19, and a total of at least 17 related deaths -- Catholics may be wondering: Are we at war? And if so, where do such enforcement actions fall on the spectrum of the church's "just war" criteria?| Catholic Review
The noise of this world makes a home in our minds. God's soft, silent sounds live in our hearts. We all need more silence.| Catholic Review
People of faith cannot love God while despising his creatures, and people cannot call themselves Christians without caring for everything fragile and wounded, including the earth, Pope Leo XIV told climate activists and political and religious leaders.| Catholic Review
Five years after the release of Pope Francis' encyclical on fraternal love, and amid a rise in political violence, the leader of the U.S. Catholic bishops is pleading for a rediscovery of -- and respect for -- a common humanity.| Catholic Review
Sharing the joy of being loved by God despite one's human flaws is the mission of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV said.| Catholic Review
On Oct. 1, the church celebrates the feast of St. Thérèse of Lisieux -- the beloved "Little Flower" whose "little way" of love continues to inspire countless souls more than a century after her death.| Catholic Review
A funeral Mass was offered Sept. 25 for Sister of St. Francis Lynn Patrice Lavin. The Baltimore native, who served as congregational minister for the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, died Sept. 16. She was 76 and had been a member of her order for 55 years.| Catholic Review
WASHINGTON (OSV News) — Congressional lawmakers failed to pass legislation to fund the federal government, resulting in a federal government shutdown at the end of September. Catholic groups that serve the poor urged lawmakers to end gridlock.| catholicreview.org
Sixty-seven percent of French people value the option of choosing between public schools and Catholic schools under contract with the state, according to a survey published Sept. 2 by the French Institute of Public Opinion.| Catholic Review
The Department of Education will issue new guidance "protecting the right to prayer" in public schools, President Donald Trump said Sept. 8 during remarks at the Museum of the Bible for the Department of Justice's Religious Liberty Commission.| Catholic Review
A growing movement in archdiocesan-area Catholic schools is bucking that trend. A standout example is Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Baynesville, where students embraced the “Holy Moments” program launched by Dynamic Catholic as a pilot in the 2023-24 school year.| Catholic Review
From armed guards to enhanced drills, Catholic schools throughout the country are bolstering their security measures, following last month's deadly mass shooting targeting students at a Minneapolis school liturgy.| Catholic Review
Shovels will go into the ground with a Sept. 19 celebration to begin construction of a 6,000-square-foot addition and renovation to a large portion of School of the Incarnation (SOTI) in Gambrills.| Catholic Review
The ring belonged to Renae Nicola Stamas, a 2020 graduate of Notre Dame Preparatory School in Towson. She had lost it almost exactly a year earlier while swimming and playing in the water with her godson during a family visit to Greece.| Catholic Review
With the blast of a horn, the dragon boat races paddled off Sept. 13 in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. A fundraiser for Catholic Charities, the biennial race featured local businesses, nonprofits and college teams competing for the coveted dragon trophy while raising money for the nonprofit and its many programs.| Catholic Review
Catholic Review Editor Christopher Gunty talked with writer and director Sean McNamara about these topics, and about his new movie, due in theaters Sept. 26, “Bau: Artist at War.”| Catholic Review
The following educators have begun new leadership positions in the 2025-26 academic year in the Archdiocese of Baltimore.| catholicreview.org
Why would God allow Satan to torture and torment Job when he knew Job was a wonderful man and if God is, indeed, omniscient? (New Jersey)| Catholic Review
While the act of directly causing an abortion is a canonical crime that is punished with an automatic excommunication, (see Canon 1397, 2) this only applies in scenarios where a particular individual actually brought about an abortion personally -- and not in situations where a person promoted abortion in a more abstract way.| Catholic Review
The church does have material needs that arise in the course of her spiritual mission. And so it is not simony to accept or request donations on the occasion of the celebration of the sacraments, as long as it is understood that such a donation is truly a free-will offering and not a condition for the sacrament's administration.| Catholic Review
We know that God is infinitely loving and merciful, so I believe that Jesus would have readily and joyfully forgiven Judas if he had only turned back to God and sought reconciliation.| Catholic Review
Sometimes people have the mistaken idea that "annulments" are some kind of Catholic-approved divorce, but this is not at all accurate.| Catholic Review