- Catholic Standard

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis acknowledged the serious shortage of priests in remote areas of the Amazon, but he insisted not all avenues have been exhausted to address the issue.In his apostolic exhortation, "Querida Amazonia" ("Beloved Amazonia"), which was released by the Vatican Feb. 12, […]

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Like so many of Pope Francis' teachings and major documents, his apostolic exhortation on the Amazon is built on a call for conversion -- a new way of seeing, thinking and doing."We need to feel outrage," he wrote, underlining his concern that the world has become too […]

Father Louis Aloysius Tou, the founding pastor of the Our Lady of China Pastoral Mission in the Archdiocese of Washington, died on Feb. 3 in Fredericksburg, Virginia. He was 89.Washington Auxiliary Bishop Michael Fisher will be the principal celebrant at a Memorial Mass for Father Tou at St. […]

When the penitential season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday on Feb. 26, we will begin a special time where we come before God to seek to know Him better, serve Him more, and love Him deeply. In the days leading up to Easter, we turn away from sin and distraction and turn toward Jesus through […]

NEW YORK (CNS) -- A prominent associate professor of theological and social ethics at Jesuit-run Fordham University and, until recently, a longtime board member of Democrats For Life said Feb. 6 the Democratic Party's support for abortion at any stage has driven him away from the party."For someone […]

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis praised the Knights of Columbus for their charitable efforts and thanked them especially for helping Christians in the Middle East. "I thank all the members of your order for seeing in our persecuted and displaced brothers and sisters of that region neighbors, […]

A large blue banner above the outside entranceway to Jesus the Divine Word Church in Huntingtown, Maryland, read, “25 Years of Proclaiming the Word.”And on Feb. 1, parishioners arriving for a 25th anniversary Mass celebrated by Washington Archbishop Wilton Gregory walked inside the […]

When St. Pope John Paul II canonized St. Josephine Bakhita in 2000, he said the saint is a “shining advocate of genuine emancipation,” noting how despite her abduction into slavery at a young age, she well understood God to be the source of true freedom. More than one decade later, at […]

While not exactly making science “easy as pie” to learn, educators at Holy Family Catholic School in Hillcrest Heights, Maryland, have cooked up a way to make learning science more appetizing.The Prince George’s County school is using cooking and learning about food as an engaging […]

At St. Andrew Apostle Church in Silver Spring, Maryland, a cross stands on display in the rectory. Pinned to the cross are tags with various names – Grace, Luke, Anthony; the names honor babies who died before birth.  This cross is one of the fruits of the Into the Light ministry […]

The Archdiocese of Washington’s Child Protection Policy was instituted in 1986 as one of the first such policies in the nation and has been used as a model for dioceses nationwide. The policy – which covers healing, reporting and prevention of abuse – was updated in 1993, 1999, […]

As nine-year-old Susana Lopez-Chavarriaga stepped onto the stage at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., for A Christmas Carol in November 2019, she said she was both happy and sweating. “I was confident and proud, thanking God at that moment for the opportunity that He gave […]

Maryland lawmakers are once again proposing a bill which would legalize physician-assisted suicide in the state. The Richard E. Israel and Roger “Pip” Moyer End-of-Life Option Act was introduced in the Maryland House of Delegates on Jan. 29 and would permit terminally ill patients to […]

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The right of parents "to exercise freedom of choice in education is firmly rooted in the teachings of our Catholic faith," two U.S. Catholic bishops said Feb. 5 in a joint statement on a federal proposal to expand parental choice for their children's schooling. Bishop Michael […]

St. John Paul II taught the world that truly great faith and holiness dwell in “the normality of a person who lives in profound communion with Christ,” Pope Francis said in a new book.Precisely because he allowed people to see he was a human being – whether skiing or praying, […]

Less than two weeks after pro-life leaders welcomed President Donald Trump to the speakers’ platform at the Jan. 24 March for Life on the National Mall, these leaders were praising a call he issued in his State of the Union address Feb. 4 that Congress immediately ban late-term abortion.He […]

In honor of African-American History Month, Washington Archbishop Wilton joined students at Archbishop Carroll High School in Washington, D.C., for a celebratory Mass on Feb. 5 . Archbishop Gregory, the first African American to lead the Archdiocese of Washington, told the students that the […]

Placing third in its division at the World Latin Dance Cup in Medellin, Colombia in December, the Leones de Oro Latin Dance team from Archbishop Carroll High School returned to training with full force in the new year -- gearing up for a year full of competition and, hopefully, the next World Latin […]

Sister Margaret Claydon, who was president of what is now Trinity Washington University from 1959 to 1975 and who set a national standard for Catholic women’s education, died Feb. 1. She was 97.She was a member of the congregation of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur for more than seven […]

An archbishop has called the Feb. 3 terrorist attack in London in which three people were stabbed “saddening and shocking.”Archbishop John Wilson of Southwark lamented how “yet again” innocent bystanders had become victims of terrorist violence. One of those stabbed was a […]

Readings for Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time:Sirach 15:15-20 Psalm 119:1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34 I Corinthians 2:6-10 Matthew 5:17-37 or Matthew 5:20-22, 27-28, 33-34, 37Today’s Gospel features parallel statements by Jesus. He begins, each time, with “you have heard that […]

Q. We just celebrated the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, but in our parish there was no blessing of candles. I am aware that in some other parishes, the faithful are permitted to bring their own candles to be blessed along with the candles that the parish is going to use for the year. A […]

We recently said goodbye to one of our true Washington area heroes. DeMatha Catholic High School’s Hall of Fame Coach Morgan Wootten deservedly gained recognition as one of the best basketball coaches ever, but he was first and foremost a man of God whose wisdom and example will live for […]

Through local Catholics’ support, the Annual Appeal of the Archdiocese of Washington helps transform the lives of people every day, through outreach in ministries along city streets, in suburban neighborhoods and in the rural countryside. The theme for this year’s appeal is […]

To mark the World Day for Consecrated Life, Washington Archbishop Wilton Gregory celebrated a Feb. 3 Mass at the St. Ursula Chapel of the Archdiocese of Washington’s Pastoral Center in Hyattsville, Maryland, honoring local women and men in consecrated life marking milestone anniversaries this […]

When Nancy Hurwitz lost her job, she was devasted.“I had an excellent career of 17 years, the owner became ill, his wife sold the building, and my job ended,” Hurwitz said. “My heart was broken, I loved the people, I loved my job. It was like the rug was pulled out from under […]

Catholics my age and older may well recall a time when our fellowship and encounters with other Christians was limited – if not awkward. We occasionally were advised not to attend the church weddings or baptisms of our Protestant brothers or sisters. When a Catholic married a Christian of […]

Mary Higgins Clark, known as the “queen of suspense” to her millions of readers throughout the world, died of natural causes in Naples, Florida, Jan. 31. She was 92. The author of more than 50 novels, the popular New York-born author is also remembered for her strong Catholic […]

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican donated thousands of protective masks to several Chinese provinces affected by the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus.In an email to Catholic News Service Feb. 3, the Vatican press office confirmed a report that appeared in the Chinese newspaper The Global Times, […]

In the midst of construction for the new Student Life Center on the campus of Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda, Maryland, Washington Archbishop Wilton Gregory blessed the ground in a ceremony on Jan. 30, asking for God’s blessing on the many students who will benefit from […]

On the day of the ribbon cutting for the new St. Jerome Library at St. Thomas More Catholic Academy in Washington, D.C., the banner outside the door showed an open book, with a rocket ship flying, a ship sailing and a castle’s tower stretching from its pages.And cutting the ribbon was Andrew […]

In celebration of Catholic Schools Week, St. Francis International School honored the individuals who helped establish the school one decade ago at a Mass with Washington Archbishop Wilton Gregory at St. Camillus Church in Silver Spring, Maryland on Jan. 29. Born from a joint effort of leaders […]

Gloria Purvis, host of the Eternal Word Television Network’s “Morning Glory,” offered several do’s and don’ts when engaging with African Americans about abortion and the pro-life movement.Purvis, known for her work promoting the sanctity of life and the dignity of […]

If you met Dorothy Day, you were changed, said panelists at a Jan. 27 discussion following an advance screening of a new documentary, “Revolution of the Heart: The Dorothy Day Story,” which profiles the co-founder of the Catholic Worker Movement.And if you were changed, they noted, you […]

U.S. Cardinal Raymond L. Burke drew loud cheers from a Washington crowd Jan. 25 when he said of Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton: “We intend to have these decisions completely repealed.”In 1973, in Roe and its companion case, Doe, the Supreme Court legalized abortion on demand […]

The beatitudes are a path to joy and true happiness mapped out by Jesus for all of humanity, Pope Francis said.“It is difficult not to be touched by these words,” the pope said Jan. 29 during his weekly general audience in the Paul VI Hall. “They contain the ‘identity […]

Readings for The Feast of the Presentation of the LordMalachi 3:1-4 Psalm 24:7-10 Hebrews 2:14-18 Luke 2:22-40 or Luke 2:22-32In a few months, God willing, my wife Louise and I will go to St. Joe’s Hospital, here in town, take the elevator to the maternity ward, put on […]

Q. I know that for some years the Vatican has been studying the cause for sainthood of the French priest Leon Dehon. Will Pope Francis canonize him in spite of that priest’s anti-Semitic writings? A. Father Dehon, who died in 1925, was the founder of the priests of the Sacred Heart of […]

Legendary DeMatha Catholic High School basketball Coach Morgan Wootten was remembered not only as a dedicated family man devoted to his Catholic faith, but also as a teacher, mentor and coach whose life – rooted in God, family, education and basketball in that order – influenced the […]

According to Sister Bethany Madonna, vocations director for the Sisters of Life, one’s circumstances change, yet life is a gift.Sister Madonna addressed a crowd of over 700 attendees at the 21st annual Cardinal O’Connor Conference on Life Jan. 25 at Georgetown University. Organized […]

In a politically charged election year, Catholic parishes aren’t immune to the animus in the air.But it’s important to remind people in Catholic communities of their faith, the shared belief in a loving Christ, and that is more important than any political party they may belong to, said […]

The year 2019 saw the release of quality films across a wide range of genres, from a comic book-based extravaganza and a family drama about a Chinese American clan to a crackerjack murder mystery.Family-friendly fare, meanwhile, saw extensions to popular franchises, the polished adaptation of a […]

Archbishop Wilton Gregory celebrated a Jan. 28 Catholic Schools Week Mass at Mother Catherine Academy in Mechanicsville, Maryland, and urged the students there to be like St. Thomas Aquinas, whose feast was being observed that day."He (St. Thomas Aquinas) went to school just like you. He studied […]

For St. Mary’s School in Bryantown, Maryland, Catholic Schools Week isn’t just about celebrating the gift of a Catholic education. It’s also about serving others. Service, the school’s virtue for the month of January, inspired a community service event the school hosted […]

A mosaic of Blessed Frederic Ozanam, founder of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, was unveiled in Washington Jan. 26, in time for the 175th anniversary of the society's establishment in the United States."It is a great joy and blessing to gather as Vincentians" for the unveiling, said Bishop […]

To begin Catholic Schools Week 2020, Washington Archbishop Wilton Gregory celebrated Mass Jan. 26 at St. Andrew Apostle Parish, Silver Spring, encouraging parishioners and school families alike to be “Disciples for Christ” in proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel. “We are all […]

CALABASAS, Calif. (CNS) -- As the world mourned the loss of basketball great Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others killed in a tragic helicopter crash Jan. 26, many recalled how Bryant gave much credit to his Catholic faith for seeing him through the bad times and […]

While a student at St. Margaret’s School in Seat Pleasant, Maryland, during the late 1970s, Paul-Sean Gray remembers watching a local television program featuring legendary Boston Celtics Coach Red Auerbach along with high school basketball Coach Morgan Wootten breaking down the game and […]

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The University of Notre Dame's O. Carter Snead said it was "a good thing when the president of the United States -- whomever he or she may be -- attends an event meant to celebrate and defend the intrinsic equal dignity of all persons, born and unborn.""But there should be no […]

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- When Hannah Miller thinks of what it means to be a pro-life woman, the iconic image of the kerchief-clad Rosie the Riveter flexing her muscles immediately comes to mind."It's like 'Yes, We Can.' Yes, we can be a mother, get a college degree and have a career," the 23-year-old […]