News - April 2016 RSS Feed

By Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Italian authorities arrested six suspects who allegedly received orders from the Islamic State terrorist group to attack the Vatican and the Israeli embassy in Rome.

By Lisa Haefs Catholic News Service ANTIGO, Wis. (CNS) — Antigo’s churches and schools were reaching out to students and parishioners following a shooting at a high school prom. Jakob Wagner, 18, shot two people outside of the Antigo High School prom late April 23 before being shot and killed by an Antigo police officer on a routine patrol of the parking lots surrounding the facility.

By Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Happiness “is not an ‘app’ that you can download on your phones nor will the latest update help you become free and great in loving,” Pope Francis told thousands of teenagers.

by Joshua J. McElwee Apr. 14, 2016 VATICAN CITY – The participants of a first-of-its-kind Vatican conference have bluntly rejected the Catholic church’s long-held teachings on just war theory, saying they have too often been used to justify violent conflicts and the global church must reconsider Jesus’ teachings on nonviolence.

Joshua J. McElwee Apr. 15, 2016 VATICAN CITY – U.S. Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders embraced decades of Catholic social teaching in a brief visit to the Vatican Friday, lambasting some particularly American aspects of the global market system in a bid to match his voice to Pope Francis’ cry against the “new idols” of money and wealth.

The Beaumont Diocese Criminal Justice Ministry recently joined other crime victim advocates in supporting and remembering victims. ETC Mallory Matt reports.

By Dennis Sadowski Catholic News Service WASHINGTON (CNS) — A wave of courses connecting branches of science with Catholic teaching is emerging in seminaries across the country. The goal is to raise “the scientific literacy of clergy,” said Doris Donnelly, retired professor of religion at John Carroll University in suburban Cleveland, who is administering a three-year, $1.5 million grant funding the Science and Faith in Seminary Formation program for the school.

By Catholic News Service WASHINGTON (CNS) — Pope Francis has appointed Archbishop Christophe Pierre, papal nuncio to Mexico since 2007, to be the new apostolic nuncio to the United States. He succeeds Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, who has held the post since 2011.

By Catholic News Service WASHINGTON (CNS) — Church leaders from around the world hailed the tone of mercy in Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation, “Amoris Laetitia” (“The Joy of Love”), but cautioned against a hurried reading of the document.

What better way to show off one’s culture than free food? Monsignor Kelly Catholic High School hosted its second annual Kelly Cultural Festival April 7 where students served various ethnic foods to represent the diversity of the school.

King of the 2016 Neches River Festival, Joe Tortorice, paid a visit to his old school, St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica School April 7. At the pep rally held in honor of King Neches Tortorice’s visit, he told the students that he remembers his teachers always telling him to “do the right thing,” and even gave him the secrets to life.

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Jesus brought humanity God’s merciful, saving love, not hatred and animosity, Pope Francis said. “Jesus makes visible a love open to everyone — nobody excluded — open to everyone without bounds,” he said at his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square April 6.

Divine Mercy Sunday was celebrated April 3 around the world in recognition of the blessings and mercy one receives from the Lord. At the noon Mass at St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica, Beaumont, Msgr. Jeremiah McGrath related humanity to a ten dollar bill.

Father Augustine Wall, S.V.D, pastor of St. Pius X, Beaumont, celebrated his 25th anniversary of ordination Saturday April 2 during the Divine Mercy Sunday Vigil. Father Wall reflected on his blessings as a priest during his homily.

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — With a simple tap, Pope Francis joined Instagram and quickly set a record for gaining 1 million followers. The launch of the “Franciscus” account March 19, the feast of St. Joseph and the third anniversary of the formal inauguration of his papacy, was preceded by huge media coverage.