Details:  Pope Francis on Friday morning, the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, celebrated the Jubilee for Priests, inviting clergy to reflect on two hearts: “the Heart of the Good Shepherd, and our own heart as priests.” In his homily during Holy Mass, the pope told thousands of priests from every continent gathered in St. Peter’s Square: “The Heart of the Good Shepherd is not only the Heart that shows us mercy, but is itself mercy,” he said. “There the Father’s love shines forth; there... Read more

Big news in the Catholic communications world. From The Pilot:  The Holy See announced June 3 that Pope Francis has named Father Robert P. Reed and Father Mark O’Connell, JCD as Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese of Boston. Bishop-elect Reed is President and CEO of iCatholic Media and Cabinet Secretary for Catholic Media. Bishop-elect O’Connell currently serves as Judicial Vicar for the Archdiocese of Boston. Cardinal O’Malley said, “In Bishops-elect Reed and O’Connell the Holy Father has selected two gifted... Read more

From the press release: EWTN Global Catholic Network has announced the acquisition of ChurchPOP, a fun, informative and inspirational online platform of “shareable Christian culture,” which can be found at churchpop.com. In addition to the primary ChurchPOP service, the acquisition also includes ChurchPOP Español and ChurchPOP Português. “The content available on the ChurchPOP platforms provides a terrific vehicle to engage millennials and others who might not be reached by more traditional religious media,” said EWTN Chairman and Chief Executive Officer... Read more

This was a terrific speech, and I hope the entire text shows up on line. Details, via CNS:  In today’s age of cyberbullying and online vitriol, be sure to take the high road and build people up rather than tear them down, Bishop Christopher J. Coyne of Burlington, Vermont, told Catholic communicators attending the Catholic Media Conference. “What can I say to make things better? What are the words that may impart grace to those who hear?” the bishop, chairman... Read more

Glad you asked. I’m having a great time in the “Rome of the West,” hanging out with some different kinds of Cardinals from the ones I saw in Italy. Morning today began early. Above is a shot from my hotel room around 5 this morning. I’m still on Rome time, and feeling the usual disorientation. I headed downstairs for a breakfast in the hotel Starbucks that was a little different from what I experienced in Rome. [img attachment=”105862″ align=”aligncenter” size=”full” alt=”IMG_5707... Read more

Wow:  A bishop in India is to donate one of his kidneys to save the life of a poor Hindu. Bishop Mar Jacob Muricken of the Syro-Malabar Eastern church is an auxiliary in the Palai diocese, in the southern state of Kerala. The recipient is E Sooraj, a 30-year-old poor lower-caste Hindu man from Kottakal in the south of India. He was diagnosed with kidney failure two years ago, and has been on dialysis since then, and struggling to support... Read more

Amazing:  For years, Matthew Quay picked up paper clips from desks and absent-mindedly straightened them while listening to discussions or presentations at work. He also carried some in his pockets to straighten during Mass at Holy Trinity Church in Orangeburg. It was simply something to do with his hands to help him stay focused, he said. He never figured that simple action would eventually turn into works of art that help persecuted Christians overseas. Last fall, Quay started to experiment... Read more

Details:  Bishop William Murphy ordained seven men to the diaconate on Saturday, May 28, in the Cathedral of Saint Agnes, Rockville Centre. See slideshow below. A deacon is a member of the clergy and an ordained minister of the Catholic Church. There are three groups, or “orders,” of ordained ministers in the Church: bishops, presbyters and deacons. Deacons are ordained as a sacramental sign to the Church and to the world of Christ, who came “to serve and not to be... Read more

A great idea, via the Catholic Standard: The call to go out and spread the gospel was answered on May 21 at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle during Light the City, an evening of prayer, reflection, and evangelization in Washington. People of all ages came and participated in this special evening of welcoming, as they traveled outside of the cathedral and into the streets to invite those walking around near the church to come inside to pray. The... Read more

The editorial in Catholic New York says it all: When Cardinal John O’Connor wrote “Help Wanted: Sisters of Life” as the headline for his regular Catholic New York column on Nov. 2, 1989, the responses came in by the hundreds. Enough, in fact, for him to sponsor a religious community of women who shared his passionate dedication to the sacredness of human life at every stage and were ready to commit to his vision of a life of prayer, of... Read more