Catholic school enrollment makes biggest increase in 50 years (AP) Enrollment in Catholic schools in the United States rose 3.8% from the previous academic year, rebounding from a sharp drop caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Catholic education officials reported Monday. The National Catholic Educational Association said nationwide enrollment increased by 62,000 to about 1.68 million students, marking the first increase in two decades and the largest jump it has recorded in at least five decades…
Pope Francis: “Let us ask ourselves if, in our hearts, we love the Church” (CNA) Pope Francis encouraged Catholics on Wednesday to love the Church, recognizing the “goodness and holiness” within it as well as the “inconsistencies” and sins. At his general audience in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall on Feb. 16, the pope said that only love enabled people to “speak the truth fully…”
In Italy, a call for national investigation into clerical sex abuse (The New York Times) Catholic groups and abuse survivors on Tuesday called on the Roman Catholic Church in Italy, which has yet to reckon with the scourge of sexual abuse by priests, to create an independent commission to investigate how the crisis has been handled. In a number of countries — including Australia, France, Ireland and the United States — the church has allowed some scrutiny of its actions. But so far, the church in Italy has resisted calls for an independent inquiry, even after Pope Francis in 2019 held a landmark meeting on clerical sexual abuse and called “for an all-out battle against the abuse of minors…”
Pope chooses theme for World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly (CNS) Pope Francis is dedicating the 2022 World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly to the importance of inviting older people to contribute to building a better world. The pope has chosen “They shall bear fruit even in old age” from the Book of Psalms (92:15) as the theme for the second world day, being celebrated July 24, 2022…
Deacon hopes to expand Stella Maris services (CNS) Since it began in the port of Glasgow just over a hundred years ago, Stella Maris has become a lifeline for seafarers all over the world. Now, it’s looking to establish a team of volunteer ship visitors in Greenland. Deacon David Noval, who last year became the first ever Stella Maris national director in Denmark, plans to spend three weeks in Greenland in May…
Meet a Catholic musical couple weaving ministry into art (B.C. Catholic) Catholic singers Jesse and Kathleen LeBlanc made a musical name for themselves in B.C. as the duo A Guy and a Girl but were not well know in the rest of the country. So when they moved from Langley to Brantford, Ont., shortly after getting married in 2016, they knew they were going to have to start afresh. Five years later, they have created a new band with a new, more-meaningful name, channelled their experience into recording a new collection of songs, and launched a new ministry for Catholic couples. And, oh yes, they’ve also started raising a family…
