Pope Francis: for Lent, ask if life is centered on God or oneself (CNS) Lent is a time to reconsider the path one is taking in life and to finally answer God’s invitation to return to him with one’s whole heart, Pope Francis said. “Lent is not just about the little sacrifices we make, but about discerning where our hearts are directed,” he said, “toward God or toward myself?”…
How PPP funding helped one parish weather the pandemic (CNS) If last year’s Paycheck Protection Program was like a matching grant, prompting recipients to stretch resources in order to maintain payroll and stay afloat during the pandemic spring, then it achieved that goal, according to one participating church. Father Ruben Arceo, pastor, St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Vista, California, a medium-size city north of San Diego, initially thought the terms of the PPP were such that they might put the parish into financial ruin if the loan later wasn’t forgiven. But a future without the PPP aid looked equally or even more dire at the time…
Biden receives ashes at Georgetown (The Hill) President Biden received ashes at Georgetown University on Wednesday to mark the Christian holy day of Ash Wednesday. According to the White House, Biden received ashes from the Rev. Brian O. McDermott, S.J. at Georgetown University’s Wolfington Hall. He was greeted by the Rev. Ronald Anton, S.J. Biden was not seen publicly receiving ashes…
Survey: Black Americans attend church, pray more often (AP) Black Americans attend church more regularly than Americans overall, and pray more often. Most attend churches that are predominantly Black, yet many would like those congregations to become racially diverse. There is broad respect for Black churches’ historical role in seeking racial equality, coupled with a widespread perception they have lost influence in recent decades…
