Priest who performed invalid baptisms does them over (AP) Families came one by one to the baptismal font in a Phoenix church where the Rev. Andrés Arango, whose baptisms up until last summer are presumed to be invalid, poured holy water over the heads of a dozen people in a do-over of the Catholic ritual. The ceremony Thursday evening represented a new assignment for Father Arango, pastor of St. Gregory Parish for nearly five years until news broke that he had repeatedly flubbed the phrasing on the initiation rite. His task now: healing and helping those he invalidly baptized…

Headstones damaged at Ukrainian Catholic cemetery (AP) Dozens of headstones were toppled at a Ukrainian Catholic cemetery in the Baltimore suburbs last week, officials said. Church officials said some 49 headstones were knocked over and damaged last week at the Dundalk cemetery operated by the St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church in Baltimore last week, The Baltimore Sun reported…

Women’s Health Protection Act fails (CNA) The U.S. Senate failed to move forward with the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA) on Monday, striking down what some pro-life groups identify as the most radical abortion bill in U.S. history…

The history behind Ash Wednesday (Catholic Courier) Each year, Catholics around the world mark the start of Lent by receiving blessed ashes on their foreheads. The imposition of ashes on Ash Wednesday is a ritual that has stood the test of time and has its roots in ancient history, remarked Deacon Jonathan Schott, assistant director of campus ministry at St. John Fisher College in Pittsford. “This has been a somber and pious act that Christians and Catholics have been doing for 1,000-plus years,” Deacon Schott said…

Catholic lawyer Joe Donnelly sworn in as ambassador to Holy See (CNS) Vice President Kamala Harris Feb. 24 held a ceremonial swearing-in of Catholic lawyer Joe Donnelly of Indiana as the new U.S. ambassador to the Holy See. Donnelly, a former member of the House of Representatives and the Senate, was officially sworn in Feb. 15 at the federal courthouse in South Bend, Indiana…

Celebrity chef teams up with nuns at Ukraine border (Aleteia) We’ve often reported on chef José Andrés and the way he immediately goes to help those in need through his charity, World Central Kitchen. Ordinarily we see him in areas that have been struck by natural disaster, but now the Spanish chef has made a more dangerous journey to the borders of Ukraine. In freezing weather conditions, Andrés and his team are doing their best to serve the displaced Ukrainians…