Catholic organizations help Afghan refugees (CNS) The Catholic Church, particularly in the U.S., has been “involved in the reception and establishment” of those seeking safe haven, participating in the effort with other faith-based aid groups and organizations such as the International Rescue Committee, said Bill Canny, executive director of Migration and Refugee Services for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. While some of those fleeing are U.S. citizens, many are refugees who don’t have family members in the country nor have been in the U.S. before and left their lives behind at a moment’s notice with little beyond what they could carry…

Amid boom in large churches, one parish tries to keep it small (RNS) Four years after the congregation began holding Masses at Green Hope High School, the diocese purchased land in Cary for a future church. But Mother Teresa’s families, originally the overflow worshippers from St. Michael the Archangel, came to appreciate the unfussy, homey atmosphere they lovingly called “Our Lady of Green Hope.”  In 2016, it was finally christened Mother Teresa Catholic Church…

Priest to the homeless of Sao Paulo dies of COVID (Crux) Brazil is mourning the death of Father Gilson Frank dos Reis, a recovered addict who dedicated his life to helping drug users and homeless people in Sao Paulo. The priest died on Aug. 21 after getting COVID-19 during a mission on the street about a month ago…

Beloved bishop loses battle with COVID (The Deacon’s Bench) Bishop Dr Jacob Mar Barnabas of the Gurugram diocese of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church passed  away on Thursday. He was 60. The bishop was undergoing treatment for COVID-19. His condition worsened Thursday…

What happens when the pope receives a head of state? (CNA) Have you ever noticed those people who accompany visitors through the rooms of the Apostolic Palace toward the papal library, where official meetings with the pope take place? Perhaps this choreography struck you as old-fashioned and out of step with the modern world. But these carefully choreographed scenes are full of meaning. They are part of the Vatican’s ceremonial life. This ceremonial is a language that tells us how an institution wishes to present itself to the world. Unraveling the meaning of the ceremonial helps us to grasp more of what happens inside of the Apostolic Palace…