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Catholic News Agency
Illinois church reopening restrictions ‘not mandatory’
by Matt Hadro Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 29, 2020 / 06:00 am MT (CNA).- The state of Illinois relaxed its restrictions on churches on Thursday, after Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh ordered the state to respond to three lawsuits brought by churches. At a press conference May 28, Gov. JB …
Vatican offers online book for parents facing difficult prenatal diagnosis
by Courtney Mares Vatican City, May 29, 2020 / 07:10 am MT (CNA).- The Vatican has published a free book online that can be a resource for parents facing a difficult or fatal diagnosis for their unborn child during pregnancy. The nearly 300-page ebook is a compilation of speeches given …
Nuns put altar bread production on hold as they weather pandemic
CNA Staff, May 29, 2020 / 05:30 am MT (CNA).- When it is working at full capacity, the altar bread department at St. Cecilia’s Abbey produces millions of hosts a year, bringing revenue to the community of Benedictine nuns on the Isle of Wight, an island in the English Channel. …
Diocese of Pittsburgh announces next round of parish mergers
CNA Staff, May 28, 2020 / 04:17 pm MT (CNA).- This summer, the Diocese of Pittsburgh will initiate another round of mergers, bringing its current 152 parishes down to 106. While the consolidation is difficult, Pittsburgh Bishop David Zubik said, it will allow the Church to more effectively carry out …
American priest heading for beatification died amid a global pandemic
by Courtney Mares Vatican City, May 27, 2020 / 05:40 am MT (CNA).- Fr. Michael McGivney, an American priest soon to be beatified, died amid a 19th-century pandemic which may have been caused by a coronavirus. Fr. McGivney founded the largest world’s largest Catholic fraternal service organization, the Knights of …
LA archdiocese announces reopening plan
by Matt Hadro Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 27, 2020 / 10:35 am MT (CNA).- After California relaxed public health restrictions on churches on Monday, the nation’s largest diocese announced its plan on Tuesday to resume public Masses. In a two-step plan for parishes to reopen and offer the sacraments, the …
Maryland county bans Eucharist in church reopening order
by Christine Rousselle Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 27, 2020 / 12:00 pm MT (CNA). An executive order issued Tuesday in Maryland’s Howard County outlines public health rules under which churches may reopen. The order prohibits the distribution and consumption of any food or drink as part of any religious service, …
Research aims to quantify and explain drop in US religiosity
CNA Staff, May 27, 2020 / 12:09 am MT (CNA).- The current drop in the number of people in the United States identifying with a religion may not be permanent, but it is in some ways unprecedented, according to a new research study aiming to quantify the drop in religiosity …
After leukemia returns, Bishop Murry of Youngstown resigns
CNA Staff, May 27, 2020 / 09:19 am MT (CNA).- Bishop George Murry of Youngstown, Ohio has submitted his resignation to Pope Francis, due to a recurrence of leukemia, the diocese has announced. The bishop is 71 years old, four years younger than standard retirement age for bishops. In April …
Knights of Columbus founder Fr. Michael McGivney to be beatified
Vatican City, May 27, 2020 / 04:55 am MT (CNA).- Pope Francis approved a miracle attributed to the intercession of Fr. Michael J. McGivney Wednesday, paving the way for the beatification of the founder of the Knights of Columbus. During a May 26 meeting with Cardinal Angelo Becciu, the prefect …
