IMAGE: CNS photo/Dave Hrbacek, Catholic Spirit By Dave Hrbacek WOODBURY, Minn. (CNS) — Bob Mathewson got a celebrity’s welcome at St. Ambrose of Woodbury Catholic School one early December morning. All it took were three simple words: "Ho ho ho." Well, the bright red velvet suit and white beard had …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Paul Haring By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Putting up a Nativity scene before Christmas is a reminder to stop and remember what Christmas is really about and to prepare one’s heart like a manger for the coming of Christ, Pope Francis said. At his weekly general …

By Hannah Brockhaus Vatican City, Dec 18, 2019 / 03:12 am (CNA).- Pope Francis Wednesday called Christmas nativity scenes a “domestic Gospel,” which helps to make the Holy Family present in one’s home. He also encouraged every family to have one in their home at Christmas time. During his last …

By Courtney Mares Shrewsbury, England, Dec 17, 2019 / 02:06 pm (CNA).- Gavin Ashenden, a former Honorary Chaplain to the Queen in the Church of England who was consecrated a bishop in a Continuing Anglican ecclesial community, will be received into the Catholic Church on Sunday. He will receive confirmation …

By Matt Hadro Washington D.C., Dec 17, 2019 / 04:00 pm (CNA).- The White House hosted dozens of Catholic leaders on Monday afternoon for an internal briefing on life and religious freedom issues. The off the record briefing, held in the Indian Treaty room of the Executive Office Building, focused …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Spirit Juice, courtesy Knights of Columbus By Andrew Butler The only water available to the people in the mountain region of Santa Maria in Jalapa, Guatemala, was bacteria-infested. Women and girls would spend as much as eight hours per day hauling the water for their families. They would …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Paul Haring By Dennis Sadowski WASHINGTON (CNS) — Throughout his papacy, Pope Francis has welcomed dialogue that has led to often candid assessments from clergy and papal advisers about the path he is charting for the Catholic Church. From discussions during the recent Synod of Bishops on the …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Evandro Inetti, pool By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis has abolished the obligation of secrecy for those who report having been sexually abused by a priest and for those who testify in a church trial or process having to do with clerical sexual abuse. "The …

Pittsburgh, Pa., Dec 16, 2019 / 01:42 pm (CNA).- The Diocese of Pittsburgh has announced that next month 26 existing parishes will be merged into eight new parishes as part of the “On Mission for the Church Alive!” strategic planning initiative. “For more than a year, you have journeyed together …

By Christine Rousselle Washington D.C., Dec 16, 2019 / 03:10 pm (CNA).- A new analysis from the Pew Research Center shows that many Catholic priests are holding to Pope Francis’ advice to keep their homilies on the shorter side, especially compared to Protestant denominations. An analysis of nearly 50,000 sermons, …