The little-known story of when the Masons tried to kill Don Bosco

By ACI Prensa ACI Prensa Staff, Jan 31, 2025 / 04:00 am History notes how much the Freemasons hated St. John Bosco, the founder of the Salesians — whose feast the Catholic Church celebrates on Jan. 31 — but less known are their attempts to kill him. The two assassination attempts …
Happy Candlemas!

This Sunday in the Church Calendar, it’s the Feast of the Presentation in the Temple, or Candlemas. Candlemas officially ends the Christmas Season as it’s the 40th day of the Christmas/Epiphany Season also known as Christmastide. In Luke 2:22-40 “When the days were completed for their purification according to the …
UPDATE: Washington, Baltimore archbishops offer prayers after deadly DC plane crash

By Daniel Payne CNA Staff, Jan 30, 2025 / 13:30 pm The archbishops of Washington and Baltimore offered prayers on Thursday after a deadly plane crash near downtown Washington, D.C., claimed dozens of lives on Wednesday night. Up to 67 people were feared dead on Thursday after the overnight crash in …
Pope Francis Prayer Intentions for February 2025

For vocations to the priesthood and religious life Let us pray that the ecclesial community might welcome the desires and doubts of those young people who feel a call to serve Christ’s mission in the priesthood and religious life.
Cardinal Dolan: Vance’s remarks on bishops and immigration ‘scurrilous,’ ‘very nasty’

By Jonah McKeown CNA Staff, Jan 29, 2025 / 15:20 pm Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York strongly criticized comments Vice President JD Vance made on Sunday questioning the motives of U.S. Catholic bishops in their efforts to serve migrants and resettle refugees, in which Vance suggested financial incentives were their driving force …
A Thriving Habitat

The famous line from the movie Field of Dreams is, “If you build it, he will come.” Such was Chris and Chuck Schell’s mindset when they transformed two-and-a-half acres of lawn into one point seven acres of prairie for pollinators and other wildlife. Although born and raised in Chicago, they …
Catholic Charities urges Trump administration to ‘rethink’ freeze on NGO funding

By Kate Quiñones CNA Staff, Jan 28, 2025 / 19:52 pm The president of Catholic Charities USA has urged the Trump administration to “rethink” its pause on federal funding for executive departments, noting the “millions of Americans who rely on this life-giving support.” In a two-page memo on Monday the Office of Management …
CNA explains: How are ‘low-gluten’ Communion hosts made for Mass?

By Daniel Payne CNA Staff, Jan 29, 2025 / 06:00 am It’s something most Catholics have probably heard at Mass at some point: An announcement that “gluten-free” or “low-gluten” hosts are available either during Communion or directly afterward so that Catholics with gluten sensitivities can participate in the Blessed Sacrament with …
Elon Musk’s brother pitches jubilee year drone show in Rome

By Courtney Mares Vatican City, Jan 28, 2025 / 11:30 am Kimbal Musk, entrepreneur and younger brother of Elon Musk, met with Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri over the weekend to propose a drone-based musical light show for the Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee, according to Italian media. Donning his signature cowboy hat, …
Blessings in the AIr

On Oct. 19, 2024, Father Martin Fox, of the St. John Paul II (SJPII) Family of Parishes, took to the skies on a mission to bless people with holy water. Flying out of the Dayton-Wright Brothers Airport (Miamisburg) in an R-44 helicopter, he soared 5,000 feet up in the air. …