by Mary Farrow Denver, Colo., Dec 31, 2020 / 04:01 pm MT (CNA).- While the COVID-19 pandemic has turned life upside down for many people in 2020, it’s not the first time the Church has gone through a major health crisis. In the middle of the 14th century, the plague …

by Mary Farrow Denver, Colo., Dec 29, 2020 / 03:00 am MT (CNA).- Chatting with Lee McDowell is a peaceful experience. Seated in a comfy leather chair in a rust-colored office near downtown Denver, McDowell serenely and thoughtfully explains the “art and science” of her particular trade – and it’s …

by Mary Farrow Lafayette, La., Dec 23, 2020 / 04:00 pm MT (CNA).- Three Cajun Catholics from the Diocese of Lafayette, Louisiana are on their way to becoming canonized saints after a historic ceremony earlier this year. During the Jan. 11 ceremony, Bishop J. Douglas Deshotel of Lafayette officially opened …

by Mary Farrow Denver, Colo., Dec 21, 2020 / 01:01 pm MT (CNA).- Every time Christians recite the Apostles’ Creed, they affirm their belief in what will happen to them after death: “’I believe in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.” The belief in the resurrection of one’s …

by Mary Farrow Denver Newsroom, Dec 18, 2020 / 12:01 pm MT (CNA).- In a revival of an historic custom of the Church, Bishop Douglas Lucia of Syracuse has invited Catholics of his diocese to participate in the Ember Days, traditional days of fasting and prayer, for the intention of …

by Mary Farrow Denver Newsroom, Dec 13, 2020 / 04:58 am MT (CNA).- ‘Tis the season to be jolly, and, perhaps, to have one’s social media inundated with memes about Christmas being nothing more than a co-opted pagan holiday – maybe a winter solstice celebration – repurposed and baptized by …

by Mary Farrow Denver Newsroom, Dec 1, 2020 / 02:55 pm MT (CNA).- For the past 16 years, Elf on the Shelf has become a tradition, both hated and loved, for families in the days leading up to Christmas. Based on a book and accompanying doll, the elf is a …

by Mary Farrow Denver Newsroom, Nov 28, 2020 / 04:35 pm MT (CNA).- Wry jokes and memes about the decided awfulness of the year 2020 – with the pandemic, ensuing lockdowns and economic distress, as well as civil unrest in a turbulent election year – are well known to just …

by Mary Farrow Denver Newsroom, Nov 14, 2020 / 03:45 am MT (CNA).- In December 2019, Bishop James Conley of the Diocese of Lincoln announced he was going on a medical leave of absence. Citing diagnoses of depression and anxiety, as well as chronic insomnia and debilitating tinnitus (a constant …

by Mary Farrow Denver Newsroom, Nov 8, 2020 / 04:18 pm MT (CNA).- No phones, no Facebook, no Amazon, no Netflix. When Fr. Josh Mayer entered St. John Vianney’s Seminary in Denver, his first year looked a little more monk-like than what some might expect. “It had to do with …