In his passion, Jesus’ sufferings were unequaled. For the Son of God offered himself as a sacrifice for all. No one, not even the saintliest person, can take on the sins of all people in every time and place. Only God can, and did.
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — One year ago, Pope Francis stood in a rain-drenched, empty St. Peter’s Square praying for God’s comfort as the world began experiencing the growing severity of the COVID-19 pandemic.
WASHINGTON (CNS) — In the days following the March 16 shootings in Atlanta that left eight people dead, including six Asian American women, protests and vigils took place around the country remembering the victims and calling for an end to a growing wave of anti-Asian racism and violence.
WASHINGTON — Following a mass shooting at a supermarket in Boulder, CO, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development issued the following statement:
A medida que la Iglesia comienza la Semana Santa y celebra otro Triduo Pascual, es posible que nos estemos preguntando qué significa realmente la Pascua para nosotros. Hemos pasado por mucho este año. Ha sido un año de pandemia, malestar y agitación. La muerte ha proyectado su sombra sobre nosotros de formas inesperadas. ¿Puede aún la fe sostenernos, incluso frente a tales desafíos?
As the Church enters Holy Week and celebrates another Paschal Triduum, we may be questioning what Easter really means for us. We have been through a lot this year. It has been a year of pandemic and unrest and turmoil. Death has cast its shadow over us in unexpected ways.
OKLAHOMA CITY – Construction crews on Tuesday March 23 lifted the final steel beam onto the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine in south Oklahoma City. The beam, which was signed by hundreds of Oklahomans, is the latest construction milestone for the shrine, which is expected to be completed in late summer 2022.
Catholic Bishops of England and Wales restored the custom of Catholics abstaining from meat and fasting on every Friday of the year. Older Catholics will remember this was the custom of the Church in the United States. Father Phil Seeton, pastor of Holy Family Catholic Church in Lawton, encourages his parishioners to not just do the minimum required by the Church but to pray and abstain from meat on Fridays during the whole year. This is done in remembrance of the Lord who died on a Friday.
After almost a year of being quarantined, Saint Ann Retirement Center in Oklahoma City reopened March 14 for family members to return to the community and visit loved ones.
The bizarre story of Father Adam Oraczewski is one of the most intriguing tales of the Church in Oklahoma. In desperate need of clergy, and especially Polish-speaking priests to lead the predominately Polish parish in Harrah, Bishop Meerschaert was the perfect mark for the complex and odd charlatan that was Father Oraczewski.
The author of “Ceremonies explained for servers: a manual for servers, acolytes, sacristans, and master of ceremonies,” Peter J. Elliott, is a former auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Melbourne, Australia.
Catholic War Veterans recognized Vietnam-era veterans on March 10. The non-post members recognized were Charles Erwin, Dave Jobe and Tom Strotman. Post members recognized were Roger Thibeault, Ken Provost, Tony Wangler, Margie Tisdel, Sid Howard, Ronald Sandhop, Joe Cashes Jr. and Ralph Gosselin. Each were given a pin and a handout detailing the meaning of the pin.
On March 1, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker told residents in the town of Mattapan that when it comes to the various COVID-19 vaccines, “These are all very effective. People don't need to pick one from another. People should get vaccinated. If you have a chance to get a vaccine, you should take it, whatever it is."
by Constanza Morales and Michael Gresham, Catholic News Service
DALLAS – As federal officials announced that a downtown Dallas facility had been chosen to house up to 3,000 migrant teenagers starting the week of March 15, the Catholic faithful in the Diocese of Dallas sprang into action to help.
WASHINGTON (CNS) — A group of prominent Catholic scholars said they believe it is morally acceptable for anyone to receive any of the COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the United States.
Hace exactamente un año se identificaba el primer caso confirmado de COVID-19 en Oklahoma. ¿Quién se iba a imaginar en ese momento el impacto o los cambios que traería consigo? Desde ese día de marzo, han habido mas de 425,000 contagios y más de 7,200 muertes en el estado. Con más de 520,000 muertes a nivel nacional. A todos nos ha tocado.
One year ago, the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was identified in Oklahoma. Who imagined at that time its impact or the changes that were in store for us? Since last March there have been more than 425,000 COVID cases in Oklahoma and more than 7,200 COVID deaths.
A BORDO DEL VUELO PAPAL DESDE IRAK – El compromiso de la Iglesia Católica de dialogar con otras iglesias y con otras religiones fluye del Evangelio, pero el papa Francisco dijo que sabe que algunos católicos no están de acuerdo.