Lourdes Displays the Catholic Paradox

The Catholic Herald (Diocese of Sacramento) – By Bishop Jaime Soto – May 8, 2010
Since my time of service in the Diocese of Orange, the Order of Malta has been after me to accompany them and the “malades” in pilgrimage to Lourdes, France. The Order of Malta is an ancient Catholic association of men and [...]

‘We are Nazareth,’ Cardinal Schonborn Declares of Europe

The Catholic Key Blog – Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph – February 1, 2010
Reflecting on the Gospel of Luke when the adulation of Christ by his hometown, Nazareth, suddenly turns to a desire to throw Him off a cliff, Vienna Archbishop Christoph Cardinal Schonborn said, “Sometimes I have the impression that what we are living [...]

Jesus Is Hope for World in Crisis, Says Pope

Zenit.org – December 25, 2009
VATICAN CITY, DEC. 25, 2009 (Zenit.org) – For a world in financial and moral crisis, the Baby Jesus is a light in the darkness, Benedict XVI is affirming.
The Pope stated this today in his traditional Christmas message, which he delivered today at noon from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.
“The light [...]

Finding Hope Through Gratitude and Generosity

From Dan Conway’s The Good Steward, October 2009
Pope Benedict XVI’s most recent pilgrimage took him to the cities of Prague and Brno in the Czech Republic. During this trip, the Holy Father returned to one of his most consistent themes: hope in Christ.
In one of his homilies the Holy Father affirmed that “history has demonstrated [...]

Father Lombardi: Pope Points to Way Out of Crisis

Zenit.org – July 12, 2009
VATICAN CITY, JULY 12, 2009 (Zenit.org) – In the encyclical “Caritas in Veritate,” Benedict XVI shows the way out of the global economic crisis, says a Vatican spokesman.
Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, summed up the contribution of Benedict XVI’s third encyclical in three words: “development, gratuity [...]

Holy Father Visits the Church of the Holy Sepulchre; “The Empty Tomb Speaks to Us of Hope”

Vatican Information Service – May 15, 2009
VATICAN CITY, 15 MAY 2009 (VIS) – At 10.15 a.m. today the Holy Father visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where he was received by six representatives from the three institutions (Greek Orthodox Church, Custody of the Holy Land and Armenian Apostolic Church) responsible for the “Status Quo”, [...]

Pope Meets Religious Leaders, Highlights God’s Role in Human History

Catholic News Service – May 14, 2009 – By John Thavis
NAZARETH, Israel (CNS) — Meeting with Catholic and other religious leaders in Nazareth, Pope Benedict XVI returned to a running theme of his Holy Land pilgrimage: that God intervenes in human history, offering people a real reason for hope.
The corollary to that theme is just [...]

Staying Focused on Mission During Challenging Times

From Dan Conway’s The Good Steward, April 2009
“In his pastoral letter The Church Sharing!, Bishop David A. Zubik reflects on a story of Pittsburgh during the Great Depression:
A long time ago – nearly 80 years ago, during the first years of the Great Depression – people in Pittsburgh were out of work, kids were going [...]

Economic Crisis Can Be a Moment to Unite Oneself to the Cross of Christ

Zenit.org – Mar. 11, 2009 – By Carmen Elena Villa
ROME, MARCH 11, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The present economic crisis can be a moment to unite oneself to the cross of Christ, suggested the president of the Pontifical Council for Culture.
Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi said this Monday in his address on “The Challenges of the Crisis: Fears and [...]

We Are Called to be Stewards of the Future – A Future That is Full of Hope

From Dan Conway’s The Good Steward, August 2008
We have hope for the future because the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ makes things happen and is life-changing. Through Him, the dark door of time, of the future, has been thrown open. We have been saved in hope.
- Pope Benedict XVI
“As Pope Benedict teaches, we can [...]

(podcast) The Economy, Building Projects, and Capital Campaigns: Hope Amidst Difficult Times

The Church’s witness to hope is needed now more than ever. In a recent podcast, O’Meara Ferguson president and founder Patrick O’Meara argues that as the stock market struggles to rebound and as trust in material things is fading, “the Church has the opportunity to speak with great conviction and with great efficacy.”
For O’Meara, [...]