The Catholic Sun

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis has cleared the way for the canonizations of three blesseds: an Armenian Catholic archbishop martyred during the Armenian genocide, a lay catechist from Papua New Guinea killed during World War II and a Venezuelan religious sister who dedicated her life to education and the poor. The Vatican announced March 31 that the pope authorized the decrees March 28. Among them were the approval of a miracle attributed to Blessed Carmen Rendíles Martínez and authorization for the canonizations of Blessed Ignatius Maloyan and Blessed Peter To Rot, following a vote by cardinals and bishops.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis encouraged pilgrim groups visiting Rome for the Holy Year to be witnesses of hope and trust in God's faithfulness, especially in moments of discouragement. "God acts, even when we do not immediately see the results," the pope wrote to pilgrims from the Czech Republic. "The history of your saints teaches us this: think of the perseverance of John of Nepomuk and many other witnesses of faith in your land." In a message sent March 29 to some 2,000 participants in the Czech national jubilee pilgrimage, Pope Francis reflected on the country's deep Christian roots and the enduring legacy of saints such as Sts. Adalbert, Cyril and Methodius.

When you imagine Jesus knocking on the door of your heart, what do you experience? Maybe you’re immediately filled with anticipation, and you rush to the door to welcome your beloved friend. Maybe you feel a bit of hesitation, unsure if you can trust the person knocking who still feels a bit like a stranger. Or maybe you’re flooded with anxiety and fear, expecting the Lord to start banging on the door and demanding that you open up.  Whatever you feel, I encourage you to notice that and take it to prayer. 

Fr. Paul Sullivan, rector of Nazareth Seminary, has been appointed the new pastor of St. Agnes, a parish in central Phoenix that during 2026 will be established as the fourth house in the Diocese of Phoenix’s Nazareth Seminary. Fr. Bradley Peterson, O. Carm., who has been pastor at St. Agnes for the last 17 years, will be taking a sabbatical and residing at the Carmelite St. Therese Priory in Phoenix. Fr. Jorge Monteroso Merida, O. Carm., who has served as parochial vicar at St. Agnes, will be taking on a new assignment in New Jersey. Carmelite priests have served the parish since 1972. There will be a special farewell Mass for the Carmelite community at St. Agnes Parish on June 7, 2025, celebrated by Bishop John Dolan. There are no plans to make any changes to the parish school or convent.

When a Catholic family visits its faithful departed, the Diocese of Phoenix seeks to ensure that space is bathed in peace, a sense of God’s loving closeness and the joy of believing the individual is now with his or her heavenly Father, awaiting Jesus’ return to bring all believers home. But when the diocese leaders considered the mausoleum at St. Francis Cemetery in Phoenix — its second-oldest burial ground — they knew an upgrade was in order to maintain that mission.  

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Even though its focus was mainly scientific, a Vatican-sponsored conference on aging and longevity could not ignore the ongoing convalescence of 88-year-old Pope Francis. The pope returned to the Vatican March 23 after more than five weeks in Rome's Gemelli hospital, but his doctors have prescribed two months of a drastically reduced schedule to allow him to recuperate.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Change can be frightening, but the Holy Spirit encourages the faithful to face their fears, follow Jesus' light and be "born again," Pope Francis said in a prepared text. "If we do not accept to change, if we close ourselves up in inflexibility, in habits or our ways of thinking, we risk dying. Life resides in the capacity to change to find a new way to love," he said in the catechesis prepared for his general audience March 19.

Ana Luisa Martinez has always loved the Blessed Virgin Mary, but that love grew much deeper when she and her husband took their children on a seven-month pilgrimage. It wasn’t your ordinary pilgrimage.  With four sons ranging in age from 13 all the way down to the tender age of 14 months, it involved extensive preparation, planning and plenty of prayer. 

More than 1,300 candidates and catechumens, those who will enter into full communion with the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil, were personally welcomed by Bishop John Dolan this month as they enter the final stages of their preparation. The encounters took place at the diocesan Rite of Elections, an integral part of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) that is celebrated annually during the Lenten season. Over the past two years, due to the vastness of the Diocese of Phoenix, Bishop Dolan has celebrated the liturgy in multiple locations for the opportunity to personally welcome more of the individuals who are entering the Catholic Church.  

For the first time in more than two years, the state of Arizona is set to execute an inmate on Wednesday, March 19. The Office of Prison Ministries and the Office of Respect Life Ministries held a prayer vigil Tuesday night at St. Mary’s Basilica in downtown Phoenix led by Bishop Eduardo Nevares. A group of faithful gathered to pray for inmate, Aaron Gunches, the victim, the families and for an end to the death penalty. Opposition to the death penalty is rooted in the Catholic Church’s teaching that every person is created in the image and likeness of God, imparting sacred dignity to all human life.