The Catholic Sun

Valley Interfaith Project (VIP) trains, educates and organizes people on the margins to become leaders and advocate for themselves. As a local non-partisan interfaith organization, VIP is committed to building relationships and organizing people for sustainable, social and economic improvement. An avenue of this work involves partnering with Catholic parishes within the Diocese of Phoenix. St. Louis the King in Glendale, Ariz., and St. Francis Xavier in Phoenix are two parishes that are working with VIP particularly to meet the needs of their migrant communities.  

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- After undergoing a CT scan Feb. 18, Pope Francis was diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia, the Vatican said. "The follow-up chest CT scan which the Holy Father underwent this afternoon," the Vatican bulletin said, "demonstrated the onset of bilateral pneumonia, which required additional drug therapy." "Laboratory tests, chest X-rays and the Holy Father's clinical condition continue to present a complex picture," the evening bulletin said.

Every Sunday all eight of us Dolan kids would pile out of the van and head into Mass while my dad parked the car. “I’ll meet you in the church,” he’d say. At that time, I was so small that I couldn’t see above all of my siblings. As I shuffled along, I remember thinking, how will my dad be able to find us? If I can’t see over the crowds, he probably can’t either.  Of course, spotting a row of eight kids as an adult wasn’t too hard, but as a little kid every time he slid into the pew, I remember thinking, “Wow, my dad is awesome! How did he do that? He always finds us!” I really thought he was a superhero. I still do.

In the hall where the 60 or so participants meet each week for St. John Vianney Parish’s youth ministry, in Goodyear, Ariz., the atmosphere goes well beyond learning about Jesus, the Blessed Mother and the sacraments. “It really is a place where you can be yourself without worrying about anyone judging you,” said Abigail Navarro, a teen who has been involved with youth ministry since middle school. “The friends you make here, you’ll keep for the rest of your life. The people here, you won’t find them anywhere else. You won’t find the faith that they have. You won’t find the love that they have for you,” she said.  

Each year, the Charity and Development Appeal (CDA) raises funds to support more than 70 ministries, charities and organizations throughout the Diocese of Phoenix. The multi-million-dollar appeal, which impacts thousands of lives annually will launch in most parishes throughout the diocese the weekend of Feb. 15-16.   This year’s CDA theme is “Hope does not disappoint,” aligning with Pope Francis’ focus for the 2025 Jubilee Year and year one of Bishop John Dolan’s seven-year pastoral plan on evangelization, TILMA.  

Tucson-February 11, 2025—Pope Francis has named Bishop Edward J. Weisenburger as the next Archbishop of Detroit. The priests, deacons, religious women and men of the Diocese of Tucson as well as the Pastoral Center staff and all the lay faithful of the diocese enthusiastically congratulate Archbishop-elect Weisenburger on his appointment by Pope Francis. Archbishop-elect Weisenburger will be greatly missed as he has served our diocese generously and with the care of a good shepherd since his arrival in 2017. His prayerful leadership over these past seven years has benefitted our Catholic community in many ways. He will be remembered for his zeal for vocations, for deepening the faith of the young, and his concern for our struggling parishes.

Deviating from the traditional music often heard during the weekly televised Mass from Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral, in Phoenix, the Umoja Gospel Youth Choir from St. Josephine Bakhita Mission Parish led attendees and viewers in worship, singing music derived from African-American spirituals as part of the Diocese of Phoenix’s first-ever celebration Black History Month Mass celebrated on Feb. 9.  “Enslaved people denied earthly freedom still found the liberation in the Gospel. Their spiritual songs like ‘Wade in the Water’ and ‘Swing Low Sweet Chariot,’ and our closing song today, ‘Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing,’ they were not just points of music,” said Bishop John Dolan in his homily. “They were prayers, affirmations of faith and cries of justice.” 

Linda Kumar is hurting but hopeful. And though she has good reason to complain, the lifelong Catholic and St. Bernadette parishioner prefers to live seeking God’s love, the unsurpassed sense one can experience in quiet moments with her heavenly Father. Around 5 a.m. every day, Kumar arrives at the church on 60th street about a mile south of Bell Road in Scottsdale, Ariz., to refill its holy water fonts and maintain the candles in the grotto outside.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Thanking members of the military and the police for their service, Pope Francis asked them to be on guard against seeing other people as enemies and instead dedicate their lives to defending life, peace and justice."Be vigilant lest you be poisoned by propaganda that instills hatred (and) divides the world into friends to be defended and foes to fight," the pope wrote in his homily for the Mass Feb. 9 for the Jubilee of the Armed Services, Police and Security Personnel.

As clergy and faithful present proclaimed “Axios! Axios! Axios!” (Greek for “He is worthy”), Fr. Artur Bubnevych was consecrated a bishop and enthroned as the Sixth Bishop of the Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix in a ceremony at Annunciation Byzantine Catholic Church in Anaheim, Calif., on January 28.  The Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church, known as the Byzantine Catholic Church in the United States, is one of 23 Eastern Rite Catholic Churches, which, along with the Western (Latin) Rite are all part of the Catholic Church.