News - August 2015 RSS Feed

Pope Francis asked thousands of people gathered in St. Peter's Square to be quiet for a moment and ponder the question, "Who is Jesus to you?"

From the time he was archbishop of Buenos Aires, Pope Francis has said special prayers for catechists on the feast of St. Pius X, who wrote a catechism in 1908.

They are calling it "Kat 10”—Hurricane Katrina plus 10 years—which carries with it the double meaning of an ominous meteorological warning.

Drawing on the experience of the public exposition of the Shroud of Turin, Vatican officials are adopting a reservation system for pilgrims who want to cross the threshold of the Holy Door at St. Peter's Basilica during the Year of Mercy.

From time to time, Bishop Patrick J. Zurek's Sunday homily is posted. Here is his Aug. 23 homily, given at Immaculate Conception Church, Perryton.

Sister of Charity of St. Joan Antida Sister Theresa Rozga, former director of the Bishop DeFalco Retreat Center, will present a Day of Reflection Saturday, Sept. 19 from 9:00am to 4:00pm at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, 4100 South Coulter.

As lecterns go, it is strictly utilitarian, a simple walnut stand with none of the ornamentation commonly found in mid-19th-century furnishings.

Families need moments of rest and celebration, time for standing back and recognizing the gifts of God and how well they have developed, Pope Francis said.

Requests for copies of Pope Francis' environmental encyclical and the demand for tickets to see him at the United Nations indicate enthusiasm and expectations for Pope Francis' visit are running high, said the Vatican representative.

Along with having a winning smile and a warm embrace, Pope Francis is known for challenging people.

Two priests in the Diocese of Amarillo have received additional assignments, according to Bishop Patrick J. Zurek.

In one thick volume, Vatican offices and departments tell their own stories. The 2014 edition of the "Activity of the Holy See," released in July, runs more than 1,600 pages. Some offices submitted exhaustive reports, including every guest they hosted and every meeting their staff attended. Others provided more of a generic overview of their main tasks.

Approximately 2,000 members of the Knights of Columbus from around the country and abroad gathered Aug. 4 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia to open the Catholic fraternal organization's 133rd Supreme Convention.

Bishop Oscar Cantu of Las Cruces has asked pastors, deacons and parish leaders in the diocese "to exercise increased vigilance in our parish surroundings and activities."