TheBostonPilot.com: Latest News

Home » Latest News

Local
Cardinal celebrates feast of Divine Mercy at Salem shrine
4/16/2021
SALEM -- Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley visited the St. John Paul II Shrine of Divine Mercy for the celebration of Mass on April 11, Divine Mercy Sunday. Formerly St. John the Baptist Polish Church, the St. John Paul II Shrine of Divine Mercy emphasizes the contributions of two Polish saints: St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, who received the commission of the Divine Mercy image in her visions of Christ, and St. Pope John Paul II, who instituted the Sunday after Easter as the feast of Divine Mercy.
Read more
Local
Forming the Future: Trinity Catholic Academy collects food for local pantry
4/16/2021
BROCKTON -- "I've always instilled a sense of service into my students," Andrea Hurm said April 12. When she came to Brockton's Trinity Catholic Academy in 2020 to teach middle school religion, one of the first things she wanted to know was what kind of service the school community conducted. After consulting the head of school, Dr. Jennifer Roy, and hearing how the coronavirus pandemic limited the types of activities that were possible, she decided to organize something that students, staff, and faculty could all safely participate in: a series of food drives held throughout the academic year.
Read more
Local
Ordination Class of 2021: Deacon Kevin Pleitez
4/16/2021
This is the second in a series of articles profiling the five men who will be ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Boston at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross on May 22. CHESTNUT HILL -- Deacon Kevin Pleitez felt he had everything he needed for a successful life.
Read more
Local
Webinar looks at ways to welcome parishioners back to Mass
4/16/2021
BRAINTREE -- When will the coronavirus pandemic "end," and what will happen when it does? Those questions have been on people's minds for over a year and were addressed during a webinar about forming "A Welcome Back Plan for Your Parish" on April 12. The webinar was meant to give pastors and parish staff creative ideas for engaging with parishioners as the coronavirus pandemic becomes less severe.
Read more
Local
From Cardinal Seán's blog
4/16/2021
As I left off last week, we were about to begin our celebrations of the Sacred Triduum. It was wonderful to once again be able to have the faithful present for our liturgies, and I was very encouraged to see that the cathedral was full to capacity for all of our celebrations.
Read more
World
Cardinal O'Malley: We must be vigilant in supporting survivors of sexual abuse
4/16/2021
Rome (CNA) -- Cardinal Seán O'Malley urged religious leaders to be vigilant in preventing child sexual abuse and supporting survivors in healing at a virtual conference organized by Harvard University in partnership with the Vatican and other religious groups this week.
Read more
World
The original Image of Divine Mercy: It's not where you might think
4/16/2021
Vilnius, Lithuania (CNA) -- Among Catholic devotions, the Divine Mercy message is well-known: the iconic image of Christ, with rays of red and white pouring from his heart; St. Faustina, called the "Apostle of Divine Mercy;" and the Basilica of Divine Mercy in Krakow, Poland.
Read more
World
Last court of appeal clears French cardinal of failing to report abuse
4/15/2021
OXFORD, England (CNS) -- A French cardinal has been definitively cleared of charges of failing to report sexual abuse by clergy and has been indemnified from further lawsuits. The Court of Cassation -- one of four courts of last resort in France, with jurisdiction over all civil and criminal matters -- ruled April 14. Eight victims of a former priest had appealed after Cardinal Philippe Barbarin was acquitted for failing to report the abuse.
Read more
Nation
California lifts indoor worship rules; bishops say safety still a priority
4/15/2021
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CNS) -- California's Catholic bishops "remain committed to the complete resumption of indoor worship in a responsible and safe manner," said an April 13 statement issued by the Executive Committee of the California Catholic Conference, the public policy arm of the bishops.
Read more
Nation
For true healing, abuse survivors urge church to hear their stories
4/15/2021
CLEVELAND (CNS) -- A trio of survivors of sexual abuse are inviting the Catholic Church -- from parishioners in the pews to the bishops who lead dioceses -- to join them on their journey toward healing and reconciliation.
Read more
World
Sponsor a gargoyle: New fundraiser launched for Notre Dame in Paris
4/15/2021
A novel fundraising approach to restore one of the most iconic monuments in the world, Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, enables donors to have a piece of history. On April 15, Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris unveiled an interactive website -- restorenotredame.org -- that allows people to donate by adopting or sponsoring pieces of precious art and artifacts that were damaged in a 2019 fire. Donors can engage with the objects of their choosing and select which they'd like to help restore, whether it is a painting or statue. Funds can also go toward the cathedral's restoration as a whole if the person prefers.
Read more
Nation
FDA criticized for lifting in-person requirement to receive abortion drug
4/14/2021
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The decision by the acting commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to suspend enforcement of the agency's in-person prescribing requirement for the abortion drug endangers women's health and possibly their lives, pro-life leaders said.
Read more
Nation
Catholic sculptor's work to be part of COVID-19 memorial at Ohio hospital
4/14/2021
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (CNS) -- In an announcement that marked the first anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mercy Health -- Youngstown and the Mercy Health Foundation -- Mahoning Valley said a permanent memorial is planned to honor victims of the pandemic and those who cared for them.
Read more
Nation
Brooklyn priest named national director of Pontifical Mission Societies
4/14/2021
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Msgr. Kieran Harrington, vicar of communications for the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York, has been named national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States.
Read more
World
Faith is bolstered by prayer, not money, power, media, pope says
4/14/2021
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Without prayer, everything crumbles and any initiatives for church reform will just be proposals by some group and not the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Pope Francis said. "Everything in the church originates in prayer and everything grows thanks to prayer," the pope said April 14 during his weekly general audience.
Read more
World
African cardinal urges resistance to Western ideologies
4/14/2021
Read more
Nation
Archbishop Hebda encourages prayers, peace after fatal police shooting
4/13/2021
Read more
Nation
Pope accepts resignation of bishop who heads Minnesota's Crookston Diocese
4/13/2021
Read more
World
Accountability, transparency, due process still needed, abuse experts say
4/13/2021
ROME (CNS) -- To help foster a wider discussion on work that still must be done to safeguard minors and vulnerable people in the Catholic Church, a canon law journal published a series of talks by experts regarding accountability, transparency and confidentiality in the handling of abuse allegations.
Read more
World
Italy issues arrest warrant for broker in Vatican property deal
4/13/2021
Italian authorities issued an arrest warrant for Gianluigi Torzi, an Italian broker who served as the middleman in the Vatican's majority stake purchase of a property in London's posh Chelsea district.
Read more
Nation
Pharmaceutical companies urged to stop using abortion-derived cell lines
4/13/2021
Read more
Nation
Prevention, healing work better when faiths work together, says priest
4/12/2021
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Jesuit Father Hans Zollner, one of the Vatican's top experts in the field of clergy sexual abuse, said during an interfaith symposium on the subject that working together will help eliminate sexual abuse in different faiths.
Read more
Nation
Biden announces commission to study potential changes to Supreme Court
4/12/2021
Read more
Nation
Scottish bishops add free speech, thought to Catholic election concerns
4/12/2021
GLASGOW, Scotland (CNS) -- The bishops of Scotland have made freedom of speech, expression, thought, conscience and religion a priority for Catholic voters for the first time. In a 1,000-word letter issued ahead of the May 6 election, free speech is listed among key categories of concern alongside the protection of human life, family and work, poverty, human trafficking, the environment and Catholic education.
Read more
World
Cardinal unveils major Vatican conference on priesthood slated for 2022
4/12/2021
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Increasing vocations to the priesthood, improving the way laypeople and priests work together and ensuring that service, not power, motivates the request for ordination are all possible outcomes of a major symposium being planned by the Vatican in February 2022.
Read more
World
Former chaplain says Prince Philip was deeply interested in God
4/12/2021
MANCHESTER, England (CNS) -- The former chaplain to Queen Elizabeth II remembers Prince Philip as a man so deeply interested in God that he often would arrange conversations with Jewish and Muslim scholars, then put himself into the role of the Christian theologian.
Read more
Nation
NCEA convention highlights Catholic educators in challenging pandemic year
4/12/2021
Read more
World
Pope calls all Catholics to be missionaries of God's mercy
4/11/2021
Read more
World
Cardinal Cassidy, Vatican's former top ecumenist, dies at 96
4/10/2021
Read more
World
UPDATE: London cardinal leads Catholics in mourning death of Prince Philip
4/10/2021
MANCHESTER, England (CNS) -- Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster led Catholics of England and Wales in mourning the death of Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. The president of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales issued a statement April 9, soon after the queen announced "with deep sorrow" that her husband of 73 years had died at the age of 99.
Read more