null / Credit: Cherries/ShutterstockWashington D.C., Mar 24, 2023 / 11:08 am (CNA).Catholic bishops in Texas are all-in advocating for parental school choice in the state Legislature this spring. "St. Paul VI spoke well of the Catholic Church s understanding of education. He said, Parents, who have the primary and inalienable right and duty to educate their children, must enjoy true liberty in their choice of schools. Therefore, parental choice continues to be a top priority of the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops," Bishop Michael Olson of Fort Worth said in a video released Monday. A bill introduced by state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, would establish an education savings account program to allow parents to receive some of their tax dollars back to help pay for the educational institution of their choice. This would allow more Catholic parents to be able to better afford to enroll their children in a Catholic or private school or home-school.
Pope Francis reads the Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in St. Peter s Basilica, March 25, 2022. / Vatican Media.St. Louis, Mo., Mar 24, 2023 / 12:30 pm (CNA).March 25 marks one year since Pope Francis consecrated Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.Earlier this week, the pope encouraged "each believer and community, especially prayer groups," to renew the consecration of the whole world every March 25 on the solemnity of the Annunciation. But what does all this mean? Here s what you need to know.What does consecration mean?To "consecrate" is to set aside for a holy purpose. The word "entrustment" is often used synonymously with the word "consecration."The Vatican s Congregation for Divine Worship defines consecration to Mary as an overt recognition of the "singular role of Mary in the Mystery of Christ and of the Church, of the universal and exemplary importance of her witness to the Gospel, of trust in her
A memorial Mass for the late Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop David O'Connell was held at St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Hacienda Heights, California, on March 1, 2023. / Credit: YouTube/St. John Vianney Hacienda HeightsBoston, Mass., Mar 24, 2023 / 12:00 pm (CNA).Carlos Medina, the man charged with murdering Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop David O Connell in February, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in court Wednesday.News of O Connell s Feb. 18 murder shocked the nation after it was reported that he died after suffering multiple gunshot wounds at his Hacienda Heights home. The local and wider Catholic community mourned O Connell, who was remembered as a man of peace dedicated to serving the poor and immigrants.Medina, 61, is the husband of O Connell s housekeeper, and it remains unclear what the motive for the murder might have been. He is being held on more than $2 million bail and will have his next court hearing May 17.Before his not guilty ple.
"Santiago: The Camino Within" is being released for one day only on March 28, 2023. / YouTube/Fathom EventsBoston, Mass., Mar 21, 2023 / 14:00 pm (CNA).A new film that takes moviegoers along on a pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago in Spain is being released in theaters for one day only on March 28.The Camino de Santiago, also known as "The Way of St. James," is a 1,000-year-old pilgrimage route through Spain that leads to the Cathedral of Santiago located in the Archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain. The cathedral is traditionally held to be the burial place of St. James the Apostle.Today thousands of pilgrims continue to make the pilgrimage, sometimes traversing hundreds of miles on their way to Santiago. Produced by Ahava Productions, "Santiago: The Camino Within" is narrated by Bishop Donald Hying of Madison, Wisconsin, who leads pilgrims on the physically arduous journey. Distributed by Fathom Events, the film is meant to i