Roman Catholics around the globe are mourning the loss of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who passed away in Rome today at the age of 95. A native of Germany, Benedict served as the pope of the Catholic Church for over seven years (2005 to 2013), before announcing his resignation on February 28, 2013, becoming the first pope in almost 600 years to resign from the papacy. He was the 265th pope in the 2,000-plus year history of the Church.
With nearly one in five Americans living with a mental illness, the need for the local Church to address this issue is clear. Now, for the first time ever, the Diocese of Phoenix will be home to an Office of Mental Health Ministry.
A workshop to unveil Christ in Our Neighborhood, the evangelization program developed by Bishop John Dolan of the Diocese of Phoenix, drew more than 50 pastors, parish staff and volunteers to the Diocesan Pastoral Center Dec. 10.
From the choir’s warm, gentle entrance rendition of “Immaculate Mary” to the numerous flags and posters depicting Our Lady of Guadalupe to Bishop John P. Dolan’s reminder of Jesus’ mother’s love