Thousands of pilgrims have lined up at the Abbey of Our Lady of Ephesus in Gower, Missouri, to view the remains of Sr. Wilhelmina Lancaster. / nullWashington, D.C. Newsroom, May 28, 2023 / 14:05 pm (CNA).Thousands of pilgrims are descending on a Benedictine abbey outside rural Gower, Missouri, this Memorial Day weekend to view the surprisingly well-preserved body of its African American foundress, Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster, who died in 2019.On Sunday, the feast of Pentecost, an average of 200 vehicles per hour were coming onto the abbey s property, an uptick in traffic from the day before, Clinton County Sheriff Larry Fish said in a Facebook video update. He said he expected 15,000 people to visit the site by the end of the day."We re going to see this probably for months, but right now this weekend is probably going to be the biggest influx of people that you re going to see in this area," Fish predicted in an earlier video posted May 25.A Benedictine sister looks on
Pope Francis during his general audience in Paul VI Hall on January 26, 2022. / Daniel Ibanez/CNAVatican City, May 29, 2023 / 04:30 am (CNA).Attention #CatholicTwitter and keyboard warriors, the Vatican has released recommendations for how to better "love your neighbor" on social media. The 20-page text, "Towards Full Presence: A Pastoral Reflection on Engagement with Social Media" published on May 29 addresses the challenges Christians face in using social media.Topics covered in the pastoral reflection include information overload, constant scrolling, not giving others one s full attention, being an "influencer," witnessing to Christ, "digital detox," the need for silence, intentional listening, and building community in a fragmented world."One significant cognitive challenge of digital culture is the loss of our ability to think deeply and purposefully," it warns. "We scan the surface and remain in the shallows, instead of deepl
Father Emil Kapaun celebrating Mass using the hood of a jeep as his altar, Oct. 7, 1950. Public domain. / nullDenver, Colo., May 29, 2023 / 06:00 am (CNA).After several years in the making, the United States Post Office in Herington, Kansas, will be changing its name to the Captain Emil J. Kapaun Post Office Building on May 30. This endeavor was first introduced in 2021 through a bill written by U.S. Rep. Tracey Mann, who wished to honor the life of the great Kansan and American hero."Father Emil Kapaun was a man of God who served Jesus and his country honorably," Mann said during his speech on the House floor on Oct. 20, 2021.The May 30 ceremonial day will begin at 11:30 a.m. CST with a memorial Mass at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Herington. The Mass will be concelebrated by priests from both the Salina and Wichita dioceses.The renaming dedication ceremony will follow at 1 p.m. CST at the post office. U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran and Rep. Ron Estes are scheduled to a
Pope Francis presides over Pentecost Mass in St. Peter s Basilica on May 28, 2023. / Daniel Ibáñez/CNAVatican City, May 28, 2023 / 05:15 am (CNA).On the Solemnity of Pentecost, Pope Francis urged Catholics to invoke the Holy Spirit daily to bring harmony to a divided world, a polarized Church, and to broken hearts.Speaking in St. Peter s Basilica, the pope explained that the role of the Holy Spirit, both at the beginning of the creation of the world and at all times, is to make "created realities pass from disorder to order" and "from confusion to harmony.""In our world today, there is so much discord, such great division. We are all connected, yet find ourselves disconnected from one another, anesthetized by indifference and overwhelmed by solitude," Pope Francis said in his homily on May 28.People try to snap a photo of the pope on their phones at the Pentecost Mass in St. Peter s Basilica on May 28, 2023. Vatican Media"If the world is divided,
Pope Francis delivers the Regina Caeli address from the window of the Apostolic Palace on May 28, 2023. / Vatican MediaVatican City, May 28, 2023 / 07:15 am (CNA).From the Philippines to Portugal, Marian shrines around the world will participate in a special day of prayer this Wednesday for the work of the Synod on Synodality. In his Regina Caeli address, Pope Francis announced that the day of prayer for the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops will take place on May 31, the last day of the month dedicated to Mary. "Let us ask the Virgin Mary to accompany this important stage of the Synod with her maternal protection," the pope said.The shrines of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal, the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Poland, the Knock Shrine in Ireland, the Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels in Costa Rica, Our Lady of Fourvière in France, and many other Marian shrines have confirmed their participation.In the Philippines, 26 Marian shrines and