Pope Francis has called for a global prayer marathon for the entire month of May, praying for the end to the pandemic.

Although Catholic leaders across the country called the April 20 jury verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial a moment of justice, they also stressed there is still a lot of work to do to move toward healing.

Since I was young, leafing through colorful pages in my children's Bible, I've loved the Gospel story where the friends lower the paralyzed man through the roof of the home where Jesus was staying.

The parish of St. Joseph of Rice Lake had been incorporated for a mere four years in 1895 when its first church, made of wood, was destroyed in a windstorm that hit what is now the city of Lino Lakes.

What does it mean to say that St. Joseph is our spiritual father? Well, for starters, it means that he does all the things any earthly father would do for those he protects and serves.

When the world shut down last year because of the pandemic, the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton decided it was time to reach outward.

Following the Chauvin verdict, the chairmen of two U.S. bishops' committees prayed God "strengthens us to cleanse our land of the evil of racism, which also manifests in ways that are hardly ever spoken, ways that never reach the headlines."

Because prayer is a dialogue with God, people should not dismiss or be embarrassed by saying their prayers out loud or in a whisper, Pope Francis said.

As John and Mary Weisert looked forward to their 50th wedding anniversary later this year, they did so from the foundations of love and faith that still deeply marked their marriage.

“We hold up once again the image of the Crucified Christ, whose resurrection gives witness to the healing power of forgiveness, compassion, reconciliation, and peace," Archbishop Hebda said.