The Catholic Sun

For the second consecutive year, record numbers gathered in the Diocese of Phoenix for the Rite of Election Masses — an integral part of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) that is celebrated annually during the Lenten season — with some of the highest turnouts in the country. An estimated 1,600 candidates and catechumens, those who will come into full communion with the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil, were personally welcomed at the late-February and early-March liturgies as they enter the final stages of their preparation.   

ROME (CNS) — Life is a journey that requires trust and reliance on Jesus, who sometimes asks his disciples to leave everything behind, Pope Leo XIV said. While it may be tempting to flee from the uncertainty of heading into the unknown, it is precisely in this "dizzying vertigo" that people of faith will find God's promise of unexpected greatness, he said in a homily during a Mass celebrated at a small parish in Rome March 1. While it is normal to try to have everything under control, he said, "we miss the opportunity to discover the true treasure, the precious pearl, as the Gospel teaches us, which God has surprisingly hidden in our field."

Life Choices Women’s Clinic has officially opened the doors of Casa St. Gianna, a three-bedroom house for pregnant and homeless mothers and their children. Bishop Emeritus Thomas Olmsted celebrated Mass on the property and blessed the home nestled in a quiet North Phoenix neighborhood on Feb. 21, which began serving its first guests in January.  Initially inspired by a request for more housing for pregnant mothers in the Valley from the Sisters of Life — a community of religious sisters who embody the mission to uphold the dignity and worth of every person — Catholic Charities Community Services partnered with the City of Phoenix and the Valley Pregnancy Resources Center to purchase and prepare the home for women in need. When it came time for someone to run the program, Sheila Riely from Life Choices stepped up to fill the role. 

To the visible eye, I am not a very good godmother. By outside, tangible measures, I am failing. In the years that followed my conversion around the age of 30, I became godmother to a number of sweet little ones. But even as my own spiritual life developed, I never seemed to remember to do those godmother-ish things that I saw others do. Time spent one on one with a godchild proved difficult with our growing family, special gifts seemed unfair to my godchild’s sibling(s) and I was never one for big flashy gifts or envelopes of cash. At one point, I desperately asked my parish priest, “What WAS my responsibility, realistically?”

While the fruits of the Diocese of Phoenix’s annual Charity and Development Appeal (CDA) can be seen in myriad ways, one recipient’s labors reflect its 2026 theme literally.  An electrician who jumpstarted his career through a CDA-supported ministry, Michael Tighe has been lighting up buildings across the city after St. Joseph the Worker helped him navigate barriers entering the job market.  As it’s commonly known following a 2025 rebrand, The Worker is among over 70 ministries supported by the CDA, which was established in 1970. This year’s campaign was launched by Bishop John Dolan Feb. 7, with the theme, “Faith Lights the Way.” 

(OSV News) — A new initiative by the University of Mary and the Diocese of Phoenix promises to respond to today’s rising mental health challenges by forming mental health professionals who are clinically trained and rooted in the Catholic teaching on human dignity. “The idea of mental health ministry is to reach out to those who may be struggling with mental health or those who have lost loved ones through suicide — and let them know that they’re loved and that they belong in the life of the Church,” Bishop John P. Dolan of Phoenix, who has lost four family members to suicide, told OSV News.

ROME (CNS) -- While Satan tempts humanity with the lie of gaining unlimited power, God offers the gift of true freedom that leads to real love, relationships and fulfillment, Pope Leo XIV said. Beginning with the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, humankind has had to face "the age-old dilemma: can I live my life to the fullest by saying 'yes' to God? Or, to be free and happy, must I free myself from Him?" the pope said in his homily during a morning Mass celebrated in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Rome Feb. 22. Jesus, the incarnate Son of God, shows the world "the new man, the free man, the epiphany of freedom that is realized by saying 'yes' to God" and "opposing the snares" of the devil, he said.

The Sacred Art Gallery in Mesa, Ariz., which embodies the mission to inspire a resurgence of meaningful art that calls the viewer to a higher, heavenly reality, hosted a breakfast and kickoff event on Saturday (Feb. 21) to celebrate the grand opening of the National Sacred Art Prize Exhibition, which the gallery will host through March 21.  Founded by The Catholic Art Institute in 2020, Sacred Art Prize is a national competition that seeks to “recognize excellence in Catholic sacred art” through awarding and promoting work that “demonstrates a mastery of craftsmanship” and depicts “sacred subject matter with a profound theological understanding,” according to their website.  

Karla Torres Delgado wants to be a surgeon. Unsure of the specific discipline, the Bourgade Catholic High School student has her sights set on a medical career. Her dream is alive thanks to the generosity of countless Catholics across the Diocese of Phoenix. Each year, donors support over 70 ministries, parishes, schools, charities and programs through the diocese’s Charity and Development Appeal (CDA), “shining Christ’s love where it’s needed most,” said Bishop John Dolan. 

The University of Mary, in partnership with the Diocese of Phoenix, announced the launch of the Photina Center for Catholic Counseling, a new initiative dedicated to forming mental health professionals who are clinically trained and rooted in Catholic teaching on the dignity of the human person. This collaboration builds on the University of Mary's existing Master of Science in Counseling program, which is fully online, available nationwide and grounded in the university’s authentic Catholic identity and commitment to faith-filled formation.  Located in downtown Phoenix, mere steps from the Diocesan Pastoral Center, the Photina Center will serve as an in-person hub for select educational offerings, professional development and community resources.