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On Sunday evening, Bishop John Dolan and Auxiliary Bishop Eduardo Nevares held a special Mass for eight seminarians and their families as they celebrated the biannual liturgy of the Institution of Lectors and Acolytes at St. Mary’s Basilica in downtown Phoenix. Instituted Acolytes are trained and formed as assistants to the priest and deacon in their roles within the celebration of the Mass. They may purify the sacred vessels and are to assist with the distribution of Holy Communion when needed. Lectors are instituted to proclaim the readings from Sacred Scripture during Mass.

Christ in Our Neighborhood (CION), a free weekly Scripture resource written by Bishop John Dolan, the fifth Bishop of Phoenix, is impacting countless lives in the Diocese of Phoenix. Launched in December 2022, the program has taken off exponentially with more than 30 parishes already engaged. This week the program takes another big leap with weekly reflections available in video format on all social media platforms and following the televised Mass on CW7 at 9 a.m. on Sunday.

PRESCOTT, Ariz. — Hailing from other countries, the two newest priests at Sacred Heart Parish are true missionaries. Members of the missionary Society of the Divine Word [SVD], pastor Fr. Krzysztof Pipa comes from Bochnia, Poland, while parochial vicar Biju Thomas comes from the largely Catholic Kerala state in India. Bishop John Dolan visited the Prescott community this past Saturday to formally install Fr. Pipa as the pastor of the oldest parish in the diocese. At the same time, the community bid farewell to the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary – or the Claretians – who have served at the parish since 1915. 

Back-to-back three pointers by Justin Sand and Sam Fowler broke up a tight game and propelled the Phoenix Sons to their fifth straight victory in the annual JPII Basketball Classic, as the seminarians defeated the priests 33-25 on Friday night at Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix. The game featured a record crowd of over 1,500 energetic fans and a first-ever appearance by the Gorilla, the official mascot of the NBA's Phoenix Suns.

Story courtesy of the Franciscan Friars of the Holy Spirit Kathie Stine says it was Divine Providence that coordinated for her to go on a Holy Land pilgrimage in early 2020 with the Franciscan Friars of the Holy Spirit. Stine said it was also Divine Providence that led her to the friars. They were hosting a healing Mass at St. Bernard of Clairvaux where Stine works as the Liturgy Coordinator.  The Franciscan Friars of the Holy Spirit were established in the Diocese of Phoenix in 2016 and they are the only religious community who’s sole mission is to minister to Native Americans on reservations. They currently oversee 11 mission churches on four reservations. 

There’s nothing like a summer afternoon on the beaches of California. Body surfing in the warm waves of the Pacific, breathing in the salty air while you’re covered in sand, and probably wishing you had put on more sunscreen. Last month I had the wonderful opportunity to take a large group of our seminarians to San Diego for a time of retreat. It was our second annual summer trip, and I was able to share this ocean experience with the guys, pray the Liturgy of the Hours together, celebrate Mass and show them around my old stomping grounds.

As a new school year begins, parishes around the Diocese of Phoenix are also welcoming religious education students plus those who might be interested in becoming Catholic. In a video message directed to the millions of those who live within the diocese’s boundaries, Bishop John Dolan noted that the Catholic Church is the “biggest family on Earth” and issued an invitation: “If you’re interested in becoming Catholic, or if you were baptized but never confirmed, I want to personally invite you to visit our website, dphx.org. That's where you'll find out what you need to know about OCIA, the process by which people are brought into the Catholic Church,” Bishop Dolan said.

As Jean Loudenslagel filled a pitcher with fresh homemade lemonade, she looked around at those who filled her dining room table and smiled. The diverse group of believers, from the 30-year-old young professionals to the 80-year-old widows and widowers, laughed and connected with ease as they shared a meal together.  Loudenslagel never could have imagined that these fellow parishioners, who had been strangers six weeks prior, would become like family.  And it all started with a stirring from the Holy Spirit and a simple invitation. 

Tempe, Ariz.—The Catholic Community Foundation (CCF) held its annual Scholarship Awards ceremony on August 3 at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Tempe, Ariz....

Phoenix, — Catholic Charities Community Services of Arizona is joining with the Catholic Charities network around the country to participate in We Are There,...