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Luke Kuechly, a product of a Catholic boys school and a graduate of Boston College, is known as a fierce competitor who does not give up plus a natural and humble leader, the person everyone calls "the nicest guy on the team."

Timothy and JoAnn Holland, this year’s co-chairs for the annual diocesan Charity and Development Appeal (CDA), have a simple message: if every Catholic gave one dollar more than they did last year, the campaign would raise an extra $700,000.

The significance of Pope Francis’ planned apostolic visit to Mexico Feb. 12-17 is not lost on the faithful in the Diocese of Phoenix. “While Mexico has its own unique heritage and culture, we can be sure that much of what Pope Francis says and does there will have great relevance for us in Arizona,” said Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted. “I look forward to his pastoral visit to our neighbors to the south, and pray for a safe and fruitful pastoral journey by Pope Francis.”

In a world with more than 33,000 Christian denominations, it’s rare to see leaders of several of them gathered in one place to pray for unity. Yet that’s exactly what happened Jan. 20 at St. Apkar Armenian Apostolic Church in Scottsdale. Leaders of the Arizona Faith Network and members of local congregations gathered for a prayer service during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, an international Christian ecumenical event held annually since 1908.

Exactly one month into the calendar year marks the formal closing liturgy at the local level for the Year of Consecrated Life.

HOUSTON (CNA/EWTN News) — A Houston grand jury on Monday indicted the leaders behind the undercover videos which exposed Planned Parenthood’s role in offering fetal tissue for compensation. The grand jury had been investigating alleged misconduct by Planned Parenthood.

CEBU, Philippines (CNS) — Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Robert Barron said popular culture’s message of individuals being “infinitely right” is “repugnant to (Catholics’) Eucharistic faith.” But he also said Christianity is “running on fumes” as it tries to counter the trend of people leaving the Church or staying away from the Eucharist.

Patty Chesebrough gazes inside the darkened church and stares up at a portrait of the late Fr. John Hanley, the priest who showed her God’s mercy in her darkest hour. It was 1990 and Chesebrough’s husband was pressuring her to have an abortion. She called her parish, St. Theresa at the time, and asked to speak with a priest.

"We treated him with love throughout, even when he wasn’t loving back. That sticks. That is the breach and that is the way it works," Tony Rizzo said.

At a time when the gift of human sexuality is often misunderstood, there’s a place in the Diocese of Phoenix that shines a bright light in the darkness.