LOCAL NEWS

When a Catholic family visits its faithful departed, the Diocese of Phoenix seeks to ensure that space is bathed in peace, a sense of God’s loving closeness and the joy of believing the individual is now with his or her heavenly Father, awaiting Jesus’ return to bring all believers home. But when the diocese leaders considered the mausoleum at St. Francis Cemetery in Phoenix — its second-oldest burial ground — they knew an upgrade was in order to maintain that mission.  

Ana Luisa Martinez has always loved the Blessed Virgin Mary, but that love grew much deeper when she and her husband took their children on a seven-month pilgrimage. It wasn’t your ordinary pilgrimage.  With four sons ranging in age from 13 all the way down to the tender age of 14 months, it involved extensive preparation, planning and plenty of prayer. 

More than 1,300 candidates and catechumens, those who will enter into full communion with the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil, were personally welcomed by Bishop John Dolan this month as they enter the final stages of their preparation. The encounters took place at the diocesan Rite of Elections, an integral part of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) that is celebrated annually during the Lenten season. Over the past two years, due to the vastness of the Diocese of Phoenix, Bishop Dolan has celebrated the liturgy in multiple locations for the opportunity to personally welcome more of the individuals who are entering the Catholic Church.  

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Valley of the Sun affiliate named Bishop John Dolan of the Diocese of Phoenix an “Unsung Mental Health Hero” on Thursday at the 9th Annual Giving Breakfast in Phoenix. Themed “Heroes Among Us: Shining a Light on Unsung Mental Health Heroes,” the event celebrated individuals and organizations making a profound impact in the mental health community.

For the first time in more than two years, the state of Arizona is set to execute an inmate on Wednesday, March 19. The Office of Prison Ministries and the Office of Respect Life Ministries held a prayer vigil Tuesday night at St. Mary’s Basilica in downtown Phoenix led by Bishop Eduardo Nevares. A group of faithful gathered to pray for inmate, Aaron Gunches, the victim, the families and for an end to the death penalty. Opposition to the death penalty is rooted in the Catholic Church’s teaching that every person is created in the image and likeness of God, imparting sacred dignity to all human life.

Growing up in Mexico, Junuee Castro had a close relationship with her grandparents. It was a bond imbued with deep Catholic faith that continues to propel her forward today. “They were involved in church, so that really stuck with me,” Castro said. “My grandfather, for example, every Thursday he would bring me to a full hour of adoration, to our small chapel there in town. My grandmother, she taught me the prayers that I still pray to this day.” Castro, the bilingual coordinator of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Diocese of Phoenix, was hired in October of 2024. She shines in a role that has been vacant for nearly 14 years at the diocesan level. 

“The places that most need growth and strength and healing and renewal, that’s where Christ wants to love us particularly. And there’s a sacrament for that.”  Confession can often feel like an obligation or a place of shame, but after hearing Fr. Paul Sullivan’s radio interview on The Bishop’s Hour, you’re going to want to run to the confessional to receive the gentle mercy and understanding love of Jesus the Healer. 

Phoenix’s first Catholic hospital is gearing up for their 130th anniversary on Mar. 19th, the Feast of St. Joseph. For well over a century, St. Joseph’s Hospital in downtown Phoenix has put into practice Christ’s mandate to welcome the poor and sick as Himself. The first St. Joseph’s sanitarium was founded in 1895 but the story of the hospital’s beginnings started three years prior. In 1892, Bishop Peter Bourgade invited the Sisters of Mercy to open Sacred Heart Academy, which would eventually become St. Mary’s High School.

Falik Omar Gomez grew up Catholic, but his family hardly went to church.  When he met Maria Navarro that changed.  A Catholic since childhood, Navarro began dating Gomez four years ago, and early in their relationship, she let him know church and faith were a big part of her life. But she never forced Gomez to join her at Mass. 

A pair of local Arizona Catholic High School teams captured boys basketball state championships this past week, as Brophy College Preparatory won the 6A crown with a 62-49 win over Mesa High School on Saturday, and St. Mary’s High School pulled off a 59-55 overtime victory over Deer Vally High School of Glendale for the 4A crown on Thursday.  Both contests were held at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix.