LOCAL NEWS

In an ongoing effort to reach people where they are, the Diocese of Phoenix continues to expand their communication efforts through social media, television and print by creating more robust and varied digital content.   Over the past two years, the diocese has experienced exponential growth across social media platforms, bringing in 2,000 new YouTube subscribers with more than 435,000 average monthly views, as well as more than 4,800 new followers on Instagram and Facebook. Additionally, video content has more than quadrupled with the development of weekly and monthly video and podcasts series, including TILMA, A Seat at the Table, Christ in Our Neighborhood, Word and Art and Mental Health Minute, among others.  Today, on the feast day of St. Francis de Sales, the patron saint of the Catholic press, the Office of Communications for the diocese announced the new title of the official bilingual diocesan magazine, which shares engaging stories and spiritual encouragement that reflect the heart of Bishop John Dolan and the ongoing mission of the local Church.  

Karen Self, the legendary girls’ basketball coach at Seton Catholic Preparatory in Chandler, Ariz., added another milestone to her impressive coaching career on Friday night in Globe, Ariz. Self, who has captured 12 state titles and 30 consecutive region titles, won her 833rd career game and surpassed Minor Webster as the winningest girl’s high school basketball coach in Arizona.

Nearly 100 people, representing 42 parishes in the Diocese of Phoenix, took part in a day-long retreat featuring speakers and workshops at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Phoenix on Saturday, that was designed to help parishioners and staff evangelize and form new Catholics. Attendees, including formation leaders, catechists and Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) team members listened to keynote speakers Fr. Kwame Assenyoh of the Diocese of Oakland and Fr. Ron Oakham, a member of the Carmelite Order.

Carrying on the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Catholic high school students from throughout the Diocese of Phoenix worked to establish his “beloved community” in their own neighborhoods through a service contest sponsored by the Office of Black Catholic Ministry. This is the second year the office has sponsored the contest. Student winners were recognized at the annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Mass and Service Awards Breakfast Jan. 18 at Xavier College Preparatory. The first MLK Mass was celebrated in 1992 and has been a rich tradition in the diocese ever since.

From an early age, Felicitas Romero’s mother encouraged her to turn to the Holy Spirit for guidance. Although she was baptized Catholic, she wasn’t actively living the faith until she started dating the man that she would later marry. They married in the church and began attending Mass regularly.  It wasn’t until Romero started attending St. John the Baptist Mission in Laveen that she felt home. It was there where she encountered the Lord through the Franciscan Friars of the Holy Spirit. After seeking the advice of her mother to turn to the Holy Spirit all those years ago, she was led to a Franciscan order with a charism of the Holy Spirit, who would have a profound impact on her faith journey. 

Members of Arizona’s legal community, including attorneys, judges, public officials and others within the profession, joined Bishop John Dolan, Bishop emeritus Thomas Olmsted and Diocese of Phoenix Vicar General Fr. John Muir to pray for God’s strength and guidance as the state embarks on a new legislative year during the annual Red Mass, which took place Jan. 14 at St. Mary’s Basilica in downtown Phoenix.  This year marked the 55th time the diocese has hosted the Mass, which is hosted by the St. Thomas More Society, an organization of Catholic attorneys and legal professionals who seek to inspire and strengthen the faith of the Maricopa County legal community. 

It all started 10 years ago for Paul and Denise Grogger as a trip to “take a little homeless magic to downtown Phoenix” one Christmas. With their four adult children were away, and knowing that people were living on the streets, they decided to assemble some simple gift bags and drive the nearly 45 minutes from their home in Carefree, Ariz. “Paul and I drove through the downtown area. We would stop on the street, and Paul would get out of the truck and hand [the bag] to someone,” Denise recalled. 

A diocesan-wide day of renewal aimed at inspiring attendees to live out their Baptism so as to welcome more people into the Catholic Church will take place Saturday, Jan. 18, at Corpus Christi Parish in Phoenix. Organizers say the daylong event will attract everyone from faith formation leaders, catechists and Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) team members to parishioners at large. The retreat day is being co-sponsored by the diocesan Office of Worship and the Office of Evangelization, Discipleship and Spirituality (OEDS).  

Last week, Bishop John Dolan kicked off the 2025 Jubilee Year in the Diocese of Phoenix by celebrating six special Masses throughout the state. He was joined by hundreds of parishioners and pilgrims from around the diocese at each of the Masses, which had overflowing crowds and were celebrated at the Jubilee pilgrimage sites decreed by Bishop Dolan in October 2024.  

The sun beats down unforgivingly on Andre House on a hot afternoon in downtown Phoenix. Inside, the working poor and those experiencing homelessness quietly congregate seeking relief from the soaring thermometer and the mean city streets. One man stands in line, holding a small cup of foamy shaving cream as he waits for a shower and a set of clean clothing. Others sit quietly at long tables. In the back corner of the room, Mark Poulin, a retired psychiatric nurse practitioner, sets up for a Christ in Our Neighborhood faith-sharing group.