U.S. Department of Education names Xavier College Preparatory Blue Ribbon School for fourth time

For an unprecedented fourth time, Xavier College Preparatory, an all-girls Catholic high school, in Phoenix, was awarded the prestigious 2024 Blue Ribbon School this...

NEWS BRIEF: Record number of priests attend 2024 Priest Convocation

More than 170 priests from all over the Diocese of Phoenix gathered in Flagstaff this week for four days of prayer, fellowship and formation during the annual 2024 Priest Convocation titled “Ite Ad Joseph,” St. Joseph Model for Priests. The four-day gathering provides the opportunity for priests to learn together, share experiences, be renewed in prayer and come back to their parish communities more equipped. Morning and evening prayer, Eucharistic adoration, Mass, communal meals and small groups are all part of the agenda.

Hope Squad offers struggling students a listening ear

Story by Gina Keating, courtesy of Seton Catholic Preparatory Out of tragedy comes hope. When one member of the student body at Seton Catholic Preparatory...

Diocese adding more mental health instructors; new milestone for ministry

Would you know what to do if the person in the pew next to you confided that he or she was having trouble coping with life? That his or her situation prompted even fleeting thoughts of harming themselves? That even with prayer and the sacraments, their struggle remains? In an Aug. 29 report, the World Health Organization stated that more than 720,000 people worldwide die annually by suicide. Many more attempt or consider it.

NEWS BRIEF: Fr. Kilian McCaffrey installed as pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish

This past Saturday, Bishop John Dolan officially installed Fr. Kilian McCaffrey as the pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Scottsdale, Ariz. A native of Dublin, Ireland, Fr. McCaffrey has served as a priest in the Diocese of Phoenix for the past 17 years. He described his installation as pastor of Blessed Sacrament as a “full circle” moment, which began upon his arrival in Arizona in 1998. “I moved from the Detroit area back in 1998 and the first Sunday after I moved here, I was looking for a local Catholic Church to attend Sunday Mass,” shared Fr. McCaffrey. “I opened the Yellow Pages and found the Roman Catholic churches listings. The closest address I recognized was Blessed Sacrament Parish.”

St. Vincent de Paul opens two interim housing communities

On Friday, Bishop John Dolan joined leaders, donors, volunteers and residents for the official opening of De Paul Manor and Rosalie’s Place, St. Vincent...

Seton Catholic Preparatory celebrates its 70th anniversary as an institution

70 years is a long time. Since its humble beginnings in 1954, Seton Catholic Preparatory (SCP) in Chandler, Ariz., has been dedicated to providing students...

‘With great love,’ Bishop leads 3rd annual Mass of Remembrance for suicide victims, survivors

You are not alone. From the time he announced a plan to create greater awareness of mental health and its resources available to the faithful, Bishop John Dolan has made those four words a consistent part of the message.  On Sunday, the focus again turned to those who have died by suicide, along with their family, friends and other loved ones, as the bishop presided over the Diocese of Phoenix’s 3rd annual Mass of Remembrance for Those Who Have Died by Suicide. 

During tense election season, Bishop Dolan joins non-Catholic counterparts in calling for faith over...

Amid growing political tensions, only heightened by a scheduled presidential debate Sept. 10, Bishop John Dolan joined his counterparts from six other Christian denominations to lead their flocks in praying for peace ahead of the elections on Monday at the Franciscan Renewal Center in Scottsdale, Ariz. “This tension has created division and hatred and some quite vile comments. A lot of this has to do with fear more than anything,” Bishop Dolan told the interfaith congregation at the Conventual Church of Our Lady of the Angels – part of the Franciscan Renewal Center. 

‘St. Mary’s House’ welcomes seminarians for Diocese of Phoenix

Ten men who are studying to become priests for the Diocese of Phoenix will have a new place to call home. St. Mary’s House, based at St. Mary’s Basilica, next to the downtown Phoenix Diocesan Pastoral Center, is the third house to be established in the local seminary underway for the Diocese of Phoenix. St. Mary’s House will officially open with a ribbon cutting on Oct. 1. A fourth, St. Joseph’s House, is under development and will house seminarians for their theology studies. All four local houses will form Nazareth Seminary for the Diocese of Phoenix.