LOCAL NEWS

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.

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.”

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...

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...

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. 

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. 

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.

For Fr. Jesús Zamarripa, SVD, St. Augustine of Hippo serves as a model. And not only because the saint is renown for his theology...

https://youtu.be/nX8GhGCKD54 Arizona Catholic Bishops Statement Opposing Proposition 314 As Catholic Bishops of Arizona, we express our frustration about the current situation at the US-Mexico border. The...

As a show of Christian unity and a plea for peace during this election season, seven Christian denominations in Arizona are teaming up for a series of prayer services over the next two months.   Themed “Faith over Fear,” the first prayer vigil will take place on Sept. 9 at 4:45 p.m. at Our Lady of the Angels Church at The Franciscan Renewal Center in Scottsdale.  The second vigil, “Harden Not Our Hearts,” will take place on Oct. 14 at 6:00 p.m. at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Tuscon. The final prayer service, “Loving Our Neighbor,” will take place on Nov. 4 at 12:00 p.m. at Sun City Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Sun City.  All are invited and encouraged to attend these services.