Vatican offers indulgence for visiting elderly, celebrating grandparents day

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Catholics who celebrate the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly July 23 can receive a plenary indulgence, which is a remission of the temporal punishment due for one's sins, the Vatican said.

Be modern prophets by guiding others to the Holy Spirit, pope asks

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Christians are called to be modern-day prophets who guide others to see the Holy Spirit at work in everyday life and not to be superstitious people who try to predict or control the future, Pope Francis said.

‘Real’ people with strength from God better than superheroes, pope says

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Like every saint, St. Peter was not a superhero, he was just a real, imperfect person who generously said, "yes" to Jesus, Pope Francis said. "It appears that it is God who makes Peter strong with his grace, who unites us with his love, and forgives us with his mercy," the pope said June 29.

Msgr. Moyer, former vicar general, passes away ,‘His first love was being a pastor’

A priest whose ministry has been deeply impactful to untold thousands in the Diocese of Phoenix has passed away.   Msgr. Richard Moyer, former vicar general, died June 27. He was 91. Following his death, his closest friends described him as a “huge inspiration,” a “man of vision” and a priest with a heart for the poor and for justice.  

Diocese of Phoenix assumes leadership of St. Mary’s Basilica in transition ceremony

This Saturday marks the final goodbye of the Franciscan Friars at Saint Mary’s Basilica. The Saturday Mass celebration of the Franciscan Friars’ legacy included a procession through the stations of several milestones in the parish’s history. The Assembly was invited to follow the liturgical procession through the various stations which have been focal points of the Franciscan community life throughout the past 127 years. 

JPII Basketball Classic grows to bigger venue

It’s Game On! The St. John Paul II (JPII) Classic, an annual basketball game between priests and seminarians from the Diocese of Phoenix, has moved to a bigger location to accommodate larger crowds due to growing popularity.

Bishop Dolan joins ABC15 for their annual water drive

Bishop John Dolan was a guest on ABC-15 on Tuesday to talk about an annual water drive that benefits The Society of St. Vincent DePaul. With the increase in homelessness in our community, more lives are at risk. In 2022, Maricopa County saw 425 heat-associated deaths—a significant number of whom were people experiencing homelessness. This represents a 25-percent increase from the previous year. In the summer months, St. Vincent de Paul will give out more than 7,000 bottles of water a day to people in need who seek services and refuge at SVdP during Arizona’s most grueling season, with about 6,500 gallons disbursed weekly.

Franciscans celebrate ‘bittersweet’ goodbye at St. Mary’s Basilica

“Bittersweet.” That was the overwhelming consensus to describe the celebration of the Franciscan Friars’ legacy as they said goodbye to the people they’ve pastored at St. Mary’s Basilica for 127 years. 

NEWS BRIEF: Msgr. Richard Moyer passes away

Msgr. Richard Moyer, former vicar general for the Diocese of Phoenix, passed away June 27 after a brief battle with cancer. He was 91. Ordained in 1964, Msgr. Moyer served at may parishes in the Diocese of Phoenix, including St. John Vianney in Sedona, St. Pius X, Our Lady of Joy, St. Timothy, and St. Jerome. The former rector of Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral, he also served at Catholic Charities Foundation and as Vicar of Northern Arizona.

Artists, like prophets, must share truth for a better world, pope says

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Under Michelangelo's frescoed ceiling in the Sistine Chapel, Pope Francis told more than 200 musicians, writers, poets and other artists to be like prophets, pursuing true beauty and using their art to shake up the societies where they live.