The Catholic Sun

The annual diocesan spelling bee came down to two Catholic school students from Scottsdale.

Students from across Arizona comfortably filled Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral for the all-school liturgy Jan. 30 as part of Catholic Schools Week celebrations. All four bishops serving the state’s three dioceses along with up to a dozen priests — many of them school pastors, chaplains and rectors — were also on hand to celebrate and later honor nine educators for their dedication.

Catholic institutions were still analyzing the effect of a new set of proposed rules on insurance coverage of contraceptives issued by the Department of Health and Human Services.

A day before the House of Commons was to vote on a bill on same-sex marriage, the new archbishop of Canterbury restated his opposition.

Patriarch Louis Sako of Baghdad, told his fellow Chaldean bishops and Vatican officials, "We want to follow the example of our martyrs who gave their lives for Christ."

Warmer weather than in recent years sent nearly 1,000 students from across Arizona to a lunchtime rally at the state Capitol Jan. 30. The gathering was in celebration of National Appreciation Day for Catholic Schools, which is a standard part of Catholic Schools Week festivities for local students. It draws largely student council leaders, teachers, parents, legislators, and this year all four bishops serving dioceses in Arizona eager to celebrate Catholic education and school choice. This also marked the first time that donors and supporters had a catered VIP lunch on site and special seating.

Two parents were happy to help students with a last-minute cram session last week. Maggie Gillespie and Tim Burns, members of the Catholic Parents Advocacy Network, hosted a whirlwind meeting for 60 student council members from five area Catholic high schools Jan. 30. They filled a room at Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral on National Appreciation Day for Catholic Schools to prepare students for a visit with local legislators later that day.

Theologian and foremost papal biographer George Weigel drew a crowd of more than 400 people to the Virginia G. Piper Center for the Performing Arts at Xavier College Preparatory Jan. 26 for a lecture about the life of Blessed John Paul II.

Cardinal Roger M. Mahony will "no longer have any administrative or public duties" as retired archbishop of Los Angeles.

Exemptions from certain requirements for contraceptive coverage in the HHS Mandate will be broadened to include many more types of religious institutions.