Catholic News Service Archives

Eclipse thrills, inspires viewers to admire the precision of creation

A Catholic parish hosted an eclipse-watching party, as parishioners and visitors wonder at God’s creation. Some travelers made their way to a field the parish owns across the street from the church. Spots were going for $10. Some stayed overnight, camping in tents or in the back of their vehicle. Others, arrived in the pre-dawn hours eager to catch the spectacle.

Secret deal? Author hopes Vatican archives shed light on efforts to end Holocaust

Based on evidence gleaned from archives and recorded testimonies, historian Max Wallace claims secret deals, bribes and false promises were used to manipulate Heinrich Himmler over the course of several months in order to get him to shut down Nazi death camps months before the end of World War II, “exploiting his desperate desire for a separate peace with the Western Allies.”

CMSM speaker: Religious brothers often overlooked in church life

Religious brothers are not there to serve the priests of their order, except through the mutual responsibilities that characterize any group that aspires to be a real community. The annual meeting of the Conference of Major Superiors of Men recently discussed the role of religious brothers at their annual meeting.

Vatican pharmacy does booming business
- Catholic News Service, Vatican
- August 20, 2017
The Vatican’s own products include a cream for preventing bedsores, anise and quinine elixirs, six different fragrances of soap, lavender water, an anti-acne lotion and a specially produced aftershave, said Brother Thomas Binish Mulackal, the pharmacy director.
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For 20 million people, conflict added to drought means no food to eat
- Catholic News Service, Global Church
- August 20, 2017
Yemen, South Sudan, Somalia and northeast Nigeria are all on the brink of famine, and the United Nations has called this the largest humanitarian crisis in the 70 years of its existence. The civil wars and terrorist groups like Boko Haram as well as the lack of infrastructure and isolation from the rest of the world have all exacerbated drought and food shortages to create a catastrophic situation for millions of people.
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Countercultural San Francisco parish attracts growing congregation
- Catholic News Service, Church in the US
- August 20, 2017
Father Joseph Illo came to be in charge of the Star of the Sea Church in San Francisco three years ago. He has revitalized the ailing parish with his powerful commitment to traditional Catholic practices. “I was fading from the faith and now I am back,” said Mariella Zevallos, the new stewardship coordinator for the parish.
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