Faith at Work: Lord mayor of Westminster to receive papal knighthood, highest honor for lay Catholics
CNA, London, England—The lord mayor of Westminster in London said he is “blown over” after being chosen to become a papal knight — the highest honor a lay Catholic can receive from the Vatican. Councillor Robert Rigby will become a knight of St. Gregory sometime in 2025. Living his Catholic Faith as lord mayor The…
Pope Francis: How to be ‘pilgrims of hope’ during 2025 Jubilee Year
CNA—Pope Francis called on Catholics to become “pilgrims of hope” in a BBC podcast on Friday, emphasizing that “hope and kindness touch the very heart of the Gospel.” Speaking just days after the opening of the 2025 Jubilee Year, the pope emphasized that “kindness is not a diplomatic strategy” nor “a set of rules to…
Entrepreneurial Catholic moms in Massachusetts transform local Catholic education, growing a start-up classical Catholic school from 25 to more than 300!
It took them 10 years, but today the vision shared by a small group of home-schooling moms in Massachusetts has come to life. They banded together to form a classical Catholic school centered on Christ for their children. They started small, with just 25 students. Today their school, St. Benedict Classical Academy, located just outside…
The beauty and power of the O Antiphons
CNA—“O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel!” This favored Christmas carol is no carol at all. It’s a hymn for the season of Advent — the liturgical season that is about so…
The hidden message in ancient ‘O Antiphons’ of Advent
CNA—The O Antiphons are prayers that are recited or chanted in an ancient tradition leading up to Christmas Day. What is the hidden meaning of the O Antiphons? “Composed in the sixth or seventh century, the seven O Antiphons are drawn from the Book of the prophet Isaiah and the first letters of each antiphon…
War, economic struggles threaten Bethlehem’s century-old crafts tradition
CNA—Bethelehem, West Bank—Being an artisan in Bethlehem isn’t just a job. It’s an art, almost a calling, a treasure handed down from father to son, but one that is now at risk of being lost. After two years of war… Younger generations are choosing other career paths, and after two years of war, fathers don’t…
Catholic actor David Henrie says mission trip with Cross Catholic Outreach left big impact
CNA—Cross Catholic Outreach’s Box of Joy ministry has officially reached its 10th anniversary and marked the occasion with a trip by Catholic actor David Henrie and his family to Guatemala to deliver boxes to children there. Henrie, who serves as brand ambassador for the nonprofit, flew to Guatemala with his wife, Maria, to hand-deliver the…
Catholic historian Lee Edwards dies at 92
CNA—Author and Catholic convert Lee Edwards, one of the foremost historians of the conservative movement in America, died Thursday. He was 92. Edwards co-founded the Victims of Communism Memorial in Washington, D.C., authorized by Congress in 1993 and completed in 2007. He was a distinguished fellow of conservative thought at the Heritage Foundation for about…