How To Celebrate The Sacrament of Confirmation
Confirmation is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church and is a rite of passage in a young Catholic's life that usually happens around 8th or 9th grade. One of the three Sacraments of I...
Exclusive Pope Leo XIV Painting: Q&A With Artist Julia Hetzel
Last week, the Universal Church gathered as white smoke rose from the Vatican. It’s hard to put into words the joy and unity of that moment—especially for us as Americans. For the first time in his...
Vivat Papa Americanus! Reflections from an American Seminarian in St. Peter’s Square
Vivat Papa Americanus! I was away from Rome on Easter break when I received the news of Pope Francis’ passing, and I was shocked since he had given his blessing to the whole world just the day bef...
Papal Inauguration Q&A: What Catholics Should Know
What is a papal inauguration, and how is it different from a coronation? The papal inauguration is the formal Mass that marks the beginning of a newly elected pope’s ministry. Unlike medieval times...
What Happened to the Shepherd Children of The Fatima Apparition?
In 1917, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared six times to three shepherd children—Lucia dos Santos and her cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto—in Fatima, Portugal, from May 13 to October 13. During t...
"And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." -Matthew 16:18 "Habemus Papam!" What a wonderful moment to be Catholi...
“If someone does not hold fast to this unity of Peter, can he imagine that he still holds the faith? If he [should] desert the chair of Peter upon whom the Church was built, can he still be confide...
How The World Will Learn We Have A New Pope: White Smoke And The Words "Habemus Papam!"
The air in St. Peter’s Square was damp with winter chill. Hundreds of Romans gathered silently beneath the shadow of the basilica, their eyes fixed on the modest chimney that crowned the Sistine Ch...
Why the Papacy is More than Politics - It's a Sacramental Reality
When a pope dies—or a new one is soon to be elected—secular headlines swirl with speculation: Who will win? Which “faction” has influence? What region might he come from? To many onlookers, especia...
The Papal Conclave & Election Process
The College of Cardinals are gathering in Rome and on May 7th will begin the conclave which will elect the new Pope, the successor of Pope Francis. The conclave is the gathering of cardinals eligib...