Catholic Church

As the world continues to face the ongoing effects of the global pandemic of the coronavirus, Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles and president of the USCCB has announced that the U.S. bishops will join the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops on May 1 in renewing the consecrations of the two nations to the care of our Blessed Mother.

By Derek Rotty, Crisis Magazine - Each year on May 1, the Catholic faithful celebrate the feast day of Saint Joseph the Worker. This feast day, instituted by Pope Pius XII in 1955, was meant to provide downtrodden laborers with a spiritual patron, as well as an alternative to the communist labor agitation that was prevalent at the time. The Catholic faith has a great heritage of honoring and celebrating labor and laborers.

By Father Raymond J. de Souza, National Catholic Register - The coronavirus pandemic restrictions have meant that Catholics are no longer taking the liturgical and sacramental life of the Church for granted… But when that liturgical life returns, what might be different? What lessons might have been learned — by both priests and the faithful — during the pandemic restrictions? I suggest seven, though there are surely more… The Holy See provided a special Mass for the pandemic — proper prayers and readings suitable for this time. Many priests have used this Mass “formulary” in recent days and found it comforting to all who are able to follow the Mass, live or remotely.

By Fr. Nnamdi Moneme, OMV, Catholic Exchange - As we face the challenge of this COVID-19 virus, we find ourselves asking if things will ever be the same again. What will our lives, our families, our world, and our Church look like when this is over? Will we still be able to meet our expectations in life? We can find ourselves like the two disciples on the way to Emmaus with our shattered dreams and probably unmeetable expectations.