August 14, 2018 WASHINGTON—Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, is hosting a series of meetings this week responding to the broader issue of safe environments within the Church. An update will be offered upon their conclusion. In response to today’s Pennsylvania grand jury report, Cardinal DiNardo …
2018 Candidate Questionnaire Project: What’s a Catholic voter to do? Catholic faithful are urged to choose their political leaders according to principle, not party affiliation or mere self-interest. To help parishioners become informed on where candidates stand on key issues, the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops has polled those running for U.S. Congress and the …
Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston and President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, has issued the following statement noting the steps the U.S. Bishops Conference will take in addressing the failures of the Church in protecting the people of God. Cardinal DiNardo’s full statement follows: “The accusations against Archbishop Theodore McCarrick …
Pope Francis has ratified the members elected by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to represent the United States at the upcoming XV Ordinary General Assembly: Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment. The Synod will take place October 3-28. The delegates are: Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, President of the United …
The U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities is initiating a Novena for the Legal Protection of Human Life. This nine-week effort will include prayer and fasting for the intention that a change in the membership of the Supreme Court will move our nation closer to the day when every human being is protected in law and …
Continue reading “Novena for Protection of Human Life Begins on August 3”
Sean Callahan, presidente y CEO de Catholic Relief Services (CRS), escribió lo siguiente como respuesta a la separación de las familias que ha estado ocurriendo en el borde de Estados Unidos y México. Adjunto hay maneras de ayudar a resolver la problemática de dicha separación. “In Mexico last week, I sat with a mother who …
Continue reading “Reflexión del Presidente de Catholic Relief Services sobre la crisis en el borde…”
Sean Callahan, the President and CEO of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), wrote the following in response to the family separation happening at the US/Mexico border. Included in his reflection are ways that you can help. “In Mexico last week, I sat with a mother who explained the suffering she and her sons faced as they …
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Six Florida bishops and the papal nuncio (the pope’s ambassador to the U.S.) gathered with clergy, religious and nearly one thousand faith-filled Catholics for a Mass of Thanksgiving on June 16, 2018, at the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle in honor of the Diocese of St. Petersburg’s golden jubilee. “Today is a day of …
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has announced Religious Freedom Week 2018 will take place from June 22 to 29. The theme of the week is: “Serving Others in God’s Love.” The Week begins with the Feast of Sts. John Fisher and St. Thomas More, and ends with the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, …
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For many years, the USCCB has supported a federal ban on assault weapons, limitations on civilian access to high-capacity weapons and ammunition magazines, further criminalizing gun trafficking, certain limitations on the purchase of handguns, and safety measures such as locks that prevent children and anyone other than the owner from using guns without permission. In the aftermath …
Continue reading “U.S. Bishops Urge National Leaders to Address Scourge of Gun Violence”
Gathered in Miami for three days of intense reflection, 300 Catholics, mostly Hispanic, pondered problems and offered solutions to challenges faced by people in their communities. The Diocese of St. Petersburg had 34 delegates representing 20 parishes at the Regional V (fifth) Encuentro, which was the second largest contingency of participants. Bishop Gregory Parkes and …
World Day for Consecrated Life will be Celebrated Friday, February 2 in the Universal Church and in Local parishes on the Weekend of Feb. 3-4 Commenting on the World Day for Consecrated Life, Cardinal Joseph Tobin, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Newark and Chair of the USCCB’s Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations states: “For …
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In their annual statement marking the January 22 anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade, the bishops of Florida lament that a mother’s womb has become a place of vulnerability for the developing child rather than a place of safety and security. The bishops confirm that all life issues are interconnected. …
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WASHINGTON— The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, has issued the following statement in relation to the observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Cardinal DiNardo’s full statement follows: “In recent years—including last summer in Charlottesville—we have glimpsed an appalling truth that lurks beneath the surface of our …
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Each January, Catholic Campaign for Human Development, the U.S. Bishop’s anti-poverty program, provides resources to help Catholics live in solidarity with the poor. Liturgical and practical resources in both English and Spanish can be found here. These include bulletin announcements, prayers of the faithful, ideas for parish activities, reflections on the readings, and a calendar …
Patrick Hannon is scheduled to be executed Wednesday, November 8, 2017, at 6:00 p.m. for the 1991 murders of Brandon Snider and Robert Carter. In a November 6 letter on behalf of the bishops of Florida, Michael Sheedy, executive director, appealed to Governor Scott to commute Hannon’s death sentence to a life sentence without parole. “The victims, …
WASHINGTON—Cardinal Daniel N DiNardo, of Galveston-Houston, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), has issued the following statement in response to today’s mass shooting during a church service in Sutherland Springs, Texas. Cardinal DiNardo’s full statement follows: “Earlier today, we heard of the mass shooting at the Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, …
October 31, 2017 WASHINGTON—Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), has issued the following statement in response to this afternoon’s deadly attack on innocent people in Manhattan that has left at least eight people dead. Cardinal DiNardo’s full statement follows: “This afternoon we heard of what …
A global campaign to be in solidarity with immigrants and refugees is now underway and support for this campaign comes from all the way at the top. Speaking to the crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the weekly General Audience on Sept. 27, Pope Francis urged governments and all men and women of goodwill …
“The abhorrent acts of hatred on display in Charlottesville are an attack on the unity of our nation and therefore summon us all to fervent prayer and peaceful action,” said Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, of Galveston-Houston, President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Read the full statements from the U.S. Bishops in response to …
The U.S. bishops and the Korean bishops’ conference are calling for talks to secure the peaceful future of the Korean Peninsula. Bishop Oscar Cantu of Las Cruces, New Mexico, the chairman of the bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace, said that diplomacy and political engagement is necessary to resolve the differences between the United …
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Saint Leo University welcomed the Most Reverend Gregory L. Parkes, bishop of the Diocese of St. Petersburg, FL, as its newest member of the university’s board of trustees, effective July 1. Members of the volunteer board exemplify the university’s six core values and give of their time and expertise to ensure Saint Leo students receive …
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This summer, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops convened an unprecedented gathering of key leaders from dioceses and Catholic organizations from all across the country in order to assess the challenges and opportunities of our time, particularly in the context of the Church in the United States. This has been an ongoing initiative of the Bishops’ Working Group on the …
Continue reading “The Convocation of Catholic Leaders: The Joy of the Gospel in America”
On January 3, 2017, H.R. 7, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. This important pro-life legislation will place in permanent law a consistent federal policy restricting the funding and promotion of abortion. Since 1976 federal restrictions on abortion funding has enjoyed bi-partisan support and has been embodied …
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Saddened by yet another anniversary of the January 22, 1973, U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion, the Catholic bishops of Florida remain steadfast in their commitment to promote the sanctity of life and dignity of the human person in state policy. The bishops reflected upon 2016, noting that they supported the passage of legislation …
Continue reading “Statement on the 44th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade Decision”
The annual Retirement Fund for Religious collection will be held Dec. 10-11, 2016, in the Diocese of St. Petersburg. Coordinated by the National Religious Retirement Office (NRRO), the parish-based appeal benefits nearly 33,000 senior Catholic sisters, brothers and religious order priests whose communities lack retirement savings. The Diocese of St. Petersburg contributed $215,558.25 to the …
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“Some of you said: this system can no longer be endured. We must change it; we must put human dignity again at the center and on that pillar build the alternative social structures we need. It must be done with courage, but also with intelligence, with tenacity but without fanaticism, with passion but without violence. …
The June 21, 2016 ruling by the HHS Office of Civil Rights, which allowed California to continue forcing health plans to cover abortions, has prompted the U.S. Catholic Bishops to call for an immediate federal remedy. That remedy is the Conscience Protection Act of 2016 (CPA) which will protect healthcare providers from being forced to …
Two members of the Diocesan religious community fulfilled the seemingly unusual request recently of serving as guest speakers for a Saint Leo University class on the history of the Vietnam War. Rev. Timothy Corcoran of St. Mary Parish in Tampa, and Sister Annie Dougherty, president and chief executive of The Franciscan Center in Tampa, visited …
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Saddened by yet another anniversary of the January 22, 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion, the Catholic bishops of Florida recognize in their annual Roe v. Wade statement the courage of lawmakers who this past year sought to reduce abortion in our state. The bishops were deeply moved by the post-abortive women who …
Continue reading “Statement on the 43rd Anniversary of Roe v. Wade Decision”
The annual Retirement Fund for Religious collection will be held Dec. 12-13 in the Diocese of St. Petersburg. Now in its 28th year, the appeal is coordinated by the National Religious Retirement Office (NRRO) and offers support for senior Catholic sisters, brothers and religious order priests whose communities lack sufficient retirement funding. Some 33,000 women …
Pope Francis visited the United States from September 22 through September 27, 2015. He visited Washington, D.C., New York City, and Philadelphia, where he participated in the closing of the 2015 World Meeting of Families. Immediately prior to his visit to the United States, Pope Francis visited Cuba. Read Bishop’s Lynch’s reflections on his visit here and here. …