Benedictine abbot and defender of the faith. Born in Canas, Navarre, Spain, circa 1000, he entered the Benedictines at San Millan de Ia Cogolla. King Garcia III of Navarre challenged him when he became abbot of the monastery, and Dominic refused to surrender part of the Benedictine lands to the crown. For this he was exiled, going to King Ferdinand I of Castile and Leon, who made him abbot of St. Sebastian Abbey at Silos, now called St. Dominic�s. Dominic reformed the abbey, built the ...

The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem is on a pastoral visit to the Parish of the Holy Family and will preside over the Christmas Mass on Sunday.

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Pope Leo XIV convenes his first Consistory of Cardinals, which will take place on January 7-8 and will be marked by prayer, support, and counsel for the Pope.

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As the Jubilee of Hope concludes with the Christmas Season, an image of Our Lady of Hope from southern Italy will accompany the faithful attending liturgies celebrated by Pope Leo XIV.

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As the Jubilee Year draws to a close, Pope Leo XIV reminds the faithful that its deepest gift endures. Hope, he says, continues to shape the Church’s journey, calling all to remain pilgrims who generate life and renewal.

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As the Church marks the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Abbot Marion Nguyen reflects on the theme "Justice without judgement: the righteousness of Joseph"

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“The universality of salvation: A hope without conditions” is the theme of the third Advent meditation, delivered Friday morning in the Paul VI Hall in the presence of the Pope. In his sermon, Fr Roberto Pasolini, the Preacher of the Papal Household focuses on the attitude of the Magi, who boldly dared to open themselves to the unknown.

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ROME (CNS) -- With the Vatican's Nativity scene and huge Christmas tree glittering in the Roman sun behind him, David Henrie reflected on the joy of giving during the Advent season.

As a father of three young children, he said, it was important he find a more "visual way" to help them understand and experience this "spirit of Christmas that involves giving back."

An actor, director, producer and active Catholic, Henrie was in Rome promoting some of his latest projects, including his expanding partnership with the U.S.-based Cross Catholic Outreach, which helps mobilize Catholics to bring material and spiritual support to the poorest of the poor through the church's international network of dioceses, parishes and missionaries. 

Henrie told Catholic News Service Dec. 18 that the charity's Box of Joy ministry made the joy of Advent and Christmas more "memorable" for his family by helping them experience it in a different, concrete way.

"It was the perfect thing for me and my family because my kids got to go pick out little toys and little gifts that they put in a little shoe box and send to a kid somewhere in the world who maybe hasn't had a Christmas present before," he said.

Since 2014, Cross Catholic Outreach has helped families, parishes, schools and others pack and deliver more than 781,000 Box of Joy gifts to children in developing countries. The gifts include toys, clothing, school supplies, a rosary and the story of Jesus as a sign of Christ's love and compassion for everyone.

Henrie said the project opened his children's eyes to how some children don't have toys or even enough food to thrive. "I got to explain to them the concept of poverty in a way that they felt like they were contributing."

"What a way to help them be curious about poverty and what we can do to help poverty," he said, "and they took so much delight in picking out their favorite toys for other kids out there."

To this day, he said, when they pray the family rosary, "I go, 'What do you guys want to pray for?' And they go, 'For the poor kids who don't have gifts!'"

As "ambassador" for Cross Catholic Outreach, Henrie went with his wife, Maria, to Guatemala in 2024 and the Dominican Republic in 2023 to personally deliver Box of Joy gifts. 

"I remember we were handing out tons of boxes, my wife and I, and I got down to one last box," during the mission trip to the Diocese of Santa Rosa de Lima in Guatemala, he said.

One little girl "wanted the box so bad, but she goes, 'But I have a brother.' And so she took our last box, and she gave it right to her brother," Henrie said, remarking how impressed he was with her selflessness.

"I was like, 'Oh, I'm not that generous.' That was so nice of her to do for her little brother," he said.

While the people he saw lacked so many material necessities, they were abundant in faith, he said. Homes without bathrooms and running water would have "little shrines to the Blessed Mother" and "prayer corners."

"I got so much out of it," he said, urging Catholics to visit BoxOfJoy.org and get involved before Dec. 25.

"Right now is the perfect time," he said, especially "if you're looking for a way to get your family together around this wonderful initiative."

WASHINGTON – Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito, 75, from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Palm Beach, and has appointed Reverend Manuel de Jesus Rodriguez, as Bishop-elect of Palm Beach. Father Rodriguez is a priest of the Diocese of Brooklyn and currently serves as pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Corona (Queens), New York. The resignation and appointment were publicized in Washington, D.C., on December 19, 2025, by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

The following biographical information for Bishop-elect Rodriguez was drawn from preliminary materials provided to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops:

Father Rodriguez was born January 15, 1974, in the Dominican Republic; he became a United States citizen on July 25, 2018. 

Father Rodriguez pursued studies at the Pontifical University Madre y Maestra in the Dominican Republic, earning degrees in philosophy (1996) and law (1998), and a degree in education from the Catholic University of Santo Domingo (1997). He received a doctorate in legal studies from the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome (2003), a master’s degree in education from the Instituto Tecnologico de Santo Domingo (2006), and a licentiate in canon law from The Catholic University of America (2016), and a doctorate in canon law from the University of Navarre in Spain (2019).

He was admitted to the Salesians of Don Bosco (a religious order) in 1993 and made his final profession to the Salesians on September 22, 2002. Father Rodriguez was ordained to the priesthood on July 3, 2004, in the Dominican Republic, and was incardinated into the Diocese of Brooklyn in 2012. 

Bishop-elect Rodriguez’s assignments after ordination in the Dominican Republic include: director of John Bosco School (2004-2008); director of Sacred Heart of Jesus School in Santo Domingo (2008-2009). His assignments in the Diocese of Brooklyn include: parochial vicar at St. Michael Church in Brooklyn (2009-2011); administrator (2011-2012) and then pastor (2012-2014) at Sts. Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church in Brooklyn; administrator (2014) and then pastor at Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Queens (2014-2020). Father Rodriguez has also served as the defender of the bond on the diocesan tribunal since 2017 and has served as pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Corona, Queens since 2020. Bishop-elect Rodriguez speaks English, Spanish, French, and Italian.

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WASHINGTON – Pope Leo XIV has appointed Reverend Monsignor Peter Dai Bui, as Auxiliary Bishop of Phoenix. Monsignor Bui is a priest of the Diocese of Phoenix and currently serves as the diocese’s Vicar for Clergy. The appointment was publicized in Washington, D.C. on December 19, 2025, by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

The following biographical information for Bishop-elect Bui was drawn from preliminary materials provided to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops:

Monsignor Bui was born January 11, 1970, in Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam. He studied at the Legion of Christ Minor Seminary and entered the Legion of Christ Novitiate in Cheshire, Connecticut in 1989, making his First Profession in 1991. Monsignor Bui attended the Pontifical Athenaeum in Rome, earning degrees in philosophy and theology as well as a licentiate in philosophy (2003). He was ordained to the priesthood on December 24, 2003, for the Legionaries of Christ (a religious order).

Bishop-elect Bui served as chaplain of a private Catholic school in Caracas, Venezuela, organizing mission trips to Amazonia and Medellin, Colombia (2003-2006). He was incardinated into the Diocese of Phoenix in October 2009. His pastoral assignments in the diocese have included: associate pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe parish in Queen Creek (2007-2008); associate pastor at Christ the King parish in Mesa (2008-2010); pastor at Resurrection parish in Tempe (2010-2011); and pastor at Holy Spirit parish in Tempe (2017-2022). Bishop-elect Bui also served as an official on the Pontifical Council Cor Unum from 2011-2016. On December 16, 2014, he was named a Chaplain to His Holiness, with the title of Monsignor. Since 2022, Monsignor Bui has served as the Vicar for Clergy for the Diocese of Phoenix. He speaks English, Vietnamese, Spanish, Italian, and German.

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