St. Julie (Julia) Billiart was born in 1751 and died in 1816. As a child, playing "school" was Julie's favorite game. When she was sixteen, to help support her family, she began to teach "for real". She sat on a haystack during the noon recess and told the biblical parables to the workers. Julie carried on this mission of teaching throughout her life, and the Congregation she founded continues her work. Julie was the fifth of seven children. She attended a little one room ...

Addressing journalists in Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo XIV asks "all people of goodwill to always search for peace and to reject war," calls for a return to the negotiating table to pursue peaceful solutions, and notes that attacks on civilian infrastructure are against international law.

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The President of the US Bishops' Conference appeals to President Donald Trump to avoid going through with his threat to “destroy the whole Iranian civilization" if Tehran does not agree to re-open the Strait of Hormuz.

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Pope Leo XIV expresses closeness to the people of Debel in southern Lebanon, and to all who suffer the consequences of war in an Easter message delivered amid ongoing Israeli attacks in the region.

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WASHINGTON - “I call on President Trump to step back from the precipice of war and negotiate a just settlement for the sake of peace and before more lives are lost,” said Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. With the threat of increased military action, including the targeting of civilian infrastructure in Iran, Archbishop Coakley underscored Pope Leo XIV’s appeals during Holy Week and Easter for peace. 

Archbishop Coakley’s full statement follows:

“The threat of destroying a whole civilization and the intentional targeting of civilian infrastructure cannot be morally justified. There are other ways to resolve conflict between peoples. I call on President Trump to step back from the precipice of war and negotiate a just settlement for the sake of peace and before more lives are lost.   

“After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples in Jerusalem, and his first words were ‘Peace be with you.’ As the Holy Father, in his Urbi et Orbi message on Easter reflected, the peace that ‘Jesus gives us is not a peace that merely silences the weapons, but one that touches and transforms the heart of each of us! Let us make heard the cry for peace that springs from our hearts!’ 

“Pope Leo has invited everyone to join him in a prayer vigil for peace on Saturday, April 11. I make a special plea to my brother bishops, the priests, the laity, and all people yearning for true peace to join the Holy Father’s Vigil for Peace, whether virtually, or in parishes, chapels, or before the Lord present in the quiet of their hearts to join with our Holy Father as we pray for peace in our world.

“Let us entrust to the Lord ‘all hearts that suffer and await the true peace that only he can give. Let us entrust ourselves to him and open our hearts to him! He is the only one who makes all things new (cf. Rev 21:5).’”

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Throughout Holy Week and Easter, Pope Leo XIV made numerous appeals for peace, offering the world an impassioned plea not to be overcome by indifference but to firmly believe in “God who rejects war.”

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At the first Easter after the beatification of Blessed Eduard Profittlich, the Catholic Church in Estonia has welcomed dozens of people into the faith in a sign of growth and renewal.

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St. John Baptist de La Salle was born in 1651, in Reims, France. He was the eldest son of wealthy parents. At the age of eleven, La Salle was committed becoming a priest. At the age of sixteen, he was named Canon of Reims Cathedral. At the age of eighteen, he received a master�s degree in classical literature and arts, as well as philosophy. Sadly, La Salle�s parents died within a year of each other in 1671 and 1672. La Salle had to manage his parent�s estate which included educating his ...

The Community of Sant’Egidio calls for renewed commitment to rescue operations and safe migration routes following yet another migrant tragedy in the Mediterranean.

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During the celebration of the Easter Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Fatima, in Mozambique’s Archdiocese of Nampula, Archbishop Inácio Saure called on the faithful to renew their faith in the risen Christ and to live the Easter joy as a sign of hope, conversion, and new life.

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