Apr 3, 2025 Diocesan seminarian among those ordained to transitional diaconate BOCA RATON  |  Presiding at the ordination of 14 transitional deacons March 29, 2025, Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami said it was “a blessed day for the church here in Florida.” Eight of the deacon candidates were from his archdiocese, four from the Diocese of St. Augustine,…

Apr 3, 2025 ORLANDO  |  The third scrutiny for the Elect will occur this Sunday, April 6. The reading is that of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, where He reveals Himself as the resurrection and the life. This last scrutiny occurs as a final, deepened awareness of sin, in order to uncover, heal and strengthen the Elect…

Apr 3, 2025 LAKELAND  |  More than 1,000 gathered at Resurrection Parish in Lakeland for the Polk Ecumenical Action Council for Empowerment (PEACE) annual Nehemiah Action. The action follows the example of Neh 5:1-13, where Nehemiah gathers the “great assembly” to bring justice to his community after hearing about its economic exploitation. The organization answers the social justice…

Apr 3, 2025 My Sisters and Brothers in Christ: Whom do you seek this Lenten season? How are you in relationship with God and your sisters and brothers? The prophet Joel calls us to return to God with our whole heart. This is a big ask! For while we are hope-filled pilgrims on the journey to the New…

Apr 3, 2025 PORT ORANGE  |  To honor the Jubilee Year of Hope, parishioners of Church of the Epiphany in Port Orange donated new shoes for homeless children as part of their Lenten observance. “Pilgrimage for us is traveling, walking the Easter walk. And so, providing shoes seemed appropriate,” said Lucy Block, parish manager of Epiphany. Jessica Smith,…

Apr 3, 2025 ROME  | Every two years the Missionaries of Mercy meet in Rome for continuing formation in the ministry. This year it coincides with the Jubilee Year of Hope. During the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in 2016, Pope Francis commissioned more than 1,000 missionaries worldwide, and commissioned other since then. In the Bull of Indiction, Pope…

Apr 3, 2025 ORLANDO  |   The moniker of “Soldiers of Christ” is sometimes used for priests. It is especially fitting for priests who bring Christ to soldiers. According to a report offered by the Orange County (Calif.) Catholic, fewer than 200 active-duty Catholic priests are responsible for the sacramental needs of nearly 1 million Catholic servicemembers, representing…

Mar 28, 2025 ORLANDO  |  The Rites of Handing on of the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer are two minor rites belonging to the Period of Purification and Enlightenment. They are both celebrated after the Scrutinies, “where the Church lovingly entrusts to them the texts regarded from antiquity as a summary of its faith and prayer,” explains the…

Mar 28, 2025 ORLANDO  |  Pilgrims visiting St. James Cathedral for the Jubilee Year of Hope may have noticed the Jubilee Cross in the sanctuary. The cross, in the form of a crucifix, was originally commissioned for use throughout the diocese for the various gatherings and liturgical celebrations of the First Synod of the Diocese of Orlando in…

Mar 28, 2025 FRUITLAND PARK  |  More than 300 students from seven different colleges gathered to encounter Christ at the Catholic Campus Ministry annual spring retreat just a few weeks ago. While the group of students mostly came from University of Central Florida, others joined from Florida Institute of Technology, Valencia and Seminole State Colleges, Rollins, Stetson University,…