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Labyrinth Anniversary Celebration

Tuesday, 03/19/2024 at 3:00 PM - 8:00 PM

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St. Vincent de Paul Annual Palm Sunday Dinner

Sunday, 03/24/2024 at 11:30 AM - 6:00 PM

24
Black Women Poets: Vision and Voice

Sunday, 03/24/2024 at 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

24
Annual Legion of Mary Acies

Sunday, 03/24/2024 at 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM

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Speaker: Social Media and Teen Mental Health

Tuesday, 04/02/2024 at 6:30 PM

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St. Mark Book Fair

Saturday, 04/06/2024 at 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

7
Poet Laureates Alive: Smith, Harjo, and Limon with Noeli Lytton

Sunday, 04/07/2024 at 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

7
Divine Mercy Sunday

Sunday, 04/07/2024 at 2:00 PM

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Where Art Serves the World

Wednesday, 04/10/2024 at 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Nation and world briefs

U.S.

Supreme Court examines freedom of speech at crisis pregnancy centers

WASHINGTON — In oral arguments before the Supreme Court March 20, justices seemed skeptical about a California law that requires pro-life pregnancy centers in the state to visibly display information about abortions to their clients that the centers say violates their right to free speech. A few of the justices asked about the state’s motivation to put the law in place, wondering if it was more about educating women about state-provided services or if it was meant to specifically target centers offering pregnancy-related services that clients might assume are medical facilities. Justice Elena Kagan said it would be a problem and a First Amendment issue if the law was “gerrymandered” to only apply to certain types of service providers. The law’s requirement that licensed and unlicensed centers disclose their status in advertisements in large type and in many languages was seen as an “undue burden” by Justice Anthony Kennedy, who asked if this would apply — and was told it would — to an unlicensed facility that wanted to have a “choose life” or “pro-life” billboard. Justice Sonia Sotomayor agreed that aspect of the law, in some cases, was “burdensome and wrong.”

After Vatican verdict, Guam archbishop apologizes for predecessor’s ‘harm’

VATICAN CITY — Publicly apologizing on behalf of the whole archdiocese for the “grave harm” caused by former Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron of Agana, Archbishop Michael J. Byrnes said a new chapter of humility, repentance and healing has opened for the Catholic Church in Guam following a Vatican verdict against his predecessor. “I called and still call upon all Catholics on Guam to intensify their prayers and with great humility, offer sacrifice for the grave harm and sins which we have experienced or have enabled in our Church,” Archbishop Byrnes said during a news conference in Guam March 18. “We hang our heads in shame for the grave evil one member inflicted upon others, in this case the most vulnerable,” he said in remarks, which were later released in a written statement.

WORLD

Pope to attend World Meeting of Families

VATICAN CITY — Receiving a delegation from Ireland and blessing an icon of the Holy Family, Pope Francis confirmed his intention to visit Dublin for the final days of the World Meeting of Families. “On the occasion of the next World Meeting of Families, I plan on going to Dublin from August 25 to 26 this year. I thank the civil authorities, the bishops, the archbishop of Dublin and all those who are helping prepare this trip. Thank you,” he said. Along with Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin, president of the world meeting, the delegation included two families from Ireland.

Brazilian bishop charged with stealing millions from diocesan donations

BRASILIA, Brazil — Bishop Jose Ronaldo Ribeiro of Formosa was arrested and charged, along with four diocesan priests, of stealing about $606 million of diocesan money. On March 21, two days after the arrest, Pope Francis named Archbishop Paulo Mendes Peixoto of Uberaba to serve as apostolic administrator of the diocese. The pope didn’t remove Bishop Ribeiro from his post. Prosecutors in the state of Goias allege Bishop Ribeiro and the priests purchased a cattle ranch and a lottery store with the diverted money. The courts authorized prosecutors to wiretap the telephones of the accused. Officials who issued the warrants and searched the bishop’s home said they found money hidden in a secret compartment in a closet. The bishop is also suspected of stealing from parishioners in another diocese, where he served from 2007 to 2014. Prosecutors are now said to be looking into allegations that priests paid Bishop Ribeiro monthly “allowances” so that they could be placed in more profitable parishes.

Pope will celebrate Holy Thursday Mass at prison

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis once again will celebrate the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper in a prison and will wash the feet of 12 inmates. The pope will celebrate the evening Mass on March 29 at Rome’s Regina Coeli prison, the Vatican announced March 20. Before Mass, the pope will visit sick inmates in the prison infirmary, the Vatican said. He will celebrate the Mass and wash the feet of 12 inmates in the prison’s central rotunda. A former convent built in the 1600s, Regina Coeli has operated as a prison since the 1890s.

Catholic leaders criticize Duterte’s withdrawal of Philippines from ICC

MANILA, Philippines — Several Philippine Catholic leaders criticized President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision that he was withdrawing the country from the International Criminal Court, which is investigating his international war on drugs. “The Philippines is not Duterte,” said Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo, head of the Episcopal Commission on the Laity. His remarks were reported by ucanews.com. The bishop said the president’s decision only showed that there might be a basis for the allegations leveled against him. “(He) is afraid of accountability. Duterte should be investigated,” said Bishop Pabillo.

Pope ordains three bishops to serve as nuncios

VATICAN CITY — Celebrating the feast of St. Joseph, Pope Francis ordained three new bishops who will serve as papal nuncios, or ambassadors. The new bishops are: Archbishop Jose Bettencourt, a priest of the Archdiocese of Ottawa and former head of diplomatic protocol for the Vatican; Archbishop Alfred Xuereb, a Maltese who was general secretary of the Vatican Secretariat for the Economy and had served as assistant personal secretary to Pope Benedict XVI; and Archbishop Waldemar Sommertag, a career Vatican diplomat from Poland. Archbishop Bettencourt will be nuncio to Georgia and Armenia; Archbishop Xuereb will take up posts as the nuncio to South Korea and to Mongolia; and Archbishop Sommertag will serve as nuncio to Nicaragua.

— Catholic News Service


Nation and world briefs 14

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