On April 13, Guardian Angels in Oakdale partnered with King of Kings Lutheran Church in Woodbury and received support from Oakdale-based food bank Open Cupboard to host its first Community Meal Event. The event aimed to serve those experiencing food insecurity as well as those feeling isolated and searching for community. Held in the parish’s Peter O’Neill Hall, over 100 volunteers helped serve meals, beverages and desserts to those in attendance. According to organizers, Guardian Angels is part of Our Community Kitchens — a group that works to increase the number of community meals in Washing ..read more

Damaged buildings are seen in Sulphur, Okla., April 28, 2024, after the town was hit by a tornado the night before. Tornadoes killed at least four people in Oklahoma, including an infant, and left thousands without power after a destructive outbreak of severe weather flattened buildings in the heart of the rural town of Sulphur and injured at least 100 people across the state. OSV News photo/Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman/USA Today Network via ReutersParishioners in several Midwestern states are coming together to bring help and healing after tornadoes ravaged the area April 26-28, killing at leas ..read more

Elia Stelluto, St. Padre Pio’s personal photographer, stands before a poster showing a previously unseen photo of the saint while holding the camera he used to capture it during a presentation at the Vatican April 29, 2024. CNS photo/Justin McLellanA foundation that promotes devotion to St. Pio of Pietrelcina, more widely known as Padre Pio, is making 10 never-before-seen photographs of the saint available to the devout for free. The images provide personal insight into the life, attitude and spirituality of 20th-century saint, said the photographer. Some photos show Padre Pio solemnly celebra ..read more

St. Alphonsus Catholic School in Brooklyn Center will close at the end of this academic year, according to Father John Schmidt, pastor of the parish. The school — which was founded in 1959, serves pre-kindergarten through eighth grade students and offers a preschool program — has seen a shift in recent years, Father Schmidt explained. Enrollment has declined in the past 10 years from 175 students during the 2013-2014 school year to fewer than 100 this academic year. Meanwhile, recurrent teacher turnover and an increasing inability to fill open teaching positions in recent years “has impacted t ..read more

Pope Francis speaks with Norah O’Donnell before sitting down exclusively with the “CBS Evening News” anchor at the Vatican April 24, 2024, for an interview ahead of the Vatican’s inaugural World Children’s Day. The CBS interview marked the first time a pope has given an in-depth, one-on-one interview to a U.S. broadcast network, according to the network. OSV News photo/courtesy CBS NEWSPope Francis sat down exclusively with “CBS Evening News” anchor Norah O’Donnell on April 24 for an interview ahead of the Vatican’s inaugural World Children’s Day. The CBS interview marks the first time a pope ..read more

Archbishop Bernard Hebda has announced the following appointments in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis: Effective May 1, 2024 Reverend Monsignor Jeffery Steenson, assigned as temporary parochial administrator of the Cathedral of Saint Paul in Saint Paul while the pastor, Very Reverend John Ubel, is on sabbatical. Effective May 30, 2024 Reverend Peter Hughes, assigned as temporary parochial administrator of the Church of Our Lady of the Lake in Mound while the pastor, Reverend Peter Richards, is on sabbatical. This is in addition to his current assignment as pastor of the Church of ..read more

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Archbishop Bernard Hebda is looking forward to the priestly ordination Mass May 25 at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul. He will ordain 13 men for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis during the 10 a.m. Mass, the largest number since 2005, when 15 men were ordained. Archbishop Hebda described his joyful anticipation for the upcoming ordination to host Kayla Mayer during an episode of “Practicing Catholic.” Archbishop Bernard Hebda “It’s exciting, I think, for any bishop, but especially when you have the chance to be ordaining 13, it makes you particularly thrilled,” he said. “It’s o ..read more

Two Catholic Charities Twin Cities programs that treat people with long-term alcohol use disorder through a harm reduction model of managed alcohol consumption are explored in a documentary titled “Wet House.” The film will be shown and discussed May 2 at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia), and everyone is invited, said Mike Rios-Keating, Catholic Charities’ director of culture and belonging. Catholic Charities is known for its ministry in St. Paul and Minneapolis to some 25,000 children, their families, and men and women each year who need housing, social services and employment assistanc ..read more

Deacons Michael Maloney and Joseph Wappes will be ordained to the priesthood in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis on May 25 with 11 other men. Their formation was unique among the class as they studied at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. The deacons said that the opportunity to study in Rome enriched their formation for the priesthood. Deacon Michael Maloney and Deacon Joseph Wappes “I’m really grateful for the chance to have been here,” Deacon Wappes told “Practicing Catholic” radio show host Patrick Conley. “I just feel like I’ve seen the universal Church in a new way ..read more