By Jaymie Stuart Wolfe | OSV News If there’s one thing we can learn from those who encountered the Risen Lord during the 40 days between his Resurrection and Ascension, it’s this: Seeing Jesus isn’t the same as recognizing him. To Mary Magdalene, distraught at the tomb, Christ looked like the gardener. To the two disillusioned disciples on the road to Emmaus, he was a clueless stranger. To former fishermen returning to Galilee uncertain of what to do next, the Master was just a man hoping to cook breakfast on the shore. This is an American 18th century painting entitled “Christ on the Road to ..read more

By Cindy Wooden | Catholic News Service Pope Francis and his international Council of Cardinals continued their discussions about the role of women in the church, listening to women experts, including a professor who spoke about how culture impacts women’s roles and status. The pope and the nine-member Council of Cardinals invited women, including an Anglican bishop, to make presentations at their meetings in December and in February as well. The council met April 15-16 in the Domus Sanctae Marthae, the pope’s residence, the Vatican press office said. Pope Francis and his international Council ..read more

The Corporate Board of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud has named Aaron Fisk as the organization’s new president and CEO, effective Tuesday, April 16, 2024. St. Cloud Bishop Patrick M. Neary, C.S.C., said, “We are so fortunate to have had a dedicated search team and Corporate Board who ultimately named Aaron Fisk to continue the critical work of Catholic Charities as its new president and CEO. Aaron presents robust professional experience in leadership and a solid educational background in business and law. His gifts and commitment to the longstanding mission of caring for the mo ..read more

On the morning of Good Friday, Carol and Bruce Wenner from Alexandria decided to hike around Sauk Lake near Grey Eagle. On their way, they saw a well-maintained, solid brick church, Holy Cross in North Prairie. “It was covered with a beautiful blanket of snow, and we stopped to check if the doors were open. Amazingly, it wasn’t locked,” Carol said. Inside they saw a man cleaning the church, preparing it for the upcoming Good Friday service. Gerald Pasch, the sacristan, was busy making sure everything was in order and in place in the sanctuary — the kneelers in position, the font filled with ho ..read more

On the morning of Good Friday, Carol and Bruce Wenner from Alexandria decided to hike around Sauk Lake near Grey Eagle. On their way, they saw a well-maintained, solid brick church, Holy Cross in North Prairie. “It was covered with a beautiful blanket of snow, and we stopped to check if the doors were open. Amazingly, it wasn’t locked,” Carol said. Inside they saw a man cleaning the church, preparing it for the upcoming Good Friday service. Gerald Pasch, the sacristan, was busy making sure everything was in order and in place in the sanctuary — the kneelers in position, the font filled with ho ..read more

After careful consideration, the leadership of Catholic Charities and the Diocese of St. Cloud made the decision to move the work of the office of Social Concerns, currently under the direction of Catholic Charities, to the Diocese of St. Cloud. Beginning July 1, 2024, the Social Concerns director, Kateri Mancini, and rural life coordinators, JoAnn Braegelman and Luke Preussler, will make the transition from Catholic Charities to their new location at the Pastoral Center in downtown St. Cloud. Kateri Mancini (Photo submitted) “We will continue the same great work, just in a new home,” Mancini ..read more

On Saturday, April 13, Christ Church Newman Center hosts the 16th annual Father Wil Illies Heart Speaks to Heart Memorial Lecture. Karen Imholte, current chair of the Wil Illies Fund, explained that Father Illies was a priest at the Newman Center and served in area parishes. Capuchin Father Edward Foley (Submitted Photo) “There were several people who were inspired by him, and these individuals fundraised to create a fund to host yearly lectures,” she said. “It is intended to be a thought-provoking progressive-minded presentation to push people’s intellect and understanding of the Gospel.” Thi ..read more

Photos featured this week include a candlelit procession in memory of the six crewmen who died in the Baltimore bridge collapse, on-going restoration at Notre Dame Cathedral  and more.   Hundreds walk the streets of Baltimore April 8, 2024, in a candlelit procession following a prayer service at Sacred Heart of Jesus/Sagrado Corazón de Jesús in memory of the six crewmen who perished in the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. (OSV News photo/Kevin J. Parks, Catholic Review)   A tourist boat travels on the Seine River near the Notre Dame Cathedral March 31, 2024, as restoration wor ..read more

Por Gina Christian | OSV News Varios líderes pastorales católicos de Estados Unidos recibieron con beneplácito la nueva declaración del Vaticano sobre la dignidad humana por su tratamiento específico de varios temas clave — y muchas veces polémicos. “Dignitas Infinita” (“Dignidad infinita”), publicada el 8 de abril por el Dicasterio para la Doctrina de la Fe del Vaticano, recuerda la base bíblica y magisterial de la Iglesia Católica para entender la dignidad humana como inherente, ya que en última instancia se deriva de la creación de la persona humana “a imagen y semejanza de Dios” y de la re ..read more

By David Werning | OSV News Have you heard of the word “indulgence” but aren’t exactly sure what it means? You’re not alone. Indulgences come with a lot of baggage. Many people — even some Catholics — consider indulgences a medieval error connected to the upheaval in the church during the Reformation. Unfortunately, they were used wrongly at that time. Nevertheless, they remain a normal and very helpful tool at the Church’s disposal to aid an individual’s response to God’s grace. Any tool can be misused. However, it does not follow that it is intrinsically corrupt. To understand the true meani ..read more