Joe Boys, 67, didn’t grow up in one church. His father was in the United States Army, and his family traveled often. Now that his grandson, Stephen, is Catholic and many of his friends are Catholic, he, too, is preparing to make the next step in faith. “I was not really happy in the churches...Read More

ALLENDALE, N.J. – A New Jersey health care initiative has reached its goal of getting Catholic hospitals in the state to donate umbilical-cord and placenta blood for adult stem-cell research. During a March 9 press conference at the Elie Katz Umbilical Cord Blood Program facility in Allendale, Archbishop John J. Myers of Newark and Father...Read More

When St. Matthew, Northwood, parishioner Dorothy E. Alford is in need of a spiritual boost or a friend, this 95-year-old Idlewood resident contacts her ‘godparents.’ She is not praying to deceased family or friends who attended her baptism – but calling the two younger women who assisted in her conversion to Catholicism three years ago....Read More

VATICAN CITY – As head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith since 2005, U.S. Cardinal William J. Levada has found that most of his work is behind the scenes. The recent action against Jesuit Father Jon Sobrino was an exception: He was the first theologian to be publicly censured during Cardinal Levada’s...Read More

Protecting the safety of children and providing support to victims have been top priorities of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, according to archdiocesan officials. Following the adoption of new protocols in 2003, the archdiocese has conducted criminal background checks on thousands of parish, school and archdiocesan employees. More than 50,000 volunteers who come in contact with...Read More

A Senate child sex abuse bill that Catholic leaders said would have crippled the church’s many ministries in Maryland was defeated March 16 on an 8-2 vote in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee. Sponsored by Sen. James Brochin, a Baltimore County Democrat, Senate Bill 575 would have suspended Maryland’s existing statute of limitations allowing civil...Read More

MEXICO CITY – Catholics and civic organizations have launched a campaign against a Mexico City proposal to legalize abortion during the first three months of pregnancy. The proposal “has awoken the conscience of civil society in this city,” said Armando Martinez, president of the College of Catholic Lawyers in Mexico City, at a March 18...Read More

ROME – Curiosity about the New Testament figure of Judas and a feeling that his reputation as the worst sinner in history “isn’t fair, isn’t right” led British novelist Jeffrey Archer to attempt a new version of the story. Archer, presenting “The Gospel According to Judas by Benjamin Iscariot” at a March 20 press conference...Read More