Beginning on Friday, March 26, all of Maine’s Catholic churches will allow for 50% capacity for all daily and weekend Masses. Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday on March 28.
On Friday, Pope Francis began a four-day visit to Iraq, the first-ever papal visit to the country, with a plea for the citizens to protect the area’s centuries-old diversity through interfaith unity and respect.
Despite the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, many people from around Maine are preparing to enter the Catholic Church this Easter season, and on the first weekend of Lent, Bishop Robert Deeley joined with them in celebrating the Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion (11 pictures below).
A Lakota version of the Stations of the Cross is being shared on the Thursdays of Lent at 3 p.m., and all are invited to participate through the use of Zoom. The stations, a popular Lenten devotion dating back centuries, take the Christian faithful on a spiritual pilgrimage through Christ’s Passion and death.
As I stated in December in regards to COVID-19 vaccines, we must thank God for the scientific advancement and dedication of those in the medical field that have led to these lifesaving vaccines during a global pandemic. When it is your turn to receive a vaccine, you can receive the one that is offered to you without moral reservation.
In a time of decreased opportunities for gathering together to discuss their common faith, young adult Catholics in Maine are invited to join each other for the first “Holy Hangout” on Wednesday, March 3, at 7:30 p.m.
How do you show children the importance of serving others and its connection to our faith? Catholic Charities Maine’s Parish Social Ministry hopes to do it through the use of “The Helping Tree.”
Bishop Robert Deeley has designated Friday, March 5, as a diocesan-wide Day of Prayer and Penance to seek forgiveness for past harm while offering prayers for the healing of victims/survivors of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.
Sadly, due to the pandemic, the Maine Catholic Women’s Conference will not be held in person for the second consecutive year. The event, which drew close to 400 participants in 2019, is simply too large to ensure safety at this time.
A bright and beautiful Maine morning on which to enjoy his first snowshoeing excursion this week brought respite and a new perspective on the Gospel of Mark to Bishop Robert Deeley, who celebrated Mass on the Second Sunday of Lent at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland.
The Diocese of Portland’s Office of Lifelong Faith Formation will partner with William H. Sadlier, Inc., to offer a free webinar for parents, guardians, catechists, and parish leaders.
Governor Janet Mills’ new executive order promising expanded gathering limits at Maine’s Catholic churches is not helpful to Maine Catholics who have diligently followed each of the protocols put in place regarding religious gatherings since the start of the pandemic.
Each year since 1992, when Pope St. John Paul II began its observance, the Church has set aside the day of February 11, the memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes, as a special day of prayer for the sick. Lourdes is a place of great blessing and consolation for the sick. There, through the intercession of the Blessed Mother, who appeared in the grotto on the side of a hill to St. Bernadette, many sick have been healed and many more have found peace in their suffering.
Part of the mission of Maine Catholic schools is to accentuate the importance of service with the hope of building a lifelong commitment and appreciation in each student to give back to those in need. Last week, that lesson was on full display at schools across Maine during Maine Catholic Schools Week as students designed and completed many service projects to help local organizations.
Teacher, vice principal, and advisor are just a few of the many titles that Jennifer Hoffman successfully holds at St. Michael School, earning her the respect and reverence of the students, teachers, families, and staff.
"A central aspect of Catholic education is learning the importance of service to others. When students take part in service activities, both local and beyond, they demonstrate the values and faith they gain through their Catholic education, learn how to make the world a better place, and gain an appreciation for how they can continue to serve others their entire lives.”
As the calendar gets ready for a page turn to February, it means that, even in an unprecedented school year, Maine Catholic Schools Week is upon us, an annual celebration that offers an opportunity to reflect upon the mission of Catholic schools as centers of faith, academic excellence, community, and service.
The Catholic Church will celebrate the World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life on Tuesday, February 2, with commemorations also encouraged for the weekend of February 6-7. This event is a special time for individual parishes and the greater Church to celebrate the gift of consecrated life and pray for men and women discerning a consecrated vocation.
Activities organized to celebrate the fun, faith, and family that define Maine’s Catholic schools highlight the Catholic Schools Week schedules across the state on January 31 to February 6, but teachers and administrators hope that it’s the ways in which the students will give back that will provide the most indelible memories.