Venezuelan bishops say fresh calls for protest are 'sign of hope'

CARACAS, Venezuela — The Venezuelan bishops' conference labeled fresh calls for anti-government street protests as "a sign of hope" in the country, which continues to suffer through a deep economic and humanitarian crisis.
Portland Catholics support growth of Tanzanian school

CORNELIUS — Portland Catholics are among key supporters of a school for disabled children in Tanzania.
Critical gifts in play at St. Ignatius

“Recess!” said second-grader Owen Charlot when asked about his favorite subject. Many kids are likely to agree, and research is showing that is with good reason.
Miracle Madi

EUGENE — It’s not every day that a miracle happens in your school. This year, St. Paul School here is celebrating the life of 7-year-old second-grader, Madi McCluskey. Her story is miraculous.
‘We will never be silent’

Unlike in previous years, the abortion rights advocates occupied a corner of the square for about 15 minutes, chanting loudly during a prayer commemorating the 60 million U.S. lives lost to abortion since 1973. They howled like wolves while Archbishop Sample spoke, but cheers for the archbishop from pro-lifers drowned out the noise.
After initial outrage, claims of racism, clearer details of exchange emerge

WASHINGTON — An exchange between Catholic high school students and a Native American tribal leader in Washington Jan. 18 was vilified on social media the following day, but the immediate accusations the students showed racist behavior have been stepped back as more details of the entire situation have emerged.
Black activist doctor collaborated with Oregon’s Catholic Church

One of Oregon’s African American civil rights pioneers was a close friend of the Catholic Church.
Rev. King called 'artisan of peace' and 'true witness to power of Gospel'

WASHINGTON — Societies today need "artisans of peace," like the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., "who can be messengers and authentic witnesses of God the Father, who wills the good and the happiness of the human family," said the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Pope says it's 'grave sin' to deny God has blessed other Christians

ROME — Just as divisions in society grow when wealth is not shared, divisions within Christianity grow when the richness of gifts God has given to one Christian church or community are not recognized and shared, Pope Francis said.
The church and alternative health techniques

It’s difficult to find absolute, black-or-white, yes-or-no answers on whether Catholics should try alternative and complementary health care methods.
On the air

At St. John Fisher School in Southwest Portland, SJF News was created as an elective for middle school students under the guidance of the principal, Merrit Holub, and is taught by the technology and innovation specialist, Jan Tullis.
New design class helps students think outside the box

La Salle Prep senior Max Andrews knows what his grandparents like to do: Play cards.

For Christmas, he wanted to make them wooden cases for their decks of cards.

Problem was, he had no idea how.

So, in La Salle’s new Design Thinking and Tools course, he challenged himself to figure it out.
WATCH: Marchers urged to stand strong, fight for life with 'compassion, hope'

WASHINGTON — Those who stand up for the dignity of life in all its stages and want to see this respect for all life enshrined once again in U.S. law have a friend in the Pence family and the Trump administration, Vice President Mike Pence told the March for Life crowd on the National Mall Jan. 18.
MLK: ‘Make things better for people who come after you’

Martin Luther King Jr. gave the young Lew Frederick some of the best advice of his life. But he also told the youth more than once: “Would you turn down the music?” and “Just sit down and listen for a minute and stop running!”
A dignity-of-life mentor

This weekend in Washington, D.C., a humble and popular University of Portland math professor is marching with a handful of U.P. students and hundreds of thousands of others to declare the inalienable dignity of human life.
Senate: No place for 'religious test' in government

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate late Jan. 16 unanimously adopted a resolution "to reaffirm religious liberty and condemn religious tests for federal officials."
Schools team up to take on hunger

They may be rivals on the field, but the people of Jesuit and Central Catholic high schools were on the same team before Christmas to carry out a massive food delivery.
Heroes in the making at Holy Redeemer

This year, Holy Redeemer School in North Portland is mindful that they are not only educating students, they are training heroes — heroes of faith, love and academics. The “hero” theme is being woven into the daily life of the teachers and students this year.
Vatican releases guidelines to help church fight human trafficking

VATICAN CITY — The Vatican has created a set of pastoral guidelines to inspire and improve the church's work in addressing the crime of human trafficking and the care of its victims worldwide.
Vatican leaps into the world of sports

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Vatican announced its plans to take a leap of faith into the wide world of sports with the creation of its first ever sports association.
Going green

When Donald Fournier died a few years ago, Msgr. Patrick Brennan celebrated his funeral Mass at St. Mary Cathedral. “None of his friends from Knights of Columbus or his singles group would have guessed that it was a green funeral,” says his daughter, Elizabeth Fournier, director of Cornerstone Funeral Home in Boring and author of “The Green Burial Guidebook: Everything You Need to Plan an Affordable, Environmentally Friendly Burial.”
Central Catholic Constitution Team prepares for regional competition

The Central Catholic Constitution Team diligently listens to social studies teacher Geoff Stuckart as he covers topics that likely will come up at their competition this month: political parties and voting rights.
Pope wants abuse summit to lead to clarity, action

VATICAN CITY — At the upcoming meeting on protecting minors, Pope Francis wants leaders of the world's bishops' conferences to clearly understand what must be done to prevent abuse, care for victims and ensure no case is whitewashed or covered up.
Judge blocks expansion of religious exemptions to contraceptive mandate

WASHINGTON — A federal judge temporarily blocked the government from putting into effect new rules that would expand the exemption to the federal contraceptive mandate to the Little Sisters of the Poor and other religious employers.
‘A huge blessing': Regina Caeli Academy now in its second year serving Portland-area home-schoolers

A hybrid model of education that integrates home schooling with a classical curriculum taught by Catholics in love with the faith recently was established in the Portland area. Its foremost mission is to shape minds and hearts for Jesus.
Faith is passed on at home, pope tells parents at baptism

VATICAN CITY — Faith isn't something learned just by studying the catechism but rather is a gift passed on to children by the example of their parents, Pope Francis said.
Cardinal Wuerl wrote papal nuncio of abuse claims against predecessor in 2004

WASHINGTON — Church officials confirmed that Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl, retired archbishop of Washington, had forwarded an allegation of sexual misconduct against his predecessor, former Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, to the papal nuncio in Washington in 2004.
Groups seeking a save on Outdoor School grants

The Archdiocese of Portland is working with local organizations to make sure children in private education can keep taking part in Oregon’s beloved Outdoor School.
Despite high turnover, number of Catholics little changed in Congress

WASHINGTON — In most election cycles, there may be 30 to 50 new members of Congress. For 2019, there are 89 -- and a 90th may yet be headed for Capitol Hill based on how a disputed House election in North Carolina plays out.
A priest and a dad co-teach a St. Agatha religion class

At the front of a St. Agatha School classroom, eighth-grade theology teacher Arnaud Prevot begins the day’s lesson on Advent and the sacraments. He’s just a few sentences into his introduction when another voice chimes in from across the room: “Advent comes from the Latin word ‘adventus,’ meaning ‘coming.’”
Pastor celebrates 15 years

On Dec. 27, three days after the Christmas Eve tragedy at Our Lady of Lavang Parish in Northeast Portland, parishioners joined together to celebrate Pastor Ansgar Pham’s 15 year jubilee. The pastor was ordained Dec. 27, 2003, in Taichung, Taiwan.
Trump visits Texas migrant center at invitation of nun on front lines

MCALLEN, Texas — President Donald Trump got a brief look at the work of a well-known Catholic Charities-run refugee center in South Texas during a daylong trip to the border.
St. Vincent de Paul of Portland started 150 years ago

An astonishing movement began in 1833 at the University of Paris. A 20-year-old student named Frederic Ozanam formed an alliance in response to critics who called the Catholic Church a friend of the rich and an exploiter of the poor.
Young adults embrace opportunity to deepen their faith

INDIANAPOLIS — Tears filled Missy Brassie's eyes as she talked about the most emotional part of the five-day SEEK2019 conference involving more than 17,000 young adult Catholics from around the world.
Christians concerned about religious freedom if Turkey enters Syria

AMMAN, Jordan — Growing numbers of Christians in North America and Europe are joining Christians in Syria's northeast in expressing concern for the future of religious minorities and Kurds in that region should the U.S. give Turkey the "green light" to take over the fight against Islamic State.
Seek Jesus, adore him, serve him and others, pope says on Epiphany

VATICAN CITY — People find Jesus only through humble love, and once they find him, they are called to offer him the gifts of their prayer, their adoration and their care of others, Pope Francis said.
'Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.'

Happy Epiphany from the Sentinel! This is our effort to help you hang on to the Christmas season, which did not end on Dec. 25 but just got started.
Irish bishops urge Catholics to 'resist' country's new abortion law

DUBLIN — The primate of All-Ireland insisted that the country's new abortion law that took effect Jan. 1 has "no moral force" and it "must be resisted" by Catholics.
Chicago lay movements gather to pray for U.S. bishops on retreat

CHICAGO — To show support for the U.S. bishops as they gathered at the Mundelein Seminary at the University of St. Mary of the Lake near Chicago for a weeklong retreat in early January, members of lay ecclesial movements met at St. Mother Theodore Guerin Parish in Elmwood Park Jan. 3 to pray.
'It's like a holy mystery’

Paul Farrow, a retired Fred Meyer retail executive, once had a rugged opinion of people who are homeless. He dealt with shoplifters.

Now that he volunteers at St. André Bessette Parish on West Burnside Street, Farrow knows better.
Vatican confirms investigation is underway of bishop for abuse, misconduct

VATICAN CITY — A bishop from Argentina who had been working in the Vatican's real estate administration office is the object of a preliminary diocesan investigation after accusations came to light of sexual abuse, abuse of power and mismanagement in his former Diocese of Oran.
Pope to U.S. bishops: Abuse crisis requires conversion, humility

VATICAN CITY — The clerical abuse crisis and the "crisis of credibility" it created for the U.S. bishops have led to serious divisions within the U.S. church and to a temptation to look for administrative solutions to problems that go much deeper, Pope Francis told the U.S. bishops.
'Franciscan from the start'

BEAVERTON — A sprightly ukulele-playing nun is the newest member of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows here.
Details published on Vatican delaying of USCCB vote on abuse provisions

VATICAN CITY — The surprising news in November that the Vatican had asked U.S. bishops not to vote on several proposals for responding to the sexual abuse crisis was motivated by a lack of time given the Vatican to study the proposals and potential conflicts with church law, according to a letter obtained by the Associated Press.