Articles by Rachel Thomas
World’s biggest monstrance created in reparation for Spanish war leads yearly procession
Jun 4, 2024 / 15:52 pmThe monstrance used in the annual Corpus Christi procession in Valencia, Spain, was created as an act of reparation for the atrocities of the Spanish Civil War.
World Children’s Day: Pope Francis instills key lesson on Holy Spirit at Mass with children
May 26, 2024 / 13:15 pmThe pope gathered with tens of thousands of children in St. Peter’s Square for Mass and provided a lively lesson about the Holy Trinity.
God is close, archbishop assures after fire destroys Spanish apartment complex
Feb 28, 2024 / 14:37 pmTen people died in what commentators called the biggest blaze the city of Valencia had ever seen.
Pope Francis to hold meeting with children at the Vatican on Nov. 6
Oct 1, 2023 / 10:15 amThe theme of the event in the Paul VI Audience Hall will be “Let us learn from boys and girls.”
Pope Francis: Migrant crisis requires wisdom, not ‘alarmist propaganda’
Sep 23, 2023 / 08:41 am“Those who risk their lives at sea do not invade, they look for welcome,” the Holy Father insisted.
Catholics from mainland China and across Asia in Mongolia for Mass with Pope Francis
Sep 3, 2023 / 03:30 amWhile papal Masses on the pope’s other trips can draw hundreds of thousands of people, the Mass in Ulaanbaatar only had an estimated 2,000 in attendance.
Pope Francis tells Mongolia’s tiny Catholic community that ‘God loves littleness’
Sep 2, 2023 / 07:23 am“Brothers and sisters, do not be concerned about small numbers, limited success, or apparent irrelevance,” Pope Francis assured missionaries in Mongolia.
Pope calls grieving mother of son who died at WYD: ‘He comforted me as if he were my dad’
Aug 19, 2023 / 09:41 amPope Francis called the mother of a young man, Luca Re Sartù, 24, who has passed away after apparently contracting a bacterial staph infection.
After closing Mass, pope ends World Youth Day trip by meeting volunteers to say thanks
Aug 6, 2023 / 12:25 pmAfter celebrating Mass for WYD 2023 with an estimated 1.5 million pilgrims in Lisbon, the pope thanked the many volunteers who made the event possible.
Vatican announces Pope Francis’ Marseille visit schedule
Jul 29, 2023 / 08:55 amIn September, the pope will travel to France to meet with young people and bishops from around the world at the Mediterranean Encounter.
Now hear this: St. Peter’s Basilica upgrades its sound system
Jul 23, 2023 / 08:30 amThe new system debuted at the July 23 papal Mass for the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly.
Here’s a beautiful prayer you can say on the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly 2023
Jul 23, 2023 / 08:00 amThe prayer from the Vatican’s Dicastery for Laity, Family, and Life invokes Mary’s intercession.
Pope Francis celebrates World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly
Jul 23, 2023 / 07:25 amCalling for “a new bond between the young and old,” Pope Francis marked the third annual World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly on Sunday.
Pope Francis: Do we allow ourselves to be amazed at God’s works?
Jul 9, 2023 / 07:09 amThe Holy Father prayed the Angelus from St. Peter’s, recalling Jesus’ praise for the Father for revealing his wonders to the “little children.”
Why June 29 is a good day to consider the legend of St. Peter and St. Agatha
Jun 29, 2023 / 01:00 amA painting in the Milan cathedral depicts a Christian legend that is not particularly well known.
PHOTOS: Corpus Christi procession in Valencia, Spain, continues to catechize
Jun 12, 2023 / 15:45 pmValencia’s first Corpus Christi procession has been an annual affair since 1372.
Pope Francis: Jesus calls us to set our sights on heaven
May 7, 2023 / 06:30 amPope Francis on Sunday warned against the danger of living life without a sense of purpose or a destination to set our course by.
The Good Shepherd calls us to ‘open our hearts to love,’ Pope Francis says at Mass in Hungary
Apr 30, 2023 / 05:47 amSome 50,000 people attended a public outdoor Mass with Pope Francis in Budapest on Sunday.
Pope Francis visits with children in Budapest with visual impairments
Apr 29, 2023 / 07:08 amAt the end of the visit, the children and residents presented the pope with a handmade gift.
Speak the language of charity, Pope Francis encourages in Hungary
Apr 29, 2023 / 05:06 am“It is not enough to provide bread to fill stomachs; we need to fill people’s hearts!” Pope Francis said Saturday in Budapest.