More than 100 Catholics and allies attended a gathering at "Women & Synodality: Where Do We Go From Here?", held at the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University from May 3-4.
The Mexican bishops' conference has questioned accusations of untoward behavior by retired Bishop Salvador Rangel Mendoza of Chilpancingo-Chilapa amid conflicting accounts of his disappearance and subsequent reappearance in a hospital bed — with the conference secretary general saying the situation had assumed political overtones.
As many as 1,000 people participated in prayer vigils and rallies in four Iowa cities May 1 in support of human dignity and to call for the repeal of a new state law on illegal migration that opponents say is punitive.
Messina College, a new two-year, associate's degree program of Boston College, is designed for first-generation, low-income students. The new college's dean says the effort "brings us back to our roots as an institution."
Asked about student protests on college campuses, Bishop John Stowe said he appreciated their 'interest in the situation and their solidarity with the Palestinians' but stressed the need to act peacefully.
Generations of Catholics who embraced the modernizing tide sparked in the 1960s by Vatican II are increasingly giving way to religious conservatives who believe the church has been twisted by change, with the promise of eternal salvation replaced by casual indifference to church doctrine.
At a ceremony to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom President Joe Biden said Jesuit Fr. Greg Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries, "changed countless lives" through his former gang member rehabilitation ministry.
Calls for fuller participation of women in church leadership have been heard throughout the multi-year synod process. Now, as the process has moved into its next phase, the call for expanded roles for women continues.
"This is a devastating loss to this community," Avondale Fire Battalion Chief Steve Mayhew said. "This church is a pillar of this community, so definitely a lot of heartbreak this morning."