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Lisa Brenninkmeyer is talking about “Between Heartbreak & Hallelujah: There is Holiness in the Waiting” at 7 p.m. Oct. 23 at St. Joseph Parish in Charlton.

According to a 2025 Pew Research Center survey, only 22% of white Catholics and 37% of Hispanic Catholics pray it “at least monthly.” So is it wishful thinking to expect the faithful will offer a calendar full of rosaries during October? And why should the rosary be a regular – or even daily – part of a believer’s prayer life?

Local Catholics gathered Monday to pray and crown a statue of Our Lady of Fatima for one of her home visits – on the anniversary of “the Miracle of the Sun.”

Despite the rain and gray skies, about 40,000 faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square on the morning of Oct. 5 for Mass celebrated by Pope Leo XIV on the occasion of the Jubilee of the Missionary World and the Jubilee of Migrants.

(OSV News) – In his first apostolic exhortation, Pope Leo XIV has taken up the call of Pope Francis for Christians to see in the poor the very face of Christ – and to be a church that “walks poor with the poor” in order to authentically live out the Gospel.

Dana now has an even more important connection to St. Kateri. She posed for a painting of St. Kateri for one of four 25-foot-high murals that were unveiled last month in the foyer of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City.

By offering such programs, the Mental Health Training Institute is going beyond what directly benefits Anna Maria, helping the community, as did the college’s founders, the Sisters of St. Anne, explained Professor Pratico.

“What do the Lithuanians have to do with the Vietnamese?” Bishop McManus asked at the Mass. “The commonality between these two great countries is the gift of faith,” for which many of their forebears suffered. “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church,” the bishop said, and spoke of sharing faith with one’s family.

“We want our students to see themselves as people who can make a difference – even in small ways like prayer,” Sister Jeanne explained. “They’re learning that … they can be missionaries of hope.”

It is titled, “Evangelium Vitae: Celebrating the Thirtieth Anniversary of the Gospel of Life and its Enduring Legacy in Roman Catholic Moral Theology.”

“I thirst for the salvation of souls” (expanding on Jesus’ words from the cross), was the theme of the conference, held Saturday at St. Joseph School. About 370 participants came from Massachusetts and neighboring states for worship, talks, fellowship, and visiting of exhibitors’ tables, according to organizer Corinn Dahm.

The importance of service was highlighted at the 2025 Parish Ministry Awards Banquet Friday at the DCU Center in Worcester, as leaders praised parish workers, speakers offered inspiration and awardees celebrated with supporters.

GARDNER – The community at Holy Spirit Church is a family – a family that should stay together. This desire was expressed Sunday at the last Mass at Holy Spirit, Annunciation Parish’s chapel at 50 Lovewell St.

Notre Dame Academy in Worcester announced that Linda D. Anderson will succeed Marilyn Tencza as head of school on April 1, 2026.

CAPPA launched in January after two years of planning and now has 182 members from throughout the country.

For the Jubilee Year of Hope and 75th anniversary of the Worcester diocese, an annual procession and Mass honoring the Blessed Mother was expanded. Joining people from the United States and Portuguese-speaking and Spanish-speaking countries this year were representatives of Haiti, Vietnam, Poland, Lithuania, and African countries.

Holy Spirit Church at 50 Lovewell St. in Gardner is to close on Oct. 1, according to a Sept. 24 decree from Bishop McManus.

The story of Juan Diego and Our Lady is fascinating in itself, but even more fascinating are both the symbolism and the scientifically documented miracles discovered on the image left on St. Juan Diego’s tilma in 1531.

“As parents, you are the first teachers of your children. Fortunately, state law in Massachusetts allows parents to opt their children out of sex-education programs. The Worcester Public Schools, however, have made it necessary for parents to opt their child out of the program each new school year.” Parents choosing to do that need to submit the form this fall even if they submitted forms other years.

WORCESTER – Father James A. Houston, 84, entered peacefully into the arms of Christ on Wednesday, September 17, at Oasis at Dodge Park in Worcester.