“There’s no place like home,” says Dorothy, clicking the heels of her ruby slippers. In The Wizard of Oz, that was all it took to magically transport Dorothy and Toto from Oz back to their home in Kansas.

Unfortunately, there aren’t enough ruby slippers for everyone. Although many share Dorothy’s longing for home, finding that home—a place to belong—is sometimes easier said than done.

One of the consequences of living in a highly mobile, transient world is a sense of detachment—wondering if we’ll ever find a place where we truly belong. This feeling may also reflect a deeper reality, expressed by C. S. Lewis: “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”

The night before the cross, Jesus assured His friends of that home, saying, “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?” (John 14:2). A home where we are welcomed and loved.

Yet we can be at home now too. We’re part of a family—God’s church, and we live in community with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Until the day Jesus takes us to the home our hearts long for, we can live in His peace and joy. We’re always home with Him.  

Rome Newsroom, Apr 14, 2024 / 10:56 am (CNA).

Pope Francis expressed his concern over escalating tensions in the Middle East following Iran’s missile attack Saturday against Israel, a concern he raised after imploring Christians to share their stories of encountering Christ, which he said would create a richer and more beautiful environment for all.

“I follow in prayer and with concern, even pain, the news that has arrived in the last few hours on the worsening of the situation in Israel due to the intervention by Iran,” the pope said to all those gathered before him in St. Peter’s Square on April 14.

“I make a heartfelt appeal to stop any action that could fuel a spiral of violence with the risk of dragging the Middle East into an even greater conflict of war. No one should threaten the existence of others,” he added.

On Saturday evening Iran launched over 300 drones and missiles on military targets in Israel in retaliation for an Israeli attack on the Iranian Embassy in Syria’s capital Damascus on April 1, which killed seven.  

Pope Francis also renewed his exhortation for peace as the Israel-Hamas war continues unabated, calling for “the Israelis and Palestinians to live in two states, side by side, in security, it is their deep and legitimate desire, and it is their right.”

Before the recitation of the Regina Caeli, the pope also exhorted Christians to share their personal encounters with Christ, noting that it is “the most beautiful thing we have to tell.”

The pope made this reflection against the backdrop of today’s reading from the Gospel of Luke, where two disciples, returning from Emmaus, meet with the apostles in the upper room and recount their encounter with Christ.

“Jesus arrives precisely while they are sharing the story of the encounter with him,” a message, the pope observed, that for us today underscores “the importance of sharing the faith.”

The pope observed that today, this message is often drowned out by the frenzy of messages, which are often “superficial” and “useless,” and which often reveal “an indiscreet curiosity or, worse still, arise from gossip and malice.”

“They are news that have no purpose, on the contrary, they do harm,” the pope continued.

Amid the deluge of counterproductive messages, Pope Francis called on Christians to share their personal testimonies of encountering Christ, “not by being a lecturer to others, but by sharing the unique moments in which we perceived the Lord alive and close.”

While acknowledging that it can often be a “struggle” to discuss these encounters with family, friends, and the broader community, the pope advocated persistence in doing so as it will make our personal “encounters” and social environments “even more beautiful.”

In closing his address, the pope called upon all Christians to conduct a series of interior examinations, asking ourselves: “Have I ever spoken about it with someone? Have I ever simply made a gift of it to family members, colleagues, loved ones, and those I associate with? And finally: Am I, in turn, interested in listening to what others have to tell me about their encounter with Christ?”

Detroit, Mich., Apr 14, 2024 / 08:00 am (CNA).

Starting in the fall, seminarians at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit are going to have more prayer time and less screen time.

The sixth edition of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Program of Priestly Formation, or PPF, which began to be implemented last year in seminaries across the country, mandates a “propaedeutic” (pro-pih-DOO-tic) year for all men first entering into seminary.

Following this guidance, Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit will implement a year of preparation for first-year seminarians starting in the fall of 2024, when men discerning the priesthood will focus on personal and spiritual growth, and less on academic work.

A key feature of the propaedeutic year — “propaedeutic” meaning preparatory or preliminary — will be limited screen and device time and more time dedicated to forming a sense of collegiality among seminarians, helping them to develop a spiritual life rooted in prayer as they discern the vocation to which God is calling them, said Father Stephen Pullis, director of graduate pastoral formation at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, who will lead the propaedeutic year program at the seminary. 

“We started it in a small phase this year for those who came out of high school, but for next year, it will go into effect for all new seminarians,” Pullis told Detroit Catholic. “It’s a new year at the beginning that focuses more on human and spiritual formation. It has fewer classes, a different rhythm of life to help them adjust to growing in their human formation and growing spiritually as well.”

The first year of seminary formation will be about becoming accustomed to seminary life, forming good prayer habits and growing in virtue and friendship with fellow seminarians and with God, Pullis said. To achieve this, seminarians will be asked to limit the time they spend with technology, including smartphone usage, to be more present in their surroundings. 

The change of schedule comes after recommendations from the Holy See on what seminarian formation needs to encompass to form priests centered in prayer, Pullis said.

“One of the challenges men coming into the seminary often have is they used to be very busy,” Pullis said. “We are used to a life on devices, social media, email, lots of noise, and that can be a difficult adjustment to listening to the Lord’s voice.”

The propaedeutic year doesn’t replace anything in seminary formation, meaning overall priestly formation will take an extra year, but it shouldn’t cause extra burdens. The goal isn’t to shun technology, Pullis said, but to place technology and worldly needs in their rightful place.

“It’s about forming the habits of a man whom the people of God can turn to as a priest,” Pullis explained. “These include habits around the use of technology, the use of free time and relating to each other in good, healthy ways, especially in a world with such an emphasis on technology where it has gone from being a tool to something that dominates us.”

Exact rules and technology limitations for first-year seminarians in the propaedeutic year are still being worked out, but the overall goal is to help men better hear God’s voice as they get used to life in the seminary.

“We look at seminary as someone would look at dating or engagement before marriage,” Pullis said. “It’s a time to say, ‘Is this where God is calling me to be?’ Of course, any man who has decided to enter the seminary has already prayed, but our relationship with the Lord will still need to continue and grow.”

Pope Benedict XVI declared priests need to become experts in the spiritual life, Pullis pointed out. But to do that, a man first needs to make his life quieter to more easily hear the Lord’s voice. 

“The challenges for a man who enters seminary this year are different than when I entered seminary,” Pullis said. “A lot of it is technology and anxiety and the speed of things in the world. Some of that is good — it puts us in contact with people we wouldn’t know otherwise. But so much of that can be a distraction or a temptation to trust in ourselves over the Lord. The propaedeutic year, while a mouthful of a word to say, is especially needed for men entering seminary out of the world now.”

The propaedeutic year has been installed in other seminaries around the country and has yielded positive results for seminarians who appreciate the time to unplug from the outside world and reconnect with the people and community in front of them, Pullis said.

Withdrawing from the public to go and pray in private is a practice that’s been around since the Old Testament. The Church has always seen a wisdom in decompressing in order to better discern the word of God.

Still, seminarians going through the propaedeutic year aren’t going to become monks or hermits; they’ll still live in community, visit family and their home parish, but it will allow them to break from the constant stream of tagging, sharing, retweeting, and reposting, Pullis said.

“I’ve seen both in potential seminarians and young people in general and in my own life, the way social media can lead to tremendous unrest and a sense of measuring myself against what other people are doing; it can lead to an idea that my life has to be perfect. It’s an ‘Instagram-ification’ of my life that shows the coolest vacation, the most exotic food, that I’m having the best time of my life, and of course that doesn’t correspond to reality,” Pullis said. “But it also becomes a real distraction from where God has put me.”

Unlike a book or a movie, with a beginning, middle, and end, one can always refresh social media, creating a generation that is constantly checking one’s notifications.

“It creates an appetite that doesn’t have a finite end and doesn’t fulfill us,” Pullis explained. “You see that on the scientific side, how it can change our brains, it makes us less attentive to the people who are in front of us.”

Pullis added that first-year seminarians will find plenty of opportunities to fill that social media void: pursuing hobbies such as movies and sports, having conversations, or even scheduling the increasingly rare downtime people crave in the 21st century: just being for the sake of being.

For the faithful in the pews, having priests more attuned to the present can only be a good thing, Pullis said.

“The Church asks, ‘How can we help the people of God have the best priests possible?’ Because we live in the world, that’s going to depend on the gifts and challenges of the world. What are the potential pitfalls?” he said. “The Church wants you and your family to have the best priests possible.”

This article was first published in Detroit Catholic and is reprinted here with permission.

ACI Prensa Staff, Apr 14, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).

There are many beautiful churches in the world that combine impressive construction with splendid works of art. While some are on the more austere side, others contain so many details that it’s a challenge for the human eye to take it all in.

However, new technologies today allow us to contemplate from different angles, inside and outside, these stellar churches dedicated to the worship of God. 

Below are seven videos that in addition to giving you extraordinary views will enhance the way you see these churches.

1. Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes (France)

According to the Lourdes Shrine website, the complex covers over 130 acres and includes 22 places of worship, including three basilicas. The first is a chapel that has the title of Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, built over the grotto where Our Lady of Lourdes appeared in 1858.

The second is the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, where you can see mosaics depicting the mysteries of the rosary. Finally, there is the underground basilica in honor of St. Pius X, which was inaugurated in 1958 on the occasion of the centennial of the apparitions.

2. Basilica of the Holy Family (Spain)

Located in Barcelona, Spain, construction began in 1882 and was designed by architect Antonio Gaudí. Still not totally completed, construction continues to this day, financed by donations only. The Sagrada Familia (Holy Family) basilica website announced on its construction timeline that in November 2023 “the group of four towers of the evangelists was inaugurated.”

In 2026, the central tower of Jesus is scheduled to be completed. The interior beauty and attention to detail of the artistic representations of the exterior of the basilica were designed to lift up the spirits of visitors.

3. Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mexico)

This church is dedicated to the Mother of God and is located on Tepeyac Hill in Mexico City, where the Virgin appeared to St. Juan Diego in 1531. 

The current structure, completed in 1976, has a circular design so that the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe can be seen from any point in the church. Each year, tens of millions of people visit the site. Pilgrimages spike around the annual feast day on Dec. 12.

4. Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela (Spain)

In Spain and throughout Europe, the Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James) pilgrimage route is well known. It ends at the cathedral of the same name. The cathedral’s website chronicles that it was built over the tomb of St. James the Apostle.

Since the ninth century when construction began, the church has undergone various changes, remodeling, and restorations. Visitors marvel at its striking baroque façade and its impressive details. The cathedral has been visited by both St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.

5. Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Cecilia (Argentina)

The cathedral and basilica located in the Diocese of Mar del Plata in Argentina was declared a National Historical Heritage Site in 1995. The church has neo-Gothic architecture and its interior has great artistic and religious value.

Construction began in February 1893 and the church was dedicated Feb. 12, 1905. The colossal church can seat 7,000 people. In January 2022, a 360-degree virtual tour of the structure’s three levels was released.

6. Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière (France)

Located in Lyon, France, the church was built between 1872 and 1917 on a hill and can be seen from any point in the city. It has four main towers and a bell tower crowned with a golden statue of the Virgin Mary.

The basilica is situated in the oldest section of Lyon, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In this video, you can see the statue of the Mother of God from above, protecting her children as dusk falls.

7. Cologne Cathedral (Germany)

The cathedral, located in Cologne, Germany, is considered one of the greatest masterpieces of Gothic art in medieval Europe. It was built over a fourth-century Roman temple. Construction began in 1248 and took more than 600 years to complete.

In 1996 it was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Among its historic vaults it houses precious reliquaries, liturgical items, manuscripts, robes, and insignia of archbishops and cathedral clerics that have been used over the centuries.

Bonus track (Brazil)

The statue of Christ the Redeemer in Río de Janeiro, Brazil, is one of the best-known images of our risen Lord in the entire world. A chapel is located within the statue’s massive pedestal.

Located at the top of Corcovado Hill and considered one of the seven wonders of the modern world, this statue symbolizes that Christ reigns and will always reign.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Mosul, Iraq, Apr 14, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The plight of Mosul’s Christian community has largely gone unnoticed for two decades. Since the city fell under the control of ISIS (also referred to as ISIL) in 2014, it has been a staging ground for bombings of churches. Armed groups have killed, blackmailed, and abducted numerous Christians there — both clergy and laypeople — since 2003.

Syriac Catholic priest Chorbishop Mazen Mattuka — along with Father Pius Affas (who at the time was pastor of Mar Thoma Syriac Catholic Church in Mosul and is now retired) — endured a nine-day abduction ordeal in 2007.

In Mattuka’s first press interview since being appointed superior of the historic Monastery of St. Banham and Sarah in Qaraqosh near Mosul in October 2023, he opened up to ACI Mena, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, about his kidnapping. 

The kidnapping

“I had just been ordained a priest on Sept. 1, 2007, when I was assigned to serve at the Syriac Catholic Church of St. Thomas on the eastern coast of Mosul,” Mattuka recounted. “On the 40th day of my priesthood, Oct. 13, armed men ambushed Father Affas and me as we were leaving a condolence visit, heading to the Church of Our Lady of Fatima for me to celebrate my first Mass on her feast day.”

Describing the initial moments after his abduction as “a true testimony,” Mattuka explained, “every consecrated individual in Mosul knew at that time that they were subject to abduction and martyrdom. As a priest, I was persuaded that my fate would be similar to that of the two martyrs of Mosul — Father Raghid Kenni (2007) and Father Alexander (2006).”

“Our clothes and manner of responding during the interrogation revealed our identities to the abductors,” he continued. “We thanked God because all they wanted was a ransom; they didn’t plan to kill us. We were blindfolded in our makeshift prison.”

Mattuka said the first night was the most difficult. “I spent it in prayer and supplication: ‘Oh Lord, I am in deep sorrow because I did not have the opportunity to serve you for long. However, I am ready for martyrdom.’”

Prayer was the priests’ daily sustenance, Mattuka said. “We felt the Holy Spirit’s presence. We were at peace during our prayers. This gave me the wisdom to converse with our captors. The Holy Spirit guided my responses to convince them.”

He said the abductors were astonished to see him pray, bowing to the ground. He told them: “This is how Eastern Christians pray. Our Churches pioneered this posture of prayer that we’ve maintained for centuries.” He explained that “under the threat of death, the demand to renounce our faith never ceased. Our captors were surprised that we still rang the bells and celebrated Mass.”

After their release, Mattuka and Affas found no more sincere expression of joy and gratitude than ringing those same bells and celebrating Mass to give thanks. Masses of thanksgiving were held in many churches.

“We celebrated the holy Eucharist at the Church of St. Paul with Bishop Boulos Faraj Rahho, who later was martyred,” Mattuka said.

Mattuka said he felt pride in participating in World Youth Day with Pope Francis in Portugal last August, finally fulfilling his vow to thank Our Lady of Fatima, who watched over him after he was abducted on her feast. Many at her shrine had prayed for his safe return, as they told him, and their prayers were answered.

Remember your creator

Made a “Chorbishop” in December 2023 — a promotion given to a priest in Eastern Catholic Churches (though a lower rank than a bishop) — Mattuka spoke of his gratitude for serving in the church of his forefathers in Iraq. He said the words of believers never fail to warm his heart: “You seem more active and optimistic after the abduction. You give us hope by saying, ‘Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’” 

During his captivity, Mattuka said he lost the only vestment he owned since ordination. Nevertheless, he found himself reborn. 

“God granted me a new life, allowing me to serve in his vineyard,” he said. “Therefore, I lived my priestly maxim to the fullest: ‘Fear not, for I am with you.’”

This story was first published by ACI Mena, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Reading 1, Acts 7:51-8:1 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 31:3-4, 6, 7, 8, 17, 21 Gospel, John 6:30-35 Support Catholic Online by Subscribing to our Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/catholiconlinemedia?sub_confirmation=1 More on Daily Readings: https://www.catholic.org/bible/daily_reading/?select_date=2024-04-16 Catholic Online School: Free World Class Catholic Education for Anyone, Anywhere https://www.catholiconline.school/ Catholic Online: World's Catholic ...

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St. Lydwine is the patroness of sickness Lydwine of Schiedam was born at Schiedam, Holland, one of nine children of a working man. After an injury in her youth, she became bedridden and suffered the rest of her life from various illnesses and diseases. She experienced mystical gifts, including supernatural visions of heaven, hell, purgatory, apparitions of Christ, and the stigmata. Thomas a Kempis wrote a biography of her. She was canonized Pope Leo XIII in 1890. Lydwine suffered a fall while ...

Angel of God My guardian dear To Whom His love Commits me here Ever this day Be at my side To light and guard To rule and guide. Amen

Lando, a jeepney (a form of public transport in the Philippines) driver in Manila, gulped down coffee at a roadside stall. Daily commuters were back again after the Covid-19 lockdowns. And the sports event today means more passengers, Lando thought. I’ll get back lost income. Finally, I can stop worrying.

He was about to start driving when he spotted Ronnie on a bench nearby. The street sweeper looked troubled, like he needed to talk. But every minute counts, Lando thought. The more passengers, the more income. I can’t linger. But he sensed that God wanted him to approach Ronnie, so he did.

Jesus understood how difficult it is to not worry when we’re unsure of how our needs will be met (Matthew 6:25-27). So He assures us that our heavenly Father knows exactly what we need (v. 32). We’re reminded not to be anxious, but to trust Him and devote ourselves to doing what He wants us to do (vv. 31-33). As we embrace and obey His purposes, we can have confidence that our Father “who clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire” will provide for us according to His will—just as He provides for all creation (v. 30).

Because of Lando’s conversation with Ronnie, the street sweeper eventually prayed to become a believer in Christ. “And God still provided enough passengers that day,” Lando shared. “He reminded me my needs were His concern; mine was simply to follow Him.”