Latest news with #Diocese
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
El Paso Diocese to host Memorial Day Mass to remember those who gave lives in service
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The Catholic Diocese of El Paso will have a special Memorial Day Mass to honor those who died in service to our nation. The Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, May 26 at the Mount Carmel Cemetery, 401 S. Zaragoza Road. The Mass will be celebrated in the parking lot in front of the cemetery office. 'This special outdoor liturgy is a longstanding tradition, bringing together families andcommunity members in prayer and remembrance on this National Day of Reflection,' the Diocese said. Note: The Mount Carmel Cemetery office will be closed on Monday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Seitz to launch Diocese environmental plan during special Mass on Sunday
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — El Paso Bishop Mark J. Seitz will celebrate a special bilingual Mass Sunday, May 25 and will sign and inaugurate the Diocese's environmental action plan. The Mass will be at 11 a.m. May 25 at St. Luke Catholic Church, 930 E. Redd Road. The Mass will mark the 10th anniversary of Laudato Si', Pope Francis' landmark encyclical on care for 'our common home,' and the 800th anniversary of St. Francis of Assisi's 'Canticle of the Creatures,' the Diocese said. As part of this diocesan celebration, Seitz will officially sign and inaugurate the Laudato Si' Action Plan for the Diocese of El Paso. 'This new plan will guide the local Church's commitment to the values of Laudato Si' and Laudate Deum, deepening efforts toward environmental stewardship and solidarity with the poor across all ministries and institutions,' the Diocese said. The Mass will bring together representatives from local parishes, Catholic organizations, and environmental advocacy groups, including the Care for Creation Ministry at St. Luke, the Texas Chapter of the Laudato Si' Movement, and New Mexico–El Paso Power and Light, the Diocese said. 'Pope Francis reminds us that care for the Earth is inseparable from care for the most vulnerable,' Seitz said. 'This plan invites every person, parish, and diocesan structure to reflect on our impact and take real steps to live more sustainably and faithfully.' Released on May 24, 2015, Laudato Si' called for an 'integral ecology' that recognizes the deep connections between the environmental crisis and global inequality, the Diocese said. In 2023, Pope Francis continued this message with Laudate Deum, which addressed the growing climate emergency and the moral urgency of collective action. The Diocese's new action plan will provide tools and guidance for all Catholics to engage in concrete steps, the Diocese said. These actions can include creating special ministries, evaluating use of resources and adopting sustainable practices, the Diocese said. The Laudato Si' Diocesan Action Commission is available to assist parishes and organizations looking to implement or expand environmental initiatives, the Diocese said. For more information, contact laudatosicommissiondep@ Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Worcester Diocese to close 2 churches, merge 3 parishes
A Catholic Church in Brookfield and East Brookfield are set to close while three parishes in East Brookfield, West Brookfield and North Brookfield will merge, according to the Worcester Diocese. Bishop Robert J. McManus announced in a letter last weekend that St. Mary Church in Brookfield and St. John the Baptist Church in East Brookfield will close, according to a statement posted May 19 on the Diocese's website. St. Mary Church is an Oratory which has been part of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish since November 2011, the statement reads. McManus also announced the merger of the parishes of St. John the Baptist in East Brookfield, St. Joseph in North Brookfield and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in West Brookfield into one new parish. The new parish will have worship sites at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in West Brookfield and St. Joseph in North Brookfield, according to the Diocese. 'Over the past year, many of you have given your time in considering how the Catholic parishes in the Brookfields might be reconfigured to address today's challenges and the pastoral needs of the future,' McManus said, according to the Diocese. 'It is clear that you recognize the need to close some buildings so that you might use the assets to strengthen current ministries and add some lay pastoral staff.' Raymond Delisle, who works for the bishop's communications office, told MassLive on Wednesday that the buildings and parishes are all managed by one pastoral staff. He said the staff has found it difficult to manage resources due to the number of buildings. As such, it was decided that reducing the number of churches and combining the parishes was a solution to make things easier for the staff, Delisle said. None of the staff will be fired, and the congregants of the closed churches will be able to attend the other two without capacity overflowing, Delisle told MassLive. The closures and the merger will both take place on July 1, according to Delisle. The proposal to merge the parishes is the result of recommendations from parish committees and the Diocesan Pastoral Planning, the press release from the Diocese reads. Father Joseph Rice at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart will be taking suggestions through June 6 for a name for the newly formed parish, according to the statement. 'Although the process of change can be painful, let us together pray that the goal of developing a strong community of faith to further the mission of Christ's Church in the Brookfields will be the light that give us hope,' McManus said in the statement. Worcester councilor deposits large donation haul after confronting police at ICE raid Worcester schools candidate arrested at ICE raid ruled ineligible to be on ballot Federal hiring freeze leads to closures at beloved Central Mass. park Read the original article on MassLive.
Leader Live
20-05-2025
- General
- Leader Live
Wrexham: New priest to be licenced at St Giles' Church
The Bishop of St. Asaph, Rt. Rev'd Gregory Cameron, will be visiting St Giles' Church tomorrow (Wednesday, May 21) to licence the Rev'd James Tout. James is originally from Carmarthenshire, and trained for ministry non-residentially with St Padarn's Institute between 2017 and 2019, while working as Head of Science and Assistant Headteacher at The Marches School in Oswestry. He served his curacy at St Giles in the Wrexham Mission Area, then led the Diocese of Bangor's Evangelism Fund project, Llan. The Revd R James Tout (Image: Vicar and Mission Hub) Since February 2022, James has been Chaplain to the Archbishop of Wales, alongside serving as NSM Associate Priest in the Offa Mission Area. In his new role, Rev'd James Tout will be the new priest in Wrexham Mission Area with pastoral responsibility for the new mission hub being established at St Giles' Church. Bishop Gregory Cameron said: "It is great to be welcoming James back to St Giles' Church as its new vicar. "James has served very successfully as chaplain to the archbishop and will now bring his flare and talents to this important civic foundation." James married his new wife, Lucy, on May 10 and he has a ten-year-old son, Aled. MOST READ In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with family, often exploring National Trust properties or building Lego with Aled. He is learning German, Lucy's mother tongue, and has a lifelong passion for rallying, though he no longer competes. The Rev'd. James Tout said: "I'm very excited to begin this new chapter with a church and community I came to know and love during my curacy. "It's a huge honour and privilege to minister with them to the city of Wrexham, and my hope and prayer is that we will be bold in what God is calling us to do, and confident in the good news we have to share with everyone."
Leader Live
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Leader Live
Flint catholic super-school funded by taxpayer will be owned by church
Plans to create an all-through catholic super-school in Flint for pupils aged 3-18 are currently preparing to go into consultation amid opposition from parents' groups. The proposal requires the closure of four schools in Flintshire, the catholic primary schools of St David's in Mold, St Anthony's in Saltney and St Mary's in Flint plus the closure of St Richard Gwyn Catholic High School. According to the plans 85% of the cost of the new super-school - £46.75 million - would come from the Welsh Government's Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme with the remaining 15% coming from the Diocese of Wrexham. Parents groups at two of the four schools - St Anthony's and St David's - actively oppose the plans. St David's School Action Group held a protest march last weekend to campaign against the proposals. But at this week's Education, Youth & Culture Overview & Scrutiny Committee, the leader of Flintshire's Liberal Democrat group Cllr Andrew Parkhurst asked who would own the super-school building once completed. "I understand school buildings are owned by the Diocese," he said. "If the new building goes ahead with Welsh Government money then who owns the building? "Is it the council or is it the church? Are we in effect giving away millions to the church?" "It's not always clear-cut but as a rule of thumb the council usually owns the playing fields while the Diocese owns buildings and the land beneath them," said Jennie Williams, Senior Manager, School Planning and Provision for Flintshire County Council. "Once we've built the school we will have to hand back the building. That's how the legal framework of voluntary aided schools runs." Now Welsh Government has confirmed that once taxpayers have funded the school, it would transfer into the ownership of the Diocese. "In the case of voluntary aided schools, the school buildings and land are usually owned by trustees typically the Diocesan," said a Senedd spokesperson. "The Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme supports investment in education infrastructure across Voluntary Aided, Voluntary Controlled and Local Authority maintained schools. In all cases, the asset remains in the ownership of delivery partners following the investment." Read more: WATCH: Supporters of Mold catholic school turn out in force to oppose closure Date set for Flintshire catholic school closure consultation 'Senseless' - Flintshire parents slam catholic super-school report It has also been confirmed that the consultation, which was supposed to open this month, will now be opened no later than Tuesday, June 3. A council spokesperson said: 'The council can confirm that the consultation is scheduled to go live on or before June 3, 2025 and finish before the start of the school summer holidays, subject to the finalisation of the necessary documentation and approvals.' After Flintshire County Council twice postponed the opening of the consultation, parents campaigning to save their schools fear further delaying the timeline restricts their opportunity to make their case. Martina Crocombe is one of the leading advocates to save St Anthony's in Saltney. She has two children art the school, which is scheduled to be the first to close under the plan in September 2026. "These delays have caused yet more uncertainty and show that once again, Flintshire County Council and Wrexham Diocese can't seem to get it right," she said. "There have now been three delays and the reasons for them have not been made clear to the public. These repeated delays raise serious questions about the efficiency and reliability of both the council and the diocese. "The proposed super school idea, which the majority oppose, needs to be scrapped. The parents and community of Saltney will continue to fight this ridiculous idea." Sarah Cunningham, from the St David's School Action Group, said making people wait was making parents anxious. "Waiting longer for the consultation to open causes great concern as we believe it's a deliberate attempt to let all the noise pass and it brings the dates exceedingly close to the summer holidays," she said. "For St Anthony's this could most certainly be seen as tactical as they will have even less time to prepare for the possible closure of the school."
