CHICAGO (CNS) — Private citizen groups have arranged for Nativity scenes to be on display at 43 state capitols around the country, a record number, according to a not-for-profit law firm’s tally. The Chicago-based Thomas More Society said Dec. 20 that the number of displays is notable despite the secularization of Christmas throughout the U.S. […]
Pope Francis offered a Christmas message during his general audience on Dec. 28. Dear brothers and sisters, good morning and again, Merry Christmas! The liturgical season invites us to pause and reflect on the mystery of Christmas. And since today – today – marks the fourth centenary of the death of St Francis de Sales, […]
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — With the birth of Jesus, God became flesh to share the joys and sorrows, hopes and fears of all people, especially the poor and those living daily amid danger, Pope Francis said in his Christmas message. “He comes as a helpless child. He is born in the cold night, poor among […]
The Christmas song “Stille Nacht” (“Silent Night”) may have put the town of Oberndorf, Austria, on the map, but it’s the chapel memorializing the beloved carol that is the town’s main attraction. Best seen blanketed in snow, the small octagonal-shaped chapel, just 13 miles from Salzburg, is a tourist destination any time of year. With […]
VIENNA, Mo. (CNS) — Darkness doesn’t have a prayer when it comes to Jim and Georgena Fick’s yard at Christmastime. The couple has amassed dozens of large, illuminated Santas, elves, snowmen, candy canes, reindeer and other nostalgic emblems. The heavy plastic luminaries, known as blow molds, give the luster of midday along the Ficks’ stretch […]
There was once an advertising campaign for a popular snack chip which convinced viewers that “you can’t eat just one.” In the case of Father Roy Herberger, he couldn’t have just one Nativity scene. Nearly 50 years after purchasing a set that grabbed his attention, he has acquired hundreds more. He estimates his collection current […]
Pope Francis carries a figurine of the baby Jesus at the conclusion of Christmas Eve Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Dec. 24, 2021. (CNS photo/Paul Haring) The following is Pope Francis homily delivered at St. Peter’s Basilica on Dec. 24 In the darkness, a light shines. An angel appears, the glory of […]
Zachary Moran meets Santa and Mrs. Claus at the Notre Dame Academy Christmas extravaganza on Dec. 17. (Photos by Patrick J. Buechi) Christmas came a few days early to South Buffalo when Notre Dame Academy hosted a Magical Notre Dame Christmas. The Covid conscience Dec. 19 event saw the school campus turned into a winter […]
Fourth-grade and eight-grade students at Notre Dame Academy in South Buffalo wrote Christmas prayers, thanking God for his blessings. Everyone at Notre Dame Academy wishes a Merry Christmas to family and friends of the school.
Students from St. Joseph Collegiate Institute in Kenmore unload boxes of food donated to St. Bonaventure’s Warming House. (Photo courtesy of St. Bonaventure University) ST. BONAVENTURE — They are the gifts who keep on giving. For the 40th year in a row, students from St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute delivered a truckload of non-perishable food items and […]
