Catholic News Worldwide

08/11/2024

Morning Prayer from the gospel of today Luke 16:1-8

Heavenly Father, as I reflect on the parable of the shrewd manager in Luke 16:1-8, I am reminded of the importance of wisdom and foresight in our daily lives.

Just as the manager acted shrewdly to secure his future, may I too be empowered to make wise decisions that honor You and serve the best interests of Your kingdom.

Lord, grant me the discernment to see the opportunities that lie before me, and the courage to act upon them with prudence and integrity.

Help me to be a good steward of the resources and relationships You have entrusted to me, using them in ways that bring glory to Your name.

In this new day, may I be shrewd in my dealings, yet always guided by Your perfect love and righteousness.

Teach me to balance the wisdom of the world with the wisdom that comes from above, that I may walk worthy of my calling and bring hope and light to those around me.

I pray that as I face the challenges and decisions of this day, I will be inspired by the example of the manager, using my God-given talents and resources to further Your purposes.

May my actions reflect Your love and grace, and may I always seek to please You above all else.

In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Fr. Okechukwu Sanctus Mario

25/07/2024

27/04/2024

A Catholic parishioner was stabbed outside a Mass presided over by the Archbishop of San Francisco.

Last Sunday, San Francisco police apprehended a homeless man who allegedly stabbed the parishioner following a confrontation between the two individuals outside a historic Catholic church in the city.

Marko Asaulyuk, a 25-year-old resident of San Francisco, has been charged with attempted murder and eight counts of assault with a deadly weapon.

The victim, who was discharged from the hospital on Sunday, sustained only a minor injury to his leg, according to Father Tho Bui, the pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul Church, who communicated this information via email to CNA on Thursday.

During a noon Mass, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone was administering the sacrament of confirmation to students from the parish school, religious education students, and students from a neighboring parish when an individual described by Bui as a "disruptive man" entered the church.

16/03/2024

Catholic Priest Shot Dead While Preparing for Mass

Yesterday, on March 13, a priest from Zambia was tragically killed in South Africa.

Father William Banda, who belonged to the St. Patrick's Society for Foreign Missions (Kiltegan Fathers), was shot dead while preparing to conduct Holy Mass at Tzaneen Cathedral.

Witnesses state that Father Banda was leading the prayer before the 8 o'clock morning mass when an unknown, well-dressed African man entered the church and sat next to him.

After reciting the rosary, Father Banda went to the sacristy to prepare for the mass, with the stranger accompanying him.

However, as the priest attempted to enter the sacristy, the assailant pulled out a gun from his pocket and shot Father Banda in the back of his head. Shockingly, the murderer then proceeded to exit the church but turned back to approach the priest's lifeless body and fired a second shot to his head.

Witnesses observed the killer swiftly escaping in a waiting car, speeding away from the scene.

This tragic incident follows the murder of three Orthodox monks the previous day, March 12, at the St. Mark and St. Bishop Samuel the Confessor Monastery in Cullinan, located approximately 30 km east of Pretoria.

The Coptic Orthodox Church identified the victims as diocesan vicar Father Takla El-Samouili, Father Youstos Ava-Markos, and Father Mina Ava-Markostre.