A Holy Cross priest has been named by Pope Francis as a “Missionary of Mercy.”
Rev. Joseph Corpora, C.S.C., director of university-school partnerships for the University of Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education, is among 800 priests worldwide selected by the pope to be special confessors and “living signs” of God’s forgiveness during the Holy Year of Mercy.
Fr. Corpora will be among those traveling to Rome to meet with Pope Francis and to be commissioned on Ash Wednesday (Feb. 10) in a celebration at St. Peter’s Basilica.
“I am very excited, grateful and humbled by the Holy Father’s invitation and I hope everyone at Notre Dame will pray for me that I might do some good in spreading the mercy of God by being a person of mercy and compassion.” Fr. Corpora said. “I know something of God’s mercy because my deepest self-definition is that I am a sinner whose sins are forgiven. God has been so merciful to me.”
For more on Fr. Corpora, check out the complete story on the Notre Dame website.
Several Ave Maria Press authors will be participating in the online conference “Faces of Mercy” from Feb. 18-21, 2016, at CatholicConference4Moms.com.
This is the second year for the conference: Last year’s Lenten event generated 27 presentations viewed more than 10,000 times worldwide during the five-day conference. More than 4,000 people registered to attend.
This year’s theme, “Faces of Mercy,” coincides with the Jubilee Year of Mercy declared by Pope Francis.
Ave’s authors and their presentations include:
Karee and Manny Santos, authors of the forthcoming The Four Keys to Everlasting Love (April 8, 2016) will speak on “Mercy in Marriage;”
Lisa Duffy, author of The Catholic Guide to Dating After Divorce, will speak on “Mercy and Forgiveness in the Midst of Divorce;”
Emily Jaminet and Michele Faehnle, authors of the forthcoming Divine Mercy for Moms (Feb. 2, 2016), will speak on “St. Faustina, Apostle of Mercy: Lessons from her Life for Moms;” and
Pat Gohn, author of Blessed, Beautiful, and Bodacious, will speak on “What the World Needs Now is Spiritual Mothers.”
More than twenty popular Catholic voices will speak on a variety of topics. All of the presentations and prayers will be available throughout Lent. There also will be two, live-streamed sessions Saturday. HD videos and MP3 podcasts will be available as well.
Online attendees will be eligible for digital swag bags.
For more information and to register, check out the website at www.CatholicConference4Moms.com, which also includes links to parishes that are offering viewing events.
Ave Maria Press has four new titles to foster spiritual growth during this Lenten season.
Sacred Reading for Lent 2016, Stations of the Cross with the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, Bringing Lent Home with Pope Francis, and Daily Devotions for Lent 2016 are inexpensive, portable devotionals that offer Catholics an opportunity to strengthen their faith through short, daily prayers and meditations.
Sacred Reading for Lent 2016 by the Apostleship of Prayer—“the Pope’s prayer group”—uses a simple, six-step method first developed by St. Ignatius of Loyola that includes daily readings, reflections, and prayer starters with Lenten themes. This devotional provides an easy source for reflection and repentance for all Catholics during the penitential season.
Bringing Lent Home with Pope Francis by Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle is the fourth book in her Lenten devotional series, which is designed with families in mind. The book’s daily themes, projects, and reflections encourage communal growth for families through the lens of Pope Francis’s life and message. Other titles from O’Boyle’s Bringing Lent Home series are: Bringing Lent Home with St. John Paul II, Bringing Lent Home with Mother Teresa, and Bringing Lent Home with St. Thérèse of Lisieux.
Stations of the Cross with the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus by the Apostleship of Prayer emphasizes the order’s renowned spirituality as it comes to life in mediations on the touchstone Catholic Lenten devotion, the Stations of the Cross. Recalling the dramatic events of Jesus’ passion and death helps readers enter more fully into the celebration of the Mass that makes these events present in a real way.
Daily Devotions for Lent 2016 is the newest addition to The Living Gospel series, an affordable seasonal guide for busy Catholics. This Lenten season, Charles Paolino, a well-known columnist, preacher, and associate editor at RENEW International, provides a simple five-step daily process for reflection during the solemn season of spiritual growth. Each day offers prayer and reflection focused on the gospel message.
Additional Lenten titles from Ave Maria Press:
Everyone’s Way of the Cross by Clarence Enzler (Also available in Spanish and large print)
The Gift of the Cross: Lenten Reflections in the Holy Cross Tradition edited by Rev. Andrew Gawrych, CSC
You Have Redeemed the World: Praying the Stations in the Holy Cross Tradition edited by Revs. Andrew Gawrych, CSC, and Kevin Grove, CSC (Also available in Spanish)
Lent and Holy Week by the Merton Institute for Contemplative Living
Simplifying the Soul: Lenten Practices to Renew Your Spirit by Paula Huston
Quantum Grace: Lenten Reflections on Creation and Connectedness by Judy Cannato
John Paul II’s Biblical Way of the Cross by Amy Welborn and Michael Dubruiel
Pope Francis is inviting the world to unite in prayer for his monthly intentions through a new initiative with the Apostleship of Prayer, “the Pope’s prayer group.”
AOP carries the Pope’s monthly prayer intentions on its websites and social media, but the Jesuit prayer ministry began a new monthly video series this week.
You can view the video at ApostleshipofPrayer.org and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/thepopevideo (English) and https://www.facebook.com/elvideodelpapa (Spanish).
Each video will focus on a global challenge. This month’s topic is interreligious dialogue. The project is expected to reach thirty-million people in ten languages. “In a world where everything pushes towards fragmentation, opposition, and division, it is more necessary than ever that members of different religions and all peace-loving people mobilize in common cause,” said Rev. Frédéric Fornos, S.J., managing director of the international Apostleship of Prayer. “Each month, Pope Francis asks people everywhere to pray for a challenge that concerns all humanity. Religions must show that they can pray and work together for peace, brotherhood, and solidarity to address the common challenges facing humanity.”
