"There never has been a more Catholic administration in U.S. history," Steven Millies, director of the Bernardin Center at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, tweeted when Biden first began announcing Cabinet positions in December As Biden is set to become the second Catholic president in American history, he will be joined by more coreligionists than any other faith group in his Cabinet. While Biden has been adamant that he doesn't proselytize, he has also insisted that people of faith will be taken seriously by his administration. And, by the look of his Cabinet composition, it's now clear they will also be very much a part of that administration, too. Read More

Under Francis’ 47-year leadership, Xavier’s enrollment tripled and its endowment grew steadily. Francis also led the efforts to transform Xavier into the nation’s most successful producer of Black medical school graduates — which may very well be his most important legacy in our nation. Indeed, when one considers Francis’ long and distinguished resume, which earned him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2006, renaming New Orleans’ Jefferson Davis Parkway after Francis was the perfect choice to overturn such an egregious historical and moral wrong. That the official name change took place on the anniversary of the Haitian Revolution, which cemented the foundation of anti-slavery across the Americas and seeded a significant portion of Louisiana’s African American Catholic community, also matters. The moral arc of the universe has always required the courage and service of dedicated people to bend it toward justice. As our nation and church continue to suffer the lethal effects of their ongoing failures to fully acknowledge and atone for centuries of slavery and segregation, the new Norman Francis Parkway is an important beacon of hope. It is also a powerful reminder of the moral necessity of historical truth telling and justice in the building of the beloved community. Read More

As adolescents, (Amanda) Gorman and her sister, went through a two-year training program at the parish and then received the sacraments of baptism, first Communion and confirmation on the same day. When she graduated from high school to attend Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Gorman received a scholarship donation from the parish. The pastor said she always returned to the church when she visited home. Read More

Wilson was a member of St. Helena Parish in Wilmington and an active member of the Knights of Peter Claver. She held positions in several groups in the Diocese of Wilmington and the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., where she was born. Wilson was appointed by Saint Pope John Paul II in 1997 as an observer and speaker at the Synod on Evangelization in the Americas in Rome, and she joined other Black Catholic leaders on a trip to South Africa for a conference with South African women. She served as a charter board member and officer of the first Black Catholic Secretariat in the Archdiocese of Washington in 1973 and of the National Association of Black Catholic Administrators from 1974-2002. From 1979-2002 she was the executive director of the Office of Black Catholics for the archdiocese. Read More

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis prayed that President Joe Biden would work to heal the divisions in U.S. society and promote human dignity and peace around the globe. “Under your leadership, may the American people continue to draw strength from the lofty political, ethical and religious values that have inspired the nation since its founding,” the pope wrote in a congratulatory message Jan. 20 as Biden was inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States. Read More

Catholic bishops strongly condemned pro-Donald Trump protesters' incursion that penetrated the Capitol Building Wednesday as Congress debated the certification of the presidential election results, leading to the evacuation of lawmakers and the deadly shooting of one protester by law enforcement. “I join people of good will in condemning the violence today at the United States Capitol,” Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said Jan. 6. “This is not who we are as Americans. I am praying for members of Congress and Capitol staff and for the police and all those working to restore order and public safety.” Read More

Eunice, La. -- As he entered St. Mathilda Catholic Church for Mass, Edward Francois, Sr. thought he recognized some strange faces present, but then said to himself “that’s not possible!” As he got closer to where he usually sits, he noticed it was possible. It was his family, it was his children with their families. After the church service, Francois was presented a 50-year certificate and pin from the Knights of Peter Claver 3rd Degree by Sr. Knight Joseph R. Bernard, the Grand Knight of Council 92 of St. Mathilda Catholic Church. Francois family arrived in Eunice from Georgia, Texas, Lafayette and Monroe to help begin the surprise for him on his 90th birthday. Francois was born on Oct. 26, 1930. Read More

WASHINGTON -- This year, as tens of thousands of people nationwide protested racial injustices, Catholics similarly took to the streets and also joined in prayer services and discussions speaking out against inequalities and seeking a path forward. The protest marches over the summer were primarily in response to the May 25 death of George Floyd, a Black man in Minneapolis who died after being pinned to the ground by a white police officer. And more than six months later, the sting of Floyd's death was still felt in St. Paul, the city adjacent to where he died, where Catholics took part in a day of prayer and fasting against the sin of racism at the Cathedral of St. Paul. Read More