Parish roundup: Refugees and migrants; racial reconciliation; married priests

This story appears in the The Field Hospital feature series. View the full series.
Jose Marroquin and his son Jose Jr., of Avondale, Penn., attend Liturgy of the Word for justice for immigrants and refugees March 19 at the Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Philadelphia. (CNS/CatholicPhilly/Sarah Webb)

Jose Marroquin and his son Jose Jr., of Avondale, Penn., attend Liturgy of the Word for justice for immigrants and refugees March 19 at the Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Philadelphia. (CNS/CatholicPhilly/Sarah Webb)

Donald Trump may not approve of this message, but Pope Francis wants your parish to get involved in resettling refugees and migrants. Church bells ring out in the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey, in support of immigrants and refugees. Immigrants continue to reinvigorate Catholic life throughout the U.S.

Racial reconciliation is the theme of a series of meetings in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Similar gatherings have been held by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.

Pope Francis recently made headlines by suggesting that married men could be ordained priests. Already, American parishes are familiar with this reality. An estimated 120 priests who are married are serving in U.S. Catholic parishes.

A Colorado parish provides ministry to the homeless, the deaf and Native Americans.

Old newspaper photos celebrate the history of closed parishes in New Orleans.

In Arkansas, university parishes provide a forum for college students to find God.

A Wallingford, Connecticut, parish is inviting back alienated Catholics. A recent NCR article explored why Connecticut is No. 1 in the percentage of Catholics who have fallen away from active practice.

What may be the oldest Catholic parish in the United States in St. Augustine, Florida, may be giving up some of its secrets.

The Diocese of Columbus, Ohio, sponsors meetings to address the heroin and opioid crisis.

Catholics in Cleveland celebrate the fifth anniversary of a dozen parishes reopening after a threatened closure. In a rare case, the parishes were spared by an appeal to a Vatican tribunal.

[Peter Feuerherd is a correspondent for NCR's Field Hospital series on parish life and is a professor of journalism at St. John's University, New York.]

We can send you an email alert every time The Field Hospital is posted. Go to this page and follow directions: Email alert sign-up.

In This Series

Advertisement