Thousands of Catholics across the country will unite in prayer for pregnant and parenting moms in need during an April 19-27 novena inspired by St. Gianna Beretta Molla, an Italian doctor, wife, and mother who sacrificed her own life for the life of her child.
Saints
Pope Francis has cleared the way for the canonizations of three blesseds: an Armenian Catholic archbishop martyred during the Armenian genocide, a lay catechist from Papua New Guinea killed during World War II, and a Venezuelan religious sister who dedicated her life to education and the poor.
Christian martyrs from across denominations hold a place of honor in the Church, Pope Francis said, highlighting their examples of faith and courage that continue to inspire Christians today.
In late October, while thousands gathered across the Polish capital to commemorate the 1984 kidnapping and brutal murder of Solidarity chaplain Blessed Jerzy Popieluszko, patient work continued at the Jesuit order’s archive in Warsaw to document the fate of other communist-era victims.
Pope Francis called on the faithful to yearn to serve, not thirst for power, as he proclaimed 14 new saints, including Canada-born St. Marie-Léonie Paradis, founder of the Little Sisters of the Holy Family, and 11 martyrs.