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May is a month that we celebrate our mothers. Even in our secular culture, mothers are celebrated—they do so much for us. Those of us who are parents realize that providing for our children never really ends. Mothers continue to worry for us, support us and pray for us. If your mother has passed away, you are likely aware of the empty space in your heart from that loss.

Summer is a season of adventure, rest and exploration. As we plan to hit the road for vacations or pilgrimages, the concept of Christian stewardship offers a meaningful lens through which to approach travel.

Thursday, May 8, was a wonderfully exciting day to be a Catholic and an American. News of the white smoke billowing from the Sistine Chapel spread quickly. In our archdiocese, the bells of parish churches were ringing and the traditional gold and white bunting celebrating the announcement of the new pope appeared on many of our local churches. All of this was happening before any of us knew who had been elected as the new pope.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Launching his papacy with a call for reconciliation and communion, Pope Leo XIV formally began his ministry as the successor of St. Peter by calling for "a united church, a sign of unity and communion, which becomes a leaven for a reconciled world."

Divine providence was with Fr. Peyton Plessala. The pastor of Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish in Selma was planning to decline an invitation to join a pilgrimage to Rome, but ultimately accepted only about two weeks before Pope Francis’ passing.

St. Mary of the Mission Parish in Opelika has certainly outgrown its 114-year-old home and it’s just one of many signs of growth in the Archdiocese of Mobile.

The Archdiocese of Mobile will celebrate the ordination of Deacon Perkins to the priesthood as well as Gaten Armstrong to the transitional diaconate at 10 a.m. May 31 at the Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. All are invited to attend. A reception will follow at McGill-Toolen Catholic High School.

How does one parish such as St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Auburn accomplish bringing in 72 catechumens and candidates into the Catholic Church?

VATICAN CITY (CNS) Pope Leo XIV asked journalists to be peacemakers by shunning prejudice and anger in their reporting, and he called for the release of journalists imprisoned for their work.

(OSV News) Full text of the first public homily of Pope Leo XIV, given at a Mass for the College of Cardinals in the Sistine Chapel May 9, 2025.

Before he was known for anything else, Pope Francis was known as "the first non-European pope in nearly 1,300 years."

I thought that I would be writing about the important topic of Easter. Let me point out that the season of Lent lasts about 40 days, but we celebrate Easter for 50 days. Why? Because the Resurrection changes everything! With the death of Pope Francis, I instead want to reflect on the papacy and the election of a new pope.

The term “Catholic imagination” refers to the fact that we Catholics often have a unique way of looking at things and understanding things. As an example, I recall once being in a conversation with some non-Catholics discussing what our churches taught in matters of faith. It struck me that when the non-Catholics spoke of their “church” they meant the congregation to which they belonged. They spoke about what their pastor preached and what he explained to them. However, as a Catholic, when I spoke about my “church” I meant the Church throughout the world in union with the Pope. It struck me that the Catholic imagination is different. When we speak about the “Church” we tend to mean the Universal Church in union with the successor of Peter.

VATICAN CITY -- Cardinal Robert F. Prevost, the Chicago-born prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops under Pope Francis, was elected the 267th pope May 8 and took the name Pope Leo XIV.

The term “Catholic imagination” refers to the fact that we Catholics often have a unique way of looking at things and understanding things. As an example, I recall once being in a conversation with some non-Catholics discussing what our churches taught in matters of faith. It struck me that when the non-Catholics spoke of their “church” they meant the congregation to which they belonged.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The 135 cardinals eligible to elect the next pope will enter the Sistine Chapel to begin the conclave May 7, the Vatican announced.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis was "a pope among the people, with an open heart toward everyone," said Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, as he presided over the funeral of the pope, who died April 21 at the age of 88.

Pope Francis, who died April 21 at the age of 88 gave new energy to millions of Catholics -- and caused concern for some -- as he transformed the image of the papacy into a pastoral ministry based on personal encounters and strong convictions about mission, poverty, immigration and dialogue.

Easter, the glorious celebration of Christ's resurrection, is a time of profound joy and renewal. Beyond the church filled with blooming lilies, family gatherings, Easter eggs and chocolate bunnies, Easter calls us to reflect on the meaning of stewardship in light of Christ's ultimate sacrifice and victory over death.

We are in the midst of Holy Week—the highest feast days of the year. We were made by God to be with Him forever. Reading the first few chapters of Genesis tells us that the man and the woman walked with God in the cool time of the day.