March 19 annually marks the Solemnity of St. Joseph, a commemoration that holds additional significance this year in the Year of St. Joseph, declared by the Holy Father.

The Social Justice and Peace Commission at St. Michael Parish in Augusta has received a grant from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) valued at nearly $2,000 to help create a “greater awareness of the importance of our Catholic call to social justice issues.”

Beginning on Friday, March 26, all of Maine’s Catholic churches will allow for 50% capacity for all daily and weekend Masses. Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday on March 28.

On Friday, Pope Francis began a four-day visit to Iraq, the first-ever papal visit to the country, with a plea for the citizens to protect the area’s centuries-old diversity through interfaith unity and respect.

Despite the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, many people from around Maine are preparing to enter the Catholic Church this Easter season, and on the first weekend of Lent, Bishop Robert Deeley joined with them in celebrating the Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion (11 pictures below).

A Lakota version of the Stations of the Cross is being shared on the Thursdays of Lent at 3 p.m., and all are invited to participate through the use of Zoom. The stations, a popular Lenten devotion dating back centuries, take the Christian faithful on a spiritual pilgrimage through Christ’s Passion and death.

As I stated in December in regards to COVID-19 vaccines, we must thank God for the scientific advancement and dedication of those in the medical field that have led to these lifesaving vaccines during a global pandemic. When it is your turn to receive a vaccine, you can receive the one that is offered to you without moral reservation.

In a time of decreased opportunities for gathering together to discuss their common faith, young adult Catholics in Maine are invited to join each other for the first “Holy Hangout” on Wednesday, March 3, at 7:30 p.m.

How do you show children the importance of serving others and its connection to our faith? Catholic Charities Maine’s Parish Social Ministry hopes to do it through the use of “The Helping Tree.”

Saint Joseph’s College of Maine invites all Maine Catholics to a free online presentation set for Tuesday, March 23, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Bishop Robert Deeley has designated Friday, March 5, as a diocesan-wide Day of Prayer and Penance to seek forgiveness for past harm while offering prayers for the healing of victims/survivors of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.

Sadly, due to the pandemic, the Maine Catholic Women’s Conference will not be held in person for the second consecutive year. The event, which drew close to 400 participants in 2019, is simply too large to ensure safety at this time.

A bright and beautiful Maine morning on which to enjoy his first snowshoeing excursion this week brought respite and a new perspective on the Gospel of Mark to Bishop Robert Deeley, who celebrated Mass on the Second Sunday of Lent at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland.