Ukraine - Urgent restoration work continues on the roof of Odessa Cathedral The Cathedral of the Assumption in Odessa can look back on a chequered history. It was built in 1853 with the contributions of Polish and German Catholics. However, in 1935 it was closed down by the communists. First it was [...]
Dr Maria Meilak receives prestigious award for her missionary work Well known Maltese lay missionary Dr Maria Meilak was one of the first two alumni of the University of Malta chosen to receive a prestigious award in acknowledgement of distinction in their field, as well as leadership on a community, national [...]
UKRAINE - ‘I Can’t Believe I’m Free’- Ukrainian ex-prisoner of war describes how faith helped him survive his ordeal Krypychenko, a private in the Ukrainian army, found himself alone in no man’s land when his vehicle broke down. When an enemy intelligence unit appeared with weapons drawn, he assumed they were [...]
UKRAINE - Pope Francis praises Ukrainian Greek-Catholics for keeping the faith in difficult circumstances In a meeting with leaders of the Permanent Synod of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church (UGCC) Pope Francis praised their people, saying they were “tireless witnesses of hope” in Christ amid decades of hardships. The UGCC is the [...]
Confession marathon - 95-year-old priest walked three miles while hearing confessions During a recent “Penitential Walk” in Brazil, Friar Roberto, a 95-year-old Capuchin priest, walked more than three-and-a-half miles while hearing confessions. Over 30,000 people took part in the five mile walk in the northeast Brazilian Archdioceses of Fortaleza and Salvador [...]
Vatican offers free health care for poor in Rome Poor and homeless men and women will now be able to turn to the Vatican for medical treatment, the latest initiative to offer care for those persons living on the streets of Rome. Located near the colonnade, the new “clinic for the [...]
Wealth and power are good, but only when used justly to serve everyone Pope Francis, who is well-known for championing the poor, has spoken out against the abuse of wealth and power: “Wealth and power are realities which can be good and useful for the common good, if they are put [...]
SYRIA - “Hoping that the ceasefire will be the beginning of the end of the war” A representative of the Syriac Orthodox church in Syria has expressed his hopes that the current ceasefire will be the beginning of the end of the war in Syria. When asked about the temporary end of [...]
IRAQ - British Sunni imams visit Iraq in bid to counter Islamic State propaganda in the UK A group of Sunni imams made the first-ever visit to Iraq by British Muslim religious leaders to see first hand the front line in the fight against ISIS. During the eight-day fact-finding mission, [...]