Aloysius Schwartz had a desire to become a priest from an early age. As time passed, his desire became more specific: He wanted to be a priest of the poor.

During high school he joined St Charles Minor Seminary in Catonsville, Maryland, but after graduation felt an attraction to the Maryknoll Missionaries. He attended Maryknoll College to receive his bachelor’s degree, but then completed his theological studies in Belgium at Louvain University…

Pope Francis has released his video message accompanying his monthly prayer intention for July.

This month’s intention is for those distant from the Christian faith: “that our brothers and sisters who have strayed from the faith, through our prayer and witness to the Gospel, may rediscover the beauty of the Christian life.”

The text of the video message reads:

“Let us never forget that our joy is Jesus Christ — his faithful and inexhaustible love…

Pope Francis on Saturday named Archbishop Luis Ladaria, SJ, to replace Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller as the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, at the end of Cardinal Müller’s five-year term.

Archbishop Ladaria is a Spanish Jesuit and theologian who spent many years teaching at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, before being called to serve as Secretary of CDF in 2008…

Pope Francis celebrated Mass in St Peter’s Square on Thursday to celebrated the feast of Saints Peter and Paul highlighting the plight of persecuted Christians, the importance of prayer and confessing the faith.

In a sunny St Peter’s Square on Thursday, Pope Francis was joined by new Cardinals and Metropolitan Archbishops created in the last year, as well as pilgrims and Romans alike, to celebrate the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Co-Patrons of the eternal city…