Advent is a season of preparation for the birth of Jesus Christ. Every Christmas reminds us that God so loved the world that he sent his only son to be born as one of us, in order to redeem and renew creation.

Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) are vital programs that assist many thousands of needy children.

Reverend Monsignor J. Brian Bransfield, a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, was elected general secretary of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) during their Fall General Assembly, November 17.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) chose a new treasurer-elect of the Conference and the chairmen-elect of six committees and new members of the board of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), during the bishops’ annual fall General Assembly, November 16-19, in Baltimore.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) approved a formal statement, “Create in Me a Clean Heart: A Pastoral Response to Pornography,” at their annual Fall General Assembly in Baltimore, November 17.

Here at home, as we get ready for Christ the King Sunday (Nov. 22) and the end of the Church year, it’s a good time to ponder these two events — the World Meeting of Families and the synod of bishops – and take strength from what they achieved.

I ask the clergy and people of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to pray in a special way in the coming days for the families of all those killed in Paris.

Core operating deficit shrinks to less than $1 million; balance sheet improvements continue.

As with any other family, life in a local Church goes on, even after a wonderful visit from the Pope and an important world synod of bishops. For most Catholics, faith is learned and lived at the parish level.

Como con cualquier otra familia, la vida en una Iglesia local continúa, incluso después de una maravillosa visita del papa y un importante sínodo mundial de obispos. Para la mayoría de los católicos, la fe es aprendida y vivida en el ámbito parroquial.