The European Elections: Some Crucial Issues
Europe votes for Parliament! This article explores key issues facing the 2024 EU elections, considering its global influence and the challenges of a diverse continent
The diocesan land area of 29, 857 square kilometers includes West Bengal's major urban centers – Kolkata, Kharagpur and Haldia port. The total population of 34,656,781 is a mix of ethnicities and...
In a land area of 6,693 square kilometers, the diocesan territory covers the ten taluks of the civil district of Thane in Maharastra state.
Vasai is the biggest town in the diocese. Dahanu, Palghar and Shahapur are other important towns in the...
Recent Events
Vietnam’s historic Marian shrine stands the test of time
The shrine holds a three-meter-tall, white-stone carved statue Virgin Mary on the Tao Pao Mountain in the Diocese of Phan Thiet in southern Vietnam, about 1,600 kilometers from the national capital Hanoi.
Vietnamese Cathedral bears testimony to history and heritage
St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Vietnam’s capital Hanoi is a French colonial-era landmark and one of the oldest Christian worship places in the Buddhist-majority nation. The cathedral is a replica of Notre Dame Cathedral of Paris that also passed through political and social trajectories in the city over the past centuries.
Pakistani cathedral pays homage to Jesuit missionary Francis Xavier
Saint Francis Xavier Cathedral in Hyderabad is a British-colonial-era religious landmark in Pakistan’s eighth-largest city that beholds the centuries-old heritage of Christianity in the country. It is the mother church of the Hyderabad Diocese.
Nagasaki basilica immortalizes 26 martyrs of Japan
The minor basilica of the Twenty-Six Holy Martyrs of Japan in Nagasaki beholds the sacrifices of Catholic martyrs of the late 16th century who sacrificed their lives for faith. The church stands on a hill where 26 Catholics – Japanese, European, and Indian – were crucified like Jesus for refusing to renounce their faith in 1597. The martyrdom came to global spotlight on June 8, 1862, when Pope Pius XI declared the martyrs as saints. The next year, two French MEP missionaries – Father Furet and Father Petitjean – started construction of the church to honor the martyrs.
St. Gonsalo Garcia: First Indian missionary martyred in Japan
Gonsalo's martyrdom at Nagasaki with the other Christian missionaries is regarded as the most tragic and historic event for Catholicism in Japan
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St. Pedro Calungsod, Filipino lay martyr and patron of catechists
Calungsod and his companion Father Vitores baptized infants, children and adults, defying the risk of persecution and murder
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St. Lorenzo Ruiz, Filipino layman who became a martyr in Japan
Despite being an ordinary layman, Ruiz remained defiant while facing torture by the Japanese and died a brave martyr
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Jordan's king assures pope holy sites will be protected
Pope Francis and King Abdullah have repeatedly called for cease-fire and two-state solution to Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Pope laments 'liberal' universities lacking holistic formation
The pope said that young people need an education that helps them find inspiration in figures like Blessed Ramon
Bishops in Panama call on voters to pick 'best candidates'
The Central American country has been wrecked by political corruption on a massive scale in recent years
Indian, HK satirists win press cartoon award
This year's award and exhibition highlight 'the pivotal role of women in the fight for freedom'
Filipino bishops instruct flock to pray for rain
Nearly 8,000 schools remained shuttered due to the extreme heatwave scorching the country
India’s Manipur shutdown on anniversary of ethnic clashes
Indigenous tribal body urged Kuki-Zo people to observe day as ‘a mark of remembrance and solidarity’
Climate change, extreme heatwaves hit Asia hard
People in South and Southeast Asia are bracing for more extreme heatwaves this week, prompting authorities to issue health warnings and close schools
