Loyola University Maryland graduate ordained Jesuit priest July 13, 2025By Catholic Review Staff Catholic Review Filed Under: Feature, Local News, News, Vocations Jonathan Pennacchia, a 2014 graduate of Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore, was ordained a Jesuit priest June 14 at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola in New York City.
Excitement and pride abound at ordination of five priests for Archdiocese of Baltimore June 23, 2025By Carole Norris Greene Special to the Catholic Review Filed Under: Feature, Local News, News, Vocations Joy, excitement and pride permeated the air during the long-awaited priestly ordination of five men during a June 21 Mass at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Homeland.
Need for more Catholic Army chaplains to serve military flock as great as ever, say two priests June 20, 2025By Kurt Jensen OSV News Filed Under: News, Vocations, World News It’s a question often asked about Catholic chaplains serving in the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services: Are there enough of them for the estimated 250,000 Catholics — 25 percent percent of the U.S. armed forces — serving worldwide?
Deacon O’Donnell’s ‘normal’ faith life led to priestly vocation June 20, 2025By Christopher Gunty Catholic Review Filed Under: Feature, Local News, New Priests 2025, News, Vocations Deacon Thomas P. O’Donnell started attending daily Mass more often, going to confession and eucharistic adoration and reading more about the faith. All this led to a deepening of his life.
Deacon Alex Mwebaze is happy to call Maryland home June 19, 2025By Katie V. Jones Catholic Review Filed Under: Feature, Local News, New Priests 2025, News, Vocations Deacon Mwebaze, along with five other deacons, will be ordained as priests June 21 at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Homeland, marking the culmination of his journey to priesthood.
For Deacon Shiadrik Mokum, the priesthood is all about community June 18, 2025By Gerry Jackson Catholic Review Filed Under: Feature, Local News, New Priests 2025, News, Vocations Deacon Shiadrik Mokum says all his life “community” has been his major focus. The Cameroon native sees his journey to the priesthood, which he will complete with his ordination in June at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Homeland, as a natural progression of his devotion to community life.
Prodigal son to priest June 17, 2025By George P. Matysek Jr. Catholic Review Filed Under: Feature, Local News, New Priests 2025, News, Vocations In the eyes of the world, Deacon James “Jamie” Lancelotta is the unlikeliest candidate for the priesthood.
Over 20,000 permanent deacons serve church, but death, retirement bring overall number down June 16, 2025By Gina Christian OSV News Filed Under: deacons, Feature, News, Vocations, World News The nation’s Catholic permanent deacons were estimated to number more than 20,000 in 2024 — but “as is the case with priests in the United States, there are not enough new permanent deacons being ordained to make up for the numbers who are retiring from active ministry and dying each year,” according to a new report.
Future priest from Congo has a heart of service June 16, 2025By Samantha Smith Special to the Catholic Review Filed Under: Feature, Local News, New Priests 2025, News, Vocations Faith has been a vibrant part of Deacon Ilanga’s 46 years of life. It all began in his childhood with his mother bringing him and his eight siblings – five sisters and three brothers – to daily and Sunday Masses as a family. With the church being a five-minute walk from home, Deacon Ilanga was also involved in ministries such as singing in the choir and being an altar server.
Pope’s brother says even as a baby, future pontiff had a spiritual ‘air’ about him June 13, 2025By Simone Orendain Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, Vocations, World News In an interview with OSV News, Louis Prevost said that it was more than just Robert being “the baby of the family. … There was an air about him. I mean the spirit coming out of his physical body as he grew older.”
Incoming superior general of Oblate Sisters of Providence outlines priorities June 12, 2025By Carole Norris Greene Special to the Catholic Review Filed Under: Consecrated Life, Feature, Local News, News, Vocations When Sister Marcia Hall was elected in April as the next superior general of the Baltimore-based Oblate Sisters of Providence, the nation’s oldest functioning Black Catholic religious order, she would have to wait for her new administration to meet to prioritize goals for their four-year tenure.
Pope Leo’s core identity is Augustinian, say religious June 10, 2025By Rhina Guidos Global Sisters Report Filed Under: News, Vatican, Vocations, World News After stepping out to the main balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica as Pope Leo XIV, he mentioned no nationality and instead identified himself as “a son of St. Augustine, an Augustinian.”
