A funeral Mass for Jesuit Father Thomas P. McDonnell was offered Oct. 13 at the Chapel of the Holy Spirit of the Campion Center in Weston, Mass. Father McDonnell died Oct. 2. He was 88 and a priest for 57 years. 

For four with ties to the Archdiocese of Baltimore, discernment unfolded differently, yet with the same joy – leading them to serve God in religious communities around the country.

Redemptorist Father Gerard John Szymkowiak, a former pastor of St. Michael in Fells Point and Sacred Heart of Jesus-Corazón de Jesus in Highlandtown who was known for his attention to liturgy and his hardworking spirit, died Oct. 3. He was 88.

In its quests to meet the needs of parents in West Baltimore, New All Saints Parish will host its All Saints Day Behavioral Health Retreat Nov. 1.

A funeral Mass was offered Oct. 11 for Byzantine Rite Father Ivan Dusan Dornic, the founder of St. Mary’s Assumption Byzantine Catholic Church in Joppa. Father Dornic, who once ministered at St. Michael Ukrainian Catholic Church in East Baltimore, died Sept. 27. He was 94.

A funeral Mass will be offered Oct. 17 for Sister Maureen Stout in Aston, Pa. A member of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia for 65 years, Sister Maureen died Oct. 13. She was 86.

A federal bankruptcy judge has approved two property transactions by the Archdiocese of Baltimore, applauding the church and a committee representing abuse survivors for resolving their disputes through negotiation as part of ongoing bankruptcy proceedings Oct. 14 in Baltimore.

Joseph “Joe” Swiss Jr., a leading figure in evangelization in the Archdiocese of Baltimore who was known for his embrace of new technologies in spreading the Gospel and his passion for  welcoming adults to the Catholic faith, died Sept. 18. He was 77.

This year’s Life is Beautiful Mass Oct. 19 will honor two women who have spent their lives helping others live theirs.

In a call to refocus on the heart of Catholic worship, British Cardinal Arthur Roche, head of the Vatican’s liturgy office, urged believers to embrace the wonder of the Eucharist and model their lives on humility and love.