“You have become the light of our Church in the entire world,” Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa told Gaza Christians Dec. 22 during a pre-Christmas visit aiming to bring the joy of the season to the suffering Christian community in the Gaza Strip.

Several hundred people gathered at Magdeburg Cathedral in the evening of Dec. 21 for an ecumenical prayer service to remember the victims of the Dec. 20 Christmas market attack in the central German city, which killed five, including a 9-year-old child, and injured over 40 people, leaving some in critical condition.

Pope Francis has appointed Auxiliary Bishop J. Gregory Kelly of Dallas as bishop of Tyler, Texas.

President-elect Donald Trump on Dec. 20 announced his intention to appoint Brian Burch, currently the president of CatholicVote, as the next U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See.

Father Josef Mohr (1792-1848) was the pastor of St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Obendorf, Austria. In 1816 he composed the six verse lyrics to “Silent Night,” which would become one of the most popular Christmas carols of all time.

Archbishop Georg Gänswein, appointed in June as apostolic nuncio to the Baltic states, has shared his insights on his new diplomatic and pastoral responsibilities.

The Masses, called “Simbang Gabi” or “Night Mass,” are mostly on an evening anticipatory schedule. Filipino-Americans have brought the tradition to their adopted homeland and added some multicultural flair to their celebrations.

A young man with Down syndrome has been named the first “Angel of St. Pio” by the Saint Pio Foundation for his profound devotion to the beloved saint — and for his faithful perseverance in overcoming extraordinary challenges.

A Benedictine abbot, former college professor and secondary education teacher is now among the students at his abbey’s Catholic high school, proving that — as he told OSV News — “all of us should continue to be learners our entire life long.

In Haiti, where insecurity has devastated daily life since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, many religious groups are striving to celebrate Christmas amid growing chaos.