The first assembly of the synod on synodality demonstrated that an effective way to break the chains of clericalism and highlight the voices and experience of women in the church is to begin by listening and praying together before discussing issues, said two synod participants.

The tens of thousands of Catholics planning to attend the five-day 10th National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis in July will experience large-scale liturgies, dynamic speakers, and opportunities for quiet prayer and faith-sharing, with six different “impact session” tracks tailored to their peer groups or faith journey.

Two major U.S. pharmacy chains have announced they will begin dispensing the drug mifepristone, which has been prescribed for both abortion and early miscarriage, within the coming days.

Orbiting the sun nearly 1 million miles from Earth, the James Webb Space Telescope is reshaping the way scientists understand the universe and its origins, a number of astronomers said at a Vatican-sponsored meeting.

As child labor law restrictions continue to be loosened around the country, the U.S. Department of Labor announced Feb. 21 a nationwide, temporary restraining order and injunction against an offender it slammed for “oppressive” and “egregious” practices.

The gifts of men and women are “fruitful” together, and to erase the difference between men and women “is to erase humanity,” Pope Francis said.

Jesus did not teach his disciples to organize agencies and structures to help vulnerable people, but gave the example of encountering them, listening to them and helping them as individuals and not “categories” of people in need, Pope Francis said.

Western theology risks becoming an abstract and rationalized conversation among academics rather than a tool for nourishing the faith of God’s people, the papal preacher said.

The urgent need for Catholic parishes to welcome young and old with disabilities — and their families — was prominent among presentation threads at a Feb. 17 conference held virtually by the Diocese of Arlington, Va., “From Inclusion to Belonging: Creating Communities that Foster Mental Health for All.”

Nearly 3,500 of the faithful came from as far as Maine and Maryland and waited over two hours to view 200 relics of Jesus, the Holy Family, and various saints, martyrs and blesseds exhibited at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Oratory in Montclair Feb. 24.