Bishops encourage prayers for relief from drought

With thousands of families already displaced by fire, and California still facing the peak of its annual fire season, the California Conference of Catholic Bishops is asking Catholics throughout California to observe Oct. 4-5 — beginning with the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi on Oct. 4 — as an occasion of prayer, asking God’s help to end California’s drought.

RELIGION: Itinerario de la Peregrinación de la Virgen de San Juan de los Lagos

En este mes de octubre, una pequeña imagen, réplica de la Virgen de San Juan de los Lagos, o Cihualpilli en el idioma nahuatl, será traída en peregrinación desde Jalisco, México a cuatro iglesias ubicadas en los condados de Los Ángeles, San Bernardino y Riverside respectivamente.

Alverno High School Students Take the Oath of Office

More than half of the Alverno High School student body recently took the Oath of Office during Alverno’s annual Inauguration on the terrace.

Modeled after the government of the United States, Alverno High School boasts a unique system of government that allows for more than 50 percent of students to be involved. Rather than the traditional “Associated Student Body” model, Alverno High School’s government is overseen by the Alverno Constitution and students are considered citizens of the Alverno Student Union. The Alverno Student Union includes the federal, legislative, and judicial branches as well as individual state governments.

Click here to view more photos of the event.

St. John Bosco’s Matt Katnik shows he’s an athlete with class

t’s one of those wonderful sports moments captured on video that makes everyone laugh. Matt Katnik, the 6-foot-4, 305-pound St. John Bosco lineman, was trying to celebrate a touchdown with 165-pound sophomore receiver Kristian Gilbert. A chest bump sent Gilbert tumbling to the ground in a true sports blooper moment.

“He’s really skinny. That’s where the problem is,” Katnik explained.

Century-Old Crucifix Stolen from SoCal Church for Second Time

A Southern California congregation is praying for the return of a more than 100-year-old stolen crucifix taken from an Oxnard church for the second time in two decades.

A man with a shaved head and bushy mustache entered Santa Clara Catholic Church in the 300 block of South E Street on Wednesday afternoon and left with the crucifix, according to a news release by the Oxnard Police Department.

Governor Urged to Sign Exide-Related Bills

“Governor Brown quit messing around…shut Exide down!” chanted the crowd at a press conference called last week to urge the governor to sign into law a pair of bills aimed at regulating an embattled acid-lead battery recycling plant and one of the state agencies charged with permitting and monitoring its performance.

For Orange’s Own, “The Veil Is Lifted”

A long, prayerful farewell to San Diego’s bishop

The long farewell to San Diego’s bishop, Cirilo Flores, concluded Wednesday with a day of pomp and ritual, tears and the occasional burst of laughter.

San Diego bishop remembered for Christian example in life, death

San Diego, Calif., Sep 18, 2014 / 06:05 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- San Diego’s late Bishop Cirilo Flores was “a man of the Beatitudes” with a deep affection for the people of his diocese, Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles said at the bishop’s Sept. 17 funeral Mass.