During Holy Week, the Gospel readings come to life in a special way as we gather to celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, reminding us of the special connection we have to the land where this great story unfolded.

An online conversation on Monday, March 27, discussing the impact of Pope Benedict XVI on the life of the Church will feature someone who knew him well.

On the weekend of March 18-19, Maine Catholics will help suffering people around the world by giving to the Catholic Relief Services Collection, sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and held in dioceses across the country.

The workshop with Steve Angrisano will be hosted by St. Michael Parish in the St. Augustine Church and hall on 75 Northern Avenue from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The cost to attend is $20, and breakfast will be served prior to the start of the workshop from 8:15 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.

For Richard Ezell of Amity, Easter Vigil will mark the culmination of one journey and the beginning of another. “It’s like starting anew,” he says. “It’s like I am a new creature.” Ezell is among 59 people around the state who will be baptized, confirmed, and receive first Eucharist during the Easter Vigil Mass. Another 45 candidates, those previously baptized in other Christian faiths, will be received into the full communion of the Catholic Church through the sacraments of confirmation and Eucharist.

In February, the faith formation children at St. Francis Xavier Church in Winthrop, led by a determined senior at Winthrop High School, worked together to make life a little easier for Maine foster children waiting for placement in a new home

National speakers, Masses with Bishop Robert Deeley, and offerings of faith and fellowship are all waiting for participants at three major conferences set for Maine in the coming months.

Part of the mission of Maine Catholic schools is to accentuate the importance of service with the hope of building a lifelong commitment and appreciation in each student to give back to those in need. Last week, that lesson was on full display at schools across Maine during Catholic Schools Week as students designed and completed many service projects to help local organizations, including:

National Marriage Week and World Marriage Day are opportunities to remind ourselves of the importance of promoting a culture of love that is rooted in a foundation of marriage and family. These observances also call us to lift up married couples in prayer as we celebrate the gift of marriage and ask God to help couples grow in love with each other.

Standing in the sanctuary of the Marcotte Chapel at St. Mary’s Residences in Lewiston, the bishop spoke to the over 60 women religious gathered on the World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life, instituted by Saint Pope John Paul II in 1997.

A national speaker, Mass with Bishop Robert Deeley, and activities inspiring faith and fellowship are among the many moving experiences awaiting participants at the 2023 Maine Catholic Men’s Conference on Saturday, March 18.

In an effort to promote solidarity throughout the hemisphere by providing support for pastoral projects in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Diocese of Portland will hold a special collection at all weekend Masses in Maine churches on the weekend of January 21-22. Last year, even during the pandemic, dioceses across the country raised nearly $6 million that were distributed to 281 ministries in Mexico, Central/South America, and the Caribbean.

Maine Catholics are invited to join thousands of Catholics across the country in nine days of prayer for life and human dignity.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is an opportunity to ask God to help Christian Churches seek common ground and appreciation for each other. Prayer is the key which opens our hearts to Christ’s desire for unity. In opening ourselves to prayer, we remember that we share a common baptism and faith in the Trinity. Our practice of faith begins in our shared appreciation for Scripture as the Word of God where we encounter the saving truth of Jesus.

Happy New Year! I hope the past few weeks have been a time of celebration and created cherished memories for you and your loved ones. As we embark on a new year, we would be wise to be guided by Mary, whose solemnity we celebrate on January 1 under the title of Mother of God.

The passing of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI is a great sadness for the universal Church and a personal loss for me and countless others who benefited from his great faith, intelligence, and kindness. He served for over seven decades as a priest and nearly eight years as the Successor to St. Peter. His contributions to theology are extraordinary, including the creation of many conciliar documents, and even as his health declined in recent years, he continued to teach of the sacredness of life.

To honor the memory of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, Bishop Robert Deeley will preside at a special Mass on Wednesday, January 4, at 12:15 p.m. at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on 307 Congress Street in Portland.

On the weekend of December 10-11, parishioners and community members in the Diocese of Portland will have the opportunity to give to those who have given a lifetime.

Bishop Robert Deeley is pleased to announce the winners of the Diocese of Portland’s Christmas Card Art Contest, conducted by the diocese’s Office of Development.

Eleven men were admitted as candidates for ordination to the permanent diaconate during the Rite of Candidacy celebrated by Bishop Robert Deeley on November 19 at St. Francis Xavier Church in Winthrop.