Saint Joseph Catholic Church

The World Council of Churches (WCC) has issued a statement of concern about the fate of St. Catherine’s monastery in Egypt, calling upon the Egyptian government to provide “a clear and binding agreement recognizing the holy monastery’s right and title to the site in perpetuity.”

The legal status of the ancient monastery—founded more than 1,500 years ago—has been in question since an Egyptian court ruled that the property belonged to the government. Egyptian political leaders have said that the monks of St. Catherine’s will have full freedom at the monastery, but Christian leaders have questioned the state’s claim of control.

Pope Leo XIV ordained 32 men to the priesthood on June 27, the feast of the Sacred Heart, in a ceremony at St. Peter’s basilica.

In his homily the Pope said that all priests are called to conform themselves to Christ, “above all by putting the Eucharist at the center of our lives,” and also by “fruitful reception of the sacraments, especially by the frequent practice of sacramental penance.”

Speaking more specifically to the newly ordained priests, the Holy Father said:

Love God and your brothers and sisters, and give yourselves to them generously. Be fervent in your celebration of the sacraments, in prayer, especially in adoration before the Eucharist, and in your ministry. Keep close to your flock, give freely of your time and energy to everyone, without reserve and without partiality, as the pierced side of the crucified Jesus and the example of the saints teach us to do. Remember that the Church, in the two thousand years of her history, has had—and today continues to have—wonderful examples of priestly holiness.

Commenting on years of Vatican budget deficits, Maximino Caballero Ledo, the prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy, says: “We are aware that this imbalance cannot continue indefinitely.”

He argues that the Vatican has tightened controls on the use of funds donated to the Peter’s Pence collection, and emphasizes the importance of that collection in supporting the charitable work of the Holy See.

In a June 26 address, Pope Leo XIV encouraged Redemptorist and Scalabrinian bishops in their ministry and recalled the institutes’ founders.

“You in particular, Scalabrinian and Redemptorist religious, chosen and consecrated for service to the Episcopate and also to the Cardinals, bring into your ministry the legacy of two important charisms, especially in our days: service to migrants and the evangelization of the poor and the distant,” the Pope said, adding:

Saint Alphonsus Maria de’ Liguori, entering into contact with the poverty of the most neglected neighbourhoods of Naples in the eighteenth century, renounced a wealthy life and a lucrative career, embracing the mission of bringing the Gospel to the last.

Saint John Baptist Scalabrini, a century later, was able to feel and understand the hopes and sufferings of the many people who left, leaving everything behind, in search of a better future for themselves and their families in faraway lands.

The Church celebrates the Optional Memorial of St. Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975). St. Josemaría founded Opus Dei which opened a new path of holiness, helping the faithful in all walks of life to sanctify themselves in the midst of the world by performing ordinary work and daily duties with a Christian spirit. He died on June 26, 1975 and was canonized a saint on October 6, 2002.

The Roman Martyrology today commemorates Saint William of Monte Vergine (1085-1142), Abbot. William was born to Italian noble parents at the beginning of the twelfth century. He was orphaned while still an infant and was raised by relatives. He built a monastery on the summit of Monte Vergine near Naples, and established a community of hermits, to whom he gave a rule inspired in great measure by that of St. Benedict. He died in 1142.

The Universal Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. This feast, a segment of Advent in the season of Ordinary Time, makes us aware of the wonderful inner relationship between the sacred mysteries; for we are still in the midst of one Church year and already a bridge is being erected to the coming year of grace.

Tomorrow is the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. Observance of the solemnity begins with First Vespers (Evening Prayer I) in the Liturgy of the Hours on June 23, and a special Vigil Mass before or after First Vespers. The liturgical day is from midnight to midnight in the Church's observance, except for Sunday and solemnities which begin with the evening of the preceding day. There are many customs and traditions connected with the Vigil of the the Birth of St. John the Baptist, often referred to as "Midsummer's Eve."

"While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, gave it to them, and said, 'Take it; this is my body.' Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, 'This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many.'"

The Church celebrates Memorial of St. Aloysius Gonzaga (1568-1591) today. His outstanding quality was his radiant purity and the Church praises this perfect innocence with the words, "Thou has made him little less than the angels." He was baptized in the womb, because his life was in danger, and he made a vow of chastity at the age of nine. When he was sixteen he joined the Society of Jesus and died at the age of twenty-three in 1591 in Rome as a result of his devoted nursing of the plague-stricken.