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The Archdiocese of Sydney in Australia will welcome record numbers of catechumens and candidates who seek full communion with the Catholic Church ahead of Easter this year. Across the archdiocese, 338 people will be baptized at the Easter Vigil, with an additional 119 to be welcomed into full communion with the Catholic Church, says a press release from the archdiocese. Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney described the large number of people joining the Catholic Church as “a profound sign of the growth and vitality” in the Church in Sydney and proof that the “Holy Spirit is alive and active.” The...

The number of individuals entering the Catholic Church continues to rise across the state of Ohio. An increasing number of Ohioans are preparing to become Catholic in and outside of the Columbus diocese this year. The number of catechumens, individuals who are unbaptized, and candidates, previously baptized individuals who will enter full communion with the Church through the sacraments of initiation – the Eucharist and/or Confirmation – is increasing from previous years. Locally, the Columbus diocese will welcome nearly 500 catechumens into the Church this year through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA). Individuals preparing for baptism...

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(Sing it with the recording at the link click.) At The Lamb's High Feast We Sing1. At the Lamb's high feast we sing praise to our victorious King, who hath washed us in the tide flowing from His piercéd side; praise we Him whose love divine gives His sacred blood for wine, gives His body for the feast, Christ the Victim, Christ the Priest.3. Mighty Victim from the sky, pow'rs of hell beneath Thee lie; death is conquered in the fight, Thou hast brought us life and light; hymns of glory and of praise, risen Lord, to Thee we raise;...

Israel assisted in US rescue mission of downed airman in Iran. Israel was involved in the rescue operation of a U.S. airman in Iran, Fox News has learned. Israeli officials reportedly shared information with the U.S. as the search-and-rescue operation unfolded. Additionally, the Israeli military helped halt Iranian air strikes in the area while the rescue mission was underway over the past 36 hours. President Donald Trump said Sunday that dozens of aircraft were involved in the evacuation.

Join with fellow FREEPERS to pray for AMERICA: For those in Authority in Government, Family, Military, Business, Healthcare, Education, Churches, and the Media. I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone: for kings and all those in authority that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men,...

Beginning 10/1/2026, Microsoft Publisher will no longer be supported as part of Microsoft 365. Many common Publisher scenarios are available in other Microsoft 365 apps, including Microsoft Word and PowerPoint. Microsoft is committed to improving your Microsoft 365 subscription. We regularly review how our subscribers use features within Microsoft products. This email includes details regarding features going away next year and reminders about current benefits included with your subscription. Action Recommended: Before 10/1/2026, convert your existing Publisher files to PDF or Word format. After this date, you will no longer be able to open or edit these files with Microsoft...

Easter is bringing a wave of new members into the Roman Catholic Church in Charlotte, continuing a growing trend across the region. Over the past two years, the number of people joining the Catholic Church in Charlotte has increased by more than 40% each year. Church leaders expect that figure to rise again this Easter weekend. At St. Matthew Catholic Church in Ballantyne alone, about 100 people are expected to be baptized — among them, Seth Miller. “I had to be a good example, a good leader in the household,” Miller said. “That’s what was originally kind of the catalyst...

- The Catholic Diocese of Youngstown is welcoming 282 new converts this Easter, a significant increase from previous years. - This local growth is part of a global trend, - Many new converts, particularly young adults, are drawn to the church's offer of objective truth and ancient traditions in a modern world. "Behind these numbers are people who have heard the Gospel being proclaimed and witnessed it being lived by priests, deacons, lay ministers, the faithful, as well as friends and family," Youngstown diocese Bishop David Bonnar said. "I think it is a powerful affirmation of the work of the...

President Donald Trump proposed Friday a $1.5 trillion defense budget for 2027, a dramatic increase that would mark one of the largest Pentagon funding requests in decades and underscores his push to prioritize military spending over domestic programs. The budget blueprint, released by the White House, would cut non-defense spending by 10 percent and shift some responsibilities to states and local governments. The plan also calls for maintaining immigration enforcement funding, increasing Justice Department spending by 13 percent, adding money for air traffic controller hiring and setting aside $10 billion for National Park Service beautification projects in Washington. The increases...

St. Isaac Jogues Catholic Parish is preparing to receive 47 people into the church, a dramatic increase over the 21 welcomed this time last year. Now the church is working to get to the heart of the surge. Dozens of soon-to-be Catholics and those reaffirming their faith in the church are preparing for their big welcome in Hinsdale. St. Isaac Jogues Church is reporting a more than 124% increase from 2025. "It's an incredible number that we haven't seen in years," Father Burke Masters said. Jaden Ternand, 16, says his journey began with a search for truth. "I was more...

God chose a small group of women to share the greatest news of all time. Why did Jesus appear to the women first instead of the disciples? One thing we see immediately is that Jesus valued and respected women. We also know from the Gospels that many of Jesus’ followers were women. They traveled with the disciples, financially supported their ministry, and served Jesus however they could. The main argument posited for the historicity of the appearance to the women, and the empty tomb for that matter, is that the early Christians would not have invented the story, since the...

Over 20,000 catechumens in France are expected to be baptized during the Easter Vigil, marking a 20% increase compared to baptisms in 2025. According to an annual survey published by the French bishops’ conference March 25, over 13,200 adults and over 8,100 adolescents will be baptized during the April 4 Easter Vigil. The new figures mark a sustained increase in overall baptisms, particularly adults, compared to 2016, when just over 4,100 adults were baptized. Numbers ‘continue to surprise’ In a letter published with the survey, French Archbishop Olivier de Germay of Lyon said the increased numbers “continue to surprise.” Read...

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted" (Matt. 5:4). Human sorrow is a natural and healthy emotion, but beware of mourning over unfulfilled sinful desires. Most people in our society have an amusement-park mentality. They spend much of their time and money on entertainment, wanting to enjoy life and avoid problems whenever possible. To them, Matthew 5:4 is a paradox. How can someone who mourns be happy? The answer lies in the difference between godly sorrow and human sorrow. Godly sorrow is sorrow over sin; human sorrow is sorrow over some tragic or disappointing turn of events...

In the vast tapestry of Christian traditions, few ceremonies hold the weight and antiquity of the Great Vigil of Easter. Rooted in the earliest days of the Church, this solemn ritual traces its origins back to the second century, embodying a profound journey from darkness into light. It begins with the Service of Light, where a new fire is kindled, illuminating the darkness and symbolizing Christ's triumph over death. The lighting of the Paschal candle and the exultant proclamation of the Exsultet further herald the arrival of Easter joy. This portion of the vigil invites worshippers to reflect on the...

"It's going unnoticed because so much other news is happening but the war drums are beating again in D.C. The warmongers worry this is their last chance to get the white whale they've been chasing for thirty years, an all out regime change war against Iran. A new war in the Middle East would be a catastrophic mistake..."-Charlie Kirk "X" Post April 3, 2025... Intense fighting reported in southwestern Iran Saturday night amid a US effort to rescue a second crew member of a downed US warplane. Video was posted claiming to show Iranian civilians in vehicle convoys seeking to...

Sixty years ago, I first gazed out on the Strait of Hormuz from the Musandam peninsula of Oman. I was there as private secretary to my godfather, Selwyn Lloyd, who had been Britain’s foreign secretary during the Suez Crisis. The previous evening our host, Sultan Said bin Taimur, the ruler of Oman for nearly 40 years, commented gloomily: ‘When two fish are fighting in these waters, the British are behind it.’ I estimate that I must have made at least 250 visits to the Gulf states in the intervening six decades. The key question which would surely now be asked...

Daily Readings from the USCCBOn the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.” John 20:1–2Have you ever misunderstood something, even when your intentions were good? We all experience moments when we act with love but still get things wrong. Even our good actions...

UPDATED ALREADY! I'm writing a new post since the last one got so messy. In fact, I've had to edit this post twice already, less than an hour after I first posted it. Never done that before, I think. First things first, neither the Air Force nor CENTCOM has made an official announcement, but there are now multiple fairly credible reports that the Weapons System Officer from the F-15 shot down in Iran has been recovered. His condition is unknown, although several reports say he is "safe," implying that he is alive and not mortally wounded. BREAKING: "WE GOT HIM!...

We had 550,000 troops and over 4,000 combat aircraft based right in South Vietnam in 1968. Ten minutes from takeoff to mission. 2 million Vietnamese and 58,000 Americans died. AND WE LOST THE WAR.So anybody who even suggests that invading Iran can work, is retarded. Especially when all of our potential force assembly locations are in proven missile and drone range. (This ain't Desert Storm. Examples: The US Navy has completely fled the region. Our critical aircraft are destroyed on the ground from Kuwait to Saudi Arabia.)Iran is 10X bigger than South Vietnam, with 6X its 1970 population. Its bigger...