Diocesan News | Rhode Island Catholic

A portrait of Brown University student Ella Cook rests among candles and flowers at the Brown-RISD Catholic Community in Providence. Cook, a faithful member of the BRCC and pro-life advocate, was one of two victims, including Mukhammad Aziz Umurzoko, killed in a shooting that shook the Rhode Island community last December.

'Christ Never Left Us': How Brown's Catholic Community is Healing After Tragedy

PROVIDENCE — When shots rang out at Brown University last December, the immediate reaction for students was to find cover. But in the days that followed the deaths of Brown University students Ella … more

By Chelsea Thorpe, Rhode Island Catholic Correspondent | 3/5/26

Special Event Listings for 03.05.26

St. James Church All-You-Can-Eat Pasta Supper MANVILLE — St. James Church, 33 Division St., will host an all-you-can-eat pasta and meatball supper on Saturday, March 7 (snow date March 8), from … more

3/5/26

Linger in the Ashes

The Communion procession was winding down, and the priest was tending to the last few communicants in line when a loud noise caught the attention of everyone in the packed church. The church door had … more

3/5/26

Pope Leo XIV reads his Christmas message before giving his solemn blessing "urbi et orbi" (to the city and the world) from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican Dec. 25, 2025.

Pope Leo XIV’s New Book ‘Peace Be with You!’: A Spiritual Roadmap for a Wounded World

VATICAN CITY — The following is the text of Pope Leo XIV’s introduction to his book “Peace Be with You!” published by HarperCollins and available in bookstores in the United States and … more

By Pope Leo XIV, Vatican News, OSV News | 3/5/26

Ash Wednesday marks the first day of Lent and the start of the six weeks of prayer and penitence before Easter.

Recharging Lent

At Mass on Ash Wednesday, the holy Communion line was down to its last person. Suddenly, a young woman hurried down the aisle just as the priest was turning back to the altar. Obviously, a latecomer. … more

By Effie Caldarola, OSV News | 3/5/26

Holy Marriages Make Holy Families

The Catechism states that the Sacrament of Marriage is a “covenant, by which a man and woman form with each other an intimate communion of life and love, and has been founded and endowed with its … more

3/5/26

Water was a witness to creation, continues to play a vital role in religious history

Although the Sacred Scriptures certainly credit God the Father with the creation of the world, in fact, the whole universe, one important natural element might have gotten the jump on God Himself. … more

3/5/26

Thank a Ref: Celebrating the Officials Who Make the Catholic Athletic League Possible

The Catholic Athletic League celebrated a “Thank the Ref Weekend” in January as a way for coaches and players to convey their gratitude to the referees who make the games possible. Pictured at … more

3/5/26

From Pompeii to Pavia: Pope Leo XIV to make 6 pastoral visits throughout Italy

ROME (OSV News) -- Pope Leo XIV is heading across Italy in a series of one-day and half-day pastoral visits stretching from the shadow of Mount Vesuvius to the shores of the Adriatic Sea. The Vatican … more

By OSV News | 2/26/26

Caring for creation this Lent

Lent is about changing the trajectory of our lives. We try to nudge our life toward God; toward love, kindness and generosity. In Scripture, we repeatedly see tax collectors and sinners offered the … more

By Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski, OSV News | 2/26/26

Remembering Angelo Gugel

Those who remember the epic pontificate of St. John Paul II may recall a tall, handsome layman with well-combed, iron-gray hair, dressed in a black business suit, white shirt, and black tie, … more

2/26/26

Lessons in Perseverance from Tabor

Eager that the faithful should observe a fruitful Lenten season, the Church’s liturgy early on recalls the lives of Biblical heroes who faced overwhelming odds but persevered to a fruitful outcome. … more

2/26/26

Names of enslaved people from a slavery exhibit are seen at the President's House in Philadelphia Feb. 19, 2026, after National Park Service workers reinstalled the exhibit following a U.S. judge's order.

Slavery display removal by feds ‘robs us’ of history, racial healing, say Black Catholic leaders

PHILADELPHIA — The Trump administration’s effort to remove a slavery exhibit at a national historic site in Philadelphia distorts history, while eroding racial justice and healing, several Black … more

By Gina Christian, OSV News | 2/26/26

Bishop Bruce A. Lewandowski, C.Ss.R., joins Catholic Foundation of Rhode Island Executive Director Tim McCaig in awarding the St. Mary of the Bay Parish Food Pantry and Outreach Ministry each $5,000 to supplement the good works they do.

Catholic Foundation of RI honors SMB Ministries

WARREN — Although nestled in a small, tree-lined suburb of Providence, St. Mary of the Bay Parish has made an outsized impact on the greater community through its highly active social ministries. … more

BY RICK SNIZEK, Executive Editor | 2/26/26

Bishop offers message of hope to healthcare workers at White Mass

PROVIDENCE — Medical professionals, caregivers, and students from across the Diocese of Providence gathered at Our Lady of Lourdes Chapel at Providence College for the annual White Mass, celebrated … more

By Andrew Skonieczny | 2/26/26

Special Event Listings for 02.26.26

Annual Lenten Fish Fry HARRISVILLE — The Shrine of the Little Flower, 35 Dion Drive, will hold its annual Fish Fry on Friday evenings in Lent, now through March 27, from 4 to 7 p.m. The event … more

2/26/26

Let Bishop Bruce know how you are answering his invitation to ‘Go Big or Go Home' for Lent

In Bishop Bruce Lewandowski’s February 19th column in our award-winning diocesan newspaper, Rhode Island Catholic, he invited us all to “Go Big or Go Home!” this Lenten season - and asked: what … more

2/26/26

Record-Shattering 'Superbomb' Blizzard Topples 1978 Benchmarks

EAST GREENWICH — In what meteorologists are calling a “historic superbomb,” the Blizzard of ’26 has rewritten the record books, leaving no community in the Ocean State untouched. The storm … more

2/26/26

A powerful start to the Lenten season

PROVIDENCE —Bishop Bruce Lewandowski, C.Ss.R., celebrated Ash Wednesday Mass on February 18 at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Providence, reminding us of our journey toward renewal and … more

2/26/26

The eleventh Station of the Cross, painted by a young Swiss artist who won the Vatican's international art competition, is displayed next to the St. Andrew sculpture by François Duquesnoy in St. Peter’s Basilica. The new Stations of the Cross series by Manuel Andreas Dürr, a 36-year-old artist and father of three, was inaugurated Feb. 20, 2026.

New Stations of the Cross unveiled at St. Peter’s Basilica for Lent 2026

VATICAN CITY (OSV News) — St. Peter’s Basilica inaugurated a new Stations of the Cross Feb. 20, with paintings by a young Swiss artist who won the Vatican’s international art competition and … more

By Courtney Mares, OSV News | 2/26/26