The diocese ended the year with an operational surplus of $529,266, as compared to a deficit of $166,303 the previous year, prior to allowing for unrealized gains on investments and other income restricted to non-operational use.

In the latest step toward unification, on Saturday St. Paul inducted the inaugural class into the Legacy Schools Hall of Fame for graduates of both former schools.

Last Sunday, the second Sunday of Easter, we were still overwhelmed by the miracle of Jesus’ resurrection. The universal Church also celebrated Divine Mercy Sunday. On April 30, 2000, Pope John Paul II canonized the Polish visionary Sister Faustina Kowalska – the 21st century’s first canonization – and proclaimed the Second Sunday of Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday.

Anna Maria College in Paxton is working with the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education in attempts to fulfill obligations to students in the face of its “financial pressures.” “Anna Maria College has pursued its distinctive Catholic mission since 1946, and its leadership remains committed to ensuring that every currently enrolled student has the opportunity to complete their education,” says an April 10 statement from the college.

The Holy Father’s statements about war have been clear and consistent with his predecessors and the teaching of the Church’s Magisterium in proclaiming the Gospel message, “Blessed are the Peacemakers.” His words do not contradict a country’s right to self-defense but prophetically remind us that religion is not at the service of aggression. In this holy season of Easter, the universal Church recalls that Jesus died and rose to save all humankind. We are all God’s children, even in times of war.