CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (EWTN News/CNA) — Pope Benedict XVI has unveiled the theme for the next international World Youth Day to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2013.

“The motto will be the command of Jesus: ‘Go and make disciples of all peoples.’ Even now I entrust to the prayers of all the preparation of these very important appointments,” said the Pope in his Aug. 24 general audience at the papal summer residence of Castel Gandolfo.

The theme is drawn from the resurrected Christ’s commission to his disciples, as chronicled in the Gospel of Matthew.

The Pope also unveiled the theme for next year’s World Youth Day, which will be held locally in the individual dioceses across the...READ MORE

Do the lives of the Church’s saints still make an impression on teens?

According to Eddie Cotter Jr., founder of the Dead Theologian Society, the answer is an emphatic “Yes.”

“I believe that young people are interested in the lives of the saints now more than ever. Partly because most are so unfamiliar to them, and it’s an entirely new discovery. It is literally like they have just discovered a gold mine,” says Cotter.

Cotter should know. Since 1997, he has witnessed thousands of high-school lives changed through the Dead Theologian Society’s (DTS) program. At the heart of this parish-based youth ministry is a mission to inspire the youth of today to become the saints of tomorrow.

“Our young...READ MORE

The Pope’s Five Essential Keys to Youth Ministry - Amy Welborn, Headline Bistro

Book Review: “Catholicism: A Journey To The Heart Of The Faith” by Fr. Robert Barron - Brandon Vogt, The Thin Veil

Fertility Monitoring Software is Natural Family Planning’s New Face - Kevin J. Jones, Catholic News Agency

After Madrid, How Benedict Has Improved World Youth Day - Sandro Magister, Chiesa

. . . Thomas Peters: WYD Pumped Over $230,000,000 into Spain’s Economy . . .

. . . Fr. Dwight Longenecker: Richard Dawkins’ Rage at World Youth Day . . .

The Spanish Civil War: Sadly, Still Relevant - Donald R. McClarey, The American Catholic

Freedom! - Andrew & Cristina, VirtuousPla.net

Among the...READ MORE

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Linda Couri of Libertyville, Ill., 42, is a Catholic wife and mother who works hard to maintain a deep prayer life, and strongly supports the Church’s teachings on the gospel of life. She serves as the director of lay ministry for the Archdiocese of Chicago.

It’s hard to believe that, just a decade ago, Couri was agnostic and contemptuous of Catholicism — and was a staunch advocate of legalized abortion who worked as a volunteer and employee for Planned Parenthood. In fact, she herself once had an abortion.

“I’ve come a long way,” Couri acknowledged. “And God has supported me through this process.”

Couri was born in Chicago and attended Catholic schools. She stopped going to Mass when...READ MORE

WASHINGTON (CNA) — A leading human-rights advocate in the U.S. House of Representatives says Vice President Joe Biden betrayed Chinese women and children by saying he “fully understood” the country’s one-child policy and was not “second guessing” it.

“The one child-per-couple policy is cruel, inhumane and the most egregious systematic attack on women ever,” said Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., on Aug. 23. “For the vice president to publicly state that he fully understands the one-child policy is unconscionable.”

“He and all of us should be defending the women of China from this state-sponsored cruelty of forced abortion and forced sterilization, not supporting and enabling it.”

Biden made the...READ MORE

Social Justice and the Theology of the Body - Catherine Rose, Dappled Things

Priestly Vulnerability - Dr. Jeff Mirus, CatholicCulture.org/On the Culture

New Media and the VirtuousPla.net - Stacy Trasancos PhD, Patheos

Social Justice: What the Church Sees - Sarah, Fumbling Toward Grace

Is the Immaculate Heart of Mary a Physical Heart? - Fr. Ryan Erlenbush, VirtuousPla.net

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Cross & Eagle Award for Most Prolific Blogger - The American Catholic

Almuces - John Whitehead, Once I Was A Clever Boy

Rochester Dioc. to Implement Chant Settings for New...READ MORE

For the last day of our World Youth Day pilgrimage, we headed to Avila.

This beautiful town is located an hour and a half from Madrid, out in the rolling countryside of Spain. For all the Carmelite fans and religious out there, it is an essential stop when visiting Spain.

We headed out around 10 this morning, only to have a slight mix-up on the Metro. If we were going to get lost, today was the day to do it — rather than when everything was pure chaos due to WYD!

I fell in love with the little town of Avila. It is so quaint, with gorgeous views and ancient churches. It is also the hometown of St. Teresa, Avila’s famous Carmelite nun. She lived here from 1515 to 1582. She had frequent...READ MORE