Mexico: 500 Seminarians Wanted

THE ARCHBISHOP of Mexico City, the most populated archdiocese in the world, recently launched an archdiocesan vocational campaign aimed at having 500 students in the local seminary for the year 2000.

The campaign, officially announced by Archbishop Norberto Rivera in late August, will help the archdiocese acquire “wise and holy pastors to shepherd our people in the next millennium.

“With 500 seminarians, we will be ready to form the new generation of priests that our people need,” he said.

According to Archbishop Rivera, the new priests are necessary “not only because of the increasing population, but because of the numerous challenges the current society poses to Catholics,” including the rise of sects. (Alejandro Bermudez)

Palestinian Christians celebrate Easter Sunday Mass at Holy Family Church in Gaza City on March 31, amid the ongoing battles Israel and the Hamas militant group.

People Explain ‘Why I Go to Mass’

‘Why go to Mass on Sundays? It is not enough to answer that it is a precept of the Church. … We Christians need to participate in Sunday Mass because only with the grace of Jesus, with his living presence in us and among us, can we put into practice his commandment, and thus be his credible witnesses.’ —Pope Francis