Resurrection of the Lord Catholic Church

Feast date: Nov 20

Saint Bernward served as the thirteenth Bishop of Hildesheim, Germany during the middle of the tenth century. His grandfather was Athelbero, Count Palatine of Saxony. After having lost his parents, Bernward was sent to live with his uncle Volkmar, who was the Bishop of Utrecht. His uncle enlisted the assistance of Thangmar, the pious and well-educated director of the cathedral school at Heidelberg, the help with Bernward's education.

Under the instruction of Thangmar, Bernward made rapid progress in Christian piety as well as in the sciences. He became very proficient in mathematics, painting, architecture, and particularly in the manufacture of ecclesiastical vessels and ornaments made of silver and gold.

Saint Bernward completed his studies at Mainz, where he was then ordained a priest. In lieu of being placed in the diocese of his uncle, Bishop Volkmar, he chose to remain near his grandfather, Athelbero, to comfort him in his old age. Upon his grandfather’s death in 987, he became chaplain in the imperial court, and the Empress-Regent Theophano quickly appointed him to be tutor of her son Otto III, who was only six years old at the time. Bernward remained at the imperial court until 993, when he was elected Bishop of Hildesheim.

A man of extraordinary piety, he was deeply devoted to prayer as well as the practice of mortification, and his knowledge and practice of the arts were employed generously in the service of the Church.

Shortly before his death in 1022, he was vested in the Benedictine habit. He was canonized by Pope Celestine III in 1193.

The Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin celebrated a Mass in Rome to commemorate the victims of the 1932-1933 Holodomor and emphasized the suffering of the Ukrainian population today living under war.

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Highlighting Pope Leo XIV’s strong ties with the Augustinian community and with the legacy of Saint Clare, the Pope visits the Augustinian monastery of Santa Chiara in Montefalco, in central Italy, to celebrate Mass, pray and share a meal with the cloistered nuns there.

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In this week’s news from the Eastern Churches, produced in collaboration with L'Œuvre d'Orient: The new Romanian Greek Catholic Major Archbishop is installed, a report looks at church funding in Lebanon, and the world marks RedWeek2025.

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Father Michel Abboud, President of Caritas Lebanon, speaks to Vatican News about how Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming visit to the country will encourage them in their work and and give renewed confidence to all the Lebanese people.

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WASHINGTON - Bishop Daniel E. Garcia has been appointed as the inaugural chairman of the newly established Subcommittee for the Promotion of Racial Justice and Reconciliation, which commenced its work on November 13. His appointment was made by Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development. The subcommittee’s work falls under the mandate of the domestic justice and human development committee, which includes Catholic social teaching on issues of domestic concern such as poverty, housing, the environment, criminal justice, and other challenges that often have a disproportionate impact on communities of color.

The subcommittee was approved by the USCCB’s Administrative Committee in September and is a new, permanent structure replacing the Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism, which was formed in 2017 to address the sin of racism in the Church and in society. 

In a recent letter to the faithful, Bishop Garcia reflected on his own experience of racism and the great need in both Church and society to recognize the image of God in all people. He noted, “It is my hope that as chair of this new subcommittee, I can help draw our attention as to what still needs to be done to heal the pain caused by the sin of racism that still exists today.” He also addressed the need for the Church’s witness against racism in his installation Mass in the Diocese of Austin. 

Bishop Joseph N. Perry, who recently concluded his term as chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism, welcomed Bishop Garcia’s appointment saying, “On behalf of the bishop members, consultants, and staff of the Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism, I wish to express gratitude to Bishop Garcia for accepting this important role as the ad hoc committee transitions to a standing subcommittee within the Conference. Bishop Garcia is well suited to carry on the work which has begun to convert the hearts of the faithful and the community at large, that the dignity of every person may be recognized.” 

The new subcommittee’s mandate centers on education and evangelization, aiming to deepen understanding of racism and promote healing and reconciliation. 

For additional information about the Subcommittee for the Promotion of Racial Justice and Reconciliation and its work, please visit the USCCB’s racial justice webpage.   

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Following the example of St. Francis of Assisi, bishops are called to be close to the people in their dioceses and peacemakers in a world marked by division and tension, Pope Leo XIV told the bishops of Italy.

Standing in front of the Porziuncola, the small church where St. Francis founded the Franciscan order, Pope Leo said bishops must be "artisans of friendship, fraternity and authentic relationships within our communities, where -- without reluctance or fear -- we must listen to and harmonize tensions, cultivating a culture of encounter and thus becoming a prophecy of peace for the world."

Pope Leo traveled to Assisi by helicopter Nov. 20 to speak at the closing session of the fall meeting of the Italian bishops' conference. The session was closed to the press, but the Vatican released the pope's text and some video clips of his speech a few hours later. 

Before joining the bishops in the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels, which encloses the Porziuncola, Pope Leo prayed with dozens of friars at the tomb of St. Francis in the basilica named after him.

And after his meeting with the bishops, he flew by helicopter to Montefalco to celebrate Mass and have lunch with the cloistered Augustinian nuns at the Monastery of St. Clare of the Cross.

Pope Leo's talk to the bishops focused on the Italian church's ongoing synod process. But he also spoke of practical matters, including the need to continue combining smaller Italian dioceses and indicating that he would be accepting more bishops' resignations when they reached the mandatory retirement age of 75 than Pope Francis did.

The challenge of evangelization and the falling population of many Italian cities and towns "ask us not to go backward on the matter of merging dioceses," he told them. 

Italy, which has about 57.3 million Catholics, has 224 dioceses; 41 of those have been joined to another diocese "in the person of the bishop," without formally suppressing or uniting the dioceses. By contrast, the 75.5 million Catholics in the United States belong to 194 dioceses, the Archdiocese for the Military Services or the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter.

"A synodal church that walks along the furrows of history while facing the emerging challenges of evangelization needs constant renewal," the pope told the bishops. "We must avoid allowing inertia -- however well-intentioned -- to slow necessary changes."

As part of that, he said, "we must all cultivate that interior attitude Pope Francis had described as 'learning how to take our leave,' a precious disposition when one must prepare to step down from office." 

"It is good that the norm of age 75 for ordinaries concluding their service in dioceses be respected," Pope Leo said, "and only in the case of cardinals may the continuation of their ministry be considered, possibly for another two years."

As bishops and as a church, he said, "Fixing our gaze on the face of Jesus enables us to look into the faces of our brothers and sisters. It is his love that moves us toward them. And faith in him, our peace, calls us to offer everyone the gift of his peace." 

At a time "marked by fractures, both nationally and inter-nationally," the pope said, "messages and language steeped in hostility and violence often spread; the race for efficiency leaves the most vulnerable behind; technological omnipotence compresses freedom; loneliness consumes hope, while numerous uncertainties weigh on our future like unknowns."

Being a "synodal church," he said, means "walking together, walking with everyone," which requires "being a church that lives among the people, welcomes their questions, soothes their sufferings and shares their hopes."

That attitude, Pope Leo told them, must include special attention to the most vulnerable people "so that a culture of prevention of every form of abuse may also develop."

"The welcome and listening offered to victims are the authentic mark of a church which, in communal conversion, knows how to acknowledge wounds and strives to heal them, because 'where pain is deep, even stronger must be the hope that is born of communion,'" the pope said.

Pope Leo also encouraged the bishops to pay special attention to "the challenge posed to us by the digital world."

"Pastoral ministry cannot be limited to 'using' the media," he said, but it must "educate people to inhabit the digital sphere in a human way, without allowing truth to be lost behind the multiplication of connections, so that the internet may truly become a space of freedom, responsibility and fraternity."
 

Caritas representatives from over forty countries are in Brazil for COP30, urging world leaders to place human lives above political interests as the climate crisis deepens from the Philippines to the Sahel.

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Loyola Press releases "Our Treasures Within", a picture book for children inspired by Pope Francis’ call to recognise and share God-given gifts. Created by Peter and Paul Reynolds, it encourages children and families to reflect on how their talents can contribute to others.

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Africa’s most populous country deals with three attacks—two on Christian communities and one on a secondary school. The Nigerian president postpones a trip to South Africa and Angola to monitor the situation.

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