Catholic News

More than 40 Catholic children bring the story of Christ’s birth to life at St. Mary’s Parish in Moscow Owen Rhoden and Ellie Flanders, both 10, played the parts of Joseph and Mary in the Nativity story. Flanders recited  the  Magnificat , Mary's hymn of praise found in Luke 1:46–55, multiple times during the evening.  (ICR photo/Lisa Ormond) By Lisa Ormond ICR North Idaho Correspondent   On a cold, dark December night in North Idaho, an outdoor living nativity, starring more

Bishop Peter F. Christensen, far right, takes advice from his mother on how to blow out candles on his sixth birthday in 1958. (Photo courtesy of Bishop Peter F. Christensen) By Bishop Peter F. Christensen Each year a new Men in Black calendar, featuring Idaho priests is printed and sold offering the proceeds to help support our seminarians and priests. Mary Lou Molitor, the publisher of these calendars, once again, asked me to participate in the 2026 edition. The theme for

“I’ve loved Mary my entire life. I was born on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, my dad used to give parish talks about Our Lady of Fatima, and my middle name is after her,” Tom said. “So in 2023, I applied for acceptance to the Order of Malta’s Lourdes pilgrimage. In the beginning of 2024, they called me and told me I was accepted.” Tom Hicks, St. Mark's parishioner

By Johnny Horn Catholic Men’s Conference Team I want to personally invite you to one of the most powerful spiritual opportunities we have all year — the Idaho Catholic Men’s Conference, sponsored by Salt & Light Radio, taking place at Holy Apostles Parish on Saturday, January 31, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The day begins with Mass, presided over by Bishop Peter F. Christensen. Cost is $59 for in-person early birds through Jan. 11 and $75 thereafter. Cost for students, deacons and

By Lisa Ormond ICR North Idaho Correspondent In the Coeur d’ Alene area, middle and high school students are attending weekly youth group meetings in record numbers. They want to encounter Jesus, actively learn more about their faith, find community and spend two hours weekly with their peers and leaders. “The youth are on fire for Jesus Christ and it’s real,” Louie Zember, 72, told the Idaho Catholic Register (ICR). He volunteers as an adult leader in the 24-member Faith For

"Faith and unity in celebration: Parishioners gather outside the cathedral, waving flags from various countries, honoring cultural diversity and devotion." (Photo/Vero Gutiérrez). Vero Gutiérrez,  Assistant Editor   With devotion and respect, the Anglo and Hispanic communities of Saint John the Evangelist Cathedral participated in the celebration in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which concluded with the Eucharistic Celebration marking the end of this year’s Guadalupan festi

El día de ayer iniciaron formalmente las tradicionales posadas, también conocidas como la novena en espera del nacimiento del Niño Jesús. Las posadas son una tradición propia de la comunidad hispana que se remonta al siglo XVI, durante el proceso de evangelización de América. Se trata de una celebración religiosa y cultural que se lleva a cabo del 16 al 24 de diciembre, como una preparación especial para la Navidad. Los niños del catecismo de Our Lady of the Valley, particip

The children from the catechism class at Our Lady of the Valley parish, representing Joseph and Mary and the angel guiding them, are searching for a place to spend the night in Bethlehem. (Photo/Vero Gutiérrez). Monday, the 16th, marked the formal beginning of the traditional posadas, also known as the novena, in anticipation of the birth of the Child Jesus. The posadas are a tradition rooted in the Hispanic community that dates back to the 16th century, during the evangeliz

Procesión por algunas de las calles del centro de Boise en honor a Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, con motivo del 494.º aniversario de sus apariciones en el Tepeyac . (Foto/ Vero Gutiérrez) Vero Gutiérrez  Editora Asistente   Con devoción y respeto, las comunidades anglo e hispana participaron de la celebración en honor a Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, que culminó con la Celebración Eucarística, cierre de los festejos guadalupanos de este año.  Al concluir la Misa, los fieles part

The Basilica of Our Lady of Victories in Paris stands out as an example of the resilience of the Church in France, its resistance against oppression, and deep value of beauty.

A view of Coeur d'Alene from above. (Stock photo) By Eddie Trask CCI Executive Director For 25 years, Catholic Charities of Idaho (CCI) has been committed to serving individuals and families across the state—regardless of demographic or geography. Much of that support has happened quietly, often virtually, reaching Idahoans in rural towns, farming communities, and counties far from our physical offices in Boise and Pocatello. As we enter the final week of Advent—a season of

By Emily Woodham Staff Writer Editor’s note: The following is a first-person account of ICR staff writer Emily Woodham’s recent trip to the Vatican. Sunlight broke through billowing gray clouds as icy winds blew through St. Peter’s Square on the morning of Wednesday, Nov. 26. Tens of thousands of people from around the world streamed in through the Vatican security lines to see Pope Leo XIV in Pope Leo XIV waves from his popemobile. (ICR Photo/Emily Woodham) a general audienc

Mt 1:18 Fourth Sunday of Advent At every level of the evangelical tradition, Mary is above all the “Mother of Jesus.” Various texts refer to her simply with this title (Mk 3:31ff; Lk 2:48; Jn 2:1–12; 19:25ff). In it, her entire role in the work of salvation is defined. The person who lived Advent most perfectly—as a faithful and ardent expectation of Jesus the Savior, in the midst of the darkness of faith and the ambiguities and trials of the human condition—was the Virgin Ma

Mt 1, 18 Cuarto Domingo de Adviento A todos niveles de la tradición evangélica es María ante todo la “Madre de Jesús”. Diversos textos la designan simplemente con este título (Mc 3,31s; Lc 2,48; Jn 2,1-12; 19,25s). Con él se define toda su función en su obra salvadora. La persona que mejor ha vivido el Adviento como fiel y ardiente espera de Jesús Salvador, en medio de la oscuridad de la fe y de las ambigüedades y pruebas de la condición humana, ha sido la Virgen María. El Ev

La parroquia de Saint Jerome recibió con hospitalidad a los casi 200 hombres que asistieron al Tercer Congreso Católico de Idaho, una jornada de charlas, reflexión, adoración y convivencia, el pasado 22 de noviembre. (ICR foto/Cortesía Sal y Luz Radio) Verónica Gutiérrez Editora Asistente JEROME. - La parroquia de Saint Jerome fue sede del Tercer Congreso de Hombres Católicos de Idaho, un evento organizado por la estación de radio Sal y Luz, que reunió a cerca de 200 hom

Parroquias de la diócesis de Boise celebran a Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. Estos son algunos aspectos de las Mañanitas en la fiesta en honor a Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe en la parroquia de Saint Paul, Nampa, este 12 de diciembre.     Devoción guadalupana en la parroquia Our Lady of the Good Counsel La parroquia Our Lady of the Good Counsel celebró a Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe con una novena que inició el 3 de diciembre y culminó el 12 de diciembre con las tradicionales mañ

Each year a new calendar, featuring Idaho priests and their families, is printed and sold offering the proceeds to help support our seminarians and priests. Mary Lou Molitor, the publisher of these yearly calendars, once again, asked me to participate in the 2026 edition. The theme for this year was to submit a photo which included 12 priests with their mothers. Thus, I submitted the above photo for the month of December. The photo tells the story of my sixth birthday when

Por Diácono Thomas Middleton Los niños son vulnerables a los efectos del mundo digital y están siendo moldeados por fuerzas más poderosas de lo que su capacidad de desarrollo puede manejar, incluido su desarrollo espiritual. Cada vez hay más pruebas que apuntan al hecho de que el cerebro en desarrollo de un niño es muy sensible, y la exposición excesiva a los dispositivos electrónicos y a los algoritmos impulsados por la inteligencia artificial (IA) crea daños neurológicos, p

"Think of the Holy Family, for example. Immigrants’ basic human rights and human dignity are retained at all times and do not depend on government recognition. That means everyone, at all times, has the right to life, food, water, shelter, safety, private property, religious freedom and bodily integrity. As I mentioned before, these cannot be taken away even if a person illegally enters into another country which is not his own. This is part of Catholic Social Teaching." Fath

By Gene Fadness For the ICR By outward appearance, St. Mary’s Catholic School in Boise looks old. It is. Built in 1949, the square red brick building lacks the contemporary look of today’s schools as well as the modern infrastructure. But the foundation of the school, inspectors note, is as strong as ever, stronger than schools built three and four decades later. Just as resilient are the teachers, staff and parishioners with the spiritual foundation to keep the school going,