Today's Catholic

03/18/2026

Throughout the fall and winter, Catholics across the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend have gathered in parish halls and classrooms to take part in this historic moment for the local Church with the goal of making their parishes mission-oriented communities of faith and service. Through parish consultation sessions held as part of the diocesan synod process, the faithful were invited to share their hopes, concerns, and experiences of the Church in a format designed not for debate but for prayerful listening.

Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades announced the synod as a way to prayerfully discern the needs and opportunities facing the Church in northern Indiana today, seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit as the diocese looks toward the future.

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On Sunday, September 14, the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Bishop Rhoades convoked the first diocesan synod in 100 years during a vespers celebration at St. Matthew […]

03/17/2026

Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades noted that “our love for God is inseparable from our love for our neighbor. Catholic Charities of Fort Wayne - South Bend is one of the most visible ways that our diocese lives out that command. … This is not simply social work; this is the Church’s mission in action. It is Catholic social teaching lived concretely, not just in theory but in practice, in reality, affirming the dignity of the human person, the importance of solidarity, and our responsibility to care for the poor and the vulnerable.”

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On Saturday, March 14, the staff of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend hosted its second annual fundraising gala, Sláinte to St. Patrick, at the Parkview Mirro […]

03/16/2026

Recently, St. Joe Parish in South Bend celebrated the installation of relics of two members of the Congregation of Holy Cross, Blessed Basil Moreau and St. André Bessette.

“Relics help remind us that the saints are real people. But they’re not just ordinary people, they’re in heaven. The saints are the friends of God who are also our friends,” said Theresa Rice, a University of Notre Dame Ph.D. candidate who hosted talks to the school and parish about the relics before their arrival. “Relics are really tangible. We can see them. They help us think about all of these men and women who we can’t see anymore but who are still here with us and interceding for us, praying at Mass with us, joining us, and hoping that we join them, too.”

St. Joseph Parish has been led by the religious of the Congregation of Holy Cross since the founding of the parish by Father Edward Sorin in 1853. The church has a great devotion to Blessed Basil Moreau, founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross, and St. André Bessette, the first saint of the congregation.

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Relics are pieces of the past that inspire the future. They are the bodies of saints, objects they used during their lifetime or have been touched to their bodies after […]

03/13/2026

The H.O.P.E. Club (Helping Other People Endure) at Saint Joseph High School is an organization dedicated to serving the less fortunate in the South Bend community. The club is moderated by teachers Jennifer Firestone and Catherine Swick, who also have the assistance of an amazing group of seniors who take leadership roles in overseeing activities as well as their younger peers. The club has been a staple of the community for decades, tracing its roots to the 1980s under Mrs. Susan Lightcap and Ms. Diane Fox.

Throughout the year, H.O.P.E. members participate in food drives, fundraisers, and many other small but impactful service opportunities. During the fall, they held a bake sale at the Saint Joseph High School football game on Friday, October 3. Members baked items such as muffins, cookies, cupcakes, and brownies, which were sold for $2 each. The bake sale raised $500 that donated those in need this past holiday season.

The club’s next and largest event every year is the annual Thanksgiving food drive, which has been held at Saint Joe for 45 years. Notre Dame women’s basketball coach Muffet McGraw kicked off the campaign with a talk about the importance of the cause. Saint Joe students made donation pledges, and the money gathered was used to make boxes full of food for a Thanksgiving meal, which were distributed on November 24 to those who could not afford a holiday meal on their own.

Large acts of service like the ones shown by the H.O.P.E. club truly reflect the values of Saint Joe High School. “Serve with Joy” is a pillar the school follows that is commonly emphasized and practiced by staff and students. This service helps not only those in need but also helps in uniting the students to one another as a community.

Read more: https://todayscatholic.org/at-saint-joe-high-hope-means-helping-other-people-endure/

03/12/2026

A familiar Lenten program of Catholic Relief Services which is the official relief and development agency of the Catholic Church in the U.S., CRS Rice Bowl offers faith communities in every diocese throughout the United States the opportunity to put their faith into action.

Since 1975, the titular rice bowl – a brightly colored, cardboard almsgiving box that’s a familiar annual Lenten sight in parishes nationwide – has invited Catholics to pray, fast, and give in solidarity with the world’s poor.

“It’s even more important than ever that Catholics take seriously that call to live Lent. CRS Rice Bowl gives people a chance to truly grow in solidarity with our global neighbors through their prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. … And that almsgiving is so critical,” she added, “because the needs are so great – both at home and around the world.”

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  (OSV News) – “Are you leaving, too?” The question, said Abena Amedormey, country representative for Catholic Relief Services in the west African nation of Ghana, came to CRS workers as they visited communities they […]

03/11/2026

On Saturday, February 28, Bishop Rhoades was joined by 36 religious sisters from 11 communities across seven states as well as approximately 300 mothers and daughters from throughout the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend for the second annual “Brunch with His Brides” celebration.

The event began with an 8:30 a.m. Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, celebrated by Bishop Rhoades. After Mass and a group photo on the Cathedral steps, participants processed to the Grand Wayne Center for brunch. Traffic was temporarily blocked to allow the group to walk together downtown.

The event was organized by Lindsey Arnold and a planning team made up of women from parishes across the diocese. Last year marked the first brunch, which was held at St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Fort Wayne. This year, organizers expanded the gathering to welcome more mothers and daughters from across the diocese and to make room for additional religious sisters.

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On Saturday, February 28, Bishop Rhoades was joined by 36 religious sisters from 11 communities across seven states as well as approximately 300 mothers and daughters from throughout the Diocese […]

03/10/2026

An Indiana court blocked the state’s near-total abortion ban on Thursday, March 5, in response to a class-action lawsuit claiming the ban violated religious freedom protections.

In a March 6 statement, Mike Fichter, Indiana Right to Life president and chief executive officer, argued, “For the court to rule that taking the life of an unborn child is an exercise of religious freedom is deeply distressing – and a perversion of the law’s intent.”

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(OSV News) – An Indiana court blocked the state’s near-total abortion ban on Thursday, March 5, in response to a class-action lawsuit claiming the ban violated religious freedom protections. In 2022, the American […]

03/09/2026

Being a part of history isn’t enough for TJ Williams. The University of Saint Francis - Fort Wayne, IN women’s flag football head coach wants to make a statement in the program’s inaugural campaign.

“We have the right team to go do what we want to do here over the next few years,” Williams told Today’s Catholic. “I told the team it’s going to take some time to do what we want to do, but we think we can definitely turn heads like we want to. We’re right where we need to be right now in terms of the growth process.”

When the Cougars kicked off their spring 2026 season in February, they officially became the first collegiate-level women’s flag football team in Indiana to take the field. No other college or university in the state offers women’s flag football as a scholarship sport, a distinction that isn’t lost on Saint Francis’ trailblazing ladies.

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  Being a part of history isn’t enough for TJ Williams. The University of Saint Francis women’s flag football head coach wants to make a statement in the program’s inaugural […]

03/08/2026

Priests from the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend describe Lent as one of the busiest times of year – both for their parishes and the Church as a whole. Get an inside look here!

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Every day during the liturgical season of Lent, Father Jake Schneider, parochial vicar at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Fort Wayne, hears confessions from members of his parish. These […]

03/07/2026

Save the Dates! Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades's schedule for celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation in March-June 2026 has been finalized.

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Our Lady of Good Hope Church, Fort Wayne Saturday, March 14, 10 a.m. Our Lady of Good Hope Parish, Fort Wayne Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Parish, Fort Wayne St. […]

03/06/2026

Long-sought-after legislation to protect young people from online harm is among the successes for the Indiana Catholic Conference (ICC) and other advocates at the conclusion of this year’s short legislative session.

In the session’s final hours on Friday, February 27, lawmakers voted to give Indiana parents greater control over their children’s access to social media and their activities online. This followed an emotional plea earlier in the month from the family of Fishers teen Hailey Buzbee, who was found dead in Ohio in January after allegedly leaving home with a 39-year-old man she had been communicating with online for more than a year.

“We have long advocated for providing parents with additional tools to protect their children from the dangers posed by social media and digital technology,” said Alexander Mingus, executive director of the ICC, the public policy voice of the Catholic Church in Indiana. “Youth are particularly vulnerable to harm and exploitation online, and we commend Indiana lawmakers for taking this important step toward their safety and protection.”

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  Long-sought-after legislation to protect young people from online harm is among the successes for the Indiana Catholic Conference (ICC) and other advocates at the conclusion of this year’s short […]

03/05/2026

Leading up to a college football clash between Notre Dame and heated rival Miami in the late 1980s, a team chaplain for the Hurricanes proclaimed that God doesn’t care who wins football games.
Lou Holtz, coach of the Fighting Irish at the time, agreed. “I don’t think God cares who wins, either,” he replied with a smile. “But His Mother does.”
This now-famous quip captured the essence of the legendary coach: an uncanny wit, an unwavering Catholic faith, and an unshakable love for Notre Dame – Our Lady’s University. On Wednesday, March 4, Holtz passed away in Orlando, Florida, at the age of 89, surrounded by his family.

  Leading up to a college football clash between Notre Dame and heated rival Miami in the late 1980s, a team chaplain for the Hurricanes proclaimed that God doesn’t care […]