Mary Ellen Bilenki is a parishioner of St. Alphonsus Rodriguez in Woodstock and the mother of Deacon John Bilenki, a recently ordained transitional deacon for the Archdiocese of Baltimore who is expected to be ordained a priest for the archdiocese next year. She shares a parent’s perspective of watching a son journey toward the priesthood.

Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori and the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops joined the chorus of leaders calling for “reasonable control measures” after the recent rash of mass shootings in the United States.

Reports from the archdiocesan Office of Child and Youth Protection and the Independent Review Board indicate that the archdiocese continues its efforts to educate about safe environments for young people and to screen clergy, employees and volunteers to determine suitability for ministry.

Condemning the actions of gunmen who attacked a Catholic Church as parishioners gathered for Mass on the feast of Pentecost, Nigeria’s Catholic bishops lamented that nowhere is safe in the country after the incident left dozens of people dead.

Health care is a fundamental right for all and not a privilege for the rich while the poor and disadvantaged are left to the wayside, Pope Francis said.