There are two reasons there is no obligation to attend Mass on the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary this year. First, when the feast falls on a Saturday or Monday (as it does this year), the obligation to attend Mass is lifted in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Second, Archbishop William E. Lori has issued a general dispensation from attending Mass during the coronavirus pandemic.

My Aunt Anne has always made me feel like I was one of her grandchildren. In reality, she makes everyone feel special. She is always trying to find a way to share joy with those who need it most.

While the Catholic colleges of Baltimore are keeping their campuses largely closed for the fall semester, Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg will remain open and has already begun welcoming its largest and most diverse class of freshman students ever.

Joe Biden’s choice of Sen. Kamala Harris, D-California, as his vice presidential running mate elicited broad smiles from key black Catholics. Others, though, started criticizing her record nearly as soon as the pick was publicized Aug. 11.

The Archdiocese of Washington’s Catholic Schools Office hailed an Aug. 7 announcement by a Montgomery County health officer that he has rescinded his previous directives forbidding private and religious schools from opening to in-person instruction at the start of the school year.