St. John Paul II “changed the Church and the world, and you can encounter that here” at the national shrine in Washington named for the Polish pope, said Grattan Brown, the shrine’s director of mission and ministry.

In spare black-and-white lines – almost graffiti-like in their directness – Matisse grouped all 14 Stations together in an expansive mural more than six feet tall.

With respect to holy water in particular, St. Thomas Aquinas specifically identifies the “sprinkling of holy water” as a means for the remission of venial sin in question 87, article 3 of the “Third Part” of his work the “Summa Theologica.”

Following his release from Gemelli Hospital in March 2025, Pope Francis was prescribed two months of rest by doctors to recover after five weeks of hospitalization. Outside of a few brief appearances, it was widely expected that the pope would be seen little during Holy Week.

Father Flanagan is an icon of the power of diaconal identity. It both shows us and makes effective now the power of Christ the Servant. Where Father Flanagan saw pain, he rushed in and embraced the child of God who suffered. When he saw injustice, he spoke out eloquently and forcefully called others to greater charity in Christ.