Christians must stand firm in their faith but that is not the same as being rigid and unwilling to bend out of compassion for another, Pope Francis said.

Ark and Dove is a five-episode narrative podcast, produced in Baltimore, investigating the complex dynamics of race and religion in America through the lens of the Black Catholic Church.

In a day filled with grace and community, family and friends and after 10 years of discernment – one as a postulant, two as a novice, and six under temporary vows – Sister Philomena Clare made her final profession June 10 as a member of the Franciscans Sisters, Third Order Regular, of Penance of the Sorrowful Mother.

A community of cloistered Carmelite nuns in Arlington, Texas, said they no longer recognize the authority of Bishop Michael F. Olson of Fort Worth, claiming that he has interfered with and humiliated them since initiating an investigation into their prioress in late April.

A federal appeals court threw out a Maryland lawsuit Aug. 14 from parents challenging guidelines barring teachers from notifying parents if a student identifies as transgender. In New Jersey, a case is under consideration by a judge after the state government objected to three Monmouth County school districts implementing new policies requiring school staff to notify parents in such cases.