An 11 a.m. funeral Mass for Daughter of Charity Sister Maria Gnerro will be offered March 27 at Villa St. Michael in Emmitsburg. Sister Maria died Feb. 19. She was 92.

The Catholic Church and the world itself need the gifts and contributions of women, especially in bringing people together and overcoming tensions and violence, Pope Francis wrote.

The Catholic Church should not be discouraged by the challenge of confronting sex abuse, Pope Francis said, rather it must take concrete steps in developing policies to preserve the dignity of its members.

International Women’s Day has long been an occasion for women and men connected to the Vatican to gather to discuss the role of women in the church and society.

A constitutional referendum scheduled for March 8 could weaken the incentive for young people to get married, Ireland’s bishops have warned.