As the Synod of Bishops on the family begins, Catholic News Service takes a look at the Catholic Church's efforts to address modern challenges to family life.

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Just off Route 7 in Berryville, a group of monks live a hidden life in prayerful service to God and the Church.

The Trappist monastery is located in the heart of the Shenandoah valley on 1200 acres of beautiful Virginia countryside. The brothers go to great pains to care for the environment while also using it to support themselves and their vocation.

Visitors are welcome to visit the brothers at the Abbey for Mass and vespers. They also encourage everyone to take advantage of the monastery retreat house and experience the rejuvenating effects of God's creation.

Read more about the monastery in the Arlington Catholic Herald.

For more information on the Holy Cross Abbey visit www.virginiatrappists.org

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I covered Pope Francis’ midday prayer service Sept. 23 at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington for the Arlington Catholic Herald. With other print reporters, I was sequestered off to a side chapel with an obstructed view. A little like the kid’s table at big family gatherings.

We were able to steal away periodically to grab IPhone shots of the pope, as long as we stayed within predetermined boundaries. We were there not to take photos, but to report.

After the beautiful prayer service, a Catholic editor and I got behind the 300 U.S. bishops as they left the sanctuary. We were the last to leave as ushers closed the cathedral doors.

“You can’t be here,” one said to us.

But we already were there, and the usher didn’t want to create a scene. So the editor interviewed his archbishop, and I spoke to some bishops.

We were there for maybe 10 minutes before we had to leave to get to the canonization Mass at Catholic University.

When I got home that evening, my wife said, “You were on TV.”

She explained that EWTN panned the Cathedral’s front steps from the press risers across the street. I was on for several minutes. I was easy to spot, being the only person there, along with the editor, who was not dressed in black with a sash and skull cap.

I’m considering possibilities for a reality show.

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The following is the text of Pope Francis' address to the United Nations, delivered Sept. 25. It was released by Fr. Thomas Rosica.

Mr President,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you for your kind words. Once again, following a tradition by which I feel honored, the Secretary General of the United Nations has invited the Pope to address this distinguished assembly of nations. In my own name, and that of the entire Catholic community, I wish to express to you, Mr Ban Ki-moon, my heartfelt gratitude. I greet the Heads of State and Heads of Government present, as well as the ambassadors, diplomats and political and technical officials accompanying them, the personnel of the United Nations engaged in this 70th Session of the General Assembly, the personnel of the various programs and agencies of the United Nations family, and all those who, in one way or another, take part in this meeting. Through you, I also greet the citizens of all the nations represented in this hall. I thank you, each and all, for your efforts in the service of mankind.

This is the fifth time that a Pope has visited the United Nations. I follow in the footsteps of my predecessors Paul VI, in 1965, John Paul II, in 1979 and 1995, and my most recent predecessor, now Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, in 2008. All of them expressed their great esteem for the Organization, which they considered the appropriate juridical and political response to this present moment of history, marked by our technical ability to overcome distances and frontiers and, apparently, to overcome all natural limits to the exercise of power. An essential response, inasmuch as technological power, in the hands of nationalistic or falsely universalist ideologies, is capable of perpetrating tremendous atrocities. I can only reiterate the appreciation expressed by my predecessors, in reaffirming the importance which the Catholic Church attaches to this Institution and the hope which she places in its activities.

The United …   More

Pope Francis gave a short talk to children at Our Lady, Queen of Angels School in Harlem Sept. 25. The text, released by Fr. Thomas Rosica, follows below.

Dear Children,

I am very happy to be with you today, along with this big family which surrounds you. I see your teachers, your parents and your family members. Thank you for letting me come, and I ask pardon from your teachers for “stealing” a few minutes of their class time!

They tell me that one of the nice things about this school is that some of its students come from other places, even from other countries. That is nice! Even though I know that it is not easy to have to move and find a new home, new neighbors and new friends. It is not easy. At the beginning it can be hard, right? Often you have to learn a new language, adjust to a new culture, even a new climate. There is so much to learn! And not just at school.

The good thing is that we also make new friends, we meet people who open doors for us, who are kind to us. They offer us friendship and understanding, and they try to help us not to feel like strangers. To feel at home. How nice it is to feel that school is a second home. This is not only important for you, but also for your families. School then ends up being one big family. One where, together with our mothers and fathers, our grandparents, our teachers and friends, we learn to help one another, to share our good qualities, to give the best of ourselves, to work as a team and to pursue our dreams.

Very near here is a very important street named after a man who did a lot for other people. I want to talk a little bit about him. He was the Reverend Martin Luther King. One day he said, “I have a dream”. His dream was that many children, many people could have equal opportunities. His dream was that many children like you could get an education. It is beautiful to have dreams and to be able to fight for them.

Today we want to keep dreaming. We celebrate all …   More

Fr. Thomas Rosica released the following text from Pope Francis' address to the Meeting for Religious Liberty. The pope spoke from the Gettysburg Lectern, used by President Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg Nov. 19, 1863.

Dear Friends,

One of the highlights of my visit is to stand here, before Independence Hall, the birthplace of the United States of America. It was here that the freedoms which define this country were first proclaimed. The Declaration of Independence stated that all men and women are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, and that governments exist to protect and defend those rights. Those ringing words continue to inspire us today, even as they have inspired peoples throughout the world to fight for the freedom to live in accordance with their dignity.

But history also shows that these or any truths must constantly be reaffirmed, re-appropriated and defended. The history of this nation is also the tale of a constant effort, lasting to our own day, to embody those lofty principles in social and political life. We remember the great struggles which led to the abolition of slavery, the extension of voting rights, the growth of the labor movement, and the gradual effort to eliminate every kind of racism and prejudice directed at successive waves of new Americans. This shows that, when a country is determined to remain true to its founding principles, based on respect for human dignity, it is strengthened and renewed.

All of us benefit from remembering our past. A people which remembers does not repeat past errors; instead, it looks with confidence to the challenges of the present and the future. Remembrance saves a people’s soul from whatever or whoever would attempt to dominate it or use it for their interests. When individuals and communities are guaranteed the effective exercise of their rights, they are not only free to realize their potential, they also contribute to …   More

Fr. Thomas Rosica released the following text of Pope Francis' homily at the World Meeting of Families Sept. 27.)

Today the word of God surprises us with powerful and thought-provoking images. Images which challenge us, but also stir our enthusiasm. In the first reading, Joshua tells Moses that two members of the people are prophesying, speaking God’s word, without a mandate. In the Gospel, John tells Jesus that the disciples had stopped someone from casting out evil spirits in the name of Jesus. Here is the surprise: Moses and Jesus both rebuke those closest to them for being so narrow! Would that all could be prophets of God’s word! Would that everyone could work miracles in the Lord’s name!

Jesus encountered hostility from people who did not accept what he said and did. For them, his openness to the honest and sincere faith of many men and women who were not part of God’s chosen people seemed intolerable. The disciples, for their part, acted in good faith. But the temptation to be scandalized by the freedom of God, who sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous alike (Mt 5:45), bypassing bureaucracy, officialdom and inner circles, threatens the authenticity of faith. Hence it must be vigorously rejected.

Once we realize this, we can understand why Jesus’ words about causing “scandal” are so harsh. For Jesus, the truly “intolerable” scandal consists in everything that breaks down and destroys our trust in the working of the Spirit!

Our Father will not be outdone in generosity and he continues to scatter seeds. He scatters the seeds of his presence in our world, for “love consists in this, not that we have loved God but that he loved us” first (1 Jn 4:10). That love gives us a profound certainty: we are sought by God; he waits for us. It is this confidence which makes disciples encourage, support and nurture the good things happening all around them. God wants all his children to take part in the feast of the Gospel. …   More

By Friday afternoon, the streets of Philadelphia's Center City were thick with the faithful. The World Meeting of Families had wrapped up at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, leaving the 15,000 Catholics brought into town from around the globe for the congress to their own devices before Pope Francis arrived Saturday.

That is not to mention the many other curious pilgrims, from Philly and beyond, who, despite security checkpoints manned by the U.S. Secret Service, wanted a peek of the pre-papal visit preparations.

But at 4 p.m., one spot seemed particularly bustling in the already bustling downtown: St. John the Evangelist Church.

Yes, there were back-to-back Masses, including one honoring military families, but an even bigger draw was the Pilgrimage of Mercy, a tour of the major relics of St. Maria Goretti, including her skeletal remains contained in a wax likeness.

Dead by age 11 in 1902, St. Maria Goretti is the youngest Catholic saint. As a nine-year-old living in Italy, Maria lost her father and was forced to raise her five brothers and sisters while her mother toiled in the fields.

Maria also cooked for her neighbor in exchange for favors rendered to her family. The neighbor's 20-year-old son, Alessandro, started making sexual advances toward Maria, which she fought for months until, one day, he attempted to rape her. During the assault, he stabbed her over and over again. Despite the attack, Maria kept her purity in tact. She died from an infection the next day.

Yet on her deathbed, she forgave Alessandro, reportedly saying, “I want him with me in heaven forever.” While Alessandro served time in prison for his crime, Maria appeared to him, and he was so touched that he eventually became a Franciscan lay brother.

The Pilgrimage of Mercy tour stopped at St. John the Evangelist Church Sept. 24-25, with a public veneration of St. Maria and Solemn Mass both days. It goes to New York City next.

Find out more

To read the full …   More

Security checkpoints in Philadelphia's Center City went up this morning in preparation for Pope Francis' visit this weekend. All who wish to witness the pope on Ben Franklin Parkway must pass through a metal detector and possibly be subject to a pat-down. When I passed through the checkpoint, my camera was turned off and on and then taken apart; my phone was also switched off and on; and I was patted down since I set off the metal detector alarm (likely because of the large zipper on my dress.)

According to the U.S. Secret Service, the following items are prohibited on Ben Franklin Parkway:

-Aerosols

-Ammunition

-Animals other than service/guide animals

-Backpacks and bags exceeding the size restrictions (18" x 13" x 7")

-Balloons

-Bicycles

-Hard Coolers (Soft-sided thermal coolers are permitted)

-Drones and other unmanned aircraft systems

-Explosives

-Firearms

-Glass, thermal or metal containers

-Laser pointers

-Mace/Pepper spray

-Packages

-Selfie Sticks

-Signs exceeding the size restrictions (5' x 3' x 1/4") made of any material except cardboard, poster board or cloth

-Structures

-Supports for signs and placards

-Toy guns

-Weapons of any kind

-Any other items determined to be a potential safety hazard

Stoddard can be reached at cstoddard@catholicherald.com.

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To behold a great work of art is not only a privilege but a blessing. Beautiful works stir hearts and move souls. Michelangelo's Pietà — a Renaissance marble sculpture depicting the Blessed Virgin Mary holding the body of her recently crucified son — is one such work. Completed in 1499, the original piece lies in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It stands at a lifelike 5'6” tall, 6' wide and nearly 3' deep.

Of course, not everyone has the means to travel there and see Michelangelo's Pietà in person. That is why the Vatican Observatory Foundation and Arte Divine have created 112 marble castings of the famous work. One such casting was unveiled at the World Meeting of Families this week and will now remain a permanent fixture at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia.

David Newren, founder of Arte Divine, wrote the following about Michelangelo's Pietà:

“Five hundred years ago Michelangelo unveiled what would come to be regarded as one of the world's great masterpieces of inspired art and perhaps the most beautiful sculpture ever created. The Pietà was both the consummate expression of Michelangelo's artistic abilities and an embodiment of the divine inspiration that guided his work.”

The Pietà Legacy Mission has brought castings of the sculpture to cathedrals, churches, hospitals and other venues around the globe.

Find out more

To learn more about Art Divine, go to artedivine.com.

Stoddard can be reached at cstoddard@catholicherald.com.

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