Pope Names New Bishop of Superior (Wisconsin)

​Wisconsin Priest Humbled to Be Named Next Bishop of Superior  SUPERIOR, Wis. — Pope Francis on Tuesday chose Father James Powers to be the next Bishop of Superior, Wis. The Superior diocese has about 77,200 Catholics in a population of 464,000. It has 74 priests, 68 permanent deacons, and 81 vowed religious.
Bishop-designate Powers’ episcopal ordination and installation is planned for Feb. 18, the Superior diocese said.
“I am humbled to be called to the order of bishop and sincerely appreciate the confidence being placed in me,” Bishop-designate Powers said Dec. 15 Read more...

Pope in Peace Message: ‘God Cares About Mankind! God Does Not Abandon Us!’ VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis’ message for 2016’s World Day of Peace is packed with bold pastoral and practical advice for both the Church as well as international leaders.
In it, he focused on the need to work for peace by overcoming the attitude of indifference and fostering a greater sense of solidarity, mercy and compassion.
He advocated for concrete acts of mercy on the part of families, individuals and political leaders, such as the abolition of the death penalty and amnesty for prisoners convicted of political offenses. Read more...

Pope: ‘You Do Not Buy Salvation! The Door Is Jesus, and He Is Free’ VATICAN CITY — The Church is the “living sign” of God’s love and mercy in the world, Pope Francis said during his Wednesday general audience on Dec. 16. He reflected on the universality of communion, as demonstrated by the global scale of the Jubilee of Mercy.
“May this ecclesial communion become more and more intense, because the Church is in the world as the living sign of the love and mercy of the Father,” the Pope said in his catechesis.
This “mystery of communion,” which is a sign of the “Father’s love” for the Church, “grows and matures in our heart when love, which we recognize in Christ’s cross and in which we immerse ourselves, causes us to love as we ourselves are loved by him.”
“It is an endless love, which has the face of forgiveness and mercy.” Read more... 

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