On Tuesday, Jan. 27 Bishop Raffaello Martinelli officially opened the Cause of Beatification and Canonization of the foundress of the Focolare Movement, Chiara Silvia Lubich, at the crowded Cathedral of Frascati, Italy.

The American Federation of Pueri Cantores (AFPC) is proud to announce that the Cathedral Youth Choir of Corpus Christi Cathedral, Corpus Christi, Texas under the direction of Lee Gwozdz has again been chosen as “Lead Choir” for the International Congress of Pueri Cantores (ICPC).

The feast day of St. Josephine Bakhita, February 8, has been designated as the first International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking. Last year, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Committee on Migration designated such date as an annual day of prayer for survivors and victims of human trafficking. Later that year, the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and the International Union of Superiors General at the Vatican, that the 2015 event will also be observed internationally.

Cardinal Seán O'Malley, Archbishop of Boston and chairman of the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities, welcomed passage of the "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2015" (H.R. 7) by the U.S. House of Representatives. "By passing this legislation, the House has taken a decisive step toward respect for unborn human life, reflecting the will of the American people," he said.

Charles Krauthammer, New York Times Best-Selling Author and Fox News Contributor, is coming to speak at the CHRISTUS Spohn Health System Foundation’s 2015 Lyceum.

Pope Francis has appointed Father Daniel E. Garcia, the vicar general of the Diocese of Austin, Texas, as an auxiliary bishop of the diocese. Bishop-designate Garcia, 54, is an Austin diocesan priest and also is moderator of the curia.

Forty Incarnate Word Academy students, faculty and community members gave blood for the Coastal Bend Blood Center in the high school parking lot on Jan. 15.

Our work with the women in the Brooks County Detention Center is evolving and growing. I just keep putting the next foot forward, and God keeps sending the next person and the next idea. It is clear who is in charge here.

Religious leaders of various faith communities in Corpus Christi came together on Martin Luther King Day to take part in a forum on racial justice sponsored by the Corpus Christi YWCA. Among the forum speakers was Bishop Michael Mulvey.

Senior Gabriella Conklin of St. John Paul II High School receives a scholarship from the Lew Borden Memorial Scholarship Fund on Jan. 14.

Incarnate Word Academy senior Harmon Dobson was selected to perform with musical professionals in the orchestra at the Boar's Head and Yule Log Festival on Jan. 10.

On Feb. 8, the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity in Corpus Christi will open its convent doors to the local community for tours and will answer questions about religious life. The convent is located at 3423 Rojo Street in Corpus Christi.

The St. Michael's Latin Mass Community at St. Theresa Catholic Church held a procession for Our Lady of Fatima on Saturday, Jan. 3. It is the first of five first Saturday processions.

Incarnate Word Academy eighth grader Gabriel Rauen placed first at the IWA Middle Geography Bee on Friday, Jan. 9. Gabriel competed with nine other students. The runner-up was eighth grader Nicholas Stark.