Pope Francis began his travels to Mexico's "peripheries" by visiting an overcrowded, sprawling settlement known internationally as a hunting ground for girls to force into prostitution and for boys to enlist in the drug trade.

Making his 12th trip abroad, Pope Francis was accustomed to collecting interview requests, notes and gifts from the journalists who travel on the plane with him.

St. Anthony School Celebrated National Catholic Schools Week on Jan. 31-Feb.6. Students observed the week starting with Mass on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. followed by Open House.

"The meaning of Lent is to have a good relationship with God," Bishop Michael Mulvey said at a noon Mass in the Corpus Christi Cathedral on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 10. The Cathedral, like all churches in the Diocese of Corpus Christi, was packed with the faithful coming for their ashes.

The Incarnate Word Academy varsity swim teams have advanced to compete at the TAPPS State Swim Championships after qualifying at the regional swim meet on Jan. 27.

A total of 38 students from Incarnate Word Academy Middle Level will travel to Victoria on Saturday, Feb. 13 to compete in the Private Schools Interscholastic Association (PSIA) District Academic Meet.

On the eve of sending off "missionaries of mercy" to all corners of the globe, Pope Francis told his specially appointed men that the reassuring strength of God's love -- not the "bludgeon of judgment" -- will bring the "lost sheep" back to the fold.

Saying the future of the pro-life movement is "cultural not political," Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles called upon Catholic Latinos to work toward a "new Christian humanism, a new vision of society and human destiny that is rooted in the Gospel."

On Friday, Jan. 29, 18 men from St. Patrick's parish in Corpus Christi traded their busy days and set out on a three-and-a-half-hour drive to “A Little Patch of Heaven" at the Nye Hill Country Ranch. They traded the noise, crowds and everyday life for some peace and quiet, enjoying the scenery and listening to the sounds of nature. This allowed for a weekend of praying, worshiping and brotherly bonding under the spiritual direction of Father Chris Becerra, parochial vicar at St, Patrick's.

Pope Francis is scheduled to have more than two hours alone with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill of Moscow in Cuba in addition to signing a declaration with the patriarch before flying on to Mexico for a Feb. 12-17 visit.

National Catholic Schools Week kicked at St. John Paul II High School last week was kicked off by students participating in a Theology Bowl where students were tested on their knowledge of the first four chapters of Act of the Apostles. Students that participated were split into teams, and based on its success it may become an annual event for the school.

Esteban Alanis, 23, once ran with a local gang known as "Los Parqueros," which would accost people for their cash and cellphones in a working-class neighborhood of southeast Ciudad Juarez. He called the crimes "easy money," while gang activities offered a sense of belonging and an adolescence of parties, girls and underage drinking.

Pope Francis said his reasons for going to Mexico are "easy and simple...I want to come as a missionary of mercy and peace," the pope said in a video message to the Mexican people released by the Vatican Feb. 7. "I want to meet with you to profess our faith together and share a fundamental truth in our lives: that God loves us very much, that he loves us with an infinite love, beyond our merits."

Students were defeated in the Faculty vs. Students basketball game on Feb. 4 at St. John Paul II High School. The score was 49 to 47. Several alumni were placed on the faculty team, contributing to the win.

Thirty-six students from St. Patrick School participated in the school-wide Spelling Bee. Sixth grader Munira Puno won for the second year in a row.

K3-5th grade students participated in the annual Religion Olympics at Holy Family School on Feb. 4. Each student answered questions about their Catholic faith and the Bible. Pre-selected judges chose winners based on how many questions were answered correctly.

Students from St. Elizabeth Elementary in Alice were treated to story time with representatives from different local organizations who represented different career choices on Feb. 4. The children dressed as doctors, cheerleaders, actresses, and more. There was even a child dressed as a member of the S.W.A.T. team. The Music teacher introduced other career choices with fun songs as the children danced to the music.