This Week's Picks

ALL ABOUT POPE FRANCIS

In another surprise phone call, the Holy Father called a young woman who wrote him a letter explaining to him her situation.  Read this heart-warming story about mercy, compassion, forgiveness and love.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/10/world/europe/the-popes-on-the-line-and-everyones-talking.html?_r=0

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/pope-francis-the-cold-call-pope-reaches-out-and-touches-a-lot-of-people/2013/09/06/2f3c3db4-1724-11e3-961c-f22d3aaf19ab_story.html       

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2013/09/06/single-mother-says-her-heart-is-filled-with-joy-after-call-from-pope-francis/

As the winds of war begin blowing again, the Holy Father is doing his best to clam them down.  He recently invited all Catholics, religious people and people of good will to pray for peace in Syria.  The Vatican is once again, calling for calmer heads and taking the lead in calling for diplomacy.
http://www.religionnews.com/2013/09/05/pope-francis-peace-appeal-for-syria-marks-vaticans-return-to-global-stage/

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_VATICAN_SYRIA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-09-07-14-35-48

PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS

Please pray for our brothers and sisters in Egypt.
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2013/09/06/Morsi-backers-terrorize-christians-in-egyptian-town

CHURCH OF THE POOR

A priest from Rome gave the Pope his 20-year-old car with almost 200,000 miles on it.  The Pope accepted it and took off with it.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24036965

Pope Francis called on all nuns and religious to convert empty European monasteries into refugee centers, not hotels.  Now if we would only convert all weapons into plowshares.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/pope-francis-visits-refugees-at-jesuit-center-in-central-rome/2013/09/10/12be0c76-1a3a-11e3-80ac-96205cacb45a_story.html

CONVERSION STORY

A young man who converted to Catholicism through music and the writings of Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.
http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/features/2013/08/15/my-songs-are-a-humbly-offered-gift-to-catholics/

What leads someone to change their religion?  Great question.  Take a look at someone's answer.
http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2013/09/11/what-is-it-that-leads-people-to-change-their-religion/