Catholic News

Carnicerías Jiménez founder José Jiménez and his daughter Luz Maribel, the Chicago grocery chain’s human resources director. / Credit: Courtesy of Luz Maribel Jiménez ACI Prensa Staff, Nov 17, 2024 / 08:00 am (CNA). “With God, everything; without God, nothing”: This maxim of her mother left a deep impression on Luz Maribel Jiménez, director of human resources at Carnicerías Jiménez, an award-winning Catholic family grocery store chain in Chicago. In an interview with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, Jiménez shared her family’s guiding principles to inspire entrepreneurs who aspire to lead a business with values ​​and purpose.“The most important lessons I learned from my parents include putting God and family first, maintaining a strong work ethic, feeling pride and love for what you do, treating everyone with respect, and offering help whenever possible. These

Firefighters work to extinguish a fire at St. Mary’s Parish in Franklin, Massachusetts, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024. / Credit: Franklin Fire Department CNA Staff, Nov 16, 2024 / 08:00 am (CNA). The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is recommending that houses of worship exercise “increased vigilance” and adopt new security measures amid a series of recent arson incidents against churches.The ATF said it “urges all religious institutions to take enhanced security measures to protect their congregations and facilities” after several acts of arson directed against churches in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.In a Nov. 8 statement, the bureau said there were “no specific threats” against churches but that authorities “recommend vigilance and proactive steps to prevent potential incidents.”ATF Boston Urges Increased Vigilance For Houses of Worship Amid Rising Arson Incidents pic.twitter.com/SAr6DUSCVl&mda

The Diocese of Scranton in Pennsylvania launched a parent education program designed to provide support and resources for local families. Four of the six parent educators from left to right: Mineyris Novas, parent educator; Dagmar Frias Montolio, program supervisor; Montie Ford, lead parent educator; and Mara Portoreal, parent educator. / Credit: Diocese of Scranton CNA Staff, Nov 16, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA). The Diocese of Scranton in Pennsylvania launched a parent education program this fall designed to provide support and resources for local families. The “Parents As Teachers” program offers support, resources, and formation for parents raising young children. This includes home visits from educators, workshops on parenting, and other educational resources, according to the diocese. The program, which began serving its initial group of nine families in September, celebrated a large kickoff event on Nov. 9.Dagmar Frias Montolio, the program supervisor, told CNA

null / Credit: Dan Henson/Shutterstock CNA Staff, Nov 15, 2024 / 14:00 pm (CNA). A bookkeeper at a Florida Catholic parish has been sentenced to more than two years of federal prison after stealing nearly $900,000 from the church at which she managed financial records. Heather Darrey will spend 27 months in prison on a wire fraud conviction over her $875,323 theft from Christ the King Parish in south Tampa, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. The prosecutor’s office did not name the parish, but the Tampa Bay Times identified the church in question as Christ the King.Darrey worked as the records and finance manager at the parish, the U.S. attorney’s office said. She “abused her position of trust by engaging in a scheme in which she created false and fraudulent bank checks drawn against [the church’s] business bank account and made them payable to her own account,” the prosecutor’s of

Immigrants at Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley humanitarian respite center in McAllen, Texas. / Credit: Vic Hinterlang/Shutterstock Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 14, 2024 / 18:15 pm (CNA). The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has issued a statement that urges the American government to reform the immigration system with “fair and humane treatment” of immigrants.“Together, we must speak out on behalf of the ‘huddled masses yearning to breathe free’ and ask our government to provide fair and humane treatment for our beloved immigrant brothers and sisters,” read the Nov. 15 statement, signed by USCCB President Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, and two other bishops. “It is our hope, and our prayer, that all of us can work together to support a meaningful reform of our current immigration system,” the bishops said. Broglio was joined by Bishop Mar