On the fifth Sunday of Easter in the Byzantine rite we commemorate the Samaritan woman at the well who meets Jesus and hears the Gospel preached. To Jews such as Our Lord the Samaritans were distinctly the “other,” worshipping God in a way that the Jews rejected. Among the many important aspects of this Gospel passage one that merits greater discussion in our day is the preaching of the Gospel to those who are not “us.” We encounter in the Gospels many occasions when Jesus meets non-Jews such as when He meets the Syro-Phoenician woman (Mark 7:24-30), or when the Roman centurion requests healing for his slave (Luke 7:2-10), or when He heals the Gerasene. Our Lord does not limit His saving ministry to His fellow Jews; He comes as the promised Messiah calling all people to salvation.

VATICAN CITY -- The Catholic Church must not become a distant memory for men and women today but must be a welcoming place where everyone feels at home, Pope Francis said.

OTTAWA – After a 15-year hiatus, an evangelization conference organized by Canada’s bishops will return in April and is already sold out.

OTTAWA – When Cardinal Gerald Lacroix speaks at the New Evangelization Summit here May 4, he will address how to share the Good News when the Church is engulfed in bad news.

PANAMA CITY — I stood on a stage, looking out over a sea of young pilgrims. I had seen such crowds before, but never with such profound diversity. Flags representing countries from all over the world waved under the hot Panama sun. Despite the heat, there was a great sense of excitement and great expectation.

PANAMA CITY — Esther Carmona Wagner’s heart was pounding out of her chest just before she took the stage at Anita Villalaz Theatre on Jan. 23. She even tried to ask for a chair because she was afraid her knees would buckle when she went on.

VANCOUVER – He isn’t a famous hockey player, but when Clayton Imoo puts on a jersey and attends a Canucks game, he is always stopped by a few fans.

I go through phases where for a chunk of time I am super productive, and then I crash and watch The Office for the better part of a week.

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis' @Pontifex Twitter accounts reached more than 40 million followers just a few months before the fifth anniversary of when Pope Benedict XVI launched the initiative.

Fr. Charles Grech arrived from Malta a year ago with experience working with youth and a background in radio. They are skills he plans to put to good use as the newly installed director of Radio Mario Canada.

WASHINGTON - Mother Angelica "reflected the Gospel commission to go forth and make disciples of all nations" said Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, president of the U.S. bishops' conference.

WOLFE ISLAND, Ont. - One of the highlights of my summer is “Seminarian Week” on Wolfe Island.

TORONTO - The 200-year tradition of Basilian education is taking a new path into the future — a path first walked by the disciples Jesus sent out two-by-two to connect with the villages of Galilee and change the world.

OTTAWA - Parish renewal is the key to the new evangelization and the survival of the Church, say organizers of the Summer Institute of New Evangelization.

FRANKLIN, Tenn. - The Catholic Church needs men to fully commit to their faith, and men have all they need from God "to be a force" for the church, a former major league baseball player told a men's conference in Franklin.