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“THE HANDS AND FEET OF CHRIST”

THEY ARE THE UNSUNG workers and volunteers who help allow the Catholic Church to attend to and serve its diverse... 

by GREG MELLEN 

DIOCESAN DELEGATION MEETS POPE, VISITS BORGO LAUDATO SI’ — CENTRO DI ALTA FORMAZIONE LAUDATO SI’

CASTEL GANDOLFO, located 15 miles outside of Rome, has for centuries served as a summer residence and vacation retreat for... 

by GREG HARDESTY 

CATHOLIC SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS GATHER FOR LEADERSHIP SUMMIT

CURRENT AND ASPIRING school administrators recently came together to reflect, reinvigorate the ideals of Catholic education and consider whether leadership... 

by BRITNEY ZINT 

MOMENTS IN OUR JOURNEY

On March 24, the 50th anniversary of the Diocese of Orange, Bishop Kevin Vann led a pilgrimage to Italy, which... 

 

FOOD & FELLOWSHIP AT ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISH LENTEN FISH FRY

ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST Parish kicked off its Lenten fish fry season on Feb. 20 with a feast for the... 

by MIKE ZINN 

Local

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BISHOP VANN!

Birthday blessings to Bishop Vann, our spiritual father and shepherd of our diocese, who celebrates his birthday on May 10….

MISSION SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO TO HOST HOMEFRONT AMERICA’S FIELD OF HONOR MEMORIAL DAY EXHIBIT

MISSION SAN JUAN Capistrano continues its partnership with Homefront America for the 2026 Field of Honor® held this year in…

ST. MICHAEL’S ABBEY PREPARES FOR ABBATIAL ELECTION FOLLOWING THE CONCLUSION OF ABBOT EUGENE HAYES’S TENURE

ST. MICHAEL’S ABBEY, within the Diocese of Orange, announces the forthcoming conclusion of the tenure of Abbot Eugene Hayes, O.Praem.,…

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Christ Cathedral

CHRIST CATHEDRAL’S MARIAN GARDENS WINS RELIGIOUS ARCHITECTURE AWARD

THE MARIAN GARDENS project at Christ Cathedral was recently recognized by Partners for Sacred Places with a 2026 Faith &…

A LIGHT IN THE DARK: 10TH ANNUAL HOMELESS PERSONS’ INTER-RELIGIOUS MEMORIAL SERVICE

THE DIOCESE HOSTED THE 10th annual Homeless Persons’ Inter-religious Memorial Service at the Christ Cathedral campus to honor those who…

ABOUT THE SHROUD OF TURIN

The Shroud of Turin is considered to be the most studied artifact in the world, and for good reason. It…

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Sports

BROTHER & SISTER SHINE ON MATER DEI SOCCER FIELD

JASMINE AGUILAR PLAYS soccer at Mater Dei High School. Her brother, Marcel, also plays soccer for the Monarchs. Both are…

SMCHS SETS HIGH BAR FOR COLLEGE SPORTS ADMISSIONS

AFTER RETIRING AS SPORTS editor for the Los Angeles Times, Mike Hiserman joined the staff at Santa Margarita Catholic High…

HEAR THEM ROAR!

THE JSERRA FLAG FOOTBALL team stepped onto the field 28 times this season. And 28 times, the Lions  walked off…

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National

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Statement Responding to President Trump’s Social Media Post on Pope Leo XIV

“I am disheartened that the President chose to write such disparaging words about the Holy Father. Pope Leo is not…

OC CATHOLIC AFAR

Fr. Greg Walgenbach (Director of Office of Life, Justice, and Peace & Missions) and Rebecca Freeman (Pastoral Care Ministry Coordinator,…

OC CATHOLIC AFAR

We recently visited Lahaina on the island of Maui and were shocked at the devastation the people are still suffering…

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National Headlines

TRAVEL DIARY: THE CHURCH OF THE MADONNA
WHEN THE CHURCH OF the Madonna was built in the Borough of Fort Lee, N.J. during the 1850s, it was...

FINDING THEIR WAY
CLARA ARBIZO WASN’T EXPECTING much. The parishioner of St. Anne’s in Santa Ana was among 200 young adults who participated...

DIOCESAN BISHOPS AND DELEGATES ATTEND NATIONAL EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS
INDIANAPOLIS — A delegation from the Diocese of Orange recently attended the tenth National Eucharistic Congress in Indiana’s capital city,...

DIOCESE OF ORANGE ANNOUNCES DELEGATION TO NATIONAL EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS IN INDIANAPOLIS
The Diocese of Orange is proud to announce its delegation to the upcoming National Eucharistic Congress (NEC) scheduled for July...

World

FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT: A RURAL COMMUNITY IN UGANDA RECEIVES ELECTRICITY

KAKUBANSIRI, A SMALL village in the Gomba district of Uganda, lived without electricity since its inception. Despite some progress, national…

BISHOP VANN MEETS WITH POPE LEO XIV

On Aug. 1, Bishop Kevin Vann reunited with his former classmate and our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, during a…

A WITNESS TO HISTORY

ANNETTE WALKER, presi­dent of City of Hope Orange County and former interim CEO of St. Joseph Health, went with her…

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World Headlines

SPECIAL TERMS USED DURING THE PERIOD BETWEEN POPES
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Here is an explanation of some of the terms and practices related to the time between...

CONCLAVE TO BEGIN MAY 7
THE FUNERAL FOR POPE Francis took place April 26 in St. Peter’s Square with about 250,000 in attendance. He was...

OC CATHOLIC AFAR
Alan and Desiree Wendell brought along the OC Catholic on their cruise vacation to Australia and New Zealand where they...

OC CATHOLIC AFAR
Ashley and her father Dr. Vincent Nguyen visited the Vatican Garden while in Rome this past Christmas for the start...

Education

BUILDING MOMENTUM TOGETHER: CRISTO REY ORANGE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL RAISES MORE THAN $2 MILLION AT ANNUAL ¡VIVA! GALA

UNDER THE THEME “Building Momentum Together,” Cristo Rey Orange County High School raised over $2 million at its third annual…

OLFA STARTS A NEW TRADITION

AS THE END OF THE school year approaches, one local campus decided it was time to start a new tradition:…

UNLEAVENED BREAD

AS SECOND-GRADE students around the diocese prepare for their First Communion, one classroom decided to look closer at the history…

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Education Headlines

STRIKES, SPARES AND MOTHER & SON TIME
ANGELA MERCHANT LINED up her green bowling ball and let it fly, knocking all but five pins down. But this...

NEW VIRTUE CURRICULUM FOR PAX CHRISTI STUDENTS
If academic excellence was the only metric of success in school, traditional Catholic education would appear to be no different...

LEADERSHIP IN ORANGE COUNTY CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
EIGHTH-GRADER SYDNEY de Leon has honed her leadership skills during her tenure at St. Cecilia Catholic School. Teacher Gabriele Nguyen...

CELEBRATING WHO WE ARE AT OUR LADY OF FATIMA ACADEMY
JACQUE NUNEZ, A MEMBER of the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians Acjachemen Nation, went to a Catholic school to teach...