Harvest

By Diocese of Portland

On June 30 each year, we celebrate the feast day of the First Martyrs of the Church of Rome, sometimes called the "protomartyrs."

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The Last Word - May 2015

Living for Christ in the World

By Diocese of Portland

The ancient Romans persecuted Christians for many reasons. Some those reasons were based on misunderstandings of what Christians were all about.

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"This is where the Lord Wants me."

By Diocese of Portland

“I have never doubted this is where God was calling me, never doubted.” Beatrice Caron says she is confident that she is following the path that God laid out for her.

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Serving in the Spirit of Saint Ignatius

By Diocese of Portland

“I’ve never been happier. I have never been happier!” Father Steven Cartwright says it’s hard to put into words what he was experiencing when Bishop Robert Deeley laid hands on him and prayed the prayer of ordination

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By Diocese of Portland

When Father William Campbell, S.J., was discerning his vocation to the priesthood as a college student in the late 1980s, he says there was only one path that felt right for him.

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A Peaceful Presence

By Diocese of Portland

“The only words we’re going to use are: ‘Be still and know that I am God.’” Sister Aline Plante, P.M., leads a contemplative retreat for women at the Marie Joseph Spiritual Center in Biddeford.

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Churches United in Love

By Diocese of Portland

The T-shirts they wear say it all: “Churches united in love.” For 21 years, volunteers from faith communities throughout the Fairfield and Benton area have been coming together to provide food for those who are struggling.

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A Dream of Faith

By Diocese of Portland

It’s never too late to realize your dreams. That’s the idea behind the Maine Health Care Association’s Live Your Dream Awards, presented to residents living in long-term care facilities across the state.

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A Diamond of a Daughter

Bringing Christ into Focus on Campus

By Diocese of Portland

At a friend’s urging, Sister Aurelie Michaud, D.W., responded to God’s call and entered the Daughters of Wisdom upon finishing high school in Saint Agatha.

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The Last Word - March 2015

By Diocese of Portland

“Hi, have you been here before?” When Naomi Reeh spots an unfamiliar face in the Newman Center at the University of Maine at Orono, she doesn’t hesitate to go over and say hello.

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The Last Word - November 2014

By Diocese of Portland

It's a dilemma. We all know that we are commanded to love all people, loving them and showing mercy and forgiveness when they offend against God's law.

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From the Bishop - March 2015

By Diocese of Portland

This Gospel story of the multiplication of the loaves is a very important Gospel story. Why do I say that? Well, a lot of reasons, but the simplest is this:

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From the Bishop - November 2014

By Diocese of Portland

Fifty years ago, the people of the Church watched the news from Rome regarding the closing sessions of the Second Vatican Council.

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Serving and Studying the Ursuline Way

By Diocese of Portland

As you know, I have only been a bishop a short time, not yet two years. Happily, therefore, I was grateful for a gift I received at my ordination...

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Benefitting from a Developing Partnership

By Diocese of Portland

“I bless heaven for the success of this wonderful Catholic school.”– Bishop James Healy, second Bishop of Portland, 1888.

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By Diocese of Portland

“What can we do to help each other?” That question posed by one principal to another has led to a budding partnership between the diocese’s two York County Catholic schools.

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Providing Peer Presence

All in the Family at All Saints

By Diocese of Portland

Who is considered to be the first martyr of the Church? Which pope started the Second Vatican Council?

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By Diocese of Portland

“It’s only been six months, but it’s been incredible.” When Rachel Huber was offered the second-grade teaching position at All Saints Catholic School in Bangor, she didn’t hesitate.

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My Sister's Keeper

The Last Word - January 2015

By Diocese of Portland

When Pat Lissandrello and Terry Oliver first got together, they both admit to feeling a bit uneasy.

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From the Bishop - January 2015

By Diocese of Portland

Throughout the Advent Season, we prayed, "Come, Lord Jesus." Advent is over now, which raises an important question: When is the arrival?

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Igniting the Flames of Faith

By Diocese of Portland

About midway through November, driving along and going through the dials on the car radio looking for some music, I came across a station broadcasting Christmas carols.

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Parenting and the Power of Play

By Diocese of Portland

At one point in her life, Christine Savage says she didn’t take her faith seriously at all. But inspired by her father and moved by the Holy Spirit, she says God came rushing back in.

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150 Years of Walking Among Us

By Diocese of Portland

Two-year-old Liliana couldn’t seem to decide what she wanted to do first –cradle a doll, prepare for tea, or guide a wooden train through a tiny tunnel.

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By Diocese of Portland

“We commit ourselves to exercise the spiritual and corporal works of Mercy, revealed to us through the life of Jesus.” – Sisters of Mercy of the Americas.

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Leilani's Legacy

From the Bishop - September 2014

By Diocese of Portland

Through the grace of God, even the tiniest among us can have an immeasurable impact on those around them.

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The Last Word - September 2014

By Diocese of Portland

During these last months, we have had the privilege of celebrating some special anniversaries and jubilees. It was a great joy to gather in the spring with those of our priests who have special anniversaries this year.

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Serving in the spirit of Catherine McAuley

By Diocese of Portland

"Love your enemies." This is it. This is, without any question in my mind, the most radical command of Jesus to His disciples.

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Focus on Francis - September 2014

By Diocese of Portland

With studies, sports, and social activities, high school students’ schedules are often packed full. Joan Fasulo, who recently graduated second in her class from Catherine McAule

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By Diocese of Portland

Ten Lessons for Pastoral Leaders from St. Francis of Assisi and Pope Francis

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A Ray of Sunshine

"There is Always Time for God."

By Diocese of Portland

“She’s amazing! I can’t imagine my life without her.” Debbie Guiggey says ever since her daughter Kayla was a baby, she has had a way of brightening the darkest day.

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By Diocese of Portland

With classes, commitments, cell phones, and social media, where does faith fit into a high school student’s life?

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Still Climbing Mountains

The Canonizations of "Two Men of Courage"

By Diocese of Portland

Sister Anne Fitzpatrick, RSM, receives warm greetings as she moves along the corridors of the Saint Joseph’s Rehabilitation & Residence in Portland.

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By Diocese of Portland

On Sunday April 27, Pope Francis proclaimed two popes saints in the presence of another pope, Benedict XVI—two historic firsts.

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A Display of Faith

From the Bishop - July 2014

By Diocese of Portland

Madawaska is a town of approximately 3000 residents. Nearby Van Buren has a population of just under 2000. But this August, streets, inns, and spare bedrooms will be packed with visitors...

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Finding Peace in the Priesthood

By Diocese of Portland

One of the joys of my ministry during these first months in the diocese has been my visits to our schools.

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The Last Word - July 2014

By Diocese of Portland

May 30 was a day Kyle Doustou has eagerly anticipated since he was a boy of eight or nine. On that day, at the Basilica of Ss. Peter & Paul in Lewiston, he became the first priest to be ordained by Bishop Robert P. Deeley.

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Focus on Francis - May 2014

By Diocese of Portland

Several things came together for me recently which have prompted this reflection: the Fourth of July, a rather negative comment by an acquaintance about the state of our country, and all the talk over the last several years about “the culture wars.”

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By Diocese of Portland

A few weeks before Pope Francis’s election as the new pope I had completed a book I had been researching on St. Francis of Assisi and the New Evangelization.

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The Last Word - May 2014

From the Bishop - May 2014

By Diocese of Portland

We need a new agenda for interfaith and ecumenical programs. I have nothing against joint prayer services, such as are held around Thanksgiving and the Church Unity Octave, or occasionally having religious leaders sign a common petition against some piece of legislation.

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A Love for God and Learning

By Diocese of Portland

We are in the season of Easter, the joyous time of year when we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus.

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A Chance to Get Acquainted

By Diocese of Portland

Those are familiar words to students at Saint Dominic Academy’s elementary school campus.

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Focus on Francis: Pilgrimage to Assisi

By Diocese of Portland

Welcome to Maine! Congratulations! Those were the greetings repeated from Kittery to Fort Kent as parishioners extended a hand, shared a laugh or took a photograph with Bishop Robert P. Deeley as he began visits to parishes across the state.

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The Last Word - March 2014

By Diocese of Portland

The saint most beloved besides the Blessed Virgin Mary herself is no doubt Saint Francis of Assisi (1181-1226). Revered by Catholics and by many who have no religious faith...

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From the Bishop - March 2014

By Diocese of Portland

It has not yet been a year since the election of Pope Francis as our Holy Father. Already, in this short time, we have heard a lot from him about justice, poverty and the economy. Here are a few of the things he has said.

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By Diocese of Portland

On the December day I was driving to Maine for the announcement of my appointment as the new Bishop of Portland, I passed a sign on the highway that welcomed me, and all those passing by, to the beauty of this state.

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A Spirit of Joy

By Diocese of Portland

Bishop Robert Peter Deeley, J.C.D., says it is with “great joy” that he begins his service as the 12th Bishop of the Diocese of Portland.

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"We Have a New Shepherd"

Focus on Francis - January 2014

By Diocese of Portland

They were words, spoken by Bishop Richard Malone, that Catholics throughout the Diocese of Portland had waited 19 months to hear.

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By Diocese of Portland

The saint most beloved besides the Blessed Virgin Mary herself is no doubt Saint Francis of Assisi (1181-1226). Revered by Catholics and by many who have no religious faith, his sparkling, joyous personality has made religious faith seem attractive and important.

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Focus on Francis