A local chapter of the Knights of Peter Claver and Ladies Auxiliary, the oldest Black Catholic lay-led organization in existence, was reinstated May 17 at Rochester’s Immaculate Conception/St. Bridget’s Church. Bishop Salvatore R. Matano celebrated the Mass, during which 10 knights and 12 ladies were inducted to the Knights’ Council and Ladies Auxiliary Court 106. Rochester was host to the Knights’ Council and Ladies Auxiliary Court for many years, until the council and court disbanded several decades ago. Read More

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Saturday was full of celebration for many local Catholics as they reinstated the local unit of the Knights of Peter Claver Council & Ladies Auxiliary Court. This comes after a decades-long hiatus during which it was inactive. Deputy Marvin Bardo, who oversees the northern states district of the national organization, shared his excitement for the newly introduced chapter. “To bring this organization back to the City of Rochester is a win-win, not only for the people of the Archdiocese of Rochester, but for the Knights of Peter Claver as a whole,” Bardo said. Read More

Bro. Jari Honora, New Orleans, LA - New York Times: Robert Francis Prevost, the Chicago-born cardinal selected on Thursday as the new pope, is descended from Creole people of color from New Orleans. The pope’s maternal grandparents, both of whom are described as Black or mulatto in various historical records, lived in the city’s Seventh Ward, an area that is traditionally Catholic and a melting pot of people with African, Caribbean and European roots. The grandparents, Joseph Martinez and Louise Baquié, eventually moved to Chicago in the early 20th century and had a daughter: Mildred Martinez, the pope’s mother. The discovery means that Leo XIV, as the pope will be known, is not only breaking ground as the first U.S.-born pontiff. He also comes from a family that reflects the many threads that make up the complicated and rich fabric of the American story. Read More

By Vatican News The Holy See released a declaration on Wednesday in which the Cardinals preparing for the upcoming conclave ask the faithful to pray for them. “The College of Cardinals gathered in Rome, engaged in the General Congregations in preparation for the Conclave, wishes to invite the People of God to live this ecclesial moment as an event of grace and spiritual discernment, listening to the will of God,” read the statement. The Cardinals said they feel “the need to be supported by the prayers of all the faithful,” since they are aware of their responsibility in choosing the next Successor of Peter. Prayer, they added, “is the true force that in the Church promotes the unity of all the members of the one Body of Christ.” Read More

www.BlackCatholicMessenger.com: VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis’ funeral Saturday in St. Peter’s Square was expectedly international in character, featuring the new-look College of Cardinals and more than 400,000 mourners from around the world. Among the lay participants in the liturgy was a Black American in 28-year-old Kielce Gussie, an employee with Vatican News. Read More

From BlackCatholicMessenger.org: An African American and a Haitian are expected to join 15 Black African electors in the papal conclave, which could choose one from their number. Read More

The Holy See Press Office announced on Tuesday that Pope Francis’ funeral Mass will take place on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at 10:00 AM in St. Peter’s Square. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, will preside at the Mass, which will be concelebrated by Patriarchs, Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, and priests from across the globe. Read More

This Holy Week, Pope Francis has shown his gratitude to physicians and staff at Rome's Gemelli Hospital, where he received medical care for 38 days for a polymicrobial respiratory infection that resulted in bilateral pneumonia. The Holy Father was released from the Hospital with "protected discharge" on Sunday, 23 March. Read More