He was in His early-30s. In His young life, He fed the hungry and ministered to the sick, the poor, and those who were mentally unstable. Crowds followed Him as they were eager to hear more of His message. Some knew who He was and others wondered. They wanted someone to relieve them from the […]

  My earliest Easter memory is of my mother cautioning my older brother and me that if we didn’t pick up the nails we’d spilled on the front porch of our Oregon ranch, the Easter bunny couldn’t come to our house. He’d hurt his feet. Then there was the time she cleverly disguised a carpet […]

MADRID A Vatican crackdown on the commercial use of its name and official emblems has encountered resistance from a Spanish website that refuses to give up referencing the seat of the Catholic Church in its masthead. The case against InfoVaticana.com, one of hundreds of copyright actions taken by the church, is part of a broader […]

With Holy Week upon us, culminated with Easter a little more than seven days away, local houses of worship have been announcing their plans. The following is a list of some of the services taking place during the next week at Midcoast congregations. • The Neighborhood United Church of Christ will start with a 10 […]

VATICAN CITY Pope Francis confirmed Wednesday he plans to attend a big Catholic family rally in Ireland in August, visiting a once staunchly Roman Catholic country that has been devastated by the church’s sex abuse crisis. Francis made the long awaited announcement at the end of his weekly general audience, saying he intends to go […]

As a Baha’i I find the utmost sacrifice in what the Baha’is of Iran are going through. There are currently more than 100 Baha’is in jails, and now some in Yemen too, but none of the Baha’is there have ever spoken even one negative word about their persecutors, and show love towards them. Parents sacrifice […]

“Do not neglect to do good and share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” Hebrews 13:16 Making Sacrifices Something happens when we sacrifice. We give up something for Lent and we acquire self-discipline and willpower. When we forgive another person we let go of our feelings of resentment, and we end […]

Eight parishes in the Diocese of Portland will be able to undertake community initiatives, thanks to grants from Catholic Charities. Parish Social Ministry, a Catholic Charities Maine program, has announced that eight parishes will receive Catholic Campaign for Human Development parish grants totaling more than $23,000. The mission of the program is to provide leadership, […]

WISCASSET St. Philip’s Episcopal Church’s Help Yourself Shelf Food Pantry makes an impact in the community — and organizers are quick to note that it’s members of the community that keep it going. In a press release, organizers thanked The First for its recent contribution to the pantry, and the town of Wiscasset for continued […]