Salt and Light Photo: The National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida, Brazil By Sebastian Gomes World Youth Day Rio is about to begin and everyone is wondering what Pope Francis is going to say and do on his first trip back to South America.  Well, last week I may have uncovered a major clue. A ...read more

Today the Salt + Light team attended mass at a local chapel, just off Copacabana beach. As Fr. James Phalan, CSC, Director of Family Rosary International, joyfully remarked at the beginning of this English-speaking mass, usually about seventy people attend, but today was well beyond capacity with standing room only! And it was good. It ...read more

Luis Martinez, left, a World Youth Day volunteer from Mexico, enjoys a meal with his host family, Danielle and Leandro Franca in Rio de Janeiro April 16. Martinez is one of about 4,500 international volunteers who will contribute to World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, July 23-28. To find out more about this year’s ...read more

  A man watches as pilgrims follow an image of Our Lady of Nazareth as it is carried during the annual festival in Belem, Brazil.  More than 1 million Catholics, many of them from communities along the Amazon River’s tributaries, converged on Our Lady of Nazareth Basilica to participate. To find out more about this ...read more

Today on Perspectives Pope Francis addresses life issues, a special delivery is made to Rio de Janeiro and a look at the Christ the Redeemer statue. ...read more

Blessed Isidore Bakanja Blessed Isidore Bakanja was born around 1887 in the Democratic Republic of Congo (then the Belgian Congo). He was baptized on 15 August 1909 at eighteen years of age through the ministry of Cistercian missionaries. Isidore was a very devout convert and catechist. He had a great love for the Blessed Virgin ...read more

During his time in the Vatican assisting the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Thomas Rosica got a chance to meet the new director of the Vatican Television Centre, Msgr. Dario Viganò. This past week Msgr. Viganò was in Toronto and came to spend a day at Salt and Light’s studio. We took full advantage and ...read more

Tonight on Perspectives: A closer look at Pope Francis’ message from Lampedusa, prominent churchmen weigh in on Lumen Fidei, and the Pope sends a letter of condolence to the people of Lac-Megantic. ...read more

A pilgrim prays during Mass at Our Lord of the Good End church in Salvador, Brazil. The church’s gates are covered with ribbons (seen in background), which are symbols of faith. To find out more about this year’s World Youth Day in Rio de Janiero, Brazil visit wydcentral.org CNS photo/Ueslei Marcelino, Reuters ...read more

  Dear Brothers and Sisters, Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting you, and today our joy is even greater, because we have gathered for the Eucharist on the Lord’s Day. You are seminarians, novices, young people on a vocational journey, from every part of the world. You represent the Church’s youth! If the Church ...read more