Feb 19, 2026 VIERA | With two young boys with autism, Mass for Candace Melo and her husband, John, felt challenging rather than a source of peace or an opportunity to spiritually refuel. Their eldest fidgeted, the youngest, often loud, needed to move about. Eventually, they spent a year away from the Church, feeling there was no place…

Feb 19, 2026 ORLANDO  | This week we began the holy season of Lent. I find the days ahead of Ash Wednesday to be an important time to prepare for this season. We know that Lent calls us to pray, fast, and give alms. It also invites us to deeper reflection. It encourages us to consider: • What…

Feb 19, 2026 My Sisters and Brothers in Christ, We begin this season of Lent acknowledging the wondrous gift of God’s forgive-ness, which He bestows upon each one. We pray for the ability to be merciful and to forgive one another in our transgressions. We live our daily routine and encounter God’s people, some we know as family…

Feb 13, 2026 ORLANDO  |  Downloaded more than 83 million times in the first year of its release, the Catechism in a Year with Father Mike Schmitz is introducing many Catholics to the Catechism of the Catholic Church for the first time. With the resurgence of interest in the Catechism three parishes across the Diocese are following up…

Feb 13, 2026 Beloved Sisters and Brothers in Christ: I pray with gratitude for you, knowing of your faithfulness. We have just celebrated the seasons of Advent and Christmas and soon, we begin the season of Lent. After the Advent and Christmas seasons, we are even more prepared for this journey; we are joyful and diligent about our…

Feb 13, 2026 TALLAHASSEE | Nineteen students from four Catholic high schools in the Diocese of Orlando stood up for Catholic beliefs and social teaching during Catholic Days at the Capitol, Feb. 10-11, 2026, a record for the diocese. School presidents hope the experience encourages students to take an active role in the making of laws that contribute…

Feb 13, 2026 ORLANDO | With Lent beginning Feb. 18, it makes sense to review the rules of abstinence and recall what brought us to the current requirements. Sixty years ago, Feb. 17, 1966, St. Pope Paul VI promulgated the apostolic constitution Paenitemini, changing the laws regulating fasting and abstinence in the Latin Church. While these observances are…