VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Holiness is a gift everyone receives with baptism, and it is a journey to be made together with the help of the saints in heaven, Pope Francis said on the feast of All Saints.

In celebrating All Saints, we honor all those holy men and women who’ve gone before us, the well-known ‘canonized,’ and the much larger number, millions, who’ve never achieved world recognition...those perhaps we’ve even known. ...Today, however, I want to shine a spotlight on just one: St. Thérèse of Lisieux.  

Before I came into communion with the church, there were a handful of Catholic doctrines I found confusing and, frankly, odd. Purgatory was one of them. I couldn’t understand why anyone would believe that people who had entrusted themselves to salvation in Jesus Christ and did their best to live as faithful disciples didn’t go directly to heaven when they died.

“The Eucharist: Source of Healing and Power in the Spirit” was the theme of this year’s convention of the Hispanic Catholic charismatic renewal in the Worcester Diocese.

Ever since he began attending St. John’s High School baseball games in Shrewsbury when he was 9 or 10, Mr. Cummins wanted to play baseball for the Pioneers. After he graduated from St. John’s in 2008, he began thinking about becoming the head baseball coach one day. That day arrived on Oct. 2 when he was named head coach, replacing his former coach, Charlie Eppinger, who stepped down.

Sister Mary LeBlanc and Sister Charlene O’Leary celebrated their 70th jubilees at a Liturgy of Thanksgiving on Sept. 16 at the Notre Dame du Lac Assisted Living facility, 555 Plantation St., Worcester.

More than 100 Vincentians gathered to reflect and recommit themselves to faithfulness as they carry out their mission of serving their brothers and sisters in need.