By Hilda Cruz

 Hilda Cruz chronicles a joyful journey to Rome to watch her son and his family commissioned for missionary work by Pope Francis.

ROME—March 6th was a memorable day for 250 families of the Neocatechumenal Way as they received a special blessing during an audience with Pope Francis in Paul VI Hall in the Vatican. This event was also very special to me as I personally witnessed my oldest son and his family receive this special blessing. The meeting was a commissioning, or sending forth, of these families who depart as missionaries to live in various parts of the world in response to the mandate of Jesus to announce the Gospel in all parts of the world. 

 Local families have the opportunity to see Pope Francis on his first visit to the United States and participate in the World Meeting of Families (WMOF) in Philadelphia this September. 

  The Office of Catechetical Ministry and the Office of Charismatic Renewal of the Diocese are organizing a pilgrimage to the event. 

 A little more time, some simplification, group responses and promotion by Bishop Gerald Barnes helped the Diocese collect more than three times the amount of responses to the Synod on the Family Survey compared to a similar Vatican questionnaire on family issues a year earlier.

By Andres Rivera
Staff Writer

SAN BERNARDINO—The Catholic Newman Club at California State University, San Bernardino began using Facebook’s chat feature to build community and improve communication among its members. 

 The results? Promising.

 Sister Terry Maher, CPPS, has been honored by a national organization committed to ending the death penalty in the United States.

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month

By Sister Cathy White, S.P.

 The month of April is a time to show how individuals, families, and communities join together to prevent child abuse and neglect. It is the hope that this focus will promote social and emotional well-being for children and families.