While waiting for page to load, we invite you to say as many Hail Mary's as necessary.

WEEKEND LITURGY    This weekend, we have several saints to celebrate beginning with Pope Saint Gregory VII, Saint Bede the Venerable and Saint Mary Magdalene de Pazzi on Thursday. Friday is the Feast of Saint Philip Neri and the Optional Feast of Saint Augustine of Canterbury on Saturday. Sunday is the SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER and Monday For the readings, liturgies, meditations, and vignettes on these saints, see DAILY LITURGY. The DAILY WORD   Taken from the Gospel for the Feast of St. Philip Neri: "It was not you who chose Me, it was I Who chose you to go forth and bear fruit. Your fruit must endure, so that all you ask the Father in My name He will give you. The command I give you is this, that you love one another." John 15: 16-17

Be an angel!     Through the stewardship of Catholic Journalism you can help us reach more souls by sending whatever you can to help keep the DailyCATHOLIC going strong since it is the only daily publication of its kind for Catholics anywhere in the world in daily promoting the truths of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

Three Shepherd Children play a key role in bringing the Good Shepherd to the lost sheep of Russia Photos below used with permission by Father Robert J. Fox     During this "month of Mary" and the focus on Fatima with the beatifications a few weeks ago of the Fatima Shepherd Children Jacinta and Francisco Marto by His Holiness Pope John Paul II, and with the debut of the DailyCATHOLIC now being published daily in Russian to reach all parts of the former Iron Curtain, we present a special series written by Father Robert J. Fox, director of the Fatima Family Apostolate and editor of the full color Immaculate Heart Messenger. We are delighted to work with Father Robert Fox in bringing you this special series on Our Lady's plans for the conversion of Russia. If anyone knows the temperature of the Faith in the former Soviet Union it is Fr. Fox. These articles first appeared in earlier issues of his full-color magazine Immaculate Heart Messenger which Fr. Fox edits and publishes. Today he continues to share with us the sermon given by Archbishop Thaddeus Kondrusiewicz, the Apostolic Administrator for Latin Rite Catholics in European Russia and Archbishop of Moscow on his first pilgrimage to Fatima. For the second part of his column on Our Lady's New Revolution in Russia, see THE CHURCH IN RUSSIA

Indulgences truly do have meaning if we indulge ourselves in what the Church directs

   In her column this week, Sister Mary Lucy Astuto continues her fascinating and informative series on Indulgences in clearing up the confusion that has existed over the last three decades. As she indulges in the subject of indulgences, Sister points out in her series there have been misconceptions about "days" and "years" and explains what they really mean, as well as detailing the difference between "plenary" indulgences and "partial" indulgences and who can merit these indulgences, how, and why and how they evolved through the Enchiridion, the official book of indulgences and sources that give us a clear indication of what indulgences truly are. For her column and the third installment of What are indulgences? see GETTING TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER

May 25th Medjugorje Monthly Message NOTE: We respectfully recognize and accept the final authority regarding apparitions, locutions and prophecies presently being reported around the world rests with the Holy See of Rome and the Magisterium of Holy Mother Church to whose judjment we humbly and obediently submit. "Dear children! I rejoice with you and in this time of grace I call you to spiritual renewal. Pray, little children, that the Holy Spirit may come to dwell in you in fullness, so that you may be able to witness in joy to all those who are far from faith. Especially, little children, pray for the gifts of the Holy Spirit so that in the spirit of love, every day and in each situation, you may be closer to your fellow-man; and that in wisdom and love you may overcome every difficulty. I am with you and I intercede for each of you before Jesus. Thank you for having responded to my call." For more on Medjugorje, click on MEDJUGORJE AND MORE

Events that happened today in Church History
  On the same day in 1998 that the 264th successor of Peter, Pope John Paul II, released his 13th encyclical Fides et Ratio on "Faith and Reason," 913 years earlier another great Roman Pontiff Pope Saint Gregory VII, the 157th in the line of Peter who was the holy monk Hildebrand passed on to his Heavenly reward. His pontificate was marked by a great respect for Church discipline and greater status from other nations who came to recognize the power of the Popes and the Papal States largely through the gracious humility, but firmness and sincerity of Gregory VII. For other time capsule events that happened this weekend in Church history, see MILLENNIUM MILESTONES AND MEMORIES

---

We can accept or reject our crosses, but we can't avoid them    They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but the words of Bishop Fulton J. Sheen have been known to launch a thousand images in one's mind, one of the ways this late luminary did so much to evangelize the faith. Because of the urgency of the times and because few there are today who possess the wisdom, simplicity and insight than the late Archbishop who touched millions, we are bringing you daily gems from his writings. The good bishop makes it so simple that we have dubbed this daily series: "SIMPLY SHEEN".

"There are only two things we can do with crosses - carry them or kick against them. We can merge them in God's plan for life and thus make them serve our inner peace and happiness, or we can stumble over them to the glen of weeping. Selfishness is the cause of much mental sickness; otherness, sympathy, forgiveness and self-discipline are the cure."

SHIP LOGS: Total number of visits as of May 25, 2000:        3,575,651 Total number of visits in 1999:        5,345,880 Total number of visits since this daily publication went on line November 1, 1997:        10,689,868

For more details, see DAILY SHIPLOGS

WORLDWIDE CATHOLIC NEWS & VIEWS News Ticker from Catholic World News For more from CWN and other Catholic wire services, see stories below    For headlines and articles while we are on pilgrimage, we suggest you go to the Catholic World News site at the CWN home page and Church News at Noticias Eclesiales and the Dossiers, features and Daily Dispatches from ZENIT International News Agency CWN, NE and ZENIT are not affiliated with the Daily CATHOLIC, but provide this service via e-mail to the Daily CATHOLIC Monday through Friday.