Northwest Indiana Catholic | Diocese of Gary

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Firing squad as new execution method draws serious concerns

Senate Bill 11

Father Jon Plavcan, pastor of St. Patrick Catholic Community, and Susan Hadenfelt, St. Patrick School principal, pose together with Father Plavcan’s certificate he received after the pair completed Chesterton Police Department’s Citizens Police Academy. (Deacon Bob Wellinski photo)

Citizens police academy allows pastor and principal to experience police life

Walking In Their Shoes

Getty Images/Kara Gebhardt

As new year starts, priests encourage faithful to make spirituality a resolution

Building a Closer Relationship with God

The leading throng of mainly Catholic youth carry a pro-life banner near Monument Circle during the Indiana March for Life on Jan. 22 in Indianapolis. The state march, in its eighth year, is a localized version of the National March for Life, which, since 1974, has brought together millions of concerned Americans who wish to publicly proclaim the Gospel of Life – to establish legal protections for the unborn from abortion and promote a womb-to-tomb respect for human life. (Anthony D. Alonzo photo)

Faithful to rally for sanctity of all human life at various events throughout January

Praying for an End to Abortion

Father Michael Hoffman

St. Paul celebrates life of former associate pastor

Father Michael J. Hoffman (1942-2025)

Adam White of the Music Ministry at St. Maria Goretti in Dyer, leads children on a musical procession to teach them about movement during the Christmas Vacation Bible Day on Dec. 29. They also sang “Go Tel It On The Mountain,” “Silent Night” and “Joy to the World” to celebrate Jesus Christ’s birth. (Marlene A. Zloza photo)

Children celebrate Jesus’ birthday by learning to shine their light

Christmas Vacation Bible Day

Nation & World

Matt Stommes works with his twin daughters, Etta and Esme, at at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis Jan. 10, 2026, for FletcherFest in honor of Fletcher Merkel, who died in an Aug. 27, 2025, shooting during an all-school Mass at Annunciation Church in south Minneapolis. The event featured food, games and socializing as people celebrated Fletcher's life. (OSV News photo/Dave Hrbacek, The Catholic Spirit)

FletcherFest celebrates young legacy of student killed in shooting at all-school Mass

Archbishop Mor Anthimos Jack Yakoub, the Syriac Orthodox patriarchal vicar for Jerusalem, Jordan and the Holy Land, stands in front of the restored ancient altar in the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchal Monastery of St. Mark in Jerusalem Jan. 11, 2026, after an intensive two-year restoration process. (OSV News photo/Debbie Hill)

Historic altar at St. Mark's monastery in Jerusalem unveiled for first time in 350 years

Pope Leo XIV greets visitors in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican as they gather to pray the Angelus, Jan. 11, 2026. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

Baptism provides light in darkness, gateway to heaven, pope says