Tens of thousands of tourists flock to Ireland each year for the St. Patrick’s Day Festival. But in the midst of the concerts, parades and art installations, one figure is strikingly absent—Patrick himself.

During the nearly two-hour liturgy, Cardinal McElroy encouraged the faithful of his new archdiocese to be “pilgrims of hope in a wounded world.”

A Reflection for Thursday of the First Week of Lent, by James T. Keane

A Reflection for Wednesday of the First Week of Lent, by Grace Lenahan

The pope's doctors confirmed that his life is no longer in imminent danger but said he will have to remain in the hospital for some time, without specifying how long.

In lowering the standard age for confirmation, the Archbishop of Baltimore hopes to provide children with the opportunity to deepen their faith at a formative stage in their spiritual journey.