8 Catholic universities get ready to compete in NCAA men's basketball tournament
http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=Catholic-News&view=post&articleid=283104&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
Ryan Kalkbrenner and the Creighton Bluejays are back in the 2025 NCAA men's basketball tournament, one of eight Catholic universities competing in this year's March Madness. / Credit: Nicholas Muller/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesCNA Staff, Mar 18, 2025 / 15:10 pm (CNA).The NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament kicks off March 18 and this year's tournament includes eight Catholic universities competing for the championship title. They are: Creighton University, Gonzaga University, Marquette University, Xavier University, St. John's University, Saint Mary's College, Saint Francis University, and Mount St. Mary's University.Several of these Catholic institutions are making history with their participation in the tournament this year. The Red Flash from Saint Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania, clinched their spot in the big dance when they beat the top team in their conference, Central Connecticut State University (CCSU), 46-43 on March 11. This victory ea...
Ryan Kalkbrenner and the Creighton Bluejays are back in the 2025 NCAA men's basketball tournament, one of eight Catholic universities competing in this year's March Madness. / Credit: Nicholas Muller/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
CNA Staff, Mar 18, 2025 / 15:10 pm (CNA).
The NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament kicks off March 18 and this year's tournament includes eight Catholic universities competing for the championship title. They are: Creighton University, Gonzaga University, Marquette University, Xavier University, St. John's University, Saint Mary's College, Saint Francis University, and Mount St. Mary's University.
Several of these Catholic institutions are making history with their participation in the tournament this year.
The Red Flash from Saint Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania, clinched their spot in the big dance when they beat the top team in their conference, Central Connecticut State University (CCSU), 46-43 on March 11. This victory earned them their first NCAA Tournament in 34 years.
During a crucial moment in the final seconds of the conference title game, Red Flash coach Rob Krimmel turned to his faith.
According to CBS Sports, Krimmel had written on his play card three phrases: "audience of one," "surrender," and "thy will be done." So, when CCSU tied the game with 17 seconds left, instead of calling for a timeout, Krimmel reminded himself of the phrases on his play card, encouraging his team to go make the plays they needed to make.
The Saint Francis Red Flash will be playing their first game of the tournament against the Alabama State Red Hornets on March 18.
Another team making history with their participation in March Madness is St. John's University from New York. St. John's Red Storm won the Big East Tournament title on March 15 for the first time in 25 years when the team beat Creighton University 82-66.
Their first game in the tournament will be against the University of Nebraska-Omaha on March 20.
The Marquette Golden Eagles received their fourth consecutive invite to the big dance during the NCAA's Selection Sunday on March 16. Senior guard Stevie Mitchell, who is preparing to play in his fourth March Madness, sees basketball as a tool to inspire the next generation and leave a lasting impact. Last summer, Mitchell hosted a free youth basketball camp at his high school in Pennsylvania.
"To see how grateful they are for us, it really puts life into perspective. They don't care how the game went," he told the NCAA. "The kids who look up to us, they obviously want us to win, but they don't really care how the game goes, they just see inspiration in us. And as long as we can live up to that night in and night out, we'll be proud of whatever we do, whatever outcome may be, because it's so much bigger than basketball."
He continued: "The more time we spend in the community, the more we realize that and the more we're just able to help give back and just make the place around us a better place. I think that's the greatest thing you can do as a basketball player, or anybody really, is just make the world around you a better place," he added.
Marquette will face the University of New Mexico in their first-round game on March 21.
The games for the other Catholic universities competing are: Creighton University will face the University of Louisville on March 20; Gongzaga will play the University of Georgia Bulldogs on March 20; the Xavier Musketeers will face off against the University of Texas Longhorns on March 19; Mount St. Mary's will face American University on March 19; and the Saint Mary's Gaels will compete against Vanderbilt on March 21.
Full Article
http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=Catholic-News&url=10&view=post&articleid=284197&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks on the U.S. opioid crisis at the Rx and Illicit Drug Summit in Nashville, Tennessee, on April 23, 2025. / Credit: SETH HERALD/AFP via Getty ImagesWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Apr 23, 2025 / 17:26 pm (CNA).The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) hosted the inaugural meeting this week of a new task force to counter anti-Christian bias in federal government policies, regulations, and practices."Protecting Christians from bias is not favoritism," Attorney General Pam Bondi said ahead of the meeting. "It's upholding the rule of law and fulfilling the constitutional promise [in the First Amendment]."The task force's first meeting on Tuesday was closed to the public and the media but included the heads of multiple federal departments and agencies along with witnesses who provided testimony on anti-Christian bias within the federal government.President Donald Trump formally established the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias on Feb. 6 by e...
http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=Catholic-News&url=10&view=post&articleid=284194&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
Assets sold to help pay a massive clergy sex abuse settlement in the Diocese of Buffalo, New York, include the diocese's former headquarters, pictured here, in downtown Buffalo. / Credit: Warren LeMay/Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0CNA Staff, Apr 23, 2025 / 11:00 am (CNA).The Diocese of Buffalo, New York, will pay out a massive $150 million sum as part of a settlement with victims of clergy sexual abuse there. The diocese said in a press release that the diocese itself, along with parishes and affiliates, would provide the payment "to survivors of sexual abuse for acts perpetrated against them by clergy, religious, lay employees, and volunteers." The settlement amount was still set to be voted on by abuse victims and approved by U.S. bankruptcy court, but the proposal has been accepted by the committee of abuse survivors in the suit, the diocese said. The settlement "represents an essential milestone on this protracted and arduous journey, and importantly, enables us to fina...
http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=Catholic-News&url=10&view=post&articleid=284193&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
German bishops gather in Rome on Nov. 17, 2022. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNACNA Staff, Apr 23, 2025 / 12:00 pm (CNA).The German Catholic bishops have published a handout that offers guidance to pastors on blessings for couples in "irregular" situations such as same-sex relationships, urging clergy to use the blessings to "express appreciation" for individuals seeking the recognition from Catholic priests. The handout, "Blessings for Couples Who Love Each Other," was distributed earlier this month by the joint conference of members of the German Bishops' Conference (DBK) and the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK).The guidance cites Fiducia Supplicans, the Vatican document published in 2023 that was approved by Pope Francis. The German document allows for "blessings" of homosexual couples and other extramarital arrangements. It was first reported on by CNA Deutsch, CNA's German-language news partner. "Non-church married couples, divorced and remarried couples, a...