The Soulful Catholic Blog

More than 1,000 people showed up at Xavier College Preparatory May 3 to hear Fr. Douglas Bazi speak. In a one-hour talk that help the audience spellbound, Fr. Douglas told the story of his capture and torture at the hands of jihadists. Read the article in The Catholic...

What an amazing privilege: last summer I was asked to travel to El Cajon, California, to write about the Chaldean Catholic community. My trip coincided with the ordination of two men to the priesthood: Fr. David Stephan and Fr. Royal Hannoush. The Catholic Near East...

I'm excited to say that my interview with Fr. Andriy Chirovsky, a Ukrainian Catholic priest, was picked up by Catholic News Service today. Fr. Chirovsky was ordained by a bishop who spent 18 years in a Soviet concentration camp in Siberia. Eighteen YEARS! The Soviets...

Hidden Treasure A couple of weeks ago I interviewed Fr. Carlos Martins, CC, one of only three people in North America who is authorized to authenticate relics of the saints. Shortly after “A Martyr’s Crown” was published, I went to visit an elderly neighbor I’ve known...

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What people are saying about Joyce's presentation: "Joyce speaks with a prayerful fervor that deeply touches people.  Her strong faith and care for others is very evident in her talks and personal interactions.  Joyce is an incredible witness of perseverance through...

Catholic priest Martyred for the faith   Fr. Ragheed Ganni, pray for us! Come to an inspiring presentation by longtime Catholic Sun columnist Joyce Coronel and learn about this holy Chaldean Catholic priest, Fr. Ragheed Ganni, martyred in Iraq for the faith.  His...

At the most, it would be an ordinary, one-hour interview. At least that’s what I thought when I sat down to meet with Msgr. Felix Shabi to write about the two Chaldean Catholic congregations he leads in the Valley. “Our Church is a Church of martyrs,” he told me. For...

Christians in the Holy Land By Joyce Coronel The Catholic Sun For most people in the United States, the Holy Land is a far-off, mystical place — something they might hear about in the news, but only vaguely understand. It may come as a shock to learn, for example,...

Chaldeans endure despite 2,000 years of persecution By Joyce Coronel The Catholic Sun Msgr. Felix Shabi has a heartfelt plea for his fellow Catholics. The Iraqi-born priest is pastor of two burgeoning communities of Chaldeans in the Valley — communities most Arizonans...

“Martyrs for Christ are not just part of ancient history. They are a treasured part of the Church today, and their numbers are increasing. In her first novel, Joyce Coronel opens a window into the faith that inspires martyrs and transforms even the not so faithful....

2018 and 2019 speaking engagements were held at St. Timothy Parish in Mesa, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Tempe and St. James Parish in Glendale. In 2017, Joyce spoke in Denver at St. Mary Magdalene Parish. 2016 SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS: February 25, Holy Rosary...

We’ll be assembling a crèche in our First Communion catechism class on Sunday. Some of the children are recent arrivals from Iraq, so they may not have a nativity set at home. A couple weeks ago,  I was talking with them about how Jesus teaches us to forgive those who...

When Jesus wanted to make a point, he told a good story. That’s because when you merely tell someone information or tell them what to think, they tend to forget it. Ah, but tell them a story with believable heroes they fall in love, a villain they despise, and now...