All praise to You, Lord Jesus,
Lover of children:
Bless our family,
And help us to lead our children to You.
Give us light and strength,
And courage when our task is difficult.
Let Your Spirit fill us with love and peace,
So that we may help our children to love You.
All glory and praise are Yours, Lord Jesus,
For ever and ever.
Amen.
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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 8, 2025 / 18:26 pm (CNA).
President Donald Trump announced the U.S. Department of Education will issue new federal guidelines to protect prayer at public schools.
In a Sept. 8 speech to the Religious Liberty Commission, Trump said the new guidelines will “protect the right to prayer in our public schools and [provide for] its total protection.”
“For most of our country’s history, the Bible was found in every classroom in the nation, yet in many schools today, students are instead indoctrinated with anti-religious propaganda,” Trump said.
“Some are even punished for their religious beliefs, and very, very strongly punished — it’s ridiculous,” he added.
The president said he was inspired to authorize the new guidance after hearing about instances of public school students and staff being censored or facing disciplinary action for engaging in prayer, reading the Bible, or publicly expressing their faith in other ways.
Trump specifically referenced Hannah Allen, who was censored by a Texas school for leading a prayer with other students for a peer who had been injured in an accident. According to the First Liberty Institute, which provided her legal representation, the principal ordered the students to be out of the public view if they were praying.
“A few years ago, Hannah organized a group of her classmates to pray for an injured peer,” Trump said. “The school principal declared that Hannah’s generous act of love was prohibited from taking place in front of the other students.”
After correspondence with First Liberty, the school changed its policies and stopped prohibiting students from prayer in the public view as long as the prayer does not disrupt normal school activities, according to the legal group.
Trump noted in his speech that “Hannah very strongly stood her ground and she won.” He said the federal Department of Education is issuing the new guidance “to support students like Hannah.”
“Hannah, I just want to thank you for letting the light of your faith shine for all of those to see,” the president said. “We really appreciate it.”
The commission heard stories from other students who faced similar censorship of their faith, such as an elementary school student who was forced to remove a face mask because it had the words “Jesus loves me” written on it.
Another student spoke about how he was initially told he could not reference God in his valedictorian speech and another elementary school student told the commission about her school initially preventing her from singing a Christian song at a talent show.
In all of these cases, the schools ultimately relented and the students were permitted to practice their faith publicly.
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CNA Staff, Sep 8, 2025 / 18:06 pm (CNA).
A new report from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has found that the Biden administration engaged in a “consistent and systematic pattern of discrimination” against Christians, including Catholics.
The 48-page document, titled “Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias Within the Federal Government,” is the first issued by the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias established by President Donald Trump in February and chaired by Attorney General Pam Bondi.
The task force is charged with ensuring that “any unlawful and improper conduct, policies, or practices that target Christians are identified, terminated, and rectified.”
“The federal government will never again be permitted to turn its power against people of faith,” the report states. “The days of anti-Christian bias in the federal government are over.”
The report fulfills the first mandate the task force received from Trump to provide “an initial assessment of the harm caused when religious liberty is denied.”
It begins by saying that even though Christianity “has not only inspired individuals and transformed the nation … the political, social, and humanitarian contributions of Christians have been devalued, their beliefs marginalized, and their communities unlawfully targeted by their own government.”
“Where there should have been ‘equal justice under law’ there was unequal treatment — policies and practices that singled out Christian people, Christian houses of worship, and Christian convictions for disfavored treatment,” the report continues.
It goes on to highlight instances of alleged bias across federal agencies during the Biden years.
At the DOJ during the Biden administration, the report found a lack of effort to prosecute anti-Christian bias, instead pursuing “novel theories of prosecution” against individuals demonstrating their faith.
A notable example involves the imprisonment of about two dozen Christians, many of them Catholic pro-life activists, under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act for protests outside abortion facilities.
Trump pardoned these individuals upon taking office. In contrast, the report asserts that the Biden DOJ failed to apply the FACE Act to protect places of worship and crisis pregnancy centers from similar disruptions.
In addition, the report flags the FBI’s 2023 memo labeling “radical-traditionalist” Catholics as “domestic terrorism threats” as a particularly egregious instance of bias.
The report also found that the U.S. State Department favored hiring individuals of other religions while discriminating against Christian employees, particularly noting that leave for Christian holidays was less likely to be granted compared with non-Christian ones.
The report criticizes the State Department for seeking to impose “radical LGBTQ gender ideology” on foreign governments and staff, including mandatory use of preferred pronouns and rainbow flags, which it says violated the sincerely held beliefs of many Christian employees.
The task force also accuses the Biden-era State Department of “limited humanitarian relief to Christians relative to other populations” and the administration’s “muted” response to attacks on Christians globally.
The U.S. Department of Defense, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and Department of Labor are also cited for “deprioritizing, mishandling, or denying requests for religious exemptions” to the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, affecting Catholic and other Christian personnel who sought accommodations based on faith-based objections.
Under the Biden administration, the task force found that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development discriminated against Christians by “treating social media posts celebrating Christian holidays, such as Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter, differently than posts celebrating other religious or interest group holidays, including Pride Month, Ramadan, and Diwali by taking down the Christian posts and leaving up the rest.”
The report says the Biden-era Department of Labor closed its Office of Faith-Based Initiatives and replaced it with a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Office.
The report concludes that “the evidence uncovered is unmistakable: During the Biden administration, people of faith, particularly Christians, were repeatedly subjected to anti-religious bias at the hands of their own government.”
The Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias is comprised of representatives from various federal agencies and plans “to investigate the full scope of anti-Christian bias that pervaded the federal government during the Biden administration,” producing a comprehensive follow-up with its findings and recommendations by February 2026.
Read MoreA reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Colossians
2:6-15
Brothers and sisters:
As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him,
rooted in him and built upon him
and established in the faith as you were taught,
abounding in thanksgiving.
See to it that no one captivate you with an empty, seductive philosophy
according to the tradition of men,
according to the elemental powers of the world
and not according to Christ.
For in him dwells the whole fullness of the deity bodily,
and you share in this fullness in him,
who is the head of every principality and power.
In him you were also circumcised
with a circumcision not administered by hand,
by stripping off the carnal body, with the circumcision of Christ.
You were buried with him in baptism,
in which you were also raised with him
through faith in the power of God,
who raised him from the dead.
And even when you were dead in transgressions
and the uncircumcision of your flesh,
he brought you to life along with him,
having forgiven us all our transgressions;
obliterating the bond against us, with its legal claims,
which was opposed to us,
he also removed it from our midst, nailing it to the cross;
despoiling the principalities and the powers,
he made a public spectacle of them,
leading them away in triumph by it.
From the Gospel according to Luke
6:12-19
Jesus departed to the mountain to pray,
and he spent the night in prayer to God.
When day came, he called his disciples to himself,
and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles:
Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew,
James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,
Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus,
Simon who was called a Zealot,
and Judas the son of James,
and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground.
A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people
from all Judea and Jerusalem
and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon
came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases;
and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured.
Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him
because power came forth from him and healed them all.
On the site of the revelation, "the mount", taking initiative that demonstrates absolute awareness and determination, Jesus establishes the Twelve so that, together with him, they are witnesses and heralds of the coming of the Kingdom of God. (…) The number 12, which evidently refers to the 12 tribes of Israel, already reveals the meaning of the prophetic-symbolic action implicit in the new initiative to re-establish the holy people. (…) Thus, the Twelve Apostles are the most evident sign of Jesus’ will regarding the existence and mission of his Church, the guarantee that between Christ and the Church there is no opposition: despite the sins of the people who make up the Church, they are inseparable. Therefore, a slogan that was popular some years back: "Jesus yes, Church no", is totally inconceivable with the intention of Christ. This individualistically chosen Jesus is an imaginary Jesus. We cannot have Jesus without the reality he created and in which he communicates himself. (…) And his very presence in the community, in which he himself is always with us, is the reason for our joy. Yes, Christ is with us, the Kingdom of God is coming. (Pope Benedict XVI, General Audience, 15 March 2006)
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CNA Staff, Sep 8, 2025 / 17:46 pm (CNA).
The Diocese of Madison, Wisconsin, denied accusations of a cover-up following the recent arrest of a Madison priest for alleged sex crimes.
Father Andrew Showers, 37, was arrested last month after an undercover operation by local police found that he allegedly attempted to meet with a 14-year-old girl for sex.
Showers has since been charged with attempted child enticement, attempted use of a computer to facilitate a child sex crime, and attempted second-degree sexual assault of a child under 16 years of age.
In a separate case only recently made public, 23-year-old Patricia Moriarty had filed a police report alleging that Showers sexually assaulted her in January 2024. Moriarty’s father, John Moriarty, reported the incident to the diocese shortly after but did not provide the name of the priest or a copy of the police report, according to the diocese.
The victims advocacy group Nate’s Mission blamed the diocese for mishandling the incident, saying the diocese “failed to act.”
In response, the Madison Diocese provided a timeline of the report, saying its staff had asked for details such as the name of the priest, a copy of the police report, and the investigating police department but had not received a response from the father of the victim.
“Had we known that Father Showers was the priest in question behind the 2024 allegation, immediate action could and would have been taken,” the diocese stated.
In response, Nate’s Mission called the diocese’s statement “a textbook example of victim-blaming.”
“To suggest that Ms. Moriarty and her father are responsible for the Church’s failure to act because they did not feel comfortable with diocesan reporting procedures is deeply offensive,” the Sept. 6 statement read.
In the statement, Nate’s Mission also brought up a previous incident with Showers in 2021, which the diocese had omitted in its first response to the revelations about Showers.
Showers reportedly had “questioned a middle-school child about masturbation and pornography,” according to the advocacy organization. The boy’s parents reported the incident, which happened during confession, to both the diocese and the police, who determined that no criminal activity had occurred.
In regards to his daughter’s assault, John Moriarty said the diocese “had more than enough to act if they wanted to.”
“My daughter deserved protection, and so did every other person Father Showers came into contact with after my call,” the victim’s father said in a Sept. 6 statement. “The diocese failed us — and they failed the public.”
In a recent letter to the diocese, Bishop Donald Hying of Madison praised the victim for coming forward and said he was “heartbroken by the harm and distress that has been caused by the alleged actions of one of our priests.”
But Hying also said that Nate’s Mission “painted a scandalous version of events that is simply not true.”
“Regarding this latest allegation, had we known the identity of the priest being accused of this abusive misconduct, he would have been removed from active public ministry immediately,” Hying said in the Sept. 6 letter.
The diocese will not be funding Showers’ legal expenses nor will it be providing him legal representation, according to the letter.
“Be assured that I have not and will not excuse or defend any member of the clergy who commits sexual abuse of any kind,” Hying said.
Showers was released from custody after posting a cash bond. His initial court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 30. If he is found guilty, he faces up to 50 years in prison.
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A woman ahead of her time – 
For many years, our religious community was best known in the United States as half of a college sports parody comparing the worst teams to the Little Sisters of the Poor. Since 2013, we have been in the limelight for a completely different reason as we found ourselves involved in a lawsuit against the federal government over the HHS Contraceptive Mandate. After 12 years and three victories at the Supreme Court, we were in the news once again this summer as a U.S. District Court in Pennsylvania vacated our hard-won religious exemption in this case. We are grateful for the
Bishop Serratelli happily marks 25 years since episcopal ordination – 
Above all, Bishop Emeritus Arthur J. Serratelli has considered himself a priest and teacher first — even when his long and varied ministry led him to assume significant leadership roles in the Church as a bishop. Today, Sept. 8, Bishop Serratelli, 81, rejoices as he celebrates the 25th anniversary of his episcopal ordination. He was ordained an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Newark in New Jersey on Sept. 8, 2000, in the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark. Later, Bishop Serratelli moved to the Diocese of Paterson, also in New Jersey, where he was installed as its
An interest in astronomy may strike early in life or later. Regardless of what lit the fire of that interest, you need knowledge to help you understand the universe. Some of the most important sources of information are the many beginner’s guides on astronomy. No matter what form these guides may take, they provide theContinue reading “Top 15 guide books for astronomy beginners”
The post Top 15 guide books for astronomy beginners appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
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RACINE, WI — Jim and Linda Stevenson were in for a shock at this year’s teachers’ meetings when their son’s third-grade teacher informed them of how responsible, respectful, and kind their child was while at school.
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GULF OF MEXICO — In a compromise intended to silence critics of the Trump Administration’s aggressive stance against drug traffickers, the U.S. Navy airdropped a public defender onto a drug boat to give cartel members due process.
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| Picture of the day |
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A caterpillar of the spurge hawk moth (Hyles euphorbiae), photographed in the Scrivia riverbed, in Novi Ligure, Piedmont, Italy. The larvae of this Europiean hawk moth eat the leaves and bracts of the leafy spurge (Euphorbia virgata), which gives the species its common name.
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CNA Staff, Sep 8, 2025 / 12:37 pm (CNA).
One of the nation’s largest sexual abuse settlements unfolded in a federal bankruptcy court in Rochester, New York, on Friday, bringing about resolution for the nearly 500 survivors of child sex abuse by clergy within the Diocese of Rochester.
After a six-year legal battle, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of New York approved a $246 million settlement, which will average approximately $500,000 per survivor.
The settlement concludes a process that began when the diocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2019 following the passage of the New York Child Victims Act, which allows abuse victims to file civil lawsuits until they are 55 years old. The law temporarily lifted the statute of limitations, enabling survivors to pursue claims against their abusers.
Bankruptcy attorney Ilan Scharf described the day as a “milestone for survivors in the Rochester area after being the first bankruptcy filed in New York” after the passage of the Child Victims Act.
Survivors expressed a mix of emotions, with many ready to move forward.
Gregory Stanley noted: “The healing can start now, which is more important than the money. I’m just glad it’s over.” Merle Sweet echoed this sentiment, saying: “Relief. It’s all finally over,” while John McHugh added: “I am actually, for the first time, excited for the future.”
Attorney Mitchell Garabedian, representing 97 victims, emphasized the survivors’ resilience, stating in a press release that the process validated their experiences and contributed to a safer world for children, setting an example of determination for others globally.
Survivor Carol Dupre shared the profound impact on her community. “This was a real wounding of a lot of people and their families. There’s literally thousands upon thousands of people that have been negatively affected by what happened to us,” she said.
Bishop Salvatore Matano of the Diocese of Rochester addressed the media after the settlement, offering a message of hope and regret. “I pray that this is certainly a step toward their healing,” he said of the victims. “I apologize to them. I deeply regret what transpired in their lives, which, as the judge said, never should have happened.”
He continued: “While this process legally concludes today, I take them in my heart every day of my life, and every time I approach the altar, they will be in my memory, asking the good Lord to give them the strength and the courage to continue on, and that they be blessed in the years ahead.”
Matano issued a letter the same day in which he said the “settlement provisions can be effectuated” in the next several weeks. Of the $246 million settlement, $55 million will be paid by the diocese and affiliated entities, according to the letter, and the rest by the diocese’s insurers.
The bishop concluded the letter addressing abusers, saying he entrusts “them to Jesus, the final judge, and I pray they have acknowledged their offenses and used their remaining years to seek his mercy and have prayed fervently for those they have hurt.”
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The Supreme Court on Monday smacked down a Biden-appointed judge and allowed the Trump Administration to resume sweeping immigration raids.
The post BREAKING: Supreme Court Bats Down Biden Judge, Allows Trump to Resume Sweeping Immigration Raids appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is not having a happy morning after President Trump absolutely destroyed her with a hilarious video on Truth Social that is now going viral.
The post WATCH: “My Trades Are Sh*t…Been Drinking a Lot More…Husband’s Still in Love with a Homeless Hammer Guy” – Trump Sets Internet Ablaze with Hilarious Nancy Pelosi AI Video appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Click here to watch: The topic at top-of-mind for millions of Americans is crime.
The post Crime Comes in Many Forms in America — Can President Trump Fix It Beyond DC? appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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From one bishop to another: Happy 25th anniversary as bishop! – 
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Twenty-five years ago today, on Sept. 8, the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in the Great Jubilee Year of 2000, our Bishop Emeritus, +Arthur J. Serratelli, was ordained a bishop. Today, we wish Bishop Serratelli a very happy 25th anniversary, Ad Multos Annos!! We thank God, especially for Bishop Serratelli’s 16 years of dedicated, faithful, and loving service, from 2004 to 2020, as bishop of our Diocese of Paterson, and we pray that God gives him many, many more happy and healthy years, continuing to serve as bishop emeritus. For
CNA Staff, Sep 8, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
Suffocation awaited a young man with Down syndrome when the eroded surface of a toxic sewage tank crumbled beneath his feet.
Joseph Vander Woude would have died alone in the cramped tank surrounded by toxic fumes, but his father jumped in, pushing him toward the surface with his last breath.
Even as his lungs filled with toxic gases, Tom called out to the farmhand who was trying to pull Joseph out.
“You pull, I’ll push,” he said.
Tom eventually faded into unconsciousness, still propping Joseph up until emergency responders pulled them both out of the 7-foot-deep tank.
By the time they did, Tom was dead.
It was Sept. 8, 2008, when Tom, 66, left behind his wife and seven sons. But Tom’s legacy wouldn’t end there.
Seventeen years later, a group of Catholics is now working with the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, to open his cause for sainthood.
“You’re shocked that he’s gone, and you miss him, and you don’t know what’s going to replace that void, if it ever will be replaced,” his fifth son, Chris Vander Woude, told CNA. “But then you’re like, that’s a hero.”
More than 1,500 people attended Tom’s funeral Mass, including the local bishop, more than 75 priests, and more than 60 altar boys.
Tom’s story continues to resonate. A guild founded in his name is interviewing those who knew him, while the diocese has named a postulator and vice postulator to investigate his cause for sainthood.
Depending on what they find, his case could go to Rome.
In the Catholic Church, three things can put you on the path to sainthood: martyrdom, heroic virtue, and now — after a 2017 move by Pope Francis to expand sainthood — a sacrificial death.
Keith Henderson never knew Tom, but as he learned about him, he was inspired to found the Tom Vander Woude Guild that is advocating for his cause by sharing his story. Alongside the guild, the Diocese of Arlington has taken several preliminary steps to open his cause, including naming a postulator and vice postulator, who are investigating and promoting the cause.
As Henderson has learned more about Tom, he found that “his entire life was one of tremendous faith and selfless service to everyone he met.”
“His selfless life and death serve as a model for how laypeople can pursue holiness in the 21st century,” he told CNA.
“He was very joyful. His charity abounds,” Chris added. “He was always helping people.”
But at the same time, Tom was ordinary.
Chris remembers his dad as “quiet” and more of a “St. Joseph character.” Born on April 24, 1942, Tom was a “South Dakota farmer boy” who married his high school sweetheart, Mary Ellen. It was a “country boy meets city girl” type of love story, Chris said.
Tom would go on to become many more things — math whiz, Navy pilot, commercial pilot, farmer, father, and now, potential saint.
“He was just an ordinary sort of a guy who made an extraordinary impact in so many ways, and on so many people during his life,” Henderson said.
By all accounts, Tom was a busy man: a commercial pilot with a demanding schedule, an attentive father of seven, and a dedicated farmer.
But Tom attended daily Mass often, prayed the rosary every day, and made a weekly Holy Hour from 2 to 3 a.m. — odd hours due to his flying schedule.
“Dad was the unquestioned leader and protector of the family, and he led spiritually, too,” Chris said. “No matter what dad did that day, if it was flying or farming, he was on his knees saying the rosary.”
For Chris it has been “surreal” to share his father’s story. People are praying for his father’s intercession in all sorts of scenarios — often related to having a child with special needs, Chris said.
Tom’s third-oldest son, Dan Vander Woude, recalled how Tom went out of his way to ensure that Joseph, affectionately known as “Josie” by his family, was included.
When he was young, part of Joseph’s physical therapy entailed crawling on the ground. Tom was right there with him, crawling on the floor.
When a grown-up Dan asked his father to coach a JV basketball team, Tom was all in — as long as Joseph could be there, too.
“I thought Joseph would simply do the warm-ups with the team and cheer them on from the bench,” Dan recalled.
But to Dan’s surprise, during one basketball game, Tom had convinced the other coach and the referees to let Joseph play.
“Joseph went into the game and wasted no time getting a couple of fouls and chucking up some long shots,” Dan said. “Joseph was beaming because Dad had given him the opportunity to play in a real game.”
“I was deeply moved that my dad was always committed to getting Joseph off the sidelines and into the game — in basketball and all areas of life,” Dan said.
After the sewage tank accident, Joseph spent several days at the hospital recovering. Healthy now, Joseph takes care of his 81-year-old mother on the family farm.
“Seventeen years later, Joseph actually takes care of Mom,” Chris said. “It’s just amazing to see God’s plan and providence.”
Joseph carries the groceries, gets the door for his mom, and offers her his arm when she needs it.
“You always see Joseph and mom together — very similar to early on, you always saw Joseph and dad together in his last few years,” Chris said.
Tom’s family continues to grow, with 39 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. His eldest son, Father Tom Vander Woude, is a Catholic priest.
Chris had decided to spread his father’s story after telling it to a parish in Boston one day.
“Many people were crying,” he recalled. “They were on the edge of their seats. A lot of it resonates with them.”
“Knowing that people were grateful for being able to hear the story — that was a big catalyst,” he said. “If they were grateful, there’s probably a lot of other people out there that would love to hear his story.”
Since then, Chris is set on sharing his father’s story. In addition to several podcasts and talks he has given at local Virginia parishes and in Maryland, he plans to speak at parishes in Virginia, Indiana, Ohio, Texas, New York City, and several other states.
“He’s a very humble man, so he’s probably not very happy with all the notoriety,” Chris said.
Tom wasn’t one to turn a phrase, but Chris does remember a simple saying of his dad’s. Tom used to say: “Just do the right thing,” Chris recalled. “Usually, that’s pretty simple. We’re the ones that make it more complicated by thinking of all the different circumstances or possibilities.”
“Dad never aimed to do anything extraordinary. He just aimed to live every day as best he can,” Chris said. “And so I think that’s an example for all of us.”
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New young saints encourage faithful to live life to the full, pope says – 
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The greatest risk in life is to waste it by not seeking to follow God’s plan, Pope Leo XIV said, proclaiming two new saints — two young laymen of the 20th and 21st centuries. “Sts. Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis are an invitation to all of us, especially young people, not to squander our lives, but to direct them upward and make them masterpieces,” the pope said Sept. 7. “The simple but winning formula of their holiness,” he said, is accessible to everyone at any time. “They encourage us with their words: ‘Not I, but
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