God – United Yam

Bishops discuss faith formation before National Catholic Youth Conference #Catholic

Organizers of Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming digital dialogue with young people Nov. 21 at the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis speak to the media at the site of the United States Catholic Bishops’ Conference Fall Plenary Assembly in Baltimore on Nov. 12, 2025. Left to right: Cardinal Christophe Pierre, papal nuncio to the United States; Montse Alvarado, president and COO of EWTN News; Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez, Archdiocese of Philadelphia; Christina Lamas, executive director of National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry; and Archbishop Charles Thompson, Archdiocese of Indianapolis. / Credit: Shannon Mullen/National Catholic Register

Baltimore, Maryland, Nov 17, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).
Bishops discussed young Catholics’ place in the Church ahead of the National Catholic Youth Conference.At the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Fall Plenary Assembly in Baltimore, bishops spoke about the young generation as many prepare to attend NCYC. The conference will take place Nov. 20–22 in Indianapolis for prayer, community, evangelization, and service among Catholic teenagers.During NCYC, Pope Leo XIV will hold a digital dialogue with teens from across the nation. “When the pope speaks, he speaks to the world, and this will be a wonderful, wonderful moment. This encounter will engage young people in real time,” said Archbishop Nelson Pérez of Philadelphia. At a Nov. 12 press conference at the USCCB fall plenary, Pérez said “there is a deep significance to this encounter.” He added: “It reflects the Holy Father’s desire to connect with young people, with our youth, whom his predecessor … Pope Francis, called ‘the now of God.’”Pérez said during his time as a priest and bishop, he has noticed teenagers “want a place in the Church.” He said: “They want to be seen, heard, and valued, which is so beautiful ... They want to be loved by the Church.”“Even in today’s interconnected world, the Church can seem far away from young people. The Holy Father’s choice to encounter the American youth ... is an expression of his closeness to the youth of the world.”“This moment will mark a powerful opportunity for young people to witness the beauty of the universal Church with our Holy Father and to express their concerns, voices, experience, [and] what’s in their hearts,” Pérez said.Bishop Joseph Espaillat, auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of New York, has attended NCYC more than a dozen times. He told CNA “the energy and the vibrancy of the young people” is why he returns each year.“It’s not just the local parish or the local diocese, but it’s the national Church and there’s something powerful when we come together,” Espaillat said.This year’s event is “the first time ever the Holy Father has a live online interview like this,” at NCYC, Espaillat said. “What I love about it is that the Church in the United States is leading right now. The young people being the focus with our Holy Father is going to be great, and it’s going to produce a lot of positive energy in our Church.”Espaillat encouraged attendees “to be open and allow yourself to be surprised by the Holy Spirit.” He added: “Don’t go in with a preconceived notion. It is a great event in which there are many, many fruits. I’ve seen young people just come to life at the event.”Youth draw closer to the ChurchAs thousands of teenagers plan to gather at the national conference, U.S. bishops further explained why so many young Catholics are looking to the Church. A number of bishops highlighted the Catholic presence on social media is helping to draw them in.Bishop William Byrne of Springfield, Massachusetts, told CNA the exponential growth of young Catholics coming to the Church is “amazing and exciting.” Byrne, who served as chair for the USCCB’s committee on communications, detailed how much its online presence has grown its outreach to the young generation and wider population. “Beginning with the illness of our beloved Pope Francis, through the funeral, and then the transition to Pope Leo, we’ve actually had a 226% growth in our social media on the four platforms we use — TikTok, Instagram, X, and YouTube,” he said.“The amazing thing is, it’s still growing. It means that people are seeing it, sharing it,” Byrne said. He specifically noted it’s the “young people” spreading the message online. “So we see that we are reaching people,” Byrne said. “But our goal is not to get people locked on their phones. Our goal is to get people locked on Jesus Christ and have the impression be Jesus Christ and his bride, the Church.”“This is an exciting time. It’s not without its challenges, but it’s also a wonderful opportunity,” Byrne said. “We’re reaching young people who are curious and hungry. It’s so exciting to see the Church continue to speak to the world, because the Church has never lost her relevance.”The start of the Catholic online presence followed the movement of the new atheists, Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, said. He told CNA the movement was made up of “people who were really shaping the culture, saying: ‘There’s no purpose of life. We come from nowhere. We go nowhere. There’s no objective moral value.’”“A lot of people, myself included, began to get on social media with a religious voice,” Barron said. “People who had not heard a religious voice or who were disaffiliated … could find people like me and many others who were actually talking about God and about religion.”“But I think as a whole generation came of age, they realized what a desperately sad and empty message that is,” Barron said. “There’s this hunger in the heart for God, and so that just reasserts itself. I think a lot of younger people who were raised on this very vapid philosophy began to look to religion.”As more young Catholics get involved in youth formation whether in their parishes or at larger gatherings like NCYC, Barron said he encourages them to use the opportunities to “build community and build a sense of family with other believers.”Barron, who is the founder of the Catholic media organization Word on Fire, has gained nearly 3 million YouTube subscribers and millions of other followers across social media platforms. But, he said, “one drawback of social media is that it’s a little private world. It can be a lot of people accessing it, but privately.”“Maybe through social media an individual finds a path to religion, but then to look around a room and see thousands of other people that are on a similar path — that’s a great thing,” Barron said.

unitedyam November 17, 2025

Organizers of Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming digital dialogue with young people Nov. 21 at the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis speak to the media at the site of the United States Catholic Bishops’ Conference Fall Plenary Assembly in Baltimore on Nov. 12, 2025. Left to right: Cardinal Christophe Pierre, papal nuncio to the United States; Montse Alvarado, president and COO of EWTN News; Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez, Archdiocese of Philadelphia; Christina Lamas, executive director of National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry; and Archbishop Charles Thompson, Archdiocese of Indianapolis. / Credit: Shannon Mullen/National Catholic Register

Baltimore, Maryland, Nov 17, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Bishops discussed young Catholics’ place in the Church ahead of the National Catholic Youth Conference.

At the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Fall Plenary Assembly in Baltimore, bishops spoke about the young generation as many prepare to attend NCYC. The conference will take place Nov. 20–22 in Indianapolis for prayer, community, evangelization, and service among Catholic teenagers.

During NCYC, Pope Leo XIV will hold a digital dialogue with teens from across the nation. “When the pope speaks, he speaks to the world, and this will be a wonderful, wonderful moment. This encounter will engage young people in real time,” said Archbishop Nelson Pérez of Philadelphia.

At a Nov. 12 press conference at the USCCB fall plenary, Pérez said “there is a deep significance to this encounter.” He added: “It reflects the Holy Father’s desire to connect with young people, with our youth, whom his predecessor … Pope Francis, called ‘the now of God.’”

Pérez said during his time as a priest and bishop, he has noticed teenagers “want a place in the Church.” He said: “They want to be seen, heard, and valued, which is so beautiful … They want to be loved by the Church.”

“Even in today’s interconnected world, the Church can seem far away from young people. The Holy Father’s choice to encounter the American youth … is an expression of his closeness to the youth of the world.”

“This moment will mark a powerful opportunity for young people to witness the beauty of the universal Church with our Holy Father and to express their concerns, voices, experience, [and] what’s in their hearts,” Pérez said.

Bishop Joseph Espaillat, auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of New York, has attended NCYC more than a dozen times. He told CNA “the energy and the vibrancy of the young people” is why he returns each year.

“It’s not just the local parish or the local diocese, but it’s the national Church and there’s something powerful when we come together,” Espaillat said.

This year’s event is “the first time ever the Holy Father has a live online interview like this,” at NCYC, Espaillat said. “What I love about it is that the Church in the United States is leading right now. The young people being the focus with our Holy Father is going to be great, and it’s going to produce a lot of positive energy in our Church.”

Espaillat encouraged attendees “to be open and allow yourself to be surprised by the Holy Spirit.” He added: “Don’t go in with a preconceived notion. It is a great event in which there are many, many fruits. I’ve seen young people just come to life at the event.”

Youth draw closer to the Church

As thousands of teenagers plan to gather at the national conference, U.S. bishops further explained why so many young Catholics are looking to the Church. A number of bishops highlighted the Catholic presence on social media is helping to draw them in.

Bishop William Byrne of Springfield, Massachusetts, told CNA the exponential growth of young Catholics coming to the Church is “amazing and exciting.” Byrne, who served as chair for the USCCB’s committee on communications, detailed how much its online presence has grown its outreach to the young generation and wider population.

“Beginning with the illness of our beloved Pope Francis, through the funeral, and then the transition to Pope Leo, we’ve actually had a 226% growth in our social media on the four platforms we use — TikTok, Instagram, X, and YouTube,” he said.

“The amazing thing is, it’s still growing. It means that people are seeing it, sharing it,” Byrne said. He specifically noted it’s the “young people” spreading the message online.

“So we see that we are reaching people,” Byrne said. “But our goal is not to get people locked on their phones. Our goal is to get people locked on Jesus Christ and have the impression be Jesus Christ and his bride, the Church.”

“This is an exciting time. It’s not without its challenges, but it’s also a wonderful opportunity,” Byrne said. “We’re reaching young people who are curious and hungry. It’s so exciting to see the Church continue to speak to the world, because the Church has never lost her relevance.”

The start of the Catholic online presence followed the movement of the new atheists, Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, said. He told CNA the movement was made up of “people who were really shaping the culture, saying: ‘There’s no purpose of life. We come from nowhere. We go nowhere. There’s no objective moral value.’”

“A lot of people, myself included, began to get on social media with a religious voice,” Barron said. “People who had not heard a religious voice or who were disaffiliated … could find people like me and many others who were actually talking about God and about religion.”

“But I think as a whole generation came of age, they realized what a desperately sad and empty message that is,” Barron said. “There’s this hunger in the heart for God, and so that just reasserts itself. I think a lot of younger people who were raised on this very vapid philosophy began to look to religion.”

As more young Catholics get involved in youth formation whether in their parishes or at larger gatherings like NCYC, Barron said he encourages them to use the opportunities to “build community and build a sense of family with other believers.”

Barron, who is the founder of the Catholic media organization Word on Fire, has gained nearly 3 million YouTube subscribers and millions of other followers across social media platforms. But, he said, “one drawback of social media is that it’s a little private world. It can be a lot of people accessing it, but privately.”

“Maybe through social media an individual finds a path to religion, but then to look around a room and see thousands of other people that are on a similar path — that’s a great thing,” Barron said.

CNA explains: Why does the Catholic Church prohibit ‘gay marriage’? #Catholic

null / Credit: Daniel Jedzura/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Nov 17, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
Slightly over 10 years after it redefined marriage to include same-sex couples, the U.S. Supreme Court on Nov. 10 declined to revisit that controversial decision, upholding at least for now its ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges that made “gay marriage” the law of the land.A decade after that ruling, nearly a million same-sex couples in the U.S. are participating in what the law now defines as marriage. Yet the Catholic Church has continued to affirm the definition of marriage as being exclusively a union between a man and a woman. That has been the prevailing definition of marriage around the world for at least about 5,000 years of human history, though many societies have allowed polygamy, or multiple spouses, in various forms. The same-sex variant of marriage, meanwhile, only became accepted in recent decades. The Church has held since its beginning that marriage is strictly between one man and one woman. The Catechism of the Catholic Church directs that marriage occurs when “a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life.” It is “by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring.”Church Fathers and theologians from the earliest days of Catholicism have consistently upheld that marriage is meant to be a lifelong, permanent union between one man and one woman, with St. Augustine explicitly naming “offspring” as one of the blessings of marriage, along with “fidelity” and “the sacramental bond.”Gay marriage a ‘misnomer’ by Church teachingJohn Grabowski, a professor of moral theology at The Catholic University of America, told CNA that marriage in the Catholic Church’s teaching is based on “unity, indissolubility, and [is ordered] toward life,” or the begetting of children.“Those criteria can only be met in a union between a man and a woman,” he said. “They cannot be met in a union between two men and two women. ‘Gay marriage’ is thus a misnomer in the Church’s understanding.”The Supreme Court’s redefinition of marriage, Grabowski argued, was an act of “judicial fiat” rather than a recognition of what marriage actually is. He said the high court was functioning more as a “cultural barometer” reflecting an erroneous shift in perception on what marriage is.“It would be similar to if the court passed a rule saying we could call a square a circle,” he said. “It’s just not based on the reality of the natural world.”The Obergefell ruling came after years of LGBT activist efforts to redefine marriage both within individual states and at the federal level. Advocates had argued that there was no meaningful reason to restrict marriage to opposite-sex couples and that to do so constituted discrimination. Many critics have claimed that the Church’s broader teaching on marriage actually left the door open for same-sex couples to marry — for instance, they argued, by allowing opposite-sex couples to marry even if one or both of the spouses are infertile, the Church implicitly divorces biological childbearing from marriage itself. Grabowski acknowledged that the Church does allow infertile couples to get married (and to stay married if infertility occurs at a later date). But he pointed out that the Church does in fact prohibit marriage for those who are impotent, or constitutionally incapable of intercourse. The key point for the Church, he said, is what St. John Paul II called the “spousal meaning of the body.” The late pope argued that men and women “exist in the relationship of the reciprocal gift of self,” ordered to the communion of “one flesh” of which the Bible speaks in Genesis. The Church’s teaching, Grabowski said, “is based on the natural law. It tells us that the way God designed us is for the good of our flourishing, both as individuals and as the good of society.”Though marriage advocates have continued to criticize the Supreme Court’s decision over the past decade, others have at times suggested a pivot away from directly challenging it at the legal level. In 2017, for instance, Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, Bishop Robert Barron affirmed his opposition to gay marriage but questioned “the prudence and wisdom” of attempting to legislatively outlaw it at that time. The bishop suggested instead that “personal witness and education” were better tools for the current political climate.Grabowski acknowledged that one “could say, realistically, the ship has sailed and the political question is dead.”“But that’s a political judgment,” he said. Catholics should not lose sight of the goal to reestablish correct laws on marriage, he argued.“In terms of something to hope for, pray for, and to the degree that we’re able to, work for it — that’s something Catholics should aspire to.”

unitedyam November 17, 2025

null / Credit: Daniel Jedzura/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Nov 17, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Slightly over 10 years after it redefined marriage to include same-sex couples, the U.S. Supreme Court on Nov. 10 declined to revisit that controversial decision, upholding at least for now its ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges that made “gay marriage” the law of the land.

A decade after that ruling, nearly a million same-sex couples in the U.S. are participating in what the law now defines as marriage. Yet the Catholic Church has continued to affirm the definition of marriage as being exclusively a union between a man and a woman.

That has been the prevailing definition of marriage around the world for at least about 5,000 years of human history, though many societies have allowed polygamy, or multiple spouses, in various forms. The same-sex variant of marriage, meanwhile, only became accepted in recent decades.

The Church has held since its beginning that marriage is strictly between one man and one woman. The Catechism of the Catholic Church directs that marriage occurs when “a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life.” It is “by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring.”

Church Fathers and theologians from the earliest days of Catholicism have consistently upheld that marriage is meant to be a lifelong, permanent union between one man and one woman, with St. Augustine explicitly naming “offspring” as one of the blessings of marriage, along with “fidelity” and “the sacramental bond.”

Gay marriage a ‘misnomer’ by Church teaching

John Grabowski, a professor of moral theology at The Catholic University of America, told CNA that marriage in the Catholic Church’s teaching is based on “unity, indissolubility, and [is ordered] toward life,” or the begetting of children.

“Those criteria can only be met in a union between a man and a woman,” he said. “They cannot be met in a union between two men and two women. ‘Gay marriage’ is thus a misnomer in the Church’s understanding.”

The Supreme Court’s redefinition of marriage, Grabowski argued, was an act of “judicial fiat” rather than a recognition of what marriage actually is. He said the high court was functioning more as a “cultural barometer” reflecting an erroneous shift in perception on what marriage is.

“It would be similar to if the court passed a rule saying we could call a square a circle,” he said. “It’s just not based on the reality of the natural world.”

The Obergefell ruling came after years of LGBT activist efforts to redefine marriage both within individual states and at the federal level. Advocates had argued that there was no meaningful reason to restrict marriage to opposite-sex couples and that to do so constituted discrimination.

Many critics have claimed that the Church’s broader teaching on marriage actually left the door open for same-sex couples to marry — for instance, they argued, by allowing opposite-sex couples to marry even if one or both of the spouses are infertile, the Church implicitly divorces biological childbearing from marriage itself.

Grabowski acknowledged that the Church does allow infertile couples to get married (and to stay married if infertility occurs at a later date). But he pointed out that the Church does in fact prohibit marriage for those who are impotent, or constitutionally incapable of intercourse.

The key point for the Church, he said, is what St. John Paul II called the “spousal meaning of the body.” The late pope argued that men and women “exist in the relationship of the reciprocal gift of self,” ordered to the communion of “one flesh” of which the Bible speaks in Genesis.

The Church’s teaching, Grabowski said, “is based on the natural law. It tells us that the way God designed us is for the good of our flourishing, both as individuals and as the good of society.”

Though marriage advocates have continued to criticize the Supreme Court’s decision over the past decade, others have at times suggested a pivot away from directly challenging it at the legal level.

In 2017, for instance, Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, Bishop Robert Barron affirmed his opposition to gay marriage but questioned “the prudence and wisdom” of attempting to legislatively outlaw it at that time. The bishop suggested instead that “personal witness and education” were better tools for the current political climate.

Grabowski acknowledged that one “could say, realistically, the ship has sailed and the political question is dead.”

“But that’s a political judgment,” he said. Catholics should not lose sight of the goal to reestablish correct laws on marriage, he argued.

“In terms of something to hope for, pray for, and to the degree that we’re able to, work for it — that’s something Catholics should aspire to.”

More than half a million people to participate in Aid to the Church in Need ‘Red Week’ #Catholic

The Austrian Parliament building is lit red as part of the international “Red Week” in honor of persecuted Christians across the globe. / Credit: Aid to the Church in Need

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 14, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed:More than half a million people to participate in Aid to the Church in Need ‘Red Week’ Over 500,000 people will take part in Aid to the Church in Need International’s Red Week 2025, which will see churches and landmarks around the world illuminated in red to raise awareness of religious persecution internationally.Set to take place Nov. 15–23, the global initiative is expected to see “over 10,000 direct participants for prayers, public events, school gatherings, concerts, and marches,” and to draw in “more than 500,000 participants through media outreach and online platforms,” according to an ACN International press release.More than 100 events are scheduled around the world, including in Australia, Austria, Germany, Portugal, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Ireland, Switzerland, Hungary, Canada, Mexico, Colombia, and more.Catholic bishops in Ghana express closeness with stampede victimsCatholic bishops in Ghana have expressed their closeness with victims of a stampede at the El-Wak Stadium in Accra that left six people dead and several others injured during a Ghana Armed Forces recruitment exercise, ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa, reported Nov. 13. “We unite our hearts with the bereaved families in grief and lift our prayers to Almighty God for the eternal repose of the departed and the swift recovery of all who are injured,” Ghana’s Catholic bishops said in a statement following the Nov. 12 stampede. Citing figures released by the acting minister of defense, Cassiel Ato Forson, the bishops noted that 34 casualties were recorded. Of these, six were reportedly confirmed dead, five were in critical condition, 12 were in fairly critical condition, and others were under observation.Oman opens Catholic pastoral center in MuscatOman has inaugurated a new Catholic pastoral center in Muscat — an important sign of the country’s long-standing respect for religious diversity, according to ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner.Built on land donated in 1977 by the late Sultan Qaboos, the center provides formation programs, catechesis, and housing for clergy.Omani Ambassador Mahmoud al-Hassani said the project reflects the nation’s vision of peaceful coexistence and aligns with the Vatican’s mission of dialogue. The center also strengthens ties between Oman and the Holy See, which formally established diplomatic relations in 2023.International contemplative congregation of sisters celebrates 200 years The Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd (RGS) officially concluded the yearlong celebration of their 200th anniversary on Nov. 11. The contemplative order was founded in 1825 by St. Mary Euphrasia Pelletier in Myanmar.“I hope it rekindles in all of us a renewed openness to be shaped and made radiant by grace, so that together, as one congregation, and, as one people of God, we allow the fire of God’s love to warm, illumine, and shine through us into the heart of the world,” said Sister Joan Marie Lopez, RGS congregational leader, on her hope for the bicentenary year, according to Vatican News. Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, presided over a Mass in Rome for the bicentennial celebration.Christian families return to al-Ghassaniyah, Syria, after 13 yearsAfter more than a decade of displacement, Christian families have begun returning to the village of al-Ghassaniyah in Idlib, Syria, ACI MENA reported Nov. 13. Their return was made possible by a firm government decision to remove foreign extremist groups and by sustained efforts from the Franciscan community. Although many homes are damaged or looted, residents spoke of renewed hope as the Church offered support for the first returning families. The development comes amid wider security shifts in the region and ongoing diplomatic efforts related to extremist fighters.Typhoons, floods devastate Vietnam; Catholic communities respond The Catholic Church is calling for communities to respond after Typhoon Kalmaegi destroyed buildings across the Qui Nhon Diocese, including the house of the bishop and Lang Song Seminary. “The main house of the Congregation of the Lovers of the Holy Cross in Qui Nhon, the Congregation of the Handmaids of Jesus of Mercy, and many parish churches like Qui Nhon Cathedral and other churches throughout the diocese were severely damaged,” Fides News Agency reported. This comes after severe flooding the week prior, which left 13 dead, 34 injured, and 11 missing. Maria Vu Thi Hong Anh, head of Da Nang Cathedral Parish Caritas, said in wake of the flooding: “Seeing the images of this historic flood, I feel very sorry for the residents in the rural areas; they are poor and now their life is much more difficult when losing their properties.”Youth Encounter Triduum in Baghdad encourages holinessThe Catholic Youth Committee in Baghdad held a three-day gathering titled “Think, Discern, Decide,” bringing together young people from several dioceses, according to a Nov. 10 report from ACI MENA.The event focused on the call to holiness, drawing inspiration from biblical teaching and modern Iraqi witnesses of faith such as Father Ragheed Ganni and other martyrs. Workshops, talks, and prayer times encouraged young participants to live holiness through everyday acts of love and commitment.Catholic patriarchs and bishops open 58th session in LebanonLebanon’s Catholic leaders gathered in Bkerke, Lebanon, for the opening of the 58th session of the Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops, ACI MENA reported. The meeting focuses on building a synodal Church that listens and acts with spiritual discernment. Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rahi highlighted preparations for Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming visit and called for nationwide prayers and the ringing of church bells upon his arrival. Apostolic Nuncio Paolo Borgia noted that the papal visit will include meetings with all segments of Lebanese society.

unitedyam November 14, 2025

The Austrian Parliament building is lit red as part of the international “Red Week” in honor of persecuted Christians across the globe. / Credit: Aid to the Church in Need

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 14, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed:

More than half a million people to participate in Aid to the Church in Need ‘Red Week’

Over 500,000 people will take part in Aid to the Church in Need International’s Red Week 2025, which will see churches and landmarks around the world illuminated in red to raise awareness of religious persecution internationally.

Set to take place Nov. 15–23, the global initiative is expected to see “over 10,000 direct participants for prayers, public events, school gatherings, concerts, and marches,” and to draw in “more than 500,000 participants through media outreach and online platforms,” according to an ACN International press release.

More than 100 events are scheduled around the world, including in Australia, Austria, Germany, Portugal, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Ireland, Switzerland, Hungary, Canada, Mexico, Colombia, and more.

Catholic bishops in Ghana express closeness with stampede victims

Catholic bishops in Ghana have expressed their closeness with victims of a stampede at the El-Wak Stadium in Accra that left six people dead and several others injured during a Ghana Armed Forces recruitment exercise, ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa, reported Nov. 13.

“We unite our hearts with the bereaved families in grief and lift our prayers to Almighty God for the eternal repose of the departed and the swift recovery of all who are injured,” Ghana’s Catholic bishops said in a statement following the Nov. 12 stampede.

Citing figures released by the acting minister of defense, Cassiel Ato Forson, the bishops noted that 34 casualties were recorded. Of these, six were reportedly confirmed dead, five were in critical condition, 12 were in fairly critical condition, and others were under observation.

Oman opens Catholic pastoral center in Muscat

Oman has inaugurated a new Catholic pastoral center in Muscat — an important sign of the country’s long-standing respect for religious diversity, according to ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner.

Built on land donated in 1977 by the late Sultan Qaboos, the center provides formation programs, catechesis, and housing for clergy.

Omani Ambassador Mahmoud al-Hassani said the project reflects the nation’s vision of peaceful coexistence and aligns with the Vatican’s mission of dialogue. The center also strengthens ties between Oman and the Holy See, which formally established diplomatic relations in 2023.

International contemplative congregation of sisters celebrates 200 years

The Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd (RGS) officially concluded the yearlong celebration of their 200th anniversary on Nov. 11. The contemplative order was founded in 1825 by St. Mary Euphrasia Pelletier in Myanmar.

“I hope it rekindles in all of us a renewed openness to be shaped and made radiant by grace, so that together, as one congregation, and, as one people of God, we allow the fire of God’s love to warm, illumine, and shine through us into the heart of the world,” said Sister Joan Marie Lopez, RGS congregational leader, on her hope for the bicentenary year, according to Vatican News.

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, presided over a Mass in Rome for the bicentennial celebration.

Christian families return to al-Ghassaniyah, Syria, after 13 years

After more than a decade of displacement, Christian families have begun returning to the village of al-Ghassaniyah in Idlib, Syria, ACI MENA reported Nov. 13.

Their return was made possible by a firm government decision to remove foreign extremist groups and by sustained efforts from the Franciscan community. Although many homes are damaged or looted, residents spoke of renewed hope as the Church offered support for the first returning families. The development comes amid wider security shifts in the region and ongoing diplomatic efforts related to extremist fighters.

Typhoons, floods devastate Vietnam; Catholic communities respond

The Catholic Church is calling for communities to respond after Typhoon Kalmaegi destroyed buildings across the Qui Nhon Diocese, including the house of the bishop and Lang Song Seminary.

“The main house of the Congregation of the Lovers of the Holy Cross in Qui Nhon, the Congregation of the Handmaids of Jesus of Mercy, and many parish churches like Qui Nhon Cathedral and other churches throughout the diocese were severely damaged,” Fides News Agency reported. This comes after severe flooding the week prior, which left 13 dead, 34 injured, and 11 missing.

Maria Vu Thi Hong Anh, head of Da Nang Cathedral Parish Caritas, said in wake of the flooding: “Seeing the images of this historic flood, I feel very sorry for the residents in the rural areas; they are poor and now their life is much more difficult when losing their properties.”

Youth Encounter Triduum in Baghdad encourages holiness

The Catholic Youth Committee in Baghdad held a three-day gathering titled “Think, Discern, Decide,” bringing together young people from several dioceses, according to a Nov. 10 report from ACI MENA.

The event focused on the call to holiness, drawing inspiration from biblical teaching and modern Iraqi witnesses of faith such as Father Ragheed Ganni and other martyrs. Workshops, talks, and prayer times encouraged young participants to live holiness through everyday acts of love and commitment.

Catholic patriarchs and bishops open 58th session in Lebanon

Lebanon’s Catholic leaders gathered in Bkerke, Lebanon, for the opening of the 58th session of the Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops, ACI MENA reported.

The meeting focuses on building a synodal Church that listens and acts with spiritual discernment.

Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rahi highlighted preparations for Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming visit and called for nationwide prayers and the ringing of church bells upon his arrival. Apostolic Nuncio Paolo Borgia noted that the papal visit will include meetings with all segments of Lebanese society.

Mother Frances Cabrini: The unsinkable saint who missed the Titanic #Catholic

A photo of St. Frances Cabrini from 1880, the year she founded her order, is seen against a 1913 painting by Harry J. Jansen, “The Steamship Titanic.” / Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, England, public domain via Wikimedia Commons

National Catholic Register, Nov 13, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).
In April 1912, Mother Frances Cabrini was in Italy with her sisters. Her plans were to visit her foundations in France, Spain, and England before sailing back to the United States in mid-April to continue work in New York City. Her sisters in England were eagerly awaiting this visit from their 62-year-old founder and superior. To help make her journey back to the U.S. more comfortable, they bought her a ticket and booked passage on a new ocean liner, the RMS Titanic.Although an intrepid traveler who would eventually make 24 transatlantic crossings to establish her foundation, hospitals, and orphanages, Mother Cabrini was not a fan of ocean voyages since she had almost drowned as a child.While the sisters in England waited, word got to Mother Cabrini that there was trouble at the Columbus Hospital she had established in New York. It was overflowing and there was urgent business to settle connected to a new expansion. She could not wait. She had to get back to raise desperately needed money to proceed with the project. So she changed her plans and left early, sailing from Naples, disappointing the sisters in England who had booked her passage on the Titanic.The prefix “RMS” in “RMS Titanic” stood for “Royal Mail Ship” because it would also carry mail under contract to the British Royal Mail — an important bit of context for something she wrote in a May 5, 1912, letter to a Sister Gesuina Dotti:“Only two of your letters I have received so far, and if you have sent five, then it must be said that it went down into the depths with the Titanic. If I was going to London, I might have left with it, but Divine Providence, which is constantly watching, did not allow it. God be blessed.”Another close call at seaThis was not Frances Cabrini’s only miss with an iceberg.In 1890, on her second trip to New York, she was among 1,000 passengers on a ship called La Normandie. The seas were very heavy one night and most skipped dinner and stayed in their cabins — except Mother Cabrini and five other souls. She knew of the dangerous situation and back in the cabin remained ready to save her sisters and herself if the call came to go to the lifeboats. She would later report that “the Good Lord … lulled us all to sleep on a great seesaw, rocking us back and forth.”But that was only the beginning. As the storm raged on the next day, she braved going on deck, finding a chair in a relatively safe place, and continued writing a letter. In it, she wrote:“You should see how beautiful the sea is in its great movement, how it swells and foams! It is truly a marvel! … If you were all here with me, daughters, crossing this immense ocean, you would exclaim, ‘Oh how great and wonderful is God in his works!’”Now that is enlightenment from someone who did not like sailing one bit. Maybe because two days earlier she had, as told in an article about her, “compared the tranquility of the sea to the joy experienced by a soul abiding in the peace of God’s grace. No matter what the circumstances, she was able to see the love of Jesus shining through.”That was not all on this trip. Next, around midnight, “we felt a strong jolt and the ship stopped suddenly,” she would write about one such event after another on this journey. She and her sisters dressed and readied to board lifeboats if necessary. The trouble turned out to be something wrong with the engine. At that point “the sea became calm and beautiful” and the ship remained practically motionless until the engine was fixed by the morning and the ship was again able to continue. The breakdown caused an 11-hour delay — a delay that likely saved the ship and passengers from a disaster.Two days later, Mother Cabrini said, “toward 11 we saw ourselves surrounded by icebergs on every part of the horizon … they were about 12 times the size of our ship.” The captain reduced the ship’s speed to weave slowly and carefully through the ice field to avoid colliding with the “immense, jagged fortresses.”A story recorded at her shrine described it this way: “Mother Cabrini noted that though they had complained when the engine broke, the crisis was a great grace. Without that delay, the ship’s encounter with the icebergs would have occurred in the dark, most likely with dire consequences.”‘Supported by my Beloved’Then there was the time the train she was riding from one orphanage to another was shot at outside of Dallas by enemies of the railroad. She remained unruffled and recounted later how one bullet “aimed at my head fell to my side, while it should have pierced my cranium.” When those aboard were aghast about her escape, she told them: “It was the Sacred Heart to whom I had entrusted the journey.”Shortly after this incident, she wrote a letter stating: “Didn’t I write and tell you that I am alive miraculously?”From the Titanic to La Normandie to Dallas, there was no question about divine providence in Mother Cabrini’s life. As she would write: “Supported by my Beloved, none of these adversities can shake me. But if I trust in myself, I will fall.” And: “In whatever difficulty I may encounter I want to trust in the goodness of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, who will never abandon me.”This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner, and has been adapted by CNA.

unitedyam November 13, 2025

A photo of St. Frances Cabrini from 1880, the year she founded her order, is seen against a 1913 painting by Harry J. Jansen, “The Steamship Titanic.” / Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, England, public domain via Wikimedia Commons

National Catholic Register, Nov 13, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).

In April 1912, Mother Frances Cabrini was in Italy with her sisters. Her plans were to visit her foundations in France, Spain, and England before sailing back to the United States in mid-April to continue work in New York City. Her sisters in England were eagerly awaiting this visit from their 62-year-old founder and superior. To help make her journey back to the U.S. more comfortable, they bought her a ticket and booked passage on a new ocean liner, the RMS Titanic.

Although an intrepid traveler who would eventually make 24 transatlantic crossings to establish her foundation, hospitals, and orphanages, Mother Cabrini was not a fan of ocean voyages since she had almost drowned as a child.

While the sisters in England waited, word got to Mother Cabrini that there was trouble at the Columbus Hospital she had established in New York. It was overflowing and there was urgent business to settle connected to a new expansion. She could not wait. She had to get back to raise desperately needed money to proceed with the project. So she changed her plans and left early, sailing from Naples, disappointing the sisters in England who had booked her passage on the Titanic.

The prefix “RMS” in “RMS Titanic” stood for “Royal Mail Ship” because it would also carry mail under contract to the British Royal Mail — an important bit of context for something she wrote in a May 5, 1912, letter to a Sister Gesuina Dotti:

“Only two of your letters I have received so far, and if you have sent five, then it must be said that it went down into the depths with the Titanic. If I was going to London, I might have left with it, but Divine Providence, which is constantly watching, did not allow it. God be blessed.”

Another close call at sea

This was not Frances Cabrini’s only miss with an iceberg.

In 1890, on her second trip to New York, she was among 1,000 passengers on a ship called La Normandie. The seas were very heavy one night and most skipped dinner and stayed in their cabins — except Mother Cabrini and five other souls. She knew of the dangerous situation and back in the cabin remained ready to save her sisters and herself if the call came to go to the lifeboats. She would later report that “the Good Lord … lulled us all to sleep on a great seesaw, rocking us back and forth.”

But that was only the beginning. As the storm raged on the next day, she braved going on deck, finding a chair in a relatively safe place, and continued writing a letter. In it, she wrote:

“You should see how beautiful the sea is in its great movement, how it swells and foams! It is truly a marvel! … If you were all here with me, daughters, crossing this immense ocean, you would exclaim, ‘Oh how great and wonderful is God in his works!’”

Now that is enlightenment from someone who did not like sailing one bit. Maybe because two days earlier she had, as told in an article about her, “compared the tranquility of the sea to the joy experienced by a soul abiding in the peace of God’s grace. No matter what the circumstances, she was able to see the love of Jesus shining through.”

That was not all on this trip.

Next, around midnight, “we felt a strong jolt and the ship stopped suddenly,” she would write about one such event after another on this journey. She and her sisters dressed and readied to board lifeboats if necessary. The trouble turned out to be something wrong with the engine. At that point “the sea became calm and beautiful” and the ship remained practically motionless until the engine was fixed by the morning and the ship was again able to continue. The breakdown caused an 11-hour delay — a delay that likely saved the ship and passengers from a disaster.

Two days later, Mother Cabrini said, “toward 11 we saw ourselves surrounded by icebergs on every part of the horizon … they were about 12 times the size of our ship.” The captain reduced the ship’s speed to weave slowly and carefully through the ice field to avoid colliding with the “immense, jagged fortresses.”

A story recorded at her shrine described it this way: “Mother Cabrini noted that though they had complained when the engine broke, the crisis was a great grace. Without that delay, the ship’s encounter with the icebergs would have occurred in the dark, most likely with dire consequences.”

‘Supported by my Beloved’

Then there was the time the train she was riding from one orphanage to another was shot at outside of Dallas by enemies of the railroad. She remained unruffled and recounted later how one bullet “aimed at my head fell to my side, while it should have pierced my cranium.” When those aboard were aghast about her escape, she told them: “It was the Sacred Heart to whom I had entrusted the journey.”

Shortly after this incident, she wrote a letter stating: “Didn’t I write and tell you that I am alive miraculously?”

From the Titanic to La Normandie to Dallas, there was no question about divine providence in Mother Cabrini’s life. As she would write: “Supported by my Beloved, none of these adversities can shake me. But if I trust in myself, I will fall.” And: “In whatever difficulty I may encounter I want to trust in the goodness of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, who will never abandon me.”

This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner, and has been adapted by CNA.

‘You Are Not Alone’ migrant accompaniment initiative announced by U.S. bishops #Catholic

Bishop Mark Seitz, chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ migration committee, speaks during a press conference on Nov. 11, 2025, at the USCCB’s fall plenary assembly in Baltimore. / Credit: Hakim Shammo/EWTN News

Baltimore, Maryland, Nov 11, 2025 / 17:46 pm (CNA).
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is launching an initiative called “You Are Not Alone” to focus on providing accompaniment to migrants who are at risk of being deported.Bishop Mark Seitz, chair of the USCCB Committee on Migration, announced the nationwide initiative during the conference’s Fall Plenary Assembly in Baltimore on Nov. 11.The initiative, which was inspired by similar efforts in Catholic dioceses throughout the country, will focus on four key areas: emergency and family support, accompaniment and pastoral care, communication of Church teaching, and solidarity through prayer and public witness. Seitz said the Catholic Church has been “accompanying newcomers to this land since before our country’s founding.” He said — in addition to spiritual and corporal works of mercy — the Church “cannot abandon our long-standing advocacy for just and meaningful reform to our immigration system.”He said clergy will continue “proclaiming the God-given dignity of every person from the moment of conception through every stage of life until natural death,” which includes the dignity of those who migrated to the United States. The bishop said many dioceses have launched migrant accompaniment initiatives already.For example, the Diocese of San Diego launched its Faithful Accompaniment in Trust & Hope (FAITH) initiative on Aug. 4. The diocese works with interfaith partners to provide spiritual accompaniment to migrants during court proceedings and throughout the court process.Seitz reiterates opposition to ‘mass deportations’In his address to his fellow bishops, Seitz criticized President Donald Trump’s administration for carrying out its “campaign promise of mass deportations,” which he said is “intimidating and dehumanizing the immigrants in our midst regardless of how they came to be there.”He said the accompaniment initiative was launched because Trump’s immigration policy has created “a situation unlike anything we’ve seen previously.” He specifically referenced efforts to revoke Temporary Protected Status designations for migrants in several countries, including Venezuela and Nicaragua, and restrictions on certain visas.“Those who lack legal status are far from the only ones impacted by this approach,” Seitz said.He said most deportees “have no criminal convictions,” and the administration has pressured immigration enforcement “to increase the number of arrests.”“Our immigrant brothers and sisters … are living in a deep state of fear,” Seitz said. “Many are too afraid to work, send their children to school, or avail themselves to the sacraments.”Seitz, earlier in the day, noted that bishops are primarily pastors, and “because we’re pastors … we care about our people, and we care particularly for those who are most vulnerable and those who are most in need.”Pope Leo XIV has encouraged the American bishops to be vocal on the dignity of migrants. In October, the pontiff met with American bishops, including Seitz, and other supporters of migrants. According to one person present, Dylan Corbett, the founding executive director of Hope Border Institute, Leo told the group: “The Church cannot stay silent before injustice. You stand with me, and I stand with you.”

unitedyam November 11, 2025

Bishop Mark Seitz, chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ migration committee, speaks during a press conference on Nov. 11, 2025, at the USCCB’s fall plenary assembly in Baltimore. / Credit: Hakim Shammo/EWTN News

Baltimore, Maryland, Nov 11, 2025 / 17:46 pm (CNA).

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is launching an initiative called “You Are Not Alone” to focus on providing accompaniment to migrants who are at risk of being deported.

Bishop Mark Seitz, chair of the USCCB Committee on Migration, announced the nationwide initiative during the conference’s Fall Plenary Assembly in Baltimore on Nov. 11.

The initiative, which was inspired by similar efforts in Catholic dioceses throughout the country, will focus on four key areas: emergency and family support, accompaniment and pastoral care, communication of Church teaching, and solidarity through prayer and public witness.

Seitz said the Catholic Church has been “accompanying newcomers to this land since before our country’s founding.” He said — in addition to spiritual and corporal works of mercy — the Church “cannot abandon our long-standing advocacy for just and meaningful reform to our immigration system.”

He said clergy will continue “proclaiming the God-given dignity of every person from the moment of conception through every stage of life until natural death,” which includes the dignity of those who migrated to the United States.

The bishop said many dioceses have launched migrant accompaniment initiatives already.

For example, the Diocese of San Diego launched its Faithful Accompaniment in Trust & Hope (FAITH) initiative on Aug. 4. The diocese works with interfaith partners to provide spiritual accompaniment to migrants during court proceedings and throughout the court process.

Seitz reiterates opposition to ‘mass deportations’

In his address to his fellow bishops, Seitz criticized President Donald Trump’s administration for carrying out its “campaign promise of mass deportations,” which he said is “intimidating and dehumanizing the immigrants in our midst regardless of how they came to be there.”

He said the accompaniment initiative was launched because Trump’s immigration policy has created “a situation unlike anything we’ve seen previously.” He specifically referenced efforts to revoke Temporary Protected Status designations for migrants in several countries, including Venezuela and Nicaragua, and restrictions on certain visas.

“Those who lack legal status are far from the only ones impacted by this approach,” Seitz said.

He said most deportees “have no criminal convictions,” and the administration has pressured immigration enforcement “to increase the number of arrests.”

“Our immigrant brothers and sisters … are living in a deep state of fear,” Seitz said. “Many are too afraid to work, send their children to school, or avail themselves to the sacraments.”

Seitz, earlier in the day, noted that bishops are primarily pastors, and “because we’re pastors … we care about our people, and we care particularly for those who are most vulnerable and those who are most in need.”

Pope Leo XIV has encouraged the American bishops to be vocal on the dignity of migrants. In October, the pontiff met with American bishops, including Seitz, and other supporters of migrants.

According to one person present, Dylan Corbett, the founding executive director of Hope Border Institute, Leo told the group: “The Church cannot stay silent before injustice. You stand with me, and I stand with you.”

Bishop Seitz endorses immigration bill to create legal protections #Catholic

Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, Texas, speaks with EWTN News on Oct. 9, 2025, at the Vatican. / Credit: EWTN News

CNA Staff, Nov 11, 2025 / 11:10 am (CNA).
Legislation that would provide protections for people lacking legal immigration status won endorsement from Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, Texas, who has served as chair of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration.The bill (HR 4393), which would not lay out a direct path to citizenship, would give people who lack legal status the chance to earn it through labor and financial penalties if they lack a criminal record. It would apply to people who entered the United States before 2021.The measure would authorize funding for border security and create centers for asylum seekers during consideration of their case. It would require asylum cases to be completed within 60 days.Rep. María Elvira Salazar, R-Florida, sponsored the measure, which she named the Dignity Act and first introduced in 2022. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, cosponsored the measure, along with 22 other members of Congress. No hearings or other legislative action has been scheduled.Seitz, who is expected to address fellow bishops Nov. 11 about immigration, said in a joint statement with Salazar in August that he is “deeply grateful to Congresswoman Salazar, Congresswoman Escobar, and their colleagues for this sustained commitment to working across the aisle.”Seitz said: “Pope Leo XIV has emphasized the responsibility of all political leaders to promote and protect the good of the community, the common good, particularly by defending the vulnerable and the marginalized. Under our current system, families across our nation are living in fear. Bipartisan proposals such as the Dignity Act are a step toward fulfilling the call made by our Holy Father to offer a better way forward — one that begins and ends with respect for the God-given dignity of every person.”The National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, comprising over 42,000 affiliated churches, has endorsed the measure. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Immigration Forum, Business Roundtable, and the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities also are backing the bill.The Federation for American Immigration Reform has voiced opposition to the measure, saying it would forgive illegal entry and allow authorities to waive offenses such as certain controlled substance crimes and prostitution.The group criticized the bill’s proposal to create the Dignity Program to provide a renewable seven-year grant of deferred action, saying it is likely that future legislation would attempt to provide a direct path to citizenship if “Dignity status” was granted.

unitedyam November 11, 2025

Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, Texas, speaks with EWTN News on Oct. 9, 2025, at the Vatican. / Credit: EWTN News

CNA Staff, Nov 11, 2025 / 11:10 am (CNA).

Legislation that would provide protections for people lacking legal immigration status won endorsement from Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, Texas, who has served as chair of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration.

The bill (HR 4393), which would not lay out a direct path to citizenship, would give people who lack legal status the chance to earn it through labor and financial penalties if they lack a criminal record. It would apply to people who entered the United States before 2021.

The measure would authorize funding for border security and create centers for asylum seekers during consideration of their case. It would require asylum cases to be completed within 60 days.

Rep. María Elvira Salazar, R-Florida, sponsored the measure, which she named the Dignity Act and first introduced in 2022. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, cosponsored the measure, along with 22 other members of Congress. No hearings or other legislative action has been scheduled.

Seitz, who is expected to address fellow bishops Nov. 11 about immigration, said in a joint statement with Salazar in August that he is “deeply grateful to Congresswoman Salazar, Congresswoman Escobar, and their colleagues for this sustained commitment to working across the aisle.”

Seitz said: “Pope Leo XIV has emphasized the responsibility of all political leaders to promote and protect the good of the community, the common good, particularly by defending the vulnerable and the marginalized. Under our current system, families across our nation are living in fear. Bipartisan proposals such as the Dignity Act are a step toward fulfilling the call made by our Holy Father to offer a better way forward — one that begins and ends with respect for the God-given dignity of every person.”

The National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, comprising over 42,000 affiliated churches, has endorsed the measure. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Immigration Forum, Business Roundtable, and the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities also are backing the bill.

The Federation for American Immigration Reform has voiced opposition to the measure, saying it would forgive illegal entry and allow authorities to waive offenses such as certain controlled substance crimes and prostitution.

The group criticized the bill’s proposal to create the Dignity Program to provide a renewable seven-year grant of deferred action, saying it is likely that future legislation would attempt to provide a direct path to citizenship if “Dignity status” was granted.

Meet the college student sharing bumper stickers to save unborn lives #Catholic

Gabriel Dionisi, a 22-year-old college student who makes pro-life bumper stickers with the goal of spreading the pro-life message and spread awareness to others, displays one of his works. / Credit: Gabriel Dionisi

CNA Staff, Nov 10, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
Born and raised Catholic, 22-year-old Gabriel Dionisi always knew that life begins at conception and that it’s wrong to kill an unborn child in the womb. But it wasn’t until he was a teenager that he became more interested in his faith and started to read more Catholic news, which led to him learning more about the abortion issue. Feeling called to do more for the unborn, he created a pro-life ministry using bumper stickers to help spread awareness. “I’d heard the word abortion before, I knew it was a sin, but I didn’t realize how widespread it was,” Dionisi told CNA in an interview. One day at Mass, he read a pamphlet explaining the different abortion procedures and was left “disturbed” after reading about how many unborn babies are dismembered in certain kinds of abortion procedures.He said he was also surprised to hear how many women are pressured into abortion.“I remember being struck by reading about how many women didn’t want to have abortions — felt pressured or coerced or it wasn’t their first choice — and that was also surprising to me because it made me think, ‘OK, we could actually do something about this,’” he said.Gabriel Dionisi’s pro-life bumper sticker rests on an information table with other resources for pregnant women. Credit: Photo courtesy of Kevin JorreyIn 2018 Dionisi decided to create bumper stickers encouraging individuals to “choose life.” For women who might be in crisis pregnancies, the stickers include the URL to Option Line, a website run by Heartbeat International that offers a map of pregnancy resource centers around the country. The site also offers a 24/7 helpline with counselors who speak both English and Spanish.Dionisi explained that he chose to create bumper stickers because they’re inexpensive to print and “there’s such a good return on investment because if you put a bumper sticker on your car and let’s say 20 people see it every day as you drive, you multiply that by 365, that’s over 7,000 a year.”Since launching his pro-life ministry, Dionisi has shared over 10,000 bumper stickers with people in 45 out of the 50 states.Speaking to the importance of defending the unborn, Dionisi said: “It’s foundational. If we want to see our country succeed and thrive, we need to respect that value of equal human dignity.”He added: “The magnitude of the problem is that so many babies are being lost and not just that, but so many women who are being hurt, men who are being hurt, and it affects our whole society when people are just carrying that wound around with them.”Dionisi said he hopes his bumper stickers are helping to spread awareness of the many resources available for pregnant women in need.“I think it’s important to spread this awareness to everybody because you never know when someone in your own life might be going through a situation where they need help,” he said.“The amazing thing about the pro-life movement is that there are so many opportunities for us, just as regular people, to literally save the lives of others. This is especially important as Catholics, because we know that every human being is made in the image of God and has an enormous potential to bring more love into the world.”Dionisi’s free pro-life bumper stickers can be found here.

unitedyam November 10, 2025

Gabriel Dionisi, a 22-year-old college student who makes pro-life bumper stickers with the goal of spreading the pro-life message and spread awareness to others, displays one of his works. / Credit: Gabriel Dionisi

CNA Staff, Nov 10, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Born and raised Catholic, 22-year-old Gabriel Dionisi always knew that life begins at conception and that it’s wrong to kill an unborn child in the womb. But it wasn’t until he was a teenager that he became more interested in his faith and started to read more Catholic news, which led to him learning more about the abortion issue. Feeling called to do more for the unborn, he created a pro-life ministry using bumper stickers to help spread awareness.

“I’d heard the word abortion before, I knew it was a sin, but I didn’t realize how widespread it was,” Dionisi told CNA in an interview.

One day at Mass, he read a pamphlet explaining the different abortion procedures and was left “disturbed” after reading about how many unborn babies are dismembered in certain kinds of abortion procedures.

He said he was also surprised to hear how many women are pressured into abortion.

“I remember being struck by reading about how many women didn’t want to have abortions — felt pressured or coerced or it wasn’t their first choice — and that was also surprising to me because it made me think, ‘OK, we could actually do something about this,’” he said.

Gabriel Dionisi’s pro-life bumper sticker rests on an information table with other resources for pregnant women. Credit: Photo courtesy of Kevin Jorrey

In 2018 Dionisi decided to create bumper stickers encouraging individuals to “choose life.” For women who might be in crisis pregnancies, the stickers include the URL to Option Line, a website run by Heartbeat International that offers a map of pregnancy resource centers around the country. The site also offers a 24/7 helpline with counselors who speak both English and Spanish.

Dionisi explained that he chose to create bumper stickers because they’re inexpensive to print and “there’s such a good return on investment because if you put a bumper sticker on your car and let’s say 20 people see it every day as you drive, you multiply that by 365, that’s over 7,000 a year.”

Since launching his pro-life ministry, Dionisi has shared over 10,000 bumper stickers with people in 45 out of the 50 states.

Speaking to the importance of defending the unborn, Dionisi said: “It’s foundational. If we want to see our country succeed and thrive, we need to respect that value of equal human dignity.”

He added: “The magnitude of the problem is that so many babies are being lost and not just that, but so many women who are being hurt, men who are being hurt, and it affects our whole society when people are just carrying that wound around with them.”

Dionisi said he hopes his bumper stickers are helping to spread awareness of the many resources available for pregnant women in need.

“I think it’s important to spread this awareness to everybody because you never know when someone in your own life might be going through a situation where they need help,” he said.

“The amazing thing about the pro-life movement is that there are so many opportunities for us, just as regular people, to literally save the lives of others. This is especially important as Catholics, because we know that every human being is made in the image of God and has an enormous potential to bring more love into the world.”

Dionisi’s free pro-life bumper stickers can be found here.

‘This is our faith in action:’ Catholic groups expand food aid amid SNAP cuts #Catholic

Volunteers prepare and distribute food to families coming through the drive-through distribution site at the Catholic Charities Diocese of Galveston-Houston Guadalupe Center, a food pantry near central Houston. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston

CNA Staff, Nov 7, 2025 / 17:40 pm (CNA).
As federal food benefits have been frozen during the government shutdown, Catholic dioceses and charities around the country are holding emergency food drives and launching fundraising efforts.Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will resume once the government passes a bill to fund the federal government — but, more than a month into the shutdown, there is no set end date in sight. Two federal district judges at the end of October moved to compel the Trump administration to pay for SNAP benefits, but because Congress has not yet authorized funding for federal government operations, the Trump administration asked an appeals court on Friday to block the orders and continue with partial SNAP payments.The pause in SNAP benefits is estimated to affect about 42 million Americans.In St. Louis, food pantries saw an influx of people in need. In response, parishes across the archdiocese are holding emergency food drives for the first two weekends of November. Nearly 300,000 people in the area could “lose access to vital food benefits,” Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski said in a letter to pastors, whom he asked to “respond with love and generosity to this urgent need.” “We are called to be people of faith and action,” Rozanski said. “And so, I ask the good people of our archdiocese to come together to help our neighbors who are in danger of going without their ‘daily food.’”The archdiocese is working with the local Catholic Charities and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul to ensure that food pantries are full. Julie Komanetsky, a spokesperson for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in St. Louis, said the food drives are “bringing great results for our food pantries.” “This is our faith in action,” she told CNA. “Like the story of the good Samaritan who sees the victim and cares for him, Catholics see that people need to be fed and they are responding. They are answering God’s call to be good Samaritans rather than indifferent bystanders!” So far, the parish food drives have been “very successful and will help keep our pantries stocked and able to support the need,” Komanetsky said.“Our hope for this effort is to keep all within the boundaries of our archdiocese from going hungry during this difficult time in our country,” she continued. “This is our united Catholic effort to let all people know that we see them, we hear their needs, and we will help.”“Pope Leo tells us: Faith cannot be separated from love for the poor,” she continued. “This effort is a testament of our faith and our love.” St. Louis is not the only archdiocese finding creative solutions to the SNAP crisis. In Connecticut, Hartford Archbishop Christopher Coyne has released 0,000 of emergency funding to food banks. Coyne said the funding is being contributed “in the spirit of Jesus’ command to serve our brothers and sisters in need.”“The Catholic Church provides relief and hope for God’s children,” Coyne said in a statement. “It’s what we have done for over 2,000 years and what we continue to do today.”Volunteers load food into a car at a drive-through distribution site in Houston. Credit: Photo courtesy of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-HoustonThe Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston Catholic Charities is seeing a similar rise in need. Across its three food pantries Catholic Charities is extending hours and increasing distribution. “Many families across our service area are struggling, worried about missing paychecks or not being able to put food on the table,” Cynthia Nunes Colbert, who heads the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, told CNA. The group is also offering emergency rental assistance to federal workers and is reaching out to the wider community for support by encouraging food drives, volunteering, and donations, Catholic Charities told CNA. “Whether it’s through financial donations, food drives, or volunteering, together we can provide hope and stability during these uncertain times,” Colbert said.As part of a nationwide effort, Catholic Charities USA launched a fundraising effort in light of the funding cuts. The funds raised will go directly toward buying and sending food to Catholic Charities groups across the country to support ministries such as food pantries and soup kitchens. For families who rely on food assistance programs, this a “catastrophic moment” said CCUSA President and CEO Kerry Alys Robinson. The government shutdown “has created incredibly serious, real-life consequences for millions of people, from furloughed federal workers to those living in poverty who will now struggle even more to provide for their families,” Robinson said in a recent statement.

unitedyam November 7, 2025

Volunteers prepare and distribute food to families coming through the drive-through distribution site at the Catholic Charities Diocese of Galveston-Houston Guadalupe Center, a food pantry near central Houston. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston

CNA Staff, Nov 7, 2025 / 17:40 pm (CNA).

As federal food benefits have been frozen during the government shutdown, Catholic dioceses and charities around the country are holding emergency food drives and launching fundraising efforts.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will resume once the government passes a bill to fund the federal government — but, more than a month into the shutdown, there is no set end date in sight.

Two federal district judges at the end of October moved to compel the Trump administration to pay for SNAP benefits, but because Congress has not yet authorized funding for federal government operations, the Trump administration asked an appeals court on Friday to block the orders and continue with partial SNAP payments.

The pause in SNAP benefits is estimated to affect about 42 million Americans.

In St. Louis, food pantries saw an influx of people in need. In response, parishes across the archdiocese are holding emergency food drives for the first two weekends of November.

Nearly 300,000 people in the area could “lose access to vital food benefits,” Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski said in a letter to pastors, whom he asked to “respond with love and generosity to this urgent need.”

“We are called to be people of faith and action,” Rozanski said. “And so, I ask the good people of our archdiocese to come together to help our neighbors who are in danger of going without their ‘daily food.’”

The archdiocese is working with the local Catholic Charities and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul to ensure that food pantries are full.

Julie Komanetsky, a spokesperson for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in St. Louis, said the food drives are “bringing great results for our food pantries.”

“This is our faith in action,” she told CNA. “Like the story of the good Samaritan who sees the victim and cares for him, Catholics see that people need to be fed and they are responding. They are answering God’s call to be good Samaritans rather than indifferent bystanders!”

So far, the parish food drives have been “very successful and will help keep our pantries stocked and able to support the need,” Komanetsky said.

“Our hope for this effort is to keep all within the boundaries of our archdiocese from going hungry during this difficult time in our country,” she continued. “This is our united Catholic effort to let all people know that we see them, we hear their needs, and we will help.”

“Pope Leo tells us: Faith cannot be separated from love for the poor,” she continued. “This effort is a testament of our faith and our love.”

St. Louis is not the only archdiocese finding creative solutions to the SNAP crisis. In Connecticut, Hartford Archbishop Christopher Coyne has released $500,000 of emergency funding to food banks.

Coyne said the funding is being contributed “in the spirit of Jesus’ command to serve our brothers and sisters in need.”

“The Catholic Church provides relief and hope for God’s children,” Coyne said in a statement. “It’s what we have done for over 2,000 years and what we continue to do today.”

Volunteers load food into a car at a drive-through distribution site in Houston. Credit: Photo courtesy of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston

The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston Catholic Charities is seeing a similar rise in need. Across its three food pantries Catholic Charities is extending hours and increasing distribution.

“Many families across our service area are struggling, worried about missing paychecks or not being able to put food on the table,” Cynthia Nunes Colbert, who heads the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, told CNA.

The group is also offering emergency rental assistance to federal workers and is reaching out to the wider community for support by encouraging food drives, volunteering, and donations, Catholic Charities told CNA.

“Whether it’s through financial donations, food drives, or volunteering, together we can provide hope and stability during these uncertain times,” Colbert said.

As part of a nationwide effort, Catholic Charities USA launched a fundraising effort in light of the funding cuts. The funds raised will go directly toward buying and sending food to Catholic Charities groups across the country to support ministries such as food pantries and soup kitchens.

For families who rely on food assistance programs, this a “catastrophic moment” said CCUSA President and CEO Kerry Alys Robinson.

The government shutdown “has created incredibly serious, real-life consequences for millions of people, from furloughed federal workers to those living in poverty who will now struggle even more to provide for their families,” Robinson said in a recent statement.

Amid loneliness crisis, ‘men need a mission,’ Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly says #Catholic

Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly (right) speaks at the Symposium on Young American Men, a national conversation on restoring purpose, flourishing, and belonging, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 3, 2025. Looking on is Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma. / Credit: Matthew H. Barrick

CNA Staff, Nov 5, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).
At the Symposium on Young American Men in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 3, Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly of the Knights of Columbus said that young men are “lost” and need “purpose and mission.” The symposium highlighted the mental health crisis, social isolation, digital addiction, and other struggles young men face today.Panelists — including Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma; Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Arizona; Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas; and other experts — discussed ways to address these challenges by helping young men build community. “Many young men are lost and disconnected,” Kelly said in an opening statement at the beginning of the symposium. “Many come from broken families with fathers who are not a real part of their life. Many are drowning in the depths of the internet and social media.”Kelly, who heads the Catholic fraternal organization Knights of Columbus, pointed to loneliness and isolation as a challenge for young men. “It’s increasingly clear that millions of men no longer have friends who they can count on and who can spur them on to excellence,” Kelly continued. “More than a quarter of millennials say they have no close friends, and the rise of artificial intelligence has millions of young men looking for friendship in chatbots.”Ellen Carmichael, founder of The Lafayette Company, the communications group hosting the symposium, said there is an “urgent need” for action.“Recent incidents of political violence and growing national concern about young men’s social isolation have underscored what we already knew: This conversation cannot wait,” Carmichael stated. “We are hardwired as men for purpose and mission,” Kelly said, noting that the Knights of Columbus is centered on Christ and service to local communities. “We are trying to tackle what the surgeon general recently called the epidemic of loneliness and isolation,” Kelly noted. “We’re giving men the kind of community they truly need, and we will continue to help America’s young men find meaning and mission in life.” “We’ve always known that men need meaning in life and that a man’s ultimate meaning comes from his personal relationship with others and with God,” Kelly said. “Friendship is the key,” he said. “Christ did his ministry through friendships … he assembled 12 friends, imperfect people.” In a panel on the role of faith in rebuilding community for men, Kelly said young men “have had enough” of what the culture offers them and “are really yearning for more of an institution and yearning for moorings.” He noted that the Knights of Columbus have been bringing in a growing number of men over the past few years and that after an era of relativism, there has been a “swing back” among young men toward tradition. In a change from previous generations, he said, young men are drawn to ritual. “The areas they’re searching leave them empty,” Kelly said, so “they turn to God.”

unitedyam November 5, 2025

Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly (right) speaks at the Symposium on Young American Men, a national conversation on restoring purpose, flourishing, and belonging, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 3, 2025. Looking on is Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma. / Credit: Matthew H. Barrick

CNA Staff, Nov 5, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

At the Symposium on Young American Men in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 3, Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly of the Knights of Columbus said that young men are “lost” and need “purpose and mission.”

The symposium highlighted the mental health crisis, social isolation, digital addiction, and other struggles young men face today.

Panelists — including Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma; Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Arizona; Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas; and other experts — discussed ways to address these challenges by helping young men build community.

“Many young men are lost and disconnected,” Kelly said in an opening statement at the beginning of the symposium. “Many come from broken families with fathers who are not a real part of their life. Many are drowning in the depths of the internet and social media.”

Kelly, who heads the Catholic fraternal organization Knights of Columbus, pointed to loneliness and isolation as a challenge for young men.

“It’s increasingly clear that millions of men no longer have friends who they can count on and who can spur them on to excellence,” Kelly continued. “More than a quarter of millennials say they have no close friends, and the rise of artificial intelligence has millions of young men looking for friendship in chatbots.”

Ellen Carmichael, founder of The Lafayette Company, the communications group hosting the symposium, said there is an “urgent need” for action.

“Recent incidents of political violence and growing national concern about young men’s social isolation have underscored what we already knew: This conversation cannot wait,” Carmichael stated.

“We are hardwired as men for purpose and mission,” Kelly said, noting that the Knights of Columbus is centered on Christ and service to local communities.

“We are trying to tackle what the surgeon general recently called the epidemic of loneliness and isolation,” Kelly noted. “We’re giving men the kind of community they truly need, and we will continue to help America’s young men find meaning and mission in life.”

“We’ve always known that men need meaning in life and that a man’s ultimate meaning comes from his personal relationship with others and with God,” Kelly said.

“Friendship is the key,” he said. “Christ did his ministry through friendships … he assembled 12 friends, imperfect people.”

In a panel on the role of faith in rebuilding community for men, Kelly said young men “have had enough” of what the culture offers them and “are really yearning for more of an institution and yearning for moorings.”

He noted that the Knights of Columbus have been bringing in a growing number of men over the past few years and that after an era of relativism, there has been a “swing back” among young men toward tradition.

In a change from previous generations, he said, young men are drawn to ritual.

“The areas they’re searching leave them empty,” Kelly said, so “they turn to God.”

U.S. bishops urge world leaders to address climate change at upcoming conference #Catholic

null / Credit: Harvepino/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 4, 2025 / 17:47 pm (CNA).
U.S. bishops and other Catholic leaders are offering “prayers of support and solidarity” for world leaders who will discuss climate change and other environmental matters at an upcoming conference.The 30th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) is scheduled for Nov. 10–21 in Belém, Brazil. World leaders, scientists, and representatives from civil society will discuss ways to implement solutions to combat climate change and form new national action plans. Archbishop Borys Gudziak, chair of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development; Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, chair of the Committee on International Justice and Peace; and Sean Callahan, CEO of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), are calling for “urgent, courageous action to protect God’s creation and people.” “This year’s COP30 convenes while the Catholic Church celebrates the Jubilee Year of Hope,” the leaders said in a Nov. 4 statement. It is “a sacred opportunity to restore relationships and renew creation at a time when the gift of life is under grave threat.”“Pope Leo XIV called for the participants of COP30 to ‘listen to the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor, families, Indigenous peoples, involuntary migrants and believers throughout the world,’” the leaders said.“Climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation are devastating communities already burdened by poverty and exclusion. Farming and fishing families confront threats to their livelihoods; Indigenous peoples face destruction of their ancestral lands; children’s health, safety, and futures are at risk,” the statement said.“A decade ago, in Laudato Si’, Pope Francis reminded us that the climate is a common good, belonging to all and meant for all, and that intergenerational solidarity is not optional,” the statement said. “Failing to steward God’s creation ignores our responsibility as one human family.”The leaders are calling on world leaders to act “urgently” to implement the Paris Agreement, a 2015 international treaty to limit global warming that “protects God’s creation and people.”The leaders asked that countries and civil society organizations recommit to implementation that fosters economic opportunities, commits to efforts that reduce climate warming emissions, and pledges loss and damage financing that guarantees priority and direct access to vulnerable communities. They also asked that they ensure a just transition to a sustainable economy centered on workers, communities, and creation and make financing for climate solutions timely and transparent while also upholding human dignity.“As all of us are impacted, so must we all be responsible for addressing this global challenge,” the leaders said. “Together, these actions can work towards integral ecology and ‘give priority to the poor and marginalized in the process.’”

unitedyam November 4, 2025

null / Credit: Harvepino/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 4, 2025 / 17:47 pm (CNA).

U.S. bishops and other Catholic leaders are offering “prayers of support and solidarity” for world leaders who will discuss climate change and other environmental matters at an upcoming conference.

The 30th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) is scheduled for Nov. 10–21 in Belém, Brazil. World leaders, scientists, and representatives from civil society will discuss ways to implement solutions to combat climate change and form new national action plans.

Archbishop Borys Gudziak, chair of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development; Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, chair of the Committee on International Justice and Peace; and Sean Callahan, CEO of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), are calling for “urgent, courageous action to protect God’s creation and people.”

“This year’s COP30 convenes while the Catholic Church celebrates the Jubilee Year of Hope,” the leaders said in a Nov. 4 statement. It is “a sacred opportunity to restore relationships and renew creation at a time when the gift of life is under grave threat.”

“Pope Leo XIV called for the participants of COP30 to ‘listen to the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor, families, Indigenous peoples, involuntary migrants and believers throughout the world,’” the leaders said.

“Climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation are devastating communities already burdened by poverty and exclusion. Farming and fishing families confront threats to their livelihoods; Indigenous peoples face destruction of their ancestral lands; children’s health, safety, and futures are at risk,” the statement said.

“A decade ago, in Laudato Si’, Pope Francis reminded us that the climate is a common good, belonging to all and meant for all, and that intergenerational solidarity is not optional,” the statement said. “Failing to steward God’s creation ignores our responsibility as one human family.”

The leaders are calling on world leaders to act “urgently” to implement the Paris Agreement, a 2015 international treaty to limit global warming that “protects God’s creation and people.”

The leaders asked that countries and civil society organizations recommit to implementation that fosters economic opportunities, commits to efforts that reduce climate warming emissions, and pledges loss and damage financing that guarantees priority and direct access to vulnerable communities.

They also asked that they ensure a just transition to a sustainable economy centered on workers, communities, and creation and make financing for climate solutions timely and transparent while also upholding human dignity.

“As all of us are impacted, so must we all be responsible for addressing this global challenge,” the leaders said. “Together, these actions can work towards integral ecology and ‘give priority to the poor and marginalized in the process.’”

7 fascinating facts about St. Martin de Porres, the first Black saint of the Americas #Catholic

St. Martin de Porres. / Credit: AnonymousUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

CNA Staff, Nov 3, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).
On Nov. 3, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of St. Martin de Porres, a Peruvian Dominican brother who lived a life of humble service and charity and became the first Black saint of the Americas.Here are seven fascinating facts about this inspiring saint:1. His father refused to acknowledge him. De Porres was born in Lima, Peru, in 1579. He was the son of a Spanish nobleman and former Panamanian Black slave. His father, Don Juan de Porres, refused to publicly acknowledge the boy as his own because Martin was Black, like his mother. Being biracial would prove challenging for Martin de Porres throughout his life. 2. He started practicing medicine before he was 13. De Porres served as an apprentice to a doctor, and before the age of 13 he began to learn the practice of medicine. He would eventually become a barber, which at the time performed minor medical and surgical procedures like pulling teeth or emptying abscesses. 3. He faced discrimination as a Dominican. De Porres entered the Dominican order in 1603. Becoming a Dominican brother proved to be challenging for de Porres because a Peruvian law at the time prevented people of mixed race from joining religious orders. Therefore, he lived with the community and did manual work, earning himself the nickname “the saint of the broom” for his diligence in cleaning the Dominicans’ quarters.Eventually he was allowed to enter the order, despite the law, and worked in the infirmary tending to the sick and among the impoverished of Peru. “I cure them, but God heals them,” de Porres would say when curing the sick. He also had the task of begging for alms that the community would use to clothe and feed the poor. He also established an orphanage and planted an orchard from which those in need could freely take a day’s supply of fruit. 4. He levitated and bilocated. De Porres was deeply prayerful, so much so that many of the brothers witnessed him levitating in intense prayer and embracing the crucified cross. De Porres reportedly also had the gift of bilocation, and some of his contemporaries said they encountered him in places as far off as Japan even as he remained in Lima. Some claimed he had appeared to them supernaturally behind locked doors or under otherwise impossible circumstances. 5. He refused to eat meat. De Porres loved animals. He refused to eat meat and ran a veterinary hospital for sick animals that seemed to seek out his help. Portrayals of the saint often include cats, dogs, and even the rats to whom he showed compassion.6. He is the patron saint of multiple manual labor occupations. De Porres was known for the various assignments he carried out and which earned him the title of patron saint of barbers, the sick, and street cleaners. On the 50th anniversary of St. Martin de Porres’ canonization, Father Juan Anguerri, director of the St. Martin de Porres Home for the Poor, said: “These are often thankless tasks, but yet through his humble service, St. Martin sent a message to revitalize these jobs.”7. He was canonized more than 300 years after his death. Martin de Porres died on Nov. 3, 1639, at age 60. He was canonized by Pope John XXIII on May 16, 1962. At his canonization Mass, John XXIII called him “Martin of Charity.” This story was first published on Nov. 3, 2021, and has been updated.

unitedyam November 3, 2025

St. Martin de Porres. / Credit: AnonymousUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

CNA Staff, Nov 3, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).

On Nov. 3, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of St. Martin de Porres, a Peruvian Dominican brother who lived a life of humble service and charity and became the first Black saint of the Americas.

Here are seven fascinating facts about this inspiring saint:

1. His father refused to acknowledge him.

De Porres was born in Lima, Peru, in 1579. He was the son of a Spanish nobleman and former Panamanian Black slave. His father, Don Juan de Porres, refused to publicly acknowledge the boy as his own because Martin was Black, like his mother. Being biracial would prove challenging for Martin de Porres throughout his life.

2. He started practicing medicine before he was 13.

De Porres served as an apprentice to a doctor, and before the age of 13 he began to learn the practice of medicine. He would eventually become a barber, which at the time performed minor medical and surgical procedures like pulling teeth or emptying abscesses.

3. He faced discrimination as a Dominican.

De Porres entered the Dominican order in 1603. Becoming a Dominican brother proved to be challenging for de Porres because a Peruvian law at the time prevented people of mixed race from joining religious orders. Therefore, he lived with the community and did manual work, earning himself the nickname “the saint of the broom” for his diligence in cleaning the Dominicans’ quarters.

Eventually he was allowed to enter the order, despite the law, and worked in the infirmary tending to the sick and among the impoverished of Peru. “I cure them, but God heals them,” de Porres would say when curing the sick. He also had the task of begging for alms that the community would use to clothe and feed the poor. He also established an orphanage and planted an orchard from which those in need could freely take a day’s supply of fruit.

4. He levitated and bilocated.

De Porres was deeply prayerful, so much so that many of the brothers witnessed him levitating in intense prayer and embracing the crucified cross. De Porres reportedly also had the gift of bilocation, and some of his contemporaries said they encountered him in places as far off as Japan even as he remained in Lima. Some claimed he had appeared to them supernaturally behind locked doors or under otherwise impossible circumstances.

5. He refused to eat meat.

De Porres loved animals. He refused to eat meat and ran a veterinary hospital for sick animals that seemed to seek out his help. Portrayals of the saint often include cats, dogs, and even the rats to whom he showed compassion.

6. He is the patron saint of multiple manual labor occupations.

De Porres was known for the various assignments he carried out and which earned him the title of patron saint of barbers, the sick, and street cleaners. On the 50th anniversary of St. Martin de Porres’ canonization, Father Juan Anguerri, director of the St. Martin de Porres Home for the Poor, said: “These are often thankless tasks, but yet through his humble service, St. Martin sent a message to revitalize these jobs.”

7. He was canonized more than 300 years after his death.

Martin de Porres died on Nov. 3, 1639, at age 60. He was canonized by Pope John XXIII on May 16, 1962. At his canonization Mass, John XXIII called him “Martin of Charity.”

This story was first published on Nov. 3, 2021, and has been updated.

10,000 pro-lifers join LIFE Runners annual relay across the U.S. #Catholic

Finish line of the A-Cross America Relay, hosted by Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas. / Credit: Photo courtesy of LIFE Runners.

CNA Staff, Nov 1, 2025 / 05:55 am (CNA).
A pro-life relay with more than 10,000 participants came to a joyful conclusion in Kansas last Saturday after runners made the shape of a cross as they ran across the U.S.The 5,124 mile “A-Cross America Relay,” organized by pro-life group LIFE Runners, kicked off in September in four cities around the country and ended at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas on Oct. 25.The starting points were San Francisco, California; New York City, New York; Austin, Texas; and Fargo, North Dakota, but participants around the world also joined to witness to life in their own nations. The San Francisco kickoff of the A-Cross America Relay began at Star of the Sea Church with students from Stella Maris Academy. Credit: Photo courtesy of LIFE Runners.With more than 25,000 “teammates” in nearly 4,000 cities across 50 countries, LIFE Runners aim to raise awareness for unborn children during their annual relay. Patrick Castle, president and founder of LIFE Runners, spoke with CNA about what inspires participants to run for the unborn. CNA: What inspires the mission of LIFE Runners? Castle: LIFE Runners is inspired by the obvious responsibility of Christians to reach the youth, pregnant mothers, fathers, and influencers with God's love and the truth that abortion isn't a solution to anything, it is the greatest problem, the greatest evil by definition, by the numbers. Abortion claims more American lives in one year than all combat casualties in the history of America. With the 250th anniversary of our country next year, may we reflect on who we are as Americans and as Christians. We are people who stand for God and His gifts of life and liberty. Amen!How does the relay help raise awareness for the unborn?Castle: The LIFE Runners A-Cross America Relay helps raise awareness for the unborn through our public witness [of] wearing “REMEMBER The Unborn” shirts. Eighty-two percent of post-abortion mothers said if they had encountered one supportive person or encouraging message, they would have chosen life. For example, two mothers saw our “REMEMBER The Unborn” witness outside of the Omaha Planned Parenthood, asked for help, and chose life. New York City kickoff for the A-Cross America Relay. Participants prayed and then walked with the big “REMEMBER The Unborn” banner to the Father Francis Duffy statue in Times Square. Credit: Photo courtesy of LIFE Runners.Thousands of people witnessed thousands of LIFE Runners wearing "REMEMBER The Unborn" shirts across America and around the world during the 5,124 mile relay that made a cross over America. With access to abortion in the mail and across state lines, LIFE Runners wear life-saving messages everywhere to inspire a culture of life at work, school, walking, running, grocery store; everywhere! What stood out to you from the finish line relay at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas? Castle: I am so encouraged by the authentic, Catholic, pro-life identity of Benedictine College … While running up the hill, students invited other students to join us, like a scene out of the "Rocky" movie when the local community joined him on a training run. The last mile ended on the main campus drive with President [Stephen] Minnis leading a large crowd with cheering. The finish was immediately followed by a beautiful prayer from Archbishop [Joseph]Naumann.What is the significance of having a national relay across the United States? Castle: The significance of having a relay that makes a cross over America is unity. [The relay] connects everyone in a pro-God way, allowing faith and light to overcome the darkness to end abortion — all in Christ for pro-life! Teammates in other countries adopt segments, knowing that America can and should lead the way in ending abortion around the world. The relay is an inspiring light for the world. The cross is the greatest symbol of love, bringing hope that life will prevail!The North arm kickoff of the A-Cross America Relay in Fargo, North Dakota. NDSU Newman Center students helped launch the north arm with a 2.7 mile prayerful witness walk. Credit: Photo courtesy of LIFE Runners.

unitedyam November 1, 2025

Finish line of the A-Cross America Relay, hosted by Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas. / Credit: Photo courtesy of LIFE Runners.

CNA Staff, Nov 1, 2025 / 05:55 am (CNA).

A pro-life relay with more than 10,000 participants came to a joyful conclusion in Kansas last Saturday after runners made the shape of a cross as they ran across the U.S.

The 5,124 mile “A-Cross America Relay,” organized by pro-life group LIFE Runners, kicked off in September in four cities around the country and ended at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas on Oct. 25.

The starting points were San Francisco, California; New York City, New York; Austin, Texas; and Fargo, North Dakota, but participants around the world also joined to witness to life in their own nations.

The San Francisco kickoff of the A-Cross America Relay began at Star of the Sea Church with students from Stella Maris Academy. Credit: Photo courtesy of LIFE Runners.

With more than 25,000 “teammates” in nearly 4,000 cities across 50 countries, LIFE Runners aim to raise awareness for unborn children during their annual relay.

Patrick Castle, president and founder of LIFE Runners, spoke with CNA about what inspires participants to run for the unborn.

CNA: What inspires the mission of LIFE Runners?

Castle: LIFE Runners is inspired by the obvious responsibility of Christians to reach the youth, pregnant mothers, fathers, and influencers with God’s love and the truth that abortion isn’t a solution to anything, it is the greatest problem, the greatest evil by definition, by the numbers.

Abortion claims more American lives in one year than all combat casualties in the history of America. With the 250th anniversary of our country next year, may we reflect on who we are as Americans and as Christians.

We are people who stand for God and His gifts of life and liberty. Amen!

How does the relay help raise awareness for the unborn?

Castle: The LIFE Runners A-Cross America Relay helps raise awareness for the unborn through our public witness [of] wearing “REMEMBER The Unborn” shirts.

Eighty-two percent of post-abortion mothers said if they had encountered one supportive person or encouraging message, they would have chosen life.

For example, two mothers saw our “REMEMBER The Unborn” witness outside of the Omaha Planned Parenthood, asked for help, and chose life.

New York City kickoff for the A-Cross America Relay. Participants prayed and then walked with the big “REMEMBER The Unborn” banner to the Father Francis Duffy statue in Times Square. Credit: Photo courtesy of LIFE Runners.

Thousands of people witnessed thousands of LIFE Runners wearing “REMEMBER The Unborn” shirts across America and around the world during the 5,124 mile relay that made a cross over America.

With access to abortion in the mail and across state lines, LIFE Runners wear life-saving messages everywhere to inspire a culture of life at work, school, walking, running, grocery store; everywhere!

What stood out to you from the finish line relay at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas?

Castle: I am so encouraged by the authentic, Catholic, pro-life identity of Benedictine College … While running up the hill, students invited other students to join us, like a scene out of the “Rocky” movie when the local community joined him on a training run.

The last mile ended on the main campus drive with President [Stephen] Minnis leading a large crowd with cheering. The finish was immediately followed by a beautiful prayer from Archbishop [Joseph]Naumann.

What is the significance of having a national relay across the United States?

Castle: The significance of having a relay that makes a cross over America is unity. [The relay] connects everyone in a pro-God way, allowing faith and light to overcome the darkness to end abortion — all in Christ for pro-life!

Teammates in other countries adopt segments, knowing that America can and should lead the way in ending abortion around the world.

The relay is an inspiring light for the world. The cross is the greatest symbol of love, bringing hope that life will prevail!

The North arm kickoff of the A-Cross America Relay in Fargo, North Dakota. NDSU Newman Center students helped launch the north arm with a 2.7 mile prayerful witness walk. Credit: Photo courtesy of LIFE Runners.

Catholic social scientists reframe perspective on retirement #Catholic

As Father Emmanuel Nanabanyin Conduah (right) looks on, PennWest University Professor Miguel Olivas-Luján (left) delivers his paper “Retiring for Eternity: Planning Based on Social Science and Catholic Social Thought” during the 2025 annual conference of the Society of Catholic Social Scientists at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. / Credit: Ken Oliver-Méndez/CNA

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 29, 2025 / 10:08 am (CNA).
“Retiring for Eternity: Planning Based on Social Science and Catholic Social Thought” was among the topics the Society of Catholic Social Scientists examined during its 2025 annual conference, held Oct. 24–25 on the campus of Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio.In his presentation on the topic, Miguel Olivas-Luján, a professor of business at PennWest University, called for a transformative vision of retirement, one that “transcends conventional models of successful or active aging.”“While secular frameworks emphasize health, financial stability, and social engagement, Catholic social teaching invites a deeper reflection on the spiritual dimensions of aging, particularly the preparation for eternal life,” Olivas-Luján pointed out.Catholic retirementIn Catholic social teaching, Olivas-Luján explained, aging and retirement are not viewed as periods of decline but as opportunities for deepening solidarity within families, communities, and the Church. Recent developments in Catholic social teaching on aging include the work of Professor Peter Kevern, who in a 2018 paper identified the elderly as bearers of unique charisms — wisdom, memory, and interdependence — that substantially enrich both eccesial and civic communities.The Catholic view on aging, Olivas-Luján continued, considers the spiritual, relational, and ethical contributions of older adults to be “indispensable to the flourishing of both Church and society.”Professor Miguel Olivas-Luján noted that the elderly are “bearers of unique charisms — wisdom, memory, and interdependence” that enrich both ecclesial and civic communities. Credit: Ken Oliver-Méndez/CNAIn his presentation, Olivas-Luján explained how the foundational principles of Catholic social thought affirm the inherent worth of older adults and their continued role in society. He cited the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which affirms the understanding that because of each person’s essential human dignity, for example, as individuals age their value remains constant, rooted in their divine origin and eternal destiny. Retirement is thus, in Olivas-Luján’s words, “an ideal time to accelerate the pace and intentionality toward this union with God, once work-related preoccupations no longer take the highest priority.”Practical implicationsFor many older adults, Olivas-Luján noted, the end of a professional career can lead to feelings of isolation or a loss of direction. Catholic parishes and ministries, however, offer a unique and spiritually enriching environment that help retirees remain engaged, purposeful, and connected to their communities.Through their ministries, volunteer opportunities, and social events, for example, parishes and organizations like the Knights of Columbus provide retirees with opportunities to continue contributing meaningfully. The Catholic Health Association has also documented how faith communities can help retirees maintain their physical, emotional, and spiritual health through holistic support systems that integrate prayer, service, and fellowship.In addition, Olivas-Luján cited studies that show that seniors with strong spiritual engagement experience lower rates of depression and anxiety, and register greater life satisfaction and improved physical health. Nonetheless, the Church’s understanding of suffering in old age also reframes physical decline and existential questioning as pathways to grace and communion with Christ. The PennWest professor pointed out that from a Catholic perspective and specifically when viewed through the lens of redemptive suffering, “human pain, when united with trust in Christ’s redeeming passion, can contribute to personal sanctification and the salvation of others.”Ultimately, as Olivas-Luján put it, retirement and aging are not problems to be solved but vocations to be lived, “a sacred season rich with opportunities for love, service, and spiritual flourishing.”

unitedyam October 29, 2025

As Father Emmanuel Nanabanyin Conduah (right) looks on, PennWest University Professor Miguel Olivas-Luján (left) delivers his paper “Retiring for Eternity: Planning Based on Social Science and Catholic Social Thought” during the 2025 annual conference of the Society of Catholic Social Scientists at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. / Credit: Ken Oliver-Méndez/CNA

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 29, 2025 / 10:08 am (CNA).

“Retiring for Eternity: Planning Based on Social Science and Catholic Social Thought” was among the topics the Society of Catholic Social Scientists examined during its 2025 annual conference, held Oct. 24–25 on the campus of Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio.

In his presentation on the topic, Miguel Olivas-Luján, a professor of business at PennWest University, called for a transformative vision of retirement, one that “transcends conventional models of successful or active aging.”

“While secular frameworks emphasize health, financial stability, and social engagement, Catholic social teaching invites a deeper reflection on the spiritual dimensions of aging, particularly the preparation for eternal life,” Olivas-Luján pointed out.

Catholic retirement

In Catholic social teaching, Olivas-Luján explained, aging and retirement are not viewed as periods of decline but as opportunities for deepening solidarity within families, communities, and the Church.

Recent developments in Catholic social teaching on aging include the work of Professor Peter Kevern, who in a 2018 paper identified the elderly as bearers of unique charisms — wisdom, memory, and interdependence — that substantially enrich both eccesial and civic communities.

The Catholic view on aging, Olivas-Luján continued, considers the spiritual, relational, and ethical contributions of older adults to be “indispensable to the flourishing of both Church and society.”

Professor Miguel Olivas-Luján noted that the elderly are "bearers of unique charisms — wisdom, memory, and interdependence" that enrich both ecclesial and civic communities. Credit: Ken Oliver-Méndez/CNA — Professor Miguel Olivas-Luján noted that the elderly are “bearers of unique charisms — wisdom, memory, and interdependence” that enrich both ecclesial and civic communities. Credit: Ken Oliver-Méndez/CNA

In his presentation, Olivas-Luján explained how the foundational principles of Catholic social thought affirm the inherent worth of older adults and their continued role in society. He cited the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which affirms the understanding that because of each person’s essential human dignity, for example, as individuals age their value remains constant, rooted in their divine origin and eternal destiny.

Retirement is thus, in Olivas-Luján’s words, “an ideal time to accelerate the pace and intentionality toward this union with God, once work-related preoccupations no longer take the highest priority.”

Practical implications

For many older adults, Olivas-Luján noted, the end of a professional career can lead to feelings of isolation or a loss of direction. Catholic parishes and ministries, however, offer a unique and spiritually enriching environment that help retirees remain engaged, purposeful, and connected to their communities.

Through their ministries, volunteer opportunities, and social events, for example, parishes and organizations like the Knights of Columbus provide retirees with opportunities to continue contributing meaningfully. The Catholic Health Association has also documented how faith communities can help retirees maintain their physical, emotional, and spiritual health through holistic support systems that integrate prayer, service, and fellowship.

In addition, Olivas-Luján cited studies that show that seniors with strong spiritual engagement experience lower rates of depression and anxiety, and register greater life satisfaction and improved physical health.

Nonetheless, the Church’s understanding of suffering in old age also reframes physical decline and existential questioning as pathways to grace and communion with Christ. The PennWest professor pointed out that from a Catholic perspective and specifically when viewed through the lens of redemptive suffering, “human pain, when united with trust in Christ’s redeeming passion, can contribute to personal sanctification and the salvation of others.”

Ultimately, as Olivas-Luján put it, retirement and aging are not problems to be solved but vocations to be lived, “a sacred season rich with opportunities for love, service, and spiritual flourishing.”

Texas voters to decide on parental rights amendment in November #Catholic

Texas state capitol. / Credit: Inspired By Maps/Shutterstock

Houston, Texas, Oct 29, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).
Texas voters will head to the polls next week to consider Proposition 15, the Parental Rights Amendment, a constitutional amendment aimed at enshrining parents’ rights in the state constitution.The measure, if approved, would add language to the Texas Constitution affirming that parents have the right “to exercise care, custody, and control of the parent’s child, including the right to make decisions concerning the child’s upbringing” and the responsibility “to nurture and protect the parent’s child.” Texas already ranks among 26 states with a Parents’ Bill of Rights enshrined in state law. That existing statute grants parents a right to “full information” concerning their child at school as well as access to their child’s student records, copies of state assessments, and teaching materials, among other provisions.The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops told CNA it supports the “proposed amendment to recognize the natural right of parents to direct their children’s upbringing.”Other supporters include the Baptist General Convention of Texas Christian Life Commission, Family Freedom Project, Texans for Vaccine Choice, Texas Eagle Forum, Texas Home School Coalition, Texas Public Policy Foundation, and Texas Right to Life PAC.Marcella Burke, a Houston attorney, told CNA that “it’s good to live in a state where an amendment like this is on the table. Parents matter, their kids matter, and families should be protected against government interference. That’s exactly what this amendment seeks to do: keep governments from interfering with beneficial family growth and child development.”“While these rights to nurture and protect children are currently safeguarded thanks to existing Supreme Court case law, there is no federal constitutional amendment protecting these rights,” Burke continued.Opposition to the proposition has come from both Democratic as well as conservative advocacy groups.According to the True Texas Project, a conservative group of former Tea Party supporters, the language of the amendment is too vague. In addition, the group argues that “Prop 15 would simply declare that parents have the inherent right to make decisions for their children. We should not have to put this into the state constitution! God has already ordained that parents are to be responsible for their children, and government has no place in family decisions, except in the case of child abuse and neglect.”The group says that including the proposed language in the state constitution “equates to acknowledgement that the state has conferred this right. And we know that what the state can give, the state can take away.”Burke said, however, that “an amendment like this will make governments think twice and carefully consider any actions affecting child-rearing. Keep in mind that no rights are absolute, so in this context, parents don’t have the right to abuse their kids — and that’s the sort of exception the amendment reads in.”Katy Faust, founder of children’s advocacy group Them Before Us, told CNA parental rights are the “flipside of genuine child rights.”

unitedyam October 29, 2025

Texas state capitol. / Credit: Inspired By Maps/Shutterstock

Houston, Texas, Oct 29, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Texas voters will head to the polls next week to consider Proposition 15, the Parental Rights Amendment, a constitutional amendment aimed at enshrining parents’ rights in the state constitution.

The measure, if approved, would add language to the Texas Constitution affirming that parents have the right “to exercise care, custody, and control of the parent’s child, including the right to make decisions concerning the child’s upbringing” and the responsibility “to nurture and protect the parent’s child.”

Texas already ranks among 26 states with a Parents’ Bill of Rights enshrined in state law. That existing statute grants parents a right to “full information” concerning their child at school as well as access to their child’s student records, copies of state assessments, and teaching materials, among other provisions.

The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops told CNA it supports the “proposed amendment to recognize the natural right of parents to direct their children’s upbringing.”

Other supporters include the Baptist General Convention of Texas Christian Life Commission, Family Freedom Project, Texans for Vaccine Choice, Texas Eagle Forum, Texas Home School Coalition, Texas Public Policy Foundation, and Texas Right to Life PAC.

Marcella Burke, a Houston attorney, told CNA that “it’s good to live in a state where an amendment like this is on the table. Parents matter, their kids matter, and families should be protected against government interference. That’s exactly what this amendment seeks to do: keep governments from interfering with beneficial family growth and child development.”

“While these rights to nurture and protect children are currently safeguarded thanks to existing Supreme Court case law, there is no federal constitutional amendment protecting these rights,” Burke continued.

Opposition to the proposition has come from both Democratic as well as conservative advocacy groups.

According to the True Texas Project, a conservative group of former Tea Party supporters, the language of the amendment is too vague. In addition, the group argues that “Prop 15 would simply declare that parents have the inherent right to make decisions for their children. We should not have to put this into the state constitution! God has already ordained that parents are to be responsible for their children, and government has no place in family decisions, except in the case of child abuse and neglect.”

The group says that including the proposed language in the state constitution “equates to acknowledgement that the state has conferred this right. And we know that what the state can give, the state can take away.”

Burke said, however, that “an amendment like this will make governments think twice and carefully consider any actions affecting child-rearing. Keep in mind that no rights are absolute, so in this context, parents don’t have the right to abuse their kids — and that’s the sort of exception the amendment reads in.”

Katy Faust, founder of children’s advocacy group Them Before Us, told CNA parental rights are the “flipside of genuine child rights.”

New docudrama explains ‘what a real exorcism is’ #Catholic

“Triumph Over Evil: Battle of the Exorcists” will be in theaters for one day only on Oct. 30, 2025, and aims to answer questions regarding the truth about exorcisms. / Credit: Goya Producciones

CNA Staff, Oct 28, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).
Who is the devil? What is an exorcism? How do you protect yourself from demonic attacks? These are some of the questions a new film titled “Triumph Over Evil: Battle of the Exorcists” aims to answer.Approved by the International Association of Exorcists, a prominent pontifical association, “Triumph Over Evil” is the first authoritative documentary to delve into the various aspects of demonic possession and exorcism as well as the how the Catholic priesthood and the Blessed Virgin Mary take part in the battle against evil. The film, which includes never-before-seen commentary from Vatican exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth and others, will be in theaters for one day only on Oct. 30. Giovanni Ziberna, a former atheist who converted to Catholicism, directs the film. Despite growing up in an atheist household, Ziberna told CNA in an interview that he always felt like God existed. “The beauty of creation always made me feel that there had to be something more,” he said. The Italian film director shared that it was not until he and his wife were asked to work on a project on the life of St. Veronica Giuliani — an Italian nun and mystic who belonged to the Capuchin Poor Clares — that he first encountered God. He explained that after receiving a blessing for protection from the priests involved in the project, he began to feel a “fire starting from my feet and rising up all over my body.”“This fire burned away all my preconceived ideas, my pride, my ego, what I thought about God,” he said. “In that moment, I realized that it was God who humbled himself to embrace us in our smallness and misery and also that fire lit in me the desire to conversion, to be baptized; and the desire to know the faith and the Scriptures.” From that point on, he and his wife started their faith journey. They began receiving the sacraments, getting baptized as well as baptizing their children, and having their civil marriage recognized by the Catholic Church.After becoming Catholic, Ziberna had the opportunity to assist in the ministry of exorcism, where he served as a firsthand witness. This experience inspired him to create the film as a way to show the truth about exorcisms, in contrast to what Hollywood depicts. He explained that there is a lot of “misinformation” surrounding this topic, as well as a lack of “theological background,” making it “easy to fall in the devil’s trap.”Through the film, Ziberna said he wants to “show what a real exorcism is” and how it serves as a “spiritual moment full of light where God’s power wins over darkness.”Ziberna said he hopes viewers will come away with more knowledge, a desire to “stay closer to God,” and a reminder that the “only real winner over evil is God.”

unitedyam October 28, 2025

“Triumph Over Evil: Battle of the Exorcists” will be in theaters for one day only on Oct. 30, 2025, and aims to answer questions regarding the truth about exorcisms. / Credit: Goya Producciones

CNA Staff, Oct 28, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Who is the devil? What is an exorcism? How do you protect yourself from demonic attacks? These are some of the questions a new film titled “Triumph Over Evil: Battle of the Exorcists” aims to answer.

Approved by the International Association of Exorcists, a prominent pontifical association, “Triumph Over Evil” is the first authoritative documentary to delve into the various aspects of demonic possession and exorcism as well as the how the Catholic priesthood and the Blessed Virgin Mary take part in the battle against evil.

The film, which includes never-before-seen commentary from Vatican exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth and others, will be in theaters for one day only on Oct. 30.

Giovanni Ziberna, a former atheist who converted to Catholicism, directs the film.

Despite growing up in an atheist household, Ziberna told CNA in an interview that he always felt like God existed.

“The beauty of creation always made me feel that there had to be something more,” he said.

The Italian film director shared that it was not until he and his wife were asked to work on a project on the life of St. Veronica Giuliani — an Italian nun and mystic who belonged to the Capuchin Poor Clares — that he first encountered God. He explained that after receiving a blessing for protection from the priests involved in the project, he began to feel a “fire starting from my feet and rising up all over my body.”

“This fire burned away all my preconceived ideas, my pride, my ego, what I thought about God,” he said. “In that moment, I realized that it was God who humbled himself to embrace us in our smallness and misery and also that fire lit in me the desire to conversion, to be baptized; and the desire to know the faith and the Scriptures.”

From that point on, he and his wife started their faith journey. They began receiving the sacraments, getting baptized as well as baptizing their children, and having their civil marriage recognized by the Catholic Church.

After becoming Catholic, Ziberna had the opportunity to assist in the ministry of exorcism, where he served as a firsthand witness. This experience inspired him to create the film as a way to show the truth about exorcisms, in contrast to what Hollywood depicts.

He explained that there is a lot of “misinformation” surrounding this topic, as well as a lack of “theological background,” making it “easy to fall in the devil’s trap.”

Through the film, Ziberna said he wants to “show what a real exorcism is” and how it serves as a “spiritual moment full of light where God’s power wins over darkness.”

Ziberna said he hopes viewers will come away with more knowledge, a desire to “stay closer to God,” and a reminder that the “only real winner over evil is God.”

How the ‘baseball priest’ uses the sport to spread the Gospel #Catholic

Father Burke Masters speaks to Veronica Dudo on "EWTN News Nightly" on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025 / Credit: EWTN News

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 25, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).
Father Burke Masters’ first dream was to be a major league baseball player, but after feeling a call from God to the priesthood he now uses the sport “to speak about Jesus and the Church.”“I played college baseball at Mississippi State University, and then played briefly in the minor leagues,” Masters said. “That was my dream to be a major league baseball player, but that didn’t work out.”“God eventually called me to be a priest,” Masters said in an Oct. 24 interview with “EWTN News Nightly.” He added: “It really wasn’t what I wanted, but it was this persistent and gentle call from the Lord.”“I went to seminary fully thinking I would go … not like it, and then go back to my plans,” Masters said. “Yet when I got to seminary I just felt this overwhelming peace, and that’s one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit.”Masters was ordained in 2002, serving as priest in Illinois. Eventually though, baseball did become a part of his career when he was named the chaplain of the Chicago Cubs in 2013. “God brought baseball back into my life in a way that I never expected,” Masters said. “Since then, people have called me the ‘baseball priest,’ because I love to connect faith with sports.”While Masters’ “full-time job” was as a pastor in the Diocese of Joliet, he attended all the Cubs’ home games. As the “baseball priest,” Masters was chaplain when they won the World Series in 2016.“One of my big messages to the players then and to the players now would be: ‘Just remember your identity, you’re beloved sons of God. Your identity is not in the sport of baseball.’ And what I find that helps players … relax to say: ‘Yes, this is a big game. Millions of people are watching, but in the end, it’s still just a game. And life goes on,’” he said.Connecting faith and sportsIn 2023, Masters published a book, “A Grand Slam for God: A Journey from Baseball Star to Catholic Priest.” He wrote about his childhood outside of Chicago, his success in baseball, his conversion to Catholicism, and his acceptance of his vocation.His story discusses his doubts and personal loss, and how he learned to embrace his identity not as an athlete but as a son of God and spiritual leader. “Baseball taught me a lot of things, among them, discipline, hard work, and how to work with people of a lot of different backgrounds,” Masters said. “I find that to be so helpful in my life as a priest, as a vocation director, as a pastor, that I try to invest a lot of time in my spiritual life.”“Also, baseball has given me a way to … reach people who are not close to God at the moment by bringing stories about baseball and my sports background,” Masters said. “It gives me an opening to speak about Jesus and the Church. It’s just been a great gift.”In homilies, Masters said he will “bring up the sport of baseball.” He added: “I can see some of the people who love the sport perk up and then can bring the Gospel message to them more easily.”Ahead of the 2025 World Series on Oct. 24, Masters shared with EWTN his predictions for the outcome. He said: “If I go off my head, the Dodgers will win, but I love pulling for the underdog. So my heart is going with the Toronto Blue Jays.”

unitedyam October 25, 2025

Father Burke Masters speaks to Veronica Dudo on "EWTN News Nightly" on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025 / Credit: EWTN News

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 25, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Father Burke Masters’ first dream was to be a major league baseball player, but after feeling a call from God to the priesthood he now uses the sport “to speak about Jesus and the Church.”

“I played college baseball at Mississippi State University, and then played briefly in the minor leagues,” Masters said. “That was my dream to be a major league baseball player, but that didn’t work out.”

“God eventually called me to be a priest,” Masters said in an Oct. 24 interview with “EWTN News Nightly.” He added: “It really wasn’t what I wanted, but it was this persistent and gentle call from the Lord.”

“I went to seminary fully thinking I would go … not like it, and then go back to my plans,” Masters said. “Yet when I got to seminary I just felt this overwhelming peace, and that’s one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit.”

Masters was ordained in 2002, serving as priest in Illinois. Eventually though, baseball did become a part of his career when he was named the chaplain of the Chicago Cubs in 2013.

“God brought baseball back into my life in a way that I never expected,” Masters said. “Since then, people have called me the ‘baseball priest,’ because I love to connect faith with sports.”

While Masters’ “full-time job” was as a pastor in the Diocese of Joliet, he attended all the Cubs’ home games. As the “baseball priest,” Masters was chaplain when they won the World Series in 2016.

“One of my big messages to the players then and to the players now would be: ‘Just remember your identity, you’re beloved sons of God. Your identity is not in the sport of baseball.’ And what I find that helps players … relax to say: ‘Yes, this is a big game. Millions of people are watching, but in the end, it’s still just a game. And life goes on,’” he said.

Connecting faith and sports

In 2023, Masters published a book, “A Grand Slam for God: A Journey from Baseball Star to Catholic Priest.” He wrote about his childhood outside of Chicago, his success in baseball, his conversion to Catholicism, and his acceptance of his vocation.

His story discusses his doubts and personal loss, and how he learned to embrace his identity not as an athlete but as a son of God and spiritual leader.

“Baseball taught me a lot of things, among them, discipline, hard work, and how to work with people of a lot of different backgrounds,” Masters said. “I find that to be so helpful in my life as a priest, as a vocation director, as a pastor, that I try to invest a lot of time in my spiritual life.”

“Also, baseball has given me a way to … reach people who are not close to God at the moment by bringing stories about baseball and my sports background,” Masters said. “It gives me an opening to speak about Jesus and the Church. It’s just been a great gift.”

In homilies, Masters said he will “bring up the sport of baseball.” He added: “I can see some of the people who love the sport perk up and then can bring the Gospel message to them more easily.”

Ahead of the 2025 World Series on Oct. 24, Masters shared with EWTN his predictions for the outcome. He said: “If I go off my head, the Dodgers will win, but I love pulling for the underdog. So my heart is going with the Toronto Blue Jays.”

Prayers answered: Annunciation shooting survivor Sophia Forchas finally comes home #Catholic

Annunciation School shooting survivor Sophia Forchas in a photo before the incident and then posing with neurosurgeon Dr. Walt Galicich at Gillette Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis on a very happy day as she goes home to be with her family on Oct. 23, 2025. / Credit: Photo courtesy of the Forchas family

National Catholic Register, Oct 24, 2025 / 12:02 pm (CNA).
Twelve-year-old Sophia Forchas is finally home after spending 57 days in the hospital with severe injuries sustained from the deadly shooting on Aug. 27 at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis during the first school Mass of the year that claimed the lives of two students. Sophia received a fond farewell outside the hospital on Oct. 23. In a statement posted to the family’s GoFundMe page, Sophia’s parents, Tom and Amy Forchas, wrote: “Today marks one of the most extraordinary days of our lives! Our beloved daughter, Sophia, is coming home!!”Speaking with gratitude for the team of doctors that worked diligently to save their daughter, the couple wrote: “We thank you from the depths of our hearts. We will never forget your world-class care that sustained her. Your commitment carried us through.”Sophia still has a long road ahead with outpatient therapy, but her parents said “our hearts are filled with indescribable joy as we witness her speech improving daily, her personality shining through once more, and her ability to walk, swim, and even dribble a basketball. Each step she takes is a living testament to the boundless grace of God and the miraculous power of prayer.”Archbishop Bernard Hebda of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis told the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner: “I celebrate with the Annunciation community the return to home of Sophia Forchas. It was very moving that she was able to join us last evening for the daily 9:00 rosary outside of the Church. She and her father thanked the community for the many prayers that they have received throughout the time that Sophia had been in the hospital and at the rehabilitation center. Please join me in continuing to pray for the ongoing recovery of all of those affected by the tragedy at Annunciation, and especially for the families and loved ones of Harper Moyski and Fletcher Merkel.”In a news conference Sept. 5, neurosurgeon Dr. Walt Galicich of Hennepin County Medical Center told reporters that in treating Sophia’s injuries he would attempt to “go through the normal brain to get there” and potentially cause more damage. Given the pressure in her brain, Sophia’s survival was extremely low.The neurosurgeon led a team in performing a decompressive craniectomy, which removed the left half of her skull to allow the pressure in her brain to be relieved.“If you had told me at this juncture that, 10 days later, we’d be standing here with any ray of hope, I would have said, ‘It would take a miracle,’” Galicich said tearfully to reporters back in September.Sophia Forchas smiles with her family and neurosurgeon Dr. Walt Galicich on Oct. 23, 2025. Credit: Photo courtesy of the Forchas familySophia’s mother, who works as a pediatric nurse in the critical care unit at the hospital where the victims were taken, had no idea that it was her children’s school that had been attacked that fateful day. She initially had no idea that one of the three patients was her own daughter.Sophia’s younger brother also witnessed the school shooting that day; by the grace of God, he was left unscathed, though he is still suffering from the trauma, given the horrific event and his sister’s dire injuries.After Sophia’s 57-day stint in the hospital, Galicich gave his young patient a big hug as she walked out of the Hennepin County Medical Center to cheers and applause from her family and classmates. Even the city’s police chief was present, taking her on a ride through the city in a stretch limo to mark the occasion. Speaking to The Minneapolis Star Tribune, Police Chief Brian O’Hara called Sophia’s homecoming “nothing short of a miracle.”Sophia Forchas smiles alongside Police Chief Brian O’Hara, other police officers, and her family on Oct. 23, 2025. Credit: Photo courtesy of the Forchas familyEcstatic parents Tom and Amy also noted how crucial prayer was in their daughter’s healing, writing in their statement: “Those prayers came from family, friends, and countless souls around the world; many of whom have never met Sophia, yet lifted her spirit with unconditional love. Your prayers have been a wellspring of comfort, hope, and healing for our entire family. We are certain that God heard every single one.”The Forchases expressed condolences to the families who lost their children during the shooting, saying: “We continue to pray for those whose lives were tragically lost on that heartbreaking day. May their memory be eternal.”“We also hold close those who were injured and bear lasting scars, and the families and loved ones forever changed,” the Forchases continued. “May God grant healing, consolation, and his peace to all who grieve. To those whose hearts are hardened in despair, may the grace of the all-Holy Spirit soften them. We pray that the Trinity fill the world with compassion and love.”This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner, and has been adapted by CNA.

unitedyam October 24, 2025

Annunciation School shooting survivor Sophia Forchas in a photo before the incident and then posing with neurosurgeon Dr. Walt Galicich at Gillette Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis on a very happy day as she goes home to be with her family on Oct. 23, 2025. / Credit: Photo courtesy of the Forchas family

National Catholic Register, Oct 24, 2025 / 12:02 pm (CNA).

Twelve-year-old Sophia Forchas is finally home after spending 57 days in the hospital with severe injuries sustained from the deadly shooting on Aug. 27 at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis during the first school Mass of the year that claimed the lives of two students.

Sophia received a fond farewell outside the hospital on Oct. 23.

In a statement posted to the family’s GoFundMe page, Sophia’s parents, Tom and Amy Forchas, wrote: “Today marks one of the most extraordinary days of our lives! Our beloved daughter, Sophia, is coming home!!”

Speaking with gratitude for the team of doctors that worked diligently to save their daughter, the couple wrote: “We thank you from the depths of our hearts. We will never forget your world-class care that sustained her. Your commitment carried us through.”

Sophia still has a long road ahead with outpatient therapy, but her parents said “our hearts are filled with indescribable joy as we witness her speech improving daily, her personality shining through once more, and her ability to walk, swim, and even dribble a basketball. Each step she takes is a living testament to the boundless grace of God and the miraculous power of prayer.”

Archbishop Bernard Hebda of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis told the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner: “I celebrate with the Annunciation community the return to home of Sophia Forchas. It was very moving that she was able to join us last evening for the daily 9:00 rosary outside of the Church. She and her father thanked the community for the many prayers that they have received throughout the time that Sophia had been in the hospital and at the rehabilitation center. Please join me in continuing to pray for the ongoing recovery of all of those affected by the tragedy at Annunciation, and especially for the families and loved ones of Harper Moyski and Fletcher Merkel.”

In a news conference Sept. 5, neurosurgeon Dr. Walt Galicich of Hennepin County Medical Center told reporters that in treating Sophia’s injuries he would attempt to “go through the normal brain to get there” and potentially cause more damage. Given the pressure in her brain, Sophia’s survival was extremely low.

The neurosurgeon led a team in performing a decompressive craniectomy, which removed the left half of her skull to allow the pressure in her brain to be relieved.

“If you had told me at this juncture that, 10 days later, we’d be standing here with any ray of hope, I would have said, ‘It would take a miracle,’” Galicich said tearfully to reporters back in September.

Sophia Forchas smiles with her family and neurosurgeon Dr. Walt Galicich on Oct. 23, 2025. Credit: Photo courtesy of the Forchas family

Sophia’s mother, who works as a pediatric nurse in the critical care unit at the hospital where the victims were taken, had no idea that it was her children’s school that had been attacked that fateful day. She initially had no idea that one of the three patients was her own daughter.

Sophia’s younger brother also witnessed the school shooting that day; by the grace of God, he was left unscathed, though he is still suffering from the trauma, given the horrific event and his sister’s dire injuries.

After Sophia’s 57-day stint in the hospital, Galicich gave his young patient a big hug as she walked out of the Hennepin County Medical Center to cheers and applause from her family and classmates. Even the city’s police chief was present, taking her on a ride through the city in a stretch limo to mark the occasion.

Speaking to The Minneapolis Star Tribune, Police Chief Brian O’Hara called Sophia’s homecoming “nothing short of a miracle.”

Sophia Forchas smiles alongside Police Chief Brian O’Hara, other police officers, and her family on Oct. 23, 2025. Credit: Photo courtesy of the Forchas family

Ecstatic parents Tom and Amy also noted how crucial prayer was in their daughter’s healing, writing in their statement: “Those prayers came from family, friends, and countless souls around the world; many of whom have never met Sophia, yet lifted her spirit with unconditional love. Your prayers have been a wellspring of comfort, hope, and healing for our entire family. We are certain that God heard every single one.”

The Forchases expressed condolences to the families who lost their children during the shooting, saying: “We continue to pray for those whose lives were tragically lost on that heartbreaking day. May their memory be eternal.”

“We also hold close those who were injured and bear lasting scars, and the families and loved ones forever changed,” the Forchases continued. “May God grant healing, consolation, and his peace to all who grieve. To those whose hearts are hardened in despair, may the grace of the all-Holy Spirit soften them. We pray that the Trinity fill the world with compassion and love.”

This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner, and has been adapted by CNA.

Bill proposed in Hungary could require priests to violate seal of confession #Catholic

null / Credit: AS photo studio/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 24, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed:Bill proposed in Hungary could require priests to violate seal of confessionThe Permanent Council of the Hungarian Catholic Bishops’ Conference has expressed shock over the proposition of a bill that would require Catholic priests to violate the seal of confession. “This is in serious conflict with the agreement between the Republic of Hungary and the Holy See of Feb. 9, 1990, which states that the Catholic Church in our county operates on the basis of [canon law],” the council stated in an Oct. 17 press release. The council expressed regret over “extremely crude” and “baseless sentiment-mongering and slander” that has occurred during the ongoing election cycle. “We emphasize to our priests, all believers, and society that we are not a political organization, we do not wish to participate in the campaign,” it stated. “Our mission is to serve the salvation of souls.” Church in South Korea pledges help for Timorese migrants The Catholic Church in South Korea has pledged to help improve the situation for migrants from the small Catholic-majority island country of Timor-Leste.During an Oct. 11–15 visit to the island, a 12-member delegation of South Korean Catholics from the Committee for Pastoral Care for Migrants of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea visited with groups that send migrant workers to South Korea, Cardinal Virgílio do Carmo da Silva, as well as President José Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão, according to UCA News. The delegation pledged to help bring about “better protection and welfare of migrant communities” and to “improve better pastoral care program[s] for Timor-Leste migrants,” of which there are approximately 7,000 living in South Korea.Australian archbishop renews commitment to safeguarding childrenArchbishop Tony Ireland of Hobart in Tasmania, Australia, has reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring all Catholic communities and workplaces throughout his diocese uphold safe environment standards. “The safety and well-being of all who engage with the Church is foremost in my mind and heart,” the archbishop said in an Oct. 17 statement. “Ensuring that every person — regardless of age or circumstance — feels safe, valued, and respected is an essential part of our mission and witness.” On behalf of his archdiocese, Ireland endorsed the National Catholic Safeguarding Standards, stating: “Our commitment to these standards is unwavering, reflecting zero tolerance of any form of abuse, neglect, or exploitation.” The archdiocese has remained engaged in its safeguarding measures since 2017. Madagascar cardinal urges international community to refrain from sanctioning country Cardinal Désiré Tsarahazana of Toamasina, Madagascar, is appealing to the international community not to sanction Madagascar in wake of a coup staged by military-backed youth protesters. The cardinal told Vatican media that imposing sanctions “would be illogical and immoral.”“Supporting young people who demand a better life and then killing them with sanctions would make no sense,” Vatican News Italy reported. Religious conversion case against Christian university officials in India droppedThe Supreme Court of India has dropped a criminal case against three Christian university officials in Uttar Pradesh who were accused of violating the state’s stringent anti-conversion laws. The court dropped the case on Oct. 17, citing “legal defect” in the allegations filed by Himanshu Dixit, vice president of the World Hindu Council, according to UCA News. The Hindu leader had accused officials from the Presbyterian Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology, and Sciences of “unlawful conversion activities” in addition to “cheating, criminal intimidation, and forgery,” according to the report.The judges noted that under Uttar Pradesh law, only an “aggrieved” person — that is, a victim or close relative — of the violation is permitted to lodge a complaint. The court declined to dismiss charges related to cheating and forgery but ordered protection of the accused from arrest.Church in Mozambique proposes political guide for dialogueThe Episcopol Justice and Peace Commission in Mozambique has proposed a document outlining “concrete proposals for reforms of the state, the electoral system, natural resource policies, economic inclusion, and national reconciliation.”The document, “A Political Guide for National Dialogue,” proposes limited power for the president in appointing heads of state, that judges be elected among their peers, and that the position of secretary of state be eliminated in provinces for the sake of the country’s budget, according to an Oct. 20 report from Vatican News. The guide also recommends the elimination of electronic voting to combat fraud as well as economic and natural resource reforms. To address the county’s unrest, the document proposes “building a collective memory based on truth, exercising forgiveness and mutual listening, promoting a culture of dialogue and trust, and changing mentalities to value differences while combatting prejudices.”Latin American bishops host ‘virtual jubilee’ for Indigenous people The Episcopal Conference of Latin America hosted a virtual jubilee event for Indigenous people of Latin America and the Caribbean on Oct. 14–16. Organized by the Advisory Team on Indian Theology, together with the Pastoral Care of Indigenous People of the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council and the Latin American Ecumenical Articulation of Indigenous Pastoral Care, the event centered on sharing experiences “as pilgrims of hope together with our Indigenous people, authentic custodians of culture, and our common home,” according to a message from Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ, prefect of the dicastery for promoting integral human development.“Your love for the earth, your respect for the elderly, your sense of community, and your ability to live in harmony with creation are a gift to the whole Church. You teach that life is best understood when lived simply, in relationship with God, with nature, and with others,” he said.

unitedyam October 24, 2025

null / Credit: AS photo studio/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 24, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed:

Bill proposed in Hungary could require priests to violate seal of confession

The Permanent Council of the Hungarian Catholic Bishops’ Conference has expressed shock over the proposition of a bill that would require Catholic priests to violate the seal of confession.

“This is in serious conflict with the agreement between the Republic of Hungary and the Holy See of Feb. 9, 1990, which states that the Catholic Church in our county operates on the basis of [canon law],” the council stated in an Oct. 17 press release.

The council expressed regret over “extremely crude” and “baseless sentiment-mongering and slander” that has occurred during the ongoing election cycle. “We emphasize to our priests, all believers, and society that we are not a political organization, we do not wish to participate in the campaign,” it stated. “Our mission is to serve the salvation of souls.”

Church in South Korea pledges help for Timorese migrants

The Catholic Church in South Korea has pledged to help improve the situation for migrants from the small Catholic-majority island country of Timor-Leste.

During an Oct. 11–15 visit to the island, a 12-member delegation of South Korean Catholics from the Committee for Pastoral Care for Migrants of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea visited with groups that send migrant workers to South Korea, Cardinal Virgílio do Carmo da Silva, as well as President José Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão, according to UCA News.

The delegation pledged to help bring about “better protection and welfare of migrant communities” and to “improve better pastoral care program[s] for Timor-Leste migrants,” of which there are approximately 7,000 living in South Korea.

Australian archbishop renews commitment to safeguarding children

Archbishop Tony Ireland of Hobart in Tasmania, Australia, has reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring all Catholic communities and workplaces throughout his diocese uphold safe environment standards.

“The safety and well-being of all who engage with the Church is foremost in my mind and heart,” the archbishop said in an Oct. 17 statement. “Ensuring that every person — regardless of age or circumstance — feels safe, valued, and respected is an essential part of our mission and witness.”

On behalf of his archdiocese, Ireland endorsed the National Catholic Safeguarding Standards, stating: “Our commitment to these standards is unwavering, reflecting zero tolerance of any form of abuse, neglect, or exploitation.” The archdiocese has remained engaged in its safeguarding measures since 2017.

Madagascar cardinal urges international community to refrain from sanctioning country

Cardinal Désiré Tsarahazana of Toamasina, Madagascar, is appealing to the international community not to sanction Madagascar in wake of a coup staged by military-backed youth protesters.

The cardinal told Vatican media that imposing sanctions “would be illogical and immoral.”

“Supporting young people who demand a better life and then killing them with sanctions would make no sense,” Vatican News Italy reported.

Religious conversion case against Christian university officials in India dropped

The Supreme Court of India has dropped a criminal case against three Christian university officials in Uttar Pradesh who were accused of violating the state’s stringent anti-conversion laws.

The court dropped the case on Oct. 17, citing “legal defect” in the allegations filed by Himanshu Dixit, vice president of the World Hindu Council, according to UCA News. The Hindu leader had accused officials from the Presbyterian Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology, and Sciences of “unlawful conversion activities” in addition to “cheating, criminal intimidation, and forgery,” according to the report.

The judges noted that under Uttar Pradesh law, only an “aggrieved” person — that is, a victim or close relative — of the violation is permitted to lodge a complaint. The court declined to dismiss charges related to cheating and forgery but ordered protection of the accused from arrest.

Church in Mozambique proposes political guide for dialogue

The Episcopol Justice and Peace Commission in Mozambique has proposed a document outlining “concrete proposals for reforms of the state, the electoral system, natural resource policies, economic inclusion, and national reconciliation.”

The document, “A Political Guide for National Dialogue,” proposes limited power for the president in appointing heads of state, that judges be elected among their peers, and that the position of secretary of state be eliminated in provinces for the sake of the country’s budget, according to an Oct. 20 report from Vatican News.

The guide also recommends the elimination of electronic voting to combat fraud as well as economic and natural resource reforms.

To address the county’s unrest, the document proposes “building a collective memory based on truth, exercising forgiveness and mutual listening, promoting a culture of dialogue and trust, and changing mentalities to value differences while combatting prejudices.”

Latin American bishops host ‘virtual jubilee’ for Indigenous people

The Episcopal Conference of Latin America hosted a virtual jubilee event for Indigenous people of Latin America and the Caribbean on Oct. 14–16.

Organized by the Advisory Team on Indian Theology, together with the Pastoral Care of Indigenous People of the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council and the Latin American Ecumenical Articulation of Indigenous Pastoral Care, the event centered on sharing experiences “as pilgrims of hope together with our Indigenous people, authentic custodians of culture, and our common home,” according to a message from Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ, prefect of the dicastery for promoting integral human development.

“Your love for the earth, your respect for the elderly, your sense of community, and your ability to live in harmony with creation are a gift to the whole Church. You teach that life is best understood when lived simply, in relationship with God, with nature, and with others,” he said.

Self-care is stewardship, not selfishness, Catholic therapist tells chaplains #Catholic

Father Adam Muda, a chaplain for the U.S. Army, celebrates Mass on the field with soldiers while in Germany. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Adam Muda

CNA Staff, Oct 23, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).
During Pastoral Care Week, celebrated Oct. 19–25, a Catholic psychotherapist encouraged a group of Catholic chaplains and ministers to pursue prayer, rest, and self-care in light of burnout — a challenge that often accompanies their unique work.At an Oct. 22 webinar, “Carrying the Cross Without Burnout: Self-Care for Catholic Chaplains,” Adrienne Koller, a Catholic psychotherapist and founder of Strong Self Psychotherapy, encouraged chaplains to make time for spiritual and emotional renewal. The webinar, organized by the National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC), a group that educates and supports Catholic chaplains across the country, highlighted the importance of finding rest amid the emotional toll of ministry.“God doesn’t call us to self-erasure,” Koller told the nearly 100 chaplains who attended the webinar. “He calls us to stewardship of our bodies, our minds, and spirits.”Adrienne Koller, a Catholic psychotherapist and founder of Strong Self Psychotherapy, leads an Oct. 22, 2025, webinar organized by the NACC on finding renewal amid burnout. Credit: Screenshot of webinarKoller described self-care as “stewardship” and “caring for the vessel God entrusted to you.”“One of the most powerful mindset shifts I’ve seen in ministry is this: Self-care is not selfishness; it’s stewardship,” Koller said. “You are the vessel God entrusted with the work he gave you, and taking care of that vessel honors him.”“You’re not taking away from your calling. You’re strengthening it,” she said. “Renewal isn’t an indulgence — it’s obedience.” Erica Cohen Moore, executive director of NACC, highlighted the importance of caring for chaplains, both during Pastoral Care Week and throughout the year. “Our chaplains are often called into spaces where few others are willing or able to go,” Cohen Moore told CNA. “They serve people in some of the most marginalized and challenging situations, where grief and suffering can be profound.” Pastoral Care Week “gives opportunities for organizations and institutions of all types to recognize the spiritual caregivers in their midst and the ministry that the caregivers provide,” according to the NACC’s website.Chaplains are often priests, but seminarians, deacons, religious brothers and sisters, and laymen and laywomen can all serve as chaplains, providing professional spiritual and emotional support in a range of areas — often in prisons, hospitals, fire departments, and campuses. To help prepare and support chaplains, the NACC offers a variety of resources, training, community, and support for chaplains, both Catholic and non-Catholic. What does burnout look like? “Over the years, I’ve walked with countless individuals who appear incredibly strong on the outside yet wrestle with exhaustion, doubt, or the feeling that their work has taken more from them than they have time to replenish,” Koller told attendees. Koller noted that the “emotional weight” of service can lead to burnout.“That emotional weight, it doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong; it means you’re human,” she said. “But we do take on that emotional weight, and that can lead, if unchecked, to burnout.” “Burnout doesn’t happen because we’re weak or we’re incapable,” Koller continued. “It happens because we care deeply, we give fully, and sometimes we forget to refill our own cup.”To combat the weight of service, Koller encouraged ministers to pray before and after each difficult meeting or encounter, and to offer the weight of those challenges to the Lord. She also led the group in grounding prayer exercises that incorporate breathing into prayer. Erica Cohen Moore is the executive director of the National Association of Catholic Chaplains. Credit: Photo courtesy of Erica Cohen MooreCohen Moore noted that burnout is a “very real concern” that chaplains face — one that her organization works to combat through the resources they provide. The association educates chaplains with a program called Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), which is “a process that equips them to manage burnout and care for themselves and one another,” according to Cohen Moore.The group also offers webinars on topics such as self-care, mental illness and trauma, and mental health, as well as networking groups and in-person gatherings, and publishes a magazine called Works of Hope.The association plans to launch a learning institute early next year to include a course on “sustaining pastoral ministers and helping them avoid burnout,” Cohen Moore said. “Burnout is a very real concern in our field, and we take it seriously as we continue exploring new ways to provide care and connection,” Cohen Moore said. ‘I will give you rest’ When Koller speaks with “those in service, especially chaplains and first responders,” she said that one verse “always comes to mind.” In Matthew 11:28, Jesus says: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.”Koller noted that Christ “doesn’t say: ‘Keep pushing, work harder, work harder, deplete yourself, run yourself into the ground.” “No — he says, ‘Come to me,’” she said.“That invitation isn’t to perform,” Koller continued. “It’s to rest, in a way, to surrender the illusion that we have to carry everything alone. That’s where our renewal begins.”

unitedyam October 23, 2025

Father Adam Muda, a chaplain for the U.S. Army, celebrates Mass on the field with soldiers while in Germany. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Adam Muda

CNA Staff, Oct 23, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

During Pastoral Care Week, celebrated Oct. 19–25, a Catholic psychotherapist encouraged a group of Catholic chaplains and ministers to pursue prayer, rest, and self-care in light of burnout — a challenge that often accompanies their unique work.

At an Oct. 22 webinar, “Carrying the Cross Without Burnout: Self-Care for Catholic Chaplains,” Adrienne Koller, a Catholic psychotherapist and founder of Strong Self Psychotherapy, encouraged chaplains to make time for spiritual and emotional renewal.

The webinar, organized by the National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC), a group that educates and supports Catholic chaplains across the country, highlighted the importance of finding rest amid the emotional toll of ministry.

“God doesn’t call us to self-erasure,” Koller told the nearly 100 chaplains who attended the webinar. “He calls us to stewardship of our bodies, our minds, and spirits.”

Adrienne Koller, a Catholic psychotherapist and founder of Strong Self Psychotherapy, leads an Oct. 22, 2025, webinar organized by the NACC on finding renewal amid burnout. Credit: Screenshot of webinar

Koller described self-care as “stewardship” and “caring for the vessel God entrusted to you.”

“One of the most powerful mindset shifts I’ve seen in ministry is this: Self-care is not selfishness; it’s stewardship,” Koller said. “You are the vessel God entrusted with the work he gave you, and taking care of that vessel honors him.”

“You’re not taking away from your calling. You’re strengthening it,” she said. “Renewal isn’t an indulgence — it’s obedience.”

Erica Cohen Moore, executive director of NACC, highlighted the importance of caring for chaplains, both during Pastoral Care Week and throughout the year.

“Our chaplains are often called into spaces where few others are willing or able to go,” Cohen Moore told CNA. “They serve people in some of the most marginalized and challenging situations, where grief and suffering can be profound.”

Pastoral Care Week “gives opportunities for organizations and institutions of all types to recognize the spiritual caregivers in their midst and the ministry that the caregivers provide,” according to the NACC’s website.

Chaplains are often priests, but seminarians, deacons, religious brothers and sisters, and laymen and laywomen can all serve as chaplains, providing professional spiritual and emotional support in a range of areas — often in prisons, hospitals, fire departments, and campuses.

To help prepare and support chaplains, the NACC offers a variety of resources, training, community, and support for chaplains, both Catholic and non-Catholic.

What does burnout look like?

“Over the years, I’ve walked with countless individuals who appear incredibly strong on the outside yet wrestle with exhaustion, doubt, or the feeling that their work has taken more from them than they have time to replenish,” Koller told attendees.

Koller noted that the “emotional weight” of service can lead to burnout.

“That emotional weight, it doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong; it means you’re human,” she said. “But we do take on that emotional weight, and that can lead, if unchecked, to burnout.”

“Burnout doesn’t happen because we’re weak or we’re incapable,” Koller continued. “It happens because we care deeply, we give fully, and sometimes we forget to refill our own cup.”

To combat the weight of service, Koller encouraged ministers to pray before and after each difficult meeting or encounter, and to offer the weight of those challenges to the Lord. She also led the group in grounding prayer exercises that incorporate breathing into prayer.

Erica Cohen Moore is the executive director of the National Association of Catholic Chaplains. Credit: Photo courtesy of Erica Cohen Moore

Cohen Moore noted that burnout is a “very real concern” that chaplains face — one that her organization works to combat through the resources they provide.

The association educates chaplains with a program called Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), which is “a process that equips them to manage burnout and care for themselves and one another,” according to Cohen Moore.

The group also offers webinars on topics such as self-care, mental illness and trauma, and mental health, as well as networking groups and in-person gatherings, and publishes a magazine called Works of Hope.

The association plans to launch a learning institute early next year to include a course on “sustaining pastoral ministers and helping them avoid burnout,” Cohen Moore said.

“Burnout is a very real concern in our field, and we take it seriously as we continue exploring new ways to provide care and connection,” Cohen Moore said.

‘I will give you rest’

When Koller speaks with “those in service, especially chaplains and first responders,” she said that one verse “always comes to mind.”

In Matthew 11:28, Jesus says: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Koller noted that Christ “doesn’t say: ‘Keep pushing, work harder, work harder, deplete yourself, run yourself into the ground.”

“No — he says, ‘Come to me,’” she said.

“That invitation isn’t to perform,” Koller continued. “It’s to rest, in a way, to surrender the illusion that we have to carry everything alone. That’s where our renewal begins.”

New Catholic sports coaching program focuses on mind, body, and soul #Catholic

Rachael Isaac speaks to student athletes at Franciscan University of Steubenville, hosted by Franciscan University Athletic’s Athlete Center for Excellence (ACE), in October 2024. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Catholic Counselors

CNA Staff, Oct 20, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
As a competitive figure skater growing up, Rachael Popcak Isaac experienced firsthand the pressure that comes with competitive sports. Now as a devout Catholic and a professional counselor she has launched a new program for athletes inspired by St. John Paul II’s theology of the body.The Faith-Based Success and Performance Coaching Program is offered by CatholicCounselors.com, where Isaac is chief operating officer.In an interview with CNA, Isaac shared about her Catholic approach to the sports counseling program, which will offer resources such as tele-counseling, group workshops, and performance coaching.Rachael Popcak Isaac has launched a sports counseling program inspired by St. John Paul II’s theology of the body called the Faith-Based Success and Performance Coaching Program. Credit: Marie Sales PhotographyCNA: What does sports therapy from a Catholic perspective look like? How does your approach differ from a traditional secular sports psychologist?Rachael Popcak Isaac: From a Catholic perspective, sports therapy isn’t just about performance — it’s about the whole person: mind, body, and soul. Traditional sports psychology often focuses only on mental skills to improve performance. Those tools are valuable, but they can feel incomplete.My approach integrates the science of performance with the truth of our identity being rooted in God and who God created us to be. That means I don’t just help athletes manage nerves or sharpen focus — I help them see their sport as part of their vocation, a way to glorify God and grow in virtue.We work on confidence, resilience, and discipline, yes — but we root it in the deeper purpose of becoming the person God is calling them to be, on and off the field.What inspired you to go into counseling and develop a Catholic-based coaching program? Will you tell us a bit about yourself and what led you to this work?My background is twofold. I grew up as a dancer and competitive figure skater. So I saw the pressures, perfectionism, and anxiety that comes with sports, performance, competing, etc. I lived it. But I did the work to grow my skills and tools to manage stress and build my confidence in healthy ways and even learned to love performing rather than being afraid of it.Likewise, I’ve always been fascinated by what helps people flourish. I studied psychology, became a licensed clinical social worker, and worked with individuals and families in traditional counseling. But I also saw the hunger people had for guidance that went deeper than just coping skills.My own Catholic faith has always shaped how I see the human person — that we are created in the image of God, with dignity and purpose. CatholicCounselors.com integrates the best of psychology and performance science with the richness of our Catholic faith. I want people — athletes, professionals, parents — to know that they can build confidence and resilience not by becoming “perfect” but by living fully as the person God created them to be.Rachael Isaac presents at an event for WISE Pittsburgh (Women In Sports and Events) in November 2024. Credit: Photo courtesy of Catholic CounselorsHow do you integrate St. John Paul II’s theology of the body into your sessions? Why are these teachings so important in your work?The theology of the body reminds us that our bodies matter — they are not separate from who we are but integral to our identity. In performance work, this truth is huge. So often people live in their heads, battling anxiety, doubt, or perfectionism. I help clients reconnect with their bodies, not as machines to be pushed harder but as gifts to be honored and trained in a way that reflects their dignity. Whether it’s an athlete learning to regulate their nervous system before competition or a professional learning to manage stress in their body during a high-stakes presentation, we use the body as a pathway to healing and growth. St. John Paul II’s teaching gives language to the deeper meaning of this work: that our body reveals our call to relationship, to love, and to living fully alive.What are the most common struggles that your clients face, and how does a Catholic approach help with these struggles? What would you tell Catholics facing similar struggles?Most of my clients struggle with confidence, anxiety, and perfectionism. They’re often high-achievers who feel the weight of expectations — from themselves, others, or culture.The Catholic approach helps because it grounds their worth in something unshakable: They are loved by God, regardless of wins, losses, or mistakes. That shift changes everything. Instead of seeing failure as proof they’re not enough, they can see it as part of the growth process — even as a way God is forming them.I tell Catholics facing these struggles: Your confidence doesn’t come from never falling but from knowing who you are and who walks with you. Every challenge can be a chance to grow in resilience and trust.

unitedyam October 20, 2025

Rachael Isaac speaks to student athletes at Franciscan University of Steubenville, hosted by Franciscan University Athletic’s Athlete Center for Excellence (ACE), in October 2024. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Catholic Counselors

CNA Staff, Oct 20, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

As a competitive figure skater growing up, Rachael Popcak Isaac experienced firsthand the pressure that comes with competitive sports. Now as a devout Catholic and a professional counselor she has launched a new program for athletes inspired by St. John Paul II’s theology of the body.

The Faith-Based Success and Performance Coaching Program is offered by CatholicCounselors.com, where Isaac is chief operating officer.

In an interview with CNA, Isaac shared about her Catholic approach to the sports counseling program, which will offer resources such as tele-counseling, group workshops, and performance coaching.

Rachael Popcak Isaac has launched a sports counseling program inspired by St. John Paul II’s theology of the body called the Faith-Based Success and Performance Coaching Program. Credit: Marie Sales Photography

CNA: What does sports therapy from a Catholic perspective look like? How does your approach differ from a traditional secular sports psychologist?

Rachael Popcak Isaac: From a Catholic perspective, sports therapy isn’t just about performance — it’s about the whole person: mind, body, and soul. Traditional sports psychology often focuses only on mental skills to improve performance. Those tools are valuable, but they can feel incomplete.

My approach integrates the science of performance with the truth of our identity being rooted in God and who God created us to be. That means I don’t just help athletes manage nerves or sharpen focus — I help them see their sport as part of their vocation, a way to glorify God and grow in virtue.

We work on confidence, resilience, and discipline, yes — but we root it in the deeper purpose of becoming the person God is calling them to be, on and off the field.

What inspired you to go into counseling and develop a Catholic-based coaching program? Will you tell us a bit about yourself and what led you to this work?

My background is twofold. I grew up as a dancer and competitive figure skater. So I saw the pressures, perfectionism, and anxiety that comes with sports, performance, competing, etc. I lived it. But I did the work to grow my skills and tools to manage stress and build my confidence in healthy ways and even learned to love performing rather than being afraid of it.

Likewise, I’ve always been fascinated by what helps people flourish. I studied psychology, became a licensed clinical social worker, and worked with individuals and families in traditional counseling. But I also saw the hunger people had for guidance that went deeper than just coping skills.

My own Catholic faith has always shaped how I see the human person — that we are created in the image of God, with dignity and purpose. CatholicCounselors.com integrates the best of psychology and performance science with the richness of our Catholic faith.

I want people — athletes, professionals, parents — to know that they can build confidence and resilience not by becoming “perfect” but by living fully as the person God created them to be.

Rachael Isaac presents at an event for WISE Pittsburgh (Women In Sports and Events) in November 2024. Credit: Photo courtesy of Catholic Counselors

How do you integrate St. John Paul II’s theology of the body into your sessions? Why are these teachings so important in your work?

The theology of the body reminds us that our bodies matter — they are not separate from who we are but integral to our identity. In performance work, this truth is huge. So often people live in their heads, battling anxiety, doubt, or perfectionism.

I help clients reconnect with their bodies, not as machines to be pushed harder but as gifts to be honored and trained in a way that reflects their dignity. Whether it’s an athlete learning to regulate their nervous system before competition or a professional learning to manage stress in their body during a high-stakes presentation, we use the body as a pathway to healing and growth.

St. John Paul II’s teaching gives language to the deeper meaning of this work: that our body reveals our call to relationship, to love, and to living fully alive.

What are the most common struggles that your clients face, and how does a Catholic approach help with these struggles? What would you tell Catholics facing similar struggles?

Most of my clients struggle with confidence, anxiety, and perfectionism. They’re often high-achievers who feel the weight of expectations — from themselves, others, or culture.

The Catholic approach helps because it grounds their worth in something unshakable: They are loved by God, regardless of wins, losses, or mistakes. That shift changes everything. Instead of seeing failure as proof they’re not enough, they can see it as part of the growth process — even as a way God is forming them.

I tell Catholics facing these struggles: Your confidence doesn’t come from never falling but from knowing who you are and who walks with you. Every challenge can be a chance to grow in resilience and trust.

Virtual summit aims to inspire attendees to grow as digital missionaries for the Church #Catholic

The Engage Virtual Summit, presented by eCatholic, is a two-day virtual conference bringing together lay Catholics, clergy, and religious from parishes, schools, dioceses, and ministries to explore innovative tools and strategies and share insights into evangelization in the digital world. / Credit: eCatholic

CNA Staff, Oct 19, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
A two-day virtual conference will bring together lay Catholics, clergy, and religious to explore innovative tools and strategies and share insights into evangelization in the digital world. The Engage Virtual Summit, presented by eCatholic, will take place online Oct. 21–22 and will feature many notable Catholic figures including Monsignor James Shea, Monsignor Roger Landry, co-founder of Hallow Alex Jones, radio host Katie McGrady, and evangelist Chris Stefanick, among others.eCatholic is an organization that supports parishes, schools, and dioceses to evangelize effectively and efficiently through the use of eCatholic’s digital engagement platform. Jason Jaynes, president and CEO of eCatholic; Michael Josephs, director of marketing at eCatholic; and Brandon Duncan, eCatholic’s marketing evangelist, spoke to CNA about the conference and what they hope attendees will take away from it.Duncan explained that they’ve had the idea for the conference for several years but it wasn’t until last September that he put a plan together for it and had it approved by the leadership team at eCatholic.“It’s amazing what we’ve been able to do and being able to turn this around so quickly and by the grace of God, everything’s been going so smoothly in the planning process,” Duncan said. “We’re so excited about this this opportunity and just what this summit means for the Church as a whole and for the leaders and to be able to provide them with the tools and inspiration to continue to carry out the mission of the Church.”The theme of the conference is “Made for Mission,” which, Jaynes explained, aims “to engage both religious and lay alike, who are out there, who are in this digital continent and trying to reach people — whether you’re a priest, you’re a ministry leader, you’re a communicator, an educator, a media professional — with practical strategies and things that they can do to really help to inspire them to be part of that digital evangelization.”Josephs added: “We are as humans made for mission. The Church is made for mission. And so we just felt like the theme resonated on all these different levels.”During a year in which the Vatican hosted the Jubilee of Digital Missionaries and the Church’s first digital missionary was canonized a saint (Carlo Acutis), the importance of digital missionaries in today’s world seemed obvious. While the “online world is not perfect … the Church needs to not ignore it but engage with it and be a light in that space,” Josephs said. Jaynes pointed out the many Catholic ministries and organizations doing important work for the Church in the digital space and said he believes there is a “shift happening in the mainstream culture right now where people are looking through the emptiness of some of the secular narratives that we’ve all been sold for the past couple of decades and saying, ‘There has to be more, there has to be more meaning to the human condition and to this need for joy that’s in a part of all of us.’”As for what they hope attendees will take away from the summit, they said practical tips, inspiration, and “feeling challenged to do more.” “I hope that attendees come away with practical tips to make them better communicators … inspiration, new strategies, new ideas, even a renewed zeal,” Josephs said. Jaynes added: “We see it as a chance for folks to, if you will, in a retreat-style way, go to the mountain to pause, pray, seek wisdom, receive some form of renewal before they then go back out into the mission field.”

unitedyam October 19, 2025

The Engage Virtual Summit, presented by eCatholic, is a two-day virtual conference bringing together lay Catholics, clergy, and religious from parishes, schools, dioceses, and ministries to explore innovative tools and strategies and share insights into evangelization in the digital world. / Credit: eCatholic

CNA Staff, Oct 19, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

A two-day virtual conference will bring together lay Catholics, clergy, and religious to explore innovative tools and strategies and share insights into evangelization in the digital world.

The Engage Virtual Summit, presented by eCatholic, will take place online Oct. 21–22 and will feature many notable Catholic figures including Monsignor James Shea, Monsignor Roger Landry, co-founder of Hallow Alex Jones, radio host Katie McGrady, and evangelist Chris Stefanick, among others.

eCatholic is an organization that supports parishes, schools, and dioceses to evangelize effectively and efficiently through the use of eCatholic’s digital engagement platform.

Jason Jaynes, president and CEO of eCatholic; Michael Josephs, director of marketing at eCatholic; and Brandon Duncan, eCatholic’s marketing evangelist, spoke to CNA about the conference and what they hope attendees will take away from it.

Duncan explained that they’ve had the idea for the conference for several years but it wasn’t until last September that he put a plan together for it and had it approved by the leadership team at eCatholic.

“It’s amazing what we’ve been able to do and being able to turn this around so quickly and by the grace of God, everything’s been going so smoothly in the planning process,” Duncan said. “We’re so excited about this this opportunity and just what this summit means for the Church as a whole and for the leaders and to be able to provide them with the tools and inspiration to continue to carry out the mission of the Church.”

The theme of the conference is “Made for Mission,” which, Jaynes explained, aims “to engage both religious and lay alike, who are out there, who are in this digital continent and trying to reach people — whether you’re a priest, you’re a ministry leader, you’re a communicator, an educator, a media professional — with practical strategies and things that they can do to really help to inspire them to be part of that digital evangelization.”

Josephs added: “We are as humans made for mission. The Church is made for mission. And so we just felt like the theme resonated on all these different levels.”

During a year in which the Vatican hosted the Jubilee of Digital Missionaries and the Church’s first digital missionary was canonized a saint (Carlo Acutis), the importance of digital missionaries in today’s world seemed obvious. While the “online world is not perfect … the Church needs to not ignore it but engage with it and be a light in that space,” Josephs said.

Jaynes pointed out the many Catholic ministries and organizations doing important work for the Church in the digital space and said he believes there is a “shift happening in the mainstream culture right now where people are looking through the emptiness of some of the secular narratives that we’ve all been sold for the past couple of decades and saying, ‘There has to be more, there has to be more meaning to the human condition and to this need for joy that’s in a part of all of us.’”

As for what they hope attendees will take away from the summit, they said practical tips, inspiration, and “feeling challenged to do more.”

“I hope that attendees come away with practical tips to make them better communicators … inspiration, new strategies, new ideas, even a renewed zeal,” Josephs said.

Jaynes added: “We see it as a chance for folks to, if you will, in a retreat-style way, go to the mountain to pause, pray, seek wisdom, receive some form of renewal before they then go back out into the mission field.”

New Jersey says parish finance director stole more than 0,000 in church funds #Catholic

null / Credit: vmargineanu/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Oct 18, 2025 / 14:15 pm (CNA).
Officials in New Jersey have charged a former parish financial director with the theft of more than half a million dollars in church funds. Joseph Manzi has been charged with second-degree theft by unlawful taking after he allegedly stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from St. Leo the Great Parish in Lincroft. Manzi was the subject of an August lawsuit by the parish in which he was alleged to have “systematically, secretly, and dishonestly utilized parish funds for his own personal benefit.” The civil suit claimed he had stolen upwards of .5 million. In an Oct. 17 press release, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin’s office said Manzi had been officially criminally charged with the theft. Platkin in the release said Manzi used the funds “not to feed his family or for some kind of emergency, but to live a more lavish lifestyle.”Manzi stopped working at the Lincroft parish in June of this year, the office said. Afterwards, church staff reviewed credit card statements and found “numerous unauthorized charges that were determined to allegedly be for Manzi’s personal benefit.”The state alleged that Manzi used stolen funds for “event vendors, vehicle repairs, financing, and purchases, including a Cadillac SUV,” as well as purchases such as luxury clothing, sports event tickets and “chartered fishing trips.”Manzi is facing up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to 0,000. It was not immediately clear why the prosecutor’s office charged Manzi with about million less in theft than the August civil suit alleged. The attorney general’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Oct. 18 seeking clarification on the figures. On its website, the St. Leo parish said the controversy “will not prevent Saint Leo the Great Parish from working every day to live our mission – to serve Parishioners and the community in God’s name with the greatest of love and compassion.” “We ask you all to stand together in our shared faith and to pray for a swift and just conclusion to this troubling chapter,” the parish said.

unitedyam October 18, 2025

null / Credit: vmargineanu/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Oct 18, 2025 / 14:15 pm (CNA).

Officials in New Jersey have charged a former parish financial director with the theft of more than half a million dollars in church funds.

Joseph Manzi has been charged with second-degree theft by unlawful taking after he allegedly stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from St. Leo the Great Parish in Lincroft.

Manzi was the subject of an August lawsuit by the parish in which he was alleged to have “systematically, secretly, and dishonestly utilized parish funds for his own personal benefit.” The civil suit claimed he had stolen upwards of $1.5 million.

In an Oct. 17 press release, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin’s office said Manzi had been officially criminally charged with the theft. Platkin in the release said Manzi used the funds “not to feed his family or for some kind of emergency, but to live a more lavish lifestyle.”

Manzi stopped working at the Lincroft parish in June of this year, the office said. Afterwards, church staff reviewed credit card statements and found “numerous unauthorized charges that were determined to allegedly be for Manzi’s personal benefit.”

The state alleged that Manzi used stolen funds for “event vendors, vehicle repairs, financing, and purchases, including a Cadillac SUV,” as well as purchases such as luxury clothing, sports event tickets and “chartered fishing trips.”

Manzi is facing up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to $150,000.

It was not immediately clear why the prosecutor’s office charged Manzi with about $1 million less in theft than the August civil suit alleged. The attorney general’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Oct. 18 seeking clarification on the figures.

On its website, the St. Leo parish said the controversy “will not prevent Saint Leo the Great Parish from working every day to live our mission – to serve Parishioners and the community in God’s name with the greatest of love and compassion.”

“We ask you all to stand together in our shared faith and to pray for a swift and just conclusion to this troubling chapter,” the parish said.

Catholic music debate: Should certain hymns be banned? #Catholic

Scene from the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, Indiana. / Credit: EWTN News in Depth/Screenshot

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 18, 2025 / 12:00 pm (CNA).
Several hymns were temporarily banned last year in the Diocese of Jefferson City, Missouri after being found “to be insufficient in sound doctrine,” with the action raising questions about what music is allowed at the Holy Mass.In a special report for the Oct. 17, 2025 edition of “EWTN News In Depth,” correspondent Mark Irons explored the subject. Archbishop Shawn McKnight, who implemented the brief ban, told Irons: “I would hope everybody else learns from my mistake.”McKnight, who was the bishop of Jefferson City at the time, now serves as the archbishop of Kansas City. The controversial ban in question encompassed 12 songs in total, including the popular hymns “I am the Bread of Life” and “All Are Welcome.” McKnight said the decree was implemented too quickly and without enough discussion among Catholics in the diocese. Currently, no particular hymns are excluded in the Diocese of Jefferson City, but parishes are required to evaluate Mass music using guidelines that were provided for archdioceses and dioceses across the nation by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).The USCCB’s 2020 “Catholic Hymnody at the Service of the Church: An Aid for Evaluating Hymn Lyrics” was created to make sure Mass hymns are in conformity with Catholic doctrine. The bishops list a number of specific concerns regarding hymns, including ones with “deficiencies in the presentation of Eucharistic doctrine,” those “with a view of the Church that sees Her as essentially a human construction,” or songs with “an inadequate sense of a distinctively Christian anthropology.”Kevin Callahan, who serves as the music director at Sacred Heart Parish in Glyndon, Maryland, told Irons: “We believe…the body and blood, soul and divinity of Christ is here at the Mass, in the Eucharist. The songs, of course, should reflect that.” Callhan explained that he understands why the bishops would create the aid. The bishops “want the right thing to be said in Church, they don’t want the wrong idea to get tossed around.” Callahan said he does believe there are certain hymns that could be misleading. The ‘pride of place” of Gregorian chantOver time, Callahan said, Gregorian chant has earned pride of place within the liturgy of the Mass.This was reflected in the Second Vatican Council document Sacrosanctum Concilium, which explains: “The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman liturgy.” Sara Pecknold, a professor of liturgical music at Christendom College, noted that “Gregorian chant, beyond a shadow of a doubt, was developed with and for the liturgy.” “The Second Vatican council teaches us that the more closely tied the music is to the liturgical action…the more sacred it is,” she pointed out.RecommendationsIf Gregorian chant is unfamiliar to a parish, Pecknold recommends small steps that could be taken. She said: “I would first start with the very simplest chant melodies, for the ordinaries of the Mass.”Beyond Gregorian chant, the Second Vatican Council decided that the Church approves “of all forms of true art having the needed qualities, and admits them into divine worship.” Pecknold explained: “Liturgical music should glorify God and it should sanctify and edify all of us who are present at this great sacrifice.”Welcoming a diversity of stylesDave Moore, the music director at the 2024 U.S. National Eucharistic Congress, was in charge of bringing together a wide variety of Catholic musicians from across the country for the event.Moore said the musical goal of the Congress was to create a unity rooted in Christ, through different styles of music.”I don’t know how you find unity without diversity,” Moore said. “There’s a lot of people who do things differently than we’re used to, but what we’re looking for is the heart, like are you pursuing the heart of God?”Archbishop McKnight also noted the need for variety. “Catholicity means there’s a universality to who we are, that we’re not of just one kind or one culture, but there’s a diversity of charisms and a diversity of styles,” he said. “The fact that there are different ways of entering into the mystery of Christ, actually increases the unity we have, otherwise we’re just a church of some, and not the Church of all.”Music is “often associated with memories and emotions, too,” he said. “That’s a part of our celebration of the Eucharist. It’s not just a thing of the mind. It’s not just a doctrinal assent. It’s also a movement of the heart and ultimately it’s active prayer.”“Hymns that are liked by the people are a good choice, but it’s also important that they convey the Catholic faith,” McKnight said. “It’s about discernment of the will of God and what the Holy Spirit wants.”

unitedyam October 18, 2025

Scene from the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, Indiana. / Credit: EWTN News in Depth/Screenshot

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 18, 2025 / 12:00 pm (CNA).

Several hymns were temporarily banned last year in the Diocese of Jefferson City, Missouri after being found “to be insufficient in sound doctrine,” with the action raising questions about what music is allowed at the Holy Mass.

In a special report for the Oct. 17, 2025 edition of “EWTN News In Depth,” correspondent Mark Irons explored the subject. Archbishop Shawn McKnight, who implemented the brief ban, told Irons: “I would hope everybody else learns from my mistake.”

McKnight, who was the bishop of Jefferson City at the time, now serves as the archbishop of Kansas City. The controversial ban in question encompassed 12 songs in total, including the popular hymns “I am the Bread of Life” and “All Are Welcome.”

McKnight said the decree was implemented too quickly and without enough discussion among Catholics in the diocese.

Currently, no particular hymns are excluded in the Diocese of Jefferson City, but parishes are required to evaluate Mass music using guidelines that were provided for archdioceses and dioceses across the nation by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

The USCCB’s 2020 “Catholic Hymnody at the Service of the Church: An Aid for Evaluating Hymn Lyrics” was created to make sure Mass hymns are in conformity with Catholic doctrine. The bishops list a number of specific concerns regarding hymns, including ones with “deficiencies in the presentation of Eucharistic doctrine,” those “with a view of the Church that sees Her as essentially a human construction,” or songs with “an inadequate sense of a distinctively Christian anthropology.”

Kevin Callahan, who serves as the music director at Sacred Heart Parish in Glyndon, Maryland, told Irons: “We believe…the body and blood, soul and divinity of Christ is here at the Mass, in the Eucharist. The songs, of course, should reflect that.”

Callhan explained that he understands why the bishops would create the aid. The bishops “want the right thing to be said in Church, they don’t want the wrong idea to get tossed around.” Callahan said he does believe there are certain hymns that could be misleading.

The ‘pride of place” of Gregorian chant

Over time, Callahan said, Gregorian chant has earned pride of place within the liturgy of the Mass.

This was reflected in the Second Vatican Council document Sacrosanctum Concilium, which explains: “The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman liturgy.”

Sara Pecknold, a professor of liturgical music at Christendom College, noted that “Gregorian chant, beyond a shadow of a doubt, was developed with and for the liturgy.”

“The Second Vatican council teaches us that the more closely tied the music is to the liturgical action…the more sacred it is,” she pointed out.

Recommendations

If Gregorian chant is unfamiliar to a parish, Pecknold recommends small steps that could be taken. She said: “I would first start with the very simplest chant melodies, for the ordinaries of the Mass.”

Beyond Gregorian chant, the Second Vatican Council decided that the Church approves “of all forms of true art having the needed qualities, and admits them into divine worship.”

Pecknold explained: “Liturgical music should glorify God and it should sanctify and edify all of us who are present at this great sacrifice.”

Welcoming a diversity of styles

Dave Moore, the music director at the 2024 U.S. National Eucharistic Congress, was in charge of bringing together a wide variety of Catholic musicians from across the country for the event.

Moore said the musical goal of the Congress was to create a unity rooted in Christ, through different styles of music.

“I don’t know how you find unity without diversity,” Moore said. “There’s a lot of people who do things differently than we’re used to, but what we’re looking for is the heart, like are you pursuing the heart of God?”

Archbishop McKnight also noted the need for variety.

“Catholicity means there’s a universality to who we are, that we’re not of just one kind or one culture, but there’s a diversity of charisms and a diversity of styles,” he said. “The fact that there are different ways of entering into the mystery of Christ, actually increases the unity we have, otherwise we’re just a church of some, and not the Church of all.”

Music is “often associated with memories and emotions, too,” he said. “That’s a part of our celebration of the Eucharist. It’s not just a thing of the mind. It’s not just a doctrinal assent. It’s also a movement of the heart and ultimately it’s active prayer.”

“Hymns that are liked by the people are a good choice, but it’s also important that they convey the Catholic faith,” McKnight said. “It’s about discernment of the will of God and what the Holy Spirit wants.”

Study: Biblical definition of marriage high among churchgoers, definition of family less so #Catholic

null / Credit: Ivan Galashchuk/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 14, 2025 / 13:38 pm (CNA).
A recent study found that among adults who attend Christian worship at least monthly, 68% agreed marriage is between one man and one woman, but only 46% defined “family” in corresponding terms of a husband and wife, their children, and relatives.Family Research Council in partnership with the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University released findings this week from a new national survey of 1,003 churchgoing adults. The survey, “Social Issues and Worldview,” was conducted in July to build off a similar 2023 study. The research identified beliefs of the faithful in regard to social topics and family life.Of the 9 in 10 respondents identifying as Christian, 39% were Catholic, 20% mainline Protestant, 18% evangelical, 9% independent or nondenominational Christian, and 4% Pentecostal.Among the respondents, about 22% claimed the definition of family changes over time and across cultures. About 20% said family is any group of people who care for one another, 6% said family is any group of people who live together, and 6% said they did not know how to describe family.No demographic or Christian group was found to have a clear majority in support of the biblical definition of family, but the highest support came from theologically defined born-again Christians (59%) and Pentecostal churchgoers (56%). The majority of respondents did agree on a number of other family-related topics. Of churchgoing adults, 70% said it is important for society to facilitate families with a father, mother, and children living together and 68% said they believe marriage is only between a man and a woman.Christian stances on social issues and need for discipleship The report found churchgoers are open to more discipleship and teaching on a number of current social issues. A large majority reported that additional worldview training is desirable in areas regarding religious freedom (88%), social and political responsibility (76%), and abortion and the value of life (60%).The research revealed more specific Christian views on pro-life topics including abortion and euthanasia. About 25% of churchgoing respondents said they would prefer their church to preach or teach about abortion at worship services more often, while 18% said they would prefer teachings on the topic less often. Those interested in increasing preaching on the topic mostly attend either evangelical (31%) or Pentecostal churches (31%), while adults who align with independent and nondenominational churches were the least interested in increasing the number of sermons on abortion (19%). Interest among Catholics in increasing the frequency fell from 41% to 29% since 2023.Respondents were asked their beliefs in regard to the statement: “Euthanasia is morally wrong.” Less than half of churchgoers (43%) said they agreed, another 23% said they disagreed, and 35% said they were unsure and did not know whether euthanasia was right or wrong.Overwhelming majorities agreed that people should be able to practice “peaceful, genuinely held religious beliefs without being punished by the government, even if those beliefs are not culturally popular” (83%), that “every person is made in the likeness of God” (84%), and that “every human being has undeniable value and dignity” (83%).

unitedyam October 14, 2025

null / Credit: Ivan Galashchuk/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 14, 2025 / 13:38 pm (CNA).

A recent study found that among adults who attend Christian worship at least monthly, 68% agreed marriage is between one man and one woman, but only 46% defined “family” in corresponding terms of a husband and wife, their children, and relatives.

Family Research Council in partnership with the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University released findings this week from a new national survey of 1,003 churchgoing adults. The survey, “Social Issues and Worldview,” was conducted in July to build off a similar 2023 study. The research identified beliefs of the faithful in regard to social topics and family life.

Of the 9 in 10 respondents identifying as Christian, 39% were Catholic, 20% mainline Protestant, 18% evangelical, 9% independent or nondenominational Christian, and 4% Pentecostal.

Among the respondents, about 22% claimed the definition of family changes over time and across cultures. About 20% said family is any group of people who care for one another, 6% said family is any group of people who live together, and 6% said they did not know how to describe family.

No demographic or Christian group was found to have a clear majority in support of the biblical definition of family, but the highest support came from theologically defined born-again Christians (59%) and Pentecostal churchgoers (56%).

The majority of respondents did agree on a number of other family-related topics. Of churchgoing adults, 70% said it is important for society to facilitate families with a father, mother, and children living together and 68% said they believe marriage is only between a man and a woman.

Christian stances on social issues and need for discipleship

The report found churchgoers are open to more discipleship and teaching on a number of current social issues. A large majority reported that additional worldview training is desirable in areas regarding religious freedom (88%), social and political responsibility (76%), and abortion and the value of life (60%).

The research revealed more specific Christian views on pro-life topics including abortion and euthanasia. About 25% of churchgoing respondents said they would prefer their church to preach or teach about abortion at worship services more often, while 18% said they would prefer teachings on the topic less often.

Those interested in increasing preaching on the topic mostly attend either evangelical (31%) or Pentecostal churches (31%), while adults who align with independent and nondenominational churches were the least interested in increasing the number of sermons on abortion (19%). Interest among Catholics in increasing the frequency fell from 41% to 29% since 2023.

Respondents were asked their beliefs in regard to the statement: “Euthanasia is morally wrong.” Less than half of churchgoers (43%) said they agreed, another 23% said they disagreed, and 35% said they were unsure and did not know whether euthanasia was right or wrong.

Overwhelming majorities agreed that people should be able to practice “peaceful, genuinely held religious beliefs without being punished by the government, even if those beliefs are not culturally popular” (83%), that “every person is made in the likeness of God” (84%), and that “every human being has undeniable value and dignity” (83%).

The Rosary Team: Bringing hope to seniors in their final years #Catholic

Residents at a senior care home in the Archdiocese of Denver join together to pray the rosary thanks to the ministry of The Rosary Team. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Teresa Rodriguez

Denver, Colorado, Oct 11, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).
After finishing the rosary with her fellow residents and volunteers from The Rosary Team, Martha “Marty” Todd smiled with peaceful joy. Over her lifetime, she has witnessed miracles through prayer — healings in her family, conversions of loved ones, and graces that could only have come from God.Now, in her later years, she treasures the weekly visits from The Rosary Team, whose volunteers gather to pray with elderly residents in care facilities across the archdiocese. Their presence brings comfort, companionship, and a reminder that no one is ever forgotten in God’s love.“We all love our mother,” Todd said, her eyes brightening as she spoke of the Blessed Virgin Mary. “Sometimes, when I get uptight about things or worried, praying the rosary brings comfort and kind of eases my whirling mind.”Martha “Marty” Todd, an independent resident in Denver. Credit: Teresa RodriguezA life marked by graceTodd’s journey to her nursing facility began unexpectedly after a seizure during a family Christmas visit made her realize that she “wasn’t infallible.” What could have been a frightening transition became a blessing, bringing her closer to her children, grandchildren, and extended family.Her voice caught with emotion as she recalled a miracle that transformed her entire family. One of her closest relatives was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.“We just prayed our heads off,” Todd said.After surgery and biopsy, the surgeon returned with impossible news: There was no cancer.“We just know she had a healing,” she continued.That miracle rippled through her family, drawing more relatives into the Catholic Church as they recognized “the value of Catholic prayer.” Her grandson Andrew, once a quiet and thoughtful boy, began attending daily Mass in high school. Today, he is Brother Francis, serving as assistant to the abbot at Conception Abbey.“He was always kind of a quiet, pondering kid,” Todd reflected. “We realized he had a call.”Teresa Rodriguez with her mother, Marian Buchheit. Credit: Paul BuchheitA husband’s final gracePerhaps the most unexpected conversion came from Todd’s husband, Richard, who was not Catholic. During a visit to their son Rob in Missouri, Richard was diagnosed with cancer. Their son gently asked him: “Don’t you think it’s time you were baptized?” Richard simply replied: “I guess so.”A priest baptized him in the hospital, giving him what Marty Todd calls “a direct line to heaven” before he passed away four months later.These profound experiences of grace and conversion have shaped Todd’s deep appreciation for the spiritual care she now receives at Morningstar, her nursing facility. Having witnessed how powerfully God works in the final moments of life, she knows the vital importance of bringing faith to those approaching their final years.The Rosary Team’s presenceWhen volunteers from The Rosary Team arrive, something special happens. Their visits bring “more connection with people,” Todd explained. “They are doing something nice for us.”The presence of volunteers transforms the experience from routine prayer into relationship. They become bridges to the wider community, especially for those in assisted living or memory care who have limited mobility.“It’s quite a wake-up call when you move into a facility like this,” Todd said.Since arriving, she has seen about 20 to 25 people pass away in a single year — some who “seemed really vital and just didn’t wake up one morning.”That reality shapes how residents think about faith.“We all realize we’re getting closer to the end of life,” she noted. “I think we ponder a little more about what it will be.”Among her neighbors are “fallen-away Catholics” she prays for.“It’s never too late as long as you’re still breathing,” she said.A legacy of faithThe Rosary Team’s ministry is more than weekly visits. It is a lifeline that shows seniors they are cared for and remembered. Volunteers bring statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary, lead familiar prayers and embody Christ’s love for those society too often forgets.Todd sees the fruit of such faith passed down through her family. Her granddaughter, Alex Martinez, daughter of Rich and Joanie Todd, recently graduated as a pediatric nurse practitioner. Todd attended her graduation in Nashville — a joy she credits to being closer to family since moving to Morningstar.In Alex’s healing work, like Brother Francis’ monastic vocation, Todd sees how prayer echoes through generations, bearing fruit in both religious and professional service.Resident Dan Cummings prays the rosary. Credit: Cris FanelliExpanding a vital missionTodd’s story highlights why The Rosary Team’s mission is so crucial. Across the country, nursing facilities house thousands of elderly residents, many of whom suffer spiritual isolation. While activities may include exercise and entertainment, few offer the kind of deep spiritual care needed as residents face mortality.Requests for The Rosary Team’s presence continue to grow nationwide. The ministry runs entirely on the generosity of donors who believe in supporting the spiritual welfare of the elderly — fulfilling both corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Their gifts make possible the training, coordination, and expansion of this mission of prayer.To learn more about supporting The Rosary Team, visit www.therosaryteam.org.This story was first published by the Denver Catholic and has been reprinted on CNA with permission.

unitedyam October 11, 2025

Residents at a senior care home in the Archdiocese of Denver join together to pray the rosary thanks to the ministry of The Rosary Team. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Teresa Rodriguez

Denver, Colorado, Oct 11, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

After finishing the rosary with her fellow residents and volunteers from The Rosary Team, Martha “Marty” Todd smiled with peaceful joy. Over her lifetime, she has witnessed miracles through prayer — healings in her family, conversions of loved ones, and graces that could only have come from God.

Now, in her later years, she treasures the weekly visits from The Rosary Team, whose volunteers gather to pray with elderly residents in care facilities across the archdiocese. Their presence brings comfort, companionship, and a reminder that no one is ever forgotten in God’s love.

“We all love our mother,” Todd said, her eyes brightening as she spoke of the Blessed Virgin Mary. “Sometimes, when I get uptight about things or worried, praying the rosary brings comfort and kind of eases my whirling mind.”

Martha “Marty” Todd, an independent resident in Denver. Credit: Teresa Rodriguez

A life marked by grace

Todd’s journey to her nursing facility began unexpectedly after a seizure during a family Christmas visit made her realize that she “wasn’t infallible.” What could have been a frightening transition became a blessing, bringing her closer to her children, grandchildren, and extended family.

Her voice caught with emotion as she recalled a miracle that transformed her entire family. One of her closest relatives was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.

“We just prayed our heads off,” Todd said.

After surgery and biopsy, the surgeon returned with impossible news: There was no cancer.

“We just know she had a healing,” she continued.

That miracle rippled through her family, drawing more relatives into the Catholic Church as they recognized “the value of Catholic prayer.” Her grandson Andrew, once a quiet and thoughtful boy, began attending daily Mass in high school. Today, he is Brother Francis, serving as assistant to the abbot at Conception Abbey.

“He was always kind of a quiet, pondering kid,” Todd reflected. “We realized he had a call.”

Teresa Rodriguez with her mother, Marian Buchheit. Credit: Paul Buchheit

A husband’s final grace

Perhaps the most unexpected conversion came from Todd’s husband, Richard, who was not Catholic. During a visit to their son Rob in Missouri, Richard was diagnosed with cancer. Their son gently asked him: “Don’t you think it’s time you were baptized?” Richard simply replied: “I guess so.”

A priest baptized him in the hospital, giving him what Marty Todd calls “a direct line to heaven” before he passed away four months later.

These profound experiences of grace and conversion have shaped Todd’s deep appreciation for the spiritual care she now receives at Morningstar, her nursing facility. Having witnessed how powerfully God works in the final moments of life, she knows the vital importance of bringing faith to those approaching their final years.

The Rosary Team’s presence

When volunteers from The Rosary Team arrive, something special happens. Their visits bring “more connection with people,” Todd explained. “They are doing something nice for us.”

The presence of volunteers transforms the experience from routine prayer into relationship. They become bridges to the wider community, especially for those in assisted living or memory care who have limited mobility.

“It’s quite a wake-up call when you move into a facility like this,” Todd said.

Since arriving, she has seen about 20 to 25 people pass away in a single year — some who “seemed really vital and just didn’t wake up one morning.”

That reality shapes how residents think about faith.

“We all realize we’re getting closer to the end of life,” she noted. “I think we ponder a little more about what it will be.”

Among her neighbors are “fallen-away Catholics” she prays for.

“It’s never too late as long as you’re still breathing,” she said.

A legacy of faith

The Rosary Team’s ministry is more than weekly visits. It is a lifeline that shows seniors they are cared for and remembered. Volunteers bring statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary, lead familiar prayers and embody Christ’s love for those society too often forgets.

Todd sees the fruit of such faith passed down through her family. Her granddaughter, Alex Martinez, daughter of Rich and Joanie Todd, recently graduated as a pediatric nurse practitioner. Todd attended her graduation in Nashville — a joy she credits to being closer to family since moving to Morningstar.

In Alex’s healing work, like Brother Francis’ monastic vocation, Todd sees how prayer echoes through generations, bearing fruit in both religious and professional service.

Resident Dan Cummings prays the rosary. Credit: Cris Fanelli

Expanding a vital mission

Todd’s story highlights why The Rosary Team’s mission is so crucial. Across the country, nursing facilities house thousands of elderly residents, many of whom suffer spiritual isolation. While activities may include exercise and entertainment, few offer the kind of deep spiritual care needed as residents face mortality.

Requests for The Rosary Team’s presence continue to grow nationwide. The ministry runs entirely on the generosity of donors who believe in supporting the spiritual welfare of the elderly — fulfilling both corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Their gifts make possible the training, coordination, and expansion of this mission of prayer.

To learn more about supporting The Rosary Team, visit www.therosaryteam.org.

This story was first published by the Denver Catholic and has been reprinted on CNA with permission.

Relic that appeared to move on its own ‘not of supernatural origin,’ diocese says #Catholic

The relic of St. Gemma Galgani rests in the reliquary at the Newman Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. / Credit: Corbin Hubbell

CNA Staff, Oct 10, 2025 / 15:07 pm (CNA).
The Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska, has determined that a moving relic was “not of supernatural origin” after video of the apparent phenomenon spread across social media.The viral video depicted a first-class relic of St. Gemma Galgani appearing to move of its own accord behind a display case.A relic of St. Gemma Galgani has reportedly moved within its sealed reliquary at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Newman Center, drawing Catholics from across the state eager to witness it.Video: Lillian Johnson pic.twitter.com/DngPROJScQ— Sachin Jose (@Sachinettiyil) October 8, 2025 Visitors reportedly came to the Newman Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to see the apparently moving relic. But a diocesan investigation found that the source of the movement was a bent hook. Father Caleb La Rue, the chancellor for the Diocese of Lincoln, investigated whether the moving relic could be of supernatural origin with the help of another priest. He told CNA that the Church has to look at such things with a “healthy skepticism” to see if there are any “natural” causes of the occurrences. “Not that these things can’t happen — of course, they absolutely can,” he said. “God can work in any myriad of ways.” La Rue found that the hook was bent, causing a similar relic to move in the same way when hung on the same hook. When St. Gemma’s relic was removed from the hook, it ceased moving on its own. La Rue said because of the bend in the hook, the weight of the reliquary was likely “not evenly distributed.” Artifacts are displayed in the reliquary at the Newman Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Credit: Corbin HubbellBut La Rue also noted that miracles do happen and encouraged people to look for the ordinary ways God shows his presence in our lives. “Even if it’s not supernatural, I think there’s something that God wants all of us to take away from this experience because he either willed or permitted it to happen,” La Rue said.What qualifies as a miracle?Church authorities investigate alleged miracles when they receive reports of them. Apparently miraculous phenomena often have to do with the Eucharist, Marian apparitions, and miracles of healing, among others. Michael O’Neill, a miracle expert who developed a miracle-tracking website and hosts the EWTN show “Miracle Hunter,” told CNA that the Church “would not in modern times investigate a moving relic.” “Traditionally, only a few types of miracles are ever investigated, specifically healing miracles, Marian apparitions, Eucharistic miracles, weeping statues or icons, and incorrupt saints,” O’Neill said. “And each has their own investigative process.” La Rue, however, noted that it’s not impossible for a relic to be moving miraculously in this way. “It’s, of course, possible. There’s far more miraculous things that happen every day,” La Rue said. “You don’t want to prematurely begin dampening the fervor. But at the same time, the Church is cautious for a reason because she wants our attention to be on truly miraculous things.”Do miracles still occur? The Church has documented many miracles related to healing, the Eucharist, and Marian apparitions.Healing miracles are especially important in the investigation of potential saints. Would-be-saints need several miraculous healings to be attributed to their intercession before the Church will canonize them.These healing miracles undergo a scrutinous investigation in line with what is called “the Lambertini Criteria,” according to O’Neill. A miracle can be confirmed only if there is no possible scientific explanation for the healing.The Diocese of Lincoln noted in a statement that miracles still do occur, especially the miracle of the Eucharist, where the consecrated bread and wine become Jesus’ body, blood, soul, and divinity. “God surrounds us with miracles every day, with the Lord’s real presence in the Blessed Sacrament being preeminent of all,” the diocese said in a statement shared with CNA on Thursday. La Rue noted that the Newman Center has all-day Eucharistic adoration, where students and staff come to pray in the presence of Jesus Christ. “The entire time this was happening, there was Eucharistic exposition going on,” La Rue said. He noted that the Eucharist “is the ultimate sign of God’s abiding presence with his people and his desire to be a part of our life.” “Even if this wasn’t what some people were hoping it would be, it doesn’t mean that God isn’t still very active in our lives,” La Rue said. “Sometimes we maybe just don’t pay attention to the little ways in which he is.”O’Neill noted that the official norms for addressing miracles were adjusted last year, meaning that the Church doesn’t explicitly declare occurrences to be supernatural, but rather uses the designation “nihil obstat,” meaning “nothing obstructs.” This means that the miracle has “signs” of the Holy Spirit and nothing “critical or risky” has been detected. While nihil obstat is the highest designation a proposed miracle can receive in modern times, the Vatican, according to the recent norms, can also denounce alleged miracles if the Church finds them to be concerning, not of supernatural origin, or even fraudulent. La Rue encouraged those who had hoped for a miracle to “be mindful of the ordinary ways in which God communicates his love and his grace to us throughout the day.”“It doesn’t necessarily need to be something spectacular, but there’s lots of little ways that God is constantly showing us his care for us,” La Rue said. A thriving faith community La Rue, who is in residence at the Newman Center, noted that the vibrant community is growing. “It’s a place where young people are really encountering Our Lord and encountering each other and building strong friendships and lasting friendships founded on shared love of God and wanting to live a full life, a joyful life,” La Rue said. About 70 people entered the Church through the center’s OCIA program last year. “The number of people who came to join the church last year who just literally just showed up — nobody went and found them,” La Rue said. “We certainly have those people, but a lot of them just came on their own.” Sunday Mass, he said, is “standing room only.” “I’ve been able to see just the reality of young people recognizing that the world doesn’t have the answers — that the things of the world aren’t satisfying,” he said. “And they come here to find actual peace and love and freedom in Our Lord.”

unitedyam October 10, 2025

The relic of St. Gemma Galgani rests in the reliquary at the Newman Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. / Credit: Corbin Hubbell

CNA Staff, Oct 10, 2025 / 15:07 pm (CNA).

The Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska, has determined that a moving relic was “not of supernatural origin” after video of the apparent phenomenon spread across social media.

The viral video depicted a first-class relic of St. Gemma Galgani appearing to move of its own accord behind a display case.

A relic of St. Gemma Galgani has reportedly moved within its sealed reliquary at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Newman Center, drawing Catholics from across the state eager to witness it.

Video: Lillian Johnson pic.twitter.com/DngPROJScQ

— Sachin Jose (@Sachinettiyil) October 8, 2025

Visitors reportedly came to the Newman Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to see the apparently moving relic.

But a diocesan investigation found that the source of the movement was a bent hook.

Father Caleb La Rue, the chancellor for the Diocese of Lincoln, investigated whether the moving relic could be of supernatural origin with the help of another priest.

He told CNA that the Church has to look at such things with a “healthy skepticism” to see if there are any “natural” causes of the occurrences.

“Not that these things can’t happen — of course, they absolutely can,” he said. “God can work in any myriad of ways.”

La Rue found that the hook was bent, causing a similar relic to move in the same way when hung on the same hook. When St. Gemma’s relic was removed from the hook, it ceased moving on its own. La Rue said because of the bend in the hook, the weight of the reliquary was likely “not evenly distributed.”

Artifacts are displayed in the reliquary at the Newman Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Credit: Corbin Hubbell

But La Rue also noted that miracles do happen and encouraged people to look for the ordinary ways God shows his presence in our lives.

“Even if it’s not supernatural, I think there’s something that God wants all of us to take away from this experience because he either willed or permitted it to happen,” La Rue said.

What qualifies as a miracle?

Church authorities investigate alleged miracles when they receive reports of them. Apparently miraculous phenomena often have to do with the Eucharist, Marian apparitions, and miracles of healing, among others.

Michael O’Neill, a miracle expert who developed a miracle-tracking website and hosts the EWTN show “Miracle Hunter,” told CNA that the Church “would not in modern times investigate a moving relic.”

“Traditionally, only a few types of miracles are ever investigated, specifically healing miracles, Marian apparitions, Eucharistic miracles, weeping statues or icons, and incorrupt saints,” O’Neill said. “And each has their own investigative process.”

La Rue, however, noted that it’s not impossible for a relic to be moving miraculously in this way.

“It’s, of course, possible. There’s far more miraculous things that happen every day,” La Rue said. “You don’t want to prematurely begin dampening the fervor. But at the same time, the Church is cautious for a reason because she wants our attention to be on truly miraculous things.”

Do miracles still occur?

The Church has documented many miracles related to healing, the Eucharist, and Marian apparitions.

Healing miracles are especially important in the investigation of potential saints. Would-be-saints need several miraculous healings to be attributed to their intercession before the Church will canonize them.

These healing miracles undergo a scrutinous investigation in line with what is called “the Lambertini Criteria,” according to O’Neill. A miracle can be confirmed only if there is no possible scientific explanation for the healing.

The Diocese of Lincoln noted in a statement that miracles still do occur, especially the miracle of the Eucharist, where the consecrated bread and wine become Jesus’ body, blood, soul, and divinity.

“God surrounds us with miracles every day, with the Lord’s real presence in the Blessed Sacrament being preeminent of all,” the diocese said in a statement shared with CNA on Thursday.

La Rue noted that the Newman Center has all-day Eucharistic adoration, where students and staff come to pray in the presence of Jesus Christ.

“The entire time this was happening, there was Eucharistic exposition going on,” La Rue said.

He noted that the Eucharist “is the ultimate sign of God’s abiding presence with his people and his desire to be a part of our life.”

“Even if this wasn’t what some people were hoping it would be, it doesn’t mean that God isn’t still very active in our lives,” La Rue said. “Sometimes we maybe just don’t pay attention to the little ways in which he is.”

O’Neill noted that the official norms for addressing miracles were adjusted last year, meaning that the Church doesn’t explicitly declare occurrences to be supernatural, but rather uses the designation “nihil obstat,” meaning “nothing obstructs.”

This means that the miracle has “signs” of the Holy Spirit and nothing “critical or risky” has been detected.

While nihil obstat is the highest designation a proposed miracle can receive in modern times, the Vatican, according to the recent norms, can also denounce alleged miracles if the Church finds them to be concerning, not of supernatural origin, or even fraudulent.

La Rue encouraged those who had hoped for a miracle to “be mindful of the ordinary ways in which God communicates his love and his grace to us throughout the day.”

“It doesn’t necessarily need to be something spectacular, but there’s lots of little ways that God is constantly showing us his care for us,” La Rue said.

A thriving faith community

La Rue, who is in residence at the Newman Center, noted that the vibrant community is growing.

“It’s a place where young people are really encountering Our Lord and encountering each other and building strong friendships and lasting friendships founded on shared love of God and wanting to live a full life, a joyful life,” La Rue said.

About 70 people entered the Church through the center’s OCIA program last year.

“The number of people who came to join the church last year who just literally just showed up — nobody went and found them,” La Rue said. “We certainly have those people, but a lot of them just came on their own.”

Sunday Mass, he said, is “standing room only.”

“I’ve been able to see just the reality of young people recognizing that the world doesn’t have the answers — that the things of the world aren’t satisfying,” he said. “And they come here to find actual peace and love and freedom in Our Lord.”

Faith-based ministries discuss how to further pro-life mission #Catholic

Kat Talalas, Amy Ford, Christopher Bell, and Sister Maria Frassati, SV, speak at the Leading with Love Conference at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 8, 2025. / Credit: Tessa Gervasini/CNA

Washington, D.C., Oct 9, 2025 / 12:55 pm (CNA).
Pro-life leaders from across the country gathered this week to discuss how faith-based ministries are helping to cultivate a society that promotes human dignity and how others can advance the cause.The Leading with Love Conference at The Catholic University of America (CUA) in Washington, D.C., was sponsored by the Human Life Foundation and the Center for Law and the Human Person at The Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law. It was aimed at “empowering Christians to cultivate a culture of life within their local communities.”Jennie Bradley Lichter, president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund, spoke to attendees Oct. 8 about the power of faith-based ministries, including The Guadalupe Project. Lichter founded the initiative in 2022 to provide resources and encouragement to parents within the CUA community.To cultivate this encouragement, we must figure out how we can “create more of a revolution of love,” Lichter said. “Christ started this revolution of love, but it’s now up to each one of us in our particular time and place.”“Caring for unborn babies and their mothers is one of the most urgent challenges of our time, Lichter said. “Six out of 10 women who have chosen abortion would have preferred to choose life if they had the emotional and financial support they felt necessary.” The Guadalupe Project’s goal was to combat this by “[making] sure every woman on campus knows that resources exist and knows exactly how to find them,” Lichter said. “It’s meant to support all parents on campus, not just students, and not just mothers in unexpected or challenging circumstances.”“We wanted to foster a culture on campus where each life is celebrated, knowing that a positive, vibrant, and joyful culture of life is truly life-giving in so many ways,” Lichter said. The initiative “revamped all of the university’s pregnancy resource materials for students” and created “a poster campaign, including one designed specifically for the men’s dorms,” Lichter said.It also promoted the placement of stickers in every women’s restroom stall on campus with a QR code leading to these pregnancy materials. The campus started allotting more maternity and paternity leave, designating maternity parking spots on campus, providing free diapers and wipes at the campus food pantry, holding maternity clothing drives, and “affirming the goodness of family life and that new babies are a moment to celebrate,” Lichter said.The 2026 theme for the March for Life is “Life Is a Gift,” Lichter said. The initiative helps carry that out, because “life is something to be celebrated.” She added: “[Life] is not a burden for which someone needs support, or not solely that. It is really a cause for celebration.” Faith-based communities can use The Guadalupe Project as “prototype,” Lichter suggested. She shared that other universities have reached out to talk about the initiative as they were inspired to consider doing something similar.“We need to make sure that pregnant women never reach the point of despair that drives them into the arms of the abortion clinics,” Lichter said. “We need to meet that moment of loneliness, fear, or emptiness with encouragement and empowerment.”Hopes and suggestions for faith-based ministries Other leaders from prominent pro-life ministries discussed what gives them hope for the future of the pro-life movement, including Kat Talalas of Walking with Moms in Need, Amy Ford of Embrace Grace, Christopher Bell of Good Counsel Homes, and Sister Maria Frassati of the Sisters of Life.Talalas, who is the assistant director of pro-life communications for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said Walking with Moms in Need started five years ago but has already reached countless communities. The parish-based initiative is “to the point where we don’t even know a lot of the time what new diocese or parish is starting a Walking with Moms in Need, what new lives are being saved, [and] what new women are being accompanied,” Talalas said. “It’s taken on a life of its own. That’s the work of the Holy Spirit — the Holy Spirit convicting hearts.”“God guides us, we have each other, and we’re not alone. Just as we tell [mothers] that they’re not alone, we’re not alone in this movement. So what’s giving me hope is seeing the Holy Spirit catch fire and individual people saying: ‘I want to start talking with moms in need,’ and women saying: ‘I can do this,’” Talalas said. Talalas said the work all begins with prayer. “It’s sitting in the presence of the love of God, letting him love you, and seeing how the Holy Spirit convicts you … It begins with that individual conviction. If we’re not following God’s law, it doesn’t matter what we’re doing.”Ford, who leads Embrace Grace, which provides mothers support through local churches, said she has “noticed there’s a lot of people that seem like they have more of an open heart about Christianity, about spirituality … especially with the younger generation.” She added: “I think that’s something we can all have hope about.”To get involved, Ford said people need to carry out “the good works that God’s called us to do.” She posed the question: “What strengths and gifts did God put inside each of you that you can do?” While Bell’s ministry, Good Counsel, provides services including housing for homeless mothers and children and post-abortion healing services, he said every person can help by simply praying. He specifically called on people to pray in front of an abortion center. “If you have done it, do it again. If you’ve never done it, just go ... You don’t have to say anything. You didn’t have to look up. You don’t have to open your eyes. But your presence will mean the world,” Bell said. “The babies who will die there that day will know that you loved them … That’s the most important thing to do.”Sister Maria Frassati shared that “we could really grow in having more faith in what [God] is doing.”“The truth is that God is actually really working in so many ways,” she said. “God is faithful, and that really gives me a lot of hope that nothing that you give is ever wasted. Even if you walk with a woman who’s not receptive, there’s really no gift that has been offered to him that he has not kept sacred and precious in his heart.”

unitedyam October 9, 2025

Kat Talalas, Amy Ford, Christopher Bell, and Sister Maria Frassati, SV, speak at the Leading with Love Conference at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 8, 2025. / Credit: Tessa Gervasini/CNA

Washington, D.C., Oct 9, 2025 / 12:55 pm (CNA).

Pro-life leaders from across the country gathered this week to discuss how faith-based ministries are helping to cultivate a society that promotes human dignity and how others can advance the cause.

The Leading with Love Conference at The Catholic University of America (CUA) in Washington, D.C., was sponsored by the Human Life Foundation and the Center for Law and the Human Person at The Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law. It was aimed at “empowering Christians to cultivate a culture of life within their local communities.”

Jennie Bradley Lichter, president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund, spoke to attendees Oct. 8 about the power of faith-based ministries, including The Guadalupe Project. Lichter founded the initiative in 2022 to provide resources and encouragement to parents within the CUA community.

To cultivate this encouragement, we must figure out how we can “create more of a revolution of love,” Lichter said. “Christ started this revolution of love, but it’s now up to each one of us in our particular time and place.”

“Caring for unborn babies and their mothers is one of the most urgent challenges of our time, Lichter said. “Six out of 10 women who have chosen abortion would have preferred to choose life if they had the emotional and financial support they felt necessary.”

The Guadalupe Project’s goal was to combat this by “[making] sure every woman on campus knows that resources exist and knows exactly how to find them,” Lichter said. “It’s meant to support all parents on campus, not just students, and not just mothers in unexpected or challenging circumstances.”

“We wanted to foster a culture on campus where each life is celebrated, knowing that a positive, vibrant, and joyful culture of life is truly life-giving in so many ways,” Lichter said.

The initiative “revamped all of the university’s pregnancy resource materials for students” and created “a poster campaign, including one designed specifically for the men’s dorms,” Lichter said.

It also promoted the placement of stickers in every women’s restroom stall on campus with a QR code leading to these pregnancy materials. The campus started allotting more maternity and paternity leave, designating maternity parking spots on campus, providing free diapers and wipes at the campus food pantry, holding maternity clothing drives, and “affirming the goodness of family life and that new babies are a moment to celebrate,” Lichter said.

The 2026 theme for the March for Life is “Life Is a Gift,” Lichter said. The initiative helps carry that out, because “life is something to be celebrated.”

She added: “[Life] is not a burden for which someone needs support, or not solely that. It is really a cause for celebration.”

Faith-based communities can use The Guadalupe Project as “prototype,” Lichter suggested. She shared that other universities have reached out to talk about the initiative as they were inspired to consider doing something similar.

“We need to make sure that pregnant women never reach the point of despair that drives them into the arms of the abortion clinics,” Lichter said. “We need to meet that moment of loneliness, fear, or emptiness with encouragement and empowerment.”

Hopes and suggestions for faith-based ministries

Other leaders from prominent pro-life ministries discussed what gives them hope for the future of the pro-life movement, including Kat Talalas of Walking with Moms in Need, Amy Ford of Embrace Grace, Christopher Bell of Good Counsel Homes, and Sister Maria Frassati of the Sisters of Life.

Talalas, who is the assistant director of pro-life communications for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said Walking with Moms in Need started five years ago but has already reached countless communities.

The parish-based initiative is “to the point where we don’t even know a lot of the time what new diocese or parish is starting a Walking with Moms in Need, what new lives are being saved, [and] what new women are being accompanied,” Talalas said. “It’s taken on a life of its own. That’s the work of the Holy Spirit — the Holy Spirit convicting hearts.”

“God guides us, we have each other, and we’re not alone. Just as we tell [mothers] that they’re not alone, we’re not alone in this movement. So what’s giving me hope is seeing the Holy Spirit catch fire and individual people saying: ‘I want to start talking with moms in need,’ and women saying: ‘I can do this,’” Talalas said.

Talalas said the work all begins with prayer. “It’s sitting in the presence of the love of God, letting him love you, and seeing how the Holy Spirit convicts you … It begins with that individual conviction. If we’re not following God’s law, it doesn’t matter what we’re doing.”

Ford, who leads Embrace Grace, which provides mothers support through local churches, said she has “noticed there’s a lot of people that seem like they have more of an open heart about Christianity, about spirituality … especially with the younger generation.”

She added: “I think that’s something we can all have hope about.”

To get involved, Ford said people need to carry out “the good works that God’s called us to do.” She posed the question: “What strengths and gifts did God put inside each of you that you can do?”

While Bell’s ministry, Good Counsel, provides services including housing for homeless mothers and children and post-abortion healing services, he said every person can help by simply praying. He specifically called on people to pray in front of an abortion center.

“If you have done it, do it again. If you’ve never done it, just go … You don’t have to say anything. You didn’t have to look up. You don’t have to open your eyes. But your presence will mean the world,” Bell said. “The babies who will die there that day will know that you loved them … That’s the most important thing to do.”

Sister Maria Frassati shared that “we could really grow in having more faith in what [God] is doing.”

“The truth is that God is actually really working in so many ways,” she said. “God is faithful, and that really gives me a lot of hope that nothing that you give is ever wasted. Even if you walk with a woman who’s not receptive, there’s really no gift that has been offered to him that he has not kept sacred and precious in his heart.”

unitedyam October 9, 2025

Daniël Hussem and Emily Wilson-Hussem are the creators of the new Catholic dating app, SacredSpark. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Daniël Hussem and Emily Wilson-Hussem

CNA Staff, Oct 9, 2025 / 07:10 am (CNA).

When Emily Wilson-Hussem began sharing “matchmaking” posts on Instagram, inviting Catholic singles to share their names and locations to connect with others, she wasn’t expecting that her lighthearted experiment would lead to 12 marriages, 20 engagements, hundreds of dating couples, and even a baby.

The Catholic speaker and digital content creator realized that young Catholics are in search of holy marriages but need help finding one another. This led her and her husband, Daniël Hussem, to create a new Catholic dating app — SacredSpark.

The new matchmaking app blends technology and tradition to foster meaningful online connections with the goal of creating lasting offline relationships.

“Over these years I have seen the difficulty singles [have] to connect with one another, especially of the same age, and a lot of the young single Catholics I met were having a really hard time, and so I felt like a nudge from the Lord,” Wilson-Hussem told CNA.

After seeing the immense response from young people on her matchmaking posts, yet realizing the downfalls of trying to help connect people on Instagram, the Hussems decided to create an app that was intentional and focused on the fact that each user was made in the image and likeness of God.

SacredSpark is a Catholic dating and matchmaking app that is blending technology and tradition to foster meaningful online connections with the goal of creating lasting offline relationships. Credit: SacredSpark

One of the main features of SacredSpark is its commitment to more meaningful connections between people. To foster that, all profile pictures are blurred. Photos become unblurred once both individuals match with one another. So instead of simply swiping through images of a person, users can record audio messages introducing themselves and other users can listen and determine if they believe there could be a connection.

Hussem explained that this feature was created “because we want to start meaningful connections beyond just the appearance.”

The couple also pointed out that unlike other dating apps that allow users to place filters on things like physical traits, including eye color, hair color, or even height, SacredSpark does not allow for any filters to be placed on physical qualities.

“For us, we want it to be extremely intentional about the person as a whole, not just their physical appearance,” Hussem shared. “If you’re looking at the general scope of a sacramental marriage, are those things — someone’s color of their eyes or the color of their hair or their height — I think those are more superficial things that people can get sidetracked by versus just these intentional things.”

“Our focus is on the image and likeness of God in each person you will connect with on the app. That’s a huge part of the core of what we’re doing,” Wilson-Hussem added.

The app also includes a matchmaking feature, which allows the user to invite a friend or family member to act as a matchmaker on their behalf on the app. Wilson-Hussem explained that this feature was added into the app because of the great success matchmakers had on her Instagram posts.

“A huge part of the success was a girl saying, ‘I have a brother, Jeff. He’s 31 and he lives in Wisconsin. If there are any great gals out there, I would love to connect you,’” she shared. “I would say at least half of the marriages have been from one person who put one person out there and was linking two other people and we thought, ‘Wow. A, that’s amazing because a lot of people know single Catholics, they have fun with it, but B, our singles need support. They need to feel like people are in their corner.’”

She added: “You can hire a matchmaker for thousands of dollars — a person who has to get to know you, a person who has to look at who you are on paper. The people who have known you your whole life know you best. They know what you’re looking for. So, why don’t we find a way to activate those people and support our singles?”

SacredSpark will be launched and open to the public in mid-October, but interested singles can already sign up to join the waitlist.

The Hussems said they hope the new app will “relight the hope of Catholic dating.”

“The overall mission is actually to help build up the Church one relationship at a time,” Daniël Hussem said.

“I think a big part of the cultural breakdown is the breakdown of the family, and we want SacredSpark to really be a place, down the road, where we can connect people who will build up the Church because they’ve entered into a sacramental marriage and will build up the family,” Wilson-Hussem added. “The restoration of the family is going to be a huge part of the next many years and we think SacredSpark, hopefully, will play a part in that.”

High Court weighs free speech in Colorado’s law banning counseling on gender identity

unitedyam October 8, 2025

null / Credit: Wolfgang Schaller|Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 8, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA).

The U.S. Supreme Court during oral arguments on Oct. 7 scrutinized Colorado’s law banning counseling on gender identity with some justices voicing concern about possible viewpoint discrimination and free speech restrictions embedded in the statute.

Colorado Solicitor General Shannon Stevenson defended the law, which prohibits licensed psychologists and therapists from engaging in any efforts that it considers “conversion therapy” when treating minors. It does not apply to parents, members of the clergy, or others.

Nearly half of U.S. states have a similar ban. The Supreme Court ruling on this matter could set nationwide precedent on the legality of such laws.

The Colorado law defines “conversion therapy” as treatments designed to change a person’s “sexual orientation or gender identity,” including changes to “behaviors or gender expressions or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attraction or feelings toward individuals of the same sex” even if the minor and his or her family has requested that care.

Under the law, permitted therapy includes “acceptance, support, and understanding” of a minor’s self-asserted transgender identity or same-sex attraction.

The law is being challenged by Kaley Chiles, a Christian counselor who provides faith-based counseling to clients with gender dysphoria and same-sex attraction.

Free speech and viewpoint discrimination

Stevenson argued that Colorado’s law is not a speech restriction but instead a regulation on a specific type of “treatment,” saying that regulations cannot cease to apply “just because they are using words.”

“That treatment does not work and carries great risk of harm,” Stevenson said, referring to the practices the state considers to be “conversion therapy.”

She argued that health care has been “heavily regulated since the beginning of our country” and compared “conversion therapy” to doctors providing improper advice on how to treat a condition. She claimed this therapy falsely asserts “you can change this innate thing about yourself.”

“The client and the patient [are] expecting accurate information,” Stevenson said.

Justice Samuel Alito told Stevenson the law sounds like “blatant viewpoint discrimination,” noting that a minor can receive talk therapy welcoming homosexual inclinations but cannot access therapy to reduce those urges. He said it is a restriction “based on the viewpoint expressed.”

Alito said the state’s position is “a minor should not be able to obtain talk therapy to overcome same-sex attraction [even] if that’s what he wants.”

Stevenson argued Colorado is not engaged in viewpoint discrimination and said: “Counseling is an evidence-based practice.” She said it would be wrong to suggest lawmakers “reach[ed] this conclusion based on anything other than protection of minors.”

“There is no other motive going on to suppress viewpoint or expression,” Stevenson said.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett and Justice Neil Gorsuch asked questions about how to handle issues where medical disagreement exists.

Gorsuch noted, for example, that homosexuality was historically viewed as a mental disorder and asked Stevenson whether it would have been legal for states to ban therapy that affirmed a person’s homosexuality at that time. Stevenson argued that at that time, it would have been legal.

Banning ‘voluntary conversations’

Alliance Defending Freedom Chief Counsel Jim Campbell argued on behalf of Chiles and her counseling services, telling the justices his client offers “voluntary speech between a licensed professional and a minor,” and the law bans “voluntary conversations.”

Campbell noted that if one of her minor clients says, “I would like help realigning my identity with my sex,” then the law requires that Chiles “has to deny them.”

“Kids and families that want this kind of help … are being left without any kind of support,” he added, warning that Chiles, her clients, and potential clients are suffering irreparable harm if access to this treatment continues to be denied.

Campbell argued that “many people have experienced life-changing benefits from this kind of counseling,” many of whom are seeking to “align their life with their religion” and improve their “relationship with God.”

Justice Sonia Sotomayor contested whether the issue was about free speech, noting Colorado pointed to studies that such therapy efforts “harm the child … emotionally and physically.”

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson similarly objected to the claim, questioning whether a counselor acting in her professional capacity “is really expressing … a message for a First Amendment purposes.” She said treatment is different than writing an article about conversion therapy or giving a speech about it.

Campbell disagreed, arguing: “This involves a conversation,” and “a one-on-one conversation is a form of speech.” He said Chiles is “discussing concepts of identity and behaviors and attraction” and simply helping her clients “achieve their goals.”

New film tells story of how broken Virgin Mary statue changed the life of a radio host

unitedyam October 4, 2025

The broken Virgin Mary statue Kevin Matthews found in a dumpster. / Credit: ODB Films

CNA Staff, Oct 4, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

Kevin Matthews was at the top of his game as one of the most famous on-air radio personalities in Chicago in the 1980s and ’90s. He was partying with professional athletes and celebrities and posting 10 million listeners a week at the peak of his popularity.

All of that changed when he received a life-altering medical diagnosis. Yet the biggest change in his life happened when he found a broken Virgin Mary statue in the trash.

Kevin Matthews, former radio personality, speaks at a Catholic parish. His true story is told in the new documentary "Broken Mary: The Kevin Matthews Story." Credit: ODB Films — Kevin Matthews, former radio personality, speaks at a Catholic parish. His true story is told in the new documentary “Broken Mary: The Kevin Matthews Story.” Credit: ODB Films

“Broken Mary: The Kevin Matthews Story” is a new documentary recounting Matthews’ true story of fame, brokenness, and finding redemption in Jesus Christ thanks to his devotion to the Blessed Mother. The documentary will be in theaters for one night only on Oct. 7, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.

Matthews was born and raised in Pontiac, Michigan, in a Catholic household. As a child he struggled to read and write, though it wasn’t until he was an adult that he discovered he was dyslexic.

In order to prevent himself from getting beaten up by both kids in his neighborhood and his physically abusive father, he used comedy and making others laugh as a shield he could hide behind.

Kevin Matthews, former radio personality, wheels "Broken Mary" into a Catholic parish. Credit: ODB Films — Kevin Matthews, former radio personality, wheels “Broken Mary” into a Catholic parish. Credit: ODB Films

In college Matthews was first introduced to radio through his roommate’s hosting of a show at the student station. In 1987, he began his career with “The Loop” AM 1000 in Chicago. It was here that he rose to fame and became known for his edgy humor, sharp wit, and comedic characters — the most popular being “Jim Shorts.”

Yet after years of mega-success, his life began to unravel when he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2008. It became more difficult to be on-air and new radio personalities were on the rise. But it wasn’t until 2011 that he had a life-changing experience.

Matthews told CNA in an interview that while driving on his way home from just having been fired from his job, he “heard the Holy Spirit say, ‘Go and get your wife some flowers.’” He pulled into a flower shop he happened to be passing at the time.

“I got out of my car and I’m starting to walk towards the door and over by the dumpster, I see a statue of the Virgin Mary,” he recalled. “I walked over to it and there she is on the ground broken in half. She’s looking up at me. Her hands are broken. She’s sunk in the mud, so she’s been there for a while, she’s got garbage on her.”

“And I’m a zombie Catholic at that point, I’m not religious,” he said, “but I knew at that moment, no one treats our Blessed Mother like that.”

“I just was appalled, but then I heard the voice of Christ say to me, ‘Will you deny me? Will you deny my mother?’ And I was like, ‘What do I do?’”

Matthews entered the store and told the store clerk that he wanted to buy the broken Mary statue out by the dumpster. Though the store clerk said it was not for sale, he recognized Matthews’ voice from the radio and allowed him to take the statue.

The statue weighed 73 pounds and due to his MS and a recent snowstorm, it took Matthews nearly an hour to get the broken Mary statue from out of the ground and into the back of his car.

“I remember I turned the heat up and I said, ‘Mary, I will take care of you for the rest of my life,’” Matthews shared.

He called a priest friend and told him about the broken statue. The priest told him about a sculptor who could fix her. Matthews took the broken Mary and was told that she could be completely restored.

“That was the first time I really cried in front of a total stranger and said, ‘Don’t you dare touch her.’ I said, ‘That is me.’ And I said, ‘She’s broken like me. Just keep her broken. Just put her together, keep her hands broken, don’t paint her — she’s broken Mary,” he said.

From then on, Matthews began to go back to Mass, he learned how to pray the rosary, and he completely left his life of luxury to instead take his broken statue of Mary to parishes across the country to share how his life was radically changed by the Blessed Mother.

Matthews said he hopes the film will show “that we’re all broken, but we’re loved by God and just go to him … I’ve never been happier in my life.”

Picture of the day

This painting on the ceiling in Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini, a church on Via Veneto in Rome, depicts the Virgin Mary being assumed body and soul into heaven. Today is the Feast of the Assumption of Mary in much of Western Christianity or the Dormition of the Mother of God in Eastern Christianity.
#ImageOfTheDay

unitedyam August 23, 2025

Picture of the day

This painting on the ceiling in Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini, a church on Via Veneto in Rome, depicts the Virgin Mary being assumed body and soul into heaven. Today is the Feast of the Assumption of Mary in much of Western Christianity or the Dormition of the Mother of God in Eastern Christianity.

unitedyam March 14, 2025

Uranus was the first planet found with the aid of a telescope. It was discovered on March 13, 1781, by astronomer William Herschel, although he originally thought it was either a comet or a star. Herschel tried unsuccessfully to name his discovery Georgium Sidus after King George III. Instead, the planet was named for Uranus, the Greek god of the sky, as suggested by astronomer Johann Bode.

Picture of the day

A devotee placed a candle to the Virgen del Valle as a symbol of prayer in her intercession to god, that her prayer reaches God.
#ImageOfTheDay

unitedyam February 4, 2025

Picture of the day

A devotee placed a candle to the Virgen del Valle as a symbol of prayer in her intercession to god, that her prayer reaches God.

Picture of the day

Gonbo Rangjon with peak elevation 5,520 m (18,110 ft) towers 1,200 m (3,900 ft) above the Kargiakh valley in Zanskar, Ladakh, India. The tents in the foreground indicate the Himalayan scale. Known locally as God’s Mountain, climbing is not permitted. The snow-capped range to the right includes the Shinko La pass to Lahaul.
#ImageOfTheDay

unitedyam January 29, 2025

Picture of the day

Gonbo Rangjon with peak elevation 5,520 m (18,110 ft) towers 1,200 m (3,900 ft) above the Kargiakh valley in Zanskar, Ladakh, India. The tents in the foreground indicate the Himalayan scale. Known locally as God’s Mountain, climbing is not permitted. The snow-capped range to the right includes the Shinko La pass to Lahaul.

2 Corinthians 5:17-19 – So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.

unitedyam August 2, 2024June 12, 2024

So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.

The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?

unitedyam July 19, 2024June 26, 2024

Let us be bold, then, and say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?”
#AIArt – Hebrews 13:6

Recreate ‘The Tower of Babel’ by Pieter Bruegel the Elder – #AIPrompt

unitedyam July 18, 2024June 26, 2024

Be determined and confident. Do not be afraid of them. Your God, the LORD himself, will be with you. He will not fail you or abandon you.

unitedyam July 12, 2024June 26, 2024

Be determined and confident. Do not be afraid of them. Your God, the LORD himself, will be with you. He will not fail you or abandon you.
Be strong and bold; have no fear or dread of them, because it is the LORD your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you.

Do not fear them, for it is the LORD, your God, who will fight for you.

unitedyam July 11, 2024June 26, 2024

Do not fear them, for it is the LORD, your God, who will fight for you.