‘He did his best for Jesus’ #Catholic – 
Venerable Father Aloysius Schwartz, the Sisters of Mary, and an invitation
“In 1989, he (Father Aloysius Schwartz) was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease — a fatal, degenerative condition. This cross marked his final years with patience and humility. In 1984, he had been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, but as he was wasting away, he told his sister he would be happy if his gravestone read, “Here lies Father Al. He tried his best for Jesus.” He died at the Girlstown in Manila on March 16, 1992, and was declared venerable by Pope Francis on Jan. 22, 2015.”
Ven. Aloysius Schwartz: Modern Missionary to Korea
In late October of 2023, I wrote a column entitled: “Priest and Beggar: Have you ever heard of Fr. Aloysius Schwartz?.” I concluded that column with the quote (above) from an article about “Father Al”, written by Megan O’Neill and published in the National Catholic Reporter in December 2020. I wrote about Father Al and the Sisters of Mary again, in August of 2024, as I was preparing to visit an orphanage and school, “Villa de las Ninas” (Girlstown), run by the Sisters of Mary in Chalco, Mexico. Chalco is just outside Mexico City, so a visit to Chalco also provides an opportunity to visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, one of the most popular (and beautiful) pilgrimage sites in the world, marking the place where our Blessed Mother, identifying herself as “Our Lady of Guadalupe,” appeared to St. Juan Diego in December of 1531.
As I was preparing to visit Chalco, I encouraged readers to read an article about Father Al and the Sisters of Mary, written by Kevin Wells, author of the powerful biography, “Priest and Beggar: The Heroic Life of Venerable Aloysius Schwartz.” I was very blessed to join Kevin and a group of pilgrims to visit Girlstown in Chalco and the Basilica of Guadalupe in August of 2024. It was so inspiring to see the ways in which the Gospel is lived out, day by day, in community, as 40 Sisters, along with staff and teachers, care for 3,000 young girls ages 12 to 18.
It was also amazing and inspiring for me to see the similarities between the life and ministry of St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta and her Missionaries of Charity and the life and ministry of Father Al, which continues to be present in the loving, healing, and prayerful ministry of the Sisters of Mary. To learn and see more about the lives and ministry of the Sisters of Mary, I once again recommend Kevin Wells’ article, “Eight Apparitions, One Priest, and the Endless Miracle of the Sisters of Mary,” published in The Catholic World Report on August 9, 2024. You can also learn a great deal more about Father Al, the Sisters, and their work by going to the website of “World Villages for Children” where you can learn that:
“World Villages for Children supports the Sisters of Mary Boystowns and Girlstowns in the Philippines, Mexico, Guatemala, Brazil, Honduras, and Tanzania. At these live-in schools, the Sisters educate and care for more than 20,000 children living in extreme poverty. This support is provided at no cost to their families.”
In addition, and, I believe, much more importantly than learning information and data, at the “World Villages” website, you can see the smiling faces of the Sisters and the children they care for, educate, and help to heal.
Kevin Wells was recently a guest on our “Beyond the Beacon” podcast and he speaks eloquently of the ways in which the young girls, many of whom have suffered greatly from physical abuse, trauma, poverty and/or neglect, are “brought back to life” by the care and love they receive from the Sisters. One of the reasons that Kevin was on the podcast was to offer an invitation to listeners and viewers, the same invitation that I would like to extend to you, dear reader.
Kevin and I, along with Kevin’s younger brother, Father David Wells, will be making a “return trip” to Girlstown in Chalco and to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe this coming Sept. 18-21, 2026. Those who join us for this pilgrimage will be able to see what I and all those who visit Girlstown in Chalco are able to see: the Sisters of Mary continuing the life-saving ministry of Venerable Father Aloysius Schwartz. Spending one day at Girlstown, Chalco, is a spiritual experience that can stand alone. However, the experience of being able to visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Girlstown on back-to-back days has the potential to be a life-changing experience. It will surely be an experience of the Joy and Peace of the Gospel. For more information and to register for the Pilgrimage, you can go to A Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Guadalupe.
As I return again to the story and witness of Father Al, the Sisters of Mary, their vocations and ministry, in closing, I would ask that you take a moment to pray for the Beatification and Canonization of Father Al:
PRAYER FOR THE BEATIFICATION OF VENERABLE ALOYSIUS SCHWARTZ
Almighty, ever living God, giver of all good gifts, You have filled Venerable Al with an ardent love for you and for souls. You have inspired him to dedicate his life to relieve the sufferings of the orphans, the abandoned, the sick and the poor especially the youth, which he did with all humility and courage until the end of his life. May his holy life of love and service to the poor be recognized by the Church through his beatification and canonization.
For Your honor and glory, we pray that the life of Venerable Al will be an inspiration for us in striving for perfection in the love of God and service to others.
Bestow on us, through his intercession.. (mention the favors or intentions here). We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son and the maternal aid of Mary, the Virgin of the Poor. Amen.
[Please, Pray and Share this Beautiful Prayer]
– Venerable Father Aloysius Schwartz, the Sisters of Mary, and an invitation “In 1989, he (Father Aloysius Schwartz) was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease — a fatal, degenerative condition. This cross marked his final years with patience and humility. In 1984, he had been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, but as he was wasting away, he told his sister he would be happy if his gravestone read, “Here lies Father Al. He tried his best for Jesus.” He died at the Girlstown in Manila on March 16, 1992, and was declared venerable by
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![BREAKING: Bishop Rhoades expresses ‘strong opposition’ to professor’s appointment at Notre Dame #Catholic Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, Bishop Kevin Rhoades on Feb. 11 expressed “dismay” and “strong opposition” to the University of Notre Dame’s appointment of a pro-abortion professor to a leadership position at the school, with the bishop urging the university to “make things right” and rescind the appointment. Notre Dame has been at the center of controversy since early January when it named global affairs Professor Susan Ostermann as director of the school’s Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies. Ostermann is an outspoken pro-abortion advocate who has regularly criticized the pro-life movement, up to and including linking it to white supremacy and misogyny. The university has come under fire for the appointment, including from Catholic advocates and pro-life students at Notre Dame. Bishop urges school to retract appointmentIn his Feb. 11 statement, Rhoades — whose diocesan territory includes the university — said that since the controversy began he has read many of Ostermann’s pro-abortion op-eds and was moved to “express my dismay and my strong opposition to this appointment,” which he said is “causing scandal to the faithful of our diocese and beyond.”Ostermann’s public support of abortion and her “disparaging and inflammatory” criticism of the pro-life movement “go against a core principle of justice that is central to Notre Dame’s Catholic identity and mission,” the prelate said. The professor’s pro-abortion advocacy and her remarks about pro-life advocates “should disqualify her from an administrative and leadership role at a Catholic university,” Rhoades said.While expressing hope that Ostermann would “explicitly retract” her pro-abortion advocacy and change her mind on abortion, the bishop said that the appointment “understandably creates confusion” regarding Notre Dame’s Catholic mission and identity.Leadership appointments “have [a] profound impact on the integrity of Notre Dame’s public witness as a Catholic university,” Rhoades said.The bishop in issuing the letter cited the apostolic constitution Ex Corde Ecclesiae, which directs in part that bishops “have a particular responsibility to promote Catholic universities, and especially to promote and assist in the preservation and strengthening of their Catholic identity.”“I call upon the leadership of Notre Dame to rectify this situation,” Rhoades said. Noting that Ostermann’s appointment is not scheduled to go into effect until July 1, the prelate wrote: “There is still time to make things right.”The university did not immediately respond to a request for comment from EWTN News. Yet the school has defended Ostermann’s appointment since the controversy erupted, telling media that she is “a highly regarded political scientist and legal scholar” who is qualified to lead the Liu Institute. “Those who serve in leadership positions at Notre Dame do so with the clear understanding that their decision-making as leaders must be guided by and consistent with the university’s Catholic mission,” the school said. Among criticism from both within and without the school, at least two scholars have resigned their position at the Asian studies institute in response to the appointment. Robert Gimello, a research professor emeritus of theology who is an expert on Buddhism, told the National Catholic Register that his “continued formal association with a unit of the university led by such a person is, for me, simply unconscionable.”Diane Desierto, a professor of law and of global affairs, also told the Register that she had cut ties with the institute over the appointment.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/breaking-bishop-rhoades-expresses-strong-opposition-to-professors-appointment-at-notre-dame-catholic-fort-wayne-south-bend-indiana-bishop-kevin-rhoades-on-feb-11-expres-scaled.jpg "BREAKING: Bishop Rhoades expresses ‘strong opposition’ to professor’s appointment at Notre Dame #Catholic Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, Bishop Kevin Rhoades on Feb. 11 expressed “dismay” and “strong opposition” to the University of Notre Dame’s appointment of a pro-abortion professor to a leadership position at the school, with the bishop urging the university to “make things right” and rescind the appointment. Notre Dame has been at the center of controversy since early January when it named global affairs Professor Susan Ostermann as director of the school’s Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies. Ostermann is an outspoken pro-abortion advocate who has regularly criticized the pro-life movement, up to and including linking it to white supremacy and misogyny. The university has come under fire for the appointment, including from Catholic advocates and pro-life students at Notre Dame. Bishop urges school to retract appointmentIn his Feb. 11 statement, Rhoades — whose diocesan territory includes the university — said that since the controversy began he has read many of Ostermann’s pro-abortion op-eds and was moved to “express my dismay and my strong opposition to this appointment,” which he said is “causing scandal to the faithful of our diocese and beyond.”Ostermann’s public support of abortion and her “disparaging and inflammatory” criticism of the pro-life movement “go against a core principle of justice that is central to Notre Dame’s Catholic identity and mission,” the prelate said. The professor’s pro-abortion advocacy and her remarks about pro-life advocates “should disqualify her from an administrative and leadership role at a Catholic university,” Rhoades said.While expressing hope that Ostermann would “explicitly retract” her pro-abortion advocacy and change her mind on abortion, the bishop said that the appointment “understandably creates confusion” regarding Notre Dame’s Catholic mission and identity.Leadership appointments “have [a] profound impact on the integrity of Notre Dame’s public witness as a Catholic university,” Rhoades said.The bishop in issuing the letter cited the apostolic constitution Ex Corde Ecclesiae, which directs in part that bishops “have a particular responsibility to promote Catholic universities, and especially to promote and assist in the preservation and strengthening of their Catholic identity.”“I call upon the leadership of Notre Dame to rectify this situation,” Rhoades said. Noting that Ostermann’s appointment is not scheduled to go into effect until July 1, the prelate wrote: “There is still time to make things right.”The university did not immediately respond to a request for comment from EWTN News. Yet the school has defended Ostermann’s appointment since the controversy erupted, telling media that she is “a highly regarded political scientist and legal scholar” who is qualified to lead the Liu Institute. “Those who serve in leadership positions at Notre Dame do so with the clear understanding that their decision-making as leaders must be guided by and consistent with the university’s Catholic mission,” the school said. Among criticism from both within and without the school, at least two scholars have resigned their position at the Asian studies institute in response to the appointment. Robert Gimello, a research professor emeritus of theology who is an expert on Buddhism, told the National Catholic Register that his “continued formal association with a unit of the university led by such a person is, for me, simply unconscionable.”Diane Desierto, a professor of law and of global affairs, also told the Register that she had cut ties with the institute over the appointment.")
![Freezing temperatures fail to stop advocates attending Life Mass #Catholic - Brutal single-digit temperatures may have stopped the faithful from praying the monthly Rosary Procession for Life on the streets of Morristown, N.J., on the early Feb. 7 morning, but didn’t prevent them from celebrating the monthly Mass for Life at St. Margaret of Scotland Parish in Morristown.
Usually, on the first Saturday of the month, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney celebrates the Mass for Life at St. Margaret’s at 8 a.m. After the Mass, Bishop Sweeney leads the faithful in a rosary procession to Planned Parenthood on Speedwell Avenue, followed by exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in the church. The bishop established the monthly devotion in October 2023.
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But on Feb. 7, Bishop Sweeney had a previous scheduling commitment that morning, so Father Sebastian Munoz, St. Margaret’s parochial vicar, celebrated the Mass for Life. The liturgy was followed by exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in the church while participants prayed the rosary.
The Mass and Rosary Procession for Life is held on the first Saturday of the month at 8 a.m. at St. Margaret’s. Priests and faithful from around the diocese are invited to join.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/freezing-temperatures-fail-to-stop-advocates-attending-life-mass-catholic-brutal-single-digit-temperatures-may-have-stopped-the-faithful-from-praying-the-monthly-rosary-procession-for-life-on-the-s.jpg)
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![Paterson shares in joy of New York archbishop’s installation #Catholic -
Even from a TV studio a block away, Father Cesar Jaramillo could feel the excitement bursting from inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City on Feb. 6. That afternoon, Archbishop Ronald A. Hicks was making history during a special Mass in St. Patrick’s, being installed as the 11th archbishop of New York.
From a studio in nearby Rockefeller Center, Father Jaramillo, pastor of Holy Spirit Parish in Pequannock, N.J., was filled with emotion as he sat under bright lights providing on-air commentary of the Mass in Spanish for Telemundo 47 TV. Along with the hosts, the priest helped guide viewers through the religious significance of what they were hearing and seeing on the telecast of the bilingual liturgy.
Meanwhile, a few faithful representing the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey, including Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, were feeling the excitement firsthand as Mass participants that Friday afternoon inside St. Patrick’s. Bishop Sweeney helped concelebrate the liturgy. Luisa Fernanda Torres, a St. Patrick’s cantor, led the congregation in singing Spanish and English hymns as lead cantor. Father Jaramillo and Torres became friends years ago in youth ministry at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Passaic, N.J.
“It was a beautiful day. Archbishop Hicks will use his talents and gifts to build on the great work of Cardinal Timothy Dolan [his predecessor] and those before him,” Father Jaramillo told BeaconNJ.org. after the installation Mass. “Archbishop Hicks not only speaks Spanish, but he also relates to the immigrant community in a radical and new way as its new shepherd.”
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Bishop Sweeney, who was originally a priest from the Brooklyn Diocese in New York, was among about 90 cardinals and bishops who processed into St. Patrick’s, also known as “America’s parish church.” A capacity crowd of 2,400 churchgoers, including many non-Catholics and leaders from other faith traditions, filled the cathedral for the installation Mass, which was also broadcast on XPIX 11 TV.
“It was a blessing to be able to concelebrate the Installation Mass for Archbishop Hicks. In his beautiful homily, in English and Spanish, he expressed gratitude and also spoke of the need to be a Missionary Church and for each of us to be Missionary Disciples. He also asked everyone to keep him in our prayers,” Bishop Sweeney shared on social media.
Also among the participants was Bishop Kurt Burnette of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic.
A year ago, after his 75th birthday, Cardinal Dolan submitted his resignation to the pope as required by canon law. On Dec. 18, Pope Leo accepted his resignation and named Archbishop Hicks, then bishop of Joliet, Illinois, as his successor, according to Our Sunday Visitor (OSV).
For two hours on air, Father Jaramillo sought to capture the joy and importance of this blessed moment in the New York Archdiocese. He gave “shout-outs” to Torres during the broadcast. The priest also noted that the inclusion of Spanish hymns, such as “Alma Misionera” (Missionary Soul), shows Archbishop Hicks’ Latin American heart, like our bishop, Bishop Sweeney.”
“We all made the Paterson Diocese proud. I was proud of Bishop Sweeney and Luisa, who is one of the best bilingual cantors of sacred music in the area,” said Father Jaramillo, who thinks Telemundo 47 asked him to provide on-air commentary for the Mass because of his canon-law background. He holds a licentiate in canon law from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.
Among Father Jaramillo’s favorite moments of the Mass was when Cardinal Dolan and Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the U.S., escorted Archbishop Hicks to the cathedra, the archbishop’s chair that represents his authority. During the Mass, Cardinal Pierre, with the choir, sang a brief version of “Happy Birthday” to Cardinal Dolan, who turned 76, according to OSV.
Father Jaramillo was also moved when the new archbishop reminded New York’s 2.5 million faithful, “I love Jesus. I love the Church.”
“As priests, we don’t say that we love Jesus enough. Archbishop Hicks reminded us that we should be more vocal about our intimate friendship with the Lord,” Father Jaramillo said.
On social media before the start of the Mass on Feb. 6, Torres posted that she was “excited and honored” to be singing for the installation.
Also before the Mass, Lori DiGaetano, youth ministry coordinator of St. Anthony’s in Passaic, posted on social media, “Way to go, Luisa Fernanda Torres & Fr. Cesar Dario Jaramillo! So proud of you! Thank you & blessings to Cardinal Timothy Dolan for his years of service & love. Blessings upon Archbishop Ronald Hicks as he begins this new ministry to God’s people.”
Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney was among those from the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey who participated in the installation Mass of Archbishop Ronald A. Hicks as the 11th archbishop of New York on Feb. 6 in St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Bishop Sweeney captured the following photos with his cell phone during the historic Mass, which were also posted to his social media.
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/paterson-shares-in-joy-of-new-york-archbishops-installation-catholic-even-from-a-tv-studio-a-block-away-father-cesar-jaramillo-could-feel-the-excitement-bursting-from-inside-st-patrick.jpg)
![‘He did his best for Jesus’ #Catholic - Venerable Father Aloysius Schwartz, the Sisters of Mary, and an invitation
“In 1989, he (Father Aloysius Schwartz) was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease — a fatal, degenerative condition. This cross marked his final years with patience and humility. In 1984, he had been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, but as he was wasting away, he told his sister he would be happy if his gravestone read, “Here lies Father Al. He tried his best for Jesus.” He died at the Girlstown in Manila on March 16, 1992, and was declared venerable by Pope Francis on Jan. 22, 2015.”
Ven. Aloysius Schwartz: Modern Missionary to Korea
BISHOP KEVIN J. SWEENEY
In late October of 2023, I wrote a column entitled: “Priest and Beggar: Have you ever heard of Fr. Aloysius Schwartz?.” I concluded that column with the quote (above) from an article about “Father Al”, written by Megan O’Neill and published in the National Catholic Reporter in December 2020. I wrote about Father Al and the Sisters of Mary again, in August of 2024, as I was preparing to visit an orphanage and school, “Villa de las Ninas” (Girlstown), run by the Sisters of Mary in Chalco, Mexico. Chalco is just outside Mexico City, so a visit to Chalco also provides an opportunity to visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, one of the most popular (and beautiful) pilgrimage sites in the world, marking the place where our Blessed Mother, identifying herself as “Our Lady of Guadalupe,” appeared to St. Juan Diego in December of 1531.
As I was preparing to visit Chalco, I encouraged readers to read an article about Father Al and the Sisters of Mary, written by Kevin Wells, author of the powerful biography, “Priest and Beggar: The Heroic Life of Venerable Aloysius Schwartz.” I was very blessed to join Kevin and a group of pilgrims to visit Girlstown in Chalco and the Basilica of Guadalupe in August of 2024. It was so inspiring to see the ways in which the Gospel is lived out, day by day, in community, as 40 Sisters, along with staff and teachers, care for 3,000 young girls ages 12 to 18.
It was also amazing and inspiring for me to see the similarities between the life and ministry of St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta and her Missionaries of Charity and the life and ministry of Father Al, which continues to be present in the loving, healing, and prayerful ministry of the Sisters of Mary. To learn and see more about the lives and ministry of the Sisters of Mary, I once again recommend Kevin Wells’ article, “Eight Apparitions, One Priest, and the Endless Miracle of the Sisters of Mary,” published in The Catholic World Report on August 9, 2024. You can also learn a great deal more about Father Al, the Sisters, and their work by going to the website of “World Villages for Children” where you can learn that:
“World Villages for Children supports the Sisters of Mary Boystowns and Girlstowns in the Philippines, Mexico, Guatemala, Brazil, Honduras, and Tanzania. At these live-in schools, the Sisters educate and care for more than 20,000 children living in extreme poverty. This support is provided at no cost to their families.”
In addition, and, I believe, much more importantly than learning information and data, at the “World Villages” website, you can see the smiling faces of the Sisters and the children they care for, educate, and help to heal.
Kevin Wells was recently a guest on our “Beyond the Beacon” podcast and he speaks eloquently of the ways in which the young girls, many of whom have suffered greatly from physical abuse, trauma, poverty and/or neglect, are “brought back to life” by the care and love they receive from the Sisters. One of the reasons that Kevin was on the podcast was to offer an invitation to listeners and viewers, the same invitation that I would like to extend to you, dear reader.
Kevin and I, along with Kevin’s younger brother, Father David Wells, will be making a “return trip” to Girlstown in Chalco and to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe this coming Sept. 18-21, 2026. Those who join us for this pilgrimage will be able to see what I and all those who visit Girlstown in Chalco are able to see: the Sisters of Mary continuing the life-saving ministry of Venerable Father Aloysius Schwartz. Spending one day at Girlstown, Chalco, is a spiritual experience that can stand alone. However, the experience of being able to visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Girlstown on back-to-back days has the potential to be a life-changing experience. It will surely be an experience of the Joy and Peace of the Gospel. For more information and to register for the Pilgrimage, you can go to A Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Guadalupe.
As I return again to the story and witness of Father Al, the Sisters of Mary, their vocations and ministry, in closing, I would ask that you take a moment to pray for the Beatification and Canonization of Father Al:
PRAYER FOR THE BEATIFICATION OF VENERABLE ALOYSIUS SCHWARTZ
Almighty, ever living God, giver of all good gifts, You have filled Venerable Al with an ardent love for you and for souls. You have inspired him to dedicate his life to relieve the sufferings of the orphans, the abandoned, the sick and the poor especially the youth, which he did with all humility and courage until the end of his life. May his holy life of love and service to the poor be recognized by the Church through his beatification and canonization.
For Your honor and glory, we pray that the life of Venerable Al will be an inspiration for us in striving for perfection in the love of God and service to others.
Bestow on us, through his intercession.. (mention the favors or intentions here). We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son and the maternal aid of Mary, the Virgin of the Poor. Amen.
[Please, Pray and Share this Beautiful Prayer]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/he-did-his-best-for-jesus-catholic-venerable-father-aloysius-schwartz-the-sisters-of-mary-and-an-invitationin-1989-he-father-aloysius-schwartz-was-diagnosed-with-am.jpg)
![Catholic leaders express sorrow over racist Trump post; bishops demand apology – #Catholic – U.S. Catholic bishops condemned President Donald Trump’s social media post that showed the faces of former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama superimposed on cartoon apes.Trump has since deleted the Feb. 5 Truth Social post, said he did not intend to post a depiction of the Obamas as apes, and condemned the racist part of the video. He refused to apologize for posting it.In a statement by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) on X, Bishop Daniel Garcia, chair of the Subcommittee for the Promotion of Racial Justice and Reconciliation, said he was “glad to see that the egregious post has been taken down” and reposted part of the USCCB’s 2018 pastoral letter against racism.“Every racist act — every such comment, every joke, every disparaging look as a reaction to the color of skin, ethnicity, or place of origin — is a failure to acknowledge another person as a brother or sister, created in the image of God,” the 2018 statement said.Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, issued a statement Feb. 9 calling on Trump to immediately issue an apology, regardless of whether it was intentional, saying the post showed that “such blatant racism is not merely a practice of the past.”“Either way he should apologize,” he said. “Our shock is real. So is our outrage. Nothing less than an unequivocal apology — to the nation and to the persons demeaned — is acceptable. And it must come immediately.”Cupich said the trope of “portraying human beings as animals — less than human — is not new” and that it was commonly used to “demean immigrant groups.” He said it “immunized the national conscience when we turned away shiploads of refugees, lynched thousands, and doomed generations to poverty.”“If the president intentionally approved the message containing viciously racist images, he should admit it. If he did not know of it originally, he should explain why he let his staff describe the public outcry over their transmission as fake outrage,” Cupich said.Detroit Archbishop Edward Weisenburger issued a statement calling the depiction “a racist meme” and said it’s “disturbing” if either Trump or a staff member views racist memes “as humorous or appropriate expressions of political discourse.”“They are deeply offensive and must be condemned in the strongest terms,” he said. “I join my voice to the many calling for a public apology with full acceptance of responsibility, and I also bristle at claims from the White House that the rage many of us feel is ‘fake.’”“Beyond the necessary apology, I also believe that we all must examine our conscience, individually and collectively,” he said. “We need to recognize and acknowledge how prevalent racism continues to be in our society and commit ourselves to vigilance in counteracting its harm.”Sister Josephine Garrett of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth posted on Instagram that the depiction is “an age-old racist trope” and said “what a time to be alive,” in reference to the president posting it on social media.Garrett, who is Black, said she is not Democrat or Republican and posted a photo of Barack and Michelle Obama, saying: “Since these faces will be degraded in the timelines today, I’m adding something to the timeline that honors the dignity of this couple and their family — and also, it’s Black History Month.”The Ancient Order of Hibernians, an Irish-American Catholic fraternal organization, also issued a statement against Trump’s social media post, saying: “We recognize this tactic because it was used against us as Irish Americans.”“The claim that this video was merely an ‘internet meme’ or that critics were engaging in ‘fake outrage’ is both morally bankrupt and historically ignorant,” the statement said. “There is nothing lighthearted about reducing any people to apes. This imagery has been used for centuries as a tool of oppression, designed to dehumanize and justify subjugation. It is not humor; it is bigotry.”Trump’s social media postLate Thursday, Feb. 5, around 11:45 p.m. ET, Trump posted a video that was one minute and two seconds long.The bulk of the video reiterated claims of election fraud in the 2020 election. At the 59-second mark, it depicts the Obamas as apes.When reporters asked him about it, Trump said: “I just looked at the first part” about voter fraud and “I didn’t see the whole thing.” When asked whether he condemns the racist part of the video, he said “of course I do.”“I guess during the end of it, there was some picture that people don’t like,” he said. “I wouldn’t like it either, but I didn’t see it.”Trump refused to apologize for the post when asked, saying: “No; I didn’t make a mistake.” He said he looks at “thousands of things” and only “looked at the beginning of it [and that part] was fine.”The Obamas have not publicly commented on the video.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/catholic-leaders-express-sorrow-over-racist-trump-post-bishops-demand-apology-catholic-u-s-catholic-bishops-condemned-president-donald-trumps-social-media-post-that-showed-the-faces-of.jpg "Catholic leaders express sorrow over racist Trump post; bishops demand apology – #Catholic – U.S. Catholic bishops condemned President Donald Trump’s social media post that showed the faces of former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama superimposed on cartoon apes.Trump has since deleted the Feb. 5 Truth Social post, said he did not intend to post a depiction of the Obamas as apes, and condemned the racist part of the video. He refused to apologize for posting it.In a statement by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) on X, Bishop Daniel Garcia, chair of the Subcommittee for the Promotion of Racial Justice and Reconciliation, said he was “glad to see that the egregious post has been taken down” and reposted part of the USCCB’s 2018 pastoral letter against racism.“Every racist act — every such comment, every joke, every disparaging look as a reaction to the color of skin, ethnicity, or place of origin — is a failure to acknowledge another person as a brother or sister, created in the image of God,” the 2018 statement said.Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, issued a statement Feb. 9 calling on Trump to immediately issue an apology, regardless of whether it was intentional, saying the post showed that “such blatant racism is not merely a practice of the past.”“Either way he should apologize,” he said. “Our shock is real. So is our outrage. Nothing less than an unequivocal apology — to the nation and to the persons demeaned — is acceptable. And it must come immediately.”Cupich said the trope of “portraying human beings as animals — less than human — is not new” and that it was commonly used to “demean immigrant groups.” He said it “immunized the national conscience when we turned away shiploads of refugees, lynched thousands, and doomed generations to poverty.”“If the president intentionally approved the message containing viciously racist images, he should admit it. If he did not know of it originally, he should explain why he let his staff describe the public outcry over their transmission as fake outrage,” Cupich said.Detroit Archbishop Edward Weisenburger issued a statement calling the depiction “a racist meme” and said it’s “disturbing” if either Trump or a staff member views racist memes “as humorous or appropriate expressions of political discourse.”“They are deeply offensive and must be condemned in the strongest terms,” he said. “I join my voice to the many calling for a public apology with full acceptance of responsibility, and I also bristle at claims from the White House that the rage many of us feel is ‘fake.’”“Beyond the necessary apology, I also believe that we all must examine our conscience, individually and collectively,” he said. “We need to recognize and acknowledge how prevalent racism continues to be in our society and commit ourselves to vigilance in counteracting its harm.”Sister Josephine Garrett of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth posted on Instagram that the depiction is “an age-old racist trope” and said “what a time to be alive,” in reference to the president posting it on social media.Garrett, who is Black, said she is not Democrat or Republican and posted a photo of Barack and Michelle Obama, saying: “Since these faces will be degraded in the timelines today, I’m adding something to the timeline that honors the dignity of this couple and their family — and also, it’s Black History Month.”The Ancient Order of Hibernians, an Irish-American Catholic fraternal organization, also issued a statement against Trump’s social media post, saying: “We recognize this tactic because it was used against us as Irish Americans.”“The claim that this video was merely an ‘internet meme’ or that critics were engaging in ‘fake outrage’ is both morally bankrupt and historically ignorant,” the statement said. “There is nothing lighthearted about reducing any people to apes. This imagery has been used for centuries as a tool of oppression, designed to dehumanize and justify subjugation. It is not humor; it is bigotry.”Trump’s social media postLate Thursday, Feb. 5, around 11:45 p.m. ET, Trump posted a video that was one minute and two seconds long.The bulk of the video reiterated claims of election fraud in the 2020 election. At the 59-second mark, it depicts the Obamas as apes.When reporters asked him about it, Trump said: “I just looked at the first part” about voter fraud and “I didn’t see the whole thing.” When asked whether he condemns the racist part of the video, he said “of course I do.”“I guess during the end of it, there was some picture that people don’t like,” he said. “I wouldn’t like it either, but I didn’t see it.”Trump refused to apologize for the post when asked, saying: “No; I didn’t make a mistake.” He said he looks at “thousands of things” and only “looked at the beginning of it [and that part] was fine.”The Obamas have not publicly commented on the video.")
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![Catholic activist Jimmy Lai sentenced to 20 years in prison in Hong Kong national security trial – #Catholic – Jimmy Lai, the human rights advocate and outspoken Catholic who has faced what supporters say has been years of politicized prosecution and conviction in Hong Kong, was sentenced on Feb. 9 to 20 years in prison over what Chinese officials claim were national security violations. The sentencing comes after Lai's December conviction under China's wide-reaching security law, which capped a years-long legal process during which he was found guilty on multiple other charges including fraud and unlawful assembly. Lai, who was known for years as the publisher of the outspoken pro-democracy tabloid Apple Daily, was first arrested in 2020 after alleged violations of Chinese national security policy.The government has charged him multiple times since then, holding him without bail and sentencing him to lengthy prison stretches, including a 69-month sentence in December 2022 for a fraud conviction. Lai's plight has drawn support from around the world, including from high-ranking national leaders such as U.S. President Donald Trump, who has advocated for Lai's release and who reportedly spoke to Chinese President Xi Jinping about the issue in October 2025. Lai has also drawn support from lawmakers, activists, religious leaders and civil rights leaders around the world. In 2025 he was named an honorary recipient of the Bradley Prize. That award is meant to honor individuals who in part espouse "the ideals of the Western tradition.”Catholic faith a central part of Lai's lifeThough known for his decades of pro-democracy activism, Lai is also an outspoken Catholic whose faith has continued to sustain him during his imprisonment. Having converted to Catholicism in 1997, Lai — along with his wife Teresa — raised his son Sebastien and daughter Claire in what Claire described as "a very loving Catholic family." Claire told EWTN News in December 2025 that Lai's incarceration "has just deepened his faith." He has regularly read the Gospel when permitted by his prison guards, she said, and he "wants to be remembered [as] a faithful servant of Our Lord."In February 2024 the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., installed a drawing of the Crucifixion made by Lai. Father Robert Sirico, the founder of the Acton Institute and a supporter and friend of Lai’s, told EWTN News at the time that Lai sees his imprisonment as a way of joining in Christ’s passion on the cross.In November 2023 a group of 10 Catholic bishops and archbishops called on the Hong Kong government to release Lai, arguing that his "persecution … has gone on long enough." “There is no place for such cruelty and oppression in a territory that claims to uphold the rule of law and respect the right to freedom of expression,” the prelates said.Long known for its greater respect for civil rights and freedom of speech relative to the Chinese mainland, the special administrative region of Hong Kong in recent years has seen a crackdown from the Chinese Communist Party government, which has tightened its hold on the region including with the strict national security law. In 2022 Father Vincent Woo, a priest of the Diocese of Hong Kong, told EWTN News that religious leaders in the region face "tremendous consequences" if they criticize the government, with many priests or bishops consequently refusing to speak out publicly against the Communist Party. At a 2025 hearing of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, advocates warned of "severe violations of religious freedom" by the Chinese Communist Party, with the government having reportedly “forcibly eradicated religious elements that are not in line with the CCP’s agenda.”Claire Lai admitted in January that her father's "physical body is breaking down" in his protracted confinement, and he has been denied regular access to the Eucharist, she said. But, she told EWTN News Nightly, he continues to “read the Gospel every morning" and spends his time “praying and drawing the Crucifixion and the Blessed Mother.”His faith "is what protects his mind and soul," she said.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/catholic-activist-jimmy-lai-sentenced-to-20-years-in-prison-in-hong-kong-national-security-trial-catholic-jimmy-lai-the-human-rights-advocate-and-outspoken-catholic-who-has-faced-what-supporters.jpg "Catholic activist Jimmy Lai sentenced to 20 years in prison in Hong Kong national security trial – #Catholic – Jimmy Lai, the human rights advocate and outspoken Catholic who has faced what supporters say has been years of politicized prosecution and conviction in Hong Kong, was sentenced on Feb. 9 to 20 years in prison over what Chinese officials claim were national security violations. The sentencing comes after Lai's December conviction under China's wide-reaching security law, which capped a years-long legal process during which he was found guilty on multiple other charges including fraud and unlawful assembly. Lai, who was known for years as the publisher of the outspoken pro-democracy tabloid Apple Daily, was first arrested in 2020 after alleged violations of Chinese national security policy.The government has charged him multiple times since then, holding him without bail and sentencing him to lengthy prison stretches, including a 69-month sentence in December 2022 for a fraud conviction. Lai's plight has drawn support from around the world, including from high-ranking national leaders such as U.S. President Donald Trump, who has advocated for Lai's release and who reportedly spoke to Chinese President Xi Jinping about the issue in October 2025. Lai has also drawn support from lawmakers, activists, religious leaders and civil rights leaders around the world. In 2025 he was named an honorary recipient of the Bradley Prize. That award is meant to honor individuals who in part espouse \"the ideals of the Western tradition.”Catholic faith a central part of Lai's lifeThough known for his decades of pro-democracy activism, Lai is also an outspoken Catholic whose faith has continued to sustain him during his imprisonment. Having converted to Catholicism in 1997, Lai — along with his wife Teresa — raised his son Sebastien and daughter Claire in what Claire described as \"a very loving Catholic family.\" Claire told EWTN News in December 2025 that Lai's incarceration \"has just deepened his faith.\" He has regularly read the Gospel when permitted by his prison guards, she said, and he \"wants to be remembered [as] a faithful servant of Our Lord.\"In February 2024 the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., installed a drawing of the Crucifixion made by Lai. Father Robert Sirico, the founder of the Acton Institute and a supporter and friend of Lai’s, told EWTN News at the time that Lai sees his imprisonment as a way of joining in Christ’s passion on the cross.In November 2023 a group of 10 Catholic bishops and archbishops called on the Hong Kong government to release Lai, arguing that his \"persecution … has gone on long enough.\" “There is no place for such cruelty and oppression in a territory that claims to uphold the rule of law and respect the right to freedom of expression,” the prelates said.Long known for its greater respect for civil rights and freedom of speech relative to the Chinese mainland, the special administrative region of Hong Kong in recent years has seen a crackdown from the Chinese Communist Party government, which has tightened its hold on the region including with the strict national security law. In 2022 Father Vincent Woo, a priest of the Diocese of Hong Kong, told EWTN News that religious leaders in the region face \"tremendous consequences\" if they criticize the government, with many priests or bishops consequently refusing to speak out publicly against the Communist Party. At a 2025 hearing of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, advocates warned of \"severe violations of religious freedom\" by the Chinese Communist Party, with the government having reportedly “forcibly eradicated religious elements that are not in line with the CCP’s agenda.”Claire Lai admitted in January that her father's \"physical body is breaking down\" in his protracted confinement, and he has been denied regular access to the Eucharist, she said. But, she told EWTN News Nightly, he continues to “read the Gospel every morning\" and spends his time “praying and drawing the Crucifixion and the Blessed Mother.”His faith \"is what protects his mind and soul,\" she said.")
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