U.S. — Fans of the hit faith-based series The Chosen were left reeling this week after showrunners were accused of "blatantly jumping the shark" by planning to kill off the show’s main character in one episode, only to bring Him back to life in the very next one.
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PORTLAND, OR — After losing his coding job to artificial intelligence, local man Roger Garrison was told by political pundits that he should instead learn to mine coal.
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Euganean Hills are a group of hills of volcanic origin that rise to heights of 300 to 600 m in Veneto, Italy.
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The bishop of the Pemba Diocese in northern Mozambique has expressed sadness and solidarity with victims of violence in a region where Islamist insurgency has persisted for nearly nine years.
![Canadian priest offered euthanasia twice while recovering from hip fracture #Catholic A priest from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, recovering from a hip fracture at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) said he was twice offered assisted death by healthcare staff who knew he was a priest and opposed to euthanasia — a practice critics say is growing as medical professionals are increasingly encouraged to initiate such conversations.“There are some things you just don’t talk about to some people,” said Father Larry Holland, who has completed studies in healthcare chaplaincy in addition to serving at numerous parishes in the Archdiocese of Vancouver.He described his reaction when a doctor brought up the option of medical aid in dying (MAID) should his condition deteriorate. “I think I was very shocked,” he said. “It is such a sensitive subject.”Holland, 79, is currently convalescing at VGH after suffering a hip fracture from a fall in his bathroom on Christmas Day. He spoke to The B.C. Catholic about the offers of MAID from two healthcare professionals, despite their knowing he was a Catholic priest.Holland said he wasn’t dying then or now and that the doctor’s mention of MAID left him “kind of silent” for a moment. The doctor then raised the subject again, saying it’s “something they have to discuss with someone who’s been given a terminal diagnosis.”Holland recalled telling the doctor he was morally opposed to euthanasia. The doctor explained that “he just wanted to make sure that, if a [terminal] diagnosis came up or not … I knew of the different services I had access to.”Weeks later, a second offer of MAID came from a nurse who the priest said seemed uncomfortable raising the topic and was likely doing so out of compassion because of the pain he was enduring.“It’s a false compassion, really,” he said.A spokesman for Vancouver Coastal Health, which operates VGH, told The B.C. Catholic in an email that “staff may consider bringing up MAID based on their clinical judgment, provided they possess the necessary knowledge and skills to do so.”Staff are also “responsible for answering questions when patients bring up the topic of MAID,” the spokesman said.The two incidents arise as Canada approaches 100,000 assisted dying deaths.Father Larry Lynn, the archdiocese’s pro-life chaplain, said he was shocked to hear about Holland’s case.“This must surely be among the most appalling examples of Canada’s coercive and insensitive euthanasia regime,” Lynn said in an interview.He said it’s disturbing that a healthcare provider suggests euthanasia with any patient, and particularly when the patient is a consecrated religious known to be morally opposed. “It places the medical practitioner into the role of the devil, tempting a vulnerable person into mortal sin.”He’s equally troubled that Canadian euthanasia providers aren’t ruling out initiating discussions with Roman Catholics about MAID. In a document titled “Bringing up Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) as a Clinical Care Option,” the Canadian Association of MAID Assessors and Providers recommends against assuming patients oppose MAID because of their faith.The document says: “Healthcare professionals may draw incorrect assumptions about a person’s views on MAID; e.g., they may assume that a patient objects to MAID because she is a Roman Catholic nun, and yet Roman Catholic nuns and others dedicated to a faith-based way of life have requested MAID.” The booklet does not provide a source for the information.An updated version published in March removes the Catholic reference but gives the same advice regarding people of a “faith community” and even those of “strong faith.”Lynn called it “diabolical” to use a nun as an example for overcoming a patient’s moral objections.The booklet reflects a recent trend of encouraging healthcare personnel to initiate MAID discussions with patients. In November 2025, The B.C. Catholic reported on a little-known 2023 Health Canada document urging health authorities and professional bodies to adopt “practice standards” requiring doctors and nurse practitioners to raise MAID with certain patients.The MAID assessors and providers document similarly says physicians and nurse practitioners involved in care planning and consent processes “have a professional obligation to initiate a discussion about MAID if a patient might be eligible for MAID.” However, Health Canada does not have the authority to require provinces or health authorities to adopt such guidelines and The B.C. Catholic found no evidence of any public agency or professional body in British Columbia doing so.Amanda Achtman, creator of the anti-euthanasia project Dying to Meet You and ethics director of Canadian Physicians for Life, said initiating MAID discussions in a medical setting is a form of coercion that attacks patients’ deepest convictions when they’re vulnerable. To “torment” someone who has deeply held beliefs with an offer of MAID is “an attack on their identity,” Achtman said.Holland admitted he was in so much pain that he could “feel the temptation” to accept MAID. “It’s a human reaction. We always look for the easy way out.”Conservative member of Parliament Garnett Genuis has introduced Bill C-260, An Act to Prevent Coercion of Persons Not Seeking Medical Assistance in Dying, which would prohibit federal employees from proactively offering or recommending MAID. The bill resulted from incidents of bureaucrats such as veterans counselors trying to steer vulnerable people toward assisted dying.The Alberta government introduced legislation in March that would restrict regulated health professionals from providing information about MAID to their patients unless the patient brings it up. The Safeguards for Last Resort Termination of Life Act would also restrict the public display of MAID information, such as posters, within healthcare facilities.The bill is worth supporting, said Achtman, who lives in Calgary. “Simply being offered euthanasia already kills the person, because it defeats and deflates their sense of self-worth and value.”The unwanted initiation of MAID discussions in Canada made international headlines in March after Achtman shared the story of an 84-year-old woman, Miriam Lancaster, who went to VGH last year for severe back pain. She said the first doctor she spoke with in the emergency room raised MAID before any diagnostic work had been done. Lancaster’s daughter was present and confirmed the incident, adding her mother eventually responded to rehabilitation and rest.The Catholic chaplain at VGH, Father Ronald Sequeira, said it’s a constant struggle to help suffering patients not lose hope. He said he tries to offer them “some kind of encouragement and comfort,” but many give up.“The moment you lose hope, the devil comes in, in different personalities, and says, ‘Do you want MAID? I don’t want people to suffer.’”Patients often don’t realize that suffering is redemptive, he said. “God makes us more pure, more strong, through the suffering when we offer it up,” Sequeira said. “So we give hope — help them not to lose hope.”Holland said turning down an offer of death opens one to new experiences. Even enduring pain “can encourage growth,” he said. “It can motivate you, it can open up new worlds, new vistas, new opportunities,” including enriched relationships.He said he is sharing his story in the hope it will help others. “I went through it; you can go through it, too.”This story was first published in The B.C. Catholic and is reprinted here with permission and adaptations.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/canadian-priest-offered-euthanasia-twice-while-recovering-from-hip-fracture-catholic-a-priest-from-vancouver-british-columbia-canada-recovering-from-a-hip-fracture-at-vancouver-general-hospital-v.png "Canadian priest offered euthanasia twice while recovering from hip fracture #Catholic A priest from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, recovering from a hip fracture at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) said he was twice offered assisted death by healthcare staff who knew he was a priest and opposed to euthanasia — a practice critics say is growing as medical professionals are increasingly encouraged to initiate such conversations.“There are some things you just don’t talk about to some people,” said Father Larry Holland, who has completed studies in healthcare chaplaincy in addition to serving at numerous parishes in the Archdiocese of Vancouver.He described his reaction when a doctor brought up the option of medical aid in dying (MAID) should his condition deteriorate. “I think I was very shocked,” he said. “It is such a sensitive subject.”Holland, 79, is currently convalescing at VGH after suffering a hip fracture from a fall in his bathroom on Christmas Day. He spoke to The B.C. Catholic about the offers of MAID from two healthcare professionals, despite their knowing he was a Catholic priest.Holland said he wasn’t dying then or now and that the doctor’s mention of MAID left him “kind of silent” for a moment. The doctor then raised the subject again, saying it’s “something they have to discuss with someone who’s been given a terminal diagnosis.”Holland recalled telling the doctor he was morally opposed to euthanasia. The doctor explained that “he just wanted to make sure that, if a [terminal] diagnosis came up or not … I knew of the different services I had access to.”Weeks later, a second offer of MAID came from a nurse who the priest said seemed uncomfortable raising the topic and was likely doing so out of compassion because of the pain he was enduring.“It’s a false compassion, really,” he said.A spokesman for Vancouver Coastal Health, which operates VGH, told The B.C. Catholic in an email that “staff may consider bringing up MAID based on their clinical judgment, provided they possess the necessary knowledge and skills to do so.”Staff are also “responsible for answering questions when patients bring up the topic of MAID,” the spokesman said.The two incidents arise as Canada approaches 100,000 assisted dying deaths.Father Larry Lynn, the archdiocese’s pro-life chaplain, said he was shocked to hear about Holland’s case.“This must surely be among the most appalling examples of Canada’s coercive and insensitive euthanasia regime,” Lynn said in an interview.He said it’s disturbing that a healthcare provider suggests euthanasia with any patient, and particularly when the patient is a consecrated religious known to be morally opposed. “It places the medical practitioner into the role of the devil, tempting a vulnerable person into mortal sin.”He’s equally troubled that Canadian euthanasia providers aren’t ruling out initiating discussions with Roman Catholics about MAID. In a document titled “Bringing up Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) as a Clinical Care Option,” the Canadian Association of MAID Assessors and Providers recommends against assuming patients oppose MAID because of their faith.The document says: “Healthcare professionals may draw incorrect assumptions about a person’s views on MAID; e.g., they may assume that a patient objects to MAID because she is a Roman Catholic nun, and yet Roman Catholic nuns and others dedicated to a faith-based way of life have requested MAID.” The booklet does not provide a source for the information.An updated version published in March removes the Catholic reference but gives the same advice regarding people of a “faith community” and even those of “strong faith.”Lynn called it “diabolical” to use a nun as an example for overcoming a patient’s moral objections.The booklet reflects a recent trend of encouraging healthcare personnel to initiate MAID discussions with patients. In November 2025, The B.C. Catholic reported on a little-known 2023 Health Canada document urging health authorities and professional bodies to adopt “practice standards” requiring doctors and nurse practitioners to raise MAID with certain patients.The MAID assessors and providers document similarly says physicians and nurse practitioners involved in care planning and consent processes “have a professional obligation to initiate a discussion about MAID if a patient might be eligible for MAID.” However, Health Canada does not have the authority to require provinces or health authorities to adopt such guidelines and The B.C. Catholic found no evidence of any public agency or professional body in British Columbia doing so.Amanda Achtman, creator of the anti-euthanasia project Dying to Meet You and ethics director of Canadian Physicians for Life, said initiating MAID discussions in a medical setting is a form of coercion that attacks patients’ deepest convictions when they’re vulnerable. To “torment” someone who has deeply held beliefs with an offer of MAID is “an attack on their identity,” Achtman said.Holland admitted he was in so much pain that he could “feel the temptation” to accept MAID. “It’s a human reaction. We always look for the easy way out.”Conservative member of Parliament Garnett Genuis has introduced Bill C-260, An Act to Prevent Coercion of Persons Not Seeking Medical Assistance in Dying, which would prohibit federal employees from proactively offering or recommending MAID. The bill resulted from incidents of bureaucrats such as veterans counselors trying to steer vulnerable people toward assisted dying.The Alberta government introduced legislation in March that would restrict regulated health professionals from providing information about MAID to their patients unless the patient brings it up. The Safeguards for Last Resort Termination of Life Act would also restrict the public display of MAID information, such as posters, within healthcare facilities.The bill is worth supporting, said Achtman, who lives in Calgary. “Simply being offered euthanasia already kills the person, because it defeats and deflates their sense of self-worth and value.”The unwanted initiation of MAID discussions in Canada made international headlines in March after Achtman shared the story of an 84-year-old woman, Miriam Lancaster, who went to VGH last year for severe back pain. She said the first doctor she spoke with in the emergency room raised MAID before any diagnostic work had been done. Lancaster’s daughter was present and confirmed the incident, adding her mother eventually responded to rehabilitation and rest.The Catholic chaplain at VGH, Father Ronald Sequeira, said it’s a constant struggle to help suffering patients not lose hope. He said he tries to offer them “some kind of encouragement and comfort,” but many give up.“The moment you lose hope, the devil comes in, in different personalities, and says, ‘Do you want MAID? I don’t want people to suffer.’”Patients often don’t realize that suffering is redemptive, he said. “God makes us more pure, more strong, through the suffering when we offer it up,” Sequeira said. “So we give hope — help them not to lose hope.”Holland said turning down an offer of death opens one to new experiences. Even enduring pain “can encourage growth,” he said. “It can motivate you, it can open up new worlds, new vistas, new opportunities,” including enriched relationships.He said he is sharing his story in the hope it will help others. “I went through it; you can go through it, too.”This story was first published in The B.C. Catholic and is reprinted here with permission and adaptations.")
A Vancouver priest says he was twice offered assisted death by hospital medical staff who knew he was a priest and opposed to euthanasia — a practice critics say is growing.
Another day, another massacre in Europe.
The post JUST IN: Driver Plows Car Into a Market Crowd in the German City of Leipzig – At Least Two Dead and Several Injured appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Please continue to pray for Rudy Giuliani.
The post Top Advisor Provides Critical Update to Rudy Giuliani’s Health Battle and Hospitalization appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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A taxpayer-funded waterpark in a Texas city has sparked online fury after announcing they would openly discriminate against non-Muslims to celebrate an Islamic holiday.
The post Taxpayer-Funded Texas Waterpark Announces “MUSLIMS ONLY” Day – Will Require “Dress in Accordance with Islamic Values” and Serve Only Halal-Slaughtered Meat appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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The long-distance train route from Chicago to the Pacific Northwest passes city skylines, national parks, lakes, small towns, and more.
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Two experts analyze the state of the Catholic faith among Spanish youth today, noting that while Spain is increasingly secularized, the faith is growing among young people.
What would Earth be like if there were no Moon? Peter Allen RhodesNorth Bellmore, New York Without the Moon, Earth’s geology, biology, and climate — as well as human philosophy — would be different in many significant ways. If Earth had no Moon, the postulated origin of the Moon through a collision between the proto-EarthContinue reading “What would Earth be like if there were no Moon?”
The post What would Earth be like if there were no Moon? appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
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Paterson hits record, sending letters to seminarians through Knights #Catholic – 
Seminarian John Peter Zappe sometimes feels discouraged by challenging classes and assignments, asking himself, “Why am I doing this?”
Recently, Zappe, a seminarian of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., received several faith-filled letters and cards of encouragement in his studies from local Catholic children. Among these, Nina L., of the religious education program at Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) Parish in Wayne, N.J., wrote one of these moving and inspiring letter.
“Congratulations as you begin this sacred journey into the priesthood,” Nina wrote to Zappe, 27. He is finishing his second year of theology studies at Immaculate Conception Seminary in South Orange, N.J. She continued, “Becoming a priest takes great courage, trust, and compassion. I hope that you will be filled with strength, comfort in prayer, and joy that your work will be making a difference in other people’s lives. May God bless you always.”
In March, as part of this ongoing support, Zappe and the diocese’s nine other seminarians received stacks of children’s letters of support, prayers, and appreciation, including from Nina A., courtesy of the Seminarian Letter Project, an annual initiative of the N.J. State Council of the Knights of Columbus.
“These days, it’s nice to get physical letters from students who write that they are praying for you, a man who is studying in seminary and is planning to go into the priesthood. The answer to ‘Why am I doing this?” is them: these young people of God, who are waiting for me to serve them in the future,” said Zappe, who emphasized that he also finds encouragement from other sources, especially from God in prayer. Additionally, he noted, “It’s also great to see that by writing these letters, the children are thinking about their own vocations.”
This year, the Paterson Diocese set a record by sending more letters and cards to seminarians than ever before. Students in religious-education programs from four parishes provided over 100 pieces of encouragement. Statewide, Catholic school students also participated, according to John Tirado, the council’s faith director who has overseen the Project for 25 years.
In one letter, Linda, also of the Paterson Diocese, sought to motivate the seminarians by writing, “You got this and God’s got you.” Younger children drew cartoon crosses and angels on their cards.
Participating from the Paterson Diocese were: Father Joseph A. Cassidy, Council 6100 in the Budd Lake neighborhood of Mount Olive, N.J.; St. John Vianney Council 12649 in the Stockholm neighborhood of Hardyston, N.J.; John Fitzgerald Kennedy Council 5486 in Lincoln Park, N.J.; and IHM Council 10206 in Wayne. These councils will be recognized at the State Knights’ convention in Wildwood, N.J., in May, Tirado said.
Throughout the state, local Knights’ council Project chairmen coordinate the letter-writing efforts with their Catholic schools and religious education programs. Tirado collects them and forwards them to each diocese. For the Paterson Diocese seminarians, the letters were delivered from the Vocations Office at the annual Chrism Mass on March 31 at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J.
“The letters are fresh, inspiring, thoughtful, and honest. They are surprising in their depth, and the children’s thinking about the church and vocations. It’s a spiritual gift the seminarians respond to. You don’t get that with Artificial Intelligence,” said Tirado. He noted that their insights get deeper with each successive grade level. “They are also thinking about the men who will be there for them and their families when they get older,” he said.
This year marked the first time the Hardyston and Mount Olive councils participated. The St. John Vianney Council serves St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in the Oak Ridge neighborhood of Jefferson, N.J., and St. John Vianney Parish in Hardyston.
Summing up the project’s impact, Joseph Tarallo, St. John Vianney’s grand knight and Project chairman, said, “The letters brighten the seminarians’ day. If we don’t encourage our seminarians, we won’t have priests. Writing a letter to them is easy to do. The kids enjoy it,” he said.
– Seminarian John Peter Zappe sometimes feels discouraged by challenging classes and assignments, asking himself, “Why am I doing this?” Recently, Zappe, a seminarian of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., received several faith-filled letters and cards of encouragement in his studies from local Catholic children. Among these, Nina L., of the religious education program at Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) Parish in Wayne, N.J., wrote one of these moving and inspiring letter. “Congratulations as you begin this sacred journey into the priesthood,” Nina wrote to Zappe, 27. He is finishing his second year of theology studies at Immaculate Conception Seminary in South
Several hundred supporters gathered to celebrate the ecumenical think tank that engages on public policy questions within the context of America’s historic Judeo-Christian moral framework.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — It’s the custom of every president to build a presidential library, but President Donald Trump has announced he is going to buck that convention.
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FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — In a touching tribute to one of America’s most formative chapters in air travel, dozens of emotional passengers gathered at the gate to board the final scheduled flight of Spirit Airlines, preparing themselves for one last, glorious, no-holds-barred midair brawl.
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Pig heads in a market. Today is the Feast of Saint Mark. According to legend, ninth century Venetian sailors smuggled Saint Mark’s relics out of Muslim-controlled Alexandria by covering them with pork.
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A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 14:5-18
There was an attempt in Iconium
by both the Gentiles and the Jews,
together with their leaders,
to attack and stone Paul and Barnabas.
They realized it,
and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe
and to the surrounding countryside,
where they continued to proclaim the Good News.
At Lystra there was a crippled man, lame from birth,
who had never walked.
He listened to Paul speaking, who looked intently at him,
saw that he had the faith to be healed,
and called out in a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet.”
He jumped up and began to walk about.
When the crowds saw what Paul had done,
they cried out in Lycaonian,
“The gods have come down to us in human form.”
They called Barnabas “Zeus” and Paul “Hermes,”
because he was the chief speaker.
And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city,
brought oxen and garlands to the gates,
for he together with the people intended to offer sacrifice.
The Apostles Barnabas and Paul tore their garments
when they heard this and rushed out into the crowd, shouting,
“Men, why are you doing this?
We are of the same nature as you, human beings.
We proclaim to you good news
that you should turn from these idols to the living God,
who made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them.
In past generations he allowed all Gentiles to go their own ways;
yet, in bestowing his goodness,
he did not leave himself without witness,
for he gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons,
and filled you with nourishment and gladness for your hearts.”
Even with these words, they scarcely restrained the crowds
from offering sacrifice to them.
From the Gospel according to John
14:21-26
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Whoever has my commandments and observes them
is the one who loves me.
Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”
Judas, not the Iscariot, said to him,
“Master, then what happened that you will reveal yourself to us
and not to the world?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.
Whoever does not love me does not keep my words;
yet the word you hear is not mine
but that of the Father who sent me.
“I have told you this while I am with you.
The Advocate, the Holy Spirit
whom the Father will send in my name —
he will teach you everything
and remind you of all that I told you.”
Jesus says in today’s Gospel: “He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him” (v. 21). So, love introduces us to the knowledge of Jesus, thanks to the action of this “Advocate” that Jesus sent, that is, the Holy Spirit. Love for God and neighbour is the greatest commandment of the Gospel. The Lord today calls us to respond generously to the Gospel’s call to love, placing God at the centre of our lives and dedicating ourselves to the service of our brothers and sisters, especially those most in need of support and consolation. If ever there is an attitude that is never easy, even for a Christian community, it is precisely how to love oneself, to love after the Lord’s example and with his grace. (…) We have to learn the art of loving every day. Listen to this: every day we must learn the art of loving; every day we must patiently follow the school of Christ. Every day we must forgive and look to Jesus, and do this with the help of this “Advocate”, of this Counsellor whom Jesus has sent to us that is the Holy Spirit. (Pope Francis, Regina Caeli, 21 May 2017)
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Obituary: Deacon David S. McCaffrey Jr., former Paterson Diocesan permanent deacon, 83 #Catholic – 
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, May 4, at 10 a.m., at St. Michael Church in Annandale, Va., for Deacon David S. McCaffrey Jr., who died at home on April 27, surrounded by his family. He was 83.
Deacon McCaffrey was a permanent deacon at St. Michael Church in Annandale until his death. He previously served as a deacon at St. Mary Parish in Denville, N.J., in the Paterson Diocese.
Born in 1942 to David and Marie McCaffrey, Deacon McCaffrey was raised in Bloomfield, N.J. He attended St. Thomas the Apostle School in Bloomfield and St. Benedict’s Preparatory School in Newark, N.J.
Then, from 1960 to 1967, Deacon McCaffrey attended the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Ind., where he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in science and a doctorate in chemical engineering.
During his time at Notre Dame, Deacon McCaffrey served in the Navy ROTC, which led to two years of service in the U.S. Navy after graduation. While in the Navy, he taught chemistry at the U.S. Naval Academy.
Following his time in the Navy, Deacon McCaffrey spent 36 years as a chemical engineer with Esso (now ExxonMobil), specializing in synthetic fuels, environmental protection, and technology sales and licensing.
In 1967, Deacon McCaffrey married his wife, Carol. Over the next 58 years, they shared a faith-filled marriage. Together, they also raised their four children in Denville.
On June 10, 1989, Deacon McCaffrey was ordained a permanent deacon of the Paterson Diocese. He served St. Mary Parish in Denville from his ordination until 2000.
Deacon McCaffrey and his wife then moved to northern Virginia, where he served as a deacon at St. Michael Church until his death. There, he led the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults and, with Carol, assisted local Teams of Our Lady groups, an international ministry devoted to strengthening Christian marriages.
Deacon McCaffrey is survived by his wife, Carol; his sister, Mary Rose; his children, Marie (David), Eileen, Theresa (Greg), and David (Kim); and 10 grandchildren: Maia, Judson, Brent, Corey, Toby, Bria, Peter, Clara, Daniel, and Matthew.
Visitation for Deacon McCaffrey will be held Sunday, May 3, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Fairfax Memorial Funeral Home in Fairfax, Va., followed by his Mass of Christian Burial on Monday, May 4, at 10 a.m. at St. Michael Church in Annandale, Va.
– A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, May 4, at 10 a.m., at St. Michael Church in Annandale, Va., for Deacon David S. McCaffrey Jr., who died at home on April 27, surrounded by his family. He was 83. Deacon McCaffrey was a permanent deacon at St. Michael Church in Annandale until his death. He previously served as a deacon at St. Mary Parish in Denville, N.J., in the Paterson Diocese. Born in 1942 to David and Marie McCaffrey, Deacon McCaffrey was raised in Bloomfield, N.J. He attended St. Thomas the Apostle School in Bloomfield and St.
Bishop Emeritus confirms 83 youth at Sparta parish #Catholic – 
On April 25, Our Lady of the Lake (OLL) Parish in Sparta, N.J., welcomed Bishop Emeritus Arthur J. Serratelli, who celebrated Mass and confirmed 83 youth. Father Richard Carton, OLL’s pastor and vice president of the Catholic Academy of Sussex in Sparta, and Father John Calabro, chaplain/teacher of St. Pope John XXIII Regional High School in Sparta, concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Serratelli. Deacon George M. Sensale and Deacon Anthony Curcio Jr., both of OLL, assisted with the liturgy.
– On April 25, Our Lady of the Lake (OLL) Parish in Sparta, N.J., welcomed Bishop Emeritus Arthur J. Serratelli, who celebrated Mass and confirmed 83 youth. Father Richard Carton, OLL’s pastor and vice president of the Catholic Academy of Sussex in Sparta, and Father John Calabro, chaplain/teacher of St. Pope John XXIII Regional High School in Sparta, concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Serratelli. Deacon George M. Sensale and Deacon Anthony Curcio Jr., both of OLL, assisted with the liturgy. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
In 1948, a clay tablet was unearthed in the ruins of the ancient city of Ugarit, in modern Syria. On the tablet was inscribed an account of a solar eclipse, describing the Sun going down in the sixth hour of the day; today, it is among the oldest known records of an eclipse. For manyContinue reading “May 3, 1375 B.C.E.: The Ugarit eclipse”
The post May 3, 1375 B.C.E.: The Ugarit eclipse appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
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Proposed Guidelines Expose Psychiatry’s Catastrophic Diagnosing & Drugging Failure Republished with permission from AbleChild. Yesterday, the New York Times ran an article that announced that a group of psychiatrists had gotten …
The post ABLECHILD: Proposed Guidelines Expose Psychiatry’s Catastrophic Diagnosing & Drugging Failure appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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This is a Gateway Hispanic article.
The post Trump Escalates Maximum Pressure on Cuba’s Dictatorship: Expanded Sanctions, Aircraft Carrier Deployment Looms, and Clear Warnings of Imminent Change on the Island appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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The pontiff said Christians reveal that “fraternity and peace are our calling” by loving as Christ loved.
Several sports leagues in the United Kingdom received a notice threatening them with legal action if they fail to protect women’s sports from self-proclaimed transgender athletes.
The post Sports Leagues Warned That Failing to Protect Women’s Sports Breaks the Law appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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A Syrian artist says restoration work on icons brings together history, chemistry, and art — and that protecting an icon is protecting history.
![Race car driver’s gift fuels mobile ministry in Ohio diocese - #Catholic - A cargo van donated to the Diocese of Columbus, Ohio, has taken on a new purpose by becoming a mobile outreach ministry delivering food, resources, and the Gospel message to communities in need.Toward the end of 2025, the diocese received the vehicle from Cody Coughlin, a drag racing and stock car driver from Delaware, Ohio. The race car driver “reverted” to the Catholic faith and entered into full communion with the Church a few years back at St. Paul the Apostle in Westerville, Ohio, and was eager to give back to the community.
The Diocese of Columbus, Ohio’s new mobile outreach ministry van, which was donated by drag racing and stock car driver Cody Coughlin. | Credit: Ken Snow, courtesy of the Diocese of Columbus
“I’m deeply humbled and moved to be able to donate a vehicle to help nourish those in need throughout the Catholic Diocese of Columbus,” Coughlin said in the Catholic Times. “It’s a small way to support a mission that truly changes lives, and I’m grateful to be part of something that helps bring food and hope to families who need it most.”From there, the diocese worked to come up with a plan on how the van could be properly used.Deacon Dave Bezuko, director for Catholic Charities in the area and a permanent deacon at Our Lady of Lourdes in Marysville, Ohio, told EWTN News in an interview that they wanted it to be “something that would be useful for the parishes because … we didnʼt want to step on the toes of any of our established diocesan charities and our goal here was twofold: No. 1 letʼs equip parishes with something that they could use to support existing ministries, and [No. 2] take ministry off campus.”Bezuko shared that it was important that the van also be covered in Catholic imagery so that it “could be like a rolling billboard of Catholicism and a sign of the Churchʼs presence out in the community, a sign of Christ’s presence in the community, a sign of hope.”The van now features an image of Jesus at the feeding of the 5,000, an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the divine mercy image, a portrait of Mother Teresa, and the words from Matthew 25:40: “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.”
The Diocese of Columbus, Ohio’s new mobile outreach ministry van. | Credit: Ken Snow, courtesy of the Diocese of Columbus
The mobile outreach van was then blessed by Bishop Earl Fernandes on March 8 outside of the Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption in Lancaster, Ohio.In its first couple months of service, the van has been used for a trip to support Mary’s Mission, which serves the needs of the homeless population, and transported approximately 6,000 food items collected by Fisher Catholic High School in Lancaster and the Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption. The van was also used to transport furniture donated through a furniture ministry run by a deacon at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Logan, Ohio.
Students from Fisher Catholic High School in Lancaster, Ohio, stand outside the mobile outreach ministry van. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Deacon Matt Shaw
The diocese also hopes to use the van as an evangelization tool by taking it to the local Fourth of July parade, high school football games, visits to nursing homes, the annual county fair, and more.“Thereʼs so many different opportunities to be an evangelization tool as well,” Bezuko said.As for what he hopes the impact on the community will be, Bezuko said: “The hope on the impact of the community is No. 1, again, to share that Christ is present in our communities and not just where we have our churches and our schools and our properties.”He added: “One of those things that happens at the end of Mass, the deacon says ‘Go forth, the Mass has ended.’ Weʼre sent out into the community to be the hands and feet of Christ in the world and to be his presence and to take that elsewhere. So, this is a literal opportunity to take Christ, to take our Church, to take that love, that compassion on the road and express it.”The deacon said he hopes this mobile outreach ministry will continue to grow and that one day they will have a “whole fleet of these running around here before too long.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/race-car-drivers-gift-fuels-mobile-ministry-in-ohio-diocese-catholic-a-cargo-van-donated-to-the-diocese-of-columbus-ohio-has-taken-on-a-new-purpose-by-becoming-a-mobile-outreach-minist-scaled.jpg)
A cargo van donated by a drag racing and stock car driver has become a mobile outreach ministry reaching Ohio communities in need.
SAN FRANCISCO — The homeless of California have achieved a final and decisive victory in Governor Gavin Newsom’s fight against homelessness.
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TEHRAN — Peace in the Middle East hit another major roadblock this week after Iranian officials issued a serious threat that they have a hidden strategic reserve of even more serious threats.
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Rapanui Rock during sunset, Sumner, Christchurch, New Zealand
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A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 6:1-7
As the number of disciples continued to grow,
the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews
because their widows
were being neglected in the daily distribution.
So the Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said,
"It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table.
Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men,
filled with the Spirit and wisdom,
whom we shall appoint to this task,
whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer
and to the ministry of the word."
The proposal was acceptable to the whole community,
so they chose Stephen, a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit,
also Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas,
and Nicholas of Antioch, a convert to Judaism.
They presented these men to the apostles
who prayed and laid hands on them.
The word of God continued to spread,
and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly;
even a large group of priests were becoming obedient to the faith.
A Reading from the First Letter of St. Peter
2:4-9
Beloved:
Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings
but chosen and precious in the sight of God,
and, like living stones,
let yourselves be built into a spiritual house
to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
For it says in Scripture:
Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion,
a cornerstone, chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in it shall not be put to shame.
Therefore, its value is for you who have faith, but for those without faith:
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone, and
A stone that will make people stumble,
and a rock that will make them fall.
They stumble by disobeying the word, as is their destiny.
You are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, a people of his own,
so that you may announce the praises" of him
who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
From the Gospel according to John
14:1-12
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You have faith in God; have faith also in me.
In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.
If there were not,
would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back again and take you to myself,
so that where I am you also may be.
Where I am going you know the way."
Thomas said to him,
"Master, we do not know where you are going;
how can we know the way?"
Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.
If you know me, then you will also know my Father.
From now on you do know him and have seen him."
Philip said to him,
"Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us."
Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you for so long a time
and you still do not know me, Philip?
Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own.
The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me,
or else, believe because of the works themselves.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,
and will do greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father."
When he was approaching the Passion, Jesus reassured his disciples, asking them not to be afraid and to have faith; he then begins a conversation with them in which he talks about God the Father (cf. Jn 14:2-9). At a certain point the Apostle Philip asked Jesus: “Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied” (Jn 14:8). Philip was very practical and prosaic, he even said what we ourselves would like to say: “we want to see him, show us the Father”, he asks to “see” the Father, to see his face. Jesus’ answer is a reply not only to Philip but also to us and it ushers us into the heart of Christological faith; the Lord affirmed: “he who has seen me has seen the Father” (Jn 14:9). These words sum up the newness of the New Testament, that newness which appeared in the Bethlehem Grotto: God can be seen, God has shown his face, he is visible in Jesus Christ. (…) In Jesus too the mediation between God and man attains fulfilment. In the Old Testament there is an array of figures who carried out this role, in particular Moses, the deliverer, the guide, the “mediator” of the Covenant, as he is defined in the New Testament (cf. Gal 3:19; Acts 7:35; Jn 1:17). Jesus, true God and true man, is not simply one of the mediators between God and man but rather “the mediator” of the new and eternal Covenant (cf. Heb 8:6; 9:15; 12:24); “for there is one God”, Paul says, “and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim 2:5 cf. Gal 3:19-20). In him we see and encounter the Father; in him we can call upon God with the name of “Abba, Father”; in him we are given salvation. (Pope Benedict XV I, General audience, 16 January 2013)
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The grants will fund initiatives across the globe including the construction and renovation of Catholic schools, monasteries, orphanages, and medical clinics in numerous countries.
Beyond the Acropolis, I found Japanese fusion, herbal spa treatments, and some friendly stray cats.
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Frequently described as “the last man who knew everything,” 17th-century Jesuit Athanasius Kircher was a true polymath. Born May 2, 1601, in Germany, Kircher relocated to Italy and the Roman College by the 1630s, fleeing the Thirty Years’ War. There he began a lifetime of research and publication in an impressively wide array of fields:Continue reading “May 2, 1601: The birth of Athanasius Kircher”
The post May 2, 1601: The birth of Athanasius Kircher appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
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Israel arrests religious sister’s alleged attacker, Polish influencer honors JPII while raising money for charity, Indonesian cathedral turns 125, and more in this week’s world news roundup.
The inaugural conference, “Restoring the Covenant: Catholic Social Teaching as Common Social Ground,” will take place May 30 at De La Salle Oaklands College in Toronto.
![22 miles of faith: Catholic family of 10 turns Walk to Mary pilgrimage into a tradition - #Catholic - Two adults, eight children, 22 miles, and one purpose — to grow closer to Jesus Christ through Mary, his mother. That about sums up what the Allex family from Barrington, Illinois, will be taking on during their 10th Walk to Mary on May 2 in Champion, Wisconsin. The Walk to Mary is an annual pilgrimage held on the first Saturday of May. The first walk took place in 2013 and over the years thousands of Catholics from around the world have participated. The 22-mile pilgrimage starts at the National Shrine of St. Joseph and ends at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion, which is the only approved Marian apparition site in the United States, in which the Blessed Mother appeared to Adele Brise in 1859.For Kym Allex, a Catholic home schooling mother; her husband, Preston; and their eight children — ranging in age from 17 to 4 — the pilgrimage has become an annual tradition.
The Allex family participates in the Walk to Mary pilgrimage. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Kym Allex
The “Allex tribe” — as they’re referred to by their community — first participated in the Walk to Mary when the eldest child was only 8 years old. At the time, there were seven children in the family and they all took part in the two-mile version of the pilgrimage for their first several walks.The pilgrimage includes several “join in” points along the route that allow participants unable to walk the entire distance the ability to participate.“For that childrenʼs walk — the little two-miler — it was so great to have seven kids just tromping around, excited to walk for Mary,” Allex told EWTN News in an interview. She added: “It didnʼt seem like a very long walk to be able to have a 2-year-old in a backpack or my 5-year-old running as fast as he could because he wanted to catch up to Mary, which I donʼt think he ever did, but it was just a beautiful experience for our family for the first time and every year after.”After their first couple of years participating in the two-mile version of the walk, the Allexes began to expand on the length they completed. This year, for the first time, they plan to walk the entire 22-mile route. And it wasn’t mom and dad who made this decision — it was the two eldest children.“My 17-year-old daughter and my 16-year-old son came to my husband and [me] after last yearʼs 14-mile and they said, ‘Next year we have some big prayer intentions,’” she shared. “Theyʼre on the cusp of looking at colleges and figuring out where they want to go and where the Lord is calling them and so theyʼve stated, ‘Mom, Iʼm going to do the 22 miles if youʼre OK with it. Iʼd like for our whole family to join.’”The Allexes then sat down as a family to discern what God was calling them to do and what goals they needed to reach in order for everyone to feel comfortable doing the entire pilgrimage. With this in mind, the entire family has been preparing physically and spiritually for this event.“Even our little 4-year-old has been walking and biking in the neighborhood every day that she can to be able to get her sweet little legs ready for this beautiful opportunity,” Allex said.She added that it is her oldest children who want to make sure that taking part in the Walk to Mary is always a part of the family’s culture.“They take off of work, theyʼve told their sports coaches, ‘We wonʼt be able to go and do this race’ … because our family really wants to keep this part of our family tradition,” Allex said. “And itʼs great that itʼs my teenagers who are the ones that want to continue to pass this on. Thereʼs no fight because weʼve grown into this together.”
The Allex family participates in the Walk to Mary pilgrimage. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Kym Allex
Allex admitted that she was hesitant when her children first brought up the idea of doing the full pilgrimage.“I will tell you, this 22-miler makes me a little nervous and yet my kids are the ones who are like, ‘We can do this mom. Weʼve done 18 miles at Disney. So we can do 22 miles for Mary.’ Iʼm like, ‘That is such a beautiful thought, right? If I can do this for pleasure, I can surely do this for Mary, for my faith,’” she shared.When reflecting on how her familyʼs faith has been impacted by taking part in the Walk to Mary, Allex shared that it has reminded them that “the Blessed Mother is such an incredible spiritual mom for all of us.”She added: “Especially for me as a mom in this world today, I can get lost sometimes in the worry, the anxiety, the stress of life. And so to know that our Blessed Mother will wrap me like a swaddling blanket into her mantle and bring me to Jesus is so consoling.”“The fact that my kids have seen that I go to the Blessed Mother when Iʼm struggling and ask for her help to get closer to her son, then they see the humanness of their own mom and theyʼre like, ‘Wow, mom might not have it all together, but she knows someone who does and sheʼs going to lean in on that.’”The Catholic mother pointed out that the pilgrimage has also taught her children how to pray for others. She recalled an instance when one of her sons went up to a man during the walk and asked him if he had an intention he could lift in prayer for him. The man was from Brazil and was walking the pilgrimage asking for healing for his wife.“My hope is that they feel inspired to be those missionary disciples … and that theyʼre cultivating hearts of missionary discipleship — walking with people, being inspired to go and pray with people,” she said.Allex added that each member of the family has a prayer journal and the children have already been “collecting peopleʼs prayers and theyʼve already been wrapping them in our nightly rosary that we do every night.”When the Blessed Mother appeared to Brise in the woods of Champion, Wisconsin, one of the messages she gave the young woman was to “gather the children in this wild country and teach them what they should know for salvation.”This is something that has deeply impacted Allex’s faith and a message she carries daily in her vocation of motherhood.“Iʼve memorized it [the message] because that right there, that is the role for us as parents,” Allex said. “I think every one of our homes can feel like a wild country, you walk in and … for me sometimes it feels that way. It feels like a wild country. But if I can continue to gather my kids and teach them what they should know — I might not be preparing them for Harvard. Iʼm going to prepare them for heaven.”Summarizing her experiences taking part in the Walk to Mary and how it has impacted the entire family, Allex concluded that “this walk truly is this pilgrimage of graces.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/22-miles-of-faith-catholic-family-of-10-turns-walk-to-mary-pilgrimage-into-a-tradition-catholic-two-adults-eight-children-22-miles-and-one-purpose-to-grow-closer-to-jesus-christ-thr.png)
This year an Illinois family will make the entire 22-mile trek to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion in Wisconsin, which honors the only approved Marian apparition site in the United States.
Nasdaq Chair and Chief Executive Officer Adena T. Friedman, left, and NASA’s Artemis II crew ring the closing bell of the Nasdaq market session, Thursday, April 30, 2026.
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St. Athanasius, celebrated on May 2, was a fourth-century bishop who is known as “the father of orthodoxy” for his dedication to the doctrine of Christ’s divinity.
Longtime Democrat strategist James Carville totally melted down over the Supreme Court’s decision on Louisiana’s newly-drawn congressional map.
The post “Sons of B*tches!” – James Carville Goes Ballistic on Conservative Supreme Court Justices After Louisiana Gerrymander Ruling (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Los Angeles city councilman Hugo Martinez recently remarked that he wants illegals to be able to vote in city elections.
The post Los Angeles City Councilman Wants Illegals to be Able to Vote in City Elections (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Podcast host and stand-up comic Joe Rogan isn’t always right about everything, but when it comes to California Governor Gavin Newsom, his analysis is dead on.
The post Joe Rogan Blasts Gavin Newsom as a Phony Politician: ‘Cardboard Cutout of a Person’ (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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A federal appeals court in New Orleans ruled to require in-person distribution of the abortion pill mifepristone, the most prevalent form of abortion in the U.S.
![Pope Leo XIV responds to letter from victims of Minab girls’ school strike in Iran #Catholic Pope Leo XIV echoed his calls for dialogue and peace between the United States and Iran while expressing grief over the deaths of innocent children killed in a military attack that struck a girls’ elementary school in Minab, Iran.The Holy Father offered these comments April 23 after he received a letter from parents of girls who died in the strike. More than 150 people were killed in the Feb. 28 strike, which the Defense Department says it is investigating.“I have just seen a letter from families of children who were killed on the first day of the attack,” Leo said while speaking to journalists on a flight back to Rome after visiting four countries in Africa, according to the Vatican-run Vatican News.“They speak about how they have lost their children, who died in that event,” he said. “The issue is not whether there is regime change or not; the issue is how to promote the values we believe in without the death of so many innocent people.”Leo called the situation in Iran “complex” amid the ongoing ceasefire, stating that “one day Iran says yes and the United States says no, and vice versa.” The pope warned: “We do not know where things are heading.”“This chaotic, critical situation for the global economy has been created, but there is also an entire population in Iran of innocent people suffering because of this war,” he said. “So, on regime change, yes or no: It is not even clear what regime currently exists after the first days of attacks by Israel and the United States on Iran.”“Rather, I would encourage the continuation of dialogue for peace, that all sides make every effort to promote peace, remove the threat of war, and respect international law,” he said. “It is very important that innocent people are protected, as has not happened in several places.”The letter from the parents of the victims was published in full by a reporter for Press TV, which is operated by the Iranian government. The letter is written in Farsi.According to a partial English translation on Press TV, the parents said the pontiff’s consistent advocacy for peace “offered a healing touch to our broken hearts.”“Today, instead of feeling the warmth of our children’s embrace, we are left to hold onto their charred bags and bloody journals,” the letter said, according to the translation.“Our children will never return home to build a brighter future, but it is the prayer of us grieving parents that your message to ‘lay down the weapons’ be heard, at a time when the United States and the Israeli regime fuel the flames of these atrocities with their excessive demands,” it added.When asked for comment, the Defense Department pointed EWTN News to comments made by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on April 24 when asked about the pope’s comment on Iran.“We know what our mission is,” he said. “We know what authority we have. Weʼre very clear about that. We follow the orders of the president.”“Weʼve got lawyers all over the place, looking at what weʼre doing and why weʼre doing it, and giving us every authority necessary under the Constitution and under our laws to execute it,” he added. “So we feel very confident across the spectrum about what weʼre doing and why weʼre doing it, and the legal justification that weʼre following in order to do it.”A Defense Department official told EWTN News that the strike on the school in Minab “is currently under investigation” and “more details will be provided [when] they become available.” The Pentagon has not claimed responsibility for the strike.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/pope-leo-xiv-responds-to-letter-from-victims-of-minab-girls-school-strike-in-iran-catholic-pope-leo-xiv-echoed-his-calls-for-dialogue-and-peace-between-the-united-states-and-iran-while-expre.jpg "Pope Leo XIV responds to letter from victims of Minab girls’ school strike in Iran #Catholic Pope Leo XIV echoed his calls for dialogue and peace between the United States and Iran while expressing grief over the deaths of innocent children killed in a military attack that struck a girls’ elementary school in Minab, Iran.The Holy Father offered these comments April 23 after he received a letter from parents of girls who died in the strike. More than 150 people were killed in the Feb. 28 strike, which the Defense Department says it is investigating.“I have just seen a letter from families of children who were killed on the first day of the attack,” Leo said while speaking to journalists on a flight back to Rome after visiting four countries in Africa, according to the Vatican-run Vatican News.“They speak about how they have lost their children, who died in that event,” he said. “The issue is not whether there is regime change or not; the issue is how to promote the values we believe in without the death of so many innocent people.”Leo called the situation in Iran “complex” amid the ongoing ceasefire, stating that “one day Iran says yes and the United States says no, and vice versa.” The pope warned: “We do not know where things are heading.”“This chaotic, critical situation for the global economy has been created, but there is also an entire population in Iran of innocent people suffering because of this war,” he said. “So, on regime change, yes or no: It is not even clear what regime currently exists after the first days of attacks by Israel and the United States on Iran.”“Rather, I would encourage the continuation of dialogue for peace, that all sides make every effort to promote peace, remove the threat of war, and respect international law,” he said. “It is very important that innocent people are protected, as has not happened in several places.”The letter from the parents of the victims was published in full by a reporter for Press TV, which is operated by the Iranian government. The letter is written in Farsi.According to a partial English translation on Press TV, the parents said the pontiff’s consistent advocacy for peace “offered a healing touch to our broken hearts.”“Today, instead of feeling the warmth of our children’s embrace, we are left to hold onto their charred bags and bloody journals,” the letter said, according to the translation.“Our children will never return home to build a brighter future, but it is the prayer of us grieving parents that your message to ‘lay down the weapons’ be heard, at a time when the United States and the Israeli regime fuel the flames of these atrocities with their excessive demands,” it added.When asked for comment, the Defense Department pointed EWTN News to comments made by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on April 24 when asked about the pope’s comment on Iran.“We know what our mission is,” he said. “We know what authority we have. Weʼre very clear about that. We follow the orders of the president.”“Weʼve got lawyers all over the place, looking at what weʼre doing and why weʼre doing it, and giving us every authority necessary under the Constitution and under our laws to execute it,” he added. “So we feel very confident across the spectrum about what weʼre doing and why weʼre doing it, and the legal justification that weʼre following in order to do it.”A Defense Department official told EWTN News that the strike on the school in Minab “is currently under investigation” and “more details will be provided [when] they become available.” The Pentagon has not claimed responsibility for the strike.")
“The issue is not whether there is regime change or not; the issue is how to promote the values we believe in without the death of so many innocent people,” Pope Leo XIV said.
![Former federal prosecutor: ‘I’d like to prosecute any nun who still wears the head habit’ - #Catholic - Text messages released by the Senate Judiciary Committee show two former federal prosecutors discussing desires to prosecute nuns during investigations of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.Joseph Cooney and Molly Gaston, career prosecutors at the Justice Department rather than political appointees, played a role in prosecuting President Donald Trump during former President Joe Biden’s administration. Both were fired shortly after Trump became president a second time and are legal partners at Gaston & Cooney PLLC. Cooney is running for Congress in Virginia.While texting on government-issued devices, Gaston wrote about a photo published by The New York Times from Trump’s "Stop the Steal” rally, which preceded the Jan. 6 attack, saying: “I just noticed for the first time the nuns near the oathkeepers in one of the NYT photographs.”Cooney said, “I know!” to which Gaston replied: “I would like to take a special assignment of finding and prosecuting them.”Cooney, who worked in the Justice Departmentʼs Public Integrity Section, responded to her comments about prosecuting the women by saying “I’m with you” and adding: “Although Iʼd like to prosecute any nun who still wears the head habit.” Gaston, who was a lead prosecutor in the special counsel’s Jan. 6-related case involving allegations of efforts to overturn the 2020 election, replied to the message with “hahaha.”The photo shows three women wearing traditional habits standing on the National Mall near the stage for the rally and does not show them trying to breach restricted areas or enter the U.S. Capitol. The women appear to be associated with a convent that is not in communion with the Roman Catholic Church and does not have canonical standing with the Diocese of Lansing, Michigan, where they are located.Another photo of the women at the rally published by The Conversation also does not show anyone trying to enter restricted areas or the Capitol. EWTN News could not reach the women in the photos.
Women wearing traditional habits attend Jan. 6, 2021, “Stop the Steal” rally. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Gregory Starrett
The text messages also show Gaston saying “people are insane” for wanting priests to deny Communion to Biden. The two also discussed the COVID-19-era restrictions on the Mass, with Gaston saying she has been “really bad about [tuning into] video Mass” and Cooney saying “video Mass is really hard.”Nearly all Catholic sisters and nuns wore habits prior to the Second Vatican Council, although the practice since then often depends on the religious community to which the person belongs or can come down to personal choice.The Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles explain on their website that a habit is “economical, simple, modest, and above all a sign, a symbol, of God and his love for each of us.”“Our habit calls out silently to people we meet or even pass by in the street, the store, even the beach,” the website states. “It says, ‘Look up; for greater things you were born.’ It says, ‘Hold on, this too shall pass, and God is with you always leading you in the way you are to go.’ It says, ‘I am a symbol, a reminder, of God’s presence in our world. You can’t actually see him, but in seeing me you are reminded of him.’”The Dominican Sisters of Mary Immaculate Province state on their website that their habit is “a sign of our consecration to God and witness to poverty.”“We are vested with a white tunic, a black belt with a rosary attached, a white scapular, a veil, and cappa,” it states. “Symbolically, black reminds us that we have been called from the death valley of sin toward a life of intensified grace in Christ (white). The visible habit furthermore reflects the simplicity of life, innocence, renunciation, penance, and mortification, a hidden life in Christ.”‘I was appalled’EWTN News received copies of the text exchange, first reported by the Daily Wire, from the office of Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. EWTN News contacted Cooney’s campaign and the law firm where both are partners to request a comment and did not receive a response.The messages were provided to Grassley’s office by the Justice Department in relation to a Senate Judiciary Committee investigation into federal efforts to prosecute Trump during Biden’s presidency.“Freedom of religion is a cherished First Amendment right enshrined in our Constitution by the Founding Fathers,” Grassley, chair of the Judiciary Committee, said in a statement provided to EWTN News.“I was appalled, but sadly not surprised, to discover evidence of Biden DOJ prosecutors threatening to use the power of the federal justice system to target people of faith,” he said. “Time and again, my oversight has shown the Biden Justice Department, including these prosecutors who went on to advance Jack Smith’s Arctic Frost investigation, showed total disdain for equal justice.”Nearly 1,600 people were prosecuted in Jan. 6 cases for a range of offenses connected to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including unlawful entry, assault, property destruction, obstruction of an official proceeding, conspiracy, with President Trump later granting clemency to about 1,500 of them.It does not appear the photographed women faced prosecution, although some Catholic sisters have fended off federal encroachment into their religious activities in recent years.Most famously, the Little Sisters of the Poor won a U.S. Supreme Court case in 2020 following a nine-year-long battle against the mandate to cover contraception in their insurance plans, per rules in the Affordable Care Act. In spite of that victory, the sisters are still fighting federal contraception rules in court.In New York, the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, who provide care to terminally ill people, faced a warning from the state Department of Health for “refusing to assign a room to a resident other than in accordance with the resident’s gender identity.” They are also fighting the rules in court.On April 30, Trump’s DOJ published a report on “anti-Christian bias” it alleges plagued the federal government under Biden’s presidency. It documents rules and regulations that damaged religious liberty related to abortion, contraception, and gender policies. It alleges weaponization of the government against Christians, including pro-life protesters.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/former-federal-prosecutor-id-like-to-prosecute-any-nun-who-still-wears-the-head-habit-catholic-text-messages-released-by-the-senate-judiciary-committee-show-two-former.jpg)
The Senate Judiciary Committee released the texts by ex-prosecutors who were dismissed shortly after Donald Trump returned to the presidency.
A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 13:44-52
On the following sabbath
almost the whole city
gathered to hear the word of the Lord.
When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy
and with violent abuse contradicted what Paul said.
Both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said,
“It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first,
but since you reject it
and condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life,
we now turn to the Gentiles.
For so the Lord has commanded us,
I have made you a light to the Gentiles,
that you may be an instrument of salvation
to the ends of the earth.”
The Gentiles were delighted when they heard this
and glorified the word of the Lord.
All who were destined for eternal life came to believe,
and the word of the Lord continued to spread
through the whole region.
The Jews, however, incited the women of prominence who were worshipers
and the leading men of the city,
stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas,
and expelled them from their territory.
So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them
and went to Iconium.
The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.
From the Gospel according to John
14:7-14
Jesus said to his disciples:
“If you know me, then you will also know my Father.
From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
Philip said to Jesus,
“Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time
and you still do not know me, Philip?
Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own.
The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me,
or else, believe because of the works themselves.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,
and will do greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father.
And whatever you ask in my name, I will do,
so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.”
During the Last Supper, after Jesus affirmed that to know him was also to know the Father (cf. Jn 14: 7), Philip quite ingenuously asks him: "Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied" (Jn 14: 8). Jesus answered with a gentle rebuke: "Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father: how can you say, "Show us the Father?’ Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me?… Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me" (Jn 14: 9-11). These words are among the most exalted in John’s Gospel. They contain a true and proper revelation. At the end of the Prologue to his Gospel, John says: "No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known" (Jn 1: 18). Well, that declaration which is made by the Evangelist is taken up and confirmed by Jesus himself, but with a fresh nuance. (…) To express ourselves in accordance with the paradox of the Incarnation we can certainly say that God gave himself a human face, the Face of Jesus, and consequently, from now on, if we truly want to know the Face of God, all we have to do is to contemplate the Face of Jesus! In his Face we truly see who God is and what he looks like! (Pope Benedict XVI, General Audience, 6 September 2006)
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