There are a lot of religions out there, but only one can be the religion of peace. How can you be sure you’re on the right path?
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MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Authorities responded on Friday afternoon to an apparent turf war at Kenwood Park, where tennis players and pickleballers fought to the death over the right to use the park’s facilities.
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| Picture of the day |
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Aurora borealis captured during the peak of the Perseids meteor shower at the beach of Norderney on August 13th, 2024
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This NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope Picture of the Month takes us to a fantastical realm within our home galaxy, where piercing starlight and billowing winds sculpt dust clouds into inventive shapes. This scene is from the Carina Nebula, which lies just 7500 light-years away in the constellation Carina (the Keel).
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Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren was recently mocked on CNBC for fearmongering over the economy and getting tons of stuff wrong in general.
The post Elizabeth Warren Proves She Has No Idea How the Basic Concept of ‘Supply and Demand’ Works appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Vice President JD Vance visited the Ohio steel plant where his own grandfather worked this week and used part of the visit to outline the accomplishments of the Trump administration, especially with regards to immigration and jobs.
The post JD Vance Tears Into Minnesota Governor Tim Walz for Trying to Protect a Child Predator (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Coffee giant Starbucks is laying off hundreds of people at their headquarters in Seattle as they prepare to ship many more jobs to Nashville, Tennessee.
The post Starbucks Headquarters in Seattle Lays Off Hundreds as They Prepare to Send Jobs to Nashville appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Read MoreMy Lord Jesus Christ,
I believe that You are really here in this Sacrament.
Night and day You remain here compassionate and loving.
You call, You wait for,
You welcome everyone who comes to visit You.
I thank You, Jesus my Divine Redeemer
for coming upon the earth for our sake
and for instituting the Adorable Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist
in order to remain with us until the end of the world.
I thank You for hiding beneath the Eucharistic species
Your infinite …
![Advocates warn New Jersey law could criminalize prayer outside abortion clinics #Catholic New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill on Aug. 20 signed a bill that criminalizes “interference” with “reproductive” or “gender-affirming” care, a law that opponents say has serious implications for freedom of speech.The law criminalizes inflicting “emotional harm” against those seeking or providing “reproductive health care services.” It also bans filming and sharing videos within 100 feet of an abortion clinic.Under the new law, an officer can “order the immediate dispersal of a gathering that substantially impedes access to or departure from an entrance or driveway to a reproductive or gender-affirming health care facility during the business hours of the facility.”The measure is a type of “bubble” law, which creates zones around abortion clinics where free speech is limited in “buffer zones.”Violations of the law could be punished by up to 18 months’ imprisonment and/or a $10,000 fine.New Jersey Right to Life Executive Director Marie Tasy criticized the law, describing its provisions as “inherently subjective” and the law itself as “a serious danger to free speech.”“Peaceful sidewalk counseling, prayer, holding signs, or simply offering help and alternatives outside a facility can easily be labeled ‘intimidation’ by someone who claims to feel threatened, leaving pro-life advocates open to criminal charges that are difficult to disprove and chilling constitutionally protected expression,” Tasy said.Catholic diocese leads campaign against abortion amendment referendumThe Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, is leading a campaign to oppose an amendment referendum that could create a right to abortion in the state constitution as well as another measure that would remove a same-sex marriage ban in the state.The campaign Catholics Vote No is opposing the ballot measure titled the “Virginia Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment” as well as the “Virginia Remove Constitutional Same-Sex Marriage Ban Amendment.”Arlington Bishop Michael Burbidge describes the measures as “very serious legal threats to human life and marriage” in a video statement.“If written into Virginia’s Constitution, these unjust amendments would be extraordinarily difficult to reverse,” the campaign website states. The abortion amendment would “effectively” make Virginia “a sanctuary for abortion and commercial abortion businesses,” it states. “Basic health and safety standards that protect women from harm would be eliminated, parents would be pushed out of life-altering decisions involving their family and children, and unregulated abortions would be possible, performed even on healthy babies up to the moment of birth for any reason with no limits,” the campaign says.Live Action says it will keep referring to abortion as ‘killing’The pro-life group Live Action has said it will not stop calling abortion “killing” after a pro-abortion group threatened the organization with legal action.Live Action made the declaration in response to a cease-and-desist letter sent by the abortion-supporting legal group Amplify Legal. The dispute is over claims made by Live Action in multiple articles about abortion cases where the unborn baby had a serious life-threatening diagnosis.“Each of our clients has described the decision to end their wanted pregnancy as the most compassionate choice for their own health, future fertility, and family’s wellbeing,” the letter read, arguing that Live Action News “repeatedly [wrote] about our clients intentionally ‘killing’ their babies.”In its response Live Action said it would not follow the request to “delete years of reporting and commentary on the most contested moral and political question in American public life.”“We are fighting for a culture and legal system that respects every human life and refuses to treat the sick, disabled, or unborn as disposable,” said Live Action Founder and President Lila Rose in a statement. “Legal threats against our First Amendment right to speak will not change that mission.”Catholic dad Mark Houck continues pro-life work after federal legal battleCatholic father Mark Houck is joining CatholicVote’s development team as a gift officer, the group announced this week. Houck and his family are adjusting to life after their home in rural eastern Pennsylvania was raided by 20 armed federal agents in the early hours of Sept. 23, 2022. Houck was arrested in front of his family and interrogated for six hours. The incident led to nearly four years of legal battles, which concluded with the family earning a seven-figure settlement for damages.“I am still very much unpacking spiritually what happened to us — very profound and certainly God is revealing his ultimate plan for us through it all, CatholicVote being the latest direction he has taken us,” Houck told EWTN News. “We are so happy to be with an organization that shares our passion for our faith, the pro-life cause, and, of course, advocacy in the public square.”Houck’s role in the organization "will extend beyond that [of a gift officer],” CatholicVote spokeswoman Laurie Olsen told EWTN News. He will “have a voice in all our pro-life efforts,” she said.Houck, meanwhile, told EWTN News: “We measure success by one soul at a time.”“Save a soul, you save your own soul. It is that one soul that gets me going and up early to head into Philadelphia and serve the common good with sidewalk advocacy,” he said.Federal court strikes down Indiana abortion parental-consent lawThe U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit ruled on Aug. 18 against an Indiana law that prevents doctors from providing abortion assistance to minors without parental consent.The 54-page ruling struck down a law that required parental consent to aid or assist a minor in obtaining an abortion. The ruling said that the parental-consent law violated the First Amendment.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/advocates-warn-new-jersey-law-could-criminalize-prayer-outside-abortion-clinics-catholic-new-jersey-gov-mikie-sherrill-on-aug-20-signed-a-bill-that-criminalizes-interference-with.jpg "Advocates warn New Jersey law could criminalize prayer outside abortion clinics #Catholic New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill on Aug. 20 signed a bill that criminalizes “interference” with “reproductive” or “gender-affirming” care, a law that opponents say has serious implications for freedom of speech.The law criminalizes inflicting “emotional harm” against those seeking or providing “reproductive health care services.” It also bans filming and sharing videos within 100 feet of an abortion clinic.Under the new law, an officer can “order the immediate dispersal of a gathering that substantially impedes access to or departure from an entrance or driveway to a reproductive or gender-affirming health care facility during the business hours of the facility.”The measure is a type of “bubble” law, which creates zones around abortion clinics where free speech is limited in “buffer zones.”Violations of the law could be punished by up to 18 months’ imprisonment and/or a $10,000 fine.New Jersey Right to Life Executive Director Marie Tasy criticized the law, describing its provisions as “inherently subjective” and the law itself as “a serious danger to free speech.”“Peaceful sidewalk counseling, prayer, holding signs, or simply offering help and alternatives outside a facility can easily be labeled ‘intimidation’ by someone who claims to feel threatened, leaving pro-life advocates open to criminal charges that are difficult to disprove and chilling constitutionally protected expression,” Tasy said.Catholic diocese leads campaign against abortion amendment referendumThe Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, is leading a campaign to oppose an amendment referendum that could create a right to abortion in the state constitution as well as another measure that would remove a same-sex marriage ban in the state.The campaign Catholics Vote No is opposing the ballot measure titled the “Virginia Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment” as well as the “Virginia Remove Constitutional Same-Sex Marriage Ban Amendment.”Arlington Bishop Michael Burbidge describes the measures as “very serious legal threats to human life and marriage” in a video statement.“If written into Virginia’s Constitution, these unjust amendments would be extraordinarily difficult to reverse,” the campaign website states. The abortion amendment would “effectively” make Virginia “a sanctuary for abortion and commercial abortion businesses,” it states. “Basic health and safety standards that protect women from harm would be eliminated, parents would be pushed out of life-altering decisions involving their family and children, and unregulated abortions would be possible, performed even on healthy babies up to the moment of birth for any reason with no limits,” the campaign says.Live Action says it will keep referring to abortion as ‘killing’The pro-life group Live Action has said it will not stop calling abortion “killing” after a pro-abortion group threatened the organization with legal action.Live Action made the declaration in response to a cease-and-desist letter sent by the abortion-supporting legal group Amplify Legal. The dispute is over claims made by Live Action in multiple articles about abortion cases where the unborn baby had a serious life-threatening diagnosis.“Each of our clients has described the decision to end their wanted pregnancy as the most compassionate choice for their own health, future fertility, and family’s wellbeing,” the letter read, arguing that Live Action News “repeatedly [wrote] about our clients intentionally ‘killing’ their babies.”In its response Live Action said it would not follow the request to “delete years of reporting and commentary on the most contested moral and political question in American public life.”“We are fighting for a culture and legal system that respects every human life and refuses to treat the sick, disabled, or unborn as disposable,” said Live Action Founder and President Lila Rose in a statement. “Legal threats against our First Amendment right to speak will not change that mission.”Catholic dad Mark Houck continues pro-life work after federal legal battleCatholic father Mark Houck is joining CatholicVote’s development team as a gift officer, the group announced this week. Houck and his family are adjusting to life after their home in rural eastern Pennsylvania was raided by 20 armed federal agents in the early hours of Sept. 23, 2022. Houck was arrested in front of his family and interrogated for six hours. The incident led to nearly four years of legal battles, which concluded with the family earning a seven-figure settlement for damages.“I am still very much unpacking spiritually what happened to us — very profound and certainly God is revealing his ultimate plan for us through it all, CatholicVote being the latest direction he has taken us,” Houck told EWTN News. “We are so happy to be with an organization that shares our passion for our faith, the pro-life cause, and, of course, advocacy in the public square.”Houck’s role in the organization \"will extend beyond that [of a gift officer],” CatholicVote spokeswoman Laurie Olsen told EWTN News. He will “have a voice in all our pro-life efforts,” she said.Houck, meanwhile, told EWTN News: “We measure success by one soul at a time.”“Save a soul, you save your own soul. It is that one soul that gets me going and up early to head into Philadelphia and serve the common good with sidewalk advocacy,” he said.Federal court strikes down Indiana abortion parental-consent lawThe U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit ruled on Aug. 18 against an Indiana law that prevents doctors from providing abortion assistance to minors without parental consent.The 54-page ruling struck down a law that required parental consent to aid or assist a minor in obtaining an abortion. The ruling said that the parental-consent law violated the First Amendment.")
Aid to the Church in Need has launched a petition that urges international leaders to take action to end religious persecution.
On Aug. 12, a total solar eclipse crossed Iceland and Spain — the first time totality has touched European soil since 1999, and the first time it’s crossed Iceland since 1954. Clouds spoiled the view for many in Iceland, but skies cleared for eclipse chasers in Spain. There, totality fell almost at sunset: some viewersContinue reading “Our favorite reader images of the 2026 total eclipse”
The post Our favorite reader images of the 2026 total eclipse appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
Read More![Surrogate mother faces 0,000 lawsuit from biological parents for refusing to abort baby – #Catholic – A California couple is suing their surrogate mother for refusing to abort the child she was carrying for them, alleging that she violated her contract by not killing the baby prior to his birth.Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed have filed suit against McKenna West seeking more than 0,000 in damages, alleging she breached their surrogacy agreement, which included a clause allowing them to request abortion of the baby if it were found to have fetal abnormalities. West, a cardiac nurse from Alaska, gave birth on Aug. 12 in Dallas to a baby boy diagnosed prenatally with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a serious but treatable heart condition. West called the child Gabriel; the contracting couple, Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed of California, call him Rumi.West had fled to Texas seeking the state’s protection for the baby after his birth. In an Aug. 20 op-ed in the New York Post, she said she was allowed only about 60 seconds with the newborn before the contracting couple took physical custody. She is currently barred from contact with the child under existing orders.A hearing on parentage and related issues is scheduled for Aug. 25 in Dallas County.West, a single mother, refused the request for an abortion following the diagnosis of the condition in April. The couple subsequently stopped paying for pregnancy-related expenses. According to the pro-life group Live Action, West was willing to give birth in California, where the contracting couple reside, if they would commit to treating the baby’s heart condition, though they reportedly refused.West said she chose Dallas Children’s Hospital in Texas due to its 100% success rate for the procedure the newborn needed.“As a cardiac nurse, I knew this little one had a great shot at survival if given the opportunity to receive the necessary treatment,” she said.The baby has undergone his first surgery for the heart condition and is receiving care in Texas under a court order secured by Attorney General Ken Paxton that required lifesaving treatment and barred his removal from the state.Lee Budner, Gilkar and Ahmed’s attorney, said in a recent statement to TMZ that the couple is “devastated” that the baby’s birth and health issues have allegedly been “transformed into political theater” by West and Paxton.In her op-ed, meanwhile, West denied claims that her actions were “political theater,” writing: “No woman should be forced to kill the baby inside her. Most importantly, every child deserves a chance to live.”West stated she has given up any claims to the baby and is only requesting that the contracting couple commit to provide “the lifesaving treatment he needs. That is all it would take to end this.”However, she wrote that the couple is “actively working to get the court order that required the baby’s continued treatment thrown out.”Budner did not respond to EWTN News’ requests for comment, but TMZ reported that he said the couple is “following the advice of the baby’s medical team, just as any loving parent would,” adding that his clients, who are suing West for not aborting the child, “continue, as they always have, to place their baby’s health and well-being first.”Irene Alexander, an associate professor of moral theology at the University of Dallas, told EWTN News that aborting a child with a treatable health condition is “almost like an Amazon mentality. If I don’t get exactly what I ordered, I want to send it back.”Alexander described the practice of surrogacy, which the Catholic Church teaches is gravely immoral, as a “dissociation of all the aspects of human sexuality: love, parenthood, and the good of the child are all spliced into parts” that lead “the children to suffer because those things are inseparably connected.”“Once you violate the order of reality that was intended to be one whole; once youʼve committed so many levels of injustice,” she said, “you’re left with the mess that does injustice to the child and to the unity of marriage.”Christina Bennett, a news correspondent for Live Action, told “EWTN News Nightly” reporter Eric Rosales on Aug. 20: “Surrogacy exploits both mother and child. Women are not just wombs to be rented, and children are not just property to be sold with contracts to be signed.” “Women deserve human dignity, children deserve human dignity, and surrogacy violates that, and it should be banned across the entire nation, as other countries have done,” she said.
[The dispute] “is a textbook example of what is wrong with surrogacy.
Joe ZalotEthicist, National Catholic Bioethics Center
Joe Zalot, an ethicist at the National Catholic Bioethics Center, told EWTN News that the case demonstrates “how commercial surrogacy denigrates the surrogate, seeking to reduce her to subservient role vis-a-vis the genetic ‘parents,’ as well as how surrogacy contracts denigrate the dignity of the preborn child through the demand that it be killed if a prenatal anomaly is diagnosed.”The dispute “is a textbook example of what is wrong with surrogacy,” Zalot continued. The controversial practice, according to Church teaching, “is never permitted because it severs the ‘inseparable connection’ between procreation and union, it violates the child’s right to be gestated by, and born of, its biological mother, and it violates the exclusivity of marriage as spouses have a right to become parents only through each other.”Kimberly Bird, a spokeswoman for Live Action, told Rosales that the “very dark reality around … these abortion clauses that are put in [surrogacy] contracts are absolutely atrocious … no one has a right to tell a woman” she must kill “the baby sheʼs carrying.”“And absolutely surrogacy should be banned,” Bird continued. ”Other countries have done it or have at least put severe restrictions on it.”Colombia lawmakers proposed a bill outlawing surrogacy this week, while the practice is illegal in dozens of other countries around the world.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/surrogate-mother-faces-100000-lawsuit-from-biological-parents-for-refusing-to-abort-baby-catholic-a-california-couple-is-suing-their-surrogate-mother-for-refusing-to-abort-the-child-she-was-car.jpg "Surrogate mother faces 0,000 lawsuit from biological parents for refusing to abort baby – #Catholic – A California couple is suing their surrogate mother for refusing to abort the child she was carrying for them, alleging that she violated her contract by not killing the baby prior to his birth.Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed have filed suit against McKenna West seeking more than 0,000 in damages, alleging she breached their surrogacy agreement, which included a clause allowing them to request abortion of the baby if it were found to have fetal abnormalities. West, a cardiac nurse from Alaska, gave birth on Aug. 12 in Dallas to a baby boy diagnosed prenatally with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a serious but treatable heart condition. West called the child Gabriel; the contracting couple, Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed of California, call him Rumi.West had fled to Texas seeking the state’s protection for the baby after his birth. In an Aug. 20 op-ed in the New York Post, she said she was allowed only about 60 seconds with the newborn before the contracting couple took physical custody. She is currently barred from contact with the child under existing orders.A hearing on parentage and related issues is scheduled for Aug. 25 in Dallas County.West, a single mother, refused the request for an abortion following the diagnosis of the condition in April. The couple subsequently stopped paying for pregnancy-related expenses. According to the pro-life group Live Action, West was willing to give birth in California, where the contracting couple reside, if they would commit to treating the baby’s heart condition, though they reportedly refused.West said she chose Dallas Children’s Hospital in Texas due to its 100% success rate for the procedure the newborn needed.“As a cardiac nurse, I knew this little one had a great shot at survival if given the opportunity to receive the necessary treatment,” she said.The baby has undergone his first surgery for the heart condition and is receiving care in Texas under a court order secured by Attorney General Ken Paxton that required lifesaving treatment and barred his removal from the state.Lee Budner, Gilkar and Ahmed’s attorney, said in a recent statement to TMZ that the couple is “devastated” that the baby’s birth and health issues have allegedly been “transformed into political theater” by West and Paxton.In her op-ed, meanwhile, West denied claims that her actions were “political theater,” writing: “No woman should be forced to kill the baby inside her. Most importantly, every child deserves a chance to live.”West stated she has given up any claims to the baby and is only requesting that the contracting couple commit to provide “the lifesaving treatment he needs. That is all it would take to end this.”However, she wrote that the couple is “actively working to get the court order that required the baby’s continued treatment thrown out.”Budner did not respond to EWTN News’ requests for comment, but TMZ reported that he said the couple is “following the advice of the baby’s medical team, just as any loving parent would,” adding that his clients, who are suing West for not aborting the child, “continue, as they always have, to place their baby’s health and well-being first.”Irene Alexander, an associate professor of moral theology at the University of Dallas, told EWTN News that aborting a child with a treatable health condition is “almost like an Amazon mentality. If I don’t get exactly what I ordered, I want to send it back.”Alexander described the practice of surrogacy, which the Catholic Church teaches is gravely immoral, as a “dissociation of all the aspects of human sexuality: love, parenthood, and the good of the child are all spliced into parts” that lead “the children to suffer because those things are inseparably connected.”“Once you violate the order of reality that was intended to be one whole; once youʼve committed so many levels of injustice,” she said, “you’re left with the mess that does injustice to the child and to the unity of marriage.”Christina Bennett, a news correspondent for Live Action, told “EWTN News Nightly” reporter Eric Rosales on Aug. 20: “Surrogacy exploits both mother and child. Women are not just wombs to be rented, and children are not just property to be sold with contracts to be signed.” “Women deserve human dignity, children deserve human dignity, and surrogacy violates that, and it should be banned across the entire nation, as other countries have done,” she said.
[The dispute] “is a textbook example of what is wrong with surrogacy.
Joe ZalotEthicist, National Catholic Bioethics Center
Joe Zalot, an ethicist at the National Catholic Bioethics Center, told EWTN News that the case demonstrates “how commercial surrogacy denigrates the surrogate, seeking to reduce her to subservient role vis-a-vis the genetic ‘parents,’ as well as how surrogacy contracts denigrate the dignity of the preborn child through the demand that it be killed if a prenatal anomaly is diagnosed.”The dispute “is a textbook example of what is wrong with surrogacy,” Zalot continued. The controversial practice, according to Church teaching, “is never permitted because it severs the ‘inseparable connection’ between procreation and union, it violates the child’s right to be gestated by, and born of, its biological mother, and it violates the exclusivity of marriage as spouses have a right to become parents only through each other.”Kimberly Bird, a spokeswoman for Live Action, told Rosales that the “very dark reality around … these abortion clauses that are put in [surrogacy] contracts are absolutely atrocious … no one has a right to tell a woman” she must kill “the baby sheʼs carrying.”“And absolutely surrogacy should be banned,” Bird continued. ”Other countries have done it or have at least put severe restrictions on it.”Colombia lawmakers proposed a bill outlawing surrogacy this week, while the practice is illegal in dozens of other countries around the world.")
McKenna West fled to Texas to give birth to the baby after his parents demanded he be aborted due to a heart condition.
Baptisms significantly fall in Ireland, a German bishop resigns, Asian churches rally after Indonesia earthquake, and more in this week’s Catholic world news roundup.
![Massachusetts high court rules against saints statues – #Catholic – Two statues of Catholic saints will remain off of a Massachusetts city’s new public safety building for the foreseeable future now that the state’s highest court has upheld a lower court order prohibiting them from being erected.The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled Thursday that the 0,000, 10-foot-tall bronze statues of St. Michael and St. Florian are so closely allied with Catholicism that putting them on a public building would amount to “government preferential treatment of a particular religion,” thus violating the state constitution.“The likelihood that these statues of religious figures closely associated with the Catholic faith could be viewed by the public as endorsement of a particular religion, and thus subordination of others, is enhanced by the fact that the statues are not part of a larger collection of statues and monuments that includes nonreligious ones, or statues of figures of particular importance to other religions,” the state’s highest court said in a 34-page decision.The unanimous court upheld a preliminary injunction on behalf of a dozen residents of the city of Quincy who object to the statues, which are currently in storage in a town south of Boston.City officials have argued that the statues have secular purposes because the city is attempting to honor police officers, whose patron saint is St. Michael the Archangel, and firefighters, whose patron saint is the early Roman martyr St. Florian. Lawyers for the city have also argued that while both figures are Catholic saints, they are also honored by other religious traditions.
Judge rules against saints’ statues on Massachusetts government building
Jessie Rossman, legal director at the ACLU of Massachusetts, which brought the initial lawsuit, praised the decision of the state’s highest court.“Here in Massachusetts, our state constitution is clear: The government must remain neutral in matters of religion and must not elevate one faith above others. With today’s landmark ruling, the Supreme Judicial Court affirms those principles, which are the essential foundation of a pluralistic society where people of all faiths and no faith can flourish,” Rossman said in a written statement.Rachel Laser, president and chief executive officer of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, called the decision “a win for religious freedom and church-state separation.”“Police and fire services are for all Quincy residents, regardless of their religious belief. By trying to install large religious statues in front of the government building dedicated to public safety, [Quincy] Mayor [Thomas] Koch and the city are violating the constitutional promise of church-state separation and sending a message to all who rely on city services that one faith is favored over all others,” Laser said in a written statement.The decision sends the case back to a state superior court, where a judge has already ruled that the plaintiffs have a high likelihood of succeeding. But it also sets up a potential appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court — as the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, reported in April — if the city’s mayor decides to go that route.“This ruling is disappointing but is only preliminary,” said Joe Davis, senior counsel at Becket law group and lead attorney for the city.“Quincy chose these statues to honor the courage and sacrifice of its firefighters and police. The City should not have to hide public art simply because some people may think of religion when they see it,” Davis said in a written statement. “As the Court noted today, this is not the final word for these statues, and we will continue defending Quincy’s right to honor its heroes.”Koch, who chose the statues and authorized them quietly before a local newspaper reported their existence, also implied that the city will continue its legal fight to erect the statues.“Quincy’s firefighters and police put their lives on the line for this city every day, and these statues were chosen to honor their bravery, service, and sacrifice,” Koch said in a written statement. “This decision is disappointing, but it is preliminary, and we will continue to fight for the ability to commemorate our first responders as the law permits.”This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, and has been adapted by EWTN News.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/massachusetts-high-court-rules-against-saints-statues-catholic-two-statues-of-catholic-saints-will-remain-off-of-a-massachusetts-citys-new-public-safety-building-for-the-foreseeable-futu.webp "Massachusetts high court rules against saints statues – #Catholic – Two statues of Catholic saints will remain off of a Massachusetts city’s new public safety building for the foreseeable future now that the state’s highest court has upheld a lower court order prohibiting them from being erected.The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled Thursday that the 0,000, 10-foot-tall bronze statues of St. Michael and St. Florian are so closely allied with Catholicism that putting them on a public building would amount to “government preferential treatment of a particular religion,” thus violating the state constitution.“The likelihood that these statues of religious figures closely associated with the Catholic faith could be viewed by the public as endorsement of a particular religion, and thus subordination of others, is enhanced by the fact that the statues are not part of a larger collection of statues and monuments that includes nonreligious ones, or statues of figures of particular importance to other religions,” the state’s highest court said in a 34-page decision.The unanimous court upheld a preliminary injunction on behalf of a dozen residents of the city of Quincy who object to the statues, which are currently in storage in a town south of Boston.City officials have argued that the statues have secular purposes because the city is attempting to honor police officers, whose patron saint is St. Michael the Archangel, and firefighters, whose patron saint is the early Roman martyr St. Florian. Lawyers for the city have also argued that while both figures are Catholic saints, they are also honored by other religious traditions.
Judge rules against saints’ statues on Massachusetts government building
Jessie Rossman, legal director at the ACLU of Massachusetts, which brought the initial lawsuit, praised the decision of the state’s highest court.“Here in Massachusetts, our state constitution is clear: The government must remain neutral in matters of religion and must not elevate one faith above others. With today’s landmark ruling, the Supreme Judicial Court affirms those principles, which are the essential foundation of a pluralistic society where people of all faiths and no faith can flourish,” Rossman said in a written statement.Rachel Laser, president and chief executive officer of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, called the decision “a win for religious freedom and church-state separation.”“Police and fire services are for all Quincy residents, regardless of their religious belief. By trying to install large religious statues in front of the government building dedicated to public safety, [Quincy] Mayor [Thomas] Koch and the city are violating the constitutional promise of church-state separation and sending a message to all who rely on city services that one faith is favored over all others,” Laser said in a written statement.The decision sends the case back to a state superior court, where a judge has already ruled that the plaintiffs have a high likelihood of succeeding. But it also sets up a potential appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court — as the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, reported in April — if the city’s mayor decides to go that route.“This ruling is disappointing but is only preliminary,” said Joe Davis, senior counsel at Becket law group and lead attorney for the city.“Quincy chose these statues to honor the courage and sacrifice of its firefighters and police. The City should not have to hide public art simply because some people may think of religion when they see it,” Davis said in a written statement. “As the Court noted today, this is not the final word for these statues, and we will continue defending Quincy’s right to honor its heroes.”Koch, who chose the statues and authorized them quietly before a local newspaper reported their existence, also implied that the city will continue its legal fight to erect the statues.“Quincy’s firefighters and police put their lives on the line for this city every day, and these statues were chosen to honor their bravery, service, and sacrifice,” Koch said in a written statement. “This decision is disappointing, but it is preliminary, and we will continue to fight for the ability to commemorate our first responders as the law permits.”This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, and has been adapted by EWTN News.")
Consider trading a national park visit for one of these less-trafficked gems with wooded trails, sparkling lakes, and majestic peaks.
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| Picture of the day |
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Ploceus philippinus (Baya Weaver) in Bhigwan, Maharashtra, India
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A NASA jacket containing Artemis I and II mission patches, along with other NASA patches hangs on the back of a chair on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, inside Firing Room 1 of the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida during a terminal countdown simulation for the Artemis III mission.
Read MoreMarco Meniero, taken from Pisa, Italy A total solar eclipse crossed Greenland, Iceland, and Spain on Aug. 12, 2026; from Pisa, Italy, only a partial eclipse was visible, reaching about 94 percent obscuration as the Sun set behind the domes of the city’s cathedral complex in Piazza dei Miracoli. The photographer shot the single 0.3-secondContinue reading “A leaning tower with a view”
The post A leaning tower with a view appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
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Commissioner appointee Heidi Overton has criticized the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s chemical abortion policies in the past. She is now poised to be in a position to change them.
A reading from the Book of Ezekiel
37:1-14
The hand of the LORD came upon me,
and led me out in the Spirit of the LORD
and set me in the center of the plain,
which was now filled with bones.
He made me walk among the bones in every direction
so that I saw how many they were on the surface of the plain.
How dry they were!
He asked me:
Son of man, can these bones come to life?
I answered, ?Lord GOD, you alone know that.?
Then he said to me:
Prophesy over these bones, and say to them:
Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!
Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones:
See! I will bring spirit into you, that you may come to life.
I will put sinews upon you, make flesh grow over you,
cover you with skin, and put spirit in you
so that you may come to life and know that I am the LORD.
I prophesied as I had been told,
and even as I was prophesying I heard a noise;
it was a rattling as the bones came together, bone joining bone.
I saw the sinews and the flesh come upon them,
and the skin cover them, but there was no spirit in them.
Then the LORD said to me:
Prophesy to the spirit, prophesy, son of man,
and say to the spirit: Thus says the Lord GOD
From the four winds come, O spirit,
and breathe into these slain that they may come to life.
I prophesied as he told me, and the spirit came into them;
they came alive and stood upright, a vast army.
Then he said to me:
Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel.
They have been saying,
?Our bones are dried up,
our hope is lost, and we are cut off.?
Therefore, prophesy and say to them: Thus says the Lord GOD:
O my people, I will open your graves
and have you rise from them,
and bring you back to the land of Israel.
Then you shall know that I am the LORD,
when I open your graves and have you rise from them,
O my people!
I will put my spirit in you that you may live,
and I will settle you upon your land;
thus you shall know that I am the LORD.
I have promised, and I will do it, says the LORD.
From the Gospel according to Matthew
22:34-40
When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees,
they gathered together, and one of them,
a scholar of the law, tested him by asking,
?Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest??
He said to him,
?You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart,
with all your soul, and with all your mind.
This is the greatest and the first commandment.
The second is like it:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.?
Jesus? filial union with the Father is expressed in the perfect love which He also made the primary commandment of the Gospel: ?You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first of the commandments? (Mt 22:37ff). As is well known, Jesus adds a second commandment to this one, ?like the first?, that of love for one?s neighbour (cf. Mt 22:39). And He offers himself as an example of this love: ?I give you a new commandment: that you love one another, just as I have loved you? (Jn 13:34). He teaches and entrusts to His followers a love modelled on His own. To this love the virtues of charity listed by Saint Paul can truly be applied: ?Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful, it is not arrogant ? Love does not insist on its own way ? It does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things ? endures all things? (1 Cor 13:4?7). When, in his letter, the Apostle presented this image of evangelical charity to his readers in Corinth, his mind and heart were undoubtedly filled with the thought of Christ?s love, towards which he wished to direct the lives of the Christian communities; thus, his hymn to charity may be regarded as a commentary on the commandment to love one another following the example of Christ, who is love (as Saint Catherine of Siena would say many centuries later): ?(As) I have loved you? (Jn 13:34). (Saint John Paul II, General Audience, 31 August 1988)
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The bishop of Lourdes announced that the SSPX no longer has authorization at the shrine to celebrate the Mass or the sacraments, although individuals are free to come and pray privately.
![Legislator proposes bill to ban surrogacy in Colombia – #Catholic – A bill has been introduced in the Colombian Congress to ban surrogacy, commonly referred to as "rent-a-womb,” in order to curb "the reproductive exploitation of women and prevent children from being turned into objects of a transaction."The bill’s explanatory statement notes that the initiative responds to calls from the Constitutional Court, which has urged Congress in four separate rulings to legislate on surrogacy, as the lack of regulation “has direct consequences for the fundamental rights of the pregnant women and the children born through this practice.”Rep. Luis Miguel López Aristizábal, the bill’s author, noted that this legal loophole has caused the country to become “one of the main destinations for so-called ‘reproductive tourism,’ where couples come from abroad to buy babies in Colombia.”The bill states that, “for example, the Tammuz Family agency, which works with the Celagem Clinic and four other clinics in Bogotá, claims on its website that ‘surrogacy in Colombia is accessible to same-sex couples and single men seeking a more affordable path to fatherhood.’”The proposed legislation also indicates that “costs for plans in Colombia start at USD $63,500 (for the basic plan involving donation of ova/eggs). At an exchange rate of 3,400 pesos [63,500 x 3,400], this equates to 215.9 million pesos (for a basic plan), of which the surrogate receives between 25 million and 40 million pesos. This demonstrates that more than 85% of the profits from this business remain with the clinics and intermediaries.”What the bill establishesA statement from López Aristizábal’s office notes that "the bill does not criminalize the pregnant woman.” Instead it establishes the criminal offense of "reproductive exploitation through surrogacy" — whether altruistic or commercial — and penalizes those who promote, broker, finance, or organize it with "prison sentences of 120 to 192 months [10-16 years] and fines ranging from 500 to 1,500 times the minimum wage, with aggravating factors applicable in cases involving the womanʼs vulnerability."These sanctions also apply to Colombian citizens who have engaged in surrogacy abroad, whether in whole or in part.In addition to protecting the surrogate mother from having to return payments received, the law establishes that “for all legal purposes, the mother of children gestated or born in Colombia is the woman who carries and gives birth to them,” i.e., not the individual or couple buying the baby. The introduction of the measure was attended by international activist Olivia Maurel, author of the Spanish-language book “Where Are You, Mom?” who was born via surrogacy. During a forum, Maurel contributed to the debate “her own experience and the perspective of someone born through this procedure.”“It is crucial that this law be passed at this time, as it will protect Colombia’s most vulnerable women” and “prevent children from being born through this practice and having to suffer the consequences of the surrogacy lobby,” she noted.“Do this for your country, for your women, and for your children,” said Maurel, spokeswoman for the Casablanca Declaration for the universal abolition of surrogacy.During the presentation, López Aristizábal stated that the bill has the backing of 15 lawmakers from various parties, such as the Liberal Party, the Conservative Party, the National Salvation Movement, the Democratic Center, the Historic Pact, and Dignity and Commitment.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/legislator-proposes-bill-to-ban-surrogacy-in-colombia-catholic-a-bill-has-been-introduced-in-the-colombian-congress-to-ban-surrogacy-commonly-referred-to-as-rent-a-womb-in-order.jpg "Legislator proposes bill to ban surrogacy in Colombia – #Catholic – A bill has been introduced in the Colombian Congress to ban surrogacy, commonly referred to as \"rent-a-womb,” in order to curb \"the reproductive exploitation of women and prevent children from being turned into objects of a transaction.\"The bill’s explanatory statement notes that the initiative responds to calls from the Constitutional Court, which has urged Congress in four separate rulings to legislate on surrogacy, as the lack of regulation “has direct consequences for the fundamental rights of the pregnant women and the children born through this practice.”Rep. Luis Miguel López Aristizábal, the bill’s author, noted that this legal loophole has caused the country to become “one of the main destinations for so-called ‘reproductive tourism,’ where couples come from abroad to buy babies in Colombia.”The bill states that, “for example, the Tammuz Family agency, which works with the Celagem Clinic and four other clinics in Bogotá, claims on its website that ‘surrogacy in Colombia is accessible to same-sex couples and single men seeking a more affordable path to fatherhood.’”The proposed legislation also indicates that “costs for plans in Colombia start at USD $63,500 (for the basic plan involving donation of ova/eggs). At an exchange rate of 3,400 pesos [63,500 x 3,400], this equates to 215.9 million pesos (for a basic plan), of which the surrogate receives between 25 million and 40 million pesos. This demonstrates that more than 85% of the profits from this business remain with the clinics and intermediaries.”What the bill establishesA statement from López Aristizábal’s office notes that \"the bill does not criminalize the pregnant woman.” Instead it establishes the criminal offense of \"reproductive exploitation through surrogacy\" — whether altruistic or commercial — and penalizes those who promote, broker, finance, or organize it with \"prison sentences of 120 to 192 months [10-16 years] and fines ranging from 500 to 1,500 times the minimum wage, with aggravating factors applicable in cases involving the womanʼs vulnerability.\"These sanctions also apply to Colombian citizens who have engaged in surrogacy abroad, whether in whole or in part.In addition to protecting the surrogate mother from having to return payments received, the law establishes that “for all legal purposes, the mother of children gestated or born in Colombia is the woman who carries and gives birth to them,” i.e., not the individual or couple buying the baby. The introduction of the measure was attended by international activist Olivia Maurel, author of the Spanish-language book “Where Are You, Mom?” who was born via surrogacy. During a forum, Maurel contributed to the debate “her own experience and the perspective of someone born through this procedure.”“It is crucial that this law be passed at this time, as it will protect Colombia’s most vulnerable women” and “prevent children from being born through this practice and having to suffer the consequences of the surrogacy lobby,” she noted.“Do this for your country, for your women, and for your children,” said Maurel, spokeswoman for the Casablanca Declaration for the universal abolition of surrogacy.During the presentation, López Aristizábal stated that the bill has the backing of 15 lawmakers from various parties, such as the Liberal Party, the Conservative Party, the National Salvation Movement, the Democratic Center, the Historic Pact, and Dignity and Commitment.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.")
The bill would penalize all parties involved except the woman carrying the baby, who would be considered the legal mother.
Bishop Emmanuel Kofi Fianu said the remaining restrictions introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic are now lifted because health authorities have not issued new cautions.
![Catholic bishops in India reject ‘Christian conspiracy’ claim over funds bill – #Catholic – The Catholic Church in India has rejected allegations of a “Christian conspiracy” behind the stalling of legislation to tighten controls on foreign donations after the government postponed the bill a second time and referred it to a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) following protests by churches and opposition parties.Sections of India’s mainstream and social media have alleged that the Church orchestrated opposition to the measure and that the United States pressed the Indian government on the Church’s behalf.“We do not indulge in any conspiracy. We put our concerns across to our government and it decided to refer the FCRA Bill [the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act] to the JPC,” Father Mathew Koyickal, deputy secretary general of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, told EWTN News on Aug. 20.The conference is the umbrella body for Catholics of the Latin, Syro-Malabar, and Syro-Malankara Churches in India.The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act has governed foreign donations in India since 1976. It is administered by the Ministry of Home Affairs, which tracks how domestic groups, trusts, and charities receive and use money from abroad.The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government amended the act in 2020 and has tightened FCRA rules several times since coming to power in 2014, curbing the flow of funds to Christian and advocacy groups. Critics say the tightening advances a Hindu nationalist agenda. Fewer than 15,000 of some 52,000 FCRA accounts are now active, according to the government’s FCRA online dashboard.The roughly 37,000 licenses canceled or not renewed include those of Church charities and Christian social action groups, along with Indian and international advocacy networks such as Amnesty International, Bread for the World, Compassion International, and Greenpeace.In March, the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced a harsher amendment to the FCRA and listed it to be passed in Parliament on April 1. Opposition protests inside Parliament and public opposition — including from the Catholic Church — forced the government to delay the bill to the monsoon session.Ahead of that session, the government notified new rules on June 22 requiring groups that receive foreign funds to specify their activities by category and geographical area, to disclose social media accounts, websites, and publications, and to pay a separate fee for each category and each area in which they operate. Political content is barred, and the rules set high penalties for each infringement.With protests spreading to more areas, including Christian-majority states such as Mizoram, and with opposition parties accusing the government of choking civil society groups and the churches under a Hindu nationalist agenda, the government put the bill on hold on Aug. 5 and referred it a week later to a 31-member joint parliamentary committee that includes opposition members. The committee will scrutinize the bill and report to Parliament during the winter session.‘Join the dots’Amid steady news coverage of the FCRA amendment, Republic TV — known for speaking up for the BJP government — devoted a segment on Aug. 19 to what it called the link between the bill and the student protests.“Why is FCRA being linked to the CJP [Cockroach Janta Party] protest? And is there actually a connection?” the anchor asked. “The issue gained traction after the Catholic priest was seen marching with the CJP in New Delhi. This is amid the U.S. also warning that the new FCRA bill could damage the India-America relationship.”The report, presented by the channel’s editor Niranjan Narayanswamy, put the question directly: “Are you wondering what does the church have to do with the Jantar Mantar protest? It’s about students, but why is the church being a part of it? Why are Americans taking an interest in the protest?”It went on to allege that foreign money routed through Christian organizations had reached Maoist-affected areas such as Chhattisgarh, where it was “being used by church bodies to convert and to push people into becoming Maoists,” and described the funding as part of a push into India by “the American deep state,” including the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The segment closed: “Join the dots and watch this space.”The protests it referred to were mounted under the banner of the Cockroach Janta Party, a satirical youth movement that grew out of anger over repeated leaks of national entrance examinations, including the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, the fiercely competitive national examination for admission to medical courses. Weeks of demonstrations, centered on Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and marked by baton charges and tear gas, ended after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on July 25.“Vested interests are behind floating baseless conspiracy theories, [as they are] embarrassed by government going soft on FCRA amendment. We challenge them to prove such wild claims,” Koyickal said.Jesuit Father John Chathanatt, former principal of the Jesuit theologate Vidyajyoti in New Delhi, told EWTN News: “We are not surprised with such wild conspiracy theories being spread whenever the BJP government narrative fails. Since it could not pass the FCRA bill, the blame is being put on church.”“They even found a hook to peg the Vatican conspiracy theory linking it to a Jesuit from Kerala working at the Rome Generate,” Chathanatt said.The Kerala allegationHindu nationalist outfits alleged that the CJP protest was part of a Vatican conspiracy led by a Kerala priest. The allegation was made by K.S. Radhakrishnan, a philosopher and former vice chancellor of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit at Kalady, who had long been described as a friend of the Catholic Church and who is now state vice president of the BJP in Kerala.The claim, which went viral on social media in southern Kerala and drew furious rebuttals from Catholics, named Jesuit Father George Mutholil — former Jesuit provincial of Kerala and, since 2019, the Society of Jesus’ regional assistant for South Asia and a general counsellor to the superior general in Rome — as the organizer of the CJP protest.Mutholil told EWTN News that the claim was “built on a single unverified podcast quote and gets basic facts wrong.” He added: “This is the familiar move: when there’s anger to redirect, blame the minority.”The American strandAmerican interest in the bill is a matter of record. Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, wrote in May that the amendment would disproportionately affect Christian charities and churches and could “do lasting damage to the relations between our two countries,” and he urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to raise it during his visit to India.Rubio began that visit on May 23 in Kolkata, at the Mother House of the Missionaries of Charity, before traveling on for talks in New Delhi. In early August, Rep. Riley Moore, R-West Virginia, called the amendments a “clear attack against Christians” and warned they could affect relations between the two countries. Sujeet Kumar, a BJP member of Parliament, wrote to Moore on Aug. 10 rejecting the claim that the bill would enable a government takeover of churches.Church officials in India say none of this was done at their instance. Savio Rodrigues, a Goa-based journalist and BJP member who founded the news portal Goa Chronicle, has advanced a broader claim in an online video, suggesting that U.S. President Donald Trump was trying to “topple Modi” through the FCRA with the Church’s support.“I watched this crazy video. I don’t think there is an ounce of truth in his accusations that the Roman Catholic Church has an agenda to dethrone Mr. Modi or his government,” Cyril Fernandes, president of the Catholic Association of Goa, told EWTN News.“The CJP [protest] too has nothing to do with the FCRA demands. The whole interview appears stage-managed to change the narrative for which the central government machinery is famous,” Fernandes said.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/catholic-bishops-in-india-reject-christian-conspiracy-claim-over-funds-bill-catholic-the-catholic-church-in-india-has-rejected-allegations-of-a-christian-conspiracy-scaled.jpg "Catholic bishops in India reject ‘Christian conspiracy’ claim over funds bill – #Catholic – The Catholic Church in India has rejected allegations of a “Christian conspiracy” behind the stalling of legislation to tighten controls on foreign donations after the government postponed the bill a second time and referred it to a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) following protests by churches and opposition parties.Sections of India’s mainstream and social media have alleged that the Church orchestrated opposition to the measure and that the United States pressed the Indian government on the Church’s behalf.“We do not indulge in any conspiracy. We put our concerns across to our government and it decided to refer the FCRA Bill [the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act] to the JPC,” Father Mathew Koyickal, deputy secretary general of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, told EWTN News on Aug. 20.The conference is the umbrella body for Catholics of the Latin, Syro-Malabar, and Syro-Malankara Churches in India.The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act has governed foreign donations in India since 1976. It is administered by the Ministry of Home Affairs, which tracks how domestic groups, trusts, and charities receive and use money from abroad.The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government amended the act in 2020 and has tightened FCRA rules several times since coming to power in 2014, curbing the flow of funds to Christian and advocacy groups. Critics say the tightening advances a Hindu nationalist agenda. Fewer than 15,000 of some 52,000 FCRA accounts are now active, according to the government’s FCRA online dashboard.The roughly 37,000 licenses canceled or not renewed include those of Church charities and Christian social action groups, along with Indian and international advocacy networks such as Amnesty International, Bread for the World, Compassion International, and Greenpeace.In March, the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced a harsher amendment to the FCRA and listed it to be passed in Parliament on April 1. Opposition protests inside Parliament and public opposition — including from the Catholic Church — forced the government to delay the bill to the monsoon session.Ahead of that session, the government notified new rules on June 22 requiring groups that receive foreign funds to specify their activities by category and geographical area, to disclose social media accounts, websites, and publications, and to pay a separate fee for each category and each area in which they operate. Political content is barred, and the rules set high penalties for each infringement.With protests spreading to more areas, including Christian-majority states such as Mizoram, and with opposition parties accusing the government of choking civil society groups and the churches under a Hindu nationalist agenda, the government put the bill on hold on Aug. 5 and referred it a week later to a 31-member joint parliamentary committee that includes opposition members. The committee will scrutinize the bill and report to Parliament during the winter session.‘Join the dots’Amid steady news coverage of the FCRA amendment, Republic TV — known for speaking up for the BJP government — devoted a segment on Aug. 19 to what it called the link between the bill and the student protests.“Why is FCRA being linked to the CJP [Cockroach Janta Party] protest? And is there actually a connection?” the anchor asked. “The issue gained traction after the Catholic priest was seen marching with the CJP in New Delhi. This is amid the U.S. also warning that the new FCRA bill could damage the India-America relationship.”The report, presented by the channel’s editor Niranjan Narayanswamy, put the question directly: “Are you wondering what does the church have to do with the Jantar Mantar protest? It’s about students, but why is the church being a part of it? Why are Americans taking an interest in the protest?”It went on to allege that foreign money routed through Christian organizations had reached Maoist-affected areas such as Chhattisgarh, where it was “being used by church bodies to convert and to push people into becoming Maoists,” and described the funding as part of a push into India by “the American deep state,” including the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The segment closed: “Join the dots and watch this space.”The protests it referred to were mounted under the banner of the Cockroach Janta Party, a satirical youth movement that grew out of anger over repeated leaks of national entrance examinations, including the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, the fiercely competitive national examination for admission to medical courses. Weeks of demonstrations, centered on Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and marked by baton charges and tear gas, ended after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on July 25.“Vested interests are behind floating baseless conspiracy theories, [as they are] embarrassed by government going soft on FCRA amendment. We challenge them to prove such wild claims,” Koyickal said.Jesuit Father John Chathanatt, former principal of the Jesuit theologate Vidyajyoti in New Delhi, told EWTN News: “We are not surprised with such wild conspiracy theories being spread whenever the BJP government narrative fails. Since it could not pass the FCRA bill, the blame is being put on church.”“They even found a hook to peg the Vatican conspiracy theory linking it to a Jesuit from Kerala working at the Rome Generate,” Chathanatt said.The Kerala allegationHindu nationalist outfits alleged that the CJP protest was part of a Vatican conspiracy led by a Kerala priest. The allegation was made by K.S. Radhakrishnan, a philosopher and former vice chancellor of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit at Kalady, who had long been described as a friend of the Catholic Church and who is now state vice president of the BJP in Kerala.The claim, which went viral on social media in southern Kerala and drew furious rebuttals from Catholics, named Jesuit Father George Mutholil — former Jesuit provincial of Kerala and, since 2019, the Society of Jesus’ regional assistant for South Asia and a general counsellor to the superior general in Rome — as the organizer of the CJP protest.Mutholil told EWTN News that the claim was “built on a single unverified podcast quote and gets basic facts wrong.” He added: “This is the familiar move: when there’s anger to redirect, blame the minority.”The American strandAmerican interest in the bill is a matter of record. Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, wrote in May that the amendment would disproportionately affect Christian charities and churches and could “do lasting damage to the relations between our two countries,” and he urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to raise it during his visit to India.Rubio began that visit on May 23 in Kolkata, at the Mother House of the Missionaries of Charity, before traveling on for talks in New Delhi. In early August, Rep. Riley Moore, R-West Virginia, called the amendments a “clear attack against Christians” and warned they could affect relations between the two countries. Sujeet Kumar, a BJP member of Parliament, wrote to Moore on Aug. 10 rejecting the claim that the bill would enable a government takeover of churches.Church officials in India say none of this was done at their instance. Savio Rodrigues, a Goa-based journalist and BJP member who founded the news portal Goa Chronicle, has advanced a broader claim in an online video, suggesting that U.S. President Donald Trump was trying to “topple Modi” through the FCRA with the Church’s support.“I watched this crazy video. I don’t think there is an ounce of truth in his accusations that the Roman Catholic Church has an agenda to dethrone Mr. Modi or his government,” Cyril Fernandes, president of the Catholic Association of Goa, told EWTN News.“The CJP [protest] too has nothing to do with the FCRA demands. The whole interview appears stage-managed to change the narrative for which the central government machinery is famous,” Fernandes said.")
A senior official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India challenged critics to prove allegations that the Church engineered the stalling of a bill tightening controls on foreign donations.
![Beyond The Beacon podcast 116: Breaking down myths and what seminary life is really like #Catholic –
Are you discerning the priesthood? Or want to learn more about what seminary life is all about? Four current seminarians for the Diocese of Paterson join the podcast to share their experience inside and outside the classroom. Joining Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish are seminarians Michael Kane, Brian Collins, Eric Hasenbein, and Sean Gallagher. This episode was produced in collaboration with the Office of Vocations as part of Seminarian Media Day and was recorded at St. Paul Inside the Walls in Madison, N.J.
Listen to the episode here, or on any major podcast platform, or watch it on Bishop Sweeney’s YouTube channel.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/beyond-the-beacon-podcast-116-breaking-down-myths-and-what-seminary-life-is-really-like-catholic-are-you-discerning-the-priesthood-or-want-to-learn-more-about-what-seminary-life-is-all-about-f.jpg "Beyond The Beacon podcast 116: Breaking down myths and what seminary life is really like #Catholic –
Are you discerning the priesthood? Or want to learn more about what seminary life is all about? Four current seminarians for the Diocese of Paterson join the podcast to share their experience inside and outside the classroom. Joining Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish are seminarians Michael Kane, Brian Collins, Eric Hasenbein, and Sean Gallagher. This episode was produced in collaboration with the Office of Vocations as part of Seminarian Media Day and was recorded at St. Paul Inside the Walls in Madison, N.J.
Listen to the episode here, or on any major podcast platform, or watch it on Bishop Sweeney’s YouTube channel.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter."){kind=tracking}
Beyond The Beacon podcast 116: Breaking down myths and what seminary life is really like #Catholic – 
Are you discerning the priesthood? Or want to learn more about what seminary life is all about? Four current seminarians for the Diocese of Paterson join the podcast to share their experience inside and outside the classroom. Joining Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish are seminarians Michael Kane, Brian Collins, Eric Hasenbein, and Sean Gallagher. This episode was produced in collaboration with the Office of Vocations as part of Seminarian Media Day and was recorded at St. Paul Inside the Walls in Madison, N.J.
Listen to the episode here, or on any major podcast platform, or watch it on Bishop Sweeney’s YouTube channel.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
– Are you discerning the priesthood? Or want to learn more about what seminary life is all about? Four current seminarians for the Diocese of Paterson join the podcast to share their experience inside and outside the classroom. Joining Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish are seminarians Michael Kane, Brian Collins, Eric Hasenbein, and Sean Gallagher. This episode was produced in collaboration with the Office of Vocations as part of Seminarian Media Day and was recorded at St. Paul Inside the Walls in Madison, N.J. Listen to the episode here, or on any major podcast platform, or watch
![La Iglesia diocesana se pone en camino: Paterson peregrina unida a Washington #Catholic – Cada tres años, la Diócesis de Paterson recibe una invitación poco común: peregrinar como una sola familia hacia la Basílica del Santuario Nacional de la Inmaculada Concepción, en Washington, D.C. Este año, esa invitación vuelve a estar sobre la mesa. El sábado 17 de octubre, el obispo Kevin J. Sweeney encabezará la Peregrinación Mariana Diocesana, acompañado por sacerdotes y fieles de parroquias de toda la diócesis.
Será una jornada de oración en uno de los santuarios católicos más importantes del país y, sobre todo, una ocasión para reconocerse como Iglesia. La peregrinación reúne a personas de distintas edades, culturas y comunidades parroquiales; muchas no se han visto nunca, pero todas llegan como parte de un mismo cuerpo, unidas por el deseo de caminar juntas y acercarse más al Señor.
LEARN MORE/REGISTER:
Diocesan Marian Pilgrimage
Oct. 17, 2026
Mucho más que un viaje
Peregrinar es una práctica antigua en la vida de la Iglesia y no se agota en visitar un lugar sagrado: el camino mismo se convierte en experiencia de fe. Durante la jornada en Washington, los peregrinos podrán recorrer las capillas de la Basílica, recibir el sacramento de la Reconciliación, participar en sesiones de catequesis en inglés y español y rezar la Coronilla de la Divina Misericordia. El momento central será la Santa Misa de las 2:30 p. m., presidida por el obispo Sweeney y concelebrada por sacerdotes de la diócesis. Para quienes nunca han estado allí, el día ofrece además la oportunidad de conocer uno de los templos católicos más significativos de los Estados Unidos.
Ese es el caso de Claudia Soria, coordinadora de Educación Religiosa de St. Anthony of Padua Parish, en Passaic, para quien esta será tanto su primera peregrinación diocesana como su primera visita a la Basílica Nacional. Soria cuenta que siente “un llamado en mi corazón a participar en la peregrinación” y que quiere ofrecer el viaje “como un acto de fe, agradeciendo a Dios por sus bendiciones y buscando una conexión más profunda con Él”. Conocer el santuario por primera vez será, dice, “un sueño hecho realidad”, y espera encontrar allí un espacio de paz, oración y encuentro con Dios.
De todos los momentos del día, el que más aguarda es la Eucaristía: participar en la Misa junto a tantos otros peregrinos y recibir al Señor será, asegura, lo más significativo de la experiencia. Valora también el encuentro con católicos de otras comunidades, porque peregrinar con hermanos y hermanas de distintas parroquias “es un regalo” y “un recordatorio de que somos parte de una gran familia en Cristo, unidos en la fe y en la oración”.
Para suscribirse a nuestro boletín electrónico semanal, haga click aquí.
Una invitación para todos
El obispo Sweeney ha invitado personalmente a los fieles a considerar el viaje. Una peregrinación, ha señalado, trae gracias y bendiciones espirituales, puede ser una experiencia especialmente hermosa para jóvenes y familias, y recuerda algo esencial de la identidad cristiana: somos un pueblo peregrino.
Este año, además, la fecha tiene un eco particular. La peregrinación se realiza mientras el país celebra el 250 aniversario de la independencia de los Estados Unidos, lo que convierte la jornada en una ocasión para dar gracias por las bendiciones recibidas y para rezar por la nación, confiándola a la intercesión de la Inmaculada Concepción, su patrona. La experiencia prolonga también el espíritu del Jubileo de 2025 y su llamado a ser “Peregrinos de Esperanza”: el Año Jubilar terminó, pero el camino de la fe continúa.
Dos maneras de participar
Un día: Sábado 17 de octubre, por persona, con transporte en autobús y las actividades del día en la Basílica. La salida de regreso desde Washington está prevista para las 4:15 p. m. La fecha límite de inscripción es el 1 de octubre.
Dos días: Viernes 16 y sábado 17 de octubre, con transporte, visita al Museum of the Bible con almuerzo, alojamiento en el Westin Hotel, cena con el obispo Sweeney el viernes y desayuno el sábado antes de la peregrinación en la Basílica. El costo es de 5 por persona en habitación doble o 5 en habitación individual. La fecha límite de inscripción es el 11 de septiembre.
Soria espera que la jornada fortalezca su compromiso con la fe y regresar a casa “con un corazón lleno de gratitud, una fe renovada y el deseo de compartir lo vivido con mi comunidad”. A quienes aún lo están pensando, les dice que “no lo piensen más”: peregrinar a Washington será, en sus palabras, “una oportunidad para acercarse a Dios, conocer a otros creyentes y vivir momentos de profunda oración”.
Al final, ese es el sentido de toda peregrinación: ponerse en camino buscando al Señor y volver a casa con una fe renovada. En octubre, la Diócesis de Paterson volverá a hacerlo, y la invitación está abierta para que las parroquias caminen juntas hacia Washington como una sola Iglesia.
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/la-iglesia-diocesana-se-pone-en-camino-paterson-peregrina-unida-a-washington-catholic-cada-tres-anos-la-diocesis-de-paterson-recibe-una-invitacion-poco-comun-peregrinar-como-una-sola-familia-hac.webp "La Iglesia diocesana se pone en camino: Paterson peregrina unida a Washington #Catholic – Cada tres años, la Diócesis de Paterson recibe una invitación poco común: peregrinar como una sola familia hacia la Basílica del Santuario Nacional de la Inmaculada Concepción, en Washington, D.C. Este año, esa invitación vuelve a estar sobre la mesa. El sábado 17 de octubre, el obispo Kevin J. Sweeney encabezará la Peregrinación Mariana Diocesana, acompañado por sacerdotes y fieles de parroquias de toda la diócesis.
Será una jornada de oración en uno de los santuarios católicos más importantes del país y, sobre todo, una ocasión para reconocerse como Iglesia. La peregrinación reúne a personas de distintas edades, culturas y comunidades parroquiales; muchas no se han visto nunca, pero todas llegan como parte de un mismo cuerpo, unidas por el deseo de caminar juntas y acercarse más al Señor.
LEARN MORE/REGISTER:
Diocesan Marian Pilgrimage
Oct. 17, 2026
Mucho más que un viaje
Peregrinar es una práctica antigua en la vida de la Iglesia y no se agota en visitar un lugar sagrado: el camino mismo se convierte en experiencia de fe. Durante la jornada en Washington, los peregrinos podrán recorrer las capillas de la Basílica, recibir el sacramento de la Reconciliación, participar en sesiones de catequesis en inglés y español y rezar la Coronilla de la Divina Misericordia. El momento central será la Santa Misa de las 2:30 p. m., presidida por el obispo Sweeney y concelebrada por sacerdotes de la diócesis. Para quienes nunca han estado allí, el día ofrece además la oportunidad de conocer uno de los templos católicos más significativos de los Estados Unidos.
Ese es el caso de Claudia Soria, coordinadora de Educación Religiosa de St. Anthony of Padua Parish, en Passaic, para quien esta será tanto su primera peregrinación diocesana como su primera visita a la Basílica Nacional. Soria cuenta que siente “un llamado en mi corazón a participar en la peregrinación” y que quiere ofrecer el viaje “como un acto de fe, agradeciendo a Dios por sus bendiciones y buscando una conexión más profunda con Él”. Conocer el santuario por primera vez será, dice, “un sueño hecho realidad”, y espera encontrar allí un espacio de paz, oración y encuentro con Dios.
De todos los momentos del día, el que más aguarda es la Eucaristía: participar en la Misa junto a tantos otros peregrinos y recibir al Señor será, asegura, lo más significativo de la experiencia. Valora también el encuentro con católicos de otras comunidades, porque peregrinar con hermanos y hermanas de distintas parroquias “es un regalo” y “un recordatorio de que somos parte de una gran familia en Cristo, unidos en la fe y en la oración”.
Para suscribirse a nuestro boletín electrónico semanal, haga click aquí.
Una invitación para todos
El obispo Sweeney ha invitado personalmente a los fieles a considerar el viaje. Una peregrinación, ha señalado, trae gracias y bendiciones espirituales, puede ser una experiencia especialmente hermosa para jóvenes y familias, y recuerda algo esencial de la identidad cristiana: somos un pueblo peregrino.
Este año, además, la fecha tiene un eco particular. La peregrinación se realiza mientras el país celebra el 250 aniversario de la independencia de los Estados Unidos, lo que convierte la jornada en una ocasión para dar gracias por las bendiciones recibidas y para rezar por la nación, confiándola a la intercesión de la Inmaculada Concepción, su patrona. La experiencia prolonga también el espíritu del Jubileo de 2025 y su llamado a ser “Peregrinos de Esperanza”: el Año Jubilar terminó, pero el camino de la fe continúa.
Dos maneras de participar
Un día: Sábado 17 de octubre, por persona, con transporte en autobús y las actividades del día en la Basílica. La salida de regreso desde Washington está prevista para las 4:15 p. m. La fecha límite de inscripción es el 1 de octubre.
Dos días: Viernes 16 y sábado 17 de octubre, con transporte, visita al Museum of the Bible con almuerzo, alojamiento en el Westin Hotel, cena con el obispo Sweeney el viernes y desayuno el sábado antes de la peregrinación en la Basílica. El costo es de 5 por persona en habitación doble o 5 en habitación individual. La fecha límite de inscripción es el 11 de septiembre.
Soria espera que la jornada fortalezca su compromiso con la fe y regresar a casa “con un corazón lleno de gratitud, una fe renovada y el deseo de compartir lo vivido con mi comunidad”. A quienes aún lo están pensando, les dice que “no lo piensen más”: peregrinar a Washington será, en sus palabras, “una oportunidad para acercarse a Dios, conocer a otros creyentes y vivir momentos de profunda oración”.
Al final, ese es el sentido de toda peregrinación: ponerse en camino buscando al Señor y volver a casa con una fe renovada. En octubre, la Diócesis de Paterson volverá a hacerlo, y la invitación está abierta para que las parroquias caminen juntas hacia Washington como una sola Iglesia.
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]")
La Iglesia diocesana se pone en camino: Paterson peregrina unida a Washington #Catholic – 
Cada tres años, la Diócesis de Paterson recibe una invitación poco común: peregrinar como una sola familia hacia la Basílica del Santuario Nacional de la Inmaculada Concepción, en Washington, D.C. Este año, esa invitación vuelve a estar sobre la mesa. El sábado 17 de octubre, el obispo Kevin J. Sweeney encabezará la Peregrinación Mariana Diocesana, acompañado por sacerdotes y fieles de parroquias de toda la diócesis.
Será una jornada de oración en uno de los santuarios católicos más importantes del país y, sobre todo, una ocasión para reconocerse como Iglesia. La peregrinación reúne a personas de distintas edades, culturas y comunidades parroquiales; muchas no se han visto nunca, pero todas llegan como parte de un mismo cuerpo, unidas por el deseo de caminar juntas y acercarse más al Señor.
 |
LEARN MORE/REGISTER: Diocesan Marian Pilgrimage Oct. 17, 2026 |
Mucho más que un viaje
Peregrinar es una práctica antigua en la vida de la Iglesia y no se agota en visitar un lugar sagrado: el camino mismo se convierte en experiencia de fe. Durante la jornada en Washington, los peregrinos podrán recorrer las capillas de la Basílica, recibir el sacramento de la Reconciliación, participar en sesiones de catequesis en inglés y español y rezar la Coronilla de la Divina Misericordia. El momento central será la Santa Misa de las 2:30 p. m., presidida por el obispo Sweeney y concelebrada por sacerdotes de la diócesis. Para quienes nunca han estado allí, el día ofrece además la oportunidad de conocer uno de los templos católicos más significativos de los Estados Unidos.
Ese es el caso de Claudia Soria, coordinadora de Educación Religiosa de St. Anthony of Padua Parish, en Passaic, para quien esta será tanto su primera peregrinación diocesana como su primera visita a la Basílica Nacional. Soria cuenta que siente “un llamado en mi corazón a participar en la peregrinación” y que quiere ofrecer el viaje “como un acto de fe, agradeciendo a Dios por sus bendiciones y buscando una conexión más profunda con Él”. Conocer el santuario por primera vez será, dice, “un sueño hecho realidad”, y espera encontrar allí un espacio de paz, oración y encuentro con Dios.
De todos los momentos del día, el que más aguarda es la Eucaristía: participar en la Misa junto a tantos otros peregrinos y recibir al Señor será, asegura, lo más significativo de la experiencia. Valora también el encuentro con católicos de otras comunidades, porque peregrinar con hermanos y hermanas de distintas parroquias “es un regalo” y “un recordatorio de que somos parte de una gran familia en Cristo, unidos en la fe y en la oración”.
Para suscribirse a nuestro boletín electrónico semanal, haga click aquí.
Una invitación para todos
El obispo Sweeney ha invitado personalmente a los fieles a considerar el viaje. Una peregrinación, ha señalado, trae gracias y bendiciones espirituales, puede ser una experiencia especialmente hermosa para jóvenes y familias, y recuerda algo esencial de la identidad cristiana: somos un pueblo peregrino.
Este año, además, la fecha tiene un eco particular. La peregrinación se realiza mientras el país celebra el 250 aniversario de la independencia de los Estados Unidos, lo que convierte la jornada en una ocasión para dar gracias por las bendiciones recibidas y para rezar por la nación, confiándola a la intercesión de la Inmaculada Concepción, su patrona. La experiencia prolonga también el espíritu del Jubileo de 2025 y su llamado a ser “Peregrinos de Esperanza”: el Año Jubilar terminó, pero el camino de la fe continúa.
Dos maneras de participar
Un día: Sábado 17 de octubre, $70 por persona, con transporte en autobús y las actividades del día en la Basílica. La salida de regreso desde Washington está prevista para las 4:15 p. m. La fecha límite de inscripción es el 1 de octubre.
Dos días: Viernes 16 y sábado 17 de octubre, con transporte, visita al Museum of the Bible con almuerzo, alojamiento en el Westin Hotel, cena con el obispo Sweeney el viernes y desayuno el sábado antes de la peregrinación en la Basílica. El costo es de $325 por persona en habitación doble o $395 en habitación individual. La fecha límite de inscripción es el 11 de septiembre.
Soria espera que la jornada fortalezca su compromiso con la fe y regresar a casa “con un corazón lleno de gratitud, una fe renovada y el deseo de compartir lo vivido con mi comunidad”. A quienes aún lo están pensando, les dice que “no lo piensen más”: peregrinar a Washington será, en sus palabras, “una oportunidad para acercarse a Dios, conocer a otros creyentes y vivir momentos de profunda oración”.
Al final, ese es el sentido de toda peregrinación: ponerse en camino buscando al Señor y volver a casa con una fe renovada. En octubre, la Diócesis de Paterson volverá a hacerlo, y la invitación está abierta para que las parroquias caminen juntas hacia Washington como una sola Iglesia.
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org] – Cada tres años, la Diócesis de Paterson recibe una invitación poco común: peregrinar como una sola familia hacia la Basílica del Santuario Nacional de la Inmaculada Concepción, en Washington, D.C. Este año, esa invitación vuelve a estar sobre la mesa. El sábado 17 de octubre, el obispo Kevin J. Sweeney encabezará la Peregrinación Mariana Diocesana, acompañado por sacerdotes y fieles de parroquias de toda la diócesis. Será una jornada de oración en uno de los santuarios católicos más importantes del país y, sobre todo, una ocasión para reconocerse como Iglesia. La peregrinación reúne a personas de distintas edades, culturas y
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Zagedan Valley with the mountain cirque and high-altitude lakes formed by ancient glacial erosion. Zagedan Ridge, Karachay-Cherkessia, Caucasus Mountains.
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About 12 billion years ago, a dwarf galaxy known as LKH collided with a young Milky Way and merged with it. This artist’s concept portrays that collision. NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope uncovered definitive evidence of this collision by studying globular star clusters.
Read MoreA reading from the Book of Ezekiel
36:23-28
Thus says the LORD:
I will prove the holiness of my great name,
profaned among the nations,
in whose midst you have profaned it.
Thus the nations shall know that I am the LORD, says the Lord GOD,
when in their sight I prove my holiness through you.
For I will take you away from among the nations,
gather you from all the foreign lands,
and bring you back to your own land.
I will sprinkle clean water upon you
to cleanse you from all your impurities,
and from all your idols I will cleanse you.
I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you,
taking from your bodies your stony hearts
and giving you natural hearts.
I will put my spirit within you and make you live by my statutes,
careful to observe my decrees.
You shall live in the land I gave your ancestors;
you shall be my people, and I will be your God.
From the Gospel according to Matthew
22:1-14
Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests
and the elders of the people in parables saying,
?The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who gave a wedding feast for his son.
He dispatched his servants to summon
the invited guests to the feast,
but they refused to come.
A second time he sent other servants, saying,
?Tell those invited: ?Behold, I have prepared my banquet,
my calves and fattened cattle are killed,
and everything is ready; come to the feast.??
Some ignored the invitation and went away,
one to his farm, another to his business.
The rest laid hold of his servants,
mistreated them, and killed them.
The king was enraged and sent his troops,
destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
Then the king said to his servants, ?The feast is ready,
but those who were invited were not worthy to come.
Go out, therefore, into the main roads
and invite to the feast whomever you find.?
The servants went out into the streets
and gathered all they found, bad and good alike,
and the hall was filled with guests.
But when the king came in to meet the guests
he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment.
He said to him, ?My friend, how is it
that you came in here without a wedding garment??
But he was reduced to silence.
Then the king said to his attendants, ?Bind his hands and feet,
and cast him into the darkness outside,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.?
Many are invited, but few are chosen.?
With the narrative of the Parable of the Wedding Banquet, in today?s Gospel passage (cf. Mt 22:1-14), Jesus outlines the plan that God envisaged for humanity. The king who ?who gave a marriage feast for his son? (v. 2) is the image of the Father who prepared for the entire human family a wonderful celebration of love and communion around his only begotten Son. Twice the king sends his servants to call the invited guests, but they refuse; they do not want to go to the feast because they have other things to think about: fields and business. We often also put our interests and material things ahead of the Lord who calls us ? and he calls us to a feast. But the king in the parable does not want the hall to remain empty, because he wants to offer the treasures of his kingdom. So he tells his servants: ?Go therefore to the thoroughfares, and invite to the marriage feast as many as you find? (v. 9). This is how God reacts: when he is rejected, rather than giving up, he starts over and asks that all those found at the thoroughfares be called, excluding no one. No one is excluded from the house of God. (?)
However, the Lord places one condition: to wear a wedding garment. (?) The wedding garment (?) symbolizes the mercy that God freely gives us, namely, grace. Without grace we cannot take a step forward in Christian life. Everything is grace. (Pope Francis, Angelus, 11 October 2020)
Read More
Pope, bishops mourn death of Polish pilgrims returning from Medjugorje #Catholic – 
(OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV and the bishops of Poland and Hungary mourned the loss of several pilgrims who died in a bus crash as they were returning home from Medjugorje.
According to Vatican News, Cardinal Pietro Parolin sent condolences Aug. 18 on the pope’s behalf to Polish Archbishop Adam Szal of Przemysl and Bishop Jan Franciszek Watroba of Rzeszów, who lead the dioceses to which the pilgrims belonged.
“Expressing his spiritual closeness to all those affected by this tragic event, the Holy Father offers special prayers for those brothers and sisters who, while returning from a pilgrimage of faith, completed their earthly pilgrimage,” Cardinal Parolin wrote.
The pope, he added, prayed that the victims’ families would receive the gift of consolation and invoked the intercession of Our Lady of Czestochowa before imparting his blessing “as a sign of paternal closeness and Christian hope.”
According to Hungarian police, the accident occurred in the early hours of the morning Aug. 16, when the bus carrying 57 pilgrims veered off a highway near the Hungarian town of Mezokeresztes. According to news reports, they were returning to Poland after visiting the Marian shrine at Medjugorje in southwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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“According to current information, it is suspected that the driver fell asleep,” subsequently forcing the bus into a ditch and causing it to overturn, police said in an Aug. 16 statement. The driver was taken into custody shortly after the accident.
The Reuters news agency reported Aug. 18 that a Hungarian court ruled the bus driver’s detention would continue after prosecutors argued that his negligence led to the deaths of 12 people and dozens seriously injured.
“According to the current state of the investigation … the driver was incapable of safely operating the vehicle, he fell asleep due to fatigue,” ?prosecutors said, according to Reuters.
The court ordered that the driver be detained for a month after prosecutors cited concerns that he may flee or interfere in the investigation. If tried and found guilty of negligent homicide, the driver could face between two and eight years in prison.
Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda of Gdansk, president of the Polish bishops’ conference, released a statement hours after the accident, expressing his “great sorrow” for the deaths of the 12 pilgrims and the injured.
“I also extend my prayers to the families of those who died and were injured in the bus accident,” the bishop said in an Aug. 16 statement. “I ask God to grant them the gift of consolation, as well as the strength and hope to help them endure these incredibly difficult times.”
The president of the Hungarian bishops’ conference, Bishop János Székely of Szombathely, said he was “shocked” by the news of the accident and offered prayers for the deceased.
“I ask the Almighty to provide comfort to the relatives of the deceased in these difficult hours and to help the injured recover as soon as possible,” Bishop Székely said. “On behalf of all members of the Hungarian Catholic community, I assure our Polish brothers and sisters of my sympathy and solidarity.”
The accident also drew statements from world leaders, including Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar who expressed condolences on his Facebook page to the pilgrims’ families and wished “a speedy recovery to the injured.”
In a statement posted to his X account, Polish President Karol Nawrocki expressed his sadness about the accident “in which so many of our compatriots perished.”
“In the face of this unimaginable tragedy, which has touched us all, I join in prayer and profound compassion with the families and loved ones of the victims,” Nawrocki wrote.
Junno Arocho Esteves is an international correspondent for OSV News. Follow him on X @jae_journalist.
– (OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV and the bishops of Poland and Hungary mourned the loss of several pilgrims who died in a bus crash as they were returning home from Medjugorje. According to Vatican News, Cardinal Pietro Parolin sent condolences Aug. 18 on the pope’s behalf to Polish Archbishop Adam Szal of Przemysl and Bishop Jan Franciszek Watroba of Rzeszów, who lead the dioceses to which the pilgrims belonged. “Expressing his spiritual closeness to all those affected by this tragic event, the Holy Father offers special prayers for those brothers and sisters who, while returning from a pilgrimage of
![Deadly school shooting sparks alarm in the Philippines #Catholic – (OSV News) — A shooting in a Jesuit-run school in the Philippines, which saw a student kill a fellow student before killing himself, sparked shock and reignited alarm over juvenile delinquency and campus security.
The incident inside a classroom at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University Junior School in Mindanao, southern Philippines, occurred on the morning of Aug. 18, according to police.
The student not only shot a fellow student and killed himself but also livestreamed the incident on Facebook. The attacker was reportedly armed with a pistol and rifle.
Several other students were injured in the attack and rushed to local hospitals for treatment, the authorities said.
Zamboanga City Mayor Khymer Adan Olaso said preliminary information indicated the shooter wore a body camera. The video has since gone viral on various social media platforms.
Olaso raised strong concerns over the influence of ultra-violent online sandbox games like GoreBox and fringe extremist networks like the “764” group, urging national authorities to heavily restrict violent online games accessible to minors.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Local media reported that a customs police officer assigned to the Port of Zamboanga, allegedly the shooter’s father, has been dismissed from his post following the incident.
Jesuit Father Guillrey Anthony Andal, school president, confirmed the shooting incident and affirmed that the institution is prioritizing the community’s welfare.
“We do not want any of these things to happen. We wish to prioritize the safety of all our students,” he said in a statement.
The university issued a separate statement to express shock over the shooting.
“The Ateneo de Zamboanga University is saddened by the incident that happened today on our JHS campus. As of now, we confirm that there are two [2] fatalities… We ask everyone to respect the privacy of all affected individuals. We pray for the quick resolution of the situation and for the safety of all,” the statement said.
Zamboanga City Police Director Col. Fidel Fortaleza stated the campus was contained by mid-morning, confirming no ongoing threat as Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) processed the area. Classes were immediately suspended, and students were evacuated to designated safe zones to be reunited with their families.
This is the second fatal shooting at a Jesuit-run Ateneo university network, following a targeted political assassination in July 2022 at Ateneo de Manila University that left three people dead.
It also marks the second deadly school shooting in the Philippines in less than two months, following a June attack at a public high school in Tacloban City where two students killed at least three schoolmates and injured about 20 others.
Police investigations remain underway to establish the motive and determine how the firearms breached campus security.
The school shooting is the second such incident in a Southeast Asian country in little over a week.
On Aug. 7, a 14-year-old boy in Thailand killed his grandparents before shooting dead five more people at a school and then killing himself.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/deadly-school-shooting-sparks-alarm-in-the-philippines-catholic-osv-news-a-shooting-in-a-jesuit-run-school-in-the-philippines-which-saw-a-student-kill-a-fellow-student-before-killing-him.jpg "Deadly school shooting sparks alarm in the Philippines #Catholic – (OSV News) — A shooting in a Jesuit-run school in the Philippines, which saw a student kill a fellow student before killing himself, sparked shock and reignited alarm over juvenile delinquency and campus security.
The incident inside a classroom at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University Junior School in Mindanao, southern Philippines, occurred on the morning of Aug. 18, according to police.
The student not only shot a fellow student and killed himself but also livestreamed the incident on Facebook. The attacker was reportedly armed with a pistol and rifle.
Several other students were injured in the attack and rushed to local hospitals for treatment, the authorities said.
Zamboanga City Mayor Khymer Adan Olaso said preliminary information indicated the shooter wore a body camera. The video has since gone viral on various social media platforms.
Olaso raised strong concerns over the influence of ultra-violent online sandbox games like GoreBox and fringe extremist networks like the “764” group, urging national authorities to heavily restrict violent online games accessible to minors.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Local media reported that a customs police officer assigned to the Port of Zamboanga, allegedly the shooter’s father, has been dismissed from his post following the incident.
Jesuit Father Guillrey Anthony Andal, school president, confirmed the shooting incident and affirmed that the institution is prioritizing the community’s welfare.
“We do not want any of these things to happen. We wish to prioritize the safety of all our students,” he said in a statement.
The university issued a separate statement to express shock over the shooting.
“The Ateneo de Zamboanga University is saddened by the incident that happened today on our JHS campus. As of now, we confirm that there are two [2] fatalities… We ask everyone to respect the privacy of all affected individuals. We pray for the quick resolution of the situation and for the safety of all,” the statement said.
Zamboanga City Police Director Col. Fidel Fortaleza stated the campus was contained by mid-morning, confirming no ongoing threat as Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) processed the area. Classes were immediately suspended, and students were evacuated to designated safe zones to be reunited with their families.
This is the second fatal shooting at a Jesuit-run Ateneo university network, following a targeted political assassination in July 2022 at Ateneo de Manila University that left three people dead.
It also marks the second deadly school shooting in the Philippines in less than two months, following a June attack at a public high school in Tacloban City where two students killed at least three schoolmates and injured about 20 others.
Police investigations remain underway to establish the motive and determine how the firearms breached campus security.
The school shooting is the second such incident in a Southeast Asian country in little over a week.
On Aug. 7, a 14-year-old boy in Thailand killed his grandparents before shooting dead five more people at a school and then killing himself.")
Deadly school shooting sparks alarm in the Philippines #Catholic – 
(OSV News) — A shooting in a Jesuit-run school in the Philippines, which saw a student kill a fellow student before killing himself, sparked shock and reignited alarm over juvenile delinquency and campus security.
The incident inside a classroom at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University Junior School in Mindanao, southern Philippines, occurred on the morning of Aug. 18, according to police.
The student not only shot a fellow student and killed himself but also livestreamed the incident on Facebook. The attacker was reportedly armed with a pistol and rifle.
Several other students were injured in the attack and rushed to local hospitals for treatment, the authorities said.
Zamboanga City Mayor Khymer Adan Olaso said preliminary information indicated the shooter wore a body camera. The video has since gone viral on various social media platforms.
Olaso raised strong concerns over the influence of ultra-violent online sandbox games like GoreBox and fringe extremist networks like the “764” group, urging national authorities to heavily restrict violent online games accessible to minors.
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Local media reported that a customs police officer assigned to the Port of Zamboanga, allegedly the shooter’s father, has been dismissed from his post following the incident.
Jesuit Father Guillrey Anthony Andal, school president, confirmed the shooting incident and affirmed that the institution is prioritizing the community’s welfare.
“We do not want any of these things to happen. We wish to prioritize the safety of all our students,” he said in a statement.
The university issued a separate statement to express shock over the shooting.
“The Ateneo de Zamboanga University is saddened by the incident that happened today on our JHS campus. As of now, we confirm that there are two [2] fatalities… We ask everyone to respect the privacy of all affected individuals. We pray for the quick resolution of the situation and for the safety of all,” the statement said.
Zamboanga City Police Director Col. Fidel Fortaleza stated the campus was contained by mid-morning, confirming no ongoing threat as Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) processed the area. Classes were immediately suspended, and students were evacuated to designated safe zones to be reunited with their families.
This is the second fatal shooting at a Jesuit-run Ateneo university network, following a targeted political assassination in July 2022 at Ateneo de Manila University that left three people dead.
It also marks the second deadly school shooting in the Philippines in less than two months, following a June attack at a public high school in Tacloban City where two students killed at least three schoolmates and injured about 20 others.
Police investigations remain underway to establish the motive and determine how the firearms breached campus security.
The school shooting is the second such incident in a Southeast Asian country in little over a week.
On Aug. 7, a 14-year-old boy in Thailand killed his grandparents before shooting dead five more people at a school and then killing himself.
– (OSV News) — A shooting in a Jesuit-run school in the Philippines, which saw a student kill a fellow student before killing himself, sparked shock and reignited alarm over juvenile delinquency and campus security. The incident inside a classroom at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University Junior School in Mindanao, southern Philippines, occurred on the morning of Aug. 18, according to police. The student not only shot a fellow student and killed himself but also livestreamed the incident on Facebook. The attacker was reportedly armed with a pistol and rifle. Several other students were injured in the attack and rushed to
The archdiocese said the bodies of deceased newborns and babies who die late in pregnancy are often “abandoned in public places, in hospitals, or even among the trash.”
Sacred music must be ‘dignified,’ reflecting the mystery being celebrated, pope says #Catholic – 
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Singing and playing music during the liturgy is an integral and necessary part of the celebration, which means it is much more than something “decorative,” Pope Leo XIV said.
“In the liturgy, to sing and to play music means to pray, attuning one’s heart to that of our sisters and brothers and to God, through active participation in the mystery that is being celebrated,” he said during his general audience talk in St. Peter’s Basilica Aug. 19.
“Far from being merely decorative, therefore, sacred music is a treasure of profound value. It should always be dignified, draw inspiration from Sacred Scripture and reflect the grandeur of the mystery celebrated,” he added.
During the audience, the pope also invited all Catholics to continually cultivate “a genuine awareness of peace.”
“May you sincerely recognize that peace is a precious and great gift, and that it requires a strong and constant commitment to achieve it, by honestly and truthfully following the paths that build and sustain it in society,” he said in Italian.
In his main talk, Pope Leo continued his series of talks on the Second Vatican Council, focusing on the importance of sacred music as outlined in the council’s constitution on the sacred liturgy, “Sacrosanctum Concilium.”
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“Indeed, singing and playing a musical instrument are acts of prayer,” he told English-speakers in his summary. “Music thus fosters our unity in praising God and opens our hearts to be fashioned by his grace.”
The council’s text “confirms and deepens the ministerial function of music in the liturgy, which had already been highlighted by St. Pius X” in 1903 with his document, “Tra Le Sollecitudini” (“Among the Concerns”), Pope Leo said in his main talk in Italian.
The Council Fathers recognized that “certain requirements” are, therefore, necessary, the first being that “it must respond at every level to what is most appropriate for the liturgical moment, beyond fashions or the particular sensitivities of composers,” he said.
“Its form, especially in its melodic aspect, must be at once noble and simple, of high musical quality and easily performable, particularly when it is intended to be sung by the whole assembly,” he added, referring to the teachings in the conciliar document.
The council recommended that “the texts too should be suitable, profound and at the same time readily understandable, inspired mainly by Sacred Scripture, the liturgical books and the spiritual tradition of the Church,” so that “the law of prayer,” which is also “the law of faith, may remain alive and continue to grow,” the pope said.
“‘Sacrosanctum Concilium’ devotes considerable attention to the theme of the active participation of the faithful,” because the emphasis is on fostering a “greater awareness of the mystery being celebrated and its relationship to daily life” in a “spirit of constant conversion,” he said, quoting Pope Benedict XVI.
Each minister and member of the faithful is called to perform those parts which pertain to their office in a “harmonious balance between the different ministries” and with appropriate moments of “reverent silence,” he added.
The council attributes “great value to Gregorian chant, without excluding other genres of sacred music from the celebration,” as well as to the organ, he said. The use of other instruments is permitted as long as the instruments are suitable for sacred use “and truly contribute to the edification of the faithful,” he added, citing “Sacrosanctum Concilium.”
Because inculturation was part of the council’s reform, including in the field of sacred music, the Council Fathers underlined the importance of taking the musical traditions of different cultures seriously into consideration, making every practical effort to promote traditional music.
The formation and practice of sacred music should be encouraged in seminaries, novitiates and other Catholic institutions, he said, while composers of sacred music must “know and preserve the musical heritage of the Church.”
To guarantee the “dignity and excellence” of new compositions, they should be “at the service of the liturgy, while respecting contemporary sensibilities and the different cultural traditions, so as ‘purify worship from ugliness of style, from distasteful forms of expression, from uninspired musical texts which are not worthy of the great act that is being celebrated,’” Pope Leo said, quoting from St. John Paul II’s 2003 document on sacred music.
“Dear brothers and sisters, the Fathers of the Church held liturgical singing in great esteem as a symbol of ecclesial communion,” Pope Leo said, asking that “we join together in love, and — in the words of St. Ignatius of Antioch — ‘with one voice sing to the Father through Jesus Christ.’ ”
– VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Singing and playing music during the liturgy is an integral and necessary part of the celebration, which means it is much more than something “decorative,” Pope Leo XIV said. “In the liturgy, to sing and to play music means to pray, attuning one’s heart to that of our sisters and brothers and to God, through active participation in the mystery that is being celebrated,” he said during his general audience talk in St. Peter’s Basilica Aug. 19. “Far from being merely decorative, therefore, sacred music is a treasure of profound value. It should always be dignified,
As postwar order frays, Pope Leo articulates a vision for peace through human dignity #Catholic – 
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — As wars multiply and the post-World War II international order comes under increasing strain, Pope Leo XIV has spent the opening months of his pontificate articulating a Catholic vision for international relations rooted in human dignity, international law and multilateral cooperation.
Through his speeches, diplomatic addresses and first encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas,” the U.S. pope has consistently argued — like his predecessors — that lasting peace depends less on military strength than on politics grounded in the dignity of every person.
This clear message comes as nationalism, unilateralism and open conflict challenge the existing international order created post-World War II, during which many of the world’s superpowers focused efforts on fostering free trade, collaboration and the development of global institutions like the World Bank and United Nations.
But what has changed, scholars told Catholic News Service, is the landscape itself, as the international postwar order enters a period of profound transition. The 2026 Global Peace Index found 61 active state-based conflicts last year, the highest number since World War II ended, and concluded that global peace has deteriorated for the 12th consecutive year.
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In his first encyclical, Pope Leo was clear that the global institutions that encourage partnership through multilateralism are eroding.
“The institutions that were established to safeguard the concept of a common future for all peoples and a global common good appear to have been weakened,” Pope Leo wrote, arguing that the weakening of multilateral institutions has coincided with renewed conflict, distrust and what he calls a “culture of power.”
Fabio Petito, professor of religion and international affairs at the University of Sussex, told CNS July 13 that the existing system after World War II, built on U.S. leadership, multilateral institutions and international law, is fragmenting as global power shifts toward a more multipolar world.
“We are living in this moment in which this system of regulated international relations for many decades is really in trouble,” Petito said. The result, he said, has been “a return to some form of power politics,” reflected in proliferating wars, nationalism, rearmament and militarization.
Rather than proposing a detailed blueprint for a new global order, Petito said the pope is advancing Catholic principles that should guide one. Central among them are the defense of multilateralism, international law and the belief that every person possesses an inherent dignity that transcends nationality, ideology or political interest.
That vision has already become key in Vatican diplomacy. Ahead of Pope Leo’s visit to Monaco in March, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, told Vatican News that “international law appears weakened and at times overshadowed by the ‘logic of power,’” warning against a return to doctrines that justify preventive war and calling small nations “natural guardians of multilateralism.”
The same ideas also run throughout Pope Leo’s own writings.
Scott Appleby, founding dean of the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame, told CNS July 21 that the pope’s international vision is rooted in St. Augustine’s distinction between the City of God and the City of Man. Throughout “Magnifica Humanitas,” Pope Leo invokes St. Augustine’s contrast between societies ordered toward power and those ordered toward the common good, which becomes a choice between a “culture of power” and a “civilization of love.”
That framework, Appleby argued, serves as the organizing principle of “Magnifica Humanitas,” explaining the pope’s criticism of nationalism, militarization, economic exploitation and the erosion of international law.
“The project for a civilization of love, therefore, must undertake the task of transforming this imposed interdependence into a willed and chosen solidarity,” Pope Leo wrote in his encyclical.
The pope’s repeated references to a “civilization of love” – a concept first expressed by Pope Paul VI – are not simply spiritual language but the organizing principle of his international thought, Appleby said. He said Pope Leo’s writings suggest that he rejects the assumption that nations are destined to pursue power at one another’s expense. Instead, the pope argues that political communities can be ordered toward the common good when they recognize the inherent dignity of every person and place dialogue, justice and solidarity above coercion.
“Those are the hooks to hang everything on,” Appleby said.
Appleby said the pope’s vision is also deeply rooted in the Second Vatican Council, which reoriented the Catholic Church’s relationship with the modern world by emphasizing the inherent dignity of every person, regardless of their religion.
“For him, it’s a period of great flourishing of religious freedom, pluralism, the Church itself becoming more global,” Appleby said of the U.S. pope.
Petito and Appleby said the pope does not seek a return to the post-Cold War world but believes it squandered an opportunity to build political institutions capable of sustaining solidarity. In “Magnifica Humanitas,” Pope Leo criticizes the “almost blind faith” placed in markets after 1989, writing that the world is now “regressing from the significant turning point of the twentieth century.”
“What the world failed to do is create political structures capable of supporting a civilization of love,” Appleby said. “Instead, markets became the end-all and be-all of the new world order,” contributing to today’s crises of nationalism, weakened international institutions and renewed conflict.
The pope also repeatedly rejects unilateralism. Whether speaking about migration, war or governance, he argues that modern crises cannot be solved by individual states acting alone.
“No nation can face a challenge of this magnitude on its own,” Pope Leo told the Spanish Parliament at the Congress of the Deputies in Madrid June 8. “Therefore, a coordinated, supportive, and effective response is indispensable.”
Throughout his speeches, he argues that diplomacy, international law and multilateral cooperation depend on recognizing the dignity of every person.
“Peace is not something we must invent: it is something we must embrace by accepting our neighbor as our brother and as our sister,” the pope told community members in Bamenda, Cameroon, April 16, 2026.
Speaking at a June 22 seminar at Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian University, Massimo Faggioli, professor in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at Villanova University, said the Vatican’s diplomatic importance has increased precisely because traditional alliances are becoming less stable, calling the Vatican “one of the last visible guardians of multilateralism.”
Faggioli argued in his talk that growing tensions between Europe and the United States have elevated the Vatican’s diplomatic importance. Describing the U.S.-European alliance as once “a turbulent marriage,” he said it is now unclear whether that relationship still exists.
He said that it is in this context that the Vatican is “one of those voices that advocate or help neutral bridges for reconciliation,” leading to a period he believes could be “Pax Vaticana.”
Jodok Troy is an assistant professor at the Department of Political Science at the University of Innsbruck, Austria. He told CNS July 20 that the Holy See has always promoted multilateralism and this idea of an international world order through diplomacy. But in an increasingly conflicted world, he said, the papacy has gotten louder.
“The argument of the popes always has been: we need to make sure of this multilateral order, because it’s not something that is self-sustaining,” Troy said. “It’s not something that runs by itself. It requires consistent work.”
The scholars also agreed Pope Leo is building on his predecessors’ appeals and Pope Francis’ unique legacy rather than departing from them.
“Pope Francis broke new ground,” Faggioli said. “I don’t see Pope Leo retreating from that ground.”
Petito added that while Pope Francis often led through symbolic gestures, Pope Leo has shown greater interest in strengthening institutions.
As Pope Leo continues to appoint more leaders from the Global South to senior Vatican positions, he is also strengthening ties to the regions where the Church’s presence is growing fastest.
In many of those countries, the Catholic Church serves not only as a religious institution but also as a trusted civic actor, with bishops frequently mediating conflicts, monitoring elections and advocating for democratic processes. That combination of demographic growth and public credibility could give the Holy See an increasingly important role in international affairs at a time when many state institutions are under strain.
Troy said the pope’s emphasis on the Global South reflects more than a changing demographic makeup of the Church. Many of tomorrow’s geopolitical challenges, he said, will emerge in regions where state institutions are weak but where the Catholic Church remains one of the few enduring social institutions, providing education, humanitarian assistance and moral authority.
“As political institutions become weaker,” Troy said, “the Church will have an increasingly important role to play.”
– VATICAN CITY (CNS) — As wars multiply and the post-World War II international order comes under increasing strain, Pope Leo XIV has spent the opening months of his pontificate articulating a Catholic vision for international relations rooted in human dignity, international law and multilateral cooperation. Through his speeches, diplomatic addresses and first encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas,” the U.S. pope has consistently argued — like his predecessors — that lasting peace depends less on military strength than on politics grounded in the dignity of every person. This clear message comes as nationalism, unilateralism and open conflict challenge the existing international order created
Archbishop García-Siller has also prohibited all Catholics from attending any Mass, liturgy, or event sponsored by the former priest or the Mission of Divine Mercy, which the priest leads.
The U.S. is calling for the meeting to take place before Sept. 1, when the Ortega regime is set to codify policy reforms, including the suspension of future elections.
![Catholic bishops urge prayers against abortion by mail that ‘leaves women vulnerable’ #Catholic With an increasing number of abortions done via sending pills through the U.S. mail, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is urging Catholics across the nation to pray to St. Joseph to “stop the spread” of abortion pills.The bishops are calling for sustained and dedicated prayer from Aug. 18 to Oct. 31, with the campaign launching ahead of Respect Month Life in October.USCCB President Archbishop Paul Coakley and Bishop Daniel Thomas, who heads the bishops’ committee on pro-life activities, urged Catholics to “join a focused effort of prayer and action to stop the spread of abortion pills.” Activists have criticized the mailing of abortion pills as a largely unregulated and dangerous practice. Pro-life advocates were dealt a blow in May when the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily allowed for the continued mailing of abortion pills throughout the U.S. amid a legal dispute over the practice. “Every abortion involves the death of a child and harm to the mother,” the two bishops wrote in an Aug. 18 letter. “Now with easier access to abortion pills, the abortion rate is tragically climbing, along with increased health risks.”“The Food and Drug Administration has enabled a nationwide mail-order abortion industry by allowing abortion pills to be prescribed in telehealth appointments and sold both at neighborhood pharmacies and online, circumventing state laws that protect life in the womb,” the bishops wrote.They said the federal government’s lack of regulation makes women “vulnerable to suffering an abortion alone at home, without any medical supervision” and “sets up additional opportunities for exploitation by violent partners or human traffickers.”The bishops urged Catholics to visit the USCCB’s Respect Life campaign website, where visitors can “learn about the danger of abortion pills [and] send messages to pharmacies and pharmaceutical companies that are involved.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/catholic-bishops-urge-prayers-against-abortion-by-mail-that-leaves-women-vulnerable-catholic-with-an-increasing-number-of-abortions-done-via-sending-pills-through-the-u-s-mail-the.jpg "Catholic bishops urge prayers against abortion by mail that ‘leaves women vulnerable’ #Catholic With an increasing number of abortions done via sending pills through the U.S. mail, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is urging Catholics across the nation to pray to St. Joseph to “stop the spread” of abortion pills.The bishops are calling for sustained and dedicated prayer from Aug. 18 to Oct. 31, with the campaign launching ahead of Respect Month Life in October.USCCB President Archbishop Paul Coakley and Bishop Daniel Thomas, who heads the bishops’ committee on pro-life activities, urged Catholics to “join a focused effort of prayer and action to stop the spread of abortion pills.” Activists have criticized the mailing of abortion pills as a largely unregulated and dangerous practice. Pro-life advocates were dealt a blow in May when the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily allowed for the continued mailing of abortion pills throughout the U.S. amid a legal dispute over the practice. “Every abortion involves the death of a child and harm to the mother,” the two bishops wrote in an Aug. 18 letter. “Now with easier access to abortion pills, the abortion rate is tragically climbing, along with increased health risks.”“The Food and Drug Administration has enabled a nationwide mail-order abortion industry by allowing abortion pills to be prescribed in telehealth appointments and sold both at neighborhood pharmacies and online, circumventing state laws that protect life in the womb,” the bishops wrote.They said the federal government’s lack of regulation makes women “vulnerable to suffering an abortion alone at home, without any medical supervision” and “sets up additional opportunities for exploitation by violent partners or human traffickers.”The bishops urged Catholics to visit the USCCB’s Respect Life campaign website, where visitors can “learn about the danger of abortion pills [and] send messages to pharmacies and pharmaceutical companies that are involved.”")
Leading U.S. Catholic bishops are calling for a dedicated time of prayer as chemical abortions by mail are on the rise.
![People ‘thirsting for Christ’ at procession in Brazil, bishop says #Catholic About 50,000 faithful took part in the closing procession for the novena to Our Lady of Glory in Brazil on Aug. 15. The local bishop, Flávio Giovenale, said the large turnout reflects the faith of the people, who are “thirsting for Christ.”“This multitude is saying: We want spirituality, we want Jesus, and we love Our Lady because she leads us to Jesus,” the bishop told the website Juruá 24 Horas.“Our Lady is like a mother who takes us to school; the teacher — the master — is Jesus, and Our Lady leads us to him,” he said.The devotees walked about two miles in a procession lasting nearly two hours. Holding candles, they followed the image of Our Lady, praying and giving thanks.“We came to give thanks for the harvest and for our family’s health. Being here among so many people sharing the same purpose is something indescribable,” farmer Renilson Fox said to news website G1.“We spend the whole year waiting for this moment,” veterinarian Douglas Vasconcelos told G1. He said that for him, this “is a day to renew our faith and give thanks for so many graces received.”Mary is our ‘prototype’“Today, we celebrate Our Lady of Glory, who is already there [in glory], a gift from God,” Giovenale said during the Mass at the Cruzeiro do Sul cathedral prior to the procession. The bishop recalled Jesus’s words: “I am going to the Father’s glory, and after I prepare a place, I will return and take you with me.”“We say that at the end of time, we will all rise again and be reunited in body and soul to live in heaven, body and soul. But for Our Lady, Jesus chose to make an exception, a gift. In his freedom, he said: ‘Our Lady was the first to say yes to me; she will also be the first to rise again,’” he explained.The bishop recalled that the Dormition of Mary, although not found in the Bible, has been a tradition “since the early years” of Christianity. It says “that Our Lady fell asleep in the Lord and Jesus came and took her, body and soul.”“She is there in heaven, body and soul, as the first Christian, the first to say ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord,’ and the first to rise again, body and soul. She is, as it were, our prototype,” he said.In his homily, Giovenale said that before attaining glory, Mary served, and Christians must follow her example to reach the kingdom of heaven.“We’re going to walk in procession, why? Because Mary — after receiving the angel’s announcement that she would be the Mother of the Savior, and after saying, ‘I am the servant of the Lord’ — what did she do? She went to serve Elizabeth,” he said.“To serve, to be Christians, to be a faithful people, we can’t afford to slack off. Jesus promised us happiness, not ease. It requires effort; it requires saying, ‘I want to serve,’ just as Mary did,” he said.The bishop recalled that it was Jesus who said, “I came into the world not to be served, but to serve.” “Mary was the one who, in so many ways, anticipated this, because she is the first to be faithful to Jesus,” he added.Giovenale cited the theme of this year’s novena to Our Lady of Glory: “Our Lady of Glory, Mother of the Faithful People.” “If we want to be faithful to Jesus, faithful to God, we must imitate Mary — to journey forth and go serve others,” he said.This story was first published by ACI Digital, the Portuguese-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/people-thirsting-for-christ-at-procession-in-brazil-bishop-says-catholic-about-50000-faithful-took-part-in-the-closing-procession-for-the-novena-to-our-lady-of-glory-in-brazil-on.webp "People ‘thirsting for Christ’ at procession in Brazil, bishop says #Catholic About 50,000 faithful took part in the closing procession for the novena to Our Lady of Glory in Brazil on Aug. 15. The local bishop, Flávio Giovenale, said the large turnout reflects the faith of the people, who are “thirsting for Christ.”“This multitude is saying: We want spirituality, we want Jesus, and we love Our Lady because she leads us to Jesus,” the bishop told the website Juruá 24 Horas.“Our Lady is like a mother who takes us to school; the teacher — the master — is Jesus, and Our Lady leads us to him,” he said.The devotees walked about two miles in a procession lasting nearly two hours. Holding candles, they followed the image of Our Lady, praying and giving thanks.“We came to give thanks for the harvest and for our family’s health. Being here among so many people sharing the same purpose is something indescribable,” farmer Renilson Fox said to news website G1.“We spend the whole year waiting for this moment,” veterinarian Douglas Vasconcelos told G1. He said that for him, this “is a day to renew our faith and give thanks for so many graces received.”Mary is our ‘prototype’“Today, we celebrate Our Lady of Glory, who is already there [in glory], a gift from God,” Giovenale said during the Mass at the Cruzeiro do Sul cathedral prior to the procession. The bishop recalled Jesus’s words: “I am going to the Father’s glory, and after I prepare a place, I will return and take you with me.”“We say that at the end of time, we will all rise again and be reunited in body and soul to live in heaven, body and soul. But for Our Lady, Jesus chose to make an exception, a gift. In his freedom, he said: ‘Our Lady was the first to say yes to me; she will also be the first to rise again,’” he explained.The bishop recalled that the Dormition of Mary, although not found in the Bible, has been a tradition “since the early years” of Christianity. It says “that Our Lady fell asleep in the Lord and Jesus came and took her, body and soul.”“She is there in heaven, body and soul, as the first Christian, the first to say ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord,’ and the first to rise again, body and soul. She is, as it were, our prototype,” he said.In his homily, Giovenale said that before attaining glory, Mary served, and Christians must follow her example to reach the kingdom of heaven.“We’re going to walk in procession, why? Because Mary — after receiving the angel’s announcement that she would be the Mother of the Savior, and after saying, ‘I am the servant of the Lord’ — what did she do? She went to serve Elizabeth,” he said.“To serve, to be Christians, to be a faithful people, we can’t afford to slack off. Jesus promised us happiness, not ease. It requires effort; it requires saying, ‘I want to serve,’ just as Mary did,” he said.The bishop recalled that it was Jesus who said, “I came into the world not to be served, but to serve.” “Mary was the one who, in so many ways, anticipated this, because she is the first to be faithful to Jesus,” he added.Giovenale cited the theme of this year’s novena to Our Lady of Glory: “Our Lady of Glory, Mother of the Faithful People.” “If we want to be faithful to Jesus, faithful to God, we must imitate Mary — to journey forth and go serve others,” he said.This story was first published by ACI Digital, the Portuguese-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.")
In his homily, Bishop Flávio Giovenale held up Mary as the faithful disciple who, like her son, served others.
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On Aug. 19, 1646, John Flamsteed was born in Derbyshire, England. Though he left school early due to illness and family obligations, he studied astronomy independently and eventually attended Cambridge University. European maritime trade was rapidly expanding during his lifetime, yet sailors still struggled with the longitude problem – north-south distance was easy to calculateContinue reading “Aug. 19, 1646: The birth of John Flamsteed”
The post Aug. 19, 1646: The birth of John Flamsteed appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
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NASA’s Boeing 777 returns to the agency’s Langley Research Center after receiving a new paint scheme.
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Finnish Air Force Hawker Hurricane warbird and U.S. Navy T-6 Texan warbird in flight over Finland
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Funding will help improve hospitals, clinics, and health networks in rural parts of Cameroon, Liberia, and Nigeria, working as part of a group of faith-based organizations, a CRS spokesperson said.
A reading from the Book of Ezekiel
34:1-11
The word of the Lord came to me:
Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel,
in these words prophesy to them to the shepherds:
Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the shepherds of Israel
who have been pasturing themselves!
Should not shepherds, rather, pasture sheep?
You have fed off their milk, worn their wool,
and slaughtered the fatlings,
but the sheep you have not pastured.
You did not strengthen the weak nor heal the sick
nor bind up the injured.
You did not bring back the strayed nor seek the lost,
but you lorded it over them harshly and brutally.
So they were scattered for the lack of a shepherd,
and became food for all the wild beasts.
My sheep were scattered
and wandered over all the mountains and high hills;
my sheep were scattered over the whole earth,
with no one to look after them or to search for them.
Therefore, shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:
As I live, says the Lord GOD,
because my sheep have been given over to pillage,
and because my sheep have become food for every wild beast,
for lack of a shepherd;
because my shepherds did not look after my sheep,
but pastured themselves and did not pasture my sheep;
because of this, shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:
Thus says the Lord GOD:
I swear I am coming against these shepherds.
I will claim my sheep from them
and put a stop to their shepherding my sheep
so that they may no longer pasture themselves.
I will save my sheep,
that they may no longer be food for their mouths.
For thus says the Lord GOD:
I myself will look after and tend my sheep.
From the Gospel according to Matthew
20:1-16
Jesus told his disciples this parable:
"The Kingdom of heaven is like a landowner
who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard.
After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage,
he sent them into his vineyard.
Going out about nine o’clock,
he saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard,
and I will give you what is just.’
So they went off.
And he went out again around noon,
and around three o’clock, and did likewise.
Going out about five o’clock,
he found others standing around, and said to them,
‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’
They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’
He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’
When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman,
‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay,
beginning with the last and ending with the first.’
When those who had started about five o’clock came,
each received the usual daily wage.
So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more,
but each of them also got the usual wage.
And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying,
‘These last ones worked only one hour,
and you have made them equal to us,
who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’
He said to one of them in reply,
‘My friend, I am not cheating you.
Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?
Take what is yours and go.
What if I wish to give this last one the same as you?
Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money?
Are you envious because I am generous?’
Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last."
It is a parable that gives hope, because it tells us that this landowner goes out several times to go and look for those who are waiting to give meaning to their lives. (?)
The labourers who had remained in the marketplace had probably given up all hope. That day had come to nothing. Nevertheless, someone still believed in them. (?)
And the originality of this landowner is also seen at the end of the day, at pay time. (?) For the owner of the vineyard, that is, for God, it is just that each person has what he needs to live. He called the labourers personally, he knows their dignity, and on the basis of this, he wants to pay them, and he gives all of them one denarius.
The story says that the labourers from the first hour are disappointed: they cannot see the beauty of the gesture of the landowner, who was not unjust, but simply generous; who looked not only at merit, but also at need. God wants to give his Kingdom, that is, full, eternal and happy life, to everyone. And this is what Jesus does with us: he does not establish rankings, he gives all of himself to those who open their hearts to him. (Pope Leo XIV, General Audience, 4 June 2025)
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A special Mass was held commemorating Sts. Luis Bátis Sáinz, Manuel Morales, Salvador Lara Puente, and David Roldán Lara, who were martyred during the persecution of the Church in the Cristero period.
![Seminarians highlight faith and calling during first Media Day #Catholic – On a recent podcast, Brian Collins, 24, a seminarian of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., demystified life in the seminary while studying for the priesthood.
“We spend lots of time studying the faith and praying individually and together, but we also have friends inside and outside the seminary, play video games and watch movies like regular young men,” said Collins, ready to start first-year philosophy studies at Immaculate Conception Seminary in South Orange, N.J.
On Aug. 14 afternoon, Collins and Michael Kane, another diocesan seminarian, appeared on a special remote episode of Beyond the Beacon, a podcast co-hosted by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney. They talked about priestly vocations and the seminary with Jai Agnish, the podcast’s co-host and diocesan communications director, at St. Paul Inside the Walls in Madison, N.J. The episode was part of the diocese’s inaugural Seminarian Media Day event.
St. Paul’s was a beehive of activity for the Media Day. The event gave the 12 diocesan seminarians there the opportunity, with great wit and charm, to share their engaging stories about how God called them to the priesthood, their faith journeys so far, interests, and their lives in the seminary.
This content will be posted in the coming months on digital platforms where young people consume information, such as podcasts, social media, and print news, to help make them aware of the possibility of a priestly vocation. In September, the diocesan Vocations Office will launch an Instagram account dedicated to vocations, which will use much of this lively material.
“For Media Day, it was good to hear the voices from the faces of seminarians on vocations posters. Maybe our stories will encourage other men to enter the seminary,” Collins said. The podcast also included interviews with seminarians Eric Hasenbein and Sean Gallagher.
The Media Day was a collaboration by the diocesan Vocations Office, the Communications Office, and St. Paul Inside the Walls, the diocesan evangelization center. The event also highlighted the seminarians’ varied ages, backgrounds, and personalities.
“In today’s world, many young people exploring a vocation will first look online for information and inspiration,” said Father Charles Lana, diocesan vocations director. “We want to engage people where they are and provide them with resources that can help them hear and respond to God’s call. One of the best ways we can promote vocations is by featuring our seminarians, who are living witnesses to what it means to answer God’s call,” he said.
Before co-hosting the podcast, Bishop Sweeney joined the seminarians for Mass in St. Paul’s chapel. Among the congregants were Salesian Sister Theresa Lee, diocesan chancellor, and diocesan staff who work at the center.
“Let the lives of the saints inspire us —from bishops and religious sisters to those living the vocation of marriage, parents, grandparents, and those living the single life. We’re all sharing baptismal vocations that baptismal call to holiness,” Bishop Sweeney said in his Mass introduction.
The men featured in the digital content range from the start of seminary studies, called the propaedeutic year, to the diaconal year — the final step before being ordained a priest. In the afternoon, they each participated in one of three “content stations”: appearing on the podcast, making a short video, or sitting for an interview for a print news story.
“The seminarians’ participation is also helping them become agents of the New Evangelization. Future priests need to be able to communicate the truths of the faith not only from the pulpit, but also through the modern means of communication that people use every day,” Father Lana said. “Media Day is one small step toward helping our seminarians grow in confidence as public leaders, communicators, and messengers of the Gospel,” he said.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
With her cellphone, Cecile Pagliarulo, digital media specialist and a co-host of Beyond the Beacon, captured stories and insight from seminarians Jean- Baptiste Mollet, John Peter Zappe, David Marin, and Brian Reilly in English and Deacon Carlos Vargas in Spanish.
Pagliarulo asked the seminarians specific questions that will be used in several videos on vocations- or priest-themed observances, such as Priesthood Sunday, National Vocations Awareness Week, and World Day of Prayer for Vocations.
“I enjoyed meeting each of the seminarians — young men committed to learning and studying about the priesthood in hopes that they will become priests for future generations of Catholics. A common theme in asking them about vocations was that we are all called to holiness,” Pagliarulo said.
Meanwhile, Michael Wojcik, managing editor of BeaconNJ.org, camped out in a classroom at the center to interview seminarians James Burke and Mark Tosso about their vocation stories in English. In another classroom, Yoel Gonzalez, a Spanish-language writer for BeaconNJ.org, interviewed seminarian Jairo Jaramillo in Spanish.
Mary Drasheff, communications coordinator at St. Paul Inside the Walls, and Joseph Ginexi, digital media specialist at St. Paul Inside the Walls, also participated in Media Day, conducting video interviews with seminarians and assisting with setting up the podcast space.
“The Media Day was upbeat. It gave us seminarians a sense of brotherhood, encouraging one another, before we go back to school. There was great care and guidance, especially from more experienced seminarians, priests and Bishop Sweeney,” Tosso said.
Then, each seminarian posed for portraits outside on St. Paul’s front porch, taken by Joe Gigli, a freelance photographer for the diocese. Then the men continued the fellowship they started at lunch.
Catalina Zempoalteca, Vocations Office coordinator, organized the Media Day with Father Lana and the other collaborating offices in the diocese. She called the first-ever Media Day “a success.”
“All our 12 seminarians have unique and beautiful vocation stories that should be shared for other men to know that God is capable of moving in their lives towards the vocation that he is calling them to live out. In our case, we hope these stories inspire more men to discern the priesthood,” Zempoalteca said. “The journey of discerning one’s vocation is a love story unraveled by God. I’m blessed to witness this working in the Vocations Office and in helping it be shared through the content created on Media Day,” she said.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI & JESSICA MARTINEZ
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/seminarians-highlight-faith-and-calling-during-first-media-day-catholic-on-a-recent-podcast-brian-collins-24-a-seminarian-of-the-paterson-diocese-n-j-demystified-life-in-the-seminary-while-st.jpg "Seminarians highlight faith and calling during first Media Day #Catholic – On a recent podcast, Brian Collins, 24, a seminarian of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., demystified life in the seminary while studying for the priesthood.
“We spend lots of time studying the faith and praying individually and together, but we also have friends inside and outside the seminary, play video games and watch movies like regular young men,” said Collins, ready to start first-year philosophy studies at Immaculate Conception Seminary in South Orange, N.J.
On Aug. 14 afternoon, Collins and Michael Kane, another diocesan seminarian, appeared on a special remote episode of Beyond the Beacon, a podcast co-hosted by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney. They talked about priestly vocations and the seminary with Jai Agnish, the podcast’s co-host and diocesan communications director, at St. Paul Inside the Walls in Madison, N.J. The episode was part of the diocese’s inaugural Seminarian Media Day event.
St. Paul’s was a beehive of activity for the Media Day. The event gave the 12 diocesan seminarians there the opportunity, with great wit and charm, to share their engaging stories about how God called them to the priesthood, their faith journeys so far, interests, and their lives in the seminary.
This content will be posted in the coming months on digital platforms where young people consume information, such as podcasts, social media, and print news, to help make them aware of the possibility of a priestly vocation. In September, the diocesan Vocations Office will launch an Instagram account dedicated to vocations, which will use much of this lively material.
“For Media Day, it was good to hear the voices from the faces of seminarians on vocations posters. Maybe our stories will encourage other men to enter the seminary,” Collins said. The podcast also included interviews with seminarians Eric Hasenbein and Sean Gallagher.
The Media Day was a collaboration by the diocesan Vocations Office, the Communications Office, and St. Paul Inside the Walls, the diocesan evangelization center. The event also highlighted the seminarians’ varied ages, backgrounds, and personalities.
“In today’s world, many young people exploring a vocation will first look online for information and inspiration,” said Father Charles Lana, diocesan vocations director. “We want to engage people where they are and provide them with resources that can help them hear and respond to God’s call. One of the best ways we can promote vocations is by featuring our seminarians, who are living witnesses to what it means to answer God’s call,” he said.
Before co-hosting the podcast, Bishop Sweeney joined the seminarians for Mass in St. Paul’s chapel. Among the congregants were Salesian Sister Theresa Lee, diocesan chancellor, and diocesan staff who work at the center.
“Let the lives of the saints inspire us —from bishops and religious sisters to those living the vocation of marriage, parents, grandparents, and those living the single life. We’re all sharing baptismal vocations that baptismal call to holiness,” Bishop Sweeney said in his Mass introduction.
The men featured in the digital content range from the start of seminary studies, called the propaedeutic year, to the diaconal year — the final step before being ordained a priest. In the afternoon, they each participated in one of three “content stations”: appearing on the podcast, making a short video, or sitting for an interview for a print news story.
“The seminarians’ participation is also helping them become agents of the New Evangelization. Future priests need to be able to communicate the truths of the faith not only from the pulpit, but also through the modern means of communication that people use every day,” Father Lana said. “Media Day is one small step toward helping our seminarians grow in confidence as public leaders, communicators, and messengers of the Gospel,” he said.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
With her cellphone, Cecile Pagliarulo, digital media specialist and a co-host of Beyond the Beacon, captured stories and insight from seminarians Jean- Baptiste Mollet, John Peter Zappe, David Marin, and Brian Reilly in English and Deacon Carlos Vargas in Spanish.
Pagliarulo asked the seminarians specific questions that will be used in several videos on vocations- or priest-themed observances, such as Priesthood Sunday, National Vocations Awareness Week, and World Day of Prayer for Vocations.
“I enjoyed meeting each of the seminarians — young men committed to learning and studying about the priesthood in hopes that they will become priests for future generations of Catholics. A common theme in asking them about vocations was that we are all called to holiness,” Pagliarulo said.
Meanwhile, Michael Wojcik, managing editor of BeaconNJ.org, camped out in a classroom at the center to interview seminarians James Burke and Mark Tosso about their vocation stories in English. In another classroom, Yoel Gonzalez, a Spanish-language writer for BeaconNJ.org, interviewed seminarian Jairo Jaramillo in Spanish.
Mary Drasheff, communications coordinator at St. Paul Inside the Walls, and Joseph Ginexi, digital media specialist at St. Paul Inside the Walls, also participated in Media Day, conducting video interviews with seminarians and assisting with setting up the podcast space.
“The Media Day was upbeat. It gave us seminarians a sense of brotherhood, encouraging one another, before we go back to school. There was great care and guidance, especially from more experienced seminarians, priests and Bishop Sweeney,” Tosso said.
Then, each seminarian posed for portraits outside on St. Paul’s front porch, taken by Joe Gigli, a freelance photographer for the diocese. Then the men continued the fellowship they started at lunch.
Catalina Zempoalteca, Vocations Office coordinator, organized the Media Day with Father Lana and the other collaborating offices in the diocese. She called the first-ever Media Day “a success.”
“All our 12 seminarians have unique and beautiful vocation stories that should be shared for other men to know that God is capable of moving in their lives towards the vocation that he is calling them to live out. In our case, we hope these stories inspire more men to discern the priesthood,” Zempoalteca said. “The journey of discerning one’s vocation is a love story unraveled by God. I’m blessed to witness this working in the Vocations Office and in helping it be shared through the content created on Media Day,” she said.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI & JESSICA MARTINEZ
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]")
Seminarians highlight faith and calling during first Media Day #Catholic – 
On a recent podcast, Brian Collins, 24, a seminarian of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., demystified life in the seminary while studying for the priesthood.
“We spend lots of time studying the faith and praying individually and together, but we also have friends inside and outside the seminary, play video games and watch movies like regular young men,” said Collins, ready to start first-year philosophy studies at Immaculate Conception Seminary in South Orange, N.J.
On Aug. 14 afternoon, Collins and Michael Kane, another diocesan seminarian, appeared on a special remote episode of Beyond the Beacon, a podcast co-hosted by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney. They talked about priestly vocations and the seminary with Jai Agnish, the podcast’s co-host and diocesan communications director, at St. Paul Inside the Walls in Madison, N.J. The episode was part of the diocese’s inaugural Seminarian Media Day event.
St. Paul’s was a beehive of activity for the Media Day. The event gave the 12 diocesan seminarians there the opportunity, with great wit and charm, to share their engaging stories about how God called them to the priesthood, their faith journeys so far, interests, and their lives in the seminary.
This content will be posted in the coming months on digital platforms where young people consume information, such as podcasts, social media, and print news, to help make them aware of the possibility of a priestly vocation. In September, the diocesan Vocations Office will launch an Instagram account dedicated to vocations, which will use much of this lively material.
“For Media Day, it was good to hear the voices from the faces of seminarians on vocations posters. Maybe our stories will encourage other men to enter the seminary,” Collins said. The podcast also included interviews with seminarians Eric Hasenbein and Sean Gallagher.
The Media Day was a collaboration by the diocesan Vocations Office, the Communications Office, and St. Paul Inside the Walls, the diocesan evangelization center. The event also highlighted the seminarians’ varied ages, backgrounds, and personalities.
“In today’s world, many young people exploring a vocation will first look online for information and inspiration,” said Father Charles Lana, diocesan vocations director. “We want to engage people where they are and provide them with resources that can help them hear and respond to God’s call. One of the best ways we can promote vocations is by featuring our seminarians, who are living witnesses to what it means to answer God’s call,” he said.
Before co-hosting the podcast, Bishop Sweeney joined the seminarians for Mass in St. Paul’s chapel. Among the congregants were Salesian Sister Theresa Lee, diocesan chancellor, and diocesan staff who work at the center.
“Let the lives of the saints inspire us —from bishops and religious sisters to those living the vocation of marriage, parents, grandparents, and those living the single life. We’re all sharing baptismal vocations that baptismal call to holiness,” Bishop Sweeney said in his Mass introduction.
The men featured in the digital content range from the start of seminary studies, called the propaedeutic year, to the diaconal year — the final step before being ordained a priest. In the afternoon, they each participated in one of three “content stations”: appearing on the podcast, making a short video, or sitting for an interview for a print news story.
“The seminarians’ participation is also helping them become agents of the New Evangelization. Future priests need to be able to communicate the truths of the faith not only from the pulpit, but also through the modern means of communication that people use every day,” Father Lana said. “Media Day is one small step toward helping our seminarians grow in confidence as public leaders, communicators, and messengers of the Gospel,” he said.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
With her cellphone, Cecile Pagliarulo, digital media specialist and a co-host of Beyond the Beacon, captured stories and insight from seminarians Jean- Baptiste Mollet, John Peter Zappe, David Marin, and Brian Reilly in English and Deacon Carlos Vargas in Spanish.
Pagliarulo asked the seminarians specific questions that will be used in several videos on vocations- or priest-themed observances, such as Priesthood Sunday, National Vocations Awareness Week, and World Day of Prayer for Vocations.
“I enjoyed meeting each of the seminarians — young men committed to learning and studying about the priesthood in hopes that they will become priests for future generations of Catholics. A common theme in asking them about vocations was that we are all called to holiness,” Pagliarulo said.
Meanwhile, Michael Wojcik, managing editor of BeaconNJ.org, camped out in a classroom at the center to interview seminarians James Burke and Mark Tosso about their vocation stories in English. In another classroom, Yoel Gonzalez, a Spanish-language writer for BeaconNJ.org, interviewed seminarian Jairo Jaramillo in Spanish.
Mary Drasheff, communications coordinator at St. Paul Inside the Walls, and Joseph Ginexi, digital media specialist at St. Paul Inside the Walls, also participated in Media Day, conducting video interviews with seminarians and assisting with setting up the podcast space.
“The Media Day was upbeat. It gave us seminarians a sense of brotherhood, encouraging one another, before we go back to school. There was great care and guidance, especially from more experienced seminarians, priests and Bishop Sweeney,” Tosso said.
Then, each seminarian posed for portraits outside on St. Paul’s front porch, taken by Joe Gigli, a freelance photographer for the diocese. Then the men continued the fellowship they started at lunch.
Catalina Zempoalteca, Vocations Office coordinator, organized the Media Day with Father Lana and the other collaborating offices in the diocese. She called the first-ever Media Day “a success.”
“All our 12 seminarians have unique and beautiful vocation stories that should be shared for other men to know that God is capable of moving in their lives towards the vocation that he is calling them to live out. In our case, we hope these stories inspire more men to discern the priesthood,” Zempoalteca said. “The journey of discerning one’s vocation is a love story unraveled by God. I’m blessed to witness this working in the Vocations Office and in helping it be shared through the content created on Media Day,” she said.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI & JESSICA MARTINEZ
– On a recent podcast, Brian Collins, 24, a seminarian of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., demystified life in the seminary while studying for the priesthood. “We spend lots of time studying the faith and praying individually and together, but we also have friends inside and outside the seminary, play video games and watch movies like regular young men,” said Collins, ready to start first-year philosophy studies at Immaculate Conception Seminary in South Orange, N.J. On Aug. 14 afternoon, Collins and Michael Kane, another diocesan seminarian, appeared on a special remote episode of Beyond the Beacon, a podcast co-hosted by Bishop Kevin
![Bishop urges Passaic parishioners to ‘persevere in prayer’ #Catholic – Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney celebrated Sunday Mass at Our Lady of Fatima and St. Nicholas Parish in Passaic, N.J., during his pastoral visit on Aug. 16.
Concelebrating with Bishop Sweeney were Father Rolands Uribe, pastor of Our Lady of Fatima and St. Nicholas, and Father Gilberto Gutierrez, a retired priest of the Diocese of N.J. Deacon Luis Gil assisted with the liturgy.
During his homily, Bishop Sweeney reflected on the Gospel and the woman who approached Jesus, asking him to help her daughter. Despite initially feeling unheard, she persevered in faith and prayer.
Jessica Martinez
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney celebrated Sunday Mass at Our Lady of Fatima and St. Nicholas Parish in Passaic, N.J., during his pastoral visit on Aug. 16.
Concelebrating with Bishop Sweeney were Father Rolands Uribe, pastor of Our Lady of Fatima and St. Nicholas, and Father Gilberto Gutierrez, a retired priest of the Diocese of N.J. Deacon Luis Gil assisted with the liturgy.
During his homily, Bishop Sweeney reflected on the Gospel and the woman who approached Jesus, asking him to help her daughter. Despite initially feeling unheard, she persevered in faith and prayer.
Bishop Sweeney reminded the congregation that Catholics, too, can see themselves in the women from the Gospel when they turn to Jesus in moments when they feel unheard or are seeking his help. Her persistence serves as an example of the faith and the perseverance believers are called to have in our own lives.
“Jesus is inviting us today to give him a chance, and we have to persevere in prayer. We have to have the faith of that wonderful mom that didn’t stop asking.” Bishop Sweeney said.
Bishop Sweeney also invited the parish community to pray for those suffering in Colombia after a recent earthquake and for immigrants in Passaic facing difficult circumstances.
The message was echoed in the opening hymn, “Juntos como hermanos, miembros de una Iglesia vamos caminando al encuentro del Señor,” reminding the faithful that we journey
together as brothers and sisters as one Church toward the Lord.
Bishop Sweeney reminded the congregation that Catholics, too, can see themselves in the women from the Gospel when they turn to Jesus in moments when they feel unheard or are seeking his help. Her persistence serves as an example of the faith and the perseverance believers are called to have in our own lives.
“Jesus is inviting us today to give him a chance, and we have to persevere in prayer. We have to have the faith of that wonderful mom that didn’t stop asking.” Bishop Sweeney said.
Bishop Sweeney also invited the parish community to pray for those suffering in Colombia after a recent earthquake and for immigrants in Passaic facing difficult circumstances.
The message was echoed in the opening hymn, “Juntos como hermanos, miembros de una Iglesia vamos caminando al encuentro del Señor,” reminding the faithful that we journey
together as brothers and sisters as one Church toward the Lord.
PHOTOS | JESSICA MARTINEZ
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/bishop-urges-passaic-parishioners-to-persevere-in-prayer-catholic-bishop-kevin-j-sweeney-celebrated-sunday-mass-at-our-lady-of-fatima-and-st-nicholas-parish-in-passaic-n-j-du.jpg "Bishop urges Passaic parishioners to ‘persevere in prayer’ #Catholic – Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney celebrated Sunday Mass at Our Lady of Fatima and St. Nicholas Parish in Passaic, N.J., during his pastoral visit on Aug. 16.
Concelebrating with Bishop Sweeney were Father Rolands Uribe, pastor of Our Lady of Fatima and St. Nicholas, and Father Gilberto Gutierrez, a retired priest of the Diocese of N.J. Deacon Luis Gil assisted with the liturgy.
During his homily, Bishop Sweeney reflected on the Gospel and the woman who approached Jesus, asking him to help her daughter. Despite initially feeling unheard, she persevered in faith and prayer.
Jessica Martinez
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney celebrated Sunday Mass at Our Lady of Fatima and St. Nicholas Parish in Passaic, N.J., during his pastoral visit on Aug. 16.
Concelebrating with Bishop Sweeney were Father Rolands Uribe, pastor of Our Lady of Fatima and St. Nicholas, and Father Gilberto Gutierrez, a retired priest of the Diocese of N.J. Deacon Luis Gil assisted with the liturgy.
During his homily, Bishop Sweeney reflected on the Gospel and the woman who approached Jesus, asking him to help her daughter. Despite initially feeling unheard, she persevered in faith and prayer.
Bishop Sweeney reminded the congregation that Catholics, too, can see themselves in the women from the Gospel when they turn to Jesus in moments when they feel unheard or are seeking his help. Her persistence serves as an example of the faith and the perseverance believers are called to have in our own lives.
“Jesus is inviting us today to give him a chance, and we have to persevere in prayer. We have to have the faith of that wonderful mom that didn’t stop asking.” Bishop Sweeney said.
Bishop Sweeney also invited the parish community to pray for those suffering in Colombia after a recent earthquake and for immigrants in Passaic facing difficult circumstances.
The message was echoed in the opening hymn, “Juntos como hermanos, miembros de una Iglesia vamos caminando al encuentro del Señor,” reminding the faithful that we journey
together as brothers and sisters as one Church toward the Lord.
Bishop Sweeney reminded the congregation that Catholics, too, can see themselves in the women from the Gospel when they turn to Jesus in moments when they feel unheard or are seeking his help. Her persistence serves as an example of the faith and the perseverance believers are called to have in our own lives.
“Jesus is inviting us today to give him a chance, and we have to persevere in prayer. We have to have the faith of that wonderful mom that didn’t stop asking.” Bishop Sweeney said.
Bishop Sweeney also invited the parish community to pray for those suffering in Colombia after a recent earthquake and for immigrants in Passaic facing difficult circumstances.
The message was echoed in the opening hymn, “Juntos como hermanos, miembros de una Iglesia vamos caminando al encuentro del Señor,” reminding the faithful that we journey
together as brothers and sisters as one Church toward the Lord.
PHOTOS | JESSICA MARTINEZ
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]")
Bishop urges Passaic parishioners to ‘persevere in prayer’ #Catholic – 
Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney celebrated Sunday Mass at Our Lady of Fatima and St. Nicholas Parish in Passaic, N.J., during his pastoral visit on Aug. 16.
Concelebrating with Bishop Sweeney were Father Rolands Uribe, pastor of Our Lady of Fatima and St. Nicholas, and Father Gilberto Gutierrez, a retired priest of the Diocese of N.J. Deacon Luis Gil assisted with the liturgy.
During his homily, Bishop Sweeney reflected on the Gospel and the woman who approached Jesus, asking him to help her daughter. Despite initially feeling unheard, she persevered in faith and prayer.
Jessica Martinez
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney celebrated Sunday Mass at Our Lady of Fatima and St. Nicholas Parish in Passaic, N.J., during his pastoral visit on Aug. 16.
Concelebrating with Bishop Sweeney were Father Rolands Uribe, pastor of Our Lady of Fatima and St. Nicholas, and Father Gilberto Gutierrez, a retired priest of the Diocese of N.J. Deacon Luis Gil assisted with the liturgy.
During his homily, Bishop Sweeney reflected on the Gospel and the woman who approached Jesus, asking him to help her daughter. Despite initially feeling unheard, she persevered in faith and prayer.
Bishop Sweeney reminded the congregation that Catholics, too, can see themselves in the women from the Gospel when they turn to Jesus in moments when they feel unheard or are seeking his help. Her persistence serves as an example of the faith and the perseverance believers are called to have in our own lives.
“Jesus is inviting us today to give him a chance, and we have to persevere in prayer. We have to have the faith of that wonderful mom that didn’t stop asking.” Bishop Sweeney said.
Bishop Sweeney also invited the parish community to pray for those suffering in Colombia after a recent earthquake and for immigrants in Passaic facing difficult circumstances.
The message was echoed in the opening hymn, “Juntos como hermanos, miembros de una Iglesia vamos caminando al encuentro del Señor,” reminding the faithful that we journey
together as brothers and sisters as one Church toward the Lord.
Bishop Sweeney reminded the congregation that Catholics, too, can see themselves in the women from the Gospel when they turn to Jesus in moments when they feel unheard or are seeking his help. Her persistence serves as an example of the faith and the perseverance believers are called to have in our own lives.
“Jesus is inviting us today to give him a chance, and we have to persevere in prayer. We have to have the faith of that wonderful mom that didn’t stop asking.” Bishop Sweeney said.
Bishop Sweeney also invited the parish community to pray for those suffering in Colombia after a recent earthquake and for immigrants in Passaic facing difficult circumstances.
The message was echoed in the opening hymn, “Juntos como hermanos, miembros de una Iglesia vamos caminando al encuentro del Señor,” reminding the faithful that we journey
together as brothers and sisters as one Church toward the Lord.
PHOTOS | JESSICA MARTINEZ
– Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney celebrated Sunday Mass at Our Lady of Fatima and St. Nicholas Parish in Passaic, N.J., during his pastoral visit on Aug. 16. Concelebrating with Bishop Sweeney were Father Rolands Uribe, pastor of Our Lady of Fatima and St. Nicholas, and Father Gilberto Gutierrez, a retired priest of the Diocese of N.J. Deacon Luis Gil assisted with the liturgy. During his homily, Bishop Sweeney reflected on the Gospel and the woman who approached Jesus, asking him to help her daughter. Despite initially feeling unheard, she persevered in faith and prayer. Jessica Martinez Click here to subscribe to
The country’s bishops warned that the proposed regulations could make freedom of expression contingent upon the government’s criteria of “truth.”
The president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales urged world leaders to enforce religious freedom standards in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
