Newly ordained permanent deacons are serving with Christ’s heart #Catholic – 
In Scripture, the number 40 is far more than a measure of time. It signifies a sacred season of prayer, preparation, testing, transformation, and new beginnings. Noah witnessed 40 days of rain before the Earth was renewed. Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai before receiving the Law. The Israelites wandered for 40 years before entering the Promised Land. Jesus fasted for 40 days in the desert before beginning his public ministry. After his resurrection, Christ remained with his disciples for 40 days before his ascension, preparing them to continue his mission.
As I reflected on the first 40 days after our ordination to the permanent diaconate on May 30, I invited my brother deacons from my ordination class to share their experiences. Together, our reflections revealed a beautiful truth: although our ministries differ, our calling is the same — to serve with the heart of Jesus Christ.
Contributors to this column are Deacon Elmer Lopez Maximo of Sacred Heart Parish in Rockaway, N.J.; Deacon Stephen Deehan of St. Luke Parish in the Long Valley neighborhood of Washington Township, N.J.; Deacon Paul DePinto of St. Joseph Parish in Lincoln Park, N.J.; Deacon Timothy Dunmyer of St. Jude Parish in Hopatcong, N.J.; Deacon James Gillespie of St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Mountain Lakes, N.J.; Deacon Tobi Ippolito of Holy Family Parish in Florham Park, N.J.; Deacon Tom Kimble of St. Jude Parish in the Budd Lake neighborhood of Mount Olive Township, N.J.; and Deacon Gregory Marchesi of St. Therese Parish in the Succasunna neighborhood of Roxbury Township, N.J.
Living the Gospel Through Service
The transition from ordination to ministry happened almost immediately. The joy of ordination quickly gave way to the privilege of serving God’s people.
Many of us began preaching within days of our ordination, and we regularly proclaim the Gospel in our respective parishes.
Baptism has been one of the greatest joys of our new ministry. Deacon Kimble’s very first baptism was his grandson Tommy’s into the Church. Deacons Gillespie, DePinto, Marchesi, Ippolito, and Deehan had the privilege of celebrating baptisms in the first weeks of ministry.
I was blessed to celebrate my first baptism on the Feast of St. Benedict. Watching a child become a son of God while an entire family renewed their faith made the celebration memorable.
Our ministry has brought us joys and sorrows. Some celebrated, assisted or preached at weddings. Deacon DePinto blessed two couples celebrating their 60th wedding anniversaries, a beautiful witness to the enduring grace of Christian marriage. They also have presided over funeral vigils, assisted at funeral Masses, and conducted their first committal services.
Deacon Deehan said he blesses at least one person every day, seeing each blessing as an opportunity to renew hearts and strengthen faith. The new deacons have also blessed homes, religious articles, parishioners after Mass, and individuals asking for prayers.
The deacons have found that some of the most meaningful moments happen quietly, accompanying Christ’s people in hospital rooms, parish meetings, Eucharistic adoration, holy hours, conversations after Mass, and simple encounters with people seeking encouragement.
Moments That Will Stay With Us
When I asked my classmates about their most memorable experiences so far, their responses reminded me that ministry is never about numbers; it is always about people served by Christ.
Deacon Marchesi said that moment was when he preached his first homily, with his father present. Deacon DePinto said it was the overwhelming gratitude parishioners expressed after his first homily, thanking him for answering God’s call.
Deacon Dunmyer recalls Trinity Sunday, when he delivered his first Sunday homily and realized that years of prayer, discernment, and formation had become a living reality.
Deacon Deehan finds his greatest joy in witnessing lives renewed through simple, faithful presence at St. Luke’s. He said, “The best thing I find that I do is re-energizing people’s faith through my commitment to them through God.”
I had the privilege of preaching at my pastor’s farewell Mass before his transfer to another parish. That day, I realized that a deacon is often invited into the holiest moments of people’s lives, not to be the center of attention but to help others encounter Christ.
What We Are Learning
Although each of us serves in different parishes and ministries, our reflections reveal remarkable unity. Deacon Kimble said deacons receive the grace of Holy Orders to share the Good News more effectively. Deacon Marchesi said, “Being a deacon is a humbling ministry.”
Deacon DePinto reflected, “A deacon is a humble servant,” striving each day to follow Christ in both word and example. Deacon Ippolito said being a deacon involves “service to others in the name of Jesus.”
Deacon Dunmyer admitted that he still has much to learn and prays for the wisdom to serve God’s people. Deacon Gillespie said, “Being a deacon means that I will be in a ministry of service, meeting the needs of my parish, community, and the diocese.”
Deacon Deehan said that through a deacon’s compassionate presence, attentive listening, and faithful accompaniment, God often brings people back to the Church one encounter at a time.
One of the greatest blessings of these first 40 days has been realizing that ordination did not mark the end of our journey together; it marked the beginning of a lifelong fraternity — a brotherhood in Christ, strengthening one another. We gather weekly on Zoom to pray, make sure we see each other at family gatherings and diocesan events, and have monthly dinners with our wives and families.
Looking Ahead
These first 40 days have taught us that a deacon’s ministry is measured not by statistics but by faithfulness. Whether preaching to a full church, baptizing a child, blessing couples celebrating 60 years of marriage, comforting grieving families, accompanying hospital patients, or quietly praying with someone after Mass, each act of service becomes an opportunity to make Christ present.
We remain grateful to Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, our pastors, formation directors, mentors, families, and parish communities, whose prayers continue to sustain us. Above all, we thank God for the gift of Holy Orders and the privilege of serving His Church.
Our prayer is that the Lord will continue to form our hearts after His own, so that in every word we proclaim, every person we accompany, and every act of charity we perform, others may encounter not us but Jesus Christ, the Servant of all. That is the final lesson of these first 40 days: our ministry is meant to lead others to Christ.
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– In Scripture, the number 40 is far more than a measure of time. It signifies a sacred season of prayer, preparation, testing, transformation, and new beginnings. Noah witnessed 40 days of rain before the Earth was renewed. Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai before receiving the Law. The Israelites wandered for 40 years before entering the Promised Land. Jesus fasted for 40 days in the desert before beginning his public ministry. After his resurrection, Christ remained with his disciples for 40 days before his ascension, preparing them to continue his mission. As I reflected on the first 40 days
![BBC correspondent David Willey, longtime Vatican and papal chronicler, dies at 93 - #Catholic - David Willey, a BBC correspondent whose career in Rome spanned more than 50 years and five papacies, died July 11 in Italy at the age of 93.From being a student taking in the pomp of Pope Pius XII carried in a ceremonial throne to traveling the world with St. John Paul II to writing about the changes brought by Pope Francis, Willey saw “a complete revolution so that people saw the pope much more as a personality rather than in a hierarchical sense,” the journalist told EWTN News at his home in February.Catholic backgroundDavid Douglas Willey was born in High Wycombe, in the county of Buckinghamshire, northwest of London, in December 1932. He grew up Catholic in nearby Marlow.Willey’s first experience of Rome was a visit as a student, when he witnessed Pope Pius XII being carried through crowds in a gestatorial chair. “For me, the Vatican, St. Peter’s in Rome, was a spectacle, it was almost operatic,” he noted.After studying law and modern languages at Cambridge, he moved to Rome as a trainee for Reuters.He then left for stints in Algeria as a freelancer and subsequently East Africa as a correspondent for BBC. He also reported from Asia, including Saigon and Beijing, and then spent some time in London as the BBC’s assistant diplomatic correspondent.He returned to Italy as BBC’s Rome correspondent in 1972 — and he never left.
David Willey, who died July 11, 2026, served as a BBC correspondent in Rome starting in 1972. He is seen here standing on a street in 1980. | Credit: Photo courtesy of BBC
“I never imagined I would be covering the Vatican [as a] correspondent when I was an altar boy at St. Peter’s Church in Marlow,” he said.Willey explained that he no longer practiced the Catholic faith of his childhood but that he had “the greatest respect for the Catholic religion.”His reporting on the Vatican was through this lens. “I always treated reporting for the Vatican as a secular matter rather than a religious one,” he said, adding that he still found “inspiration and pleasure in covering Vatican affairs” because he thought the pope and the Church had an important message in a world “torn by war and discord.”Lengthy Rome careerDuring his more than five decades covering Rome and the Vatican, Willey witnessed dramatic technological changes both to journalism and to the Vatican’s own operations and communication.Two episodes from his early days in Rome illustrate this, including a call to the Vatican switchboard asking to be connected to a cardinal.He was immediately put through to Cardinal Agostino Casaroli, who would later become the pope’s No. 2 as the Vatican secretary of state.“An important cardinal in the Vatican because he dealt with what was called the Ostpolitik, the Vaticanʼs policy towards Eastern Europe, communist Eastern Europe, during the years of the Cold War,” Willey said, noting that he asked to speak and the cardinal invited him that very afternoon to his “palatial” apartment for what would become a three-and-a-half-hour conversation.Willey recalled how, while a Reuters apprentice in the 1950s, international news agencies would pay a Vatican official for information. Once, on Easter Sunday, he was sent to wait at a bar close to the Vatican to pick up a text of the pope’s “urbi et orbi” blessing.“That was how the system worked. The changes wrought by Vatican II were extraordinary in the sense that a whole department was set up in the Vatican dealing with relations with the media,” he noted.During the pontificate of St. John Paul II, Willey joined the Polish pope on at least 40 of his international trips, nearly half of the jet-setting pope’s total apostolic journeys.“We went all over the world,” Willey noted. “It added to my knowledge of the world immeasurably, but it also enabled me to see the Catholic Church as an international, worldwide body of believers, which you donʼt always understand when you live here in Europe or in Rome in particular.”Veering from the prevailing idea that the faithful should come to see the pope in Rome, John Paul II went out “to meet his flock in person. And he did this with great panache,” the British journalist said.“And by allowing journalists like me to join him on the papal plane; one day, for example, I found him sitting next to me at breakfast on the plane,” Willey recalled. “He used to get bored during his very long journeys across the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans and he mingled with the journalists and sat down and actually talked to them.”“I remember talking to him once about the usefulness of the United Nations, for example. He had some quite interesting things to say.”Willey said he also had a memorable encounter with another living saint — Mother Teresa of Calcutta.One day he rang up the Sisters of Charity in Rome to ask if he could interview Mother Teresa and was told they could arrange a meeting at the airport, in between her landing in Rome from India and before she would immediately depart again for Canada.“We sat down together, and she was, I must say, great fun,” Willey recalled. “We had a very lively conversation in which she confided all sorts of little secrets to me, such as I said, ‘What do you do when you normally arrive in a new country?’ ‘Oh,’ she said, ‘I go to the local phone box and call up the head of state and ask him to send a car to meet me. I ring up the pope and he sends me a car.’”“She was this combination of extreme saintliness and piety — and of course her work among the poor in India was completely a subject of which she was prepared to talk endlessly — but what I found was her sense of fun and her sense that the world was completely open to her,” the journalist said.In 2003, Willey was appointed an officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to broadcast journalism.He wrote several books, including “God’s Politician,” a 1992 biography of John Paul II’s global impact. He also wrote about the start of Pope Francis’ pontificate in “The Promise of Francis: The Man, the Pope, and the Challenge of Change” in 2015.Willey continued to be active into his 90s — including writing a final reflection on the Vatican following Pope Francis’ death in April 2025. Willey spent his final years in the quiet lakeside town of Trevignano Romano, about 30 miles north of Rome. He died on July 11 from heart failure, the BBC reported.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/bbc-correspondent-david-willey-longtime-vatican-and-papal-chronicler-dies-at-93-catholic-david-willey-a-bbc-correspondent-whose-career-in-rome-spanned-more-than-50-years-and-five-papacies-die-scaled.jpg)
![Totowa parish celebrates 100 years of faith, significant growth #Catholic - On July 12, St. James of the Marches Parish in Totowa, N.J., marked 100 years of faith with a centennial Mass celebrated by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney. The parish began with a small but strong group of faithful and has grown into a dynamic community of 800 families.
Since its inception, St. James has served the Catholic community in the area by celebrating the Eucharist, attending to those in need, and administering the sacraments to all who wish to receive them.
“For this centennial, parishioners are celebrating 100 years of people living the Catholic Christian faith as members of St. James. It’s a time for our parishioners now to become inspired by what they accomplished as they move forward, guided by the pastoral staff,” said Father Marc Mancini, who became pastor of St. James in 2019.
St. James began in 1924 when Catholics in Totowa organized under the leadership of Franciscan Friars at St. Bonaventure Parish in nearby Paterson, N.J. A mission was established on July 4, 1926, and a hall on Grant Avenue and Church Street was outfitted to accommodate Masses.
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The Franciscans named the parish after a Franciscan saint: St. James of the Marches, a noted Italian preacher from the late medieval and early Renaissance period.
In 1928, St. James built a permanent church on Totowa Road. The mission became a parish in 1945, when diocesan clergy assumed administration of St. James. The Academy of St. James of the Marches opened the following year and continues to serve local youth. A new church was built in 1955.
St. James was originally founded by Italian Americans and today welcomes an increasing number of Hispanics and Eastern Europeans who have settled in Totowa. The parish holds periodic Spanish Masses, including for Our Lady of Guadalupe, and prayer services.
Along with Father Mancini, concelebrants of the July 12 centennial Mass included Father Joseph DeMarzo III, parochial vicar of St. James, and Father Joseph Mactal, parochial vicar of St. Cecilia Parish in Rockaway, N.J., who previously served St. James. Another concelebrant, Father Paul Iovino, spent 20 years at the parish starting in 1985, retired, and recently returned to live there.
In April, St. James began centennial celebrations with a brunch featuring a talk about the parish’s history by Msgr. Raymond J. Kupke, diocesan archivist.
Centennial festivities will continue Sunday, Sept. 27, with a concert for the dedication of a new organ by Maestro Hector Olivera at 4 p.m. in the church. There is no charge, but donations will be accepted after the concert. A banquet will also be held at The Grand in Totowa on Sunday, Nov. 8.
For questions about centennial celebrations, including obtaining tickets for the organ concert, call St. James at 973-790-0288.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
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![Indian court upholds Hindu prayers in state schools, calls them ‘moral instruction’ – #Catholic – Catholic and other Christian groups have expressed concern after the High Court of Chhattisgarh — a central Indian state governed by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — declined to set aside a state government order making Hindu prayers mandatory in government schools, dismissing a challenge to it as “premature.”“The government order of June 12 [mandating Hindu prayers in schools at assemblies, meal breaks, and at closing] came as a shock to us,” Archbishop Victor Henry Thakur of Raipur, the state capital, told EWTN News on July 13.“We were looking forward to the judiciary to uphold the fundamental rights of the religious minorities enshrined under the constitution. But the July 2 verdict of the High Court belies our hope, as it has dismissed the plea against the government order as ‘premature,’” Thakur said.What the circular requiresThe ruling came on a petition filed by former Chhattisgarh Waqf Board chairman Abdul Salam Rizvi and two others challenging the June 12 order. According to The Hindu, which cited a government official, the morning assembly would include the national anthem, national song, Deep Mantra, Saraswati Vandana, Guru Mantra, and excerpts from the biographies of great personalities.During the midday meal, students would recite a food prayer, the Bhojan Mantra, while the closing session at the end of the school day would include the state song, the Gayatri Mantra, and the Shanti Mantra. The order also threatened punitive action “to ensure strict implementation of the order,” with officials inspecting schools to check for violations of the prescribed guidelines.The court’s rulingWhile dismissing the petition against the June 12 order as “premature,” the High Court said the plea was “based on mere apprehension rather than any actual grievance.”The judge, Justice Amitendra Kishore Prasad, said the petitioners could approach the court “afresh by way of an appropriate petition, supported by cogent and relevant material, if any exigency arises in the future.”However, Thakur said: “In a secular democratic country, young children or their families should not be forced to wage legal battle against the system to uphold their fundamental rights.”“We urge all concerned to ensure that the schools — temples of learning and harmony — are not reduced to communal battlefields of division and religious dominance,” reiterated Thakur, who heads the Catholic Church in Chhattisgarh, where Christians number less than 2% of the state’s 25 million people and the Catholic Church runs over 250 schools.Article 30 of the Indian Constitution empowers all religious and linguistic minorities to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.Protests and ‘deep disappointment’The notification of the order drew protests from Christian and civil rights groups and opposition political parties, which dubbed it a Hindu nationalist “majoritarian show.”Sushil Anand Shukla, spokesperson for the opposition Congress party, said: “Students of all faiths, castes, and communities study in government schools and making the recitation of specific religious mantras compulsory could hurt the sentiments of people belonging to other faiths.”The Progressive Christian Alliance (PCA), in a statement on July 10, expressed “deep disappointment” with the High Court order: “The judgment fails to adequately protect the fundamental rights of students of religious minorities and other faith streams … who now face daily pressure to participate in religious practices that are not their own.”“The dismissal overlooks the real and immediate coercive atmosphere created by a government circular that uses the … school setting where children have little agency to opt out without fear of stigma or exclusion,” said the Rev. Akhilesh Edgar, general secretary of the Evangelical Churches in India, in the statement issued on behalf of the educational wing of the PCA.“We organized protests in several places including Raipur against this move to enforce Hindutva [Hindu nationalist] agenda,” said Pastor Simon Digbal Tandi, coordinator of the PCA.“This court order has come even as we were preparing to move the court,” said Tandi, who heads the PCA’s Chhattisgarh chapter.Tandi also said “the government is hypocritical and playing double talk.” While the government had told the court the order drew no objections, he said, it had already begun allotting 25,000 rupees (about $260) per village school to install sound systems to carry out the prayers.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/indian-court-upholds-hindu-prayers-in-state-schools-calls-them-moral-instruction-catholic-catholic-and-other-christian-groups-have-expressed-concern-after-the-high-court-of-chh-scaled.jpg "Indian court upholds Hindu prayers in state schools, calls them ‘moral instruction’ – #Catholic – Catholic and other Christian groups have expressed concern after the High Court of Chhattisgarh — a central Indian state governed by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — declined to set aside a state government order making Hindu prayers mandatory in government schools, dismissing a challenge to it as “premature.”“The government order of June 12 [mandating Hindu prayers in schools at assemblies, meal breaks, and at closing] came as a shock to us,” Archbishop Victor Henry Thakur of Raipur, the state capital, told EWTN News on July 13.“We were looking forward to the judiciary to uphold the fundamental rights of the religious minorities enshrined under the constitution. But the July 2 verdict of the High Court belies our hope, as it has dismissed the plea against the government order as ‘premature,’” Thakur said.What the circular requiresThe ruling came on a petition filed by former Chhattisgarh Waqf Board chairman Abdul Salam Rizvi and two others challenging the June 12 order. According to The Hindu, which cited a government official, the morning assembly would include the national anthem, national song, Deep Mantra, Saraswati Vandana, Guru Mantra, and excerpts from the biographies of great personalities.During the midday meal, students would recite a food prayer, the Bhojan Mantra, while the closing session at the end of the school day would include the state song, the Gayatri Mantra, and the Shanti Mantra. The order also threatened punitive action “to ensure strict implementation of the order,” with officials inspecting schools to check for violations of the prescribed guidelines.The court’s rulingWhile dismissing the petition against the June 12 order as “premature,” the High Court said the plea was “based on mere apprehension rather than any actual grievance.”The judge, Justice Amitendra Kishore Prasad, said the petitioners could approach the court “afresh by way of an appropriate petition, supported by cogent and relevant material, if any exigency arises in the future.”However, Thakur said: “In a secular democratic country, young children or their families should not be forced to wage legal battle against the system to uphold their fundamental rights.”“We urge all concerned to ensure that the schools — temples of learning and harmony — are not reduced to communal battlefields of division and religious dominance,” reiterated Thakur, who heads the Catholic Church in Chhattisgarh, where Christians number less than 2% of the state’s 25 million people and the Catholic Church runs over 250 schools.Article 30 of the Indian Constitution empowers all religious and linguistic minorities to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.Protests and ‘deep disappointment’The notification of the order drew protests from Christian and civil rights groups and opposition political parties, which dubbed it a Hindu nationalist “majoritarian show.”Sushil Anand Shukla, spokesperson for the opposition Congress party, said: “Students of all faiths, castes, and communities study in government schools and making the recitation of specific religious mantras compulsory could hurt the sentiments of people belonging to other faiths.”The Progressive Christian Alliance (PCA), in a statement on July 10, expressed “deep disappointment” with the High Court order: “The judgment fails to adequately protect the fundamental rights of students of religious minorities and other faith streams … who now face daily pressure to participate in religious practices that are not their own.”“The dismissal overlooks the real and immediate coercive atmosphere created by a government circular that uses the … school setting where children have little agency to opt out without fear of stigma or exclusion,” said the Rev. Akhilesh Edgar, general secretary of the Evangelical Churches in India, in the statement issued on behalf of the educational wing of the PCA.“We organized protests in several places including Raipur against this move to enforce Hindutva [Hindu nationalist] agenda,” said Pastor Simon Digbal Tandi, coordinator of the PCA.“This court order has come even as we were preparing to move the court,” said Tandi, who heads the PCA’s Chhattisgarh chapter.Tandi also said “the government is hypocritical and playing double talk.” While the government had told the court the order drew no objections, he said, it had already begun allotting 25,000 rupees (about $260) per village school to install sound systems to carry out the prayers.")
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![Legatus members learn about the most prominent U.S. Catholics #Catholic - On July 1, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney celebrated a Mass for the Northern New Jersey Chapter of Legatus at Assumption Parish in Morristown, N.J. Founded in 1987 by Domino’s Pizza creator Tom Monaghan, Legatus is an international peer group for Catholic CEOs, presidents, and business owners.
Chapter members actively seek ways to integrate their Catholic faith into their daily professional lives. The chapter operates under the guidance and support of Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney.
Concelebrating the Mass with Bishop Sweeney was Msgr. John Hart, pastor of Assumption and director of Clergy Personnel for the Paterson Diocese, N.J., along with other priests invited to learn more about Legatus. Deacon Len Deo of St. Ann Parish in Parsippany, N.J., assisted with the liturgy and facilitates the chapter’s Men’s Forum.
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After the Mass, Legatus members and many spouses enjoyed dinner at a local establishment. As the featured speaker, Bishop Sweeney discussed a recent column on BeaconNJ.com written by Msgr. Raymond Kupke, diocesan archivist, about “The most prominent Catholics of the United States in our first 250 years.”
The column paid tribute to the recent 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Read the column at https://beaconnj.org/the-most-prominent-catholics-of-the-united-states-in-our-first-250-years-msgr-kupkes-top-10/
Established in 2000, the Northern New Jersey Legatus Chapter meets monthly, typically on a Wednesday or Thursday, beginning with the rosary and followed by Mass. Members and their spouses then enjoy dinner and a presentation at venues throughout northern New Jersey.
There are more than 90 Legatus chapters across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
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![Pope Leo XIV: Make time for prayer and silence in the summer - #Catholic - From the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo, where he moved on July 5 to enjoy a period of rest, Pope Leo XIV has invited the faithful to make time for “meaningful moments of silence and prayer” during the summer.The pontiff’s remarks were made during his Sunday Angelus address on July 12 at Castel Gandolfo, where he will remain until July 27.Reviving a summer papal traditionThis summer, Leo XIV decided to spend part of it on vacation at the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo, becoming the first pope to do so since 2012. The residence has been used by the popes as a countryside retreat for over 400 years, and was a preferred vacation spot of Benedict XVI and St. John Paul II.Pope Francis, however, never left the Vatican during the summer of his 12-year papacy, choosing instead to remain at the Casa Santa Marta and repurpose the papal summer residence at Castel Gandolfo as a museum.The palace itself is a 17th-century building on the shores of Lake Albano. Although it will be closed to the public during the pope’s vacation, the nearby papal gardens will remain open to visitors.During Leo’s vacation, all private and public audiences, including the Wednesday general audience, are suspended. His only public audiences will be the Sunday Angelus, with the only exception so far being his lunch with the poor in the gardens on July 11.The parable of the sowerCommenting on the Sunday Gospel for the day, which contains the parable of the sower, Leo XIV highlighted “the generosity and trust” with which God puts his word and power in the hearts of believers.“Jesus himself, the Word made flesh, who gave his life for our salvation, is the seed that the Father continues to sow throughout the world so that, by dying, he may bear much fruit,” Leo said in his address.
Pope Leo XIV greets the crowds after his Sunday Angelus on July 12, 2026, at the Piazza della Libertà at Castel Gandolfo. | Credit: Daniel Ibanez/EWTN News
The pope also explained that, just as in the parable where the seed is planted in different soils, the faithful do not each receive this gift in the same way.“It is true that sometimes [God] finds in us hard and unresponsive soil, at other times distracted soil, like the beaten path, the rocky ground, or the thorny bushes. Yet there are also moments when he finds receptive and fertile ground, and then miracles of love are set in motion that have the power to transform everything — as we ourselves have no doubt experienced in our own lives.”Leo also reminded the faithful present that God’s love “is stronger than our weakness” and that he never stops sowing and believing in them. He also invited them to take advantage of the summer holidays to experience God through silence and prayer.“Let us therefore resolve, especially during these summer days of vacation, to make room for listening to, reading, and meditating on the Word of God, thereby fostering — together with rest and wholesome recreation— meaningful moments of silence and prayer,” Leo said.A renewed appeal for peaceAfter praying the Angelus, Leo XIV renewed his appeal for peace in war-torn regions, lamenting that “the winds of war are blowing once again in the Middle East, in Ukraine and in many other parts of the world, sowing violence, terror and death.”The pope also urged political leaders to resume dialogue and opt for diplomatic means to stop the escalation of conflicts.Leoʼs words come at a time of rising international tension, after the United States and Iran once again became embroiled in a dangerous spiral of attacks. The United States launched new airstrikes against Iranian territory following the Revolutionary Guardʼs attack on a Cypriot-flagged cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz.Finally, the pope, recalling that July 12 is “Sea Sunday,” gave a special greeting to sailors, fishermen, and port workers. He praised them for their work despite being “marked by separation from their loved ones and sometimes by fear of the conflicts [that] occur on the seas.”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/2026/07/pope-leo-xiv-make-time-for-prayer-and-silence-in-the-summer-catholic-from-the-apostolic-palace-of-castel-gandolfo-where-he-moved-on-july-5-to-enjoy-a-period-of-rest-pope-leo-xiv-has-invited-th-scaled.jpg)
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![At lunch with the poor, Pope Leo XIV calls on society to eliminate the causes of poverty, injustice - #Catholic - Pope Leo XIV on July 11 expressed a “hunger for justice [and] authentic charity” while attending a lunch with poor people at Castel Gandolfo outside of Rome. “[I have] a hunger for a Church that truly knows how to open its doors and receive everyone — where there is love for all and no one is an enemy, where we all know how to live out reconciliation, forgiveness, and peace,” the pope told the crowd at the lunch, hosted in the gardens of the Borgo Laudato Si’.
Pope Leo XIV dines with guests during a lunch for poor people at Castel Gandolfo outside of Rome, July 11, 2026. The event was the second lunch the pope has hosted with those facing poverty since the beginning of his pontificate. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News
Leo pointed out that the historic papal title of “pontiff” means “a builder of bridges.” “Today, we too wish to build a bridge with all of you, with your families, and with the society in which we want to live — but to live with justice, to live where the causes of poverty can be eliminated, where the causes of the injustices that still exist in our world can be removed,” he said.
Pope Leo XIV and guests sit for lunch at Castel Gandolfo outside of Rome, July 11, 2026. The event was the second lunch the pope has hosted with those facing poverty since the beginning of his pontificate. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News
“This is the Church we want to be,” he said while thanking the organizers of the lunch, the second such event the pope has hosted since his pontificate began. “When we gather together, when we experience this spirit of encounter around the table — the very table where Jesus is present with us — we are truly building a different world, a world of hope. Let us strive always to embody this experience of a Church of justice, peace, and love,” he said.Before the pope spoke, Cardinal Fabio Baggio — the incoming pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development — had addressed the gathering.
Cardinal Fabio Baggio speaks during a lunch for poor people at Castel Gandolfo outside of Rome, July 11, 2026. The event was the second lunch Pope Leo XIV has hosted with those facing poverty since the beginning of his pontificate. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News
“At a time when the ‘throwaway culture’ risks relegating many people to the margins, this place seeks to be a small sign of hope,” the cardinal said. “Here, we wish to remind everyone — through our lives rather than just our words — that no one is superfluous in the eyes of God and that every person is a gift to the entire community.”About 200 people facing social vulnerability from the Diocese of Rome attended the lunch with the pope. On Aug. 17, 2025 the pope hosted a similar lunch with people living in poverty from the Diocese of Albano; he held another such luncheon on Nov. 16 of that year.This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/at-lunch-with-the-poor-pope-leo-xiv-calls-on-society-to-eliminate-the-causes-of-poverty-injustice-catholic-pope-leo-xiv-on-july-11-expressed-a-hunger-for-justice-and-authentic-charit-scaled.jpg)
![Our Lady Queen of Peace celebrates its patronal feast as a sign of unity in Sussex County #Catholic - The Solemnity of Our Lady Queen of Peace was far more than a patronal feast for Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish in Branchville, N.J. The celebration became a sign of unity, bringing the English-speaking and Spanish-speaking communities together to honor their patroness in a day of prayer, fellowship and joy.
Throughout the day, families from both communities took part in the various activities the parish organized: games for the children, Eucharistic adoration and an outdoor Mass celebrated by the pastor, Father Philip Tangorra, together with Father Dailon Lisabet, who provides pastoral care to the Hispanic community of Sussex County. The day closed with a parish picnic.
During the Mass, Father Lisabet reflected on the deep meaning of the celebration: “Although we speak different languages, we share the same faith, the same baptism, the same Eucharist, this samehurch and the same Mother, Mary.”
Father Lisabet thanked Father Philip Tangorra for his closeness, his openness and his constant desire that the Hispanic community take full part in parish life.
“Since I arrived at this parish, one of Father Philip’s great desires has been that the Hispanic community not feel like a separate group, but like a living part of this parish family. That has been my desire and my mission as well,” Father Lisabet said.
After the Eucharist, the two communities shared food, conversation and time together. The Hispanic community prepared tacos al pastor and shaved ice, which were welcomed enthusiastically by everyone present.
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The following Sunday, during the Spanish Mass, Mary Eileen B. Schoen publicly expressed her gratitude to the Hispanic community in a letter.
“Thank you for being such a special part of the solemnity and barbecue of Our Lady Queen of Peace. The tacos and shaved ice were a great success. Everyone in the parish is so grateful for your becoming part of our parish family. May we continue to grow together in the love of God and of one another,” Schoen wrote.
Susana Cabrera, who recently began taking part in the parish along with her husband, said she felt welcome from the very first moment.
“It was the first time I took part in an outdoor Mass. I was moved to see the two communities adoring the Blessed Sacrament together and sharing a meal as one community,” Cabrera said.
Stella Guevara said, “The unity we shared as two communities seemed wonderful to me. It was a beautiful tribute to Our Lady Queen of Peace, and I hope we can repeat moments like this.”
For Pablo Noche and his family, who were in charge of preparing the tacos al pastor, the gathering reflected the true spirit of the parish.
“It was an afternoon of fellowship and unity where we were able to get to know one another better and strengthen the bonds that unite us as one family in Christ,” Noche said.
Beyond the various activities, the message that stayed in many hearts was deeply significant: when Christ and the Eucharist are at the center of parish life, differences of language and culture cease to be barriers and become a richness for the whole Church. Everything experienced during this day in Branchville was a manifestation of the universality of the Church: one faith, one family and one shared desire to keep building community under the protection of Mary, Queen of Peace.
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/our-lady-queen-of-peace-celebrates-its-patronal-feast-as-a-sign-of-unity-in-sussex-county-catholic-the-solemnity-of-our-lady-queen-of-peace-was-far-more-than-a-patronal-feast-for-our-lady-queen-of.jpg)
![Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz celebró su fiesta patronal como un signo de unidad en Sussex County #Catholic - La Solemnidad de Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz fue mucho más que una fiesta patronal para la parroquia Our Lady Queen of Peace, en Branchville. La celebración se convirtió en un signo de unidad al reunir a las comunidades angloparlante e hispanohablante para celebrar juntas a su patrona en un día de oración, fraternidad y alegría.
A lo largo del día, familias de ambas comunidades participaron en las distintas actividades organizadas por la parroquia: juegos para los niños, adoración eucarística y una Misa al aire libre presidida por el párroco, el Padre Philip Tangorra, junto con el Padre Dailon Lisabet, quien acompaña pastoralmente a la comunidad hispana de Sussex County. La jornada concluyó con un picnic parroquial.
Durante la Misa, el Padre Dailon destacó el profundo significado de esta celebración: “aunque hablamos diferentes idiomas, compartimos la misma fe, el mismo Bautismo, la misma Eucaristía, este mismo templo y la misma Madre, María.”
También expresó su agradecimiento al Padre Philip Tangorra por su cercanía, su apertura y el deseo constante de que la comunidad hispana forme parte plenamente de la vida parroquial: “desde que llegué a esta parroquia, uno de los grandes deseos del Padre Philip ha sido que la comunidad hispana no se sienta como un grupo aparte, sino como una parte viva de esta familia parroquial. Ese también ha sido mi deseo y mi misión.”
Tras la Eucaristía, las dos comunidades compartieron alimentos, conversaciones y momentos de convivencia. La comunidad hispana preparó tacos al pastor y raspados de hielo, que fueron recibidos con entusiasmo por todos los asistentes.
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El domingo siguiente, durante la Misa en español, Mary Eileen B. Schoen expresó públicamente su agradecimiento a la comunidad hispana mediante una carta: “gracias por ser una parte tan especial de la solemnidad y del barbecue de Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz. Los tacos y los raspados fueron todo un éxito. Todos en la parroquia estamos muy agradecidos por su incorporación a nuestra familia parroquial. Que sigamos creciendo juntos en el amor de Dios y unos por otros.”
Susana Cabrera, quien recientemente comenzó a participar en la parroquia junto con su esposo, comentó que se sintió bienvenida desde el primer momento: “fue la primera vez que participé en una Misa al aire libre. Me emocionó ver a las dos comunidades adorando juntas al Santísimo Sacramento y compartiendo la comida como una sola comunidad.”
Stella Guevara también destacó el ambiente vivido durante la celebración: “me pareció espectacular la unión que tuvimos las dos comunidades. Fue un hermoso homenaje a Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz y ojalá podamos repetir momentos como este.”
Para Pablo Noche y su familia, encargados de preparar los tacos al pastor, la convivencia reflejó el verdadero espíritu de la parroquia: “fue una tarde de fraternidad y unión donde pudimos conocernos mejor y fortalecer los lazos que nos unen como una sola familia en Cristo.”
Más allá de las distintas actividades, el mensaje que quedó en el corazón de muchos fue muy significativo: cuando Cristo y la Eucaristía ocupan el centro de la vida parroquial, las diferencias de idioma y cultura dejan de ser barreras para convertirse en una riqueza para toda la Iglesia. Todo lo vivido durante este día en Branchville fue una manifestación de la universalidad de la Iglesia: una sola fe, una sola familia y un mismo deseo de seguir construyendo comunidad bajo el amparo de María, Reina de la Paz.
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/nuestra-senora-reina-de-la-paz-celebro-su-fiesta-patronal-como-un-signo-de-unidad-en-sussex-county-catholic-la-solemnidad-de-nuestra-senora-reina-de-la-paz-fue-mucho-mas-que-una-fiesta-patronal-par.jpg)
![Notre Dame awards religious liberty prize to Becket Fund for Supreme Court wins #Catholic Notre Dame Law School awarded its 2026 Prize for Religious Liberty to the Becket Fund — a nonprofit law firm that has secured 13 Supreme Court victories in the past 15 years defending the First Amendment’s religious liberty protections.“We’re deeply honored to be recognized with the religious liberty prize,” Becket President and CEO Mark Rienzi told EWTN News.“We’re honored to be able to be part of fighting to protect something that is very important for our country and the Church,” said Reinzi, who accepted the award at the July 8 conclusion of Notre Dame’s sixth annual Religious Liberty Summit in Chicago.Becket — established in 1994 to provide cost-free legal counsel to those whose religious liberties were violated — has an undefeated record at the Supreme Court.Its lawyers represented the Little Sisters of the Poor and Hobby Lobby against contraception mandates, defended the rights of Maryland parents to opt their children out of gender-related coursework that conflicted with their religious beliefs, and backed a Catholic foster care agency that only placed children with opposite-sex married couples.G. Marcus Cole, a dean and professor of law at Notre Dame, said during the award ceremony that when the university started giving out the award, “we always imagined that it would go to one person.”“But when we think about the Becket Fund, it is an entire team of lawyers, led by Mark Rienzi, who have made a difference in our world, who have made our lives better,” he said. “And for that reason, we thought it only appropriate to give the award to the Becket Fund as an entity."Ongoing fights for religious libertyThe most recent victory secured by Becket came in Mahmoud v. Taylor, which ensured parents in Montgomery County, Maryland, had a right to opt their children out of coursework that included material related to gender that conflicted with their religious faith.Rienzi told EWTN News that “parents don’t give up the right to [raise] their children when they drop their kids off at the schoolhouse gates.” He added: “Your children don’t belong to the state just because you use a public school.”Becket represented Catholic, Ethiopian Orthodox, and Muslim parents in the lawsuit. Rienzi said religious parents have a right to “operate equally as a full citizen and full member of the public” by utilizing the public school system while maintaining the right to instill religious values in their children.“[This was] the most important case in at least 50 or 100 years in establishing that principle,” he said.Becket also secured the 2020 victory for the Little Sisters of the Poor in which the Supreme Court ruled in favor of federal regulations that exempted the religious sisters from mandatory contraception coverage in insurance plans.The sisters, however, are back in court after the governments of Pennsylvania and New Jersey challenged those exemptions on separate grounds than those on which the court previously ruled. This case is now in an appellate court, which heard oral arguments on July 7. Becket is representing them again and Rienzi is the lead attorney on the case.“It’s outrageous that governments keep volunteering for the beating they get when they keep [going after] the Little Sisters of the Poor,” Rienzi said.He said “the law is really, really clear” that Pennsylvania cannot remove their exemptions from the mandate.Becket is also representing a coalition of Catholic preschools in Colorado that is suing the state because they were excluded from a “universal” tuition program. The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case. Notre Dame awarded Becket the prize less than one week after Americans celebrated the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which culminated in the adoption of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights, which secured religious freedom.“God created everybody equal and equally free and gave them rights,” Rienzi said, adding that religious freedom is “essential to the declaration’s idea of who we are as a country and … [it] is crucial for maintaining it.”“It’s a shame that you still have to fight about it,” Rienzi said. “But on the other hand, it’s worth fighting for.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/notre-dame-awards-religious-liberty-prize-to-becket-fund-for-supreme-court-wins-catholic-notre-dame-law-school-awarded-its-2026-prize-for-religious-liberty-to-the-becket-fund-a-nonprofit-la.jpg "Notre Dame awards religious liberty prize to Becket Fund for Supreme Court wins #Catholic Notre Dame Law School awarded its 2026 Prize for Religious Liberty to the Becket Fund — a nonprofit law firm that has secured 13 Supreme Court victories in the past 15 years defending the First Amendment’s religious liberty protections.“We’re deeply honored to be recognized with the religious liberty prize,” Becket President and CEO Mark Rienzi told EWTN News.“We’re honored to be able to be part of fighting to protect something that is very important for our country and the Church,” said Reinzi, who accepted the award at the July 8 conclusion of Notre Dame’s sixth annual Religious Liberty Summit in Chicago.Becket — established in 1994 to provide cost-free legal counsel to those whose religious liberties were violated — has an undefeated record at the Supreme Court.Its lawyers represented the Little Sisters of the Poor and Hobby Lobby against contraception mandates, defended the rights of Maryland parents to opt their children out of gender-related coursework that conflicted with their religious beliefs, and backed a Catholic foster care agency that only placed children with opposite-sex married couples.G. Marcus Cole, a dean and professor of law at Notre Dame, said during the award ceremony that when the university started giving out the award, “we always imagined that it would go to one person.”“But when we think about the Becket Fund, it is an entire team of lawyers, led by Mark Rienzi, who have made a difference in our world, who have made our lives better,” he said. “And for that reason, we thought it only appropriate to give the award to the Becket Fund as an entity.\"Ongoing fights for religious libertyThe most recent victory secured by Becket came in Mahmoud v. Taylor, which ensured parents in Montgomery County, Maryland, had a right to opt their children out of coursework that included material related to gender that conflicted with their religious faith.Rienzi told EWTN News that “parents don’t give up the right to [raise] their children when they drop their kids off at the schoolhouse gates.” He added: “Your children don’t belong to the state just because you use a public school.”Becket represented Catholic, Ethiopian Orthodox, and Muslim parents in the lawsuit. Rienzi said religious parents have a right to “operate equally as a full citizen and full member of the public” by utilizing the public school system while maintaining the right to instill religious values in their children.“[This was] the most important case in at least 50 or 100 years in establishing that principle,” he said.Becket also secured the 2020 victory for the Little Sisters of the Poor in which the Supreme Court ruled in favor of federal regulations that exempted the religious sisters from mandatory contraception coverage in insurance plans.The sisters, however, are back in court after the governments of Pennsylvania and New Jersey challenged those exemptions on separate grounds than those on which the court previously ruled. This case is now in an appellate court, which heard oral arguments on July 7. Becket is representing them again and Rienzi is the lead attorney on the case.“It’s outrageous that governments keep volunteering for the beating they get when they keep [going after] the Little Sisters of the Poor,” Rienzi said.He said “the law is really, really clear” that Pennsylvania cannot remove their exemptions from the mandate.Becket is also representing a coalition of Catholic preschools in Colorado that is suing the state because they were excluded from a “universal” tuition program. The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case. Notre Dame awarded Becket the prize less than one week after Americans celebrated the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which culminated in the adoption of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights, which secured religious freedom.“God created everybody equal and equally free and gave them rights,” Rienzi said, adding that religious freedom is “essential to the declaration’s idea of who we are as a country and … [it] is crucial for maintaining it.”“It’s a shame that you still have to fight about it,” Rienzi said. “But on the other hand, it’s worth fighting for.”")
![Iranian delegation visits Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica, engaging in ‘interfaith dialogue’ #Catholic An Iranian delegation recently visited Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica in Mexico City, the Marian shrine that displays the original image of the Virgin Mary that miraculously appeared on the tilma of the Indigenous St. Juan Diego nearly 500 years ago.On July 8, the Iranian Embassy in Mexico shared on social media that “at the spiritual heart of Mexico, Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica, we had the honor of sharing a fraternal meeting between representatives of Islam and Christianity.”The Iranian delegation consisted of Iranʼs ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh; Ayatollah Dr. Emran Khanzadeh; and Mohammad Reza Gilani, the counselor of cultural affairs at the Iranian Embassy.
The Iranian delegation with Monsignor Edgar Alan Valtierra López during their visit to Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica. | Credit: Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica
The three were welcomed at the Marian shrine by Monsignor Edgar Alan Valtierra López, senior penitentiary canon and head of the Commission for Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue at the basilica.In its social media post, under the title “When respect opens the way, friendship is born,” the Iranian embassy highlighted that “during the conversation, Dr. Emran Khanzadeh recalled that the Virgin Mary (Maryam) occupies a unique place in Islam,” since “she is the only woman mentioned by name in the Quran and an eternal example of purity, faith, and dedication to God.”“We also share a little-known reality: In Iran, Muslims, Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians have lived together for centuries with mutual respect. Because when people know each other, prejudices disappear,” the Iranian delegation said.“Religions may have different paths, but they all lead to peace,” the embassy wrote.The Virgin Mary and her ‘very important’ role in dialogue between Catholics and MuslimsSpeaking to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Valtierra said that “the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Catholic-Muslim dialogue is very important.”“Ambassador Abolfazl told us that in the Quran, their holy book, she is called Maryam, and she is the only woman to whom a surah, that is, a chapter of the Quran, is dedicated. Surah 3:42 states: ‘Oh Mary! God has chosen you, purified you, and selected you above the women of all worlds.’”“Although there are very profound differences regarding the figure of Jesus, Mary becomes a sign of rapprochement and respectful dialogue, as we discover shared values such as love for God, obedience, faith, humility, hope, and many others,” the Mexican priest said.Valtierra noted that the gathering took place in the context of the desire of the primatial archbishop of Mexico, Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes, for the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe to be a place where people of all faiths can learn about and draw closer to the message of Our Lady of Guadalupe and her son, Our Lord Jesus Christ.“Interfaith and ecumenical events are held in various areas of the shrine,” he said, noting that meetings have taken place with Lutheran, Anglican, and evangelical Christians as well as believers “from other religions such as Jews, Buddhists, and Hare Krishnas,” among others.“In this context, the Iranian embassy requested to visit the shrine on the occasion of a visit by a very important figure, Ayatollah Dr. Emran Khanzadeh, who wished to engage in interfaith dialogue,” he explained.
Monsignor Edgar Alan Valtierra López accompanies the Iranian delegation during a tour of Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica. | Credit: Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica
‘A testimony to the Church’s openness’Valtierra noted that during the visit, “we first toured the shrine, which included viewing the image head-on from the sanctuary. Afterward, we moved to a room where Ayatollah Emran spoke, drawing on profound Islamic theology, about the need for religions to work together.”The ayatollah, he said, “mentioned that in Iran there is a street where there is a Mazdean [Zoroastrian] temple, an Armenian Christian church, and a mosque,” and “noted that monotheistic religions share many common points, one of which is a merciful God who calls upon us to work in fraternity.”This meeting, the canon of the basilica noted, demonstrates “that the Church can welcome everyone with respect and without neglecting the proclamation of Our Lord Jesus Christ.”Visitors who were ‘very devoted to Our Lady of Guadalupe’According to Valtierra, the Iranian visitors “showed themselves to be very devoted to Our Lady of Guadalupe” and noted that “in the sacristy, we gave them some holy cards featuring the image of the Virgin, and they liked them very much.” The ambassador and the ayatollah shared with him that both men have daughters named Mary.Furthermore, “they also told us that they have an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe in their homes, and that in Iran there is even a metro station named ‘Holy Virgin Mary,’ which features a beautiful relief image of the Virgin on one of its walls.”“While the image in the station does not depict Guadalupe, it certainly speaks volumes about the respect held for Holy Mary,” the priest noted.Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica and interreligious dialogueValtierra clarified that when receiving visits from believers of other religions, “the basilica does not stop being a Catholic shrine; rites blending beliefs are not performed,” but rather “each participant fully retains their own religious identity.”The aim, he emphasized, is “to promote mutual understanding, respect, and collaboration for peace and human dignity, as called for by the Second Vatican Council and the contemporary magisterium of the popes.”“Visits by people of other faiths to Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica offer an opportunity to encounter the Catholic faith through its liturgy, devotion to the Virgin, and the witness of popular piety,” he said, noting that “interreligious dialogue does not promote relativism or syncretism; rather, it expresses the conviction that Christianity can bear witness to Christ with clarity while simultaneously listening to, learning from, and working alongside people of other religious traditions.”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/2026/07/iranian-delegation-visits-our-lady-of-guadalupe-basilica-engaging-in-interfaith-dialogue-catholic-an-iranian-delegation-recently-visited-our-lady-of-guadalupe-basilica-in-mexico-ci.jpg)
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![World Cup scores with Paterson clergy celebrating global unity #Catholic - The calendars of clergy in the Paterson Diocese, N.J., are typically set to their sacramental ministry. But this summer, some diocesan clergy have also been setting aside time for the FIFA World Cup 2026 soccer. They see direct analogies between the game and the Body of Christ.
One of these priests, Father Frank Lennie, chaplain at DePaul Catholic High School in Wayne, N.J., sometimes wears a kilt to games.
Venues around the United States are hosting World Cup matches, including at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., which will hold the finals on July 19. Father Lennie often wore a Team USA jersey as he watched World Cup matches at home or at a local establishments before Belgium eliminated the team in the men’s soccer tournament’s round of 16.
“I was hoping they would do a little more than what they did, but they had a successful World Cup — nothing to complain about,” Father Lennie said.
Meanwhile, Father Daniel O’Mullane, pastor at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Boonton, N.J., had Team USA in his heart but still rooted for his birthplace, England, through the quarterfinal round.
“I am an American citizen, but I was born and raised in England, and it’s just like your first love,” said Father O’Mullane, who also supports perennial Premier League contender Liverpool. “I don’t think that there’s really anything compelling about giving up my first love as it relates to football [as soccer is known elsewhere],” he said.
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During his priestly formation in Rome, Father O’Mullane played for the Pontifical North American College soccer team, the Martyrs, where he was a standout forward in the famous Clericus Cup.
Father Lennie wore traditional Scottish attire when he took in a World Cup tune-up match with team of his ancestry at the New York Red Bulls’ home stadium in Harrison, N.J. He kept his auxiliary membership of the Tartan Army when Scotland played in its first World Cup in 28 years before getting eliminated.
“I was kilted up, and singing the ‘Flower of Scotland’ with everybody, which was pretty emotional for me,” Father Lennie said. “I’m not 100-percent Scottish, but it’s what I identify the most as because my name is Scottish.”
Father Lennie is semi-reluctantly joining Father O’Mullane in rooting for England, Scotland’s archrival, in the knockout rounds.
The priests aren’t alone in their love of soccer and the World Cup. Deacon Luis Carlos Mendez of St. Christopher Parish in Parsippany, N.J., proudly traveled to Toronto in Canada to support Panama when it played Ghana in the preliminary rounds.
Neither Father Lennie nor Father O’Mullane had that opportunity, but as they watch a World Cup match or a Red Bulls match at their stadium in Harrison, they find parallels between the game they love and the faith they live and evangelize as priests.
“The game has its own particular beauty. That’s probably the best place to explore it as it relates to the things of God,” Father O’Mullane said. He noted that a soccer team can achieve greatness when its different parts work together like the Body of Christ. “God wants us to celebrate the particular inherent beauty of what we’re able to witness and participate in,” he said.
Father Lennie was moved by how Scotland’s “Tartan Army” embraced opponents such as Brazil during pregame parties in Miami’s South Beach, and how Americans have adopted visiting teams as their own, such as Kansans adopting Algeria. He said the World Cup in North America has fostered a sense of togetherness between strangers, welcoming the visitor as one’s own as Christ teaches.
“There’s a lot to celebrate there, whether it’s the skill of particular people, watching teams come together or celebrating how well-received America has been by the various populations traveling to the country and how grateful they are,” Father Lennie said. “There was a lot of pressure and a lot of false narratives before the World Cup about what was going to happen with all these different people coming to America, but I think those have been found out to be not true,” he said.
O’Mullane still holds out hope for England winning its first World Cup title since 1966, even as his parish celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on July 19 at a location just 27 miles away from the site of the World Cup final.
“The day at the parish culminates with 11 a.m. Mass and a picnic until 3 p.m. I said to everybody, ‘There should be enough time to go to the picnic and get home in time to watch England win the World Cup,’” Father O’Mullane said.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/world-cup-scores-with-paterson-clergy-celebrating-global-unity-catholic-the-calendars-of-clergy-in-the-paterson-diocese-n-j-are-typically-set-to-their-sacramental-ministry-but-this-summer-some.jpg)
