United Yam – You Never Know

U.S. bill would hold Syrian officials accountable for abuses against minorities – #Catholic – Amid reports of ongoing abuses against religious and ethnic groups in Syria, U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Pennsylvania, introduced a bill aimed at strengthening accountability for serious human rights abuses and persecution, including those targeting Christians and Alawites. The bill calls for a report identifying Syrian officials suspected of involvement in the abuses and for consideration of targeted sanctions against them.The bill is titled the “Syrian Religious and Ethnic Minorities Protection Act.” It was referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, as well as the House Committees on the Judiciary and Financial Services, for consideration of matters within their respective jurisdictions. On his website, Mackenzie said the measure aims to strengthen congressional oversight, identify those responsible for abuses, and ensure the United States uses the tools available to hold them accountable. He said protecting religious freedom and human rights should remain a priority as Syria builds its future.The bill’s text, which is supported by In Defense of Christians, the American Syriac Union, and the Alawites Association of the United States, cites reports of unlawful detention, ongoing sectarian violence against minorities fueled by hate speech whose perpetrators go unpunished, the abduction of women and minors, mass dismissals from employment, enforced disappearances, intimidation and property seizures, forced displacement, police abuse of authority, government-backed looting, coercion to change religion, and extrajudicial killings.The bill also draws on reports from international organizations, including the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, documenting continued violations of religious freedom and persecution based on religious and ethnic identity. It points to the Syrian transitional authorities’ failure to include minorities in governance and the transition, investigate crimes against them, and prosecute those responsible. It also cites reports that foreign fighters remain in senior positions within state and security institutions.Under the bill, the U.S. secretary of state, in coordination with the director of national intelligence, would be required to submit a report to the relevant committees within 90 days of the bill’s enactment. The report would identify senior Syrian officials and people associated with them who are credibly suspected of participating in, directing, facilitating, or covering up the abuses, and assess whether measures should be imposed against them. Possible measures include blocking property, visa and entry restrictions, financial restrictions, and other actions authorized under U.S. law.

unitedyam October 20, 2026October 20, 2026

The bill calls for a report identifying Syrian officials who are suspected of abuses and for consideration of targeted sanctions against them.

From rector in Rome to bishop in England, Stephen Wang embraces new mission of truth and love – #Catholic – Following Pope Leo XIV’s announcement in July, Father Stephen Wang became the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton on Oct. 19 at the Cathedral of Our Lady and St. Philip Howard in England.

Bishop Stephen Wang is ordained the sixth bishop of Arundel and Brighton in England on Oct. 19, 2026, after serving as rector of the Venerable English College in Rome. | Credit: ©Mazur/cbcew.org.uk

The milestone event at the cathedral in West Sussex gathered key figures across the community — from Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía, the papal nuncio to Great Britain, to local priests, religious orders, and lay Catholics — alongside representatives from neighboring Christian churches as well as the Muslim, Jewish, and Hindu traditions, all standing together to mark this new chapter for the diocese.Reflecting on his personal faith journey, Wang recalled converting to Catholicism decades prior in Harpenden, England. He shared how an icon given to him by a friend during his youth — inscribed with St. Paul’s reassurance that the Lord is faithful and will bring all things to fulfillment — has continually guided his vocation.

Stephen Wang lies prostrate during his ordination as the sixth bishop of Arundel and Brighton in England on Oct. 19, 2026, after serving as rector of the Venerable English College in Rome. | Credit: ©Mazur/cbcew.org.uk

When addressing the congregation after the ordination Mass, Wang announced his episcopal motto as “Veritas in Caritate,” from St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians: “to speak the truth in love.” He said this phrase has inspired his whole priesthood — from his teenage conversion to his time in London when he launched the faith formation program “Sycamore” in 2014 and his appointment in Rome as rector of the Venerable English College (VEC).

Bishop Stephen Wang elevates the host during the consecration at the Mass where he became the sixth bishop of Arundel and Brighton in England on Oct. 19, 2026. | Credit: ©Mazur/cbcew.org.uk

Wang has a deep, multilayered history with the VEC in Rome, having spent time there both as a student and later returning as its rector. From 1992 to 1997, he completed his initial priestly formation at the seminary, earning a licentiate in philosophy from the college alongside a licentiate in fundamental theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University. Decades later, he returned to Rome to serve as rector of the VEC from 2021 until 2026, where he oversaw the preparation and formation of the next generation of Catholic priests before stepping down upon his new appointment as the bishop of Arundel and Brighton.In his closing statement, newly ordained Wang said: “It’s not about us, it’s about God, his faithfulness, his love, a beauty that catches us by surprise.”

unitedyam October 20, 2026October 20, 2026

Prior rector of the Venerable English College in Rome, Father Stephen Wang has been appointed the new bishop of Arundel and Brighton.

Rector of pontifical university in Brazil dies in wind-related accident during Arizona visit – #Catholic – The head of a pontifical university in Brazil died during a visit to the U.S. this month after suffering a head injury in Arizona. The Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná in Curitiba, Brazil, announced a memorial Mass in honor of Marist Brother Rogério Renato Mateucci, who died on Oct. 16 after being struck on the head by a piece of roofing at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West home near Scottsdale, Arizona. Mateucci was reportedly part of a walking tour at the historic home when high winds tore part of the roof off of the structure. He allegedly died instantly. The school held the memorial Mass on Oct. 19. The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation said it an announcement that it “[extended] its deepest condolences to the family and loved ones” of Mateucci. The property would be closed until further notice, the foundation said. The Brazilian pontifical university, meanwhile, said it had canceled two days of classes in the wake of Mateucci’s death. Mateucci had been appointed to the rectorship of the university first in 2021. He had previously served as a vice rector there as well as on the school’s board of directors. His death was also mourned at Kent State University in Ohio, where he gave a keynote commencement address in May 2025 in which he called on graduates to take risks “to offer affection and make life easier for those around you.”“May you have the courage to say yes to the life that persists in you,” he told the assembly. Paulo Mussi Augusto, associate vice president for global education at the Ohio school, said Mateucci “spoke and acted with a rare gentleness and had a remarkable ability to listen, always making room for others to be heard.”“As a man of faith, he was steadfast, slow to judge and always willing to give people another chance,” Augusto said. “His legacy will continue to inspire all of us who had the privilege of knowing him.”

unitedyam October 20, 2026October 20, 2026

The Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná in Curitiba, Brazil, held a memorial Mass for Rogério Renato Mateucci after the tragedy.

unitedyam October 20, 2026October 20, 2026

BepiColombo, a joint mission of the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, launched Oct. 20, 2018. The spacecraft is actually two satellites in one, the Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and the Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO), commissioned with investigating one of the least-visited planets in our solar system. To reach its final position,Continue reading “Oct. 20, 2018: BepiColombo launches”

The post Oct. 20, 2018: BepiColombo launches appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

unitedyam October 19, 2026October 19, 2026

Picture of the day

Archaeological area of Cantona, Puebla, Mexico

unitedyam October 19, 2026October 19, 2026

The captivating shapes of wind-carved crags called yardangs are revealed in this zoomed-in crop of a broader panorama captured by NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover. Scientists are eager to learn more about how the yardang layer formed.

Exorcist Father Ripperger agrees to 1-year ‘fast’ from public speaking #Catholic Archbishop James Golka of Denver has asked Father Chad Ripperger, a prominent Catholic exorcist whose podcast appearances have reached millions of viewers, to take a yearlong break from public speaking and interviews.Ripperger agreed to the request, according to a statement from Kelly Clark, director of communications for the Archdiocese of Denver, provided to the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, and LifeSiteNews and later posted to the archdiocese’s website.“Archbishop Golka recently met with Fr. Chad Ripperger to discuss his ministry and his community, the Society of the Most Sorrowful Mother,” Clark said. “During that conversation, the Archbishop asked Fr. Ripperger to consider a one-year fast from public speaking and interviews.”“The time will allow him to devote himself to the Society and to the people it serves,” she continued. “Fr. Ripperger readily agreed. At the end of the year, they will review the arrangement together.”Golka is “grateful for Fr. Ripperger’s priestly service, exorcism ministry, and for the generous spirit in which he received this request,” the statement continued. “We ask the faithful to join us in praying for Fr. Ripperger and for the Society.”LifeSiteNews reported Oct. 19 that Ripperger — who in 2012 founded the Society of the Most Sorrowful Mother (also known as the Doloran Fathers), a semi-contemplative society of priests located in Keenesburg, Colorado, that focuses on spiritual warfare and traditional Catholic liturgy — had canceled several speaking engagements, including one scheduled for the outlet’s 30th anniversary gala in April 2027.The archdiocese’s statement did not clarify whether the request would affect any of his other priestly duties, or whether it was disciplinary in nature.Ripperger has drawn a large audience through appearances on podcasts hosted by Tucker Carlson and Shawn Ryan. In his April interview with Carlson, he spoke about the role of exorcism in the Gospels and what he sees as a decline in belief in the devil among Christians.“A lot of the Christians will just say, ‘Well, I believe in God, but I don’t necessarily believe in the devil,’” Ripperger told Carlson. “Well, then how can you not believe that this is one of the primary missions of Christ, was to save us from them, ultimately?”The nearly two-hour conversation also covered psychology, the nature of demons, and the distinction between supernatural and preternatural phenomena.In his March interview with Ryan, Ripperger took the discussion further, addressing UFOs and alien abductions. He suggested in the four-hour interview that some reported abduction experiences were demonic, saying that if “you strip the veneer of the alien aspect of it off,” what remains is “just demons.”Discussing Jeffrey Epstein’s island, Ripperger said the layout and things he had read online suggested occult involvement, though he acknowledged he could not be certain about everything he had seen.In a later July episode, Ryan gifted him a rifle, prompting Ripperger — who had mentioned in their previous interview that he carries a firearm and that his community has a target range — to respond: “We’ll have to use it later this afternoon.”The archdiocese has not said whether Golka’s request had anything to do with Ripperger’s remarks in either interview.The development comes amid a larger discussion within the Church about how exorcists should approach speaking to larger audiences through podcasts and media.A July Register feature examined this recent trend, in which several priests and experts said these appearances help people learn about the Church’s ministry, while others raised concerns that sensational talk about demons can frighten people and take the focus away from Christ. On June 3, another prominent priest, Monsignor Stephen Rossetti, was removed from his role as an exorcist in the Archdiocese of Washington. Rossetti had previously said in a YouTube video that he believes many UFO sightings are demonic in nature.This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, and has been adapted by EWTN News.

unitedyam October 19, 2026October 20, 2026

The prominent priest agreed to Denver Archbishop James Golka’s request, which the archdiocese says will allow him to focus on his religious community and the people it serves.

unitedyam October 19, 2026October 19, 2026

A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians
2:12-22

Brothers and sisters:
You were at that time without Christ,
alienated from the community of Israel
and strangers to the covenants of promise,
without hope and without God in the world.
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off
have become near by the Blood of Christ.

For he is our peace, he made both one
and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his Flesh,
abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims,
that he might create in himself one new person in place of the two,
thus establishing peace,
and might reconcile both with God,
in one Body, through the cross,
putting that enmity to death by it.
He came and preached peace to you who were far off
and peace to those who were near,
for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners,
but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones
and members of the household of God,
built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.
Through him the whole structure is held together
and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;
in him you also are being built together
into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

From the Gospel according to Luke
12:35-38

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Gird your loins and light your lamps
and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding,
ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.
Blessed are those servants
whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.
Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,
have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.
And should he come in the second or third watch
and find them prepared in this way,
blessed are those servants.”

Jesus says: “Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning” (Lk 12: 35). This means living fully in the present by grasping the promise of eternity. Our whole life is a striving for eternal life and we must be ready. A person is ready when he or she is completely given to God and to his or her brothers and sisters. Not when there is applause and success, no, life is much more than that. It is being in the world to the full, in the truth and freedom of the children of God and in the relationship of brotherhood with others. And this intensity of relationship with the Father and with our brothers and sisters is nourished by prayer: prayer allows God to be close to us, it frees us from solitude and infuses hope. Prayer oxygenates life: just as one cannot live without breathing, one cannot be a Christian and live as a Christian, let alone as a consecrated person, without prayer. (Pope Francis, Address to members of the Seculare Institute of Oblate Missionary Cooperators, 20 November 2021)

U.S. bishops name members of AI task force formed in response to encyclical #Catholic The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Task Force on Preserving Human Dignity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence is composed of eight bishops and three academics who will serve as consultants, the USCCB announced Oct. 16.After meeting with AI experts and tech company executives in September, the U.S. bishops announced the creation of the task force as a response to Pope Leo XIV’s urging in his encyclical Magnifica Humanitas to “‘build forms of cooperation’ and cultivate a culture of shared responsibility” concerning the technology. Bishop Oscar Cantù of the Diocese of San José, California, leads the task force.Members include Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago; Archbishop Paul D. Etienne of Seattle; Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre of Louisville, Kentucky; Bishop Barry C. Knestout of Richmond, Virginia; Auxiliary Bishop James Massa of Brooklyn, New York; Bishop Michael F. Olson of Fort Worth, Texas; and Auxiliary Bishop Slawomir Szkredka of Los Angeles.Three academics will serve as consultants to the task force. They include Charles Camosy, professor of moral theology and ethics at The Catholic University of America; Kim Daniels, director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University; and Meghan Sullivan, professor of philosophy and director of the Institute for Ethics and the Common Good and Ethics Initiative at the University of Notre Dame.The group’s focus will be to promote “policies and practices that protect human dignity, religious liberty, democratic institutions, workers, families, and vulnerable populations,” according to the USCCB. “The Church enters the conversation on this issue as a teacher rather than a customer,” Olson told EWTN News. “It brings 2,000 years of reflection on human dignity, work, relationships, and truth to this conversation. We will listen carefully to Silicon Valley, but we will not outsource our understanding of the human person to it.”

We will listen carefully to Silicon Valley, but we will not outsource our understanding of the human person to it.”

Bishop Michael OlsonDiocese of Fort Worth, Texas

The Fort Worth Diocese adopted AI policies before the release of Leo’s encyclical that binds both clergy and staff, Olson said. “AI must remain a tool in human hands. It can assist human judgment, but it must never replace it, least of all in the care of souls,” he said. “Nothing from the confessional or spiritual direction may ever be entered into an AI tool,” he said. “Homilies and pastoral counsel must come from a priest’s own prayer and discernment. And decisions about people, such as hiring, discipline, and who receives help, are made by people.”Olson expressed his concern about ways AI has hurt the elderly and people with disabilities through scams, children through “fake” relationships with chatbots, and students, who are “handing off the very work that forms their minds and critical thinking skills” to AI: “If a technology cannot be made safe for our most vulnerable, it is not ready for the market,” he said. Knestout said in an Oct. 19 statement that “AI is already having a profound impact on many aspects of our lives and will continue to develop in the coming years,” and it is Catholics’ “responsibility to protect the dignity of the human person as AI takes root and transforms life around us.”He said Pope Leo’s encyclical “will guide us as we navigate life with AI and face inevitable questions about what it means to be human, created in the image of God.”The U.S. bishops said in the Oct. 16 announcement that “the task force will emphasize that AI must serve human dignity and the common good” and “will maintain constructive and ongoing dialogues with the frontier labs, research organizations, academic centers and other stakeholders across the United States.”“Special attention will be given to helping Church leaders understand both the opportunities and risks posed by AI in areas such as education, communications, employment, healthcare, evangelization, governance, and the protection of children and vulnerable persons,” the bishops wrote.USCCB spokesperson Chieko Noguchi said in September that after their meetings with tech executives and experts, the bishops hoped “to identify ways the Church can contribute to the moral foundation of AI models and steps the companies can take to protect against misuse of their inventions and to guarantee human oversight of the technology.”

unitedyam October 19, 2026October 20, 2026

U.S. bishops formed the task force after meeting with AI experts and executives in September to identify how the Church could help shape the moral foundations of AI.

This Small Georgia Town Is the ‘Gateway to the Golden Isles’—With Historic Squares, Local Shrimp, and Southern Charm #Travel Instead of passing through, stay a while in Brunswick, Georgia.

unitedyam October 19, 2026October 20, 2026

Instead of passing through, stay a while in Brunswick, Georgia.

Catholics in Ecuador mourn death of priest struck by falling crucifix during Mass – #Catholic – The Catholic faithful are mourning the death of Father Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari, parish priest of the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Guayaquil, Ecuador, which occurred tragically on Saturday, Oct. 17.The 53-year-old Redemptorist priest passed away after a crucifix mounted on the wall behind the altar fell on him during Mass.The Archdiocese of Guayaquil issued a statement, signed by Cardinal Luis Cabrera, announcing that the priest “has departed for the Father’s House to enjoy His presence and His glory” and expressing that it joins “in prayer for the eternal rest of his soul, while offering its solidarity, affection, and care to the Redemptorist family, as well as to his own family and friends.”In addition, the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists) and the Archdiocese of Guayaquil celebrated an Oct. 18 evening Mass for the soul of Sánchez at the same Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.Following the news of his passing, many colleagues and members of the faithful took to social media to express their shock and remember the priest.“We thank God for all the good received through Father Patricio Sánchez, who accompanied the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians and the young women — especially in our communities in Guayaquil — with closeness, love, and pastoral dedication,” the Salesians wrote regarding the priest, who was born in Cuenca.“We are certain that he is already enjoying the presence of God. May the Lord, in His infinite mercy, welcome him into His Kingdom and grant comfort and strength to all of us who mourn his passing,” they added.“May his soul have been received by Almighty God. We are deeply saddened by this situation. Death came upon the priest while he was in the midst of celebrating Holy Mass,” noted Betty Montaño.Mari Pérez expressed her hope “that he is now rejoicing with God,” while adding: “but we must look into what caused this accident — there needs to be greater care taken when positioning religious images.”“For a priest, it is an honor to depart from this world to the Father’s house while celebrating Holy Mass; it is a true reflection of Jesus, who died on the cross. He is now in heaven, enjoying the delights that God had prepared for him beforehand,” remarked Carlos Alberto Pastrello.“Proclaiming Jesus Christ, God calls him into His presence,” María Augusta Guzmanberrezueta remarked.Vicente Sauhing Dávila wrote on the priest’s Facebook page that “the Lord embraced him and took him with Him to His Holy Home. Jesus said: ‘Be prepared, with your lamps burning. You do not know the day or the hour.’”San Lorenzo Parish in Vinces, where Sánchez also served as a parish priest, likewise expressed sorrow at his passing, highlighting his “dedication and pastoral love.” “As a Redemptorist family, we join in prayer for the eternal rest of his soul, and we ask the Lord to grant comfort to his family, his brother priests, and all the faithful who cherish his legacy and memory with gratitude.”This story was first published by EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

unitedyam October 19, 2026October 19, 2026

The Catholic faithful are mourning the death at Mass of Father Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari, parish priest of the Perpetuo Socorro Church in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

Pope Leo XIV, Chris Pratt come together for new documentary about the tomb of St. Peter – #Catholic – A new documentary is bringing Pope Leo XIV and Hollywood actor Chris Pratt together to dive into the history and archaeological discoveries surrounding the tomb of St. Peter at the Vatican.“Pétros Ení — Discovering the Origins” was produced by AF Films in collaboration with Vatican Media and the Fabric of St. Peter to mark the 400th anniversary of the consecration of St. Peter’s Basilica, which took place on Nov. 18, 1626.Taking viewers into areas rarely seen by the general public, the film journeys back in time all the way to the Roman necropolis, which has been preserved beneath St. Peter’s Basilica.The documentary brings together documents from the Archives of the Fabric of St. Peter, contributions from Pietro Zander (one of the leading experts on the Vatican Necropolis), images and audio recordings of the popes, and archival footage from renowned epigrapher Margherita Guarducci.Pope Leo appears in the final scenes to talk more about the figure of St. Peter and the significance of his tomb’s presence beneath the famous basilica.Pratt, who is best known for his roles in “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Jurassic World,” speaks publicly of his Christian faith and is married to a practicing Catholic. According to Vatican News, he said the experience of making this film deeply moved him and helped him “define my faith.”“What I would like audiences to understand about Peter after watching this documentary is that he was an imperfect man,” Pratt said. “He was a weak man. He was a human being. And I believe we are all broken, imperfect, and weak. But his strength lies in the grace of Jesus and his faith in God. With that strength, through grace and faith, you can be incredibly strong.”He added: “It was an incredible honor to collaborate with Pope Leo and the Vatican on this project. The story of St. Peter is foundational to the Christian faith, and I am deeply grateful for the trust and access I was given to bring his legacy to the screen.”“Pétros Ení” — which refers to a Greek inscription that means “Peter is here” and is found near the apostle’s burial grounds — is scheduled to start its theatrical debut in February 2027, during the first few weeks of Lent.Hallow Studios will be in charge of U.S. and Canada distribution, Bosco Films will handle the distribution in Spain, and Cinépolis +Que Cine will oversee its theatrical release in Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia.“When I first saw this film it changed my life. I think it is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. It is an honor to get to partner together on it,” Alex Jones, Hallow CEO and co-founder, said in a statement. “And the fact that it is led by one of our core Hallow partners in Chris and features such a powerful reflection from Pope Leo is just truly extraordinary.”Watch the first trailer for “Pétros Ení — Discovering the Origins,” released Oct. 16, below.

unitedyam October 19, 2026October 19, 2026

“Pétros Ení — Discovering the Origins” is scheduled to be released in theaters in February 2027.

French bishops appeal for calm as riots and looting sweep France – #Catholic – French bishops have appealed for an end to violence after a weekend of rioting in which public buildings were burned, shops were looted nationwide, and a Lyon interreligious peace march was postponed.“I call on everyone not to be swept up in the spiral of this violence: Our city and our country deserve better than this,” Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, archbishop of Marseille and president of the French bishops' conference, said in an Oct. 18 communiqué.In Marseille, he wrote, “shops were looted, churches broken into, the city hall invaded and damaged, a police station ransacked, and members of the police attacked.” The archdiocese has not said which churches were entered.Archbishop Olivier de Germay of Lyon said in a statement on X that his city “was the scene of clashes, hatred, destruction, and looting that are unacceptable.”“I am well aware that this violence is the sign of a society that is unwell, but I want to state forcefully once again that it is a dead end,” he wrote.Organizers postponed a March for Peace that Lyonʼs Christian, Muslim, and Jewish leaders had planned for Sunday to mark the 40th anniversary of St. John Paul IIʼs 1986 interreligious day of prayer in Assisi, Italy.No new date has been set.What happenedThe violence broke out Oct. 17 when about 550,000 people marched nationwide in what organizers called a protest against the rising cost of living, according to the Interior Ministry.One labor union put the figure at 800,000, AFP reported.The movement grew out of weeks of high school protests over school conditions, during which several schools were severely damaged by the demonstrators, including in Paris, Nantes, Marseille, and Rouen.

French bishop condemns ‘destructive’ protest violence, urges peaceful dialogue

In Limoges on Saturday, masked mobs broke into the city hall and set it on fire. In Paris, AFP reporters saw groups of young men in balaclavas disconnect security cameras before smashing their way into shops. Paris looting continued Sunday night, Le Figaro reported.Other public buildings were also attacked and torched. In Lyon, the tourist office on Place Bellecour was ransacked and set on fire. In Bordeaux, rioters ransacked the regional prefectʼs residence, and firefighters put out fires at the prefecture building, a bank, and shops, Sud Ouest reported.Nearly 1,000 police officers and gendarmes were injured, the Interior Ministry said. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin told France 2 on Monday that authorities took 2,331 people into custody over the weekend, 70% of them adults “very often known to the police and the justice system,” Le Figaro reported. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said about 350 people were arrested in Paris alone on Sunday and overnight.Prosecutors in Toulouse and several other cities said most of the people they held had no previous criminal record.Trump and Vance reactIn reaction to the images of chaos, violence, and looting across France, President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance both pointed to immigration.“Western liberals imported the third world into France,” Vance wrote on X.Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday that “the immigration of people from an entirely different world, people with hatred in their hearts, has shattered that once great country,” AFP reported.Nuñez said rioters acted at the instigation of “the ultra-left” and were joined by “opportunistic delinquents,” Le Figaro reported. On Monday, he confirmed security forces had “lost control” at points during the violent riots.On Monday, Macron refused Nuñezʼs resignation, offered the day before, and pointed to “failures of anticipation and intelligence,” Euronews reported. Darmanin said the authorities had “unquestionably failed.”

unitedyam October 19, 2026October 19, 2026

France’s bishops appealed for an end to violence after a weekend of riots in which several buildings burned, shops were looted nationwide, and a Lyon interreligious peace march was postponed.

unitedyam October 19, 2026October 19, 2026

Sometime around the year 1837, a strange object passed an invisible cosmic mile marker: 1,000 astronomical units from the Sun. (One astronomical unit, or AU, is the average Earth-Sun distance.) For more than a century, it continued undetected toward our star. Finally, on Oct. 19, 2017, humans noticed the visitor. That night, a faint, thinContinue reading “Oct. 19, 2017: The discovery of ‘Oumuamua”

The post Oct. 19, 2017: The discovery of ‘Oumuamua appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

unitedyam October 18, 2026October 18, 2026

Picture of the day

PO boxes at the historic U.S. Post Office in downtown Chico, California. Today is International World Post Day.

unitedyam October 18, 2026October 18, 2026

Faith and tradition unite Peruvians at Paterson Mass #Catholic –

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney helped the Peruvian community from across the diocese celebrate the feast of Señor de los Milagros (Lord of Miracles) during a Spanish Mass on Oct. 11 at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J., the mother church of the Paterson Diocese.

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney concelebrated the liturgy with Msgr. Geno Sylva, rector of St. John’s and diocesan vicar for special projects. The Children’s Choir sang hymns of praise.

The Peruvian devotion features an outdoor procession through the streets to the Lord and all his miracles. Peruvians carried an image of Jesus Christ that was painted during the 17th century by an unknown African who was taken as an enslaved person from what is now Angola to Peru. The procession also includes an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The Peruvian community celebrates Señor de los Milagros every October, on or near the 18th. It is the leading Catholic celebration in Peru, and it features one of the largest processions in the world in the South American country. Its name originated in the 17th century during an earthquake in Lima that destroyed most of the city, leaving only the image standing.

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– Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney helped the Peruvian community from across the diocese celebrate the feast of Señor de los Milagros (Lord of Miracles) during a Spanish Mass on Oct. 11 at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J., the mother church of the Paterson Diocese. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney concelebrated the liturgy with Msgr. Geno Sylva, rector of St. John’s and diocesan vicar for special projects. The Children’s Choir sang hymns of praise. The Peruvian devotion features an outdoor procession through the streets to the Lord and all his miracles. Peruvians carried an image of Jesus Christ

Jordan’s Church leaders back bill expanding legal options for Christian families – #Catholic – The Council of Heads of Churches in Jordan welcomed the Cabinet’s approval of a 2026 bill amending the Christian Denominations Councils Law and its referral to Parliament to complete the constitutional process.The proposed changes are expected to allow Christians to address a range of personal status matters under their churches’ laws, including marriage, divorce, wills, and adoption. The council emphasized that the bill reflects agreement among the churches and now awaits completion of the legislative process.In a statement issued Oct. 11, the council expressed appreciation to King Abdullah II, the prime minister, and Cabinet members for their attention to issues affecting Christians in Jordan.The council said the Cabinet’s approval reflects the state’s commitment to protecting the rights of all citizens, respecting their religious traditions, and strengthening citizenship, justice, and equality under the rule of law.It stressed that Christians are not a minority separate from society but an integral part of Jordan’s history, identity, and national development. They are partners in building the country, advancing its progress, and safeguarding its achievements, the council said.The council also emphasized that shared citizenship provides the foundation for equal rights and responsibilities, national unity, and coexistence.The statement concluded by praising the cooperation and agreement among the churches during the drafting process, which produced a unified legal framework for wills, inheritance, and adoption intended to meet Christian families’ needs and aspirations.It urged both chambers of Parliament, the Senate and the House of Representatives, to fulfill their legislative role and approve the bill through the constitutional process so it can take effect.Although the amendments would not establish full, automatic equality between men and women in inheritance, they would give parents greater scope to provide more equitably for sons and daughters through wills. The option of distributing an estate under the Islamic inheritance rules currently in use would remain available to those who prefer it.The proposed amendments would also recognize the right to adopt, giving Christian families who wish to adopt the opportunity to welcome children deprived of family care and provide them with a stable home.This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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The proposed changes are expected to allow Christians to address a range of personal status matters under their churches’ laws, including marriage, divorce, wills, and adoption.

Pope leads pilgrims in prayer one day after leaving hospital – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV appeared at the window of his private study in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace on Sunday, just one day after being discharged early from the hospital following surgery last Tuesday.The pontiff thanked “all those who have prayed for me in recent days” and expressed “particular gratitude to the doctors, nurses, and all the staff of the Gemelli University Hospital,” where he was treated.“This experience has made me feel a special closeness to all those who are going through illness and experiencing poor health,” Leo said. “Having overcome this delicate phase, as you know, I will now gradually resume my activities, always with Godʼs help and your prayers.”The pope did not mention his planned trip to three countries in South America, scheduled for next month. The Vatican has announced no changes in that plan. The Vatican said last week that Leo had canceled all private audiences through Tuesday Oct. 20.Sunday was the first time the Holy Father had spoken publicly since the operation. The appearance was eagerly awaited by Catholics around the world, who had anxiously followed each new official Vatican bulletin on his medical condition in recent days.According to the official Vatican News outlet, 15,000 people gathered in St. Peter’s Square despite a morning of cloudy skies and intermittent rain in Rome. They were eager to see the pope recovering from surgery and to express their affection for him the day after his release from the hospital.At 3:30 p.m. Saturday, the pontiff left Rome’s Gemelli Hospital following his first hospitalization since the beginning of his pontificate, during which surgeons removed a malignant tumor from his right lung. Leo XIV appeared to be in good condition and walked with a steady gait, greeting several patients without showing signs of fatigue.Smiling, the pope stopped to shake hands and speak with patients in the hospital corridors. About 15 minutes after leaving the hospital, the car carrying him entered Vatican City through the Perugino Gate.For now, the pontiff will remain in Rome rather than travel to Castel Gandolfo, where he usually spends periods of rest.A response that exposes hypocrisyDuring his reflection before the Angelus prayer, the pontiff discussed one of Jesus’ best-known teachings: “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Leo explained the context in which Jesus originally spoke the words, amid what the evangelist Matthew describes as “a situation of hostility towards Jesus.”“The Pharisees gather together to see how they might catch him in his words,” the pope said, quoting the Gospel account. “They decide to send some people to question him on a controversial matter: ‘Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?’”According to Leo XIV, “The Teacher’s response is astute, for it allows him to avoid the trap and exposes the hypocrisy of those who seek to put him to the test.”The Gospel recounts how Jesus asks to see the coin used to pay the tax, a denarius. After receiving it, he delivers the familiar teaching: “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”“In Jesus, we contemplate a God who is not afraid of history but comes instead to dwell within it. His Kingdom does not abolish human roles and responsibilities,” the pontiff explained.He emphasized, however, that Godʼs Kingdom “does, however, call us to live without compromise, free from selfish ambitions and unjust motives, seeking above all the Kingdom of God and his righteousness.”Being truthful and free to do goodIn this context, Leo XIV drew attention to the fact that Jesus’ questioners praised him despite their hostile intentions.“In this regard, it is striking that those same people praise Jesus, even though their intentions are far from good,” he observed.The pope recalled the words with which they addressed Jesus: “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality.”Drawing on this passage, Leo XIV invited the faithful to reflect on what it means to live an authentic Christian life.“Dear friends, this is precisely what it means to ‘give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s’: to be truthful, free from servile fear or hypocrisy, free to do good,” he said.“Let us pray to the Lord to help us live in this way. And let us entrust ourselves to the intercession of the Virgin Mary.”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. It has been updated at 6:20 am ET to include the pope’s remarks following the Angelus.

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The pontiff, five days after undergoing surgery for cancer, said he would “gradually resume my activities.”

Priest in Ghana recounts escape from car fire, urges devotion to the rosary – #Catholic – ACCRA, Ghana — A Ghanaian Catholic priest has encouraged devotion to the rosary after recounting his escape from a burning car, which he attributed to the intervention of the Blessed Virgin Mary.In a reflection shared Oct. 14 — during the month dedicated to the traditional Catholic prayer of the rosary — Father David Obeng Paintsil, founder of the Global Rosary Network, recalled becoming trapped in his car while returning from a pastoral assignment 10 years ago. Paintsil said he had led a three-day retreat at the invitation of another priest in a different diocese in Ghana. Before setting out on the return journey to his parish, he prayed the rosary and invited the Blessed Virgin Mary to accompany him.After traveling for more than four hours, he heard an unusual noise from the car. He was about 15 minutes from his destination and stopped to investigate.“I needed to stop and check what was happening,” the priest recalled during his reflection. “As soon as I parked the car and put off the engine, all that I saw was a huge fire. Boom! My car had caught fire.” Paintsil said he tried to get out but found that the doors would not open and his seat belt remained locked.“It was so intense. The doors of the car, as I tried to open them, were locked. My seat belt was locked. And I knew that was the end of my life,” he said.Turning toward the passenger seat, he appealed to Our Lady, whom he had invited to accompany him, asking her to protect him.Paintsil said that before he finished the prayer, the car doors opened and his seat belt was released, allowing him to get out.The fire subsequently engulfed the car, he recalled, preventing him from retrieving his bag.“Here I am. I have my life. And I said, well, God still has a mission for me to accomplish,” he said.Reflecting on his devotion to the rosary, Paintsil said he had acquired it through family prayers and that the Lord had transformed his life in many ways. “The rosary is really a wonderful prayer, a powerful prayer through which we can encounter God,” he said.He encouraged others to pray the rosary, identifying it as a means of bringing people together in worship of God.This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.

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After surviving a life-threatening fire, Father David Obeng Paintsil called the rosary “a really powerful prayer.”

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Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column. October 17: Watch Wild Ducks Tiny Tethys is transiting the disk of Saturn beginning around 9:35 P.M. EDT, most easily visible from the eastern half of the U.S. Saturn is easy to locate in Cetus the Whale — it’s the brightest lightContinue reading “The Sky Today on Sunday, October 18: Another Tethys transit”

The post The Sky Today on Sunday, October 18: Another Tethys transit appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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A reading from the Book of Isaiah
45:1, 4-6

Thus says the LORD to his anointed, Cyrus,
whose right hand I grasp,
subduing nations before him,
and making kings run in his service,
opening doors before him
and leaving the gates unbarred:
For the sake of Jacob, my servant,
of Israel, my chosen one,
I have called you by your name,
giving you a title, though you knew me not.
I am the LORD and there is no other,
there is no God besides me.
It is I who arm you, though you know me not,
so that toward the rising and the setting of the sun
people may know that there is none besides me.
I am the LORD, there is no other.

A reading from the First Letter of St. Paul to Thessalonians
1:1-5b

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians
in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
grace to you and peace.
We give thanks to God always for all of you,
remembering you in our prayers,
unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love
and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ,
before our God and Father,
knowing, brothers and sisters loved by God,
how you were chosen.
For our gospel did not come to you in word alone,
but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction.

From the Gospel according to Matthew
22:15-21

The Pharisees went off
and plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech.
They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying,
"Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man
and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.
And you are not concerned with anyone’s opinion,
for you do not regard a person’s status.
Tell us, then, what is your opinion:
Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?"
Knowing their malice, Jesus said,
"Why are you testing me, you hypocrites?
Show me the coin that pays the census tax."
Then they handed him the Roman coin.
He said to them, "Whose image is this and whose inscription?"
They replied, "Caesar’s."
At that he said to them,
"Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar
and to God what belongs to God."

Jesus replies with a surprising political realism, linked to the theocentrism of the prophetic tradition. The tribute to Caesar must be paid because his image is on the coin; but the human being, every person, carries in him- or herself another image, that of God, and therefore it is to him and to him alone that each one owes his or her existence. The Fathers of the Church, drawing inspiration from the fact that Jesus was referring to the image of the Emperor impressed on the coin of the tribute, interpreted this passage in the light of the fundamental concept of the human being as an image of God, contained in the first chapter of the Book of Genesis. (…)

This word of Jesus is rich in anthropological content and it cannot be reduced only to the political context. The Church, therefore, is not limited to reminding human beings of the right distinction between the sphere of Caesar’s authority and that of God, between the political and religious contexts. The mission of the Church, like that of Christ, is essentially to speak of God, to remember his sovereignty, to remind all, especially Christians who have lost their own identity, of the right of God to what belongs to him, that is, our life. (Pope Benedict XVI, Homily, 16 October 2011)

International rosary in Rome held in advance of 100th World Mission Sunday #Catholic An international rosary in Rome united clergy, religious, and lay faithful to mark the 100th anniversary of World Mission Sunday.The rosary was held on the grounds of the Pontifical Urban University on Oct. 17, the eve of this year’s World Mission Sunday on Oct. 18. Led by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, dean of the College of Cardinals and Grand Chancellor of the university, the rosary was recited in 13 languages across five mysteries representing Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and Oceania.The occasion also marked the 75th anniversary of the rosary’s establishment by Blessed Fulton J. Sheen, who was U.S. national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies from 1950 to 1966.Sister Mary Teresa Baron, recently appointed president of the Pontifical Mission Societies, was not present during the rosary.Several participants in the rosary explained how the faithful can support the Church’s missionaries beyond financial contributions.Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu, who serves as a secretary at the Dicastery for Evangelization, urged a focus on the Word of God.“I am always a bit wary about monetizing mission,” Nwachukwu said to EWTN News. “So, I do not want to begin with money; I want to begin with the Word, because mission is all about bringing the Word of the Lord to the ends of the earth.”

Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu, secretary of the Section of First Evangelization at the Dicastery for Evangelization, participated in an international rosary at the Pontifical Urban University in Rome on Oct. 17, 2026, to mark the 100th anniversary of World Mission Sunday. | Credit: Ishmael Adibuah/EWTN News

At the same time, Nwachukwu indicated that supporting missionaries also means providing “the means to bring the Gospel to various places.” That support, he said, involves money.“[Today] is also an occasion to tell people: please, be generous to missionaries,” Nwachukwu said.Msgr. Thomas George Schluep, who also serves at the Dicastery for Evangelization, cited Pope Leo XIV’s message for World Mission Sunday as a reminder that unity in Christ precedes material support“Pope Leo, in his message for this 100th Anniversary of World Mission Sunday, reminds us that we first must be one in Christ,” Schluep told EWTN News. “Our baptism calls us to be missionaries: to share that love with our families, our friends, our coworkers.”Memories of missionaries, Pope Leo’s return from the hospitalParticipants also shared personal anecdotes about missionaries and their impact on their faith journey.Schluep shared his memory of Father Gerard Hammond, an American Maryknoll missionary priest known for his decades of humanitarian work in North and South Korea.“I met him in Korea, where he had been serving since 1960 when he was ordained and sent on mission. He was celebrated by thousands of people in South Korea for bringing the faith to them over the course of 65 years,” Schluep said.“In North Korea he could not speak of Christ, but his “apostolate of presence” and love for those suffering from tuberculosis was itself evangelization. He taught me a lot about the importance of being present to people, exactly where they are at in their lives, no matter the personal cost.”Around the time the rosary was taking place, Pope Leo XIV returned to the Vatican after being hospitalized for surgery Oct. 13 at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital. Nwachukwu expressed happiness at his return and hoped that “the Lord will keep him quite long among us”.“We are all praying for him. We love the Pope, and we love what he is doing.”The contributions of AmericansSchluep, an American from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, also noted the significant contributions of Americans, such as Blessed Fulton Sheen, to missionary work through the Pontifical Mission Societies.“The American contribution to the missions historically has been enormous,” Schluep noted. “It was a great joy to see Fulton Sheen beatified, who did so much to evangelize the United States, but also who traveled personally to so many missions around the world and did so much to raise funds for those missions.”

Cardinal Tagle stands before the image of Blessed Fulton Sheen during the beatification Mass in St. Louis on Sept. 24, 2026. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno

Schluep said he hoped the example of Pope Leo XIV, the first U.S.-born pope, would encourage renewed American support. “The fact that the Holy Father understands American culture and missionary life in Peru can help him in his particular guidance for us, but now he is the Pope of the entire world, and he calls us to think also of the entire world and not just our country, our families, and especially ourselves,” Schluep said.

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The rosary, recited in 13 languages, also marked the 75th anniversary of the World Mission Rosary by Blessed Fulton Sheen.

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Picture of the day

Jaguar (Panthera onca) drinking from the river in Mato Grosso, Brazil

unitedyam October 17, 2026October 17, 2026

Shortly after Artemis II splashdown on April 10, 2026, U.S. Navy divers captured underwater imagery of the Orion spacecraft’s heat shield.

Pope’s surgeon green lights Nov. 6–17 apostolic trip to Latin America #Catholic Pope Leo XIV has received the green light from his surgeon to proceed with his planned Nov. 6–17 apostolic journey to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru.In an interview with Vatican News following the Holy Father’s Oct. 17 discharge from the Gemelli Hospital, Dr. Stefano Margaritora, who operated on Pope Leo on Oct. 13, said he expects Leo will be fully recovered and in shape to travel within the next “10 days or so.”Calling him “an ideal patient,” Margaritora said that upon his discharge from the hospital Leo “was in entirely satisfactory clinical condition” with completely normal blood test results and heart function.“The lung’s re-expansion after surgery is proceeding according to the usual timetable,” and “overall, his condition is good,” Margaritora added.The surgeon indicated that the Holy Father’s lung adenocarcinoma was discovered during routine abdominal examinations, which underscores the importance of regular preventive checkups.“In the Holy Father’s case, he had no respiratory symptoms and felt perfectly well,” the doctor noted.The pope has “put his heart and soul” into his recovery, Margaritora said. “His determination to recover quickly has been effective in every respect” and “truly commendable,” he pointed out.Illustrating the point, the doctor noted that on the second day after the operation, the medical staff found him arranging the chairs in the chapel himself. “Holy Father, we can do that,” Margaritora recounted. But Leo replied: “It doesn’t matter. I can do it, so I will.”

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“No clinical reasons why it should not take place,” said Dr. Stefano Margaritora, who called Pope Leo “an ideal patient.”

10 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Planning an All-inclusive Vacation #Travel Take these tips to get the most out of your trip.

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Take these tips to get the most out of your trip.

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Morristown Knights honored for their selfless gift of service #Catholic –

The sense of celebration was palpable on Oct. 10 at Assumption Church in Morristown. N.J. members of the Knights of Columbus George Washington Council No. 359 filled the pews.

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney joined about 300 knights, spouses and other family members to celebrate the council’s annual Mass to mark the beginning of its fraternal year. The liturgy was followed by a dinner of appreciation honoring service and compassion throughout the community at Morris County Golf Club in Morris Township. The council, which recently added nine young men, is one of the oldest knight groups in the United States.

“It’s a great blessing to see the inspiration of women and men of faith who serve, lead, and help us as disciples of our Lord Jesus to put our faith into action,” Bishop Sweeney said at the Mass.

George Washington Council is the only one in the U.S. not named after a Catholic; instead, it was named after the Revolutionary War general and first U.S. president. Morristown is known as the military capital of the Revolution, where Washington and the Continental Army wintered during the war.

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The council began at a time of strong anti-Catholic sentiment. Yet the council has always supported patriotism and been engaged in community service.

The council typically raises at least $50,000 each year for local charities, which Knights trustee John Wooters said is focused on people on the margins facing challenges ranging from food and housing to mental health issues. But he said time and talent are as much of a compassionate asset to the community as their financial contribution.

“It’s also manpower. We are probably doing something at least twice a week at some different organization, whether it’s moving medical supplies and medical beds so that they can be put on a container to go to Ukraine, or taking care of somebody who’s involved with [domestic] abuse. We have to move the family,” Wooters said.

The knights’ financial and volunteer support spans from ArcMorris, helping people with disabilities, to performing tasks for the Discalced Carmelites of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel.

Msgr. John Hart, pastor of Assumption, a fourth-degree knight, and the council’s chaplain, said the call to service stems from the faith of these men of diverse ages, backgrounds, and talents.

“It flows from who they are as Catholic men, Catholic gentlemen, as family men,” Msgr. John Hart said.

During the Oct. 10 dinner of appreciation, former grand knight and current trustee Bill Kostyak received the council’s Knight of the Year award. Carolyn Lake received the council’s Lifetime Achievement Award for her volunteer work with the Interfaith Food Pantry in Morris Plains.

The event is the council’s main fundraiser, which has given yearly honors to people from various circles of service, from the medical and education worlds to law enforcement.

During the Mass, Bishop Sweeney praised the award winners in his homily, citing examples of saints celebrating October feast days such as St. Carlo Acutis and St. Thérèse of Lisieux.

“The beauty of the lives of the saints, my sisters and brothers, is that they were normal people like us in so many ways, but they allowed themselves to fall in love with Jesus, to know Jesus in the sacraments, in prayer, and seeing him in our brothers and sisters who are in need,” Bishop Sweeney said. “To honor our honorees today, [we are] taking time to recognize the goodness, the generosity of those who respond to the Lord’s call.”

BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI

[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]

– The sense of celebration was palpable on Oct. 10 at Assumption Church in Morristown. N.J. members of the Knights of Columbus George Washington Council No. 359 filled the pews. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney joined about 300 knights, spouses and other family members to celebrate the council’s annual Mass to mark the beginning of its fraternal year. The liturgy was followed by a dinner of appreciation honoring service and compassion throughout the community at Morris County Golf Club in Morris Township. The council, which recently added nine young men, is one of the oldest knight groups in the United States. “It’s a

A century of Church growth: From 10 million to 347 million in the mission territories – #Catholic – A century after Pope Pius XI established World Mission Sunday, the Catholic Church has grown dramatically in the mission territories, from fewer than 10 million Catholics to nearly 347 million.According to data from the website Domund100.es, produced by the Pontifical Mission Society of Spain, in 1925 the Church had 297 missionary dioceses, some of which encompassed entire countries.There were 9,645,173 Catholics in these mission lands, representing 1.68% of the population. A century later, the number of Catholics in mission territories stands at 346,644,968, representing 8.6%.This spread of the Gospel would not have been possible without the dedication of thousands of diocesan priests and men and women religious who answered the call to “go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to all creation.”A hundred years ago, missionaries numbered fewer than 10,000 priests, just over 2,300 male religious, and more than 20,000 female religious. Today, there are more than 100,000 priests, over 76,000 male religious, and more than 200,000 female religious in mission lands.The Church’s evangelizing work has translated into concrete achievements. For instance, the number of parishes has grown from 627 to over 41,000 in a century. Although there are no records from that time regarding schools or social institutions such as hospitals, orphanages, and care homes established by the Church in these regions, the comparison over the last 50 years speaks volumes: The number of schools rose from fewer than 50,000 to nearly 125,000, and social institutions increased from 12,000 to more than 26,000.On average each day, over the last 100 years in mission territories, the Church has seen more than 9,000 people becoming Catholic, two priestly ordinations, five women taking vows as religious, and the construction of one parish church and three new schools.

A missionary priest with a mobile chapel in Africa (undated). | Credit: Pontifical Mission Societies

1,133 missionary diocesesCurrently, the Pontifical Mission Societies support 1,133 missionary dioceses, those that following the initial proclamation of the Gospel do not yet possess sufficient resources of their own to sustain themselves and therefore depend on the Dicastery for Evangelization.These dioceses, which account for one-third of the Catholic Church, are spread across 138 countries covering almost all of Africa and Asia (with the exception of the Philippines), Oceania (excluding Australia), and the Amazon basin in the Americas.Given that two-thirds of the worldʼs population lives in these territories and considering the growth of the Catholic faith there, the face of the Church is gradually changing. Indeed, 22 out of every 100 Catholics are African, whereas 40 years ago African Catholics represented barely 7%.This story was first published by EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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On average each day, over the last 100 years in mission territories, the Church has seen more than 9,000 people becoming Catholic, two priestly ordinations, and five women taking vows as religious.

Pope Leo XIV leaves Gemelli Hospital, returns to Vatican – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV left the Agostino Gemelli University Hospital shortly after 3:30 p.m. local time on Saturday to return to the Vatican. TweetThe 71-year-old pope had been admitted last Tuesday and underwent surgery just hours later to remove the lower lobe of his right lung. The procedure, which lasted about an hour and a half, was performed using a video-assisted technique, while an intraoperative histological examination confirmed a diagnosis of pulmonary adenocarcinoma.

Pope Leo XIV concludes his stay at the Gemelli Hospital on Oct. 17, 2026. | Credit Vatican Media

His discharge from the hospital was announced by the pontiff’s attending physician, Dr. Luigi Carbone, and the surgeon who performed the operation, Professor Stefano Margaritora. As he left, the pope greeted the faithful gathered along the barriers. Daniele Franco, chairman of the board of the Gemelli University Hospital Foundation, was also there to welcome the pontiff upon his exit. Before getting into the car, Leo greeted several members of the faithful who presented him with gifts. The pope did not stay in the papal suite on the hospitalʼs 10th floor, as it was undergoing renovation, but rather in adjacent rooms on the same floor.

Pope Leo XIV is seen here blessing a group outside Gemelli Hospital on Oct. 17, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media

Yesterday, the first postoperative images of the pope were released, showing Leo XIV presiding over Mass in a room at the Policlinico hospital that had been specially set up for the celebration. Beside the pope was his personal secretary, Monsignor Edgard Iván Rimaycuna Inga. Around noon Saturday, Oct. 17, the pope also celebrated Mass before leaving the Roman hospital, the Holy See Press Office reported. In the days following the surgery, Leo XIV has resumed his work, meeting at the hospital on various occasions with Archbishop Paolo Rudelli, substitute for general affairs of the Secretariat of State; Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, dean of the College of Cardinals; and Cardinal Baldassare Reina, vicar general of His Holiness for the Diocese of Rome. On Friday, the press office also reported on a telephone conversation between the pope and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Pope Leo XIV appears in good spirits as he departs Gemelli Hospital on Oct. 17, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media

Sunday morning at noon, the pope will appear at the window of his study in the Apostolic Palace for the customary recitation of the Angelus. It was only last Sunday that Leo XIV himself, at the conclusion of the Angelus prayer, announced the news of his imminent hospitalization and the associated surgery.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.

unitedyam October 17, 2026October 17, 2026

The 71-year-old pope had been admitted last Tuesday and underwent surgery to remove the lower lobe of his right lung.

For the first time in 5 years, the number of priests worldwide rose – #Catholic – The number of Catholic priests worldwide has risen again after five years of no growth, according to statistics published by the Vatican agency Fides ahead of the 100th World Mission Sunday, which will be celebrated Sunday, Oct. 18.According to the Fides report, the total number of priests rose from 406,996 to 407,421, representing an increase of 425 compared with the previous year. The Vatican agency noted that the data comes from the Statistical Yearbook of the Church and is current as of Dec. 31, 2024.Africa recorded the largest increase with 1,676 more priests, followed by Asia with 1,065. The Americas also reversed the previous yearʼs downward trend, adding 199 priests.In contrast, Europe lost 2,483 priests over the course of the year, while Oceania recorded a decrease of 32.The overall increase is attributed to the growth in the number of diocesan priests, which reached 279,238, an increase of 496 compared with the previous count. Meanwhile, the number of religious order priests fell by 71, standing at 128,183.Despite the increase in the number of priests, the number of Catholics per priest also rose, reaching 3,491 — an increase of 38 compared with the previous year. The average number of inhabitants per priest also climbed, reaching 16,104.At 1.4 billion, Catholics are 18% of global populationFides statistics further indicated that the global Catholic population reached 1,422,144,000 as of June 30, 2024, an increase of 16.69 million over the previous year. Based on these figures, Catholics represent 17.8% of the worldʼs population.Africa saw the largest growth in the number of Catholics, with an increase of 7.58 million, followed by the Americas, with a rise of nearly 7 million. Asia added 968,000, Europe 911,000, and Oceania 239,000.Number of seminarians worldwide decreasesWhile the number of priests is rising, the number of seminarians is decreasing. The number of major seminarians stood at 103,604 worldwide, a decrease of 2,891 from the previous year.Africa was the only continent to record growth, with 786 additional seminarians, whereas Asia saw a decline of 2,733, Europe 701, the Americas 227, and Oceania 16.The number of minor seminarians also decreased, falling to 94,041, which is 980 fewer than in the previous count. Africa reversed the previous yearʼs trend, adding 132, while Oceania recorded an increase of 20. In contrast, Europe lost 872, Asia 182, and the Americas 78.Catholic Church’s educational and charitable work Fides also compiles figures on the Churchʼs educational work around the world. Globally, the Church administers 75,448 kindergartens with over 7.4 million pupils; 103,666 primary schools attended by more than 36.3 million students; and 51,810 secondary schools with over 20.3 million students.Joining them are nearly 2.7 million students in higher education centers and more than 4 million in university institutions affiliated with the Catholic Church.In its healthcare and social assistance work, the Church manages 101,110 facilities worldwide. These include 5,397 hospitals, 13,646 dispensaries, 16,263 homes for the elderly, the chronically ill, and people with disabilities, 8,138 orphanages, 10,624 marriage counseling centers, and 3,194 social education or rehabilitation centers.This story was first published by EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

unitedyam October 17, 2026October 17, 2026

The Catholic Church has 407,421 priests, 425 more than the previous year. Africa and Asia are driving this growth, while Europe recorded another decline.

In a wealthy Asian city, a play asks why St. Clare of Assisi chose to own nothing #Catholic SINGAPORE — St. Clare of Assisi, as she appears on a church stage in Singapore this week, opens her story with a list of what her family owned. “We had money, we had servants … we had horses,” she tells the audience. “We had everything, but for a girl like me, my life was already written for me.”The line comes early in “TO GAZE: St. Clare of Assisi,” performed Oct. 16 and 17 at the Church of St. Mary of the Angels, a Catholic parish in Bukit Batok in western Singapore served by Franciscan friars.

The official poster for “TO GAZE: St. Clare of Assisi,” presented by CANA and Saint Max in Singapore Oct. 16–17, 2026, for the Jubilee Year of St. Francis, with Sharda Harrison as St. Clare and Fra Rowland Yeo, OFM, as St. Francis. | Credit: Courtesy of CANA and Saint Max

Presented by CANA, a faith-based community and cultural hub in Singapore, and Saint Max, the production is part of the celebrations of the Jubilee Year of St. Francis of Assisi, which the worldwide Franciscan family has held to mark 800 years since Francis died in October 1226.Actress Sharda Harrison wrote the script and plays the role of Clare; according to the organizers, she also directed the show. Fra Rowland Yeo, OFM, a Franciscan friar, plays St. Francis, and the productionʼs poster says all proceeds go to the development office of the Franciscan friars.

Fra Michael D’Cruz, OFM, welcomes the audience before the performance Oct. 16, 2026, in Singapore. | Credit: Benedict Tang

An organizer from CANA who asked not to be named said that after a year of jubilee celebrations for Francis, the play was a fitting way to close the celebration with “the precious legacy of St. Clare.” The group turned to Harrison, the organizer said, because she had portrayed St. Thérèse of Lisieux for them in 2024 in “St. Thérèse: The Little Way,” a play she also wrote and directed.Asked what audiences should take home, the organizer answered with a question: “Why is poverty a privilege? … Why is this crazy lady Clare so resolved to live it?” The second and last performance falls on Oct. 17, the United Nations' International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

Sharda Harrison, barefoot, addresses the audience as St. Clare at the first performance of “TO GAZE: St. Clare of Assisi,” Oct. 16, 2026. | Credit: Benedict Tang

Medieval marriage, modern ‘swiping’In a city-state where Catholics live alongside Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, Taoists, and others, the script reaches for references from everyday modern life. When Clareʼs father looks for a husband for her, suitors appear on a large screen: Guido, Bernardo, and Silvestro, “my fatherʼs favorite.” Clare asks the audience to vote. “In your time … you swipe right if you like the boy, and you swipe left if you donʼt like the boy,” she says.The comedy gives way to the turning point of her life. Clare describes Francis as a merchantʼs son “born into wealth just like me.” She says: “I realized that I had everything, but I wanted none of it.” She slips out of her family home on Palm Sunday night, has her hair cut before Francis, and faces her furious father: “I belong to Christ now, Father.”It is not a one-woman show. Other actors play Clareʼs companions and the early friars, and Clare pulls women from the audience into the story, choosing them as “sisters” and giving them vows as her community grows.

Clare’s hair is cut as she gives up her life of privilege, with Fra Rowland Yeo, OFM, as St. Francis, at a performance in Singapore on Oct. 16, 2026. | Credit: Benedict Tang

‘The right to possess nothing’Poverty runs through the script. Clare recalls that her mother, Ortolana, “saw God everywhere, especially in the poor,” and adds: “They were not hidden like today.”“This is what it means to live in the privilege of poverty,” she says, “to be given the right to possess nothing.” The world, she tells them, “did not understand. Not even the Church.”The title of the play echoes Clareʼs letters to St. Agnes of Prague, a princess who, in the playʼs words, “decided to give up everything to become a poor lady.” In welcoming remarks before the curtain, Fra Michael DʼCruz, OFM, the Franciscan friar overseeing the event for the parish, quoted those letters and described how the two saints, Clare and Francis, worked together. “Francis was the voice; Clare was the quiet powerhouse of prayer,” he said.Near the end, Clare looks back on a life of refusals. “Perhaps saying no was never the whole point,” she says. “I had to learn how to say yes, yes to Christ, yes to poverty.”After the cast took their bow on opening night, Harrison dropped Clareʼs Italian accent to thank those present “for wanting to be here to listen to Clareʼs story,” promising “a bigger, grander farewell” for the last night.St. Clare died in 1253 at San Damiano, near Assisi, Italy, her home “for the next 40 years,” as she says in the script.

unitedyam October 17, 2026October 19, 2026

A Catholic parish in western Singapore hosted the play “TO GAZE: St. Clare of Assisi” as part of celebrations for the Jubilee Year of St. Francis of Assisi.

This Luxury 7-day Train Journey Through Piedmont and Tuscany Offers Private Winery Visits and Vineyard Lunches #Travel Calling all lovers of Italian wine.

unitedyam October 17, 2026October 19, 2026

Calling all lovers of Italian wine.

German bishops join initiative for ‘child-friendly’ artificial intelligence #Catholic The German Bishops' Conference has joined an initiative that aims to make artificial intelligence safe and suitable for children, citing Pope Leo XIVʼs call to defend human dignity in the age of AI.The initiative, called “KI kindgerecht!” (“Child-friendly AI!”), also involves Germanyʼs biggest Protestant body and an association of childrenʼs websites.“AI is already embedded in many digital applications,” said Bishop Georg Bätzing of Limburg, who chairs the bishops' media commission, in a statement Oct. 14."With the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, Pope Leo XIV gives the Church a clear mandate: In the age of artificial intelligence, we must defend human dignity — especially where children are easily exposed to danger."The initiative “combines protection, participation, and responsibility, and makes clear that digital spaces must serve the good of the child,” he said.Responsibility must not be “shifted onto parents alone,” Bätzing added. “Precisely because we know how vulnerable children are, we see it as our duty to act as advocates for this group in need of protection — in the digital space as well. Technology must serve the human person, not purely economic interests.”The Church in Germany is working with academics, educators, and interested providers on a code of conduct for child-friendly interactive AI, built on five principles: safety by design, respect for childrenʼs rights, age-appropriate spaces for participation, data protection, and human review.The bishops also said providers “must be obliged to comply with child-friendly standards” and called for lasting investment in media education so children, parents, and teachers can learn to use AI confidently.Vatican sharpens focusThe German initiative comes as the Church globally wrestles with AI and the Vatican sharpens its own focus on minors online.At its Sept. 28–Oct. 2 plenary assembly in Rome, the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors examined how digital technologies, AI, and websites are used in the pastoral care of children and backed wider collaboration with international partners and Curia offices so that “the dignity, safety, and wellbeing of children remain at the heart of technological development and governance,” Vatican News reported.In March, Pope Leo XIV warned: “We must not allow children to end up believing they can find in artificial intelligence chatbots their best friends or the oracle of all knowledge, dulling their intelligence and their capacity for relationships, and numbing their creativity and thinking.”

Pope Leo XIV warns children should not look to chatbots for friendship

Receiving participants of a Rome conference on “The Dignity of Children and Adolescents in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” on Nov. 13, 2025, Leo also warned that “children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable to manipulation through AI algorithms that can influence their decisions and preferences.”In Magnifica Humanitas, the encyclical on artificial intelligence published May 25, the pope wrote that “online phenomena such as grooming, blackmail, and the sexual exploitation of minors are not uncommon, and are made more insidious by the use of fake profiles, algorithms that facilitate dangerous contact, and AI tools capable of manipulating images and videos.”This story was first published by CNA Deutsch, the German-language sister service of EWTN News, and has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

unitedyam October 17, 2026October 19, 2026

Citing Pope Leo XIV’s call to defend human dignity in the age of AI, the German Bishops’ Conference has joined an initiative to make artificial intelligence safe for children.

Katie Zacharia Fired Despite Lying About Qualifications And Being Awful At Her Job #BabylonBee – WASHINGTON, D.C. — Katie Zacharia was reportedly fired from her role as White House Press Secretary despite lying about her qualifications and being awful at her job.

unitedyam October 17, 2026October 17, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Katie Zacharia was reportedly fired from her role as White House Press Secretary despite lying about her qualifications and being awful at her job.

Trump Criticized For Choosing New Press Secretary Jessica Rabbit #BabylonBee – WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump faced heavy criticism on Friday for replacing White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia with Jessica Rabbit.

unitedyam October 17, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump faced heavy criticism on Friday for replacing White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia with Jessica Rabbit.

unitedyam October 17, 2026October 17, 2026

Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column. October 16: Tethys and its shadow transit Still visible for several hours after sunset is the Wild Duck Cluster (M11), a young grouping of stars also cataloged as NGC 6705. Located in Scutum the Shield, the cluster is still 40° high inContinue reading “The Sky Today on Saturday, October 17: Watch Wild Ducks”

The post The Sky Today on Saturday, October 17: Watch Wild Ducks appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

unitedyam October 16, 2026October 16, 2026

Loving God, I thank you for the gift of life you gave and continue to give to me and to all of us.
Merciful God, I ask your pardon and forgiveness for my own failure and the failure of all people to respect and foster all forms of life in our universe.

Gracious God, I pray that with your grace, I and all people will reverence, protect, and promote all life and that we will be especially sensitive to the life of the unborn, the abused, neglected, disabled, and the elderly. I pray, too, …

17 of the Best Small Towns to Visit in Europe, With Quaint Streets and Delicious Regional Cuisine #Travel Beyond the famous European cities, these destinations have ample attractions of their own.

unitedyam October 16, 2026October 17, 2026

Beyond the famous European cities, these destinations have ample attractions of their own.

unitedyam October 16, 2026October 17, 2026

A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians
1:15-23

Brothers and sisters:
Hearing of your faith in the Lord Jesus
and of your love for all the holy ones,
I do not cease giving thanks for you,
remembering you in my prayers,
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation
resulting in knowledge of him.
May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened,
that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call,
what are the riches of glory
in his inheritance among the holy ones,
and what is the surpassing greatness of his power
for us who believe,
in accord with the exercise of his great might,
which he worked in Christ,
raising him from the dead
and seating him at his right hand in the heavens,
far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion,
and every name that is named
not only in this age but also in the one to come.
And he put all things beneath his feet
and gave him as head over all things to the Church,
which is his Body,
the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.

From the Gospel according to Luke
12:8-12

Jesus said to his disciples:
“I tell you,
everyone who acknowledges me before others
the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God.
But whoever denies me before others
will be denied before the angels of God.

“Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven,
but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
will not be forgiven.
When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities,
do not worry about how or what your defense will be
or about what you are to say.
For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say.”

The Consoler, the Holy Spirit, will be with the Apostles; when Christ will no longer be on earth, the Spirit will be present during the long periods of affliction that will last for centuries (cf. Jn 16:17). The Spirit will therefore be with the Church and within the Church, especially in times of struggle and persecution, as Jesus Himself promises the Apostles in the words recorded in the Synoptic Gospels: “And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious how or what you are to answer or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say” (Lk 12:11-13; cf. Mk 13:11): “for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you” (Mt 10). These words refer to the tribulations endured by the Apostles and by the Christians of the communities they founded and led; but they also refer to all those who, wherever they may be on earth, throughout the ages, will have to suffer for Christ. And in truth, there are many who, throughout the ages, including in recent times, have experienced this help from the Holy Spirit. And they know, and can bear witness, to the joy of the spiritual victory which the Holy Spirit has granted them to achieve. The entire Church today knows this, and bears witness to it. (Saint John Paul II, General Audience, 13 March 1991)

unitedyam October 16, 2026October 16, 2026

Pequannock prayer deepens faith with evening of worship, prayer #Catholic –

On Oct. 8, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney joined about 120 parishioners of Our Lady of Good Council (OLGC) in the Pompton Plains neighborhood of Pequannock, N.J., for an evening of worship and prayer. The bishop celebrated a Mass in the church, followed by an outdoor rosary procession around the parking lot.

The event was organized by the parish’s Rosary Altar Society, which Father Darwin Lastra, pastor of OLGC, founded several years ago. Jennifer Nardone, president of the society, coordinated the event with a team of members.

The Rosary Altar Society invites someone to speak for its monthly meetings and for the annual Mass and rosary event in October. Bishop Sweeney also participated last year.

For the Mass, Bishop Sweeney was the main celebrant and homilist. Father Lastra concelebrated the liturgy, assisted by Deacon Marc Marin of OLGC. The bishop spoke about aspects of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s life and encouraged the congregants to pray the rosary. He made some remarks in Spanish for the parish’s growing Hispanic community.

After Mass, parish men carried a statue of Our Lady of Fatima from the church and around the parking lot to five stations, where participants stopped to pray each of the five mysteries of the rosary.

BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI

[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]

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– On Oct. 8, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney joined about 120 parishioners of Our Lady of Good Council (OLGC) in the Pompton Plains neighborhood of Pequannock, N.J., for an evening of worship and prayer. The bishop celebrated a Mass in the church, followed by an outdoor rosary procession around the parking lot. The event was organized by the parish’s Rosary Altar Society, which Father Darwin Lastra, pastor of OLGC, founded several years ago. Jennifer Nardone, president of the society, coordinated the event with a team of members. The Rosary Altar Society invites someone to speak for its monthly meetings and for

‘The Chosen’ releases official trailer for Season 6 #Catholic “The Chosen” released its official trailer for Season 6 on Oct. 15. The upcoming season of the hit series focuses on the 24 hours of Good Friday — culminating in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.Season 6 of “The Chosen” will include six episodes — the first three of which will debut on Nov. 15 on Prime Video, followed by the release of a weekly episode through Dec. 6.The season finale will be a stand-alone theatrical release on March 12, 2027.“It was painful to shoot, and it’s painful to contemplate,” Dallas Jenkins, creator of the show, wrote on the show’s Instagram account.He added: “But if there’s one thing I want you to take away from this season, it’s that Jesus chose this path. He even tells the apostles he could be rescued from it if he wanted. He chose surrender and humility and sacrifice. Knowing that should make this story a little less painful.”“Season 5 was the powder keg. In Season Six, it explodes,” he concluded.The trailer depicts the moments leading up to Jesus’ scourging and crucifixion. The episodes will depict the events from the perspective of those who were close to Jesus and those who took part in his condemnation — the Pharisees speak of justice, the Romans of peace, and Jesus’ followers see it as a murder.In a press release earlier this year, Jenkins said: “Everyone knows the basics of this part of the story, but not everyone knows the ‘why’ of the crucifixion and the extraordinary events of these 24 hours. We realized this not only deserved a season of television but a standalone full-length theatrical event as well. We wrote and filmed all of it with this in mind.”The show’s star, actor Jonathan Roumie, has spoken about his experience portraying Jesus’ passion and crucifixion.In an interview with EWTN News at ChosenCon on Feb. 20 he said: “For the first few months afterwards going to Mass — and even thinking about it now — I just get weepy. I get emotional. It’s hard. It’s left an indelible impression on me — mentally and emotionally sharing even just a percentage, a micron of a percentage, of the Lord’s passion; playing it and reenacting it has left me absolutely humbled and moved.”The new trailer already has over 1 million views on YouTube in the 24 hours since its release.

unitedyam October 16, 2026October 17, 2026

The new trailer already has over 1 million views on YouTube in the 24 hours since its release.

unitedyam October 16, 2026October 16, 2026

Rockaway Rosary Rally celebrates faith and Marian devotion #Catholic –

About 100 faithful gathered at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Rockaway, N.J., on Oct. 10 for a prayerful Rosary Rally honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary during the Month of the Holy Rosary.

The gathering brought together parishioners from Sacred Heart of Jesus and neighboring parishes, including St. Cecilia, also in Rockaway; St. Peter the Apostle in Parsippany, N.J. St. Joseph in Lincoln Park, N.J., and Our Lady of Mercy in the Whippany neighborhood of Hanover Township, N.J.

Officers and members of the Diocesan Commission for Catholic Filipino Ministries (DCCFM)also participated, reflecting a beautiful spirit of unity, faith, and devotion to the Blessed Mother.

The rally was led by Deacon Elmer Maximo, president of DCCFM, with Maryann Lim-Atienza as this year’s rosary captain. The faithful prayerfully meditated on all four sets of mysteries of the rosary—the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious—offering prayers for the protection, dignity, and respect of every human life, from conception to natural death.

After the rally, participants gathered for a lunch reception and fellowship, sharing food, friendship, and the joy of belonging to one community of faith. The gathering provided a meaningful opportunity to strengthen bonds among parishioners, neighboring Catholic communities, and DCCFM members.

The faithful concluded the day, renewed in their devotion to Our Blessed Mother and strengthened in their commitment to live and share the Gospel of Life.

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– About 100 faithful gathered at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Rockaway, N.J., on Oct. 10 for a prayerful Rosary Rally honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary during the Month of the Holy Rosary. The gathering brought together parishioners from Sacred Heart of Jesus and neighboring parishes, including St. Cecilia, also in Rockaway; St. Peter the Apostle in Parsippany, N.J. St. Joseph in Lincoln Park, N.J., and Our Lady of Mercy in the Whippany neighborhood of Hanover Township, N.J. Officers and members of the Diocesan Commission for Catholic Filipino Ministries (DCCFM)also participated, reflecting a beautiful spirit of unity, faith, and devotion

Bishop: ‘Indiscriminate’ ICE raids incite anxiety, fear in California’s Central Valley #Catholic Bishop Joseph Brennan of the Diocese of Fresno, California, warned that immigration raids in California’s Central Valley are instilling “unrest, anxiety and even fear” in the community and that many of his priests are reporting that their parishes have been affected.“Even if you have not been personally affected by the increased immigration enforcement in our region, many of those who sit alongside you in the pews have been affected, with some already having been detained,” wrote Brennan, whose diocese covers a large portion of the southern Central Valley.The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have not announced any specific operations targeting California or its Central Valley. However, local media have reported a surge in enforcement in recent weeks.In his pastoral letter, Brennan said pastors reported to him that “members of their congregations have been taken away abruptly and with little or no information coming from federal agents.” He said he has been in contact with priests and interfaith and advocacy partners about ways to “help, comfort and accompany our people” amid the reported surge.”“It breaks my heart,” the bishop wrote. “… Many of those caught up in this recent immigration enforcement in our Valley are not strangers to us — they are family, neighbors, and parishioners who are being uprooted from the lives they have built over many years among us.”‘Indiscriminate’ raidsBrennan noted that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) voted 216-5 to approve a special message that the bishops oppose “the indiscriminate mass deportation of people” during the 2025 Fall Plenary Assembly. He then expressed concern that Central Valley raids appear to be indiscriminate.“These people are valued and beloved, they are part of the fabric of our community,” he said. “It is frightening to them and disturbing to us that these current operations seem to have taken on an indiscriminate nature with little regard for the dignity of the human person.”“Our Church teaches that every human person possesses an inherent dignity,” the bishop continued. “This dignity is not granted by governments, economic status, citizenship, or legal documentation. It is given by God.”A spokesperson for DHS did not confirm any specific operation targeting California.“For operational security and the safety of our officers, ICE will not disclose or discuss law enforcement operations,” the spokesperson said. “Every day, DHS enforces the laws of the nation across the country including in California.”The spokesperson defended ongoing immigration enforcement: “To most Americans our ICE officers are heroes as they put their lives on the line to arrest murderers, rapists, pedophiles, gang members, and terrorists.”The spokesperson provided a list of five people they labeled as “public safety threats” arrested in California, which included people convicted of vehicular manslaughter, aggravated assault with a gun, burglary, homicide, and selling drugs.Church ‘will not be silent’In his pastoral letter, Brennan said the Church “will not be silent” and “will accompany our vulnerable neighbors in concrete, sustained ways.”“We will strive to be a loving presence in our society for our brothers and sisters,” Brennan said.“Our parishes will be present to them for healing and comfort,” he said. “Accompaniment might take the shape of walking with families through long and complicated legal proceedings, showing up at immigration court, organizing transportation and childcare, and refusing to let anyone face this situation alone. We will speak up for them and will encourage one another to see this work of justice as a part of our baptismal call.”

Accompaniment might take the shape of walking with families through long and complicated legal proceedings, showing up at immigration court, organizing transportation and childcare, and refusing to let anyone face this situation alone. We will speak up for them and will encourage one another to see this work of justice as a part of our baptismal call.”

Bishop Joseph BrennanDiocese of Fresno, California

The bishop called for “real change and real reform,” saying “our country and our elected officials must do better,” calling for “tangible results that reflect meaningful and just immigration reform.”“Until such reform is achieved, the dignity of our immigrant brothers and sisters must remain in the forefront of whatever shape our efforts might take,” he wrote. “In the midst of those efforts, to be sure, we are navigating in a chaotic and emotionally charged time. I encourage the faithful to pray for one another and to act out of a spirit of communion in all things, bridging divisions and treating one another peacefully and with compassion.”“We are in this together,” Brennan wrote. “God bless you and those you love, always and in every way.”

unitedyam October 16, 2026October 17, 2026

The Department of Homeland Security insisted ICE officers are “heroes,” enforcing the law.

unitedyam October 16, 2026October 16, 2026

The exhaust plumes of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company’s Dragon spacecraft are seen illuminated by sunlight against the predawn sky during the launch of NASA’s SpaceX CRS-35 mission, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, as seen from Cocoa Beach, Florida. The light makes the plumes look like a jellyfish in the sky.

Picture of the day

Coturnix coromandelica (Rain Quail) in Bhigwan, Maharashtra, India.
#ImageOfTheDay

unitedyam October 16, 2026October 16, 2026

Picture of the day

Coturnix coromandelica (Rain Quail) in Bhigwan, Maharashtra, India.

“Were We Supposed to Get These Questions Beforehand?” — Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan Confronts Democrat Mary Peltola During Alaska Senate Debate After Spotting Her Reading Prepared Answers (VIDEO) – Republican Sen.
The post “Were We Supposed to Get These Questions Beforehand?” — Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan Confronts Democrat Mary Peltola During Alaska Senate Debate After Spotting Her Reading Prepared Answers (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

unitedyam October 16, 2026October 16, 2026

Republican Sen.

The post “Were We Supposed to Get These Questions Beforehand?” — Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan Confronts Democrat Mary Peltola During Alaska Senate Debate After Spotting Her Reading Prepared Answers (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Victor Davis Hanson Talks About Shifting Midterms and GOP Momentum: ‘Something’s Definitely Going On’ (VIDEO) – The always great Victor Davis Hanson recently appeared on the Sean Hannity show and talked about the apparent shift in some of the midterm races that seems to be benefiting Republicans.
The post Victor Davis Hanson Talks About Shifting Midterms and GOP Momentum: ‘Something’s Definitely Going On’ (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

unitedyam October 16, 2026October 16, 2026

The always great Victor Davis Hanson recently appeared on the Sean Hannity show and talked about the apparent shift in some of the midterm races that seems to be benefiting Republicans.

The post Victor Davis Hanson Talks About Shifting Midterms and GOP Momentum: ‘Something’s Definitely Going On’ (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

The Peptide Secret Big Pharma Has Been Sitting On – And Why You Finally Don’t Need a Needle to Get It – (Note: Thank you for supporting businesses like the one presenting a sponsored message below and working with them through the links below which benefits Gateway Pundit.
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Senior man jogging along a coastal trail at sunset, showcasing an active lifestyle and scenic outdoor exercise.

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Catholic missionaries in Nigeria urged to persevere amid insecurity, restrictions on worship – #Catholic – ABUJA, Nigeria — Catholic missionaries in Nigeria have been encouraged to persevere in proclaiming the Gospel despite the threat of attacks and restrictions that prevent some Christian communities from acquiring land and building churches.In an Oct. 13 interview with ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, the national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Nigeria, Father Solomon Patrick Zaku, described the challenges facing evangelization in the West African nation and urged missionaries to draw strength from their faith in Christ.“Even though we are facing challenges, those who want to go on a mission or those who want to preach the good news should not give up or be discouraged, but they should go,” he said.Zaku spoke on the sidelines of a media chat organized by the Pontifical Mission Societies national office ahead of the centenary celebration of World Mission Sunday.“In Nigeria today, we have the security challenge. Insecurity is almost in every part of this country,” he said.“When people are going for mission animation, trying to go to places to preach the good news, they are afraid of what will happen in the next place because either on the road they can be attacked or in their places of worship they can experience attacks,” he added.The national director also lamented restrictions that prevent Christians from acquiring land or building churches in certain locations, leaving some communities traveling long distances to worship.“Church is supposed to be where people are living, but in many places, people don’t have a comfortable place to worship, and they have to go to a very far place,” he said.Drawing on St. Paul’s teaching that nothing can separate believers from the love of Christ, Zaku encouraged prospective missionaries who fear for their safety because of reports of kidnappings and killings.“Know that Jesus is with you,” he told missionaries serving in Nigeria. He assured them that anyone who dies bearing witness to Christ, even while preaching the good news, will “definitely receive his reward.”Reflecting on the centenary of World Mission Sunday, the priest described the occasion as an opportunity to thank God for a century of prayer, financial contributions, and practical assistance to missionary territories. He credited Pontifical Missions Societies support with helping sustain the Church and education in Nigeria.Zaku said the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) had directed that World Mission Sunday collections be sent to the Pontifical Missions Societies fund to support missionary territories beyond Nigeria.“The Church in Nigeria, too, is not only a receiving Church but also a giving Church,” he said.“My message to all Catholics and Nigerians in particular as we celebrate World Mission Sunday is for them to know that you are not alone, but we are together on this mission. We are praying for you,” he added.In a separate interview at the same event, the national coordinator of Nigeria’s Young Missionary Movement, Peter Oluwasanmi Adubi, said the movement was strengthening missionary formation and catechesis to help young people understand that their Christian calling extends beyond attending church services.“We try to intensify what we call the missionary communion, missionary catechesis, and all that, to make sure that they are not just young people like others; they are special people called to be missionaries through their life, through their actions, and through their prayer,” he said.Adubi also emphasized that those who cannot travel to evangelize can support others who do.“There is a saying that some give to the mission by going, while others go to the mission by giving. And without both, there is no mission,” he said.Addressing concerns about social media and other distractions affecting young people’s commitment to their faith, he called on the Church to listen to them and provide opportunities for them to contribute their talents.“Firstly, we encourage the Church to be a place where they listen to young people. Young people have enormous needs, and there are a lot of things that threaten them, especially when it comes to media,” he said.Adubi called for a media team in each parish where young people can volunteer and participate in the Church’s mission. He said such opportunities could help them use their interest in digital technology to spread the Christian message.This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.

unitedyam October 16, 2026October 16, 2026

Despite threats of violence and restrictions placed on some Christian communities, the national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Nigeria is encouragging missionaries to be unafraid.

Guadalupan Institute established in San Antonio, looks to be replicated throughout U.S. – #Catholic – A new Guadalupan Institute has taken its first steps in San Antonio with the aim of researching, providing education on, and disseminating the Guadalupe event, as well as becoming a model for replication throughout the United States.Father Rafael Becerra, pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in the San Antonio suburb of Helotes, Texas, explained to EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News: “We want to research, provide formation on, and raise awareness about the entire Guadalupan event.”A retreat and a Guadalupan certificate program have been the first steps, Becerra said, confident that the project can grow and become “a Guadalupan center for the United States.”Becerra, a priest of the Archdiocese of San Antonio, noted that the “Truth about Guadalupe” certificate program began on Oct. 5 as an effort to “prepare ourselves for the 500th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe,” which will be celebrated in 2031.Assisting him in this project is Monsignor Eduardo Chávez, director of the Higher Institute of Guadalupan Studies in Mexico City and who is considered the leading expert on Our Lady of Guadalupe.Chávez “is the one who teaches and gives this course via video,” he said, noting that the diploma program will conclude in April 2027.The course is taught in English to around 60 students and in Spanish to nearly 90.Alongside Chávez, Alberto Mata and Javier Fernández, both experienced in the study and dissemination of the Guadalupe event, are also participating as facilitators for the program.The initial sessions “have been extraordinary,” noted Becerra, as the participants “are excited, want to keep learning, and above all are impressed by the greatness of the Virgin of Guadalupe and all the graces she has brought not only to Mexico but to humanity.”

Participants in the course organized by the Guadalupan Institute in San Antonio. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Rafael Becerra

Through the course, he said, they aim to “collaborate in this great process of preparation for the 500th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe” and to foster the development of “equipped persons who can then return to their parishes and replicate this diploma course in various parishes across San Antonio.”Interested persons from Houston and Austin, Texas, have already contacted Becerra about the program, he said, so he hopes this will also serve as a “spearhead” that can be “replicated in the future in different places across the United States.”This story was first published by EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

unitedyam October 16, 2026October 16, 2026

The certificate program seeks to provide formation for people who can spread knowledge about the Guadalupe event.

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