PARIS — On Monday, French officials questioned how the United States could classify the airman rescue mission a success when no one surrendered to the Nazis.
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SALT LAKE CITY, UT — Local man Tony Flanders noted that, by the looks of it, his next-door neighbor was either very, very wealthy or in massive amounts of debt.
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Sunrise in Pieniny mountains, Poland
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Christians in the beleaguered nation of Myanmar are facing renewed bouts of persecution at the hands of the country’s military regime.
The post Christians in This Southeast Asian Country Face Worsening Persecution appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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In his annual letter to shareholders, JPMorgan Chase CEO sent a warning to businesses trying to survive in NYC under radical socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
The post JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon’s Annual Letter to Shareholders Warns of the Dangers Facing NYC Under Mamdani appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Watch Wayne Allyn Root’s Top Ten Stories of the Week – including the illegal alien crime wave, the Democrat crime wave, and “The Great American National Divorce.” Watch Wayne’s “America’s Top Ten Countdown” with his World-Famous “Final Four” airing every Saturday at NOON ET/9 AM PT on Real America’s Voice TV Network.
The post Watch Wayne Allyn Root’s Top Ten Stories of the Week – Including the Illegal Alien Crime Wave, the Democrat Crime Wave, and “The Great American National Divorce.” (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Read More![Christ’s resurrection sparks powerful Alleluia at Paterson Easter Vigil #Catholic - Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney proclaimed, “Alleluia! Happy Easter! Felices Pascuas! Jesus of Nazareth, who suffered and died on the cross, is risen,” in his homily during the bilingual Easter Vigil Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J., on Holy Saturday evening, April 4.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
The Church joyfully anticipates Christ’s resurrection during the Easter Vigil. The Mass began with the Service of Light, which includes the blessing of the new fire and the paschal candle, symbolizing Jesus, the Light of the World.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/christs-resurrection-sparks-powerful-alleluia-at-paterson-easter-vigil-catholic-bishop-kevin-j-sweeney-proclaimed-alleluia-happy-easter-felices-pascuas-jesus-of-nazareth-who-s.jpg)
Christ’s resurrection sparks powerful Alleluia at Paterson Easter Vigil #Catholic – 
Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney proclaimed, “Alleluia! Happy Easter! Felices Pascuas! Jesus of Nazareth, who suffered and died on the cross, is risen,” in his homily during the bilingual Easter Vigil Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J., on Holy Saturday evening, April 4.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
The Church joyfully anticipates Christ’s resurrection during the Easter Vigil. The Mass began with the Service of Light, which includes the blessing of the new fire and the paschal candle, symbolizing Jesus, the Light of the World.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
– Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney proclaimed, “Alleluia! Happy Easter! Felices Pascuas! Jesus of Nazareth, who suffered and died on the cross, is risen,” in his homily during the bilingual Easter Vigil Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J., on Holy Saturday evening, April 4. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. The Church joyfully anticipates Christ’s resurrection during the Easter Vigil. The Mass began with the Service of Light, which includes the blessing of the new fire and the paschal candle, symbolizing Jesus, the Light of the World. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
A married couple that leads the Teams of Our Lady, founded by newly-declared Venerable Father Henri Caffarel, explains how this lay apostolate helps couples grow together in holiness.
Upon the recitation of the Regina Caeli, the pope also remembered Pope Francis, who died a year ago on Easter Monday.
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![‘Searching for the Messiah’ explores experiences of recent Jewish converts – #Catholic – The latest film from Goya Productions, “Searching for the Messiah” explores the experiences of people of Jewish origin who have embraced Jesus as the Anointed One (the Christ), in whom God’s promises to his people are fulfilled.The documentary, directed by Andrés Garrigó, is set to premiere in Spain on April 10. It is headed to Mexico and Central America later this month, followed by distribution in the United States later in the year. The film traces the journeys of figures from both the present day and recent history who, from their Jewish origins, traveled the path toward recognizing Jesus as the Messiah awaited by the people of the Old Covenant.The film takes an approach that is in keeping with the Second Vatican Council’s declaration Nostra Aetate. That document emphasizes that “the Church, mindful of the patrimony she shares with the Jews and moved not by political reasons but by the Gospelʼs spiritual love, decries hatred, persecutions, displays of anti-Semitism, directed against Jews at any time and by anyone.”Following that declaration, St. Paul VI became the first pope to travel to the Holy Land in the modern era. Subsequently, St. John Paul II visited Rome’s synagogue and established diplomatic relations with Israel. Both St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI visited the Auschwitz death camp. Pope Francis and Leo XIV further developed the path charted by Nostra Aetate.In a statement to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Goya Productions indicated that in the version of the film to be distributed in the United States, “only the testimonies originally in French, Spanish, and Portuguese will require dubbing” and that “more than half of the film will remain in its original English.”The U.S. version will also feature an additional testimony from Dr. Robin Pierucci, a Jewish convert and neonatologist living in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Other testimonies to be highlighted inlude those of French philosopher Fabrice Hadjadj, Harvard Business School professor Roy Schoeman, Brazilian philosopher Edgar Leite Ferreira, British literary critic Robert Asch, American author Dawn Eden Goldstein, and Argentine professor of biblical pastoral studies Luciana Rogowicz.Garrigó told ACI Prensa that the subject of the film is one “that hasn’t been explored in cinema; people are a bit wary of it.” He said the idea for the film originally came from a person in Mexico. “We didn’t think it would be possible, but after reflecting on it and later conducting research, we discovered that there were amazing people who had things to say about the Messiah and about discovering [him] from the point of view of Judaism,” he said.‘Our greatest loves are Jewish’Garrigó said the central narrative theme of the film is particularly captured in a recording of St. Josemaría Escrivá. In it, the Spanish saint, during one of his well-known informal gatherings, responds to a question from a young Jewish girl whose parents will not allow her to be baptized.“As St. Josemaría himself states right there, our greatest loves are Jewish, aren’t they? They are Jesus and the Virgin,” Garrigó said.From that standpoint, “everything else is an attitude of openness; and they — the moment they discover Jesus — become deeply committed, the ones who feel called to fulfill an eternal design: that of a chosen people who in the end complete their journey,” the director said.“They still feel Jewish after their conversion, yet Jewish in a way that fulfills what Jesus had envisioned for them,” he added.“Searching for the Messiah” also explores other figures of Jewish origin who embraced the Catholic faith, particularly during the last century: Rome’s chief rabbi, Eugenio Zolli; St. Edith Stein, a German philosopher who became a Carmelite nun and was canonized by St. John Paul II, who named her a patroness of Europe and a doctor of the Church; Dr. Bernard Nathanson, who before his conversion was known as one of the most staunch abortion advocates in U.S. history; and the French poet Max Jacob, whose baptismal godfather was his friend Pablo Picasso. This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/searching-for-the-messiah-explores-experiences-of-recent-jewish-converts-catholic-the-latest-film-from-goya-productions-searching-for-the-messiah-explores-the.jpg "‘Searching for the Messiah’ explores experiences of recent Jewish converts – #Catholic – The latest film from Goya Productions, “Searching for the Messiah” explores the experiences of people of Jewish origin who have embraced Jesus as the Anointed One (the Christ), in whom God’s promises to his people are fulfilled.The documentary, directed by Andrés Garrigó, is set to premiere in Spain on April 10. It is headed to Mexico and Central America later this month, followed by distribution in the United States later in the year. The film traces the journeys of figures from both the present day and recent history who, from their Jewish origins, traveled the path toward recognizing Jesus as the Messiah awaited by the people of the Old Covenant.The film takes an approach that is in keeping with the Second Vatican Council’s declaration Nostra Aetate. That document emphasizes that “the Church, mindful of the patrimony she shares with the Jews and moved not by political reasons but by the Gospelʼs spiritual love, decries hatred, persecutions, displays of anti-Semitism, directed against Jews at any time and by anyone.”Following that declaration, St. Paul VI became the first pope to travel to the Holy Land in the modern era. Subsequently, St. John Paul II visited Rome’s synagogue and established diplomatic relations with Israel. Both St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI visited the Auschwitz death camp. Pope Francis and Leo XIV further developed the path charted by Nostra Aetate.In a statement to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Goya Productions indicated that in the version of the film to be distributed in the United States, “only the testimonies originally in French, Spanish, and Portuguese will require dubbing” and that “more than half of the film will remain in its original English.”The U.S. version will also feature an additional testimony from Dr. Robin Pierucci, a Jewish convert and neonatologist living in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Other testimonies to be highlighted inlude those of French philosopher Fabrice Hadjadj, Harvard Business School professor Roy Schoeman, Brazilian philosopher Edgar Leite Ferreira, British literary critic Robert Asch, American author Dawn Eden Goldstein, and Argentine professor of biblical pastoral studies Luciana Rogowicz.Garrigó told ACI Prensa that the subject of the film is one “that hasn’t been explored in cinema; people are a bit wary of it.” He said the idea for the film originally came from a person in Mexico. “We didn’t think it would be possible, but after reflecting on it and later conducting research, we discovered that there were amazing people who had things to say about the Messiah and about discovering [him] from the point of view of Judaism,” he said.‘Our greatest loves are Jewish’Garrigó said the central narrative theme of the film is particularly captured in a recording of St. Josemaría Escrivá. In it, the Spanish saint, during one of his well-known informal gatherings, responds to a question from a young Jewish girl whose parents will not allow her to be baptized.“As St. Josemaría himself states right there, our greatest loves are Jewish, aren’t they? They are Jesus and the Virgin,” Garrigó said.From that standpoint, “everything else is an attitude of openness; and they — the moment they discover Jesus — become deeply committed, the ones who feel called to fulfill an eternal design: that of a chosen people who in the end complete their journey,” the director said.“They still feel Jewish after their conversion, yet Jewish in a way that fulfills what Jesus had envisioned for them,” he added.“Searching for the Messiah” also explores other figures of Jewish origin who embraced the Catholic faith, particularly during the last century: Rome’s chief rabbi, Eugenio Zolli; St. Edith Stein, a German philosopher who became a Carmelite nun and was canonized by St. John Paul II, who named her a patroness of Europe and a doctor of the Church; Dr. Bernard Nathanson, who before his conversion was known as one of the most staunch abortion advocates in U.S. history; and the French poet Max Jacob, whose baptismal godfather was his friend Pablo Picasso. 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.")
A film that features the testimonies of people of Jewish origin who in recent times have professed faith in Jesus after coming to the conclusion that he is the long-awaited Messiah.
In a message for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations titled “The Interior Discovery of God’s Gift,” the Holy Father reflects on the interior dimension of one’s vocation.
NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman peers out of one of the Orion spacecraft’s main cabin windows on April 4, 2026, looking back at Earth, as the crew travels towards the Moon.
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In many countries in Europe and South America, Easter Monday, also known as “Little Easter,” is a national holiday.
HOUSTON, TX — With the toilet about Artemis II breaking for the second time, NASA began to wonder if stocking the shuttle with Chipotle may have been a mistake.
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He is risen indeed!
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Mary Martin with children, during production of the Broadway musical The Sound of Music. Martin portrayed Maria von Trapp who died on this day in 1987.
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A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
2:14, 22-33
On the day of Pentecost, Peter stood up with the Eleven,
raised his voice, and proclaimed:
“You who are Jews, indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem.
Let this be known to you, and listen to my words.
“You who are children of Israel, hear these words.
Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by God
with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs,
which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know.
This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God,
you killed, using lawless men to crucify him.
But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death,
because it was impossible for him to be held by it.
For David says of him:
I saw the Lord ever before me,
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
Therefore my heart has been glad and my tongue has exulted;
my flesh, too, will dwell in hope,
because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world,
nor will you suffer your holy one to see corruption.
You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.
My brothers, one can confidently say to you
about the patriarch David that he died and was buried,
and his tomb is in our midst to this day.
But since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn an oath to him
that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne,
he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ,
that neither was he abandoned to the netherworld
nor did his flesh see corruption.
God raised this Jesus;
of this we are all witnesses.
Exalted at the right hand of God,
he poured forth the promise of the Holy Spirit
that he received from the Father, as you both see and hear.”
From the Gospel according to Matthew
28:8-15
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went away quickly from the tomb,
fearful yet overjoyed,
and ran to announce the news to his disciples.
And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them.
They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage.
Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid.
Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee,
and there they will see me.”
While they were going, some of the guard went into the city
and told the chief priests all that had happened.
The chief priests assembled with the elders and took counsel;
then they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,
telling them, “You are to say,
‘His disciples came by night and stole him while we were asleep.’
And if this gets to the ears of the governor,
we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.”
The soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed.
And this story has circulated among the Jews to the present day.
According to the Judaic Law of that time, women and children could not bear a trustworthy, credible witness. Instead in the Gospels women play a fundamental lead role. Here we can grasp an element in favour of the historicity of the Resurrection: if it was an invented event, in the context of that time it would not have been linked with the evidence of women. Instead the Evangelists simply recounted what happened: women were the first witnesses. This implies that God does not choose in accordance with human criteria: the first witnesses of the birth of Jesus were shepherds, simple, humble people; the first witnesses of the Resurrection were women. And this is beautiful. This is part of the mission of women; of mothers, of women! Witnessing to their children, to their grandchildren, that Jesus is alive, is living, is risen. Mothers and women, carry on witnessing to this! It is the heart that counts for God, how open to him we are, whether we are like trusting children. However this also makes us think about how women, in the Church and on the journey of faith, had and still have today a special role in opening the doors to the Lord, in following him and in communicating his Face, for the gaze of faith is always in need of the simple and profound gaze of love. (Pope Francis – General Audience, 3 April 2013)
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A special Easter Blessing for you from Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney #Catholic – 
“Do not be afraid!
I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified.
He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said.
Come and see the place where he lay.
Then go quickly and tell his disciples,
‘He has been raised from the dead…’” Mt. 28: 5-7
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Happy Easter! Please know of my prayers for you, your family and loved ones, and for the whole Church of our beloved Diocese of Paterson. We hear the words of Matthew’s Gospel, “…for he has been raised just as he said…” and we reflect on the meaning of Easter Joy, the Joy of the Risen Lord, His victory over sin and death, and the promise of everlasting life in Heaven. As Lent and Holy Week have led us to this Easter Day, we give thanks for the gifts of Faith, Hope, and Love and continue to pray for the gift of Peace, the true Peace, that only Jesus can give. We also rejoice with all those who have entered our Church as they received the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Communion at the Easter Vigil.
Please be assured of my prayers for you, your families, and for all the faithful in our Diocese. Let us continue to pray for one another, for the whole Church, and for Peace, as we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday and throughout the 50 days of the Easter Season.
Devotedly yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Kevin J. Sweeney, DD.
Bishop of Paterson
– “Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead…’” Mt. 28: 5-7 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Happy Easter! Please know of my prayers for you, your family and loved ones, and for the whole Church of our beloved Diocese of Paterson. We hear the words of Matthew’s Gospel, “…for he has been raised just as he said…” and we
Easter in Iraq – Chaldean Christians Happy Easter 2026!
The post Happy Easter 2026 appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Renaming Good Friday wasn’t such a good idea.
The post City of Houston Deletes Tweet Referring to Easter as the ‘Spring Holiday’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Church authorities unveiled details of the official delegation expected to accompany the Holy Father during his visit scheduled for April 21–23.
This is a Gateway Hispanic article.
The post The Islamic State Spreads Images of Christian Executions in An Naba from Northern Nigeria and Issues Ultimatum of Conversion, Taxes or Murder to the Infidels appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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A culinary getaway to Hoi An gave one writer the chance to see her grandmother—and their shared love language of food—in a completely new light.
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A seminary was established in Mexico in 1999 to serve the growing Hispanic community in North America, forming future priests who learn Spanish as well as ecclesial and cultural traditions.
NASA astronaut Christina Koch is illuminated by a screen inside the darkened Orion spacecraft on the third day of the agency’s Artemis II mission. To the right of the image’s center, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen is seen in profile peering out of one of Orion’s windows. Lights are turned off to avoid glare on the windows.
Read MoreA reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
10:34a, 37-43
Peter proceeded tospeak and said:
“You know what has happened all over Judea,
beginning in Galilee after the baptism
that John preached,
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Spirit and power.
He went about doing good
and healing all those oppressed by the devil,
for God was with him.
We are witnesses of all that he did
both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem.
They put him to death by hanging him on a tree.
This man God raised on the third day and granted that he be visible,
not to all the people, but to us,
the witnesses chosen by God in advance,
who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
He commissioned us to preach to the people
and testify that he is the one appointed by God
as judge of the living and the dead.
To him all the prophets bear witness,
that everyone who believes in him
will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.”
A reading from the Letter to the Colossians
3:1-4
Brothers and sisters:
If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above,
where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.
For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ your life appears,
then you too will appear with him in glory.
From the Gospel according to John
20:1-9
On the first day of the week,
Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning,
while it was still dark,
and saw the stone removed from the tomb.
So she ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
“They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we don’t know where they put him.”
So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.
They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter
and arrived at the tomb first;
he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.
When Simon Peter arrived after him,
he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,
and the cloth that had covered his head,
not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.
Then the other disciple also went in,
the one who had arrived at the tomb first,
and he saw and believed.
For they did not yet understand the Scripture
that he had to rise from the dead.
Meditating on the mystery of the Resurrection, we find an answer to our thirst for meaning. Faced with our fragile humanity, the Paschal proclamation becomes care and healing, nourishing hope in the face of the frightening challenges that life presents us with every day on a personal and global level. In the perspective of Easter, the Via Crucis, the Way of the Cross, is transfigured into the Via Lucis, the Way of Light. We need to savour and meditate on the joy after the pain, to retrace in the new light all the stages that preceded the Resurrection. Easter does not eliminate the cross, but defeats it in the miraculous duel that changed our human history. Even our time, marked by so many crosses, invokes the dawn of Paschal hope. Christ’s Resurrection is not an idea, a theory, but the Event that is the foundation of faith. He, the Risen One, through the Holy Spirit, continues to remind us of this, so that we can be His witnesses even where human history does not see light on the horizon. Paschal hope does not disappoint. To believe truly in the Pasch through our daily journey means revolutionizing our lives, being transformed in order to transform the world with the gentle and courageous power of Christian hope. (Pope Leo XIV – General Audience, 5 November 2025)
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COSTA MESA, CA — In what was sure to be a blow to street vendors across the nation, the country’s leading provider announced that fruit cart insurance would no longer cover destruction from car chases.
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EUGENE, OR — Local man Bennett Stenson has become increasingly excited for the new Mario movie after hearing that film critics hated it.
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Kyzylkup table mountain. Kyzylsai regional park, Mangystau District, Mangystau Region, Kazakhstan
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The ancient vigil “stretches across the centuries as a path of reconciliation and grace,” the pope said at the Vatican.
![Gripping Paterson Passion Play brings Christ’s sacrifice to life #Catholic - The annual reenactment of Jesus’ agonizing journey to his crucifixion on Mount Calvary was presented by the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J., on Good Friday, April 3. Beginning outside the cathedral, the event moved through city streets before concluding inside, with thousands of captivated onlookers following the procession.
The Passion Play, called Via Crucis or the Way of the Cross, was performed in English and Spanish by over 100 actors from the cathedral on Good Friday. Parishioners assisted with the production. As the procession advanced along the mile-long route under sunny skies, prayers and reflections were offered at designated stops. The reenactment ended with Jesus’ crucifixion at the altar inside the cathedral.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Following the reenactment, Bishop Sweeney led a Good Friday service, including veneration of the cross and the celebration of Holy Communion for the faithful, inside St. John’s.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/gripping-paterson-passion-play-brings-christs-sacrifice-to-life-catholic-the-annual-reenactment-of-jesus-agonizing-journey-to-his-crucifixion-on-mount-calvary-was-presented-by-the.jpg)
Gripping Paterson Passion Play brings Christ’s sacrifice to life #Catholic – 
The annual reenactment of Jesus’ agonizing journey to his crucifixion on Mount Calvary was presented by the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J., on Good Friday, April 3. Beginning outside the cathedral, the event moved through city streets before concluding inside, with thousands of captivated onlookers following the procession.
The Passion Play, called Via Crucis or the Way of the Cross, was performed in English and Spanish by over 100 actors from the cathedral on Good Friday. Parishioners assisted with the production. As the procession advanced along the mile-long route under sunny skies, prayers and reflections were offered at designated stops. The reenactment ended with Jesus’ crucifixion at the altar inside the cathedral.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Following the reenactment, Bishop Sweeney led a Good Friday service, including veneration of the cross and the celebration of Holy Communion for the faithful, inside St. John’s.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
– The annual reenactment of Jesus’ agonizing journey to his crucifixion on Mount Calvary was presented by the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J., on Good Friday, April 3. Beginning outside the cathedral, the event moved through city streets before concluding inside, with thousands of captivated onlookers following the procession. The Passion Play, called Via Crucis or the Way of the Cross, was performed in English and Spanish by over 100 actors from the cathedral on Good Friday. Parishioners assisted with the production. As the procession advanced along the mile-long route under sunny skies, prayers and reflections were
![Cathedral hosts powerful commemoration of Lord’s Passion and death #Catholic - Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney led the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey in commemorating Christ’s sacrifice on the cross on Good Friday, April 3, as he presided over the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J. Before the at 3 p.m. services, the Via Crucis, a reenactment of the Passion of Christ, took place in the cathedral and through the streets in Paterson.
During the service, a Passion story from the Gospel of John was read, and 10 solemn intercessions were offered. To show reverence during the solemn service, clergy, lay ministers, and the faithful genuflected before or kissed the cross, and the clergy prostrated themselves before the altar or kneeled and prayed in silence. Then, Holy Communion was distributed. St. John’s altar was stripped bare without cloth, candles, or a cross.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
No Masses are celebrated on Good Friday, a day of fasting and abstinence.
Msgr. Geno Sylva, the cathedral’s rector and diocesan vicar for special projects; Father Starli J. Castanos, a St. John’s parochial vicar; and the deacons of the cathedral joined Bishop Sweeney in participating in the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/cathedral-hosts-powerful-commemoration-of-lords-passion-and-death-catholic-bishop-kevin-j-sweeney-led-the-paterson-diocese-in-new-jersey-in-commemorating-christs-sacrifice-on-the.jpg)
Cathedral hosts powerful commemoration of Lord’s Passion and death #Catholic – 
Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney led the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey in commemorating Christ’s sacrifice on the cross on Good Friday, April 3, as he presided over the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J. Before the at 3 p.m. services, the Via Crucis, a reenactment of the Passion of Christ, took place in the cathedral and through the streets in Paterson.
During the service, a Passion story from the Gospel of John was read, and 10 solemn intercessions were offered. To show reverence during the solemn service, clergy, lay ministers, and the faithful genuflected before or kissed the cross, and the clergy prostrated themselves before the altar or kneeled and prayed in silence. Then, Holy Communion was distributed. St. John’s altar was stripped bare without cloth, candles, or a cross.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
No Masses are celebrated on Good Friday, a day of fasting and abstinence.
Msgr. Geno Sylva, the cathedral’s rector and diocesan vicar for special projects; Father Starli J. Castanos, a St. John’s parochial vicar; and the deacons of the cathedral joined Bishop Sweeney in participating in the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
– Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney led the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey in commemorating Christ’s sacrifice on the cross on Good Friday, April 3, as he presided over the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J. Before the at 3 p.m. services, the Via Crucis, a reenactment of the Passion of Christ, took place in the cathedral and through the streets in Paterson. During the service, a Passion story from the Gospel of John was read, and 10 solemn intercessions were offered. To show reverence during the solemn service, clergy, lay ministers,
The government said it was making the release “in the context of the religious celebrations of Holy Week.”
![Archbishop Broglio: War should always be ‘a last resort’ #Catholic Archbishop for the Military Services, USA Timothy Broglio said this week that the ongoing U.S.-Iran war doesnʼt seem to be legitimate under a just war theory, with the prelate admitting that while military intelligence may have additional information unknown to the public, it was nevertheless “hard” to see how the war could be justified. The archbishop, who also served as the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops from 2022 to 2025, made the remarks during an interview with Ed OʼKeefe on CBS Newsʼs “Face the Nation,” set to air on April 5. OʼKeefe during the interview highlighted Saint Augustineʼs theory of “just war” in which the ancient theologian pointed out that “the causes for which men undertake wars” must be grounded in both peace and necessity. The journalist asked if the Iran war could be justified under that doctrine. “I would think under the just war theory, it is not,” the archbishop said. “Because while there was a threat with nuclear arms, [the war is] compensating for a threat before [the threat itself] is actually realized.”“I would line myself up with Pope Leo, who has been urging for negotiation,” Broglio continued. “I realize also that you could say, well, with whom are you going to negotiate? And that is a problem.” “But in the meantime, lives are being lost, both there and also among troops,” he said. “So it is a concern.”On March 31 Pope Leo XIV appealed for world peace amid multiple conflicts throughout the Middle East, urging the faithful to pray “for the victims of war … that there may truly be a new, renewed peace, which can give new life to all.”Earlier, on Palm Sunday, the Holy Father spoke out more strongly against global conflict, arguing that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war."In his interview on CBS, Broglio pointed to remarks in October of 1965 by then-Pope Paul VI, who in addressing the United Nations decried the “blood of millions” resulting from numerous global conflicts, telling the international body: “Never again war, never again war!” “Now, so many years later, weʼre still in this situation,” Broglio said. “So I think Pope Leo would definitely support saying that, you know, we have to find a situation where men and women can sit down and find avenues of peace.”“I think war is always a last resort,” the archbishop said during the interview. In January, amid overtures by the U.S. to potentially invade Greenland, Broglio in an interview with the BBC expressed concern that soldiers might be “put in a situation where they’re being ordered to do something that is morally questionable.”Speaking to CBS, the prelate acknowledged that a soldier in the military “has to obey [an order] unless itʼs clearly immoral.”“And then he would probably have to speak to his chaplain, to his chain of command,” the archbishop said. “The question might be, would generals or admirals have space to perhaps say, can we look at this a different way?” “But having spoken to some of them too, theyʼre also in the same dilemma,” he said. “So I guess my counsel would be to do as little harm as you can, and to try and preserve innocent lives.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/archbishop-broglio-war-should-always-be-a-last-resort-catholic-archbishop-for-the-military-services-usa-timothy-broglio-said-this-week-that-the-ongoing-u-s-iran-war-doesncabct-seem-to-be-leg.jpg "Archbishop Broglio: War should always be ‘a last resort’ #Catholic Archbishop for the Military Services, USA Timothy Broglio said this week that the ongoing U.S.-Iran war doesnʼt seem to be legitimate under a just war theory, with the prelate admitting that while military intelligence may have additional information unknown to the public, it was nevertheless “hard” to see how the war could be justified. The archbishop, who also served as the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops from 2022 to 2025, made the remarks during an interview with Ed OʼKeefe on CBS Newsʼs “Face the Nation,” set to air on April 5. OʼKeefe during the interview highlighted Saint Augustineʼs theory of “just war” in which the ancient theologian pointed out that “the causes for which men undertake wars” must be grounded in both peace and necessity. The journalist asked if the Iran war could be justified under that doctrine. “I would think under the just war theory, it is not,” the archbishop said. “Because while there was a threat with nuclear arms, [the war is] compensating for a threat before [the threat itself] is actually realized.”“I would line myself up with Pope Leo, who has been urging for negotiation,” Broglio continued. “I realize also that you could say, well, with whom are you going to negotiate? And that is a problem.” “But in the meantime, lives are being lost, both there and also among troops,” he said. “So it is a concern.”On March 31 Pope Leo XIV appealed for world peace amid multiple conflicts throughout the Middle East, urging the faithful to pray “for the victims of war … that there may truly be a new, renewed peace, which can give new life to all.”Earlier, on Palm Sunday, the Holy Father spoke out more strongly against global conflict, arguing that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.\"In his interview on CBS, Broglio pointed to remarks in October of 1965 by then-Pope Paul VI, who in addressing the United Nations decried the “blood of millions” resulting from numerous global conflicts, telling the international body: “Never again war, never again war!” “Now, so many years later, weʼre still in this situation,” Broglio said. “So I think Pope Leo would definitely support saying that, you know, we have to find a situation where men and women can sit down and find avenues of peace.”“I think war is always a last resort,” the archbishop said during the interview. In January, amid overtures by the U.S. to potentially invade Greenland, Broglio in an interview with the BBC expressed concern that soldiers might be “put in a situation where they’re being ordered to do something that is morally questionable.”Speaking to CBS, the prelate acknowledged that a soldier in the military “has to obey [an order] unless itʼs clearly immoral.”“And then he would probably have to speak to his chaplain, to his chain of command,” the archbishop said. “The question might be, would generals or admirals have space to perhaps say, can we look at this a different way?” “But having spoken to some of them too, theyʼre also in the same dilemma,” he said. “So I guess my counsel would be to do as little harm as you can, and to try and preserve innocent lives.”")
The archbishop for the Military Services, USA said it was “hard” to see how the ongoing war with Iran could be justified.
The government’s backing-off from the amendment to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act was promptly welcomed by the Catholic Bishops Conference of India.
![Archbishop shares 10 characteristics of his thriving seminary – #Catholic – The archbishop of Toledo and primate of Spain, Francisco Cerro, said it is not uncommon to be asked “what the secret is” behind the vitality of his seminary, which for decades has had one of the highest enrollments in the country.Cerro noted that questions about the seminary’s success lead him and his team to live in “profound humility and sincere gratitude” for what God has granted them through “the heart of Jesus Christ, eternal high priest,” both for the good of the Church and for “a humanity incapable of finding a way back to the Lord, marked by apostasy and, above all, weary and burdened because it lacks the Love of loves.”In a recent letter, Cerro offered 10 points he said have shaped the seminary’s strong vocation culture — points “strengthened by the pastors who have served this primatial see, watered by the blood of martyrs, and sustained by the witness of holiness of so many lives.”1. “Reasons of faith”“We enter the seminary for reasons of faith, not for human reasons, and we remain for reasons of faith,” explained the prelate, who — drawing inspiration from the words Pope Leo XIV addressed to Spanish seminarians in February — added that “when we lose the supernatural dimension of our vocation, we lose everything.”2. The Church confirms the vocationCerro explained that “in the seminary, the vocation — which we place in the hands of the Church — is discerned.” Thus, priestly ordination “takes place when that call has been confirmed by the Church, which is the body of Christ.”3. A transformed heartThe archbishop of Toledo, recalling his days as a seminarian, said: “I must allow the seminary to pass through me, to enter deep within me, and to gradually form and transform me. Formation must help us to live with the sentiments of the heart of Jesus. We cannot be like those smooth stones we see in mountain rivers: The water flows over them, but it does not penetrate their interior.”4. Human, not worldlyAnother factor contributing to the success of the Toledo seminary is awareness of having “seminarians who are deeply human, yet not at all worldly,” Cerro said, men who share in “the joys, hopes, sorrows, and anxieties of our brothers,” for “the world awaits holy priests who know how to accompany people on the journey of life.”5. Solid in-depth formationThe prelate said the Toledo seminary offers “solid in-depth formation,” grounded in the magisterium of the Church, “so as not to turn our seminaries into a laboratory for all manner of experiments, the outcome of which we all know.”6. Based on the word of God and the lives of the saints“Based on the living word, on the doctrine of the Church, on the experience of the saints, and in dialogue with a world that needs the Redeemer of the world more than ever” — this is how the formation process is carried out, the prelate emphasized.7. Living in the presentCerro said the seminary approaches its work “without nostalgia for a past that will not return. With eyes of faith, living in the present in communion with Peter, we form ourselves to live out what is essential: to be holy and blameless before God out of love.”8. Fraternity and unity in diversity“The seminary — as a presbyterate in formation — must be a community that lives like a family,” the prelate added, “for this fraternity strengthens that which unites us, enabling us to live with one heart while respecting the healthy plurality of sensibilities that reaffirm one faith, one baptism, and one Lord, in communion with Peter in [Christ’s] Church.”9. Devoted to Mary“We place the seminary in the heart of the Immaculate One. She watches over every seminarian so that he may attain the goal of a life of priestly dedication and generosity,” the archbishop shared.10. Entrusted to the saints and martyrsFinally, Cerro said he considers the final characteristic of the seminary is that it is entrusted to “St. Ildefonsus, to Blessed Sancha, and to so many holy pastors who have passed through it” as well as “to the martyrs of the religious persecution in Spain.”He appealed to them to “grant us many holy vocations, so that the Church journeying in Toledo may never lack pastors after the heart of Christ.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/archbishop-shares-10-characteristics-of-his-thriving-seminary-catholic-the-archbishop-of-toledo-and-primate-of-spain-francisco-cerro-said-it-is-not-uncommon-to-be-asked-what-the-secret.webp "Archbishop shares 10 characteristics of his thriving seminary – #Catholic – The archbishop of Toledo and primate of Spain, Francisco Cerro, said it is not uncommon to be asked “what the secret is” behind the vitality of his seminary, which for decades has had one of the highest enrollments in the country.Cerro noted that questions about the seminary’s success lead him and his team to live in “profound humility and sincere gratitude” for what God has granted them through “the heart of Jesus Christ, eternal high priest,” both for the good of the Church and for “a humanity incapable of finding a way back to the Lord, marked by apostasy and, above all, weary and burdened because it lacks the Love of loves.”In a recent letter, Cerro offered 10 points he said have shaped the seminary’s strong vocation culture — points “strengthened by the pastors who have served this primatial see, watered by the blood of martyrs, and sustained by the witness of holiness of so many lives.”1. “Reasons of faith”“We enter the seminary for reasons of faith, not for human reasons, and we remain for reasons of faith,” explained the prelate, who — drawing inspiration from the words Pope Leo XIV addressed to Spanish seminarians in February — added that “when we lose the supernatural dimension of our vocation, we lose everything.”2. The Church confirms the vocationCerro explained that “in the seminary, the vocation — which we place in the hands of the Church — is discerned.” Thus, priestly ordination “takes place when that call has been confirmed by the Church, which is the body of Christ.”3. A transformed heartThe archbishop of Toledo, recalling his days as a seminarian, said: “I must allow the seminary to pass through me, to enter deep within me, and to gradually form and transform me. Formation must help us to live with the sentiments of the heart of Jesus. We cannot be like those smooth stones we see in mountain rivers: The water flows over them, but it does not penetrate their interior.”4. Human, not worldlyAnother factor contributing to the success of the Toledo seminary is awareness of having “seminarians who are deeply human, yet not at all worldly,” Cerro said, men who share in “the joys, hopes, sorrows, and anxieties of our brothers,” for “the world awaits holy priests who know how to accompany people on the journey of life.”5. Solid in-depth formationThe prelate said the Toledo seminary offers “solid in-depth formation,” grounded in the magisterium of the Church, “so as not to turn our seminaries into a laboratory for all manner of experiments, the outcome of which we all know.”6. Based on the word of God and the lives of the saints“Based on the living word, on the doctrine of the Church, on the experience of the saints, and in dialogue with a world that needs the Redeemer of the world more than ever” — this is how the formation process is carried out, the prelate emphasized.7. Living in the presentCerro said the seminary approaches its work “without nostalgia for a past that will not return. With eyes of faith, living in the present in communion with Peter, we form ourselves to live out what is essential: to be holy and blameless before God out of love.”8. Fraternity and unity in diversity“The seminary — as a presbyterate in formation — must be a community that lives like a family,” the prelate added, “for this fraternity strengthens that which unites us, enabling us to live with one heart while respecting the healthy plurality of sensibilities that reaffirm one faith, one baptism, and one Lord, in communion with Peter in [Christ’s] Church.”9. Devoted to Mary“We place the seminary in the heart of the Immaculate One. She watches over every seminarian so that he may attain the goal of a life of priestly dedication and generosity,” the archbishop shared.10. Entrusted to the saints and martyrsFinally, Cerro said he considers the final characteristic of the seminary is that it is entrusted to “St. Ildefonsus, to Blessed Sancha, and to so many holy pastors who have passed through it” as well as “to the martyrs of the religious persecution in Spain.”He appealed to them to “grant us many holy vocations, so that the Church journeying in Toledo may never lack pastors after the heart of Christ.”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.")
Archbishop Francisco Cerro of Toledo, Spain, shared in a letter 10 qualities he considers to be the reason why the diocesan seminary is blessed with vocations.
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NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman took this picture of Earth from the Orion spacecraft’s window on April 2, 2026, after completing the translunar injection burn.
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One of the hospices targeted in ‘Operation Never Say Die’ today had a survival rate of nearly 100 percent.
The post One of the California Hospices Targeted in Fraud Sting Had a Survival Rate of 97 Percent (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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A shocking video is making the rounds on social media right now which shows Gavin Newsom’s wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom speaking at an event and bragging about the gender nonsense that she is using to fill up the minds of her children.
The post Watch Gavin Newsom’s Wife Brag About Filling Her Children’s Heads With Gender Nonsense (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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The progressive activist group ‘Demand Justice’ is already warning their fellow travelers on the left that President Trump may be able to pick two more new justices for the U.S.
The post Left Wing Group ‘Demand Justice’ Panicked Over Possibility That Trump Will Get to Pick Two More Supreme Court Justices appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Read MoreToday’s Readings are taken from the Office of Readings from the Liturgy of the Hours
A reading from the Letter to the Hebrews
Heb 4, 1-16
Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said,
“As I swore in my wrath,
‘They shall not enter my rest,’ ”
although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.” And again in this passage he said,
“They shall not enter my rest.”
Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted,
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts.”
For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10 for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.
Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
From the Gospel according to Matthew
27:60-66
And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre. Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.
In the tomb, Jesus, the living Word of the Father, is silent. But it is precisely in that silence that the new life begins to ferment. Like a seed in the ground, like the darkness before dawn. God is not afraid of the passing time, because he is also the God of waiting. Thus, even our “useless” time, that of pauses, emptiness, barren moments, can become the womb of resurrection. Every silence that is welcomed can be the premise of a new Word. Every suspended time can become a time of grace, if we offer it to God. Jesus, buried in the ground, is the meek face of a God who does not occupy all space. He is the God who lets things be done, who waits, who withdraws to leave us freedom. He is the God who trusts, even when everything seems to be over. And we, on that suspended Sabbath, learn that we do not have to be in a hurry to rise again; first we must stay and welcome the silence, let ourselves be embraced by limitation. At times we seek quick answers, immediate solutions. But God works in depth, in the slow time of trust. The Sabbath of the burial thus becomes the womb from which the strength of an invincible light, that of Easter, can spring forth. (Pope Leo XIV – General Audience, 17 September 2025)
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The pope personally carried the cross through every station of the Good Friday Way of the Cross at the Colosseum.
The Holy Father carried the cross at the Roman amphitheater on Good Friday, the first time a pope has done so in several years.
PROVO, UT — Local woman Denise Stanford expressed concern that her husband, Mike, had yet to begin even thinking about her August 26th birthday.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Similar to the reaction of umpires to Major League Baseball’s adoption of its new "Automated Ball-Strike System" to challenge calls, the United States Supreme Court has denounced the new "Automated Bench Scrutiny" system implemented to determine whether they decided a case wrong.
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Villages of Hullathy Gram Panchayat in a steep arid valley in the north face of the Nilgiri Mountains. Villagers have created a vibrant agrarian economy, largely vegetables and tea, using terraces and irrigation. Tamil Nadu, India.
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![Pope Leo XIV celebrates Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion in St. Peter’s Basilica - #Catholic - VATICAN — Pope Leo XIV presided over the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion in St. Peter’s Basilica on Good Friday during which the preacher of the papal household exhorted Christians to “approach the Lord’s cross without fear.”The liturgy began with the pope lying prostrate before the cross and then unfolded in three parts: the Liturgy of the Word, veneration of the cross, and Holy Communion.There was no opening antiphon; the solemn liturgy began with silent prayer, the unifying thread through the entire celebration.After the proclamation of the Gospel of John’s account of Christ’s passion, the papal preacher, Father Roberto Pasolini, OFMCap, delivered a homily.
Pope Leo XIV lies prostrate before the altar in St. Peter’s Basilica during the Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion, Friday, April 3, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News
‘The greatest act of love’“In a time like ours, still torn apart by hatred and violence, when even the name of God is invoked to justify wars and deadly decisions, we Christians are called to approach the Lord’s Cross without fear — indeed, with full trust — knowing that it is a throne upon which one sits and learns to reign with him by placing one’s life at the service of others,” Pasolini said.“If we can hold fast to the profession of this faith, then our days too will be able to give voice to the songs of both joy and suffering, that mysterious score of the Cross in which the notes of the greatest love can be clearly recognized,” he continued.The preacher recalled that the day’s liturgy invites Catholics to contemplate the Passion: “Yet the Cross of Christ risks remaining incomprehensible if we look at it only as an isolated fact, as a sudden event. In reality, it is the highest point of a journey, the fulfillment of an entire life in which Jesus learned to listen to and welcome the voice of the Father, allowing himself to be guided day by day all the way to the greatest act of love.”“Jesus is the man of sorrows who knows suffering well — no violence, no resort to force, no temptation to destroy everything and start over from scratch. We know how difficult it is to embrace such a mission. We are tempted to use aggression and violence, thinking that without them nothing can ever be resolved. But only meekness is the true strength for confronting the darkness of evil,” he continued.
Father Roberto Pasolini preaches during the Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion in St. Peter’s Basilica, Friday, April 3, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News
Example of the Servant SongsIn his homily, Pasolini referred to the Servant Songs, four poetic texts found in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (42, 49, 50, 52–53), which describe a mysterious figure — the “Servant”— who fulfills God’s will through vicarious suffering.“To understand this journey during the days of Holy Week, the liturgy has had us listen to the so‑called Songs of the Servant of the Lord. These are poetic texts in which the prophet Isaiah sketched the figure of a mysterious servant through whom God would be able to save the world from evil and sin. Christian tradition has recognized in these songs a striking and dramatic foreshadowing,” Pasolini explained.“In the third song, a new surprise emerges: The servant wants to help, but people respond with anger and violence,” Pasolini said. “Those who live in darkness do not always welcome the light, because the light also exposes what we would prefer to keep hidden — our wounds, our ambiguities.”“In the fourth song, something deeply unsettling occurs: The violence inflicted on the servant is so intense that it disfigures his face. He has no appearance or beauty, yet the servant has learned not to return the evil he has received,” the preacher said.The servant "does not resign himself to this logic [of violence]; he absorbs everything without retaliating. For this reason, he bore the sin of many,” the priest explained.For the papal preacher, the Lord Jesus “did not merely listen to these songs; he lived them intensely, with complete trust in the Father.”“We see it constantly in wars, in divisions, in wounds: evil keeps circulating because it always finds someone willing to pass it on. Jesus broke this chain by accepting what happened to him. In the Passion, he recognized the score of the songs of love and service that the Father had entrusted to him. In this way, he learned the most difficult obedience — the obedience of loving the other,” Pasolini continued.“The voice of God no longer guides us — not because it has disappeared, but because it has become just one voice among many, the others promising security and well‑being,” he said.“What is missing is a word, a song capable of guiding our steps toward a more just world,” he added. “And yet, if we look closely, we can glimpse a silent crowd of people who choose a different voice — a voice that does not shout, that does not impose itself by force, a quiet and persistent song that invites us to love and never return evil for evil. They do not perform extraordinary deeds, but each day they try to make their lives serve not only themselves, but others as well.”
Pope Leo XIV prays in St. Peter’s Basilica during the Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion, Friday, April 3, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News
‘Lay down the weapons’Referencing the act of venerating the cross, Pasolini encouraged those present to use the opportunity to “lay down the weapons” they are holding.“They may not seem as dangerous as those wielded by the powerful of this world. Yet they, too, are instruments of death, because they are enough to weaken, wound, and drain meaning and love from our daily relationships,” he said.“Salvation will not drop down from above, nor can it be guaranteed by political, economic, or military decisions. The world is constantly being saved by those who are willing to embrace the Songs of the Servant of the Lord as the shape of their own lives,” the preacher encouraged. “This is what the Lord Jesus did. He took the Father’s will seriously, accepting it as a score to be carried out to the end, with loud cries and tears.”“Tonight we too are handed the score of the cross. We can freely accept it if we acknowledge that there is no difficulty that cannot be faced, no guilty party we must point to, no enemy who can prevent us from loving and serving.""There is only ourselves — who, by choosing not to return evil, by remaining patient in trials, by believing in good even when darkness seems to swallow everything, can become day by day those servants the Lord needs to bring salvation into the world,” he said.This story was originally published by ACI Stampa, EWTN News' Italian-language partner agency. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/pope-leo-xiv-celebrates-good-friday-of-the-lords-passion-in-st-peters-basilica-catholic-vatican-pope-leo-xiv-presided-over-the-celebration-of-the-lords-passi-scaled.jpg)
After the proclamation of the Gospel of John’s account of Christ’s passion, the papal preacher, Father Roberto Pasolini, OFMCap, delivered a homily.
![Bishop shares Christ’s love at Morris County Correctional Facility #Catholic - Kevin J. Sweeney brought Christ’s peace and love to a group of inmates in Morris County Correctional Facility in Morristown, N.J., who joined him for a Holy Thursday Mass he celebrated at the facility a day earlier on Wednesday, Dec. 1.
Father Owen Moran, pastor of St. Vincent Martyr Parish in Madison, N.J., Father Alex Nevitt, administrator of St. Bonaventure Parish in Paterson, N.J., and Father Philip-Michael Tangorra, pastor of Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish in Branchville, N.J., concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Sweeney.
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Bishop Sweeney washed the feet of five inmates to symbolize the service and charity of Christ, who came “not to be served, but to serve” during the Holy Thursday Mass, held in one of the jail’s housing pods. Morris County Sheriff James Gannon, correctional facility staff, liturgical musicians, and personnel of Paterson Diocese in New Jersey were also part of the liturgy.
Father Moran, Father Nevitt, and Father Tangorra take turns celebrating weekly Mass in the jail and provide opportunities for confession as part of the New Jersey Area’s Prison Ministry Team of the Knights of Malta. The priests are chaplains of the Order, which sponsors the ministry to the jail. Bible study is also available for male inmates.
Bishop Sweeney’s visit included a breakfast hosted by the correctional facility staff and Gannon. The staff enjoyed the opportunity to meet and talk with the bishop and spend time with the Order’s Prison Ministry team.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/bishop-shares-christs-love-at-morris-county-correctional-facility-catholic-kevin-j-sweeney-brought-christs-peace-and-love-to-a-group-of-inmates-in-morris-county-correctional-faci.jpg)
Bishop shares Christ’s love at Morris County Correctional Facility #Catholic – 
Kevin J. Sweeney brought Christ’s peace and love to a group of inmates in Morris County Correctional Facility in Morristown, N.J., who joined him for a Holy Thursday Mass he celebrated at the facility a day earlier on Wednesday, Dec. 1.
Father Owen Moran, pastor of St. Vincent Martyr Parish in Madison, N.J., Father Alex Nevitt, administrator of St. Bonaventure Parish in Paterson, N.J., and Father Philip-Michael Tangorra, pastor of Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish in Branchville, N.J., concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Sweeney.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Bishop Sweeney washed the feet of five inmates to symbolize the service and charity of Christ, who came “not to be served, but to serve” during the Holy Thursday Mass, held in one of the jail’s housing pods. Morris County Sheriff James Gannon, correctional facility staff, liturgical musicians, and personnel of Paterson Diocese in New Jersey were also part of the liturgy.
Father Moran, Father Nevitt, and Father Tangorra take turns celebrating weekly Mass in the jail and provide opportunities for confession as part of the New Jersey Area’s Prison Ministry Team of the Knights of Malta. The priests are chaplains of the Order, which sponsors the ministry to the jail. Bible study is also available for male inmates.
Bishop Sweeney’s visit included a breakfast hosted by the correctional facility staff and Gannon. The staff enjoyed the opportunity to meet and talk with the bishop and spend time with the Order’s Prison Ministry team.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
– Kevin J. Sweeney brought Christ’s peace and love to a group of inmates in Morris County Correctional Facility in Morristown, N.J., who joined him for a Holy Thursday Mass he celebrated at the facility a day earlier on Wednesday, Dec. 1. Father Owen Moran, pastor of St. Vincent Martyr Parish in Madison, N.J., Father Alex Nevitt, administrator of St. Bonaventure Parish in Paterson, N.J., and Father Philip-Michael Tangorra, pastor of Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish in Branchville, N.J., concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Sweeney. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Bishop Sweeney washed the feet of five