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Cacomantis sonneratii (Banded Bay Cuckoo) in Ajodhya Hills, West Bengal, India.
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FORTIFY me with the grace of Your Holy Spirit
and give Your peace to my soul
that I may be free from all needless anxiety,
solicitude and worry.
Help me to desire always
that which is pleasing and acceptable to You
so that Your will may be my will.
A reading from the Book of Wisdom
12:13, 16-19
There is no god besides you who have the care of all,
that you need show you have not unjustly condemned.
For your might is the source of justice;
your mastery over all things makes you lenient to all.
For you show your might when the perfection of your power is disbelieved;
and in those who know you, you rebuke temerity.
But though you are master of might, you judge with clemency,
and with much lenience you govern us;
for power, whenever you will, attends you.
And you taught your people, by these deeds,
that those who are just must be kind;
and you gave your children good ground for hope
that you would permit repentance for their sins.
A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans
8:26-27
Brothers and sisters:
The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness;
for we do not know how to pray as we ought,
but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings.
And the one who searches hearts
knows what is the intention of the Spirit,
because he intercedes for the holy ones
according to God’s will.
From the Gospel according to Matthew
13:24-43
Jesus proposed another parable to the crowds, saying:
"The kingdom of heaven may be likened
to a man who sowed good seed in his field.
While everyone was asleep his enemy came
and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off.
When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well.
The slaves of the householder came to him and said,
‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field?
Where have the weeds come from?’
He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’
His slaves said to him,
‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds
you might uproot the wheat along with them.
Let them grow together until harvest;
then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters,
"First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning;
but gather the wheat into my barn."’"
He proposed another parable to them.
"The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed
that a person took and sowed in a field.
It is the smallest of all the seeds,
yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants.
It becomes a large bush,
and the ‘birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.’"
He spoke to them another parable.
"The kingdom of heaven is like yeast
that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour
until the whole batch was leavened."
All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables.
He spoke to them only in parables,
to fulfill what had been said through the prophet:
I will open my mouth in parables,
I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation
of the world.
Then, dismissing the crowds, he went into the house.
His disciples approached him and said,
"Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field."
He said in reply, "He who sows good seed is the Son of Man,
the field is the world, the good seed the children of the kingdom.
The weeds are the children of the evil one,
and the enemy who sows them is the devil.
The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire,
so will it be at the end of the age.
The Son of Man will send his angels,
and they will collect out of his kingdom
all who cause others to sin and all evildoers.
They will throw them into the fiery furnace,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.
Then the righteous will shine like the sun
in the kingdom of their Father.
Whoever has ears ought to hear."
Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a field of wheat to enable us to understand that something small and hidden has been sown within us which, nevertheless, has an irrepressible vital force. In spite of all obstacles, the seed will develop and the fruit will ripen. This fruit will only be good if the terrain of life is cultivated in accordance with the divine will. For this reason in the Parable of the Weeds [tares] among the good Wheat (Mt 13:24-30). Jesus warns us that, after the owner had scattered the seed, “while men were sleeping, his enemy” intervened and sowed weeds among the wheat. This means that we must be ready to preserve the grace received from the day of our Baptism, continuing to nourish faith in the Lord that prevents evil from taking root. St Augustine commenting on the parable noted “many are at first tares but then become good grain”, and he added: “if these, when they are wicked, are not endured with patience they would not attain their praiseworthy transformation” (Quaest. septend. in Ev. sec. Matth., 12, 4: PL 35, 1371). (…) Hence if we are children of such a great and good Father, let us seek to be like him! This was the aim Jesus set himself with his preaching; indeed, he said to those who were listening to him: “You… must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48). (Pope Benedict XVI, Angelus, 17 July 2011)
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Scientists using NASA’s IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer) directly measured the magnetic fields of PSR J1101−6101, a pulsar located within what is often referred to as the “Lighthouse” Nebula, for the first time.
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St. Jude’s Church, Chinnathurai, built on sandy soil near the beach, cemetery to the left. Thoothoor, Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, India.
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![Nebraska man arrested over threat to shoot up Catholic school, kill Catholic governor’s family, nuns – #Catholic – A Nebraska man is in police custody after officials say he made threats against Catholic schools and nuns as well as the children of the state’s Catholic governor. The Nebraska State Patrol said they initially arrested 32-year-old Ean Halstead on June 29. The patrol said in a press release that police were investigating a threatening online message against Columbus Catholic Schools and the family of state Gov. Jim Pillen. The investigation led police to Halstead, who was arrested on June 29 after a standoff at his apartment in Omaha. He was charged with obstructing a police officer and failing to obey a lawful order. A search at his residence revealed “evidence linking [Halstead] to the threatening message sent to Columbus Catholic Schools,” the patrol said. He was subsequently re-arrested on July 17 and charged with “terroristic threats and destruction of evidence.” Local news reported that the message, posted to the Facebook page of Columbus Catholic Schools, had declared: “I’m going to shoot up this school and kill Jim Pillen’s children and a few nuns for (expletive) funsies.”A spokesman for Pillen said the governor’s office was “extremely grateful” for law enforcement’s “quick and thorough work to track down this individual and ensure the security of the First Family.” “We have zero tolerance for political violence here in Nebraska, including threats to carry it out. If you threaten violence against a public official or their family in this state, you will be found and held accountable,” the governor’s office said.Pillen has four children with his wife Suzanne. He has been governor of the state since 2023. Earlier in 2026 he told EWTN News that there was “no way I could possibly be governor without my faith.” His faith life includes the regular praying of the rosary; describing his average day, he said: “I get up and I pray to do God’s will.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/nebraska-man-arrested-over-threat-to-shoot-up-catholic-school-kill-catholic-governors-family-nuns-catholic-a-nebraska-man-is-in-police-custody-after-officials-say-he-made-threats-against-cath-scaled.jpg "Nebraska man arrested over threat to shoot up Catholic school, kill Catholic governor’s family, nuns – #Catholic – A Nebraska man is in police custody after officials say he made threats against Catholic schools and nuns as well as the children of the state’s Catholic governor. The Nebraska State Patrol said they initially arrested 32-year-old Ean Halstead on June 29. The patrol said in a press release that police were investigating a threatening online message against Columbus Catholic Schools and the family of state Gov. Jim Pillen. The investigation led police to Halstead, who was arrested on June 29 after a standoff at his apartment in Omaha. He was charged with obstructing a police officer and failing to obey a lawful order. A search at his residence revealed “evidence linking [Halstead] to the threatening message sent to Columbus Catholic Schools,” the patrol said. He was subsequently re-arrested on July 17 and charged with “terroristic threats and destruction of evidence.” Local news reported that the message, posted to the Facebook page of Columbus Catholic Schools, had declared: “I’m going to shoot up this school and kill Jim Pillen’s children and a few nuns for (expletive) funsies.”A spokesman for Pillen said the governor’s office was “extremely grateful” for law enforcement’s “quick and thorough work to track down this individual and ensure the security of the First Family.” “We have zero tolerance for political violence here in Nebraska, including threats to carry it out. If you threaten violence against a public official or their family in this state, you will be found and held accountable,” the governor’s office said.Pillen has four children with his wife Suzanne. He has been governor of the state since 2023. Earlier in 2026 he told EWTN News that there was “no way I could possibly be governor without my faith.” His faith life includes the regular praying of the rosary; describing his average day, he said: “I get up and I pray to do God’s will.”")
Authorities originally detained the suspect in June after he resisted arrest in connection with the investigation.
Obituary: Deacon Charles Mallory, formerly of Pompton Plains parish #Catholic – 
A Mass of Christian Burial was held on July 17 at St. John of the Cross Parish in Vero Beach, Fla., for retired Deacon Charles (“Charlie”) Mallory, who died on July 13. He was 91.
In 1978, Deacon Mallory was ordained a permanent deacon of the Paterson Diocese, N.J. He served Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in the Pompton Plains neighborhood of Pequannock, N.J., for 30 years before moving to Florida in 2009 for family reasons. There, he served St. John of the Cross Parish in Vero Beach.
Born March 28, 1935, in Union City, N.J., Deacon Mallory was the son of the late Charles Benjamin Mallory and Ann Frieda Soehren Mallory. He attended St. Anastasia Catholic School in Teaneck, N.J., and Teaneck High School prior to graduating from Farleigh Dickinson University in 1957.
In 1962, Deacon Mallory married Felicia Princiotta, and together they had five sons: Charles, William, Patrick, Joseph, and Philip Mallory.
Charles worked in sales for ADP in New York City.
In 2008, Deacon Mallory and his wife moved to Vero Beach and attended St. John of the Cross, where he served as a permanent deacon. He worked in hospital ministry and belonged to the Knights of Columbus.
Deacon Mallory is survived by his wife; his five sons; his 15 grandchildren; a great-granddaughter; his sister, Ann Kryzwick; his brother and sister-in-law, George and Maria Sayre; and other loving family and friends.
Please send condolences to Deacon Mallory’s wife, Felicia, at: Mrs. Felicia Mallory, 8775 20th St, #167, Vero Beach, Fla.32966
Please keep Felicia, the Mallory family, and all who mourn Deacon Mallory’s death in your prayers.
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– A Mass of Christian Burial was held on July 17 at St. John of the Cross Parish in Vero Beach, Fla., for retired Deacon Charles (“Charlie”) Mallory, who died on July 13. He was 91. In 1978, Deacon Mallory was ordained a permanent deacon of the Paterson Diocese, N.J. He served Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in the Pompton Plains neighborhood of Pequannock, N.J., for 30 years before moving to Florida in 2009 for family reasons. There, he served St. John of the Cross Parish in Vero Beach. Born March 28, 1935, in Union City, N.J., Deacon Mallory was
After noting the benefits of sports for athletes and fans, Bishop José Munilla of Spain pointed out the pitfalls of exaggerating their value and turning the game and star players into idols.
Bishop Robert Barron urged Catholics to follow Sheen’s example of faithful evangelization as thousands are expected in St. Louis for Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s beatification.
Born on July 18, 1921, John Glenn grew up in Ohio and joined the Marine Corps in 1943. He flew 59 combat missions in World War II and 63 in the Korean War before being selected by NASA for the Mercury program. In 1962, he spent five hours orbiting the Earth in the Friendship 7Continue reading “July 18, 1915: The birth of John Glenn”
The post July 18, 1915: The birth of John Glenn appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
Read More![How papal prayer intentions are chosen, according to head of Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network #Catholic More than 22 million Catholics across the globe make up a network dedicated to praying daily for the challenges facing humanity and the Church, uniting their prayers with Pope Leo XIV’s monthly intentions.The Popeʼs Worldwide Prayer Network is a pontifical foundation known for its Pray with the Pope campaign through which the Holy Father announces his monthʼs intention in a video message.While the pope “has an endless list” of prayer intentions, he chooses 12 to offer for each month of the year, Father Cristóbal Fones, SJ, the international director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, explained in an interview with “EWTN News In Depth.”In order to do so, the network will “help the pope to discern the intentions a year ahead,” Fones explained. “So we ask many people — all the dicasteries and our national directors — to give us some proposals, and we offer to him lots of them … about 20 of them.”The Holy Father “takes some time to pray on these proposals” and then chooses the 12 intentions for the upcoming year in advance.“So we published, for instance, the 2027 monthly intentions last February. So you can already know what we are about to pray for next year too, so that we can have some time to make the translations, to create the materials in Indonesian, Hindi, Swahili, Guarani, and so on.”Pope Leo has continued the tradition of Pope Francis, who recorded the first video of the monthly intentions in 2016, but the current pontiff has put his own take on it.Pope Leo is “not only asking us to pray but praying himself for the monthly intention and inviting us to join him in prayer,” Fones said. “Thatʼs why we call this campaign ‘Pray with the Pope,’ because heʼs the first one interceding for the needs of humanity, and he is inviting us through this campaign to do it with him.”“Some people may watch the video and participate with him by praying. Others can do it [on] their own. But the important thing is to be united in this network of hearts — compassionate hearts for the needs of the world.”Pope Leo is also “constantly asking us to pray for contextual … prayer intentions, like a flood or an earthquake in Venezuela, for instance,” Fones said.All these prayer intentions are then updated “in what we call the popeʼs prayer profile,” Fones said. It consists of “all the requests for prayer that he normally does, whether on Sunday in the Angelus or on Wednesdays during the general audience.”In order to aid the Holy Father, the network is run by a team of an administrative council appointed by the Holy See, international coordinators, formation leaders, and communications teams. The network “is a participation in the mission of the Church by offering ourselves through prayer, service, and spiritual formation,” Fones said. Made up of Catholics in more than 90 countries, the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network is “a very old pontifical work with more than 180 years.” The network started in 1844 and was first called the Apostleship of Prayer. It was later renamed and established as a formal Vatican foundation in 2020 to support Christ’s mission of compassion for the world across continents and cultures.Call for prayers to respect lifePope Leo’s prayer intention for the month of July is for respect for human life in all circumstances.The Holy Father drew attention to the importance of the intention when he dined with 200 vulnerable people on July 11.“Having a lunch is just to show a sign [of] what we actually have to do with one another, to sit at the same table, to recognize our common dignity, because we are all sons and daughters of the same God. And when you understand that, you treat others as equal in dignity,” Fones said.“We may think differently. We may have different positions in life — opinions, backgrounds, stories — but we are all sons and daughters of God. So when you recognize that you can treat others as brothers and sisters, even if you disagree with them,” he said.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/how-papal-prayer-intentions-are-chosen-according-to-head-of-popes-worldwide-prayer-network-catholic-more-than-22-million-catholics-across-the-globe-make-up-a-network-dedicated-to-praying-da-scaled.jpg "How papal prayer intentions are chosen, according to head of Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network #Catholic More than 22 million Catholics across the globe make up a network dedicated to praying daily for the challenges facing humanity and the Church, uniting their prayers with Pope Leo XIV’s monthly intentions.The Popeʼs Worldwide Prayer Network is a pontifical foundation known for its Pray with the Pope campaign through which the Holy Father announces his monthʼs intention in a video message.While the pope “has an endless list” of prayer intentions, he chooses 12 to offer for each month of the year, Father Cristóbal Fones, SJ, the international director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, explained in an interview with “EWTN News In Depth.”In order to do so, the network will “help the pope to discern the intentions a year ahead,” Fones explained. “So we ask many people — all the dicasteries and our national directors — to give us some proposals, and we offer to him lots of them … about 20 of them.”The Holy Father “takes some time to pray on these proposals” and then chooses the 12 intentions for the upcoming year in advance.“So we published, for instance, the 2027 monthly intentions last February. So you can already know what we are about to pray for next year too, so that we can have some time to make the translations, to create the materials in Indonesian, Hindi, Swahili, Guarani, and so on.”Pope Leo has continued the tradition of Pope Francis, who recorded the first video of the monthly intentions in 2016, but the current pontiff has put his own take on it.Pope Leo is “not only asking us to pray but praying himself for the monthly intention and inviting us to join him in prayer,” Fones said. “Thatʼs why we call this campaign ‘Pray with the Pope,’ because heʼs the first one interceding for the needs of humanity, and he is inviting us through this campaign to do it with him.”“Some people may watch the video and participate with him by praying. Others can do it [on] their own. But the important thing is to be united in this network of hearts — compassionate hearts for the needs of the world.”Pope Leo is also “constantly asking us to pray for contextual … prayer intentions, like a flood or an earthquake in Venezuela, for instance,” Fones said.All these prayer intentions are then updated “in what we call the popeʼs prayer profile,” Fones said. It consists of “all the requests for prayer that he normally does, whether on Sunday in the Angelus or on Wednesdays during the general audience.”In order to aid the Holy Father, the network is run by a team of an administrative council appointed by the Holy See, international coordinators, formation leaders, and communications teams. The network “is a participation in the mission of the Church by offering ourselves through prayer, service, and spiritual formation,” Fones said. Made up of Catholics in more than 90 countries, the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network is “a very old pontifical work with more than 180 years.” The network started in 1844 and was first called the Apostleship of Prayer. It was later renamed and established as a formal Vatican foundation in 2020 to support Christ’s mission of compassion for the world across continents and cultures.Call for prayers to respect lifePope Leo’s prayer intention for the month of July is for respect for human life in all circumstances.The Holy Father drew attention to the importance of the intention when he dined with 200 vulnerable people on July 11.“Having a lunch is just to show a sign [of] what we actually have to do with one another, to sit at the same table, to recognize our common dignity, because we are all sons and daughters of the same God. And when you understand that, you treat others as equal in dignity,” Fones said.“We may think differently. We may have different positions in life — opinions, backgrounds, stories — but we are all sons and daughters of God. So when you recognize that you can treat others as brothers and sisters, even if you disagree with them,” he said.")
While Pope Leo “has an endless list” of prayer intentions, the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network helps him choose 12 to offer each month of the year, according to Father Cristóbal Fones, SJ.
![Parishioners in western New York ask Vatican to let them save 160-year-old church #Catholic “[We] will not receive an extension or any second chances.” That’s the urgent message Catholics in western New York are telling the local faithful in their bid to preserve a Civil War-era parish in the small town of Auburn. The Diocese of Rochester is moving to permanently close and potentially sell Holy Family Church due to structural issues that officials say make it unsafe to use as a parish.
Interior details of Holy Family Catholic Church in Auburn, New York. | Credit: Photo courtesy of H.O.P.E.
The diocese shut down the church in June 2024, but parishioners of the parish in Auburn — located about 40 minutes outside of Syracuse — are petitioning the Vatican to keep the church an active holy site rather than allow it to be sold off to potential developers. On its website, Holy Family Organization to Preserve and Endure says the Vatican has requested that the group “demonstrate funding for the purchase, repair, and maintenance of the church.”The organizers say they are working to raise pledges to support the parish but there is a “narrow time window” and numbers “must be provided to the Vatican by mid-late summer 2026.”“If H.O.P.E. fails to demonstrate sufficient evidence to the Vatican by mid-late summer, then Holy Family Church could be sold to a secular buyer and could be destroyed,” the group said.Parish’s roots stretch back to early 1800sThe Auburn-based Roblee Historic Preservation said in a “statement of significance” report that Auburn was the site of the first Catholic Mass in the Western New York region in the early 1800s. The Roblee report was drafted in order to assist the city’s historic review board in potentially awarding a landmark designation to the parish. The New York Historic Preservation Office had previously said the property was eligible for listing on both the state and national historic registers.
Holy Family Church hosts the wedding of Joseph Paul Staehr Sr. and Jean Marie Hayes Staehr on Nov. 29, 1958. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Richard Staehr
The Church of the Holy Family was initially dedicated in 1830 in a chapel previously used by local Methodists. The current building was built in 1861 by local Dutch-born master builder John Vanderbosch.The report described the parish as the “mother church” of Auburn and “an iconic part of its downtown skyline.” On its website, the Catholic preservation group says it hopes to retain the parish for “Catholic religious activity,” including rosary groups and private prayer groups, “occasional worship,” sacred music concerts, sacred art displays, and architecture tours.Karen Odrzywolski, the president of the parish preservation group, said the church is also meant to preserve the memory and legacy of Bishop Patrick Byrne, an apostolic delegate to Korea who was martyred in 1950 during a four-month-long forced march while in the captivity of communist forces in North Korea. Born in Washington, D.C., Byrne spent his formative years in Auburn, living just a few blocks from the parish. His family attended Mass there and he attended the parochial school; he was confirmed at the parish in 1900.
A record from Holy Family Church shows the Sept. 2, 1900, date of Bishop Patrick Byrne’s confirmation. | Credit: Courtesy of H.O.P.E.
Odrzywolski told EWTN News the preservation group formed in July 2024, a month after the parish was officially shuttered by the diocese. “We initially put together a preservation plan, which we shared with our pastor and with the Diocese of Rochester,” she said. “We’ve also shared it with the Vatican.” “We’ve also worked on educating the community as to the significance of the church,” she said. “We’ve had events in honor of Bishop Byrne and of his family, and on the 75th anniversary of his martyrdom we had a prayer vigil.”In addition to the link with Byrne, Odrzywolski said the parish was also once host to another famous Catholic bishop, now-Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen. The prelate, at the time the bishop of the Diocese of Rochester, officiated the funeral Mass of Father William Davie at the parish in 1968. The Vatican has requested that the group demonstration its ability to fund the church’s upkeep, she said. “We’re very appreciative of this opportunity. We’re hopeful if we can demonstrate the funding they’ll allow us to proceed with preserving the church.”Thus far, Odrzywolski said, the group isn’t accepting cash donations; instead, it is collecting pledges “so we can demonstrate our ability to fund the maintenance, repair, and preservation of the church.” “We’ve received over 300 pledges,” she continued. “We’re extremely grateful to every single person who has pledged. Many people have pledged as much as they possibly can. Many who pledge in general may be of limited or fixed income.”Odrzywolski said the needed repairs are limited to the exterior facade. The interior, she said, has been well maintained over more than a century and a half. The Vatican, meanwhile, is expecting the group’s proof of viability by August. “We’re trying our best to aim for an Aug. 1 deadline in order to allow enough time to prepare the documents in a timely manner,” she said.“The truth is, we need the entire community to come together,” she said. “The closure of the church impacts the entire community, and we need individuals, families, and businesses to come together.” “It’s about the future of Auburn,” she continued. “but it’s also about honoring Bishop Byrne, and ultimately honoring God.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/parishioners-in-western-new-york-ask-vatican-to-let-them-save-160-year-old-church-catholic-we-will-not-receive-an-extension-or-any-second-chances-thats-the-urgent-messag-scaled.jpg)
Holy Family Church in Auburn, New York, is facing a possible sale to developers if local Catholics cannot provide a financial plan to the Holy See.
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AUSTIN, TX — Governor Greg Abbott signed into law this morning a new measure that would impose the death penalty on anyone who begins an email with "Happy Monday, Team!"
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RALEIGH, NC — A passenger plane tragically crashed on the outskirts of Raleigh on Friday afternoon after no one told any of the passengers on board to "fly safe."
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Democrats are on the receiving end of a viral punchline after the restaurant chain Olive Garden shared the rules of its ‘Never-Ending Pasta Pass.’ The pass allows customers unlimited meals, but only if the passholder presents a valid photo ID that matches the name printed on the pass when ordering.
The post Democrats Mocked After Olive Garden’s ID Policy Goes Viral- Stricter Than Some Blue State Voter Requirements-‘Pasta Deals Are Literally More Secure Than Our Elections’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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“The U.S. Catholic bishops have repeatedly called for enforcement efforts that are targeted, proportional, and humane,” said Archbishop Joe Vásquez of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.
Woke corporations canceled contracts with MyPillow after Mike Lindell stood up to the Left.
The post Thirty-Three Items At MyPillow’s “Outlet Sale” – Up To 80% Off When You Use Promo Code TGP appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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President Donald Trump delivered a primetime address from the White House on July 16, 2026, on the subject of US election security.
The post Intelligence Reports Support Trump’s Claims of Chinese Election Interference appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Read More![Scottish teacher takes legal action after dismissal over pro-life views – #Catholic – A Catholic teacher based in Arbroath, Scotland, is filing suit after she was fired over her pro-life views.Supported by pro-life group the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC), Sarah Morse, 66, is taking Arbroath High School, run by Angus Council, to court on grounds of discrimination. The move comes after Morse was fired after telling a student, “I am a faithful Roman Catholic and I am against it,” when asked her opinion on abortion during a history lesson in November 2025. “At no time did I attempt to persuade any student to adopt my position. To be ‘canceled’ and lose my livelihood because of my religious identity is a terrifying precedent for the teaching profession in Scotland,” Morse said.“As a faithful Roman Catholic, Sarah Morse respectfully said she opposes [abortion]. Hours later she was sacked on the spot,” SPUC said. “We must all have the right to express our pro-life views without fear of losing our jobs.”Attack on Christians in Egypt raises questions about hate speechA new attack on Christians in Egypt’s Minya Governorate has renewed scrutiny of sectarian incitement and the deeper roots of anti-Christian hostility.According to ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, Bishop Macarius, Coptic Orthodox bishop of Minya, said extremists attacked Copts in the village of al-Tal al-Qibliya, damaged a priest’s car, prevented worshippers from leaving a church, and cut off electricity. Security forces later arrived, arrested those accused of incitement and rioting, and began documenting the damage.Egyptian senator Bassem Kamel said repeated incidents in Minya point to failures that cannot be addressed by security responses alone, calling for renewed religious discourse, educational reform, media policies that promote acceptance, and faster action on an independent antidiscrimination commission. Apostolic vicar of Northern Arabia describes pastoral visits amid warApostolic Vicar Aldo Berardi, OSST, of the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia revealed that he was able to carry out 11 pastoral visits throughout the region despite airport closures and ongoing conflicts.“Despite the difficulties caused by the attacks and the closure of airports, we were able to carry out the program as planned,” Berardi said in a Fides News article, emphasizing the need to visit his flock “especially at a time marked by tension and fear.” The Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia covers Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. “We gathered to pray for peace and organized special moments of encounter and fraternity,” he said. “No priest requested to return to his home country, a source of great consolation for the entire community.”Vatican diplomat highlights HIV crisis among childrenMonsignor Marco Formica, counselor of the Holy See’s Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations, called for increased attention to HIV cases among children.“My delegation would like to draw special attention to children, who remain particularly vulnerable to HIV. Gaps in both diagnosis and treatment mean that the 3% of HIV patients that are children account for 12% of deaths due to HIV,” Formica said in a statement following a U.N. meeting on HIV and AIDS. “Quality antenatal as well as perinatal and postpartum care protects both mothers and their children. It is vital to ensure early testing and consistent access to treatment for children with HIV in child-friendly formulations,” he said.Syriac lawmaker says Christians not sufficiently representedGabriel Moshe Kourieh, the only Syriac member of Syria’s Parliament and a leading figure in the Assyrian Democratic Organization, told ACI MENA that Christian representation in the new People’s Assembly remains below the community’s aspirations.Christians currently hold about 3% of the seats, a figure Kourieh said does not properly reflect their historic role in Syrian public life or their place in the country’s national consensus. He argued that a future fair electoral law could allow broader Christian participation from different provinces while stressing that Syria’s transition must be judged by actions: the building of institutions, separation of powers, judicial independence, and equal citizenship. Kourieh also placed constitutional recognition of the Syriac-Assyrian identity, language, and culture among his top parliamentary priorities while warning that economic hardship, poor services, and fading hope continue to push many Syrians toward emigration.Catholic Social Services in Australia urges government to address housing crisisCatholic Social Services Australia (CCSA) has asked the Australian government to conduct an audit of the country’s regulations on buying and building housing.“Regulation is not inherently negative. It is introduced to address specific problems or market failures,” CSSA chief executive Jerry Nockles said in a Catholic News report on Thursday following the proposed audit. “Without regular reassessment, well-intentioned regulations can inadvertently constrain housing supply, driving up costs and limiting access — experienced most acutely by low-income households.”Caritas South Korea named official channel for humanitarian aidThe South Korean Caritas will serve as the primary distributor of humanitarian aid from Caritas International for people north of the border, Asia News reported."On behalf of the Caritas Internationalis, we discussed the project of development and cooperation with Kim Seong-il, vice chairman of the National Economic Cooperation Committee of North Korea, who accepted our direct commitment. We also exchanged a letter of intent,” Father Lazzaro You Heung-sik, president of the bishops' aid committee, said following a five-day visit to North Korea in May, according to the report. Under the agreement, Caritas will serve as the “only channel of aid from Catholics from all over the world,” Paul Jeremiah Hwang Yong-yeon, secretary of the South Korean Caritas, also said.Filipino bishop calls for end to stigma around mental healthThe Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines pledged to walk with members of the faithful struggling with mental illness and work toward breaking societal stigmas around mental health.“Mental illness is not a sign of weak faith. It is not a punishment from God. Like any illness, it deserves understanding, appropriate care, and compassionate accompaniment. Every person, whatever his or her condition, is created in the image and likeness of God and possesses an inalienable dignity that no illness can ever take away,” the bishops said in a pastoral statement released on Monday. “As a Church, we commit to building communities of encounter, breaking the stigma, strengthening collaboration, and walking together in hope so that every person is welcomed, accompanied, and freed from stigma,” the bishops added.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/scottish-teacher-takes-legal-action-after-dismissal-over-pro-life-views-catholic-a-catholic-teacher-based-in-arbroath-scotland-is-filing-suit-after-she-was-fired-over-her-pro-life-views-support.jpg "Scottish teacher takes legal action after dismissal over pro-life views – #Catholic – A Catholic teacher based in Arbroath, Scotland, is filing suit after she was fired over her pro-life views.Supported by pro-life group the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC), Sarah Morse, 66, is taking Arbroath High School, run by Angus Council, to court on grounds of discrimination. The move comes after Morse was fired after telling a student, “I am a faithful Roman Catholic and I am against it,” when asked her opinion on abortion during a history lesson in November 2025. “At no time did I attempt to persuade any student to adopt my position. To be ‘canceled’ and lose my livelihood because of my religious identity is a terrifying precedent for the teaching profession in Scotland,” Morse said.“As a faithful Roman Catholic, Sarah Morse respectfully said she opposes [abortion]. Hours later she was sacked on the spot,” SPUC said. “We must all have the right to express our pro-life views without fear of losing our jobs.”Attack on Christians in Egypt raises questions about hate speechA new attack on Christians in Egypt’s Minya Governorate has renewed scrutiny of sectarian incitement and the deeper roots of anti-Christian hostility.According to ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, Bishop Macarius, Coptic Orthodox bishop of Minya, said extremists attacked Copts in the village of al-Tal al-Qibliya, damaged a priest’s car, prevented worshippers from leaving a church, and cut off electricity. Security forces later arrived, arrested those accused of incitement and rioting, and began documenting the damage.Egyptian senator Bassem Kamel said repeated incidents in Minya point to failures that cannot be addressed by security responses alone, calling for renewed religious discourse, educational reform, media policies that promote acceptance, and faster action on an independent antidiscrimination commission. Apostolic vicar of Northern Arabia describes pastoral visits amid warApostolic Vicar Aldo Berardi, OSST, of the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia revealed that he was able to carry out 11 pastoral visits throughout the region despite airport closures and ongoing conflicts.“Despite the difficulties caused by the attacks and the closure of airports, we were able to carry out the program as planned,” Berardi said in a Fides News article, emphasizing the need to visit his flock “especially at a time marked by tension and fear.” The Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia covers Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. “We gathered to pray for peace and organized special moments of encounter and fraternity,” he said. “No priest requested to return to his home country, a source of great consolation for the entire community.”Vatican diplomat highlights HIV crisis among childrenMonsignor Marco Formica, counselor of the Holy See’s Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations, called for increased attention to HIV cases among children.“My delegation would like to draw special attention to children, who remain particularly vulnerable to HIV. Gaps in both diagnosis and treatment mean that the 3% of HIV patients that are children account for 12% of deaths due to HIV,” Formica said in a statement following a U.N. meeting on HIV and AIDS. “Quality antenatal as well as perinatal and postpartum care protects both mothers and their children. It is vital to ensure early testing and consistent access to treatment for children with HIV in child-friendly formulations,” he said.Syriac lawmaker says Christians not sufficiently representedGabriel Moshe Kourieh, the only Syriac member of Syria’s Parliament and a leading figure in the Assyrian Democratic Organization, told ACI MENA that Christian representation in the new People’s Assembly remains below the community’s aspirations.Christians currently hold about 3% of the seats, a figure Kourieh said does not properly reflect their historic role in Syrian public life or their place in the country’s national consensus. He argued that a future fair electoral law could allow broader Christian participation from different provinces while stressing that Syria’s transition must be judged by actions: the building of institutions, separation of powers, judicial independence, and equal citizenship. Kourieh also placed constitutional recognition of the Syriac-Assyrian identity, language, and culture among his top parliamentary priorities while warning that economic hardship, poor services, and fading hope continue to push many Syrians toward emigration.Catholic Social Services in Australia urges government to address housing crisisCatholic Social Services Australia (CCSA) has asked the Australian government to conduct an audit of the country’s regulations on buying and building housing.“Regulation is not inherently negative. It is introduced to address specific problems or market failures,” CSSA chief executive Jerry Nockles said in a Catholic News report on Thursday following the proposed audit. “Without regular reassessment, well-intentioned regulations can inadvertently constrain housing supply, driving up costs and limiting access — experienced most acutely by low-income households.”Caritas South Korea named official channel for humanitarian aidThe South Korean Caritas will serve as the primary distributor of humanitarian aid from Caritas International for people north of the border, Asia News reported.\"On behalf of the Caritas Internationalis, we discussed the project of development and cooperation with Kim Seong-il, vice chairman of the National Economic Cooperation Committee of North Korea, who accepted our direct commitment. We also exchanged a letter of intent,” Father Lazzaro You Heung-sik, president of the bishops' aid committee, said following a five-day visit to North Korea in May, according to the report. Under the agreement, Caritas will serve as the “only channel of aid from Catholics from all over the world,” Paul Jeremiah Hwang Yong-yeon, secretary of the South Korean Caritas, also said.Filipino bishop calls for end to stigma around mental healthThe Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines pledged to walk with members of the faithful struggling with mental illness and work toward breaking societal stigmas around mental health.“Mental illness is not a sign of weak faith. It is not a punishment from God. Like any illness, it deserves understanding, appropriate care, and compassionate accompaniment. Every person, whatever his or her condition, is created in the image and likeness of God and possesses an inalienable dignity that no illness can ever take away,” the bishops said in a pastoral statement released on Monday. “As a Church, we commit to building communities of encounter, breaking the stigma, strengthening collaboration, and walking together in hope so that every person is welcomed, accompanied, and freed from stigma,” the bishops added.")
A Scottish teacher fights discrimination, Christians face heightened attacks in Egypt, Filipino bishops pledge to end mental health stigma, and more in this week’s Catholic world news roundup.
A priest identified as Enrique “N” has been arrested for alleged sexual abuse of a minor girl based on a preliminary investigation. The Archdiocese of Mexico has initiated a canonical investigation.
![Catholic, Orthodox bishops join in dialogue and prayer at Washington, D.C., conference #Catholic Catholic and Eastern Orthodox bishops exchanged dialogue and joined together in prayer at an ecumenical conference in Washington, D.C., this week with a hope that one day the Eastern and Western churches will be reunited.The conference, held at the retreat house for the St. John Paul II National Shrine on July 13–15, was organized by the Orientale Lumen Foundation. Jack Figel, an Eastern Catholic who founded the group, named it after St. John Paul II’s apostolic letter expressing hope for reunification.Speakers included the secretary for the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, Archbishop Flavio Pace; the primate of the Orthodox Church in America, Metropolitan Tikhon Mollard; Cardinal Seán Patrick OʼMalley; Greek Orthodox Bishop Anthony Vrame; and Romanian Catholic Bishop John Michael Botean.“I grew up with — I lived with — the tension between East and West my whole life,” Figel told EWTN News.A reunification, Figel said, “all depends on the Holy Spirit.” He said: “It is going to be a miracle and it’s going to be on God’s time.”The conference included speeches by both Catholic and Orthodox bishops and joint panels. Prayer services were held in the Eastern form in which bishops from both traditions participated: a moleben to the Holy Spirit on Monday, daily vespers on Tuesday, and the Akathist to the Mother of God on Wednesday.Theological hurdlesRecent popes have had friendly relations with Eastern Orthodox patriarchs, and ongoing study by the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church is seeking to resolve theological disputes.In 2024, the commission set up two subcommittees to analyze two major points of contention: one for papal infallibility and the other for the Filioque.Papal infallibility refers to Vatican I’s teaching that the pope can infallibly define doctrines. The Filioque — Latin for “and the Son” — refers to the West adding the phrase in the Nicene Creed “the Holy Spirit … who proceeds from the Father ‘and the Son.’” Catholics argue this clarifies the Latin translation of the Creed, which was originally in Greek; but many Orthodox see it as changing the understanding of the Trinity.Vrame told EWTN News these theological issues continue to be a hurdle toward Catholic and Orthodox communion.The No. 1 issueSpeaking from the Orthodox perspective, he said papal infallibility and supremacy is the No. 1 issue. Although Orthodox acknowledge Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew as “first among equals” among patriarchs, “our governance structure allows for each national Church to govern itself,” he said.Dialogue with Rome, Vrame said, must address questions of “how do we begin to understand any claims of universal jurisdiction of the papacy” and “how do we understand any form of papal infallibility.” He said the Catholic embrace of synodality could improve dialogue on this issue.He said a major question is what unity would look like and pointed toward Rome’s relationship with Eastern Catholics as a possible example, saying they are “in communion with Rome,” but “Rome allowed them to retain their distinctive rites and practices.” However, he noted historical complications with Rome’s past attempts to Latinize Eastern Catholics and a major question to settle is: “What would unity do?”Mollard also told EWTN News “the whole question of primacy and synodality” remains a major issue, along with “centuries of separation,” which he said “doesn’t help either.”Pace told EWTN News that the subcommittee addressing infallibility has to “prepare a very good draft” on the matter that the full committee made up of Catholic and Orthodox leaders “can discuss and approve.”Steps toward unityAs the hierarchy tries to work out millennium-old theological disputes, Mollard said another step is “trying to get from the theological [dialogue] to the implementation” of a stronger relationship but warned “everyone’s afraid to do anything.”“We do have to practice these things,” he said in his speech. “Let’s work together and see if we can find our unity in Christ … [and] work on the structures that could bring that about more formally.”“Prayer and humility are always good,” Mollard said.He told EWTN News that some steps could be jointly “caring for the poor” or “feeding the hungry,” which is “the most direct way that collaboration can take place” at this time. In his speech, O’Malley called for joint prayer and study sessions, joint pastoral letters and statements, and joint works of mercy.Figel suggested Catholic and Orthodox parishes should “pray once a month for unity for at least 10 or 15 minutes.”Ultimately, Vrame said full unity and communion would be expressed “in the Eucharist” if all issues are resolved.“We don’t share the Eucharist,” he said. “That would be the culminating moment.”Dialogue and the laityMany bishops said dialogue and bonds should take place among laity too, with Botean saying in his speech that ecumenism cannot just be “at the level of academics.”“Without the face-to-face stuff, … we’re going to get nowhere,” he said. “And if our competition is the internet, we have more driving us apart than together.”Botean warned against hostile and uncharitable exchanges, many of which occur on social media, saying: “When we become unloving because of our faith, we’re on the wrong track.”Lizbeth Moncada, a senior at Florida Atlantic University who attended the conference, told EWTN News that she has “a lot of friends who are Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox” but agreed that online dialogue can often be “polarizing.”She said exchanges online can be “very disheartening” and she has “wanted to stop engaging in these conversations” at times. Yet, she said discussions like what occurred at the conference are “encouraging.”Andrew Likoudis of the ecumenical Likoudis Legacy Foundation, told EWTN News: “I try not to even engage in online discourse because of how toxic it is.” Yet, he said “the discourse here is much healthier” and allows Catholics and Orthodox Christians to “cross theological boundaries and retain the integrity of our own traditions without compromise.”Vrame, commenting on dialogue, said “beating up on somebody else is not very Christian … no matter what you think of their position.” He said people can have “respectful disagreements … without having to beat up on somebody,” saying that’s “no way to show love for your neighbor.”He said it’s good that people are passionate about their faith but posed the question: “Are we passionate in a way that reflects Christ and Christianity?”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/catholic-orthodox-bishops-join-in-dialogue-and-prayer-at-washington-d-c-conference-catholic-catholic-and-eastern-orthodox-bishops-exchanged-dialogue-and-joined-together-in-prayer-at-an-ecumenical-scaled.jpg "Catholic, Orthodox bishops join in dialogue and prayer at Washington, D.C., conference #Catholic Catholic and Eastern Orthodox bishops exchanged dialogue and joined together in prayer at an ecumenical conference in Washington, D.C., this week with a hope that one day the Eastern and Western churches will be reunited.The conference, held at the retreat house for the St. John Paul II National Shrine on July 13–15, was organized by the Orientale Lumen Foundation. Jack Figel, an Eastern Catholic who founded the group, named it after St. John Paul II’s apostolic letter expressing hope for reunification.Speakers included the secretary for the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, Archbishop Flavio Pace; the primate of the Orthodox Church in America, Metropolitan Tikhon Mollard; Cardinal Seán Patrick OʼMalley; Greek Orthodox Bishop Anthony Vrame; and Romanian Catholic Bishop John Michael Botean.“I grew up with — I lived with — the tension between East and West my whole life,” Figel told EWTN News.A reunification, Figel said, “all depends on the Holy Spirit.” He said: “It is going to be a miracle and it’s going to be on God’s time.”The conference included speeches by both Catholic and Orthodox bishops and joint panels. Prayer services were held in the Eastern form in which bishops from both traditions participated: a moleben to the Holy Spirit on Monday, daily vespers on Tuesday, and the Akathist to the Mother of God on Wednesday.Theological hurdlesRecent popes have had friendly relations with Eastern Orthodox patriarchs, and ongoing study by the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church is seeking to resolve theological disputes.In 2024, the commission set up two subcommittees to analyze two major points of contention: one for papal infallibility and the other for the Filioque.Papal infallibility refers to Vatican I’s teaching that the pope can infallibly define doctrines. The Filioque — Latin for “and the Son” — refers to the West adding the phrase in the Nicene Creed “the Holy Spirit … who proceeds from the Father ‘and the Son.’” Catholics argue this clarifies the Latin translation of the Creed, which was originally in Greek; but many Orthodox see it as changing the understanding of the Trinity.Vrame told EWTN News these theological issues continue to be a hurdle toward Catholic and Orthodox communion.The No. 1 issueSpeaking from the Orthodox perspective, he said papal infallibility and supremacy is the No. 1 issue. Although Orthodox acknowledge Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew as “first among equals” among patriarchs, “our governance structure allows for each national Church to govern itself,” he said.Dialogue with Rome, Vrame said, must address questions of “how do we begin to understand any claims of universal jurisdiction of the papacy” and “how do we understand any form of papal infallibility.” He said the Catholic embrace of synodality could improve dialogue on this issue.He said a major question is what unity would look like and pointed toward Rome’s relationship with Eastern Catholics as a possible example, saying they are “in communion with Rome,” but “Rome allowed them to retain their distinctive rites and practices.” However, he noted historical complications with Rome’s past attempts to Latinize Eastern Catholics and a major question to settle is: “What would unity do?”Mollard also told EWTN News “the whole question of primacy and synodality” remains a major issue, along with “centuries of separation,” which he said “doesn’t help either.”Pace told EWTN News that the subcommittee addressing infallibility has to “prepare a very good draft” on the matter that the full committee made up of Catholic and Orthodox leaders “can discuss and approve.”Steps toward unityAs the hierarchy tries to work out millennium-old theological disputes, Mollard said another step is “trying to get from the theological [dialogue] to the implementation” of a stronger relationship but warned “everyone’s afraid to do anything.”“We do have to practice these things,” he said in his speech. “Let’s work together and see if we can find our unity in Christ … [and] work on the structures that could bring that about more formally.”“Prayer and humility are always good,” Mollard said.He told EWTN News that some steps could be jointly “caring for the poor” or “feeding the hungry,” which is “the most direct way that collaboration can take place” at this time. In his speech, O’Malley called for joint prayer and study sessions, joint pastoral letters and statements, and joint works of mercy.Figel suggested Catholic and Orthodox parishes should “pray once a month for unity for at least 10 or 15 minutes.”Ultimately, Vrame said full unity and communion would be expressed “in the Eucharist” if all issues are resolved.“We don’t share the Eucharist,” he said. “That would be the culminating moment.”Dialogue and the laityMany bishops said dialogue and bonds should take place among laity too, with Botean saying in his speech that ecumenism cannot just be “at the level of academics.”“Without the face-to-face stuff, … we’re going to get nowhere,” he said. “And if our competition is the internet, we have more driving us apart than together.”Botean warned against hostile and uncharitable exchanges, many of which occur on social media, saying: “When we become unloving because of our faith, we’re on the wrong track.”Lizbeth Moncada, a senior at Florida Atlantic University who attended the conference, told EWTN News that she has “a lot of friends who are Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox” but agreed that online dialogue can often be “polarizing.”She said exchanges online can be “very disheartening” and she has “wanted to stop engaging in these conversations” at times. Yet, she said discussions like what occurred at the conference are “encouraging.”Andrew Likoudis of the ecumenical Likoudis Legacy Foundation, told EWTN News: “I try not to even engage in online discourse because of how toxic it is.” Yet, he said “the discourse here is much healthier” and allows Catholics and Orthodox Christians to “cross theological boundaries and retain the integrity of our own traditions without compromise.”Vrame, commenting on dialogue, said “beating up on somebody else is not very Christian … no matter what you think of their position.” He said people can have “respectful disagreements … without having to beat up on somebody,” saying that’s “no way to show love for your neighbor.”He said it’s good that people are passionate about their faith but posed the question: “Are we passionate in a way that reflects Christ and Christianity?”")
Catholic and Orthodox bishops discussed steps toward unity and the importance of cooperation and friendly dialogue.
St. Thomas the Apostle Parish hosts heartfelt 4th of July concert #Catholic – 
St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in the Oak Ridge neighborhood of Jefferson Township, N.J., celebrated America’s 250th anniversary with a concert organized by Dr. Eric Stroud, the parish’s music minister and organist. The adult, children, and handbell choirs sang and were joined by performances by visiting soloist Richard Rossback, percussionist Steve O’Toole, and Hackettstown’s Colonial Musketeers, a local fife and drum group.
The Colonial Musketeers started the concert with an outdoor parade around the church. The concert opened with “The Star-Spangled Banner” and included patriotic selections “America the Beautiful,” “God Bless America,” and “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” Numerous military marches were also performed along with a rendition of “God Bless Our Countrymen” composed by St. Thomas parishioner Kathy Murphy.
The concert featured a salute to the Armed Forces on the organ performed by Dr. Stroud. Veterans and active-duty members of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Space Force stood and were recognized as their respective service songs played. Several service members attended in uniform, including Air Force veteran and pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle and St. John Vianney parishes, Father Ben Williams. Luke and Max Williver, young Boy Scouts and parishioners of St. Thomas, led the pledge of allegiance.
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The parish is grateful to American Legion Post 423 Milton, who served as the Color Guard for the concert.
The Knights of Columbus Council 5510 hosted a celebratory summer barbecue for all who attended. The parish expresses its appreciation to the Knights, and especially Chefs Mike Murphy and Jim Zajdel, for the party in the festively decorated Msgr. Fitzpatrick Social Hall.
– St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in the Oak Ridge neighborhood of Jefferson Township, N.J., celebrated America’s 250th anniversary with a concert organized by Dr. Eric Stroud, the parish’s music minister and organist. The adult, children, and handbell choirs sang and were joined by performances by visiting soloist Richard Rossback, percussionist Steve O’Toole, and Hackettstown’s Colonial Musketeers, a local fife and drum group. The Colonial Musketeers started the concert with an outdoor parade around the church. The concert opened with “The Star-Spangled Banner” and included patriotic selections “America the Beautiful,” “God Bless America,” and “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” Numerous
Holy Spirit School celebrates 8th grade graduates #Catholic – 
Holy Spirit School in Pequannock, N.J. celebrated this year’s eighth-grade graduates on Thursday, June 11, during ceremonies held at the school.
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– Holy Spirit School in Pequannock, N.J. celebrated this year’s eighth-grade graduates on Thursday, June 11, during ceremonies held at the school. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Felician Sisters and Associates support Passaic Animal Shelter with donations #Catholic – 
As part of the Lodi Felician Associate Outreach Program, Felician Associates Lori Palmieri, Janet Gurdak, and Joan Tabor, accompanied by Spiritual Minister Sister Marie Alexander, paid a visit to the Passaic Animal Shelter in Passaic, N.J., on June 12. The associates were greeted by DeAndre Boatwright, supervising animal control officer for the shelter.
The sisters donated blankets, pillows, sheets, and other much-needed items and also cleaned out the rooms of the Mother Angela Wing, which is set to be demolished. After a tour of the facility, the sisters visited with the staff, discussing animal welfare and the importance of community support.
The shelter staff expressed gratitude for the kindness and generosity of everyone who supports the animals and expressed their appreciation for the support of the Felician Sisters and Associates.
The Lodi Felician Associate program enables lay men and women to partner with the Felician Sisters in their mission of service, prayer, and community outreach. Based at the Lodi, N.J. campus, associates are volunteers who support the sisters’ ministries while maintaining their everyday work and family lives.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
– As part of the Lodi Felician Associate Outreach Program, Felician Associates Lori Palmieri, Janet Gurdak, and Joan Tabor, accompanied by Spiritual Minister Sister Marie Alexander, paid a visit to the Passaic Animal Shelter in Passaic, N.J., on June 12. The associates were greeted by DeAndre Boatwright, supervising animal control officer for the shelter. The sisters donated blankets, pillows, sheets, and other much-needed items and also cleaned out the rooms of the Mother Angela Wing, which is set to be demolished. After a tour of the facility, the sisters visited with the staff, discussing animal welfare and the importance of community
NASA astronaut candidate Anna Menon and her children watch as a Soyuz rocket launches to the International Space Station with Expedition 75 crewmembers NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina, Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at Site 31/6 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Read MoreAfter years of planning, training, and international negotiation, the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission culminated in 1975 when spacecraft from the U.S. and the Soviet Union docked in space. On July 17, the Apollo and Soyuz capsules locked together, utilizing an “androgynous” system of petal-shaped plates, and their commanders, Thomas Stafford and Aleksey Leonov, shook hands.Continue reading “July 17, 1975: The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project link-up”
The post July 17, 1975: The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project link-up appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
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| Picture of the day |
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The Lower Vistula Valley in Kokocko, Poland
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Aboard Belmond’s Andean Explorer, guests experience gourmet dining, high-altitude adventures, and some of Peru’s most dramatic landscapes.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/TAL-journey-belmond-andean-explorer-train-in-landscape-WBAANDEANEXPLORER0626-899eda299719487399b784e8066527cd.jpg)
A reading from the Book of Isaiah
38:1-6, 21-22, 7-8
When Hezekiah was mortally ill,
the prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz, came and said to him:
"Thus says the LORD: Put your house in order,
for you are about to die; you shall not recover."
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD:
"O LORD, remember how faithfully and wholeheartedly
I conducted myself in your presence,
doing what was pleasing to you!"
And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah: "Go, tell Hezekiah:
Thus says the LORD, the God of your father David:
I have heard your prayer and seen your tears.
I will heal you: in three days you shall go up to the LORD’s temple;
I will add fifteen years to your life.
I will rescue you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria;
I will be a shield to this city."
Isaiah then ordered a poultice of figs to be taken
and applied to the boil, that he might recover.
Then Hezekiah asked,
"What is the sign that I shall go up to the temple of the LORD?"
Isaiah answered:
"This will be the sign for you from the LORD
that he will do what he has promised:
See, I will make the shadow cast by the sun
on the stairway to the terrace of Ahaz
go back the ten steps it has advanced."
So the sun came back the ten steps it had advanced.
From the Gospel according to Matthew
12:1-8
Jesus was going through a field of grain on the sabbath.
His disciples were hungry
and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them.
When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him,
"See, your disciples are doing what is unlawful to do on the sabbath."
He said to them, "Have you not read what David did
when he and his companions were hungry,
how he went into the house of God and ate the bread of offering,
which neither he nor his companions
but only the priests could lawfully eat?
Or have you not read in the law that on the sabbath
the priests serving in the temple violate the sabbath
and are innocent?
I say to you, something greater than the temple is here.
If you knew what this meant, I desire mercy, not sacrifice,
you would not have condemned these innocent men.
For the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath."
Concluding that dialogue with the Pharisees, Jesus reminds them of a word of the prophet Hosea (6:6): “Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice’” (Mt 9:13). Addressing the people of Israel, the prophet reproaches them because the prayers they raised were but empty and incoherent words. Despite God’s covenant and mercy, the people often lived with a “façade-like” religiosity, without living in depth the command of the Lord. This is why the prophet emphasized: “I desire mercy”, namely the loyalty of a heart that recognizes its own sins, that mends its ways and returns to be faithful to the covenant with God. “And not sacrifice”: without a penitent heart, every religious action is ineffective! Jesus also applies this prophetic phrase to human relationships: the Pharisees were very religious in form, but were not willing to sit at the table with tax collectors and sinners; they did not recognize the opportunity for mending their ways and thus for healing; they did not place mercy in the first place: although being faithful guardians of the Law, they showed that they did not know the heart of God! (…) Dear brothers and sisters, (…) we all need to be nourished by the mercy of God, for it is from this source that our salvation flows. (Pope Francis, General Audience, 13 April 2016)
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Thirteen years ago, former Spanish soccer star David Silva thanked the Blessed Mother after Spain won the 2010 World Cup.
“We regret that this briefing was uploaded to our website without going through the established internal review processes,” Amnesty International UK said.
Bishop Antonio Santarsiero Rosa denied accusations of sexual abuse that surfaced in April. He submitted his resignation as bishop when he turned 75 in June and the pope accepted it as of July 15.
Religious nationalism, state control, terrorism, authoritarianism, and limits on women are among drivers of rising persecution globally, the International Christian Concern (ICC) report said.
![Cardinal O’Malley at Catholic-Orthodox conference: ‘Come together and pray for unity’ #Catholic WASHINGTON — Cardinal Seán Patrick OʼMalley, retired archbishop of Boston, encouraged Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christians to pray together for reunification at a joint conference focused on healing the nearly 1,000-year schism between the churches.“Come together and pray for unity,” O’Malley said at the conference, hosted by the Orientale Lumen Foundation at the retreat house for the St. John Paul II National Shrine on July 13–15.Speakers included Roman Catholic, Eastern Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox bishops, and a few dozen laity and clergy focused on ecumenism attended. Along with O’Malley, speakers included Archbishop Flavio Pace — secretary of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity — and Metropolitan Tikhon Mollard, primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA).O’Malley encouraged concrete steps to integrate Catholic and Orthodox communities, one of the most important of which was “praying together.” Just prior to his speech, the Catholic and Orthodox clergy — including O’Malley, Pace, and Mollard — prayed daily vespers together in the form used in Eastern churches.The cardinal, speaking to those gathered, said unity will ultimately be achieved as a gift to the faithful granted by Christ and will come about “how he wills [it].” He said he considers joint prayer to be crucial because it is the Holy Spirit who will “illuminate the way” toward East-West communion.‘Work for unity’In his address, O’Malley discussed his concern with the disunity of Christianity, which he said “weakens our ability [as Christians] to proclaim the Gospel with coherence and authority.”He recalled his early work in the 1970s with the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin. The order was deeply involved in missionary work in Papua New Guinea. Although O’Malley himself was not a missionary there, he spoke about conversations with colleagues who were working with people accepting Christianity in large numbers.O’Malley noted that when new converts had learned about the various Christian denominations, many felt “sad and embarrassed.” Although many Christians view the disunity as “normative,” he said, the people of Papua New Guinea correctly recognized it as “scandalous.”“All disciples of Jesus Christ must feel an impulse to work for unity among Christians,” O’Malley said.O’Malley said Catholics should see Orthodoxy as the “greatest possibility of success in this task in fulfilling Christ’s wish so that we all become one so the world may believe.” He noted that the two share “so many saints and devotions” and are more similar to Catholics in theology than any other Christian community.He expressed joy that many Orthodox churches send representatives to meetings held by the Vatican and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and that the Catholic Church also sent representatives to the Orthodox Council of Crete in 2016. Yet, he encouraged a stronger bond.O’Malley urged the bodies to “consider the possibility of joint pastoral letters or statements” on issues of mutual agreement like world hunger, euthanasia, and abortion. He said they should establish committees together to organize joint prayer, study sessions, and works of mercy.His idea of unity, he explained, would be “communion without absorption” and said there is a difference between “unity and uniformity.” He said people should look to the Eastern Catholic Churches as a model, saying “they are bridges for reconciliation and laboratories for synodal communion.”Although Rome’s relationship with the Eastern Catholics was not always perfect (O’Malley noted historical attempts at forced Latinization), the cardinal said there is an opportunity to work more closely with Eastern Catholics as part of ecumenical efforts, focused on “greater respect for their uniqueness.”Mollard, speaking from the Orthodox position, echoed O’Malley’s desire for unity and the feeling of pain over continued separation.“It affects the faithful in the parishes and how they live their lives,” the metropolitan said. “And perhaps encourage[s] us all to not just reach out and educate but really inspire in people that faith in Christ and love for the Church can drive … [the path toward] unity.”O’Malley told EWTN News that ecumenism requires “different groups that would be Catholic and Orthodox, working together,” and Church leaders should be “letting people know the progress that has been made in the dialogue.”He said Eastern Orthodox Christians “have the sacraments,” they have apostolic succession, and “the differences are not great.” Although theological disputes remain a division between Catholicism and Orthodoxy, he said he believes the causes of the schism were more political and cultural.“Most Catholics and Orthodox in the pews are not focused on those fine points of theology,” O’Malley said.Ongoing Vatican ecumenical workMany theological disputes, however, are being hashed out at the highest levels of the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. Some of the biggest include questions of papal supremacy, primacy, and jurisdiction as well as the language of the Nicene Creed and subsequently certain details about the Holy Trinity.Pace, who flew in from Rome, discussed some of the history and recent progress on ecumenism related to these subjects during his speech, noting that the end goal is “full unity” between the East and the West.
Archbishop Flavio Pace, secretary of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, speaks at the Orientale Lumen Foundation conference at the retreat house for the St. John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C., on July 15, 2026. | Credit: Tyler Arnold/EWTN News
The Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, formed in 1980, created two subcommittees in 2024. One focuses on infallibility, which is the current priority. The other is about the dispute about the Nicene Creed."We have to prepare a very good draft,” Pace told EWTN News.He said once the subcommittee completes its draft on infallibility, the body will consider a call for a full meeting for approval. He said the subcommittee must “arrive to a good document that the [full committee] can discuss and approve.”The First Vatican Council teaches that the pope speaks infallibly on matters of faith and morals when defining matters of doctrine and invoking his papal authority, binding the declaration on the entire Church.Bishop Anthony Vrame, a Greek Orthodox bishop and director of Holy Cross Orthodox Press, said in a panel discussion that Orthodoxy recognizes the indefectibility of councils: “When the Church gathers together in council, … no error is possible.” Yet, papal infallibility is different, as it is “designated to one person.”Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, offered a prerecorded video message for the conference, stating that he hopes the eventual documents will be received by the Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox churches.Koch emphasized the importance of clergy informing the laity when there are developments, so the progress is “not to be remained known only by experts.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/cardinal-omalley-at-catholic-orthodox-conference-come-together-and-pray-for-unity-catholic-washington-cardinal-sean-patrick-ocabcmalley-retired-archbishop-of-scaled.jpg)
Cardinal Seán O’Malley discussed ways in which Catholics and Orthodox Christians can build closer bonds. Archbishop Flavio Pace discussed ongoing Vatican efforts to help bring about unity.
In the Picture of the Month from the James Webb Space Telescope, we are taken on a visit to a building site of significant scale. The project is a galaxy cluster named MACS J0553.4-3342, located in the constellation Columba (the Dove).
Read MoreIn 1839, the president of Harvard University invited William Bond to move into a house on campus and, by virtue of bringing along his own astronomical equipment, become the university’s first astronomer in residence. With public interest spurred by the 1835 passage of Halley’s Comet and the Comet of 1843, Harvard soon had enough moneyContinue reading “July 16, 1850: Bond and Whipple photograph Vega”
The post July 16, 1850: Bond and Whipple photograph Vega appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
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Active volcanoes, pristine lakes, and epic wildlife sightings await at Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska, voted the No. 3 U.S. National Park in the 2026 World’s Best Awards.
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Seed pods of a Silene dioica. Focus stack of 40 photos.
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Haiti climbed to No. 5 on the International Rescue Committee’s 2026 emergency watch list, which ranks the top 20 countries facing the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.
A reading from the Book of Isaiah
26:7-9, 12, 16-19
The way of the just is smooth;
the path of the just you make level.
Yes, for your way and your judgments, O LORD,
we look to you;
Your name and your title
are the desire of our souls.
My soul yearns for you in the night,
yes, my spirit within me keeps vigil for you;
When your judgment dawns upon the earth,
the world’s inhabitants learn justice.
O LORD, you mete out peace to us,
for it is you who have accomplished all we have done.
O LORD, oppressed by your punishment,
we cried out in anguish under your chastising.
As a woman about to give birth
writhes and cries out in her pains,
so were we in your presence, O LORD.
We conceived and writhed in pain,
giving birth to wind;
Salvation we have not achieved for the earth,
the inhabitants of the world cannot bring it forth.
But your dead shall live, their corpses shall rise;
awake and sing, you who lie in the dust.
For your dew is a dew of light,
and the land of shades gives birth.
From the Gospel according to Matthew
11:28-30
Jesus said:
"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."
The Lord’s invitation is surprising: He calls to follow Him people who are lowly and burdened by a difficult life; He calls to follow Him people who have many needs, and He promises them that in Him they will find rest and relief. (…) This means those who cannot rely on their own means, nor on important friendships. They can only trust in God. Conscious of their humble and wretched condition, they know that they depend on the Lord’s mercy, awaiting from Him the only help possible. At last, in Jesus’ invitation they find the response they have been waiting for. Becoming his disciples they receive the promise of finding rest for all their life. (…) The yoke which the poor and the oppressed bear is the same yoke that He bore before them: for this reason the yoke is light. He took upon his shoulders the pain and the sins of the whole of humanity. For a disciple, therefore, receiving Jesus’ yoke means receiving his revelation and accepting it: in Him God’s mercy takes on mankind’s poverty, thus giving the possibility of salvation to everyone. (…) The Lord teaches us not to be afraid to follow Him, because the hope that we place in Him will never disappoint. Thus, we are called to learn from Him what it means to live on mercy so as to be instruments of mercy. (Pope Francis, General Audience, 14 September 2016)
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Haiti preschool class advances thanks to Stirling parish support #Catholic – 
St. Paul Catholic School in Nanpol, Haiti, is celebrating its first preschool graduating class and dedicating the class to its sister parish, St. Vincent de Paul Parish in the Stirling neighborhood of Long Hill Township, N.J. The students will move on to the newly completed primary school in the fall.
St. Vincent’s has been participating in Haiti’s Hope, the parish twinning program with St. Paul, for several years. Parishioner generosity provided for the construction and operation of the school, where children receive a Catholic education and meals. The students will advance to the newly completed primary school in the fall.
Haiti’s Hope, a Parish Twinning Program of Americas project, is desperately needed in the island nation. It faces a political, social, and humanitarian crisis, marked by murders, gang violence, injuries, kidnappings, and hunger.
Nanpol is relatively calm, but villagers live in fear. Gangs block roads, stopping raw materials and food from reaching people.
St. Vincent’s supported rebuilding the church that was damaged by an earthquake in 2010, installing a solar-powered water purification system, making extensive exterior and interior rectory repairs, and building the school.
The Stirling parish has raised more funds for school supplies, books, faculty salaries, and meals. The school has two pre-school classes and plans to add a grade each year.
Read Colette Liddy’s story on Haiti’s Hope.
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– St. Paul Catholic School in Nanpol, Haiti, is celebrating its first preschool graduating class and dedicating the class to its sister parish, St. Vincent de Paul Parish in the Stirling neighborhood of Long Hill Township, N.J. The students will move on to the newly completed primary school in the fall. St. Vincent’s has been participating in Haiti’s Hope, the parish twinning program with St. Paul, for several years. Parishioner generosity provided for the construction and operation of the school, where children receive a Catholic education and meals. The students will advance to the newly completed primary school in the fall.
According to First Liberty Institute, Arkansas ranks first among all 50 states for protecting religious liberty, while New York ranks last.
Faith leads effort to end preventable blindness in Guatemala and beyond #Catholic – 
(OSV News) — Many profess that nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37), but a story unfolding in Guatemala has validated that Scripture daily for more than two decades.
An international partnership of those involved with Guatemala Brillando — a plan to end treatable blindness for 17 million Guatemalans by 2032 — recently had occasion to look back in wonder and gratitude.
They gathered for the opening of Hospital Oftalmológico Visualiza in Santa Cruz del Quiché, Guatemala, the fourth in a planned system of eight eye hospitals and 38 clinics across the Central American country, and they celebrated the innumerable connections that have made it all possible.
Chris Wurst — who has participated in what he calls over 50 “adventures” around the globe addressing vision problems and a longtime board director of Vision for the Poor — cut the ribbon for the latest hospital last fall. He remembers his first mission to Mexico.
“We were basically just giving out glasses,” he said. But even then, he witnessed transformation.
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“After one woman received hers, she threaded a needle,” he said, “and everyone just started to clap. I was hooked.”
But it was Dr. Doug Villella of Erie, Pennsylvania, an eye doctor, who recognized that mission trips were not meeting the enormous need in Guatemala.
Soon after graduating from optometry studies, Villella participated in several mission trips to poor nations in the Western Hemisphere. Seeking a more sustainable approach, he was introduced to Vincent Pescatore, founder of an orphanage in Guatemala’s Petén region.
Their bond was immediate.
“Vincent said, ‘I need you to build an eye hospital,’” Villella recalled in an interview for OSV News. “He didn’t say, ‘Would you,’ he said, ‘I need you to.’”
Although Villella readily agreed, today, he finds it almost comical.
“I had no skill other than taking care of people’s eyes,” Villella told OSV News. “No grant writing, no idea how to run a nonprofit. But because of who and what Vincent was, I didn’t hesitate.”
And so, in prayer and trust, Villella began the work, inviting several board members of VOSH/PA, the Pennsylvania chapter of Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity, into the fold.
A seismic shift occurred when Villella met Dr. Mariano Yee of Guatemala City. Yee, a young chief resident ophthalmologist and surgeon, was asked if he knew someone who could escort Villella’s group during another mission.
“I volunteered,” Yee remembered. He describes that outreach as massive, with hundreds of patients seen each day. But there were many who needed more care, people with cataracts and other eye diseases.
The doctors spent their evenings brainstorming ways to address the vast needs in a consistent, sustainable way.
“It was a good thing we were naive,” Yee said with a laugh. “When you don’t know how big the problem is, you’re like, ‘Let’s go and do it!’ But we saw the need and said, ‘Whatever it takes.’”
Nearly a quarter century later, Yee is flanked daily by two of his brothers: Nicolás, also an eye surgeon, and Juan Francisco, an architect who earned his MBA when his brothers asked him to oversee what is now Visualiza. A fourth brother is now in charge of operations for the hospital that just opened in the Quiche region. In addition to changing the landscape of eye care in Guatemala, the organization employs 410 people.
For the Yees, family is essential.
“It’s something that God called us to do,” Nicolás Yee said “And because he called us, God resolves the problems. On our own we can do nothing.”
The Yees credit their parents, who were deeply committed to the Catholic faith.
“My parents showed us how to live our faith,” Mariano Yee said. “Our house was always full of people, it was fun! We went to nursing homes just to talk with the residents. In high school, our parents took us to marginalized areas of Guatemala City to teach catechism to younger kids. We realized we had to give back.”
Now that the project has a track record and a detailed plan to ensure all Guatemalans have access to eyecare by 2032, the group is developing a model for other low and middle-income countries.
Another momentous leveling up occurred in 2006 when Visualiza and Vision for the Poor formed a partnership with the Seva Foundation, an international organization dedicated to creating equitable access to eye care in underserved populations.
Seva’s executive director is Kate Moynihan, a former regional director for Catholic Relief Services, the U.S. Church’s overseas relief and development agency. She has worked in areas ranging from the Balkans to the Middle East. Although Seva has supported the work of Visualiza for more than two decades, Moynihan recognized the potential when she took the reins in 2017.
“Kate and Doug knew their work was in alignment,” said Auxiliary Bishop Joseph L. Coffey of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services and a director on the board of Vision for the Poor. “Seva has helped to elevate the excellence Vision for the Poor and the Yee brothers created.”
Seva’s research underpinning the work taking place demonstrates:
— Vision loss drains more from the global economy each year than the combined direct costs of all natural disasters.
— Ninety percent of people affected with vision impairment live in developing countries, where not being able to see often means a life of poverty.
— Restoring sight is one of the most cost-effective health interventions to reduce poverty.
Moynihan noted that treatable visual impairment is among the most prevalent yet under-prioritized health challenges globally, although the tools to address the situation already exist.
“What’s missing is global urgency,” she said.
Seva, along with the Fred Hollows Foundation, an international development organization committed to improving eye care globally, presented an investment case to the U.N. General Assembly this fall.
The people behind Visualiza continue to promote and provide high-quality, effective eye care to populations that otherwise would not have access. Seva and Vision for the Poor continue to mentor, fundraise and provide technical support, maintaining their commitment to sustainability.
Efforts in Guatemala have required $24 million to date, more than half of which has been raised by the Seva Foundation. Building the four remaining hospitals to provide nationwide access will require another $30 million. It also will point the way for developing countries across the globe.
The goal is audacious, but those involved are undeterred.
“So often we try swimming upstream,” Villella said. “But grace doesn’t flow that way. Now I go with the flow. I still bump into rocks, but I find ways around them.”
As for the future?
“It once seemed beyond imagination to create nationwide eye care in a developing country,” he said. “All we can do is keep trying. We will take steps forward in the dark, meeting with potential benefactors. The Holy Spirit will have to take over from there.”
Anne-Marie Welsh writes for OSV News from Erie, Pennsylvania.
– (OSV News) — Many profess that nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37), but a story unfolding in Guatemala has validated that Scripture daily for more than two decades. An international partnership of those involved with Guatemala Brillando — a plan to end treatable blindness for 17 million Guatemalans by 2032 — recently had occasion to look back in wonder and gratitude. They gathered for the opening of Hospital Oftalmológico Visualiza in Santa Cruz del Quiché, Guatemala, the fourth in a planned system of eight eye hospitals and 38 clinics across the Central American country, and they celebrated the innumerable
Rates of HIV, AIDS down, but children still vulnerable, says Vatican diplomat to UN #Catholic – 
(OSV News) — Much has been done to mitigate rates of HIV and AIDS, but more work remains as children are still vulnerable to the virus and the disease it causes, said the Holy See’s diplomatic representative to the United Nations in a July 10 address.
“The number of new HIV infections has declined in most regions since 2010, with the greatest decreases in sub-Saharan Africa,” said Msgr. Marco Formica, the interim chargé d’affaires of the Vatican’s permanent observer mission at the U.N. Archbishop Gabriele G. Caccia served as the Vatican’s U.N. permanent observer from 2019 until his March appointment as papal nuncio to the U.S.
Msgr. Formica shared his thoughts during the U.N.’s 2026 high-level meeting on HIV/AIDS, which had as its theme, “United to End AIDS.”
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Since 2001, the meeting has taken place every five years at the U.N. Secretariat, the multinational body’s main administration, in New York.
According to its website, UNAIDS — the U.N. agency tasked with eradicating that disease and its underlying virus — serves “as the primary political mechanism for accountability and commitment in the global HIV response.”
This year’s high-level meeting was held June 22-23, with additional speakers scheduled on July 10, when Msgr. Formica spoke, the Holy See U.N. Mission confirmed to OSV News.
In his address, Msgr. Formica said that the Holy See “acknowledges the progress that has been accomplished in preventing and treating HIV and AIDS in the past five years,” while also commending the “great strides made overall” since the inaugural high-level meeting in 2001.
Since 1995 — when an average of 3.5 million annually contracted the immunodeficiency virus — new HIV infections have been slashed by 65%, according to UNAIDS.
“Having access and adherence to antiretroviral treatment, people with HIV can live longer and lead healthier lives,” said Msgr. Formica.
However, as of 2025, there were close to 41 million living with HIV, with more than half (51%) women and girls, and 1.3 million of that total number children ages 14 and under, the agency states on its website.
Msgr. Formica described children as “particularly vulnerable to HIV,” noting “gaps in both diagnosis and treatment.”
Citing the U.N. Secretary-General’s report to the conference, Msgr. Formica said such gaps “mean that the 3% of HIV patients that are children account for 12% of deaths due to HIV.”
The report itself stressed that “AIDS is not over,” and that “the global HIV response is at a critical juncture” due to funding declines, debt burdens in affected nations, increasing humanitarian crises and “a regression in human rights.”
Msgr. Formica specifically noted a lack of testing and treatment for at-risk and HIV positive mothers, while urging “quality” care for women before, during and after pregnancy.
“It is vital to ensure early testing and consistent access to treatment for children with HIV in child-friendly formulations,” he said.
“Multisectoral partnerships” have made care more available and affordable, yet “many are still excluded” from HIV and AIDS treatment, “mostly in the developing world,” he lamented.
Msgr. Formica called for enhancing healthcare systems and research in developing nations, quoting Pope Leo XIV’s comments during a 2025 visit to a Lebanon hospital: “We cannot conceive of a society that races ahead at full speed clinging to the false myths of wellbeing, while at the same time ignoring so many situations of poverty and vulnerability.”
Catholic healthcare institutions, which “provide approximately a quarter of all HIV-related care worldwide,” will continue working to “ensure that all people living with HIV receive treatment and care in line with their inherent human dignity,” said Msgr. Formica.
Gina Christian is a multimedia reporter for OSV News. Follow her on X @GinaJesseReina.
– (OSV News) — Much has been done to mitigate rates of HIV and AIDS, but more work remains as children are still vulnerable to the virus and the disease it causes, said the Holy See’s diplomatic representative to the United Nations in a July 10 address. “The number of new HIV infections has declined in most regions since 2010, with the greatest decreases in sub-Saharan Africa,” said Msgr. Marco Formica, the interim chargé d’affaires of the Vatican’s permanent observer mission at the U.N. Archbishop Gabriele G. Caccia served as the Vatican’s U.N. permanent observer from 2019 until his March appointment
Pope Leo shares meal with vulnerable guests at Castel Gandolfo #Catholic – 
ROME (OSV News) — Under the Italian sun of Lake Albano and the shade of Castel Gandolfo’s Borgo Laudato si’ trees, Pope Leo XIV enjoyed lunch with people experiencing social vulnerability.
Around 200 people from the Diocese of Rome took part in the event on July 11. “Lunch with the Pope” was “a day of welcome and fraternity” within the Pontifical Gardens of Castel Gandolfo, the Vatican’s Laudato Si’ Center for Higher Education said in a statement.
Before the guests, including nearly 40 children, enjoyed the guided tour through the gardens, the day begun with Mass celebrated by Cardinal Fabio Baggio, general director of the Laudato Si’ Center for Higher Education, and concelebrated by Archbishop Luis Marín de San Martín, prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity.
“I came without a prepared speech, but I did come with hunger — hunger for justice, hunger for genuine charity, hunger for a Church that truly knows how to open its doors, to welcome and receive everyone; where there is love for all and no one is an enemy, where all of us know how to live reconciliation, forgiveness and peace,” Pope Leo said, welcoming those present, as reported by Vatican News.
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Pope Leo recalled that one of the pope’s titles is the “Pontiff — a builder of bridges.”
“And today we too want to build a bridge with all of you, with your families, and with the society in which we want to live — a society marked by justice, where the causes of poverty can be eliminated and where the causes of the injustices that still exist in our world can be overcome,” Pope Leo said.
“This,” he said, “is the Church we want to be,” Vatican News reported.
Only a few months after taking upon the See of Peter, Pope Leo first met with people experiencing vulnerability from the Diocese of Albano. That meeting on Aug. 17, 2025, gave birth to an annual tradition of encounters with the underprivileged.
“Each year, a diocese will be invited to involve people living in situations of poverty, refugees, migrants, and others experiencing social vulnerability,” to let them experience ” the beauty of creation” and create an “opportunity to meet the Holy Father,” Laudato Si’ Center said.
Cardinal Baggio said in the July 7 press release that “Borgo Laudato si’ was created to show that the care of creation and the care of the human person are one and the same mission.”
“After Lampedusa, this day represents a new step in Pope Leo XIV’s journey towards the social peripheries of our time,” the cardinal said, referencing Pope Leo’s visit the prior weekend to an Italian island that serves as both a place of the hope of a new life and of the tragedy of those that never made it through the sea to Europe.
“At Borgo Laudato si’, the Holy Father meets people experiencing vulnerability, reaffirming that the Church is called to inhabit the places where human dignity calls for listening, closeness and hope,” Cardinal Baggio said.
The encounter embodies the Church’s service to the poor, Archbishop Marín, papal almoner, emphasized.
“The Holy Father’s choice confirms that charity consists of closeness, encounter and sharing. When the Church places the most vulnerable people at the center, it makes the Gospel visible and bears witness that no one is on the margins of God’s heart,” he said in the July 7 statement.
Pope Leo expressed his gratitude to those that organized the July 11 gathering, which included dozens of organizations that on a daily basis assist people experiencing vulnerability.
“Whenever we come together, whenever we share this spirit of encounter around the same table — the one table where Jesus is also present among us,” Pope Leo said, as reported by Vatican News.
“We are truly building a different world, a world of hope, a world that is a light in the midst of our own,” he added.
The pontiff urged that in a world fractured by “violence, hatred and discrimination,” communities need to “work together and strive always to be this kind of Church: a Church of justice, peace and love,” praying that in families of those that gathered in the Castel Gandolfo picturesque setting people “find peace, forgiveness and reconciliation.”
Cardinal Baldassare Reina, vicar general for the Diocese of Rome, said in the July 7 statement that the organizers “wanted the protagonists of this day to be people who are accompanied every day by parishes, Caritas, and the many ecclesial and social organizations of the Diocese of Rome,” adding that “the encounter with the Holy Father restores centrality to those who too often remain on the margins and calls the entire Christian community to the responsibility of welcome.”
Borgo Laudato si’ extended “their heartfelt thanks” to Ristorante L’Isola della Pizza in Rome, which “generously offered the lunch,” and to Bar Al Duomo in Albano Laziale, “which provided the welcome breakfast, contributing through their generosity to the success of the day.”
Paulina Guzik is international editor for OSV News. Follow her on X @Guzik_Paulina.
– ROME (OSV News) — Under the Italian sun of Lake Albano and the shade of Castel Gandolfo’s Borgo Laudato si’ trees, Pope Leo XIV enjoyed lunch with people experiencing social vulnerability. Around 200 people from the Diocese of Rome took part in the event on July 11. “Lunch with the Pope” was “a day of welcome and fraternity” within the Pontifical Gardens of Castel Gandolfo, the Vatican’s Laudato Si’ Center for Higher Education said in a statement. Before the guests, including nearly 40 children, enjoyed the guided tour through the gardens, the day begun with Mass celebrated by Cardinal Fabio
Four years after the National Eucharistic Revival began, Bishop Thomas Paprocki says Catholics must unite belief in Christ’s real presence with moral life and worthy Communion.
What started out as a friendly match among local priests has grown into a tournament with priests from seven dioceses in Peru, an event that strengthens fraternity and is a seedbed for vocations.
