| Picture of the day |
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Chrysomma sinense (Yellow-eyed Babbler) in Bhigwan, Maharashtra, India.
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This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features the globular cluster NGC 6723, sometimes called the Chandelier Cluster.
Read MoreA reading from the Book of Amos
5:14-15, 21-24
Seek good and not evil,
that you may live;
Then truly will the LORD, the God of hosts,
be with you as you claim!
Hate evil and love good,
and let justice prevail at the gate;
Then it may be that the LORD, the God of hosts,
will have pity on the remnant of Joseph.I hate, I spurn your feasts, says the LORD,
I take no pleasure in your solemnities;
Your cereal offerings I will not accept,
nor consider your stall-fed peace offerings.
Away with your noisy songs!
I will not listen to the melodies of your harps.
But if you would offer me burnt offerings,
then let justice surge like water,
and goodness like an unfailing stream.
From the Gospel according to Matthew
8:28-34
When Jesus came to the territory of the Gadarenes,
two demoniacs who were coming from the tombs met him.
They were so savage that no one could travel by that road.
They cried out, “What have you to do with us, Son of God?
Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?”
Some distance away a herd of many swine was feeding.
The demons pleaded with him,
“If you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine.”
And he said to them, “Go then!”
They came out and entered the swine,
and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea
where they drowned.
The swineherds ran away,
and when they came to the town they reported everything,
including what had happened to the demoniacs.
Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus,
and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district.
Satan’s power is not infinite. He is merely a creature, powerful inasmuch as he is a pure spirit, but still a creature, subject to the limitations of a creature and subordinate to God’s will and dominion. If Satan acts in the world out of his hatred for God and His kingdom, this is permitted by divine Providence, which with power and goodness (“fortiter et suaviter”) guides the history of man and the world. Although Satan’s actions certainly cause great harm – of a spiritual nature and indirectly also of a physical nature – to individuals and society, he is nevertheless unable to nullify the ultimate end towards which humanity and all creation are directed: the Good (…). Thus, the entire history of humanity can be viewed in terms of total salvation, in which Christ’s victory over the “prince of this world” is inscribed. (Saint John Paul II, General Audience, 20 August 1986)
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In retaliation for asking for prayers for the persecuted Church at a Mass he celebrated, the bishop was held for several hours by police, part of an ongoing campaign of harassment of clergy.
East Hanover Knights present scholarships, accept state award #Catholic – 
The Knights of Columbus East Hanover Council 6504 presented college scholarship awards to several local students at the council’s awards night held at St. Rose of Lima Church in East Hanover, N.J., on June 22. The council, with the support from an anonymous donor, awarded one-time college scholarships of $3,000 each to seven students: Sophia Duarte, Villanova University; Alicia Cosentino, Sacred Heart University; Lucas Lorent, University of Tennessee; Ryan Carrell, University of Miami; Anthony Cosentino, Rutgers University; Ava Patanella, Rider University; and Emma Patanella, University of Delaware. The students were congratulated by the council along with their family and friends who attended. Pictured with the students is Council 6504 Grand Knight Michael Trocchia.
At the same event, the East Hanover council was presented with the Drive for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities Appreciation Award which had been given to the council on May 16 at the Knights of Columbus annual N.J. State Council Convention in appreciation for the council’s outstanding work with their Intellectual Disabilities Drive. Pictured above: Michael Spiecker, district deputy, who presented the award to the council; Michael Trocchia, Council 6504 Grand Knight; and Robert Cosentino, Council 6504’s Intellectual Disabilities Drive chairman.
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– The Knights of Columbus East Hanover Council 6504 presented college scholarship awards to several local students at the council’s awards night held at St. Rose of Lima Church in East Hanover, N.J., on June 22. The council, with the support from an anonymous donor, awarded one-time college scholarships of $3,000 each to seven students: Sophia Duarte, Villanova University; Alicia Cosentino, Sacred Heart University; Lucas Lorent, University of Tennessee; Ryan Carrell, University of Miami; Anthony Cosentino, Rutgers University; Ava Patanella, Rider University; and Emma Patanella, University of Delaware. The students were congratulated by the council along with their family and friends
All Saints Academy celebrates 8th grade graduates #Catholic – 
All Saints Academy in Parsippany, N.J. celebrated this year’s eight-grade graduates on June 5. The day began with a family breakfast followed by the annual clap-out and concluded with a graduation Mass and award ceremony.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
– All Saints Academy in Parsippany, N.J. celebrated this year’s eight-grade graduates on June 5. The day began with a family breakfast followed by the annual clap-out and concluded with a graduation Mass and award ceremony. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
![Aid official: ‘The world fell apart’ as coastal Venezuela awaits assistance – #Catholic – Several coastal states in Venezuela remain without foreign assistance as thousands of people — including children who have lost their families — are homeless or missing after two earthquakes last week.“The world fell apart in less than two minutes,” Claudia Gonzales, an external relations manager for World Vision Venezuela, told “EWTN News Nightly” on June 30. “And yesterday our government says that we already have confirmed 1,700 people that died during the earthquakes.”According to Gonzales, who lives just outside of Caracas, more than 60,000 people remain missing and 50,000 are homeless following a pair of 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes that struck the country on June 24.In her own city of Guarenas, she said, “we have more than 500 families that are sleeping in the streets, looking for help and looking for comfort.”“We have people on the ground with concrete under them, and we donʼt know if they are still alive,” she said.According to Gonzales, the most affected area is the coastal state of La Guaira, north of Caracas. She noted that several other northern states, including Carabobo, Falcón, Aragua, and Miranda, have not received aid.“We have a lot of children that have not only [lost] their houses,” she said. “We have children that have lost their entire family, their neighbors.”While Gonzales expressed gratitude for the influx of foreign aid and support, she emphasized that large parts of the population are still waiting for help.“The international help came,” she said. “But the thing is, La Guaira is big; that is not enough.”“The size of this tragedy, we’re talking about 80% of the buildings in La Guaira collapsed,” she said. “You know, itʼs just something that we never thought could happen in our country.”Catholic responseThe Catholic Church in Venezuela has mobilized alongside international Catholic nonprofits such as Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Caritas International, and Catholic Charities to provide support for earthquake victims.CRS has been working in partnership with Caritas to provide food, shelter, and emergency healthcare to earthquake victims, according to CRS’ website.Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of Miami announced a relief fund for earthquake victims on June 26, with Archbishop Thomas Wenski calling for “our Catholic faithful and all people of goodwill across South Florida to stand in solidarity with the communities that will be hard hit” and “to please be generous in providing assistance.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/aid-official-the-world-fell-apart-as-coastal-venezuela-awaits-assistance-catholic-several-coastal-states-in-venezuela-remain-without-foreign-assistance-as-thousands-of-people.jpg "Aid official: ‘The world fell apart’ as coastal Venezuela awaits assistance – #Catholic – Several coastal states in Venezuela remain without foreign assistance as thousands of people — including children who have lost their families — are homeless or missing after two earthquakes last week.“The world fell apart in less than two minutes,” Claudia Gonzales, an external relations manager for World Vision Venezuela, told “EWTN News Nightly” on June 30. “And yesterday our government says that we already have confirmed 1,700 people that died during the earthquakes.”According to Gonzales, who lives just outside of Caracas, more than 60,000 people remain missing and 50,000 are homeless following a pair of 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes that struck the country on June 24.In her own city of Guarenas, she said, “we have more than 500 families that are sleeping in the streets, looking for help and looking for comfort.”“We have people on the ground with concrete under them, and we donʼt know if they are still alive,” she said.According to Gonzales, the most affected area is the coastal state of La Guaira, north of Caracas. She noted that several other northern states, including Carabobo, Falcón, Aragua, and Miranda, have not received aid.“We have a lot of children that have not only [lost] their houses,” she said. “We have children that have lost their entire family, their neighbors.”While Gonzales expressed gratitude for the influx of foreign aid and support, she emphasized that large parts of the population are still waiting for help.“The international help came,” she said. “But the thing is, La Guaira is big; that is not enough.”“The size of this tragedy, we’re talking about 80% of the buildings in La Guaira collapsed,” she said. “You know, itʼs just something that we never thought could happen in our country.”Catholic responseThe Catholic Church in Venezuela has mobilized alongside international Catholic nonprofits such as Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Caritas International, and Catholic Charities to provide support for earthquake victims.CRS has been working in partnership with Caritas to provide food, shelter, and emergency healthcare to earthquake victims, according to CRS’ website.Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of Miami announced a relief fund for earthquake victims on June 26, with Archbishop Thomas Wenski calling for “our Catholic faithful and all people of goodwill across South Florida to stand in solidarity with the communities that will be hard hit” and “to please be generous in providing assistance.”")
Claudia Gonzales, a World Vision Venezuela manager, said the quakes left children without families and thousands of people missing or homeless, with at least 1,700 confirmed deaths.
![A New Mexico mountain with Christ at the top is the latest battleground in U.S. immigration debate - #Catholic - Deacon Jim Winder, the chancellor of the Diocese of Las Cruces in New Mexico, says the diocese, which sits along the U.S.-Mexico border, is “not against border security.” “We’ve been accused of that, and it’s not correct,” he told EWTN News. In 2021 the diocese allowed federal immigration officials to build an access road and place motion sensors on diocesan-owned land that runs alongside Mexico, an arrangement the diocese renewed in 2023. “They’ve had that ever since,” Winder said. “We think that’s adequate. I don’t think any people can get through there with that system.” The U.S. federal government, however, is attempting to seize that land outright from the diocese and build a much more substantial border wall there. It is so determined to do so that it seeks to seize the land through eminent domain. Las Cruces is fighting the government’s attempt in court, putting the diocese at the forefront of the current U.S. immigration debate.Quite literally at the apex of the dispute is Mount Cristo Rey, a small mountain with a nearly-century-old statue of Jesus Christ atop it that has been a pilgrimage site for decades. The diocese says the government’s proposed border security at the base of the mountain would negatively affect pilgrims coming to the site.
A towering statue of Christ the King sits atop Mount Cristo Rey in the Diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico, June 28, 2026. The mountain has become the site of a dispute between the diocese and the U.S. federal government over the seizure of land for a border wall. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Jim Winder
The Trump administration’s immigration policy has come under fire from numerous elements of the U.S. Catholic Church over the past 18 months, including the U.S. bishops and multiple dioceses that have witnessed enhanced immigration enforcement. Various Church leaders have urged the administration to balance its border security efforts with more mercy and discretion.Winder stressed that the diocese is supportive of immigration security. But, he said, “we see the border wall as more of a political tool — something that the administration wants to do to show that they’re tough on immigration.” Winder said the disputed stretch of land near El Paso, Texas, is not ideal for illegal immigration. Mount Cristo Rey, he said, is “really rough. It’s not super tall but it’s rough. To try to go over the mountain to get in the United States — it’s a pretty effective barrier in and of itself.”“It’s nice flat ground on either side of it, for hundreds of miles,” he said. “[The government] patrols it. They’ve got vehicles parked there. I don’t think it’s a real high-volume place,” he observed, for illegal immigration crossings.Statue of Christ arose from priest’s visionAmid the ongoing court battle, Las Cruces Bishop Peter Baldacchino held a Mass atop Mount Cristo Rey on June 28, drawing hundreds of faithful to the sun-baked top of the mountain with Christ towering over them.
Bishop Peter Baldacchino celebrates Mass atop Mount Cristo Rey in the Diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico, on June 28, 2026. The mountain has become the site of a dispute between the diocese and the federal government over the seizure of land for a border wall. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Jim Winder
Mount Cristo Rey sits near the now-vanished town of Smeltertown within what Winder called a “unique” tip of land in New Mexico, one that is surrounded both by the state of Texas and the nation of Mexico. Both El Paso, Texas, and Juarez, Mexico, are roughly southeast of the mountain. An informational website says the towering statue of Christ took shape from 1933, when local priest Father Lourdes Costa “[looked] out the back window of his residence in the community of Smeltertown [and] envisioned erecting a monument at the summit of this glorious mountain.” The 29-foot-tall limestone statue was dedicated in 1940. It has since become a regular pilgrimage site, with the faithful hiking up the short summit to the base of the monument. Winder said the decision to hold the Mass on June 28 was “completely apolitical.”“It wasn’t meant as a protest,” he said. “It was a Mass. It was meant for prayer, to bring people together, to practice unity, to pray for the Church, and to pray for government leaders.”The response to the Mass was “very good,” the deacon said. “It was very hot. It’s not a great time to climb mountains in southern New Mexico. But about 400 people showed up and made the climb. They came from all over. Some from El Paso, some from our diocese, some from Albuquerque and beyond.”
Pilgrims hike to the top of Mount Cristo Rey for Mass in the Diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico, on June 28, 2026. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Jim Winder
The mountain has served as a significant site for local Catholic worship for nearly a century, Winder said. He compared the geography of the area to the “Four Corners” monument where Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico all meet. “This is a place where there’s this unity of two nations and two states,” he said. “There’s a symbolism of that unity in Christ the King standing above it. But it’s also a pilgrimage site.” “It’s just a special place,” he said. “It’s very powerful. It’s a magnificent place to have Mass.”
Bishop Peter Baldacchino hikes to the top of Mount Cristo Rey for Mass in the Diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico, June 28, 2026. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Jim Winder
The diocese was dealt a blow in June when a federal district court said the government could put down a six-figure deposit on the land as a pretext to obtaining it. The dispute is still ongoing, Winder said, with another hearing anticipated in late July. The diocese has filed numerous motions against the government’s effort, he said. He described the proposed border wall as more of a political symbol than a really practical measure, one that would mar the sacredness of the site.“If you go to the mountain and hike to the top, you’ll see a 30-foot-tall image of Christ the King,” he said. “And if the government builds this wall, and you turn your head slightly [from Christ], you’ll see a 30-foot ‘Keep Out’ sign below.” “It’s an affront,” he said.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/a-new-mexico-mountain-with-christ-at-the-top-is-the-latest-battleground-in-u-s-immigration-debate-catholic-deacon-jim-winder-the-chancellor-of-the-diocese-of-las-cruces-in-new-mexico-says-the.jpg)
Mount Cristo Rey in the Diocese of Las Cruces stands over a disputed patch of borderland that the U.S. government is attempting to seize from the Catholic Church.
![Argentinians join in prayer for earthquake-shattered Venezuelans #Catholic With thousands dead, injured, and missing in the wake of last week’s devastating earthquakes in Venezuela, Argentinians gathered in prayer for the Venezuelan people on June 28 at the basilica and national shrine of Our Lady of Luján. There, the archbishop of Mercedes-Luján, Jorge Eduardo Scheinig, offered Mass for the Venezuelan people.“Let us think of those who have died and their families,” Scheinig said in his homily. “In a single minute, so many people were left with nothing, absolutely nothing,” he noted.“Let us pray for the rescue workers and for all those who are working [on the ground]. Let us stand in solidarity with them through prayer,” said Scheinig, who proceeded to lead a moment of silence to pray to God and the Virgin for the people of Venezuela.The archbishop dedicated the rest of his homily to examining priorities, those things that “carry more weight than others” and “have the power to bring order to our lives.”“If you have the right priorities, you are at peace. But if you choose your priorities poorly, it causes confusion and anguish for you; it doesn’t help you live well. So, from time to time, we need to have the courage to reexamine our priorities,” he noted.In this regard, he said that “Jesus helps us order our priorities,” and elaborated: “What is Jesus’ priority? God. What comes first for Jesus? God. And what does he advise us? Put God first, and you won’t regret it,” he explained.He therefore urged people to ask themselves: “What place does God hold? What place does Mass hold?” he continued. “If you put God’s love first, if you love God in your life — that love is so good, so pure, and so radiant that it brings order to your entire life and helps you understand your whole life. Because God takes nothing away from you; he fills your life with love,” he pointed out. “Putting God first means taking a stand, taking a risk, and filling your heart with love; that helps you love everyone and everything in a different way, to love better,” he emphasized.Referring to the situation in Venezuela, Scheinig reflected: “Just look at how strange the world is. Today, television shows harrowing scenes. I was watching the news and saw a little boy crying — he had been left all alone after the earthquake, and it breaks your heart. Yet, a short while later, we’re watching the Argentina [World Cup] match.”“And notice, too, that we see scenes of war, of migrants who have nothing and live in a small tent. That’s the world. It happens to us in a family as well: You might be celebrating the 15th birthday of one of your children and then a close relative dies or someone comes down with an illness. That’s life. Life is that strange mix of very beautiful things and deeply painful things,” he noted.“But when your heart has priorities, you don’t get confused. And so, yes, we can cheer for the national team, but my priority isn’t soccer; my priority is life, it’s what happens to other people. I don’t let the things of life desensitize me,” he cautioned.That is why, “if God is your priority, you are able to not get desensitized to pain. You have your life on track. You can watch the World Cup, but you realize that it isn’t the priority. Your life is in order. You know where you stand, what you want, and what you don’t want,” he continued.In that context, he added, the need arises to stand with Venezuelans in prayer: “God, strengthen so many people whose lives changed in an instant.”“We also feel moved to show solidarity, to give money and goods, and to share what we have with those in need because your heart is rightly ordered; it is with God.”“Life presents us with complex, difficult moments in the world,” Scheinig acknowledged, while expressing the hope that “God holds first place on our list of priorities, so that we may remain good people.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/argentinians-join-in-prayer-for-earthquake-shattered-venezuelans-catholic-with-thousands-dead-injured-and-missing-in-the-wake-of-last-weeks-devastating-earthquakes-in-venezuela-argentinia-scaled.jpg "Argentinians join in prayer for earthquake-shattered Venezuelans #Catholic With thousands dead, injured, and missing in the wake of last week’s devastating earthquakes in Venezuela, Argentinians gathered in prayer for the Venezuelan people on June 28 at the basilica and national shrine of Our Lady of Luján. There, the archbishop of Mercedes-Luján, Jorge Eduardo Scheinig, offered Mass for the Venezuelan people.“Let us think of those who have died and their families,” Scheinig said in his homily. “In a single minute, so many people were left with nothing, absolutely nothing,” he noted.“Let us pray for the rescue workers and for all those who are working [on the ground]. Let us stand in solidarity with them through prayer,” said Scheinig, who proceeded to lead a moment of silence to pray to God and the Virgin for the people of Venezuela.The archbishop dedicated the rest of his homily to examining priorities, those things that “carry more weight than others” and “have the power to bring order to our lives.”“If you have the right priorities, you are at peace. But if you choose your priorities poorly, it causes confusion and anguish for you; it doesn’t help you live well. So, from time to time, we need to have the courage to reexamine our priorities,” he noted.In this regard, he said that “Jesus helps us order our priorities,” and elaborated: “What is Jesus’ priority? God. What comes first for Jesus? God. And what does he advise us? Put God first, and you won’t regret it,” he explained.He therefore urged people to ask themselves: “What place does God hold? What place does Mass hold?” he continued. “If you put God’s love first, if you love God in your life — that love is so good, so pure, and so radiant that it brings order to your entire life and helps you understand your whole life. Because God takes nothing away from you; he fills your life with love,” he pointed out. “Putting God first means taking a stand, taking a risk, and filling your heart with love; that helps you love everyone and everything in a different way, to love better,” he emphasized.Referring to the situation in Venezuela, Scheinig reflected: “Just look at how strange the world is. Today, television shows harrowing scenes. I was watching the news and saw a little boy crying — he had been left all alone after the earthquake, and it breaks your heart. Yet, a short while later, we’re watching the Argentina [World Cup] match.”“And notice, too, that we see scenes of war, of migrants who have nothing and live in a small tent. That’s the world. It happens to us in a family as well: You might be celebrating the 15th birthday of one of your children and then a close relative dies or someone comes down with an illness. That’s life. Life is that strange mix of very beautiful things and deeply painful things,” he noted.“But when your heart has priorities, you don’t get confused. And so, yes, we can cheer for the national team, but my priority isn’t soccer; my priority is life, it’s what happens to other people. I don’t let the things of life desensitize me,” he cautioned.That is why, “if God is your priority, you are able to not get desensitized to pain. You have your life on track. You can watch the World Cup, but you realize that it isn’t the priority. Your life is in order. You know where you stand, what you want, and what you don’t want,” he continued.In that context, he added, the need arises to stand with Venezuelans in prayer: “God, strengthen so many people whose lives changed in an instant.”“We also feel moved to show solidarity, to give money and goods, and to share what we have with those in need because your heart is rightly ordered; it is with God.”“Life presents us with complex, difficult moments in the world,” Scheinig acknowledged, while expressing the hope that “God holds first place on our list of priorities, so that we may remain good people.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.")
In his homily during a Mass offered for the earthquake’s victims, Archbishop Jorge Scheinig urged the faithful to reexamine their priorities in life, realizing one can lose everything in an instant.
The national director of the Pastoral Affairs Department of Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) said the Church’s commitment to young people requires creating and maintaining safe environments.
| Picture of the day |
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Bags of organic fertiliser adorn newly-planted fields against a backdrop of the Western Catchment in the Nilgiri mountains. Tamil Nadu, India
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The NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory has officially launched the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), a 10-year census of the southern sky that astronomers have anticipated for decades. The announcement came June 30, capping a months-long commissioning process that followed the facility’s handover from construction to operations last October. “It is amazing andContinue reading “Vera C. Rubin Observatory begins its Legacy Survey of Space and Time”
The post Vera C. Rubin Observatory begins its Legacy Survey of Space and Time appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
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Flight engineer Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) assists flight engineer Chris Williams of NASA as he tries on his spacesuit, testing its comfort and mobility as well as its communications and life support systems inside the International Space Station’s Quest airlock.
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Abelardo De la Espriella visited the shrines of El Moro, Our Lady of the Remedies, and St. Peter Claver, and the Lord of Miracles minor basilica in a thanksgiving tour after winning the presidency.
![Catholic Church, U.S. government drive relief efforts in Venezuela – #Catholic – Local parishes and Catholic nonprofits have mobilized across Venezuela to support earthquake victims, working alongside the U.S. government as it continues to expand disaster assistance. Father Edgar Magallanes, SJ, national director of Jesuit Refugee Service Venezuela, told “EWTN News Nightly” on June 29 that the situation in Venezuela is “getting bad,” as efforts are split between “rescue on one side and affected populations on the other side.”This comes as the State Department announced June 29 that U.S. funding for relief efforts in Venezuela has increased to more than $300 million. The State Department said: “All U.S. humanitarian funding has been directed to a range of trusted international and nongovernmental partners,” including Catholic Relief Services.Magallanes said ground zero in Venezuela is facing a “difficult situation” as “the number of deceased people generated a smell, a difficult smell, and all people are using masks like the time of COVID-19.”“People in some areas feel invisible to the government, to the aid efforts,” he said. “But we’re working on it.”Magallanes said JRS is operating under the emergency protocol established by the Conference of Provincials of Latin America, which includes activating an immediate response team, connecting with first responders, and coordinating aid distribution through centers run by the Society of Jesus in Caracas.“So, we are caring for our affected collaborators, teachers, and their families, as well as participants of our programs, and we are helping with humanitarian aid,” he said. “We are coordinating efforts as well to assess damages and needs with national and international NGOs [nongovernmental organizations] and with the United Nations.”Victims displaced by the 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes that occurred in Venezuela on June 24 have also been taking shelter at Catholic churches and parish halls in the nation’s capital as part of support initiatives coordinated by Archbishop Raúl Biord Castillo of Caracas, according to a local missionary, Brother Deiby Fuenmayor, MSC.Fuenmayor told Agenzia Fides, the Pontifical Mission Societies information service, that “many people are sleeping outdoors, in parks, because their homes are uninhabitable” and that the Church is working to collect nonperishable food items, drinking water, and mattresses for redistribution.“Even though we are in a working-class neighborhood, people are very generous,” he said.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/catholic-church-u-s-government-drive-relief-efforts-in-venezuela-catholic-local-parishes-and-catholic-nonprofits-have-mobilized-across-venezuela-to-support-earthquake-victims-working-alongside.jpg "Catholic Church, U.S. government drive relief efforts in Venezuela – #Catholic – Local parishes and Catholic nonprofits have mobilized across Venezuela to support earthquake victims, working alongside the U.S. government as it continues to expand disaster assistance. Father Edgar Magallanes, SJ, national director of Jesuit Refugee Service Venezuela, told “EWTN News Nightly” on June 29 that the situation in Venezuela is “getting bad,” as efforts are split between “rescue on one side and affected populations on the other side.”This comes as the State Department announced June 29 that U.S. funding for relief efforts in Venezuela has increased to more than $300 million. The State Department said: “All U.S. humanitarian funding has been directed to a range of trusted international and nongovernmental partners,” including Catholic Relief Services.Magallanes said ground zero in Venezuela is facing a “difficult situation” as “the number of deceased people generated a smell, a difficult smell, and all people are using masks like the time of COVID-19.”“People in some areas feel invisible to the government, to the aid efforts,” he said. “But we’re working on it.”Magallanes said JRS is operating under the emergency protocol established by the Conference of Provincials of Latin America, which includes activating an immediate response team, connecting with first responders, and coordinating aid distribution through centers run by the Society of Jesus in Caracas.“So, we are caring for our affected collaborators, teachers, and their families, as well as participants of our programs, and we are helping with humanitarian aid,” he said. “We are coordinating efforts as well to assess damages and needs with national and international NGOs [nongovernmental organizations] and with the United Nations.”Victims displaced by the 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes that occurred in Venezuela on June 24 have also been taking shelter at Catholic churches and parish halls in the nation’s capital as part of support initiatives coordinated by Archbishop Raúl Biord Castillo of Caracas, according to a local missionary, Brother Deiby Fuenmayor, MSC.Fuenmayor told Agenzia Fides, the Pontifical Mission Societies information service, that “many people are sleeping outdoors, in parks, because their homes are uninhabitable” and that the Church is working to collect nonperishable food items, drinking water, and mattresses for redistribution.“Even though we are in a working-class neighborhood, people are very generous,” he said.")
“People in some areas feel invisible to the government, to the aid efforts,” Father Edgar Magallanes, SJ, national director of Jesuit Relief Services Venezuela, said. “But we’re working on it.”
![Supreme Court to review parents’ challenge to law regarding notification of gender transitions – #Catholic – The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a lawsuit from parents who are challenging a Washington state law that prevents youth shelters from immediately notifying parents when minors who run away from home are seeking gender transitions.Under the law, adopted in 2023, shelters that house runaway youth cannot immediately tell parents when a child is “seeking or receiving” gender transition medical services. It allows the state to refer the child for “behavioral health services” but does not change parental consent laws generally required for hormone therapy or surgeries.The law directs shelters to notify the Washington Department of Children, Youth, and Families when housing a runaway child who is seeking gender transition services and “offer services designed to resolve the conflict” between the child and the parents before the parents will be notified and before the department works toward family reunification.The legal challenge comes from parents whose children exhibit gender dysphoria. Lower courts ruled the parents did not have standing to sue because their children are not currently in a youth shelter, but the Supreme Court has agreed to review that decision.In the lawsuit, five sets of parents express concern their child may run away and seek gender transition services. The parents argue the law violates their 14th Amendment right to direct the upbringing of their children. The Supreme Court has affirmed this right as protected under the amendment for more than a century.“This statute allows shelters and homes to keep children at locations without their parents’ knowledge and refer those children for health interventions without their parents’ knowledge or approval,” it states. “It does not require children to be returned on any particular timetable or under any particular conditions.”It also argues that the law restricts some of the parents’ First Amendment rights to the free exercise of religion, including at least one set of parents who are practicing Catholics.The original lawsuit cites the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “Those plaintiffs … adhere to the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church when it teaches, ‘By creating the human being man and woman, God gives personal dignity to the one and the other. Each of them, man and woman, should acknowledge and accept his sexual identity’” (No. 2293).The parents are joined in the lawsuit by two advocacy groups: International Partners for Ethical Care and Advocates Protecting Children.A spokesman for International Partners for Ethical Care told EWTN News the organization is “heartened that the Supreme Court will finally hear a case that addresses the rights of all parents to protect their children from harmful medical interventions.”“We hope this case will not be cast as a religious liberties issue but as a safeguarding issue for parents and children of any or no faith,” the spokesperson said. “Parents should not have to live in fear of the state taking custody of their children if they disagree with a deceptive ideology and dangerous treatments.”Mike Faulk, deputy communications director for Washington Attorney General Nick Brown, told EWTN News the lower courts found that the families did not show how they were “likely to be injured by the law” and “we will be prepared to successfully defend it at the Supreme Court.”“This law was passed to give runaway youth and their families access to reunification and behavioral health services,” he said. “The law makes clear that the Department of Children, Youth, and Families must make good faith attempts to contact families with a goal of reunification.”The law has received opposition from the Washington Catholic Conference, which represents the bishops of the state’s three dioceses. It criticized the bill when it was being considered in a 2023 newsletter, saying the social teachings of the Catholic Church affirm “the family is the most central social institution, and it must be supported and strengthened.”“[This bill] undermines families,” the statement added. “In line with the bishops’ legislative priorities to protect children and families and respect life, the [conference] opposes [the bill].”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/supreme-court-to-review-parents-challenge-to-law-regarding-notification-of-gender-transitions-catholic-the-u-s-supreme-court-will-hear-a-lawsuit-from-parents-who-are-challenging-a-washi-scaled.jpg "Supreme Court to review parents’ challenge to law regarding notification of gender transitions – #Catholic – The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a lawsuit from parents who are challenging a Washington state law that prevents youth shelters from immediately notifying parents when minors who run away from home are seeking gender transitions.Under the law, adopted in 2023, shelters that house runaway youth cannot immediately tell parents when a child is “seeking or receiving” gender transition medical services. It allows the state to refer the child for “behavioral health services” but does not change parental consent laws generally required for hormone therapy or surgeries.The law directs shelters to notify the Washington Department of Children, Youth, and Families when housing a runaway child who is seeking gender transition services and “offer services designed to resolve the conflict” between the child and the parents before the parents will be notified and before the department works toward family reunification.The legal challenge comes from parents whose children exhibit gender dysphoria. Lower courts ruled the parents did not have standing to sue because their children are not currently in a youth shelter, but the Supreme Court has agreed to review that decision.In the lawsuit, five sets of parents express concern their child may run away and seek gender transition services. The parents argue the law violates their 14th Amendment right to direct the upbringing of their children. The Supreme Court has affirmed this right as protected under the amendment for more than a century.“This statute allows shelters and homes to keep children at locations without their parents’ knowledge and refer those children for health interventions without their parents’ knowledge or approval,” it states. “It does not require children to be returned on any particular timetable or under any particular conditions.”It also argues that the law restricts some of the parents’ First Amendment rights to the free exercise of religion, including at least one set of parents who are practicing Catholics.The original lawsuit cites the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “Those plaintiffs … adhere to the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church when it teaches, ‘By creating the human being man and woman, God gives personal dignity to the one and the other. Each of them, man and woman, should acknowledge and accept his sexual identity’” (No. 2293).The parents are joined in the lawsuit by two advocacy groups: International Partners for Ethical Care and Advocates Protecting Children.A spokesman for International Partners for Ethical Care told EWTN News the organization is “heartened that the Supreme Court will finally hear a case that addresses the rights of all parents to protect their children from harmful medical interventions.”“We hope this case will not be cast as a religious liberties issue but as a safeguarding issue for parents and children of any or no faith,” the spokesperson said. “Parents should not have to live in fear of the state taking custody of their children if they disagree with a deceptive ideology and dangerous treatments.”Mike Faulk, deputy communications director for Washington Attorney General Nick Brown, told EWTN News the lower courts found that the families did not show how they were “likely to be injured by the law” and “we will be prepared to successfully defend it at the Supreme Court.”“This law was passed to give runaway youth and their families access to reunification and behavioral health services,” he said. “The law makes clear that the Department of Children, Youth, and Families must make good faith attempts to contact families with a goal of reunification.”The law has received opposition from the Washington Catholic Conference, which represents the bishops of the state’s three dioceses. It criticized the bill when it was being considered in a 2023 newsletter, saying the social teachings of the Catholic Church affirm “the family is the most central social institution, and it must be supported and strengthened.”“[This bill] undermines families,” the statement added. “In line with the bishops’ legislative priorities to protect children and families and respect life, the [conference] opposes [the bill].”")
The parents argue that their right to direct the upbringing of their children is in jeopardy. The state continues to defend the law.
![San Francisco Archdiocese will pay $395 million to abuse victims, Archbishop Cordileone says #Catholic The Archdiocese of San Francisco will offer abuse victims nearly $400 million as part of a broad settlement of the substantial number of sex abuse lawsuits brought against it. Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone said on June 29 that the proposed $395 million settlement would “resolve all lawsuits related to child sexual abuse” brought against the archdiocese under California’s expanded statute of limitations. Cordileone said the archdiocese in the past has helped parishes, schools, and other archdiocesan entities absorb the cost of sex-abuse lawsuits, but he said the “current environment” of abuse lawsuits is “much more challenging.” Schools and parishes “will need to contribute funds” to the settlement both in order to ensure their own legal safeguards and to “share in the work of making amends for the harm of the past,” he said.The archdiocese announced it was filing for bankruptcy in August 2023 in response to more than 500 civil lawsuits filed against it. The voluminous lawsuits were brought against the archdiocese under California’s 2019 Assembly Bill 218, which significantly expanded the statute of limitations in the state regarding civil sex abuse lawsuits. In a separate release, the archdiocese said it would seek to “preserve the vital ministries of Catholic education and parish life” even as it moves to pay out the major nine-figure settlement. The archdiocese has “no current plans to close schools or parishes to reach the proposed settlement,” it said. The settlement has yet to be finalized in federal bankruptcy court. The archdiocese said that all litigation involving the lawsuits has been paused while the parties “work in good faith on the details of a consensual Chapter 11 plan of reorganization.”The settlement represents one of the larger abuse payout amounts in U.S. Catholic history, though a few others have been considerably larger. In October 2024 the Archdiocese of Los Angeles announced an $880 million clergy abuse settlement, while the New York Archdiocese in May said it would pay out $800 million to abuse victims. Cordileone on June 29 acknowledged that “no financial settlement can erase the painful legacy of these past actions.” But “we believe this proposal offers a path toward fair compensation for survivors who have carried the burden of this abuse for a lifetime,” he said. The archdiocese “remain[s] committed to fostering healing and reconciliation and to accompanying all who deserve our unwavering respect, attention, and prayers,” he said.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/san-francisco-archdiocese-will-pay-395-million-to-abuse-victims-archbishop-cordileone-says-catholic-the-archdiocese-of-san-francisco-will-offer-abuse-victims-nearly-400-million-as-part-of-a-broad.jpg "San Francisco Archdiocese will pay $395 million to abuse victims, Archbishop Cordileone says #Catholic The Archdiocese of San Francisco will offer abuse victims nearly $400 million as part of a broad settlement of the substantial number of sex abuse lawsuits brought against it. Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone said on June 29 that the proposed $395 million settlement would “resolve all lawsuits related to child sexual abuse” brought against the archdiocese under California’s expanded statute of limitations. Cordileone said the archdiocese in the past has helped parishes, schools, and other archdiocesan entities absorb the cost of sex-abuse lawsuits, but he said the “current environment” of abuse lawsuits is “much more challenging.” Schools and parishes “will need to contribute funds” to the settlement both in order to ensure their own legal safeguards and to “share in the work of making amends for the harm of the past,” he said.The archdiocese announced it was filing for bankruptcy in August 2023 in response to more than 500 civil lawsuits filed against it. The voluminous lawsuits were brought against the archdiocese under California’s 2019 Assembly Bill 218, which significantly expanded the statute of limitations in the state regarding civil sex abuse lawsuits. In a separate release, the archdiocese said it would seek to “preserve the vital ministries of Catholic education and parish life” even as it moves to pay out the major nine-figure settlement. The archdiocese has “no current plans to close schools or parishes to reach the proposed settlement,” it said. The settlement has yet to be finalized in federal bankruptcy court. The archdiocese said that all litigation involving the lawsuits has been paused while the parties “work in good faith on the details of a consensual Chapter 11 plan of reorganization.”The settlement represents one of the larger abuse payout amounts in U.S. Catholic history, though a few others have been considerably larger. In October 2024 the Archdiocese of Los Angeles announced an $880 million clergy abuse settlement, while the New York Archdiocese in May said it would pay out $800 million to abuse victims. Cordileone on June 29 acknowledged that “no financial settlement can erase the painful legacy of these past actions.” But “we believe this proposal offers a path toward fair compensation for survivors who have carried the burden of this abuse for a lifetime,” he said. The archdiocese “remain[s] committed to fostering healing and reconciliation and to accompanying all who deserve our unwavering respect, attention, and prayers,” he said.")
The proposed settlement will “resolve all lawsuits” regarding child sex abuse involving archdiocesan officials, the prelate said in a press release.
![Procession urges dignity and respect for migrants at border crossing #Catholic Catholic bishops, clergy, and hundreds of faithful processed across the U.S.–Mexico border to celebrate the contribution of immigrants in America ahead of the 250th anniversary of the nation.
Catholic bishops, clergy, and hundreds of faithful attended the Border Mass 250 at Sacred Heart Church in Nogales, Arizona, on June 26, 2026. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Brett Meister/Diocese of Phoenix
“Weʼre here as shepherds and as pastors to walk with people, to listen to people, and to be well together with the people of God here at the border,” Bishop James Misko of Tucson, Arizona, said at the event.“We call ourselves Christians. To be called a Christian means to be like Christ — to be living a life as conformed to Christ as possible. And we know that justice is being in right relationship with God and one another,” Misko said.Organized by the dioceses of Tucson and Phoenix in partnership with the Kino Border Initiative, the Hope Border Institute, and the Center for Migration Studies, the June 26 event included a conversation on immigration with U.S. Catholic bishops, Mass at Sacred Heart Church in Nogales, Arizona, and a rosary procession across the international line.The pastoral conversation on migration and human dignity “was a great conversation with five bishops about what the Church holds to be true when it comes to migration and human dignity,” Misko said.Misko and Bishop John Dolan of Phoenix were joined in conversation by Archbishop John Wester of Santa Fe, New Mexico; Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, Texas; and Bishop Emeritus Gerald Kicanas of Tucson.
Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, Texas; Archbishop John Wester of Santa Fe, New Mexico; Bishop James Misko of Tucson, Arizona; Bishop John Dolan of Phoenix; and Bishop Gerald Kicanas of Tucson, Arizona, gather for the Border Mass 250 in Nogales, Arizona on June 26, 2026. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Brett Meister/Diocese of Phoenix
“As we mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we are reminded that we are made by our Creator with certain inalienable rights. Theyʼre given by God,” Seitz said at the event.“That is a fundamental reality that we in the Church always have in mind and that no policy, no executive order or Supreme Court decision can take away,” Seitz said.After the bishops celebrated Mass, the procession began at the Arizona parish and concluded at Parroquia De Pa Purísima Concepción — a Catholic church in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. The group ended the event with a meal with migrants hosted by the Kino Border Initiative.Mexican bishops José Luis Cerra Luna of Nogales and Enrique Sanchez Martinez of Mexicali also participated in the binational event.
U.S. and Mexican bishops celebrate the Border Mass 250 at Sacred Heart Church in Nogales, Arizona, on June 26, 2026. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Brett Meister/Diocese of Phoenix
U.S. bishops have ‘almost complete unanimity’ on immigration matter“What is discouraging for me is that as a country, we have not yet been able to address the issue of immigration,” Kicanas said. “The conference of bishops has been clamoring, crying out, for comprehensive immigration reform, and we have not yet been able to accomplish that.”“We have to address the immigration policy of our country — as [do] most countries around the world today. Itʼs a serious concern. All of us want this situation to improve,” Kicanas said.
Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, Texas; Archbishop John Wester of Santa Fe, New Mexico; Bishop John Dolan of Phoenix; and Bishop James Misko of Tucson, Arizona, lead the Border Mass 250 rosary procession from Nogales, Arizona, to Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, on June 26, 2026. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Brett Meister/Diocese of Phoenix
“The bishops have been advocating for comprehensive immigration reform for a long, long time,” and Border Mass 250 “was just one more example of that,” Wester said.The event followed other calls for reform including pastoral letters on immigration and a special message from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops highlighting their opposition to “the indiscriminate mass deportation of people.”The bishops approved the message at their 2025 fall plenary assembly on Nov. 12, 2025, where the motion passed with support from more than 95% of the American bishops who voted.“One of the key principles of Catholic social teaching is solidarity — that weʼre together,” Wester said. “But this is an issue, Iʼd say, that enjoys almost complete unanimity in the bishops’ conference.”The bishops are addressing the matter as communities across the country “are looking for a clear moral response to the human cost of mass detention and deportation,” Dylan Corbett, executive director at Hope Border Institute, told EWTN News.“In union with Pope Leo XIV, who will soon go to Lampedusa, the border Mass in Nogales was a way for the Catholic community to name the suffering, affirm the dignity of those affected by these policies, and commit to working for reform,” said Corbett, who is also a member of the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.“In this moment, moral clarity must be matched by ongoing action that recognizes the contributions of immigrants to our country and the urgent need to work for justice,” he said.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/procession-urges-dignity-and-respect-for-migrants-at-border-crossing-catholic-catholic-bishops-clergy-and-hundreds-of-faithful-processed-across-the-u-s-mexico-border-to-celebrate-the-contr-scaled.jpg)
The Border Mass 250 included a conversation on immigration with U.S. Catholic bishops, celebration of a Mass, and a rosary procession across the international line.
The most prominent Catholics of the United States in our first 250 years: Msgr. Kupke’s ‘Top Ten’ #Catholic – 
Dear Readers,
It is my pleasure to share with you an article written by Msgr. Raymond Kupke, Diocesan Archivist, Pastor Emeritus of St. Anthony of Padua, Hawthorne, Professor of Church History at Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology, Seton Hall University, author of the book “Living Stones,” and co-host of the “Coffee with Kupke” podcast.
As you will read in the article, as we look towards the 250th Anniversary of our nation’s Independence, I had asked Msgr. Kupke to consider the most prominent or influential Catholics in the first 250 years of the United States – a daunting and challenging task, but, unsurprisingly, Msgr. Kupke was more than “up to the challenge.” As you read Msgr. Kupke’s thoughts, reflections, and historical perspective, I hope you will have an experience similar to my own, a feeling of being inspired by and of deep gratitude for the women and men whose Catholic Faith, Identity, and Leadership helped to build our country, allowing us to truly be “the land of the free and the home of the brave.” Let us continue to pray that God will continue to Bless and watch over our nation, “God Bless America.”
Soon, we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence. In conjunction with that, Bishop Kevin Sweeney asked me to come up with a list of the 10 most prominent Catholics in America’s 250-year history. It has been a daunting task! I found myself starting out by eliminating whole groups of faithful Catholics. I decided not to include any statesmen/politicians (Al Smith, Joe Biden, Antonin Scalia), or Athletes (Vince Lombardi, Yogi Berra, Katie Ledecky), or entertainment figures (Helen Hayes, Frank Sinatra, John Wayne). I also came to the conclusion that there were two “elephants in the room,” namely the first Catholic President, John F. Kennedy, and the first American Pope, Leo XIV. I eliminated them because their impact is just too far-reaching.
So that left me with a list of four bishops, three priests, two nuns, and one laywoman, three of them converts to Catholicism. In my humble opinion, their impact on American Catholicism stands out.
First, three bishops: Archbishop John Carroll of Baltimore (1735-1815), Archbishop John Hughes of New York (1797-1864), and Cardinal James Gibbons of Baltimore (1834-1921).
Carroll was a native Marylander (his cousin, Charles, is the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence), and in his time he founded both America’s first Catholic college (Georgetown) and its first seminary (Saint Mary’s). He is perhaps the only native son to be the founder of a national hierarchy. (When his diocese was divided in 1808, all four of the new bishops were foreign missionaries). His keen understanding of the American psyche gave him an ability to mediate between Roman expectations and American realities in structuring the Church in our country.
Archbishop Hughes, the first Archbishop of New York, known as “Dagger John,” led and defended his flock during the turbulent years of the Trusteeism issue and the nativist “Know-Nothing” era. His struggles to allow the younger members of his flock the opportunity to study their own faith and not non-Catholic tenets led him to embrace and establish the concept of “parochial” schools that has marked American Catholicism. His understanding of where America was headed led him to select a rural site, then miles beyond the actual city, for the current Saint Patrick’s Cathedral.
Cardinal Gibbons’ life is a list of superlatives. When he was named Vicar Apostolic of North Carolina in 1868, he was the youngest Catholic bishop in the world. Two years later, he was the youngest “father” at Vatican I, and, at his death, was the last surviving father of that ecumenical council. After being made cardinal in 1886, he was, for much of the next 35 years, the only cardinal in the Western Hemisphere. In 1903, he became the first American to vote in a papal conclave. During his time, the Baltimore Archdiocese included Washington, D.C., so he became the unofficial liaison between the bishops and the federal government. He provided moderate effective leadership for the American hierarchy during its most stormy period, the “Americanism” crisis of the 1890s. He skillfully used his own Golden Jubilee as a bishop in 1918 to push his fellow bishops into forming a national bishops’ conference.
Father Michael McGivney (1852-1890) was a Connecticut pastor during the Golden Era of American Fraternalism, when many national fraternal groups flourished. For a variety of reasons, Catholics were excluded from many of these groups, and Catholic men, in particular, experienced career and economic disadvantages from their exclusion. McGivney saw the need for an alternative for Catholic men, and so, in 1882, he founded the Knights of Columbus. It is a tribute to McGivney’s foresight that what started as a fraternal insurance group has successfully reinvented itself to meet the needs of the Church and Catholic men in every era. In particular, the Knights’ rising to the fore on behalf of American Catholicism in World War I, when there was no other national Catholic organization to respond, is to their everlasting credit.
The two religious women on the list, Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821) and Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850-1917), both can claim to be the “first.” When Pope Pius XII canonized Cabrini in 1946, it marked the first time an American citizen had been raised to the honors of the altar. When Pope Paul VI canonized Seton in 1975, it marked the first time a native of the United States had been so honored. She was celebrated on the cover of The New York Times magazine that Sunday as “Saint Elizabeth of New York.” Both were very strong women who could effectively “handle” any man who chose to try to rein them in. As foundresses of religious communities, they worked at opposite ends of the nineteenth century – Seton on behalf of Catholic education and Cabrini as the advocate for the immigrants to the New World. Their canonizations – less than 30 years apart – say something about their impact.
I do not think that the soon-to-be-beatified Archbishop Fulton Sheen (1895-1979), the Trappist contemplative Thomas Merton (1915-1968) and the social activist Dorothy Day (1897-1980) ever thought of themselves as a “team.” But as I look back on American Catholicism in the 20th century, I think they were a very powerful and successful triad. After World War II, the story of American Catholicism changed. The anti-Catholicism present in much of the country was softened by the effects of war. When Jews and Catholics and Protestants were thrown together to fight in the trenches of Europe, there was not much room left over for bigotry. The war and the G.I. Bill changed the futures of many American veterans – Catholic and otherwise.
And onto that brand new stage – with its new medium, television – marched Msgr. Fulton Sheen. He was brilliant, witty, telegenic, and engaging. He had a natural talent for apologetics – and for television. He was the first great “star” produced by the new medium, and each week millions of Americans — Catholic and otherwise — listened in to his program, Life is Worth Living. His intelligible presentation of Catholic teaching had a profound impact on his audience and helped produce many converts. But in case you thought that Catholicism was all doctrine and ceremony, there suddenly appeared these other two converts, Merton and Day, almost flanking Sheen and backing him up. One provided an entrée to the depth and power of Catholic spirituality, especially contemplative spirituality. The other, with her newspaper and organization both named The Catholic Worker, reminded several generations of Catholics that their faith had a practical, lived dimension. When you finished watching Sheen on Life is Worth Living, then you sat down and started reading the two autobiographies, The Seven Storey Mountain (Merton) and A Long Loneliness (Day) for context and depth and reflection.
The three of them helped reshape American Catholicism in the second half of the twentieth century. I do not think it is too far a stretch to see them as a remote preparation for the elections of the two elephants, President John F. Kennedy and Pope Leo XIV.
My final top 10 choice is the Jesuit Priest and Theologian John Courtney Murray (1904-1967). Although his writings, especially on Church and State, were originally highly suspect in Roman circles, New York Cardinal Francis J. Spellman brought him to Vatican II as his “peritus.” Murray is generally regarded as the ghostwriter of the conciliar “Declaration on Religious Liberty.” He took two centuries of American ecumenical and interfaith experience and put a theological framework around it, making a unique American contribution to the Council and to the Church.
So, after too much thought and hand wringing, those are my top 10. I do not really expect many people to accept them outright. But I hope they will at least provide a starting point for discussion.
I apologize to all the many men and women whose contributions to our faith in our country did not make it on my list. Perhaps it will calm the waters if I mention that one of my own fantasies is to host a small dinner party around the topic “American Catholic Identity,” and invite just six of my favorite “practicing Catholics:” Kobe Bryant, Taylor Caldwell, Stephen Colbert, Nancy Pelosi, Mark Wahlberg, and Andy Warhol.
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– Dear Readers, It is my pleasure to share with you an article written by Msgr. Raymond Kupke, Diocesan Archivist, Pastor Emeritus of St. Anthony of Padua, Hawthorne, Professor of Church History at Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology, Seton Hall University, author of the book “Living Stones,” and co-host of the “Coffee with Kupke” podcast. As you will read in the article, as we look towards the 250th Anniversary of our nation’s Independence, I had asked Msgr. Kupke to consider the most prominent or influential Catholics in the first 250 years of the United States – a daunting and challenging
Rocket launches this week On Tuesday, June 30, Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus XL will air-launch at 6:23 a.m. EDT from the Reagan Test Site in the Marshall Islands for the Swift Boost Mission. The rocket’s payload is the LINK spacecraft, built by Katalyst Space Technologies, which will rendezvous with NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory — aContinue reading “Swift Boost mission to launch on Tuesday”
The post Swift Boost mission to launch on Tuesday appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
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The group is encouraging communities around the world to honor victims of nuclear weapons through lantern float ceremonies this summer.
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Flower of a Geranium sanguineum, bloody crane’s-bill. Focus stack of 51 photos.
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![Catholic Charities Wiegand Farm Golf Classic generates strong community support #Catholic - The Catholic Charities of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., held its 52nd annual Wiegand Farm Golf Classic at Crystal Springs Resort in Hamburg, N.J., on June 22. One of its largest fundraisers, the event helps support many of its agencies’ important services to those most in need across the diocese. Many priests were among the golfers, including Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]
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Catholic Charities Wiegand Farm Golf Classic generates strong community support #Catholic – 
The Catholic Charities of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., held its 52nd annual Wiegand Farm Golf Classic at Crystal Springs Resort in Hamburg, N.J., on June 22. One of its largest fundraisers, the event helps support many of its agencies’ important services to those most in need across the diocese. Many priests were among the golfers, including Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
– The Catholic Charities of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., held its 52nd annual Wiegand Farm Golf Classic at Crystal Springs Resort in Hamburg, N.J., on June 22. One of its largest fundraisers, the event helps support many of its agencies’ important services to those most in need across the diocese. Many priests were among the golfers, including Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
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A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
12:1-11
In those days, King Herod laid hands upon some members of the Church to harm them.
He had James, the brother of John, killed by the sword,
and when he saw that this was pleasing to the Jews
he proceeded to arrest Peter also.
–It was the feast of Unleavened Bread.–
He had him taken into custody and put in prison
under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each.
He intended to bring him before the people after Passover.
Peter thus was being kept in prison,
but prayer by the Church was fervently being made
to God on his behalf.
On the very night before Herod was to bring him to trial,
Peter, secured by double chains,
was sleeping between two soldiers,
while outside the door guards kept watch on the prison.
Suddenly the angel of the Lord stood by him
and a light shone in the cell.
He tapped Peter on the side and awakened him, saying,
“Get up quickly.”
The chains fell from his wrists.
The angel said to him, “Put on your belt and your sandals.”
He did so.
Then he said to him, “Put on your cloak and follow me.”
So he followed him out,
not realizing that what was happening through the angel was real;
he thought he was seeing a vision.
They passed the first guard, then the second,
and came to the iron gate leading out to the city,
which opened for them by itself.
They emerged and made their way down an alley,
and suddenly the angel left him.
Then Peter recovered his senses and said,
“Now I know for certain
that the Lord sent his angel
and rescued me from the hand of Herod
and from all that the Jewish people had been expecting.”
A reading from the Second Letter of St. Paul to Timothy
4:6-8, 17-18
I, Paul, am already being poured out like a libation,
and the time of my departure is at hand.
I have competed well; I have finished the race;
I have kept the faith.
From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me,
which the Lord, the just judge,
will award to me on that day, and not only to me,
but to all who have longed for his appearance.
The Lord stood by me and gave me strength,
so that through me the proclamation might be completed
and all the Gentiles might hear it.
And I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.
The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat
and will bring me safe to his heavenly Kingdom.
To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.
From the Gospel according to Matthew
16:13-19
When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi
he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter said in reply,
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my Church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Today we celebrate two brothers in faith, Peter and Paul, whom we honour as pillars of the Church and venerate as patrons of the diocese and city of Rome. (…) Today’s liturgy reminds us how Peter and Paul were called to share a single fate, that of martyrdom, which united them definitively to Christ. (…) Yet this communion of the two Apostles in the one confession of faith was the conclusion of a long journey on which each embraced the faith and lived out his apostolate in his own particular way. Their brotherhood in the Spirit did not erase their different backgrounds. (…) The history of Peter and Paul shows us that the communion to which the Lord calls us is a unison of voices and personalities that does not eliminate anyone’s freedom. (…) Saints Peter and Paul also challenge us to think about the vitality of our faith. In our life as disciples, we can always risk falling into a rut (…). The two Apostles, however, can inspire us by the example of their openness to change, to new events. (…)
At the heart of today’s Gospel lies the question that Jesus asked his disciples. Today he asks us that same question, challenging us to examine whether our faith life retains its energy and vitality, and whether the flame of our relationship with the Lord still burns bright: “Who do you say that I am?” (Mt 16:15). Every day, at every moment in history, we must always take this question to heart. (…) Who is Jesus Christ for us today? What place does he occupy in our lives and in the life of the Church? How can we bear witness to this hope in our daily lives and proclaim it to those whom we meet? (Pope Leo XIV, Homily, 29 June 2025)
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In 2024, the priest’s obstinacy had previously led his bishop, José Ignacio Munilla, to remove him from any office or position within the diocese.
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The Wabash Valley Rubber Duck Regatta started in 2018 when the advisory council for Catholic Charities Terre Haute was looking for a new way to engage with the local community.
Retired contractor helps renew Swartswood parish one church project at a time #Catholic – 
One day in 2017, Father Abuchi F. Nwosu, then the new pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (OLMC) Parish in Swartswood, N.J., approached Thomas Rivara, a longtime parishioner, with an ambitious plan for the church. The priest said, “I want to change the altar around — totally.”
Father Nwosu wanted the project completed in two weeks, in time for Palm Sunday. Rivara told the pastor that he and his crew, along with other contractors he could call in, could complete the job. But he also said the timeline was “really pushing it.”
Rivara was pushed, perhaps, but he and his workers finished the altar in time for Palm Sunday and Holy Week. A retired building contractor, he has used his construction expertise on many parish projects over the years.
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“I just do it because I feel I have the ability and the talent to do it. If I can, I will. I am helping the Church,” said Rivara, also a part-time farmer at his family’s 114-year-old Rivara Farm in Newton, N.J. “I could not get up and give a sermon because I am not a speaker. But I like doing these things and enjoy seeing the results,” he said.
Rivara, 75, has been a member of OLMC for almost all his life; the church is located in Swartswood, between Hampton and Stillwater townships in New Jersey.
On Oct. 19, 2025, Rivara was one of many faithful of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., to receive the Vivere Christus Est Medal from Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney during a presentation at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J. The diocesan award honors individuals, couples, or families from each parish for their service to the Church.
Some of Rivara’s other church projects as OLMC include replacing the ceiling in the church hall, renovating both the men’s and women’s bathrooms, repairing sidewalks, and replacing the rectory windows. He also added a kitchen, installed new flooring, jackhammered the old floor of the parish garage and replaced it, and cleared the property of snow as needed.
“It’s an honor that Father Abuchi calls me and has confidence in me to do these projects that help the church and its ongoing success,” Rivara said.
In addition to his construction talents, Rivara has also served as an usher at 7:30 a.m. Mass on Sundays for the past 30 years. His two grandchildren are altar servers at the same Mass. He also helps with the collection, ensuring that it is properly deposited.
Praising the award recipient, Father Nwosu said, “Thomas Rivara is a dedicated and faithful member of our parish whose quiet service and commitment have made a lasting impact on our community.”
“Thomas is known as the person who can always be counted on whenever repairs are needed around the parish, whether fixing gutters, doors, bathrooms, church pews, or addressing countless other maintenance needs that help keep our church in excellent condition,” Father Nwosu said. “He is a man of deep faith, devotion, and generosity. His love for the Church extends to his family,” the priest said.
– One day in 2017, Father Abuchi F. Nwosu, then the new pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (OLMC) Parish in Swartswood, N.J., approached Thomas Rivara, a longtime parishioner, with an ambitious plan for the church. The priest said, “I want to change the altar around — totally.” Father Nwosu wanted the project completed in two weeks, in time for Palm Sunday. Rivara told the pastor that he and his crew, along with other contractors he could call in, could complete the job. But he also said the timeline was “really pushing it.” Rivara was pushed, perhaps, but he and
![Father Flanagan's mission continues at Boys Town more than a century after its founding - #Catholic - More than 100 years after its founding, Boys Town continues to advance Venerable Father Edward J. Flanagan’s mission of caring for the vulnerable and underserved, reaching more than 2 million children and families every year.The Irish-born priest is revered for his revolutionary approach to caring for homeless children in the 20th century, leading him to be declared “Venerable” by Pope Leo XIV in March, 2026.Following the advancement of Flanagan’s canonization cause, Thomas Lynch, who serves as the historian and director of community programs for Boys Town, told EWTN News that the priest’s life serves as an example of “how children can be treated and how to treat your fellow man too.”“Venerable Father Flanagan was born and raised in Ireland in a very devout Catholic family, and he had a great devotion to helping people from the examples of his mother and father,” Lynch said.
Flanagan family portrait taken in 1908. Photo courtesy of Boys Town.
He was born in County Galway in 1886, and moved to America in 1904. His journey through seminary was put on hold due to poor health, but he was eventually ordained in 1912.
Father Edward J. Flanagan arriving to Ellis Island in 1904. Photo courtesy of Boys Town.
While the priest is known for rescuing homeless children and housing them at Father Flanaganʼs Boys Home, his work went beyond aiding children at the village now known as Boys Town.Flanagan had “special ideas and concepts in child care…that were so radical,” but it came “from his concepts of being a Catholic priest of love and dignity for the individual,” Lynch said. “It changed the way children were treated around the world.”Flanagan was “a great champion for civil rights,” Lynch said. “He traveled across America advocating equality regardless of a personʼs race or religion. He felt that [was] one of the greatest stains in America — any type of religious or racial discrimination.”“Many people donʼt realize he went out of his way to help Japanese Americans during World War II. During the internment, he helped around 200 to 300 of them leave the camps and begin new lives, and he brought a number of them to live in the village of Boys Town.”Creating Boys Town ‘with love’ “When Father Flanagan created Boys Town in 1917, unfortunately, in America, there were no child care programs existing that were standard across the country,” Lynch said. “There were reform schools,” but they were “terrible places.”In the schools, “children would commit suicide because the guards would be so violent,” he said. Many of the children were also in orphanages, but “when you became a teenager, you were expelled.”To combat the issue, Flanagan “came forward and said: ‘Theyʼre going to live with me. Theyʼre going to have love, education, a spiritual life, and be taught a trade. Itʼll be done. No corporal punishment. No verbal abuse. Theyʼll live as a family.’”To start Boys Town, Flanagan used “the borrowed $90 he had,” Lynch said. “He had no money and no one really believed in him except for a few people in the city of Omaha.”“But he always said: 'God would provide.’”
Father Edward J. Flanagan and boys at the German-American Home in South Omaha, which served as Flanaganʼs Home for Boys from 1918 to 1921. Photo courtesy of Boys Town.
At Boys Town, “he created one of the first intentionally integrated communities in America…and he did it all with love,” he said. “He referenced love almost every day, in every sermon, and in every prayer.”Flanagan’s success caught the attention of people across the globe, leading his life and legacy to be immortalized in the 1938 movie “Boys Town,” starring Spencer Tracy, who won an Oscar for his portrayal of the priest.
Father Edward J. Flanagan with Mickey Rooney and Spencer Tracy who were actors in the 1938 movie “Boys Town.” Photo courtesy of Boys Town.
Flanagan’s work was also esteemed by multiple presidents and leaders. “President Franklin Roosevelt said America needed 49 more Father Flanaganʼs, one for every state and territory, because his ideas were so far forward and proving successful,” Lynch said.In 1947, Flanagan was even invited by Gen. Douglas MacArthur, who was leading the allied occupation of Japan, to review the child welfare conditions in Japan and Korea.
Father Edward J. Flanagan speaking to children with the priest of Nagasaki Oura Church in Japan. Photo courtesy of Boys Town.
After the trip, Flanagan culminated a report, “Children of Defeat,” which included findings on the devastating conditions of children left homeless and abandoned by World War II across Asia. He presented it to President Harry Truman at the White House on July 11, 1947.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/father-flanagans-mission-continues-at-boys-town-more-than-a-century-after-its-founding-catholic-more-than-100-years-after-its-founding-boys-town-continues-to-advance-venerable-father-edward-j-scaled.jpg)
Father Flanagan “took the Catholic tenets of love, inclusion, and acceptance and he brought that to the care of children in America, when really no one had even thought of it before.”
On June 28, 2011, Pluto’s moon Kerberos was discovered by a team using the Hubble Space Telescope, led by senior research scientist Mark Showalter. While the primary goal of the observing program was to identify both potential targets and potential hazards for the then-upcoming New Horizons mission, Kerberos and its fellow moon Styx were alsoContinue reading “June 28, 2011: Kerberos is discovered”
The post June 28, 2011: Kerberos is discovered appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
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The pope expressed solidarity with those affected by recent earthquakes, following a reflection on “detachment, loss and hospitality” in Christian love.
Author and professor calls on Catholics to revive American culture through faith and classical learning.
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Alley on Escheckstraße (and part of the cuckoo clock trail), Schönwald im Schwarzwald, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
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Piotr Czerski, taken from Trzonów, Poland Galaxies M81 and M82 lie amid large clouds of galactic cirrus — dust that lies in our own Milky Way Galaxy and is lit by the galaxy’s overall, ambient glow. Around 2° to the west lies the Vulcan Nebula (WPS 46). The imager used a 2.8-inch f/5 scope andContinue reading “The Vulcan’s nest”
The post The Vulcan’s nest appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
Read MoreA reading from the Second Book of Kings
4:8-11, 14-16a
One day Elisha came to Shunem,
where there was a woman of influence, who urged him to dine with her.
Afterward, whenever he passed by, he used to stop there to dine.
So she said to her husband, “I know that Elisha is a holy man of God.
Since he visits us often, let us arrange a little room on the roof
and furnish it for him with a bed, table, chair, and lamp,
so that when he comes to us he can stay there.”
Sometime later Elisha arrived and stayed in the room overnight.Later Elisha asked, “Can something be done for her?”
His servant Gehazi answered, “Yes!
She has no son, and her husband is getting on in years.”
Elisha said, “Call her.”
When the woman had been called and stood at the door,
Elisha promised, “This time next year
you will be fondling a baby son.”
A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans
6:3-4, 8-11
Brothers and sisters:
Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into his death?
We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death,
so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
by the glory of the Father,
we too might live in newness of life.If, then, we have died with Christ,
we believe that we shall also live with him.
We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more;
death no longer has power over him.
As to his death, he died to sin once and for all;
as to his life, he lives for God.
Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as dead to sin
and living for God in Christ Jesus.
From the Gospel according to Matthew
10:37-42
Jesus said to his apostles:
“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever does not take up his cross
and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.""Whoever receives you receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet
will receive a prophet’s reward,
and whoever receives a righteous man
because he is a righteous man
will receive a righteous man’s reward.
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones to drink
because the little one is a disciple—
amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”
Jesus asks his disciples to take the demands of the Gospel seriously, even when that requires sacrifice and effort. (…) He says: “He who loves father or mother… son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (v. 37). Jesus certainly does not intend to undervalue love for parents and children, but he knows that if family bonds are put in first place, they can deviate from the true good. We see this: some forms of corruption in governments come about precisely because love for family is greater than love for country, and so they put family members in charge. When, instead, love for parents and children is inspired and purified by love for the Lord, it then becomes wholly fruitful and produces good fruits within the family itself and well beyond it. (…)
Then, Jesus says to his disciples: “he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me” (Mt 10:38). This means following him along the path that he himself trod, without looking for shortcuts. There is no true love without the cross, that is, without a personal price to pay. Many mothers, many fathers who sacrifice a great deal for their children, and bear true sacrifices, crosses, because they love them, say this. And the cross is not frightening when borne with Jesus, because he is always at our side to support us in the hour of the most difficult trial, to give us strength and courage. (Pope Francis, angelus, 28 june 2020)
Read More![Pope Leo XIV closes consistory with appeal to help world find God’s paths to peace – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV on June 27 thanked the College of Cardinals for their work during their two-day extraordinary consistory, highlighting their reflections on war, poverty, and social fragmentation as well as deeper wounds such as loneliness and loss of meaning.The pope said in his closing address that he was “particularly struck by the way [the cardinals] spoke about young people,” especially in their suffering that can at times lead “to the extreme despair of taking their own lives.”“You have recognized one of the deepest wounds of our time,” he said, “yet you have also been able to recognize the work of the Holy Spirit [in their] search for authenticity, for genuine relationships, and for meaning.”Addressing another of the world’s wounds — war — Leo XIV reiterated themes from his encyclical Magnifica Humanitas , warning that war stems from a broader “culture of power” affecting politics, economics, and even religion.“War is born within us,” he said, but it is “precisely in the heart that peace is also decided.” It is in that same heart, he said, where Christ “continues to meet us, speak to us, and to convert us,” and he called for renewed commitment to dialogue, multilateral cooperation, and nonviolent responses rooted in the Gospel.Although the cardinals discussed “just war,” the pope did not specifically mention the tradition in his address, noting instead the theme of self-defense in light of “profound transformations” in contemporary conflicts. Reflection on this topic needs to be “further developed,” he said, “with necessary theological and pastoral rigor.”Issuing a global appeal, Leo XIV declared: “God desires peace for every nation and every people,” urging the Church to help the world reject violence and rediscover the Lord’s paths of reconciliation.Pope Leo also underscored the importance of the family, the Church’s social doctrine, and the formation of consciences, while reaffirming the role of ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue in promoting peace.He urged the cardinals to deepen the Church’s synodal path as a “spiritual style” rooted in listening, discernment, and fidelity to the Gospel. Synodality, he said, is not primarily about structures or decision-making, but about safeguarding the Church’s mission through shared discernment. “The question is not ‘who decides,’” he said, “but how we together safeguard the gift entrusted to the Church.”Leo XIV encouraged the cardinals to promote active participation across local Churches, saying that authentic synodality arises from encounter and openness to the Holy Spirit. He likened this two-day gathering — which had a distinctly synodal format of working group discussions — to the Gospel account of the disciples on the road to Emmaus in which Christ renews hope and clarifies mission.Referring to a meeting of bishops in October to mark the 10th anniversary of Amoris Laetitia, the pope said the gathering will be part of the implementation of the Synod on Synodality — a chance to “foster spaces where the People of God can listen to one another, pray, discern and walk together.”The pope closed by entrusting the fruits of the consistory to the intercession of Our Lady. “May she teach us to preserve unity in diversity and to serve the Gospel of peace with humility, courage, and hope,” he said.He reiterated that these extraordinary consistories will take place annually, and said he will be announcing next year’s meeting at the end of the year.Vatican synthesisAs the consistory took place behind closed doors, it was not possible to know exactly what the cardinals discussed during the two-day meeting. Instead, media had to rely on syntheses provided by the Holy See Press Office which omitted some key interventions such as Cardinal Gerhard Müller’s call on the Vatican to issue a formal response to the Society of St. Pius X’s latest challenge to Rome, as reported on Saturday by Il Giornale’s Nico Spuntoni. The syntheses also did not cover any topics raised in the free discussion at the end of the consistory. The Vatican did, however, provide full texts of four cardinals’ reflections.Opening Friday afternoon’s session on “The Culture of Power and the Civilization of Love” was Cardinal Victor Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, who reflected on the theme and Chapter V of Magnifica Humanitas.Drawing on the social encyclical, he argued that a deep cultural shift had been enabling the outbreak and normalization of new wars, often sustained by AI-driven media and political manipulation.Magnifica Humanitas, he said, marked a significant development by declaring “just war” theory outdated in practice. It insisted instead on a far stricter understanding of legitimate defense and condemning pre-emptive and disproportionate warfare as incompatible with Catholic teaching and the Second Vatican Council’s Gaudium et Spes and its rejection of indiscriminate destruction. As examples, he highlighted military interventions in Gaza and southern Lebanon.Relativism, cynicism, “spiteful verbal attacks by political leaders,” and geopolitical inconsistency favored violent powers, the cardinal said, adding that the Church’s social doctrine was the answer. Alluding to a consistent life ethic, he said the teaching is coherent in its defense of life, migrants, peace, and the vulnerable, and that it is capable of resisting the culture of power and fostering a culture of fraternity and the common good.The Vatican reported that in their working groups during the session, presided over by Filipino Cardinal Siongco David, the cardinals similarly voiced concern about a pervasive “culture of power” marked by polarization, normalization of war, and diminished sensitivity to violence. In response, they stressed the Church’s urgent duty to witness credibly to peace through a transformed language of encounter, rooted in listening, forgiveness, and reconciliation, and through visible Christian unity.They also urged dialogue with other religions, especially Islam, and engagement with international institutions. The Vatican said “numerous groups” called for moving beyond classical “just war” frameworks toward proportionate self-defense, while reaffirming the Gospel as the true source of peace. The Vatican said strong support was expressed for Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical and his moral leadership, alongside renewed reflection on the Petrine ministry as a safeguard of the Church’s independence and a sign of unity.Building the common goodSaturday morning’s session shifted focus to “Building for the Common Good,” examining the deep fractures affecting societies, families, and individuals. Cardinal Stephen Brislin of Johannesburg presented Magnifica Humanitas as a theologically coherent vision of human “building” in an age of technological power, reading the whole encyclical through the opening contrast between Babel’s self-enclosed self-sufficiency and Jerusalem’s God-oriented rebuilding.He noted that the introduction offered a “grammar of building” structured around desire, limitation, shared responsibility, and discernment, asking whether technological expansion, including AI, actually produced more just relationships and institutions attentive to the person. In his reading, the conclusion showed how this grammar found its fulfilment in the theological virtues: faith reading history in the light of God’s merciful plan, charity rooted in the Eucharist grounding synodal communion, and hope directing concrete responsibility toward a “civilization of love,” all sustained by prayer exemplified in Mary’s contemplative gaze.In the Vatican-summarized discussions that followed, presided by Tanzanian Cardinal Protase Rugambwa, the cardinals highlighted the anthropological crisis underlying these divisions, including loss of meaning, identity, and relationships, exacerbated by extreme individualism and emerging challenges such as artificial intelligence.AI was discussed not only technologically but as a force reshaping human self-understanding, raising concerns about dignity, limitation, and the reduction of persons to data. The common good was presented as both elusive and essential, requiring a rediscovery of solidarity grounded in faith and expressed through concrete care for the poor.The Vatican said the Church’s social doctrine and the formation of responsible political leaders were seen as vital responses to systemic inequality and fragmentation. Across interventions, the Gospel emerged as the antidote to division, calling the Church to embody a “Samaritan” presence, foster belonging, and promote synodality as a lived practice of listening and shared responsibility.Final sessionThe final session of the consistory turned to the practical implementation of synodality, emphasizing spiritual elements and institutional challenges. In his reflection, Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary general of the Synod Secretariat, described the Synod on Synodality as a profound experience “in the Spirit” and declared that it had already awakened in the Church a broad desire for participation, mutual listening, and shared discernment among bishops, clergy, religious, and laity.He asserted that the current implementation phase was not a matter of mechanically applying decisions but of receiving, testing, and integrating synodal insights into the ordinary life of local Churches, culminating in the 2028 ecclesial assembly. That phase, he said, depended on bishops as primary stewards of the synodal journey, adding that they needed to hold together synodality and collegiality as complementary expressions of one communion ordered to mission in a world marked by war, inequality, migration, and technological upheaval.In their discussions that followed, presided by Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, the Vatican said the cardinals agreed on the need to integrate the “ascetical and historical” dimensions of synodality while ensuring that its processes do not become overly burdensome or distract from the Church’s evangelical mission.Particular attention was given to priestly formation, with calls for a vision of the priesthood that is dynamic, attractive, and authentically evangelical without reinforcing clericalism.Discussion also clarified the complementary roles of hierarchy and laity in discerning the voice of “the Spirit,” highlighting synodality as a shared but differentiated responsibility within the People of God. The contribution of Eastern Catholic Churches, with their longstanding synodal traditions, was said to be especially valuable.The Vatican synthesis noted that cardinals discussed “the risk that the complexity of the consultation process might weigh down the Church at a time when she is called to bear witness.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/pope-leo-xiv-closes-consistory-with-appeal-to-help-world-find-gods-paths-to-peace-catholic-pope-leo-xiv-on-june-27-thanked-the-college-of-cardinals-for-their-work-during-their-two-day-ex-scaled.jpg "Pope Leo XIV closes consistory with appeal to help world find God’s paths to peace – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV on June 27 thanked the College of Cardinals for their work during their two-day extraordinary consistory, highlighting their reflections on war, poverty, and social fragmentation as well as deeper wounds such as loneliness and loss of meaning.The pope said in his closing address that he was “particularly struck by the way [the cardinals] spoke about young people,” especially in their suffering that can at times lead “to the extreme despair of taking their own lives.”“You have recognized one of the deepest wounds of our time,” he said, “yet you have also been able to recognize the work of the Holy Spirit [in their] search for authenticity, for genuine relationships, and for meaning.”Addressing another of the world’s wounds — war — Leo XIV reiterated themes from his encyclical Magnifica Humanitas , warning that war stems from a broader “culture of power” affecting politics, economics, and even religion.“War is born within us,” he said, but it is “precisely in the heart that peace is also decided.” It is in that same heart, he said, where Christ “continues to meet us, speak to us, and to convert us,” and he called for renewed commitment to dialogue, multilateral cooperation, and nonviolent responses rooted in the Gospel.Although the cardinals discussed “just war,” the pope did not specifically mention the tradition in his address, noting instead the theme of self-defense in light of “profound transformations” in contemporary conflicts. Reflection on this topic needs to be “further developed,” he said, “with necessary theological and pastoral rigor.”Issuing a global appeal, Leo XIV declared: “God desires peace for every nation and every people,” urging the Church to help the world reject violence and rediscover the Lord’s paths of reconciliation.Pope Leo also underscored the importance of the family, the Church’s social doctrine, and the formation of consciences, while reaffirming the role of ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue in promoting peace.He urged the cardinals to deepen the Church’s synodal path as a “spiritual style” rooted in listening, discernment, and fidelity to the Gospel. Synodality, he said, is not primarily about structures or decision-making, but about safeguarding the Church’s mission through shared discernment. “The question is not ‘who decides,’” he said, “but how we together safeguard the gift entrusted to the Church.”Leo XIV encouraged the cardinals to promote active participation across local Churches, saying that authentic synodality arises from encounter and openness to the Holy Spirit. He likened this two-day gathering — which had a distinctly synodal format of working group discussions — to the Gospel account of the disciples on the road to Emmaus in which Christ renews hope and clarifies mission.Referring to a meeting of bishops in October to mark the 10th anniversary of Amoris Laetitia, the pope said the gathering will be part of the implementation of the Synod on Synodality — a chance to “foster spaces where the People of God can listen to one another, pray, discern and walk together.”The pope closed by entrusting the fruits of the consistory to the intercession of Our Lady. “May she teach us to preserve unity in diversity and to serve the Gospel of peace with humility, courage, and hope,” he said.He reiterated that these extraordinary consistories will take place annually, and said he will be announcing next year’s meeting at the end of the year.Vatican synthesisAs the consistory took place behind closed doors, it was not possible to know exactly what the cardinals discussed during the two-day meeting. Instead, media had to rely on syntheses provided by the Holy See Press Office which omitted some key interventions such as Cardinal Gerhard Müller’s call on the Vatican to issue a formal response to the Society of St. Pius X’s latest challenge to Rome, as reported on Saturday by Il Giornale’s Nico Spuntoni. The syntheses also did not cover any topics raised in the free discussion at the end of the consistory. The Vatican did, however, provide full texts of four cardinals’ reflections.Opening Friday afternoon’s session on “The Culture of Power and the Civilization of Love” was Cardinal Victor Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, who reflected on the theme and Chapter V of Magnifica Humanitas.Drawing on the social encyclical, he argued that a deep cultural shift had been enabling the outbreak and normalization of new wars, often sustained by AI-driven media and political manipulation.Magnifica Humanitas, he said, marked a significant development by declaring “just war” theory outdated in practice. It insisted instead on a far stricter understanding of legitimate defense and condemning pre-emptive and disproportionate warfare as incompatible with Catholic teaching and the Second Vatican Council’s Gaudium et Spes and its rejection of indiscriminate destruction. As examples, he highlighted military interventions in Gaza and southern Lebanon.Relativism, cynicism, “spiteful verbal attacks by political leaders,” and geopolitical inconsistency favored violent powers, the cardinal said, adding that the Church’s social doctrine was the answer. Alluding to a consistent life ethic, he said the teaching is coherent in its defense of life, migrants, peace, and the vulnerable, and that it is capable of resisting the culture of power and fostering a culture of fraternity and the common good.The Vatican reported that in their working groups during the session, presided over by Filipino Cardinal Siongco David, the cardinals similarly voiced concern about a pervasive “culture of power” marked by polarization, normalization of war, and diminished sensitivity to violence. In response, they stressed the Church’s urgent duty to witness credibly to peace through a transformed language of encounter, rooted in listening, forgiveness, and reconciliation, and through visible Christian unity.They also urged dialogue with other religions, especially Islam, and engagement with international institutions. The Vatican said “numerous groups” called for moving beyond classical “just war” frameworks toward proportionate self-defense, while reaffirming the Gospel as the true source of peace. The Vatican said strong support was expressed for Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical and his moral leadership, alongside renewed reflection on the Petrine ministry as a safeguard of the Church’s independence and a sign of unity.Building the common goodSaturday morning’s session shifted focus to “Building for the Common Good,” examining the deep fractures affecting societies, families, and individuals. Cardinal Stephen Brislin of Johannesburg presented Magnifica Humanitas as a theologically coherent vision of human “building” in an age of technological power, reading the whole encyclical through the opening contrast between Babel’s self-enclosed self-sufficiency and Jerusalem’s God-oriented rebuilding.He noted that the introduction offered a “grammar of building” structured around desire, limitation, shared responsibility, and discernment, asking whether technological expansion, including AI, actually produced more just relationships and institutions attentive to the person. In his reading, the conclusion showed how this grammar found its fulfilment in the theological virtues: faith reading history in the light of God’s merciful plan, charity rooted in the Eucharist grounding synodal communion, and hope directing concrete responsibility toward a “civilization of love,” all sustained by prayer exemplified in Mary’s contemplative gaze.In the Vatican-summarized discussions that followed, presided by Tanzanian Cardinal Protase Rugambwa, the cardinals highlighted the anthropological crisis underlying these divisions, including loss of meaning, identity, and relationships, exacerbated by extreme individualism and emerging challenges such as artificial intelligence.AI was discussed not only technologically but as a force reshaping human self-understanding, raising concerns about dignity, limitation, and the reduction of persons to data. The common good was presented as both elusive and essential, requiring a rediscovery of solidarity grounded in faith and expressed through concrete care for the poor.The Vatican said the Church’s social doctrine and the formation of responsible political leaders were seen as vital responses to systemic inequality and fragmentation. Across interventions, the Gospel emerged as the antidote to division, calling the Church to embody a “Samaritan” presence, foster belonging, and promote synodality as a lived practice of listening and shared responsibility.Final sessionThe final session of the consistory turned to the practical implementation of synodality, emphasizing spiritual elements and institutional challenges. In his reflection, Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary general of the Synod Secretariat, described the Synod on Synodality as a profound experience “in the Spirit” and declared that it had already awakened in the Church a broad desire for participation, mutual listening, and shared discernment among bishops, clergy, religious, and laity.He asserted that the current implementation phase was not a matter of mechanically applying decisions but of receiving, testing, and integrating synodal insights into the ordinary life of local Churches, culminating in the 2028 ecclesial assembly. That phase, he said, depended on bishops as primary stewards of the synodal journey, adding that they needed to hold together synodality and collegiality as complementary expressions of one communion ordered to mission in a world marked by war, inequality, migration, and technological upheaval.In their discussions that followed, presided by Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, the Vatican said the cardinals agreed on the need to integrate the “ascetical and historical” dimensions of synodality while ensuring that its processes do not become overly burdensome or distract from the Church’s evangelical mission.Particular attention was given to priestly formation, with calls for a vision of the priesthood that is dynamic, attractive, and authentically evangelical without reinforcing clericalism.Discussion also clarified the complementary roles of hierarchy and laity in discerning the voice of “the Spirit,” highlighting synodality as a shared but differentiated responsibility within the People of God. The contribution of Eastern Catholic Churches, with their longstanding synodal traditions, was said to be especially valuable.The Vatican synthesis noted that cardinals discussed “the risk that the complexity of the consultation process might weigh down the Church at a time when she is called to bear witness.”")
The pope thanked the College of Cardinals for their work during a two-day extraordinary consistory, highlighting their reflections on war, poverty, and social fragmentation.
![Tank Pull: veterans fundraiser in Clifton showcases strength #Catholic - A record 54 teams registered for the 15th Annual New Jersey Army Tank Pull Challenge, held June 7 in Clifton, N.J. The event’s proceeds directly benefit New Jersey veterans, especially combat-wounded.
The Tank Pull challenged these teams to pull an 80,000-pound tank mounted on a flatbed truck. They included 11 Knights of Columbus teams, 11 veteran teams, and 15 labor teams. Other teams drew from law enforcement, businesses, and community organizations, showing broad community support for the cause.
For the fifth consecutive year, Catholic Charities of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., joined the Knights of Columbus in organizing the rain-or-shine event. Catholic Charities supports hundreds of veterans in need throughout the state each day through various programs and services, extending the event’s impact year-round.
The Tank Pull took place at 1100 Clifton Ave. between St. James Place and Olga B Terrace in Clifton.
Among this year’s participating teams were IBEW Local 743 Veterans Committee, Don Bosco Ironmen, Clifton PBA 36, PSEG Vets, NFL Alumni Infringers, and Women Veterans of New Jersey.
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The event was made possible through the generous support of sponsors, including the Pallottines of the Immaculate Conception Province, Natoli Construction, and Passaic County Central Labor Council.
The Tank Pull was free for spectators and also featured family-friendly activities.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/tank-pull-veterans-fundraiser-in-clifton-showcases-strength-catholic-a-record-54-teams-registered-for-the-15th-annual-new-jersey-army-tank-pull-challenge-held-june-7-in-clifton-n-j-the-event.jpg)
Tank Pull: veterans fundraiser in Clifton showcases strength #Catholic – 
A record 54 teams registered for the 15th Annual New Jersey Army Tank Pull Challenge, held June 7 in Clifton, N.J. The event’s proceeds directly benefit New Jersey veterans, especially combat-wounded.
The Tank Pull challenged these teams to pull an 80,000-pound tank mounted on a flatbed truck. They included 11 Knights of Columbus teams, 11 veteran teams, and 15 labor teams. Other teams drew from law enforcement, businesses, and community organizations, showing broad community support for the cause.
For the fifth consecutive year, Catholic Charities of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., joined the Knights of Columbus in organizing the rain-or-shine event. Catholic Charities supports hundreds of veterans in need throughout the state each day through various programs and services, extending the event’s impact year-round.
The Tank Pull took place at 1100 Clifton Ave. between St. James Place and Olga B Terrace in Clifton.
Among this year’s participating teams were IBEW Local 743 Veterans Committee, Don Bosco Ironmen, Clifton PBA 36, PSEG Vets, NFL Alumni Infringers, and Women Veterans of New Jersey.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
The event was made possible through the generous support of sponsors, including the Pallottines of the Immaculate Conception Province, Natoli Construction, and Passaic County Central Labor Council.
The Tank Pull was free for spectators and also featured family-friendly activities.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
– A record 54 teams registered for the 15th Annual New Jersey Army Tank Pull Challenge, held June 7 in Clifton, N.J. The event’s proceeds directly benefit New Jersey veterans, especially combat-wounded. The Tank Pull challenged these teams to pull an 80,000-pound tank mounted on a flatbed truck. They included 11 Knights of Columbus teams, 11 veteran teams, and 15 labor teams. Other teams drew from law enforcement, businesses, and community organizations, showing broad community support for the cause. For the fifth consecutive year, Catholic Charities of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., joined the Knights of Columbus in organizing the rain-or-shine event.
Father Hector Ramon Melendez Varona, retired priest, 81 #Catholic – 
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, June 29, at St. Dominic Church in Miami, Fla., for Father Hector Ramon Melendez Varona, a retired priest of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., who died on June 11 in in Hialeah, Fla. He was 81.
Father Melendez was ordained on May 28, 1980 for the Archdiocese of Camaguey in Cuba and was incardinated in the Paterson Diocese on Sept. 22, 2006 by Bishop Emeritus Arthur J. Serratelli.
Father Melendez faithfully served the Paterson Diocese at Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Passaic, N.J., Ss. Cyril and Methodius Parish in Clifton, N.J., and Our Lady of Victories and Our Lady of Lourdes parishes in Paterson, N.J., before his retirement in 2018.
Please send condolences to Gertrudis Melendez, 8873 NW 171 Lane, Hialeah, Fla. 33018.
Please keep Father Melendez; his sister, Gerturdis; all their family and friends; and all of the priests of the Paterson Diocese in your prayers, especially at the Eucharist.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
– A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, June 29, at St. Dominic Church in Miami, Fla., for Father Hector Ramon Melendez Varona, a retired priest of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., who died on June 11 in in Hialeah, Fla. He was 81. Father Melendez was ordained on May 28, 1980 for the Archdiocese of Camaguey in Cuba and was incardinated in the Paterson Diocese on Sept. 22, 2006 by Bishop Emeritus Arthur J. Serratelli. Father Melendez faithfully served the Paterson Diocese at Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Passaic, N.J., Ss. Cyril and Methodius Parish in Clifton,
Walk, don’t run.
The post SHOCK VIDEO: Terrifying Footage Shows Grisly Bear Charging at Canadian Woman Walking Her Dog appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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On Thursday, President Trump put the Communists on notice after three far-left radicals backed by Communist NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani swept New York’s House primary.
The post Jesse Watters on Trump’s Declaration of War on Communism (Video) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Gun rights experts are schooling Far-left Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson following her stupid dissent in a key gun rights case earlier this week.
The post Justice Jackson Hit With a Major Constitutional Lesson Following Her Dissent in Hawaii Gun Rights Case – State Relied on an Old ‘Black Code’ Law to Disarm Residents appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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The state “singled out and punished” the Catholic ministry because it operates in accordance with the Church, the lawsuit claims.
![‘It’s coming fast’: Arlington Diocese sits at center of ‘Data Center Alley’ – #Catholic – Data centers continue popping up across the country to fuel the growth of artificial intelligence in everyday life, and the Catholic Diocese of Arlington is home to the densest concentration of these facilities in the world, known as “Data Center Alley.”“Itʼs absolutely in people’s minds to be thinking how to pastor and shepherd the flock,” Anna Knier, coordinator for the office of the peace and justice commission for the diocese, told Mark Irons on “EWTN News In Depth” on June 26."Itʼs coming fast and quickly, and itʼs kind of [like] weʼre building the plane as we fly a little bit in terms of all sorts of considerations, including infrastructure,” Knier said.The hub, dubbed “Data Center Alley,” is located in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C., just west of the city. There are more than 300 data centers in Northern Virginia and more than 100 in development.Data centers have become a focal point of the broader AI debate. They often receive government tax subsidies while employing few people compared to other facilities that often get similar incentives, like factories. Data centers also consume an enormous amount of energy. According to a report by the Electric Power Research Institute, about 4-5% of national energy is consumed by data centers, but that will increase to between 9-17% by 2030. Virginia is the only state in which more than 20% of energy is consumed by data centers, but that could increase to 39-57% by 2030.In Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, the Holy Father warned about a “tendency to overlook the environmental impact” of AI, mostly caused by the energy and water consumption of data centers.Leo discussed broader concerns about AI development as well, such as preserving the dignity of work, building up human solidarity, and not concentrating power in the hands of a few, but instead ensuring all people benefit from the innovation."We need to be with those who are on the margins,” Knier said.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/its-coming-fast-arlington-diocese-sits-at-center-of-data-center-alley-catholic-data-centers-continue-popping-up-across-the-country-to-fuel-the-growth-of-artificial-intell.jpg "‘It’s coming fast’: Arlington Diocese sits at center of ‘Data Center Alley’ – #Catholic – Data centers continue popping up across the country to fuel the growth of artificial intelligence in everyday life, and the Catholic Diocese of Arlington is home to the densest concentration of these facilities in the world, known as “Data Center Alley.”“Itʼs absolutely in people’s minds to be thinking how to pastor and shepherd the flock,” Anna Knier, coordinator for the office of the peace and justice commission for the diocese, told Mark Irons on “EWTN News In Depth” on June 26.\"Itʼs coming fast and quickly, and itʼs kind of [like] weʼre building the plane as we fly a little bit in terms of all sorts of considerations, including infrastructure,” Knier said.The hub, dubbed “Data Center Alley,” is located in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C., just west of the city. There are more than 300 data centers in Northern Virginia and more than 100 in development.Data centers have become a focal point of the broader AI debate. They often receive government tax subsidies while employing few people compared to other facilities that often get similar incentives, like factories. Data centers also consume an enormous amount of energy. According to a report by the Electric Power Research Institute, about 4-5% of national energy is consumed by data centers, but that will increase to between 9-17% by 2030. Virginia is the only state in which more than 20% of energy is consumed by data centers, but that could increase to 39-57% by 2030.In Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, the Holy Father warned about a “tendency to overlook the environmental impact” of AI, mostly caused by the energy and water consumption of data centers.Leo discussed broader concerns about AI development as well, such as preserving the dignity of work, building up human solidarity, and not concentrating power in the hands of a few, but instead ensuring all people benefit from the innovation.\"We need to be with those who are on the margins,” Knier said.")
EWTN News In Depth’s Mark Irons reports on “Data Center Alley” in the Diocese of Arlington in light of Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas.
NEW YORK, NY — Cuban Americans across the city reportedly took to the sea, eager to once again escape the terrors of communism in homemade rafts that some believed may not even be capable of making the trip.
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The newly opened Barack Obama Presidential Center contains so much more than documents from Obama’s time in office; there are dozens of incredible, interactive exhibits for visitors of all ages.
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Currently, Fio is being used in over 100 countries, is host to over 100,000 hours of Catholic content, and has over 1,000 Catholic creators putting their work on the platform.
The Miami archbishop said the U.S. Senate should send the president legislation that would extend Temporary Protected Status protections to Haitians for three years.
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