Fishing Boats and City Lights – Fishing boats illuminate the Arabian Sea along India’s west coast with green lights designed to attract squid, shrimp, sardines, and mackerel in this nighttime photograph from the International Space Station, orbiting 259 miles above Earth. At lower right, the city lights of Hyderabad—renowned for its historic diamond and pearl trade—stretch westward toward the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, home to over 26 million people and the heart of Bollywood.
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Fishing Boats and City Lights – Fishing boats illuminate the Arabian Sea along India’s west coast with green lights designed to attract squid, shrimp, sardines, and mackerel in this nighttime photograph from the International Space Station, orbiting 259 miles above Earth. At lower right, the city lights of Hyderabad—renowned for its historic diamond and pearl trade—stretch westward toward the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, home to over 26 million people and the heart of Bollywood.

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Fishing boats illuminate the Arabian Sea along India’s west coast with green lights designed to attract squid, shrimp, sardines, and mackerel in this nighttime photograph from the International Space Station, orbiting 259 miles above Earth. At lower right, the city lights of Hyderabad—renowned for its historic diamond and pearl trade—stretch westward toward the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, home to over 26 million people and the heart of Bollywood.

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Assumption school eighth-grader in urgent need of kidney #Catholic – A Morristown, N.J.,  family is desperately seeking a living kidney donor for their son, an eighth-grade student at Assumption School. Thaddeus Giansanti was born with kidney disease and has undergone multiple surgeries including one to remove a non-functioning kidney when he was an infant. Parents Christa and Carlo are turning to the community for help to find a living donor for their son. Neither parent is a match for the 13-year-old who is now faced with a single declining kidney and is in urgent need of a transplant. According to his doctors, if Thaddeus does not receive a kidney transplant within a couple of weeks, he will need to be put on dialysis. A donor needs to be in good health, under 45 years old, have a BMI under 30, and have blood type O. If you are able to consider this, please use the links below. Kidney Transplant Living Donor Questionnaire Transplant donor form Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.  
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Assumption school eighth-grader in urgent need of kidney #Catholic – A Morristown, N.J.,  family is desperately seeking a living kidney donor for their son, an eighth-grade student at Assumption School. Thaddeus Giansanti was born with kidney disease and has undergone multiple surgeries including one to remove a non-functioning kidney when he was an infant. Parents Christa and Carlo are turning to the community for help to find a living donor for their son. Neither parent is a match for the 13-year-old who is now faced with a single declining kidney and is in urgent need of a transplant. According to his doctors, if Thaddeus does not receive a kidney transplant within a couple of weeks, he will need to be put on dialysis. A donor needs to be in good health, under 45 years old, have a BMI under 30, and have blood type O. If you are able to consider this, please use the links below. Kidney Transplant Living Donor Questionnaire Transplant donor form Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.  

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Assumption school eighth-grader in urgent need of kidney #Catholic –

A Morristown, N.J.,  family is desperately seeking a living kidney donor for their son, an eighth-grade student at Assumption School. Thaddeus Giansanti was born with kidney disease and has undergone multiple surgeries including one to remove a non-functioning kidney when he was an infant.

Parents Christa and Carlo are turning to the community for help to find a living donor for their son. Neither parent is a match for the 13-year-old who is now faced with a single declining kidney and is in urgent need of a transplant. According to his doctors, if Thaddeus does not receive a kidney transplant within a couple of weeks, he will need to be put on dialysis.

A donor needs to be in good health, under 45 years old, have a BMI under 30, and have blood type O. If you are able to consider this, please use the links below.

Kidney Transplant Living Donor Questionnaire

Transplant donor form

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

 

– A Morristown, N.J.,  family is desperately seeking a living kidney donor for their son, an eighth-grade student at Assumption School. Thaddeus Giansanti was born with kidney disease and has undergone multiple surgeries including one to remove a non-functioning kidney when he was an infant. Parents Christa and Carlo are turning to the community for help to find a living donor for their son. Neither parent is a match for the 13-year-old who is now faced with a single declining kidney and is in urgent need of a transplant. According to his doctors, if Thaddeus does not receive a kidney transplant

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Feb 18, 1930: Discovery of Pluto

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From 1905 until his death in 1916, Percival Lowell searched for a ninth planet, which he called Planet X. Lowell had predicted the planet based on irregularities in the orbit of Uranus. In 1929, Lowell Observatory Director V.M. Slipher hired self-taught astronomer Clyde Tombaugh to resume Lowell’s search for the planet. Tombaugh captured long-exposure photosContinue reading “Feb 18, 1930: Discovery of Pluto”

The post Feb 18, 1930: Discovery of Pluto appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 18 February 2026 – A reading from the Book of Joel 2:12-18 Even now, says the LORD, return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning; Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the LORD, your God. For gracious and merciful is he, slow to anger, rich in kindness, and relenting in punishment. Perhaps he will again relent and leave behind him a blessing, Offerings and libations for the LORD, your God. Blow the trumpet in Zion! proclaim a fast, call an assembly; Gather the people, notify the congregation; Assemble the elders, gather the children and the infants at the breast; Let the bridegroom quit his room and the bride her chamber. Between the porch and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep, And say, "Spare, O LORD, your people, and make not your heritage a reproach, with the nations ruling over them! Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’" Then the LORD was stirred to concern for his land and took pity on his people.   A reading from the Second Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians 2 Corinthians 5:20—6:2 Brothers and sisters: We are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him. Working together, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says: In an acceptable time I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you. Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.From the Gospel according to Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 Jesus said to his disciples: "Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. "When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. "When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you."“When you pray”, says Jesus, “go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Mt 6:6). First of all, the Lord calls us to enter this hidden place of the heart, patiently delving into it; he invites us to make an inner immersion that demands a journey of emptying and divesting ourselves. Once we have entered, he asks us to close the door to bad thoughts in order to safeguard a pure, humble and meek heart, through vigilance and spiritual combat. Only then can we abandon ourselves with confidence to intimate dialogue with the Father, who dwells and sees in secret, and in secret fills us with his gifts. This vocation to worship and inner prayer, proper to every believer, (…) is not an escape from the world, but a regeneration of the heart, so that it may be capable of listening, a source of the creative and fruitful action of the charity that God inspires in us. This call to interiority and silence, to live in contact with oneself, with one’s neighbour, with creation and with God, is needed today more than ever, in a world increasingly alienated by the media and technology. From intimate friendship with the Lord, in fact, the joy of living, the wonder of faith and the taste for ecclesial communion are reborn. (Address of Pope Leone XIV to Italian Heremits partecipating in the Jubilee of Consecrated Life, 11 October 2025)

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A reading from the Book of Joel
2:12-18

Even now, says the LORD,
return to me with your whole heart,
with fasting, and weeping, and mourning;
Rend your hearts, not your garments,
and return to the LORD, your God.
For gracious and merciful is he,
slow to anger, rich in kindness,
and relenting in punishment.
Perhaps he will again relent
and leave behind him a blessing,
Offerings and libations
for the LORD, your God.

Blow the trumpet in Zion!
proclaim a fast,
call an assembly;
Gather the people,
notify the congregation;
Assemble the elders,
gather the children
and the infants at the breast;
Let the bridegroom quit his room
and the bride her chamber.
Between the porch and the altar
let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep,
And say, "Spare, O LORD, your people,
and make not your heritage a reproach,
with the nations ruling over them!
Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’"

Then the LORD was stirred to concern for his land
and took pity on his people.

 

A reading from the Second Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians
2 Corinthians 5:20—6:2

Brothers and sisters:
We are ambassadors for Christ,
as if God were appealing through us.
We implore you on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God.
For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin,
so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

Working together, then,
we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
For he says:

In an acceptable time I heard you,
and on the day of salvation I helped you.

Behold, now is a very acceptable time;
behold, now is the day of salvation.

From the Gospel according to Matthew
6:1-6, 16-18

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them;
otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
When you give alms,
do not blow a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you give alms,
do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
so that your almsgiving may be secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

"When you pray,
do not be like the hypocrites,
who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners
so that others may see them.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go to your inner room,
close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

"When you fast,
do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others to be fasting.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast,
anoint your head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you."

“When you pray”, says Jesus, “go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Mt 6:6). First of all, the Lord calls us to enter this hidden place of the heart, patiently delving into it; he invites us to make an inner immersion that demands a journey of emptying and divesting ourselves. Once we have entered, he asks us to close the door to bad thoughts in order to safeguard a pure, humble and meek heart, through vigilance and spiritual combat. Only then can we abandon ourselves with confidence to intimate dialogue with the Father, who dwells and sees in secret, and in secret fills us with his gifts.

This vocation to worship and inner prayer, proper to every believer, (…) is not an escape from the world, but a regeneration of the heart, so that it may be capable of listening, a source of the creative and fruitful action of the charity that God inspires in us. This call to interiority and silence, to live in contact with oneself, with one’s neighbour, with creation and with God, is needed today more than ever, in a world increasingly alienated by the media and technology. From intimate friendship with the Lord, in fact, the joy of living, the wonder of faith and the taste for ecclesial communion are reborn. (Address of Pope Leone XIV to Italian Heremits partecipating in the Jubilee of Consecrated Life, 11 October 2025)

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Filipino bishops urge faithful to begin ‘digital media fasting’ – #Catholic – The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines has issued guidance for Catholics to go beyond fasting from food this Lent by committing to a fast from social media.“In our present time, fasting must also address the new realities shaping human life. One of the greatest influences today is digital media,” said the Feb. 13 pastoral message from Archbishop Gilbert A. Garcera of Lipa, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines. “Thus, we invite the faithful to undertake a digital media fasting as a contemporary expression of conversion and renewal.”The pastoral message delivered on behalf of the conference came before Ash Wednesday on Feb. 18, which will mark the start of Lent.The message noted fasting has historically meant abstinence from food, “an act of repentance and spiritual focus.” However, the bishops pointed out that engagement with social media, and other forms of online entertainment, serves as a significant source of distraction in today’s context that “weakens our interior life.”“True fasting, as Jesus teaches, is not an external performance but an interior conversion,” the bishops said. “Digital media fasting, therefore, invites a rediscovery of silence, prayer, contemplation, and authentic relationships. It is not meant to punish the body but to free the heart.”The bishops offered practical ways to carry out a social media fast this Lent, such as avoiding phone use before waking up and going to sleep, limiting screen time, observing 24-hour and weekend fasts, and replacing screen time with prayer, service, reading, or conversation.“Digital media fasting is not anti-technology,” the letter said. “Rather, it asks: How can Christ guide our use of media”The bishops stressed the need to approach Lent joyfully, and “not with gloomy faces,” noting the fruit of fasting from screen time is a closer relationship with God, greater mental clarity and focus, and renewed appreciation for creation at large.“In stepping back from digital excess, we reclaim interior silence, deepen relationships, and rediscover God’s presence in daily life,” the letter concluded. “Entrusting this pastoral invitation to the intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church, we encourage all dioceses, parishes, families, and communities to promote media fasting during Lent and beyond.”
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Filipino bishops urge faithful to begin ‘digital media fasting’ – #Catholic – The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines has issued guidance for Catholics to go beyond fasting from food this Lent by committing to a fast from social media.“In our present time, fasting must also address the new realities shaping human life. One of the greatest influences today is digital media,” said the Feb. 13 pastoral message from Archbishop Gilbert A. Garcera of Lipa, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines. “Thus, we invite the faithful to undertake a digital media fasting as a contemporary expression of conversion and renewal.”The pastoral message delivered on behalf of the conference came before Ash Wednesday on Feb. 18, which will mark the start of Lent.The message noted fasting has historically meant abstinence from food, “an act of repentance and spiritual focus.” However, the bishops pointed out that engagement with social media, and other forms of online entertainment, serves as a significant source of distraction in today’s context that “weakens our interior life.”“True fasting, as Jesus teaches, is not an external performance but an interior conversion,” the bishops said. “Digital media fasting, therefore, invites a rediscovery of silence, prayer, contemplation, and authentic relationships. It is not meant to punish the body but to free the heart.”The bishops offered practical ways to carry out a social media fast this Lent, such as avoiding phone use before waking up and going to sleep, limiting screen time, observing 24-hour and weekend fasts, and replacing screen time with prayer, service, reading, or conversation.“Digital media fasting is not anti-technology,” the letter said. “Rather, it asks: How can Christ guide our use of media”The bishops stressed the need to approach Lent joyfully, and “not with gloomy faces,” noting the fruit of fasting from screen time is a closer relationship with God, greater mental clarity and focus, and renewed appreciation for creation at large.“In stepping back from digital excess, we reclaim interior silence, deepen relationships, and rediscover God’s presence in daily life,” the letter concluded. “Entrusting this pastoral invitation to the intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church, we encourage all dioceses, parishes, families, and communities to promote media fasting during Lent and beyond.”

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“In stepping back from digital excess, we reclaim interior silence, deepen relationships, and rediscover God’s presence in daily life,” the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines said.

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Cardinal Parolin: The Vatican ‘will not participate in Trump’s Board of Peace’ – #Catholic – Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, announced on Feb. 17 that the Holy See “will not participate in the Board of Peace,” an initiative promoted by U.S. President Donald Trump to address various conflicts around the world, such as the one in Gaza.The Holy See “will not participate in the Board of Peace due to its particular nature, which is clearly not that of other states,” the cardinal told reporters after a meeting in Rome with the Italian government at Palazzo Borromeo on the occasion of the anniversary of the Lateran Pacts, which in 1929 recognized the sovereignty of Vatican City State.When asked about Italy’s participation as an observer on the Board of Peace, Parolin stated: “There are some points that leave one somewhat perplexed. There are critical points that need to be explained.”“The important thing is that an attempt is being made to provide an answer. However, for us, there are some critical issues that need to be resolved,” the cardinal said, according to Vatican News, adding that “one concern is that, at the international level, it is primarily the U.N. [United Nations] that manages these crisis situations. This is one of the points on which we have emphasized.”On Jan. 21, Parolin had told reporters that the Vatican was evaluating whether or not to participate in Trump’s Board of Peace, a question that has now been decided.Trump’s Peace Board seeks to address global conflicts, with a particular focus on the Gaza Strip, as an independent body separate from the United Nations. More than 25 countries have announced their participation, including Argentina, El Salvador, Paraguay, Belarus, Bulgaria, the United Arab Emirates, Hungary, Egypt, and Morocco.Parolin also spoke on Feb. 17 about the war in Ukraine, saying that “there is great pessimism,” since “neither side seems to have made any real progress toward peace, and it is tragic that after four years we are still at this point.”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.
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Cardinal Parolin: The Vatican ‘will not participate in Trump’s Board of Peace’ – #Catholic – Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, announced on Feb. 17 that the Holy See “will not participate in the Board of Peace,” an initiative promoted by U.S. President Donald Trump to address various conflicts around the world, such as the one in Gaza.The Holy See “will not participate in the Board of Peace due to its particular nature, which is clearly not that of other states,” the cardinal told reporters after a meeting in Rome with the Italian government at Palazzo Borromeo on the occasion of the anniversary of the Lateran Pacts, which in 1929 recognized the sovereignty of Vatican City State.When asked about Italy’s participation as an observer on the Board of Peace, Parolin stated: “There are some points that leave one somewhat perplexed. There are critical points that need to be explained.”“The important thing is that an attempt is being made to provide an answer. However, for us, there are some critical issues that need to be resolved,” the cardinal said, according to Vatican News, adding that “one concern is that, at the international level, it is primarily the U.N. [United Nations] that manages these crisis situations. This is one of the points on which we have emphasized.”On Jan. 21, Parolin had told reporters that the Vatican was evaluating whether or not to participate in Trump’s Board of Peace, a question that has now been decided.Trump’s Peace Board seeks to address global conflicts, with a particular focus on the Gaza Strip, as an independent body separate from the United Nations. More than 25 countries have announced their participation, including Argentina, El Salvador, Paraguay, Belarus, Bulgaria, the United Arab Emirates, Hungary, Egypt, and Morocco.Parolin also spoke on Feb. 17 about the war in Ukraine, saying that “there is great pessimism,” since “neither side seems to have made any real progress toward peace, and it is tragic that after four years we are still at this point.”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.

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Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, announced that the Holy See “will not participate in the Board of Peace,” promoted by the U.S. president to address Gaza and other conflicts.

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Are you ready for Lent, for a Season of Grace, and the opportunity to be ‘Welcomed Home to Healing?’ #Catholic – “Lent is a time in which the Church, guided by a sense of maternal care, invites us to place the mystery of God back in the center of our lives, in order to find renewal in our faith and keep our hearts from being consumed by the anxieties and distractions of daily life … the Lenten journey is a welcome opportunity to heed the voice of the Lord and renew our commitment to following Christ, accompanying him on the road to Jerusalem, where the mystery of his passion, death and resurrection will be fulfilled…” Pope Leo’s Message for Lent 2026 BISHOP KEVIN J. SWEENEY “Ready or not …” Ash Wednesday and the Season of Lent are at our doorstep or, depending on when you are reading this, may have already arrived. As much as one may try to look ahead, things can still “sneak up” on us. I hope this article will be posted on “Mardi Gras,” the day before Ash Wednesday, and may help some readers make some “last-minute” preparations and/or Lenten resolutions, aka “What I am (are you) going to give up for Lent?” I also hope that some who may read this on Ash Wednesday or in the following days or weeks, might be assisted in getting their Lent started, restarted, or energized. On Sunday, Feb. 15, I saw that the Vatican had published (on Feb. 13) Pope Leo XIV’s “Message for Lent 2026: ‘Listening and Fasting.’” The link to the full text of the brief message that invites us to consider: “Listening” – especially to God’s Word; “Fasting” – especially offering an invitation, “to a very practical and frequently unappreciated form of abstinence: that of refraining from words that offend and hurt our neighbor…”; and that we are “Together” – “…Lent emphasizes the communal aspect of listening to the word and fasting.” Before I was aware of Pope Leo’s message, I was preparing to share some thoughts and suggestions for a spiritually fruitful Lent, and I was happy to see on the Hallow app that Father Mike Schmitz was offering his “Top 10 Lent Tips.” I think you need to have a subscription to the Hallow app to see and hear Father Mike’s presentation and commentary. One of the recommendations that I was planning to make was to consider subscribing to the Hallow app because, for the past two years, I have found Hallow’s “Lent Pray 40 Challenge” to have been a very helpful resource in my own, personal Lenten journey. For those who don’t have Hallow and may not be interested in subscribing, I would like to share with you Father Mike’s “Top 10 Lent Tips,” as the list is available online. I will also offer some of my reactions and comments to Father Mike’s “Top 10.” In a “LinkedIn” post, Alex at Hallow shares Father Mike’s list: Top 10 tips from Father Mike Schmitz this Lent: Silence every day — just take 5 or 10 minutes to really be with the Lord Pray every day — listen to Him Spend time in God’s Word -— bring it more and more into your daily life Go to Confession — at least once, but really twice Daily Mass — try to find one that works with your schedule Spiritual reading every day — pick a book Fast — doesn’t have to be food, and it doesn’t have to be something bad, just something you might be a little too attached to Almsgiving — go serve the poor Invite someone to Mass — Lent is not something we are meant to do alone Go home and love your family Father Mike does not say that these 10 “tips” are listed in “order of importance.” He also does not say that he suggests or expects that someone should try to do “all 10” or “pick three” of the 10. Most readers and, I believe, most practicing Catholics are aware of the Church’s “Top 3” Spiritual practices during Lent: Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving. In some ways, Father Mike’s “Top 10” are all “connected,” in some way to prayer, fasting, or almsgiving. I believe that this will be my “sixth time” in six years (six Lents) as bishop to say that my “Number One” Recommendation for Lent is Daily Mass. As I review Father Mike’s list, his numbers one through four are all very good suggestions and spiritual practices that can produce great fruit. If you are not already attending Daily Mass and you can find a way to attend Daily Mass every day during Lent, I am convinced that you will have a fuller and deeper experience of Holy Week, of the Sacred Triduum, and of Easter Joy. My No. 2 is Father Mike’s No. 4, “Go to Confession” – I am not sure if I have heard it suggested before, as Father Mike suggests, that you go to Confession (at least) twice during Lent – don’t leave it until the end, during Holy Week, but go early and, then, if you need to, go again approaching or during Holy Week. Here in our Diocese of Paterson, we offer “Welcome Home to Healing” during Lent, which means that you can go to Confession, celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation, at ANY and EVERY of the 107 parishes in our diocese (in Passaic, Morris, or Sussex Counties) on EVERY Monday during Lent between 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. I have said before that the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) is making a comeback. In recent years, people are returning to this Sacrament of Healing and Forgiveness that is still too often misunderstood and underappreciated. I strongly encourage you and ask you to invite others to give this Sacrament “another chance” -if it’s been a while, a few years or many, many years; if you have had a bad experience in the past, please know that our loving and merciful God is “waiting for you” to approach this sacrament so that, after confessing your sins and asking for forgiveness, you can hear those beautiful words, “I absolve you from your sins. Go in Peace, your sins are forgiven.” There is a way to combine or unite Father Mike’s numbers one to three, by taking time each day in silent prayer and in prayerfully listening to God’s Word. There are many ways to do this, but praying with the daily Mass Readings (if you can’t get to daily Mass) is a powerful and very fruitful form of prayer. If you use the internet (Google), you can easily find the daily Mass Readings at “USCCB daily readings.”  I hope that these thoughts and suggestions might be helpful to you in some way. As Pope Leo reminds us, let’s be together and pray for one another during Lent. I will conclude with one beautiful form of prayer that I had almost forgotten to mention: The Stations of the Cross. As we pray for one another during Lent, let us remember those beautiful words that we pray during the “Stations”: “We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you, because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the World.” Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.  
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Are you ready for Lent, for a Season of Grace, and the opportunity to be ‘Welcomed Home to Healing?’ #Catholic – “Lent is a time in which the Church, guided by a sense of maternal care, invites us to place the mystery of God back in the center of our lives, in order to find renewal in our faith and keep our hearts from being consumed by the anxieties and distractions of daily life … the Lenten journey is a welcome opportunity to heed the voice of the Lord and renew our commitment to following Christ, accompanying him on the road to Jerusalem, where the mystery of his passion, death and resurrection will be fulfilled…” Pope Leo’s Message for Lent 2026 BISHOP KEVIN J. SWEENEY “Ready or not …” Ash Wednesday and the Season of Lent are at our doorstep or, depending on when you are reading this, may have already arrived. As much as one may try to look ahead, things can still “sneak up” on us. I hope this article will be posted on “Mardi Gras,” the day before Ash Wednesday, and may help some readers make some “last-minute” preparations and/or Lenten resolutions, aka “What I am (are you) going to give up for Lent?” I also hope that some who may read this on Ash Wednesday or in the following days or weeks, might be assisted in getting their Lent started, restarted, or energized. On Sunday, Feb. 15, I saw that the Vatican had published (on Feb. 13) Pope Leo XIV’s “Message for Lent 2026: ‘Listening and Fasting.’” The link to the full text of the brief message that invites us to consider: “Listening” – especially to God’s Word; “Fasting” – especially offering an invitation, “to a very practical and frequently unappreciated form of abstinence: that of refraining from words that offend and hurt our neighbor…”; and that we are “Together” – “…Lent emphasizes the communal aspect of listening to the word and fasting.” Before I was aware of Pope Leo’s message, I was preparing to share some thoughts and suggestions for a spiritually fruitful Lent, and I was happy to see on the Hallow app that Father Mike Schmitz was offering his “Top 10 Lent Tips.” I think you need to have a subscription to the Hallow app to see and hear Father Mike’s presentation and commentary. One of the recommendations that I was planning to make was to consider subscribing to the Hallow app because, for the past two years, I have found Hallow’s “Lent Pray 40 Challenge” to have been a very helpful resource in my own, personal Lenten journey. For those who don’t have Hallow and may not be interested in subscribing, I would like to share with you Father Mike’s “Top 10 Lent Tips,” as the list is available online. I will also offer some of my reactions and comments to Father Mike’s “Top 10.” In a “LinkedIn” post, Alex at Hallow shares Father Mike’s list: Top 10 tips from Father Mike Schmitz this Lent: Silence every day — just take 5 or 10 minutes to really be with the Lord Pray every day — listen to Him Spend time in God’s Word -— bring it more and more into your daily life Go to Confession — at least once, but really twice Daily Mass — try to find one that works with your schedule Spiritual reading every day — pick a book Fast — doesn’t have to be food, and it doesn’t have to be something bad, just something you might be a little too attached to Almsgiving — go serve the poor Invite someone to Mass — Lent is not something we are meant to do alone Go home and love your family Father Mike does not say that these 10 “tips” are listed in “order of importance.” He also does not say that he suggests or expects that someone should try to do “all 10” or “pick three” of the 10. Most readers and, I believe, most practicing Catholics are aware of the Church’s “Top 3” Spiritual practices during Lent: Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving. In some ways, Father Mike’s “Top 10” are all “connected,” in some way to prayer, fasting, or almsgiving. I believe that this will be my “sixth time” in six years (six Lents) as bishop to say that my “Number One” Recommendation for Lent is Daily Mass. As I review Father Mike’s list, his numbers one through four are all very good suggestions and spiritual practices that can produce great fruit. If you are not already attending Daily Mass and you can find a way to attend Daily Mass every day during Lent, I am convinced that you will have a fuller and deeper experience of Holy Week, of the Sacred Triduum, and of Easter Joy. My No. 2 is Father Mike’s No. 4, “Go to Confession” – I am not sure if I have heard it suggested before, as Father Mike suggests, that you go to Confession (at least) twice during Lent – don’t leave it until the end, during Holy Week, but go early and, then, if you need to, go again approaching or during Holy Week. Here in our Diocese of Paterson, we offer “Welcome Home to Healing” during Lent, which means that you can go to Confession, celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation, at ANY and EVERY of the 107 parishes in our diocese (in Passaic, Morris, or Sussex Counties) on EVERY Monday during Lent between 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. I have said before that the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) is making a comeback. In recent years, people are returning to this Sacrament of Healing and Forgiveness that is still too often misunderstood and underappreciated. I strongly encourage you and ask you to invite others to give this Sacrament “another chance” -if it’s been a while, a few years or many, many years; if you have had a bad experience in the past, please know that our loving and merciful God is “waiting for you” to approach this sacrament so that, after confessing your sins and asking for forgiveness, you can hear those beautiful words, “I absolve you from your sins. Go in Peace, your sins are forgiven.” There is a way to combine or unite Father Mike’s numbers one to three, by taking time each day in silent prayer and in prayerfully listening to God’s Word. There are many ways to do this, but praying with the daily Mass Readings (if you can’t get to daily Mass) is a powerful and very fruitful form of prayer. If you use the internet (Google), you can easily find the daily Mass Readings at “USCCB daily readings.”  I hope that these thoughts and suggestions might be helpful to you in some way. As Pope Leo reminds us, let’s be together and pray for one another during Lent. I will conclude with one beautiful form of prayer that I had almost forgotten to mention: The Stations of the Cross. As we pray for one another during Lent, let us remember those beautiful words that we pray during the “Stations”: “We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you, because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the World.” Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.  

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Are you ready for Lent, for a Season of Grace, and the opportunity to be ‘Welcomed Home to Healing?’ #Catholic –

“Lent is a time in which the Church, guided by a sense of maternal care, invites us to place the mystery of God back in the center of our lives, in order to find renewal in our faith and keep our hearts from being consumed by the anxieties and distractions of daily life … the Lenten journey is a welcome opportunity to heed the voice of the Lord and renew our commitment to following Christ, accompanying him on the road to Jerusalem, where the mystery of his passion, death and resurrection will be fulfilled…”

Pope Leo’s Message for Lent 2026

BISHOP KEVIN J. SWEENEY

“Ready or not …” Ash Wednesday and the Season of Lent are at our doorstep or, depending on when you are reading this, may have already arrived. As much as one may try to look ahead, things can still “sneak up” on us. I hope this article will be posted on “Mardi Gras,” the day before Ash Wednesday, and may help some readers make some “last-minute” preparations and/or Lenten resolutions, aka “What I am (are you) going to give up for Lent?” I also hope that some who may read this on Ash Wednesday or in the following days or weeks, might be assisted in getting their Lent started, restarted, or energized.

On Sunday, Feb. 15, I saw that the Vatican had published (on Feb. 13) Pope Leo XIV’s “Message for Lent 2026: ‘Listening and Fasting.’” The link to the full text of the brief message that invites us to consider: “Listening” – especially to God’s Word; “Fasting” – especially offering an invitation, “to a very practical and frequently unappreciated form of abstinence: that of refraining from words that offend and hurt our neighbor…”; and that we are “Together” – “…Lent emphasizes the communal aspect of listening to the word and fasting.”

Before I was aware of Pope Leo’s message, I was preparing to share some thoughts and suggestions for a spiritually fruitful Lent, and I was happy to see on the Hallow app that Father Mike Schmitz was offering his “Top 10 Lent Tips.” I think you need to have a subscription to the Hallow app to see and hear Father Mike’s presentation and commentary. One of the recommendations that I was planning to make was to consider subscribing to the Hallow app because, for the past two years, I have found Hallow’s “Lent Pray 40 Challenge” to have been a very helpful resource in my own, personal Lenten journey.

For those who don’t have Hallow and may not be interested in subscribing, I would like to share with you Father Mike’s “Top 10 Lent Tips,” as the list is available online. I will also offer some of my reactions and comments to Father Mike’s “Top 10.” In a “LinkedIn” post, Alex at Hallow shares Father Mike’s list:

Top 10 tips from Father Mike Schmitz this Lent:

  1. Silence every day — just take 5 or 10 minutes to really be with the Lord
  2. Pray every day — listen to Him
  3. Spend time in God’s Word -— bring it more and more into your daily life
  4. Go to Confession — at least once, but really twice
  5. Daily Mass — try to find one that works with your schedule
  6. Spiritual reading every day — pick a book
  7. Fast — doesn’t have to be food, and it doesn’t have to be something bad, just something you might be a little too attached to
  8. Almsgiving — go serve the poor
  9. Invite someone to Mass — Lent is not something we are meant to do alone
  10. Go home and love your family

Father Mike does not say that these 10 “tips” are listed in “order of importance.” He also does not say that he suggests or expects that someone should try to do “all 10” or “pick three” of the 10. Most readers and, I believe, most practicing Catholics are aware of the Church’s “Top 3” Spiritual practices during Lent: Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving. In some ways, Father Mike’s “Top 10” are all “connected,” in some way to prayer, fasting, or almsgiving.

I believe that this will be my “sixth time” in six years (six Lents) as bishop to say that my “Number One” Recommendation for Lent is Daily Mass. As I review Father Mike’s list, his numbers one through four are all very good suggestions and spiritual practices that can produce great fruit. If you are not already attending Daily Mass and you can find a way to attend Daily Mass every day during Lent, I am convinced that you will have a fuller and deeper experience of Holy Week, of the Sacred Triduum, and of Easter Joy.

My No. 2 is Father Mike’s No. 4, “Go to Confession” – I am not sure if I have heard it suggested before, as Father Mike suggests, that you go to Confession (at least) twice during Lent – don’t leave it until the end, during Holy Week, but go early and, then, if you need to, go again approaching or during Holy Week. Here in our Diocese of Paterson, we offer “Welcome Home to Healing” during Lent, which means that you can go to Confession, celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation, at ANY and EVERY of the 107 parishes in our diocese (in Passaic, Morris, or Sussex Counties) on EVERY Monday during Lent between 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

I have said before that the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) is making a comeback. In recent years, people are returning to this Sacrament of Healing and Forgiveness that is still too often misunderstood and underappreciated. I strongly encourage you and ask you to invite others to give this Sacrament “another chance” -if it’s been a while, a few years or many, many years; if you have had a bad experience in the past, please know that our loving and merciful God is “waiting for you” to approach this sacrament so that, after confessing your sins and asking for forgiveness, you can hear those beautiful words, “I absolve you from your sins. Go in Peace, your sins are forgiven.”

There is a way to combine or unite Father Mike’s numbers one to three, by taking time each day in silent prayer and in prayerfully listening to God’s Word. There are many ways to do this, but praying with the daily Mass Readings (if you can’t get to daily Mass) is a powerful and very fruitful form of prayer. If you use the internet (Google), you can easily find the daily Mass Readings at “USCCB daily readings.” 

I hope that these thoughts and suggestions might be helpful to you in some way. As Pope Leo reminds us, let’s be together and pray for one another during Lent. I will conclude with one beautiful form of prayer that I had almost forgotten to mention: The Stations of the Cross. As we pray for one another during Lent, let us remember those beautiful words that we pray during the “Stations”: “We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you, because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the World.”

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

 

– “Lent is a time in which the Church, guided by a sense of maternal care, invites us to place the mystery of God back in the center of our lives, in order to find renewal in our faith and keep our hearts from being consumed by the anxieties and distractions of daily life … the Lenten journey is a welcome opportunity to heed the voice of the Lord and renew our commitment to following Christ, accompanying him on the road to Jerusalem, where the mystery of his passion, death and resurrection will be fulfilled…” Pope Leo’s Message for Lent 2026

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America the Unwell… A Nation Addicted to Sickness (VIDEO) – America is getting sicker by the day and no one in power seems willing to tell you why. The post America the Unwell… A Nation Addicted to Sickness (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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America the Unwell… A Nation Addicted to Sickness (VIDEO) – America is getting sicker by the day and no one in power seems willing to tell you why. The post America the Unwell… A Nation Addicted to Sickness (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Image depicting the impact of Big Pharma on health, featuring individuals struggling with obesity and illness, alongside medication and financial symbols.

Image depicting the impact of Big Pharma on health, featuring individuals struggling with obesity and illness, alongside medication and financial symbols.

America is getting sicker by the day and no one in power seems willing to tell you why.

The post America the Unwell… A Nation Addicted to Sickness (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Ahead of U.S. premiere, EWTN Studios launches behind-the-scenes series of Bernadette musical – #Catholic – After making its way across Europe where over 400,000 people viewed it, “Bernadette, The Musical” is making its debut in the U.S. on Feb. 19 at Chicago’s Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture.Ahead of the musical’s U.S. premiere, EWTN Studios announced a partnership with Castletown Media to release an exclusive four-part series, “Bernadette, The Musical: Miracle in the Making,” telling the behind-the-scenes story of how the original French production was adapted for U.S. audiences.The musical tells the true story of St. Bernadette Soubirous of Lourdes — the 14-year-old girl who, in 1858 in Lourdes, France, encountered a series of apparitions believed to be the Blessed Virgin Mary.The behind-the-scenes series takes viewers through performers’ auditions, rehearsals, and spiritual reflections that helped the cast portray the true story of Bernadette. The series also dives into how the production was adapted for an American audience — including the creative choices, artistic collaboration, and translation decisions.“Being part of a project like ‘Bernadette, The Musical’ allows us to bridge the profound beauty of live theatrical expression with the boundless reach of digital storytelling. It’s a reminder that art in all its forms — physical and digital — connects humanity through story, wonder, and shared experience,” said Peter Gagnon, president of EWTN Studios, in a press release.Pierre Ferragu, lead producer of the musical, added: “Our collaboration with EWTN Studios brings this extraordinary story to life for a global audience, opening access for those who are unable to attend in Chicago while honoring the musical’s emotional and artistic integrity.”The first episode of “Bernadette, The Musical: Miracle in the Making” made its debut on EWTN’s streaming platform EWTN+ on Feb. 11, the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, and is now available on EWTN+, EWTN’s YouTube channel, and ewtn.com. The series broadcasts on the EWTN channel on cable and satellite March 3 through March 6 at 5:30 p.m. ET.In an interview with EWTN News, Ferragu shared that he hopes that by telling this story it’s “opening a door to anyone on a path of conversion — be it for very faithful, very devout and practicing Catholics, or people who are not religious at all.”“I hope everybody will take that story and explore that path of ‘Here is the story of Bernadette. What do I take from it? Did she lie? Did she tell the truth? What did she really see? What does that mean to me?’ And hopefully by bringing that story to the audience, we can plant a seed in every heart.”
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Ahead of U.S. premiere, EWTN Studios launches behind-the-scenes series of Bernadette musical – #Catholic – After making its way across Europe where over 400,000 people viewed it, “Bernadette, The Musical” is making its debut in the U.S. on Feb. 19 at Chicago’s Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture.Ahead of the musical’s U.S. premiere, EWTN Studios announced a partnership with Castletown Media to release an exclusive four-part series, “Bernadette, The Musical: Miracle in the Making,” telling the behind-the-scenes story of how the original French production was adapted for U.S. audiences.The musical tells the true story of St. Bernadette Soubirous of Lourdes — the 14-year-old girl who, in 1858 in Lourdes, France, encountered a series of apparitions believed to be the Blessed Virgin Mary.The behind-the-scenes series takes viewers through performers’ auditions, rehearsals, and spiritual reflections that helped the cast portray the true story of Bernadette. The series also dives into how the production was adapted for an American audience — including the creative choices, artistic collaboration, and translation decisions.“Being part of a project like ‘Bernadette, The Musical’ allows us to bridge the profound beauty of live theatrical expression with the boundless reach of digital storytelling. It’s a reminder that art in all its forms — physical and digital — connects humanity through story, wonder, and shared experience,” said Peter Gagnon, president of EWTN Studios, in a press release.Pierre Ferragu, lead producer of the musical, added: “Our collaboration with EWTN Studios brings this extraordinary story to life for a global audience, opening access for those who are unable to attend in Chicago while honoring the musical’s emotional and artistic integrity.”The first episode of “Bernadette, The Musical: Miracle in the Making” made its debut on EWTN’s streaming platform EWTN+ on Feb. 11, the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, and is now available on EWTN+, EWTN’s YouTube channel, and ewtn.com. The series broadcasts on the EWTN channel on cable and satellite March 3 through March 6 at 5:30 p.m. ET.In an interview with EWTN News, Ferragu shared that he hopes that by telling this story it’s “opening a door to anyone on a path of conversion — be it for very faithful, very devout and practicing Catholics, or people who are not religious at all.”“I hope everybody will take that story and explore that path of ‘Here is the story of Bernadette. What do I take from it? Did she lie? Did she tell the truth? What did she really see? What does that mean to me?’ And hopefully by bringing that story to the audience, we can plant a seed in every heart.”

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The behind-the-scenes series can be seen on EWTN+, EWTN.com, EWTN’s YouTube Channel, and on EWTN’s broadcast channel.

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Pima County Sheriff Shares DNA Test Results from Glove Found 2 Miles From Nancy Guthrie’s Home – The DNA found on the glove that was found a couples of miles away from Nancy Guthrie’s home was run through CODIS (Combined DNA Index System) and did not trigger a match. The post Pima County Sheriff Shares DNA Test Results from Glove Found 2 Miles From Nancy Guthrie’s Home appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Pima County Sheriff Shares DNA Test Results from Glove Found 2 Miles From Nancy Guthrie’s Home – The DNA found on the glove that was found a couples of miles away from Nancy Guthrie’s home was run through CODIS (Combined DNA Index System) and did not trigger a match. The post Pima County Sheriff Shares DNA Test Results from Glove Found 2 Miles From Nancy Guthrie’s Home appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Suspicious figure wearing a ski mask and backpack captured by a night vision security camera outside a home, highlighting potential security concerns.

Suspicious figure wearing a ski mask and backpack captured by a night vision security camera outside a home, highlighting potential security concerns.

The DNA found on the glove that was found a couples of miles away from Nancy Guthrie’s home was run through CODIS (Combined DNA Index System) and did not trigger a match.

The post Pima County Sheriff Shares DNA Test Results from Glove Found 2 Miles From Nancy Guthrie’s Home appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Trump Replaces Pam Bondi With Broom In Blonde Wig #BabylonBee – WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a long-rumored shake-up at a high-level position in his administration, President Donald Trump announced that he had replaced Attorney General Pam Bondi with a broom in a blonde wig.
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Trump Replaces Pam Bondi With Broom In Blonde Wig #BabylonBee – WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a long-rumored shake-up at a high-level position in his administration, President Donald Trump announced that he had replaced Attorney General Pam Bondi with a broom in a blonde wig.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a long-rumored shake-up at a high-level position in his administration, President Donald Trump announced that he had replaced Attorney General Pam Bondi with a broom in a blonde wig.

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Stormy, Snowy Winter for Hokkaido – Northern Japan, especially the island of Hokkaido, is home to some of the snowiest cities in the world. Sapporo, the island’s largest city and host of an annual snow festival, typically sees more than 140 days of snowfall, with nearly 6 meters (20 feet) accumulating on average each year.
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Stormy, Snowy Winter for Hokkaido – Northern Japan, especially the island of Hokkaido, is home to some of the snowiest cities in the world. Sapporo, the island’s largest city and host of an annual snow festival, typically sees more than 140 days of snowfall, with nearly 6 meters (20 feet) accumulating on average each year.

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Northern Japan, especially the island of Hokkaido, is home to some of the snowiest cities in the world. Sapporo, the island’s largest city and host of an annual snow festival, typically sees more than 140 days of snowfall, with nearly 6 meters (20 feet) accumulating on average each year.

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Jesse Jackson, civil rights activist who urged Vatican to address humanitarian crises, dies at 84 #Catholic Jesse Jackson, whose decades of activism included work in the Civil Rights Movement, two runs for the White House, and multiple meetings with Pope John Paul II, died on Feb. 17. He was 84 years old.His family announced his passing in a statement on social media. They described him as a “servant leader” with an “unwavering belief in justice, equality, and love.” Jackson had suffered health issues for several years, including a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease in 2017.Born Jesse Burns in Greenville, South Carolina, on Oct. 8, 1941, Jackson was adopted by his mother Helen’s subsequent husband Charles Jackson, though he maintained a close relationship with his birth father, Noah Robinson.Taunts from local children about his out-of-wedlock birth reportedly instilled in Jackson a motive to succeed; he further cited his biological father’s example of a “strong healthy ego” and “sense of dignity” that led him to push for civil rights in what was then the heavily segregated Southern U.S.He was a member of the “Greenville Eight” who protested the city’s segregated library system in 1960. A protege of Martin Luther King Jr., he participated in the Selma-to-Montgomery marches and played early roles in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Jackson was present at King’s assassination at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis on April 4, 1968.He founded the social justice organization Operation PUSH — now Rainbow/PUSH — in 1971. He would eventually mount two campaigns for U.S. president, one in 1984 and one in 1988, both of which he lost.Earlier in his career Jackson had been an outspoken pro-life advocate, at one point even endorsing amending the U.S. Constitution to ban abortion, though in later decades he would pivot to aggressive support of abortion.He met with Pope John Paul II on three separate occasions in the 1980s and 1990s. In 1982 he urged the pontiff to advocate on behalf of Haitian refugees in the U.S., describing John Paul II as “the dominant force and moral authority in the world” at the time.He met with the pope again in 1985 and reportedly asked him to visit South Africa to protest apartheid, and again a third time in 1999 to urge the pontiff to advocate on behalf of three imprisoned CARE humanitarian workers in a Belgrade prison.Jackson is survived by his wife of 64 years, Jacqueline Lavinia Brown, and their five children. He is also survived by a daughter, Ashley, born to one of his former staffers in 1999.In a famed speech at the 1984 Democratic National Convention in San Francisco, Jackson reflected on his political career and acknowledged that he was “not a perfect servant” but “a public servant doing my best against the odds.” He told the crowd: “As I develop and serve, be patient: God is not finished with me yet.”“For leaders, the pain is often intense,” he said at the time. “But you must smile through your tears and keep moving with the faith that there is a brighter side somewhere.”
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Jesse Jackson, civil rights activist who urged Vatican to address humanitarian crises, dies at 84 #Catholic Jesse Jackson, whose decades of activism included work in the Civil Rights Movement, two runs for the White House, and multiple meetings with Pope John Paul II, died on Feb. 17. He was 84 years old.His family announced his passing in a statement on social media. They described him as a “servant leader” with an “unwavering belief in justice, equality, and love.” Jackson had suffered health issues for several years, including a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease in 2017.Born Jesse Burns in Greenville, South Carolina, on Oct. 8, 1941, Jackson was adopted by his mother Helen’s subsequent husband Charles Jackson, though he maintained a close relationship with his birth father, Noah Robinson.Taunts from local children about his out-of-wedlock birth reportedly instilled in Jackson a motive to succeed; he further cited his biological father’s example of a “strong healthy ego” and “sense of dignity” that led him to push for civil rights in what was then the heavily segregated Southern U.S.He was a member of the “Greenville Eight” who protested the city’s segregated library system in 1960. A protege of Martin Luther King Jr., he participated in the Selma-to-Montgomery marches and played early roles in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Jackson was present at King’s assassination at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis on April 4, 1968.He founded the social justice organization Operation PUSH — now Rainbow/PUSH — in 1971. He would eventually mount two campaigns for U.S. president, one in 1984 and one in 1988, both of which he lost.Earlier in his career Jackson had been an outspoken pro-life advocate, at one point even endorsing amending the U.S. Constitution to ban abortion, though in later decades he would pivot to aggressive support of abortion.He met with Pope John Paul II on three separate occasions in the 1980s and 1990s. In 1982 he urged the pontiff to advocate on behalf of Haitian refugees in the U.S., describing John Paul II as “the dominant force and moral authority in the world” at the time.He met with the pope again in 1985 and reportedly asked him to visit South Africa to protest apartheid, and again a third time in 1999 to urge the pontiff to advocate on behalf of three imprisoned CARE humanitarian workers in a Belgrade prison.Jackson is survived by his wife of 64 years, Jacqueline Lavinia Brown, and their five children. He is also survived by a daughter, Ashley, born to one of his former staffers in 1999.In a famed speech at the 1984 Democratic National Convention in San Francisco, Jackson reflected on his political career and acknowledged that he was “not a perfect servant” but “a public servant doing my best against the odds.” He told the crowd: “As I develop and serve, be patient: God is not finished with me yet.”“For leaders, the pain is often intense,” he said at the time. “But you must smile through your tears and keep moving with the faith that there is a brighter side somewhere.”

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The longtime activist was a fixture in U.S. politics for decades, including two presidential runs.

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2026 Full Moon calendar: When to see the Full Moon and phases

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The phenomenon of a Full Moon arises when our planet, Earth, is precisely sandwiched between the Sun and the Moon. This alignment ensures the entire side of the Moon that faces us gleams under sunlight. Thanks to the Moon’s orbit around Earth, the angle of sunlight hitting the lunar surface and being reflected back toContinue reading “2026 Full Moon calendar: When to see the Full Moon and phases”

The post 2026 Full Moon calendar: When to see the Full Moon and phases appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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What impact has the Cristero War had on religious freedom in Mexico today? - #Catholic - The story of the Cristero War in Mexico reached theaters a little over a decade ago with “For Greater Glory,” a film titled “Cristiada” in Spanish. Alongside the film, an official book was published to delve deeper into the history of the war, a spontaneous uprising by Catholics in response to religious persecution in the first part of the 20th century.Available in Spanish and English, the book is authored by Rubén Quezada, a Catholic of Mexican origin living in California, and features a foreword by the archbishop of Los Angeles, José Gomez. Actor and producer Eduardo Verástegui wrote the introduction, and the book also contains an essay by Carl Anderson, who at the time of publication was the supreme knight of the Knights of Columbus.Although “For Greater Glory” tells the story of a historical event that marks its centenary this year, the anti-Catholic sentiment it portrays “still persists, in a certain way,” in present-day Mexico, Quezada shared in a telephone interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.Quezada, 59, now a renowned international speaker, recalled that during his childhood in Mexico, the Cristero War was not included in the history curriculum in elementary school. Rubén Quezada, author of the official book that accompanied the release of the film “For Greater Glory.” | Credit: Photo courtesy of Rubén Quezada The author explained that this widespread ignorance was a consequence of a state policy that lasted for decades. Following the 1929 “arrangements” between the Church and the federal government, which formally ended the Cristero War, he recounted, there was “a government order that nothing could be published, nothing could be disseminated,” effectively making the Cristero War a taboo subject, while many Catholics avoided speaking about it for fear of being arrested.Thus many generations were unable to access information about the religious persecution of the early 20th century, he explained.It was not until later in life, when he immersed himself in the writing of the Franco-Mexican historian Jean Meyer — compiled in his three-volume work “La Cristiada” — that Quezada “began to study the Cristero War in greater depth.”The situation of enforced silence lasted until 1992, when relations between the Catholic Church and the Mexican state were officially restored. “We’re talking about [a diplomatic break that lasted] 60 years,” he emphasized.That same spirit of silence surrounding the history of the Cristero War was even present during the production of the film starring Andy García, he pointed out. Quezada noted that during the making of “For Greater Glory,” “many governors or mayors wouldn’t allow the movie to be filmed” in their locale and that once it was in theaters, it faced subtle boycotts: “We received reports from all over that they didn’t want to show the film in certain theaters.”“They would close the theater,” he added, and claim that tickets had sold out “when there weren’t many people” inside.Currently, he indicated, although “it cannot be said to be at that same level,” the sustained persecution of the Church in Mexico has put down “roots that remain within government platforms.”At the same time, he lamented, there is a “profound silence” in contemporary Mexican society regarding the Cristero War. In his travels throughout Mexico to participate in various events and conferences, the author said he has encountered many people who “prefer not to talk about that subject, or are unaware of it, or simply don’t care.”Given this situation, Quezada argued that the Catholic response must be active and informed participation in public life. “We have a responsibility to vote with a Catholic conscience,” he emphasized, noting that leaders should not be elected “simply based on personal preference or family tradition.”For the author, religious freedom hinges on the ability of the laity to place in positions of authority those who respect faith and human dignity. “We must carefully examine each candidate ... knowing that we are choosing what is best for humanity, for society, for the world,” he added, emphasizing that, ultimately, “we are the ones who put those elected officials in that position.”Finally, Quezada posed a challenge that draws the connection between the sacrifice of the Cristeros with contemporary Christian adherence to the faith. After years of studying figures like Blessed Miguel Agustín Pro — whose impact changed Quezada’s life when he was just a young man in California — the author posed a key question 100 years after the Cristero War: “Would we be willing today to rise up with that faith, with that heart that burned for the passion of Christ? Would we be willing today to act in such a way if we were ever confronted with something?”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.
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What impact has the Cristero War had on religious freedom in Mexico today? – #Catholic – The story of the Cristero War in Mexico reached theaters a little over a decade ago with “For Greater Glory,” a film titled “Cristiada” in Spanish. Alongside the film, an official book was published to delve deeper into the history of the war, a spontaneous uprising by Catholics in response to religious persecution in the first part of the 20th century.Available in Spanish and English, the book is authored by Rubén Quezada, a Catholic of Mexican origin living in California, and features a foreword by the archbishop of Los Angeles, José Gomez. Actor and producer Eduardo Verástegui wrote the introduction, and the book also contains an essay by Carl Anderson, who at the time of publication was the supreme knight of the Knights of Columbus.Although “For Greater Glory” tells the story of a historical event that marks its centenary this year, the anti-Catholic sentiment it portrays “still persists, in a certain way,” in present-day Mexico, Quezada shared in a telephone interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.Quezada, 59, now a renowned international speaker, recalled that during his childhood in Mexico, the Cristero War was not included in the history curriculum in elementary school. Rubén Quezada, author of the official book that accompanied the release of the film “For Greater Glory.” | Credit: Photo courtesy of Rubén Quezada The author explained that this widespread ignorance was a consequence of a state policy that lasted for decades. Following the 1929 “arrangements” between the Church and the federal government, which formally ended the Cristero War, he recounted, there was “a government order that nothing could be published, nothing could be disseminated,” effectively making the Cristero War a taboo subject, while many Catholics avoided speaking about it for fear of being arrested.Thus many generations were unable to access information about the religious persecution of the early 20th century, he explained.It was not until later in life, when he immersed himself in the writing of the Franco-Mexican historian Jean Meyer — compiled in his three-volume work “La Cristiada” — that Quezada “began to study the Cristero War in greater depth.”The situation of enforced silence lasted until 1992, when relations between the Catholic Church and the Mexican state were officially restored. “We’re talking about [a diplomatic break that lasted] 60 years,” he emphasized.That same spirit of silence surrounding the history of the Cristero War was even present during the production of the film starring Andy García, he pointed out. Quezada noted that during the making of “For Greater Glory,” “many governors or mayors wouldn’t allow the movie to be filmed” in their locale and that once it was in theaters, it faced subtle boycotts: “We received reports from all over that they didn’t want to show the film in certain theaters.”“They would close the theater,” he added, and claim that tickets had sold out “when there weren’t many people” inside.Currently, he indicated, although “it cannot be said to be at that same level,” the sustained persecution of the Church in Mexico has put down “roots that remain within government platforms.”At the same time, he lamented, there is a “profound silence” in contemporary Mexican society regarding the Cristero War. In his travels throughout Mexico to participate in various events and conferences, the author said he has encountered many people who “prefer not to talk about that subject, or are unaware of it, or simply don’t care.”Given this situation, Quezada argued that the Catholic response must be active and informed participation in public life. “We have a responsibility to vote with a Catholic conscience,” he emphasized, noting that leaders should not be elected “simply based on personal preference or family tradition.”For the author, religious freedom hinges on the ability of the laity to place in positions of authority those who respect faith and human dignity. “We must carefully examine each candidate … knowing that we are choosing what is best for humanity, for society, for the world,” he added, emphasizing that, ultimately, “we are the ones who put those elected officials in that position.”Finally, Quezada posed a challenge that draws the connection between the sacrifice of the Cristeros with contemporary Christian adherence to the faith. After years of studying figures like Blessed Miguel Agustín Pro — whose impact changed Quezada’s life when he was just a young man in California — the author posed a key question 100 years after the Cristero War: “Would we be willing today to rise up with that faith, with that heart that burned for the passion of Christ? Would we be willing today to act in such a way if we were ever confronted with something?”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.

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Rubén Quezada, author of the book “For Greater Glory,” released along with the film of the same name in 2012, assesses the impact of the Cristero War on religious freedom in Mexico today.

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Bodybuilder previously totally hostile to the faith has radical conversion – #Catholic – Former bodybuilder Bruno Toral recently shared his personal conversion story and how he went from being totally hostile to the faith (from literally having a “burn down the churches” mentality) and denying the existence of God to becoming a dedicated disciple of Christ.The Spaniard, who now owns a gym, was featured in the “Rebeldes” (”Rebels”) podcast, a show dedicated to sharing the Catholic faith and demonstrating that “living according to the Gospel is the greatest act of rebellion in today’s society.”During the interview with Father Ignacio Amorós, Toral recounted the details of his conversion journey at the end of which he found the Catholic Church, the missing piece that gave meaning to a seemingly perfect life.The emptiness of having ‘everything’Toral grew up in a deeply atheist environment, where success was measured by academic and professional achievements. Over time, he managed to achieve a successful career, thriving businesses, have an extraordinary wife, and two healthy children.However, despite seemingly having it all, Toral confessed that he wasn’t happy. He realized this especially when he noticed the vast difference between his level of happiness and that of his wife, Paloma.While he lived a life of stoic but empty effort, she radiated a joy and peace that he couldn’t attain. This “healthy envy” was the catalyst: Toral understood that his wife’s faith was what he lacked, and he felt a vital impulse to ensure his children grew up near that same source of happiness.For years, Toral defined himself as having a “burn down the churches” mentality and even went so far as to forbid any mention of God in his home. But the change came unexpectedly.On a road trip with friends, he suddenly announced his decision to have his children baptized. “If we baptize the children, we have to live like Catholic parents; I don’t do things halfway,” he stated.His definitive encounter with God occurred during a time of praise and worship. Before the Blessed Sacrament, the bodybuilder, who based his life on stoic effort and the rigors of the gym, was moved to tears by the real happiness of the Christian community.Toral shared that faith has softened his character, giving him a patience he previously lacked with his family and employees, and going from relying solely on his own strength to resting in God’s providence.“The person I admire most, by far, is Jesus Christ,” Toral said, emphasizing that his biggest challenge now is not to lift more weight but to be the person God wants him to be.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.
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Bodybuilder previously totally hostile to the faith has radical conversion – #Catholic – Former bodybuilder Bruno Toral recently shared his personal conversion story and how he went from being totally hostile to the faith (from literally having a “burn down the churches” mentality) and denying the existence of God to becoming a dedicated disciple of Christ.The Spaniard, who now owns a gym, was featured in the “Rebeldes” (”Rebels”) podcast, a show dedicated to sharing the Catholic faith and demonstrating that “living according to the Gospel is the greatest act of rebellion in today’s society.”During the interview with Father Ignacio Amorós, Toral recounted the details of his conversion journey at the end of which he found the Catholic Church, the missing piece that gave meaning to a seemingly perfect life.The emptiness of having ‘everything’Toral grew up in a deeply atheist environment, where success was measured by academic and professional achievements. Over time, he managed to achieve a successful career, thriving businesses, have an extraordinary wife, and two healthy children.However, despite seemingly having it all, Toral confessed that he wasn’t happy. He realized this especially when he noticed the vast difference between his level of happiness and that of his wife, Paloma.While he lived a life of stoic but empty effort, she radiated a joy and peace that he couldn’t attain. This “healthy envy” was the catalyst: Toral understood that his wife’s faith was what he lacked, and he felt a vital impulse to ensure his children grew up near that same source of happiness.For years, Toral defined himself as having a “burn down the churches” mentality and even went so far as to forbid any mention of God in his home. But the change came unexpectedly.On a road trip with friends, he suddenly announced his decision to have his children baptized. “If we baptize the children, we have to live like Catholic parents; I don’t do things halfway,” he stated.His definitive encounter with God occurred during a time of praise and worship. Before the Blessed Sacrament, the bodybuilder, who based his life on stoic effort and the rigors of the gym, was moved to tears by the real happiness of the Christian community.Toral shared that faith has softened his character, giving him a patience he previously lacked with his family and employees, and going from relying solely on his own strength to resting in God’s providence.“The person I admire most, by far, is Jesus Christ,” Toral said, emphasizing that his biggest challenge now is not to lift more weight but to be the person God wants him to be.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.

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Former bodybuilder Bruno Toral shared his personal conversion story from being totally hostile to the faith to becoming a dedicated disciple of Christ.

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Cardinal Newman Society to accredit Catholic schools – #Catholic – The Cardinal Newman Society — known for its list of authentically Catholic colleges — is now accrediting faithfully Catholic K–12 schools, a move that organizers hope will expand education access for families.“This is a key step in Catholic education reform and helps ensure that families at faithful schools have access to school choice funds in states that require accreditation,” Patrick Reilly, president of the Cardinal Newman Society, told EWTN News.The organization acquired a Catholic accreditation group, the National Association of Private Catholic and Independent Schools (NAPCIS), which will accredit Catholic schools that are in line with the society’s standards for Catholic education. EWTN News spoke with Dan Guernsey, who serves as the executive director of NAPCIS, about how the new relationship will affect families and education reform going forward.EWTN News: How do you hope accrediting independent and parochial schools will help Catholic families going forward, particularly in regard to school choice funding in various states?Guernsey: Catholic teaching holds that the states have a responsibility to ensure families have access to schools in line with their values, including their religious values. More than half of Americans now have access to funding to assist in the attendance at Catholic schools, and the trend is continued growth. There is a danger that state governments may attempt to tie private school funding to state control, but some states avoid this by relying on accreditation to ensure a school’s eligibility for school choice dollars.It will be increasingly important that schools have an accreditor that is cost-effective, efficient, not overly intrusive, and fully credible with faithful Catholic families — with the bonus of achieving Newman Guide recognition. Daniel Guernsey is the executive director of the National Association of Private Catholic and Independent Schools (NAPCIS), a Catholic accreditation group recently acquired by the Cardinal Newman Society. | Credit: NAPCIS What role does accreditation play in the bigger picture of Catholic education reform?In alignment with the Newman Guide, NAPCIS only accredits schools that are serious about Catholic formation, so we can focus on the priorities of faithful Catholic families: Is Catholic teaching and culture bold and completely faithful to the magisterium? Are the academics solid and part of an integral formation in the light of our faith? Is the school safe? Does it have the personnel and resources needed to fulfill its mission?Accreditation, done rightly, assures families of a school’s success in fulfilling its mission. Sadly, most accreditation today places onerous and unhelpful burdens on schools regarding personnel and resources, while not holding schools to their mission — especially the unique mission of Catholic education. This ultimately detracts from a school’s mission and misaligns its resources. NAPCIS flips this around, accrediting schools that put their Catholic mission first and then aligning accreditation to that mission.Accreditors play an outsized role in too many schools today, including many Catholic schools. There is such a thing as “too much of a good thing.” Many accreditors, focused on their own excellence and status, “push” schools and claim to be arbiters of school “improvement” rather than simply certifying a school’s academics, operations, and mission integrity. In the worst cases, accreditors demand that schools initiate policies and practices that run counter to a school’s mission or values. They may, for example, press for excessive technology, secular/Marxist social justice, or sexual philosophies at odds with Catholic morality, justice, and chastity. NAPCIS provides space for faithful Catholic schools to exercise their autonomy under the principle of subsidiarity, or local control.What inspired the NAPCIS and Cardinal Newman Society partnership? How will this partnership affect students and families?I like to think of the new partnership not so much as a marriage made in heaven but as a marriage made for heaven. Both organizations have worked for more than three decades to assist the Church in ensuring her youth are fully activated for this life and the next.By aligning NAPCIS accreditation with Newman Guide standards, we’re helping schools attend to Catholic identity while also reviewing school operations. The Newman Guide focuses exclusively on mission, and it upholds high standards that would be unacceptable to another accreditor striving to recruit large numbers of lukewarm Catholic schools.Partnered with the Cardinal Newman Society, we’ll help schools strengthen their Catholic identity and ensure their religious freedom in a social and educational environment dominated by secularism, relativism, and materialism.This interview has been edited for brevity.
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Cardinal Newman Society to accredit Catholic schools – #Catholic – The Cardinal Newman Society — known for its list of authentically Catholic colleges — is now accrediting faithfully Catholic K–12 schools, a move that organizers hope will expand education access for families.“This is a key step in Catholic education reform and helps ensure that families at faithful schools have access to school choice funds in states that require accreditation,” Patrick Reilly, president of the Cardinal Newman Society, told EWTN News.The organization acquired a Catholic accreditation group, the National Association of Private Catholic and Independent Schools (NAPCIS), which will accredit Catholic schools that are in line with the society’s standards for Catholic education. EWTN News spoke with Dan Guernsey, who serves as the executive director of NAPCIS, about how the new relationship will affect families and education reform going forward.EWTN News: How do you hope accrediting independent and parochial schools will help Catholic families going forward, particularly in regard to school choice funding in various states?Guernsey: Catholic teaching holds that the states have a responsibility to ensure families have access to schools in line with their values, including their religious values. More than half of Americans now have access to funding to assist in the attendance at Catholic schools, and the trend is continued growth. There is a danger that state governments may attempt to tie private school funding to state control, but some states avoid this by relying on accreditation to ensure a school’s eligibility for school choice dollars.It will be increasingly important that schools have an accreditor that is cost-effective, efficient, not overly intrusive, and fully credible with faithful Catholic families — with the bonus of achieving Newman Guide recognition. Daniel Guernsey is the executive director of the National Association of Private Catholic and Independent Schools (NAPCIS), a Catholic accreditation group recently acquired by the Cardinal Newman Society. | Credit: NAPCIS What role does accreditation play in the bigger picture of Catholic education reform?In alignment with the Newman Guide, NAPCIS only accredits schools that are serious about Catholic formation, so we can focus on the priorities of faithful Catholic families: Is Catholic teaching and culture bold and completely faithful to the magisterium? Are the academics solid and part of an integral formation in the light of our faith? Is the school safe? Does it have the personnel and resources needed to fulfill its mission?Accreditation, done rightly, assures families of a school’s success in fulfilling its mission. Sadly, most accreditation today places onerous and unhelpful burdens on schools regarding personnel and resources, while not holding schools to their mission — especially the unique mission of Catholic education. This ultimately detracts from a school’s mission and misaligns its resources. NAPCIS flips this around, accrediting schools that put their Catholic mission first and then aligning accreditation to that mission.Accreditors play an outsized role in too many schools today, including many Catholic schools. There is such a thing as “too much of a good thing.” Many accreditors, focused on their own excellence and status, “push” schools and claim to be arbiters of school “improvement” rather than simply certifying a school’s academics, operations, and mission integrity. In the worst cases, accreditors demand that schools initiate policies and practices that run counter to a school’s mission or values. They may, for example, press for excessive technology, secular/Marxist social justice, or sexual philosophies at odds with Catholic morality, justice, and chastity. NAPCIS provides space for faithful Catholic schools to exercise their autonomy under the principle of subsidiarity, or local control.What inspired the NAPCIS and Cardinal Newman Society partnership? How will this partnership affect students and families?I like to think of the new partnership not so much as a marriage made in heaven but as a marriage made for heaven. Both organizations have worked for more than three decades to assist the Church in ensuring her youth are fully activated for this life and the next.By aligning NAPCIS accreditation with Newman Guide standards, we’re helping schools attend to Catholic identity while also reviewing school operations. The Newman Guide focuses exclusively on mission, and it upholds high standards that would be unacceptable to another accreditor striving to recruit large numbers of lukewarm Catholic schools.Partnered with the Cardinal Newman Society, we’ll help schools strengthen their Catholic identity and ensure their religious freedom in a social and educational environment dominated by secularism, relativism, and materialism.This interview has been edited for brevity.

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A leading voice from the Cardinal Newman Society shares how the new accreditation program will accelerate Catholic education reform and help support Catholic families to pass on the faith.

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Lent 2026: 5 programs to help you grow in your faith #Catholic This year Lent begins on Feb. 18 with Ash Wednesday. As we quickly approach this time of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, here are five programs to help you grow in your faith this Lenten season.‘Pray 40: The Return’ (Hallow)This year, Hallow’s Lent Pray40 prayer challenge is titled “Pray40: The Return.” The theme for this year’s challenge focuses on returning to God, just like we read in the parable of the prodigal son. To help go further into this idea, listeners will dive into “The Brothers Karamazov” by Fyodor Dostoevsky.Actor Jonathan Roumie will guide listeners through “The Brothers Karamazov”; Mark Wahlberg and Chris Pratt will provide fasting challenges; Mother Olga will meditate on Scripture; Sister Miriam James Heidland, SOLT, will help listeners take part in imaginative prayer sessions; and Father Mike Schmitz will provide Sunday homilies.‘Crux’ (Ascension)Father Columba Jordan, CFR, will be hosting a daily Lenten program on the Ascension app titled “Crux.” Crux invites the faithful to see Lent as a transformative season through a four-part daily system rooted in both physical and spiritual discipline. The four daily challenges include daily reading of Scripture, a nightly examen, one form of physical exercise, and one dietary fast.“Crux” can be done individually, in parishes, or in small groups. Additionally, for those seeking a screen-free way to take part in the challenge, the “Crux: A Lenten Journey of Surrender” journal is also available.‘Seeking the Inner Room’ (Word on Fire)Word on Fire Institute will be hosting a virtual retreat this Lent led by Sister Miriam James Heidland, SOLT, titled “Seeking the Inner Room.” The seven-week series will help participants dive deeper into Scripture and prayer in order to let the Holy Spirit into each of our inner rooms — our hearts. The retreat will also include reflections on “Gate of Heaven: Reflections on the Mother of God.”Lenten Phone Fast Challenge (Real Life Catholic)Real Life Catholic is inviting people of all ages to put down their phones this Lent to offer prayers and sacrifice to support the renewal of young Catholics. The Lenten Phone Fast Challenge offers participants the opportunity to specifically pray for the spiritual protection of Catholic teens. Participants will also receive weekly messages of support and spiritual guidance from evangelist Chris Stefanick.Programs offered through the EWTN Religious CatalogueIf you’re looking for Lenten devotionals or books you can read during this time, the EWTN Religious Catalogue has a variety of options including “Praying with Jesus and Faustina During Lent,” “Lent and Easter: Wisdom From Fulton Sheen,” and “Lenten Journey with Mother Mary,” among others.
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Lent 2026: 5 programs to help you grow in your faith #Catholic This year Lent begins on Feb. 18 with Ash Wednesday. As we quickly approach this time of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, here are five programs to help you grow in your faith this Lenten season.‘Pray 40: The Return’ (Hallow)This year, Hallow’s Lent Pray40 prayer challenge is titled “Pray40: The Return.” The theme for this year’s challenge focuses on returning to God, just like we read in the parable of the prodigal son. To help go further into this idea, listeners will dive into “The Brothers Karamazov” by Fyodor Dostoevsky.Actor Jonathan Roumie will guide listeners through “The Brothers Karamazov”; Mark Wahlberg and Chris Pratt will provide fasting challenges; Mother Olga will meditate on Scripture; Sister Miriam James Heidland, SOLT, will help listeners take part in imaginative prayer sessions; and Father Mike Schmitz will provide Sunday homilies.‘Crux’ (Ascension)Father Columba Jordan, CFR, will be hosting a daily Lenten program on the Ascension app titled “Crux.” Crux invites the faithful to see Lent as a transformative season through a four-part daily system rooted in both physical and spiritual discipline. The four daily challenges include daily reading of Scripture, a nightly examen, one form of physical exercise, and one dietary fast.“Crux” can be done individually, in parishes, or in small groups. Additionally, for those seeking a screen-free way to take part in the challenge, the “Crux: A Lenten Journey of Surrender” journal is also available.‘Seeking the Inner Room’ (Word on Fire)Word on Fire Institute will be hosting a virtual retreat this Lent led by Sister Miriam James Heidland, SOLT, titled “Seeking the Inner Room.” The seven-week series will help participants dive deeper into Scripture and prayer in order to let the Holy Spirit into each of our inner rooms — our hearts. The retreat will also include reflections on “Gate of Heaven: Reflections on the Mother of God.”Lenten Phone Fast Challenge (Real Life Catholic)Real Life Catholic is inviting people of all ages to put down their phones this Lent to offer prayers and sacrifice to support the renewal of young Catholics. The Lenten Phone Fast Challenge offers participants the opportunity to specifically pray for the spiritual protection of Catholic teens. Participants will also receive weekly messages of support and spiritual guidance from evangelist Chris Stefanick.Programs offered through the EWTN Religious CatalogueIf you’re looking for Lenten devotionals or books you can read during this time, the EWTN Religious Catalogue has a variety of options including “Praying with Jesus and Faustina During Lent,” “Lent and Easter: Wisdom From Fulton Sheen,” and “Lenten Journey with Mother Mary,” among others.

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Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18, beginning a season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving in the Catholic Church.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 17 February 2026 – A reading from the letter of James Jas 1:12-18 Blessed is he who perseveres in temptation, for when he has been proven he will receive the crown of life that he promised to those who love him. No one experiencing temptation should say, "I am being tempted by God"; for God is not subject to temptation to evil, and he himself tempts no one. Rather, each person is tempted when lured and enticed by his desire. Then desire conceives and brings forth sin, and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers and sisters: all good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change. He willed to give us birth by the word of truth that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.From the Gospel according to Mark Mark 8:14-21 The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. Jesus enjoined them, "Watch out, guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod." They concluded among themselves that it was because they had no bread. When he became aware of this he said to them, "Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread? Do you not yet understand or comprehend? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear? And do you not remember, when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many wicker baskets full of fragments you picked up?" They answered him, "Twelve." "When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many full baskets of fragments did you pick up?" They answered him, "Seven." He said to them, "Do you still not understand?"Let us think about the four ideological groups of Jesus’ time: the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Essenes, and the Zealots. Four groups that had hardened their hearts to carry out a plan that was not God’s; there was no place for God’s plan, no place for compassion. When the heart becomes hard, when the heart hardens, one forgets… One forgets about the grace of salvation, one forgets its gratuitousness. A hard heart leads to arguments, it leads to wars, it leads to selfishness, it leads to the destruction of one’s brother, because there is no compassion. And the greatest message of salvation is that God had compassion for us. That refrain in the Gospel, when Jesus sees a person, a painful situation: “he had compassion”. […] Jesus is the Father’s compassion; Jesus is the rebuke to any hardness of heart. Each one of us has something that has hardened in our hearts. Let us remember this, and may the Lord give us a righteous and sincere heart … where the Lord dwells. The Lord cannot enter hard hearts; the Lord cannot enter ideological hearts. The Lord only enters hearts that are like his heart: compassionate hearts, hearts that have compassion, open hearts. (Pope Francis, Homily at Santa Marta, 18 February 2020)

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A reading from the letter of James
Jas 1:12-18

Blessed is he who perseveres in temptation,
for when he has been proven he will receive the crown of life
that he promised to those who love him.
No one experiencing temptation should say,
"I am being tempted by God";
for God is not subject to temptation to evil,
and he himself tempts no one.
Rather, each person is tempted when lured and enticed by his desire.
Then desire conceives and brings forth sin,
and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death.

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers and sisters:
all good giving and every perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of lights,
with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change.
He willed to give us birth by the word of truth
that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

From the Gospel according to Mark
Mark 8:14-21

The disciples had forgotten to bring bread,
and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.
Jesus enjoined them, "Watch out,
guard against the leaven of the Pharisees
and the leaven of Herod."
They concluded among themselves that
it was because they had no bread.
When he became aware of this he said to them,
"Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread?
Do you not yet understand or comprehend?
Are your hearts hardened?
Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?
And do you not remember,
when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand,
how many wicker baskets full of fragments you picked up?"
They answered him, "Twelve."
"When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand,
how many full baskets of fragments did you pick up?"
They answered him, "Seven."
He said to them, "Do you still not understand?"

Let us think about the four ideological groups of Jesus’ time: the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Essenes, and the Zealots. Four groups that had hardened their hearts to carry out a plan that was not God’s; there was no place for God’s plan, no place for compassion. When the heart becomes hard, when the heart hardens, one forgets… One forgets about the grace of salvation, one forgets its gratuitousness. A hard heart leads to arguments, it leads to wars, it leads to selfishness, it leads to the destruction of one’s brother, because there is no compassion. And the greatest message of salvation is that God had compassion for us. That refrain in the Gospel, when Jesus sees a person, a painful situation: “he had compassion”. […] Jesus is the Father’s compassion; Jesus is the rebuke to any hardness of heart. Each one of us has something that has hardened in our hearts. Let us remember this, and may the Lord give us a righteous and sincere heart … where the Lord dwells. The Lord cannot enter hard hearts; the Lord cannot enter ideological hearts. The Lord only enters hearts that are like his heart: compassionate hearts, hearts that have compassion, open hearts. (Pope Francis, Homily at Santa Marta, 18 February 2020)

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43 Catholic Democrats pledge migrant solidarity, invoke Leo XIV, Francis #Catholic More than 40 Catholic Democrats in the House of Representatives signed onto a statement of principles regarding immigration, which urged “solidarity” with migrants and cited Catholic social teaching and the visions of Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV to back up their positions.The statement comes as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) continues to speak out against indiscriminate mass deportations. Lawmakers are also negotiating an end to a partial government shutdown, which was spurred by debates about funding and potential reforms for immigration enforcement.“We feel called in solidarity to stand with immigrants — especially those who are poor, marginalized, or fleeing hardship — and to ensure they are treated with dignity, justice, and compassion,” the statement said.“As Catholics and elected officials, we believe that addressing long-standing inequities and expanding meaningful opportunities for immigrants is an essential part of our responsibility to community and to those most in need,” the lawmakers said.The statement was led by Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Connecticut, and signed by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, and 41 other Catholic Democrats. No Republicans signed onto the statement.The Catholic Democrats said their position is rooted in three principles of Catholic social teaching on immigration: that people have a right to migrate to sustain their lives and the lives of their families, that nations have a right to regulate borders, and that all enforcement must be consistent with justice and mercy.In their statement, they said Jesus Christ “identifies with the migrant” when he says in Matthew 25:35: “I was … a stranger and you welcomed me.” They also cited Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Dilexi Te, commenting on migration, in which he said the Church knows that “in every rejected migrant, it is Christ himself who knocks at the door of the community.”They quoted Pope Francis’ 2019 message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, in which the former pontiff said the Church’s response to immigration can be summed up in four verbs: “welcome, protect, promote, and integrate.”The statement recognizes that regulations on immigration are legitimate, citing the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which teaches that “political authorities, for the sake of the common good for which they are responsible, may make the exercise of the right to immigrate subject to various juridical conditions.”“Catholic social teaching approaches migration with realism: It affirms the right of persons to seek safety and opportunity while recognizing the legitimate authority of nations to regulate their borders,” they said. “Sound immigration policy is ordered, humane, and sustainable, balancing solidarity with prudence in service of human dignity and the common good.”The Catholic Democrats said, however, that border enforcement “is never a license for cruelty, indifference, or dehumanization” but instead “must be governed by justice and mercy.” They accused Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of having “failed this moral standard.”“Their actions have separated families, removed law-abiding individuals from our communities, and, tragically, contributed to the deaths of detained migrants and citizens like Renee Good and Alex Pretti,” the statement read.The Catholic Democrats, in their statement, said their position on immigration is “guided by a living Catholic tradition that affirms the dignity of every human life.” Despite the USCCB having called “the threat of abortion” its “preeminent priority” in the 2024 election, the Democratic Party supports abortion access, identifying abortion as an essential component of health care.Negotiating ICE, CBP reformsThe signatories called on Congress to “bear the Church’s teachings in mind” when considering reforms to ICE and CBP, which are being negotiated.On Feb. 14, the government entered into a partial shutdown when Congress did not reach an agreement on funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which operates both ICE and CBP.Many Democrats are proposing reforms that would restrict immigration enforcement as a condition of approving funds. Some have gone further, calling for the abolition of ICE altogether.Catholic administration officials have rejected the Democrats’ characterization that immigration enforcement has violated the human dignity of migrants.In December 2025, border czar Tom Homan told EWTN News that “we treat everybody with dignity.” He said “the most humane thing you can do is enforce the law, secure the border, because it saves lives” and asserted that the administration targets criminals and cited its work to combat fentanyl and sex trafficking.Nathaniel Madden, principal deputy assistant secretary for communications at DHS, told EWTN News in November 2025 that detainees “are going to be treated like a person, and your dignity is going to be respected.” He said dignity and immigration enforcement are compatible and “we have to take into account that laws were broken.”In January, U.S. citizens Pretti and Good were both shot and killed by federal immigration officers in separate incidents in Minneapolis.In November 2025, the USCCB issued a special message that opposed “the indiscriminate mass deportation of people” and called for an end to “dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether directed at immigrants or at law enforcement.” The message was approved by a vote of 216-5.
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43 Catholic Democrats pledge migrant solidarity, invoke Leo XIV, Francis #Catholic More than 40 Catholic Democrats in the House of Representatives signed onto a statement of principles regarding immigration, which urged “solidarity” with migrants and cited Catholic social teaching and the visions of Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV to back up their positions.The statement comes as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) continues to speak out against indiscriminate mass deportations. Lawmakers are also negotiating an end to a partial government shutdown, which was spurred by debates about funding and potential reforms for immigration enforcement.“We feel called in solidarity to stand with immigrants — especially those who are poor, marginalized, or fleeing hardship — and to ensure they are treated with dignity, justice, and compassion,” the statement said.“As Catholics and elected officials, we believe that addressing long-standing inequities and expanding meaningful opportunities for immigrants is an essential part of our responsibility to community and to those most in need,” the lawmakers said.The statement was led by Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Connecticut, and signed by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, and 41 other Catholic Democrats. No Republicans signed onto the statement.The Catholic Democrats said their position is rooted in three principles of Catholic social teaching on immigration: that people have a right to migrate to sustain their lives and the lives of their families, that nations have a right to regulate borders, and that all enforcement must be consistent with justice and mercy.In their statement, they said Jesus Christ “identifies with the migrant” when he says in Matthew 25:35: “I was … a stranger and you welcomed me.” They also cited Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Dilexi Te, commenting on migration, in which he said the Church knows that “in every rejected migrant, it is Christ himself who knocks at the door of the community.”They quoted Pope Francis’ 2019 message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, in which the former pontiff said the Church’s response to immigration can be summed up in four verbs: “welcome, protect, promote, and integrate.”The statement recognizes that regulations on immigration are legitimate, citing the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which teaches that “political authorities, for the sake of the common good for which they are responsible, may make the exercise of the right to immigrate subject to various juridical conditions.”“Catholic social teaching approaches migration with realism: It affirms the right of persons to seek safety and opportunity while recognizing the legitimate authority of nations to regulate their borders,” they said. “Sound immigration policy is ordered, humane, and sustainable, balancing solidarity with prudence in service of human dignity and the common good.”The Catholic Democrats said, however, that border enforcement “is never a license for cruelty, indifference, or dehumanization” but instead “must be governed by justice and mercy.” They accused Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of having “failed this moral standard.”“Their actions have separated families, removed law-abiding individuals from our communities, and, tragically, contributed to the deaths of detained migrants and citizens like Renee Good and Alex Pretti,” the statement read.The Catholic Democrats, in their statement, said their position on immigration is “guided by a living Catholic tradition that affirms the dignity of every human life.” Despite the USCCB having called “the threat of abortion” its “preeminent priority” in the 2024 election, the Democratic Party supports abortion access, identifying abortion as an essential component of health care.Negotiating ICE, CBP reformsThe signatories called on Congress to “bear the Church’s teachings in mind” when considering reforms to ICE and CBP, which are being negotiated.On Feb. 14, the government entered into a partial shutdown when Congress did not reach an agreement on funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which operates both ICE and CBP.Many Democrats are proposing reforms that would restrict immigration enforcement as a condition of approving funds. Some have gone further, calling for the abolition of ICE altogether.Catholic administration officials have rejected the Democrats’ characterization that immigration enforcement has violated the human dignity of migrants.In December 2025, border czar Tom Homan told EWTN News that “we treat everybody with dignity.” He said “the most humane thing you can do is enforce the law, secure the border, because it saves lives” and asserted that the administration targets criminals and cited its work to combat fentanyl and sex trafficking.Nathaniel Madden, principal deputy assistant secretary for communications at DHS, told EWTN News in November 2025 that detainees “are going to be treated like a person, and your dignity is going to be respected.” He said dignity and immigration enforcement are compatible and “we have to take into account that laws were broken.”In January, U.S. citizens Pretti and Good were both shot and killed by federal immigration officers in separate incidents in Minneapolis.In November 2025, the USCCB issued a special message that opposed “the indiscriminate mass deportation of people” and called for an end to “dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether directed at immigrants or at law enforcement.” The message was approved by a vote of 216-5.

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Catholic U.S. House Democrats cited Church teaching in defense of the dignity of migrants as Trump administration officials defend immigration enforcement.

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SHADOW FASHION: Supermodel Naomi Campbell’s Ties With Jeffrey Epstein Laid Open in DOJ-Released Emails – Out of the millions of documents released by the DOJ in the by-now earth-shattering ‘Epstein-files’, the name of controversial supermodel Naomi Campbell pops up repeatedly. The post SHADOW FASHION: Supermodel Naomi Campbell’s Ties With Jeffrey Epstein Laid Open in DOJ-Released Emails appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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SHADOW FASHION: Supermodel Naomi Campbell’s Ties With Jeffrey Epstein Laid Open in DOJ-Released Emails – Out of the millions of documents released by the DOJ in the by-now earth-shattering ‘Epstein-files’, the name of controversial supermodel Naomi Campbell pops up repeatedly. The post SHADOW FASHION: Supermodel Naomi Campbell’s Ties With Jeffrey Epstein Laid Open in DOJ-Released Emails appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Celebrities at a crowded event, featuring a model in a black outfit and a blonde woman looking at her phone, surrounded by onlookers.

Celebrities at a crowded event, featuring a model in a black outfit and a blonde woman looking at her phone, surrounded by onlookers.

Out of the millions of documents released by the DOJ in the by-now earth-shattering ‘Epstein-files’, the name of controversial supermodel Naomi Campbell pops up repeatedly.

The post SHADOW FASHION: Supermodel Naomi Campbell’s Ties With Jeffrey Epstein Laid Open in DOJ-Released Emails appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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‘Silence of the Lambs’ Producer and Actor Who Played Buffalo Bill Express Regret Over 35-Year-Old Film Because of ‘Transphobia,’ but Trans Killers Are a Real Rising Threat – The 1991 Oscar-winning film The Silence of the Lambs turned 35 this month, but instead of celebrating its legacy, key members of the cast and crew used the anniversary to apologize for the film’s portrayal of the serial killer Buffalo Bill. The post ‘Silence of the Lambs’ Producer and Actor Who Played Buffalo Bill Express Regret Over 35-Year-Old Film Because of ‘Transphobia,’ but Trans Killers Are a Real Rising Threat appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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‘Silence of the Lambs’ Producer and Actor Who Played Buffalo Bill Express Regret Over 35-Year-Old Film Because of ‘Transphobia,’ but Trans Killers Are a Real Rising Threat – The 1991 Oscar-winning film The Silence of the Lambs turned 35 this month, but instead of celebrating its legacy, key members of the cast and crew used the anniversary to apologize for the film’s portrayal of the serial killer Buffalo Bill. The post ‘Silence of the Lambs’ Producer and Actor Who Played Buffalo Bill Express Regret Over 35-Year-Old Film Because of ‘Transphobia,’ but Trans Killers Are a Real Rising Threat appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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A character with long hair and an extravagant outfit poses confidently in a vibrant costume-filled setting, reflecting a playful and bold fashion statement.

A character with long hair and an extravagant outfit poses confidently in a vibrant costume-filled setting, reflecting a playful and bold fashion statement.

The 1991 Oscar-winning film The Silence of the Lambs turned 35 this month, but instead of celebrating its legacy, key members of the cast and crew used the anniversary to apologize for the film’s portrayal of the serial killer Buffalo Bill.

The post ‘Silence of the Lambs’ Producer and Actor Who Played Buffalo Bill Express Regret Over 35-Year-Old Film Because of ‘Transphobia,’ but Trans Killers Are a Real Rising Threat appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Lawmakers urge White House to restore visas for international adoptions #Catholic Lawmakers are urging the Trump administration to offer government exceptions for international adoption visas so that children can be united with their adoptive families and “welcomed into safe and stable homes.”U.S. Sens. Kevin Cramer and Amy Klobuchar, along with U.S. Reps. Robert Aderholt and Danny Davis, asked the Department of State to restore a “categorical exemption for adoption visas,” one that was suspended in December 2025 amid government travel restrictions on certain countries.The suspension of the visas “has introduced uncertainty for children and American parents who have waited years for their adoptions to be completed and were preparing to bring their children home,” the lawmakers said.The letter cited Department of State guidance from 2025 that acknowledged that adoption “involves children in need — some in urgent need — of a loving, permanent home and family.”In that guidance the State Department acknowledged the need to “vigorously engage at both the policy and case levels to protect the interests of all parties involved.”“We strongly urge you to advocate for the restoration of the categorical exemption for adoption visas,” the lawmakers said, calling on the department to “move expeditiously to address this situation to ensure these children are united with their adoptive parents.”Difficulty of international adoption changes with governmentsKatie Dillon, a spokeswoman for Commonwealth Catholic Charities in Virginia, said international adoptions “typically follow clear, predictable steps,” though she said the process is “lengthy.”Like many Catholic charity groups, Commonwealth Catholic Charities offers adoptive families a variety of resources and services to facilitate in both domestic and international adoptions. Dillon said the Virginia group “acts as the home study provider and post-placement agency” for families seeking to adopt from other countries.Such adoptions “can be a difficult process that ebbs and flows with global policy shifts,” she said. “It can be a challenging process for families to navigate.”“Families interested in international adoption work with an in-state agency like Commonwealth Catholic Charities to complete their home study and an international agency to help with the placement of the child,” she said.Child placement agencies must be accredited by the Hague Adoption Convention of 1993, an international accord that established protections for children in international adoptions. Such agencies “have programs in certain countries to legally assist a family in the adoption of a child from that country,” Dillon said.Though there are numerous resources that prospective adoptive families can utilize to help them in their journey, Dillon said international adoption “is often a long process that can take upwards of three or four years.” Some countries can require parents to reside in the country in question for anywhere from several months to a year, she said.Amid the uncertainty at the federal level, Dillon stressed that the difficult process is at times upended by elections in which government rules can shift without warning.“Parents who are considering international adoption should be aware that adoption policies can change abruptly with changes in government leadership,” she said. “There are no guarantees.”
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Lawmakers urge White House to restore visas for international adoptions #Catholic Lawmakers are urging the Trump administration to offer government exceptions for international adoption visas so that children can be united with their adoptive families and “welcomed into safe and stable homes.”U.S. Sens. Kevin Cramer and Amy Klobuchar, along with U.S. Reps. Robert Aderholt and Danny Davis, asked the Department of State to restore a “categorical exemption for adoption visas,” one that was suspended in December 2025 amid government travel restrictions on certain countries.The suspension of the visas “has introduced uncertainty for children and American parents who have waited years for their adoptions to be completed and were preparing to bring their children home,” the lawmakers said.The letter cited Department of State guidance from 2025 that acknowledged that adoption “involves children in need — some in urgent need — of a loving, permanent home and family.”In that guidance the State Department acknowledged the need to “vigorously engage at both the policy and case levels to protect the interests of all parties involved.”“We strongly urge you to advocate for the restoration of the categorical exemption for adoption visas,” the lawmakers said, calling on the department to “move expeditiously to address this situation to ensure these children are united with their adoptive parents.”Difficulty of international adoption changes with governmentsKatie Dillon, a spokeswoman for Commonwealth Catholic Charities in Virginia, said international adoptions “typically follow clear, predictable steps,” though she said the process is “lengthy.”Like many Catholic charity groups, Commonwealth Catholic Charities offers adoptive families a variety of resources and services to facilitate in both domestic and international adoptions. Dillon said the Virginia group “acts as the home study provider and post-placement agency” for families seeking to adopt from other countries.Such adoptions “can be a difficult process that ebbs and flows with global policy shifts,” she said. “It can be a challenging process for families to navigate.”“Families interested in international adoption work with an in-state agency like Commonwealth Catholic Charities to complete their home study and an international agency to help with the placement of the child,” she said.Child placement agencies must be accredited by the Hague Adoption Convention of 1993, an international accord that established protections for children in international adoptions. Such agencies “have programs in certain countries to legally assist a family in the adoption of a child from that country,” Dillon said.Though there are numerous resources that prospective adoptive families can utilize to help them in their journey, Dillon said international adoption “is often a long process that can take upwards of three or four years.” Some countries can require parents to reside in the country in question for anywhere from several months to a year, she said.Amid the uncertainty at the federal level, Dillon stressed that the difficult process is at times upended by elections in which government rules can shift without warning.“Parents who are considering international adoption should be aware that adoption policies can change abruptly with changes in government leadership,” she said. “There are no guarantees.”

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“Adoption visas are not guaranteed” amid a travel freeze, said lawmakers who have asked the State Department to restore a “categorical exemption for adoption visas.”

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Tackle Your Debt And Earn Massive Cash Back With This Card – (Note: Thank you for supporting businesses like those presenting a sponsored message below and ordering through the links below, which benefits Gateway Pundit. The post Tackle Your Debt And Earn Massive Cash Back With This Card appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Tackle Your Debt And Earn Massive Cash Back With This Card – (Note: Thank you for supporting businesses like those presenting a sponsored message below and ordering through the links below, which benefits Gateway Pundit. The post Tackle Your Debt And Earn Massive Cash Back With This Card appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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SIM card on a background of the American flag, symbolizing mobile connectivity and patriotism in the United States.

SIM card on a background of the American flag, symbolizing mobile connectivity and patriotism in the United States.

(Note: Thank you for supporting businesses like those presenting a sponsored message below and ordering through the links below, which benefits Gateway Pundit.

The post Tackle Your Debt And Earn Massive Cash Back With This Card appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Scouts encouraged to be inspired by saints at Mass #Catholic - Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney urged scouts and leaders to find inspiration in the saints, such as Ss. Cyril & Methodius, while celebrating the annual Scout Sunday Mass of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey on Feb. 14, the feast of the two Slavic saints and St. Valentine’s Day. The liturgy was held at Our Lady of Good Counsel (OLGC) Church in the Pompton Plains neighborhood of Pequannock, N.J. After presiding over the Mass, Bishop Sweeney presented religious awards to Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and adult Boy Scout leaders to inspire and strengthen their Catholic faith. Among the priests concelebrating the Mass with Bishop Sweeney were Father Frank Agresti, chaplain of the diocesan Catholic Committee on Girl Scouting who is offering pastoral assistance to St. Anthony Parish in Hawthorne, N.J.; Father Christopher Barkhausen, pastor of St. Francis de Sales Parish in the McAfee neighborhood of Vernon, N.J., and chaplain of the diocesan Catholic Committee on Boy Scouting; and Father Benjamin Williams, pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in the Oak Ridge neighborhood of Jefferson Township and St. John Vianney Parish in the Stockholm neighborhood of Hardyston, N.J. who is involved in several capacities with the Boy Scouts’ Patriots Path Council. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Father Darwin Lastra, pastor of OLGC, also concelebrated the Mass. Father Jared Brogan, director of the diocesan Worship Office, was master of ceremonies for the liturgy. On social media, Bishop Sweeney posted after the event, “I was blessed to celebrate Mass this Morning with our Catholic Scouting Community and be part of their annual Awards Ceremony. I thanked the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, their parents, Scout Leaders, and Chaplains for their dedication, generosity, and example of servant leadership. I encouraged them to learn from and be inspired by the saints, especially Ss. Cyril & Methodius.” Ss. Cyril and Methodius were two missionaries, brothers from Thessaloniki in Greece, who popularized Christianity among the Slavic peoples. Such was their influence that they are now known as the “Apostles to the Slavs.” Deacon Marc Mackin of OLGC assisted with the Mass. Several Scouts participated in the Mass. The diocese’s Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts have been holding a Scout Sunday Mass collectively for at least 10 years. Last year, the Boy Scouts of America rebranded as Scouting America to be more inclusive to all youth. A list of Boy Scout and Girl Scout award recipients will follow soon. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  
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Scouts encouraged to be inspired by saints at Mass #Catholic – Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney urged scouts and leaders to find inspiration in the saints, such as Ss. Cyril & Methodius, while celebrating the annual Scout Sunday Mass of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey on Feb. 14, the feast of the two Slavic saints and St. Valentine’s Day. The liturgy was held at Our Lady of Good Counsel (OLGC) Church in the Pompton Plains neighborhood of Pequannock, N.J. After presiding over the Mass, Bishop Sweeney presented religious awards to Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and adult Boy Scout leaders to inspire and strengthen their Catholic faith. Among the priests concelebrating the Mass with Bishop Sweeney were Father Frank Agresti, chaplain of the diocesan Catholic Committee on Girl Scouting who is offering pastoral assistance to St. Anthony Parish in Hawthorne, N.J.; Father Christopher Barkhausen, pastor of St. Francis de Sales Parish in the McAfee neighborhood of Vernon, N.J., and chaplain of the diocesan Catholic Committee on Boy Scouting; and Father Benjamin Williams, pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in the Oak Ridge neighborhood of Jefferson Township and St. John Vianney Parish in the Stockholm neighborhood of Hardyston, N.J. who is involved in several capacities with the Boy Scouts’ Patriots Path Council. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Father Darwin Lastra, pastor of OLGC, also concelebrated the Mass. Father Jared Brogan, director of the diocesan Worship Office, was master of ceremonies for the liturgy. On social media, Bishop Sweeney posted after the event, “I was blessed to celebrate Mass this Morning with our Catholic Scouting Community and be part of their annual Awards Ceremony. I thanked the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, their parents, Scout Leaders, and Chaplains for their dedication, generosity, and example of servant leadership. I encouraged them to learn from and be inspired by the saints, especially Ss. Cyril & Methodius.” Ss. Cyril and Methodius were two missionaries, brothers from Thessaloniki in Greece, who popularized Christianity among the Slavic peoples. Such was their influence that they are now known as the “Apostles to the Slavs.” Deacon Marc Mackin of OLGC assisted with the Mass. Several Scouts participated in the Mass. The diocese’s Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts have been holding a Scout Sunday Mass collectively for at least 10 years. Last year, the Boy Scouts of America rebranded as Scouting America to be more inclusive to all youth. A list of Boy Scout and Girl Scout award recipients will follow soon. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  

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Scouts encouraged to be inspired by saints at Mass #Catholic –

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney urged scouts and leaders to find inspiration in the saints, such as Ss. Cyril & Methodius, while celebrating the annual Scout Sunday Mass of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey on Feb. 14, the feast of the two Slavic saints and St. Valentine’s Day. The liturgy was held at Our Lady of Good Counsel (OLGC) Church in the Pompton Plains neighborhood of Pequannock, N.J.

After presiding over the Mass, Bishop Sweeney presented religious awards to Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and adult Boy Scout leaders to inspire and strengthen their Catholic faith.

Among the priests concelebrating the Mass with Bishop Sweeney were Father Frank Agresti, chaplain of the diocesan Catholic Committee on Girl Scouting who is offering pastoral assistance to St. Anthony Parish in Hawthorne, N.J.; Father Christopher Barkhausen, pastor of St. Francis de Sales Parish in the McAfee neighborhood of Vernon, N.J., and chaplain of the diocesan Catholic Committee on Boy Scouting; and Father Benjamin Williams, pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in the Oak Ridge neighborhood of Jefferson Township and St. John Vianney Parish in the Stockholm neighborhood of Hardyston, N.J. who is involved in several capacities with the Boy Scouts’ Patriots Path Council.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Father Darwin Lastra, pastor of OLGC, also concelebrated the Mass. Father Jared Brogan, director of the diocesan Worship Office, was master of ceremonies for the liturgy.

On social media, Bishop Sweeney posted after the event, “I was blessed to celebrate Mass this Morning with our Catholic Scouting Community and be part of their annual Awards Ceremony. I thanked the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, their parents, Scout Leaders, and Chaplains for their dedication, generosity, and example of servant leadership. I encouraged them to learn from and be inspired by the saints, especially Ss. Cyril & Methodius.”

Ss. Cyril and Methodius were two missionaries, brothers from Thessaloniki in Greece, who popularized Christianity among the Slavic peoples. Such was their influence that they are now known as the “Apostles to the Slavs.”
Deacon Marc Mackin of OLGC assisted with the Mass. Several Scouts participated in the Mass.

The diocese’s Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts have been holding a Scout Sunday Mass collectively for at least 10 years. Last year, the Boy Scouts of America rebranded as Scouting America to be more inclusive to all youth.

A list of Boy Scout and Girl Scout award recipients will follow soon.

BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI

– Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney urged scouts and leaders to find inspiration in the saints, such as Ss. Cyril & Methodius, while celebrating the annual Scout Sunday Mass of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey on Feb. 14, the feast of the two Slavic saints and St. Valentine’s Day. The liturgy was held at Our Lady of Good Counsel (OLGC) Church in the Pompton Plains neighborhood of Pequannock, N.J. After presiding over the Mass, Bishop Sweeney presented religious awards to Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and adult Boy Scout leaders to inspire and strengthen their Catholic faith. Among the priests concelebrating the

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Families make unforgettable memories at Haskell prom #Catholic - Once again, St. Francis of Assisi Parish in the Haskell neighborhood of Wanaque, N.J., was excited on Feb. 13 to be an official host church for the 2026 Night to Shine Prom sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation. Night to Shine is a prom night experience and part of a worldwide celebration, centered on God’s love, for people with physical or developmental disabilities, ages 14 and older. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney and Father Greg Golba, pastor of St. Francis, joined the party that night. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Guests of Night to Shine entered the complimentary event on a red carpet with a warm welcome from a friendly crowd and paparazzi. Once inside, guests received the royal treatment, including hair and makeup stations, shoe shining stations, limousine rides, corsages and boutonnieres, a karaoke room, a catered dinner, prom favors, a Respite Room for parents and caretakers, and dancing. The highlight of the night arrived when each Night to Shine guest was crowned a king or queen of the prom. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  
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Families make unforgettable memories at Haskell prom #Catholic – Once again, St. Francis of Assisi Parish in the Haskell neighborhood of Wanaque, N.J., was excited on Feb. 13 to be an official host church for the 2026 Night to Shine Prom sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation. Night to Shine is a prom night experience and part of a worldwide celebration, centered on God’s love, for people with physical or developmental disabilities, ages 14 and older. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney and Father Greg Golba, pastor of St. Francis, joined the party that night. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Guests of Night to Shine entered the complimentary event on a red carpet with a warm welcome from a friendly crowd and paparazzi. Once inside, guests received the royal treatment, including hair and makeup stations, shoe shining stations, limousine rides, corsages and boutonnieres, a karaoke room, a catered dinner, prom favors, a Respite Room for parents and caretakers, and dancing. The highlight of the night arrived when each Night to Shine guest was crowned a king or queen of the prom. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  

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Families make unforgettable memories at Haskell prom #Catholic –

Once again, St. Francis of Assisi Parish in the Haskell neighborhood of Wanaque, N.J., was excited on Feb. 13 to be an official host church for the 2026 Night to Shine Prom sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation.

Night to Shine is a prom night experience and part of a worldwide celebration, centered on God’s love, for people with physical or developmental disabilities, ages 14 and older. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney and Father Greg Golba, pastor of St. Francis, joined the party that night.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Guests of Night to Shine entered the complimentary event on a red carpet with a warm welcome from a friendly crowd and paparazzi. Once inside, guests received the royal treatment, including hair and makeup stations, shoe shining stations, limousine rides, corsages and boutonnieres, a karaoke room, a catered dinner, prom favors, a Respite Room for parents and caretakers, and dancing.

The highlight of the night arrived when each Night to Shine guest was crowned a king or queen of the prom.

BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI

– Once again, St. Francis of Assisi Parish in the Haskell neighborhood of Wanaque, N.J., was excited on Feb. 13 to be an official host church for the 2026 Night to Shine Prom sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation. Night to Shine is a prom night experience and part of a worldwide celebration, centered on God’s love, for people with physical or developmental disabilities, ages 14 and older. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney and Father Greg Golba, pastor of St. Francis, joined the party that night. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Guests of Night to Shine entered the complimentary

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Just what does it mean to be named a ‘chaplain of His Holiness’? – #Catholic – Among the recent appointments of Pope Leo XIV, one in particular has been made with remarkable frequency: that of “chaplain of His Holiness.” What does this honorary title mean?In November 2025, the Holy Father bestowed this title upon his secretary, Peruvian priest Father Edgard Iván Rimaycuna Inga, officially incorporating him into the papal household, in accordance with the provisions of the 1968 motu proprio Pontificalis Domus (“Pontifical House”).Among those who have received this distinction in recent days is Father Fermín González Melado, a diocesan priest born in Badajoz, Spain, who has resided in Rome since 2019.With degrees in biology and the theology of marriage and family, González is an adviser to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and a member of the clinical ethics committee at the Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital. He has also served as vice rector of the Spanish National Church of St. James and Montserrat in Rome since 2021. Father Fermín González Melado. | Credit: Archdiocese of Mérida-Badajoz In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, he explained that the title of “chaplain of His Holiness” is a recognition “granted by the dicasteries, since it is the prefects who suggest to the secretariat of state the recognition of individuals who have been working at the Holy See.”He clarified that this “does not imply a change of job or employment status, but rather a kind of medal that recognizes meritorious work. It is an honorary title that entails a change of cassock colors and little else,” he explained.With this appointment as chaplain, the pope also bestowed upon him the honorary title of monsignor. From now on, as a member of the papal household, the priest may wear the cassock with purple buttons and trim, along with the sash of the same color, according to protocol.González said this title is not reserved just for the Holy See to give “but can also be granted by bishops in their dioceses after requesting it from the Vatican.”He pointed out that there is no precise figure for the number of chaplains of His Holiness worldwide. “Some dioceses grant this honor to priests upon reaching the age of 80, in recognition of their service,” he added.Although he has not yet been able to express his gratitude to Pope Leo XIV in person, he recalled his recent meeting with him, along with other members of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, during its plenary assembly.The priest told ACI Prensa that every time he meets with the Holy Father, he likes to give him “some small gift.” On the last occasion, he gave him a book and a documentary film about the Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows of Chandavila, in La Codosera, Spain, which is in his diocese.“It’s the first shrine and the first devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows approved in Spain under the new regulations of the dicastery on alleged supernatural phenomena,” he explained.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.
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Just what does it mean to be named a ‘chaplain of His Holiness’? – #Catholic – Among the recent appointments of Pope Leo XIV, one in particular has been made with remarkable frequency: that of “chaplain of His Holiness.” What does this honorary title mean?In November 2025, the Holy Father bestowed this title upon his secretary, Peruvian priest Father Edgard Iván Rimaycuna Inga, officially incorporating him into the papal household, in accordance with the provisions of the 1968 motu proprio Pontificalis Domus (“Pontifical House”).Among those who have received this distinction in recent days is Father Fermín González Melado, a diocesan priest born in Badajoz, Spain, who has resided in Rome since 2019.With degrees in biology and the theology of marriage and family, González is an adviser to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and a member of the clinical ethics committee at the Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital. He has also served as vice rector of the Spanish National Church of St. James and Montserrat in Rome since 2021. Father Fermín González Melado. | Credit: Archdiocese of Mérida-Badajoz In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, he explained that the title of “chaplain of His Holiness” is a recognition “granted by the dicasteries, since it is the prefects who suggest to the secretariat of state the recognition of individuals who have been working at the Holy See.”He clarified that this “does not imply a change of job or employment status, but rather a kind of medal that recognizes meritorious work. It is an honorary title that entails a change of cassock colors and little else,” he explained.With this appointment as chaplain, the pope also bestowed upon him the honorary title of monsignor. From now on, as a member of the papal household, the priest may wear the cassock with purple buttons and trim, along with the sash of the same color, according to protocol.González said this title is not reserved just for the Holy See to give “but can also be granted by bishops in their dioceses after requesting it from the Vatican.”He pointed out that there is no precise figure for the number of chaplains of His Holiness worldwide. “Some dioceses grant this honor to priests upon reaching the age of 80, in recognition of their service,” he added.Although he has not yet been able to express his gratitude to Pope Leo XIV in person, he recalled his recent meeting with him, along with other members of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, during its plenary assembly.The priest told ACI Prensa that every time he meets with the Holy Father, he likes to give him “some small gift.” On the last occasion, he gave him a book and a documentary film about the Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows of Chandavila, in La Codosera, Spain, which is in his diocese.“It’s the first shrine and the first devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows approved in Spain under the new regulations of the dicastery on alleged supernatural phenomena,” he explained.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.

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Father Fermín González Melado, who was recently named a “chaplain of His Holiness” by Pope Leo XIV, explains the qualifications and purpose of bestowing this honorary title.

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Pope Leo to mark start of Lent with historic procession on ancient Roman hill – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV will preside over the traditional Ash Wednesday procession and Mass on Rome’s Aventine Hill, an important place of Christian veneration and pilgrimage for more than 1,500 years.For the Dominican and Benedictine religious orders, whose communities have had a significant historical presence on the Aventine, the Holy Father’s Feb. 18 visit will be a special occasion to begin the Church’s liturgical season dedicated to prayer and fasting before Easter.On the first day of the 40-day Lenten “Stations Churches” pilgrimage — formally instituted in the sixth century by Pope Gregory the Great and restored by Pope John XXIII in 1959 — the pope leads a penitential procession from the Benedictine church of Sant’Anselmo to the nearby Dominican Basilica of Santa Sabina.“To walk with Pope Leo on this pilgrimage from the nearby Sant’Anselmo church will be a sign, a symbol, for all of us of the spiritual work that’s taking place in our hearts in Lent,” Santa Sabina resident Father Patrick Briscoe, OP, told EWTN News. “We’ll all be on pilgrimage together.”This year, Pope Leo will preside over a short afternoon prayer service at the Benedictine monastery and then celebrate the Ash Wednesday Mass at Santa Sabina, a fourth-century basilica that was gifted to St. Dominic and the Order of Preachers in 1219 by Pope Honorius III.“The pope himself imposes ashes on [the cardinals] during the Mass,” Briscoe added. “The cardinals stand in for the whole Church and they’re a sign of all of us joining and following the pope’s lead.”As part of the Lenten tradition, the pope leads the procession through the main doors of Santa Sabina, which contains the oldest known artistic portrayal of Jesus Christ crucified.“On the door we have a very important Christian symbol… It allows us to think of the meaning of Lent and to embrace the suffering of Christ,” Briscoe said.“When we consider it from the historical perspective and the evolution of Christian understanding, we really didn’t know how to handle the cross,” he explained. “It took us a hundred years to depict it.”“This says something to each of us entering into Lent — to discover anew what our sufferings mean and how to have them transformed by Christ’s own sacrifice,” he said.Father Eusebius Martis, OSB, a sacramental theology professor who teaches at the Pontifical Athenaeum of Sant’Anselmo, told EWTN News the Aventine is an ideal place for prayer and pilgrimage.“It’s really an ideal spot because it’s quiet and it’s a little bit separated but not too far [from the city center],” he said.According to Martis, nature on the Aventine has inspired artists and pilgrims alike throughout the centuries to contemplate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.“The acanthus leaf is growing all across our property here at [Sant’Anselmo],” Martis said. “It dies and it lays against the ground … completely dead until the spring [when] it comes back to life.”“In a couple of weeks, it will start putting up flowers, which represent a bloom around Easter time,” he said.Pointing out the reliefs of the acanthus leaf found on the Corinthian columns inside the Basilica of Sant’Anselmo, Martis said several churches across Rome purposefully depict the leaf to symbolize the Church’s belief in Jesus’ victory over sin and death.“The architects wanted us to remember that, every time we’re at the altar, we are at Easter,” the Benedictine father said.
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Pope Leo to mark start of Lent with historic procession on ancient Roman hill – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV will preside over the traditional Ash Wednesday procession and Mass on Rome’s Aventine Hill, an important place of Christian veneration and pilgrimage for more than 1,500 years.For the Dominican and Benedictine religious orders, whose communities have had a significant historical presence on the Aventine, the Holy Father’s Feb. 18 visit will be a special occasion to begin the Church’s liturgical season dedicated to prayer and fasting before Easter.On the first day of the 40-day Lenten “Stations Churches” pilgrimage — formally instituted in the sixth century by Pope Gregory the Great and restored by Pope John XXIII in 1959 — the pope leads a penitential procession from the Benedictine church of Sant’Anselmo to the nearby Dominican Basilica of Santa Sabina.“To walk with Pope Leo on this pilgrimage from the nearby Sant’Anselmo church will be a sign, a symbol, for all of us of the spiritual work that’s taking place in our hearts in Lent,” Santa Sabina resident Father Patrick Briscoe, OP, told EWTN News. “We’ll all be on pilgrimage together.”This year, Pope Leo will preside over a short afternoon prayer service at the Benedictine monastery and then celebrate the Ash Wednesday Mass at Santa Sabina, a fourth-century basilica that was gifted to St. Dominic and the Order of Preachers in 1219 by Pope Honorius III.“The pope himself imposes ashes on [the cardinals] during the Mass,” Briscoe added. “The cardinals stand in for the whole Church and they’re a sign of all of us joining and following the pope’s lead.”As part of the Lenten tradition, the pope leads the procession through the main doors of Santa Sabina, which contains the oldest known artistic portrayal of Jesus Christ crucified.“On the door we have a very important Christian symbol… It allows us to think of the meaning of Lent and to embrace the suffering of Christ,” Briscoe said.“When we consider it from the historical perspective and the evolution of Christian understanding, we really didn’t know how to handle the cross,” he explained. “It took us a hundred years to depict it.”“This says something to each of us entering into Lent — to discover anew what our sufferings mean and how to have them transformed by Christ’s own sacrifice,” he said.Father Eusebius Martis, OSB, a sacramental theology professor who teaches at the Pontifical Athenaeum of Sant’Anselmo, told EWTN News the Aventine is an ideal place for prayer and pilgrimage.“It’s really an ideal spot because it’s quiet and it’s a little bit separated but not too far [from the city center],” he said.According to Martis, nature on the Aventine has inspired artists and pilgrims alike throughout the centuries to contemplate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.“The acanthus leaf is growing all across our property here at [Sant’Anselmo],” Martis said. “It dies and it lays against the ground … completely dead until the spring [when] it comes back to life.”“In a couple of weeks, it will start putting up flowers, which represent a bloom around Easter time,” he said.Pointing out the reliefs of the acanthus leaf found on the Corinthian columns inside the Basilica of Sant’Anselmo, Martis said several churches across Rome purposefully depict the leaf to symbolize the Church’s belief in Jesus’ victory over sin and death.“The architects wanted us to remember that, every time we’re at the altar, we are at Easter,” the Benedictine father said.

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Pope Leo XIV will preside over the traditional Ash Wednesday procession and Mass on Feb. 18 on Rome’s Aventine Hill, an important place of Christian pilgrimage for more than 1,500 years.

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The Sky Today on Monday, February 16: Catch Comet Wierzchoś in twilight

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Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.  February 15: Saturn and Neptune stand close Now roughly 7th magnitude, Comet C/2024 E1 (Wierzchoś) is readily visible in the Northern Hemisphere once more. With New Moon less than a day away, it’s the perfect time to check in on this cometaryContinue reading “The Sky Today on Monday, February 16: Catch Comet Wierzchoś in twilight”

The post The Sky Today on Monday, February 16: Catch Comet Wierzchoś in twilight appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 16 February 2026 – A reading from the letter of James Jas 1:1-11 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion, greetings. Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and he will be given it. But he should ask in faith, not doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed about by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord, since he is a man of two minds, unstable in all his ways. The brother in lowly circumstances should take pride in high standing, and the rich one in his lowliness, for he will pass away "like the flower of the field." For the sun comes up with its scorching heat and dries up the grass, its flower droops, and the beauty of its appearance vanishes. So will the rich person fade away in the midst of his pursuits.From the Gospel according to Mark Mark 8:11-13 The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with Jesus, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation." Then he left them, got into the boat again, and went off to the other shore."Why were these Doctors of the Law unable to understand the signs of the times? Why did they demand an extraordinary sign (…), why they did not understand? First of all, because they were closed. They were closed within their system (…). Every Jews knew what they could do and what they could not do (…). They did not understand that God is the God of surprises, that God is always new; He never denies himself, never says that what He said was wrong, never, but He always surprises us. (…) Second, they had forgotten that they were a people on a journey. On a path! And when we set out on a journey, when we are on our path, we always encounter new things, things we did not know. And this should make us think: am I attached to my things, my ideas, [are they] closed? Or am I open to God’s surprises? Am I at a standstill or am I on a journey? Do I believe in Jesus Christ – in Jesus, in what he did: He died, rose again and the story ended there – Do I think that the journey continues towards maturity, toward the manifestation of the glory of the Lord? Am I able to understand the signs of the times? We should ask ourselves these questions today and ask the Lord for a heart that loves the law – because the law belongs to God – but which also loves God’s surprises and the ability to understand that this holy law is not an end in itself". (Pope Francis, Santa Marta, 13 October 2014)

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A reading from the letter of James
Jas 1:1-11

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
to the twelve tribes in the dispersion, greetings.

Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters,
when you encounter various trials,
for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
And let perseverance be perfect,
so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
But if any of you lacks wisdom,
he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly,
and he will be given it.
But he should ask in faith, not doubting,
for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea
that is driven and tossed about by the wind.
For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord,
since he is a man of two minds, unstable in all his ways.

The brother in lowly circumstances
should take pride in high standing,
and the rich one in his lowliness,
for he will pass away "like the flower of the field."
For the sun comes up with its scorching heat and dries up the grass,
its flower droops, and the beauty of its appearance vanishes.
So will the rich person fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

From the Gospel according to Mark
Mark 8:11-13

The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with Jesus,
seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.
He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said,
"Why does this generation seek a sign?
Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation."
Then he left them, got into the boat again,
and went off to the other shore.

"Why were these Doctors of the Law unable to understand the signs of the times? Why did they demand an extraordinary sign (…), why they did not understand? First of all, because they were closed. They were closed within their system (…). Every Jews knew what they could do and what they could not do (…). They did not understand that God is the God of surprises, that God is always new; He never denies himself, never says that what He said was wrong, never, but He always surprises us. (…) Second, they had forgotten that they were a people on a journey. On a path! And when we set out on a journey, when we are on our path, we always encounter new things, things we did not know. And this should make us think: am I attached to my things, my ideas, [are they] closed? Or am I open to God’s surprises? Am I at a standstill or am I on a journey? Do I believe in Jesus Christ – in Jesus, in what he did: He died, rose again and the story ended there – Do I think that the journey continues towards maturity, toward the manifestation of the glory of the Lord? Am I able to understand the signs of the times? We should ask ourselves these questions today and ask the Lord for a heart that loves the law – because the law belongs to God – but which also loves God’s surprises and the ability to understand that this holy law is not an end in itself". (Pope Francis, Santa Marta, 13 October 2014)

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DC bishop: Catholics should ‘get the facts’ on immigration, Church teachings – #Catholic – NEW YORK — Catholics must educate themselves on “the facts” regarding the U.S. immigration system and the Church’s teachings on the matter, according to Washington, D.C., Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala.Following his participation in a panel at the New York Encounter titled “Seeking a Home: A Catholic View on the Status of Immigration to the U.S.,” Menjivar-Ayala told EWTN News that he is “very hopeful” about the future of immigration in the U.S. “When people show up for a talk like this, and you see standing room only, that tells you of the great desire of people to get informed, to get educated.”The D.C. auxiliary bishop emphasized the need to “get the facts,” not only about the immigration system in the U.S. but also where the Church stands on the issue. “For the Church, the first and the most important thing is human dignity,” he said. “It is the dignity of every person, undocumented or citizen.”While the government must enforce its laws and protect its sovereignty, Menjivar-Ayala said, it is necessary for the government to “look at the eyes of the person, the dignity of every human being,” and to ensure that enforcement is “done in a humane way that respects the dignity of the human person.”“Let us educate ourselves,” he said, adding: “As they say, the social doctrine of the Church is the best-kept secret. And the Church teaches, has beautiful teachings, about the social dimension of our faith.”Dialogue with Catholics in the Trump administrationMenjivar-Ayala noted that previous administrations in the past had participated in dialogue with the Catholic Church, consulting with organizations such as the Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc. (CLINIC) on the issue of immigration. However, he said, the current administration has not.Menjivar-Ayala noted the disparity between the Church’s emphasis on human dignity and the Trump administration’s position that every unauthorized border crossing is a criminal act.He said we should be careful about narratives surrounding the issue and refrain from categorizing those who cross the border without authorization the same way as perpetrators of crimes such as murder, rape, or theft.Menjivar-Ayala said criminals should be prosecuted as criminals and not categorized in the same way as immigrants, noting that “immigration laws are a different set of laws than criminal laws” but that the current administration is now “pulling them together.”Responding to high-ranking officials who are Catholic, such as “border czar” Tom Homan, who has described the Catholic Church as being “wrong” about immigration, Menjivar-Ayala said he believes “it’s a question for them” about “how are you living the Gospel?”“I would say that the question is not for me, because for me and for the bishops it is very clear. Every person has dignity, and in every migrant, no matter if they are documented or undocumented, we should see the face of Christ,” he said. “So the question is for them, for those who claim to be Catholic but are not seeing the face of Christ in the migrants.”Menjivar-Ayala stressed the need for one’s politics to be informed by the Gospels and faith, rather than one’s faith being informed by politics or one’s personal views. “It is the Gospel that needs to tell me how I should see the world and not politics,” he said.Life for the immigrant community in Washington, D.C.Immigration enforcement among Catholic migrant communities in D.C. is “dying down a bit,” according to Menjivar-Ayala.Sacred Heart Shrine in the Columbia Heights neighborhood reported that six of its parishioners were detained by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in August 2025, including an usher who was on his way to evening Mass.Menjivar-Ayala said the immigrant community at Sacred Heart Shrine “has been affected the most” in the city but has also become the most tight-knit. During the panel, Menjivar-Ayala described parishioners in immigrant communities banding together to bring food and provide other support for one another. “I was thinking about that parish,” he said.“I believe right now it’s dying down a bit, but nobody knows when you are going to have ICE in the streets,” he concluded.Panel highlights broken system, need for congressional actionFor the panel, Menjivar-Ayala was joined by Mario Russell, executive director of the Center for Migration Studies, and Ashley Feasley, a legal expert in residence at The Catholic University of America’s Immigration Law and Policy Initiative.During her remarks, Feasley described the U.S. immigration system as “old,” having not been reformed since the late 1990s.“What has happened here is people may have many perspectives about the failures of one president or another on immigration reform,” she said. “But the one place where I think we can really circle in on is the failure of Congress to act regardless of who is in the White House or who controls Congress.”Feasley noted the presence of a number of comprehensive bills seeking to address border security and asylum but have had a difficult time garnering bipartisan support. This, she said, has ultimately been “one of the biggest problems.”During his remarks Russell, similarly to Menjivar-Ayala, encouraged Catholics to inform themselves about the immigration system by reading reports such as those from the Center for Migration Studies or from diocesan sources.“What is happening is basically what is happening,” he said. “Robert Reich, the old labor secretary, recently said, ‘Why would the Immigration Customs Enforcement go to Home Depot to find criminals? Why would they go to a posada or a corner to find criminals? Those are workers,’ so the evidence doesn’t support the narrative.”
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DC bishop: Catholics should ‘get the facts’ on immigration, Church teachings – #Catholic – NEW YORK — Catholics must educate themselves on “the facts” regarding the U.S. immigration system and the Church’s teachings on the matter, according to Washington, D.C., Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala.Following his participation in a panel at the New York Encounter titled “Seeking a Home: A Catholic View on the Status of Immigration to the U.S.,” Menjivar-Ayala told EWTN News that he is “very hopeful” about the future of immigration in the U.S. “When people show up for a talk like this, and you see standing room only, that tells you of the great desire of people to get informed, to get educated.”The D.C. auxiliary bishop emphasized the need to “get the facts,” not only about the immigration system in the U.S. but also where the Church stands on the issue. “For the Church, the first and the most important thing is human dignity,” he said. “It is the dignity of every person, undocumented or citizen.”While the government must enforce its laws and protect its sovereignty, Menjivar-Ayala said, it is necessary for the government to “look at the eyes of the person, the dignity of every human being,” and to ensure that enforcement is “done in a humane way that respects the dignity of the human person.”“Let us educate ourselves,” he said, adding: “As they say, the social doctrine of the Church is the best-kept secret. And the Church teaches, has beautiful teachings, about the social dimension of our faith.”Dialogue with Catholics in the Trump administrationMenjivar-Ayala noted that previous administrations in the past had participated in dialogue with the Catholic Church, consulting with organizations such as the Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc. (CLINIC) on the issue of immigration. However, he said, the current administration has not.Menjivar-Ayala noted the disparity between the Church’s emphasis on human dignity and the Trump administration’s position that every unauthorized border crossing is a criminal act.He said we should be careful about narratives surrounding the issue and refrain from categorizing those who cross the border without authorization the same way as perpetrators of crimes such as murder, rape, or theft.Menjivar-Ayala said criminals should be prosecuted as criminals and not categorized in the same way as immigrants, noting that “immigration laws are a different set of laws than criminal laws” but that the current administration is now “pulling them together.”Responding to high-ranking officials who are Catholic, such as “border czar” Tom Homan, who has described the Catholic Church as being “wrong” about immigration, Menjivar-Ayala said he believes “it’s a question for them” about “how are you living the Gospel?”“I would say that the question is not for me, because for me and for the bishops it is very clear. Every person has dignity, and in every migrant, no matter if they are documented or undocumented, we should see the face of Christ,” he said. “So the question is for them, for those who claim to be Catholic but are not seeing the face of Christ in the migrants.”Menjivar-Ayala stressed the need for one’s politics to be informed by the Gospels and faith, rather than one’s faith being informed by politics or one’s personal views. “It is the Gospel that needs to tell me how I should see the world and not politics,” he said.Life for the immigrant community in Washington, D.C.Immigration enforcement among Catholic migrant communities in D.C. is “dying down a bit,” according to Menjivar-Ayala.Sacred Heart Shrine in the Columbia Heights neighborhood reported that six of its parishioners were detained by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in August 2025, including an usher who was on his way to evening Mass.Menjivar-Ayala said the immigrant community at Sacred Heart Shrine “has been affected the most” in the city but has also become the most tight-knit. During the panel, Menjivar-Ayala described parishioners in immigrant communities banding together to bring food and provide other support for one another. “I was thinking about that parish,” he said.“I believe right now it’s dying down a bit, but nobody knows when you are going to have ICE in the streets,” he concluded.Panel highlights broken system, need for congressional actionFor the panel, Menjivar-Ayala was joined by Mario Russell, executive director of the Center for Migration Studies, and Ashley Feasley, a legal expert in residence at The Catholic University of America’s Immigration Law and Policy Initiative.During her remarks, Feasley described the U.S. immigration system as “old,” having not been reformed since the late 1990s.“What has happened here is people may have many perspectives about the failures of one president or another on immigration reform,” she said. “But the one place where I think we can really circle in on is the failure of Congress to act regardless of who is in the White House or who controls Congress.”Feasley noted the presence of a number of comprehensive bills seeking to address border security and asylum but have had a difficult time garnering bipartisan support. This, she said, has ultimately been “one of the biggest problems.”During his remarks Russell, similarly to Menjivar-Ayala, encouraged Catholics to inform themselves about the immigration system by reading reports such as those from the Center for Migration Studies or from diocesan sources.“What is happening is basically what is happening,” he said. “Robert Reich, the old labor secretary, recently said, ‘Why would the Immigration Customs Enforcement go to Home Depot to find criminals? Why would they go to a posada or a corner to find criminals? Those are workers,’ so the evidence doesn’t support the narrative.”

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Washington, D.C., Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala talks immigration and dialogue with high-ranking Catholics in the Trump administration.

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Catholic thinkers, tech experts reflect on promise and perils of AI at New York Encounter #Catholic NEW YORK — How can Catholic social teaching guide us in weighing the benefits of artificial intelligence against the dangers it poses to human dignity? That question animated a wide-ranging discussion among Catholic thinkers and technology experts at the New York Encounter on Saturday.Citing Pope Leo XIV’s call to use AI responsibly as well as the Church’s historic defense of human dignity in the face of modern technology, Davide Bolchini, moderator and dean of the Luddy School of Informatics at Indiana University, opened the discussion before an audience of several hundred people gathered for the three-day cultural conference in New York City.“The pope encouraged us to use AI responsibly, to use it in a way that helps us grow, not to let it work against us, but to let it work with us, not to substitute human intelligence, not to replace our judgment of what’s right … our ability of authentic wonder,” Bolchini said.With technology rapidly advancing, Bolchini asked, how can the Church stay ahead of these challenges?Chuck Rossi, an engineer at Meta who is developing AI-driven content moderation technology at the technology conglomerate, which includes Facebook and Instagram, argued that in his work, developments in AI have been instrumental in safeguarding human beings from harm. AI systems, he said, can examine 2.5 billion pieces of of shared online content per hour, filtering harmful material including nudity and sexual activity, bullying and harassment, child endanger, dangerous organizations, fake accounts, hateful conduct, restricted goods and services, spam, suicide and self-injury, violence and incitement, and violent and graphic content.“That’s my world,” he said. “It’s a very, very hard problem. If we miss 0.1% of 2. 5 billion, that’s millions of things that we didn’t want to be seeing. But we do an excellent job, and we have for years — we’re one of the best at it,” Rossi said.Using AI also protects human content moderators from being exposed to disturbing material, as they were in the past.“The good thing that we are giving back to humans is you never have to do this horrible work,” he said.Paul Scherz, professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame, acknowledged the benefits of AI, which he said included advances in medicine and efficiency for tasks like billing (“Nobody wants to do billing,” he said).But Scherz warned of the dangers of relying on technology to do what is intrinsically human.“We are really starting to turn to AI as people more broadly for these relational aspects, which would be tragic because there is something in that human-to-human connection, the ‘I/thou connection,’ as Martin Buber called it, that is irreplaceable by a machine,” Scherz said. He noted that AI has even moved into ministry, with the rise of Catholic apps relying on bots to offer catechesis.Scherz also cautioned that substituting AI for human interaction and intelligence risks eroding our skills, whether in relationships or in professional life.“My fear is as we use these chatbots more and more we will lose those person-to-person skills. We’ll no longer be able to engage one another as well, or have the patience and virtue to deeply love and encounter one another,” Scherz said.In addition, relying on AI in our work, for example, when a doctor consults AI to make a diagnosis, will result in our “de-skilling,” he said. “We know that people, when they’re using automated systems, they tend to just become biased and complacent and just approve the automated system. They lose their skills,” he said, adding that airline pilots who rely too much on autopilot are more prone to making errors.Louis Kim, former vice president of personal systems and AI at Hewlett-Packard who is currently pursuing graduate studies in theology and health care, pointed out that it’s not possible to know today what skills will be required in the future.“My personal view is I often find that predictions of impacted technology are largely unconsciously based on what we know of the current paradigm and structure and technologies,” Kim said.“There are going to be skills needed to control AI that are going to be different,” he said.Kim also called for “humility” in discussions about AI’s potential to affect human relationships.“Let’s ask ourselves about the quality of our current human relationships, whether it’s in the workplace, in toxic cultures, sometimes at home — even at conferences, at your next break, as you go around talking to this person [or] that person, how many times that person is looking over your shoulder for the more important person to talk to?” he said.Our moral formation, he said, will continue to shape the quality of our encounters with others.
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Catholic thinkers, tech experts reflect on promise and perils of AI at New York Encounter #Catholic NEW YORK — How can Catholic social teaching guide us in weighing the benefits of artificial intelligence against the dangers it poses to human dignity? That question animated a wide-ranging discussion among Catholic thinkers and technology experts at the New York Encounter on Saturday.Citing Pope Leo XIV’s call to use AI responsibly as well as the Church’s historic defense of human dignity in the face of modern technology, Davide Bolchini, moderator and dean of the Luddy School of Informatics at Indiana University, opened the discussion before an audience of several hundred people gathered for the three-day cultural conference in New York City.“The pope encouraged us to use AI responsibly, to use it in a way that helps us grow, not to let it work against us, but to let it work with us, not to substitute human intelligence, not to replace our judgment of what’s right … our ability of authentic wonder,” Bolchini said.With technology rapidly advancing, Bolchini asked, how can the Church stay ahead of these challenges?Chuck Rossi, an engineer at Meta who is developing AI-driven content moderation technology at the technology conglomerate, which includes Facebook and Instagram, argued that in his work, developments in AI have been instrumental in safeguarding human beings from harm. AI systems, he said, can examine 2.5 billion pieces of of shared online content per hour, filtering harmful material including nudity and sexual activity, bullying and harassment, child endanger, dangerous organizations, fake accounts, hateful conduct, restricted goods and services, spam, suicide and self-injury, violence and incitement, and violent and graphic content.“That’s my world,” he said. “It’s a very, very hard problem. If we miss 0.1% of 2. 5 billion, that’s millions of things that we didn’t want to be seeing. But we do an excellent job, and we have for years — we’re one of the best at it,” Rossi said.Using AI also protects human content moderators from being exposed to disturbing material, as they were in the past.“The good thing that we are giving back to humans is you never have to do this horrible work,” he said.Paul Scherz, professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame, acknowledged the benefits of AI, which he said included advances in medicine and efficiency for tasks like billing (“Nobody wants to do billing,” he said).But Scherz warned of the dangers of relying on technology to do what is intrinsically human.“We are really starting to turn to AI as people more broadly for these relational aspects, which would be tragic because there is something in that human-to-human connection, the ‘I/thou connection,’ as Martin Buber called it, that is irreplaceable by a machine,” Scherz said. He noted that AI has even moved into ministry, with the rise of Catholic apps relying on bots to offer catechesis.Scherz also cautioned that substituting AI for human interaction and intelligence risks eroding our skills, whether in relationships or in professional life.“My fear is as we use these chatbots more and more we will lose those person-to-person skills. We’ll no longer be able to engage one another as well, or have the patience and virtue to deeply love and encounter one another,” Scherz said.In addition, relying on AI in our work, for example, when a doctor consults AI to make a diagnosis, will result in our “de-skilling,” he said. “We know that people, when they’re using automated systems, they tend to just become biased and complacent and just approve the automated system. They lose their skills,” he said, adding that airline pilots who rely too much on autopilot are more prone to making errors.Louis Kim, former vice president of personal systems and AI at Hewlett-Packard who is currently pursuing graduate studies in theology and health care, pointed out that it’s not possible to know today what skills will be required in the future.“My personal view is I often find that predictions of impacted technology are largely unconsciously based on what we know of the current paradigm and structure and technologies,” Kim said.“There are going to be skills needed to control AI that are going to be different,” he said.Kim also called for “humility” in discussions about AI’s potential to affect human relationships.“Let’s ask ourselves about the quality of our current human relationships, whether it’s in the workplace, in toxic cultures, sometimes at home — even at conferences, at your next break, as you go around talking to this person [or] that person, how many times that person is looking over your shoulder for the more important person to talk to?” he said.Our moral formation, he said, will continue to shape the quality of our encounters with others.

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“The pope encouraged us to use AI responsibly, to use it in a way that helps us grow, not to let it work against us, ” said Davide Bolchini, the moderator of an AI panel at the weekend conference.

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The Babylon Bee Presents: Free Valentine’s Day Cards You Can Print And Give To That Special Someone #BabylonBee – The Babylon Bee has put together an absolutely incredible set of Valentine’s Day cards that your special someone will absolutely love. The best part? It’s all free! Simply print, sign, and watch the romance happen.
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The Babylon Bee Presents: Free Valentine’s Day Cards You Can Print And Give To That Special Someone #BabylonBee – The Babylon Bee has put together an absolutely incredible set of Valentine’s Day cards that your special someone will absolutely love. The best part? It’s all free! Simply print, sign, and watch the romance happen.

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The Babylon Bee has put together an absolutely incredible set of Valentine’s Day cards that your special someone will absolutely love. The best part? It’s all free! Simply print, sign, and watch the romance happen.

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Historic murals in Iraq emerge from the ruins of ISIS destruction – #Catholic – Restoration work is progressing rapidly on two 13th-century historic mural reliefs at the ancient Mar Behnam and Sarah Monastery in Iraq. The effort is being led by the monastery’s administration in collaboration with the French organization Mesopotamia after the artworks suffered extensive destruction at the hands of ISIS.The monastery was featured in an EWTN News special on Iraq marking 10 years since the rise of ISIS and examining Christianity in Iraq a decade after the extremist group’s occupation. The report highlighted both the destruction inflicted on Christian heritage and the steady efforts toward restoration, with Mar Behnam Monastery standing as a visible sign of endurance and renewal.The murals, depicting the “Martyrdom of Mar Behnam” and “Saint Sarah,” face one another inside the monastery church and are considered unique in both scale and artistic detail. No other monastery today contains comparable works in terms of size, age, and creative intricacy. They have long been objects of popular devotion in addition to their historical value, as Chorbishop Mazen Mattoka, the monastery’s superior, explained to ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. Father Mazen Mattoka, superior of the ancient Mar Behnam and Sarah Monastery in Iraq. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Mazen Mattoka ISIS militants devastated the two plaster murals in an attempt to erase Christian heritage and obliterate artworks that had withstood centuries of challenges. Despite the severity of the damage and the high cost of restoration, multiple coordinated efforts, which Mattoka describes as guided by divine providence, have worked to lift the dust and darkness of ISIS from the sacred images.Mattoka believes providence led French journalist Pascal Makosian to visit the monastery and recognize the profound pain caused by the vandalism. Through his organization, Mesopotamia, Makosian undertook the restoration project under the sponsorship of the Syriac Catholic Archdiocese of Mosul, in consultation with the Nineveh Antiquities Inspectorate and with the work of local artists.The murals are distinguished by rich symbolic colors: royal blue framing the inscriptions as a symbol of heaven; red signifying martyrdom; and green representing continuity and eternal life. Their uniqueness is further deepened by encoded theological meaning. At the center, Mar Behnam is depicted mounted on his horse; below him appears a scene symbolizing the defeat of evil; and above, two angels carry the martyred saint into the kingdom, representing resurrection.The mural of St. Sarah measures approximately 2 meters (6.6 feet) in height and nearly 1 meter (3.3 feet) in width, appearing modest beside the larger Mar Behnam mural, which extends nearly 4 meters (13.1 feet) in length and 2 meters (6.6 feet) in width. Both are framed by inscriptions in Arabic and Syriac, according to Mattoka.Extensive damageThe two plaster murals suffered destruction estimated at nearly 80%, according to sculptor Thabet Michael, head of the restoration team. He explained that ISIS left little more than the outer frame intact, from which the restoration process began.Michael had participated in the previous restoration of the murals in 2011, gaining experience that proved essential in confronting current challenges — particularly the complete disfigurement of sculptural features and the erasure of facial details.He praised the French team’s study of the murals and their history, as well as the preparation of a comprehensive photographic archive. By consulting the oldest available images — including photographs taken by foreign travelers in 1904, despite their lack of color and facial detail — restorers were able to approximate the original appearance as closely as possible.Approaching the originalThe restoration was carried out using the same original raw materials — gypsum mixed with lime — with additional elements to enhance cohesion and durability. The murals’ original colors, which had faded over centuries, were restored using comparable pigments. Surviving fragments of colored sections were analyzed to achieve shades closest to the original work, created by Syriac artists of Tikriti origin known for their mastery of sculpture, calligraphy, and ornamental design.Michael emphasized the necessity of returning to historical sources and studying them carefully in order to reach satisfactory results in restoring any historic artwork. He added that the completed work reflects the Atabeg artistic style prevalent at the time of the murals’ creation, blended with local Iraqi elements and inspired by Assyrian civilization.This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News.
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Historic murals in Iraq emerge from the ruins of ISIS destruction – #Catholic – Restoration work is progressing rapidly on two 13th-century historic mural reliefs at the ancient Mar Behnam and Sarah Monastery in Iraq. The effort is being led by the monastery’s administration in collaboration with the French organization Mesopotamia after the artworks suffered extensive destruction at the hands of ISIS.The monastery was featured in an EWTN News special on Iraq marking 10 years since the rise of ISIS and examining Christianity in Iraq a decade after the extremist group’s occupation. The report highlighted both the destruction inflicted on Christian heritage and the steady efforts toward restoration, with Mar Behnam Monastery standing as a visible sign of endurance and renewal.The murals, depicting the “Martyrdom of Mar Behnam” and “Saint Sarah,” face one another inside the monastery church and are considered unique in both scale and artistic detail. No other monastery today contains comparable works in terms of size, age, and creative intricacy. They have long been objects of popular devotion in addition to their historical value, as Chorbishop Mazen Mattoka, the monastery’s superior, explained to ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. Father Mazen Mattoka, superior of the ancient Mar Behnam and Sarah Monastery in Iraq. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Mazen Mattoka ISIS militants devastated the two plaster murals in an attempt to erase Christian heritage and obliterate artworks that had withstood centuries of challenges. Despite the severity of the damage and the high cost of restoration, multiple coordinated efforts, which Mattoka describes as guided by divine providence, have worked to lift the dust and darkness of ISIS from the sacred images.Mattoka believes providence led French journalist Pascal Makosian to visit the monastery and recognize the profound pain caused by the vandalism. Through his organization, Mesopotamia, Makosian undertook the restoration project under the sponsorship of the Syriac Catholic Archdiocese of Mosul, in consultation with the Nineveh Antiquities Inspectorate and with the work of local artists.The murals are distinguished by rich symbolic colors: royal blue framing the inscriptions as a symbol of heaven; red signifying martyrdom; and green representing continuity and eternal life. Their uniqueness is further deepened by encoded theological meaning. At the center, Mar Behnam is depicted mounted on his horse; below him appears a scene symbolizing the defeat of evil; and above, two angels carry the martyred saint into the kingdom, representing resurrection.The mural of St. Sarah measures approximately 2 meters (6.6 feet) in height and nearly 1 meter (3.3 feet) in width, appearing modest beside the larger Mar Behnam mural, which extends nearly 4 meters (13.1 feet) in length and 2 meters (6.6 feet) in width. Both are framed by inscriptions in Arabic and Syriac, according to Mattoka.Extensive damageThe two plaster murals suffered destruction estimated at nearly 80%, according to sculptor Thabet Michael, head of the restoration team. He explained that ISIS left little more than the outer frame intact, from which the restoration process began.Michael had participated in the previous restoration of the murals in 2011, gaining experience that proved essential in confronting current challenges — particularly the complete disfigurement of sculptural features and the erasure of facial details.He praised the French team’s study of the murals and their history, as well as the preparation of a comprehensive photographic archive. By consulting the oldest available images — including photographs taken by foreign travelers in 1904, despite their lack of color and facial detail — restorers were able to approximate the original appearance as closely as possible.Approaching the originalThe restoration was carried out using the same original raw materials — gypsum mixed with lime — with additional elements to enhance cohesion and durability. The murals’ original colors, which had faded over centuries, were restored using comparable pigments. Surviving fragments of colored sections were analyzed to achieve shades closest to the original work, created by Syriac artists of Tikriti origin known for their mastery of sculpture, calligraphy, and ornamental design.Michael emphasized the necessity of returning to historical sources and studying them carefully in order to reach satisfactory results in restoring any historic artwork. He added that the completed work reflects the Atabeg artistic style prevalent at the time of the murals’ creation, blended with local Iraqi elements and inspired by Assyrian civilization.This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News.

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Restoration work is progressing rapidly on two 13th-century historic mural reliefs at the ancient Mar Behnam and Sarah Monastery.

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The Good Maharaja who sheltered Polish children during World War II – #Catholic – The 1941 Sikorski-Mayski agreement between the Soviet Union and Poland resulted in the release of tens of thousands of Polish prisoners of war held in the Gulag and other Soviet camps. Their number included thousands of displaced children, many of whom were orphans. No one wanted these children; they couldn’t return to Nazi-occupied Poland, and the Soviet Union didn’t want them. Thanks to one man from a small princely state in India, their future became secured.The unexpected intervention of Jam Sahib Digvijaysinhji, the maharaja of Nawanagar, known as “the Good Maharaja,” provided these children a home in his personal estate at Balachadi.Digvijaysinhji had been educated at Malvern College in England and was part of Winston Churchill’s Imperial War Cabinet.  “He was an extraordinary man, and to the Polish people, he became a national hero … an Indian Oskar Schindler,” former Malvern College teacher and housemaster Andrew Murtagh wrote of Digvijaysinhji.Father Piotr Wiśniowski, chaplain of EWTN Poland, told EWTN News: “The Good Maharaja, Jam Sahib Digvijaysinhji, wrote himself into history through extraordinary humanity. When he welcomed Polish orphans to Balachadi, he said: ‘You are no longer refugees. From today, you are the children of Nawanagar, and I am your Bapu — your father.’ These words were not a public-relations gesture but a pledge to take responsibility for the most vulnerable.” During World War II, the unexpected intervention of the maharaja of Nawanagar, Jamsaheb Digvijaysinghji, known as “the Good Maharaja,” provided hundreds of Polish children a home at his personal estate in India. | Credit: Public domain The Poles amnestied by Stalin following the Sikorski-Mayski agreement formed the 40,000-strong Anders Army, which played a vital role in Allied war efforts. But the Polish children — Catholic and Jewish, many of whom were orphaned or had lost a parent — were the unwanted detritus of war. They had been detained in camps and temporary orphanages, often left to die of illness or starvation. Many were sons and daughters of the estimated 22,000 Polish soldiers and civilians murdered by Soviet forces in the Katyn Woods massacre.Responsibility for this humanitarian catastrophe shifted to the Polish government in exile and to British government officials. Many nations were unwilling to offer shelter to the children. The agreed-upon solution was to relocate the refugees to India.Digvijaysinhji moved quickly to alleviate the humanitarian crisis. His state was the first to host 500 Polish children. Other Indian states followed his kindness.“After 1941, when Polish refugees were freed from Soviet captivity, Poland was a nation devastated by war, unable to care even for its own children,” Wiśniowski told EWTN News. “The maharaja understood that tragedy and said, ‘If God has sent me these children, it is my duty to care for them.’ That is why Poland remains grateful to him — for lives saved, dignity restored, and for the witness that mercy knows no borders of nations or cultures.”At first, foster homes were suggested, but the Polish government was opposed to separating the already traumatized children. Other options, such as schools and convents, proved unworkable. The viceroy of India set up The Polish Children’s Fund, supported by the archbishop of Delhi and the mother superior of the Convent of Jesus and Mary. The group raised funds among private donors including the Tata family. Children from Polish orphanages, USSR, 1941-1942. | Credit: Photo from the collection of Wiesław Stypuła Anuradha Bhattacharjee in “The Second Homeland: Polish Refugees in India” explains how India — though not sovereign at the time and not at all prosperous — became the first country in the world to accept and offer sanctuary at its own cost to the hapless Polish population rendered homeless and subsequently stateless.“The first Polish children were hosted in Balachadi in Nawanagar state and were maintained by charitable funds raised in India, subscribed to by several Indian princes and wealthy individuals. They were settled at a camp near Balachadi when no place for the children could be found in the whole of British India. The state of Nawanagar took the bold step of adopting the children to prevent their forcible repatriation to Soviet-occupied Poland at the end of the second world war.”By December 1942, around 640 children had made the 1,500-kilometer (932-mile) arduous journey in trucks from Ashgabat in Turkmenistan to Balachadi. According to accounts, they were extremely thin and miserable, their clothes hanging about their frames, and this was after having already been fed for a few months.Digvijaysinhji converted the guesthouse of his Balachadi palace into a school with a special library shelved with Polish books. The children often put on plays with Digvijaysinhji in attendance. Among their Polish caregivers were Father Franciszek Pluta, who was later denounced by the communists as an international kidnapper after relocating some of the children to the United States, as well as scoutmaster Zdzisław Peszkowski, a survivor of the Katyn Woods massacre who was ordained a priest after World War II. Peszkowski campaigned for the truth about Katyn for the rest of his life and was a contemporary and close associate of St. John Paul II.In the camp the children enjoyed the outdoor life, the beach, and the climate. They camped and played soccer, hockey, and volleyball. Father Franciszek Pluta celebrates a field Mass during the land evacuation from the Soviet Union to India. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Koło Polaków z Niechciał z Niechciał At the end of the war, many children feared living under communist rule, having suffered deportation to Siberia from the Soviet regime. Only those children who wanted to return to Poland were required to go back. Eighty-one children were relocated to the United States to build new lives there with the help of Catholic missionaries. Twelve Jewish children were relocated to Haifa in 1943.In 1989, following the fall of communism in Poland, the kindness and generosity of Digvijaysinhji was formally recognized by the Polish government. In 2012, a park in Warsaw was named the “Square of the Good Maharaja” and a monument was erected. He was also posthumously given the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland.
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The Good Maharaja who sheltered Polish children during World War II – #Catholic – The 1941 Sikorski-Mayski agreement between the Soviet Union and Poland resulted in the release of tens of thousands of Polish prisoners of war held in the Gulag and other Soviet camps. Their number included thousands of displaced children, many of whom were orphans. No one wanted these children; they couldn’t return to Nazi-occupied Poland, and the Soviet Union didn’t want them. Thanks to one man from a small princely state in India, their future became secured.The unexpected intervention of Jam Sahib Digvijaysinhji, the maharaja of Nawanagar, known as “the Good Maharaja,” provided these children a home in his personal estate at Balachadi.Digvijaysinhji had been educated at Malvern College in England and was part of Winston Churchill’s Imperial War Cabinet.  “He was an extraordinary man, and to the Polish people, he became a national hero … an Indian Oskar Schindler,” former Malvern College teacher and housemaster Andrew Murtagh wrote of Digvijaysinhji.Father Piotr Wiśniowski, chaplain of EWTN Poland, told EWTN News: “The Good Maharaja, Jam Sahib Digvijaysinhji, wrote himself into history through extraordinary humanity. When he welcomed Polish orphans to Balachadi, he said: ‘You are no longer refugees. From today, you are the children of Nawanagar, and I am your Bapu — your father.’ These words were not a public-relations gesture but a pledge to take responsibility for the most vulnerable.” During World War II, the unexpected intervention of the maharaja of Nawanagar, Jamsaheb Digvijaysinghji, known as “the Good Maharaja,” provided hundreds of Polish children a home at his personal estate in India. | Credit: Public domain The Poles amnestied by Stalin following the Sikorski-Mayski agreement formed the 40,000-strong Anders Army, which played a vital role in Allied war efforts. But the Polish children — Catholic and Jewish, many of whom were orphaned or had lost a parent — were the unwanted detritus of war. They had been detained in camps and temporary orphanages, often left to die of illness or starvation. Many were sons and daughters of the estimated 22,000 Polish soldiers and civilians murdered by Soviet forces in the Katyn Woods massacre.Responsibility for this humanitarian catastrophe shifted to the Polish government in exile and to British government officials. Many nations were unwilling to offer shelter to the children. The agreed-upon solution was to relocate the refugees to India.Digvijaysinhji moved quickly to alleviate the humanitarian crisis. His state was the first to host 500 Polish children. Other Indian states followed his kindness.“After 1941, when Polish refugees were freed from Soviet captivity, Poland was a nation devastated by war, unable to care even for its own children,” Wiśniowski told EWTN News. “The maharaja understood that tragedy and said, ‘If God has sent me these children, it is my duty to care for them.’ That is why Poland remains grateful to him — for lives saved, dignity restored, and for the witness that mercy knows no borders of nations or cultures.”At first, foster homes were suggested, but the Polish government was opposed to separating the already traumatized children. Other options, such as schools and convents, proved unworkable. The viceroy of India set up The Polish Children’s Fund, supported by the archbishop of Delhi and the mother superior of the Convent of Jesus and Mary. The group raised funds among private donors including the Tata family. Children from Polish orphanages, USSR, 1941-1942. | Credit: Photo from the collection of Wiesław Stypuła Anuradha Bhattacharjee in “The Second Homeland: Polish Refugees in India” explains how India — though not sovereign at the time and not at all prosperous — became the first country in the world to accept and offer sanctuary at its own cost to the hapless Polish population rendered homeless and subsequently stateless.“The first Polish children were hosted in Balachadi in Nawanagar state and were maintained by charitable funds raised in India, subscribed to by several Indian princes and wealthy individuals. They were settled at a camp near Balachadi when no place for the children could be found in the whole of British India. The state of Nawanagar took the bold step of adopting the children to prevent their forcible repatriation to Soviet-occupied Poland at the end of the second world war.”By December 1942, around 640 children had made the 1,500-kilometer (932-mile) arduous journey in trucks from Ashgabat in Turkmenistan to Balachadi. According to accounts, they were extremely thin and miserable, their clothes hanging about their frames, and this was after having already been fed for a few months.Digvijaysinhji converted the guesthouse of his Balachadi palace into a school with a special library shelved with Polish books. The children often put on plays with Digvijaysinhji in attendance. Among their Polish caregivers were Father Franciszek Pluta, who was later denounced by the communists as an international kidnapper after relocating some of the children to the United States, as well as scoutmaster Zdzisław Peszkowski, a survivor of the Katyn Woods massacre who was ordained a priest after World War II. Peszkowski campaigned for the truth about Katyn for the rest of his life and was a contemporary and close associate of St. John Paul II.In the camp the children enjoyed the outdoor life, the beach, and the climate. They camped and played soccer, hockey, and volleyball. Father Franciszek Pluta celebrates a field Mass during the land evacuation from the Soviet Union to India. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Koło Polaków z Niechciał z Niechciał At the end of the war, many children feared living under communist rule, having suffered deportation to Siberia from the Soviet regime. Only those children who wanted to return to Poland were required to go back. Eighty-one children were relocated to the United States to build new lives there with the help of Catholic missionaries. Twelve Jewish children were relocated to Haifa in 1943.In 1989, following the fall of communism in Poland, the kindness and generosity of Digvijaysinhji was formally recognized by the Polish government. In 2012, a park in Warsaw was named the “Square of the Good Maharaja” and a monument was erected. He was also posthumously given the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland.

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During World War II, the unexpected intervention of the Maharaja of Nawanagar, known as “the Good Maharaja,” provided hundreds of Polish children a home at his personal estate in India.

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Rachel’s Vineyard retreats return in 2026 to offer post-abortion healing #Catholic – Have you or someone you know been affected by abortion? There is hope. There is healing. Two Rachel’s Vineyard retreats are scheduled for 2026 (April 10 and Sept. 25) for those seeking to renew, rebuild, and redeem hearts broken by an abortion. These confidential weekend retreats are rooted in faith, offering compassion, healing, and hope to anyone affected by abortion, including women and men of all ages. In a supportive and welcoming setting, participants are invited to reflect, grieve, and experience God’s love and mercy. “It took me a while to get up the courage to call, but thank God I did,” said Susan Swander in a testimonial she wrote on rachelsvineyard.org after attending a Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat. “What a remarkable, healing experience this weekend was. Words do not do justice to the love, compassion, and understanding I found during the retreat.” Some of the symptoms faced by those who experience the trauma of abortion include depression, nightmares, anxiety, withdrawal from family, and even suicidal thoughts. Rachel’s Vineyard offers participants a space to work through these experiences and find forgiveness. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. The retreats are being offered in English and Spanish in a special partnership between the Diocese of Paterson and the Archdiocese of Newark. Cheryl Riley, Respect Life director of the Archdiocese of Newark, and Alyssa Renovales, Respect Life coordinator of the Diocese of Paterson, will co-lead the retreats. Anyone in the Diocese of Paterson seeking support or more information is encouraged to contact Renovales at 973-377-1004 ext. 406 or by email Arenovales@patersondiocese.org. All inquiries are completely confidential. “Echoing the hope proclaimed by St. John Paul II in Evangelium Vitae, Rachel’s Vineyard is a beautiful gift to the Church, a place where hearts are gently restored, burdens are lifted, and all are reminded that the Church is for them and God’s mercy is always within reach,” Renovales said. Rachel’s Vineyard was founded in 1995 by Theresa Karminski Burke, Ph.D., and is now offered in over 33 languages across 50 countries. Learn more about the Respect Life Ministry of the Diocese of Paterson by visiting insidethewalls.org/respect-life.
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Rachel’s Vineyard retreats return in 2026 to offer post-abortion healing #Catholic – Have you or someone you know been affected by abortion? There is hope. There is healing. Two Rachel’s Vineyard retreats are scheduled for 2026 (April 10 and Sept. 25) for those seeking to renew, rebuild, and redeem hearts broken by an abortion. These confidential weekend retreats are rooted in faith, offering compassion, healing, and hope to anyone affected by abortion, including women and men of all ages. In a supportive and welcoming setting, participants are invited to reflect, grieve, and experience God’s love and mercy. “It took me a while to get up the courage to call, but thank God I did,” said Susan Swander in a testimonial she wrote on rachelsvineyard.org after attending a Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat. “What a remarkable, healing experience this weekend was. Words do not do justice to the love, compassion, and understanding I found during the retreat.” Some of the symptoms faced by those who experience the trauma of abortion include depression, nightmares, anxiety, withdrawal from family, and even suicidal thoughts. Rachel’s Vineyard offers participants a space to work through these experiences and find forgiveness. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. The retreats are being offered in English and Spanish in a special partnership between the Diocese of Paterson and the Archdiocese of Newark. Cheryl Riley, Respect Life director of the Archdiocese of Newark, and Alyssa Renovales, Respect Life coordinator of the Diocese of Paterson, will co-lead the retreats. Anyone in the Diocese of Paterson seeking support or more information is encouraged to contact Renovales at 973-377-1004 ext. 406 or by email Arenovales@patersondiocese.org. All inquiries are completely confidential. “Echoing the hope proclaimed by St. John Paul II in Evangelium Vitae, Rachel’s Vineyard is a beautiful gift to the Church, a place where hearts are gently restored, burdens are lifted, and all are reminded that the Church is for them and God’s mercy is always within reach,” Renovales said. Rachel’s Vineyard was founded in 1995 by Theresa Karminski Burke, Ph.D., and is now offered in over 33 languages across 50 countries. Learn more about the Respect Life Ministry of the Diocese of Paterson by visiting insidethewalls.org/respect-life.

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Rachel’s Vineyard retreats return in 2026 to offer post-abortion healing #Catholic –

Have you or someone you know been affected by abortion? There is hope. There is healing.

Two Rachel’s Vineyard retreats are scheduled for 2026 (April 10 and Sept. 25) for those seeking to renew, rebuild, and redeem hearts broken by an abortion.

These confidential weekend retreats are rooted in faith, offering compassion, healing, and hope to anyone affected by abortion, including women and men of all ages. In a supportive and welcoming setting, participants are invited to reflect, grieve, and experience God’s love and mercy.

“It took me a while to get up the courage to call, but thank God I did,” said Susan Swander in a testimonial she wrote on rachelsvineyard.org after attending a Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat. “What a remarkable, healing experience this weekend was. Words do not do justice to the love, compassion, and understanding I found during the retreat.”

Some of the symptoms faced by those who experience the trauma of abortion include depression, nightmares, anxiety, withdrawal from family, and even suicidal thoughts. Rachel’s Vineyard offers participants a space to work through these experiences and find forgiveness.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

The retreats are being offered in English and Spanish in a special partnership between the Diocese of Paterson and the Archdiocese of Newark. Cheryl Riley, Respect Life director of the Archdiocese of Newark, and Alyssa Renovales, Respect Life coordinator of the Diocese of Paterson, will co-lead the retreats.

Anyone in the Diocese of Paterson seeking support or more information is encouraged to contact Renovales at 973-377-1004 ext. 406 or by email Arenovales@patersondiocese.org. All inquiries are completely confidential.

“Echoing the hope proclaimed by St. John Paul II in Evangelium Vitae, Rachel’s Vineyard is a beautiful gift to the Church, a place where hearts are gently restored, burdens are lifted, and all are reminded that the Church is for them and God’s mercy is always within reach,” Renovales said.

Rachel’s Vineyard was founded in 1995 by Theresa Karminski Burke, Ph.D., and is now offered in over 33 languages across 50 countries.

Learn more about the Respect Life Ministry of the Diocese of Paterson by visiting insidethewalls.org/respect-life.

– Have you or someone you know been affected by abortion? There is hope. There is healing. Two Rachel’s Vineyard retreats are scheduled for 2026 (April 10 and Sept. 25) for those seeking to renew, rebuild, and redeem hearts broken by an abortion. These confidential weekend retreats are rooted in faith, offering compassion, healing, and hope to anyone affected by abortion, including women and men of all ages. In a supportive and welcoming setting, participants are invited to reflect, grieve, and experience God’s love and mercy. “It took me a while to get up the courage to call, but thank God

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The Sky Today on Sunday, February 15: Saturn and Neptune stand close

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Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.  February 14: A Valentine’s Heart (Nebula) This evening, Saturn passes 0.9° south of Neptune at 11 P.M. EST. The two planets stand together in Pisces, located in the west after sunset. An hour after the Sun goes down, the pair is stillContinue reading “The Sky Today on Sunday, February 15: Saturn and Neptune stand close”

The post The Sky Today on Sunday, February 15: Saturn and Neptune stand close appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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Kristi Noem Triggers the Left With Perfectly Reasonable Comments About Voter Integrity (VIDEO) – Trump DHS Secretary Kristi Noem recently offered some comments about voter integrity, saying that we have to make sure that the right people are voting. The post Kristi Noem Triggers the Left With Perfectly Reasonable Comments About Voter Integrity (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Kristi Noem Triggers the Left With Perfectly Reasonable Comments About Voter Integrity (VIDEO) – Trump DHS Secretary Kristi Noem recently offered some comments about voter integrity, saying that we have to make sure that the right people are voting. The post Kristi Noem Triggers the Left With Perfectly Reasonable Comments About Voter Integrity (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Trump DHS Secretary Kristi Noem recently offered some comments about voter integrity, saying that we have to make sure that the right people are voting.

The post Kristi Noem Triggers the Left With Perfectly Reasonable Comments About Voter Integrity (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Senator John Kennedy Talks About His Recently Passed Bill That Ends Payments to Dead Americans: ‘There’s Obviously a Lot of Fraud’ (VIDEO) – Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana recently passed a bill that ends the practice of sending government payments to dead people. The post Senator John Kennedy Talks About His Recently Passed Bill That Ends Payments to Dead Americans: ‘There’s Obviously a Lot of Fraud’ (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Senator John Kennedy Talks About His Recently Passed Bill That Ends Payments to Dead Americans: ‘There’s Obviously a Lot of Fraud’ (VIDEO) – Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana recently passed a bill that ends the practice of sending government payments to dead people. The post Senator John Kennedy Talks About His Recently Passed Bill That Ends Payments to Dead Americans: ‘There’s Obviously a Lot of Fraud’ (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana recently passed a bill that ends the practice of sending government payments to dead people.

The post Senator John Kennedy Talks About His Recently Passed Bill That Ends Payments to Dead Americans: ‘There’s Obviously a Lot of Fraud’ (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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