When someone takes on a leadership position, they are supposed to put their pettiness aside to work for the common good of the people they represent.
The post Virginia Democrat Abigail Spanberger Makes it Clear She Won’t Work With President Trump – Even to Create Jobs (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Two planes collided on the tarmac at LaGuardia on Friday evening, according to The New York Post.
The post JUST IN: Two Planes Collide on Tarmac at LaGuardia… AGAIN appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Read MoreLord, have mercy on us.
CHRIST, have mercy on us.
LORD, have mercy on us.
CHRIST, hear us.
CHRIST, graciously hear us.
GOD, THE FATHER OF HEAVEN, have mercy on us.
GOD THE SON, REDEEMER OF THE WORLD, have mercy on us.
GOD THE HOLY GHOST, have mercy on us.
HOLY TRINITY, ONE GOD, have mercy on us.
HOLY MARY, pray for us.
HOLY MOTHER OF GOD, pray for us.
HOLY VIRGIN OF VIRGINS, pray for us.
ST. MICHAEL, pray for us.
ST. GABRIEL, pray for us.
ST. RAPHAEL, pray for us. …
A reading from the Book of Revelation
7:2-4, 9-14
I, John, saw another angel come up from the East,
holding the seal of the living God.
He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels
who were given power to damage the land and the sea,
"Do not damage the land or the sea or the trees
until we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God."
I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal,
one hundred and forty-four thousand marked
from every tribe of the children of Israel.
After this I had a vision of a great multitude,
which no one could count,
from every nation, race, people, and tongue.
They stood before the throne and before the Lamb,
wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.
They cried out in a loud voice:
"Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne,
and from the Lamb."
All the angels stood around the throne
and around the elders and the four living creatures.
They prostrated themselves before the throne,
worshiped God, and exclaimed:
"Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving,
honor, power, and might
be to our God forever and ever. Amen."
Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me,
"Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?"
I said to him, "My lord, you are the one who knows."
He said to me,
"These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress;
they have washed their robes
and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb."
A reading from the Letter of John
1, 3:1-3
Beloved:
See what love the Father has bestowed on us
that we may be called the children of God.
Yet so we are.
The reason the world does not know us
is that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God’s children now;
what we shall be has not yet been revealed.
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.
Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure,
as he is pure.
From the Gospel according to Matthew
5:1-12a
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,
and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
He began to teach them, saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven."
Today the Church celebrates the feast of all the Saints. […] Men and women whom the history of the great have often ignored, because the precious pearl of their witness was covered by the veil of humility and concealment. Men and women who drew from the inexhaustible fullness of the One who alone is holy, and brought a fragment of it to life, offering Him their concrete face so that He might be incarnated in it, as in a living symbol.
[…] Each of them is a small but unique light. They lived to the fullest their calling to be themselves, according to the wonderful originality that the Creator had placed in them. Now, mysteriously united with the choir of myriads of other brothers and sisters, they illuminate the sometimes dark landscape of this world and invite it to hope, to trust; bearing witness to how God’s holiness never fails, never ceases to communicate itself, to associate with itself simple men and women, rich only in their disarmed availability, in their humble, transparent abandonment.(St John Paul II, Angelus, 1 November 1986)
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ACI Prensa Staff, Oct 31, 2025 / 17:57 pm (CNA).
The Sagrada Familia (Holy Family) minor basilica in Barcelona is now the tallest church in the world, standing at 535 ft., surpassing Ulm Germany’s main church, whose construction began in the 14th century.
According to the Sagrada Familia Expiatory Church Construction Board Foundation, as reported Oct. 30 by the Archdiocese of Barcelona, ”the first element that forms part of the cross on the tower of Jesus Christ” was installed, marking the beginning of the final phase of construction of the church’s central tower.
Working at a height of more than 150 metres, the crane operators also make it possible for the Sagrada Família to keep growing and rising up towards the Barcelona sky. 🏗 This video takes a behind-the-scenes look at a day in the life of the Basilica’s crane operators. Don’t miss… pic.twitter.com/8ead28LCEG
— La Sagrada Família (@sagradafamilia) October 31, 2025
This latest addition consists of the lower portion of the cross, measuring over 20 ft. high and weighing 24 tons. “With a double-twist geometry, the lower portion has a square shape at the base that transforms into an octagonal shape at the top,” whose exterior is “clad with white glazed ceramic and glass, materials that stand out for their reflective properties and resistance to atmospheric conditions,” the news brief explains.
The tower of Jesus Christ is the tallest of the central towers of the church designed by Antoni Gaudí, who died a century ago. The completion of this structure “will be a historic milestone for Sagrada Familia and a tribute to its architect.”
The first stone of Sagrada Familia Basilica was laid on March 19, 1882, according to the design of the architect Francisco de Paula del Villar. The following year, Antoni Gaudí took over the project, modifying it according to his architectural genius and renowned Modernist style. From 1914, Gaudí dedicated himself exclusively to this church until his death on June 10, 1926.
On April 14, 2025, Pope Francis declared the architect venerable, in accordance with the criteria set by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
Read MoreACI Prensa Staff, Oct 31, 2025 / 17:57 pm (CNA).
The Sagrada Familia (Holy Family) minor basilica in Barcelona is now the tallest church in the world, standing at 535 ft., surpassing Ulm Germany’s main church, whose construction began in the 14th century.
According to the Sagrada Familia Expiatory Church Construction Board Foundation, as reported Oct. 30 by the Archdiocese of Barcelona, ”the first element that forms part of the cross on the tower of Jesus Christ” was installed, marking the beginning of the final phase of construction of the church’s central tower.
Working at a height of more than 150 metres, the crane operators also make it possible for the Sagrada Família to keep growing and rising up towards the Barcelona sky. 🏗 This video takes a behind-the-scenes look at a day in the life of the Basilica’s crane operators. Don’t miss… pic.twitter.com/8ead28LCEG
— La Sagrada Família (@sagradafamilia) October 31, 2025
This latest addition consists of the lower portion of the cross, measuring over 20 ft. high and weighing 24 tons. “With a double-twist geometry, the lower portion has a square shape at the base that transforms into an octagonal shape at the top,” whose exterior is “clad with white glazed ceramic and glass, materials that stand out for their reflective properties and resistance to atmospheric conditions,” the news brief explains.
The tower of Jesus Christ is the tallest of the central towers of the church designed by Antoni Gaudí, who died a century ago. The completion of this structure “will be a historic milestone for Sagrada Familia and a tribute to its architect.”
The first stone of Sagrada Familia Basilica was laid on March 19, 1882, according to the design of the architect Francisco de Paula del Villar. The following year, Antoni Gaudí took over the project, modifying it according to his architectural genius and renowned Modernist style. From 1914, Gaudí dedicated himself exclusively to this church until his death on June 10, 1926.
On April 14, 2025, Pope Francis declared the architect venerable, in accordance with the criteria set by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
Read More
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 31, 2025 / 17:30 pm (CNA).
President Donald Trump said he is designating Nigeria a “country of particular concern.”
In a social media post Oct. 31, Trump said, “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. I am hereby making Nigeria a ‘COUNTRY OF PARTICULAR CONCERN'”.
Under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) of 1998, the U.S president must designate countries that engage in or tolerate “particularly severe violations of religious freedom” as CPCs. Violations include torture, prolonged detention without charges, and forced disappearence, according to the State Department.
The last CPC designations were made by Secretary of State Antony Blinken in December 2023, when Blinken revoked Nigeria’s CPC designation that was put in place by then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in 2020.
Christian leaders delivered a letter to Trump on Oct. 15 that said 52,000 Christians have been killed and over 20,000 churches attacked and destroyed in Nigeria since 2009. In addition, it said, thousands of Christians have been murdered and raped in 2025, and “over 100 Christian pastors and Catholic priests have been taken hostage for ransom.”
Trump said in the social media post, “But that is the least of it. When Christians, or any such group, is slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria (3,100 versus 4,476 Worldwide), something must be done!”
The president said he will charge Rep. Riley Moore, R-WVa., along with Appropriations Chair Tom Cole, R-Okla., “to immediately look into this matter, and report back to me.”
The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria, and numerous other Countries,” Trump stated, adding: “We stand ready, willing, and able to save our Great Christian population around the World!”
Members of Congress and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) also had sought to designate Nigeria as a country of particular concern.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, introduced legislation in September that would require the Trump administration to adopt the CPC designation in addition to imposing targeted sanctions against Nigerian government officials who facilitate or permit jihadist attacks against Christians and other religious minorities.
Republican Senators Ted Budd of North Carolina, Pete Ricketts of Nebraska, Josh Hawley of Missouri, and James Lankford of Oklahoma endorsed redesignating Nigeria in a Sept. 12 letter sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Budd posted on X.
Similarly, the USCIRF also recommended the State Department designate Nigeria as a CPC in its latest update on religious freedom in the country in late July.
USCIRF Chair Vicky Hartzler welcomed the designation on social media: “We applaud @POTUS for making Nigeria a CPC.” Hartzler said, “The Trump admin can now use the various presidential actions outlined in IRFA to incentivize Nigeria to protect its citizens and hold perpetrators accountable.”
ADF Senior Counsel Sean Nelson told CNA, “We at Alliance Defending Freedom International are deeply grateful for President Trump’s recognition of the grave persecution of Christians ongoing in Nigeria and worldwide.”
Nelson added, “We hope that the Country of Particular Concern designation moves Nigerian officials to stop the denials and work strenuously to end the religious persecution happening in so much of the country.”
Trump’s announcement to move forward with the CPC designation comes amid the ongoing government shutdown that has left legislation on the matter in limbo.
Moore, who was a staff member and national security adviser for the House Foreign Affairs Committee before being elected to Congress, celebrated the designation on social media, writing: “Thank you @POTUS for your incredible leadership by designating Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern. You have always been a champion for Christians around the world, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with you and Chairman Cole @houseappropsgop to defend our brothers and sisters in Christ who are being slaughtered by radical Islamists in Nigeria.”
This story was updated on Oct. 31, 2025, at 5:35 p.m. ET.
Read MoreWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 31, 2025 / 17:30 pm (CNA).
President Donald Trump said he is designating Nigeria a “country of particular concern.”
In a social media post Oct. 31, Trump said, “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. I am hereby making Nigeria a ‘COUNTRY OF PARTICULAR CONCERN'”.
Under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) of 1998, the U.S president must designate countries that engage in or tolerate “particularly severe violations of religious freedom” as CPCs. Violations include torture, prolonged detention without charges, and forced disappearence, according to the State Department.
The last CPC designations were made by Secretary of State Antony Blinken in December 2023, when Blinken revoked Nigeria’s CPC designation that was put in place by then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in 2020.
Christian leaders delivered a letter to Trump on Oct. 15 that said 52,000 Christians have been killed and over 20,000 churches attacked and destroyed in Nigeria since 2009. In addition, it said, thousands of Christians have been murdered and raped in 2025, and “over 100 Christian pastors and Catholic priests have been taken hostage for ransom.”
Trump said in the social media post, “But that is the least of it. When Christians, or any such group, is slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria (3,100 versus 4,476 Worldwide), something must be done!”
The president said he will charge Rep. Riley Moore, R-WVa., along with Appropriations Chair Tom Cole, R-Okla., “to immediately look into this matter, and report back to me.”
The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria, and numerous other Countries,” Trump stated, adding: “We stand ready, willing, and able to save our Great Christian population around the World!”
Members of Congress and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) also had sought to designate Nigeria as a country of particular concern.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, introduced legislation in September that would require the Trump administration to adopt the CPC designation in addition to imposing targeted sanctions against Nigerian government officials who facilitate or permit jihadist attacks against Christians and other religious minorities.
Republican Senators Ted Budd of North Carolina, Pete Ricketts of Nebraska, Josh Hawley of Missouri, and James Lankford of Oklahoma endorsed redesignating Nigeria in a Sept. 12 letter sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Budd posted on X.
Similarly, the USCIRF also recommended the State Department designate Nigeria as a CPC in its latest update on religious freedom in the country in late July.
USCIRF Chair Vicky Hartzler welcomed the designation on social media: “We applaud @POTUS for making Nigeria a CPC.” Hartzler said, “The Trump admin can now use the various presidential actions outlined in IRFA to incentivize Nigeria to protect its citizens and hold perpetrators accountable.”
ADF Senior Counsel Sean Nelson told CNA, “We at Alliance Defending Freedom International are deeply grateful for President Trump’s recognition of the grave persecution of Christians ongoing in Nigeria and worldwide.”
Nelson added, “We hope that the Country of Particular Concern designation moves Nigerian officials to stop the denials and work strenuously to end the religious persecution happening in so much of the country.”
Trump’s announcement to move forward with the CPC designation comes amid the ongoing government shutdown that has left legislation on the matter in limbo.
Moore, who was a staff member and national security adviser for the House Foreign Affairs Committee before being elected to Congress, celebrated the designation on social media, writing: “Thank you @POTUS for your incredible leadership by designating Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern. You have always been a champion for Christians around the world, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with you and Chairman Cole @houseappropsgop to defend our brothers and sisters in Christ who are being slaughtered by radical Islamists in Nigeria.”
This story was updated on Oct. 31, 2025, at 5:35 p.m. ET.
Read More
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 31, 2025 / 17:10 pm (CNA).
Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed.
A White House official told EWTN News White House Correspondent Owen Jensen that U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping about imprisoned pro-democracy advocate Jimmy Lai.
According to Jensen, the official stated: “As President Trump said, Jimmy Lai should be released and he wants to see that happen.” Prior to leaving for Asia, Trump had told Jensen that he would appeal to the Chinese leader for Lai’s release amid concerns for his health while in solitary confinement.
Lai is a Catholic entrepreneur and founder of Apple Daily, a pro-democracy tabloid paper known for its critical reporting on China and the Hong Kong government who was arrested in December 2020 for charges including unauthorized assemblies, protesting, fraud, and participating in the 2020 Tiananmen Square vigil, a service commemorating those who died in the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989.
EWTN Poland was honored with a “Christoforos” (Bearer of Christ) award at the 25th anniversary Gala of MIVA Poland, an organization dedicated to supporting missionaries by providing them with means of transportation.
The award, which was co-granted by the Polish Bishops’ Conference Commission for Missions, was received by Piotr M. Pietrus, CEO and editor-in-chief of EWTN Poland. “We see this distinction as a confirmation of our mission. Through the media, we strive to carry Christ to places where it is often difficult to reach otherwise — just as missionaries do, thanks to MIVA Poland’s help,” he said upon being presented with the award.
In a sign of renewal in northern Syria, Aleppo has witnessed the founding of the Syrian-Armenian Community Foundation, the first civil organization established by the Armenian community to reach beyond its own circles and serve all components of Syrian society, CNA’s Arabic language news partner, ACI Mena, reported on Oct. 28.
The foundation aims to strengthen social cohesion, preserve both tangible and intangible heritage, and empower women and youth through cultural and developmental programs. “We wanted to affirm our place within the Syrian social family,” said Ohannes Shahrayan, chairman of the board, explaining that post-war openness to civic initiatives made it possible to bring the idea to life.
Vice Chair Sonia Kabrielian emphasized that diversity of gender, age, and denomination is one of the foundation’s strengths. She said the foundation seeks to make Armenian heritage a living part of Syria’s national culture, not just through remembrance but through creative renewal that transforms tradition into a source of shared identity and opportunity.
Bishop Roberto Gaa of Novaliches is expressing concerns about the dwindling number of priestly vocations in the Philippines.
“Ordinations have become a rare sight not only in Novaliches but also in other places because no one wants to become a priest anymore,” said Gaa, according to a CBCP News report on Oct. 29. The remarks came as Gaa ordained two priests and two deacons in his diocese for the first time in roughly three years. The diocese of Novaliches, he said, has about one priest for every 70,000 parishioners.
Sacred Heart Church, the oldest Catholic church in Bahrain, will be consecrated as the official shrine of the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia on Nov. 8, ACI Mena reported Oct. 27. The date will mark the church’s elevation and its 85th anniversary.
Bishop Aldo Berardi, Apostolic Vicar of Northern Arabia, issued a decree raising the church to shrine status “to preserve its historical symbolism and strengthen its spiritual role.” The faithful attending the inaugural liturgy will be granted a partial indulgence under the usual conditions.
Built in 1940 on land donated by Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Sacred Heart Church has long served as a beacon of coexistence for Catholics of many nationalities. With its new designation, it is expected to become a center of devotion, pilgrimage, and interreligious understanding in the Gulf region.
Mariam Ibrahim, a Sudanese woman who was arrested and imprisoned for being a Christian, shared how she hid pages of her Bible in her hair so that she could sneak them into prison.
“Prayer was my strength in prison,” she said, according to a report from ACI Africa on Oct. 31. In her testimony at the launch of the 2025 Religious Freedom Report, she described how she managed to keep her Bible in prison. Mariam said, “I had to cut its pages and hide them in my hair so I could read them in the bathroom. That was the only place I could open it without being discovered. I still carry that prison Bible with me everywhere I go.”
The Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization has appointed Father Magdi Helmy Ibrahim Mansour, OFM, as apostolic administrator of the Latin Vicariate of Tripoli, Libya, ACI Mena reported this week. The move, following Bishop George Bugeja’s resignation, underscores the Catholic Church’s enduring pastoral and humanitarian mission in the country.
Earlier this year, Pope Leo XIV honored Helmy with the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal for his service and his collaboration with Vatican diplomacy. Serving in Libya since 2006, Helmy has ministered to migrant communities and described the local church as a “modern Pentecost,” a gathering of languages and cultures united in faith. Despite dwindling numbers after the 2011 conflict, Mass continues in St. Francis Church in Tripoli, one of the few Catholic sites still active in the country.
Catholic bishops of Myanmar issued a statement expressing their closeness with the country’s people as elections organized by the ruling military junta approach.
“In these times of great pain, uncertainty, and confusion, we may not be here in person, but we are with you in spirit. From north to south, from east to west, our beloved country is facing a crisis unprecedented in history,” the bishops said in a message published by Asia News on Oct. 30, citing war, displacement, economic crisis, and social breakdown. “This is not the time to give up,” they continued: “Peace is possible, peace is the only way. Let us not let hatred define us. Let us not let despair conquer us. Let us simply carry out our actions with the principles of “compassion in action, truth in gentleness, and peace without rest.”
Read MoreWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 31, 2025 / 17:10 pm (CNA).
Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed.
A White House official told EWTN News White House Correspondent Owen Jensen that U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping about imprisoned pro-democracy advocate Jimmy Lai.
According to Jensen, the official stated: “As President Trump said, Jimmy Lai should be released and he wants to see that happen.” Prior to leaving for Asia, Trump had told Jensen that he would appeal to the Chinese leader for Lai’s release amid concerns for his health while in solitary confinement.
Lai is a Catholic entrepreneur and founder of Apple Daily, a pro-democracy tabloid paper known for its critical reporting on China and the Hong Kong government who was arrested in December 2020 for charges including unauthorized assemblies, protesting, fraud, and participating in the 2020 Tiananmen Square vigil, a service commemorating those who died in the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989.
EWTN Poland was honored with a “Christoforos” (Bearer of Christ) award at the 25th anniversary Gala of MIVA Poland, an organization dedicated to supporting missionaries by providing them with means of transportation.
The award, which was co-granted by the Polish Bishops’ Conference Commission for Missions, was received by Piotr M. Pietrus, CEO and editor-in-chief of EWTN Poland. “We see this distinction as a confirmation of our mission. Through the media, we strive to carry Christ to places where it is often difficult to reach otherwise — just as missionaries do, thanks to MIVA Poland’s help,” he said upon being presented with the award.
In a sign of renewal in northern Syria, Aleppo has witnessed the founding of the Syrian-Armenian Community Foundation, the first civil organization established by the Armenian community to reach beyond its own circles and serve all components of Syrian society, CNA’s Arabic language news partner, ACI Mena, reported on Oct. 28.
The foundation aims to strengthen social cohesion, preserve both tangible and intangible heritage, and empower women and youth through cultural and developmental programs. “We wanted to affirm our place within the Syrian social family,” said Ohannes Shahrayan, chairman of the board, explaining that post-war openness to civic initiatives made it possible to bring the idea to life.
Vice Chair Sonia Kabrielian emphasized that diversity of gender, age, and denomination is one of the foundation’s strengths. She said the foundation seeks to make Armenian heritage a living part of Syria’s national culture, not just through remembrance but through creative renewal that transforms tradition into a source of shared identity and opportunity.
Bishop Roberto Gaa of Novaliches is expressing concerns about the dwindling number of priestly vocations in the Philippines.
“Ordinations have become a rare sight not only in Novaliches but also in other places because no one wants to become a priest anymore,” said Gaa, according to a CBCP News report on Oct. 29. The remarks came as Gaa ordained two priests and two deacons in his diocese for the first time in roughly three years. The diocese of Novaliches, he said, has about one priest for every 70,000 parishioners.
Sacred Heart Church, the oldest Catholic church in Bahrain, will be consecrated as the official shrine of the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia on Nov. 8, ACI Mena reported Oct. 27. The date will mark the church’s elevation and its 85th anniversary.
Bishop Aldo Berardi, Apostolic Vicar of Northern Arabia, issued a decree raising the church to shrine status “to preserve its historical symbolism and strengthen its spiritual role.” The faithful attending the inaugural liturgy will be granted a partial indulgence under the usual conditions.
Built in 1940 on land donated by Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Sacred Heart Church has long served as a beacon of coexistence for Catholics of many nationalities. With its new designation, it is expected to become a center of devotion, pilgrimage, and interreligious understanding in the Gulf region.
Mariam Ibrahim, a Sudanese woman who was arrested and imprisoned for being a Christian, shared how she hid pages of her Bible in her hair so that she could sneak them into prison.
“Prayer was my strength in prison,” she said, according to a report from ACI Africa on Oct. 31. In her testimony at the launch of the 2025 Religious Freedom Report, she described how she managed to keep her Bible in prison. Mariam said, “I had to cut its pages and hide them in my hair so I could read them in the bathroom. That was the only place I could open it without being discovered. I still carry that prison Bible with me everywhere I go.”
The Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization has appointed Father Magdi Helmy Ibrahim Mansour, OFM, as apostolic administrator of the Latin Vicariate of Tripoli, Libya, ACI Mena reported this week. The move, following Bishop George Bugeja’s resignation, underscores the Catholic Church’s enduring pastoral and humanitarian mission in the country.
Earlier this year, Pope Leo XIV honored Helmy with the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal for his service and his collaboration with Vatican diplomacy. Serving in Libya since 2006, Helmy has ministered to migrant communities and described the local church as a “modern Pentecost,” a gathering of languages and cultures united in faith. Despite dwindling numbers after the 2011 conflict, Mass continues in St. Francis Church in Tripoli, one of the few Catholic sites still active in the country.
Catholic bishops of Myanmar issued a statement expressing their closeness with the country’s people as elections organized by the ruling military junta approach.
“In these times of great pain, uncertainty, and confusion, we may not be here in person, but we are with you in spirit. From north to south, from east to west, our beloved country is facing a crisis unprecedented in history,” the bishops said in a message published by Asia News on Oct. 30, citing war, displacement, economic crisis, and social breakdown. “This is not the time to give up,” they continued: “Peace is possible, peace is the only way. Let us not let hatred define us. Let us not let despair conquer us. Let us simply carry out our actions with the principles of “compassion in action, truth in gentleness, and peace without rest.”
Read More
CNA Staff, Oct 31, 2025 / 15:48 pm (CNA).
Authorities announced this week that the killer of 9-year-old Carol Ann Dougherty, raped and murdered in a Pennsylvania Catholic church 63 years ago, has finally been identified as William Schrader, who died in 2002.
The Bucks County Investigation Grand Jury found that Schrader is “definitively linked” to the murder “through the combination of decades-old evidence” and a recent breakthrough in the case, the district attorney’s office said in a statement.
The breakthrough came last year when Pennsylvania State Police interviewed Schrader’s stepson, Robert Leblanc, in November 2024, who said Schrader “confessed to him on two separate occasions that he murdered a little girl in a Pennsylvania church.”
Schrader allegedly told his stepson he lured Carol Ann inside the church, raped her and “had to kill the girl in Bristol to keep her from talking.”
“We believe it may be the only rape and murder of a little girl in a church in the United States,” Bucks County D.A. Jennifer Schorn said at a news conference on Oct 29.
In 1962, a witness reported seeing Schrader — who lived a block and a half from the church — outside the church around the time of the murder, and police initially questioned him, the D.A.’s office said.
Schrader failed a polygraph test and lied to investigators about his alibi, saying he had been at work at the time of the murder. He also provided a pubic hair sample, authorities said.
Knowing he was under investigation, Schrader fled Pennsylvania and moved to Florida and then Texas, eventually settling in Louisiana.
The pubic hair was tested in 1993, and it showed “significant similarities” to hair found in Carol Ann’s hand, according to the DA. Of samples collected from 176 men over the years, 141 pubic hair samples were tested during the decadeslong investigation, and “all other individuals were eliminated,” officials said.
The grand jury’s findings, detailed in a 53-page report approved this week by Judge Raymond McHugh, identified Schrader as an “absolute predator” whose criminal history included assaults with deadly weapons in multiple states.
According to the prosecutor, “Schrader’s life was marked by a pattern of violence and sexual violence, particularly against young, pre-pubescent, and adolescent females.”
The grand jury found that Schrader also “sexually abused nearly every female child he lived with or had access to, including his own biological daughter and granddaughters.”
He was convicted in 1985 in Louisiana for the death of 12-year-old Catherine Smith after he intentionally set fire to his own house, knowing she and her family were still inside.
On Oct. 22, 1962, Carol Ann, an avid reader excited to check out the next book in a mystery series she was reading, was riding her bike to the Bristol Borough Free Library to meet her friends, according to the Bucks County District Attorney’s office.
On her way, she had stopped to buy a soda and candy and was last seen alive outside of the doors to St. Mark’s Roman Catholic Church in Bristol, where she was raped and strangled to death.
Her parents began to look for her when she did not return home for dinner. Her father found her body inside the church.
Carol Ann’s sister, Kay Dougherty, speaking at Wednesday’s news conference, expressed her gratitude to Vincent Faragali, the Bristol police chief at the time of her sister’s murder, who kept a framed photograph of Carol Ann on his desk throughout his career to remind him of “a promise he made to seek justice for her.”
She also thanked Faragali’s nephew, Mike Misanelli, a journalist who in 2024 produced a podcast that brought attention to the case.
Doughterty said :“My parents both passed away without knowing on this earth who murdered their daughter. … After so many decades of unknowing, this finding finally brings closure and a truth to a wound that never healed.”
“Our family lived without answers,” Dougherty said, crying, “and the uncertainty surrounding Carol’s death became a part of who we were, a shadow that touched every day of our lives.”
“Though I know nothing can bring Carol back,” Dougherty said, “we can finally let her rest in peace knowing that her story has been told, her truth revealed, and her memory honored.”
Read More
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 31, 2025 / 14:53 pm (CNA).
The Illinois State Senate passed a bill to legalize physician-assisted suicide in the state.
The legislation (SB 1950), known as the “End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act,” would authorize medical aid in dying for terminally ill adults in Illinois if signed into law by Democrat Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
The House passed the bill in May 2025, and it stalled in the Senate during the regular session. It was taken up during the Fall veto session, and senators passed it early in the morning of Oct. 31. Pritzker will have 60 days to decide whether to sign or veto the bill before it automatically becomes law.
The bill would allow individuals to request and self-administer medication to end their lives. According to the bill, anyone requesting medically assisted suicide must be at least 18 years old, a resident of Illinois, and have a terminal disease with a prognosis of six months or less to live.
The bill also requires two verbal requests for the medication from the patient, with a five-day waiting period between the first and second request. The death certificates of individuals using physican-assisted suicide in the state would list the terminal disease as the cause of death, not suicide.
“Please continue to pray for vulnerable populations and for those who feel hopeless and are near end-of-life,” the Catholic Conference of Illinois, the public policy voice of the Catholic Church in the state, wrote in a post to the social media platform X.
“It is quite fitting that the forces of the culture of death in the Illinois General Assembly passed physician-assisted suicide on October 31—a day that, culturally, has become synonymous with glorifying death and evil,” said Bishop Thomas John Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield in a statement. “It’s also ironic that these pro-death legislators did it under the cloud of darkness at 2:54 a.m.”
“Doctors take an oath to do no harm. Now, they can prescribe death. There are documented cases of patients being denied treatment and instead offered life-ending drugs,” Paprocki said. “Individuals could also be coerced into taking the lethal drug.”
The bishop called for prayers for Pritzker to reject the legislation as “physician assisted suicide undermines the value of each person, especially the vulnerable, the poor, and those with disabilities.”
The anti-assisted suicide group Patients Rights Action Fund called on Pritzker to veto the legislation.
“We encourage lawmakers to instead prioritize expanding access to mental health services, hospice care, and palliative support,” the advocacy group said in a statement. “Every patient deserves compassionate care and a full spectrum of options to live with dignity. The passage of SB 1950 introducing the use of lethal drugs in Illinois compromises that fundamental right. “
Cardinal Blase Cupich, the archbishop of Chicago, strongly criticized the bill in May after it passed the House.
“I speak to this topic not only as a religious leader but also as one who has seen a parent die from a debilitating illness,” Cupich said, recalling his father’s death. Cupich urged Illinois to promote “compassionate care,” not assisted suicide.
“There is a way to both honor the dignity of human life and provide compassionate care to those experiencing life-ending illness,” Cupich said. “Surely the Illinois Legislature should explore those options before making suicide one of the avenues available to the ill and distressed.”
The Catholic Conference of Illinois also asked the governor to veto the bill and improve palliative care programs “that offer expert assessment and management of pain and other symptoms.”
“The Illinois General Assembly has put our state on a slippery path that jeopardizes the well-being of the poor and marginalized, especially those in the disability community and have foreseeable tragic consequences,” the conference said in a statement.
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GYEONGJU — Trade negotiations between the U.S. and China reached a much-needed breakthrough on Thursday, as Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to drop all tariffs after President Donald Trump showed him how to use chopsticks to become a walrus.
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Elon Musk announced this week that his A.I. tool Grok would be curating a competitor to online encyclopedia giant Wikipedia called Grokipedia.
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| Picture of the day |
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Mural Kinderfreuden by German painter Dieter M. Weidenbach. Today is his 80th birthday.
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CNA Staff, Oct 31, 2025 / 10:30 am (CNA).
The Archdiocese of New Orleans secured nearly unanimous approval for a $230 million bankruptcy settlement on Thursday, paving the way for payouts to over 650 victims after five years of contentious litigation in the nation’s second-oldest Catholic archdiocese.
The vote, which closed at midnight on Oct. 30, saw 99.63% of creditors — including hundreds of abuse survivors — endorse the plan in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of the Eastern District of Louisiana, according to The Guardian.
Only the bondholder class, owed $30 million, opposed it, voting against the plan by a vote of 59 to 14, according to court documents. In 2017, bondholders lent the Church $40 million to help refinance parish debt and have been repaid only 25% of the outstanding balance. They have alleged fraud against the Church after it withheld promised interest payments. Legal experts say their “no” vote will not derail confirmation of the settlement, however.
“Your honor, there is overwhelming support for this plan,” archdiocese attorney Mark Mintz said in court on Thursday. The plan required that two-thirds of voters approve it.
Final tallies of the votes will be filed next week, and a hearing before Judge Meredith Grabill is set for mid-November, potentially ending the archdiocese’s Chapter 11 case filed in May 2020 amid a flood of abuse claims.
In a statement to CNA, the archdiocese said: “Today we have the voting results of our proposed settlement and reorganization plan, which has been overwhelmingly approved by survivors and other creditors. We are grateful to the survivors who have voted in favor of moving forward with this plan and continue to pray that both the monetary settlement and the nonmonetary provisions provide each of them some path towards their healing and reconciliation.”
Archbishop Gregory Aymond originally told the Vatican in a letter that he thought he could settle abuse claims for around $7 million. The archdiocese has spent close to $50 million so far on legal fees alone.
The settlement going to abuse victims breaks down to $130 million in immediate cash from the archdiocese and affiliates, $20 million in promissory notes, $30 million from insurers, and up to $50 million more from property sales, including the Christopher Homes facilities, a property that has provided affordable housing and assisted living to low-income and senior citizens in the Gulf Coast area for the last 50 years.
Payout amounts to individual claimants will be determined by a point system negotiated by a committee of victims and administered by a trustee and an independent claims administrator appointed by the court.
The point system is based on the type and nature of the alleged abuse. Additional points can be awarded for factors like participation in criminal prosecutions, pre-bankruptcy lawsuits, or leadership in victim efforts, while points may be reduced if the claimant was over 18 and consented to the contact. The impact of the alleged abuse on the victim’s behavior, academic achievement, mental health, faith, and family relationships can also adjust the score.
Abuse victim Richard Coon cast his vote on Monday. “I voted ‘yes’ to get Aymond out of town. I just think he’s been a horrible leader,” Coon said.
In September, Pope Leo XIV named Bishop James Checchio as coadjutor archbishop of New Orleans. Checchio has been working alongside Aymond and will replace him when he retires, which Aymond has said he plans to do when the bankruptcy case is resolved.
The $230 million deal is significantly higher than the initial $180 million proposal in May, which drew fire from attorneys like Richard Trahant, who criticized it for being “lowball.”
The initial settlement was “dead on arrival,” according to Trahant, who, along with other attorneys, urged his clients in May to hold out for a better offer, saying they deserved closer to $300 million, a figure similar to the $323 million paid out to about 600 claimants by the Diocese of Rockville Centre in New York in 2024.
“There is no amount of money that could ever make these survivors whole,” Trahant said in a statement Thursday.
In the Diocese of Rockville Centre bankruptcy settlement, attorneys reportedly collected about 30% of the $323 million, or approximately $96.9 million. Similarly, the Los Angeles Archdiocese’s $660 million settlement in 2007 saw attorneys receiving an estimated $165-$217.8 million, or 25%-33% of the payout.
The bankruptcy stemmed from explosive revelations in 2018, when the Archdiocese of New Orleans listed over 50 credibly accused priests. In 2021, the Louisiana Legislature eliminated the statute of limitations for civil actions related to the sexual abuse of minors.
The new law allows victims to pursue civil damages indefinitely for abuse occurring on or after June 14, 1992, or where the victim was a minor as of June 14, 2021, with a three-year filing window (which ended June 14, 2024) for older cases.
The Diocese of Lafayette, along with the Archdiocese of New Orleans, the Diocese of Baton Rouge, the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, Catholic Charities, the Diocese of Lake Charles, and several other entities challenged the law’s constitutionality, arguing it violated due process, but the Louisiana Supreme Court upheld it in June 2024 in a 4-3 decision.
Critics argued the retroactive nature of the law risks unfairness to defendants unable to defend against decades-old abuse claims due to lost evidence and highlighted the potentially devastating financial impact.
Read More
CNA Staff, Oct 31, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).
After a homily inspired a group of parishioners to live out their pro-life beliefs and start a maternity home in Springfield, Virginia, for mothers with crisis pregnancies, one woman shared her experience working there.
Kathleen Moyer, president of the Mary’s Comfort Board of Directors and a dedicated volunteer, shared about what it is like to volunteer with the maternity home in an interview with CNA.
CNA: What inspired you to volunteer at the maternity home? How does your faith play a role in your volunteer work?
Moyer: My faith is at the core of my volunteerism and specifically my involvement in Mary’s Comfort. Let me explain: The call to serve others is one I take seriously as a Christian and Catholic. As for Mary’s Comfort, the initial inspiration for a small group of volunteers to take on the challenge of creating it came from my pastor at St. Bernadette, Father Don Rooney, who challenged the congregation to live out our pro-life beliefs.
He noted that pregnant women in crisis — whether financial, physical, or otherwise — don’t really have a viable option to bring new life into this world. They need to know there is support out there. They need to be given a reason to hope. So, that’s how it all started.
That was three years ago. I’m sometimes amazed by how far we’ve come. I want to be clear, though, that we welcome women of all backgrounds and creeds. We are fortunate to have donors and supporters from several faiths, as well as secular groups. Our volunteers are diverse, too. Many of us are Catholic, but certainly not all. I think it speaks volumes that it is an interfaith effort.
What would you say to a woman facing an unexpected pregnancy? What would you say to someone considering volunteering at a maternity clinic?
Here’s what I would like to say to women facing unexpected pregnancies: We’re here for you. There is reason to hope. There are people who care. Mary’s Comfort is a safe haven where you can take a deep breath, regroup, reassess, and contemplate the future with a clear mind. Of course, there are other shelters for pregnant moms waiting to welcome you, too. You are not alone.
To those considering volunteering at a home for pregnant moms, I would say take the leap — you’ll never regret it. You might miss a rerun of your favorite TV show, have a little less time to read, or slow your ascent to becoming a pickleball pro, but I would ask you to stack any of those sacrifices against the joy of knowing you helped bring hope to someone desperately in need of it.
Even more special, you may get the chance to play a role in welcoming a new life into this world. There are no words to describe the emotions that flooded over me the first time I held one of the babies born to a Mary’s Comfort mom. It’s powerful.
There isn’t just one single moment that stands out to me because there are so many important moments between the time our guests arrive and when we get to welcome new life into this world. For example, one of our guests walked into Mary’s Comfort for the first time and just cried. They were tears of joy. She said she never expected it to be so nice and welcoming.
Another guest kept asking, “Why would you do this for me?” Their utter disbelief that strangers would care so deeply about them was striking.
We helped another guest attend a class to achieve a higher level of certification and get a better job. When she passed the test, a collective cheer rang out among the volunteers. It was a small but critical milestone on the road to independence and self-sufficiency.
Of course, the crowning moment was when I met the first baby born to a Mary’s Comfort mom. As I said before, there are no words to describe the emotions that flooded over me. It’s powerful stuff.
What is it like to volunteer at a maternity home? What is a day or week in your life like? How do you balance volunteering with your other responsibilities?
Volunteering at a home for pregnant moms is incredibly rewarding and also full of surprises — no two months have been the same. The needs and challenges each guest faces have been different, so we must be nimble and creative to provide the level of support needed to give them hope and confidence.
Similarly, there is no typical week for me. I work a full-time job in addition to being president of the Mary’s Comfort board of directors and an active volunteer who jumps in when needed.
If I had a message for those who might be thinking about volunteering but worry it would be too much with a full-time job, I’d say go for it! Many of our volunteers work full time and still find ways to contribute in very meaningful ways. As an all-volunteer-run charity, we are very flexible and, frankly, wouldn’t succeed without volunteers of many different backgrounds and stages in life — working and retired.
You asked how I balance volunteering and other parts of life. I guess my mindset is that volunteering is an important part of life if I’m living the life I believe I was called to live. But volunteering is not just about checking the box on a moral obligation, it’s about doing something that brings joy to others, and in this case, has played some small role in new life being welcomed into this world.
It has brought new perspective and new joy to the rest of my life, so finding balance isn’t so hard.
If you could put your experience at Mary’s Comfort into one word, what would that word be and why?
Grateful. Why? Because this experience has taught me to be grateful on so many levels: grateful for all the blessings in my life; grateful to work alongside such committed volunteers who just don’t give up no matter what challenges lie before us; grateful for the opportunity to serve others in this consequential way.
Read More![Young adults urged to trust God at Jubilee event in Clifton #Catholic - People have many worries in these uncertain times — from far-reaching concerns such as increasingly polarized politics and war to personal issues such as family troubles. Sometimes, these worries lead Daisy Reyes, 27, of Holy Trinity Parish in Passaic, N.J., to ask, “Where is God in our lives?”
Reyes received God’s reassurance through the words of two clergy who spoke at the Jubilee of Young Adults of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey at St. Andrew the Apostle Church in Clifton on the afternoon of Oct. 26. There, Father Starli Castaños, parochial vicar of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J. urged the more than 140 participants from at least 10 young adult parish groups around the diocese to trust God. Later, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney urged the young adults to “open their hearts wide” to the Lord during a Mass he celebrated.
“Their messages showed me that God is saying to us, ‘Here I am in your lives.’ Father Starli and Bishop Sweeney challenged us to surrender to God and pray more,” said Reyes, a preschool teacher. She said the Jubilee event was a “wonderful way to connect as a young-adult community and with the bishop, our leader, who is guiding us to God.”
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Young adults from the diocese and beyond, including a few from New York, attended the Jubilee celebration. Attending were individual young adults, diocesan officials, consecrated religious, and priests who concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Sweeney. The young adult event was the final diocesan observance of the Universal Church’s Jubilee of Hope 2025, preceding the closing Mass on Dec. 28 at 3 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson.
In his bilingual talk before the Mass, Father Castaños noted that young people worry about all types of life decisions, including about college and career.
“Also, we are all broken vessels in need of healing. Trust and surrender to the Lord in tough times. He will build you up,” Father Castaños said. He reminded participants that God will answer in his time and according to his will — not theirs. “We need to trust him so we can go out and become pilgrims of hope.”
In his homily at the bilingual Mass, Bishop Sweeney encouraged young adults to believe and trust that a life of faith as a committed disciple is an exciting “adventure,” a word first used by St. Pope John Paul II, who said, “Life with Christ is an adventure.”
Jessica Alvarez, of the young adult ministry, EPIC, at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Passaic, N.J., and a team planned and organized the celebration. Father Jeider Barraza, pastor of St. Andrew’s, hosted the event after a last-minute venue change. Salesian Sister Theresa Lee, diocesan chancellor and delegate for religious, and Brian Honsberger, a former staff member at St. Paul’s Center for Evangelization Inside the Walls in Madison, N.J., have been organizing all of the diocesan Jubilee events.
Along with Father Charles Lana, diocesan vocations director, each young adult group on the planning team staffed an exhibitor’s table where all attending could learn more about Corazon Puro, Young Catholic Professionals (YCP-NJ), St. Paul’s, and EPIC.
In his homily, Bishop Sweeney made another reference to a life of faith as an “adventure,” this time from Pope Leo XIV’s homily at the Jubilee of Young Adults in Rome on Aug. 3.
“It is truly beautiful, especially at a young age, to open wide your hearts, to allow him [God] to enter, and to set out on this adventure with him towards eternity,” the pontiff said, according to Bishop Sweeney.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/young-adults-urged-to-trust-god-at-jubilee-event-in-clifton-catholic-people-have-many-worries-in-these-uncertain-times-from-far-reaching-concerns-such-as-increasingly-polarized-politics-a.jpg)
Young adults urged to trust God at Jubilee event in Clifton #Catholic – 
People have many worries in these uncertain times — from far-reaching concerns such as increasingly polarized politics and war to personal issues such as family troubles. Sometimes, these worries lead Daisy Reyes, 27, of Holy Trinity Parish in Passaic, N.J., to ask, “Where is God in our lives?”
Reyes received God’s reassurance through the words of two clergy who spoke at the Jubilee of Young Adults of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey at St. Andrew the Apostle Church in Clifton on the afternoon of Oct. 26. There, Father Starli Castaños, parochial vicar of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J. urged the more than 140 participants from at least 10 young adult parish groups around the diocese to trust God. Later, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney urged the young adults to “open their hearts wide” to the Lord during a Mass he celebrated.
“Their messages showed me that God is saying to us, ‘Here I am in your lives.’ Father Starli and Bishop Sweeney challenged us to surrender to God and pray more,” said Reyes, a preschool teacher. She said the Jubilee event was a “wonderful way to connect as a young-adult community and with the bishop, our leader, who is guiding us to God.”
Young adults from the diocese and beyond, including a few from New York, attended the Jubilee celebration. Attending were individual young adults, diocesan officials, consecrated religious, and priests who concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Sweeney. The young adult event was the final diocesan observance of the Universal Church’s Jubilee of Hope 2025, preceding the closing Mass on Dec. 28 at 3 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson.
In his bilingual talk before the Mass, Father Castaños noted that young people worry about all types of life decisions, including about college and career.
“Also, we are all broken vessels in need of healing. Trust and surrender to the Lord in tough times. He will build you up,” Father Castaños said. He reminded participants that God will answer in his time and according to his will — not theirs. “We need to trust him so we can go out and become pilgrims of hope.”
In his homily at the bilingual Mass, Bishop Sweeney encouraged young adults to believe and trust that a life of faith as a committed disciple is an exciting “adventure,” a word first used by St. Pope John Paul II, who said, “Life with Christ is an adventure.”
Jessica Alvarez, of the young adult ministry, EPIC, at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Passaic, N.J., and a team planned and organized the celebration. Father Jeider Barraza, pastor of St. Andrew’s, hosted the event after a last-minute venue change. Salesian Sister Theresa Lee, diocesan chancellor and delegate for religious, and Brian Honsberger, a former staff member at St. Paul’s Center for Evangelization Inside the Walls in Madison, N.J., have been organizing all of the diocesan Jubilee events.
Along with Father Charles Lana, diocesan vocations director, each young adult group on the planning team staffed an exhibitor’s table where all attending could learn more about Corazon Puro, Young Catholic Professionals (YCP-NJ), St. Paul’s, and EPIC.
In his homily, Bishop Sweeney made another reference to a life of faith as an “adventure,” this time from Pope Leo XIV’s homily at the Jubilee of Young Adults in Rome on Aug. 3.
“It is truly beautiful, especially at a young age, to open wide your hearts, to allow him [God] to enter, and to set out on this adventure with him towards eternity,” the pontiff said, according to Bishop Sweeney.
– People have many worries in these uncertain times — from far-reaching concerns such as increasingly polarized politics and war to personal issues such as family troubles. Sometimes, these worries lead Daisy Reyes, 27, of Holy Trinity Parish in Passaic, N.J., to ask, “Where is God in our lives?” Reyes received God’s reassurance through the words of two clergy who spoke at the Jubilee of Young Adults of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey at St. Andrew the Apostle Church in Clifton on the afternoon of Oct. 26. There, Father Starli Castaños, parochial vicar of the Cathedral of St. John the
Sky This Week is brought to you in part by Celestron. Friday, October 31This Halloween, peer into the Ghost’s Goblet, a young grouping of stars in Cassiopeia the Queen. Formally cataloged as NGC 559 and Caldwell 8, you’ll find this open cluster high in the northeast a few hours after sunset. Look for the WContinue reading “The Sky This Week from October 31 to November 7: Catch celestial ghosts”
The post The Sky This Week from October 31 to November 7: Catch celestial ghosts appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
Read More
It is day 30 of the Schumer Shutdown with no end in sight.
The post JUST IN: President Trump Calls on Senate to Initiate “Nuclear Option” and Get Rid of Filibuster appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Conservative commentator Matt Walsh thinks he may have come up with a way to combat fraud in the food stamp (SNAP) program.
The post Matt Walsh Offers a Modest Proposal to End Fraud in the Food Stamp Program – Weight and Drug Testing (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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You know things are bad for the Democrats when even the Teamsters Union is calling on them to end the government shutdown.
The post Even the Teamsters Union is Calling on Democrats to End the Government Shutdown (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Read MoreRemember,
most loving Virgin Mary,
never was it heard
that anyone who turned to you for help
was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence,
though burdened by my sins,
I run to you for protection
for you are my mother.
OR
Remember,
O most gracious Virgin Mary,
that never was it known
that any one who fled to thy protection,
implored thy help or sought thy intercession,
was left unaided.
Inspired with this confidence,
I fly unto thee,
O Virgin of …
A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans
9:1-5
Brothers and sisters:
I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie;
my conscience joins with the Holy Spirit in bearing me witness
that I have great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart.
For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ
for the sake of my own people,
my kindred according to the flesh.
They are children of Israel;
theirs the adoption, the glory, the covenants,
the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises;
theirs the patriarchs, and from them,
according to the flesh, is the Christ,
who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.
From the Gospel according to Luke
14:1-6
On a sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees,
and the people there were observing him carefully.
In front of him there was a man suffering from dropsy.
Jesus spoke to the scholars of the law and Pharisees in reply, asking,
"Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?"
But they kept silent; so he took the man and,
after he had healed him, dismissed him.
Then he said to them
"Who among you, if your son or ox falls into a cistern,
would not immediately pull him out on the sabbath day?"
But they were unable to answer his question.
This very way “of living, attached to the law, distanced them from love and from justice: they were attentive to the law, they disregarded justice; they were attentive to the law, they overlooked love”. The Lord found these were “closed men, men too attached to the law”, or rather, too attached “to the letter of the law”, because “the law is love”. These men “always closed the doors of hope, of love, of salvation”. (…) This is precisely “the path that Jesus teaches us, the exact opposite of that of the doctors of the law”. And “this path, from love to justice, leads to God”. Only “the path that goes from love to knowledge and to discernment, to complete fulfillment, leads to holiness, to salvation, to the encounter with Jesus”. “The other path”, however, “that of sticking only to the law, to the letter of the law, leads to closure, leads to selfishness”. And it leads “to the arrogance of considering ourselves just”, to that so-called “‘holiness’ of appearances”. Such that “Jesus says to these people: you like people to see you as men of prayer, of fasting”. This is only for appearances. And “this is why Jesus said to the people: do what they say, not what they do”, because “that mustn’t be done”. (…) Jesus draws near: closeness is the very proof that we are “on the true path”. Because that is “the path that God has chosen in order to save us: closeness. He drew close to us, he made himself man”. And indeed, “God’s flesh is the sign; God’s flesh is the sign of true justice. God who made himself a man like one of us, and we who must make ourselves like the others, like the needy, like those who need our help”. (Pope Francis, Santa Marta, 31 October 2014)
Read More![CPAC Summit focuses on ending Christian persecution - #Catholic -
Mercedes Schlapp, Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) senior fellow (left), and conservative political commentator and practicing Catholic Jack Posobiec (right) discuss Christian persecution at the Summit on Ending Christian Persecution on Oct. 30, 2025, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. / Credit: CPAC
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 30, 2025 / 17:31 pm (CNA).
The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) launched an initiative to combat Christian persecution domestically and abroad, a subject at the heart of its latest summit in Washington, D.C. CPAC hosted a Summit on Ending Christian Persecution at the Kennedy Center on Oct. 30 as a part of its wider effort to collaborate with its coalition partners to raise awareness and identify policy solutions to religious targeting of Christians.“As Catholics, we are all called to help those most in need, those who are facing persecution here and across the globe,” Mercedes Schlapp, CPAC senior fellow, told CNA. “CPAC and our coalition partners have made it a priority to start the CPAC Center for Faith and Liberty, committed to finding policy solutions, working with national and international leaders to bring awareness to the atrocities that we are seeing against our Christian brothers,” said Schlapp, who helped moderate the event.“We hope to continue in this fight and really provide protection and solutions to those persecuted Christians, to those who have died as martyrs, and to bring peace to our world,” she said. The event included dozens of attendees and speakers such as Sean Nelson, ADF International senior counsel; Rep. Riley Moore, R-West Virginia; Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey; Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri; and conservative political commentator and practicing Catholic Jack Posobiec. Topics included a recent surge of political violence. Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk was killed in Utah on Sept. 10. In June, catechist Melissa Hortman, the former Minnesota Democratic House speaker, and her husband, Mark Hortman, were murdered. During a fireside chat with Schlapp, Posobiec said that while he is proud of the work that has been done to raise awareness of persecution abroad, “it’s coming here to the United States.” A Minneapolis Annunciation School shooting left two students dead on Aug. 27.“The shooting of the children in Minneapolis at [Annunciation Catholic School], which happened just two weeks to the day before the murder of Charlie Kirk, was an anti-Christian act of persecution,” Posobiec said.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/cpac-summit-focuses-on-ending-christian-persecution-catholic-mercedes-schlapp-conservative-political-action-conference-cpac-senior-fellow-left-and-conservative-political-commentator-and.webp)
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 30, 2025 / 17:31 pm (CNA).
The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) launched an initiative to combat Christian persecution domestically and abroad, a subject at the heart of its latest summit in Washington, D.C.
CPAC hosted a Summit on Ending Christian Persecution at the Kennedy Center on Oct. 30 as a part of its wider effort to collaborate with its coalition partners to raise awareness and identify policy solutions to religious targeting of Christians.
“As Catholics, we are all called to help those most in need, those who are facing persecution here and across the globe,” Mercedes Schlapp, CPAC senior fellow, told CNA. “CPAC and our coalition partners have made it a priority to start the CPAC Center for Faith and Liberty, committed to finding policy solutions, working with national and international leaders to bring awareness to the atrocities that we are seeing against our Christian brothers,” said Schlapp, who helped moderate the event.
“We hope to continue in this fight and really provide protection and solutions to those persecuted Christians, to those who have died as martyrs, and to bring peace to our world,” she said.
The event included dozens of attendees and speakers such as Sean Nelson, ADF International senior counsel; Rep. Riley Moore, R-West Virginia; Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey; Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri; and conservative political commentator and practicing Catholic Jack Posobiec.
Topics included a recent surge of political violence. Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk was killed in Utah on Sept. 10. In June, catechist Melissa Hortman, the former Minnesota Democratic House speaker, and her husband, Mark Hortman, were murdered.
During a fireside chat with Schlapp, Posobiec said that while he is proud of the work that has been done to raise awareness of persecution abroad, “it’s coming here to the United States.”
A Minneapolis Annunciation School shooting left two students dead on Aug. 27.
“The shooting of the children in Minneapolis at [Annunciation Catholic School], which happened just two weeks to the day before the murder of Charlie Kirk, was an anti-Christian act of persecution,” Posobiec said.
Read More
ACI Prensa Staff, Oct 30, 2025 / 16:50 pm (CNA).
On the occasion of the centenary of the Secular Institute of the Sisters of Mary of Schoenstatt, Germany, Pope Leo XIV has granted a plenary indulgence to anyone who visits the original Schoenstatt shrine or any shrine, church, or chapel under the care of this community.
The indulgence can be obtained throughout the community’s jubilee, which began on Oct. 1 and will conclude on Nov. 4, 2026.
“For our community, this gift of indulgence in our jubilee year is an invitation from God, through the Church, for a deeper purification of our hearts,” the Schoenstatt Movement said on its website, adding: “We trust that God’s grace will sustain us in a more perceptible way at the beginning of a new era for our family.”
The decree from the Apostolic Penitentiary of the Holy See states that the indulgence is granted “to members of the institute and to all the faithful who, moved by repentance and love, unite themselves to the spiritual goals of the Jubilee Year 2025.”
The faithful are invited to make a pilgrimage to one of the aforementioned places and spend time there in contemplation.
To obtain the indulgence, which can also be obtained on behalf of a deceased person, the following conditions must be met: sacramental confession, reception of the Eucharist, prayer for the pope’s intentions — according to the decree, the Our Father, the Creed, the invocation of Mary, Mother of God, as Queen of Peace and Mother of Mercy — and performing an act of penance and a work of charity.
This story was first published by ACI Digital, CNA’s Portuguese-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by ACI Prensa/CNA.
Read More![‘Don’t let the algorithm write your story,’ Pope Leo XIV exhorts young people - #Catholic -
“Use technology wisely, but don’t let technology use you,” Pope Leo XIV said during his address to hundreds of university students gathered in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall on Oct. 30, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media
Vatican City, Oct 30, 2025 / 16:20 pm (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV on Thursday urged young people to cultivate their “interior life” and to listen to their restlessness without “fleeing from it” or “filling it” with things that don’t satisfy, lest they fall into existential emptiness.“Having a great deal of knowledge is not enough if we do not know who we are or what the meaning of life is,” the pope told the hundreds of university students he received Oct. 30 in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican for an event held as part of the Jubilee of the World of Education.In his message, he invited the students to rediscover the inner dimension of life and pointed out that “without silence, without listening, without prayer, even the light of the stars goes out.”“We can know a great deal about the world and still ignore our own hearts,” he noted, while encouraging the students to constantly strive “toward the heights,” being “the beacon of hope in the dark hours of history.”Leo XIV acknowledged that many young people experience a sense of emptiness or inner restlessness and emphasized that this disorientation is not solely due to personal reasons.“In the most serious cases, we see episodes of distress, violence, bullying, and oppression — even young people who isolate themselves and no longer want to relate to others,” the pope observed. In his view, these deep wounds are “the reflection of “a void created by a society that has forgotten how to form the spiritual dimension of the human person, focusing only on the technical, social, or moral aspects of life.”The pope was especially approachable and relaxed with the young people, with whom he shared several spontaneous moments. He introduced himself to them twice as a “former math and physics teacher,” recalling his teaching past, and even joked with them: “Perhaps you have a math exam soon?” he asked, going off script and eliciting laughter and applause.The pope affirmed that a life that remains “stifled by fleeting pleasures will never satisfy us.” Instead, he asked each person to say in his or her heart: “I dream of more, Lord, I long for something greater, inspire me!”“This desire is your strength and expresses well the commitment of young people who envision a better society and refuse to be mere spectators,” he emphasized after noting that the “desire for the infinite” is the compass they should use.Instead of looking at your phone, ‘look to the sky, to the heights’He urged the university students to not be satisfied “with appearances or fads” and instead of “being fixated on your smartphones, to look to the sky, to the heights.”“How wonderful it would be if one day your generation were remembered as the ‘generation plus,’ remembered for the extra drive you brought to the Church and the world,” he exclaimed.During his address, Pope Leo cited as role models St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, who had “the courage to live life to the fullest” and “to the heights,” and St. Carlo Acutis, “who did not become a slave to the internet but rather used it skillfully for good.” The pontiff canonized these two young saints together on Sept. 7.The pope also cited St. Augustine as an example, describing him as “brilliant but deeply unsatisfied” because he found “neither truth nor peace until he discovered God in his own heart.”The Holy Father focused much of his address on the challenges posed by the digital world and the development of artificial intelligence, urging that these areas not become “a cage where you lock yourselves in” nor “an addiction or an escape.”“You live in [digital education] and that’s not a bad thing; there are enormous opportunities for study and communication. But don’t let the algorithm write your story! Be the authors: Use technology wisely, but don’t let technology use you,” he urged.‘It is not enough to silence weapons, we must disarm hearts’Leo XIV emphasized the urgency of a “disarmed and disarming education” that forms new generations in respect, justice, and equality.“You can see how much our future is threatened by war and hatred, which divide people. Can this future be changed? Certainly! How? With an education for peace that is disarmed and disarming,” the pope said. Furthermore, he warned that it is not enough to “silence the weapons,” but rather “we must disarm hearts, renouncing all violence and vulgarity.”As in his recent document on education, “Drawing New Maps of Hope,” Leo XIV called for avoiding all forms of exclusion or privilege in education, “recognizing the equal dignity of every young person, without ever dividing young people between the privileged few who have access to expensive schools and the many who do not have access to education.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/dont-let-the-algorithm-write-your-story-pope-leo-xiv-exhorts-young-people-catholic-use-technology-wisely-but-dont-let-technology-use-you.webp)
Vatican City, Oct 30, 2025 / 16:20 pm (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV on Thursday urged young people to cultivate their “interior life” and to listen to their restlessness without “fleeing from it” or “filling it” with things that don’t satisfy, lest they fall into existential emptiness.
“Having a great deal of knowledge is not enough if we do not know who we are or what the meaning of life is,” the pope told the hundreds of university students he received Oct. 30 in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican for an event held as part of the Jubilee of the World of Education.
In his message, he invited the students to rediscover the inner dimension of life and pointed out that “without silence, without listening, without prayer, even the light of the stars goes out.”
“We can know a great deal about the world and still ignore our own hearts,” he noted, while encouraging the students to constantly strive “toward the heights,” being “the beacon of hope in the dark hours of history.”
Leo XIV acknowledged that many young people experience a sense of emptiness or inner restlessness and emphasized that this disorientation is not solely due to personal reasons.
“In the most serious cases, we see episodes of distress, violence, bullying, and oppression — even young people who isolate themselves and no longer want to relate to others,” the pope observed. In his view, these deep wounds are “the reflection of “a void created by a society that has forgotten how to form the spiritual dimension of the human person, focusing only on the technical, social, or moral aspects of life.”
The pope was especially approachable and relaxed with the young people, with whom he shared several spontaneous moments. He introduced himself to them twice as a “former math and physics teacher,” recalling his teaching past, and even joked with them: “Perhaps you have a math exam soon?” he asked, going off script and eliciting laughter and applause.
The pope affirmed that a life that remains “stifled by fleeting pleasures will never satisfy us.” Instead, he asked each person to say in his or her heart: “I dream of more, Lord, I long for something greater, inspire me!”
“This desire is your strength and expresses well the commitment of young people who envision a better society and refuse to be mere spectators,” he emphasized after noting that the “desire for the infinite” is the compass they should use.
He urged the university students to not be satisfied “with appearances or fads” and instead of “being fixated on your smartphones, to look to the sky, to the heights.”
“How wonderful it would be if one day your generation were remembered as the ‘generation plus,’ remembered for the extra drive you brought to the Church and the world,” he exclaimed.
During his address, Pope Leo cited as role models St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, who had “the courage to live life to the fullest” and “to the heights,” and St. Carlo Acutis, “who did not become a slave to the internet but rather used it skillfully for good.” The pontiff canonized these two young saints together on Sept. 7.
The pope also cited St. Augustine as an example, describing him as “brilliant but deeply unsatisfied” because he found “neither truth nor peace until he discovered God in his own heart.”
The Holy Father focused much of his address on the challenges posed by the digital world and the development of artificial intelligence, urging that these areas not become “a cage where you lock yourselves in” nor “an addiction or an escape.”
“You live in [digital education] and that’s not a bad thing; there are enormous opportunities for study and communication. But don’t let the algorithm write your story! Be the authors: Use technology wisely, but don’t let technology use you,” he urged.
Leo XIV emphasized the urgency of a “disarmed and disarming education” that forms new generations in respect, justice, and equality.
“You can see how much our future is threatened by war and hatred, which divide people. Can this future be changed? Certainly! How? With an education for peace that is disarmed and disarming,” the pope said. Furthermore, he warned that it is not enough to “silence the weapons,” but rather “we must disarm hearts, renouncing all violence and vulgarity.”
As in his recent document on education, “Drawing New Maps of Hope,” Leo XIV called for avoiding all forms of exclusion or privilege in education, “recognizing the equal dignity of every young person, without ever dividing young people between the privileged few who have access to expensive schools and the many who do not have access to education.”
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
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Surrounded by nature, retired priests live active retirements in Chester #Catholic – 
Usually, Father Dennis Crowley, 77, spends his day as he pleases — by himself in quiet prayer and meditation. But occasionally, this retired priest of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey appreciates some company — from animals as well as humans.
Sometimes, Father Crowley takes breaks from prayer, watching a variety of creatures, including deer, birds, and squirrels, outside the window of his condominium at Nazareth Village, the diocesan priests’ retirement residence in Chester, N.J. He also enjoys fellowship with his nine fellow resident priests, who gather for a home-cooked meal at noon each day, and listening to their spiritual insights, largely about saints.
“I love to see the animals out here in Chester — in the woods. It’s quiet and peaceful. It’s also wonderful to have interaction with a community of other retired priests,” said Father Crowley, who moved to Nazareth Village a year and a half ago. “I love it here. My condo has a beautiful layout. The rent is reasonable, because the diocese subsidizes it.”
These ten diocesan priests who have spent a lifetime serving others live at Nazareth Village thanks to the generosity of the faithful through the Diocesan Ministries Appeal (DMA). The appeal also helps fund Catholic Charities, seminarian education, priests’ healthcare needs, including retired priests, and inner-city Catholic elementary education.
“To my knowledge, having a place like Nazareth, where retired priests can live independently, that isn’t a church rectory or a convent, if they need it, isn’t common in other dioceses. We are proud of that at Nazareth,” said Father Brian P. Quinn, director of Nazareth Village and pastor of St. Matthew the Apostle Parish in Randolph, N.J.
Each priest-resident at Nazareth has a sitting room, bedroom, bathroom, and kitchenette. In addition, common rooms include a recreation room, library, refectory, TV room, parlors, laundry, physical therapy room, and exercise room. The staff provides the noon meal, laundry service, and housekeeping. The priests are charged a portion of their monthly pension as rent. Nazareth Village is under the direction of the diocesan Office of Clergy Personnel.
Father Crowley appreciates the spiritual heart of Nazareth: the Our Lady, Mother of Priests Chapel, which allows resident priests to celebrate Mass there. Nazareth’s location also makes it easy for priests to reach any part of the diocese where they may still serve in retirement. However, Father Crowley usually doesn’t travel outside the facility, because of his physical limitations.
In 2016, Father Crowley retired from active ministry. Incardinated into the diocese in the early 1990s, he previously was a Benedictine monk in Latrobe, Penn. Before coming to Nazareth, he lived in an apartment in Morristown.
Father Crowley said he prays for the entire diocese, including in gratitude to the DMA donors.
“We priests have lovingly and willingly given ourselves for the faithful of the diocese. Now we need them. Because of their generosity to the DMA, we can live with dignity in a safe, comfortable place. I thank the people of the diocese,” Father Crowley said.
The Diocesan Ministries Appeal supports Nazareth Village, the diocesan priests’ retirement residence in Chester, N.J. Please consider participating in the DMA. To donate or pledge online, scan the QR code or visit dopappeal.org. For more information, call 973-777-8818, ext. 215.
– Usually, Father Dennis Crowley, 77, spends his day as he pleases — by himself in quiet prayer and meditation. But occasionally, this retired priest of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey appreciates some company — from animals as well as humans. Sometimes, Father Crowley takes breaks from prayer, watching a variety of creatures, including deer, birds, and squirrels, outside the window of his condominium at Nazareth Village, the diocesan priests’ retirement residence in Chester, N.J. He also enjoys fellowship with his nine fellow resident priests, who gather for a home-cooked meal at noon each day, and listening to their spiritual
![Conferencia de NCADDHM: Faro de Alegría y Esperanza para los Hispanos en EE.UU. #Catholic - Un gran número de fieles, en su mayoría Directores Diocesanos para el Ministerio Hispano alrededor de EE.UU. se dieron cita en Newark, NJ la semana pasada para participar, junto a un numero significativo de sacerdotes, diáconos, religiosos, jóvenes, y lideres pastorales, de la Conferencia Anual de la Asociación Nacional Católica de Directores Diocesanos para el Ministerio Hispano. Esta organización, avalada por los Obispos de EE.UU. y conocida como «NCADDHM» por sus siglas en inglés, auspicio un espacio de dialogo y oración en donde, bajo el lema «Caminando con Alegría, Anclados en la Esperanza», se reflexionó sobre la actual situación por la que atraviesa la comunidad hispanohablante en la iglesia estadounidense en general y la comunidad inmigrante en particular.
Para liderar este dialogo fueron invitados obispos de diferentes partes del país al igual que delegados de la Conferencia Episcopal de Estados Unidos con experiencia en la pastoral hispana. Muchos de los obispos—varios de ellos a cargo de la cura pastoral de diocesis fronterizas—compartieron su experiencia de caminar junto al pueblo latino, en especial la comunidad inmigrante, la cual actualmente enfrenta muchos retos bajo la actual administración. Los obispos hicieron un llamado a todos los presentes a acompañar a todos los que buscan ayuda o refugio en nuestras comunidades parroquiales y a estar dispuestos a ser la voz de los que no tienen.
Para suscribirse a nuestro boletín electrónico semanal, haga click aquí.
Durante su discurso de bienvenida María Moncaleano, nuestra Directora Diocesana para el Ministerio Hispano y Vice-Presidente de NCADDHM, explico que el lema de la conferencia fue escogido intencionalmente para «celebrar los avances en la implementación del nuevo Plan Pastoral» y recalcó que la conferencia tomaba lugar dentro del marco del Año Jubilar de la Esperanza y por ende se viviría en «un espíritu de gratitud por el camino recorrido, la pasión por el presente y la esperanza en el futuro». En la Misa presidida por Monseñor Mario Avilés, obispo auxiliar de la Diocesis de Brownsville y moderador episcopal de NCADDHM, en la Basílica del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús, en Newark, el prelado hizo énfasis en el ejemplo y el legado de S. Juan Pablo II, quien a lo largo de su pontificado cultivo un especial afecto por la iglesia latinoamericana y demostró, con su resiliencia y ejemplo vivo de fe en Cristo Resucitado, el llamado de todo cristiano a ser embajador de la paz y puente de justicia.
Como invitado de honor estuvo presente el Dr. Rodrigo Guerra, oficial del Vaticano para la Comisión para América Latina. Durante su intervención el Dr. Guerra hizo hincapié en la dignidad del ser humano y el rol tan esencial que debe desempeñar la doctrina social en el testimonio de cada cristiano. En su charla intitulada «Magisterio eclesial sobre movilidad humana y migración» también reitero que «la misión de los fieles laicos es la transformación del mundo. Por lo tanto, la agenda de los laicos es la Doctrina Social de la Iglesia. Este es su territorio ordinario, aquí es donde verdaderamente son santificados» y exhorto a su audiencia a encontrar nuevas formas de aplicarla y promoverla, en toda su riqueza puesto que solo así podremos «ver cualquier situación a la luz de la fe, juzgar con esperanza, y actuar en caridad».
Nuestra Diocesis de Paterson estuvo muy bien representada a través de la presencia de nuestra Canciller, Sor Theresa Lee, y Freddy García, nuestro Director-Asociado para la Evangelización, quien después de compartir su propio testimonio y hacer una reflexión personal del nuevo Plan Pastoral a la luz de su propio camino de recibió una gran ovación por parte de los asistentes. También asistieron fieles laicos que desempeñan diferentes roles en el ámbito parroquial y que han obtenido un diploma en Evangelización y Liderazgo a través del programa que ofrece la Oficina Diocesana para el Ministerio Hispano en colaboración con St. Elizabeth University y nuestro Centro de Evangelización, St. Paul Inside the Walls.
La conferencia culmino con una cena de gala en donde fueron galardonados el Dr. Rodrigo Guerra y el señor Roberto Navarro por su incansable labor a favor de nuestro pueblo hispanohablante y por su gran testimonio de vida al servicio de la Iglesia. Finalmente, el presidente de NCADDHM, Ignacio Rodríguez, aprovecho la cena de despedida para anunciar la próxima conferencia anual, la cual se llevara a cabo en la Diocesis de Orange, en California, del 20 al 23 de octubre de 2026.
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/conferencia-de-ncaddhm-faro-de-alegria-y-esperanza-para-los-hispanos-en-ee-uu-catholic-un-gran-numero-de-fieles-en-su-mayoria-directores-diocesanos-para-el-ministerio-hispano-alrededor-de-ee-uu.jpg)
Conferencia de NCADDHM: Faro de Alegría y Esperanza para los Hispanos en EE.UU. #Catholic – 
Un gran número de fieles, en su mayoría Directores Diocesanos para el Ministerio Hispano alrededor de EE.UU. se dieron cita en Newark, NJ la semana pasada para participar, junto a un numero significativo de sacerdotes, diáconos, religiosos, jóvenes, y lideres pastorales, de la Conferencia Anual de la Asociación Nacional Católica de Directores Diocesanos para el Ministerio Hispano. Esta organización, avalada por los Obispos de EE.UU. y conocida como «NCADDHM» por sus siglas en inglés, auspicio un espacio de dialogo y oración en donde, bajo el lema «Caminando con Alegría, Anclados en la Esperanza», se reflexionó sobre la actual situación por la que atraviesa la comunidad hispanohablante en la iglesia estadounidense en general y la comunidad inmigrante en particular.
Para liderar este dialogo fueron invitados obispos de diferentes partes del país al igual que delegados de la Conferencia Episcopal de Estados Unidos con experiencia en la pastoral hispana. Muchos de los obispos—varios de ellos a cargo de la cura pastoral de diocesis fronterizas—compartieron su experiencia de caminar junto al pueblo latino, en especial la comunidad inmigrante, la cual actualmente enfrenta muchos retos bajo la actual administración. Los obispos hicieron un llamado a todos los presentes a acompañar a todos los que buscan ayuda o refugio en nuestras comunidades parroquiales y a estar dispuestos a ser la voz de los que no tienen.
Durante su discurso de bienvenida María Moncaleano, nuestra Directora Diocesana para el Ministerio Hispano y Vice-Presidente de NCADDHM, explico que el lema de la conferencia fue escogido intencionalmente para «celebrar los avances en la implementación del nuevo Plan Pastoral» y recalcó que la conferencia tomaba lugar dentro del marco del Año Jubilar de la Esperanza y por ende se viviría en «un espíritu de gratitud por el camino recorrido, la pasión por el presente y la esperanza en el futuro». En la Misa presidida por Monseñor Mario Avilés, obispo auxiliar de la Diocesis de Brownsville y moderador episcopal de NCADDHM, en la Basílica del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús, en Newark, el prelado hizo énfasis en el ejemplo y el legado de S. Juan Pablo II, quien a lo largo de su pontificado cultivo un especial afecto por la iglesia latinoamericana y demostró, con su resiliencia y ejemplo vivo de fe en Cristo Resucitado, el llamado de todo cristiano a ser embajador de la paz y puente de justicia.
Como invitado de honor estuvo presente el Dr. Rodrigo Guerra, oficial del Vaticano para la Comisión para América Latina. Durante su intervención el Dr. Guerra hizo hincapié en la dignidad del ser humano y el rol tan esencial que debe desempeñar la doctrina social en el testimonio de cada cristiano. En su charla intitulada «Magisterio eclesial sobre movilidad humana y migración» también reitero que «la misión de los fieles laicos es la transformación del mundo. Por lo tanto, la agenda de los laicos es la Doctrina Social de la Iglesia. Este es su territorio ordinario, aquí es donde verdaderamente son santificados» y exhorto a su audiencia a encontrar nuevas formas de aplicarla y promoverla, en toda su riqueza puesto que solo así podremos «ver cualquier situación a la luz de la fe, juzgar con esperanza, y actuar en caridad».
Nuestra Diocesis de Paterson estuvo muy bien representada a través de la presencia de nuestra Canciller, Sor Theresa Lee, y Freddy García, nuestro Director-Asociado para la Evangelización, quien después de compartir su propio testimonio y hacer una reflexión personal del nuevo Plan Pastoral a la luz de su propio camino de recibió una gran ovación por parte de los asistentes. También asistieron fieles laicos que desempeñan diferentes roles en el ámbito parroquial y que han obtenido un diploma en Evangelización y Liderazgo a través del programa que ofrece la Oficina Diocesana para el Ministerio Hispano en colaboración con St. Elizabeth University y nuestro Centro de Evangelización, St. Paul Inside the Walls.
La conferencia culmino con una cena de gala en donde fueron galardonados el Dr. Rodrigo Guerra y el señor Roberto Navarro por su incansable labor a favor de nuestro pueblo hispanohablante y por su gran testimonio de vida al servicio de la Iglesia. Finalmente, el presidente de NCADDHM, Ignacio Rodríguez, aprovecho la cena de despedida para anunciar la próxima conferencia anual, la cual se llevara a cabo en la Diocesis de Orange, en California, del 20 al 23 de octubre de 2026.
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org] – Un gran número de fieles, en su mayoría Directores Diocesanos para el Ministerio Hispano alrededor de EE.UU. se dieron cita en Newark, NJ la semana pasada para participar, junto a un numero significativo de sacerdotes, diáconos, religiosos, jóvenes, y lideres pastorales, de la Conferencia Anual de la Asociación Nacional Católica de Directores Diocesanos para el Ministerio Hispano. Esta organización, avalada por los Obispos de EE.UU. y conocida como «NCADDHM» por sus siglas en inglés, auspicio un espacio de dialogo y oración en donde, bajo el lema «Caminando con Alegría, Anclados en la Esperanza», se reflexionó sobre la actual situación por
Pope calls for unity among world’s religions to promote peace, justice, ethical AI #Catholic – 
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — At a time when so many people and the planet are suffering, the world’s religions need to come together to promote truth, compassion, reconciliation, justice and peace, Pope Leo XIV said.
“Today we are called upon to rekindle that hope in our world, devastated by war and our degraded natural environment,” the pope said Oct. 29 during his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square.
“Let us collaborate, because if we are united, everything is possible. Let us ensure that nothing divides us,” he said, addressing the many representatives of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Buddhism and other religions that were present at the audience.
Many of the leaders had been in Rome for a meeting of religions for peace sponsored by the Community of Sant’Egidio and a series of events, including a nighttime celebration Oct. 28, marking the 60th anniversary of “Nostra Aetate,” the Second Vatican Council’s declaration on relations with Judaism, Islam and other world religions.
In fact, Pope Leo set aside his ongoing series of audience talks on the Jubilee theme, “Jesus Christ our Hope,” to dedicate the Oct. 29 audience to “Nostra Aetate,” which was promulgated 60 years ago: Oct. 28, 1965.
The first focus of the landmark document “was toward the Jewish world,” the pope said. “For the first time in the history of the church, a doctrinal treatise on the Jewish roots of Christianity was to take shape, which on a biblical and theological level would represent a point of no return.”
While much has been achieved in Jewish-Catholic dialogue over the past six decades, he said, “we cannot deny that there have been misunderstandings, difficulties and conflicts in this period, but these have never prevented the dialogue from continuing.”
“Even today, we must not allow political circumstances and the injustices of some to divert us from friendship, especially since we have achieved so much so far,” he said.
Quoting “Nostra Aetate,” the Catholic Church, “mindful of the patrimony she shares with the Jews and moved not by political reasons but by the Gospel’s spiritual love, decries hatred, persecutions, displays of antisemitism, directed against Jews at any time and by anyone,” he said to applause.
“Since then, all my predecessors have condemned antisemitism with clear words,” Pope Leo said. “And so I too confirm that the church does not tolerate antisemitism and fights against it, on the basis of the Gospel itself,” which was also followed by applause.
“The spirit of ‘Nostra Aetate’ continues to illuminate the path of the church,” which recognizes that all religions can reflect “a ray of that Truth which enlightens all men,” he said, citing the document.
Today, more than ever, he said, all of the world’s religions need to act together. “Our world needs our unity, our friendship and our collaboration.”
“Each one of our religions can contribute to alleviating human suffering and taking care of our common home, our planet Earth,” he said. “Our respective traditions teach truth, compassion, reconciliation, justice and peace. We must reaffirm service to humanity at all times.”
In addition to remaining “vigilant against the abuse of the name of God, of religion and of dialogue itself, as well as against the dangers posed by religious fundamentalism and extremism,” he said, “we must also face the responsible development of artificial intelligence.”
If AI is intended to be “an alternative to humans, it can gravely violate their infinite dignity and neutralize their fundamental responsibilities,” the pope said. “Our traditions have an immense contribution to make to the humanization of technology and therefore to inspire its regulation, to protect fundamental human rights.”
“The declaration invites all Catholics — bishops, clergy, consecrated persons and lay faithful — to involve themselves sincerely in dialogue and in collaboration with the followers of other religions, recognizing and promoting all that is good, true and holy in their traditions,” Pope Leo said.
“‘Nostra Aetate’ reminds us that true dialogue is rooted in love, the only foundation of peace, justice and reconciliation, whereas it firmly rejects every form of discrimination or persecution, affirming the equal dignity of every human being,” he said.
“We must restore hope to our personal lives, our families, our neighborhoods, our schools, our villages, our countries and our world,” he said. “This hope is based on our religious convictions, on the conviction that a new world is possible.”
Concluding his remarks, Pope Leo then led a moment of silent prayer since “prayer has the power to transform our attitudes, our thoughts, our words and our actions.”
– VATICAN CITY (CNS) — At a time when so many people and the planet are suffering, the world’s religions need to come together to promote truth, compassion, reconciliation, justice and peace, Pope Leo XIV said. “Today we are called upon to rekindle that hope in our world, devastated by war and our degraded natural environment,” the pope said Oct. 29 during his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square. “Let us collaborate, because if we are united, everything is possible. Let us ensure that nothing divides us,” he said, addressing the many representatives of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism,
Watching or reading the news can be tricky these days. Learning the straight facts without knowing if it’s being spun in a specific direction to fit a narrative is more difficult now than ever before. But how can you tell if your news source is biased?
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BORGER, TX — Rebellious four-year-old Brayden Wheeler defied millennia of norms and convention this morning as instead of going down the slide at the playground, he climbed up.
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| Picture of the day |
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View of the village of Gyakar surrounded by a poplar grove in the Upper Mustang region of Nepal. The summits of the Damodar Himal, the Purkung Himal and the Annapurnas are visible in the distance. A suspended bridge over the deep canyon (left) connects it to the neighbouring Chele village and thence to the rest of Nepal.
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CNA Staff, Oct 30, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
As the harmful effects of smartphone use on children become more well known, one school in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex is partnering with parents to enforce a no-social-media policy and witnessing students flourish as a result.
Faustina Academy, a K–12 private, independent Catholic school in Irving, Texas, asks parents to formally commit to a school policy of keeping their kids socia-media-free while enrolled.
In addition to asking families to commit to prohibiting TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and CapCut, Faustina students have never been permitted to have phones with them during school hours.
Student drivers must leave their phones in their cars during the school day and younger high school students who need phones for after-school activities turn them in to the office in the morning and pick them up after school and can only take them out once they are off campus.
In the school’s early days, years before the smartphone’s launch, Christina Mehaffey, principal since the school’s founding in 2003, told CNA she paid attention to technology trends, researching MySpace and other early social-networking sites available on desktop or laptop computers.
She concluded the sites “opened doors to inappropriate material” such as pornography and violence and “tweaked the tech policy to be more restrictive” over the years by informally asking parents to keep their children off devices at home (they were never allowed to have phones during the school day). She also asked parents to limit their children’s video game time.
In 2017, after seeing the effects of years of smartphone use and social media apps on the children, Mehaffey began asking parents to prohibit social media use among students.
She held two weeks of mandatory parent meetings for every grade level, discussing the harms of popular smartphone apps that were “drawing kids away from reality” and exposing them to “horrifying” content that was “right at their fingertips.”
Mehaffey brought in an IT expert to explain to both parents and students that the app and smartphone creators “intentionally” made the devices and apps addictive because “they knew kids don’t have self-control; all for the sake of making money.”
The expert told parents that kids could easily access content so harmful it was “far beyond what anyone could even imagine,” Mehaffey said.
“Parents were amazed” at what they learned, she said, and 100% were willing to verbally commit to keeping their children off social media.
Mehaffey said it was necessary that every parent “get on board” in order to address the “collective action problem, the fear of missing out” that would be present among the students if every family did not have the same policy at home.
Speaking of the overwhelming support of the parents, Mehaffey told CNA that many parents even “asked me to just make a school-wide policy prohibiting social media so they would be relieved of the burden of having to enforce the rules. A few parents said: ‘Our lives will be easier if the school makes it a policy.’”
So, in 2022, the school’s official policy became “no social media use by Faustina students.”
“Every single parent signed on,” Mehaffey said.
Heidi Maher, whose family has been at Faustina since 2020, told CNA her family already had a no-social-media policy, but when Mehaffey took the no-phone policy in school a step further and banned social media, “it was a huge blessing to me as a parent. It took that battle off the table. We have enough battles as parents. If no one else has social media, I don’t have to battle with my children.”
At previous schools her children attended, Maher said “they weren’t willing to lay down the law on more controversial social issues and they weren’t being direct enough about what being Catholic means.”
“Kids are catechized on the playground,” Maher said. “Their peers, and what their peers’ families are doing, affect them, regardless of what their teachers say.”
“My kids have grown up in one of the most liberal neighborhoods in Dallas. But when it came to education, we wanted an orthodox Catholic school,” she said.
Since the policy change, Maher said she now sees a level of innocence in her children and their friends that she has not seen in a long time.
Jane Petres, who has two daughters at the school, agreed, telling CNA she appreciates raising her family among “mostly like-minded families” and school staff whom she can trust.
“The other parents here seem very ‘with it’ and proactive,” she said of Faustina. “You can ban everything in the world, but unless the parents are enforcing it, kids are still going to be exposed to harmful things.”
She said that at a previous school, an eighth-grade girl became involved with a 45-year-old man (who she thought was a teenage boy) through social media, and rather than recognizing the dangers and changing their policies, the school hushed it up.
Every year, Faustina hosts parent orientations where Mehaffey tells them that “our purpose on earth is to get people to heaven. It has to be in everything we do; in our choices, friendships, our technology use, everything.”
“We want a school where everyone is on the same page, but we’re open to all,” Mehaffey said. “If someone comes in who isn’t Catholic, they have to commit to doing things the way the school does. Not only the technology policy but also prayers, the Mass, all of it. We’re going to teach the truth.”
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President Donald Trump might be half a world away on his trade trip to Asia, but he’s acutely aware that his real audience is back home.
The post Trump Celebrates ‘Bringing Back Trillions of Dollars’ as ‘Great’ Asia Trip Rolls On appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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The US Senate on Wednesday voted to nuke President Trump’s tariffs on Canada.
The post JUST IN: Senate Votes to Nuke Trump’s Tariffs on Canada – These 4 RINOs Voted with the Democrats appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Peace is slowly spreading around the old continent.
The post Hungarian Viktor Orbán Joins Czech Andrej Babiš and Slovak Robert Fico To Form the ‘Axis of Peace’ in Europe appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Read MoreBreathe into me, Holy Spirit,
that my thoughts may all be holy.
Move in me, Holy Spirit,
that my work, too, may be holy.
Attract my heart, Holy Spirit,
that I may love only what is holy.
Strengthen me, Holy Spirit,
that I may defend all that is holy.
Protect me, Holy Spirit,
that I may always be holy.
A reading from the Letter to the Romans
8:31b-39
Brothers and sisters:
If God is for us, who can be against us?
He did not spare his own Son
but handed him over for us all,
how will he not also give us everything else along with him?
Who will bring a charge against God’s chosen ones?
It is God who acquits us.
Who will condemn?
It is Christ Jesus who died, rather, was raised,
who also is at the right hand of God,
who indeed intercedes for us.
What will separate us from the love of Christ?
Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?
As it is written:
For your sake we are being slain all the day;
we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered.
No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly
through him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities,
nor present things, nor future things,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other creature will be able to separate us
from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
From the Gospel according to Luke
13:31-35
Some Pharisees came to Jesus and said,
"Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you."
He replied, "Go and tell that fox,
‘Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow,
and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.
Yet I must continue on my way today, tomorrow, and the following day,
for it is impossible that a prophet should die
outside of Jerusalem.’
"Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,
how many times I yearned to gather your children together
as a hen gathers her brood under her wings,
but you were unwilling!
Behold, your house will be abandoned.
But I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say,
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord."
God, in fact, “cannot help but love. This is our security”. I can reject this love, but that would mean choosing to be like the good thief who rejected love “until the end of his life”, and there at the end “love was waiting for him”. Even the man who is “the most wicked, the worst blasphemer, is loved by God with the tenderness of a father, of a dad”, and, to use Jesus’ words, “as a hen with her brood”. The mighty God, the Creator, can do all things”; yet “God weeps” and “in those tears” is all of his love. “God weeps over me, when I am separated from him; God weeps over each of us; God weeps for those wicked ones, who do so many bad things, so much harm to humanity…”. Indeed, he “he waits, he does not condemn, and he cries. Why? Because he loves!”. (Pope Francis, Santa Marta, 29 October 2015)
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CNA Staff, Oct 29, 2025 / 16:59 pm (CNA).
The Fellowship of Catholic University Students’ (FOCUS) SEEK conference is set to take place in three cities for the first time in 2026.
The conference will be held in Denver; Fort Worth, Texas; and Columbus, Ohio, from Jan. 1–5, 2026. The theme will be “To the Heights,” inspired by the recently canonized St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, who urged young people to pursue holiness, service, and live a life for Christ.
“We are thrilled to bring SEEK 2026 to three cities this coming January,” said Curtis Martin, founder of FOCUS, in a press release.
SEEK attracted 17,274 paid participants at the flagship location in Salt Lake City in 2025.
“SEEK is more than just a conference — it’s an invitation to encounter Jesus Christ and to respond to his call in our lives. As St. Pier Giorgio reminds us, we are called to the heights — to live lives of holiness, joy, and mission. SEEK is a time for renewal, for community, and for reigniting our passion to share Christ with the world,” he added.
SEEK is designed to equip and inspire people from all walks of life — students, young adults, families, parishioners, and Church leaders — to grow in their faith, strengthen their relationship with God, and feel empowered to share the Gospel, organizers said. Over the five-day conference, attendees encounter Christ through prayer, adoration, daily Mass, faith-filled workshops, confession, praise and worship, and listening to inspiring speakers, organizers said.
Speakers for this year’s conference include: Father Mike Schmitz; Scott Hahn; Sister Josephine Garrett, CSFN; Monsignor James Shea; Father Mark-Mary Ames, CFR; Sister Miriam James Heidland, SOLT; and Father Gregory Pine, OP, among others.
FOCUS is an international Catholic outreach organization that was founded in 1998. Serving more than 200 college campuses and more than 20 parish communities, FOCUS missionaries walk alongside students and parishioners on their faith journey. Through Bible studies, mission trips, conferences, mentorships, and partnerships with priests, bishops, and parishes, FOCUS missionaries work to spread the Gospel message around the world.
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ACI Prensa Staff, Oct 29, 2025 / 16:29 pm (CNA).
His Holiness Mar Awa III, Catholicos-patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East, traveled to Rome this week to participate in a ceremony commemorating the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the Church’s declaration on building relations with non-Christian religions.
During his stay in the Eternal City, Mar Awa III, born David Royel to Assyrian immigrant parents, met Oct. 27 with Pope Leo XIV in a private audience. The two share the same hometown of Chicago.
During the meeting, the pope urged the two churches to seek “full communion,” proposing synodality as the path to achieving it.
However, it seems that this communion does not extend to the realm of sports.
The leader of the Assyrian Church is a fan of the Chicago Cubs, while the Roman pontiff supports their eternal rivals, the White Sox.
In his luggage, Mar Awa III made sure to include a Cubs jersey, which he presented to Pope Leo XIV as a gift at the end of his audience at the Vatican.
During the gift exchange, the Cubs fan wore a satisfied smile, while the Holy Father, with an expression of resignation, held up the dark blue jersey with the name “Leo” and the number 14 printed in red.
Mar Awa III posted a photo of the moment on his Instagram profile, where he wrote: “During the exchange of gifts, I presented the pope with a customized Cubs jersey and hat (in honor of all our North Side Chicagoans). Needless to say, the pope loved the gift,“ he recounted with evident irony.
null
Pope Leo XIV has demonstrated his love for baseball on several occasions. During one of his usual tours through St. Peter’s Square in the popemobile before a general audience, he surprised onlookers by spontaneously joining a group of pilgrims in chanting “White Sox!”, making it clear which team he supports.
Chicago’s North Side Cubs have annually played the city’s South Side White Sox in the interleague “Crosstown Classic.” As of July of this year, the Cubs have an all-time edge of 77-75 over the White Sox since the series began, Yahoo News reported.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
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Šiluva, Lithuania, Oct 29, 2025 / 15:59 pm (CNA).
Twenty years after then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger warned of a “dictatorship of relativism” on the eve of his election as Pope Benedict XVI, his former secretary, Archbishop Georg Gänswein, echoed that warning at a recent conference in Lithuania.
The former prefect of the papal household and longtime personal secretary to Pope Benedict XVI, Gänswein drew deeply on the late pontiff’s philosophy as he delivered the keynote address at this year’s conference, which brought together academics, civic leaders, public intellectuals, and clergy to discuss the principles of the 2021 Šiluva Declaration.
The declaration advocates the defense of fundamental human rights, the fostering of virtue, and the promotion of societal common good. It recognizes the importance of a society built upon the pillars of truth, family values, human dignity, and faith in God and has since become a moral reference point for Catholic social thinkers in Lithuania.
Gänswein’s lecture offered a rich philosophical and theological reflection on faith, reason, and relativism, aspects that he described as a “constant theme in Ratzinger’s work.” The archbishop, who now serves as nuncio to the Baltic states, warned that when either faith or reason is diminished, that inevitably leads to “pathologies and the disintegration of the human person.”
This is the third such conference dedicated to reflecting on the Šiluva Declaration, published on Sept. 12, 2021, during the town’s annual Marian festival. Šiluva is the location of a Marian shrine dedicated to one of Europe’s earliest approved apparitions.
Archbishop Kęstutis Kėvalas delivered the conference’s opening remarks, urging vigilance against temptations to experiment with human nature and dignity. He also reminded attendees that the Marian shrine at Šiluva symbolizes fidelity to God’s order in creation.
“The holy place of Šiluva invites respect for the order that the Creator has given to this world,” he said.
Gänswein said that in the face of today’s great challenges, such as technical thinking and globalization, the first step must be to recover the full scope of reason. He described true reason as inherently truthful, contrasting it with relativism, which he called “an expression of weak and narrow-minded thinking … based on the false pride of believing humans cannot recognize the truth and the false humility of refusing to accept it.”
“The truth sets us free,” he added, referencing John 8:32 and noting that truth serves as the standard by which humans must measure themselves and that embracing it requires humility.
Gänswein concluded by warning that relativism — the defining mindset of modernity, which he described as “a creeping poison” — ultimately undermines human freedom. Driven by self-sufficiency and amplified by social media, relativism blinds people to truth and their ultimate purpose.
Humanity’s true goal, he affirmed, is “to come to the knowledge of the truth, which is God, and thus to attain eternal life.” His address was met with sustained applause.
The conference also featured a range of thought-provoking talks on Lithuania’s moral and political identity, the challenges of liberal democracy, post-Soviet societal changes, and the role of faith and family in public life. It concluded with a panel discussion on Europe’s moral direction, freedom of speech, and the renewal of Christian values in society.
Archbishop Gintaras Grušas of Vilnius recalled Pope Leo XIV’s words that the Church “can never be exempted from the duty to speak the truth about man and the world, using, when necessary, even harsh language that may initially cause misunderstandings.” He stressed that all Christians, including those in public life, have a duty to defend the truth, which he described as “not an abstract idea but a path along which a person discovers true freedom.”
The conference was organized jointly by the Lithuanian civic group Laisvos visuomenės institutas (Institute of a Free Society), the Lithuanian Christian Workers’ Trade Union, and the Faculty of Catholic Theology at Vytautas Magnus University.
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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 29, 2025 / 15:29 pm (CNA).
A man accused of fatally stabbing a Nebraska Catholic priest has pleaded guilty to the murder of Father Stephen Gutgsell and other charges.
Gutgsell, 65, died after deputies found him stabbed in December 2023. Gutgsell had been serving as the parish priest at St. John the Baptist Parish in Fort Calhoun, Nebraska. Deputies charged Kierre L. Williams in the attack that took place in the rectory next to the church.
Williams filed a notice in December 2024 that he would argue he is not responsible for the murder by reason of insanity and filed a “not guilty” plea in February 2024. Williams changed his plea to “guilty” of murder, burglary, and weapons charges on Oct. 21.
“We are glad that Mr. Williams chose to hold himself accountable and not put Father Gutgsell’s family, relatives, friends, or this community through a trial,” Scott Vander Schaaf, a county prosecutor, said in a statement.
Prosecutors decided early in the case that they would not pursue the death penalty. Williams faces life in prison without parole. Sentencing is set for Nov. 12.
On the day of the attack, Gutgsell called 911 early in the morning to report that a man had broken into the house and was in his kitchen with a knife. A deputy arrived and entered the parish rectory at around 5 a.m. on Dec. 10, 2023, according to an affidavit.
The priest had “a severe laceration to his face and was bleeding profusely,” and Williams, then 43, was lying perpendicularly across Gutgsell’s chest, according to authorities. Officers identified more lacerations on his face, hands, and back. Gutgsell was then rushed to a hospital in Omaha, where he died.
Investigators have not found any connection between Williams and the priest in the small town of just 1,100 residents.
Read More![Hispanic ministry directors conference hears from Paterson officials #Catholic - Two Spanish-speaking officials from the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey spoke at this year’s annual conference of the National Catholic Association of Diocesan Directors of Hispanic Ministry (NCADDHM), held in Newark, N.J., from Oct. 21 to 24. The theme was “Walking with Joy. Anchored in Hope,” inspired by the Universal Church’s Jubilee Year of Hope 2025.
Maria Moncaleano, director of Hispanic Ministry in Paterson, gave a speech welcoming the participants on Tuesday, Oct. 21. She is NCADDHM’s vice president, chairperson of the conference planning committee, and is a representative of Episcopal Region 3 of New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Freddy Garcia, Paterson Diocesan associate coordinator of evangelization and a campus minister, spoke about “Communion, Participation, and Mission: The Path of the Young Adult” on the conference’s third day, Oct. 23.
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“I shared my personal story about how I embraced a life of faith in my young adulthood and grew committed to the mission of the Church,” Garcia told BeaconNJ.org after the conference. “The goal in the end was to offer insights on how to achieve objectives from the National Pastoral Plan for Hispanic Ministry, specifically regarding young adults, Hispanic and Latino.”
Of the conference’s 265 participants, 14 were bishops and 30 were priests, along with religious, and young adults, including several faithful from the Paterson Diocese. Episcopal Region delegates came from the Newark Archdiocese, Paterson Diocese, Metuchen Diocese, and Trenton Diocese in New Jersey and the Allentown Diocese and Harrisburg Diocese in Pennsylvania.
Dr. Gerardo Salazar, NCADDHM’s COR manager, called this year’s event “the best attended conference in the last 33 years.”
One attendee from Paterson, Father Cesar Jaramillo, pastor of Holy Spirit Parish in Pequannock, N.J., posted about the national gathering on social media, “Feeling inspired and encouraged by such a cloud of wonderful witnesses and amazing presenters at this year’s conference.”
NCADDHM’s purpose is to create a collaborative ministry. The association engages in reflection and planning of Hispanic ministry. It provides continuing formation for diocesan directors serving in the United States.
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/hispanic-ministry-directors-conference-hears-from-paterson-officials-catholic-two-spanish-speaking-officials-from-the-paterson-diocese-in-new-jersey-spoke-at-this-years-annual-conference-of.jpg)
Hispanic ministry directors conference hears from Paterson officials #Catholic –
Two Spanish-speaking officials from the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey spoke at this year’s annual conference of the National Catholic Association of Diocesan Directors of Hispanic Ministry (NCADDHM), held in Newark, N.J., from Oct. 21 to 24. The theme was “Walking with Joy. Anchored in Hope,” inspired by the Universal Church’s Jubilee Year of Hope 2025.
Maria Moncaleano, director of Hispanic Ministry in Paterson, gave a speech welcoming the participants on Tuesday, Oct. 21. She is NCADDHM’s vice president, chairperson of the conference planning committee, and is a representative of Episcopal Region 3 of New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Freddy Garcia, Paterson Diocesan associate coordinator of evangelization and a campus minister, spoke about “Communion, Participation, and Mission: The Path of the Young Adult” on the conference’s third day, Oct. 23.
“I shared my personal story about how I embraced a life of faith in my young adulthood and grew committed to the mission of the Church,” Garcia told BeaconNJ.org after the conference. “The goal in the end was to offer insights on how to achieve objectives from the National Pastoral Plan for Hispanic Ministry, specifically regarding young adults, Hispanic and Latino.”
Of the conference’s 265 participants, 14 were bishops and 30 were priests, along with religious, and young adults, including several faithful from the Paterson Diocese. Episcopal Region delegates came from the Newark Archdiocese, Paterson Diocese, Metuchen Diocese, and Trenton Diocese in New Jersey and the Allentown Diocese and Harrisburg Diocese in Pennsylvania.
Dr. Gerardo Salazar, NCADDHM’s COR manager, called this year’s event “the best attended conference in the last 33 years.”
One attendee from Paterson, Father Cesar Jaramillo, pastor of Holy Spirit Parish in Pequannock, N.J., posted about the national gathering on social media, “Feeling inspired and encouraged by such a cloud of wonderful witnesses and amazing presenters at this year’s conference.”
NCADDHM’s purpose is to create a collaborative ministry. The association engages in reflection and planning of Hispanic ministry. It provides continuing formation for diocesan directors serving in the United States.
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org] – Two Spanish-speaking officials from the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey spoke at this year’s annual conference of the National Catholic Association of Diocesan Directors of Hispanic Ministry (NCADDHM), held in Newark, N.J., from Oct. 21 to 24. The theme was “Walking with Joy. Anchored in Hope,” inspired by the Universal Church’s Jubilee Year of Hope 2025. Maria Moncaleano, director of Hispanic Ministry in Paterson, gave a speech welcoming the participants on Tuesday, Oct. 21. She is NCADDHM’s vice president, chairperson of the conference planning committee, and is a representative of Episcopal Region 3 of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Freddy Garcia,
Scanning the constellation Cepheus the King leads us to one of the sky’s largest emission nebulae — IC 1396. It measures a whopping 2.8° by 2.3°. But this region also contains dark nebulae and a bright star cluster. Plus, there’s a famous colorful star nearby. Get ready to spend lots of time observing this wonderful region. In images of IC 1396, the mostContinue reading “Michael’s Miscellany: A lot to see around IC 1396”
The post Michael’s Miscellany: A lot to see around IC 1396 appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
Read More![Parsippany convocation teaches ‘truth with love’ about Invitro Fertilization #Catholic - The Respect Life Convocation 2025 of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey on Oct. 25 examined Invitro Fertilization (IVF) and healthcare ethics. The event, presented in English and Spanish, was held at St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Parsippany, N.J.
The convocation offered a powerful day of faith, learning and honest conversation in exploring the Church’s teaching on IVF and Catholic health care. Participants gained the tools to navigate these sensitive topics with compassion and clarity in their families and communities. One in six couples experiences infertility.
The speakers that day included Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney; Father Pawel Tomczyk, director of pastoral formation and assistant professor of moral theology at Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology in South Orange, N.J.; Dr. Monika Potocki, an obstetrician and gynecologist at St. Peter Healthcare System in Somerset, N.J.; and Karla Semen, a fertility care practitioner at the Gianna Center of Philadelphia.
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That day, Bishop Sweeney also celebrated a Mass in St. Peter’s Church, concelebrated by priests in attendance.
Alyssa Renovales, director of the diocesan Respect Life Office; Eni Honsberger, director of the diocesan Office of Marriage and Family Life; Father Paul Manning, diocesan vicar for evangelization and education; and a team from St. Paul Inside the Walls Evangelization Center in Madison, N.J., planned the convocation.
On social media, Bishop Sweeney said he and the convocation’s other speakers, offered “detailed and educational presentations and conversations on what we believe and how we can teach the truth with love.”
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/parsippany-convocation-teaches-truth-with-love-about-invitro-fertilization-catholic-the-respect-life-convocation-2025-of-the-paterson-diocese-in-new-jersey-on-oct-25-examined-inv.jpg)
Parsippany convocation teaches ‘truth with love’ about Invitro Fertilization #Catholic – 
The Respect Life Convocation 2025 of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey on Oct. 25 examined Invitro Fertilization (IVF) and healthcare ethics. The event, presented in English and Spanish, was held at St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Parsippany, N.J.
The convocation offered a powerful day of faith, learning and honest conversation in exploring the Church’s teaching on IVF and Catholic health care. Participants gained the tools to navigate these sensitive topics with compassion and clarity in their families and communities. One in six couples experiences infertility.
The speakers that day included Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney; Father Pawel Tomczyk, director of pastoral formation and assistant professor of moral theology at Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology in South Orange, N.J.; Dr. Monika Potocki, an obstetrician and gynecologist at St. Peter Healthcare System in Somerset, N.J.; and Karla Semen, a fertility care practitioner at the Gianna Center of Philadelphia.
That day, Bishop Sweeney also celebrated a Mass in St. Peter’s Church, concelebrated by priests in attendance.
Alyssa Renovales, director of the diocesan Respect Life Office; Eni Honsberger, director of the diocesan Office of Marriage and Family Life; Father Paul Manning, diocesan vicar for evangelization and education; and a team from St. Paul Inside the Walls Evangelization Center in Madison, N.J., planned the convocation.
On social media, Bishop Sweeney said he and the convocation’s other speakers, offered “detailed and educational presentations and conversations on what we believe and how we can teach the truth with love.”
– The Respect Life Convocation 2025 of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey on Oct. 25 examined Invitro Fertilization (IVF) and healthcare ethics. The event, presented in English and Spanish, was held at St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Parsippany, N.J. The convocation offered a powerful day of faith, learning and honest conversation in exploring the Church’s teaching on IVF and Catholic health care. Participants gained the tools to navigate these sensitive topics with compassion and clarity in their families and communities. One in six couples experiences infertility. The speakers that day included Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney; Father Pawel Tomczyk, director
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 29, 2025 / 10:08 am (CNA).
“Retiring for Eternity: Planning Based on Social Science and Catholic Social Thought” was among the topics the Society of Catholic Social Scientists examined during its 2025 annual conference, held Oct. 24–25 on the campus of Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio.
In his presentation on the topic, Miguel Olivas-Luján, a professor of business at PennWest University, called for a transformative vision of retirement, one that “transcends conventional models of successful or active aging.”
“While secular frameworks emphasize health, financial stability, and social engagement, Catholic social teaching invites a deeper reflection on the spiritual dimensions of aging, particularly the preparation for eternal life,” Olivas-Luján pointed out.
In Catholic social teaching, Olivas-Luján explained, aging and retirement are not viewed as periods of decline but as opportunities for deepening solidarity within families, communities, and the Church.
Recent developments in Catholic social teaching on aging include the work of Professor Peter Kevern, who in a 2018 paper identified the elderly as bearers of unique charisms — wisdom, memory, and interdependence — that substantially enrich both eccesial and civic communities.
The Catholic view on aging, Olivas-Luján continued, considers the spiritual, relational, and ethical contributions of older adults to be “indispensable to the flourishing of both Church and society.”
In his presentation, Olivas-Luján explained how the foundational principles of Catholic social thought affirm the inherent worth of older adults and their continued role in society. He cited the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which affirms the understanding that because of each person’s essential human dignity, for example, as individuals age their value remains constant, rooted in their divine origin and eternal destiny.
Retirement is thus, in Olivas-Luján’s words, “an ideal time to accelerate the pace and intentionality toward this union with God, once work-related preoccupations no longer take the highest priority.”
For many older adults, Olivas-Luján noted, the end of a professional career can lead to feelings of isolation or a loss of direction. Catholic parishes and ministries, however, offer a unique and spiritually enriching environment that help retirees remain engaged, purposeful, and connected to their communities.
Through their ministries, volunteer opportunities, and social events, for example, parishes and organizations like the Knights of Columbus provide retirees with opportunities to continue contributing meaningfully. The Catholic Health Association has also documented how faith communities can help retirees maintain their physical, emotional, and spiritual health through holistic support systems that integrate prayer, service, and fellowship.
In addition, Olivas-Luján cited studies that show that seniors with strong spiritual engagement experience lower rates of depression and anxiety, and register greater life satisfaction and improved physical health.
Nonetheless, the Church’s understanding of suffering in old age also reframes physical decline and existential questioning as pathways to grace and communion with Christ. The PennWest professor pointed out that from a Catholic perspective and specifically when viewed through the lens of redemptive suffering, “human pain, when united with trust in Christ’s redeeming passion, can contribute to personal sanctification and the salvation of others.”
Ultimately, as Olivas-Luján put it, retirement and aging are not problems to be solved but vocations to be lived, “a sacred season rich with opportunities for love, service, and spiritual flourishing.”
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Houston, Texas, Oct 29, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).
Texas voters will head to the polls next week to consider Proposition 15, the Parental Rights Amendment, a constitutional amendment aimed at enshrining parents’ rights in the state constitution.
The measure, if approved, would add language to the Texas Constitution affirming that parents have the right “to exercise care, custody, and control of the parent’s child, including the right to make decisions concerning the child’s upbringing” and the responsibility “to nurture and protect the parent’s child.”
Texas already ranks among 26 states with a Parents’ Bill of Rights enshrined in state law. That existing statute grants parents a right to “full information” concerning their child at school as well as access to their child’s student records, copies of state assessments, and teaching materials, among other provisions.
The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops told CNA it supports the “proposed amendment to recognize the natural right of parents to direct their children’s upbringing.”
Other supporters include the Baptist General Convention of Texas Christian Life Commission, Family Freedom Project, Texans for Vaccine Choice, Texas Eagle Forum, Texas Home School Coalition, Texas Public Policy Foundation, and Texas Right to Life PAC.
Marcella Burke, a Houston attorney, told CNA that “it’s good to live in a state where an amendment like this is on the table. Parents matter, their kids matter, and families should be protected against government interference. That’s exactly what this amendment seeks to do: keep governments from interfering with beneficial family growth and child development.”
“While these rights to nurture and protect children are currently safeguarded thanks to existing Supreme Court case law, there is no federal constitutional amendment protecting these rights,” Burke continued.
Opposition to the proposition has come from both Democratic as well as conservative advocacy groups.
According to the True Texas Project, a conservative group of former Tea Party supporters, the language of the amendment is too vague. In addition, the group argues that “Prop 15 would simply declare that parents have the inherent right to make decisions for their children. We should not have to put this into the state constitution! God has already ordained that parents are to be responsible for their children, and government has no place in family decisions, except in the case of child abuse and neglect.”
The group says that including the proposed language in the state constitution “equates to acknowledgement that the state has conferred this right. And we know that what the state can give, the state can take away.”
Burke said, however, that “an amendment like this will make governments think twice and carefully consider any actions affecting child-rearing. Keep in mind that no rights are absolute, so in this context, parents don’t have the right to abuse their kids — and that’s the sort of exception the amendment reads in.”
Katy Faust, founder of children’s advocacy group Them Before Us, told CNA parental rights are the “flipside of genuine child rights.”
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