Has your wife crossed the line from fun Halloween decorations to total psychopathy? Look for the signs below that she’s overdone it:
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SAN FRANCISCO – The National Guard has been called to California’s Golden City to neutralize a 600-foot-tall Katie Porter, who is apparently rampaging her way through San Francisco.
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Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) with diver in the background, Fernando de Noronha Marine National Park, Pernambuco, Brazil
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The knives are out for Katie Porter.
The post “Get Out of My F*cking Shot!” – Katie Porter SHREDS Staffer in Abusive Outburst in Newly Unearthed Video appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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President Trump’s promise to curtail illegal immigration appears to be paying off.
The post U.S. Immigrant Population Has Already Fallen by 2.2 Million Since Trump Took Office — Driven by Secure Southern Border and Self-Deportations appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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President Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called for the prosecution of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker for perpetuating attacks against law enforcement on Wednesday during a “Roundtable on ANTIFA” at the White House.
The post WATCH: President Trump Suggests that Brandon Johnson and JB Pritzker May Face Criminal Charges – DHS Sec Kristi Noem Reveals that Portland Police Were Cheering on Antifa’s Calls for Violence with Their “Fists in the Air”, Says Officials Should be Prosecuted appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Read MoreA reading from the Book of Malachi
3:13-20b
You have defied me in word, says the LORD,
yet you ask, "What have we spoken against you?"
You have said, "It is vain to serve God,
and what do we profit by keeping his command,
And going about in penitential dress
in awe of the LORD of hosts?
Rather must we call the proud blessed;
for indeed evildoers prosper,
and even tempt God with impunity."
Then they who fear the LORD spoke with one another,
and the LORD listened attentively;
And a record book was written before him
of those who fear the LORD and trust in his name.
And they shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts,
my own special possession, on the day I take action.
And I will have compassion on them,
as a man has compassion on his son who serves him.
Then you will again see the distinction
between the just and the wicked;
Between the one who serves God,
and the one who does not serve him.
For lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven,
when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble,
And the day that is coming will set them on fire,
leaving them neither root nor branch,
says the LORD of hosts.
But for you who fear my name, there will arise
the sun of justice with its healing rays.
From the Gospel according to Luke
11:5-13
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Suppose one of you has a friend
to whom he goes at midnight and says,
‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,
for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey
and I have nothing to offer him,’
and he says in reply from within,
‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked
and my children and I are already in bed.
I cannot get up to give you anything.’
I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves
because of their friendship,
he will get up to give him whatever he needs
because of his persistence.
"And I tell you, ask and you will receive;
seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks, receives;
and the one who seeks, finds;
and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
What father among you would hand his son a snake
when he asks for a fish?
Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg?
If you then, who are wicked,
know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit
to those who ask him?"
We must often remember Christ’s exhortation: “Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.” In particular, we need to remember it when we lose trust or the desire to pray. We must also always relearn how to pray. We often excuse ourselves from praying by claiming that we don’t know how to do it. If we truly don’t know how to pray, then it is even more necessary to learn. This is important for everyone, and it seems to be particularly important for young people, who often neglect the prayer they learned as children because it seems too childish, naive, or shallow to them. However, such a state of mind should serve as an indirect stimulus to deepen our prayer, to make it more reflective, more mature, and to seek support for it in the Word of God itself and in the Holy Spirit, who “intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words,” as St. Paul writes (Romans 8:26).
Yes, dear brothers and sisters, there is an immense need for prayer, for the great and unceasing prayer of the Church; there is a need for fervent, humble, and persevering prayer. It is the first front in which good and evil face each other in our world. It paves the way for good and helps to overcome evil. Prayer obtains divine grace and mercy for the world. It elevates humanity to the dignity given to it by the Son of God, when, united with Him, they repeat: “Our Father.” (St. John Paul II, Angelus, 1980)
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Pope Leo XIV receives a video from the Hope Border Institute from Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Celino on Oct. 8, 2025. / Credit: Fernie Ceniceros/El Paso Diocese
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 8, 2025 / 17:13 pm (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV became “visibly emotional” upon receiving messages on Oct. 8 from immigrants fearing deportation in the United States, a member of a U.S. delegation said.
Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, Texas, Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Celino, and Dylan Corbett of Hope Border Institute gave the pope a collection of handwritten letters from migrant families expressing fear and faith. They showed the pope a video with immigrants’ voices saying mass deportations in the United States are breaking family bonds and stripping children of safety.
“We live in a state of constant anxiety, never knowing if tomorrow will bring separation,” an immigrant says in the video.
Corbett posted on X that Leo told the delegation, which included immigrants: “The Church cannot stay silent before injustice. You stand with me, and I stand with you.”
One letter writer expressed fear of leaving the house, even to see a doctor, and asked for prayers for President Donald Trump that his heart may be filled with love, compassion, and empathy. The Trump administration is undertaking a massive expansion of enforcement, detention, and border control efforts.
‘You could see tears in his eyes’
Corbett, founding executive director of Hope Border Institute, described the 25-minute encounter with Pope Leo to CNA.
“Bishop Seitz spoke about the Church in the United States’ commitment to walking alongside immigrants and refugees in our country,” Corbett recalled, noting Seitz’s remarks had been unscripted. “And the Holy Father quickly said he wanted the Church in the United States to be more united and forceful on this issue, and that what’s happening right now is an injustice.”
“We were then able to share from our perspective some of what we’re seeing across the United States right now in terms of the campaign of mass deportations,” he continued, adding: “The Holy Father grew visibly emotional about that.”
The group presented Leo with “over 100 letters from immigrants across the country who are at risk of deportation or who are in mixed families.” The delegation also presented the Holy Father with a video featuring “voices drawn from those letters that tell the story of the anxieties and fears, and also the hopes, right now of the immigrant community.”
At this point, Corbett said Leo “became emotional and you could see tears in his eyes.”
“He was very supportive and encouraging,” Corbett said, noting several representatives from the immigrant community were also present for the meeting and offered their testimonies.
Fernie Ceniceros, a spokesperson for the El Paso Diocese, told CNA: “The Diocese of El Paso is thrilled to know that the Holy Father was able to meet with Bishop Mark Seitz and our Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Celino and a small delegation of local immigration advocates that included clergy from with the diocese.”
“We are blessed to know that the Holy Father expressed his support of migrants along the U.S.-Mexico border along with migrants all over the world,” he added.
Ceniceros shared several images of the letters given to Leo, including one in English and one in Spanish.
One of the letters sent by an El Paso priest on loan from the Srikakulam Diocese in Andhra Pradesh, India, described “feeling a sort of insecurity … due to the immigration situation” and noted that many are “scared to move comfortably even with legal documentation.”
The letter further appealed to the Holy Father for papal support in being “a voice for the voiceless” while also “uphold[ing] the right of nations to regulate borders and the right of people to seek a better life.”
Another letter from an anonymous immigrant lacking legal status in California told Leo: “These days we are living with a lot of fear, confusion, and sadness.” The letter appealed to the Holy Father to “continue petitioning our God and to continue listening to the voice of the needy immigrant community, raising his voice alongside our brothers and sisters from separated families.”
“Thank you for listening to us,” it concluded.
Messages from migrants
One letter said:
“Dear Pope Leo, there are two members of my family without documents. I feel afraid to go out to work and that I could be separated from my family. I think that there should be demand for the immigration agents not to be allowed to get close to parishes, and the raids should stop, because they only create pain and fear. I think the pope should be openly against the raids, and the unjust treatment that’s affecting the community. Speaking clearly and concisely about the situation that we are in and condemning the way in which so-called Christians in power are acting.”
Another letter said:
“We are a mixed family. I am very sad, with a lot of pain and fear. I have not gone out for two weeks and when I do go out, I’m afraid, even when I have to go to the doctor. I think that the Church could help us in getting immigration lawyers to support us and all of those who have been detained. The Church could also give protection to families that remain here. Pope Leo, you know the whole situation that the world is living in, that there is a lot of pain and that we don’t have peace. We ask for your prayers and that you would speak to those who you should speak to. I also ask for prayers for Donald Trump for his heart to be filled with love, compassion, and empathy.”
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The flag of the European Union. / Credit: U. J. Alexander/Shutterstock
ACI Prensa Staff, Oct 8, 2025 / 16:43 pm (CNA).
The representatives of the Catholic bishops to the European Union reiterated their call for the bloc to act firmly against anti-Christian persecution around the world by reinstating the position of the special envoy for religious freedom.
At the conclusion of its autumn assembly, the Commission of Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE, by its acronym) noted that “freedom of thought, conscience, and religion is an inalienable human right enshrined in Article 10 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights” that continues to be “seriously threatened in many regions of the world.”
In a statement, the bishops expressed their “growing dismay” at “the discrimination and persecution suffered by individuals, religious minorities, and faith communities — mostly Christian — who are “targeted for their beliefs.”
At the same time, COMECE recognized that the EU “has consistently affirmed its commitment to human rights as a central pillar of its external action.” However, it noted that “existing mechanisms are in themselves very valuable but lack the authority and visibility necessary to address this crisis with the necessary vigor and coherence.”
“The gravity of the situation demands a more firm, dedicated, and institutionalized response,” the bishops continued, maintaining that the EU “has a particular responsibility to defend these values beyond its borders.”
In this regard, they emphasized that “the position of EU special envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief outside the EU was created in 2016 and has been instrumental in promoting this cause on the world stage.” They also emphasized that “having someone in this position improves the EU’s ability to monitor, report on, and respond effectively to violations of religious freedom around the world.”
Therefore, they warn: “We are deeply concerned that this important position has remained vacant for a prolonged period, which sends a worrying signal to persecuted communities around the world and to those who violate religious freedom with impunity.”
The prelates representing the Catholic Church in the countries of the European Union denounced that keeping the position vacant “suggests a diminishing priority of this fundamental right within EU foreign policy precisely at a time when its defense has become more urgent than ever.”
Consequently, the COMECE bishops urged the European Commission “to appoint a new EU special envoy without further delay, strengthening their mandate and allocating adequate human and financial resources to fulfill their mission.”
This is not the first time the position has become vacant since its creation in 2016. The first to fill the post was Slovakian Ján Figel, who served until 2019.
The position remained vacant for a year and a half until May 2021, when Cypriot Christos Stylianides was appointed. However, Stylianides left the post just six months later. Italian Mario Mauro was then proposed but did not receive sufficient support.
It wasn’t until December 2022 that the European Commission appointed Belgian Frans van Daele, whose term has now expired without the European Commission having proposed a replacement to date.
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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St. Matthew's Cathedral, Washington, D.C. / Credit: Marcos Carvalho/Shutterstock
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 8, 2025 / 15:45 pm (CNA).
Police said the man arrested outside of a Washington, D.C., cathedral Oct. 5 had hundreds of explosives and papers suggesting he planned to target Catholics and Supreme Court justices.
Louis Geri was arrested outside of the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle before the annual “Red Mass” that welcomes Supreme Court justices and lawmakers. Police reported Geri had potential explosives on his person and in his tent set up near the church’s entrance.
When police approached him in the tent, he told police: “You might want to stay back and call the federales, I have explosives/bombs,” court documents show.
Police officers and the bomb squad conducted a further search and said they found Geri had paperwork that “revealed his significant animosity towards the Catholic Church, members of the Jewish faith, members of SCOTUS, and ICE/ICE facilities.” The search also “revealed a large cache of handmade destructive devices recovered from [his] tent,” police said.
Geri also threatened to throw an explosive into the street and said he had “a hundred plus of them,” police said.
Papers found in Geri’s tent were titled: “Written Negotiations for the Avoidance of Destruction of Property via Detonation of Explosives,” police said. The suspect confirmed to police they were his papers.
A business manager for St. Matthew’s provided police with paperwork showing the Metropolitan Police Department barred him from the location and that Geri had earlier been at the cathedral Sept. 26 when he had set up his tent on the steps and refused to leave.
Police said Geri told them: “Several of your people are gonna die from one of these,” referring to the explosives.
Geri was charged with unlawful entry; manufacture, transfer, use, possession, or transportation of molotov cocktails or other explosives for unlawful purposes; threats to kidnap or injure a person; assault on police officer; possession of destructive device; manufacture or possession of weapon of mass destruction (hate crime); and resisting arrest. He is being held in jail without bond.
Read More![Seminarian a step from priesthood with Rome diaconal ordination #Catholic - Deacon Lucas Folan, a seminarian from the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey, studying in Rome, called his ordination to the diaconate on Oct. 2, alongside 15 other seminarians from the United States, a “gift of God’s love” that will help him “draw people to God.” Deacon Folan’s ordination as a temporary deacon, held at the Altar of St. Peter’s Chair in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, marks his last step before being ordained to the diocesan priesthood next year.
At 26, Deacon Folan, whose home parish is Notre Dame of Mount Carmel in the Cedar Knolls neighborhood of Hanover Township, was ordained by Bishop Joseph G. Hanefeldt of the Diocese of Grand Island, Neb. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney of the Paterson Diocese was one of the concelebrants, along with priests from the diocese. Additionally, he assisted in vesting Deacon Folan in his stole and dalmatic during the Rite of Ordination at the Mass, which was livestreamed on EWTN.
Deacon Folan recently started his fourth year of theology studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. Bishop Sweeney participated in his ordination as part of a diocesan pilgrimage he was leading to Assisi and Rome, from Sept. 26 to Oct. 4 in observance of the Jubilee Year of Hope 2025, which the Universal Church is celebrating.
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“I feel at peace. My ordination is a gift of God’s love. I am called to draw people to God. My duties as a deacon include preaching. However, my ordination is about transforming my soul so everything I do becomes a diaconal activity,” Deacon Folan said. “I’m happy that Bishop Sweeney was there to participate in the Mass and vest me.”
Deacon Folan comes from an Irish-Hispanic family, and his fluent in Spanish. He has assisted with Spanish Masses at some parishes he served for summer assignments, including Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Boonton, N.J., and Our Lady of Victories/Our Lady of Lourdes in Paterson, N.J. His mother, Cristina Folan, is Colombian and serves as Notre Dame’s director of communications and evangelization.
Cristina Folan, her husband, Ken, and their two other children, Mitchell and Teresa, were among the 1,200 friends and family members of the 16 deacons who attended the ordination Mass.
On social media, Bishop Sweeney called Deacon Lucas’ ordination Mass in St. Peter’s a “beautiful and powerful, prayerful experience.”
“God bless our diocesan seminarian, Deacon Lucas,” Bishop Sweeney said.
The next day, Oct. 3, Bishop Sweeney was the main celebrant of a Mass at St. Mary Major in Rome, where Deacon Lucas first preached as a deacon. On social media, the bishop posted, “He did a wonderful job.”
Deacon Folan has been involved in service in the seminary in Rome. During his first academic year there, he served lunch once a week to visitors at a refugee center located in a Jesuit church. This year, like last year, he is part of a five-person team that serves as chaplains to the study abroad program of St. John’s University in Queens, N.Y.
Before heading to Rome in 2023, Deacon Folan completed studies in philosophy and pre-theology at Immaculate Conception Seminary at Seton Hall University in South Orange.
Last summer, Deacon Lucas served at Holy Spirit Parish in Pequannock, N.J. During his summer assignment, he led a few pastoral initiatives, including a book club and spiritual reflections.
Father Cesar Jaramillo, the current pastor of the parish, concelebrated the ordination Mass of the deacon and the Mass of Thanksgiving, at which Deacon Lucas preached for the first time.
On social media, Father Jaramillo called Deacon Lucas’ ordination “a joyful and momentous step on his journey to the priesthood.” The priest recalled his own ordination to the diaconate nine years ago under the dome of St. Peter’s. He said he was glad to represent Holy Spirit Parish and School, conveying the parishioners’ love and support for Deacon Lucas.
“Deacon Lucas already has the heart of Christ the Servant, and through his preaching and service at the altar, he will continue to cultivate the virtues necessary for a fruitful ministry,” Father Jaramillo said. “Let us keep Deacon Lucas and his classmates in our prayers as they prepare for ordination to the priesthood, and let us continue to pray for more young men to answer the call to give their lives in service to Christ and to his Church.”
Father Cesar Jaramillo contributed to this article.
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/seminarian-a-step-from-priesthood-with-rome-diaconal-ordination-catholic-deacon-lucas-folan-a-seminarian-from-the-paterson-diocese-in-new-jersey-studying-in-rome-called-his-ordination-to-the-dia.jpg)
Seminarian a step from priesthood with Rome diaconal ordination #Catholic – 
Deacon Lucas Folan, a seminarian from the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey, studying in Rome, called his ordination to the diaconate on Oct. 2, alongside 15 other seminarians from the United States, a “gift of God’s love” that will help him “draw people to God.” Deacon Folan’s ordination as a temporary deacon, held at the Altar of St. Peter’s Chair in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, marks his last step before being ordained to the diocesan priesthood next year.
At 26, Deacon Folan, whose home parish is Notre Dame of Mount Carmel in the Cedar Knolls neighborhood of Hanover Township, was ordained by Bishop Joseph G. Hanefeldt of the Diocese of Grand Island, Neb. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney of the Paterson Diocese was one of the concelebrants, along with priests from the diocese. Additionally, he assisted in vesting Deacon Folan in his stole and dalmatic during the Rite of Ordination at the Mass, which was livestreamed on EWTN.
Deacon Folan recently started his fourth year of theology studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. Bishop Sweeney participated in his ordination as part of a diocesan pilgrimage he was leading to Assisi and Rome, from Sept. 26 to Oct. 4 in observance of the Jubilee Year of Hope 2025, which the Universal Church is celebrating.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
“I feel at peace. My ordination is a gift of God’s love. I am called to draw people to God. My duties as a deacon include preaching. However, my ordination is about transforming my soul so everything I do becomes a diaconal activity,” Deacon Folan said. “I’m happy that Bishop Sweeney was there to participate in the Mass and vest me.”
Deacon Folan comes from an Irish-Hispanic family, and his fluent in Spanish. He has assisted with Spanish Masses at some parishes he served for summer assignments, including Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Boonton, N.J., and Our Lady of Victories/Our Lady of Lourdes in Paterson, N.J. His mother, Cristina Folan, is Colombian and serves as Notre Dame’s director of communications and evangelization.
Cristina Folan, her husband, Ken, and their two other children, Mitchell and Teresa, were among the 1,200 friends and family members of the 16 deacons who attended the ordination Mass.
On social media, Bishop Sweeney called Deacon Lucas’ ordination Mass in St. Peter’s a “beautiful and powerful, prayerful experience.”
“God bless our diocesan seminarian, Deacon Lucas,” Bishop Sweeney said.
The next day, Oct. 3, Bishop Sweeney was the main celebrant of a Mass at St. Mary Major in Rome, where Deacon Lucas first preached as a deacon. On social media, the bishop posted, “He did a wonderful job.”
Deacon Folan has been involved in service in the seminary in Rome. During his first academic year there, he served lunch once a week to visitors at a refugee center located in a Jesuit church. This year, like last year, he is part of a five-person team that serves as chaplains to the study abroad program of St. John’s University in Queens, N.Y.
Before heading to Rome in 2023, Deacon Folan completed studies in philosophy and pre-theology at Immaculate Conception Seminary at Seton Hall University in South Orange.
Last summer, Deacon Lucas served at Holy Spirit Parish in Pequannock, N.J. During his summer assignment, he led a few pastoral initiatives, including a book club and spiritual reflections.
Father Cesar Jaramillo, the current pastor of the parish, concelebrated the ordination Mass of the deacon and the Mass of Thanksgiving, at which Deacon Lucas preached for the first time.
On social media, Father Jaramillo called Deacon Lucas’ ordination “a joyful and momentous step on his journey to the priesthood.” The priest recalled his own ordination to the diaconate nine years ago under the dome of St. Peter’s. He said he was glad to represent Holy Spirit Parish and School, conveying the parishioners’ love and support for Deacon Lucas.
“Deacon Lucas already has the heart of Christ the Servant, and through his preaching and service at the altar, he will continue to cultivate the virtues necessary for a fruitful ministry,” Father Jaramillo said. “Let us keep Deacon Lucas and his classmates in our prayers as they prepare for ordination to the priesthood, and let us continue to pray for more young men to answer the call to give their lives in service to Christ and to his Church.”
Father Cesar Jaramillo contributed to this article.
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org] – Deacon Lucas Folan, a seminarian from the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey, studying in Rome, called his ordination to the diaconate on Oct. 2, alongside 15 other seminarians from the United States, a “gift of God’s love” that will help him “draw people to God.” Deacon Folan’s ordination as a temporary deacon, held at the Altar of St. Peter’s Chair in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, marks his last step before being ordained to the diocesan priesthood next year. At 26, Deacon Folan, whose home parish is Notre Dame of Mount Carmel in the Cedar Knolls neighborhood of Hanover Township,
Help prevent child sexual abuse as a facilitator #Catholic – 
The Office of Child and Youth Protection of the Paterson Diocese is looking for volunteer facilitators to conduct ongoing awareness sessions to help employees, volunteers, and parents of the diocese prevent child sexual abuse. The next six-hour facilitator training will be held on Friday, Nov. 14 starting at 9 a.m. at St. Paul Inside the Walls in Madison, N.J.
Using VIRTUS program materials provided by the diocese, facilitators show two 35-minute videos with information on child protection during each awareness session. Then, they help participants — faithful who work with or minister to children or vulnerable people — through a workbook on the subject.
Facilitators also encourage discussion among the participants by reviewing materials and answering questions from a provided workbook. Participants learn about the context and reality of abuse, acquire tools to prevent it, and get inspired to become part of the solution.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Sessions last three hours and are held in the facilitator’s parish, neighboring parish, or another location. Twenty to 60 people attend the sessions. The facilitator might spend additional time securing VIRTUS materials, setting up for the presentation, traveling to and from the location, and answering questions.
“Facilitators help safeguard childhoods and create a better and safer world for children and the vulnerable,” said Eric Wilson, director of the Office of Child and Youth Protection, which he called a “vital ministry for our diocese to help create and maintain safe ministries and help people learn ways to advocate for and protect children, the vulnerable, and survivors.”
A facilitator should have strong verbal and presentation skills. A facilitator should be engaging enough so that people feel they can speak freely, have patience for questions and concerns, have empathy for the participants and their issues, and be able to keep a steady, professional demeanor throughout the session.
“We look for someone who can create a conversation with others and has a passion for protecting children,” Wilsusen said.
A facilitator must know how to run a television, DVR, or laptop computer and how to use the Internet to access their continued training. They must understand and speak fluent English. A person who can speak other languages can also be an excellent facilitator.
The number of sessions each facilitator will conduct each year depends on the number of facilitators and the number of participants in the diocese.
For the first year, training to become a facilitator requires a day of training or about six hours. More preparation time is needed before his or her first session in addition to nine hours of continued training online annually.
For more information or to volunteer to be a facilitator, call Eric Wilsusen at 973-777-8818 ext. 257 or email him at ewilsusen@patersondiocese.org
– The Office of Child and Youth Protection of the Paterson Diocese is looking for volunteer facilitators to conduct ongoing awareness sessions to help employees, volunteers, and parents of the diocese prevent child sexual abuse. The next six-hour facilitator training will be held on Friday, Nov. 14 starting at 9 a.m. at St. Paul Inside the Walls in Madison, N.J. Using VIRTUS program materials provided by the diocese, facilitators show two 35-minute videos with information on child protection during each awareness session. Then, they help participants — faithful who work with or minister to children or vulnerable people — through a
![Native American group loses religious freedom appeal at Supreme Court #Catholic
On Oct. 6, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a rehearing of the case filed by Apache Stronghold, a coalition of Native Americans and their supporters, that would have prevented the sale of a Native American sacred site to a mining company. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Becket
CNA Staff, Oct 8, 2025 / 12:00 pm (CNA).
A Native American group working to stop the destruction of a centuries-old religious ritual site has lost a last-ditch appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court to halt the transfer and obliteration of the Arizona parcel.The Supreme Court in an unsigned order on Oct. 6 said Apache Stronghold’s petition for a rehearing had been denied. The court did not give a reason for the denial.Justice Neil Gorsuch would have granted the request, the order noted. Justice Samuel Alito, meanwhile, “took no part in the consideration or decision” of the order. The denial likely deals a death blow to the Apache group’s attempts to halt the destruction of Oak Flat, which has been viewed as a sacred site by Apaches and other Native American groups for hundreds of years and has been used extensively for religious rituals. The federal government is selling the land to the multinational Resolution Copper company, which plans to destroy the site as part of a copper mining operation. The coalition had brought the lawsuit to the Supreme Court earlier this year under the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act, arguing that the sale of the site would violate the decades-old federal statute restricting the government’s ability to encroach on religious liberty. The high court in May refused to hear the case. Gorsuch dissented from that decision as well, arguing that the court “should at least have troubled itself to hear [the] case” before “allowing the government to destroy the Apaches’ sacred site.”Justice Clarence Thomas dissented from the May ruling as well, though he did not add his dissent to the Oct. 6 denial of the appeal. In a statement, Apache Stronghold said that while the decision was "deeply disappointing, the fight to protect Oak Flat is far from over." The group vowed to "continue pressing our cases in the lower courts.""Oak Flat deserves the same respect and protection this country has long given to other places of worship," the group said. The coalition has garnered support from major Catholic backers in its religious liberty bid. Last year the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops joined an amicus brief arguing that lower court decisions allowing the sale of Oak Flat represent “a grave misunderstanding” of religious freedom law. The Knights of Columbus similarly filed a brief in support of the Apaches, arguing that the decision to allow the property to be mined applies an “atextual constraint” to the federal religious freedom law with “no grounding in the statute itself.”Though Apache Stronghold appears to have exhausted its legal options, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit said on Aug. 18 that the Oak Flat site would not be transferred to Resolution Copper amid emergency petitions from the San Carlos Apache Tribe as well as the Arizona Mining Reform Coalition. That dispute is still playing out at federal court.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/native-american-group-loses-religious-freedom-appeal-at-supreme-court-catholic-on-oct-6-2025-the-u-s-supreme-court-denied-a-rehearing-of-the-case-filed-by-apache-stronghold-a-coalition-of-na.webp)
On Oct. 6, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a rehearing of the case filed by Apache Stronghold, a coalition of Native Americans and their supporters, that would have prevented the sale of a Native American sacred site to a mining company. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Becket
CNA Staff, Oct 8, 2025 / 12:00 pm (CNA).
A Native American group working to stop the destruction of a centuries-old religious ritual site has lost a last-ditch appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court to halt the transfer and obliteration of the Arizona parcel.
The Supreme Court in an unsigned order on Oct. 6 said Apache Stronghold’s petition for a rehearing had been denied. The court did not give a reason for the denial.
Justice Neil Gorsuch would have granted the request, the order noted. Justice Samuel Alito, meanwhile, “took no part in the consideration or decision” of the order.
The denial likely deals a death blow to the Apache group’s attempts to halt the destruction of Oak Flat, which has been viewed as a sacred site by Apaches and other Native American groups for hundreds of years and has been used extensively for religious rituals.
The federal government is selling the land to the multinational Resolution Copper company, which plans to destroy the site as part of a copper mining operation.
The coalition had brought the lawsuit to the Supreme Court earlier this year under the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act, arguing that the sale of the site would violate the decades-old federal statute restricting the government’s ability to encroach on religious liberty.
The high court in May refused to hear the case. Gorsuch dissented from that decision as well, arguing that the court “should at least have troubled itself to hear [the] case” before “allowing the government to destroy the Apaches’ sacred site.”
Justice Clarence Thomas dissented from the May ruling as well, though he did not add his dissent to the Oct. 6 denial of the appeal.
In a statement, Apache Stronghold said that while the decision was “deeply disappointing, the fight to protect Oak Flat is far from over.”
The group vowed to “continue pressing our cases in the lower courts.”
“Oak Flat deserves the same respect and protection this country has long given to other places of worship,” the group said.
The coalition has garnered support from major Catholic backers in its religious liberty bid. Last year the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops joined an amicus brief arguing that lower court decisions allowing the sale of Oak Flat represent “a grave misunderstanding” of religious freedom law.
The Knights of Columbus similarly filed a brief in support of the Apaches, arguing that the decision to allow the property to be mined applies an “atextual constraint” to the federal religious freedom law with “no grounding in the statute itself.”
Though Apache Stronghold appears to have exhausted its legal options, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit said on Aug. 18 that the Oak Flat site would not be transferred to Resolution Copper amid emergency petitions from the San Carlos Apache Tribe as well as the Arizona Mining Reform Coalition. That dispute is still playing out at federal court.
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Cuba, land of faith: The missionary experience of Father Dailon – 
On September 8, 2024, the feast of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, Father Dailon Lisabet began a mission in the Diocese of Holguín, Cuba. Exactly one year later, on September 8, 2025, he concluded that experience in his home parish, once again celebrating the feast of Cuba’s Patroness. “For me, it was a very clear sign that the Blessed Mother accompanied my steps from beginning to end,” he recalls with gratitude. Now back in the United States, Father Dailon serves at Our Lady of the Lakes Parish in Sparta and ministers to the Hispanic community at Our Lady
Cuba, tierra de fe: la experiencia misionera del padre Dailon – El 8 de septiembre de 2024, fiesta de la Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre, el padre Dailon Lisabet inició una misión en la Diócesis de Holguín, Cuba. Exactamente un año después, el 8 de septiembre de 2025, concluyó esa experiencia en su parroquia natal, celebrando nuevamente la fiesta de la Patrona de Cuba.“Para mí fue un signo muy claro de que la Virgen acompañó mis pasos de principio a fin”, recuerda con gratitud. Ahora de regreso en Estados Unidos, el padre Dailon sirve en la parroquia Our Lady of the Lake, en Sparta, y acompaña a la comunidad hispana
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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 8, 2025 / 11:00 am (CNA).
Brooklyn Bishop Robert Brennan is moving where the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) will take place in the diocese, and who will say it, as the diocese faces a clergy shortage following several priest deaths.
“Bishop Brennan very much wants to meet the needs of the people and has developed an approach that will be more sustainable,” diocesan spokesman John Quaglione told CNA.
At the end of September, TLM attendees at St. Cecilia Church in Brooklyn were informed the Mass will no longer be offered there after Oct. 12 but will continue to be offered about five miles away at Our Lady Queen of Peace in the Carroll Gardens section of Brooklyn and St. Josaphat’s in the Bayside area of Queens.
Quaglione told CNA that the weekly attendance at the Mass at St. Cecilia’s was averaging between 25 and 35 people and was being served by a rotation of priests that can no longer continue because of the declining numbers of parish priests in the diocese.
In order to address the priest shortage, Brennan is employing a “site model.” The official site in Brooklyn will be Our Lady Queen of Peace, which has celebrated the TLM for more than 25 years, and the official site in Queens will be at St. Josaphat’s, which has also celebrated the TLM for years and which will now be run by the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest.
Priests will still rotate to say the Latin Mass at the Brooklyn site.
Quaglione told CNA that with the recent deaths of several priests in the Brooklyn Diocese, where priests already minister to two or three parishes each and where Masses have had to be cut as a result, “the bishop is taking the initiative here and seeing the writing on the wall. He does want to provide the TLM for the people.”
“By cutting the Mass at the St. Cecilia site, we’re actually bettering our ability to provide the TLM with this model, which addresses staffing concerns and gives the assurance of the continuation of the Mass,” he said.
Average weekly Mass attendance at St. Josaphat’s is around 240 people, and at Our Lady Queen of Peace, it averages about 65 attendees, according to Quaglione.
Neither the revised official Mass schedule nor the exact date of the Christ the King Institute takeover of St. Josaphat’s has been finalized, according to the Brooklyn Diocese.
The Christ the King Institute priests will establish an oratory at St. Josaphat Parish, which other orders in the diocese have already done, according to the press secretary.
According to its website, the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest “celebrates the classical Roman Liturgy, the ‘Latin Mass,’ in its traditional form according to the liturgical books promulgated in 1962 by Pope St. John XXIII.”
“During his pontificate, Pope St. John Paul II exhorted bishops to be generous in allowing its use. It was with his blessing that the Institute began to celebrate the Traditional Mass.”
The institute, based out of Chicago, did not respond to a request for comment.
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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 8, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA).
The U.S. Supreme Court during oral arguments on Oct. 7 scrutinized Colorado’s law banning counseling on gender identity with some justices voicing concern about possible viewpoint discrimination and free speech restrictions embedded in the statute.
Colorado Solicitor General Shannon Stevenson defended the law, which prohibits licensed psychologists and therapists from engaging in any efforts that it considers “conversion therapy” when treating minors. It does not apply to parents, members of the clergy, or others.
Nearly half of U.S. states have a similar ban. The Supreme Court ruling on this matter could set nationwide precedent on the legality of such laws.
The Colorado law defines “conversion therapy” as treatments designed to change a person’s “sexual orientation or gender identity,” including changes to “behaviors or gender expressions or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attraction or feelings toward individuals of the same sex” even if the minor and his or her family has requested that care.
Under the law, permitted therapy includes “acceptance, support, and understanding” of a minor’s self-asserted transgender identity or same-sex attraction.
The law is being challenged by Kaley Chiles, a Christian counselor who provides faith-based counseling to clients with gender dysphoria and same-sex attraction.
Free speech and viewpoint discrimination
Stevenson argued that Colorado’s law is not a speech restriction but instead a regulation on a specific type of “treatment,” saying that regulations cannot cease to apply “just because they are using words.”
“That treatment does not work and carries great risk of harm,” Stevenson said, referring to the practices the state considers to be “conversion therapy.”
She argued that health care has been “heavily regulated since the beginning of our country” and compared “conversion therapy” to doctors providing improper advice on how to treat a condition. She claimed this therapy falsely asserts “you can change this innate thing about yourself.”
“The client and the patient [are] expecting accurate information,” Stevenson said.
Justice Samuel Alito told Stevenson the law sounds like “blatant viewpoint discrimination,” noting that a minor can receive talk therapy welcoming homosexual inclinations but cannot access therapy to reduce those urges. He said it is a restriction “based on the viewpoint expressed.”
Alito said the state’s position is “a minor should not be able to obtain talk therapy to overcome same-sex attraction [even] if that’s what he wants.”
Stevenson argued Colorado is not engaged in viewpoint discrimination and said: “Counseling is an evidence-based practice.” She said it would be wrong to suggest lawmakers “reach[ed] this conclusion based on anything other than protection of minors.”
“There is no other motive going on to suppress viewpoint or expression,” Stevenson said.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett and Justice Neil Gorsuch asked questions about how to handle issues where medical disagreement exists.
Gorsuch noted, for example, that homosexuality was historically viewed as a mental disorder and asked Stevenson whether it would have been legal for states to ban therapy that affirmed a person’s homosexuality at that time. Stevenson argued that at that time, it would have been legal.
Banning ‘voluntary conversations’
Alliance Defending Freedom Chief Counsel Jim Campbell argued on behalf of Chiles and her counseling services, telling the justices his client offers “voluntary speech between a licensed professional and a minor,” and the law bans “voluntary conversations.”
Campbell noted that if one of her minor clients says, “I would like help realigning my identity with my sex,” then the law requires that Chiles “has to deny them.”
“Kids and families that want this kind of help … are being left without any kind of support,” he added, warning that Chiles, her clients, and potential clients are suffering irreparable harm if access to this treatment continues to be denied.
Campbell argued that “many people have experienced life-changing benefits from this kind of counseling,” many of whom are seeking to “align their life with their religion” and improve their “relationship with God.”
Justice Sonia Sotomayor contested whether the issue was about free speech, noting Colorado pointed to studies that such therapy efforts “harm the child … emotionally and physically.”
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson similarly objected to the claim, questioning whether a counselor acting in her professional capacity “is really expressing … a message for a First Amendment purposes.” She said treatment is different than writing an article about conversion therapy or giving a speech about it.
Campbell disagreed, arguing: “This involves a conversation,” and “a one-on-one conversation is a form of speech.” He said Chiles is “discussing concepts of identity and behaviors and attraction” and simply helping her clients “achieve their goals.”
Read MoreLet’s visit Venus in the early-morning sky; the bright planet rises around 5 A.M. local daylight time and stands nearly 10° high in the east an hour later. Blazing at magnitude –3.9, it’s unmissable in far eastern Leo; it will cross into western Virgo by tomorrow morning. Venus is stunning through binoculars or any telescope;Continue reading “The Sky Today on Wednesday, October 8: Venus’ last day in Leo”
The post The Sky Today on Wednesday, October 8: Venus’ last day in Leo appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
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