Day: October 18, 2025

Prayer for God’s Guidance: Prayer of the Day for Sunday, October 19, 2025 – #Prayer – Father in Heaven, You made me Your child and called me to walk in the Light of Christ. Free me from darkness and keep me in the Light of Your Truth. The Light of Jesus has scattered the darkness of hatred and sin. Called to that Light, I ask for Your guidance. Form my life in Your Truth, my heart in Your Love. Through the Holy Eucharist, give me the power of Your Grace that I may walk in the Light of Jesus and serve Him faithfully.

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Father in Heaven,
You made me Your child
and called me to walk in the Light of Christ.
Free me from darkness
and keep me in the Light of Your Truth.
The Light of Jesus has scattered
the darkness of hatred and sin.
Called to that Light,
I ask for Your guidance.
Form my life in Your Truth,
my heart in Your Love.
Through the Holy Eucharist,
give me the power of Your Grace
that I may walk in the Light of Jesus
and serve Him faithfully.

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Obituary: Sister of Christian Charity Immaculata Arboline, 94 #Catholic – A Mass of Christian Burial was held on Sept. 19 in the Chapel of Mary Immaculate at the motherhouse of the Sisters of Christian Charity in Mendham, N.J., for Sister Immaculata Arboline. She died on Sept. 15 at Mallinckrodt Convent in Mendham. She was 94. Sarah “Sally” Arboline (Arbolino) was born in Netcong, N.J. in 1931 as the youngest of the 11 children of Nicholas and Immaculata (Oliva) Arbolino. She graduated St. Michael’s School and Netcong High School. In 1946, Sister Arboline entered the candidacy at the motherhouse in Mendham and was invested as a religious sister in 1947, receiving the religious name Sister Immaculata. She graduated from Immaculata High School, also in Mendham. Sister Arboline professed her first vows in 1949, and her perpetual vows in 1955. Sister Arboline began her ministry as a religious in education. She taught at St. John’s School in Scranton, Penn., and St. Nicholas School in Wilkes-Barre, Penn. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Then, Sister Arboline earned a diploma as a registered nurse from St. Michael’s Hospital School of Nursing in Newark, N.J. She furthered her nursing education by earning a bachelor’s degree from Marillac College in Normandy, Mo., and a master’s degree from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Upon completion of her nursing studies, Sister Arboline became a nursing supervisor at Divine Providence Hospital, Williamsport, Penn., and then a nursing instructor at College Misericordia (now Misericordia University), Dallas, Penn. From 1971 to 1977, Sister Arboline served in supervisory capacities in the Intensive Care Unit and Recovery Room and as clinical coordinator at Holy Spirit Hospital in Camp Hill, Penn. In 1977, Sister Arboline began serving as head nurse of the sisters’ infirmary at Holy Family Convent in Danville, Penn. In 1979, she began her service as the nurse at the Generalate of the Sisters of Christian Charity in Rome, Italy. Upon her return to the U.S. in 1997, she served as assistant nursing supervisor at Holy Family Convent until 2001, when she was transferred to the motherhouse in Mendham to become the head nurse of the infirmary. In 2006, the Sisters of Christian Charity began getting involved with Healing the Children. They would host children who came to the United States to receive surgeries for serious medical conditions that could not be treated in their home countries. Sister Arboline took the role of “host family” for these children to a new level, beyond merely offering room and board. She often accompanied the children and their parents to medical appointments and helped them navigate the health care system. She was also a mother figure and confidant to the parents who accompanied their children here. Over the years, the Sisters of Christian Charity hosted seven children. In 2016, Sister Arboline represented the community in accepting the “Sergio Award” from Healing the Children, “presented to volunteers whose dedication, time and compassion have helped to change the life of a child in need.” Sister Arboline was among the Sisters who moved to the new motherhouse in Mendham in May 2018. She continued to be of service wherever possible and was also involved in a ministry of prayer and presence. In May 2025, she retired as a registered nurse. Sister Arboline is survived by the Sisters of Christian Charity and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her parents and all her siblings. Donations in Sister Immaculata Arboline’s memory can be sent to the Sisters of Christian Charity, 350 Bernardsville Road, Mendham, N.J. 07945, or made online at sccus.org/donate.  
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Obituary: Sister of Christian Charity Immaculata Arboline, 94 #Catholic – A Mass of Christian Burial was held on Sept. 19 in the Chapel of Mary Immaculate at the motherhouse of the Sisters of Christian Charity in Mendham, N.J., for Sister Immaculata Arboline. She died on Sept. 15 at Mallinckrodt Convent in Mendham. She was 94. Sarah “Sally” Arboline (Arbolino) was born in Netcong, N.J. in 1931 as the youngest of the 11 children of Nicholas and Immaculata (Oliva) Arbolino. She graduated St. Michael’s School and Netcong High School. In 1946, Sister Arboline entered the candidacy at the motherhouse in Mendham and was invested as a religious sister in 1947, receiving the religious name Sister Immaculata. She graduated from Immaculata High School, also in Mendham. Sister Arboline professed her first vows in 1949, and her perpetual vows in 1955. Sister Arboline began her ministry as a religious in education. She taught at St. John’s School in Scranton, Penn., and St. Nicholas School in Wilkes-Barre, Penn. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Then, Sister Arboline earned a diploma as a registered nurse from St. Michael’s Hospital School of Nursing in Newark, N.J. She furthered her nursing education by earning a bachelor’s degree from Marillac College in Normandy, Mo., and a master’s degree from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Upon completion of her nursing studies, Sister Arboline became a nursing supervisor at Divine Providence Hospital, Williamsport, Penn., and then a nursing instructor at College Misericordia (now Misericordia University), Dallas, Penn. From 1971 to 1977, Sister Arboline served in supervisory capacities in the Intensive Care Unit and Recovery Room and as clinical coordinator at Holy Spirit Hospital in Camp Hill, Penn. In 1977, Sister Arboline began serving as head nurse of the sisters’ infirmary at Holy Family Convent in Danville, Penn. In 1979, she began her service as the nurse at the Generalate of the Sisters of Christian Charity in Rome, Italy. Upon her return to the U.S. in 1997, she served as assistant nursing supervisor at Holy Family Convent until 2001, when she was transferred to the motherhouse in Mendham to become the head nurse of the infirmary. In 2006, the Sisters of Christian Charity began getting involved with Healing the Children. They would host children who came to the United States to receive surgeries for serious medical conditions that could not be treated in their home countries. Sister Arboline took the role of “host family” for these children to a new level, beyond merely offering room and board. She often accompanied the children and their parents to medical appointments and helped them navigate the health care system. She was also a mother figure and confidant to the parents who accompanied their children here. Over the years, the Sisters of Christian Charity hosted seven children. In 2016, Sister Arboline represented the community in accepting the “Sergio Award” from Healing the Children, “presented to volunteers whose dedication, time and compassion have helped to change the life of a child in need.” Sister Arboline was among the Sisters who moved to the new motherhouse in Mendham in May 2018. She continued to be of service wherever possible and was also involved in a ministry of prayer and presence. In May 2025, she retired as a registered nurse. Sister Arboline is survived by the Sisters of Christian Charity and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her parents and all her siblings. Donations in Sister Immaculata Arboline’s memory can be sent to the Sisters of Christian Charity, 350 Bernardsville Road, Mendham, N.J. 07945, or made online at sccus.org/donate.  

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Obituary: Sister of Christian Charity Immaculata Arboline, 94 #Catholic –

A Mass of Christian Burial was held on Sept. 19 in the Chapel of Mary Immaculate at the motherhouse of the Sisters of Christian Charity in Mendham, N.J., for Sister Immaculata Arboline. She died on Sept. 15 at Mallinckrodt Convent in Mendham. She was 94.

Sarah “Sally” Arboline (Arbolino) was born in Netcong, N.J. in 1931 as the youngest of the 11 children of Nicholas and Immaculata (Oliva) Arbolino. She graduated St. Michael’s School and Netcong High School.

In 1946, Sister Arboline entered the candidacy at the motherhouse in Mendham and was invested as a religious sister in 1947, receiving the religious name Sister Immaculata. She graduated from Immaculata High School, also in Mendham. Sister Arboline professed her first vows in 1949, and her perpetual vows in 1955.

Sister Arboline began her ministry as a religious in education. She taught at St. John’s School in Scranton, Penn., and St. Nicholas School in Wilkes-Barre, Penn.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Then, Sister Arboline earned a diploma as a registered nurse from St. Michael’s Hospital School of Nursing in Newark, N.J. She furthered her nursing education by earning a bachelor’s degree from Marillac College in Normandy, Mo., and a master’s degree from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

Upon completion of her nursing studies, Sister Arboline became a nursing supervisor at Divine Providence Hospital, Williamsport, Penn., and then a nursing instructor at College Misericordia (now Misericordia University), Dallas, Penn. From 1971 to 1977, Sister Arboline served in supervisory capacities in the Intensive Care Unit and Recovery Room and as clinical coordinator at Holy Spirit Hospital in Camp Hill, Penn.

In 1977, Sister Arboline began serving as head nurse of the sisters’ infirmary at Holy Family Convent in Danville, Penn. In 1979, she began her service as the nurse at the Generalate of the Sisters of Christian Charity in Rome, Italy. Upon her return to the U.S. in 1997, she served as assistant nursing supervisor at Holy Family Convent until 2001, when she was transferred to the motherhouse in Mendham to become the head nurse of the infirmary.

In 2006, the Sisters of Christian Charity began getting involved with Healing the Children. They would host children who came to the United States to receive surgeries for serious medical conditions that could not be treated in their home countries.

Sister Arboline took the role of “host family” for these children to a new level, beyond merely offering room and board. She often accompanied the children and their parents to medical appointments and helped them navigate the health care system. She was also a mother figure and confidant to the parents who accompanied their children here. Over the years, the Sisters of Christian Charity hosted seven children.

In 2016, Sister Arboline represented the community in accepting the “Sergio Award” from Healing the Children, “presented to volunteers whose dedication, time and compassion have helped to change the life of a child in need.”

Sister Arboline was among the Sisters who moved to the new motherhouse in Mendham in May 2018. She continued to be of service wherever possible and was also involved in a ministry of prayer and presence. In May 2025, she retired as a registered nurse.

Sister Arboline is survived by the Sisters of Christian Charity and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her parents and all her siblings.

Donations in Sister Immaculata Arboline’s memory can be sent to the Sisters of Christian Charity, 350 Bernardsville Road, Mendham, N.J. 07945, or made online at sccus.org/donate.

 

– A Mass of Christian Burial was held on Sept. 19 in the Chapel of Mary Immaculate at the motherhouse of the Sisters of Christian Charity in Mendham, N.J., for Sister Immaculata Arboline. She died on Sept. 15 at Mallinckrodt Convent in Mendham. She was 94. Sarah “Sally” Arboline (Arbolino) was born in Netcong, N.J. in 1931 as the youngest of the 11 children of Nicholas and Immaculata (Oliva) Arbolino. She graduated St. Michael’s School and Netcong High School. In 1946, Sister Arboline entered the candidacy at the motherhouse in Mendham and was invested as a religious sister in 1947, receiving

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 19 October 2025 – A reading from the Book of Exodus 17:8-13 In those days, Amalek came and waged war against Israel. Moses, therefore, said to Joshua, "Pick out certain men, and tomorrow go out and engage Amalek in battle. I will be standing on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand." So Joshua did as Moses told him: he engaged Amalek in battle after Moses had climbed to the top of the hill with Aaron and Hur. As long as Moses kept his hands raised up, Israel had the better of the fight, but when he let his hands rest, Amalek had the better of the fight. Moses’hands, however, grew tired; so they put a rock in place for him to sit on. Meanwhile Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other, so that his hands remained steady till sunset. And Joshua mowed down Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.   A reading from the Second Letter to Timothy 2, 3:14-4:2 Beloved: Remain faithful to what you have learned and believed, because you know from whom you learned it, and that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work. I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingly power: proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.From the Gospel according to Luke 18:1-8 Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said, "There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, ‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’ For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, ‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.’" The Lord said, "Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"“When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Lk 18:8); as if to say: “when I come again at the end of time” — but we could also think, even now, at this time of life — “will I find a bit of faith in you, in your world?” This is a serious question. Let us imagine that the Lord came on earth today. Unfortunately, he would see many wars, much poverty and many inequalities, and at the same time, tremendous technical achievements, modern means, and people who are always rushing, who never stop. But would he find someone who dedicates time and affection to him, someone who would put him in first place? Above all, let us ask ourselves, “What would he find in me, if the Lord were to come today, what would he find in me, in my life, in my heart? What priorities would he see in my life?” We often focus on so many urgent but unnecessary things. We occupy and preoccupy ourselves with so many secondary realities. And perhaps without even realizing it, we neglect what matters most and we allow our love for God to grow cold, to grow cold bit by bit. Today, Jesus offers us the remedy to rekindle a tepid faith. And what is the remedy? Prayer. Prayer is the medicine for faith, it is a tonic for the soul. However, it needs to be constant prayer. (…) Let us think of a houseplant: we have to water it consistently every day. We cannot soak it and then leave it without water for weeks! (Pope Francis, Angelus, 16 October 2022)

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A reading from the Book of Exodus
17:8-13

In those days, Amalek came and waged war against Israel.
Moses, therefore, said to Joshua,
"Pick out certain men,
and tomorrow go out and engage Amalek in battle.
I will be standing on top of the hill
with the staff of God in my hand."
So Joshua did as Moses told him:
he engaged Amalek in battle
after Moses had climbed to the top of the hill with Aaron and Hur.
As long as Moses kept his hands raised up,
Israel had the better of the fight,
but when he let his hands rest,
Amalek had the better of the fight.
Moses’hands, however, grew tired;
so they put a rock in place for him to sit on.
Meanwhile Aaron and Hur supported his hands,
one on one side and one on the other,
so that his hands remained steady till sunset.
And Joshua mowed down Amalek and his people
with the edge of the sword.

 

A reading from the Second Letter to Timothy
2, 3:14-4:2
Beloved:
Remain faithful to what you have learned and believed,
because you know from whom you learned it,
and that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures,
which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation
through faith in Christ Jesus.
All Scripture is inspired by God
and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction,
and for training in righteousness,
so that one who belongs to God may be competent,
equipped for every good work.

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus,
who will judge the living and the dead,
and by his appearing and his kingly power:
proclaim the word;
be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient;
convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.

From the Gospel according to Luke
18:1-8

Jesus told his disciples a parable
about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.
He said, "There was a judge in a certain town
who neither feared God nor respected any human being.
And a widow in that town used to come to him and say,
‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’
For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought,
‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being,
because this widow keeps bothering me
I shall deliver a just decision for her
lest she finally come and strike me.’"
The Lord said, "Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says.
Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones
who call out to him day and night?
Will he be slow to answer them?
I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily.
But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

“When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Lk 18:8); as if to say: “when I come again at the end of time” — but we could also think, even now, at this time of life — “will I find a bit of faith in you, in your world?” This is a serious question. Let us imagine that the Lord came on earth today. Unfortunately, he would see many wars, much poverty and many inequalities, and at the same time, tremendous technical achievements, modern means, and people who are always rushing, who never stop. But would he find someone who dedicates time and affection to him, someone who would put him in first place? Above all, let us ask ourselves, “What would he find in me, if the Lord were to come today, what would he find in me, in my life, in my heart? What priorities would he see in my life?” We often focus on so many urgent but unnecessary things. We occupy and preoccupy ourselves with so many secondary realities. And perhaps without even realizing it, we neglect what matters most and we allow our love for God to grow cold, to grow cold bit by bit. Today, Jesus offers us the remedy to rekindle a tepid faith. And what is the remedy? Prayer. Prayer is the medicine for faith, it is a tonic for the soul. However, it needs to be constant prayer. (…) Let us think of a houseplant: we have to water it consistently every day. We cannot soak it and then leave it without water for weeks! (Pope Francis, Angelus, 16 October 2022)

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New Jersey says parish finance director stole more than 0,000 in church funds #Catholic null / Credit: vmargineanu/Shutterstock CNA Staff, Oct 18, 2025 / 14:15 pm (CNA). Officials in New Jersey have charged a former parish financial director with the theft of more than half a million dollars in church funds. Joseph Manzi has been charged with second-degree theft by unlawful taking after he allegedly stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from St. Leo the Great Parish in Lincroft. Manzi was the subject of an August lawsuit by the parish in which he was alleged to have “systematically, secretly, and dishonestly utilized parish funds for his own personal benefit.” The civil suit claimed he had stolen upwards of .5 million. In an Oct. 17 press release, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin’s office said Manzi had been officially criminally charged with the theft. Platkin in the release said Manzi used the funds “not to feed his family or for some kind of emergency, but to live a more lavish lifestyle.”Manzi stopped working at the Lincroft parish in June of this year, the office said. Afterwards, church staff reviewed credit card statements and found “numerous unauthorized charges that were determined to allegedly be for Manzi’s personal benefit.”The state alleged that Manzi used stolen funds for “event vendors, vehicle repairs, financing, and purchases, including a Cadillac SUV,” as well as purchases such as luxury clothing, sports event tickets and “chartered fishing trips.”Manzi is facing up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to 0,000. It was not immediately clear why the prosecutor’s office charged Manzi with about million less in theft than the August civil suit alleged. The attorney general’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Oct. 18 seeking clarification on the figures. On its website, the St. Leo parish said the controversy “will not prevent Saint Leo the Great Parish from working every day to live our mission – to serve Parishioners and the community in God’s name with the greatest of love and compassion.” “We ask you all to stand together in our shared faith and to pray for a swift and just conclusion to this troubling chapter,” the parish said.
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New Jersey says parish finance director stole more than $500,000 in church funds #Catholic null / Credit: vmargineanu/Shutterstock CNA Staff, Oct 18, 2025 / 14:15 pm (CNA). Officials in New Jersey have charged a former parish financial director with the theft of more than half a million dollars in church funds. Joseph Manzi has been charged with second-degree theft by unlawful taking after he allegedly stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from St. Leo the Great Parish in Lincroft. Manzi was the subject of an August lawsuit by the parish in which he was alleged to have “systematically, secretly, and dishonestly utilized parish funds for his own personal benefit.” The civil suit claimed he had stolen upwards of $1.5 million. In an Oct. 17 press release, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin’s office said Manzi had been officially criminally charged with the theft. Platkin in the release said Manzi used the funds “not to feed his family or for some kind of emergency, but to live a more lavish lifestyle.”Manzi stopped working at the Lincroft parish in June of this year, the office said. Afterwards, church staff reviewed credit card statements and found “numerous unauthorized charges that were determined to allegedly be for Manzi’s personal benefit.”The state alleged that Manzi used stolen funds for “event vendors, vehicle repairs, financing, and purchases, including a Cadillac SUV,” as well as purchases such as luxury clothing, sports event tickets and “chartered fishing trips.”Manzi is facing up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to $150,000. It was not immediately clear why the prosecutor’s office charged Manzi with about $1 million less in theft than the August civil suit alleged. The attorney general’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Oct. 18 seeking clarification on the figures. On its website, the St. Leo parish said the controversy “will not prevent Saint Leo the Great Parish from working every day to live our mission – to serve Parishioners and the community in God’s name with the greatest of love and compassion.” “We ask you all to stand together in our shared faith and to pray for a swift and just conclusion to this troubling chapter,” the parish said.

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null / Credit: vmargineanu/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Oct 18, 2025 / 14:15 pm (CNA).

Officials in New Jersey have charged a former parish financial director with the theft of more than half a million dollars in church funds.

Joseph Manzi has been charged with second-degree theft by unlawful taking after he allegedly stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from St. Leo the Great Parish in Lincroft.

Manzi was the subject of an August lawsuit by the parish in which he was alleged to have “systematically, secretly, and dishonestly utilized parish funds for his own personal benefit.” The civil suit claimed he had stolen upwards of $1.5 million.

In an Oct. 17 press release, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin’s office said Manzi had been officially criminally charged with the theft. Platkin in the release said Manzi used the funds “not to feed his family or for some kind of emergency, but to live a more lavish lifestyle.”

Manzi stopped working at the Lincroft parish in June of this year, the office said. Afterwards, church staff reviewed credit card statements and found “numerous unauthorized charges that were determined to allegedly be for Manzi’s personal benefit.”

The state alleged that Manzi used stolen funds for “event vendors, vehicle repairs, financing, and purchases, including a Cadillac SUV,” as well as purchases such as luxury clothing, sports event tickets and “chartered fishing trips.”

Manzi is facing up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to $150,000.

It was not immediately clear why the prosecutor’s office charged Manzi with about $1 million less in theft than the August civil suit alleged. The attorney general’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Oct. 18 seeking clarification on the figures.

On its website, the St. Leo parish said the controversy “will not prevent Saint Leo the Great Parish from working every day to live our mission – to serve Parishioners and the community in God’s name with the greatest of love and compassion.”

“We ask you all to stand together in our shared faith and to pray for a swift and just conclusion to this troubling chapter,” the parish said.

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Catholic music debate: Should certain hymns be banned? #Catholic Scene from the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, Indiana. / Credit: EWTN News in Depth/Screenshot Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 18, 2025 / 12:00 pm (CNA). Several hymns were temporarily banned last year in the Diocese of Jefferson City, Missouri after being found “to be insufficient in sound doctrine,” with the action raising questions about what music is allowed at the Holy Mass.In a special report for the Oct. 17, 2025 edition of “EWTN News In Depth,” correspondent Mark Irons explored the subject. Archbishop Shawn McKnight, who implemented the brief ban, told Irons: “I would hope everybody else learns from my mistake.”McKnight, who was the bishop of Jefferson City at the time, now serves as the archbishop of Kansas City. The controversial ban in question encompassed 12 songs in total, including the popular hymns “I am the Bread of Life” and “All Are Welcome.” McKnight said the decree was implemented too quickly and without enough discussion among Catholics in the diocese. Currently, no particular hymns are excluded in the Diocese of Jefferson City, but parishes are required to evaluate Mass music using guidelines that were provided for archdioceses and dioceses across the nation by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).The USCCB’s 2020 “Catholic Hymnody at the Service of the Church: An Aid for Evaluating Hymn Lyrics” was created to make sure Mass hymns are in conformity with Catholic doctrine. The bishops list a number of specific concerns regarding hymns, including ones with “deficiencies in the presentation of Eucharistic doctrine,” those “with a view of the Church that sees Her as essentially a human construction,” or songs with “an inadequate sense of a distinctively Christian anthropology.”Kevin Callahan, who serves as the music director at Sacred Heart Parish in Glyndon, Maryland, told Irons: “We believe…the body and blood, soul and divinity of Christ is here at the Mass, in the Eucharist. The songs, of course, should reflect that.” Callhan explained that he understands why the bishops would create the aid. The bishops “want the right thing to be said in Church, they don’t want the wrong idea to get tossed around.” Callahan said he does believe there are certain hymns that could be misleading. The ‘pride of place” of Gregorian chantOver time, Callahan said, Gregorian chant has earned pride of place within the liturgy of the Mass.This was reflected in the Second Vatican Council document Sacrosanctum Concilium, which explains: “The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman liturgy.” Sara Pecknold, a professor of liturgical music at Christendom College, noted that “Gregorian chant, beyond a shadow of a doubt, was developed with and for the liturgy.” “The Second Vatican council teaches us that the more closely tied the music is to the liturgical action…the more sacred it is,” she pointed out.RecommendationsIf Gregorian chant is unfamiliar to a parish, Pecknold recommends small steps that could be taken. She said: “I would first start with the very simplest chant melodies, for the ordinaries of the Mass.”Beyond Gregorian chant, the Second Vatican Council decided that the Church approves “of all forms of true art having the needed qualities, and admits them into divine worship.” Pecknold explained: “Liturgical music should glorify God and it should sanctify and edify all of us who are present at this great sacrifice.”Welcoming a diversity of stylesDave Moore, the music director at the 2024 U.S. National Eucharistic Congress, was in charge of bringing together a wide variety of Catholic musicians from across the country for the event.Moore said the musical goal of the Congress was to create a unity rooted in Christ, through different styles of music.”I don’t know how you find unity without diversity,” Moore said. “There’s a lot of people who do things differently than we’re used to, but what we’re looking for is the heart, like are you pursuing the heart of God?”Archbishop McKnight also noted the need for variety. “Catholicity means there’s a universality to who we are, that we’re not of just one kind or one culture, but there’s a diversity of charisms and a diversity of styles,” he said. “The fact that there are different ways of entering into the mystery of Christ, actually increases the unity we have, otherwise we’re just a church of some, and not the Church of all.”Music is “often associated with memories and emotions, too,” he said. “That’s a part of our celebration of the Eucharist. It’s not just a thing of the mind. It’s not just a doctrinal assent. It’s also a movement of the heart and ultimately it’s active prayer.”“Hymns that are liked by the people are a good choice, but it’s also important that they convey the Catholic faith,” McKnight said. “It’s about discernment of the will of God and what the Holy Spirit wants.”
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Catholic music debate: Should certain hymns be banned? #Catholic Scene from the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, Indiana. / Credit: EWTN News in Depth/Screenshot Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 18, 2025 / 12:00 pm (CNA). Several hymns were temporarily banned last year in the Diocese of Jefferson City, Missouri after being found “to be insufficient in sound doctrine,” with the action raising questions about what music is allowed at the Holy Mass.In a special report for the Oct. 17, 2025 edition of “EWTN News In Depth,” correspondent Mark Irons explored the subject. Archbishop Shawn McKnight, who implemented the brief ban, told Irons: “I would hope everybody else learns from my mistake.”McKnight, who was the bishop of Jefferson City at the time, now serves as the archbishop of Kansas City. The controversial ban in question encompassed 12 songs in total, including the popular hymns “I am the Bread of Life” and “All Are Welcome.” McKnight said the decree was implemented too quickly and without enough discussion among Catholics in the diocese. Currently, no particular hymns are excluded in the Diocese of Jefferson City, but parishes are required to evaluate Mass music using guidelines that were provided for archdioceses and dioceses across the nation by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).The USCCB’s 2020 “Catholic Hymnody at the Service of the Church: An Aid for Evaluating Hymn Lyrics” was created to make sure Mass hymns are in conformity with Catholic doctrine. The bishops list a number of specific concerns regarding hymns, including ones with “deficiencies in the presentation of Eucharistic doctrine,” those “with a view of the Church that sees Her as essentially a human construction,” or songs with “an inadequate sense of a distinctively Christian anthropology.”Kevin Callahan, who serves as the music director at Sacred Heart Parish in Glyndon, Maryland, told Irons: “We believe…the body and blood, soul and divinity of Christ is here at the Mass, in the Eucharist. The songs, of course, should reflect that.” Callhan explained that he understands why the bishops would create the aid. The bishops “want the right thing to be said in Church, they don’t want the wrong idea to get tossed around.” Callahan said he does believe there are certain hymns that could be misleading. The ‘pride of place” of Gregorian chantOver time, Callahan said, Gregorian chant has earned pride of place within the liturgy of the Mass.This was reflected in the Second Vatican Council document Sacrosanctum Concilium, which explains: “The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman liturgy.” Sara Pecknold, a professor of liturgical music at Christendom College, noted that “Gregorian chant, beyond a shadow of a doubt, was developed with and for the liturgy.” “The Second Vatican council teaches us that the more closely tied the music is to the liturgical action…the more sacred it is,” she pointed out.RecommendationsIf Gregorian chant is unfamiliar to a parish, Pecknold recommends small steps that could be taken. She said: “I would first start with the very simplest chant melodies, for the ordinaries of the Mass.”Beyond Gregorian chant, the Second Vatican Council decided that the Church approves “of all forms of true art having the needed qualities, and admits them into divine worship.” Pecknold explained: “Liturgical music should glorify God and it should sanctify and edify all of us who are present at this great sacrifice.”Welcoming a diversity of stylesDave Moore, the music director at the 2024 U.S. National Eucharistic Congress, was in charge of bringing together a wide variety of Catholic musicians from across the country for the event.Moore said the musical goal of the Congress was to create a unity rooted in Christ, through different styles of music.”I don’t know how you find unity without diversity,” Moore said. “There’s a lot of people who do things differently than we’re used to, but what we’re looking for is the heart, like are you pursuing the heart of God?”Archbishop McKnight also noted the need for variety. “Catholicity means there’s a universality to who we are, that we’re not of just one kind or one culture, but there’s a diversity of charisms and a diversity of styles,” he said. “The fact that there are different ways of entering into the mystery of Christ, actually increases the unity we have, otherwise we’re just a church of some, and not the Church of all.”Music is “often associated with memories and emotions, too,” he said. “That’s a part of our celebration of the Eucharist. It’s not just a thing of the mind. It’s not just a doctrinal assent. It’s also a movement of the heart and ultimately it’s active prayer.”“Hymns that are liked by the people are a good choice, but it’s also important that they convey the Catholic faith,” McKnight said. “It’s about discernment of the will of God and what the Holy Spirit wants.”

unitedyam

Scene from the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, Indiana. / Credit: EWTN News in Depth/Screenshot

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 18, 2025 / 12:00 pm (CNA).

Several hymns were temporarily banned last year in the Diocese of Jefferson City, Missouri after being found “to be insufficient in sound doctrine,” with the action raising questions about what music is allowed at the Holy Mass.

In a special report for the Oct. 17, 2025 edition of “EWTN News In Depth,” correspondent Mark Irons explored the subject. Archbishop Shawn McKnight, who implemented the brief ban, told Irons: “I would hope everybody else learns from my mistake.”

McKnight, who was the bishop of Jefferson City at the time, now serves as the archbishop of Kansas City. The controversial ban in question encompassed 12 songs in total, including the popular hymns “I am the Bread of Life” and “All Are Welcome.”

McKnight said the decree was implemented too quickly and without enough discussion among Catholics in the diocese. 

Currently, no particular hymns are excluded in the Diocese of Jefferson City, but parishes are required to evaluate Mass music using guidelines that were provided for archdioceses and dioceses across the nation by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

The USCCB’s 2020 “Catholic Hymnody at the Service of the Church: An Aid for Evaluating Hymn Lyrics” was created to make sure Mass hymns are in conformity with Catholic doctrine. The bishops list a number of specific concerns regarding hymns, including ones with “deficiencies in the presentation of Eucharistic doctrine,” those “with a view of the Church that sees Her as essentially a human construction,” or songs with “an inadequate sense of a distinctively Christian anthropology.”

Kevin Callahan, who serves as the music director at Sacred Heart Parish in Glyndon, Maryland, told Irons: “We believe…the body and blood, soul and divinity of Christ is here at the Mass, in the Eucharist. The songs, of course, should reflect that.” 

Callhan explained that he understands why the bishops would create the aid. The bishops “want the right thing to be said in Church, they don’t want the wrong idea to get tossed around.” Callahan said he does believe there are certain hymns that could be misleading. 

The ‘pride of place” of Gregorian chant

Over time, Callahan said, Gregorian chant has earned pride of place within the liturgy of the Mass.

This was reflected in the Second Vatican Council document Sacrosanctum Concilium, which explains: “The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman liturgy.” 

Sara Pecknold, a professor of liturgical music at Christendom College, noted that “Gregorian chant, beyond a shadow of a doubt, was developed with and for the liturgy.”

“The Second Vatican council teaches us that the more closely tied the music is to the liturgical action…the more sacred it is,” she pointed out.

Recommendations

If Gregorian chant is unfamiliar to a parish, Pecknold recommends small steps that could be taken. She said: “I would first start with the very simplest chant melodies, for the ordinaries of the Mass.”

Beyond Gregorian chant, the Second Vatican Council decided that the Church approves “of all forms of true art having the needed qualities, and admits them into divine worship.”

Pecknold explained: “Liturgical music should glorify God and it should sanctify and edify all of us who are present at this great sacrifice.”

Welcoming a diversity of styles

Dave Moore, the music director at the 2024 U.S. National Eucharistic Congress, was in charge of bringing together a wide variety of Catholic musicians from across the country for the event.

Moore said the musical goal of the Congress was to create a unity rooted in Christ, through different styles of music.

“I don’t know how you find unity without diversity,” Moore said. “There’s a lot of people who do things differently than we’re used to, but what we’re looking for is the heart, like are you pursuing the heart of God?”

Archbishop McKnight also noted the need for variety.

“Catholicity means there’s a universality to who we are, that we’re not of just one kind or one culture, but there’s a diversity of charisms and a diversity of styles,” he said. “The fact that there are different ways of entering into the mystery of Christ, actually increases the unity we have, otherwise we’re just a church of some, and not the Church of all.”

Music is “often associated with memories and emotions, too,” he said. “That’s a part of our celebration of the Eucharist. It’s not just a thing of the mind. It’s not just a doctrinal assent. It’s also a movement of the heart and ultimately it’s active prayer.”

“Hymns that are liked by the people are a good choice, but it’s also important that they convey the Catholic faith,” McKnight said. “It’s about discernment of the will of God and what the Holy Spirit wants.”

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Pope Leo XIV says first canonized couple give example of ‘marriage as a path to holiness’ – #Catholic – Louis and Zelie Martin. Public Domain image. / null Vatican City, Oct 18, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA). At a time when the world offers “many counter-examples” of what a healthy marriage should look like, Pope Leo XIV has urged couples to look to Saints Louis and Zélie Martin — the parents of St. Thérèse of Lisieux — as a model of a joyful and holy marriage. In an Oct. 18 message marking the 10th anniversary of the Martins’ canonization, Pope Leo said their lives show “marriage as a path to holiness” and provide an example that the world today urgently needs of how to help one’s children discover God’s “boundless love and tenderness and strive to make them love Him in return as He deserves.” “Among the vocations to which men and women are called by God, marriage is one of the noblest and most elevated,” the pope wrote. Yet, he added, “in these troubled and disoriented times, when so many counter-examples of unions, often fleeting, individualistic and selfish, with bitter and disappointing fruits, are presented to young people, the family as the Creator intended it could seem outdated and boring.”The pope described the Martins as a couple who found “profound happiness” in giving life, transmitting the faith, and “seeing their daughters grow and flourish under the gaze of the Lord.” Their example, he said, reveals the “ineffable happiness and profound joy that God grants, both here on earth and for eternity, to those who embark on this path of fidelity and fruitfulness.”“Dear couples, I invite you to persevere courageously on the path, sometimes difficult and laborious, but luminous, that you have undertaken,” Pope Leo wrote. “Above all, put Jesus at the center of your families, your activities and your choices,” he said. The message was addressed to Bishop Bruno Feillets of Séez, France, whose diocese includes the Martins’ first family home in the town of Alençon, where celebrations are taking place for the anniversary.Louis and Marie-Azélie (Zélie) Martin were married in 1858 at Notre Dame Basilica in Alençon. Before marrying, both had sought religious life — Louis with the Augustinians and Zélie with the Sisters of Charity — but each discerned that God was calling them to marriage.Zélie prayed for children who would consecrate their lives to God, and the couple was blessed with nine. Four died in infancy, and the remaining five became religious sisters, including Thérèse, who would later become one of the Church’s most beloved saints and a Doctor of the Church.Thérèse said that God had given her “a mother and a father more worthy of heaven than of earth.”Zélie died of breast cancer in 1877 at age 45. After Zelie’s death, Louis moved the family to Lisieux, where four of his daughters went on to become Carmelite nuns. The Martins were canonized together by Pope Francis on Oct. 18, 2015, becoming the first married couple in Church history to be declared saints together — a testament, Pope Leo said, to the enduring truth that marriage, lived faithfully, “leads to the glory of heaven.”
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Pope Leo XIV says first canonized couple give example of ‘marriage as a path to holiness’ – #Catholic – Louis and Zelie Martin. Public Domain image. / null Vatican City, Oct 18, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA). At a time when the world offers “many counter-examples” of what a healthy marriage should look like, Pope Leo XIV has urged couples to look to Saints Louis and Zélie Martin — the parents of St. Thérèse of Lisieux — as a model of a joyful and holy marriage. In an Oct. 18 message marking the 10th anniversary of the Martins’ canonization, Pope Leo said their lives show “marriage as a path to holiness” and provide an example that the world today urgently needs of how to help one’s children discover God’s “boundless love and tenderness and strive to make them love Him in return as He deserves.” “Among the vocations to which men and women are called by God, marriage is one of the noblest and most elevated,” the pope wrote. Yet, he added, “in these troubled and disoriented times, when so many counter-examples of unions, often fleeting, individualistic and selfish, with bitter and disappointing fruits, are presented to young people, the family as the Creator intended it could seem outdated and boring.”The pope described the Martins as a couple who found “profound happiness” in giving life, transmitting the faith, and “seeing their daughters grow and flourish under the gaze of the Lord.” Their example, he said, reveals the “ineffable happiness and profound joy that God grants, both here on earth and for eternity, to those who embark on this path of fidelity and fruitfulness.”“Dear couples, I invite you to persevere courageously on the path, sometimes difficult and laborious, but luminous, that you have undertaken,” Pope Leo wrote. “Above all, put Jesus at the center of your families, your activities and your choices,” he said. The message was addressed to Bishop Bruno Feillets of Séez, France, whose diocese includes the Martins’ first family home in the town of Alençon, where celebrations are taking place for the anniversary.Louis and Marie-Azélie (Zélie) Martin were married in 1858 at Notre Dame Basilica in Alençon. Before marrying, both had sought religious life — Louis with the Augustinians and Zélie with the Sisters of Charity — but each discerned that God was calling them to marriage.Zélie prayed for children who would consecrate their lives to God, and the couple was blessed with nine. Four died in infancy, and the remaining five became religious sisters, including Thérèse, who would later become one of the Church’s most beloved saints and a Doctor of the Church.Thérèse said that God had given her “a mother and a father more worthy of heaven than of earth.”Zélie died of breast cancer in 1877 at age 45. After Zelie’s death, Louis moved the family to Lisieux, where four of his daughters went on to become Carmelite nuns. The Martins were canonized together by Pope Francis on Oct. 18, 2015, becoming the first married couple in Church history to be declared saints together — a testament, Pope Leo said, to the enduring truth that marriage, lived faithfully, “leads to the glory of heaven.”

unitedyam

Louis and Zelie Martin. Public Domain image. / null

Vatican City, Oct 18, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA).

At a time when the world offers “many counter-examples” of what a healthy marriage should look like, Pope Leo XIV has urged couples to look to Saints Louis and Zélie Martin — the parents of St. Thérèse of Lisieux — as a model of a joyful and holy marriage.

In an Oct. 18 message marking the 10th anniversary of the Martins’ canonization, Pope Leo said their lives show “marriage as a path to holiness” and provide an example that the world today urgently needs of how to help one’s children discover God’s “boundless love and tenderness and strive to make them love Him in return as He deserves.”

“Among the vocations to which men and women are called by God, marriage is one of the noblest and most elevated,” the pope wrote.

Yet, he added, “in these troubled and disoriented times, when so many counter-examples of unions, often fleeting, individualistic and selfish, with bitter and disappointing fruits, are presented to young people, the family as the Creator intended it could seem outdated and boring.”

The pope described the Martins as a couple who found “profound happiness” in giving life, transmitting the faith, and “seeing their daughters grow and flourish under the gaze of the Lord.”

Their example, he said, reveals the “ineffable happiness and profound joy that God grants, both here on earth and for eternity, to those who embark on this path of fidelity and fruitfulness.”

“Dear couples, I invite you to persevere courageously on the path, sometimes difficult and laborious, but luminous, that you have undertaken,” Pope Leo wrote.

“Above all, put Jesus at the center of your families, your activities and your choices,” he said.

The message was addressed to Bishop Bruno Feillets of Séez, France, whose diocese includes the Martins’ first family home in the town of Alençon, where celebrations are taking place for the anniversary.

Louis and Marie-Azélie (Zélie) Martin were married in 1858 at Notre Dame Basilica in Alençon. Before marrying, both had sought religious life — Louis with the Augustinians and Zélie with the Sisters of Charity — but each discerned that God was calling them to marriage.

Zélie prayed for children who would consecrate their lives to God, and the couple was blessed with nine. Four died in infancy, and the remaining five became religious sisters, including Thérèse, who would later become one of the Church’s most beloved saints and a Doctor of the Church.

Thérèse said that God had given her “a mother and a father more worthy of heaven than of earth.”

Zélie died of breast cancer in 1877 at age 45. After Zelie’s death, Louis moved the family to Lisieux, where four of his daughters went on to become Carmelite nuns.

The Martins were canonized together by Pope Francis on Oct. 18, 2015, becoming the first married couple in Church history to be declared saints together — a testament, Pope Leo said, to the enduring truth that marriage, lived faithfully, “leads to the glory of heaven.”

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Oct. 18, 1977: The enigma of Chiron

unitedyam

On Oct. 18, 1977, Charles Kowal was at the 1.2-meter Schmidt telescope at Palomar Observatory in California – reportedly his favorite equipment at the facility to observe with – when he unwittingly discovered an entirely new class of objects. Kowal was conducting a survey for slow-moving objects beyond the Main Belt, taking two plates ofContinue reading “Oct. 18, 1977: The enigma of Chiron”

The post Oct. 18, 1977: The enigma of Chiron appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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U.S. bishops warn of looming court order in Obama-era immigration program #Catholic A DACA protest sign is waved outside of the White House. / null CNA Staff, Oct 18, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA). The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) released an update this week on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program highlighting the threat a looming court order may pose to the legal privileges of some immigrants in Texas.Immigrants covered by DACA who move to or from Texas could quickly face the loss of their work authorization under the new court order, according to the bishops' Department of Migration and Refugee Services.Launched in 2012 through executive action by then-President Barack Obama, DACA offers work authorization and temporary protection from deportation to undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as minors. The first Trump administration tried to end the program but was blocked from doing so in 2020 by the U.S. Supreme Court. While President Donald Trump has indicated a willingness to work with Democrats on the status of DACA beneficiaries, the program continues to be subject to litigation, with the latest developments centering on the Texas v. United States case.In that case, Texas sued the federal government claiming that DACA was illegally created without statutory authority, as it was formed through executive action rather than legislation passed by Congress.In January, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals largely upheld the U.S. district court’s declaration that DACA is unlawful, but narrowed the scope to Texas, separating deportation protections from work authorization. This means, in theory, that DACA's core shield against removal could remain available nationwide for current recipients and new applicants, while work permits might be preserved for most — except in Texas. Impending implementation The USCCB's Oct. 14 advisory comes as the district court prepares to implement the ruling upheld by the appeals court. On Sept. 29 the U.S. Department of Justice issued guidance concerning how the order should be implemented. Andrew Arthur, a former immigration judge and a fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, told CNA that the key takeaway from the USCCB’s update is a “warning” to DACA recipients “who live in Texas.”"[A]nyone who has DACA or is eligible to receive it would need to consider the implications of moving to or from Texas," the USCCB update states, pointing out that relocation could trigger revocation of employment authorization with just 15 days' notice. For Texas's approximately 90,000 DACA recipients — the second-largest population after California's 145,000 — the implications could be stark, according to the bishops. Under the order, if it is implemented according to the U.S. government’s proposals, DACA recipients who live in Texas could receive "forbearance from removal" (deferred deportation) but lose "lawful presence" status, disqualifying them from work permits and benefits like in-state tuition or driver's licenses. To be eligible for DACA, applicants must have arrived before age 16, resided continuously since June 15, 2007, and been under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012. There are approximately 530,000 DACA participants nationwide according to KFF, formerly the Kaiser Family Foundation. The KFF estimates that up to 1.1 million individuals meet DACA eligibility criteria.
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U.S. bishops warn of looming court order in Obama-era immigration program #Catholic A DACA protest sign is waved outside of the White House. / null CNA Staff, Oct 18, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA). The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) released an update this week on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program highlighting the threat a looming court order may pose to the legal privileges of some immigrants in Texas.Immigrants covered by DACA who move to or from Texas could quickly face the loss of their work authorization under the new court order, according to the bishops’ Department of Migration and Refugee Services.Launched in 2012 through executive action by then-President Barack Obama, DACA offers work authorization and temporary protection from deportation to undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as minors. The first Trump administration tried to end the program but was blocked from doing so in 2020 by the U.S. Supreme Court. While President Donald Trump has indicated a willingness to work with Democrats on the status of DACA beneficiaries, the program continues to be subject to litigation, with the latest developments centering on the Texas v. United States case.In that case, Texas sued the federal government claiming that DACA was illegally created without statutory authority, as it was formed through executive action rather than legislation passed by Congress.In January, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals largely upheld the U.S. district court’s declaration that DACA is unlawful, but narrowed the scope to Texas, separating deportation protections from work authorization. This means, in theory, that DACA’s core shield against removal could remain available nationwide for current recipients and new applicants, while work permits might be preserved for most — except in Texas. Impending implementation The USCCB’s Oct. 14 advisory comes as the district court prepares to implement the ruling upheld by the appeals court. On Sept. 29 the U.S. Department of Justice issued guidance concerning how the order should be implemented. Andrew Arthur, a former immigration judge and a fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, told CNA that the key takeaway from the USCCB’s update is a “warning” to DACA recipients “who live in Texas.””[A]nyone who has DACA or is eligible to receive it would need to consider the implications of moving to or from Texas,” the USCCB update states, pointing out that relocation could trigger revocation of employment authorization with just 15 days’ notice. For Texas’s approximately 90,000 DACA recipients — the second-largest population after California’s 145,000 — the implications could be stark, according to the bishops. Under the order, if it is implemented according to the U.S. government’s proposals, DACA recipients who live in Texas could receive “forbearance from removal” (deferred deportation) but lose “lawful presence” status, disqualifying them from work permits and benefits like in-state tuition or driver’s licenses. To be eligible for DACA, applicants must have arrived before age 16, resided continuously since June 15, 2007, and been under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012. There are approximately 530,000 DACA participants nationwide according to KFF, formerly the Kaiser Family Foundation. The KFF estimates that up to 1.1 million individuals meet DACA eligibility criteria.

unitedyam

A DACA protest sign is waved outside of the White House. / null

CNA Staff, Oct 18, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) released an update this week on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program highlighting the threat a looming court order may pose to the legal privileges of some immigrants in Texas.

Immigrants covered by DACA who move to or from Texas could quickly face the loss of their work authorization under the new court order, according to the bishops’ Department of Migration and Refugee Services.

Launched in 2012 through executive action by then-President Barack Obama, DACA offers work authorization and temporary protection from deportation to undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as minors. 

The first Trump administration tried to end the program but was blocked from doing so in 2020 by the U.S. Supreme Court. While President Donald Trump has indicated a willingness to work with Democrats on the status of DACA beneficiaries, the program continues to be subject to litigation, with the latest developments centering on the Texas v. United States case.

In that case, Texas sued the federal government claiming that DACA was illegally created without statutory authority, as it was formed through executive action rather than legislation passed by Congress.

In January, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals largely upheld the U.S. district court’s declaration that DACA is unlawful, but narrowed the scope to Texas, separating deportation protections from work authorization. This means, in theory, that DACA’s core shield against removal could remain available nationwide for current recipients and new applicants, while work permits might be preserved for most — except in Texas. 

Impending implementation 

The USCCB’s Oct. 14 advisory comes as the district court prepares to implement the ruling upheld by the appeals court. On Sept. 29 the U.S. Department of Justice issued guidance concerning how the order should be implemented. 

Andrew Arthur, a former immigration judge and a fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, told CNA that the key takeaway from the USCCB’s update is a “warning” to DACA recipients “who live in Texas.”

“[A]nyone who has DACA or is eligible to receive it would need to consider the implications of moving to or from Texas,” the USCCB update states, pointing out that relocation could trigger revocation of employment authorization with just 15 days’ notice. 

For Texas’s approximately 90,000 DACA recipients — the second-largest population after California’s 145,000 — the implications could be stark, according to the bishops. 

Under the order, if it is implemented according to the U.S. government’s proposals, DACA recipients who live in Texas could receive “forbearance from removal” (deferred deportation) but lose “lawful presence” status, disqualifying them from work permits and benefits like in-state tuition or driver’s licenses. 

To be eligible for DACA, applicants must have arrived before age 16, resided continuously since June 15, 2007, and been under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012. There are approximately 530,000 DACA participants nationwide according to KFF, formerly the Kaiser Family Foundation. The KFF estimates that up to 1.1 million individuals meet DACA eligibility criteria.

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Two priests threatened with prison for criticizing radical Islam are acquitted - #Catholic - Father Custodio Ballester, a Spanish priest, was acquitted of hate crimes, along with another priest and a journalist. / Credit: Courtesy of HazteOir.org ACI Prensa Staff, Oct 18, 2025 / 06:30 am (CNA). Two priests and a journalist who were tried for criticizing radical Islam have been acquitted by the Provincial Court of Malaga in Spain. The priests, Custodio Ballester and Jesús Calvo, along with the director of a digital media outlet, Armando Robles, were accused of committing hate crimes on a talk show in 2017.The public prosecutor's office had requested a four-year prison sentence for Robles, along with a 10-year ban from teaching and a €3,000 ($3,500) fine. In the case of the priests, the prosecutor sought a three-year sentence.According to Europa Press, the ruling, after verifying that the defendants had not retracted their words and writings, which were treated as proven facts, focused its analysis on whether the spoken and written words were crimes. Specifically, the court determined whether the men’s statements criticizing radical Islam qualified as hate crimes under the law or were merely protected instances of freedom of expression.The court determined that the elements of a hate crime were not present, "no matter how despicable and perverse the message" or how "clearly offensive" or "unfortunate" the statements."Not only is there speech protected by freedom of expression, but we could even accept that there is intolerant speech that also exists within the scope of freedom of expression, even though it may be offensive, not only to the group or person to whom it is directed, but even to the person listening to it," the ruling stated.Regarding Ballester's statement, the court determined that "no matter how despicable and perverse the message or its author may be, if it is not accompanied by a clear and manifest promotion of hatred toward one of the groups protected by [the existence of] such a crime,” it is not criminal.In the case of Calvo, the court noted that his statements "could well be classified, at least in large part, as delirious," in the sense of "a verifiable reality resulting from the delirious ideas and psychological ailments suffered by the accused."In 2017, the Association of Muslims Against Islamophobia filed a complaint with the Special Service for Hate Crimes and Discrimination of the Barcelona prosecutor's office. The petition requested an investigation into comments made by the three men during a television talk show.Since the program in question was located in Málaga, the case was transferred to that province. There, prosecutor María Teresa Verdugo not only evaluated the comments made during the discussion, but also considered an article published in 2016 by Ballester. The text, titled “The Impossible Dialogue with Islam,” was written in response to a pastoral letter from then-Archbishop of Barcelona, ​​Cardinal Juan José Omella, titled “The Necessary Dialogue with Islam.”The trial, initially scheduled for September 2024, had to be postponed because Ballester's lawyer had another trial that took priority. The hearing was ultimately rescheduled for Oct 1 of this year.In a statement shortly before the trial to ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, Ballester said he felt at peace: "As Jesus Christ says, they will take us to the synagogue and the courts, and there the Holy Spirit will give us wisdom that our adversaries cannot counteract."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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Two priests threatened with prison for criticizing radical Islam are acquitted – #Catholic – Father Custodio Ballester, a Spanish priest, was acquitted of hate crimes, along with another priest and a journalist. / Credit: Courtesy of HazteOir.org ACI Prensa Staff, Oct 18, 2025 / 06:30 am (CNA). Two priests and a journalist who were tried for criticizing radical Islam have been acquitted by the Provincial Court of Malaga in Spain. The priests, Custodio Ballester and Jesús Calvo, along with the director of a digital media outlet, Armando Robles, were accused of committing hate crimes on a talk show in 2017.The public prosecutor’s office had requested a four-year prison sentence for Robles, along with a 10-year ban from teaching and a €3,000 ($3,500) fine. In the case of the priests, the prosecutor sought a three-year sentence.According to Europa Press, the ruling, after verifying that the defendants had not retracted their words and writings, which were treated as proven facts, focused its analysis on whether the spoken and written words were crimes. Specifically, the court determined whether the men’s statements criticizing radical Islam qualified as hate crimes under the law or were merely protected instances of freedom of expression.The court determined that the elements of a hate crime were not present, “no matter how despicable and perverse the message” or how “clearly offensive” or “unfortunate” the statements.”Not only is there speech protected by freedom of expression, but we could even accept that there is intolerant speech that also exists within the scope of freedom of expression, even though it may be offensive, not only to the group or person to whom it is directed, but even to the person listening to it,” the ruling stated.Regarding Ballester’s statement, the court determined that “no matter how despicable and perverse the message or its author may be, if it is not accompanied by a clear and manifest promotion of hatred toward one of the groups protected by [the existence of] such a crime,” it is not criminal.In the case of Calvo, the court noted that his statements “could well be classified, at least in large part, as delirious,” in the sense of “a verifiable reality resulting from the delirious ideas and psychological ailments suffered by the accused.”In 2017, the Association of Muslims Against Islamophobia filed a complaint with the Special Service for Hate Crimes and Discrimination of the Barcelona prosecutor’s office. The petition requested an investigation into comments made by the three men during a television talk show.Since the program in question was located in Málaga, the case was transferred to that province. There, prosecutor María Teresa Verdugo not only evaluated the comments made during the discussion, but also considered an article published in 2016 by Ballester. The text, titled “The Impossible Dialogue with Islam,” was written in response to a pastoral letter from then-Archbishop of Barcelona, ​​Cardinal Juan José Omella, titled “The Necessary Dialogue with Islam.”The trial, initially scheduled for September 2024, had to be postponed because Ballester’s lawyer had another trial that took priority. The hearing was ultimately rescheduled for Oct 1 of this year.In a statement shortly before the trial to ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, Ballester said he felt at peace: “As Jesus Christ says, they will take us to the synagogue and the courts, and there the Holy Spirit will give us wisdom that our adversaries cannot counteract.”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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Father Custodio Ballester, a Spanish priest, was acquitted of hate crimes, along with another priest and a journalist. / Credit: Courtesy of HazteOir.org

ACI Prensa Staff, Oct 18, 2025 / 06:30 am (CNA).

Two priests and a journalist who were tried for criticizing radical Islam have been acquitted by the Provincial Court of Malaga in Spain. 

The priests, Custodio Ballester and Jesús Calvo, along with the director of a digital media outlet, Armando Robles, were accused of committing hate crimes on a talk show in 2017.

The public prosecutor’s office had requested a four-year prison sentence for Robles, along with a 10-year ban from teaching and a €3,000 ($3,500) fine. In the case of the priests, the prosecutor sought a three-year sentence.

According to Europa Press, the ruling, after verifying that the defendants had not retracted their words and writings, which were treated as proven facts, focused its analysis on whether the spoken and written words were crimes. 

Specifically, the court determined whether the men’s statements criticizing radical Islam qualified as hate crimes under the law or were merely protected instances of freedom of expression.

The court determined that the elements of a hate crime were not present, “no matter how despicable and perverse the message” or how “clearly offensive” or “unfortunate” the statements.

“Not only is there speech protected by freedom of expression, but we could even accept that there is intolerant speech that also exists within the scope of freedom of expression, even though it may be offensive, not only to the group or person to whom it is directed, but even to the person listening to it,” the ruling stated.

Regarding Ballester’s statement, the court determined that “no matter how despicable and perverse the message or its author may be, if it is not accompanied by a clear and manifest promotion of hatred toward one of the groups protected by [the existence of] such a crime,” it is not criminal.

In the case of Calvo, the court noted that his statements “could well be classified, at least in large part, as delirious,” in the sense of “a verifiable reality resulting from the delirious ideas and psychological ailments suffered by the accused.”

In 2017, the Association of Muslims Against Islamophobia filed a complaint with the Special Service for Hate Crimes and Discrimination of the Barcelona prosecutor’s office. The petition requested an investigation into comments made by the three men during a television talk show.

Since the program in question was located in Málaga, the case was transferred to that province. There, prosecutor María Teresa Verdugo not only evaluated the comments made during the discussion, but also considered an article published in 2016 by Ballester. The text, titled “The Impossible Dialogue with Islam,” was written in response to a pastoral letter from then-Archbishop of Barcelona, ​​Cardinal Juan José Omella, titled “The Necessary Dialogue with Islam.”

The trial, initially scheduled for September 2024, had to be postponed because Ballester’s lawyer had another trial that took priority. The hearing was ultimately rescheduled for Oct 1 of this year.

In a statement shortly before the trial to ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, Ballester said he felt at peace: “As Jesus Christ says, they will take us to the synagogue and the courts, and there the Holy Spirit will give us wisdom that our adversaries cannot counteract.”

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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Meet the 7 saints Pope Leo XIV will canonize on Oct. 19 – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV will canonize seven new saints on Sunday including an Italian lawyer who renounced Satanism and became “an apostle of the Rosary,” a martyred Armenian archbishop, and a Venezuelan considered the “doctor of the poor.” Banners of the new saints are on display on St. Peter's Basilica for all to see in St. Peter's Square. / Credit: Courtney Mares / CNA Vatican City, Oct 18, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA). Pope Leo XIV will canonize seven new saints on Sunday including an Italian lawyer who renounced Satanism and became “an apostle of the rosary,” a martyred Armenian archbishop, and a Venezuelan considered the “doctor of the poor.”The canonizations, previously approved by the late Pope Francis, will be presided over by Pope Leo XIV on Oct. 19 at the Vatican. The group includes three women and four men, with two martyrs, three laypeople, and two founders of religious orders. Among them are Papua New Guinea’s first saint and the first two saints from Venezuela. Let’s get to know these soon-to-be saints:Once an “ordained” Satanic priest, Bartolo Longo underwent one of the most dramatic conversions in recent Church history, and will be canonized a saint on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025 in St. Peter’s Square. Credit: Courtney Mares / CNABartolo Longo (1841–1926)Bartolo Longo underwent one of the most dramatic conversions in recent Church history. He grew up in a Catholic household, but after studying law at a university in Naples, Italy, he went from being a practicing Catholic to taking part in anti-papal demonstrations to becoming an atheist, then a Satanist, and eventually being “ordained” to the Satanist priesthood.Through the prayers of his family and the influence of devout friends, particularly Professor Vincenzo Pepe and Dominican priest Father Alberto Radente, Longo experienced a profound conversion, renouncing his past and returning wholeheartedly to the Catholic Church.Following his conversion, Longo dedicated his life to promoting the rosary and the message of mercy and hope through the Virgin Mary. He settled in the poverty-stricken town of Pompeii  where he began restoring a dilapidated church and tirelessly worked to build a Marian shrine dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary. With support from benefactors and the local community, he transformed Pompeii into a thriving center of Catholic devotion. His efforts culminated in the construction of the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii, which continues to be a major pilgrimage site to this day.In addition to his religious work, Longo was a tireless advocate for social justice. He founded schools, orphanages, and charitable institutions, especially for the children of prisoners, believing in the power of education and mercy to transform lives. For the last 20 years of his life, Longo had constant health issues. He died on Oct. 5, 1926, and in 1980 was beatified by Pope John Paul II, who called him the “Apostle of the Rosary.”Ignatius Maloyan was an Armenian Catholic archbishop of Mardin in the Ottoman Empire who was executed during the Armenian genocide for refusing to convert to Islam and renounce his Christian faith. He will be canonized a saint in St. Peter’s Square by Pope Leo XIV on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025. Credit: Courtney Mares / CNAIgnatius Choukrallah Maloyan (Ottoman Empire, 1869–1915)Ignatius Maloyan was an Armenian Catholic archbishop of Mardin in the Ottoman Empire who was executed during the Armenian genocide for refusing to convert to Islam and renounce his Christian faith.At the age of 14, Maloyan was sent to the convent of Bzommar-Lebanon. In 1896, he was ordained a priest in the Church of Bzommar convent and took the name Ignatius in honor of the beloved martyr of Antioch. From 1892 to 1910, Maloyan was a parish priest in Alexandria and Cairo, where his good reputation was widespread. On Oct. 22, 1911, he was named archbishop of Mardin. Soon after, the first World War broke out and Armenians in Turkey began to endure great suffering. On June 3, 1915, Turkish soldiers dragged Maloyan in chains to court with 27 other Armenian Catholic figures. During the trial, Mamdooh Bek, the chief of the police, asked Maloyan to convert to Islam. The archbishop answered that he would never betray Christ and his Church and was prepared to endure all types of punishments for his fidelity. He was imprisoned and frequently beaten. On June 10, the Turkish soldiers gathered 447 Armenians and took them to a deserted area. During the ordeal, the archbishop encouraged those gathered to remain firm in their faith and prayed with them that they would accept martyrdom with courage. After a two-hour walk, naked and chained, the prisoners were killed by the soldiers in front of Maloyan. Bek once again asked the archbishop to convert to Islam. He refused and was shot and killed by Bek on the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Before he was killed, Maloyan said: “I consider the shedding of my blood for my faith to be the sweetest desire of my heart, because I know perfectly well that if I am tortured for the love of him who died for me, I will be among those who will have joy and bliss, and I will have obtained to see my Lord and my God up there.” He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on Oct. 7, 2001.Peter To Rot, a lay catechist in Papua New Guinea, will be canonized by Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025. To Rot was martyred during the Japanese occupation during World War II. Credit: Courtney Mares / CNAPeter To Rot (Papua New Guinea, 1912–1945)Peter To Rot, a lay catechist in Papua New Guinea, was martyred during the Japanese occupation in World War II. When the Catholic priest in his village was taken to a Japanese labor camp, the priest left To Rot in charge of catechizing the village and told him before he was taken: “Help them, so that they don’t forget about God.”Despite Japanese oppression, To Rot worked in secret to keep the faith. He was a great defender of Christian marriage, working to defy Japanese law, which allowed men to take a second wife. Toward the end of the war, the rules against religious freedom became even stricter, with any kind of prayer being forbidden. To Rot was arrested and sent to a manual labor camp in 1944 for his continual disobedience. In 1945 he was killed by lethal injection and is considered a martyr for the Catholic faith. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on Jan. 17, 1995. He will be Papua New Guinea’s first saint.José Gregorio Hernández, a Venezuelan physician, scientist, and layman who is revered as the “doctor of the poor” will be canonized by Pope Leo XIV on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025 at the Vatican. Credit: Courtney Mares / CNAJosé Gregorio Hernández (Venezuela, 1864–1919)José Gregorio Hernández, a Venezuelan physician, scientist, and layman, is revered as the “doctor of the poor.” Born on Oct. 26, 1864, in Isnotú in the Venezuelan state of Trujillo, he lost his mother at the age of 8. He studied medicine in Caracas and received government funding to continue his studies in Paris in 1889 for two years. After returning to Venezuela, he became a professor at the Central University of Caracas, where he started each lesson with the sign of the cross.Hernández attended daily Mass, brought medicine and care to the poor, and made a profession as a Third Order Franciscan. In 1908 he gave up his profession and entered a cloistered Carthusian monastery in Farneta, Italy. However, nine months later he fell ill and his superior ordered him to return to Venezuela to recover. After some time, Hernández concluded that it was God’s will for him to remain a layman. He decided then to promote sanctification as an exemplary Catholic by being a doctor and giving glory to God by serving the sick. He devoted himself to academic research and deepened his dedication to serving the poor.One day, as the doctor went to pick up medicine for an elderly poor woman, he was hit by a car. He died in the hospital on June 29, 1919. He was beatified by Pope Francis on April 30, 2021.Maria Troncatti, an Italian Salesian sister, spent nearly five decades as a missionary in Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest among the Indigenous Shuar people. She is one of three women being canonized by Pope Leo XIV on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025 at the Vatican. Credit: Courtney Mares / CNAMaria Troncatti (Italy/Ecuador, 1883–1969)Maria Troncatti, an Italian Salesian sister, spent nearly five decades as a missionary in Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest among the Indigenous Shuar people. Growing up in Italy, Troncatti showed an interest in religious life from a young age. She made her first profession as part of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, also known as the Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco, in 1908.During World War I, Sister Maria trained in health care and worked as a Red Cross nurse in a military hospital. In 1925 she began her mission serving the Shuar Indians in the Amazon forest in the southeastern part of Ecuador. For 44 years, she was known as “Madrecita,” or “little mother,” by everyone in the village. Not only did she serve as a surgeon, dentist, nurse, orthopedist, and anesthesiologist, she was also a faithful catechist sharing the Gospel with all those she served. Sister Maria died at the age of 86 on Aug. 25, 1969, in a plane crash. She was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012.Carmen Elena Rendiles Martínez was born in Caracas without her left arm and was given a prosthetic arm that she used for her entire life. She founded the Servants of Jesus in Caracas and served as the Superior General of the congregation. She will become Venezuela’s first female saint on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, when she will be canonized by Pope Leo XIV. Credit: Courtney Mares / CNAMaría del Carmen Rendiles Martínez (Venezuela, 1903–1977)Carmen Elena Rendiles Martínez was born in Caracas, Venezuela, without her left arm and was given a prosthetic arm that she used for her entire life. In 1918, Martínez began to feel a call to religious life, but having a disability was considered a reason for rejection from some religious congregations at that time. Eventually, she joined the Servants of the Eucharist in 1927 and took the name María Carmen. She once said: “I want to be holy. I want to say like St. Paul: It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” When her religious community sought autonomy from its French motherhouse in 1965, she went on to found the Servants of Jesus in Caracas to continue its mission of Eucharistic devotion. She served as the superior general of the congregation from 1969 when she was appointed until her death in 1977 from influenza. She was beatified by Pope Francis in 2018 and will become Venezuela’s first female saint. Vincenza Maria Poloni, an Italian religious sister, founded the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy of Verona to care for the poor, sick, and the elderly. She will be canonized a saint on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025 in St. Peter’s Square by Pope Leo XIV. Credit: Courtney Mares / CNAVincenza Maria Poloni (Italy, 1802–1855)Vincenza Maria Poloni, an Italian religious sister, founded the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy of Verona to care for the poor, sick, and elderly. Born the youngest of 12 siblings, she discerned her vocation under the guidance of Blessed Charles Steeb as she devoted her time to working with the poor, the elderly, and chronically ill.In 1836, during the cholera epidemic of 1836, she worked tirelessly in the emergency wards, putting her own health at risk. In 1840 she devoted herself full time to the care of the sick and elderly and began to live a similar lifestyle to that of a religious sister — fervent prayer, strict schedules, and total service of charity toward others. On Sept. 10, 1848, Poloni founded the Sisters of Mercy of Verona and took the name Vincenza Maria. Her motto, “Serving Christ in the Poor,” became the foundation of her congregation, which can be found today on three continents. She died on Nov. 11, 1855, from a tumor that had spread throughout her body. She was beatified in 2008. Pope Leo XIV will canonize seven new saints on Sunday including an Italian lawyer who renounced Satanism, a martyred Armenian archbishop, and a Venezuelan considered the “doctor of the poor.” Banners of the new saints are on display on St. Peter’s Basilica for all to see in St. Peter’s Square. Credit: Couttney Mares / CNA
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Meet the 7 saints Pope Leo XIV will canonize on Oct. 19 – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV will canonize seven new saints on Sunday including an Italian lawyer who renounced Satanism and became “an apostle of the Rosary,” a martyred Armenian archbishop, and a Venezuelan considered the “doctor of the poor.” Banners of the new saints are on display on St. Peter's Basilica for all to see in St. Peter's Square. / Credit: Courtney Mares / CNA Vatican City, Oct 18, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA). Pope Leo XIV will canonize seven new saints on Sunday including an Italian lawyer who renounced Satanism and became “an apostle of the rosary,” a martyred Armenian archbishop, and a Venezuelan considered the “doctor of the poor.”The canonizations, previously approved by the late Pope Francis, will be presided over by Pope Leo XIV on Oct. 19 at the Vatican. The group includes three women and four men, with two martyrs, three laypeople, and two founders of religious orders. Among them are Papua New Guinea’s first saint and the first two saints from Venezuela. Let’s get to know these soon-to-be saints:Once an “ordained” Satanic priest, Bartolo Longo underwent one of the most dramatic conversions in recent Church history, and will be canonized a saint on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025 in St. Peter’s Square. Credit: Courtney Mares / CNABartolo Longo (1841–1926)Bartolo Longo underwent one of the most dramatic conversions in recent Church history. He grew up in a Catholic household, but after studying law at a university in Naples, Italy, he went from being a practicing Catholic to taking part in anti-papal demonstrations to becoming an atheist, then a Satanist, and eventually being “ordained” to the Satanist priesthood.Through the prayers of his family and the influence of devout friends, particularly Professor Vincenzo Pepe and Dominican priest Father Alberto Radente, Longo experienced a profound conversion, renouncing his past and returning wholeheartedly to the Catholic Church.Following his conversion, Longo dedicated his life to promoting the rosary and the message of mercy and hope through the Virgin Mary. He settled in the poverty-stricken town of Pompeii  where he began restoring a dilapidated church and tirelessly worked to build a Marian shrine dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary. With support from benefactors and the local community, he transformed Pompeii into a thriving center of Catholic devotion. His efforts culminated in the construction of the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii, which continues to be a major pilgrimage site to this day.In addition to his religious work, Longo was a tireless advocate for social justice. He founded schools, orphanages, and charitable institutions, especially for the children of prisoners, believing in the power of education and mercy to transform lives. For the last 20 years of his life, Longo had constant health issues. He died on Oct. 5, 1926, and in 1980 was beatified by Pope John Paul II, who called him the “Apostle of the Rosary.”Ignatius Maloyan was an Armenian Catholic archbishop of Mardin in the Ottoman Empire who was executed during the Armenian genocide for refusing to convert to Islam and renounce his Christian faith. He will be canonized a saint in St. Peter’s Square by Pope Leo XIV on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025. Credit: Courtney Mares / CNAIgnatius Choukrallah Maloyan (Ottoman Empire, 1869–1915)Ignatius Maloyan was an Armenian Catholic archbishop of Mardin in the Ottoman Empire who was executed during the Armenian genocide for refusing to convert to Islam and renounce his Christian faith.At the age of 14, Maloyan was sent to the convent of Bzommar-Lebanon. In 1896, he was ordained a priest in the Church of Bzommar convent and took the name Ignatius in honor of the beloved martyr of Antioch. From 1892 to 1910, Maloyan was a parish priest in Alexandria and Cairo, where his good reputation was widespread. On Oct. 22, 1911, he was named archbishop of Mardin. Soon after, the first World War broke out and Armenians in Turkey began to endure great suffering. On June 3, 1915, Turkish soldiers dragged Maloyan in chains to court with 27 other Armenian Catholic figures. During the trial, Mamdooh Bek, the chief of the police, asked Maloyan to convert to Islam. The archbishop answered that he would never betray Christ and his Church and was prepared to endure all types of punishments for his fidelity. He was imprisoned and frequently beaten. On June 10, the Turkish soldiers gathered 447 Armenians and took them to a deserted area. During the ordeal, the archbishop encouraged those gathered to remain firm in their faith and prayed with them that they would accept martyrdom with courage. After a two-hour walk, naked and chained, the prisoners were killed by the soldiers in front of Maloyan. Bek once again asked the archbishop to convert to Islam. He refused and was shot and killed by Bek on the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Before he was killed, Maloyan said: “I consider the shedding of my blood for my faith to be the sweetest desire of my heart, because I know perfectly well that if I am tortured for the love of him who died for me, I will be among those who will have joy and bliss, and I will have obtained to see my Lord and my God up there.” He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on Oct. 7, 2001.Peter To Rot, a lay catechist in Papua New Guinea, will be canonized by Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025. To Rot was martyred during the Japanese occupation during World War II. Credit: Courtney Mares / CNAPeter To Rot (Papua New Guinea, 1912–1945)Peter To Rot, a lay catechist in Papua New Guinea, was martyred during the Japanese occupation in World War II. When the Catholic priest in his village was taken to a Japanese labor camp, the priest left To Rot in charge of catechizing the village and told him before he was taken: “Help them, so that they don’t forget about God.”Despite Japanese oppression, To Rot worked in secret to keep the faith. He was a great defender of Christian marriage, working to defy Japanese law, which allowed men to take a second wife. Toward the end of the war, the rules against religious freedom became even stricter, with any kind of prayer being forbidden. To Rot was arrested and sent to a manual labor camp in 1944 for his continual disobedience. In 1945 he was killed by lethal injection and is considered a martyr for the Catholic faith. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on Jan. 17, 1995. He will be Papua New Guinea’s first saint.José Gregorio Hernández, a Venezuelan physician, scientist, and layman who is revered as the “doctor of the poor” will be canonized by Pope Leo XIV on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025 at the Vatican. Credit: Courtney Mares / CNAJosé Gregorio Hernández (Venezuela, 1864–1919)José Gregorio Hernández, a Venezuelan physician, scientist, and layman, is revered as the “doctor of the poor.” Born on Oct. 26, 1864, in Isnotú in the Venezuelan state of Trujillo, he lost his mother at the age of 8. He studied medicine in Caracas and received government funding to continue his studies in Paris in 1889 for two years. After returning to Venezuela, he became a professor at the Central University of Caracas, where he started each lesson with the sign of the cross.Hernández attended daily Mass, brought medicine and care to the poor, and made a profession as a Third Order Franciscan. In 1908 he gave up his profession and entered a cloistered Carthusian monastery in Farneta, Italy. However, nine months later he fell ill and his superior ordered him to return to Venezuela to recover. After some time, Hernández concluded that it was God’s will for him to remain a layman. He decided then to promote sanctification as an exemplary Catholic by being a doctor and giving glory to God by serving the sick. He devoted himself to academic research and deepened his dedication to serving the poor.One day, as the doctor went to pick up medicine for an elderly poor woman, he was hit by a car. He died in the hospital on June 29, 1919. He was beatified by Pope Francis on April 30, 2021.Maria Troncatti, an Italian Salesian sister, spent nearly five decades as a missionary in Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest among the Indigenous Shuar people. She is one of three women being canonized by Pope Leo XIV on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025 at the Vatican. Credit: Courtney Mares / CNAMaria Troncatti (Italy/Ecuador, 1883–1969)Maria Troncatti, an Italian Salesian sister, spent nearly five decades as a missionary in Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest among the Indigenous Shuar people. Growing up in Italy, Troncatti showed an interest in religious life from a young age. She made her first profession as part of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, also known as the Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco, in 1908.During World War I, Sister Maria trained in health care and worked as a Red Cross nurse in a military hospital. In 1925 she began her mission serving the Shuar Indians in the Amazon forest in the southeastern part of Ecuador. For 44 years, she was known as “Madrecita,” or “little mother,” by everyone in the village. Not only did she serve as a surgeon, dentist, nurse, orthopedist, and anesthesiologist, she was also a faithful catechist sharing the Gospel with all those she served. Sister Maria died at the age of 86 on Aug. 25, 1969, in a plane crash. She was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012.Carmen Elena Rendiles Martínez was born in Caracas without her left arm and was given a prosthetic arm that she used for her entire life. She founded the Servants of Jesus in Caracas and served as the Superior General of the congregation. She will become Venezuela’s first female saint on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, when she will be canonized by Pope Leo XIV. Credit: Courtney Mares / CNAMaría del Carmen Rendiles Martínez (Venezuela, 1903–1977)Carmen Elena Rendiles Martínez was born in Caracas, Venezuela, without her left arm and was given a prosthetic arm that she used for her entire life. In 1918, Martínez began to feel a call to religious life, but having a disability was considered a reason for rejection from some religious congregations at that time. Eventually, she joined the Servants of the Eucharist in 1927 and took the name María Carmen. She once said: “I want to be holy. I want to say like St. Paul: It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” When her religious community sought autonomy from its French motherhouse in 1965, she went on to found the Servants of Jesus in Caracas to continue its mission of Eucharistic devotion. She served as the superior general of the congregation from 1969 when she was appointed until her death in 1977 from influenza. She was beatified by Pope Francis in 2018 and will become Venezuela’s first female saint. Vincenza Maria Poloni, an Italian religious sister, founded the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy of Verona to care for the poor, sick, and the elderly. She will be canonized a saint on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025 in St. Peter’s Square by Pope Leo XIV. Credit: Courtney Mares / CNAVincenza Maria Poloni (Italy, 1802–1855)Vincenza Maria Poloni, an Italian religious sister, founded the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy of Verona to care for the poor, sick, and elderly. Born the youngest of 12 siblings, she discerned her vocation under the guidance of Blessed Charles Steeb as she devoted her time to working with the poor, the elderly, and chronically ill.In 1836, during the cholera epidemic of 1836, she worked tirelessly in the emergency wards, putting her own health at risk. In 1840 she devoted herself full time to the care of the sick and elderly and began to live a similar lifestyle to that of a religious sister — fervent prayer, strict schedules, and total service of charity toward others. On Sept. 10, 1848, Poloni founded the Sisters of Mercy of Verona and took the name Vincenza Maria. Her motto, “Serving Christ in the Poor,” became the foundation of her congregation, which can be found today on three continents. She died on Nov. 11, 1855, from a tumor that had spread throughout her body. She was beatified in 2008. Pope Leo XIV will canonize seven new saints on Sunday including an Italian lawyer who renounced Satanism, a martyred Armenian archbishop, and a Venezuelan considered the “doctor of the poor.” Banners of the new saints are on display on St. Peter’s Basilica for all to see in St. Peter’s Square. Credit: Couttney Mares / CNA

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Pope Leo XIV will canonize seven new saints on Sunday including an Italian lawyer who renounced Satanism and became “an apostle of the Rosary,” a martyred Armenian archbishop, and a Venezuelan considered the “doctor of the poor.” Banners of the new saints are on display on St. Peter's Basilica for all to see in St. Peter's Square. / Credit: Courtney Mares / CNA

Vatican City, Oct 18, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV will canonize seven new saints on Sunday including an Italian lawyer who renounced Satanism and became “an apostle of the rosary,” a martyred Armenian archbishop, and a Venezuelan considered the “doctor of the poor.”

The canonizations, previously approved by the late Pope Francis, will be presided over by Pope Leo XIV on Oct. 19 at the Vatican. The group includes three women and four men, with two martyrs, three laypeople, and two founders of religious orders. Among them are Papua New Guinea’s first saint and the first two saints from Venezuela. 

Let’s get to know these soon-to-be saints:

Once an “ordained” Satanic priest, Bartolo Longo underwent one of the most dramatic conversions in recent Church history, and will be canonized a saint on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025 in St. Peter's Square. Credit: Courtney Mares / CNA
Once an “ordained” Satanic priest, Bartolo Longo underwent one of the most dramatic conversions in recent Church history, and will be canonized a saint on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025 in St. Peter’s Square. Credit: Courtney Mares / CNA

Bartolo Longo (1841–1926)

Bartolo Longo underwent one of the most dramatic conversions in recent Church history. He grew up in a Catholic household, but after studying law at a university in Naples, Italy, he went from being a practicing Catholic to taking part in anti-papal demonstrations to becoming an atheist, then a Satanist, and eventually being “ordained” to the Satanist priesthood.

Through the prayers of his family and the influence of devout friends, particularly Professor Vincenzo Pepe and Dominican priest Father Alberto Radente, Longo experienced a profound conversion, renouncing his past and returning wholeheartedly to the Catholic Church.

Following his conversion, Longo dedicated his life to promoting the rosary and the message of mercy and hope through the Virgin Mary. He settled in the poverty-stricken town of Pompeii  where he began restoring a dilapidated church and tirelessly worked to build a Marian shrine dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary. With support from benefactors and the local community, he transformed Pompeii into a thriving center of Catholic devotion. His efforts culminated in the construction of the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii, which continues to be a major pilgrimage site to this day.

In addition to his religious work, Longo was a tireless advocate for social justice. He founded schools, orphanages, and charitable institutions, especially for the children of prisoners, believing in the power of education and mercy to transform lives. 

For the last 20 years of his life, Longo had constant health issues. He died on Oct. 5, 1926, and in 1980 was beatified by Pope John Paul II, who called him the “Apostle of the Rosary.”

Ignatius Maloyan was an Armenian Catholic archbishop of Mardin in the Ottoman Empire who was executed during the Armenian genocide for refusing to convert to Islam and renounce his Christian faith. He will be canonized a saint in St. Peter's Square by Pope Leo XIV on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025. Credit: Courtney Mares / CNA
Ignatius Maloyan was an Armenian Catholic archbishop of Mardin in the Ottoman Empire who was executed during the Armenian genocide for refusing to convert to Islam and renounce his Christian faith. He will be canonized a saint in St. Peter’s Square by Pope Leo XIV on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025. Credit: Courtney Mares / CNA

Ignatius Choukrallah Maloyan (Ottoman Empire, 1869–1915)

Ignatius Maloyan was an Armenian Catholic archbishop of Mardin in the Ottoman Empire who was executed during the Armenian genocide for refusing to convert to Islam and renounce his Christian faith.

At the age of 14, Maloyan was sent to the convent of Bzommar-Lebanon. In 1896, he was ordained a priest in the Church of Bzommar convent and took the name Ignatius in honor of the beloved martyr of Antioch. 

From 1892 to 1910, Maloyan was a parish priest in Alexandria and Cairo, where his good reputation was widespread. On Oct. 22, 1911, he was named archbishop of Mardin. 

Soon after, the first World War broke out and Armenians in Turkey began to endure great suffering. On June 3, 1915, Turkish soldiers dragged Maloyan in chains to court with 27 other Armenian Catholic figures. During the trial, Mamdooh Bek, the chief of the police, asked Maloyan to convert to Islam. The archbishop answered that he would never betray Christ and his Church and was prepared to endure all types of punishments for his fidelity. He was imprisoned and frequently beaten. 

On June 10, the Turkish soldiers gathered 447 Armenians and took them to a deserted area. During the ordeal, the archbishop encouraged those gathered to remain firm in their faith and prayed with them that they would accept martyrdom with courage. 

After a two-hour walk, naked and chained, the prisoners were killed by the soldiers in front of Maloyan. Bek once again asked the archbishop to convert to Islam. He refused and was shot and killed by Bek on the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 

Before he was killed, Maloyan said: “I consider the shedding of my blood for my faith to be the sweetest desire of my heart, because I know perfectly well that if I am tortured for the love of him who died for me, I will be among those who will have joy and bliss, and I will have obtained to see my Lord and my God up there.”

He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on Oct. 7, 2001.

Peter To Rot, a lay catechist in Papua New Guinea, will be canonized by Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025. To Rot was martyred during the Japanese occupation during World War II. Credit: Courtney Mares / CNA
Peter To Rot, a lay catechist in Papua New Guinea, will be canonized by Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025. To Rot was martyred during the Japanese occupation during World War II. Credit: Courtney Mares / CNA

Peter To Rot (Papua New Guinea, 1912–1945)

Peter To Rot, a lay catechist in Papua New Guinea, was martyred during the Japanese occupation in World War II. When the Catholic priest in his village was taken to a Japanese labor camp, the priest left To Rot in charge of catechizing the village and told him before he was taken: “Help them, so that they don’t forget about God.”

Despite Japanese oppression, To Rot worked in secret to keep the faith. He was a great defender of Christian marriage, working to defy Japanese law, which allowed men to take a second wife. 

Toward the end of the war, the rules against religious freedom became even stricter, with any kind of prayer being forbidden. To Rot was arrested and sent to a manual labor camp in 1944 for his continual disobedience. In 1945 he was killed by lethal injection and is considered a martyr for the Catholic faith. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on Jan. 17, 1995. He will be Papua New Guinea’s first saint.

José Gregorio Hernández, a Venezuelan physician, scientist, and layman who is revered as the “doctor of the poor" will be canonized by Pope Leo XIV on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025 at the Vatican. Credit: Courtney Mares / CNA
José Gregorio Hernández, a Venezuelan physician, scientist, and layman who is revered as the “doctor of the poor” will be canonized by Pope Leo XIV on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025 at the Vatican. Credit: Courtney Mares / CNA

José Gregorio Hernández (Venezuela, 1864–1919)

José Gregorio Hernández, a Venezuelan physician, scientist, and layman, is revered as the “doctor of the poor.” 

Born on Oct. 26, 1864, in Isnotú in the Venezuelan state of Trujillo, he lost his mother at the age of 8. 

He studied medicine in Caracas and received government funding to continue his studies in Paris in 1889 for two years. After returning to Venezuela, he became a professor at the Central University of Caracas, where he started each lesson with the sign of the cross.

Hernández attended daily Mass, brought medicine and care to the poor, and made a profession as a Third Order Franciscan. In 1908 he gave up his profession and entered a cloistered Carthusian monastery in Farneta, Italy. However, nine months later he fell ill and his superior ordered him to return to Venezuela to recover. 

After some time, Hernández concluded that it was God’s will for him to remain a layman. He decided then to promote sanctification as an exemplary Catholic by being a doctor and giving glory to God by serving the sick. He devoted himself to academic research and deepened his dedication to serving the poor.

One day, as the doctor went to pick up medicine for an elderly poor woman, he was hit by a car. He died in the hospital on June 29, 1919. He was beatified by Pope Francis on April 30, 2021.

Maria Troncatti, an Italian Salesian sister, spent nearly five decades as a missionary in Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest among the Indigenous Shuar people. She is one of three women being canonized by Pope Leo XIV on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025 at the Vatican. Credit: Courtney Mares / CNA
Maria Troncatti, an Italian Salesian sister, spent nearly five decades as a missionary in Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest among the Indigenous Shuar people. She is one of three women being canonized by Pope Leo XIV on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025 at the Vatican. Credit: Courtney Mares / CNA

Maria Troncatti (Italy/Ecuador, 1883–1969)

Maria Troncatti, an Italian Salesian sister, spent nearly five decades as a missionary in Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest among the Indigenous Shuar people. 

Growing up in Italy, Troncatti showed an interest in religious life from a young age. She made her first profession as part of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, also known as the Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco, in 1908.

During World War I, Sister Maria trained in health care and worked as a Red Cross nurse in a military hospital. In 1925 she began her mission serving the Shuar Indians in the Amazon forest in the southeastern part of Ecuador. For 44 years, she was known as “Madrecita,” or “little mother,” by everyone in the village. Not only did she serve as a surgeon, dentist, nurse, orthopedist, and anesthesiologist, she was also a faithful catechist sharing the Gospel with all those she served. 

Sister Maria died at the age of 86 on Aug. 25, 1969, in a plane crash. She was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012.

Carmen Elena Rendiles Martínez was born in Caracas without her left arm and was given a prosthetic arm that she used for her entire life. She founded the Servants of Jesus in Caracas and served as the Superior General of the congregation. She will become Venezuela’s first female saint on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, when she will be canonized by Pope Leo XIV. Credit: Courtney Mares / CNA
Carmen Elena Rendiles Martínez was born in Caracas without her left arm and was given a prosthetic arm that she used for her entire life. She founded the Servants of Jesus in Caracas and served as the Superior General of the congregation. She will become Venezuela’s first female saint on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, when she will be canonized by Pope Leo XIV. Credit: Courtney Mares / CNA

María del Carmen Rendiles Martínez (Venezuela, 1903–1977)

Carmen Elena Rendiles Martínez was born in Caracas, Venezuela, without her left arm and was given a prosthetic arm that she used for her entire life. 

In 1918, Martínez began to feel a call to religious life, but having a disability was considered a reason for rejection from some religious congregations at that time. Eventually, she joined the Servants of the Eucharist in 1927 and took the name María Carmen. She once said: “I want to be holy. I want to say like St. Paul: It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” 

When her religious community sought autonomy from its French motherhouse in 1965, she went on to found the Servants of Jesus in Caracas to continue its mission of Eucharistic devotion. She served as the superior general of the congregation from 1969 when she was appointed until her death in 1977 from influenza. 

She was beatified by Pope Francis in 2018 and will become Venezuela’s first female saint. 

Vincenza Maria Poloni, an Italian religious sister, founded the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy of Verona to care for the poor, sick, and the elderly. She will be canonized a saint on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025 in St. Peter's Square by Pope Leo XIV. Credit: Courtney Mares / CNA
Vincenza Maria Poloni, an Italian religious sister, founded the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy of Verona to care for the poor, sick, and the elderly. She will be canonized a saint on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025 in St. Peter’s Square by Pope Leo XIV. Credit: Courtney Mares / CNA

Vincenza Maria Poloni (Italy, 1802–1855)

Vincenza Maria Poloni, an Italian religious sister, founded the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy of Verona to care for the poor, sick, and elderly. 

Born the youngest of 12 siblings, she discerned her vocation under the guidance of Blessed Charles Steeb as she devoted her time to working with the poor, the elderly, and chronically ill.

In 1836, during the cholera epidemic of 1836, she worked tirelessly in the emergency wards, putting her own health at risk. In 1840 she devoted herself full time to the care of the sick and elderly and began to live a similar lifestyle to that of a religious sister — fervent prayer, strict schedules, and total service of charity toward others. 

On Sept. 10, 1848, Poloni founded the Sisters of Mercy of Verona and took the name Vincenza Maria. Her motto, “Serving Christ in the Poor,” became the foundation of her congregation, which can be found today on three continents. She died on Nov. 11, 1855, from a tumor that had spread throughout her body. She was beatified in 2008.

Pope Leo XIV will canonize seven new saints on Sunday including an Italian lawyer who renounced Satanism, a martyred Armenian archbishop, and a Venezuelan considered the “doctor of the poor.” Banners of the new saints are on display on St. Peter's Basilica for all to see in St. Peter's Square. Credit: Couttney Mares / CNA
Pope Leo XIV will canonize seven new saints on Sunday including an Italian lawyer who renounced Satanism, a martyred Armenian archbishop, and a Venezuelan considered the “doctor of the poor.” Banners of the new saints are on display on St. Peter’s Basilica for all to see in St. Peter’s Square. Credit: Couttney Mares / CNA

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Illegal immigration was one of the top issues of the 2024 election, but Abigail Spanberger, the Democrat running for governor of Virginia doesn’t seem to appreciate that.

The post Abigail Spanberger Says it’s ‘Horrifying’ That Crossing the Border Illegally is Considered a Criminal Act (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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