California Democrat Rep.
The post WHAT COULD GO WRONG? Eric Swalwell Wants Americans to be Able to Vote by Phone (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Bill Maher criticized America’s public education system on his show on Friday night, seemingly backing the Trump idea of ending the Department of Education.
The post Bill Maher Defends Trump Idea of Ending Education Department, Notes That Southern Red States Now Outperforming Others (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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LANSING, MI — Local mom Janet Fields has continued her decades-long tradition of making cranberry sauce for no one to eat.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — With Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene announcing her resignation in January, the average IQ in Congress is expected to rise about 7,000 points.
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View on Val Montanaia (Montanaia Valley), with the Cima Both (2,437 m) on the left and the “Campanile” (2,173 m) in the middle; both are peaks of the Spalti di Toro group, in the Friulian Dolomites Natural Park, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy.
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Former CIA agent Bryan Dean Wright appeared on the Jesse Watters show on Friday night and said that Senator Elissa Slotkin, also former CIA, knew exactly what she was doing when she put out a video last week of herself and other Democrats, urging members of the U.S.
The post Former CIA Agent Says Elissa Slotkin ‘Knew Exactly What She Was Doing’ With Video Calling on Military to Defy Trump (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft lifts off for its first flight Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, from U.S. Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California. The aircraft’s first flight marks the start of flight testing for NASA’s Quesst mission, the result of years of design, integration, and ground testing and begins a new chapter in NASA’s aeronautics research legacy.
Read MoreLord Jesus, I lovingly pray for this sweet hope
that I keep within my womb.
You have granted me the immense gift
of a tiny little life,
living in my own life,
and I humbly thank you for choosing me
as an instrument of your love.
In this sweet waiting,
help me to live in a constant attitude
of self-surrender to your will.
Grant me a motherly heart that is pure,
steadfast and generous.
I hand over to you my own concerns;
any anxious fears that may come, …
A reading from the Second Book of Samuel
5:1-3
In those days, all the tribes of Israel came to David in Hebron and said:
"Here we are, your bone and your flesh.
In days past, when Saul was our king,
it was you who led the Israelites out and brought them back.
And the LORD said to you,
‘You shall shepherd my people Israel
and shall be commander of Israel.’"
When all the elders of Israel came to David in Hebron,
King David made an agreement with them there before the LORD,
and they anointed him king of Israel.
A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Colossians
1:12-20
Brothers and sisters:
Let us give thanks to the Father,
who has made you fit to share
in the inheritance of the holy ones in light.
He delivered us from the power of darkness
and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.
For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers;
all things were created through him and for him.
He is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
He is the head of the body, the church.
He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
that in all things he himself might be preeminent.
For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell,
and through him to reconcile all things for him,
making peace by the blood of his cross
through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven.
From the Gospel accoording to Luke
23:35-43
The rulers sneered at Jesus and said,
"He saved others, let him save himself
if he is the chosen one, the Christ of God."
Even the soldiers jeered at him.
As they approached to offer him wine they called out,
"If you are King of the Jews, save yourself."
Above him there was an inscription that read,
"This is the King of the Jews."
Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying,
"Are you not the Christ?
Save yourself and us."
The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply,
"Have you no fear of God,
for you are subject to the same condemnation?
And indeed, we have been condemned justly,
for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes,
but this man has done nothing criminal."
Then he said,
"Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
He replied to him,
"Amen, I say to you,
today you will be with me in Paradise."
On the cross, we see a single phrase: “This is the King of the Jews” (Lk 23:38). That is Jesus’ title: he is a king. Yet as we gaze upon him, our idea of a king is turned upside down. When we try to visualize a king, what comes to mind is a powerful man seated on a throne with magnificent insignia, a sceptre in his hand and precious rings on his fingers, speaking in solemn tones to his subjects. That, more or less, is what we imagine. Looking at Jesus, though, we see the complete opposite. He is not comfortably enthroned, but hanging on a gibbet. The God who “casts down the mighty from their thrones” (Lk 1:52) appears as a slave executed by those in power. Appareled only with nails and thorns, stripped of everything yet rich in love, from his throne on the cross he no longer teaches the crowds by his words; he no longer lifts his hands as a teacher. He does more: pointing a finger at no one, he opens his arms to all. That is how he shows himself to be our king: with open arms. (…) Only by entering into his embrace do we understand: we come to realize that God went to this extreme, even to the paradox of the cross, in order to embrace every one of us, no matter how far distant we may be from him: he embraces our death, our pain, our poverty, our weakness. He embraced all of it. He became a slave so that each of us could become a son. (Pope Francis, Homily, Asti Cathedral, Solemnity of Christ the King, 20 November 2022)
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null / Credit: peacepix/Shutterstock
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 22, 2025 / 15:00 pm (CNA).
Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed.
Majority of Australian and French priests are thriving, reports say
A report has found that the majority of Australian priests and deacons are thriving in their ministry roles.
In the first-ever survey of well-being among Australia’s clergy, the National Centre for Pastoral Research and the Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office found 75% of clergy reported having “good” or “very good” self-confidence, 66% reported they maintain a healthy diet, 61% said they get sufficient rest, and 55% reported high energy levels.
In addition, the vast majority of clergy, at 90%, described their connections with their parishes as positive. Overall, 71% reported feeling hopeful, and 61% said they felt joyful frequently.
This comes on the heels of an October survey in France that found most Catholic priests — 80% of those who responded — said they “are happy in their mission” and feel “faithful to their calling,” useful, and “at peace,” according to the Catholic Weekly. The survey by the Observatory of Catholicism was conducted with the French Institute of Public Opinion.
Dutch bishop says Cardinal Fernandez ‘Co-Redemptrix’ title decision is ‘mistaken’
Bishop Rob Mutsaerts, auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of ‘s-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands, has called Cardinal Manuel Fernandez’s decision to advise against using the Co-Redemptrix Marian title “mistaken.”
“There is no truth that cannot be misunderstood,” he wrote in a blog post, according to the Catholic Herald. The prelate argued that the cardinal’s new guidance, issued via the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, is “mistaken to claim that it is no longer advisable to use the title ‘Co-Redemptrix’ for Mary.”
“If he is concerned that people will equate Mary with Christ, the problem lies with him, not Mary,” the bishop said. “Christ’s position is so absolute that it is nonsensical to imagine anyone overshadowing him. Cooperation does not imply rivalry.”
South African Sister at G20 summit calls Africa’s debt crisis ‘ethical, spiritual tragedy’
The Associate Secretary General of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference has described Africa’s debt crisis as “an ethical and spiritual tragedy” that needs to be addressed.
Presenting during the G20 Social Summit side event that was held in Johannesburg on the theme, “A Jubilee for Solidarity: Towards a People and Planet Driven Financial Architecture for Africa,” Sister Dominica Mkhize said Africa’s debt crisis wounds human dignity, ACI Africa reported Nov. 20.
“Across Africa, the debt crisis has become one of these wounds,” she said. “As a Catholic family, guided by the gospel and by our social teaching, we cannot remain silent in the face of this ethical and spiritual tragedy.”
House of Nazareth Listening Center opens in Homs to support families
In the heart of Homs, the new “House of Nazareth Listening Center” has opened its doors with a mission to provide safe, compassionate support for families, young people, and individuals facing emotional, spiritual, or psychological challenges.
The initiative, launched with a special liturgy, aims to strengthen family life and promote healing in a city still recovering from years of conflict, according to a Nov. 17 report from CNA’s Arabic language news partner, ACI Mena.
Staffed by religious sisters and trained counselors, the center offers marriage preparation, youth guidance, individual accompaniment, and programs designed especially for women navigating hardship, including widows and women supporting their households alone. Counselors say the demand for such services has grown significantly, particularly among young people.
Pope Leo’s visit to revise symbolism of Istanbul’s Patriarchal church
As Turkey prepares to welcome Pope Leo XIV on Nov. 27, attention is turning toward the historic St. George’s Patriarchal Church in the Phanar district of Istanbul.
The church, regarded as the spiritual heart of global Orthodoxy, will once again host a pivotal moment of Christian unity, as the pope joins Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I for the Great Doxology and the signing of a joint declaration, ACI Mena reported.
Patriarch Bartholomew, who has worked closely with four popes over the past several decades, continues to play a central role in nurturing dialogue between Rome and Constantinople.
Cash reward offered in Indian state for reporting violations of anti-conversion laws
A cash reward is being offered in the northern Indian state of Punjab for anyone who provides evidence-backed tips of violations of the state’s anti-conversion laws.
The Save Punjab Movement is offering 200,000 rupees ($2,250) for any “information with proof” of conversions to Christianity, according to a UCA News report. The group’s president, Tejasvi Minhas, said identities of informants would be kept confidential, as it seeks to counter “large scale illegal religious conversions across Punjab.”
Minhas claimed that the Christian population has “grown to nearly 15 percent,” and that “around 65,000 pastors” are engaged in conversion schemes involving manipulation and pressure tactics such as promises of miraculous cures. “The Catholic Church has never indulged in religious conversion activities,” Father Daniel Gill, Vicar General of the Jalandhar diocese said in response to the allegations.
Hope persists in Haiti amid ongoing violence, kidnapping, natural disasters
A Catholic missionary in Haiti expressed hope amid ongoing violence and natural disasters in the beleaguered country.
Father Massimo Miraglio, a Camillian missionary in Haiti, told Agenzia Fides he has “finally managed” to return to his parish in Pourcine-Pic Malaya after the devastation of Hurricane Melissa.
While the natural disaster has destroyed bean crops, orchards, and livestock, he said, in the banana groves, “after being cleared, are beginning to raise the flag of hope: the first large leaf, a sign of rebirth.”
The devastation of Hurricane Melissa comes amid clashes between gangs and the U.S. military, and continued violent crime.
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null / Credit: Courtesy of the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles
Dublin, Ireland, Nov 22, 2025 / 13:00 pm (CNA).
Marthe de Noaillat, called the “Apostle of Christ the King” by her biographer, had a singular mission in life that she believed had been entrusted to her: to promote the universal kingship of Jesus Christ.
“Marthe was the woman who single-handedly brought this to the Church. This is not unusual, indeed the hard lifting in many of these causes was done by women of profound faith,” Father Bernard McGuckian, SJ, host of a new EWTN Ireland television series, told CNA.
De Noaillat was the seventh child in a family of 12 whose parents, Jean-Baptiste Devuns and Anne Zélina, were pious Catholics.
After spending seven years discerning a cloistered vocation, de Noaillat was led instead into the heart of the world as a missionary. With the encouragement and approval of Popes Benedict XV and Pius XI, she organized a global referendum aimed at gathering the faithful to acknowledge the “sovereign rights” of Christ, meaning that Christ is king over everything, including the entire universe.
Her efforts, carried out over six demanding years, helped pave the way for the Church’s solemn proclamation of Christ’s kingship and the establishment of the feast of Christ the King, which was formally instituted by Pope Pius XI in his encyclical Quas Primas in December 1925.
A life devoted to the kingship of Christ
Jean-Claude Prieto de Acha, author of a 2025 biography of de Noaillat, told CNA: “No trace of the kingship of Christ is found in Marthe’s early writings. On the other hand, St. Joan of Arc was greatly venerated in her family home. The mention of this kingship is very present in the life of St. Joan of Arc, from the exhortation of the archangel St. Michael: ‘Go, daughter of God! The King of Heaven will help you.’”
From Joan’s meeting with the Dauphin in Chinon she reportedly said: “I come from the King of Heaven to lift the siege of Orléans,” and “Gentle Dauphin, my name is Joan the Maid, and the King of Heaven informs you through me that you will be consecrated and crowned in the city of Reims.” And when she reached Orléans, she said: “I bring you the help of the King of Heaven.”
De Noaillat wanted to be a nun and entered the convent where, despite numerous health problems, she was determined to take vows. Eventually, however, her poor health became too much, and she left the convent at her mother superior’s instructions.
“Each of her stays at the convent resulted in considerable physical weakness, forcing her to return regularly to her family home to regain her health,” de Acha told CNA.
“Her desire for religious life constantly drew her back to the cloister, but with each new attempt at religious life, her health deteriorated further, and she found herself in such a state of physical decline that when she finally had to renounce this cloistered life, it took her months to stand again. But she remained faithful throughout her life — even after her marriage — to her religious vows. Her husband, Georges de Noaillat, attested to this in writing after his wife’s death.”
Georges also relayed that one of his wife’s superiors in the convent said: “Marthe is not made to live within four walls; it is in the public squares that she must preach… She had only one thought: to win souls for Jesus Christ.”
De Acha pointed out that it is likely that de Noaillat’s natural eloquence was noticed at the convent “not during the daily routine of community life, during which silence was imposed, but when she was asked to speak before the sisters.”
Marthe and Georges’ relationship was reportedly a happy one — two zealous servants of Christ in a Josephine marriage, living as brother and sister, with the blessing of their bishop. After their marriage, each continued their work. In 1918, Marthe took up the role of director of the Hieron Museum in Paray-Le-Monial. There she redoubled her efforts in support of the kingship of Christ.
De Acha told CNA: “It is certain that she knew — and perhaps felt more keenly than others — her utter powerlessness to carry out the tasks entrusted to her without the help, support, and inner strength drawn from Eucharistic adoration and daily Communion. Marthe never relied on her own strength; the experience of her profound physical weakness during her attempts at religious life certainly marked her forever.”
The Italian Jesuit Father Jean-Maria Sanna-Solaro in 1870 initiated a request to institute the feast of Christ the King. The Congregation of Rites in the Vatican rejected that request.
Explaining de Noaillat’s subsequent initial petition to the pope to establish a feast of Christ the King, de Acha explained: “This initial petition to Rome was merely a personal initiative by Marthe, even though it had been forwarded and thus approved by Bishop Berthoin of Autun. Benedict XV’s response — a request that would be echoed by his successor, Pius XI — was therefore legitimate: to establish this feast, the request had to be universal and therefore bear the signatures of bishops from around the world. The head of the Church will only accept the petition on the day it is signed by a majority of the episcopate.”
Finally convinced of the support from the faithful, Pope Pius XI let de Noaillat know of his intention to establish the feast in a Mass on the last day of the holy year of 1925, to which she and her husband were invited as guests of honor. The feast of Christ the King is now celebrated on the last Sunday before Advent.
De Noaillat’s unexpected death
Marthe de Noaillat died unexpectedly and suddenly along with her secretary on Feb. 5, 1926, not long after the feast of Christ the King was inaugurated.
“Marthe had her breakfast as usual with the parish priest after Mass in Paray Le Monial — the church where the Sacred Heart appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque — and went back to her office to work,” McGuckian explained. “When she failed to return later for lunch as agreed, she was found dead in her office along with her secretary, Jeanne Lépine; both had succumbed to accidental carbon monoxide poisoning.”
He added: “It was a tragic and unexpected end to the life of such a remarkable woman. It is hoped now that with the anniversary of the inauguration of the feast day, and 100 years since the publication of Quas Primas, that Marthe will receive the recognition that she never sought for herself but which is fully deserved for her devoted and tenacious advocacy for the kingship of Christ.”
Georges de Noaillat, 10 years later, was ordained to the priesthood and died in January 1948.
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On November 20, Astronomy magazine hosted a live event featuring nine speakers, all standouts in the world of amateur astronomy. The event was sponsored by Celestron, the world’s leading telescope manufacturer. Hundreds of people from all over the world tuned in as the presenters walked them through the wonderful possibilities offered by amateur astronomy. Hosted by Astronomy’s ContentContinue reading “Astronomy Unlocked videos are now available”
The post Astronomy Unlocked videos are now available appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
Read More![Pope Leo XIV warns against ‘false mercy’ in marriage annulment proceedings - #Catholic -
Pope Leo XIV holds an audience with the Roman Rota on Nov. 21, 2025, at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media
ACI Prensa Staff, Nov 22, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA).
In a firm call to avoid “false mercy” in marriage annulment proceedings, Pope Leo XIV reminded that compassion cannot disregard the truth.During a Friday audience with participants in the legal-pastoral training course of the Roman Rota, the Holy See’s court of appeals, the Holy Father read a lengthy speech in which he recalled the importance of the reform of marriage annulment processes initiated by Pope Francis 10 years ago.The pontiff emphasized that theology, law, and pastoral care must be understood in a harmonious way, not as separate or opposing areas, and pointed out that annulment proceedings are not merely technical procedures to obtain the “free status of persons” but rather an ecclesial service based on the search for truth and on family pastoral care.Judicial processes at the service of truthIn this context, Pope Leo stressed that ecclesial judicial processes must be “at the service of the truth” and also reiterated that “the mystery of the conjugal covenant” must be kept in mind.“A fundamental aspect of pastoral service operates in judicial authority: the diaconia [ministry] of truth. Every faithful person, every family, every community needs truth about their ecclesial situation in order to walk well the path of faith and charity. The truth about personal and community rights is situated in this context: the juridical truth declared in ecclesiastical processes is an aspect of existential truth within the Church,” he stated.Consequently, the Holy Father pointed out that “the sacred authority is participation in the authority of Christ, and its service to truth is a way of knowing and embracing the ultimate truth, which is Christ himself.”A manifestation of justice and mercyHe then recalled that in God’s judgment on salvation, “his forgiveness of the repentant sinner is always at work, but human judgment on the nullity of marriage cannot however be manipulated by false mercy.”“Any activity contrary to the service of the process of truth must certainly be deemed unjust. However, it is precisely in the proper exercise of judicial authority that true mercy must be practiced,” he emphasized.In this regard, Pope Leo XIV insisted that the process of matrimonial nullity can be seen as “a contribution by legal practitioners to satisfy the need for justice that is so deeply rooted in the conscience of the faithful, and thus to accomplish a just work motivated by true mercy.”“The aim of the reform,” he added, “which is to make the process more accessible and expeditious, but never at the expense of truth, thus appears as a manifestation of justice and mercy.”The pontiff also emphasized the urgency of ensuring realism in annulment cases and appealed to the responsibility of the judges of the Roman Rota. He thus encouraged them to view the institution of the judicial process “as an instrument of justice” in which there is “an impartial judge” and the aim is to seek “a great benefit for all concerned and for the Church herself.”He stressed the importance of making “efforts to promote reconciliation between spouses are very important, including, where possible, through the validation of the marriage.”“Behind the procedural technicalities, with the faithful application of the current legislation, the ecclesiological presuppositions of the matrimonial process are therefore at stake: the search for truth and the ‘salus animarum’ itself [the salvation of souls],” he noted.Synergy between justice and pastoral carePope Leo recalled in this regard that, in recent years, there has been “a growing awareness of the inclusion of the Church’s judicial activity in the field of marriage within the overall pastoral care of the family.”“This pastoral care,” he pointed out, “cannot ignore or underestimate the work of ecclesiastical tribunals, and the latter must not forget that their specific contribution to justice is a piece in the task of promoting the good of families, with particular reference to those in difficulty.”Thus, he emphasized that “the synergy between pastoral attention to critical situations and the judicial sphere has found significant expression in the implementation of preliminary investigations aimed at ascertaining the existence of grounds for initiating a case of nullity.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/pope-leo-xiv-warns-against-false-mercy-in-marriage-annulment-proceedings-catholic-pope-leo-xiv-holds-an-audience-with-the-roman-rota-on-nov-21-2025-at-the-vatican-cred.webp)
Pope Leo XIV holds an audience with the Roman Rota on Nov. 21, 2025, at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media
ACI Prensa Staff, Nov 22, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA).
In a firm call to avoid “false mercy” in marriage annulment proceedings, Pope Leo XIV reminded that compassion cannot disregard the truth.
During a Friday audience with participants in the legal-pastoral training course of the Roman Rota, the Holy See’s court of appeals, the Holy Father read a lengthy speech in which he recalled the importance of the reform of marriage annulment processes initiated by Pope Francis 10 years ago.
The pontiff emphasized that theology, law, and pastoral care must be understood in a harmonious way, not as separate or opposing areas, and pointed out that annulment proceedings are not merely technical procedures to obtain the “free status of persons” but rather an ecclesial service based on the search for truth and on family pastoral care.
Judicial processes at the service of truth
In this context, Pope Leo stressed that ecclesial judicial processes must be “at the service of the truth” and also reiterated that “the mystery of the conjugal covenant” must be kept in mind.
“A fundamental aspect of pastoral service operates in judicial authority: the diaconia [ministry] of truth. Every faithful person, every family, every community needs truth about their ecclesial situation in order to walk well the path of faith and charity. The truth about personal and community rights is situated in this context: the juridical truth declared in ecclesiastical processes is an aspect of existential truth within the Church,” he stated.
Consequently, the Holy Father pointed out that “the sacred authority is participation in the authority of Christ, and its service to truth is a way of knowing and embracing the ultimate truth, which is Christ himself.”
A manifestation of justice and mercy
He then recalled that in God’s judgment on salvation, “his forgiveness of the repentant sinner is always at work, but human judgment on the nullity of marriage cannot however be manipulated by false mercy.”
“Any activity contrary to the service of the process of truth must certainly be deemed unjust. However, it is precisely in the proper exercise of judicial authority that true mercy must be practiced,” he emphasized.
In this regard, Pope Leo XIV insisted that the process of matrimonial nullity can be seen as “a contribution by legal practitioners to satisfy the need for justice that is so deeply rooted in the conscience of the faithful, and thus to accomplish a just work motivated by true mercy.”
“The aim of the reform,” he added, “which is to make the process more accessible and expeditious, but never at the expense of truth, thus appears as a manifestation of justice and mercy.”
The pontiff also emphasized the urgency of ensuring realism in annulment cases and appealed to the responsibility of the judges of the Roman Rota. He thus encouraged them to view the institution of the judicial process “as an instrument of justice” in which there is “an impartial judge” and the aim is to seek “a great benefit for all concerned and for the Church herself.”
He stressed the importance of making “efforts to promote reconciliation between spouses are very important, including, where possible, through the validation of the marriage.”
“Behind the procedural technicalities, with the faithful application of the current legislation, the ecclesiological presuppositions of the matrimonial process are therefore at stake: the search for truth and the ‘salus animarum’ itself [the salvation of souls],” he noted.
Synergy between justice and pastoral care
Pope Leo recalled in this regard that, in recent years, there has been “a growing awareness of the inclusion of the Church’s judicial activity in the field of marriage within the overall pastoral care of the family.”
“This pastoral care,” he pointed out, “cannot ignore or underestimate the work of ecclesiastical tribunals, and the latter must not forget that their specific contribution to justice is a piece in the task of promoting the good of families, with particular reference to those in difficulty.”
Thus, he emphasized that “the synergy between pastoral attention to critical situations and the judicial sphere has found significant expression in the implementation of preliminary investigations aimed at ascertaining the existence of grounds for initiating a case of nullity.”
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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Wrapped with Love to spread holiday cheer at Chester event #Catholic – 
For the first time, the holiday craftwork of Wrapped in Love, a new ministry of volunteer knitters and crocheters at St. Lawrence the Martyr Parish in Chester, N.J., will appear at the township’s annual Festival of Trees fundraiser, to be held from Saturday, Dec. 6 to Saturday, Dec. 13. The group is donating a Christmas tree filled with 70 handmade ornaments to be displayed for the public’s enjoyment and available for purchase at auction.
The Festival of Trees is a community celebration featuring a spectacular display of holiday trees in a winter wonderland setting at the rustically stunning Barn at Highlands Ridge Park in Chester. The many decorated trees donated by various organizations are available for purchase through a silent auction. All proceeds support the Senior Resource Center, which offers programming that facilitates a healthy, joyful lifestyle for people 55-plus in the greater Chester area.
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Wrapped with Love’s appearance at the Festival of Trees also will also help promote the ministry, St. Lawrence, and Catholicism in Chester area.
Founded in 2003, The Festival of Trees draws in thousands of people from across the region. The event will be open on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Sunday to Thursday from noon to 6 p.m., and on Friday from noon to 8 p.m. The silent auction closes on Saturday, Dec.13, at 3 p.m.
Wrapped in Love has knitted and crocheted prayer shawls and donated them to anyone, regardless of faith, who needed hugs and prayers. Founded a year ago, the ministry has grown to include making baby blankets and scarves for donations to schools and shelters.
The cost for Festival of Trees is $10 for general admission and $5 for seniors/students.
– For the first time, the holiday craftwork of Wrapped in Love, a new ministry of volunteer knitters and crocheters at St. Lawrence the Martyr Parish in Chester, N.J., will appear at the township’s annual Festival of Trees fundraiser, to be held from Saturday, Dec. 6 to Saturday, Dec. 13. The group is donating a Christmas tree filled with 70 handmade ornaments to be displayed for the public’s enjoyment and available for purchase at auction. The Festival of Trees is a community celebration featuring a spectacular display of holiday trees in a winter wonderland setting at the rustically stunning Barn at
null / Credit: Andrii Vodolazhskyi/CNA
CNA Staff, Nov 22, 2025 / 08:20 am (CNA).
Here is a roundup of recent pro-life and abortion-related news.
4 out of 5 Americans have concerns with embryonic screening, study finds
Four in five voters have some at least some concerns about embryo screening, a recent Ethics and Public Policy Center poll found.
Embryonic screening is the practice of selecting some babies to be born because of their genetic traits — such as appearance, health, or predicted intelligence — while discarding other unborn babies.
The Ethics and Public Policy Center poll, led by center fellow Patrick Brown, comes in the wake of some Silicon Valley-funded startups saying they will give parents the ability to screen embryos.
The poll found that very few Americans want Silicon Valley to “hack” reproduction.
“While Americans support measures to help infertile couples have children, they express concerns about broader implications of these technologies,” the report says.
Across demographic groups, voters voiced support for “commonsense regulations.”
Women were more likely to have concerns about embryo screening than men, while older voters (ages 46+) were more likely to have concerns than younger voters (ages 18-45).
South Carolina right-to-life group opposes proposed bill to criminalize women who have abortions
A South Carolina bill would enable prosecution of women who have abortions — a practice that South Carolina Citizens for Life (SCCL) and most pro-life groups oppose.
The bill, which would designate abortion as equivalent to the homicide of a born person, contains no provisions protecting women who obtain abortions.
While pro-life groups tend to support prosecution of abortionists who illegally perform the deadly procedure, most groups oppose the prosecution of abortive mothers themselves, whom they also consider to be victims of abortion.
Holly Gatling, who heads South Carolina Citizens for Life, called the bill “unacceptable.”
“This provision of the law alone would shut down post-abortion ministries such as Rachel’s Vineyard and jeopardize the livesaving, compassionate work of pregnancy care ministries,” she told CNA.
The Catholic bishops ask that Project Rachel, a counseling resource for post-abortive women, be present in every diocese in the U.S.
Gatling said she opposes the bill “because it criminalizes post-aborted women, jeopardizes the work of pregnancy care centers and post-abortion ministries, and undermines the pro-life legislation previously passed by the General Assembly.”
“Not only are post-aborted women subject to criminal prosecution, but pastors, counselors, and any ‘person’ also can be compelled to testify in the criminal prosecution of a post-aborted woman,” Gatling said.
Gatling noted that South Carolina’s current heartbeat law has saved thousands of lives while explicitly protecting women from prosecution.
“SCCL and many other pro-life and pro-family organizations in South Carolina oppose legislation that reverses this protection for women,” Gatling said.
U.S. government can’t compel Christian employers to accommodate abortions, judge rules
A federal court has issued a permanent injunction ruling that Christian employers will not be compelled to accommodate abortions.
The Herzog Foundation in a lawsuit had argued that a Biden-era rule requiring employers to accommodate abortions for pregnant employees violated the First Amendment.
On Tuesday, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri granted the permanent injunction protecting faith-based employers.
Herzog Foundation spokeswoman Elizabeth Roberts lauded the court’s decision in a Nov. 20 statement, saying that the ruling “solidifies that the government cannot overstep its authority by trying to dictate or suppress our beliefs.”
3 state attorneys general file challenge to mail-in chemical abortion drugs
Attorneys general of Idaho, Kansas, and Missouri filed a challenge to stop mail-order abortion drugs and block the recent approval of generic mifepristone.
The Nov. 20 challenge claims that the FDA “cut corners when it removed safeguards from this dangerous drug.”
Mifeprisotone’s label says that 1 in 25 women will go to the emergency room after taking the drug, while other studies have found that it poses a risk to the women and girls who take it.
Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway said in a statement that Missouri “will not stand by while manufacturers gamble with women’s lives.”
“Mifepristone is sending women to the hospital with life-threatening complications, and yet drug companies continue pushing new versions of it into the market without basic medical safeguards,” Hanaway said.
Texas sees decrease in minors getting abortions
After Texas implemented a heartbeat law protecting unborn children when their heartbeats are detectable, the state has seen a marked drop in abortions among minors, a recent study found.
Published online on Nov. 13 by the American Journal of Public Health, the study found that abortions decreased by more than 25% among minors in Texas.
Additionally, among Texans ages 18-24, abortions decreased by about 20%; for Texans aged 25-29, abortions decreased by 17%, the study found.
The study, which cited concerns about “young people’s reproductive autonomy,” has several authors affiliated with abortion clinics including Planned Parenthood as well as two authors affiliated with a pro-abortion research center, Resound Research for Reproductive Health.
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Pope Leo XIV greets young American Catholics from the Vatican during a digital dialogue held between the Holy Father and participants in the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025 / Credit: Vatican Media
CNA Staff, Nov 22, 2025 / 07:56 am (CNA).
The 2025 National Catholic Youth Conference features prayer, community, evangelization, and service among Catholic teenagers from Nov. 20–22 in Indianapolis. Follow CNA’s live coverage of the event below.
Watch the Day 3 of the event:
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