May all I do today begin with you, O Lord.
Plant dreams and hopes within my soul,
revive my tired spirit:
be with me today.
May all I do today continue with your help, O Lord.
Be at my side and walk with me:
Be my support today.
May all I do today reach far and wide, O Lord.
My thoughts, my work, my life:
make them blessings for your kingdom;
let them go beyond today,
O God Today is new unlike any other day,
for God makes each day different.
Today God’s …
![Chile elects conservative for president, defeating Communist Party opponent - #Catholic -
Chilean president-elect José Antonio Kast. / Credit: Equipo Kast vía Flickr (CC BY 4.0)
ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 15, 2025 / 18:31 pm (CNA).
After being edged out by 2.9% in the Nov. 16 general election by his Communist Party opponent Jeannette Jara, Republican Party candidate José Antonio Kast reversed the result in the Dec. 14 runoff vote to become the new president-elect of Chile.With 58% of the vote, and in line with the polls that predicted him as the winner with more than 55%, Kast prevailed over Jara, who obtained 42%.With 99.97% of the ballots counted, showing a difference of more than 2 million valid votes, the runoff election marks a change of political direction for the country, currently led by President Gabriel Boric of the political left.Kast is slated to take office as president of Chile on March 11, 2026. On the same day, the legislators elected in November will also take office.“Democracy has spoken loud and clear. I have just spoken with president-elect Kast to wish him success for the good of Chile,” Jara wrote on X, acknowledging her defeat.“To those who supported us and were mobilized by our campaign, rest assured that we will continue working to advance toward a better life in our country. Together and standing strong, as we have always done,” she added.Kast’s victory speech“It’s a special day. It’s a day that stays with us, a day that stands out among the different days when things happen. And this is a day of joy,” Kast said to thousands of his supporters in Santiago, referring to Gaudate (Rejoice) Sunday, which coincided with election day.The president-elect thanked his wife, María Pía, “who will be a tremendous first lady,” and commented that what he does in politics is not a sacrifice but a privilege that he experiences “with a joy, a passion, that you can’t even imagine, and that we want to take together to La Moneda [the presidential palace] and bring about that very important change.”“But nothing would be possible if we didn’t have God. And that’s something we can’t fail to acknowledge,” he continued, and prayed that the Lord would give him “wisdom, temperance, and strength, to always be up to this challenge.”“Here, a person didn’t win, a political party didn’t win; Chile won. The hope of living without fear won. That fear that causes so much anguish to families. The Chile that works, the Chile that gets up early, the Chile that raises its families and its children with great sacrifice — that Chile won.”After stating that he wants the government to regain a sense of responsibility for others, Kast announced that “we will restore respect for the law in all regions, without exceptions and without privileges” of any kind.The president-elect also thanked other candidates who publicly expressed their support for him, such as Johannes Kaiser, and referred to the Communist Party candidate: “A government has supporters and it has opponents. And that’s normal. And it’s legitimate. And clearly, we have profound differences with Janeth Jara,” he said, and encouraged respect in order to overcome division.“And we have to burn that into our minds. Someone may have a different ideology, but he or she is a person just like us,” he emphasized.Comments from the bishops of ChileThe bishops of the standing committee of the Chilean Bishops’ Conference congratulated the president-elect and noted that, upon his election, the country “entrusts him with the task of leading the nation in times that demand clarity, generosity, and a profound commitment to the common good.”After noting some of the challenging situations in Chile, the bishops emphasized that “the presidential election renews the hope of moving toward a more just, fraternal, and supportive country, where the power of reason always prevails over the rationale of force.”The prelates encouraged Kast to “promote an environment of dialogue, encounter, and respect, which is essential for rebuilding social trust. As pastors of the Catholic Church on pilgrimage in Chile, we reaffirm our vocation to contribute to the common good through the mission that the Gospel entrusts to us.”After expressing their concern about “the growing denigration of migrants and vulnerable people,” the Chilean bishops expressed their willingness to collaborate with their prayers and efforts for the common good of the country, and then entrusted Kast to the protection of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, patroness of Chile.Who is José Antonio Kast?Born in Santiago in 1966, Kast is a lawyer and a seasoned politician. The leader of the Republican Party served as a city councilor, a member of the Chamber of Deputies (lower house) for four consecutive terms, and ran for president three times.Kast is a practicing Catholic and belongs to the Schönstatt Apostolic Movement. He has been married since 1991 to María Pía Adriasola Barroilhet, with whom he has nine children.Kast defines himself as “simply on the right” of the political spectrum. Historically, he was a member of the Independent Democratic Union, but he ran for president in 2017 as an independent candidate. After his defeat, he led the Republican Action movement. The current Republican Party was founded by him in 2019, and in 2021 he ran for president as the representative of that party.New government’s approach to abortion, migration crisisThe president-elect has expressed his support for “life from conception to natural death.” However, although the Boric government threatened to introduce legislation to eliminate the three grounds under which abortion is permitted in the country, making it legal for any reason up to 14 weeks, Kast’s campaign set aside the “values agenda” to focus on the crime and violence crisis and the large influx of unauthorized immigrants that the country is experiencing.In his latest campaign, Kast hardened his stance against migrants residing illegally in the country. His proposal is that the 336,000 migrants who lack legal status in Chile return voluntarily to their countries of origin and contribute to the cost of their return ticket.If they do not leave voluntarily before his term begins, the president-elect has warned that he will impose penalties: “If someone doesn’t leave voluntarily and we have to find them and deport them, they will never be allowed to enter Chilean territory again,” he stated, according to the Spanish news outlet El País.His “countdown” to expel illegal unauthorized immigrants was criticized by the archbishop of Concepción, Sergio Pérez de Arce, who considered that “the response to migrants in an irregular situation (not legally present) in the country cannot be simply ‘you leave now, voluntarily, or we will expel you with nothing but the clothes on your back’ in 100 days.”“I share your concern,” Kast said in the last debate, moderating the tone that had characterized his campaign, and regretted that the migration situation in Chile had been aggravated by the actions of criminal gangs. “Children have been abused, people have been exploited and forced to pay others to bring them into Chile,” he stated.He also indicated that while the Church plays a role of “welcoming, solidarity, and charity,” the state “must enforce the law,” and he insisted on his promise that those who violate immigration laws will face penalties: “If someone is going to break the law, they must be apprehended if they have committed a crime.” 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/2025/12/chile-elects-conservative-for-president-defeating-communist-party-opponent-catholic-chilean-president-elect-jose-antonio-kast-credit-equipo-kast-via-flickr-cc-by-4-0aci-prensa-staff.webp)
ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 15, 2025 / 18:31 pm (CNA).
After being edged out by 2.9% in the Nov. 16 general election by his Communist Party opponent Jeannette Jara, Republican Party candidate José Antonio Kast reversed the result in the Dec. 14 runoff vote to become the new president-elect of Chile.
With 58% of the vote, and in line with the polls that predicted him as the winner with more than 55%, Kast prevailed over Jara, who obtained 42%.
With 99.97% of the ballots counted, showing a difference of more than 2 million valid votes, the runoff election marks a change of political direction for the country, currently led by President Gabriel Boric of the political left.
Kast is slated to take office as president of Chile on March 11, 2026. On the same day, the legislators elected in November will also take office.
“Democracy has spoken loud and clear. I have just spoken with president-elect Kast to wish him success for the good of Chile,” Jara wrote on X, acknowledging her defeat.
“To those who supported us and were mobilized by our campaign, rest assured that we will continue working to advance toward a better life in our country. Together and standing strong, as we have always done,” she added.
“It’s a special day. It’s a day that stays with us, a day that stands out among the different days when things happen. And this is a day of joy,” Kast said to thousands of his supporters in Santiago, referring to Gaudate (Rejoice) Sunday, which coincided with election day.
The president-elect thanked his wife, María Pía, “who will be a tremendous first lady,” and commented that what he does in politics is not a sacrifice but a privilege that he experiences “with a joy, a passion, that you can’t even imagine, and that we want to take together to La Moneda [the presidential palace] and bring about that very important change.”
“But nothing would be possible if we didn’t have God. And that’s something we can’t fail to acknowledge,” he continued, and prayed that the Lord would give him “wisdom, temperance, and strength, to always be up to this challenge.”
“Here, a person didn’t win, a political party didn’t win; Chile won. The hope of living without fear won. That fear that causes so much anguish to families. The Chile that works, the Chile that gets up early, the Chile that raises its families and its children with great sacrifice — that Chile won.”
After stating that he wants the government to regain a sense of responsibility for others, Kast announced that “we will restore respect for the law in all regions, without exceptions and without privileges” of any kind.
The president-elect also thanked other candidates who publicly expressed their support for him, such as Johannes Kaiser, and referred to the Communist Party candidate: “A government has supporters and it has opponents. And that’s normal. And it’s legitimate. And clearly, we have profound differences with Janeth Jara,” he said, and encouraged respect in order to overcome division.
“And we have to burn that into our minds. Someone may have a different ideology, but he or she is a person just like us,” he emphasized.
The bishops of the standing committee of the Chilean Bishops’ Conference congratulated the president-elect and noted that, upon his election, the country “entrusts him with the task of leading the nation in times that demand clarity, generosity, and a profound commitment to the common good.”
After noting some of the challenging situations in Chile, the bishops emphasized that “the presidential election renews the hope of moving toward a more just, fraternal, and supportive country, where the power of reason always prevails over the rationale of force.”
The prelates encouraged Kast to “promote an environment of dialogue, encounter, and respect, which is essential for rebuilding social trust. As pastors of the Catholic Church on pilgrimage in Chile, we reaffirm our vocation to contribute to the common good through the mission that the Gospel entrusts to us.”
After expressing their concern about “the growing denigration of migrants and vulnerable people,” the Chilean bishops expressed their willingness to collaborate with their prayers and efforts for the common good of the country, and then entrusted Kast to the protection of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, patroness of Chile.
Born in Santiago in 1966, Kast is a lawyer and a seasoned politician. The leader of the Republican Party served as a city councilor, a member of the Chamber of Deputies (lower house) for four consecutive terms, and ran for president three times.
Kast is a practicing Catholic and belongs to the Schönstatt Apostolic Movement. He has been married since 1991 to María Pía Adriasola Barroilhet, with whom he has nine children.
Kast defines himself as “simply on the right” of the political spectrum. Historically, he was a member of the Independent Democratic Union, but he ran for president in 2017 as an independent candidate. After his defeat, he led the Republican Action movement. The current Republican Party was founded by him in 2019, and in 2021 he ran for president as the representative of that party.
The president-elect has expressed his support for “life from conception to natural death.” However, although the Boric government threatened to introduce legislation to eliminate the three grounds under which abortion is permitted in the country, making it legal for any reason up to 14 weeks, Kast’s campaign set aside the “values agenda” to focus on the crime and violence crisis and the large influx of unauthorized immigrants that the country is experiencing.
In his latest campaign, Kast hardened his stance against migrants residing illegally in the country. His proposal is that the 336,000 migrants who lack legal status in Chile return voluntarily to their countries of origin and contribute to the cost of their return ticket.
If they do not leave voluntarily before his term begins, the president-elect has warned that he will impose penalties: “If someone doesn’t leave voluntarily and we have to find them and deport them, they will never be allowed to enter Chilean territory again,” he stated, according to the Spanish news outlet El País.
His “countdown” to expel illegal unauthorized immigrants was criticized by the archbishop of Concepción, Sergio Pérez de Arce, who considered that “the response to migrants in an irregular situation (not legally present) in the country cannot be simply ‘you leave now, voluntarily, or we will expel you with nothing but the clothes on your back’ in 100 days.”
“I share your concern,” Kast said in the last debate, moderating the tone that had characterized his campaign, and regretted that the migration situation in Chile had been aggravated by the actions of criminal gangs. “Children have been abused, people have been exploited and forced to pay others to bring them into Chile,” he stated.
He also indicated that while the Church plays a role of “welcoming, solidarity, and charity,” the state “must enforce the law,” and he insisted on his promise that those who violate immigration laws will face penalties: “If someone is going to break the law, they must be apprehended if they have committed a crime.”
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
Read More![Little Sisters of the Poor file another appeal over contraception mandate - #Catholic -
Religious sisters show their support for the Little Sisters of the Poor outside the Supreme Court, where oral arguments were heard on March 23, 2016, in the Zubik v. Burwell case against the HHS mandate. / Credit: CNA
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 15, 2025 / 18:06 pm (CNA).
The 14-year legal battle against federal contraceptive mandates will continue, with Little Sisters of the Poor and the federal government seeking to reinstate moral and religious exemptions that were established in 2017.Little Sisters of the Poor have already won religious freedom cases on this subject twice at the Supreme Court level. The high court ruled in 2016 that the federal government must protect religious freedoms for those who oppose the contraceptives and in 2020 ruled that the federal government had the legal authority to adopt the broad exemptions established in 2017.Those exemptions fully covered employers that had religious or moral objections to providing the contraceptives, some of which can be abortifacient. Under the rules, those employers were not required to include any contraceptive coverage in their insurance plans for employees.In spite of the prior Supreme Court wins, a federal court in August 2025 struck down the 2017 exemptions on grounds that the Supreme Court had not yet ruled on.Because the Supreme Court left some questions open, the attorneys general in two states that disapprove of the exemptions — Pennsylvania and New Jersey — continued their legal battle on different grounds. Those legal arguments allege that the adoption of the rules did not comply with the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), which the Supreme Court had not ruled on. In the August ruling, Judge Wendy Beetlestone found that the rules did not comply with the APA, ruling instead that the rules are arbitrary and capricious. “The agencies’ actions in promulgating the rule were arbitrary and capricious — in that they failed to ‘articulate a satisfactory explanation for [their] action[s] including a ‘rational connection between the facts found and the choices made,’” Beetlestone wrote in her opinion.Little Sisters of the Poor are represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, whose lawyers say the appellate court should overturn that decision and bring the legal dispute to an end.“The 14-year legal crusade against the Little Sisters has been needless, grotesque, and un-American,” Mark Rienzi, president of Becket and lead attorney for the sisters, said in a statement. “The states have no business trying to take away the Little Sisters’ federal civil rights. The 3rd Circuit should toss the states’ lawsuit into the dustbin of history and uphold the protection the Little Sisters already won at the Supreme Court … twice,” he said.In the appeal, the lawyers cite the legal precedent from the 2016 and 2020 cases that required religious exemptions and upheld the rules. They warn that the August 2025 ruling could create a “constitutional conflict” because the original mandate cannot legally be reimposed. “The appellee states maintain that state governments somehow have an interest in forcing the federal government to force religious objectors to comply with the federal contraceptive mandate — even though the federal government need not have any contraceptive mandate at all, and even though the states themselves have chosen not to have such mandates of their own,” the lawsuit notes.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/little-sisters-of-the-poor-file-another-appeal-over-contraception-mandate-catholic-religious-sisters-show-their-support-for-the-little-sisters-of-the-poor-outside-the-supreme-court-where-ora.webp)
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 15, 2025 / 18:06 pm (CNA).
The 14-year legal battle against federal contraceptive mandates will continue, with Little Sisters of the Poor and the federal government seeking to reinstate moral and religious exemptions that were established in 2017.
Little Sisters of the Poor have already won religious freedom cases on this subject twice at the Supreme Court level. The high court ruled in 2016 that the federal government must protect religious freedoms for those who oppose the contraceptives and in 2020 ruled that the federal government had the legal authority to adopt the broad exemptions established in 2017.
Those exemptions fully covered employers that had religious or moral objections to providing the contraceptives, some of which can be abortifacient. Under the rules, those employers were not required to include any contraceptive coverage in their insurance plans for employees.
In spite of the prior Supreme Court wins, a federal court in August 2025 struck down the 2017 exemptions on grounds that the Supreme Court had not yet ruled on.
Because the Supreme Court left some questions open, the attorneys general in two states that disapprove of the exemptions — Pennsylvania and New Jersey — continued their legal battle on different grounds. Those legal arguments allege that the adoption of the rules did not comply with the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), which the Supreme Court had not ruled on.
In the August ruling, Judge Wendy Beetlestone found that the rules did not comply with the APA, ruling instead that the rules are arbitrary and capricious.
“The agencies’ actions in promulgating the rule were arbitrary and capricious — in that they failed to ‘articulate a satisfactory explanation for [their] action[s] including a ‘rational connection between the facts found and the choices made,’” Beetlestone wrote in her opinion.
Little Sisters of the Poor are represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, whose lawyers say the appellate court should overturn that decision and bring the legal dispute to an end.
“The 14-year legal crusade against the Little Sisters has been needless, grotesque, and un-American,” Mark Rienzi, president of Becket and lead attorney for the sisters, said in a statement.
“The states have no business trying to take away the Little Sisters’ federal civil rights. The 3rd Circuit should toss the states’ lawsuit into the dustbin of history and uphold the protection the Little Sisters already won at the Supreme Court … twice,” he said.
In the appeal, the lawyers cite the legal precedent from the 2016 and 2020 cases that required religious exemptions and upheld the rules. They warn that the August 2025 ruling could create a “constitutional conflict” because the original mandate cannot legally be reimposed.
“The appellee states maintain that state governments somehow have an interest in forcing the federal government to force religious objectors to comply with the federal contraceptive mandate — even though the federal government need not have any contraceptive mandate at all, and even though the states themselves have chosen not to have such mandates of their own,” the lawsuit notes.
Read MoreA reading from the Book of Zephaniah
3:1-2, 9-13
Thus says the LORD:
Woe to the city, rebellious and polluted,
to the tyrannical city!
She hears no voice,
accepts no correction;
In the LORD she has not trusted,
to her God she has not drawn near.
For then I will change and purify
the lips of the peoples,
That they all may call upon the name of the LORD,
to serve him with one accord;
From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia
and as far as the recesses of the North,
they shall bring me offerings.
On that day
You need not be ashamed
of all your deeds,
your rebellious actions against me;
For then will I remove from your midst
the proud braggarts,
And you shall no longer exalt yourself
on my holy mountain.
But I will leave as a remnant in your midst
a people humble and lowly,
Who shall take refuge in the name of the LORD:
the remnant of Israel.
They shall do no wrong
and speak no lies;
Nor shall there be found in their mouths
a deceitful tongue;
They shall pasture and couch their flocks
with none to disturb them.
From the Gospel according to Matthew
21:28-32
Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:
“What is your opinion?
A man had two sons.
He came to the first and said,
‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’
The son said in reply, ‘I will not,’
but afterwards he changed his mind and went.
The man came to the other son and gave the same order.
He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir,’ but did not go.
Which of the two did his father’s will?”
They answered, “The first.”
Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you,
tax collectors and prostitutes
are entering the Kingdom of God before you.
When John came to you in the way of righteousness,
you did not believe him;
but tax collectors and prostitutes did.
Yet even when you saw that,
you did not later change your minds and believe him.”
With his preaching on the Kingdom of God, Jesus opposes a religiosity that does not involve human life, that does not question the conscience and its responsibility in the face of good and evil. He also demonstrates this with the parable of the two sons, which is offered to us in the Gospel of Matthew (cf. 21:28-32). To the father’s invitation to go and work in the vineyard, the first son impulsively responds “no, I’m not going”, but then he repents and goes; instead the second son, who immediately replies “yes, yes dad”, does not actually do so; he doesn’t go. Obedience does not consist in saying “yes” or “no”, but always in taking action, in cultivating the vineyard, in bringing about the Kingdom of God, in doing good. With this simple example, Jesus wants to go beyond a religion understood only as an external and habitual practice, which does not affect people’s lives and attitudes, a superficial religiosity, merely “ritual”, in the ugly sense of the word. (Pope Francis, Angelus, 27 September 2020)
Read More
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 15, 2025 / 17:36 pm (CNA).
United Airlines reached a settlement with a flight attendant who alleged that the airline fired him for endorsing Catholic teachings on marriage and gender identity.
The former employee, Ruben Sanchez, of Anchorage, Alaska, alleged that United Airlines investigated his social media history after someone reported a private in-flight conversation he had with another Catholic flight attendant.
“Sanchez and his colleague discussed their working conditions and everyday life. As they were both Catholic, their discussion turned to Catholic theology and then, with United’s ‘Pride Month’ activities set to start on June 1, Catholic teachings on marriage and sexuality,” Sanchez’s complaint states.
The Catholic Church makes a distinction between homosexual orientation and homosexual activity. Same-sex attraction itself is not considered morally wrong, and homosexuals “must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2358), with unjust discrimination avoided. The Church teaches that God’s design for sexuality is entwined with marriage and family life and is characterized by the exclusive, indissoluble covenant of marriage.
The complaint said a passenger report led United Airlines to look into posts on Sanchez’s X account, some of which were more than a decade old. He said the airline took issue with 35 of the more than 140,000 posts on the social media platform before firing him.
Sanchez filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against United Airlines and the union he belonged to — the Association of Flight Attendants — for refusing to represent him.
He received legal assistance from X, which helped broker the settlement.
“We are pleased that X was able to help Ruben Sanchez amicably resolve his dispute with United Airlines and the Association of Flight Attendants,” X’s Global Government Affairs Team posted on X.
“X stands firm in its commitment to defend free speech on its platform,” the post added.
Most of the details about the settlement have not been publicly released, except that both parties will pay their own costs and attorneys’ fees and the complaint cannot be refiled.
CNA reached out to both X and United Airlines for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
United Airlines has been accused of discrimination against Christian employees in other cases.
The company is battling a separate lawsuit from two other former employees — Lacey Smith and Marli Brown — who accuse the airline of firing them for criticizing the company’s support for the Equality Act, based on religious concerns.
The Equality Act, which has not been passed into law, would add sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes under federal civil rights laws. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is against the proposed law, which they warn would jeopardize religious liberty and force Catholic hospitals to “perform and promote life-altering gender ‘transitions.’”
Smith and Brown are represented by First Liberty Institute. A federal district court sided with the airline, and the case is being considered in an appellate court, which heard oral arguments in August.
Read More![‘Our Lady of Guadalupe is the mother of all’: DC pilgrimage highlights value of migrants #Catholic
Bishop Evelio Menjivar speaks with “EWTN News in Depth” on Friday, March 14, 2025. / Credit: “EWTN News in Depth”
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 15, 2025 / 16:36 pm (CNA).
The Virgin Mary’s role as comforter to all was specially highlighted during a pilgrimage through the streets of Washington, D.C., Saturday morning. “Our Lady of Guadalupe is the mother of all. She envelops each one of us with the same tenderness and the same love, no matter our country of origin or language,” Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjívar said during his homily at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. The words from the bishop, who was born in El Salvador, came after the Archdiocese of Washington’s annual “Walk with Mary” procession that began at the Shrine of the Sacred Heart, a Hispanic Catholic parish. Participants also prayed a rosary upon arriving at the basilica, which holds 2,500 people and was filled to capacity, according to the archdiocese. The archdiocese billed this year’s celebration of the pilgrimage honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe on her feast day as “highlight[ing] a call to accompany and pray for migrants and refugees, reflecting the Church’s mission of compassion, solidarity, hope, and peace.” “For more than a decade, thousands of pilgrims from diverse cultures and backgrounds have walked side by side, lifting their voices in prayer and songs of praise,” the archdiocese said. “Along the way, participants celebrate the archdiocese’s rich cultural diversity and unity in Jesus Christ, while reflecting on the appearance of the young mestiza Virgin of Guadalupe to the peasant St. Juan Diego on a hilltop near Mexico City in 1531.”The Mass, which included a reenactment of the story of Mary’s apparition to St. Juan Diego, was celebrated by Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington; Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States; and Auxiliary Bishops Menjívar, Juan Esposito, and Roy Campbell.Menjívar interspersed his homily, which was mostly in Spanish, with reflections in English on the Virgin Mary and the Church’s role in accompanying poor and marginalized communities, particularly migrants.“Let me say this in English because I believe it is very important for us to understand Mary reflects what the Church is called to be,” Menjívar said. “In the apostolic exhortation Dilexi Te [“I Have Loved You”] Pope Leo affirms the Church, like a mother, accompanies those who are walking. Where the world sees threats, she sees children. Where walls are built, she builds bridges.”The Virgin Mary, he said, regards “every rejected migrant” as “Christ himself, who knocks at the door of the community.” Reflecting on the significance of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Menjívar noted that Mary “did not manifest herself to a powerful or well-educated person.” “She appeared to Juan Diego, a simple, poor, Indigenous man, marginalized by the systems of his time,” the bishop said. “With this, God proclaims another truth. He takes the side of the little ones, the despised, the ones who do not count.” “So the good news,” he concluded, “is this: For God, we do count, and a lot, because we are his sons and daughters.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/our-lady-of-guadalupe-is-the-mother-of-all-dc-pilgrimage-highlights-value-of-migrants-catholic-bishop-evelio-menjivar-speaks-with-ewtn-news-in-depth-on-f.webp)
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 15, 2025 / 16:36 pm (CNA).
The Virgin Mary’s role as comforter to all was specially highlighted during a pilgrimage through the streets of Washington, D.C., Saturday morning.
“Our Lady of Guadalupe is the mother of all. She envelops each one of us with the same tenderness and the same love, no matter our country of origin or language,” Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjívar said during his homily at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
The words from the bishop, who was born in El Salvador, came after the Archdiocese of Washington’s annual “Walk with Mary” procession that began at the Shrine of the Sacred Heart, a Hispanic Catholic parish. Participants also prayed a rosary upon arriving at the basilica, which holds 2,500 people and was filled to capacity, according to the archdiocese.
The archdiocese billed this year’s celebration of the pilgrimage honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe on her feast day as “highlight[ing] a call to accompany and pray for migrants and refugees, reflecting the Church’s mission of compassion, solidarity, hope, and peace.”
“For more than a decade, thousands of pilgrims from diverse cultures and backgrounds have walked side by side, lifting their voices in prayer and songs of praise,” the archdiocese said. “Along the way, participants celebrate the archdiocese’s rich cultural diversity and unity in Jesus Christ, while reflecting on the appearance of the young mestiza Virgin of Guadalupe to the peasant St. Juan Diego on a hilltop near Mexico City in 1531.”
The Mass, which included a reenactment of the story of Mary’s apparition to St. Juan Diego, was celebrated by Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington; Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States; and Auxiliary Bishops Menjívar, Juan Esposito, and Roy Campbell.
Menjívar interspersed his homily, which was mostly in Spanish, with reflections in English on the Virgin Mary and the Church’s role in accompanying poor and marginalized communities, particularly migrants.
“Let me say this in English because I believe it is very important for us to understand Mary reflects what the Church is called to be,” Menjívar said. “In the apostolic exhortation Dilexi Te [“I Have Loved You”] Pope Leo affirms the Church, like a mother, accompanies those who are walking. Where the world sees threats, she sees children. Where walls are built, she builds bridges.”
The Virgin Mary, he said, regards “every rejected migrant” as “Christ himself, who knocks at the door of the community.”
Reflecting on the significance of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Menjívar noted that Mary “did not manifest herself to a powerful or well-educated person.”
“She appeared to Juan Diego, a simple, poor, Indigenous man, marginalized by the systems of his time,” the bishop said. “With this, God proclaims another truth. He takes the side of the little ones, the despised, the ones who do not count.”
“So the good news,” he concluded, “is this: For God, we do count, and a lot, because we are his sons and daughters.”
Read More![Paterson Firefighters host Christmas dinner to honor late ‘guardian angel’ religious sister #Catholic - Members of the Paterson Fire Department held their annual home-cooked Christmas dinner on Dec. 2 at fire headquarters in memory of Sister of Charity Loretta Weingart and in honor of all living religious.
Sister Weingart was like a “mother-chaplain” to the firefighters of Paterson. She served what is now known as St. Joseph’s University Medical Center in Paterson. She kept vigil over injured or ill firefighters and their families as a “guardian angel.” In the 1990s, the firefighters started a dinner in her honor — an event that grew in attendance. Since her death in 2002, the department has held an annual Christmas dinner for religious, including her community, the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth, and clergy.
At the dinner, religious offered a reciprocal “thank you” to the firefighters as front-line workers every day.
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Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney was present to greet everyone and give the meal blessing. Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh also attended the dinner.
The Bishop said, “Thank you to the Paterson Fire Department for hosting the 33rd annual Christmas Dinner for religious sisters and brothers, priests, seminarians, and postulants. What a great meal, a great crowd, and a great night. Thanks also to the faculty, students, and alumni from DePaul Catholic High School in Wayne, Mayor Andre Sayegh, family members of the firefighters, and retired firefighters for helping us all feel the Christmas spirit.”
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/paterson-firefighters-host-christmas-dinner-to-honor-late-guardian-angel-religious-sister-catholic-members-of-the-paterson-fire-department-held-their-annual-home-cooked-christmas.jpg)
Paterson Firefighters host Christmas dinner to honor late ‘guardian angel’ religious sister #Catholic – 
Members of the Paterson Fire Department held their annual home-cooked Christmas dinner on Dec. 2 at fire headquarters in memory of Sister of Charity Loretta Weingart and in honor of all living religious.
Sister Weingart was like a “mother-chaplain” to the firefighters of Paterson. She served what is now known as St. Joseph’s University Medical Center in Paterson. She kept vigil over injured or ill firefighters and their families as a “guardian angel.” In the 1990s, the firefighters started a dinner in her honor — an event that grew in attendance. Since her death in 2002, the department has held an annual Christmas dinner for religious, including her community, the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth, and clergy.
At the dinner, religious offered a reciprocal “thank you” to the firefighters as front-line workers every day.
Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney was present to greet everyone and give the meal blessing. Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh also attended the dinner.
The Bishop said, “Thank you to the Paterson Fire Department for hosting the 33rd annual Christmas Dinner for religious sisters and brothers, priests, seminarians, and postulants. What a great meal, a great crowd, and a great night. Thanks also to the faculty, students, and alumni from DePaul Catholic High School in Wayne, Mayor Andre Sayegh, family members of the firefighters, and retired firefighters for helping us all feel the Christmas spirit.”
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org] – Members of the Paterson Fire Department held their annual home-cooked Christmas dinner on Dec. 2 at fire headquarters in memory of Sister of Charity Loretta Weingart and in honor of all living religious. Sister Weingart was like a “mother-chaplain” to the firefighters of Paterson. She served what is now known as St. Joseph’s University Medical Center in Paterson. She kept vigil over injured or ill firefighters and their families as a “guardian angel.” In the 1990s, the firefighters started a dinner in her honor — an event that grew in attendance. Since her death in 2002, the department has held
The Bassac River surrounds Cù Lao Dung, a river islet district in southern Vietnam, before emptying into the South China Sea.
Read MoreStar maps and charts are a mainstay of both amateur and professional sky observers. Whether it’s on a simple seasonal map or in a comprehensive atlas, the stars listed appear steadfast and constant. Yet there are stars that have appeared in these publications and then vanished. Some have been misplaced or even just imagined. UnderstandingContinue reading “Stars lost to history”
The post Stars lost to history appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
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From the North Atlantic to the South Pacific, these tiny islands provide the utmost seclusion.
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Dec. 17 to 24: The ‘O Antiphons’ and the Daily Mass Readings #Catholic – 
The O Antiphons are seven ancient Christian prayers, used in the final days of Advent (Dec. 17 to 23), that call on Jesus using different Messianic titles from the Old Testament (like Wisdom, Root of Jesse, Key of David) to express the Church’s longing for His arrival, connecting His first coming with His promised return and presence in believers’ lives, famously inspiring the verses of the carol “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”
Google: “The O Antiphons explained” — AI Overview
The Liturgy of the Hours and daily Mass are two sources of spiritual strength and nourishment for priests, women, and men “religious” living vows of the consecrated life, as well as for seminarians and those in formation for religious life, for many deacons, and many of the lay faithful. For parents of young children and teenagers, for those working full-time or multiple jobs, finding the time for daily Mass or for praying (even) some of the Liturgy of the Hours (Morning, Evening, Night Prayer, and/or the Office of Readings) can certainly be a challenge or simply not possible.
It may sound counterintuitive, but many spiritual directors would say that the best thing we can do when we are busy or under pressure is to stop or, at least, slow down, and find, make, or take some time to pray. In his homily for the Third Sunday of Advent, Father Mike Schmitz says that he did some research and found studies that have shown that this (Advent) Season is the busiest season of the year. If Advent is the “busiest time of year,” could the last eight days of Advent be the “busiest eight days of the year?”
As the Church gives many of us the Liturgy of the Hours and daily Mass as opportunities for spiritual strength and nourishment every day of the year, is it possible that those two resources could be especially helpful during the busiest days of the year, especially for those who may not be able to avail themselves of those resources on a regular, daily basis?
Each year, for those who pray the Liturgy of the Hours and for those who attend daily Mass, Dec. 17 is a very significant, if at times overlooked, day on the calendar. From the First Sunday of Advent and every day of the Season, the Readings that the Church gives to us at daily Mass and the prayers and Readings of the Liturgy of the Hours are presenting us with Scripture texts and themes that point us to the “promised Messiah,” encourage us to await and prepare for His coming, and with the help of Mary and John the Baptist remind us of what it means to wait and “prepare the way” for the coming of the Messiah. Then, on Dec. 17, the Liturgy of the Word (the Readings) at daily Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours, especially at Evening Prayer, become “laser focused” and give us that opportunity to stop or, at least, slow down and find, make or take the time to pray in anticipation and preparation to celebrate the Birth of Jesus at Christmas.
As with many topics and subjects, there is a great deal of information available online that describes the origins and history of the “O Antiphons.” I began this column with Google’s “AI Overview” because we should “give credit where credit is due,” and the summary is a good one. We can compare and contrast the “AI Overview” with the summary provided on the USCCB Website:
“The Roman Church has been singing the “O” Antiphons since at least the eighth century. They are the antiphons that accompany the Magnificat canticle of Evening Prayer from Dec. 17 to 23. They are a magnificent theology that uses ancient biblical imagery drawn from the messianic hopes of the Old Testament to proclaim the coming Christ as the fulfillment not only of Old Testament hopes, but present ones as well. Their repeated use of the imperative “Come!” embodies the longing of all for the Divine Messiah.”
If you click on the link to the USCCB website, you can also see the text of the “O” Antiphon for each day. Clicking on the link and reading the text of each Antiphon will give you some information. Taking time to pray and meditate on God’s Word and the message of the “O” Antiphons can help you draw closer to God, help you truly prepare to celebrate Christmas, and fill you with the true Peace and Joy that only Jesus can give. Here is an invitation, especially for those who may not be familiar with the Liturgy of the Hours or who may find it difficult to find the time to pray Evening Prayer every day. Can you try it for one, two, or seven days? All you have to do is Google: Liturgy of the Hours Evening Prayer and the date. Here is a link to Evening Prayer for Dec. 17.
Whether or not you are able to attend Mass every day, I would strongly encourage you to try to find the time, in addition to Sunday Mass, on a few (2, 3, or 7) days from Dec. 17 to Dec. 23 to attend Mass during the week. Whether or not you can get to Mass every day, if you have access to the internet, it is (very) easy to find the Readings for Daily Mass. Can you find some time (10 or 15 minutes) to pray with the Word of God by meditating on the Daily Mass Readings in the seven or eight days leading up to Christmas?
There are many places online where you can find the Readings for Daily Mass. I think that the USCCB website is the most reliable source. Here’s a link to the Readings for Dec. 17. When you read those Readings, especially the First Reading from the Book of Genesis, you might ask, “What does this have to do with Christmas”? My response: “Hang in there.” When you read the Gospel for Dec. 17, which is “Matthew’s Genealogy” (Mt. 1:1–17), you read 17 verses of names and the phrase “the father of” 39 times, you might ask, “Why is the bishop (or the Church) asking us to read (& pray with) this?” My response: “Hang in there and spend a little time reflecting on the Beautiful Mystery of Family, including the mystery of the “Holy Family.”
If you can “hang in there” and spend some time each day, from Dec. 17 to Dec. 24 (there is morning Mass on the morning of Christmas Eve), praying with the Daily Mass Readings, you will not only get a “mini course” in God’s plan of Salvation as it is revealed in the Sacred Scriptures, but you will have an opportunity to “journey” with Mary and Joseph, with Elizabeth and Zechariah, and with the Church and that journey will lead us, prayerfully, to the Silent, Holy Night in Bethlehem.
– The O Antiphons are seven ancient Christian prayers, used in the final days of Advent (Dec. 17 to 23), that call on Jesus using different Messianic titles from the Old Testament (like Wisdom, Root of Jesse, Key of David) to express the Church’s longing for His arrival, connecting His first coming with His promised return and presence in believers’ lives, famously inspiring the verses of the carol “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” Google: “The O Antiphons explained” — AI Overview BISHOP KEVIN J. SWEENEY The Liturgy of the Hours and daily Mass are two sources of spiritual strength and nourishment
The EU’s pro-war, globalist, anti-American leaders are doing everything in their power—including weighing what’s being called a “nuclear option” of deliberately shaking the foundations of the U.S.
The post EU Globalists Threaten to Dump $2.34 Trillion in U.S. Debt to Stop Trump’s Ukraine Peace Deal appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Rob Reiner’s son, Nick, was arrested on Monday in connection with the murder of the Hollywood director and his wife, Michelle, and booked on $4 million bail.
The post Just In: Rob Reiner’s Son Arrested and Charged in Grisly Murder of Parents appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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(Note: Thank you for supporting businesses like those presenting a sponsored message below and ordering through the links below, which benefits Gateway Pundit.
The post Auto Insurance Rates Are Climbing – See If You Are Overpaying in Minutes appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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WORLD — Fake news media across the globe have reported that a mass shooting occurred in Australia, which is literally impossible because guns are illegal there.
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MELBOURNE — To stem the growing tide of violence against Jewish citizens, the Australian government has moved to officially ban the celebration of Hanukkah.
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St. Nicholas the Wonderworker Church (1766) was relocated from the village of Glotovo, Vladimir Oblast to the Museum of Wooden Architecture at the Kremlin in Suzdal, Russia. Today is Saint Nicholas Day in much of Eastern and Western Christianity.
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![Tri-County raises record-breaking $2 million for scholarships #Catholic - Tri-County Scholarship Fund (TCSF), a longstanding partner to the Paterson Diocese in providing scholarships for financially disadvantaged New Jersey children to receive a values-based, high-quality education, celebrated its 44th Annual Awards Dinner on Nov. 4, raising a record-setting $2 million to provide 970 K-12 scholarships.
More than 700 supporters, benefactors, educators, and community leaders gathered for the event at The Legacy Castle in Pompton Plains with a blessing offered by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney of the Paterson Diocese, a TCSF trustee.
“We are profoundly grateful for the generosity in honor of this year’s award honorees, and in support of our students,” said Prudence Pigott, President of Tri-County. “Every dollar raised directly changes the trajectory of a child’s life. These scholarships provide access, stability, and hope—and our students repay that investment with hard work and tremendous promise.”
The TCSF’s Making a Difference honorees were John and Joanne Harrington of St. Luke Parish in the Long Valley neighborhood of Washington Township, N.J., owners of the family-run, multi-generational Harrington Construction. The Harringtons were recognized for their longstanding generosity, community leadership, and commitment to expanding educational opportunities for children.
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Benedictine Father Michael Tidd, headmaster of Delbarton School in Morristown, N.J., introduced the Harringtons, praising their “quiet leadership, generosity, and commitment to others,” adding that they embody the “spirit of trusteeship — always doing what is necessary to help people and communities not only survive, but thrive and flourish.”
In their remarks, the Joanne Harrington highlighted the impact of Tri-County students, saying, “The accomplished scholarship students you meet tonight are shining examples of the power of educational opportunity. They are truly amazing and inspiring individuals.” John Harrington reflected on one scholarship student’s story, noting, “By helping young people in New Jersey acquire a quality education, we can all make a lasting impact on our community.”
That evening, the TCSF’s Leadership and Hall of Fame Honorees were Jocelyn Grahame and Mike Goldman.
Jocelyn Grahame is the managing Partner of McKinsey & Company’s New Jersey office, who received the Leadership Award for her professional accomplishments and for McKinsey’s pro bono support of Tri-County’s strategic planning efforts. Grahame said, “Tonight reminds me of what communities can achieve when each of us uses our influence to lift others up—to help more students dream bigger and reach further.”
Mike Goldman, president and CEO of NFP, received the Hall of Fame Award. Introduced by past Tri-County Hall of Fame honoree Eric Andersen of Aon, Goldman reflected on his upbringing as the child of two educators and shared, “Tri-County gives children who need an opportunity the chance to access schools and environments where they are truly supported — and where the expectations are created that their future is really in their hands.”
The following students from diocesan Catholic schools played a central role during the evening:
Cecily, a freshman at DePaul Catholic High School in Wayne, N.J., opened the event with a powerful, a cappella rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner, earning a standing ovation from the audience of 700 guests.
Bella, a senior at Pope John XXIII Regional High School in Sparta, N.J., delivered the night’s keynote student address. She shared her story of the hardships her family has faced — losing her father to COVID-19 and supporting her mother through illness — and how her Tri-County scholarship opened the door to stability, hope, and a bright future. Her testimony moved the room to silence — and then to its feet.
Founded in 1981, the Tri-County Scholarship Fund addresses educational inequities by providing partial scholarships to financially disadvantaged K — 12 students in New Jersey. The organization partners with accredited, independent elementary and secondary schools to offer students safe, values-based educational opportunities that foster academic and personal growth. Over the past 44 years, TCSF has awarded more than 39,000 scholarships totaling over $41 million, enabling students to attend safe, high-quality schools, achieve a 100 percent high school graduation rate, and go on to college and productive careers.
Full replays of the honoree remarks, Bella’s speech, and Cecily’s performance can be viewed here.
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/tri-county-raises-record-breaking-2-million-for-scholarships-catholic-tri-county-scholarship-fund-tcsf-a-longstanding-partner-to-the-paterson-diocese-in-providing-scholarships-for-financially-d.jpg)
Tri-County raises record-breaking $2 million for scholarships #Catholic – 
Tri-County Scholarship Fund (TCSF), a longstanding partner to the Paterson Diocese in providing scholarships for financially disadvantaged New Jersey children to receive a values-based, high-quality education, celebrated its 44th Annual Awards Dinner on Nov. 4, raising a record-setting $2 million to provide 970 K-12 scholarships.
More than 700 supporters, benefactors, educators, and community leaders gathered for the event at The Legacy Castle in Pompton Plains with a blessing offered by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney of the Paterson Diocese, a TCSF trustee.
“We are profoundly grateful for the generosity in honor of this year’s award honorees, and in support of our students,” said Prudence Pigott, President of Tri-County. “Every dollar raised directly changes the trajectory of a child’s life. These scholarships provide access, stability, and hope—and our students repay that investment with hard work and tremendous promise.”
The TCSF’s Making a Difference honorees were John and Joanne Harrington of St. Luke Parish in the Long Valley neighborhood of Washington Township, N.J., owners of the family-run, multi-generational Harrington Construction. The Harringtons were recognized for their longstanding generosity, community leadership, and commitment to expanding educational opportunities for children.
Benedictine Father Michael Tidd, headmaster of Delbarton School in Morristown, N.J., introduced the Harringtons, praising their “quiet leadership, generosity, and commitment to others,” adding that they embody the “spirit of trusteeship — always doing what is necessary to help people and communities not only survive, but thrive and flourish.”
In their remarks, the Joanne Harrington highlighted the impact of Tri-County students, saying, “The accomplished scholarship students you meet tonight are shining examples of the power of educational opportunity. They are truly amazing and inspiring individuals.” John Harrington reflected on one scholarship student’s story, noting, “By helping young people in New Jersey acquire a quality education, we can all make a lasting impact on our community.”
That evening, the TCSF’s Leadership and Hall of Fame Honorees were Jocelyn Grahame and Mike Goldman.
Jocelyn Grahame is the managing Partner of McKinsey & Company’s New Jersey office, who received the Leadership Award for her professional accomplishments and for McKinsey’s pro bono support of Tri-County’s strategic planning efforts. Grahame said, “Tonight reminds me of what communities can achieve when each of us uses our influence to lift others up—to help more students dream bigger and reach further.”
Mike Goldman, president and CEO of NFP, received the Hall of Fame Award. Introduced by past Tri-County Hall of Fame honoree Eric Andersen of Aon, Goldman reflected on his upbringing as the child of two educators and shared, “Tri-County gives children who need an opportunity the chance to access schools and environments where they are truly supported — and where the expectations are created that their future is really in their hands.”
The following students from diocesan Catholic schools played a central role during the evening:
Founded in 1981, the Tri-County Scholarship Fund addresses educational inequities by providing partial scholarships to financially disadvantaged K — 12 students in New Jersey. The organization partners with accredited, independent elementary and secondary schools to offer students safe, values-based educational opportunities that foster academic and personal growth. Over the past 44 years, TCSF has awarded more than 39,000 scholarships totaling over $41 million, enabling students to attend safe, high-quality schools, achieve a 100 percent high school graduation rate, and go on to college and productive careers.
Full replays of the honoree remarks, Bella’s speech, and Cecily’s performance can be viewed here.
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org] – Tri-County Scholarship Fund (TCSF), a longstanding partner to the Paterson Diocese in providing scholarships for financially disadvantaged New Jersey children to receive a values-based, high-quality education, celebrated its 44th Annual Awards Dinner on Nov. 4, raising a record-setting $2 million to provide 970 K-12 scholarships. More than 700 supporters, benefactors, educators, and community leaders gathered for the event at The Legacy Castle in Pompton Plains with a blessing offered by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney of the Paterson Diocese, a TCSF trustee. “We are profoundly grateful for the generosity in honor of this year’s award honorees, and in support of our
Father Edward Seton Fittin appointed prior-administrator of Morristown abbey #Catholic – 
Benedictine Abbot Jonathan Licari, president of the American Cassinese Congregation of Benedictine monasteries, named Benedictine Father Edward Seton Fittin, prior-administrator of St. Mary’s Abbey in Morristown, N.J., for a three-year term, effective Nov. 30.
Abbot Licari had served as St. Mary’s administrator since Aug. 1, 2022. Father Fittin had been the abbey’s prior.
As St. Mary’s prior and administrator, Father Fittin holds all the usual responsibilities and authority of the abbot of St. Mary’s Abbey, without the title of “abbot.” He will aid the monks of the abbey as they plan for their future and discern what kind of person they wish to serve as their permanent abbot. Together with the monastic community, Father Fittin will determine when the next abbatial election will take place.
Father Fittin’s wide range of experiences well suit him for becoming St. Mary’s prior-administrator. He is a 1982 graduate of Delbarton School, an all-boys Catholic college prep school located on the campus of St. Mary’s Abbey, run by the Benedictine monks.
In 1986, Father Fittin Edward earned a bachelor’s degree cum laude from Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Md. He also received the Agostino and Anna Travaioli Memorial Prize for distinguished work in art history.
Father Fittin professed monastic vows in 1988, made his solemn profession of vows in 1991, and was ordained priest in 1993. In 1993, he also earned a Master of Divinity from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
After ordination, Father Fittin started teaching theology at Delbarton and chaired the theology department for 20 years.
For 10 years, Father Fittin served Delbarton’s campus ministry, serving as director for six years. He also was involved in community service projects, such as Operation Smile missions to the Philippines and Romania. For 25 years, Father Fittin has coordinated an exchange program with Glenstal Abbey School in Limerick, Ireland.
Also at Delbarton, Father Fittin taught advanced placement art history for 12 years and served on the design and development committee for the Fine Arts Center, which opened in 2006, including the design of its iconic clock tower.
At St. Mary’s Abbey, Father Fittin served for two years as Abbey vocation director and as director of liturgy for more than two decades. He was Sunday chaplain to the Religious Teachers Filippini, also in Morristown, and a weekend associate at area parishes. He is currently a weekend associate at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Bernardsville, N.J., in the Metuchen Diocese.
In 2018, Father Fittin was appointed claustral prior and abbey church rector. The former role includes the day-to-day operations of the monastery and substitutes for the abbot in his absence. The latter position coordinates sacramental celebration in the abbey church for alumni and friends of the abbey.
– Benedictine Abbot Jonathan Licari, president of the American Cassinese Congregation of Benedictine monasteries, named Benedictine Father Edward Seton Fittin, prior-administrator of St. Mary’s Abbey in Morristown, N.J., for a three-year term, effective Nov. 30. Abbot Licari had served as St. Mary’s administrator since Aug. 1, 2022. Father Fittin had been the abbey’s prior. As St. Mary’s prior and administrator, Father Fittin holds all the usual responsibilities and authority of the abbot of St. Mary’s Abbey, without the title of “abbot.” He will aid the monks of the abbey as they plan for their future and discern what kind of person
Ann Arbor, Michigan, Dec 15, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).
Several college campuses across the country are witnessing a notable rise in baptisms and confirmations among students. Catholic evangelists tell CNA that this growth reflects a deepening desire among young adults for certainty, stability, and faith amid today’s turbulent cultural landscape.
For example, at Arizona State University, the Newman Center is experiencing its largest group of students entering the Church. Ryan Ayala, a former seminarian and campus minister who has served at ASU for three years, oversees the evangelization efforts.
“This past semester, we welcomed 52 students into the Church at Christ the King Parish” in Mesa, Ayala said. “And we are expecting 50 more for the Easter Vigil this spring.” According to Ayala, this year marked a record number of students received into the Catholic Church at ASU.
Each year, ASU’s campus ministry prepares students for baptism, confirmation, and full communion through a fall vigil held in collaboration with Christ the King Parish. Students enter the Church from a wide range of backgrounds: Some encounter Christianity for the first time, others come from Protestant communities, and still others are baptized Catholics preparing to complete their sacraments.
This year’s group included eight catechumens who were baptized, 26 Christians who made affirmations of faith, and a significant number of Catholics who received confirmation. The ceremony took place on the feast of Christ the King, Nov. 23.
Ayala attributes the growth in part to simple, consistent outreach. “No phone call goes unanswered,” he said. Students come from Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, and nondenominational evangelical backgrounds. Those not yet baptized often come from nonreligious homes, and two identified as atheists. One Muslim student is expected to join the program in January. ASU enrolls approximately 200,000 students.
Overall, participation in ASU’s OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) program has more than doubled. “This is by far the biggest class we’ve had,” Ayala said.
Supporting this expansion are missionaries from the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), who lead Bible studies and accompany students in their growing faith. Ayala supervises the missionaries and has completed FOCUS formation himself. The Newman Center offers a focused nine-week OCIA process — shorter than the traditional yearlong program — requiring weekly sessions alongside FOCUS Bible studies.
Reflecting on the surge of interest, Ayala sees both cultural and pastoral dynamics at work. “Two things are going on in this surge. There’s a trend in Gen Z. They are asking deeper, philosophical, and theological questions. Some students were shaken up by the shooting of Charlie Kirk. The other thing is simply responding to emails. I ask my staff to be diligent to inquirers. The most important thing is to respond and give them clarity about how to become Catholic.”
“Our main strategy is to have an urgency to respond to them,” he added. “It was so moving to see all those students from other faith traditions stand up and make the commitment to become Catholic.”
Ayala also noted the role of Catholic media, highlighting one student influenced by Father Mike Schmitz’s online ministry. He further praised the spiritual guidance of Father Bill Clements, who leads the Newman Center. “He does a great job humanizing the priesthood but also removing a lot of the anxieties that newcomers to the faith may have.”
Clements, who has directed the Newman Center for 15 years, reports that about 400 students participate in weekly FOCUS Bible studies, and approximately 1,500 attend one of the six weekend Masses. He said he has seen a clear shift in the past two years.
“In the last two years, a switch was flipped. I think people are tired of crazy. They’re hungry for some direction, truth, goodness, and beauty. We have one of the most beautiful Newman chapels in the country,” he said, “and that has been a huge attraction.”
To meet the growing demand, Clements expanded the OCIA schedule. “I revamped the OCIA process here. When people would hit me up at this time of year, I would have to tell them that we start that in the fall. But I couldn’t stand making people wait. So now I have three sessions: fall, spring, and summer.”
He credited FOCUS missionaries for their close accompaniment of students. “They appeal to students. It affords students a chance to connect with other Catholics, and it’s been instrumental in reviving interest in the Church. The missionaries work hard,” he said.
One student, Yailen Cho, received baptism and confirmation on Nov. 23 at the ASU Newman Chapel. She told CNA: “I didn’t grow up very religious at all. My dad became Catholic two years ago, but I didn’t have any religious background.”
Cho now regularly attends Mass and says the FOCUS program helped deepen her reading of the Gospels. Reflecting on her journey, she shared: “I’d had a prayer relationship with God for a while, and I had prayed that my heart would be softened towards God.”
After wrestling with questions of faith, she reached out to the Newman Center, which she said she found “very warm and welcoming.”
Directing a message to others considering the Catholic faith, she said: “I want everyone to be happy, and I want to be happy. If you live by the Word, as the Bible says, you can be happy in heaven forever.”
Similar momentum is evident at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Rita Zyber, OCIA coordinator at St. Mary Student Parish, said 50 students are currently preparing to enter the Church. Last Easter, 30 students were received, compared with about 20 in 2024.
With daily liturgies and seven weekend Masses, the parish remains consistently full. One Mass was added this year to accommodate greater attendance. “They are packed,” Zyber said.
Reflecting on the increase, she noted: “There is so much chaos in the world. They are looking for structure, stability, and some grounding in God.”
The parish is staffed by Jesuit priests whose Ignatian spirituality resonates strongly with students, Zyber said. She added that other campus and parish OCIA programs across Michigan are seeing similar growth.
In a report last month in the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner, Father Ryan Kaup, pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Church and Newman Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, characterized the current situation as “a golden age of campus ministry.”
Kaup reported that this past spring, 72 converts entered the Church at the Easter Vigil. So far this semester, they already have 125 students interested in joining the Church, he said.
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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 15, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
Some Protestant scholars who spoke with CNA welcomed a Vatican document that clarified titles for the Blessed Virgin Mary that discouraged the use of Co-Redemptrix/Co-Redeemer and put limits on the use of Mediatrix/Mediator.
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) issued the doctrinal note Mater Populi Fidelis on Nov. 4. It was approved by Pope Leo XIV and signed by DDF Prefect Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández on Oct. 7.
According to the document, using “Co-Redemptrix” to explain Mary’s role in salvation “would not be appropriate.” The document is less harsh about using “Mediatrix” and says “if misunderstood, it could easily obscure or even contradict” Mary’s role in mediation.
The document affirms Mary plays a role in both redemption and mediation because she freely cooperates with Jesus Christ. That role, it explains, is always “subordinate” to Christ, and it warned against using titles in a way that could be misconstrued to mitigate Christ as the sole Redeemer and sole Mediator.
Catholic reactions have been mixed, with some seeing the clarification as helpful and others defending the titles as consistent with the understanding of Mary’s role as subordinate and asking the Vatican to formally define the doctrines themselves rather than simply issue a note on the titles.
CNA spoke with three Protestant scholars, all of whom welcomed the Vatican’s doctrinal note on titles for Mary.
David Luy, theology professor at the North American Lutheran Seminary, told CNA he does not see the document as “Roman Catholics conceding anything to their tradition” but did see it as being written “with an attentiveness” toward certain concerns that Protestants raise.
Although Protestant communities vary widely on how they view Mary and what titles are proper, he said concern over the titles in question “sprouts from a desire to uphold the distinctiveness of Christ as the one mediator.”
Luy cited the second chapter of First Timothy. The translation of the text approved by the U.S. Catholic bishops states: “For there is one God. There is also one mediator between God and the human race, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself as ransom for all.”
He said Protestants often emphasize the need to “uphold the distinctive mediatorship of Christ” and saw the document as expressing a “sensibility to that central Protestant concern” while also being careful “in the way it develops Mary’s role in the economy of salvation.”
“Does it relieve potential strain between Protestants and Catholics? The short answer would be yes,” Luy said.
However, he said the concept of mediation “is probably where there’d be a need for just ongoing conversation.” He said Lutherans understand the term “mediation” as being “the means through which God acts in the world” and that “most Lutherans are going to be cautious” of language that describes Mary in terms of mediation.
Catholic teaching recognizes Christ as “the one mediator,” according to Lumen Gentium, the dogmatic constitution on the Church issued by the Second Vatican Council in 1964. It teaches that humans cooperate with Christ’s mediation in a subordinate way and “the Church does not hesitate to profess this subordinate role of Mary.”
The Rev. Cynthia Rigby, a theology professor at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and co-author of “Blessed One: Protestant Perspectives on Mary,” told CNA she thinks the document could mark “a watershed moment” for relations between Catholics and Protestants.
Rigby said Mary should be understood as a woman with “great faith,” and, under that framing, “Christians will identify her less as a secondary savior but as an exemplary Christian.” She said “the weight will shift from trying to explain how it is that Mary brokers salvation without rivaling Christ … to what we can learn about the joy of salvation through her example.”
The Vatican document, however, goes much further than Rigby on Mary’s role. It states that she freely cooperates “in the work of human salvation through faith and obedience” during the time that Christ walked the earth and throughout the ongoing life of the Church rather than simply viewing her as an example to follow.
Tom Krattenmaker, a Lutheran pastor and theology professor at Yale Divinity School, told CNA the document is “very welcome” and called Mariology “one of the major points distinguishing Christian traditions since the Reformation.”
He said the guidance on titles and the explanation provided in the document are “extraordinarily helpful for ecumenical dialogue” because they affirm Christ as the sole redeemer and mediator and Pope Leo XIV “makes very clear that we can say so in ecumenical communality.”
Krattenmaker said this “is a reason for Protestants to embrace the clear step forward he is making toward Christian unity.”
The Vatican document did not expressly state that ecumenism was the intended goal. However, the subject of Catholic Marian devotions is a frequent point of contention. The document did not alter any doctrines in dispute but instead focused on titles the dicastery felt may cause confusion about what the Church actually teaches about Mary.
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