Day: June 14, 2026

Gospel and Word of the Day – 15 June 2026 – A reading from the First Book of Kings 21:1-16 Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel next to the palace of Ahab, king of Samaria. Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard to be my vegetable garden, since it is close by, next to my house. I will give you a better vineyard in exchange, or, if you prefer, I will give you its value in money.” Naboth answered him, “The LORD forbid that I should give you my ancestral heritage.” Ahab went home disturbed and angry at the answer Naboth the Jezreelite had made to him: “I will not give you my ancestral heritage.” Lying down on his bed, he turned away from food and would not eat. His wife Jezebel came to him and said to him, “Why are you so angry that you will not eat?” He answered her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, ‘Sell me your vineyard, or, if you prefer, I will give you a vineyard in exchange.’ But he refused to let me have his vineyard.” His wife Jezebel said to him, “A fine ruler over Israel you are indeed! Get up.  Eat and be cheerful. I will obtain the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite for you.” So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and, having sealed them with his seal, sent them to the elders and to the nobles who lived in the same city with Naboth. This is what she wrote in the letters: “Proclaim a fast and set Naboth at the head of the people. Next, get two scoundrels to face him and accuse him of having cursed God and king. Then take him out and stone him to death.” His fellow citizens—the elders and nobles who dwelt in his city— did as Jezebel had ordered them in writing, through the letters she had sent them. They proclaimed a fast and placed Naboth at the head of the people. Two scoundrels came in and confronted him with the accusation, “Naboth has cursed God and king.” And they led him out of the city and stoned him to death. Then they sent the information to Jezebel that Naboth had been stoned to death. When Jezebel learned that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Go on, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you, because Naboth is not alive, but dead.” On hearing that Naboth was dead, Ahab started off on his way down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.From the Gospel according to Matthew 5:38-42 Jesus said to his disciples: "You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow."Jesus quotes the ancient law: “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” (Mt 5:38; Ex 21:24). We know what that law meant: when someone takes something from you, you are to take the same thing from him. This law of retaliation was actually a sign of progress, since it prevented excessive retaliation. If someone harms you, then you can repay him or her in the same degree; you cannot do something worse. Ending the matter there, in a fair exchange, was a step forward. But Jesus goes far beyond this: “But I say to you, do not resist one who is evil” (Mt 5:39). But how, Lord? If someone thinks badly of me, if someone hurts me, why can I not repay him with the same currency? “No”, says Jesus. Nonviolence. No act of violence. We might think that Jesus’ teaching is a part of a plan; in the end, the wicked will desist. But that is not why Jesus asks us to love even those who do us harm. What, then, is the reason? It is that the Father, our Father, continues to love everyone, even when his love is not reciprocated. (…) If we want to be disciples of Christ, if we want to call ourselves Christians, this is the only way; there is no other. Having been loved by God, we are called to love in return; having been forgiven, we are called to forgive; having been touched by love, we are called to love without waiting for others to love first; having been saved graciously, we are called to seek no benefit from the good we do. (Pope Francis, Homily, 23 February 2020)

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A reading from the First Book of Kings
21:1-16

Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel
next to the palace of Ahab, king of Samaria.
Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard to be my vegetable garden,
since it is close by, next to my house.
I will give you a better vineyard in exchange, or,
if you prefer, I will give you its value in money.”
Naboth answered him, “The LORD forbid
that I should give you my ancestral heritage.”
Ahab went home disturbed and angry at the answer
Naboth the Jezreelite had made to him:
“I will not give you my ancestral heritage.”
Lying down on his bed, he turned away from food and would not eat.

His wife Jezebel came to him and said to him,
“Why are you so angry that you will not eat?”
He answered her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite
and said to him, ‘Sell me your vineyard, or,
if you prefer, I will give you a vineyard in exchange.’
But he refused to let me have his vineyard.”
His wife Jezebel said to him,
“A fine ruler over Israel you are indeed!
Get up. 
Eat and be cheerful.
I will obtain the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite for you.”

So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and,
having sealed them with his seal,
sent them to the elders and to the nobles
who lived in the same city with Naboth.
This is what she wrote in the letters:
“Proclaim a fast and set Naboth at the head of the people.
Next, get two scoundrels to face him
and accuse him of having cursed God and king.
Then take him out and stone him to death.”
His fellow citizens—the elders and nobles who dwelt in his city—
did as Jezebel had ordered them in writing,
through the letters she had sent them.
They proclaimed a fast and placed Naboth at the head of the people.
Two scoundrels came in and confronted him with the accusation,
“Naboth has cursed God and king.”
And they led him out of the city and stoned him to death.
Then they sent the information to Jezebel
that Naboth had been stoned to death.

When Jezebel learned that Naboth had been stoned to death,
she said to Ahab,
“Go on, take possession of the vineyard
of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you,
because Naboth is not alive, but dead.”
On hearing that Naboth was dead, Ahab started off on his way
down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite,
to take possession of it.

From the Gospel according to Matthew
5:38-42

Jesus said to his disciples:
"You have heard that it was said,
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
When someone strikes you on your right cheek,
turn the other one to him as well.
If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,
hand him your cloak as well.
Should anyone press you into service for one mile,
go with him for two miles.
Give to the one who asks of you,
and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow."

Jesus quotes the ancient law: “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” (Mt 5:38; Ex 21:24). We know what that law meant: when someone takes something from you, you are to take the same thing from him. This law of retaliation was actually a sign of progress, since it prevented excessive retaliation. If someone harms you, then you can repay him or her in the same degree; you cannot do something worse. Ending the matter there, in a fair exchange, was a step forward. But Jesus goes far beyond this: “But I say to you, do not resist one who is evil” (Mt 5:39). But how, Lord? If someone thinks badly of me, if someone hurts me, why can I not repay him with the same currency? “No”, says Jesus. Nonviolence. No act of violence.

We might think that Jesus’ teaching is a part of a plan; in the end, the wicked will desist. But that is not why Jesus asks us to love even those who do us harm. What, then, is the reason? It is that the Father, our Father, continues to love everyone, even when his love is not reciprocated. (…) If we want to be disciples of Christ, if we want to call ourselves Christians, this is the only way; there is no other. Having been loved by God, we are called to love in return; having been forgiven, we are called to forgive; having been touched by love, we are called to love without waiting for others to love first; having been saved graciously, we are called to seek no benefit from the good we do. (Pope Francis, Homily, 23 February 2020)

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Outrageous: Rice University Offers Course on Taylor Swift Analyzing “Whiteness” and “Nationalism” – In the latest in waste of money on courses at American schools according to Campus Reform, “Rice University, a private research university in Houston, Texas, is offering multiple courses centered on pop star Taylor Swift, including one class examining far-left themes such as “American nationalism and whiteness” through Swift’s lyrics and public image.” “Rice will offer “COLL 118 Mastermind: The Taylor Swift Eras” this fall, in which students will analyze Swift’s albums as “primary texts” and examine “how a single artist can shape global culture and shift industry standards.” If you find this absurd you are not alone. The post Outrageous: Rice University Offers Course on Taylor Swift Analyzing “Whiteness” and “Nationalism” appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Outrageous: Rice University Offers Course on Taylor Swift Analyzing “Whiteness” and “Nationalism” – In the latest in waste of money on courses at American schools according to Campus Reform, “Rice University, a private research university in Houston, Texas, is offering multiple courses centered on pop star Taylor Swift, including one class examining far-left themes such as “American nationalism and whiteness” through Swift’s lyrics and public image.” “Rice will offer “COLL 118 Mastermind: The Taylor Swift Eras” this fall, in which students will analyze Swift’s albums as “primary texts” and examine “how a single artist can shape global culture and shift industry standards.” If you find this absurd you are not alone. The post Outrageous: Rice University Offers Course on Taylor Swift Analyzing “Whiteness” and “Nationalism” appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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In the latest in waste of money on courses at American schools according to Campus Reform, “Rice University, a private research university in Houston, Texas, is offering multiple courses centered on pop star Taylor Swift, including one class examining far-left themes such as “American nationalism and whiteness” through Swift’s lyrics and public image.” “Rice will offer “COLL 118 Mastermind: The Taylor Swift Eras” this fall, in which students will analyze Swift’s albums as “primary texts” and examine “how a single artist can shape global culture and shift industry standards.” If you find this absurd you are not alone.

The post Outrageous: Rice University Offers Course on Taylor Swift Analyzing “Whiteness” and “Nationalism” appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Target Hit With Double Baby Product Recalls: Nara Formula Linked to Infant Botulism, Up & Up Wipes Pulled Over Dangerous Bacterial Contamination – Target is facing scrutiny over the safety of its baby products after two separate recalls this week, one for baby wipes containing bacteria and one for baby formula, leaving babies hospitalized with botulism. The post Target Hit With Double Baby Product Recalls: Nara Formula Linked to Infant Botulism, Up & Up Wipes Pulled Over Dangerous Bacterial Contamination appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Target Hit With Double Baby Product Recalls: Nara Formula Linked to Infant Botulism, Up & Up Wipes Pulled Over Dangerous Bacterial Contamination – Target is facing scrutiny over the safety of its baby products after two separate recalls this week, one for baby wipes containing bacteria and one for baby formula, leaving babies hospitalized with botulism. The post Target Hit With Double Baby Product Recalls: Nara Formula Linked to Infant Botulism, Up & Up Wipes Pulled Over Dangerous Bacterial Contamination appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Organic infant formula and fragrance-free baby wipes displayed side by side, highlighting baby care essentials for parents seeking natural and gentle products.

Organic infant formula and fragrance-free baby wipes displayed side by side, highlighting baby care essentials for parents seeking natural and gentle products.

Target is facing scrutiny over the safety of its baby products after two separate recalls this week, one for baby wipes containing bacteria and one for baby formula, leaving babies hospitalized with botulism.

The post Target Hit With Double Baby Product Recalls: Nara Formula Linked to Infant Botulism, Up & Up Wipes Pulled Over Dangerous Bacterial Contamination appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Pope Leo XIV says evil crumbles when the Gospel is lived out #Catholic VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV said Sunday that when the Gospel is proclaimed and lived out, evil gives way before the power of the risen Christ.Speaking from the window of the Apostolic Palace for the June 14 Angelus in St. Peter’s Square, the pope reflected on the day’s Gospel from Matthew, saying it “brings us a great gift, for it draws all who hear it into Jesus’ gaze.”“It is a story that bears witness to the attentiveness of this gaze, as well as telling us what the Lord sees,” Pope Leo said, citing the passage in which Christ, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless.”“Having become our brother, the Son of God looks at the people, he looks at humanity: he sees the oppression that burdens and the violence that causes strength to fade,” the pope said.Christ, he continued, also sees the wounds of the contemporary world.“He sees the wounds of war and the emptiness of consumerism. He sees faces reduced to masks, families torn apart by evil, and young people misled by false ideals,” Pope Leo said. “Jesus sees and loves. He loves and suffers for and with us: his compassion expresses not only fraternal closeness, but his desire to redeem.”Before humanity’s wounds, the pope said, Christ remains near and sends “workers into the field of the world.”“What is their task?” he asked. “They must offer God’s comfort to those who suffer by bringing charity where there is misery, hope where there is affliction, faith where there is distrust.”The pope noted that the Gospel names the first 12 “workers,” the disciples made apostles, missionaries, and preachers.“The Good News that spans the centuries is the same, always young, fresh, and liberating: ‘The Kingdom of Heaven has come near!’” he said. “Yes, it is near because in Jesus Christ, God draws near to every man and woman, to every people and nation.”Pope Leo added that the Gospel is not merely announced but also lived.“When this Gospel is proclaimed and lived out, evil crumbles like a disease that passes away, like a night giving way to dawn, like death conquered by the risen One,” he said.The pope said the Church is called to continue the mission of the apostles, remembering Jesus’ words: “You received without payment; give without payment.”“Dear friends, the task of evangelization springs from God’s gift, which in Christ becomes forgiveness for the world, service to the least and the poor, and a commitment to justice,” he said.After the Angelus prayer, Pope Leo recalled his recent apostolic journey to Spain.“First of all, I express my gratitude to the Lord for the Apostolic Journey he has allowed me to undertake in Spain,” he said. “I also thank the Spanish people who have welcomed me with great enthusiasm and devotion.”“I am especially grateful to His Majesty the King; I affectionately thank the Bishops, all the communities I visited and the entire Church in Spain,” the pope added. “Que Dios bendiga siempre a España!”Pope Leo also remembered several newly beatified martyrs: the diocesan priests Václav Drbola and Jan Bula of Moravia, and Jan Šwierc and eight companions, Polish Salesian priests.“All were beatified as martyrs, as victims of the persecution by totalitarian regimes because of their fidelity to Christ,” he said.The pope also recalled that Nazareno Lanciotti, “a Roman missionary priest,” had been beatified Saturday in Mato Grosso, Brazil.“He too was a martyr, for he defended the poorest in the name of the Gospel,” Pope Leo said. “May the example and intercession of these courageous witnesses sustain the mission of priests and of the entire Church.”The pope concluded by expressing his closeness to the people of the Philippines, “struck a few days ago by a powerful earthquake.”“I pray for the deceased and their families, for the wounded and for all those suffering because of this disaster,” he said.This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Pope Leo XIV says evil crumbles when the Gospel is lived out #Catholic VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV said Sunday that when the Gospel is proclaimed and lived out, evil gives way before the power of the risen Christ.Speaking from the window of the Apostolic Palace for the June 14 Angelus in St. Peter’s Square, the pope reflected on the day’s Gospel from Matthew, saying it “brings us a great gift, for it draws all who hear it into Jesus’ gaze.”“It is a story that bears witness to the attentiveness of this gaze, as well as telling us what the Lord sees,” Pope Leo said, citing the passage in which Christ, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless.”“Having become our brother, the Son of God looks at the people, he looks at humanity: he sees the oppression that burdens and the violence that causes strength to fade,” the pope said.Christ, he continued, also sees the wounds of the contemporary world.“He sees the wounds of war and the emptiness of consumerism. He sees faces reduced to masks, families torn apart by evil, and young people misled by false ideals,” Pope Leo said. “Jesus sees and loves. He loves and suffers for and with us: his compassion expresses not only fraternal closeness, but his desire to redeem.”Before humanity’s wounds, the pope said, Christ remains near and sends “workers into the field of the world.”“What is their task?” he asked. “They must offer God’s comfort to those who suffer by bringing charity where there is misery, hope where there is affliction, faith where there is distrust.”The pope noted that the Gospel names the first 12 “workers,” the disciples made apostles, missionaries, and preachers.“The Good News that spans the centuries is the same, always young, fresh, and liberating: ‘The Kingdom of Heaven has come near!’” he said. “Yes, it is near because in Jesus Christ, God draws near to every man and woman, to every people and nation.”Pope Leo added that the Gospel is not merely announced but also lived.“When this Gospel is proclaimed and lived out, evil crumbles like a disease that passes away, like a night giving way to dawn, like death conquered by the risen One,” he said.The pope said the Church is called to continue the mission of the apostles, remembering Jesus’ words: “You received without payment; give without payment.”“Dear friends, the task of evangelization springs from God’s gift, which in Christ becomes forgiveness for the world, service to the least and the poor, and a commitment to justice,” he said.After the Angelus prayer, Pope Leo recalled his recent apostolic journey to Spain.“First of all, I express my gratitude to the Lord for the Apostolic Journey he has allowed me to undertake in Spain,” he said. “I also thank the Spanish people who have welcomed me with great enthusiasm and devotion.”“I am especially grateful to His Majesty the King; I affectionately thank the Bishops, all the communities I visited and the entire Church in Spain,” the pope added. “Que Dios bendiga siempre a España!”Pope Leo also remembered several newly beatified martyrs: the diocesan priests Václav Drbola and Jan Bula of Moravia, and Jan Šwierc and eight companions, Polish Salesian priests.“All were beatified as martyrs, as victims of the persecution by totalitarian regimes because of their fidelity to Christ,” he said.The pope also recalled that Nazareno Lanciotti, “a Roman missionary priest,” had been beatified Saturday in Mato Grosso, Brazil.“He too was a martyr, for he defended the poorest in the name of the Gospel,” Pope Leo said. “May the example and intercession of these courageous witnesses sustain the mission of priests and of the entire Church.”The pope concluded by expressing his closeness to the people of the Philippines, “struck a few days ago by a powerful earthquake.”“I pray for the deceased and their families, for the wounded and for all those suffering because of this disaster,” he said.This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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At the Angelus, the pontiff said Christ sees the wounds of war, broken families, and young people misled by false ideals.

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‘Super Bowl on steroids’: Webinar highlights trafficking around World Cup #Catholic – While “all eyes are on us” in the coming weeks with FIFA World Cup activity, the issue of human trafficking will persist even after visitors have returned home, said Detective Sgt. Ehtasham “Izzy” Chaudhry of the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness. “We are not going to stop when FIFA is over, we are going to continue,” he said. “Even though right now we are being hyper vigilant, we will and we have to continue combatting human trafficking.” The World Cup begins June 11, and matches are being hosted in the region, beginning with Brazil v. Morocco June 11 in East Rutherford, and Côte d’Ivoire vs Ecuador June 14 in Philadelphia. The July 19 final will also be in East Rutherford. In preparation, on June 9 the New Jersey Catholic Conference, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference hosted a webinar, “Human Trafficking and Major Sporting Events.” It featured faith leaders, law enforcement representatives, an elected official and an advocate working to fight sexual and labor exploitation. Kathleen Friess, program and training coordinator for the Human Trafficking Unit in the New Jersey Attorney General’s Division of Criminal Justice, emphasized that “anyone can be a lifesaver,” when it comes to human trafficking. Friess coordinates training for agencies across New Jersey, including law enforcement as well as prosecutors, paramedics, code enforcement officials, the faith community, casinos, and any other organizations that might encounter human trafficking victims. She noted the particular concerns around labor exploitation surrounding the World Cup matches and the fanfare they will bring with them. “These events are expected to bring more than 1 million visitors to the region,” she said. “Although we have the experience of preparing for the Super Bowl, someone said this is the Super Bowl on steroids. We cannot fathom the type of impact this is going to have, in many ways.” She noted that outreach efforts have also included posting flyers raising awareness and sharing information about resources in every restroom stall at East Rutherford’s MetLife Stadium to try to reach those in need. Catholic Social Teaching Felicitas Brugo Onetti, anti-trafficking education and outreach coordinator with USCCB’s Migration and Refugee Services, told webinar participants, “Large-scale sporting events bring influxes of visitors, temporary workers and cash flow, which can increase vulnerabilities to human trafficking. “Trafficking does not occur because of the event itself, but events can intensify existing trafficking patterns already present in host communities,” she said. “Risk factors include increased demand for commercial sex, informal labor markets, crowded transportation hubs and limited community awareness.” Onetti emphasized that fighting human trafficking and the commitment to end slavery in all forms are deeply entrenched in Catholic social teaching. She also noted the estimated 49.6 million people who – at any time – live in conditions of slavery and human trafficking globally. Part of Chaudhry’s work involves leading his office’s Interfaith Advisory Council, and he emphasized the key role that faith leaders and communities can play in raising awareness about trafficking. “The Catholic Church is the largest faith-based community here in the State of New Jersey,” he said. “I truly believe that faith leaders are community leaders and have a lot of influence in the community. They are able to get out messages that are important.” Identifying victims Theresa Flores, a social worker and a human trafficking survivor, launched the SOAP Project – “Save Our Adolescents from Prostitution” – after she, at the age of 40, realized that she had been a victim herself as a teenager. She emphasized that victims can be anywhere and may be hard to identify. “I also went to church, I also went to school,” she said of the two-year period when she was being trafficked. Flores said a waitress at a hotel restaurant noticed she was in distress and asked her if she was alright – and ended up saving her. Today, her organization works to raise awareness of the prevalence of human trafficking, in part through distributing soap in packages labeled with the National Human Trafficking Hotline number to hotels and motels to offer victims a discrete way to find out how to seek help. Her organization recently received a boost from students at Donovan Catholic High School, Toms River, who labeled some 2,000 bars of soaps that will be distributed to shore motels in the days and weeks to come. “We do this around big sporting events a lot of times, because we know demand for sex for sale is going to quadruple during that event,” she said, noting that her organization has worked in the host cities for 15 Super Bowls. “If traffickers are going to be there, and bring victims, we want to be there, too.” Friess joined others on the webinar in encouraging anyone who suspects they have observed a form of human trafficking to contact authorities – even if they cannot prove what is happening. “You are never going to be 100 percent sure,” she said. “The people who claim to be experts can never be 100 percent sure at the get go. It takes time.” Tips or leads regarding possible human trafficking can be shared by calling (855) End-NJ-HT. You can also access Department of Labor resources at www.NJ.gov/labor/worldcup, and resources for victims by contacting Covenant House New Jersey at (862) 240-2453. If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, you can contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1 (888) 373-7888 or by visiting https://humantraffickinghotline.org/.
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‘Super Bowl on steroids’: Webinar highlights trafficking around World Cup #Catholic – While “all eyes are on us” in the coming weeks with FIFA World Cup activity, the issue of human trafficking will persist even after visitors have returned home, said Detective Sgt. Ehtasham “Izzy” Chaudhry of the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness. “We are not going to stop when FIFA is over, we are going to continue,” he said. “Even though right now we are being hyper vigilant, we will and we have to continue combatting human trafficking.” The World Cup begins June 11, and matches are being hosted in the region, beginning with Brazil v. Morocco June 11 in East Rutherford, and Côte d’Ivoire vs Ecuador June 14 in Philadelphia. The July 19 final will also be in East Rutherford. In preparation, on June 9 the New Jersey Catholic Conference, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference hosted a webinar, “Human Trafficking and Major Sporting Events.” It featured faith leaders, law enforcement representatives, an elected official and an advocate working to fight sexual and labor exploitation. Kathleen Friess, program and training coordinator for the Human Trafficking Unit in the New Jersey Attorney General’s Division of Criminal Justice, emphasized that “anyone can be a lifesaver,” when it comes to human trafficking. Friess coordinates training for agencies across New Jersey, including law enforcement as well as prosecutors, paramedics, code enforcement officials, the faith community, casinos, and any other organizations that might encounter human trafficking victims. She noted the particular concerns around labor exploitation surrounding the World Cup matches and the fanfare they will bring with them. “These events are expected to bring more than 1 million visitors to the region,” she said. “Although we have the experience of preparing for the Super Bowl, someone said this is the Super Bowl on steroids. We cannot fathom the type of impact this is going to have, in many ways.” She noted that outreach efforts have also included posting flyers raising awareness and sharing information about resources in every restroom stall at East Rutherford’s MetLife Stadium to try to reach those in need. Catholic Social Teaching Felicitas Brugo Onetti, anti-trafficking education and outreach coordinator with USCCB’s Migration and Refugee Services, told webinar participants, “Large-scale sporting events bring influxes of visitors, temporary workers and cash flow, which can increase vulnerabilities to human trafficking. “Trafficking does not occur because of the event itself, but events can intensify existing trafficking patterns already present in host communities,” she said. “Risk factors include increased demand for commercial sex, informal labor markets, crowded transportation hubs and limited community awareness.” Onetti emphasized that fighting human trafficking and the commitment to end slavery in all forms are deeply entrenched in Catholic social teaching. She also noted the estimated 49.6 million people who – at any time – live in conditions of slavery and human trafficking globally. Part of Chaudhry’s work involves leading his office’s Interfaith Advisory Council, and he emphasized the key role that faith leaders and communities can play in raising awareness about trafficking. “The Catholic Church is the largest faith-based community here in the State of New Jersey,” he said. “I truly believe that faith leaders are community leaders and have a lot of influence in the community. They are able to get out messages that are important.” Identifying victims Theresa Flores, a social worker and a human trafficking survivor, launched the SOAP Project – “Save Our Adolescents from Prostitution” – after she, at the age of 40, realized that she had been a victim herself as a teenager. She emphasized that victims can be anywhere and may be hard to identify. “I also went to church, I also went to school,” she said of the two-year period when she was being trafficked. Flores said a waitress at a hotel restaurant noticed she was in distress and asked her if she was alright – and ended up saving her. Today, her organization works to raise awareness of the prevalence of human trafficking, in part through distributing soap in packages labeled with the National Human Trafficking Hotline number to hotels and motels to offer victims a discrete way to find out how to seek help. Her organization recently received a boost from students at Donovan Catholic High School, Toms River, who labeled some 2,000 bars of soaps that will be distributed to shore motels in the days and weeks to come. “We do this around big sporting events a lot of times, because we know demand for sex for sale is going to quadruple during that event,” she said, noting that her organization has worked in the host cities for 15 Super Bowls. “If traffickers are going to be there, and bring victims, we want to be there, too.” Friess joined others on the webinar in encouraging anyone who suspects they have observed a form of human trafficking to contact authorities – even if they cannot prove what is happening. “You are never going to be 100 percent sure,” she said. “The people who claim to be experts can never be 100 percent sure at the get go. It takes time.” Tips or leads regarding possible human trafficking can be shared by calling (855) End-NJ-HT. You can also access Department of Labor resources at www.NJ.gov/labor/worldcup, and resources for victims by contacting Covenant House New Jersey at (862) 240-2453. If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, you can contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1 (888) 373-7888 or by visiting https://humantraffickinghotline.org/.

unitedyam

‘Super Bowl on steroids’: Webinar highlights trafficking around World Cup #Catholic –

While “all eyes are on us” in the coming weeks with FIFA World Cup activity, the issue of human trafficking will persist even after visitors have returned home, said Detective Sgt. Ehtasham “Izzy” Chaudhry of the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness.

“We are not going to stop when FIFA is over, we are going to continue,” he said. “Even though right now we are being hyper vigilant, we will and we have to continue combatting human trafficking.”

The World Cup begins June 11, and matches are being hosted in the region, beginning with Brazil v. Morocco June 11 in East Rutherford, and Côte d’Ivoire vs Ecuador June 14 in Philadelphia. The July 19 final will also be in East Rutherford.

In preparation, on June 9 the New Jersey Catholic Conference, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference hosted a webinar, “Human Trafficking and Major Sporting Events.” It featured faith leaders, law enforcement representatives, an elected official and an advocate working to fight sexual and labor exploitation.

Kathleen Friess, program and training coordinator for the Human Trafficking Unit in the New Jersey Attorney General’s Division of Criminal Justice, emphasized that “anyone can be a lifesaver,” when it comes to human trafficking.

Friess coordinates training for agencies across New Jersey, including law enforcement as well as prosecutors, paramedics, code enforcement officials, the faith community, casinos, and any other organizations that might encounter human trafficking victims. She noted the particular concerns around labor exploitation surrounding the World Cup matches and the fanfare they will bring with them.

“These events are expected to bring more than 1 million visitors to the region,” she said. “Although we have the experience of preparing for the Super Bowl, someone said this is the Super Bowl on steroids. We cannot fathom the type of impact this is going to have, in many ways.”

She noted that outreach efforts have also included posting flyers raising awareness and sharing information about resources in every restroom stall at East Rutherford’s MetLife Stadium to try to reach those in need.

Catholic Social Teaching

Felicitas Brugo Onetti, anti-trafficking education and outreach coordinator with USCCB’s Migration and Refugee Services, told webinar participants, “Large-scale sporting events bring influxes of visitors, temporary workers and cash flow, which can increase vulnerabilities to human trafficking.

“Trafficking does not occur because of the event itself, but events can intensify existing trafficking patterns already present in host communities,” she said. “Risk factors include increased demand for commercial sex, informal labor markets, crowded transportation hubs and limited community awareness.”

Onetti emphasized that fighting human trafficking and the commitment to end slavery in all forms are deeply entrenched in Catholic social teaching. She also noted the estimated 49.6 million people who – at any time – live in conditions of slavery and human trafficking globally.

Part of Chaudhry’s work involves leading his office’s Interfaith Advisory Council, and he emphasized the key role that faith leaders and communities can play in raising awareness about trafficking.

“The Catholic Church is the largest faith-based community here in the State of New Jersey,” he said. “I truly believe that faith leaders are community leaders and have a lot of influence in the community. They are able to get out messages that are important.”

Identifying victims

Theresa Flores, a social worker and a human trafficking survivor, launched the SOAP Project – “Save Our Adolescents from Prostitution” – after she, at the age of 40, realized that she had been a victim herself as a teenager. She emphasized that victims can be anywhere and may be hard to identify.

“I also went to church, I also went to school,” she said of the two-year period when she was being trafficked. Flores said a waitress at a hotel restaurant noticed she was in distress and asked her if she was alright – and ended up saving her.

Today, her organization works to raise awareness of the prevalence of human trafficking, in part through distributing soap in packages labeled with the National Human Trafficking Hotline number to hotels and motels to offer victims a discrete way to find out how to seek help. Her organization recently received a boost from students at Donovan Catholic High School, Toms River, who labeled some 2,000 bars of soaps that will be distributed to shore motels in the days and weeks to come.

“We do this around big sporting events a lot of times, because we know demand for sex for sale is going to quadruple during that event,” she said, noting that her organization has worked in the host cities for 15 Super Bowls. “If traffickers are going to be there, and bring victims, we want to be there, too.”

Friess joined others on the webinar in encouraging anyone who suspects they have observed a form of human trafficking to contact authorities – even if they cannot prove what is happening.

“You are never going to be 100 percent sure,” she said. “The people who claim to be experts can never be 100 percent sure at the get go. It takes time.”

Tips or leads regarding possible human trafficking can be shared by calling (855) End-NJ-HT. You can also access Department of Labor resources at www.NJ.gov/labor/worldcup, and resources for victims by contacting Covenant House New Jersey at (862) 240-2453.

If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, you can contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1 (888) 373-7888 or by visiting https://humantraffickinghotline.org/.

– While “all eyes are on us” in the coming weeks with FIFA World Cup activity, the issue of human trafficking will persist even after visitors have returned home, said Detective Sgt. Ehtasham “Izzy” Chaudhry of the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness. “We are not going to stop when FIFA is over, we are going to continue,” he said. “Even though right now we are being hyper vigilant, we will and we have to continue combatting human trafficking.” The World Cup begins June 11, and matches are being hosted in the region, beginning with Brazil v. Morocco June

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June 14, 1949: The first mammal in space

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On June 14, 1949, a rhesus monkey named Albert II was launched into space aboard a V-2 rocket from White Sands, New Mexico. Prior to Albert II, animals including fruit flies, mice, and another monkey (Albert I) had been launched in rocket and balloon flights as part of American space biology research, but Albert II’sContinue reading “June 14, 1949: The first mammal in space”

The post June 14, 1949: The first mammal in space appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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Michigan diocese celebrates new priests after ordinations moved out of cathedral #Catholic ANN ARBOR, Michigan — Bishop Earl Boyea of Lansing, Michigan, ordained four men to the priesthood on June 6 at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in East Lansing after the crowd was too big for St. Mary’s Cathedral, the mother church of the diocese. In the packed church, Boyea told the ordinands: “You have been spending years being with Jesus. He’s calling you as he called those 12 so many centuries ago. Today, as you are consecrated by the Church for a sacred ministry, consecrate yourselves to drink the cup which the Lord gives and take in the word which the Spirit is providing. Though weak vessels that we are, we will not let that prevent us from following the calling we have received.”Now 75 and due to retire from his duties in Lansing, Boyea has ordained 45 priests during his 18 years of leadership of the diocese in Michigan’s capital. The diocese, one of seven Latin-rite dioceses in Michigan, is currently sponsoring 29 seminarians, and last year’s ordination class was the largest in nearly 50 years.Fathers Joshua Bauer, Jacob Derry, Ryan Ferrigan, and Peter Randolph, ordained by Boyea, all attended Sacred Heart Major Seminary of the Detroit Archdiocese. Bishop Earl Boyea of Lansing, Michigan, washes the feet of one of the four men he ordained to the priesthood on June 6, 2026, at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in East Lansing, Michigan. | Credit: Valerie Hendrickson Before their ordination, the men were interviewed on video, displaying the chalices they will use as priests.Ferrigan, 28, said his antique sacred vessel had been left behind at the now-shuttered St. Michael Parish church in Flint, Michigan, established more than 170 years ago. Inscribed on its base are the words of an anonymous donor: “In reparation from a friend of the Sacred Heart.”“You know, it’s a paradox because this chalice has a long history, and I don’t know who the priests are who used it in the past,” he said. “They offered the Holy Sacrifice using this vessel for over 100 years, and I get to continue faithfully offering the Mass and praying for the salvation of the world every day.”In his thanksgiving address to the congregation, Ferrigan said of his priesthood: “It’s all about the glory of God and the salvation of souls!”In an interview with EWTN News, the new priest said: “In being ordained, the palpable joy they could see in me was there because in ordination, I am seeing the purpose for which God created me coming to fruition. I have become what the Lord created me to be.”“The day of my ordination was the best day of my life. Lots of friends and family were there to support me. The Lord has blessed me and is very good to me. I’m still adjusting and realizing that I’m really a priest now and have the privilege of offering the Mass every day. This is my commission and what the Lord wants me to do for his praise and the salvation of the world. It is still sinking in,” he told EWTN News. From left to right: Fathers Peter Randolph, Ryan Ferrigan, Jacob Derry, and Joshua Bauer at their ordaination on June 6, 2026, in East Lansing, Michigan. | Credit: Valerie Hendrickson Ferrigan celebrated his first solo Mass that same day at St. Martha Parish in Okemos, near Lansing. He was able to distribute the Eucharist for the first time in both instances to his mother. He will serve at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Ann Arbor, which is close to the University of Michigan campus and known for its music and solemn liturgies.“I’m excited to be going there, and I expect to serve about three years at St. Thomas,” he said, adding: “I’m excited about learning to be a parish priest and diving into ministry. This is how the Lord wants me to feed his sheep.”Randolph, 27, reflected in the video about his journey to the altar, which has included profound loss. “The emphasis of this chalice upon the humanity of Christ and about receiving the chalice, and then living it out to the fullest extent, both in pain and suffering, and full self-abandonment and full self-emptying and glory, means a lot to me, because my [18-year-old] brother Xavier died less than a year ago. And the Lord has really promised me that he’s going to meet me in the place of my pain,” he said, adding: “He’s not going to leave me alone. But it’s going to come in my very broken humanity. In my humanity that is now broken in a particular way in grief.” Peter Randolph prepares for his ordination to the priesthood on June 6, 2026, in East Lansing, Michigan. | Credit: Valerie Hendrickson Randolph’s father and grandfather serve as deacons in the Lansing Diocese. At the July 2025 funeral for Xavier, hundreds of friends and parishioners of the close-knit Christ the King Parish in Ann Arbor were on hand to support the Randolph family with the same solidarity shown at Randolph’s ordination. He has been assigned to St. Patrick Parish in Brighton, Michigan, which is known for its healing services and charismatic liturgies.As Boyea consecrated Randolph, the newly ordained young man openly sobbed in the presence of his many friends and family members. “I want every day of my priesthood and every time that I offer Mass in this chalice, to be able to say, like, ‘Accipiam calicem,’ right, I accept the chalice,” Randolph vowed. Paraphrasing Matthew 26:42, Randolph said: “Father, I accept this chalice, and I will drink it to the dregs with your Son.”
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Michigan diocese celebrates new priests after ordinations moved out of cathedral #Catholic ANN ARBOR, Michigan — Bishop Earl Boyea of Lansing, Michigan, ordained four men to the priesthood on June 6 at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in East Lansing after the crowd was too big for St. Mary’s Cathedral, the mother church of the diocese. In the packed church, Boyea told the ordinands: “You have been spending years being with Jesus. He’s calling you as he called those 12 so many centuries ago. Today, as you are consecrated by the Church for a sacred ministry, consecrate yourselves to drink the cup which the Lord gives and take in the word which the Spirit is providing. Though weak vessels that we are, we will not let that prevent us from following the calling we have received.”Now 75 and due to retire from his duties in Lansing, Boyea has ordained 45 priests during his 18 years of leadership of the diocese in Michigan’s capital. The diocese, one of seven Latin-rite dioceses in Michigan, is currently sponsoring 29 seminarians, and last year’s ordination class was the largest in nearly 50 years.Fathers Joshua Bauer, Jacob Derry, Ryan Ferrigan, and Peter Randolph, ordained by Boyea, all attended Sacred Heart Major Seminary of the Detroit Archdiocese. Bishop Earl Boyea of Lansing, Michigan, washes the feet of one of the four men he ordained to the priesthood on June 6, 2026, at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in East Lansing, Michigan. | Credit: Valerie Hendrickson Before their ordination, the men were interviewed on video, displaying the chalices they will use as priests.Ferrigan, 28, said his antique sacred vessel had been left behind at the now-shuttered St. Michael Parish church in Flint, Michigan, established more than 170 years ago. Inscribed on its base are the words of an anonymous donor: “In reparation from a friend of the Sacred Heart.”“You know, it’s a paradox because this chalice has a long history, and I don’t know who the priests are who used it in the past,” he said. “They offered the Holy Sacrifice using this vessel for over 100 years, and I get to continue faithfully offering the Mass and praying for the salvation of the world every day.”In his thanksgiving address to the congregation, Ferrigan said of his priesthood: “It’s all about the glory of God and the salvation of souls!”In an interview with EWTN News, the new priest said: “In being ordained, the palpable joy they could see in me was there because in ordination, I am seeing the purpose for which God created me coming to fruition. I have become what the Lord created me to be.”“The day of my ordination was the best day of my life. Lots of friends and family were there to support me. The Lord has blessed me and is very good to me. I’m still adjusting and realizing that I’m really a priest now and have the privilege of offering the Mass every day. This is my commission and what the Lord wants me to do for his praise and the salvation of the world. It is still sinking in,” he told EWTN News. From left to right: Fathers Peter Randolph, Ryan Ferrigan, Jacob Derry, and Joshua Bauer at their ordaination on June 6, 2026, in East Lansing, Michigan. | Credit: Valerie Hendrickson Ferrigan celebrated his first solo Mass that same day at St. Martha Parish in Okemos, near Lansing. He was able to distribute the Eucharist for the first time in both instances to his mother. He will serve at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Ann Arbor, which is close to the University of Michigan campus and known for its music and solemn liturgies.“I’m excited to be going there, and I expect to serve about three years at St. Thomas,” he said, adding: “I’m excited about learning to be a parish priest and diving into ministry. This is how the Lord wants me to feed his sheep.”Randolph, 27, reflected in the video about his journey to the altar, which has included profound loss. “The emphasis of this chalice upon the humanity of Christ and about receiving the chalice, and then living it out to the fullest extent, both in pain and suffering, and full self-abandonment and full self-emptying and glory, means a lot to me, because my [18-year-old] brother Xavier died less than a year ago. And the Lord has really promised me that he’s going to meet me in the place of my pain,” he said, adding: “He’s not going to leave me alone. But it’s going to come in my very broken humanity. In my humanity that is now broken in a particular way in grief.” Peter Randolph prepares for his ordination to the priesthood on June 6, 2026, in East Lansing, Michigan. | Credit: Valerie Hendrickson Randolph’s father and grandfather serve as deacons in the Lansing Diocese. At the July 2025 funeral for Xavier, hundreds of friends and parishioners of the close-knit Christ the King Parish in Ann Arbor were on hand to support the Randolph family with the same solidarity shown at Randolph’s ordination. He has been assigned to St. Patrick Parish in Brighton, Michigan, which is known for its healing services and charismatic liturgies.As Boyea consecrated Randolph, the newly ordained young man openly sobbed in the presence of his many friends and family members. “I want every day of my priesthood and every time that I offer Mass in this chalice, to be able to say, like, ‘Accipiam calicem,’ right, I accept the chalice,” Randolph vowed. Paraphrasing Matthew 26:42, Randolph said: “Father, I accept this chalice, and I will drink it to the dregs with your Son.”

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Bishop Earl Boyea ordained four new priests at a local Lansing parish, urging them to “drink the cup which the Lord gives” as they begin their ministry.

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A ministry born from loss: One woman’s mission to comfort families after miscarriage - #Catholic - One year ago, Sarah-Elizabeth Pilato, a Catholic mother of three from New York, found out she was pregnant at the age of 40. It was a surprise to her and her husband but the couple were excited to bring another life into the world. Then, suddenly, their excitement ended when Pilato went into her doctor’s office and was told that her baby no longer had a heartbeat. She had undergone a miscarriage. It was this experience that inspired her to write a book called “H.U.G” — an acronym for “Here, Understood, and Gently held.”“It was a very quick emotional roller-coaster ride,” Pilato told EWTN News. “And when I had the miscarriage, my doctor, she looked at me and she basically said, ‘Iʼm so sorry. Miscarriage is really not talked about. I donʼt know why women donʼt talk about it, but itʼs very common.’ And in that moment, as she looked at me, I thought to myself, ‘OK, Iʼm going to talk about it.’”She recalled sitting in the doctor’s office, alone, looking for anything that would help her with her grief — a pamphlet, a picture on the wall, anything — and there was nothing. Instead, all she was handed as she walked out the door was her bill for the office visit.“There was just nothing for me to make me feel that I was going to be OK and that I wasnʼt alone. I felt completely isolated and I felt like I was the only person in the world that was feeling this,” she recalled.Once she got home, she felt lost, not knowing what to think or do. After some time alone at home, she heard God tell her to sit down and write.“Iʼm like, ‘Well thatʼs a really weird thing to do right now. Thatʼs like the last thing that I want to do is open my laptop,’” she said. “But, when God gives you directions itʼs always best to follow. And so I sat down and I opened my laptop. Iʼve got the tissues out, Iʼm still a mess, and I just started writing what I was feeling.”Her writing went up on her blog and after several hours, Pilato returned to the blog post where she saw hundreds of women commenting and sending her messages of their own similar experiences. Catholic author Sarah-Elizabeth Pilato with her book, “H.U.G.” | Credit: Tatiana Ariola Photography “Thatʼs when I knew that we needed to share these stories and that I wasnʼt the only one that had ever felt like this,” she shared. “And it became so important to me, in that moment, that no one ever felt like we felt again — if we can make that feeling go away for as many women as possible, it would be worth it.”This is when Pilato was inspired to write her book, “H.U.G.,” which is made up of over 30 testimonies from women who have walked through pregnancy loss as well as men who share their perspectives as husbands and fathers walking alongside their wives. After each story, there are several reflection questions.“This book is meant to be for the woman thatʼs experiencing it at any stage,” Pilato explained. “And itʼs really the kind of book that you can open, look at the table of contents, and theyʼre all labeled — a hug for when you just want to scream or a hug for when you feel alone, a hug for when you donʼt have the words to pray … So, you can pick it up, put it down, pick it up, put it down whenever you need it, wherever youʼre grieving.”She added: “I wish Iʼd had a book to just hug when I was laying there on my couch that would just make me feel seen.”Speaking to the men in the book, Pilato realized through her own miscarriage that her husband “had no idea what to do with me or how to respond or what to do with his own emotions.”“[Men are] kind of forgotten and theyʼre processing in a very different way. And I realized that he didnʼt know what to do and so I realized that he needed to have a story as well,” she said.Pilato explained that the book was entirely funded by donations from individuals, and with the donations she is now working to get the book available “in any place that a woman might be grieving.”“We have them in hospitals, in urgent cares, in churches, therapy offices — Iʼve had requests come in from all different places. And our goal is to get the book into every state,” she said.Books are available for purchase or, if an organization is unable to pay for them, they can request free books to be donated to them.“I do always say if your organization has the budget and you would like to pay, absolutely, it helps, it all goes back into the book, but if not, if we have inventory, we make it happen,” she said. “So, it is all God filling our inventory, bringing us to the people. And so far, weʼve been able to get books to women as soon as two hours after theyʼve heard that theyʼre experiencing a loss.”The author shared that her main hope for women who come across her book is that “she feels seen and loved and finds hope in her future. I think Itʼs so hard to feel seen and loved and hopeful in the moment, but by reading these stories, I believe that she can feel that and get closer to it in her healing.”
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A ministry born from loss: One woman’s mission to comfort families after miscarriage – #Catholic – One year ago, Sarah-Elizabeth Pilato, a Catholic mother of three from New York, found out she was pregnant at the age of 40. It was a surprise to her and her husband but the couple were excited to bring another life into the world. Then, suddenly, their excitement ended when Pilato went into her doctor’s office and was told that her baby no longer had a heartbeat. She had undergone a miscarriage. It was this experience that inspired her to write a book called “H.U.G” — an acronym for “Here, Understood, and Gently held.”“It was a very quick emotional roller-coaster ride,” Pilato told EWTN News. “And when I had the miscarriage, my doctor, she looked at me and she basically said, ‘Iʼm so sorry. Miscarriage is really not talked about. I donʼt know why women donʼt talk about it, but itʼs very common.’ And in that moment, as she looked at me, I thought to myself, ‘OK, Iʼm going to talk about it.’”She recalled sitting in the doctor’s office, alone, looking for anything that would help her with her grief — a pamphlet, a picture on the wall, anything — and there was nothing. Instead, all she was handed as she walked out the door was her bill for the office visit.“There was just nothing for me to make me feel that I was going to be OK and that I wasnʼt alone. I felt completely isolated and I felt like I was the only person in the world that was feeling this,” she recalled.Once she got home, she felt lost, not knowing what to think or do. After some time alone at home, she heard God tell her to sit down and write.“Iʼm like, ‘Well thatʼs a really weird thing to do right now. Thatʼs like the last thing that I want to do is open my laptop,’” she said. “But, when God gives you directions itʼs always best to follow. And so I sat down and I opened my laptop. Iʼve got the tissues out, Iʼm still a mess, and I just started writing what I was feeling.”Her writing went up on her blog and after several hours, Pilato returned to the blog post where she saw hundreds of women commenting and sending her messages of their own similar experiences. Catholic author Sarah-Elizabeth Pilato with her book, “H.U.G.” | Credit: Tatiana Ariola Photography “Thatʼs when I knew that we needed to share these stories and that I wasnʼt the only one that had ever felt like this,” she shared. “And it became so important to me, in that moment, that no one ever felt like we felt again — if we can make that feeling go away for as many women as possible, it would be worth it.”This is when Pilato was inspired to write her book, “H.U.G.,” which is made up of over 30 testimonies from women who have walked through pregnancy loss as well as men who share their perspectives as husbands and fathers walking alongside their wives. After each story, there are several reflection questions.“This book is meant to be for the woman thatʼs experiencing it at any stage,” Pilato explained. “And itʼs really the kind of book that you can open, look at the table of contents, and theyʼre all labeled — a hug for when you just want to scream or a hug for when you feel alone, a hug for when you donʼt have the words to pray … So, you can pick it up, put it down, pick it up, put it down whenever you need it, wherever youʼre grieving.”She added: “I wish Iʼd had a book to just hug when I was laying there on my couch that would just make me feel seen.”Speaking to the men in the book, Pilato realized through her own miscarriage that her husband “had no idea what to do with me or how to respond or what to do with his own emotions.”“[Men are] kind of forgotten and theyʼre processing in a very different way. And I realized that he didnʼt know what to do and so I realized that he needed to have a story as well,” she said.Pilato explained that the book was entirely funded by donations from individuals, and with the donations she is now working to get the book available “in any place that a woman might be grieving.”“We have them in hospitals, in urgent cares, in churches, therapy offices — Iʼve had requests come in from all different places. And our goal is to get the book into every state,” she said.Books are available for purchase or, if an organization is unable to pay for them, they can request free books to be donated to them.“I do always say if your organization has the budget and you would like to pay, absolutely, it helps, it all goes back into the book, but if not, if we have inventory, we make it happen,” she said. “So, it is all God filling our inventory, bringing us to the people. And so far, weʼve been able to get books to women as soon as two hours after theyʼve heard that theyʼre experiencing a loss.”The author shared that her main hope for women who come across her book is that “she feels seen and loved and finds hope in her future. I think Itʼs so hard to feel seen and loved and hopeful in the moment, but by reading these stories, I believe that she can feel that and get closer to it in her healing.”

unitedyam

“H.U.G.” — which stands for “Here, Understood, and Gently held” — is a book made up of over 30 testimonies from women who have walked through miscarriage and pregnancy loss.

Read More