![3 Catholic churches desecrated in a single French archdiocese #Catholic The Archdiocese of Tours in France reported that three Catholic churches within its jurisdiction have been desecrated and announced that Masses of reparation will be held at the affected churches.“In recent days, three churches in our diocese in Chambray-lès-Tours, Luynes, and Tours (St.Joan of Arc Church) have been targeted by malicious individuals,” the archdiocese said in a July 28 statement.The text specifies that “offering boxes were looted and damaged, doors forced open, sacred vessels damaged, a tabernacle forced open, and the Blessed Sacrament desecrated.”“These painful and hurtful events for the Catholic community unfortunately reveal the extent to which our society is permeated by disturbing forms of violence, a lack of culture, and a lack of civility,” the statement laments.Finally, the text notes without specifying dates that “Masses of reparation will be celebrated in the desecrated churches.”Michel Lamy, the mayor of Chambray-lès-Tours, condemned the desecration of the church in his town, stating: “These acts fill me with deep indignation and are simply unacceptable.”“Nothing can justify an attack on a place of worship, our heritage, and what it represents for many residents of Chambray,” the mayor stated on his Facebook page.The mayor posted photos of the desecration, showing Communion hosts scattered on the ground and excrement on the floor.Facebook post“I condemn this desecration in the strongest possible terms and offer my full support to the parish community, Father François Xavier Olayemy Oniossou, and all those deeply shocked by these events,” the mayor added.“In Chambray-lès-Tours, as elsewhere, respect for places of worship, regardless of one’s convictions, is a fundamental value,” he stated.In November 2024, similar acts of desecration occurred at four churches in the Archdiocese of Tours. Archbishop Vincent Jordy stated at the time that “there may be people who wish to express at times hatred toward the Church, or toward what she represents.” Facebook post“There is this type of phenomenon that unfortunately exists — we say it in the communique — and which manifests a lack of culture and a form of contempt for peopleʼs [way of] life and faith,” the prelate lamented at the time.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/3-catholic-churches-desecrated-in-a-single-french-archdiocese-catholic-the-archdiocese-of-tours-in-france-reported-that-three-catholic-churches-within-its-jurisdiction-have-been-desecrated-and-announ.jpg "3 Catholic churches desecrated in a single French archdiocese #Catholic The Archdiocese of Tours in France reported that three Catholic churches within its jurisdiction have been desecrated and announced that Masses of reparation will be held at the affected churches.“In recent days, three churches in our diocese in Chambray-lès-Tours, Luynes, and Tours (St.Joan of Arc Church) have been targeted by malicious individuals,” the archdiocese said in a July 28 statement.The text specifies that “offering boxes were looted and damaged, doors forced open, sacred vessels damaged, a tabernacle forced open, and the Blessed Sacrament desecrated.”“These painful and hurtful events for the Catholic community unfortunately reveal the extent to which our society is permeated by disturbing forms of violence, a lack of culture, and a lack of civility,” the statement laments.Finally, the text notes without specifying dates that “Masses of reparation will be celebrated in the desecrated churches.”Michel Lamy, the mayor of Chambray-lès-Tours, condemned the desecration of the church in his town, stating: “These acts fill me with deep indignation and are simply unacceptable.”“Nothing can justify an attack on a place of worship, our heritage, and what it represents for many residents of Chambray,” the mayor stated on his Facebook page.The mayor posted photos of the desecration, showing Communion hosts scattered on the ground and excrement on the floor.Facebook post“I condemn this desecration in the strongest possible terms and offer my full support to the parish community, Father François Xavier Olayemy Oniossou, and all those deeply shocked by these events,” the mayor added.“In Chambray-lès-Tours, as elsewhere, respect for places of worship, regardless of one’s convictions, is a fundamental value,” he stated.In November 2024, similar acts of desecration occurred at four churches in the Archdiocese of Tours. Archbishop Vincent Jordy stated at the time that “there may be people who wish to express at times hatred toward the Church, or toward what she represents.” Facebook post“There is this type of phenomenon that unfortunately exists — we say it in the communique — and which manifests a lack of culture and a form of contempt for peopleʼs [way of] life and faith,” the prelate lamented at the time.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.")
For the seventh time in two years, churches in the Archdiocese of Tours have been desecrated.
A reading from the Book of Jeremiah
26:11-16, 24
The priests and prophets said
to the princes and to all the people,
“This man deserves death;
he has prophesied against this city,
as you have heard with your own ears.”
Jeremiah gave this answer
to the princes and all the people:
“It was the LORD who sent me to
prophesy against this house and city
all that you have heard.
Now, therefore, reform your ways and your deeds;
listen to the voice of the LORD your God,
so that the LORD will repent
of the evil with which he threatens you.
As for me, I am in your hands;
do with me what you think good and right.
But mark well: if you put me to death,
it is innocent blood you bring on yourselves,
on this city and its citizens.
For in truth it was the LORD who sent me to you,
to speak all these things for you to hear.”
Thereupon the princes and all the people
said to the priests and the prophets,
“This man does not deserve death;
it is in the name of the LORD, our God, that he speaks to us.”
So Ahikam, son of Shaphan, protected Jeremiah,
so that he was not handed over to the people to be put to death.
From the Gospel according to Matthew
14:1-12
Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus
and said to his servants, “This man is John the Baptist.
He has been raised from the dead;
that is why mighty powers are at work in him.”
Now Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison
on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip,
for John had said to him,
“It is not lawful for you to have her.”
Although he wanted to kill him, he feared the people,
for they regarded him as a prophet.
But at a birthday celebration for Herod,
the daughter of Herodias performed a dance before the guests
and delighted Herod so much
that he swore to give her whatever she might ask for.
Prompted by her mother, she said,
“Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”
The king was distressed,
but because of his oaths and the guests who were present,
he ordered that it be given, and he had John beheaded in the prison.
His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl,
who took it to her mother.
His disciples came and took away the corpse
and buried him; and they went and told Jesus.
I would simply advise you not to dwell on this too much, but to remember the image, the four characters: the corrupt king, the woman who knew only how to hate, the vain young woman who is oblivious to everything, and the beheaded prophet alone in his cell. Look at that, and let each of you open your heart so that the Lord may speak to you about this. (Pope Francis, Santa Marta, 8 February 2019)
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This illustration depicts charged particles from a solar storm stripping away charged particles of Mars’ atmosphere, one of the processes of Martian atmosphere loss studied by NASA’s MAVEN mission.
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Chester Police chaplain retires after 47 years of service #Catholic – 
On July 29, members of the Chester Police Department, law enforcement leaders from across Morris County and New Jersey, and friends gathered to honor Msgr. Raymond Lopatesky, a retired priest of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., upon his retirement as chaplain to the Chester Police Department after 47 years of faithful service. The celebration was held in Hoffman Hall at the Chester Fire House.
Msgr. Lopatesky’s ministry became an integral part of both his life and the lives of those he served.
For nearly five decades, Msgr. Lopatesky ministered to police officers and their families through every season of life — whether comforting families after the loss of a loved one, celebrating weddings and the baptisms of their children, or simply being available to listen. His ministry extended far beyond the walls of the Church. As he described it, “They became my unique parish, my family.”
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Serving under 13 chiefs of the Chester Police Department, Msgr. Lopatesky remained a constant source of encouragement, compassion, and hope for countless officers and their families. In addition to his role as chaplain, he mentored new police officers and police academy recruits, helping to instill the values of integrity, service, and compassion in future generations of law enforcement professionals.
Msgr. Lopatesky is also the founder and director of the Morris County Police Critical Incident Debriefing Team. His service also extended beyond Chester as a chaplain to the Washington Township Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Secret Service.
Among those attending Msgr. Lopatesky’s retirement celebration were Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon, Chester Police Chief Ryan T. McNamee, retired N.J. State Police Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, active and retired members of the Chester Police Department, members of the N.J. State Police, and many law enforcement chiefs and officers from throughout the region.
Msgr. Ray Lopatesky’s legacy will continue to be felt throughout the Chester Police Department and the broader law enforcement community. He touched countless lives through his presence in joyful and difficult moments. He stood beside those who wear the badge, becoming not only their chaplain but also a trusted friend.
Although he is retiring from his official duties, Msgr. Lopatesky will continue to remember them in his daily prayers.
– On July 29, members of the Chester Police Department, law enforcement leaders from across Morris County and New Jersey, and friends gathered to honor Msgr. Raymond Lopatesky, a retired priest of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., upon his retirement as chaplain to the Chester Police Department after 47 years of faithful service. The celebration was held in Hoffman Hall at the Chester Fire House. Msgr. Lopatesky’s ministry became an integral part of both his life and the lives of those he served. For nearly five decades, Msgr. Lopatesky ministered to police officers and their families through every season of life —
Obituary: Sister of Charity Dolores Lew, 84 #Catholic – 
A Mass of Christian Burial was held on July 29 at Holy Family Chapel in the Convent Station neighborhood of Morris Township, N.J., for Sister Dolores Lew, a Sister of Charity of St. Elizabeth, who died on July 24 at St. Joseph’s University Medical Center in Paterson, N.J. She was 84.
Sister Lew was a member of the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth for 46 years.
Born in Bayonne, N.J., in 1941, Sister Lew was the daughter of Robert Lew and Nellie Pang Lai. She entered the Sisters of Charity in 1979 in response to a call she felt to serve God’s people in a medical setting.
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Sister Lew began her ministry of service as a Dominican Sister of Caldwell in Caldwell, N.J. She graduated from Caldwell College, now Caldwell University, with a bachelor’s degree in biology. She earned a master’s degree in biology from Villanova University in Villanova, Penn.
In addition, Sister Lew earned a certification in medical technology from the School of Medical Technology at St. Joseph Hospital in Paterson, and she received a blood bank certificate from the American Red Cross in Baltimore, Md.
Sister Lew also received licensing as a physician assistant. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in that profession from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey/Rutgers. She was the first Sister of Charity to become a physician assistant.
Sister Lew was a laboratory technologist and chief of the Blood Bank at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital (Trinitas) in Elizabeth, N.J. She was the first physician assistant to join the staff of St. Joseph’s University Medical Center in Paterson. Sister Dolores was a physician assistant in the Emergency Department at St. Joseph’s for 24 years until her retirement in 2019.
Sister Dolores enjoyed cooking for family and friends, gardening, and sharing the vegetables from her garden. She received the Best Age Strong Garden award in the 2024 Greenest Place in Paterson Garden Contest.
During the final years of her life, Sister Dolores lived with a serious illness, which she faced with courage and resolve.
Sister Lew was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Shirley Calderone. Her Sisters of Charity community survives her; her friend, Sister Edna Francis Hersinger; her nieces, Christine Velarde, Michele Cavallaro and Toni Anne Caracappa; her nephew, Joseph Calderone; her brothers, Robert, John, David, Peter, and Joseph; her sisters, Kammoy King and Joanne Chin; and many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.
Burial took place in Holy Family Cemetery in Convent Station.
Please make donations in memory of Sister Dolores Lew to the Sisters of Charity Office of Legacy and Mission Advancement, P. O. Box 476, Convent Station, N.J., 07961.
– A Mass of Christian Burial was held on July 29 at Holy Family Chapel in the Convent Station neighborhood of Morris Township, N.J., for Sister Dolores Lew, a Sister of Charity of St. Elizabeth, who died on July 24 at St. Joseph’s University Medical Center in Paterson, N.J. She was 84. Sister Lew was a member of the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth for 46 years. Born in Bayonne, N.J., in 1941, Sister Lew was the daughter of Robert Lew and Nellie Pang Lai. She entered the Sisters of Charity in 1979 in response to a call she felt
Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column. July 30: Meteors may shine Mercury has now brightened to magnitude 0.5 in the early-morning sky and should be even easier to see than it was earlier in the week. It is now just a few days from greatest western elongation. IfContinue reading “The Sky Today on Friday, July 31: Mercury brightening”
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