October 19, 2026 – United Yam

Catholics in Ecuador mourn death of priest struck by falling crucifix during Mass – #Catholic – The Catholic faithful are mourning the death of Father Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari, parish priest of the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Guayaquil, Ecuador, which occurred tragically on Saturday, Oct. 17.The 53-year-old Redemptorist priest passed away after a crucifix mounted on the wall behind the altar fell on him during Mass.The Archdiocese of Guayaquil issued a statement, signed by Cardinal Luis Cabrera, announcing that the priest “has departed for the Father’s House to enjoy His presence and His glory” and expressing that it joins “in prayer for the eternal rest of his soul, while offering its solidarity, affection, and care to the Redemptorist family, as well as to his own family and friends.”In addition, the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists) and the Archdiocese of Guayaquil celebrated an Oct. 18 evening Mass for the soul of Sánchez at the same Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.Following the news of his passing, many colleagues and members of the faithful took to social media to express their shock and remember the priest.“We thank God for all the good received through Father Patricio Sánchez, who accompanied the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians and the young women — especially in our communities in Guayaquil — with closeness, love, and pastoral dedication,” the Salesians wrote regarding the priest, who was born in Cuenca.“We are certain that he is already enjoying the presence of God. May the Lord, in His infinite mercy, welcome him into His Kingdom and grant comfort and strength to all of us who mourn his passing,” they added.“May his soul have been received by Almighty God. We are deeply saddened by this situation. Death came upon the priest while he was in the midst of celebrating Holy Mass,” noted Betty Montaño.Mari Pérez expressed her hope “that he is now rejoicing with God,” while adding: “but we must look into what caused this accident — there needs to be greater care taken when positioning religious images.”“For a priest, it is an honor to depart from this world to the Father’s house while celebrating Holy Mass; it is a true reflection of Jesus, who died on the cross. He is now in heaven, enjoying the delights that God had prepared for him beforehand,” remarked Carlos Alberto Pastrello.“Proclaiming Jesus Christ, God calls him into His presence,” María Augusta Guzmanberrezueta remarked.Vicente Sauhing Dávila wrote on the priest’s Facebook page that “the Lord embraced him and took him with Him to His Holy Home. Jesus said: ‘Be prepared, with your lamps burning. You do not know the day or the hour.’”San Lorenzo Parish in Vinces, where Sánchez also served as a parish priest, likewise expressed sorrow at his passing, highlighting his “dedication and pastoral love.” “As a Redemptorist family, we join in prayer for the eternal rest of his soul, and we ask the Lord to grant comfort to his family, his brother priests, and all the faithful who cherish his legacy and memory with gratitude.”This story was first published by EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Pope Leo XIV, Chris Pratt come together for new documentary about the tomb of St. Peter – #Catholic – A new documentary is bringing Pope Leo XIV and Hollywood actor Chris Pratt together to dive into the history and archaeological discoveries surrounding the tomb of St. Peter at the Vatican.“Pétros Ení — Discovering the Origins” was produced by AF Films in collaboration with Vatican Media and the Fabric of St. Peter to mark the 400th anniversary of the consecration of St. Peter’s Basilica, which took place on Nov. 18, 1626.Taking viewers into areas rarely seen by the general public, the film journeys back in time all the way to the Roman necropolis, which has been preserved beneath St. Peter’s Basilica.The documentary brings together documents from the Archives of the Fabric of St. Peter, contributions from Pietro Zander (one of the leading experts on the Vatican Necropolis), images and audio recordings of the popes, and archival footage from renowned epigrapher Margherita Guarducci.Pope Leo appears in the final scenes to talk more about the figure of St. Peter and the significance of his tomb’s presence beneath the famous basilica.Pratt, who is best known for his roles in “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Jurassic World,” speaks publicly of his Christian faith and is married to a practicing Catholic. According to Vatican News, he said the experience of making this film deeply moved him and helped him “define my faith.”“What I would like audiences to understand about Peter after watching this documentary is that he was an imperfect man,” Pratt said. “He was a weak man. He was a human being. And I believe we are all broken, imperfect, and weak. But his strength lies in the grace of Jesus and his faith in God. With that strength, through grace and faith, you can be incredibly strong.”He added: “It was an incredible honor to collaborate with Pope Leo and the Vatican on this project. The story of St. Peter is foundational to the Christian faith, and I am deeply grateful for the trust and access I was given to bring his legacy to the screen.”“Pétros Ení” — which refers to a Greek inscription that means “Peter is here” and is found near the apostle’s burial grounds — is scheduled to start its theatrical debut in February 2027, during the first few weeks of Lent.Hallow Studios will be in charge of U.S. and Canada distribution, Bosco Films will handle the distribution in Spain, and Cinépolis +Que Cine will oversee its theatrical release in Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia.“When I first saw this film it changed my life. I think it is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. It is an honor to get to partner together on it,” Alex Jones, Hallow CEO and co-founder, said in a statement. “And the fact that it is led by one of our core Hallow partners in Chris and features such a powerful reflection from Pope Leo is just truly extraordinary.”Watch the first trailer for “Pétros Ení — Discovering the Origins,” released Oct. 16, below.

French bishops appeal for calm as riots and looting sweep France – #Catholic – French bishops have appealed for an end to violence after a weekend of rioting in which public buildings were burned, shops were looted nationwide, and a Lyon interreligious peace march was postponed.“I call on everyone not to be swept up in the spiral of this violence: Our city and our country deserve better than this,” Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, archbishop of Marseille and president of the French bishops' conference, said in an Oct. 18 communiqué.In Marseille, he wrote, “shops were looted, churches broken into, the city hall invaded and damaged, a police station ransacked, and members of the police attacked.” The archdiocese has not said which churches were entered.Archbishop Olivier de Germay of Lyon said in a statement on X that his city “was the scene of clashes, hatred, destruction, and looting that are unacceptable.”“I am well aware that this violence is the sign of a society that is unwell, but I want to state forcefully once again that it is a dead end,” he wrote.Organizers postponed a March for Peace that Lyonʼs Christian, Muslim, and Jewish leaders had planned for Sunday to mark the 40th anniversary of St. John Paul IIʼs 1986 interreligious day of prayer in Assisi, Italy.No new date has been set.What happenedThe violence broke out Oct. 17 when about 550,000 people marched nationwide in what organizers called a protest against the rising cost of living, according to the Interior Ministry.One labor union put the figure at 800,000, AFP reported.The movement grew out of weeks of high school protests over school conditions, during which several schools were severely damaged by the demonstrators, including in Paris, Nantes, Marseille, and Rouen. French bishop condemns ‘destructive’ protest violence, urges peaceful dialogue In Limoges on Saturday, masked mobs broke into the city hall and set it on fire. In Paris, AFP reporters saw groups of young men in balaclavas disconnect security cameras before smashing their way into shops. Paris looting continued Sunday night, Le Figaro reported.Other public buildings were also attacked and torched. In Lyon, the tourist office on Place Bellecour was ransacked and set on fire. In Bordeaux, rioters ransacked the regional prefectʼs residence, and firefighters put out fires at the prefecture building, a bank, and shops, Sud Ouest reported.Nearly 1,000 police officers and gendarmes were injured, the Interior Ministry said. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin told France 2 on Monday that authorities took 2,331 people into custody over the weekend, 70% of them adults “very often known to the police and the justice system,” Le Figaro reported. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said about 350 people were arrested in Paris alone on Sunday and overnight.Prosecutors in Toulouse and several other cities said most of the people they held had no previous criminal record.Trump and Vance reactIn reaction to the images of chaos, violence, and looting across France, President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance both pointed to immigration.“Western liberals imported the third world into France,” Vance wrote on X.Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday that “the immigration of people from an entirely different world, people with hatred in their hearts, has shattered that once great country,” AFP reported.Nuñez said rioters acted at the instigation of “the ultra-left” and were joined by “opportunistic delinquents,” Le Figaro reported. On Monday, he confirmed security forces had “lost control” at points during the violent riots.On Monday, Macron refused Nuñezʼs resignation, offered the day before, and pointed to “failures of anticipation and intelligence,” Euronews reported. Darmanin said the authorities had “unquestionably failed.”

Oct. 19, 2017: The discovery of ‘Oumuamua

unitedyam October 19, 2026October 19, 2026

Sometime around the year 1837, a strange object passed an invisible cosmic mile marker: 1,000 astronomical units from the Sun. (One astronomical unit, or AU, is the average Earth-Sun distance.) For more than a century, it continued undetected toward our star. Finally, on Oct. 19, 2017, humans noticed the visitor. That night, a faint, thinContinue reading “Oct. 19, 2017: The discovery of ‘Oumuamua”

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