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Eurasian coot (Fulica atra) with chicks, Estanque de San Lázaro, Trujillo, Spain.
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![A ‘porter’ who led others to Christ: Archbishop Fulton Sheen declared ‘blessed’ – #Catholic – ST. LOUIS — Archbishop Fulton Sheen, despite his humble origins in small-town Illinois, aspired to great things as an academic and as a communicator of the Catholic faith. On Sept. 24, before a crowd of tens of thousands at The Dome at America’s Center, the farm-boy-turned-mass-media star was declared “blessed” after the reading of a decree signed by Pope Leo XIV, a fellow Midwesterner.Via his decree, Pope Leo announced Blessed Sheen’s feast day will be on Dec. 9, the anniversary of his death. His feast day is expected to be on the calendar of the Catholic Church in the United States.Cardinal Luis Tagle, the pope’s representative and the principal celebrant of the beatification Mass, reflected on the meaning of “blessed” during his homily — noting that throughout history many who shared the Christian faith suffered persecution, yet their lives were still marked by joy. It is Sheen’s deep, humble relationship with Jesus Christ and his radical solidarity with the poor and vulnerable that characterized his life as a missionary, one that all Catholics should emulate, Tagle said.Despite his massive worldly popularity and the fact that he personally accompanied countless converts in their journey to become Catholic, Tagle noted that Sheen did not “claim” the converts as his own but rather described himself as a mere “porter” who led people to the “open door of the house of God.”
Cardinal Luis Tagle serves as the pope’s representative and the principal celebrant of the beatification Mass on Sept. 24, 2026, in St. Louis. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno
“It is for being a zealous and creative evangelizer, an advocate for mission that Fulton Sheen is called ‘blessed’ or ‘fortunate’ or ‘happy’… Blessed is the Evangelizer, converted by beholding and touching the wounds of the risen Christ in wounded brothers and sisters, blessed is the missionary who digs deep into the heart of the poor to meet Jesus there. Blessed Fulton J. Sheen!” Tagle proclaimed.Jam-packed crowds of Catholics of all ages — from the elderly who were around when Sheen’s shows first aired, to numerous families with small children — had descended on the stadium for the Mass, which began with a lengthy procession of some 1,000 priests, 89 bishops, and hundreds of seminarians and deacons.The actual moment when Sheen became “blessed” happened early in the proceedings, following the proclamation of a decree signed by Pope Leo XIV. As is customary at beatifications, the decree was read first in Latin by Tagle, the pope’s representative and the pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, and afterward in the vernacular — in this case English — by Bishop Louis Tylka of Peoria, Illinois, in whose diocese Sheen was born.Immediately following the reading, a portrait of Blessed Sheen was revealed showing him with a halo, to thunderous applause. The same portrait was simultaneously unveiled at his tomb at the Cathedral St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Peoria.
A new image of Blessed Fulton Sheen is displayed after he is declared “blessed” at the Mass for his beatification on Sept. 24, 2026, at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno
Earlier in the day, Monsignor Jason Gray, executive director of the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation, announced that six purported miracles are attributed to the intercession of Sheen as part of the process that could lead to his canonization. Any purported miracle attributed to Sheen’s intercession that has taken place since Pope Francis announced his beatification in July 2019 can count toward his eventual canonization, which typically requires a second miracle to move forward.James Fulton Engstrom, recipient of the confirmed miracle that cleared the way for Sheen’s beatification, survived in spite of having spent 61 minutes without a heartbeat. The healthy 16-year-old presented several of Sheen’s relics during the beatification Mass today.Catholics from all over the world hailed Sheen’s example as a highly creative and effective missionary, who used every means available to him to share the love of Christ.Father Solomon Patrick Zaku, national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Nigeria, flew to the U.S. for his first-ever visit to the country to attend the beatification of Sheen, who previously served as the Pontifical Mission Societies’ national director for the U.S.“While I was in the seminary, I read about his book and about his life, and I was somewhat touched by his life. One of the things I have learned from him is the Holy Hour, spending an hour daily, and that has been part of my daily routine, which has been my source of inspiration,” Zaku said. “As the national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Nigeria, [we] promote the Mission Rosary, which Archbishop Fulton Sheen introduced … I pray it daily.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/a-porter-who-led-others-to-christ-archbishop-fulton-sheen-declared-blessed-catholic-st-louis-archbishop-fulton-sheen-despite-his-humble-origins-in-scaled.jpg "A ‘porter’ who led others to Christ: Archbishop Fulton Sheen declared ‘blessed’ – #Catholic – ST. LOUIS — Archbishop Fulton Sheen, despite his humble origins in small-town Illinois, aspired to great things as an academic and as a communicator of the Catholic faith. On Sept. 24, before a crowd of tens of thousands at The Dome at America’s Center, the farm-boy-turned-mass-media star was declared “blessed” after the reading of a decree signed by Pope Leo XIV, a fellow Midwesterner.Via his decree, Pope Leo announced Blessed Sheen’s feast day will be on Dec. 9, the anniversary of his death. His feast day is expected to be on the calendar of the Catholic Church in the United States.Cardinal Luis Tagle, the pope’s representative and the principal celebrant of the beatification Mass, reflected on the meaning of “blessed” during his homily — noting that throughout history many who shared the Christian faith suffered persecution, yet their lives were still marked by joy. It is Sheen’s deep, humble relationship with Jesus Christ and his radical solidarity with the poor and vulnerable that characterized his life as a missionary, one that all Catholics should emulate, Tagle said.Despite his massive worldly popularity and the fact that he personally accompanied countless converts in their journey to become Catholic, Tagle noted that Sheen did not “claim” the converts as his own but rather described himself as a mere “porter” who led people to the “open door of the house of God.”
Cardinal Luis Tagle serves as the pope’s representative and the principal celebrant of the beatification Mass on Sept. 24, 2026, in St. Louis. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno
“It is for being a zealous and creative evangelizer, an advocate for mission that Fulton Sheen is called ‘blessed’ or ‘fortunate’ or ‘happy’… Blessed is the Evangelizer, converted by beholding and touching the wounds of the risen Christ in wounded brothers and sisters, blessed is the missionary who digs deep into the heart of the poor to meet Jesus there. Blessed Fulton J. Sheen!” Tagle proclaimed.Jam-packed crowds of Catholics of all ages — from the elderly who were around when Sheen’s shows first aired, to numerous families with small children — had descended on the stadium for the Mass, which began with a lengthy procession of some 1,000 priests, 89 bishops, and hundreds of seminarians and deacons.The actual moment when Sheen became “blessed” happened early in the proceedings, following the proclamation of a decree signed by Pope Leo XIV. As is customary at beatifications, the decree was read first in Latin by Tagle, the pope’s representative and the pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, and afterward in the vernacular — in this case English — by Bishop Louis Tylka of Peoria, Illinois, in whose diocese Sheen was born.Immediately following the reading, a portrait of Blessed Sheen was revealed showing him with a halo, to thunderous applause. The same portrait was simultaneously unveiled at his tomb at the Cathedral St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Peoria.
A new image of Blessed Fulton Sheen is displayed after he is declared “blessed” at the Mass for his beatification on Sept. 24, 2026, at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno
Earlier in the day, Monsignor Jason Gray, executive director of the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation, announced that six purported miracles are attributed to the intercession of Sheen as part of the process that could lead to his canonization. Any purported miracle attributed to Sheen’s intercession that has taken place since Pope Francis announced his beatification in July 2019 can count toward his eventual canonization, which typically requires a second miracle to move forward.James Fulton Engstrom, recipient of the confirmed miracle that cleared the way for Sheen’s beatification, survived in spite of having spent 61 minutes without a heartbeat. The healthy 16-year-old presented several of Sheen’s relics during the beatification Mass today.Catholics from all over the world hailed Sheen’s example as a highly creative and effective missionary, who used every means available to him to share the love of Christ.Father Solomon Patrick Zaku, national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Nigeria, flew to the U.S. for his first-ever visit to the country to attend the beatification of Sheen, who previously served as the Pontifical Mission Societies’ national director for the U.S.“While I was in the seminary, I read about his book and about his life, and I was somewhat touched by his life. One of the things I have learned from him is the Holy Hour, spending an hour daily, and that has been part of my daily routine, which has been my source of inspiration,” Zaku said. “As the national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Nigeria, [we] promote the Mission Rosary, which Archbishop Fulton Sheen introduced … I pray it daily.”")
Pope Leo XIV announced Blessed Sheen’s feast day will be on Dec. 9, the anniversary of his death.
![Bishops ask Supreme Court for Catholic inclusion in Colorado universal preschool program – #Catholic – The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of Catholic schools in Colorado that want to be included in the state’s universal preschool program.Two parents, two Catholic parishes, and the Archdiocese of Denver are suing the Colorado Department of Early Childhood and the state’s Universal Preschool Program. The USCCB’s amicus brief argues Catholic schools should be allowed to participate without compromising their faith.Although Colorado permits secular and faith-based schools to participate in the program, schools are prohibited from discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation in the admissions process. The schools argue that this prevents them from only admitting children if their parents agree with Church teachings on those issues.The USCCB’s amicus brief said the case was the latest example of states and cities using nondiscrimination rules to quietly pressure or sideline certain religious beliefs.“If this trend continues, it will impair the ability of Catholic organizations and other faith-based service providers to partner with state and local governments to serve the public,” it adds. “The resulting harm to the nation’s social support infrastructure would be immense.”The bishops urged the court to rule in favor of the Catholic schools and provide “clear instruction to courts across the country that religious organizations cannot be barred from participation in public life merely because they live out their sincerely held religious beliefs.”“[This] will ensure that these organizations can continue providing vital, irreplaceable services in partnership with the states while freely exercising their faith,” the court filing adds.Benedictine College gets candidate status for medical schoolBenedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, announced that its proposed School of Osteopathic Medicine received candidate status by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation.“Achieving Candidate Status is a significant milestone for Benedictine College. It reflects the dedication and hard work of many people who have helped bring this vision forward,” Dr. Marla Golden, the founding dean, said in a statement. “Our attention now turns to the next major step of achieving Pre-Accreditation Status.”According to a news release, receiving candidate status allows the college to move forward toward the process of being accredited.Study shows economic impact of Franciscan UniversityA study by the analytics company Lightcast found that Franciscan University of Steubenville generates $81.2 million in its annual economic impact and supports 1,146 jobs in the Ohio Valley.According to a news release from the university, Franciscan’s economic impact was equal to about 1.6% of the Ohio Valley’s gross regional product. It found the university and its students supported 1 in every 45 regional jobs.“Franciscan University’s first mission is to form men and women in Christ and prepare them to serve God and others through their families, professions, and communities,” Father Dave Pivonka, university president, said in a statement.“This study gives us a remarkable glimpse at another dimension of that mission,” he said. Franciscan is also an economic anchor for the Ohio Valley — providing jobs, supporting businesses, bringing students and visitors to the region, and sending graduates into the world prepared to contribute and serve.”New Catholic head of Intercollegiate Studies InstituteThe Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) — founded by William F. Buckley and Frank Chodorov to support conservative college students — named Christopher Fisher, who has a background in Catholic education, as its new president.Fisher serves as superintendent of Catholic schools at the Archdiocese of San Francisco and previously worked as the executive director of the Portsmouth Institute for Faith and Culture at Portsmouth Abbey, a Catholic monastery and boarding school.“Chrisʼs deep commitment to the enduring ideas of the Western tradition, his record of institutional leadership, and his passion for forming the next generation of thoughtful, engaged citizens make him exceptionally well-suited to lead ISI into its next chapter,” read an ISI post on X.In a post on X, Fisher said he is “honored and humbled to be chosen as the next President of ISI, and am deeply grateful to the Board for the opportunity to lead an institution that shaped my own education and vocation.”Tennessee school district adds Ten Commandments in schoolsThe Hamilton County School Board in Tennessee voted 6-4 to require all public schools in the county to display the Ten Commandments, joining at least five other counties that have adopted similar rules.These mandates come less than three months after a state law became effective, which expressly allows public schools and charter schools to display the Ten Commandments alongside the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/bishops-ask-supreme-court-for-catholic-inclusion-in-colorado-universal-preschool-program-catholic-the-u-s-conference-of-catholic-bishops-usccb-petitioned-the-u-s-supreme-court-on-behalf-of-ca-scaled.jpg "Bishops ask Supreme Court for Catholic inclusion in Colorado universal preschool program – #Catholic – The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of Catholic schools in Colorado that want to be included in the state’s universal preschool program.Two parents, two Catholic parishes, and the Archdiocese of Denver are suing the Colorado Department of Early Childhood and the state’s Universal Preschool Program. The USCCB’s amicus brief argues Catholic schools should be allowed to participate without compromising their faith.Although Colorado permits secular and faith-based schools to participate in the program, schools are prohibited from discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation in the admissions process. The schools argue that this prevents them from only admitting children if their parents agree with Church teachings on those issues.The USCCB’s amicus brief said the case was the latest example of states and cities using nondiscrimination rules to quietly pressure or sideline certain religious beliefs.“If this trend continues, it will impair the ability of Catholic organizations and other faith-based service providers to partner with state and local governments to serve the public,” it adds. “The resulting harm to the nation’s social support infrastructure would be immense.”The bishops urged the court to rule in favor of the Catholic schools and provide “clear instruction to courts across the country that religious organizations cannot be barred from participation in public life merely because they live out their sincerely held religious beliefs.”“[This] will ensure that these organizations can continue providing vital, irreplaceable services in partnership with the states while freely exercising their faith,” the court filing adds.Benedictine College gets candidate status for medical schoolBenedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, announced that its proposed School of Osteopathic Medicine received candidate status by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation.“Achieving Candidate Status is a significant milestone for Benedictine College. It reflects the dedication and hard work of many people who have helped bring this vision forward,” Dr. Marla Golden, the founding dean, said in a statement. “Our attention now turns to the next major step of achieving Pre-Accreditation Status.”According to a news release, receiving candidate status allows the college to move forward toward the process of being accredited.Study shows economic impact of Franciscan UniversityA study by the analytics company Lightcast found that Franciscan University of Steubenville generates $81.2 million in its annual economic impact and supports 1,146 jobs in the Ohio Valley.According to a news release from the university, Franciscan’s economic impact was equal to about 1.6% of the Ohio Valley’s gross regional product. It found the university and its students supported 1 in every 45 regional jobs.“Franciscan University’s first mission is to form men and women in Christ and prepare them to serve God and others through their families, professions, and communities,” Father Dave Pivonka, university president, said in a statement.“This study gives us a remarkable glimpse at another dimension of that mission,” he said. Franciscan is also an economic anchor for the Ohio Valley — providing jobs, supporting businesses, bringing students and visitors to the region, and sending graduates into the world prepared to contribute and serve.”New Catholic head of Intercollegiate Studies InstituteThe Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) — founded by William F. Buckley and Frank Chodorov to support conservative college students — named Christopher Fisher, who has a background in Catholic education, as its new president.Fisher serves as superintendent of Catholic schools at the Archdiocese of San Francisco and previously worked as the executive director of the Portsmouth Institute for Faith and Culture at Portsmouth Abbey, a Catholic monastery and boarding school.“Chrisʼs deep commitment to the enduring ideas of the Western tradition, his record of institutional leadership, and his passion for forming the next generation of thoughtful, engaged citizens make him exceptionally well-suited to lead ISI into its next chapter,” read an ISI post on X.In a post on X, Fisher said he is “honored and humbled to be chosen as the next President of ISI, and am deeply grateful to the Board for the opportunity to lead an institution that shaped my own education and vocation.”Tennessee school district adds Ten Commandments in schoolsThe Hamilton County School Board in Tennessee voted 6-4 to require all public schools in the county to display the Ten Commandments, joining at least five other counties that have adopted similar rules.These mandates come less than three months after a state law became effective, which expressly allows public schools and charter schools to display the Ten Commandments alongside the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.")
U.S. bishops are arguing Catholic schools should be allowed to participate in Colorado’s preschool program without compromising their faith, and more in this week’s Catholic education news roundup.
The pontiff also met Portugal’s president to discuss conflicts, migration, multilateralism, and international law.
![‘A foretaste of heaven’: Sheen beatification organizers eager for Mass – #Catholic – ST. LOUIS — For Bonnie Engstrom, who witnessed her newborn child miraculously healed through the intercession of soon-to-be Blessed Archbishop Fulton Sheen, the journey to the prelate’s beatification has been an “emotional roller coaster.”The Sept. 24 Mass will be “a foretaste of heaven,” she predicted, “where we are all going to be worshipping God together and celebrating the Church as a whole, and the power of the body of Christ and every good grace that God has given us. I am so looking forward to it,” Engstrom said at a Thursday morning press conference.Engstrom spoke to the media along with Bishop Louis Tylka of the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois, and Monsignor Jason Gray, executive director of the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation in Peoria. Gray said it is a relief, after years of technical investigations and paperwork, to see their work finally come to fruition and be able to join in the celebration of Sheen with the faithful.That said, Gray admitted he has been surprised during the process at how much attention Sheen has attracted, particularly among young people.“One question that came up early on [was]: Whoʼs going to care? All the people who knew him when his program was on are very old. But weʼve discovered young people are inspired by Sheen, because heʼs a voice of integrity that inspires people who did not know him in life, that have discovered him in the years since,” Gray said. “So itʼs just exciting to see how much enthusiasm there is,”Tylka agreed, highlighting the fact that Sheen pioneered “new media” in his day — attracting wide attention, including from non-Catholics — serving as an inspiration to those looking to do the same in 2026. He also showed how to bridge divisions in the Church and in the world because he “always spoke with the truth of the Gospel, with charity and with clarity.”“Sheenʼs message is timeless because he spoke the truth and he spoke the truth with clarity and charity. I think a lot of people in the world, especially young people, are searching for purpose and meaning and to have a voice that so convicted, he presents the truth of our faith, our belief in Jesus Christ, the truth that God loves us and that life is worth living. I think thatʼs very appealing,” Tylka said.‘Local boy’The beatification Mass Thursday afternoon will include 89 bishops, about 1,000 priests, about 850 each of seminarians and religious, and 250 deacons, along with about 50,000 total attendees, Gray said. The Mass, which can be viewed live on EWTN with coverage beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET, will be celebrated by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Pope Leo XIV’s representative.James Fulton Engstrom, the third of Bonnie and Travis’ eight children and the recipient of the confirmed miracle that led to Sheen’s beatification, will play a part in the Mass by presenting several relics of Sheen onstage. Gray and Tylka both displayed two of the relics during the press conference: one of Sheen’s zuchettos — the reddish-purple skullcap worn by archbishops — and Sheen’s pectoral cross.
One of Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s zuchettos, the reddish-purple skullcap worn by archbishops, is displayed during a press conference ahead of Sheenʼs beatification on Sept. 24, 2026. | Credit: Jonah McKeown/EWTN News
James Fulton, who was born in 2010, spent 61 minutes without a heartbeat while his mother prayed fervently to Sheen to help her child — whom she and her husband had already named after the famous archbishop. Almost exactly 16 years later, James is a happy and healthy teenager. The fact that James’ healing was a miracle was attested to unanimously by the medical experts, cardinals and others at the Vatican tasked with investigating it. In a later on-air interview with EWTN on Thursday, his mother said she sees a connection between Sheen’s devotion to spending an hour before the Blessed Sacrament every day and the 61 minutes her son lie lifeless.“As a laywoman, I was so impressed with how thorough the investigation was. And Travis and I felt very reassured that, wow, when the Catholic Church says something is a miracle, it is a miracle,” Engstrom commented during the press conference.When asked why she chose to call upon Sheen specifically in such a dire moment, Engstrom noted that Sheen had been a favorite of their family for years — a “local boy” with a down-to-earth Midwestern air, a “warm character” who reminded Engstrom of her own grandfather and great-grandfather. In that context, calling on Sheen during the worst hour of her and her husband’s life made complete sense, she said.Despite his highly unusual birth story, James himself is an ordinary kid, a “punk teenage boy,” Engstrom joked, who didn’t ask to be thrust into the spotlight. Nevertheless, he is also a “delightful young man” who is excited — albeit a little nervous — to play a part in the beatification Mass for the intercessor who helped save his life, Engstrom continued.“For all of our children, weʼve put all of our kids under the patronage of a saint and have really built a culture where we are celebrating feast days. We are calling on their intercession. I want all of my kids to feel like they have a squad that surrounds them, that is following them through life, praying for them, interceding, cheering them on,” she said.Gray noted that because the late Pope Francis originally announced Sheen’s beatification in July 2019, any purported miracle attributed to his intercession that has taken place since then can count toward his eventual canonization, which typically requires a second miracle to move forward. Gray said the Vatican is considering six different potential miracles involving Sheen’s intercession, including an alleged instantaneous healing from cancer and a healing of another newborn from a condition similar to James’. Pope Leo, a native of Illinois like Sheen, is well aware of the archbishop’s cause, Tylka added.Both Tylka and Gray said they have no doubt that Sheen will one day be canonized.“Americaʼs bishop, as Sheen was known, is being beatified during the 250th anniversary of our nation,” Tylka said. “And we have a pope from Chicago, a native son of Illinois, who gave the green light for this to move forward. So I think all of those things say itʼs pretty opportune … I hope that the time between now and actual canonization wonʼt be that long.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/a-foretaste-of-heaven-sheen-beatification-organizers-eager-for-mass-catholic-st-louis-for-bonnie-engstrom-who-witnessed-her-newborn-child-miraculously-healed-throug-scaled.jpg "‘A foretaste of heaven’: Sheen beatification organizers eager for Mass – #Catholic – ST. LOUIS — For Bonnie Engstrom, who witnessed her newborn child miraculously healed through the intercession of soon-to-be Blessed Archbishop Fulton Sheen, the journey to the prelate’s beatification has been an “emotional roller coaster.”The Sept. 24 Mass will be “a foretaste of heaven,” she predicted, “where we are all going to be worshipping God together and celebrating the Church as a whole, and the power of the body of Christ and every good grace that God has given us. I am so looking forward to it,” Engstrom said at a Thursday morning press conference.Engstrom spoke to the media along with Bishop Louis Tylka of the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois, and Monsignor Jason Gray, executive director of the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation in Peoria. Gray said it is a relief, after years of technical investigations and paperwork, to see their work finally come to fruition and be able to join in the celebration of Sheen with the faithful.That said, Gray admitted he has been surprised during the process at how much attention Sheen has attracted, particularly among young people.“One question that came up early on [was]: Whoʼs going to care? All the people who knew him when his program was on are very old. But weʼve discovered young people are inspired by Sheen, because heʼs a voice of integrity that inspires people who did not know him in life, that have discovered him in the years since,” Gray said. “So itʼs just exciting to see how much enthusiasm there is,”Tylka agreed, highlighting the fact that Sheen pioneered “new media” in his day — attracting wide attention, including from non-Catholics — serving as an inspiration to those looking to do the same in 2026. He also showed how to bridge divisions in the Church and in the world because he “always spoke with the truth of the Gospel, with charity and with clarity.”“Sheenʼs message is timeless because he spoke the truth and he spoke the truth with clarity and charity. I think a lot of people in the world, especially young people, are searching for purpose and meaning and to have a voice that so convicted, he presents the truth of our faith, our belief in Jesus Christ, the truth that God loves us and that life is worth living. I think thatʼs very appealing,” Tylka said.‘Local boy’The beatification Mass Thursday afternoon will include 89 bishops, about 1,000 priests, about 850 each of seminarians and religious, and 250 deacons, along with about 50,000 total attendees, Gray said. The Mass, which can be viewed live on EWTN with coverage beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET, will be celebrated by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Pope Leo XIV’s representative.James Fulton Engstrom, the third of Bonnie and Travis’ eight children and the recipient of the confirmed miracle that led to Sheen’s beatification, will play a part in the Mass by presenting several relics of Sheen onstage. Gray and Tylka both displayed two of the relics during the press conference: one of Sheen’s zuchettos — the reddish-purple skullcap worn by archbishops — and Sheen’s pectoral cross.
One of Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s zuchettos, the reddish-purple skullcap worn by archbishops, is displayed during a press conference ahead of Sheenʼs beatification on Sept. 24, 2026. | Credit: Jonah McKeown/EWTN News
James Fulton, who was born in 2010, spent 61 minutes without a heartbeat while his mother prayed fervently to Sheen to help her child — whom she and her husband had already named after the famous archbishop. Almost exactly 16 years later, James is a happy and healthy teenager. The fact that James’ healing was a miracle was attested to unanimously by the medical experts, cardinals and others at the Vatican tasked with investigating it. In a later on-air interview with EWTN on Thursday, his mother said she sees a connection between Sheen’s devotion to spending an hour before the Blessed Sacrament every day and the 61 minutes her son lie lifeless.“As a laywoman, I was so impressed with how thorough the investigation was. And Travis and I felt very reassured that, wow, when the Catholic Church says something is a miracle, it is a miracle,” Engstrom commented during the press conference.When asked why she chose to call upon Sheen specifically in such a dire moment, Engstrom noted that Sheen had been a favorite of their family for years — a “local boy” with a down-to-earth Midwestern air, a “warm character” who reminded Engstrom of her own grandfather and great-grandfather. In that context, calling on Sheen during the worst hour of her and her husband’s life made complete sense, she said.Despite his highly unusual birth story, James himself is an ordinary kid, a “punk teenage boy,” Engstrom joked, who didn’t ask to be thrust into the spotlight. Nevertheless, he is also a “delightful young man” who is excited — albeit a little nervous — to play a part in the beatification Mass for the intercessor who helped save his life, Engstrom continued.“For all of our children, weʼve put all of our kids under the patronage of a saint and have really built a culture where we are celebrating feast days. We are calling on their intercession. I want all of my kids to feel like they have a squad that surrounds them, that is following them through life, praying for them, interceding, cheering them on,” she said.Gray noted that because the late Pope Francis originally announced Sheen’s beatification in July 2019, any purported miracle attributed to his intercession that has taken place since then can count toward his eventual canonization, which typically requires a second miracle to move forward. Gray said the Vatican is considering six different potential miracles involving Sheen’s intercession, including an alleged instantaneous healing from cancer and a healing of another newborn from a condition similar to James’. Pope Leo, a native of Illinois like Sheen, is well aware of the archbishop’s cause, Tylka added.Both Tylka and Gray said they have no doubt that Sheen will one day be canonized.“Americaʼs bishop, as Sheen was known, is being beatified during the 250th anniversary of our nation,” Tylka said. “And we have a pope from Chicago, a native son of Illinois, who gave the green light for this to move forward. So I think all of those things say itʼs pretty opportune … I hope that the time between now and actual canonization wonʼt be that long.”")
The Sept. 24 beatification Mass will include 89 bishops, about 1,000 priests, about 850 each of seminarians and religious, and 250 deacons, along with about 50,000 total attendees, organizers said.
The bishop looked beyond Sheen’s public fame to the prayer, sacrifice, and friendship with Christ that shaped his life.
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Church of the Jesuit College, Ponta Delgada, São Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal
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Padre Pio is known for his deep wisdom, his stigmata, miraculous reports of his bilocation, being physically attacked by the devil, and mastering the spiritual life.
The Archdiocese of Colombo welcomed the ruling but said those convicted are only part of the case, as a separate probe into alleged state links continues.
The pope’s appeal followed a reflection on how human progress finds full truth and freedom in an encounter with God.
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A historical reenactment of a pioneer traveling the Oregon Trail in Wyoming.
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![Pope Leo XIV, in France, will bring Catholic social teaching to a secular Europe – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV flies to France on Friday, where across four days in three cities he will proclaim Catholic teaching to the heart of secular Europe on matters that include end-of-life questions, immigration, and artificial intelligence.The visit “will truly be a moment in which Leo’s project of making the Church’s social doctrine better known can take shape,” said Father Patrick Valdrini, a former rector of the Institut Catholique de Paris.France is statistically more secular than it was in 2008, when Pope Benedict XVI made a pastoral visit to the country. The latest data on religious identity in France, in 2019-2020, found that 51% of adults in France say they have no religious affiliation, an 8% increase from a decade before. While 29% of the population identifies as Catholic, the survey found only 8% say they go to Church regularly, according to the Institut National D’Etudes Démographiques.Yet according to Cyprien Viet, a journalist with the French agency I.Media, the country has become more open to Catholicism in recent years. The reasons for this shift include sympathy for Christianity following attacks on churches and the 2016 killing by Islamist terrorists of Father Jacques Hamel, enhanced appreciation for France’s Christian heritage after the 2019 burning of Notre-Dame Cathedral, and gratitude for the Church’s charitable service during the COVID-19 pandemic.More recently, “Pope Leo’s encyclical on artificial intelligence [Magnifica Humanitas] has had a fairly strong impact in France, and people recognize that there is a need to explore these issues more deeply. The pope is helping greatly in providing points of reference,” Viet said.The challenge of laïcitéDuring his Sept. 25–28 visits to Paris, Lourdes, and Metz, Leo’s approach to sharing the Catholic Church’s teaching on political and social issues will draw wide attention, not least because of France’s tradition of “laïcité,” a strict legal separation of Church and state.This policy has always involved a certain distrust, even hostility, toward the idea that faith can contribute something good to society, Valdrini said.“The concept of ‘laïcité’ emerged especially during the French Revolution, rooted in the view that religion hinders freedom and reason, that it is something burdensome rather than liberating,” he said.Among the most sensitive issues that the pope is expected to address are end-of-life questions. France legalized assisted suicide and euthanasia this summer, becoming the fifth European country to do so after Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Spain. In addition, Switzerland and Austria permit assisted suicide. Euthanasia is the intentional ending of a person’s life to relieve suffering. It differs from assisted dying, in which the patient takes life-ending drugs himself, under a physician’s guidance. Both practices are prohibited by Catholic teaching.
Francis X. Rocca, Vatican editor of EWTN News, interviews Charles Personnaz, French ambassador to the Holy See, at his offices in Rome on Sept. 10, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibanez/EWTN News
Charles Personnaz, France’s ambassador to the Holy See, says he expects the pope to speak out on the issue but to leave the political debate to the French bishops, who were already outspoken in their vigorous condemnation of the euthanasia bill before it passed in July.“I think the pope will certainly repeat what is the Catholic doctrine: the preservation of life from the beginning to … the natural end,” the ambassador said. “But he will also leave to … the French Catholic Church the debate with the political parties in France and the institutions. That is the subsidiarity that is at the heart of Catholic doctrine as well.”A message about human dignityOn a visit to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, Pope Leo is expected to deliver a message about the inherent dignity of every human person, even when suffering from illness or disability.Meeting and praying with the sick and vulnerable at one of the most visited Catholic shrines in the world, the Holy Father will give a concrete sign of faith in the value of every human life.At the shrine he will also meet privately with victims of abuse in the Catholic Church in France and with the country’s bishops.
The Massabielle Grotto in Lourdes, France. | Credit: Christian Pablo Inglize/Shutterstock
Leo is expected to address the global challenges posed by artificial intelligence when he speaks at the headquarters of UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, in Paris on Sept. 25. On his last day, he will reflect on interreligious dialogue and the future of Europe at meetings in Metz.The pope’s visit to a migrant integration center run by the Archdiocese of Paris will touch on one of the most volatile political issues in Europe and beyond, and one closely tied to next year’s presidential election in France, in which the anti-immigration politician Marine Le Pen is the current frontrunner.Personnaz said he expects the pope’s comments on immigration to be well received, calling the pontiff’s previous statements on the topic “very balanced” with a focus on the responsibility of nations to help people stay in their homeland.State visit or apostolic journey?Pope Francis visited France three times during his pontificate, but Leo will be making the first state visit by a pope to France since Benedict XVI’s apostolic journey in 2008.The French Catholic newspaper La Croix has reported that the Holy See has refused some requests by the government, including a proposal that President Emmanuel Macron accompany the pontiff into Notre-Dame Cathedral for a prayer service on Sept. 25. The Holy See Press Office and the Élysée Palace, the official residence and office of the French president, did not respond to requests for comment on the report.
Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. | Credit: Mistervlad/Shutterstock
According to Valdrini, Leo is following in the tradition of St. Paul VI, who sought to emphasize the pastoral character of his travel — the visit to a local Church by the successor of Peter — rather than his role as a head of state.“It will still be a state visit, and there will be official ceremonies, but it is clear that the pope wanted to emphasize, as previous popes did, this [apostolic] dimension of the journey,” Valdrini said.Catholicism growsDespite a lack of religious practice in France, enthusiasm for Pope Leo’s visit is high, as demonstrated by the response to his events with the public in France’s capital.Adolescents and young adults have snapped up tickets for a prayer vigil in the 81,000-seat Stade de France and an open-air Mass in Place de la Concorde. Paris’ largest public square may draw some of the biggest crowds of his pontificate thus far, with 600,000 people expected to fill the square and a nearly two-mile stretch of avenue connecting to the Arc de Triomphe. This enthusiasm is also reflected in an atypical outpouring of donations to the dioceses to cover organizational costs.Leo will address France’s Catholics at a critical juncture in their history, as they welcome rising numbers of converts. He is likely to encourage the nation traditionally known as “the eldest daughter of the Church” to rediscover her Catholic roots.This Easter, France recorded more than 20,000 adult and adolescent baptisms, a 20% increase from the already record-high number in 2025, which saw a 45% increase from 2024 figures.The phenomenon has prompted the bishops of Île de France, the ecclesiastical region that includes the Archdiocese of Paris, to convene a special council on how to respond to the huge influx of Catholic converts.“Today people have not inherited their faith … and so they are kind of ignorant about the Catholic heritage,” Personnaz said. “But when they discover it, they have no prejudices about it. And in a world where the youth are searching for a sense to [their] life, the Catholic proposal remains very interesting.”Francis X. Rocca and Victoria Cardiel contributed to this report.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pope-leo-xiv-in-france-will-bring-catholic-social-teaching-to-a-secular-europe-catholic-pope-leo-xiv-flies-to-france-on-friday-where-across-four-days-in-three-cities-he-will-proclaim-catholic.webp "Pope Leo XIV, in France, will bring Catholic social teaching to a secular Europe – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV flies to France on Friday, where across four days in three cities he will proclaim Catholic teaching to the heart of secular Europe on matters that include end-of-life questions, immigration, and artificial intelligence.The visit “will truly be a moment in which Leo’s project of making the Church’s social doctrine better known can take shape,” said Father Patrick Valdrini, a former rector of the Institut Catholique de Paris.France is statistically more secular than it was in 2008, when Pope Benedict XVI made a pastoral visit to the country. The latest data on religious identity in France, in 2019-2020, found that 51% of adults in France say they have no religious affiliation, an 8% increase from a decade before. While 29% of the population identifies as Catholic, the survey found only 8% say they go to Church regularly, according to the Institut National D’Etudes Démographiques.Yet according to Cyprien Viet, a journalist with the French agency I.Media, the country has become more open to Catholicism in recent years. The reasons for this shift include sympathy for Christianity following attacks on churches and the 2016 killing by Islamist terrorists of Father Jacques Hamel, enhanced appreciation for France’s Christian heritage after the 2019 burning of Notre-Dame Cathedral, and gratitude for the Church’s charitable service during the COVID-19 pandemic.More recently, “Pope Leo’s encyclical on artificial intelligence [Magnifica Humanitas] has had a fairly strong impact in France, and people recognize that there is a need to explore these issues more deeply. The pope is helping greatly in providing points of reference,” Viet said.The challenge of laïcitéDuring his Sept. 25–28 visits to Paris, Lourdes, and Metz, Leo’s approach to sharing the Catholic Church’s teaching on political and social issues will draw wide attention, not least because of France’s tradition of “laïcité,” a strict legal separation of Church and state.This policy has always involved a certain distrust, even hostility, toward the idea that faith can contribute something good to society, Valdrini said.“The concept of ‘laïcité’ emerged especially during the French Revolution, rooted in the view that religion hinders freedom and reason, that it is something burdensome rather than liberating,” he said.Among the most sensitive issues that the pope is expected to address are end-of-life questions. France legalized assisted suicide and euthanasia this summer, becoming the fifth European country to do so after Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Spain. In addition, Switzerland and Austria permit assisted suicide. Euthanasia is the intentional ending of a person’s life to relieve suffering. It differs from assisted dying, in which the patient takes life-ending drugs himself, under a physician’s guidance. Both practices are prohibited by Catholic teaching.
Francis X. Rocca, Vatican editor of EWTN News, interviews Charles Personnaz, French ambassador to the Holy See, at his offices in Rome on Sept. 10, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibanez/EWTN News
Charles Personnaz, France’s ambassador to the Holy See, says he expects the pope to speak out on the issue but to leave the political debate to the French bishops, who were already outspoken in their vigorous condemnation of the euthanasia bill before it passed in July.“I think the pope will certainly repeat what is the Catholic doctrine: the preservation of life from the beginning to … the natural end,” the ambassador said. “But he will also leave to … the French Catholic Church the debate with the political parties in France and the institutions. That is the subsidiarity that is at the heart of Catholic doctrine as well.”A message about human dignityOn a visit to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, Pope Leo is expected to deliver a message about the inherent dignity of every human person, even when suffering from illness or disability.Meeting and praying with the sick and vulnerable at one of the most visited Catholic shrines in the world, the Holy Father will give a concrete sign of faith in the value of every human life.At the shrine he will also meet privately with victims of abuse in the Catholic Church in France and with the country’s bishops.
The Massabielle Grotto in Lourdes, France. | Credit: Christian Pablo Inglize/Shutterstock
Leo is expected to address the global challenges posed by artificial intelligence when he speaks at the headquarters of UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, in Paris on Sept. 25. On his last day, he will reflect on interreligious dialogue and the future of Europe at meetings in Metz.The pope’s visit to a migrant integration center run by the Archdiocese of Paris will touch on one of the most volatile political issues in Europe and beyond, and one closely tied to next year’s presidential election in France, in which the anti-immigration politician Marine Le Pen is the current frontrunner.Personnaz said he expects the pope’s comments on immigration to be well received, calling the pontiff’s previous statements on the topic “very balanced” with a focus on the responsibility of nations to help people stay in their homeland.State visit or apostolic journey?Pope Francis visited France three times during his pontificate, but Leo will be making the first state visit by a pope to France since Benedict XVI’s apostolic journey in 2008.The French Catholic newspaper La Croix has reported that the Holy See has refused some requests by the government, including a proposal that President Emmanuel Macron accompany the pontiff into Notre-Dame Cathedral for a prayer service on Sept. 25. The Holy See Press Office and the Élysée Palace, the official residence and office of the French president, did not respond to requests for comment on the report.
Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. | Credit: Mistervlad/Shutterstock
According to Valdrini, Leo is following in the tradition of St. Paul VI, who sought to emphasize the pastoral character of his travel — the visit to a local Church by the successor of Peter — rather than his role as a head of state.“It will still be a state visit, and there will be official ceremonies, but it is clear that the pope wanted to emphasize, as previous popes did, this [apostolic] dimension of the journey,” Valdrini said.Catholicism growsDespite a lack of religious practice in France, enthusiasm for Pope Leo’s visit is high, as demonstrated by the response to his events with the public in France’s capital.Adolescents and young adults have snapped up tickets for a prayer vigil in the 81,000-seat Stade de France and an open-air Mass in Place de la Concorde. Paris’ largest public square may draw some of the biggest crowds of his pontificate thus far, with 600,000 people expected to fill the square and a nearly two-mile stretch of avenue connecting to the Arc de Triomphe. This enthusiasm is also reflected in an atypical outpouring of donations to the dioceses to cover organizational costs.Leo will address France’s Catholics at a critical juncture in their history, as they welcome rising numbers of converts. He is likely to encourage the nation traditionally known as “the eldest daughter of the Church” to rediscover her Catholic roots.This Easter, France recorded more than 20,000 adult and adolescent baptisms, a 20% increase from the already record-high number in 2025, which saw a 45% increase from 2024 figures.The phenomenon has prompted the bishops of Île de France, the ecclesiastical region that includes the Archdiocese of Paris, to convene a special council on how to respond to the huge influx of Catholic converts.“Today people have not inherited their faith … and so they are kind of ignorant about the Catholic heritage,” Personnaz said. “But when they discover it, they have no prejudices about it. And in a world where the youth are searching for a sense to [their] life, the Catholic proposal remains very interesting.”Francis X. Rocca and Victoria Cardiel contributed to this report.")
During his Sept. 25–28 visit to Paris, Lourdes, and Metz, Leo’s approach to sharing the Catholic Church’s teaching on political and social issues will be highly watched.
The exhibition, “The Gospel of Mark: Seven Centuries. Three Fragments. One European Story,” has made it possible to view the original sixth-century manuscripts once venerated as relics.
![Catholic Church in U.S. to focus National Migration Week on migrant children – #Catholic – The situations faced by migrant and refugee children will be the focus of the U.S. Catholic Churchʼs 2026 National Migration Week, addressing the same concerns expressed by Pope Leo XIV in his message for this yearʼs World Day of Migrants and Refugees.National Migration Week will begin on Monday, Sept. 21, and conclude on Sunday, Sept. 27, the day the Catholic Church observes the 112th World Day of Migrants and Refugees.On its website, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) announced that in solidarity with the pontiff, it will adopt the theme “Even One of These Little Ones,” the same theme chosen by Leo XIV for the global observance.In his message, Leo XIV explains that this theme “draws our attention to the minors directly involved in the experience of migration and flight, to the care owed to them, and to the Lord’s promise that “whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.’”The chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration, Bishop Brendan Cahill, noted that the Catholic Church, “in this country and beyond has a long, inspiring history of caring for migrant and refugee children.”In the United States, this history spans “from the days of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini and her sisters sheltering many orphaned immigrant children when few others looked their way to today’s diocesan charities providing them and their families with vital support,” he noted.The Italian saint and her sisters arrived in New York in 1889, where they encountered a very harsh pastoral reality among European immigrants. Yet, despite the difficulties, the sisters managed to open an orphanage, a home for themselves, and a school for the children.Cahill expressed his gratitude to law enforcement officers, social workers, pastoral staff, and caregivers who look after the safety and well-being of migrant and refugee minors.However, he added, “[a]s we see protections for this population being undermined in various ways, including prolonged stays in detention and decreased access to legal representation, we urge governments and communities to ensure a high level of care rooted in their God-given human dignity.”“This requires promoting family unity and reunification whenever possible,” he said.Therefore, the USCCB invited the nation’s Catholics amid “heightened social tensions regarding immigration” to reflect “on how our faith is calling us to respond to this most vulnerable group.”Toward this end, the bishops’ conference is encouraging “dioceses, parishes, schools, and organizations nationwide to mark this observance with prayer, educational programs, pastoral outreach and support for migration-related ministries.”For its part, the USCCB’s Secretariat of Migration will host a webinar on Sept. 23 at 2 p.m. ET featuring “several expert panelists who will highlight some of the key implications of this yearʼs theme."“These experts will shed light on both the international and domestic dynamics facing children in the context of migration,” the bishops’ conference explained.Those interested in participating in the webinar may register at this link.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/2026/09/catholic-church-in-u-s-to-focus-national-migration-week-on-migrant-children-catholic-the-situations-faced-by-migrant-and-refugee-children-will-be-the-focus-of-the-u-s-catholic-churchcabcs-202-scaled.jpg "Catholic Church in U.S. to focus National Migration Week on migrant children – #Catholic – The situations faced by migrant and refugee children will be the focus of the U.S. Catholic Churchʼs 2026 National Migration Week, addressing the same concerns expressed by Pope Leo XIV in his message for this yearʼs World Day of Migrants and Refugees.National Migration Week will begin on Monday, Sept. 21, and conclude on Sunday, Sept. 27, the day the Catholic Church observes the 112th World Day of Migrants and Refugees.On its website, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) announced that in solidarity with the pontiff, it will adopt the theme “Even One of These Little Ones,” the same theme chosen by Leo XIV for the global observance.In his message, Leo XIV explains that this theme “draws our attention to the minors directly involved in the experience of migration and flight, to the care owed to them, and to the Lord’s promise that “whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.’”The chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration, Bishop Brendan Cahill, noted that the Catholic Church, “in this country and beyond has a long, inspiring history of caring for migrant and refugee children.”In the United States, this history spans “from the days of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini and her sisters sheltering many orphaned immigrant children when few others looked their way to today’s diocesan charities providing them and their families with vital support,” he noted.The Italian saint and her sisters arrived in New York in 1889, where they encountered a very harsh pastoral reality among European immigrants. Yet, despite the difficulties, the sisters managed to open an orphanage, a home for themselves, and a school for the children.Cahill expressed his gratitude to law enforcement officers, social workers, pastoral staff, and caregivers who look after the safety and well-being of migrant and refugee minors.However, he added, “[a]s we see protections for this population being undermined in various ways, including prolonged stays in detention and decreased access to legal representation, we urge governments and communities to ensure a high level of care rooted in their God-given human dignity.”“This requires promoting family unity and reunification whenever possible,” he said.Therefore, the USCCB invited the nation’s Catholics amid “heightened social tensions regarding immigration” to reflect “on how our faith is calling us to respond to this most vulnerable group.”Toward this end, the bishops’ conference is encouraging “dioceses, parishes, schools, and organizations nationwide to mark this observance with prayer, educational programs, pastoral outreach and support for migration-related ministries.”For its part, the USCCB’s Secretariat of Migration will host a webinar on Sept. 23 at 2 p.m. ET featuring “several expert panelists who will highlight some of the key implications of this yearʼs theme.\"“These experts will shed light on both the international and domestic dynamics facing children in the context of migration,” the bishops’ conference explained.Those interested in participating in the webinar may register at this link.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.")
Following Pope Leo’s lead and building on the legacy of St. Frances Cabrini, who opened orphanages among the migrant population, U.S. bishops are drawing attention to the needs of migrant children.
![Catholics worldwide invited to join Global Rosary for Peace – #Catholic – Catholics around the world are invited to join in prayer for the Global Rosary for Peace taking place on Oct. 22, the feast of St. John Paul II.The event is an international prayer initiative that aims to bring together families, parishes, schools, religious communities, and individuals from around the world in response to Pope Leo XIV’s call for the Church to pray the rosary for peace.The Global Rosary for Peace is organized by Holy Cross Family Ministries and is part of its efforts to strengthen family prayer and encourage the faithful to pray the rosary. The initiative received the pope’s blessing last year and over 67,000 people prayed the rosary live during the first global event.Father Fred Jenga, CSC, president of Holy Cross Family Ministries (HCFM), told EWTN News that the first Global Rosary for Peace was created due to several global crises taking place and the need for prayer.“There is always some kind of global crisis that is going on that really calls us to pray more,” he said. “Last year it was all the conflicts that were everywhere. Some of them have sort of died down a little bit but we still have more going on as well in this very year that we are in. So we are just picking up from where we left off. So that we invite people again to pray more.”Currently, over 95,000 people have signed up to take part in this year’s live, global rosary.HCFM was founded by Venerable Patrick Peyton, an Irish-born Catholic priest who was known as the “rosary priest” and for his famous phrase “a family that prays together stays together.”With this at the core of its ministry, HCFM desires to “bring God back into the life of families because we know when God is at the center of the families, especially through prayer, regular prayer, God changes the chemistry in those families because God is love, God is kindness,” Jenga explained.“God created our families. And they will be restless and weak and all over the place until they allow [God] to be the center,” he said.Jenga also spoke about the importance of praying the rosary specifically.“When we pray the rosary on a family level, the heart of the rosary is the mysteries of the rosary, and those mysteries speak to every human season that you can think about,” he shared. “We go through joy, we go through sorrow, we go through mission, we go through celebration or glory. So there you have a set of mysteries that you can pray with through any season that youʼre talking about.”The priest also pointed out that when we look at the saints, nearly all of them share two characteristics: a love for the Eucharist and a love for the rosary.“So, in their path to sanctity, these are the two rails that they ran on. And if we also desire the same kind of sanctity and strength in our families, right there is really a formula for us that we can be able to employ to help ourselves as a family and also to help ourselves as individuals,” Jenga said.He added: “We’re at a time of need in our world right now. There are too many conflicts that are going on and we need a favor for global peace, and the rosary is one of those prayers that weʼre turning to because even throughout history, every time there was a global crisis, the Church, even our Blessed Mother, if she appeared, she asked us to pray the rosary.”For those who participate in the Global Rosary for Peace, Jenga said he hopes they are “able to renew their belief in the power of prayer.”“Secondly, this can be a jumping-off point for them to get started, in smaller ways, praying in their own families and for the needs in their families, but also keep praying for our world at this time.”To take part and register for the Global Rosary of Peace visit https://hcfm.org/pray-for-peace/.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/catholics-worldwide-invited-to-join-global-rosary-for-peace-catholic-catholics-around-the-world-are-invited-to-join-in-prayer-for-the-global-rosary-for-peace-taking-place-on-oct-22-the-feast-of.png "Catholics worldwide invited to join Global Rosary for Peace – #Catholic – Catholics around the world are invited to join in prayer for the Global Rosary for Peace taking place on Oct. 22, the feast of St. John Paul II.The event is an international prayer initiative that aims to bring together families, parishes, schools, religious communities, and individuals from around the world in response to Pope Leo XIV’s call for the Church to pray the rosary for peace.The Global Rosary for Peace is organized by Holy Cross Family Ministries and is part of its efforts to strengthen family prayer and encourage the faithful to pray the rosary. The initiative received the pope’s blessing last year and over 67,000 people prayed the rosary live during the first global event.Father Fred Jenga, CSC, president of Holy Cross Family Ministries (HCFM), told EWTN News that the first Global Rosary for Peace was created due to several global crises taking place and the need for prayer.“There is always some kind of global crisis that is going on that really calls us to pray more,” he said. “Last year it was all the conflicts that were everywhere. Some of them have sort of died down a little bit but we still have more going on as well in this very year that we are in. So we are just picking up from where we left off. So that we invite people again to pray more.”Currently, over 95,000 people have signed up to take part in this year’s live, global rosary.HCFM was founded by Venerable Patrick Peyton, an Irish-born Catholic priest who was known as the “rosary priest” and for his famous phrase “a family that prays together stays together.”With this at the core of its ministry, HCFM desires to “bring God back into the life of families because we know when God is at the center of the families, especially through prayer, regular prayer, God changes the chemistry in those families because God is love, God is kindness,” Jenga explained.“God created our families. And they will be restless and weak and all over the place until they allow [God] to be the center,” he said.Jenga also spoke about the importance of praying the rosary specifically.“When we pray the rosary on a family level, the heart of the rosary is the mysteries of the rosary, and those mysteries speak to every human season that you can think about,” he shared. “We go through joy, we go through sorrow, we go through mission, we go through celebration or glory. So there you have a set of mysteries that you can pray with through any season that youʼre talking about.”The priest also pointed out that when we look at the saints, nearly all of them share two characteristics: a love for the Eucharist and a love for the rosary.“So, in their path to sanctity, these are the two rails that they ran on. And if we also desire the same kind of sanctity and strength in our families, right there is really a formula for us that we can be able to employ to help ourselves as a family and also to help ourselves as individuals,” Jenga said.He added: “We’re at a time of need in our world right now. There are too many conflicts that are going on and we need a favor for global peace, and the rosary is one of those prayers that weʼre turning to because even throughout history, every time there was a global crisis, the Church, even our Blessed Mother, if she appeared, she asked us to pray the rosary.”For those who participate in the Global Rosary for Peace, Jenga said he hopes they are “able to renew their belief in the power of prayer.”“Secondly, this can be a jumping-off point for them to get started, in smaller ways, praying in their own families and for the needs in their families, but also keep praying for our world at this time.”To take part and register for the Global Rosary of Peace visit https://hcfm.org/pray-for-peace/.")
![EWTN News explains: What does a diocese do when a priest is accused of misconduct? – #Catholic – News headlines in recent years have periodically reported on Catholic priests accused of various types of misconduct, including financial crimes and sexual abuse, among other allegations. Much of the public will only be aware of the beginning and the end of such controversies — when a clergyman is accused of a misdeed and when he is ultimately either found guilty of it or cleared of any wrongdoing. But U.S. dioceses have complex and at times lengthy ways of addressing such allegations — processes that ensure both a full treatment of the alleged misconduct and the rights of priests to be presumed innocent until proven otherwise. ‘The smoke of truth’Monsignor William King, JCD, serves as an assistant professor of canon law at The Catholic University of America. His academic expertise includes the study of both canon and civil law as well as the study of “temporal goods” such as Church finance and corporate structure. King told EWTN News that bishops who receive allegations of wrongdoing against priests must first determine if there is sufficient credibility to the allegations, a principle he said in canon law is known as “fumus veritatis,” or “the smoke of truth.”“It’s not proof [of the allegations] in any way,” King said, “but if there’s sufficient suspicion that it might be truth, then the bishop would accept that allegation” and launch what is known as a “prior investigation” meant to gather facts. Amid the start of the process, King said, a bishop may or may not remove the priest from ministry if he “felt that it was necessary for any of several reasons.” After that he would appoint an investigator, who may or may not be a priest, to lead the inquiry. “That person is bound to secrecy so as to protect the reputation of the priest, and any of the accusers and witnesses,” King said. Such an investigator has “pretty broad powers” to ask questions of, and seek evidence from, those connected to the case. After that process, he or she would bring the results to the bishop.The prelate would likely then speak to his canon law experts. He may also talk with mental health experts and could potentially order the priest to submit to a psychological assessment. “That’s not uncommon, and depending on the nature of the allegations, it might be appropriate,” King said.After the fact-finding and consultation process, the bishop will decide whether or not to move forward with a criminal or penal process. In some cases, the ordinary may opt instead for a “penal remedy.““It could be a warning or rebuke, or a ‘penal precept’ — a formal document that prohibits the priest from undertaking certain actions or doing certain things,” King said. A precept, he said, can be used even in cases where no crime is committed, to ensure that the actions that led to the controversy are not repeated.If a penal process is instigated, the preferred method for most bishops is to convene a tribunal; in some cases, a prelate may opt for a less formal “administrative process.” Either option involves the calling of witnesses, testimony from both the accuser and the accused, and the collection of additional evidence. Tribunals are usually overseen by three judges, King said; they must be priests, and "they would typically be brought in from other dioceses.”Tribunals are meant to determine both whether a priest committed a crime, King said, as well as whether or not the crime itself is “fully imputable” to the priest. Sexual abuse allegations: Rome must be notifiedThe process is largely the same whether the allegations involve claims of administrative or professional misconduct or if they involve accusations of sexual abuse, King said. However, allegations against a priest of abuse of a minor are “reserved to the Holy See,” he said. In those cases, following the results of a preliminary investigation, a bishop is obligated to send a summary of the case, including the evidence, to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, specifically its special disciplinary section. “[The dicastery] will review that and instruct the bishop as to what type of process should be followed — administrative or judicial,” King said.“When the bishop sends the initial dossier or file over, most of the time he will make a recommendation” as to which process should be followed, King said. A bishop in certain cases may recommend “no process, or another remedy or way of addressing the situation.”The dicastery “will take that into consideration. But ultimately, they make the determination, and the bishop is bound to follow their direction,” King said.The Vatican can approve or reject a diocese’s decision if the matter is reserved to Rome, King said. In all other cases, it is resolved domestically either via administrative process or tribunal.A priest, King said, can appeal a diocese’s decision to the Roman Rota if he wishes.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/ewtn-news-explains-what-does-a-diocese-do-when-a-priest-is-accused-of-misconduct-catholic-news-headlines-in-recent-years-have-periodically-reported-on-catholic-priests-accused-of-various-types.jpg "EWTN News explains: What does a diocese do when a priest is accused of misconduct? – #Catholic – News headlines in recent years have periodically reported on Catholic priests accused of various types of misconduct, including financial crimes and sexual abuse, among other allegations. Much of the public will only be aware of the beginning and the end of such controversies — when a clergyman is accused of a misdeed and when he is ultimately either found guilty of it or cleared of any wrongdoing. But U.S. dioceses have complex and at times lengthy ways of addressing such allegations — processes that ensure both a full treatment of the alleged misconduct and the rights of priests to be presumed innocent until proven otherwise. ‘The smoke of truth’Monsignor William King, JCD, serves as an assistant professor of canon law at The Catholic University of America. His academic expertise includes the study of both canon and civil law as well as the study of “temporal goods” such as Church finance and corporate structure. King told EWTN News that bishops who receive allegations of wrongdoing against priests must first determine if there is sufficient credibility to the allegations, a principle he said in canon law is known as “fumus veritatis,” or “the smoke of truth.”“It’s not proof [of the allegations] in any way,” King said, “but if there’s sufficient suspicion that it might be truth, then the bishop would accept that allegation” and launch what is known as a “prior investigation” meant to gather facts. Amid the start of the process, King said, a bishop may or may not remove the priest from ministry if he “felt that it was necessary for any of several reasons.” After that he would appoint an investigator, who may or may not be a priest, to lead the inquiry. “That person is bound to secrecy so as to protect the reputation of the priest, and any of the accusers and witnesses,” King said. Such an investigator has “pretty broad powers” to ask questions of, and seek evidence from, those connected to the case. After that process, he or she would bring the results to the bishop.The prelate would likely then speak to his canon law experts. He may also talk with mental health experts and could potentially order the priest to submit to a psychological assessment. “That’s not uncommon, and depending on the nature of the allegations, it might be appropriate,” King said.After the fact-finding and consultation process, the bishop will decide whether or not to move forward with a criminal or penal process. In some cases, the ordinary may opt instead for a “penal remedy.““It could be a warning or rebuke, or a ‘penal precept’ — a formal document that prohibits the priest from undertaking certain actions or doing certain things,” King said. A precept, he said, can be used even in cases where no crime is committed, to ensure that the actions that led to the controversy are not repeated.If a penal process is instigated, the preferred method for most bishops is to convene a tribunal; in some cases, a prelate may opt for a less formal “administrative process.” Either option involves the calling of witnesses, testimony from both the accuser and the accused, and the collection of additional evidence. Tribunals are usually overseen by three judges, King said; they must be priests, and \"they would typically be brought in from other dioceses.”Tribunals are meant to determine both whether a priest committed a crime, King said, as well as whether or not the crime itself is “fully imputable” to the priest. Sexual abuse allegations: Rome must be notifiedThe process is largely the same whether the allegations involve claims of administrative or professional misconduct or if they involve accusations of sexual abuse, King said. However, allegations against a priest of abuse of a minor are “reserved to the Holy See,” he said. In those cases, following the results of a preliminary investigation, a bishop is obligated to send a summary of the case, including the evidence, to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, specifically its special disciplinary section. “[The dicastery] will review that and instruct the bishop as to what type of process should be followed — administrative or judicial,” King said.“When the bishop sends the initial dossier or file over, most of the time he will make a recommendation” as to which process should be followed, King said. A bishop in certain cases may recommend “no process, or another remedy or way of addressing the situation.”The dicastery “will take that into consideration. But ultimately, they make the determination, and the bishop is bound to follow their direction,” King said.The Vatican can approve or reject a diocese’s decision if the matter is reserved to Rome, King said. In all other cases, it is resolved domestically either via administrative process or tribunal.A priest, King said, can appeal a diocese’s decision to the Roman Rota if he wishes.")
A diocesan bishop will usually undertake a lengthy investigation and administrative process when responding to misconduct or abuse allegations.
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Cape Burhan with Shamanka Rock. The rock formation is made of white marble, dolomite, limestone, with inclusions of garnet, quartz and graphite. Olkhon Island, Lake Baikal, Russia.
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In his Sunday Angelus catechesis, the pontiff reflected on the parable of the vineyard workers, saying God’s generosity overturns human calculations of merit and reward.
While the Catholic Church is often viewed from a Latin rite prism, it also includes 23 Eastern Churches that are in full communion as part of the one Catholic fold.
A prayer pilgrimage from Byblos to Annaya aims to offer solidarity and hope to Christians in southern Lebanon.
![From ‘Farmer Wants a Wife’ to Catholic content creator: John Sansone’s journey of faith – #Catholic – In 2025, John Sansone made his television debut when he appeared on Fox’s reality dating show “Farmer Wants a Wife” as one of the farmers in search of love. Today, he has traded in the television screen for cellphone screens as a Catholic content creator.Sansone, 27, was born and raised in a Catholic family. He and his five siblings grew up in St. Louis, where their faith played an important role in their daily lives.“Catholicism was ingrained in just about every aspect of my childhood and my life growing up,” Sansone told EWTN News in an interview. “We were taught from a very young age that faith was extremely important. It came right before family and then two before hard work.”He added: “We had a little prayer corner in every house that weʼve lived in that had a picture of Jesus and then right underneath was a kneeler and then a bunch of little pamphlets — prayer cards or funerals of loved ones, and things like that.”Sansone was taught hard work on his family’s 170-acre soy, corn, and wheat farm located on his great-grandfather’s land. It was here that he learned about farm life.Fast forward to 2024 and Sansone’s mother and sisters were watching Season 2 of “Farmer Wants a Wife,” a reality dating series that follows farmers as they search for love among a group of women willing to leave city life behind for a chance at a relationship and life on the farm. The show combines romance with the realities of rural life, as the farmers and contestants get to know one another with the possibility of building a future together.“They were constantly telling me to come watch it and see an episode and things like that and I just kept saying, ‘No, not interested,’” he recalled.Then Sansone received a direct message (DM) on Instagram from the creators of the show. After thinking about it and speaking to his family about it, he decided to take part in the show.“Realistically, the motivation for me to actually entertain that DM and to ultimately go on the show was, hey, this is a fun, random, once in a lifetime thing. I can make the most of it … and perhaps even find a wife,” he said.Despite Sansone not finding a wife on the show, he reflected that it “reinforced his faith.”“There were no Catholics in my group. I was the only one … I think what it really did is reinforced my faith a little bit because we would have these faith-based conversations on the show and we would have conversations about our beliefs and things like that and it kind of forced me to reconcile with myself what I actually did believe. So I would say that in doing that it reinforced my faith,” he shared.Coming off the show and once it aired, Sansone began to gain a following on social media. He explained that he came to the realization one day that he “didn’t do anything to earn it.”“All of this kind of fame and publicity, I would say in air quotes, is not something that I earned,” he said. “So, my way of paying back that opportunity, that was obviously a gift from God, was to use my platform to promote my faith.”Sansone, who goes by @notjohnsansone on Instagram, has 109,000 followers on the platform and uses his growing social media platform to share approachable Catholic content, often drawing from his own experiences to encourage others in their faith. His posts touch on Catholic teachings, prayer, and the realities of striving for holiness while acknowledging the imperfections and struggles of everyday life.Instagram post“The social media world is not the friendliest spot for that type of thing,” he said. “So, my way of doing it and my strategy is more so kind of to subtly incorporate that into everyday things and make it a relatable thing that people who donʼt understand the faith or maybe didnʼt grow up in it, itʼs something for them to relate to.”Thanks to his content creating, Sansone admitted that it has “forced me to improve my faith” and has “strengthened it.”“Iʼve met a lot of interesting people through it [social media]. People who are much stronger in their faith, know a lot more about the Catholic Church and her history,” he added. “And in being around them, I think Iʼve forced myself to kind of become better at my faith.”Sansone’s content creation recently took him to Peoria, Illinois, ahead of the beatification of Venerable Fulton Sheen alongside a large group of other Catholic content creators. He called the experience “incredible” and that he also “learned a lot about my faith and it kind of made me realize how far I needed to go still.”Reflecting on Sheen’s life and how his legacy can inspire Catholic content creators, Sansone said: “I think what was great about him is that a lot of his messages were, yes, based in the Catholic faith, but they were more relatable to an everyday person. You didnʼt have to be Catholic to utilize his messages and apply them to your own life. I feel like thatʼs one important thing that a lot of Catholic content creators can do. Itʼs what I try to do.”As for what he hopes viewers of his content take away from it, Sansone emphasized that he wants “people to understand Catholicism for what it really is.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/from-farmer-wants-a-wife-to-catholic-content-creator-john-sansones-journey-of-faith-catholic-in-2025-john-sansone-made-his-television-debut-when-he-appeared-on-fox.png "From ‘Farmer Wants a Wife’ to Catholic content creator: John Sansone’s journey of faith – #Catholic – In 2025, John Sansone made his television debut when he appeared on Fox’s reality dating show “Farmer Wants a Wife” as one of the farmers in search of love. Today, he has traded in the television screen for cellphone screens as a Catholic content creator.Sansone, 27, was born and raised in a Catholic family. He and his five siblings grew up in St. Louis, where their faith played an important role in their daily lives.“Catholicism was ingrained in just about every aspect of my childhood and my life growing up,” Sansone told EWTN News in an interview. “We were taught from a very young age that faith was extremely important. It came right before family and then two before hard work.”He added: “We had a little prayer corner in every house that weʼve lived in that had a picture of Jesus and then right underneath was a kneeler and then a bunch of little pamphlets — prayer cards or funerals of loved ones, and things like that.”Sansone was taught hard work on his family’s 170-acre soy, corn, and wheat farm located on his great-grandfather’s land. It was here that he learned about farm life.Fast forward to 2024 and Sansone’s mother and sisters were watching Season 2 of “Farmer Wants a Wife,” a reality dating series that follows farmers as they search for love among a group of women willing to leave city life behind for a chance at a relationship and life on the farm. The show combines romance with the realities of rural life, as the farmers and contestants get to know one another with the possibility of building a future together.“They were constantly telling me to come watch it and see an episode and things like that and I just kept saying, ‘No, not interested,’” he recalled.Then Sansone received a direct message (DM) on Instagram from the creators of the show. After thinking about it and speaking to his family about it, he decided to take part in the show.“Realistically, the motivation for me to actually entertain that DM and to ultimately go on the show was, hey, this is a fun, random, once in a lifetime thing. I can make the most of it … and perhaps even find a wife,” he said.Despite Sansone not finding a wife on the show, he reflected that it “reinforced his faith.”“There were no Catholics in my group. I was the only one … I think what it really did is reinforced my faith a little bit because we would have these faith-based conversations on the show and we would have conversations about our beliefs and things like that and it kind of forced me to reconcile with myself what I actually did believe. So I would say that in doing that it reinforced my faith,” he shared.Coming off the show and once it aired, Sansone began to gain a following on social media. He explained that he came to the realization one day that he “didn’t do anything to earn it.”“All of this kind of fame and publicity, I would say in air quotes, is not something that I earned,” he said. “So, my way of paying back that opportunity, that was obviously a gift from God, was to use my platform to promote my faith.”Sansone, who goes by @notjohnsansone on Instagram, has 109,000 followers on the platform and uses his growing social media platform to share approachable Catholic content, often drawing from his own experiences to encourage others in their faith. His posts touch on Catholic teachings, prayer, and the realities of striving for holiness while acknowledging the imperfections and struggles of everyday life.Instagram post“The social media world is not the friendliest spot for that type of thing,” he said. “So, my way of doing it and my strategy is more so kind of to subtly incorporate that into everyday things and make it a relatable thing that people who donʼt understand the faith or maybe didnʼt grow up in it, itʼs something for them to relate to.”Thanks to his content creating, Sansone admitted that it has “forced me to improve my faith” and has “strengthened it.”“Iʼve met a lot of interesting people through it [social media]. People who are much stronger in their faith, know a lot more about the Catholic Church and her history,” he added. “And in being around them, I think Iʼve forced myself to kind of become better at my faith.”Sansone’s content creation recently took him to Peoria, Illinois, ahead of the beatification of Venerable Fulton Sheen alongside a large group of other Catholic content creators. He called the experience “incredible” and that he also “learned a lot about my faith and it kind of made me realize how far I needed to go still.”Reflecting on Sheen’s life and how his legacy can inspire Catholic content creators, Sansone said: “I think what was great about him is that a lot of his messages were, yes, based in the Catholic faith, but they were more relatable to an everyday person. You didnʼt have to be Catholic to utilize his messages and apply them to your own life. I feel like thatʼs one important thing that a lot of Catholic content creators can do. Itʼs what I try to do.”As for what he hopes viewers of his content take away from it, Sansone emphasized that he wants “people to understand Catholicism for what it really is.”")
After appearing on “Farmer Wants a Wife,” John Sansone is using his growing social media platform to share relatable Catholic content and encourage others in their faith.
Two Louisiana Catholic moms with special-needs kids felt isolated so they founded a support ministry that has since transformed communities and brought families back to Mass.
![Priest describes tearful ‘spiritual experience’ during consecration after video goes viral online – #Catholic – A video of a Catholic priest breaking down in tears and struggling to raise the chalice above his head while saying the consecration prayers during Mass spread across social media this week, prompting the priest to issue a statement through his diocese.“Take this all of you and drink from it: For this is the chalice…” Father Brent Bowman prayed at the altar, followed by a six-second pause while celebrating Mass for the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross at St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Church in Hopkins, Minnesota, on Sept. 14.He continued the consecration prayer through tears and then sobbed for nearly one minute at the altar, struggling to raise the chalice. He continued to cry as he raised the chalice and was weeping as he knelt before the blood of Christ after the consecration.Instagram postBowman’s emotional response to the consecration was captured on video because the parish livestreams its daily Masses on YouTube and it spread across social media platforms, with many viewers wondering what prompted the reaction.In his statement, he explained that he did not witness what the Church considers a “Eucharistic miracle,” such as when the accidents of the bread and wine apparently change in some way along with the substance. Rather, he said, “I had a private spiritual experience” during the Mass.“During the consecration prayer over the wine at the altar, as I spoke the words, I was given what I believe to be internal knowledge of the power of these words being spoken and the reality of their effect to the point that I had difficulty speaking,” Bowman said in his statement.“With each word, I became more physically overwhelmed as seen in the video,” he said. “At the same time, I was given sensory knowledge of the weight of God’s power coming down upon the altar, and I felt the heaviness of Jesus’s substantial presence in the chalice in my hands.”“The chalice became too heavy to hold as I felt it pulled down to rest upon the altar,” Bowman said. “I felt my hands fixed to the chalice of the Precious Blood, and I could not physically move it. Attempting to elevate the Precious Blood, which I was not able to do for a period of time, I believe I was given grace to understand more deeply the bittersweetness of Our Lord’s Passion and how much blood Christ shed for the immense weight of all our sins.”“I believe I experienced this weight in the chalice,” he said. “This spiritual experience emotionally and physically overwhelmed me as evident in the Mass recording.”Bowman noted that spiritual experiences are “completely unmerited gifts and signs of God’s abundant love for all his people” but “not necessarily signs of any person’s holiness.”“I pray this brief testimony moves all our hearts to contemplate more deeply the mysteries of the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist and the Precious Blood,” he said.Although Bowman did not experience a “Eucharistic miracle” in the sense of the bread or the wine altering its appearance, God does perform a miracle at every Mass during consecration, known as transubstantiation.When the priest consecrates the Eucharist, the “substance” of bread and wine does not remain, but instead the bread and wine are transubstantiated into the true body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ even though it maintains the physical appearance and chemical structure of bread and wine.“The presence of Christʼs true body and blood in this sacrament cannot be detected by sense, nor understanding, but by faith alone, which rests upon Divine authority,” St. Thomas Aquinas wrote in the “Summa Theologica.”St. Cyril of Alexandria, a patriarch and doctor of the Church, wrote about the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist in a sermon about the Last Supper, written in the early 400s: “Do not doubt that this is true, since Himself plainly says, ‘This is My body’ [and] ‘This is My blood,’ but rather receive in faith the Saviorʼs word; for He, being the Truth, cannot lie.”“For the words of God are of course true, and in no manner whatsoever can they be false: for even though we understand not in what way God works acts such as these, yet He Himself knows the way of His works,” Cyril wrote.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/priest-describes-tearful-spiritual-experience-during-consecration-after-video-goes-viral-online-catholic-a-video-of-a-catholic-priest-breaking-down-in-tears-and-struggling-to-ra.png "Priest describes tearful ‘spiritual experience’ during consecration after video goes viral online – #Catholic – A video of a Catholic priest breaking down in tears and struggling to raise the chalice above his head while saying the consecration prayers during Mass spread across social media this week, prompting the priest to issue a statement through his diocese.“Take this all of you and drink from it: For this is the chalice…” Father Brent Bowman prayed at the altar, followed by a six-second pause while celebrating Mass for the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross at St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Church in Hopkins, Minnesota, on Sept. 14.He continued the consecration prayer through tears and then sobbed for nearly one minute at the altar, struggling to raise the chalice. He continued to cry as he raised the chalice and was weeping as he knelt before the blood of Christ after the consecration.Instagram postBowman’s emotional response to the consecration was captured on video because the parish livestreams its daily Masses on YouTube and it spread across social media platforms, with many viewers wondering what prompted the reaction.In his statement, he explained that he did not witness what the Church considers a “Eucharistic miracle,” such as when the accidents of the bread and wine apparently change in some way along with the substance. Rather, he said, “I had a private spiritual experience” during the Mass.“During the consecration prayer over the wine at the altar, as I spoke the words, I was given what I believe to be internal knowledge of the power of these words being spoken and the reality of their effect to the point that I had difficulty speaking,” Bowman said in his statement.“With each word, I became more physically overwhelmed as seen in the video,” he said. “At the same time, I was given sensory knowledge of the weight of God’s power coming down upon the altar, and I felt the heaviness of Jesus’s substantial presence in the chalice in my hands.”“The chalice became too heavy to hold as I felt it pulled down to rest upon the altar,” Bowman said. “I felt my hands fixed to the chalice of the Precious Blood, and I could not physically move it. Attempting to elevate the Precious Blood, which I was not able to do for a period of time, I believe I was given grace to understand more deeply the bittersweetness of Our Lord’s Passion and how much blood Christ shed for the immense weight of all our sins.”“I believe I experienced this weight in the chalice,” he said. “This spiritual experience emotionally and physically overwhelmed me as evident in the Mass recording.”Bowman noted that spiritual experiences are “completely unmerited gifts and signs of God’s abundant love for all his people” but “not necessarily signs of any person’s holiness.”“I pray this brief testimony moves all our hearts to contemplate more deeply the mysteries of the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist and the Precious Blood,” he said.Although Bowman did not experience a “Eucharistic miracle” in the sense of the bread or the wine altering its appearance, God does perform a miracle at every Mass during consecration, known as transubstantiation.When the priest consecrates the Eucharist, the “substance” of bread and wine does not remain, but instead the bread and wine are transubstantiated into the true body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ even though it maintains the physical appearance and chemical structure of bread and wine.“The presence of Christʼs true body and blood in this sacrament cannot be detected by sense, nor understanding, but by faith alone, which rests upon Divine authority,” St. Thomas Aquinas wrote in the “Summa Theologica.”St. Cyril of Alexandria, a patriarch and doctor of the Church, wrote about the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist in a sermon about the Last Supper, written in the early 400s: “Do not doubt that this is true, since Himself plainly says, ‘This is My body’ [and] ‘This is My blood,’ but rather receive in faith the Saviorʼs word; for He, being the Truth, cannot lie.”“For the words of God are of course true, and in no manner whatsoever can they be false: for even though we understand not in what way God works acts such as these, yet He Himself knows the way of His works,” Cyril wrote.")
The priest did not witness a Eucharistic miracle but felt “the weight of God’s power coming down upon the altar, and I felt the heaviness of Jesus’s substantial presence in the chalice in my hands.”
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Red-and-green macaw (Ara chloropterus) couple in flight in Mato Grosso, Brazil
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The U.S. government has been sending and continues to send millions of dollars of humanitarian aid to be distributed by Caritas Cuba, thus bypassing the communist regime.
Dr. Gregory Popcak addresses the unique layer of spiritual guilt that Catholic mothers often experience when struggling with mental health post-childbirth.
The French bishops’ conference is still short more than 21 million euros to cover the cost of Pope Leo’s Sept. 25–28 visit. Meanwhile, demand for the Paris Mass forced a major expansion of the route.
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Sunset over Trommekilen, a part of Brofjorden, as seen from Norrkila, Lysekil Municipality, Sweden
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Barron, who already serves as a member of the domestically focused Religious Liberty Commission, was appointed to the position by President Donald Trump.
The bishops said they are hoping to contribute to the “moral foundation” of rapidly developing AI models.
On the 10th anniversary of his death, a recollection of the renowned Italian exorcist’s lessons about the devil.
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Peggy Bridgeman at the left demonstrates to Ruth Harris the correct technique of welding. Today is Labor Day in the United States.
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The author and radio host said it would be a “great honor and privilege” to serve if she is confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
The Catholic Medical Association at its 95th annual educational conference held in Phoenix Sept. 10–12 focused on how the Eastern Catholic Church can help Western medicine promote human flourishing.
The pontiff also accepted the resignation of Bishop Francis Malone, 76, of Shreveport, Louisiana.
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Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) near Narayani River, Chitwan Community Forest buffer zone, Nepal
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The report found that a total of 18,211 individuals received some instruction on natural family planning across dioceses in 2025, but there were only 7,518 individuals who attended a full course.
The young people came together to pray and hear talks under the theme “In the Footsteps of St. Francis.”
The request makes the case that surrogacy fits the definition laid out in the 1926 Slavery Convention that the practice entails the rights of ownership of a person.
![Practice of ember days bearing fruit for missionary religious community – #Catholic – The General Chapter of the Clerical Branch of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) is embracing the traditional practice of ember days as a spiritual means of fostering and growing vocations.Ember days — the Christian periods of prayer, fasting, and thanksgiving — take place for three days over the four seasons each year. The next ember days will be Sept. 16, 18, and 19.“The Church, although it doesnʼt require it, still encourages it,” Father Dave Brokke, SOLT priest and vocations director, told EWTN News.“Even in terms of the [United States Conference of Catholic Bishops] document on fasting,” he explained. “It encourages people to do the ember days, and you can find different canons about it still today.”The document clarifies that “Vigils and Ember Days, as most now know, no longer oblige to fast and abstinence.” “However, the liturgical renewal and the deeper appreciation of the joy of the holy days of the Christian year will, we hope, result in a renewed appreciation as to why our forefathers spoke of ‘a fast before a feast,’” the bishops wrote.While the prayer is not required, the SOLT chapter voted on the addition of ember days to create a more intentional way of asking God for vocations. It passed in 2023 and over the past three years, the community has seen almost as many men enter into formation as it had in the previous 10 years.Ember daysThe phrase “ember days” is an alteration of the Latin phrase “quatuor tempora,” meaning “four seasons.” Ember days are documented as being celebrated as early as the fifth century and are among the oldest traditions of the Church’s liturgical calendar.Their original purpose was to thank God for the gifts of nature, notably the crops used to make bread and wine for the Eucharist.“Jesus said: ‘Ask the master of the harvest to send laborers into the vineyard.’”“With the master of the harvest, thereʼs this understanding that we have the need to ask Our Lord for help in providing the grain and the wheat and the grapes,” Brokke said.In total, there are 12 ember days throughout the liturgical year.“From an early time in the Church,” it was established that the ember days “would be a Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.”The “penitential days” were “Wednesday, because that was the day that Judas betrayed Jesus, Friday because of the Passion, and then Saturday because Our Lord was in the tomb.”“The way that I remember it is ‘Lenty, Penty, Crucy, and Lucy,’” Brokke said.“Lenty” is to indicate the full Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday of ember days that follow Ash Wednesday in the springtime, and “Penty” is the ember days after Pentecost in summer. The “Crucy” ember days then follow the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in fall, and “Lucy” is for the days after the memorial of St. Lucy in winter.“They correspond to the time of both the sowing of the seeds and the reaping of the harvest of the wheat and the grape. So even then it is connected to the elements that is used for the Eucharist,” he said. The Church would “fast and pray not only for a good harvest but also for vocations, for laborers in the vineyard to the priesthood, and they would often ordain men on the Saturdays of ember days,” Brokke said. SOLT witnesses ‘lots of good fruit’Brokke and the General Chapter of the Clerical Branch of the SOLT began looking into embers days as a way of “community fasting and praying for vocations,” Brokke said.“We do have a prayer that we say every day for vocations,” which “started from the very foundation of our community,” Brokke said.SOLT is “a community of priests, brothers, sisters, and members who work together to show the relationship of Our Lady with the most Holy Trinity,” Brokke said. The community reflects how “the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit are distinct, but not separate. Theyʼre united.”“Similarly, the vocations are distinct, but theyʼre not separate. So we strive to live with a united will of charity and our service to areas of deep need,” Brokke said.“We go where a bishop has identified his deepest need and serve as missionaries in the world, trying to bring that communion of the Most Holy Trinity in imitation of Our Lady, who leads us into those relationships because she was mother of the Son and daughter of the Father, spouse of the spirit.”For more vocations, SOLT wanted to add another act “specifically geared towards vocations,” in addition to its daily prayer.“I mentioned the ember days,” which would “dedicate at least 12 days a year to fasting and praying and to be more intentional with it,” he said. “When we started discussing it, we didnʼt focus so much on the agricultural aspect but the vocational aspect.” When the idea of incorporating the days of prayer was under discussion, Brokke looked up some of the prayers for ember days.“We discovered that the prayer that we have prayed every day from our foundation of the community is actually one of the ember day prayers for vocations,” he said.Shortly after the community began the traditional prayer, vocation numbers began to rise.
A group of novices with the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Dave Brokke/Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity
“The first September doing ember days … one guy showed up from a mission in Honduras at our mission in Belize and expressed his interest in the community. He is now a novice with our community.”“On the Saturday of that first ember days, we had 27 men from Franciscan University show up for the priestly discernment program to learn more about our community. The man who led that is now an aspirant with our community.” “The year that we started, we had seven men in formation. And in three years, we now have 18 men in formation,” Brokke said. Before, “we were maybe averaging one or two to enter a year. In that very first year we had nine men.”“Weʼve seen lots of good fruit,” he said. “I know thereʼs a mystical body of Christ and weʼre all connected. The Lord is going to use it, like heʼll use everything, and nothing goes to waste.”
A group of aspirants with the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Dave Brokke/Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/practice-of-ember-days-bearing-fruit-for-missionary-religious-community-catholic-the-general-chapter-of-the-clerical-branch-of-the-society-of-our-lady-of-the-most-holy-trinity-solt-is-embracing-scaled.jpg "Practice of ember days bearing fruit for missionary religious community – #Catholic – The General Chapter of the Clerical Branch of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) is embracing the traditional practice of ember days as a spiritual means of fostering and growing vocations.Ember days — the Christian periods of prayer, fasting, and thanksgiving — take place for three days over the four seasons each year. The next ember days will be Sept. 16, 18, and 19.“The Church, although it doesnʼt require it, still encourages it,” Father Dave Brokke, SOLT priest and vocations director, told EWTN News.“Even in terms of the [United States Conference of Catholic Bishops] document on fasting,” he explained. “It encourages people to do the ember days, and you can find different canons about it still today.”The document clarifies that “Vigils and Ember Days, as most now know, no longer oblige to fast and abstinence.” “However, the liturgical renewal and the deeper appreciation of the joy of the holy days of the Christian year will, we hope, result in a renewed appreciation as to why our forefathers spoke of ‘a fast before a feast,’” the bishops wrote.While the prayer is not required, the SOLT chapter voted on the addition of ember days to create a more intentional way of asking God for vocations. It passed in 2023 and over the past three years, the community has seen almost as many men enter into formation as it had in the previous 10 years.Ember daysThe phrase “ember days” is an alteration of the Latin phrase “quatuor tempora,” meaning “four seasons.” Ember days are documented as being celebrated as early as the fifth century and are among the oldest traditions of the Church’s liturgical calendar.Their original purpose was to thank God for the gifts of nature, notably the crops used to make bread and wine for the Eucharist.“Jesus said: ‘Ask the master of the harvest to send laborers into the vineyard.’”“With the master of the harvest, thereʼs this understanding that we have the need to ask Our Lord for help in providing the grain and the wheat and the grapes,” Brokke said.In total, there are 12 ember days throughout the liturgical year.“From an early time in the Church,” it was established that the ember days “would be a Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.”The “penitential days” were “Wednesday, because that was the day that Judas betrayed Jesus, Friday because of the Passion, and then Saturday because Our Lord was in the tomb.”“The way that I remember it is ‘Lenty, Penty, Crucy, and Lucy,’” Brokke said.“Lenty” is to indicate the full Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday of ember days that follow Ash Wednesday in the springtime, and “Penty” is the ember days after Pentecost in summer. The “Crucy” ember days then follow the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in fall, and “Lucy” is for the days after the memorial of St. Lucy in winter.“They correspond to the time of both the sowing of the seeds and the reaping of the harvest of the wheat and the grape. So even then it is connected to the elements that is used for the Eucharist,” he said. The Church would “fast and pray not only for a good harvest but also for vocations, for laborers in the vineyard to the priesthood, and they would often ordain men on the Saturdays of ember days,” Brokke said. SOLT witnesses ‘lots of good fruit’Brokke and the General Chapter of the Clerical Branch of the SOLT began looking into embers days as a way of “community fasting and praying for vocations,” Brokke said.“We do have a prayer that we say every day for vocations,” which “started from the very foundation of our community,” Brokke said.SOLT is “a community of priests, brothers, sisters, and members who work together to show the relationship of Our Lady with the most Holy Trinity,” Brokke said. The community reflects how “the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit are distinct, but not separate. Theyʼre united.”“Similarly, the vocations are distinct, but theyʼre not separate. So we strive to live with a united will of charity and our service to areas of deep need,” Brokke said.“We go where a bishop has identified his deepest need and serve as missionaries in the world, trying to bring that communion of the Most Holy Trinity in imitation of Our Lady, who leads us into those relationships because she was mother of the Son and daughter of the Father, spouse of the spirit.”For more vocations, SOLT wanted to add another act “specifically geared towards vocations,” in addition to its daily prayer.“I mentioned the ember days,” which would “dedicate at least 12 days a year to fasting and praying and to be more intentional with it,” he said. “When we started discussing it, we didnʼt focus so much on the agricultural aspect but the vocational aspect.” When the idea of incorporating the days of prayer was under discussion, Brokke looked up some of the prayers for ember days.“We discovered that the prayer that we have prayed every day from our foundation of the community is actually one of the ember day prayers for vocations,” he said.Shortly after the community began the traditional prayer, vocation numbers began to rise.
A group of novices with the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Dave Brokke/Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity
“The first September doing ember days … one guy showed up from a mission in Honduras at our mission in Belize and expressed his interest in the community. He is now a novice with our community.”“On the Saturday of that first ember days, we had 27 men from Franciscan University show up for the priestly discernment program to learn more about our community. The man who led that is now an aspirant with our community.” “The year that we started, we had seven men in formation. And in three years, we now have 18 men in formation,” Brokke said. Before, “we were maybe averaging one or two to enter a year. In that very first year we had nine men.”“Weʼve seen lots of good fruit,” he said. “I know thereʼs a mystical body of Christ and weʼre all connected. The Lord is going to use it, like heʼll use everything, and nothing goes to waste.”
A group of aspirants with the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Dave Brokke/Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity")
Father Dave Brokke, with the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT), says embracing the traditional practice of ember days has become a way of fostering vocations.
The pontiff marked the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks with prayers for the dead and those still bearing its wounds, while his Angelus reflection stressed that forgiveness is indispensable for peace.
Across Lebanon are lesser-known shrines and monasteries that offer visitors opportunities for prayer, quiet reflection, and a deeper encounter with Lebanon’s rich Christian heritage.
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Anna, with Max supporting his mother, decorates a sign for the Almabtrieb. Freiburger Alpe, Bavaria, Germany, September 2024.
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![Chicago Archdiocese to pay $5.5 million to 9 abuse victims, attorneys say – #Catholic – The Archdiocese of Chicago will pay out more than $5 million to a small number of abuse victims after a recent settlement, attorneys said this week. Lawyers with Jeff Anderson & Associates, a law firm that specializes in abuse cases, announced at a press event on Sept. 10 that they had settled with the archdiocese for $5.5 million to be paid out to nine survivors of abuse in the Church. Attorney Jeff Anderson describe the development as a “tipping point and a turning point” regarding allegations of abuse in the archdiocese. He said the settlements were a matter of both “reckoning” and “accountability.” “It is about the courage of every survivor with whom we and others have had the privilege to work to bring about change, change in the Archdiocese of Chicago and change across the state of Illinois and change across this country,” the lawyer said. The Chicago Archdiocese did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the settlement. But the archdiocese has paid out major settlements to abuse victims numerous times in recent years. In 2022 leaders settled multiple cases with abuse victims, one totaling $1.2 million and another $1.75 million. In 2024, meanwhile, the archdiocese settled one abuse case for $950,000. Multiple settlements by the archdiocese have involved allegations regarding disgraced former priest Daniel McCormack, who pleaded guilty to abusing numerous children years ago and who spent more than a decade in prison on those charges. In 2025 the archdiocese filed a lawsuit alleging a “racketeering enterprise” against multiple plaintiffs who had reportedly filed fake abuse lawsuits regarding McCormack. Archdiocesan attorney James Geoly said at the time that the lawsuit was meant to protect “the interests of legitimate victims.”“We do not want [the racketeering lawsuit] to deter any legitimate victim from coming forward. I would encourage anybody who’s had a problem with a priest or cleric to do that,” he told the archdiocesan news outlet.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/chicago-archdiocese-to-pay-5-5-million-to-9-abuse-victims-attorneys-say-catholic-the-archdiocese-of-chicago-will-pay-out-more-than-5-million-to-a-small-number-of-abuse-victims-after-a-recent-s-scaled.jpg "Chicago Archdiocese to pay $5.5 million to 9 abuse victims, attorneys say – #Catholic – The Archdiocese of Chicago will pay out more than $5 million to a small number of abuse victims after a recent settlement, attorneys said this week. Lawyers with Jeff Anderson & Associates, a law firm that specializes in abuse cases, announced at a press event on Sept. 10 that they had settled with the archdiocese for $5.5 million to be paid out to nine survivors of abuse in the Church. Attorney Jeff Anderson describe the development as a “tipping point and a turning point” regarding allegations of abuse in the archdiocese. He said the settlements were a matter of both “reckoning” and “accountability.” “It is about the courage of every survivor with whom we and others have had the privilege to work to bring about change, change in the Archdiocese of Chicago and change across the state of Illinois and change across this country,” the lawyer said. The Chicago Archdiocese did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the settlement. But the archdiocese has paid out major settlements to abuse victims numerous times in recent years. In 2022 leaders settled multiple cases with abuse victims, one totaling $1.2 million and another $1.75 million. In 2024, meanwhile, the archdiocese settled one abuse case for $950,000. Multiple settlements by the archdiocese have involved allegations regarding disgraced former priest Daniel McCormack, who pleaded guilty to abusing numerous children years ago and who spent more than a decade in prison on those charges. In 2025 the archdiocese filed a lawsuit alleging a “racketeering enterprise” against multiple plaintiffs who had reportedly filed fake abuse lawsuits regarding McCormack. Archdiocesan attorney James Geoly said at the time that the lawsuit was meant to protect “the interests of legitimate victims.”“We do not want [the racketeering lawsuit] to deter any legitimate victim from coming forward. I would encourage anybody who’s had a problem with a priest or cleric to do that,” he told the archdiocesan news outlet.")
The settlement was hailed as a “tipping point and a turning point” regarding allegations of abuse in the archdiocese.
The Catholic objectors will be shielded from the law while a federal lawsuit plays out against the state policy.
