With the retirement of Bishop Peter Fabbro, Bishop Daniel J. Miehm of the Diocese of Peterborough has been appointed the new bishop of London, Ontario, Canada. He will be installed on June 29.
Pope Leo XIV, who is traveling in Africa, sent a message to be read at the Mass commemorating the first anniversary of Pope Francis’ death.
![Dean Koontz on life’s beauty and meaning #Catholic - “Being less cynical ensures a happier life.” Best-selling author Dean Koontz made that observation in an essay on his website, but it’s an idea that has long found its way into his novels because he has experienced its truth personally, despite being raised by a violent and abusive father. His latest novel, “The Friend of the Family,” continues this tradition with its tale of Alida, a teenage girl with severe physical deformities who is the star attraction of a carnival freak show in the 1930s. Alida is dehumanized by both audiences and the freak show’s owner until the Fairchilds, a compassionate, wealthy couple, adopt her into their own family with three children.
Because Koontz is a master of suspense whose works have sold 500 million copies and been translated into 38 languages, danger is never too far away from Alida and the Fairchilds. Alida’s kindness, however, becomes the heart of the story because Koontz doesn’t dwell on her deformities, but rather on the beautiful person that she is.
Regarding his approach to beauty, Koontz said, “The world was made, really, for our delight. Now, if we don’t use it that way, if we bring the wrong attitude to it, that’s not [God’s] fault. It’s our fault. And so, I like to write about characters who, even if their lives might have periods of darkness in them, relate to the beauty of the world and all of its manifestations. Alida is particularly drawn, as I was as a kid, to novels, to books as a way of learning about the world beyond…the carnival…Through books, she begins to recognize the broader beauty and wonder of the world.”
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Alida’s literary interests reflect the classic literature Koontz devoured as a youth, written by authors such as Jane Austen, H.G. Wells, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and his favorite, Charles Dickens. Regarding the latter, Alida says, “Because of books, especially those written by the wonderful Mr. Dickens, I believed this was a made world with profound meaning. I kept faith that each of us has a purpose and that if we fulfill it, we will rise from even the lowest position as surely as a night mist rises from a lake in the morning sun.”
Alida also makes an observation about the lead character in Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby,” noting, “[Gatsby] did not believe this was a made world with profound meaning or that he had a purpose greater than his own needs and desires. Had he believed as much, he would’ve understood that the only chance we have of being lifted ourselves is by lifting others.”
Once again, Alida is echoing Koontz’s real-life views. The author said, “I’m fascinated with people who think life has no meaning because I look around and say, there’s so much meaning in every little event of the day…But I have, even people who’ve been friends over the years, who adamantly refused to acknowledge that part of life….I sometimes say, ‘You don’t see it because it’s slapping you in the face—and because of the violence of the blows, you’re keeping your eyes shut. But it’s right there.’…And so part of what I always wanted to do in the writing is touch upon that, hopefully not in a preachy way, but through character that shows you how these characters function better in the world when they recognize that aspect of it…The more you open yourself to all the wonder in the world, the more exciting and beautiful life is.”
For free copies of the Christopher News Note NURTURING SEEDS OF FAITH AND HOPE, write: The Christophers, 264 West 40th Street, Room 603, New York, NY 10018; or e-mail: mail@christophers.org.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/dean-koontz-on-lifes-beauty-and-meaning-catholic-being-less-cynical-ensures-a-happier-life-best-selling-author-dean-koontz-made-that-observation-in-an-essay-on-his-websi.jpg)
Dean Koontz on life’s beauty and meaning #Catholic – 
“Being less cynical ensures a happier life.” Best-selling author Dean Koontz made that observation in an essay on his website, but it’s an idea that has long found its way into his novels because he has experienced its truth personally, despite being raised by a violent and abusive father. His latest novel, “The Friend of the Family,” continues this tradition with its tale of Alida, a teenage girl with severe physical deformities who is the star attraction of a carnival freak show in the 1930s. Alida is dehumanized by both audiences and the freak show’s owner until the Fairchilds, a compassionate, wealthy couple, adopt her into their own family with three children.
Because Koontz is a master of suspense whose works have sold 500 million copies and been translated into 38 languages, danger is never too far away from Alida and the Fairchilds. Alida’s kindness, however, becomes the heart of the story because Koontz doesn’t dwell on her deformities, but rather on the beautiful person that she is.
Regarding his approach to beauty, Koontz said, “The world was made, really, for our delight. Now, if we don’t use it that way, if we bring the wrong attitude to it, that’s not [God’s] fault. It’s our fault. And so, I like to write about characters who, even if their lives might have periods of darkness in them, relate to the beauty of the world and all of its manifestations. Alida is particularly drawn, as I was as a kid, to novels, to books as a way of learning about the world beyond…the carnival…Through books, she begins to recognize the broader beauty and wonder of the world.”
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Alida’s literary interests reflect the classic literature Koontz devoured as a youth, written by authors such as Jane Austen, H.G. Wells, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and his favorite, Charles Dickens. Regarding the latter, Alida says, “Because of books, especially those written by the wonderful Mr. Dickens, I believed this was a made world with profound meaning. I kept faith that each of us has a purpose and that if we fulfill it, we will rise from even the lowest position as surely as a night mist rises from a lake in the morning sun.”
Alida also makes an observation about the lead character in Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby,” noting, “[Gatsby] did not believe this was a made world with profound meaning or that he had a purpose greater than his own needs and desires. Had he believed as much, he would’ve understood that the only chance we have of being lifted ourselves is by lifting others.”
Once again, Alida is echoing Koontz’s real-life views. The author said, “I’m fascinated with people who think life has no meaning because I look around and say, there’s so much meaning in every little event of the day…But I have, even people who’ve been friends over the years, who adamantly refused to acknowledge that part of life….I sometimes say, ‘You don’t see it because it’s slapping you in the face—and because of the violence of the blows, you’re keeping your eyes shut. But it’s right there.’…And so part of what I always wanted to do in the writing is touch upon that, hopefully not in a preachy way, but through character that shows you how these characters function better in the world when they recognize that aspect of it…The more you open yourself to all the wonder in the world, the more exciting and beautiful life is.”
For free copies of the Christopher News Note NURTURING SEEDS OF FAITH AND HOPE, write: The Christophers, 264 West 40th Street, Room 603, New York, NY 10018; or e-mail: mail@christophers.org.
– “Being less cynical ensures a happier life.” Best-selling author Dean Koontz made that observation in an essay on his website, but it’s an idea that has long found its way into his novels because he has experienced its truth personally, despite being raised by a violent and abusive father. His latest novel, “The Friend of the Family,” continues this tradition with its tale of Alida, a teenage girl with severe physical deformities who is the star attraction of a carnival freak show in the 1930s. Alida is dehumanized by both audiences and the freak show’s owner until the Fairchilds, a
![6 youth fully welcomed into Church during Parsippany confirmation #Catholic - On April 16, St. Ann Parish in Parsippany, N.J., welcomed Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, who confirmed six parish youth, strengthened by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, during a Mass he celebrated in the church.
During the Mass, Bishop Sweeney also blessed members of St. Ann’s newly formed Finance Council and Pastoral Council.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Father Nico Quintos, pastor of St. Ann’s and minister to retired priests in the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey; Father Vidal Gonzales Jr., pastor of Notre Dame of Mount Carmel Parish in the Cedar Knolls neighborhood of Hanover Township, N.J.; Father Sean McDonnell, pastor of Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish in Lake Hopatcong, N.J.; Father Fredrick Walters, a retired diocesan priest; and Father Jakub Grzybowski, pastor of St. Joseph Parish in West Milford, N.J. concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Sweeney.
Father Jared Brogan, director of the diocesan Office of Worship, served as master of ceremonies for the Mass. Deacon Len Deo of St. Ann’s assisted with the liturgy.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/6-youth-fully-welcomed-into-church-during-parsippany-confirmation-catholic-on-april-16-st-ann-parish-in-parsippany-n-j-welcomed-bishop-kevin-j-sweeney-who-confirmed-six-parish-youth-strengt.jpg)
6 youth fully welcomed into Church during Parsippany confirmation #Catholic – 
On April 16, St. Ann Parish in Parsippany, N.J., welcomed Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, who confirmed six parish youth, strengthened by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, during a Mass he celebrated in the church.
During the Mass, Bishop Sweeney also blessed members of St. Ann’s newly formed Finance Council and Pastoral Council.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Father Nico Quintos, pastor of St. Ann’s and minister to retired priests in the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey; Father Vidal Gonzales Jr., pastor of Notre Dame of Mount Carmel Parish in the Cedar Knolls neighborhood of Hanover Township, N.J.; Father Sean McDonnell, pastor of Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish in Lake Hopatcong, N.J.; Father Fredrick Walters, a retired diocesan priest; and Father Jakub Grzybowski, pastor of St. Joseph Parish in West Milford, N.J. concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Sweeney.
Father Jared Brogan, director of the diocesan Office of Worship, served as master of ceremonies for the Mass. Deacon Len Deo of St. Ann’s assisted with the liturgy.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
– On April 16, St. Ann Parish in Parsippany, N.J., welcomed Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, who confirmed six parish youth, strengthened by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, during a Mass he celebrated in the church. During the Mass, Bishop Sweeney also blessed members of St. Ann’s newly formed Finance Council and Pastoral Council. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Father Nico Quintos, pastor of St. Ann’s and minister to retired priests in the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey; Father Vidal Gonzales Jr., pastor of Notre Dame of Mount Carmel Parish in the Cedar Knolls neighborhood of Hanover Township,
A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 8:1b-8
There broke out a severe persecution of the Church in Jerusalem,
and all were scattered
throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria,
except the Apostles.
Devout men buried Stephen and made a loud lament over him.
Saul, meanwhile, was trying to destroy the Church;
entering house after house and dragging out men and women,
he handed them over for imprisonment.
Now those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.
Thus Philip went down to the city of Samaria
and proclaimed the Christ to them.
With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip
when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing.
For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice,
came out of many possessed people,
and many paralyzed and crippled people were cured.
There was great joy in that city.
From the Gospel according to John
6:35-40
Jesus said to the crowds,
"I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me will never hunger,
and whoever believes in me will never thirst.
But I told you that although you have seen me,
you do not believe.
Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,
and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
because I came down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.
And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on the last day.
For this is the will of my Father,
that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him
may have eternal life,
and I shall raise him on the last day."
Christ is God’s answer to our human hunger, because his Body is the bread of eternal life: Take this and eat of it, all of you! Jesus’ invitation reflects our daily experience: in order to remain alive, we need to nourish ourselves with life, drawing it from plants and animals. Yet eating something dead reminds us that we too, no matter how much we eat, will one day die. On the other hand, when we partake of Jesus, the living and true Bread, we live for him. By offering himself completely, the crucified and risen Lord delivers himself into our hands, and we realize that we were made to partake of God. Our hungry nature bears the mark of a need that is satisfied by the grace of the Eucharist. As Saint Augustine writes, Christ is truly “panis qui reficit, et non deficit; panis qui sumi potest, consumi non potest” (Serm. 130, 2): he is bread that restores and does not run short; bread that can be eaten but not exhausted. The Eucharist, in fact, is the true, real, and substantial presence of the Saviour (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1413), who transforms bread into himself in order to transform us into himself. (Pope Leo XIV, Homily, 22 June 2025)
Read More![March for Life in Warsaw commemorates 1,060 years of Christianity in Poland #Catholic Thousands of people gathered in Poland’s capital on April 19 for the National March for Life, a large public demonstration organized under the slogan “Faith and Fidelity 1966–2026,” commemorating the 1,060th anniversary of the Christianization of Poland. The event combined religious observance, civic participation, and pro-life advocacy, drawing families, clergy, activists, and public figures to central Warsaw. The day began with Mass celebrated in two of the cityʼs major churches.
Mass is celebrated at the Archcathedral Basilica of the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist in Warsaw, Poland, on April 19, 2026. | Credit: Tomasz Daniluk/Ordo Iuris
In the Archcathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist, Bishop Piotr Jarecki presided over the liturgy, while Bishop Tomasz Sztajerwald celebrated Mass at the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel and St. Florian in Warsaw-Praga.Participants later gathered at Castle Square, where the march officially began. Organizers described the event as a public expression of support for life and family, rooted in Poland’s Christian tradition. Metropolitan Archbishop Adrian Galbas of Warsaw encouraged participation ahead of the event, framing it as a testimony to human dignity. “We want to testify that we are lovers of life. Bring your family along! Life triumphs over every death,” he declared.
Church leaders join Poland’s President Karol Nawrocki and other dignitaries at the March for Life in Warsaw on April 19, 2026. | Credit: Tomasz Daniluk/Ordo lures
March through Warsaw highlights pro-life messageThe procession moved through central Warsaw streets under the historic slogan marking Poland’s Christian heritage. As participants approached the Presidential Palace, Polish President Karol Nawrocki spoke, linking the march to broader social concerns.“I support initiatives that serve Poland, and this initiative certainly serves Poland,” he said. “It is also a response to the deep demographic crisis. Today, the answer to many Polish problems lies precisely in Polish families, in our identity, in remembering where we come from and where we are going.”Organizers said the march was intended not only as a demonstration of pro-life conviction but also as a broader reflection on national identity and social cohesion.A prominent symbol carried during the march was a copy of the icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa, which has been traveling internationally for 14 years as part of the From Ocean to Ocean pilgrimage in defense of life. The icon has traveled more than 220,000 kilometers (almost 137,000 miles) and visited 32 countries across five continents.
Participants carry an icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa. | Credit: Tomasz Daniluk/Ordo Iuris
Shifting abortion attitudes among younger PolesThe National March for Life is organized by the St. Benedict Foundation alongside dozens of pro-life groups from across Poland and takes place under the honorary patronage of the Polish Episcopal Conference.Patrycja Michońska-Dynek, director of the Press Center of the Archdiocese of Warsaw, told EWTN News that there are shifting public attitudes toward abortion in Poland, including growing societal acceptance and increased calls for liberalization, attributing these changes to secularization, cultural pressures, and differing interpretations of freedom.Michońska-Dynek also observed that while pro-life values remain important in Polish society, younger generations often approach the issue with more nuanced perspectives, particularly in complex or exceptional situations. Fostering a “culture of life” must include practical support for families, such as assistance for single mothers and couples in crisis, Michońska-Dynek said.
Lidia, a participant at the National March for Life. | Credit: Tomasz Daniluk/Ordo Iuris
Not a single-issue agendaLidia Sankowska-Grabczuk, one of the organizers of the National March for Life, told EWTN News that the pro-life movement in Poland extends beyond a single-issue focus on abortion.“In a nutshell, the pro-life movement is [often] the anti-abortion movement. In our view… it’s a bit different. We don’t reduce it to a single-issue agenda,” she said, warning that such a narrow framing “strips it of its true meaning.” While protecting unborn life remains central, she described it as part of a broader vision rooted in what she called “the public voice of Polish Christianity.”She outlined three core pillars underpinning the movement. The first is “respect for life,” encompassing not only the unborn but also solidarity with the elderly, families, and those in need. The second is the family as society’s foundation, grounded in the traditional understanding of marriage and its role in Poland’s social stability. The third pillar is “a state serving the common good,” reflecting a view of politics as service and a call for greater social solidarity.
March for Life in Warsaw commemorates 1,060 years of Christianity in Poland. | Credit: Tomasz Daniluk/Ordo Iuris
Sankowska-Grabczuk also discussed the importance of Poland’s historical and Christian identity in shaping the movement. She noted that recent marches have intentionally marked major national milestones, including the 1,000th anniversary of Poland’s first royal coronation in 2025.These commemorations, she said, highlight how the movement sees its mission as inseparable from Poland’s historical development, where Christianity has long informed both national identity and social values.Pro-life voices and public participationAmong international participants was Tonio Borg, president of the European Federation One of Us. He urged participants to remain steadfast in their convictions despite criticism or public pressure. “Do not be afraid of being slandered and ridiculed because you seek to protect life from the moment of conception,” he said, encouraging continued public engagement and advocacy. He also called on supporters to make their voices heard in the public sphere, stressing the importance of influencing lawmakers and demonstrating that “the unborn child is one of us.”
Paula, a participant at the National March for Life in Poland. | Credit: Tomasz Daniluk/Ordo Iuris
Marcin Perłowski, director of the Centre for Life and Family, said participants gathered at the march out of a shared conviction that “human life begins at conception” and must be defended. He stated that the National March for Life serves as a public demonstration of that belief, describing it as a stand “against all those who raise a hand against unborn children.”Pro-life activist Emilia Mędrzecka told EWTN News that her position is grounded in a belief in universal human dignity. “Children in the womb are as human as we are… they are more dependent and need time to grow,” she said while adding that the march reflected a strong presence of families, young people, and older generations united in support of life.
Polish president Karol Nawrocki walks among participants at the National March for Life in Poland. | Credit: Tomasz Daniluk/Ordo Iuris
While official attendance figures have not been released, estimates provided to EWTN News suggested more than 10,000 people participated, with organizers placing peak attendance between 25,000 and 30,000.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/march-for-life-in-warsaw-commemorates-1060-years-of-christianity-in-poland-catholic-thousands-of-people-gathered-in-polands-capital-on-april-19-for-the-national-march-for-life-a-large-publ-scaled.jpg)
Recent marches in Poland have intentionally marked major national milestones, including the 1,000th anniversary of Poland’s first royal coronation in 2025.
At the inauguration of a new campus named in his honor in Equatorial Guinea, the pope urged the education of young people in truth, responsibility, and service to the common good.
A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 7:51—8:1a
Stephen said to the people, the elders, and the scribes:
“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears,
you always oppose the Holy Spirit;
you are just like your ancestors.
Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute?
They put to death those who foretold the coming of the righteous one,
whose betrayers and murderers you have now become.
You received the law as transmitted by angels,
but you did not observe it.”
When they heard this, they were infuriated,
and they ground their teeth at him.
But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit,
looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God
and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,
and Stephen said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened
and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
But they cried out in a loud voice,
covered their ears, and rushed upon him together.
They threw him out of the city, and began to stone him.
The witnesses laid down their cloaks
at the feet of a young man named Saul.
As they were stoning Stephen, he called out,
“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice,
“Lord, do not hold this sin against them”;
and when he said this, he fell asleep.
Now Saul was consenting to his execution.
From the Gospel according to John
6:30-35
The crowd said to Jesus:
“What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you?
What can you do?
Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written:
He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”
So Jesus said to them,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven;
my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.
For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven
and gives life to the world.”
So they said to Jesus,
“Sir, give us this bread always.”
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me will never hunger,
and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”
What does bread of life mean? We need bread to live. Those who are hungry do not ask for refined and expensive food, they ask for bread. Those who are unemployed do not ask for enormous wages, but the “bread” of employment. Jesus reveals himself as bread, that is, the essential, what is necessary for everyday life; without Him it does not work. Not one bread among many others, but the bread of life. In other words, without him, rather than living, we get by: because he alone nourishes the soul; he alone forgives us from that evil that we cannot overcome on our own; he alone makes us feel loved even if everyone else disappoints us; he alone gives us the strength to love and, he alone gives us the strength to forgive in difficulties; he alone gives that peace to the heart that it is searching for; he alone gives eternal life when life here on earth ends. He is the essential bread of life. (Pope Francis, Angelus, 8 August 2021)
Read More
Did you hear or have you read Pope Leo XIV’s Homily at the Vigil for Peace? #Catholic – 
Dear brothers and sisters,
Your prayer is an expression of that faith which, according to the words of Jesus, moves mountains (cf. Mt 17:20). Thank you for accepting this invitation to gather here at the tomb of Saint Peter and in so many other places around the world to pray for peace. War divides; hope unites. Arrogance tramples upon others; love lifts up. Idolatry blinds us; the living God enlightens…
BISHOP KEVIN J. SWEENEY
On Saturday, April 11, 2026, Saturday in the Octave of Easter and the Vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday, Pope Leo XIV led thousands of pilgrims in Rome and hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of people throughout the world in a Prayer Vigil for Peace. In recent days, President Donald Trump has publicly criticized Pope Leo on more than one occasion. Many cardinals, bishops, and other Catholic and non-Catholic leaders have made public statements defending Pope Leo and expressing disappointment, not only with what President Trump has said, but also with the manner and tone of the statements.
Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M. of the Diocese of Trenton, issued an excellent, clear, and thorough statement, beginning with these words:
“In recent days, many of the faithful in the Diocese have reached out to me as Bishop and Shepherd of the local Church with concern, confusion, sorrow, and, in some cases, even anger regarding public comments made by President Donald Trump about our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, as well as the Holy Father’s measured response. Moments like these can unsettle hearts, especially when the unity of the Church and the dignity of her mission appear to be drawn into the turbulence of political discourse… Reflection on recent public criticism of the Holy Father, tragedy of war.
I strongly encourage readers to read (or listen to) the full text of Bishop O’Connell’s statement, available on the website of the Diocese of Trenton and on YouTube. I have shared previously that Bishop O’Connell was a Dean at St. John’s University when I was a student. He also served as the president of the Catholic University of America (from 1998 to 2010). He has served as the bishop of Trenton since Dec. 1, 2010. He is an excellent teacher and spokesperson for our Church. If you take the time to read or listen to his full statement, I believe that you will be grateful you did so.
In addition to or before reading Bishop O’Connell’s statement, I encourage you, if you have not done so, to read the homily that Pope Leo gave at the Vigil for Peace. Here is an article that offers a summary of the homily and reports on the Vigil for Peace: Pope Leo at Prayer Vigil for Peace.
This past Sunday, the Third Sunday of Easter, in the First Reading at Mass, from the Acts of the Apostles (2:14, 22-33), we heard these words: “Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed:…” It was the day of Pentecost. Peter and the Apostles had just received the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, and Peter gives a long speech (homily), v. 14-36, in which he proclaims the Good News of Jesus Christ. Those words of St. Peter were the preaching of the Good News of the Gospel to all the nations that continues today.
Since May 8, 2025, when he was elected as our Holy Father, as Pope, to the “Petrine (Peter’s) Ministry,” Pope Leo XIV has been doing what he is called to do, to preach the Good News of the Gospel. His first words as Pope (see Transcript of Cardinal Robert Prevost’s first speech as Pope Leo XIV), “Peace be with (all of) you,” were not his own words, but “the greeting of the Risen Christ.” He went on to speak of “…the peace of the Risen Christ, an unarmed peace and a disarming peace, humble and persevering. It comes from God, God who loves us all unconditionally…” Pope Leo XIV has been consistent in his calling for peace, for an end to war, and for mediation and negotiations instead of violence to address conflicts.
Just as the first Christian “converts” responded to the words of the “first Pope”, St. Peter, “…Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day.” (Acts 2: 41), let us respond to Pope Leo XIV’s invitation to pray and work for Peace. As he said in the homily at the Vigil for Peace:
“…Dear brothers and sisters, let us return home having made a commitment to pray without ceasing and without growing weary, a commitment to a profound conversion of heart. The Church is a great people at the service of reconciliation and peace. She advances without hesitation, even when rejecting the logic of war may lead to misunderstanding and scorn…”
Pope Leo XIV, Successor to Peter, is the living sign of the Church’s unbroken fidelity to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the teaching of the apostles. The Holy Father is following in the line of his predecessors. In his homily at the Vigil for Peace, he quotes St. Pope John XXIII and St. Pope John Paul calling for Peace. He also recalls what was a historic first, Pope Saint Paul VI addressing the General Assembly of The United Nations on Oct. 4, 1965, the Feast of the Saint of Peace, Francis of Assisi. Sixty years ago, Pope Paul used words that appear now perhaps prescient: “You know very well who we are, and whatever your opinion of the Pontiff of Rome may be, you know that our mission is to bring a message for all mankind.” The simple message of Pope Paul that followed remains the hope and prayer of people of goodwill everywhere, “Never again war, never again war! It is peace, peace that has to guide the destiny of the nations of all mankind!” In a turbulent world, as Christians, we turn to the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, who is “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8) and pray that God’s will is done so that peace will reign over all of the earth.
– Dear brothers and sisters, Your prayer is an expression of that faith which, according to the words of Jesus, moves mountains (cf. Mt 17:20). Thank you for accepting this invitation to gather here at the tomb of Saint Peter and in so many other places around the world to pray for peace. War divides; hope unites. Arrogance tramples upon others; love lifts up. Idolatry blinds us; the living God enlightens… Prayer Vigil led by Pope Leo XIV BISHOP KEVIN J. SWEENEY On Saturday, April 11, 2026, Saturday in the Octave of Easter and the Vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday, Pope
![Christ is not ‘a guru or a good luck charm,’ pope says at Mass in Angola #Catholic SAURIMO, Angola — Pope Leo XIV warned at Mass in Saurimo, Angola, on Monday of making God into an idol that is sought only when advantageous — “when genuine faith is replaced with superstitious practices.”“There are erroneous motives for seeking Christ, particularly when he is considered to be a guru or a good luck charm,” the pope said on April 20, referring to how the crowds in the Gospel reading reacted after Jesus performed the miracle of the loaves and the fishes.“They were not seeking a teacher whom they love but a leader to applaud for their own advantage,” he said.Joyful faith in Saurimo
Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass in Saurimo, Angola, on April 20, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media
From the start of his arrival in Sub-Saharan Africa — first in Cameroon and then in Angola — Pope Leo has been welcomed by the warmth of the faithful. In Saurimo, a city in northeastern Angola, the atmosphere greeting the pope on Monday was marked by joyful faith. Everyone welcomed the successor of Peter with songs, dances, and applause.Despite the intense heat, upon reaching the esplanade before Mass, Leo XIV greeted the roughly 60,000 faithful of all ages — who had come from across the region and neighboring dioceses — by making a circuit in the popemobile.“This is the first time a pope has gone beyond Angola’s coastal belt and come — using Pope Francis’ language — to the peripheries,“ the director of the communications office of the Archdiocese of Saurimo said. ”This is a region rich in diamonds, but there is also great poverty, and he comes here to show our reality. For us, having the Holy Father in our region is a great joy.”“This is a unique and unforgettable moment in my life and in the lives of the many pilgrims here today,” Filomena Vunda, who works in the pastoral secretariat of the Archdiocese of Malanje, told ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, at the Mass.Vunda encouraged non-Catholics in Angola to “keep in mind our African word ‘Ubuntu’: The happiness of others depends on me; my happiness depends solely on the happiness of others.”Ubuntu is an African philosophy about human interconnectedness. It can be translated as “I am because we are.”‘Disciples of Christ’In his homily at Mass, concelebrated by Angolan bishops, Pope Leo said: “In every part of the world, the Church lives as a people who walk as disciples of Christ, our brother and redeemer.”"He, the Risen One, illumines for us the path to the Father and with the strength of the Spirit he sanctifies us so that we may transform our way of life in conformity with his love," the pope said. "This is the good news, the Gospel that courses through our veins like blood, sustaining us on the journey. A journey that has brought me here with you today!”
Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass in Saurimo, Angola, on April 20, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media
Commenting on the Gospel of the day, Leo reflected: “Indeed, when the Son of God became man, he performed striking miracles in order to manifest the will of the Father: He made light shine in the darkness by giving sight to the blind, he gave a voice to the oppressed by loosening the tongues of the mute, he slaked our thirst for justice by multiplying bread for the poor and weak. Anyone who heard about these works set out in search of Jesus. At the same time, the Lord looks into our heart and asks us whether we seek him out of gratitude or for our own self-interest, with calculation or with love.”“The Lord himself says,” the pope continued, “‘you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves’ (Jn 6:26). His words reveal the designs of those who do not want to encounter a person but want to consume things. The crowd sees Jesus as means to an end, a provider of services. If he had not given them something to eat, his actions and teachings would not have interested them.”“This happens,” Leo XIV explained, “when genuine faith is replaced with superstitious practices, in which God becomes an idol that is sought only when it is advantageous to us and only for as long as it is. Even the most beautiful gifts of the Lord, which are always for the care of his people, become a pretext, a prize or a bargaining chip, and are misinterpreted by those who receive them.”“How different is Jesus’ attitude toward us,” the pontiff continued. “Yet, he does not reject this insincere search, but encourages its conversion ... Christ calls us to freedom: He does not want servants or clients, rather he seeks brothers and sisters to whom he can totally dedicate himself.”“Therefore,” Leo XIV said, “the admonition that the Lord directs to the crowd is transformed into an invitation: ‘Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life’ (Jn 6:27)."“His gift sheds light on our current situation,” the pope went on. “We can see today how the hope of many people is frustrated by violence, exploited by the powerful, and defrauded by the rich. Consequently, when injustice corrupts hearts, the bread of all becomes the possession of a few."“In the face of these evils, Christ hears the cry of the people and renews our history by lifting us up from every fall, comforting us in every suffering, and encouraging us in our mission," he said.
Crowds of people brave the heat and sun to attend Mass with Pope Leo XIV in Saurimo, Angola, on April 20, 2026. | Credit: Raúl Kangombe Sapiti/ACI Africa
“All this,” the pope exhorted, “means that, in light of our discipleship, the ecclesial journey is a ‘synod of resurrection and hope,’ as St. John Paul II affirmed in his apostolic exhortation Ecclesia in Africa. Let us proceed in this wise direction! Christ himself guides and strengthens our journey, a journey that we want to learn to live more and more as it should be, that is, in a synodal manner.”The pope concluded by recalling the importance of the martyrs and saints, whose witness “encourages us and pushes us onto a path of hope, reconciliation, and peace, along which the gift of God becomes the responsibility of the head of the household, in the Christian community, in civil society.”"The vitality of the vocations that you experience [in Angola]," he said, "is a sign that you are responding to the Lord’s gift, which is always abundant for those who welcome it with pure hearts.”ACI Africa reporter Raúl Kangombe Sapiti contributed to this report.This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/christ-is-not-a-guru-or-a-good-luck-charm-pope-says-at-mass-in-angola-catholic-saurimo-angola-pope-leo-xiv-warned-at-mass-in-saurimo-angola-on-monday-of-making-god-int-scaled.jpg)
After praying at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Saurimo, Pope Leo XIV proceeded to the site of the Mass, attended by an estimated 60,000 people.
Born on April 20, 1923, Mother Angelica would be turning 103 years old this year. There is nothing she liked better than to share about faith in Jesus Christ.
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles
6:8-15
Stephen, filled with grace and power,
was working great wonders and signs among the people.
Certain members of the so-called Synagogue of Freedmen,
Cyreneans, and Alexandrians,
and people from Cilicia and Asia,
came forward and debated with Stephen,
but they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.
Then they instigated some men to say,
"We have heard him speaking blasphemous words
against Moses and God."
They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes,
accosted him, seized him,
and brought him before the Sanhedrin.
They presented false witnesses who testified,
"This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law.
For we have heard him claim
that this Jesus the Nazorean will destroy this place
and change the customs that Moses handed down to us."
All those who sat in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him
and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
From the Gospel according to John
6:22-29
[After Jesus had fed the five thousand men, his disciples saw him walking on the sea.]
The next day, the crowd that remained across the sea
saw that there had been only one boat there,
and that Jesus had not gone along with his disciples in the boat,
but only his disciples had left.
Other boats came from Tiberias
near the place where they had eaten the bread
when the Lord gave thanks.
When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there,
they themselves got into boats
and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus.
And when they found him across the sea they said to him,
"Rabbi, when did you get here?"
Jesus answered them and said,
"Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me
not because you saw signs
but because you ate the loaves and were filled.
Do not work for food that perishes
but for the food that endures for eternal life,
which the Son of Man will give you.
For on him the Father, God, has set his seal."
So they said to him,
"What can we do to accomplish the works of God?"
Jesus answered and said to them,
"This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent."
Stephen, "full of grace and power" (Acts 6: 8), presented in Jesus’ Name a new interpretation of Moses and of God’s Law itself. He reread the Old Testament in the light of the proclamation of Christ’s death and Resurrection. He gave the Old Testament a Christological reinterpretation and provoked reactions from the Jews, who took his words to be blasphemous (cf. Acts 6: 11-14).
For this reason he was condemned to stoning. And St Luke passes on to us the saint’s last discourse, a synthesis of his preaching. Just as Jesus had shown the disciples of Emmaus that the whole of the Old Testament speaks of him, of his Cross and his Resurrection, so St Stephen, following Jesus’ teaching, interpreted the whole of the Old Testament in a Christological key. He shows that the mystery of the Cross stands at the centre of the history of salvation as recounted in the Old Testament; it shows that Jesus, Crucified and Risen, is truly the goal of all this history.
St Stephen also shows that the cult of the temple was over and that Jesus, the Risen One, was the new, true "temple". (Pope Benedict XVI, General Audience, 10 January 2007)
Read More
![55 religious jubilarians honored for joyful service in Parsippany #Catholic - On April 18, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney joyfully commemorated 55 dedicated religious sisters and priests as they reached major anniversaries in consecrated life — from 25 to an inspiring 80 years — during the jubilant annual Mass for Religious of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey at St. Ann Church in Parsippany, N.J. The bishop wholeheartedly thanked the jubilarians for their remarkable combined 3,280 years of selfless service to the diocese and the Church.
Several priests, including Father Nico Quintos, pastor of St. Ann’s and minister to the diocesan retired senior priests, concelebrated the Mass. Meanwhile, Father Jared Brogan, director of the diocesan Office of Worship, served as master of ceremonies for the liturgy, which was organized by the office of Salesian Sister Theresa Lee, diocesan chancellor and delegate for religious.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
During the joyful Mass, Bishop Sweeney led the jubilarians in renewing their heartfelt commitment as religious “to follow Christ in chastity, poverty, and obedience.” With Sister Lee’s help, Bishop Sweeney then handed out anniversary certificates to the 24 jubilarians who attended. Afterward, worshippers proceeded to St. Ann’s parish hall for a festive reception.
Jubilarians of the Paterson Diocese for 2026
80 Years
Sr. Domenica Di Peri, FMA
Sr. Anna Grace Mascolo, MPF
Sr. Raphael Santitoro, MPF
75 Years
Sr. Lorraine Chaudron, MPF
Sr. Joan Digan, SC
Sr. Louise Lauretti, MPF
Sr. Santa Priolo, MPF
Sr. Livia Setti, FMA
Sr. Helen Sholander, MPF
Sr. Mary Catherine Slattery, SCC
70 Years
Sr. Mary Culhane, SC
Sr. Eileen Eager, SC
Sr. Carmela Falcone, MPF
Sr. Mary Gintilla, MPF
Sr. Joan Daniel Healy, SCC
Sr. Rose Marie O’Brien, SC
Sr. Mary Bertha Paquin, FMA
Sr. Geraldine Romano, MPF
Sr. Jean Ann Trainor, SC
65 Years
Sr. Maureen Ann Corcoran, SC
Sr. Anna DeCarli, MPF
Sr. Balbina Lopez, FMA
Sr. Barbara Quandt, MPF
Sr. Carmela Santarsiero, MPF
Sr. Rosemary Smith, SC
Sr. Alice Swartz, RSM
Sr. Carmela Termine, FMA
60 Years
Sr. Donna Brady, SCC
Sr. Ellen Byrnes, FSP
Fr. Bernard Creighton, OFM
Sr. Shawn Donnolly, SCC
Sr. Geraldine Frisk, MPF
Sr. Margaret Gaffikin, FSP
Sr. Maureen Himchak, MPF
Sr. Janice Jolin, SMIC
Sr. Justina Lanasa, SCC
Sr. Merris Larkin, SC
Sr. Josita Marks, SCC
Sr. Diane Moughan, SCC
Sr. Gale Pankowski, SCC
Sr. Joan Repka, SC
Sr. Gerardine Tansits, SCC
Sr. Inez Valentin, FMA
50 Years
Sr. Marie Cecilia Landis, SCC
Sr. Ann Lavelle, SCC
Sr. Joyce O’Shea, SC
Sr. Teresita Teran, FMA
40 Years
Sr. Elaine Bebyn, MPF
Sr. Fran DaGrossa, FMA
Sr. Emy De Fillippi, FMA
25 Years
Fr. John C. Coughlin, OFM
Sr. Maria Goretti Nguyen, SCC
Sr. Araceli Soldevilla, FSSE
Fr. Agustino Miguel Torres, CFR
Br. Matthias Kwang-Jae Yoo, OSB
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/55-religious-jubilarians-honored-for-joyful-service-in-parsippany-catholic-on-april-18-bishop-kevin-j-sweeney-joyfully-commemorated-55-dedicated-religious-sisters-and-priests-as-they-reached-majo.jpg)
55 religious jubilarians honored for joyful service in Parsippany #Catholic – 
On April 18, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney joyfully commemorated 55 dedicated religious sisters and priests as they reached major anniversaries in consecrated life — from 25 to an inspiring 80 years — during the jubilant annual Mass for Religious of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey at St. Ann Church in Parsippany, N.J. The bishop wholeheartedly thanked the jubilarians for their remarkable combined 3,280 years of selfless service to the diocese and the Church.
Several priests, including Father Nico Quintos, pastor of St. Ann’s and minister to the diocesan retired senior priests, concelebrated the Mass. Meanwhile, Father Jared Brogan, director of the diocesan Office of Worship, served as master of ceremonies for the liturgy, which was organized by the office of Salesian Sister Theresa Lee, diocesan chancellor and delegate for religious.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
During the joyful Mass, Bishop Sweeney led the jubilarians in renewing their heartfelt commitment as religious “to follow Christ in chastity, poverty, and obedience.” With Sister Lee’s help, Bishop Sweeney then handed out anniversary certificates to the 24 jubilarians who attended. Afterward, worshippers proceeded to St. Ann’s parish hall for a festive reception.
Jubilarians of the Paterson Diocese for 2026
80 Years
Sr. Domenica Di Peri, FMA
Sr. Anna Grace Mascolo, MPF
Sr. Raphael Santitoro, MPF
75 Years
Sr. Lorraine Chaudron, MPF
Sr. Joan Digan, SC
Sr. Louise Lauretti, MPF
Sr. Santa Priolo, MPF
Sr. Livia Setti, FMA
Sr. Helen Sholander, MPF
Sr. Mary Catherine Slattery, SCC
70 Years
Sr. Mary Culhane, SC
Sr. Eileen Eager, SC
Sr. Carmela Falcone, MPF
Sr. Mary Gintilla, MPF
Sr. Joan Daniel Healy, SCC
Sr. Rose Marie O’Brien, SC
Sr. Mary Bertha Paquin, FMA
Sr. Geraldine Romano, MPF
Sr. Jean Ann Trainor, SC
65 Years
Sr. Maureen Ann Corcoran, SC
Sr. Anna DeCarli, MPF
Sr. Balbina Lopez, FMA
Sr. Barbara Quandt, MPF
Sr. Carmela Santarsiero, MPF
Sr. Rosemary Smith, SC
Sr. Alice Swartz, RSM
Sr. Carmela Termine, FMA
60 Years
Sr. Donna Brady, SCC
Sr. Ellen Byrnes, FSP
Fr. Bernard Creighton, OFM
Sr. Shawn Donnolly, SCC
Sr. Geraldine Frisk, MPF
Sr. Margaret Gaffikin, FSP
Sr. Maureen Himchak, MPF
Sr. Janice Jolin, SMIC
Sr. Justina Lanasa, SCC
Sr. Merris Larkin, SC
Sr. Josita Marks, SCC
Sr. Diane Moughan, SCC
Sr. Gale Pankowski, SCC
Sr. Joan Repka, SC
Sr. Gerardine Tansits, SCC
Sr. Inez Valentin, FMA
50 Years
Sr. Marie Cecilia Landis, SCC
Sr. Ann Lavelle, SCC
Sr. Joyce O’Shea, SC
Sr. Teresita Teran, FMA
40 Years
Sr. Elaine Bebyn, MPF
Sr. Fran DaGrossa, FMA
Sr. Emy De Fillippi, FMA
25 Years
Fr. John C. Coughlin, OFM
Sr. Maria Goretti Nguyen, SCC
Sr. Araceli Soldevilla, FSSE
Fr. Agustino Miguel Torres, CFR
Br. Matthias Kwang-Jae Yoo, OSB
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
– On April 18, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney joyfully commemorated 55 dedicated religious sisters and priests as they reached major anniversaries in consecrated life — from 25 to an inspiring 80 years — during the jubilant annual Mass for Religious of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey at St. Ann Church in Parsippany, N.J. The bishop wholeheartedly thanked the jubilarians for their remarkable combined 3,280 years of selfless service to the diocese and the Church. Several priests, including Father Nico Quintos, pastor of St. Ann’s and minister to the diocesan retired senior priests, concelebrated the Mass. Meanwhile, Father Jared Brogan, director
In honor of National Infertility Awareness Week, here are four Catholic ministries helping couples carry the cross of infertility.
![Beloved Catholic kids book series ‘Chime Travelers’ becomes animated TV show #Catholic The beloved children’s book series “Chime Travelers” has now made an exciting leap from page to screen with its development into an animated TV series, bringing its imaginative world to life in a whole new way. Known for its blend of adventure, time travel, and meaningful life lessons, the Catholic series has captivated young readers with its charming characters and heartfelt storytelling for over 10 years.“Chime Travelers,” written by Catholic author Lisa Hendey, follows twins Patrick and Katie as they travel to different places and time periods — all thanks to some magical church bells — to learn valuable life lessons from the saints.Developed by Family Theater Productions and Herald Entertainment, the new animated series depicts the same stories from the book series and includes episodes on St. Patrick, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Clare of Assisi, St. Kateri Tekakwitha, and the Holy Family.In an interview with EWTN News, Hendey said she’s “absolutely thrilled with the outcome” of the animated series.She shared that she had been in conversations with Family Theater Productions — a Catholic production studio in Hollywood — since 2017 about adapting the books for television.“They really saw at an early point the potential for the books to become a very dynamic [series], something even bigger than what they were as books, and itʼs been a long path enough to get to where we are now,” Hendey said.
Katie meets St. Kateri Tekakwitha in an episode of “Chime Travelers.” | Credit: Family Theater Productions
Father David Guffey, executive producer of “Chime Travelers” and the national director of Family Theater Productions, told EWTN News that he believed this series needed to be made because there aren’t many options in terms of Catholic media for children.“If you look at all the media thatʼs out there, thereʼs not much for Catholic children,” he said. “Thereʼs a lot for Catholic teens. Thereʼs a lot for Catholic adults. Thereʼs not a lot of Catholic childrenʼs programming. And we decided just to take a risk on this animated series so that thereʼd be another option for parents that wanted something solid to show their children.”While the book series only included five stories, the animated series will have more saint stories made into episodes for future seasons. For these additional stories, Hendey is serving as a consultant.“Iʼm so delighted that they continue to involve my voice and to give me the chance to say, ‘Well, I donʼt think my character would say that, or have we tried this, or have we thought about this?’ But the new stories are — theyʼre so exciting because theyʼre brand-new. I didnʼt write books about them,” she said. “And now the question will be, do we adapt books from those or what happens next?”Guffey, who is also a biblical consultant on the hit series “The Chosen," said he believes the rise in popularity in faith-based movies and shows being created has “been a long time in coming.”“For a long time, executives in Hollywood didnʼt believe that Christians were an audience,” he explained. “They didnʼt believe there was a faith-based audience and so they were very reluctant to fund or distribute projects. Weʼve had some big signs that there is an audience. Christians have proved themselves.”He highlighted “The Passion of the Christ” as the faith-based movie that opened the doors for other faith-based films to be created and “The Chosen” for doing the same for faith-based television series.“Christians and Catholics are showing they will seek out the kind of content that suits their families and their faith. And thatʼs going to change Hollywood — the business side of Hollywood especially,” Guffey added.The Catholic priest also emphasized the importance of creating faith-based media specifically for children.“With an adult show, adults will watch it once and theyʼre done. But with childrenʼs shows, if theyʼre of any quality at all, children will watch them over and over and over again. So, these shows and these stories really form young people in a really significant way,” he said.Hendey added that she’s grateful “we have now programming thatʼs not only faithful — because we always wanted to be faithful and we always wanted to really speak to the truth and the beauty and the goodness of our Church — but also thatʼs fun, thatʼs compelling, that kids want to watch over and over again.”As for her hopes for the series, Hendey said: “I hope that the kids who watch this, in particular, understand the agency that they have in their own lives to learn valuable lessons from the community of saints and to be a force for good in our world. We need them. We need their hearts and their purity and the love that they have, and so I hope they feel emboldened to realize that they really can make change in their world and in our world.”Guffey added: “When youʼre a kid, you think the problem youʼre going through, youʼre the only one that ever had it and you think you can be a very lonely place. I hope the series shows that first of all, Katie and Patrick go through some of the things they go through at school or at home, but also that the saints and the people whoʼve gone before us have gone through the same thing. And we can draw on the wisdom and the experience of others to gracefully move through the problems, the troubles that we encounter in our lives today.”“The lives of the saints are the lives of the Gospel in action. And I think itʼs important that children see how faith is put into practice,” Guffey shared. “And when we tell the stories of the saints, we are really telling the story of people who put their faith into practice in the good times and in the more difficult times.”“Chime Travelers” can be watched on Formed and on Hallow.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/beloved-catholic-kids-book-series-chime-travelers-becomes-animated-tv-show-catholic-the-beloved-childrens-book-series-chime-travelers-has-now-made-an-exci-scaled.jpg)
The new animated series depicts the same stories from the books, including episodes on St. Patrick, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Clare of Assisi, St. Kateri Tekakwitha, and the Holy Family.
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 2:14, 22-33
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven,
raised his voice, and proclaimed:
"You who are Jews, indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem.
Let this be known to you, and listen to my words.
You who are Israelites, hear these words.
Jesus the Nazarene was a man commended to you by God
with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs,
which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know.
This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God,
you killed, using lawless men to crucify him.
But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death,
because it was impossible for him to be held by it.
For David says of him:
I saw the Lord ever before me,
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
Therefore my heart has been glad and my tongue has exulted;
my flesh, too, will dwell in hope,
because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld,
nor will you suffer your holy one to see corruption.
You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.
"My brothers, one can confidently say to you
about the patriarch David that he died and was buried,
and his tomb is in our midst to this day.
But since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn an oath to him
that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne,
he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ,
that neither was he abandoned to the netherworld
nor did his flesh see corruption.
God raised this Jesus;
of this we are all witnesses.
Exalted at the right hand of God,
he received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father
and poured him forth, as you see and hear."
A reading from the Letter of Peter
1:17-21
Beloved:
If you invoke as Father him who judges impartially
according to each one’s works,
conduct yourselves with reverence during the time of your sojourning,
realizing that you were ransomed from your futile conduct,
handed on by your ancestors,
not with perishable things like silver or gold
but with the precious blood of Christ
as of a spotless unblemished lamb.
He was known before the foundation of the world
but revealed in the final time for you,
who through him believe in God
who raised him from the dead and gave him glory,
so that your faith and hope are in God.
From the Gospel according to Luke
24:13-35
That very day, the first day of the week,
two of Jesus’ disciples were going
to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus,
and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.
And it happened that while they were conversing and debating,
Jesus himself drew near and walked with them,
but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
He asked them,
"What are you discussing as you walk along?"
They stopped, looking downcast.
One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply,
"Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem
who does not know of the things
that have taken place there in these days?"
And he replied to them, "What sort of things?"
They said to him,
"The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene,
who was a prophet mighty in deed and word
before God and all the people,
how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over
to a sentence of death and crucified him.
But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel;
and besides all this,
it is now the third day since this took place.
Some women from our group, however, have astounded us:
they were at the tomb early in the morning
and did not find his body;
they came back and reported
that they had indeed seen a vision of angels
who announced that he was alive.
Then some of those with us went to the tomb
and found things just as the women had described,
but him they did not see."
And he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are!
How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!
Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things
and enter into his glory?"
Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets,
he interpreted to them what referred to him
in all the Scriptures.
As they approached the village to which they were going,
he gave the impression that he was going on farther.
But they urged him, "Stay with us,
for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over."
So he went in to stay with them.
And it happened that, while he was with them at table,
he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and gave it to them.
With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,
but he vanished from their sight.
Then they said to each other,
"Were not our hearts burning within us
while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?"
So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem
where they found gathered together
the eleven and those with them who were saying,
"The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!"
Then the two recounted
what had taken place on the way
and how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread.
The disciples of Emmaus walk sadly because they hoped for a different ending, for a Messiah who did not know the cross. Although they have heard that the tomb is empty, they cannot smile. But Jesus walks alongside them and patiently helps them understand that pain is not the denial of the promise, but the way through which God has manifested the measure of his love (cf. Lk 24:13-27). When they are finally seated at the table with him and break bread, their eyes are opened. They realize that their hearts were already burning, even though they did not know it (cf. Lk 24:28-32). This is the greatest surprise: to discover that beneath the ashes of disenchantment and weariness there is always a living ember, waiting only to be rekindled.
Brothers and sisters, Christ’s resurrection teaches us that no history is so marked by disappointment or sin that it cannot be visited by hope. No fall is definitive, no night is eternal, no wound is destined to remain open forever. However distant, lost or unworthy we may feel, there is no distance that can extinguish the unfailing power of God’s love. (Pope Leo XIV, General Audience, 8 October 2025)
Read More
The pontiff urged the country to reject exploitative models of development and place the common good above particular interests.
![Pope Leo XIV says debate with Trump is ‘not in my interest at all’ #Catholic ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE — Pope Leo XIV arrived in Angola after a two-and-a-half-hour flight from Cameroon on April 18, using the short journey to reject suggestions that his recent remarks about war were aimed at U.S. President Donald Trump while reflecting on the pastoral focus of his African trip.In a brief in-flight press conference with journalists, the pope addressed the interpretation of some of his recent speeches as a response to criticism from Trump, who had accused him of weakness in foreign policy.“[T]hereʼs been a certain narrative that has not been accurate in all of its aspects, but because of the political situation created when on the first day of the trip, the President of the United States made some comments about myself,” the pope said.“Much of what has been written since then has been more commentary on commentary, trying to interpret what has been said.”He pointed in particular to his address at the April 16 prayer meeting for peace in Cameroon.“Just one little example, the talk that I gave at the prayer meeting for peace a couple days ago was prepared two weeks ago, well before the president ever commented on myself and on the message of peace that I am promoting,” he said.“And yet, as it happens, it was looked at as if I was trying to debate again the president, which is not in my interest at all.”Leo XIV said he intends instead to continue proclaiming the Gospel and promoting peace.“So we go on the journey, we continue proclaiming the Gospel message,” he said.He added that the liturgies during the trip have highlighted what it means to follow Christ, promote fraternity, and seek justice and peace.The pope also said the broader African journey has been shaped by themes that emerged at the start of the trip in Algeria, especially the figure of St. Augustine.“I was personally very pleased, as you know, we began the trip in Algeria with the theme of Saint Augustine, and yesterday at the Catholic University, we had the blessing of that beautiful monument that they had prepared with a map of Africa and Saint Augustine at the center,” he said.“And so in one sense, it expresses part of what this trip is about.”Leo XIV emphasized that his primary purpose in Africa is to accompany Catholics.“And I primarily come to Africa as pastor, as the head of the Catholic Church, to be with, to celebrate with, to encourage and accompany all of the Catholics throughout Africa.”He also referred to a meeting with imams in Cameroon, describing it in general terms as part of the Church’s continuing commitment to interreligious dialogue, understanding, and peace-building.He concluded his main remarks by thanking journalists for their work and expressing hope that God would continue to bless the journey.Responding later to a French journalist, Leo XIV expressed gratitude for the reception he received in Cameroon.“I would just like to thank everyone in Cameroon for the wonderful welcome, the great enthusiasm, the joy of the people,” he said.“It was absolutely fantastic, the experience … how wonderful it is to experience what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ and to celebrate our faith together.”The pope’s flight took him from Yaoundé to Luanda, crossing over Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Angola. Angola is the third and penultimate stop of his African journey.The Catholic Church has longstanding ties with Angola. Formal relations date back centuries, including the 1608 appointment of Antonio Manuel Nyunda as the first ambassador to Rome from the then-Kingdom of Kongo. More recently, in 2019, the Holy See and Angola signed an agreement recognizing the legal personality of the Catholic Church and defining its property rights.This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/pope-leo-xiv-says-debate-with-trump-is-not-in-my-interest-at-all-catholic-aboard-the-papal-plane-pope-leo-xiv-arrived-in-angola-after-a-two-and-a-half-hour-flight-from-cameroon-o-scaled.jpg "Pope Leo XIV says debate with Trump is ‘not in my interest at all’ #Catholic ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE — Pope Leo XIV arrived in Angola after a two-and-a-half-hour flight from Cameroon on April 18, using the short journey to reject suggestions that his recent remarks about war were aimed at U.S. President Donald Trump while reflecting on the pastoral focus of his African trip.In a brief in-flight press conference with journalists, the pope addressed the interpretation of some of his recent speeches as a response to criticism from Trump, who had accused him of weakness in foreign policy.“[T]hereʼs been a certain narrative that has not been accurate in all of its aspects, but because of the political situation created when on the first day of the trip, the President of the United States made some comments about myself,” the pope said.“Much of what has been written since then has been more commentary on commentary, trying to interpret what has been said.”He pointed in particular to his address at the April 16 prayer meeting for peace in Cameroon.“Just one little example, the talk that I gave at the prayer meeting for peace a couple days ago was prepared two weeks ago, well before the president ever commented on myself and on the message of peace that I am promoting,” he said.“And yet, as it happens, it was looked at as if I was trying to debate again the president, which is not in my interest at all.”Leo XIV said he intends instead to continue proclaiming the Gospel and promoting peace.“So we go on the journey, we continue proclaiming the Gospel message,” he said.He added that the liturgies during the trip have highlighted what it means to follow Christ, promote fraternity, and seek justice and peace.The pope also said the broader African journey has been shaped by themes that emerged at the start of the trip in Algeria, especially the figure of St. Augustine.“I was personally very pleased, as you know, we began the trip in Algeria with the theme of Saint Augustine, and yesterday at the Catholic University, we had the blessing of that beautiful monument that they had prepared with a map of Africa and Saint Augustine at the center,” he said.“And so in one sense, it expresses part of what this trip is about.”Leo XIV emphasized that his primary purpose in Africa is to accompany Catholics.“And I primarily come to Africa as pastor, as the head of the Catholic Church, to be with, to celebrate with, to encourage and accompany all of the Catholics throughout Africa.”He also referred to a meeting with imams in Cameroon, describing it in general terms as part of the Church’s continuing commitment to interreligious dialogue, understanding, and peace-building.He concluded his main remarks by thanking journalists for their work and expressing hope that God would continue to bless the journey.Responding later to a French journalist, Leo XIV expressed gratitude for the reception he received in Cameroon.“I would just like to thank everyone in Cameroon for the wonderful welcome, the great enthusiasm, the joy of the people,” he said.“It was absolutely fantastic, the experience … how wonderful it is to experience what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ and to celebrate our faith together.”The pope’s flight took him from Yaoundé to Luanda, crossing over Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Angola. Angola is the third and penultimate stop of his African journey.The Catholic Church has longstanding ties with Angola. Formal relations date back centuries, including the 1608 appointment of Antonio Manuel Nyunda as the first ambassador to Rome from the then-Kingdom of Kongo. More recently, in 2019, the Holy See and Angola signed an agreement recognizing the legal personality of the Catholic Church and defining its property rights.This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.")
En route from Cameroon to Angola, the pope said his mission in Africa is pastoral and rejected suggestions that his recent remarks were aimed at President Donald Trump.
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 6:1-7
As the number of disciples continued to grow,
the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews
because their widows
were being neglected in the daily distribution.
So the Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said,
“It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table.
Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men,
filled with the Spirit and wisdom,
whom we shall appoint to this task,
whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer
and to the ministry of the word.”
The proposal was acceptable to the whole community,
so they chose Stephen, a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit,
also Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas,
and Nicholas of Antioch, a convert to Judaism.
They presented these men to the Apostles
who prayed and laid hands on them.
The word of God continued to spread,
and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly;
even a large group of priests were becoming obedient to the faith.
From the Gospel according to John
6:16-21
When it was evening, the disciples of Jesus went down to the sea,
embarked in a boat, and went across the sea to Capernaum.
It had already grown dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.
The sea was stirred up because a strong wind was blowing.
When they had rowed about three or four miles,
they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat,
and they began to be afraid.
But he said to them, “It is I. Do not be afraid.”
They wanted to take him into the boat,
but the boat immediately arrived at the shore
to which they were heading.
Behind the walking on water there is a message that is not evident, a message we need to grasp. In fact, at that time, great expanses of water were held to be the haunts of evil powers that man was not able to master. Particularly when storms made them turbulent, these abysses were symbols of chaos and recalled the darkness of the underworld. Now, the disciples found themselves in the middle of the lake when it was dark. They are afraid of sinking, of being sucked in by evil. And here comes Jesus who walks on the water, that is, over the powers of evil. (…) This is the message Jesus gives us. This is the meaning of the sign: the powers of evil that frighten us, that we cannot master, immediately take on smaller proportions with Jesus. By walking on the waters, He wants to say, “Do not be afraid. I put your enemies under my feet” — a beautiful message — I put your enemies under my feet — not people! — not that type of enemy, but death, sin, the devil. These are the enemies of the people, our enemies. And Jesus tramples on these enemies for us. Today, Christ repeats to each of us, “Take heart, it is I; have no fear!” Take heart because I am here, because you are no longer alone on the turbulent waters of life. (Pope Francis, Angelus, 13 August 2023)
Read More
Ambassador Brian Burch described the situation in Nigeria as a “conflict between radical Islamic groups and Christians because of their faith.”
![EWTN News explains: Why does the pope visit mosques on papal trips? #Catholic For more than a quarter-century, popes have periodically visited Islamic mosques as part of official voyages and papal visits. The tradition began with Pope John Paul II, who in 2001 became the first pope in history known to have entered a mosque when he visited the Great Mosque of Damascus in the capital of Syria. The subsequent Popes Benedict XVI, Francis, and Leo XIV have all paid visits to mosques to hold ecumenical dialogues and host diplomatic meetings. Yet the practice is not without some controversy. Indeed, Leo XIVʼs visit to the Great Mosque of Algiers on April 13 drew some backlash on social media by critics incredulous over the leader of the Catholic Church visiting a major Islamic holy site. (This was Leoʼs second visit to a mosque; he also visited the famed “Blue Mosque” in Istanbul in late 2025.)
Pope Leo XIV stands with Rector Mohamed Mamoun Al Qasimi at the Great Mosque in Algiers, Monday, April 13, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media
So why do popes make visits to mosques, courting controversy and criticism for making a point to go to holy sites of another religion? ‘We can live together in peace’Pope Leo XIV himself addressed criticism directed toward him on April 15 on board the papal plane after leaving Algiers bound for Cameroon. “I think the visit to the mosque was significant [and showed] that although we have different beliefs, we have different ways of worshipping, we have different ways of living, we can [still] live together in peace,” the Holy Father said. “I think that to promote that kind of image is something which the world needs to hear today,” he said, arguing that such visits show that “together we can continue to offer in our witness as we continue on this apostolic voyage.”Gabriel Said Reynolds, a theology professor at the University of Notre Dame who has written multiple works on the Quran and its relationship to Christianity, told EWTN News that interpreting papal visits to mosques should include an understanding of “the Churchʼs vision of God in the world.” “What is God’s relationship to the world? That’s been important to all of the recent popes,” he said.Reynolds pointed out that an Islamic mosque is “fundamentally different from a church.” “A Catholic church is a sort of temple in which God is present in the tabernacle — body, blood, soul, and divinity,” he said. “It’s a sacred space in the deepest sense of the word.”“What Muslims would say of a mosque is fundamentally different,” he said. “A mosque is for communal prayer, but the communal prayer that takes place in a mosque is no different than the ritual prayer that’s more often done at home.” He likened a mosque to a “gathering place” with just a few features that set it apart as a distinct site — such as a pulpit for occasional sermons and an alcove that denotes the direction of Mecca to which Muslims orient themselves during prayer. Reynolds said popes visit mosques in no small part as a “pastoral concern” for Christians living in majority-Muslim countries, such as Algeria. “Algerian society is thoroughly Islamic,” he said. “It’s not generally marked by notions of rights and responsibilities and citizenship in the same way the U.S. is. Cultivating positive relationships with Muslim leaders is absolutely essential for Christians.”Reynolds said the Churchʼs view about human dignity has “fundamental implications with its relationship toward non-Christians.” He pointed out, for instance, that the pope “could show up at an atheist convention and meet the people there and have dialogue with them.”“John 3:16 says God loves the world,” he said. “It’s not that God loves believers and doesn’t love the unbelievers. All people are children of God, according to Catholic teaching.”The declaration Nostra Aetate, meanwhile — issued by the Second Vatican Council in 1965 to address Catholicismʼs relationship with non-Christians — affirmed that the Church “regards [Muslims] with esteem.”The document points out that although Muslims “do not acknowledge Jesus as God,” they still “adore the one God” and “revere [Jesus] as a prophet” while giving honor to the Virgin Mother as well. The Second Vatican Council acknowledged that “in the course of centuries not a few quarrels and hostilities have arisen” between Christians and Muslims, but the document “urge[d] all to forget the past and to work sincerely for mutual understanding.”It further called on religious adherents to “preserve as well as to promote together for the benefit of all mankind social justice and moral welfare, as well as peace and freedom.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/ewtn-news-explains-why-does-the-pope-visit-mosques-on-papal-trips-catholic-for-more-than-a-quarter-century-popes-have-periodically-visited-islamic-mosques-as-part-of-official-voyages-and-papal-vis-scaled.jpg)
Why do popes make visits to Islamic mosques, courting controversy and criticism by taking part in events at holy sites of another religion?
A reading from the Book of the Act of the Apostles
Acts 5:34-42
A Pharisee in the Sanhedrin named Gamaliel,
a teacher of the law, respected by all the people,
stood up, ordered the Apostles to be put outside for a short time,
and said to the Sanhedrin, "Fellow children of Israel,
be careful what you are about to do to these men.
Some time ago, Theudas appeared, claiming to be someone important,
and about four hundred men joined him, but he was killed,
and all those who were loyal to him
were disbanded and came to nothing.
After him came Judas the Galilean at the time of the census.
He also drew people after him,
but he too perished and all who were loyal to him were scattered.
So now I tell you,
have nothing to do with these men, and let them go.
For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin,
it will destroy itself.
But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them;
you may even find yourselves fighting against God."
They were persuaded by him.
After recalling the Apostles, they had them flogged,
ordered them to stop speaking in the name of Jesus,
and dismissed them.
So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin,
rejoicing that they had been found worthy
to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.
And all day long, both at the temple and in their homes,
they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the Christ, Jesus.
From the Gospel according to John
6:1-15
Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee.
A large crowd followed him,
because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick.
Jesus went up on the mountain,
and there he sat down with his disciples.
The Jewish feast of Passover was near.
When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him,
he said to Philip, "Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?"
He said this to test him,
because he himself knew what he was going to do.
Philip answered him,
"Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough
for each of them to have a little."
One of his disciples,
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him,
"There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish;
but what good are these for so many?"
Jesus said, "Have the people recline."
Now there was a great deal of grass in that place.
So the men reclined, about five thousand in number.
Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks,
and distributed them to those who were reclining,
and also as much of the fish as they wanted.
When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples,
"Gather the fragments left over,
so that nothing will be wasted."
So they collected them,
and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments
from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat.
When the people saw the sign he had done, they said,
"This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world."
Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off
to make him king,
he withdrew again to the mountain alone.
Let us now try to put ourselves in the place of that boy. The disciples ask him to share everything he has to eat. It seems to be an unreasonable proposal, or rather, unjust. Why deprive a person, indeed a child, of what he has brought from home and has the right to keep for himself? Why take away from one person what is not enough to feed everyone anyway? In human terms, it is illogical. But not for God. On the contrary, thanks to that small freely-given and therefore heroic gift, Jesus is able to feed everyone. This is a great lesson for us. It tells us that the Lord can do a lot with the little that we put at His disposal. It would be good to ask ourselves every day: “What do I bring to Jesus today?”. He can do a lot with one of our prayers, with a gesture of charity for others, even with one of our sufferings handed over to His mercy. Our small things to Jesus, and He works miracles. This is how God loves to act: He does great things, starting from those small things, those freely-given ones. (Pope Francis, Angelus, 25 July 2021)
Read More
The exhibition by the Dicastery for Culture and Education features the work of contemporary artists in various fields, inspired by the life and spiritual legacy of St. Hildegard of Bingen.
Beyond The Beacon podcast 109 – John Fanta: Sports broadcaster, storyteller and man of faith #Catholic – 
For the latest episode of Beyond The Beacon, we talk sports and faith with John Fanta, a prominent national broadcaster at NBC Sports, who attends Mass with his wife and young son at Our Lady of the Magnificat Church in Kinnelon, N.J. He joins Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish of the Diocese of Paterson, N.J.
Fanta went to Seton Hall University in South Orange, N.J., where he became deeply involved with the Pirate Sports Network, WSOU radio, and student journalism, and laid the foundation for his national broadcasting career.
But his first break came when his first-grade teacher recognized Fanta’s talent for singing and encouraged him to be a cantor and lector at St. Bernadette Church in Westlake, Ohio, where he grew up.
Bishop Sweeney also discusses the establishment of a new parish, Padre Pio, in Paterson, N.J., on April 12 (Divine Mercy Sunday).
Listen to the episode here, or on any major podcast platform, or watch it on Bishop Sweeney’s YouTube channel.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
– For the latest episode of Beyond The Beacon, we talk sports and faith with John Fanta, a prominent national broadcaster at NBC Sports, who attends Mass with his wife and young son at Our Lady of the Magnificat Church in Kinnelon, N.J. He joins Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish of the Diocese of Paterson, N.J. Fanta went to Seton Hall University in South Orange, N.J., where he became deeply involved with the Pirate Sports Network, WSOU radio, and student journalism, and laid the foundation for his national broadcasting career. But his first break came when his
![Police reveal bomb threat at Chicago-area home of Pope Leo XIV’s brother #Catholic The brother of Pope Leo XIV was reportedly the victim of a hoax bomb threat in a suburb outside of Chicago, according to police and media reports. The New Lenox, Illinois, Police Department said in a Facebook post on April 15 that it had responded to a “reported bomb threat at a private residence” in the Chicago suburb about 40 miles outside of the city center. The statement did not identify the home as belonging to Leoʼs brother John Prevost, but local media reports said the target of the threat was Prevostʼs home. Public records indicate that Prevost lives on the street to which police responded. Police evacuated nearby homes during their investigation and called in explosive-detection K9 units. “After careful examination, investigators determined that the threat was unsubstantiated and that no explosive devices or hazardous materials were present,” New Lenox police said. The police noted that no injuries were reported but that the false bomb threat was “a serious offense and may result in criminal charges.”New Lenox Police Chief Micah Nuesse told EWTN News via email on April 16 that the matter was an “active and ongoing investigation” and that the police department had “no new updates to share” about the crime or any suspects. The hoax threat came just several days after President Donald Trump praised Pope Leo XIVʼs other brother, Louis, in a rambling Truth Social post in which he derided Pope Leo XIV as “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy” after Leo repeatedly criticized the ongoing U.S.-led war in Iran. “I like [Leoʼs] brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA. He gets it, and Leo doesn’t!” Trump said. Louis Prevost currently lives in Florida. On April 11 at a Vatican peace vigil, the pope criticized the “madness of war” and urged world leaders: “Stop! Itʼs time for peace!” On March 29, meanwhile, he said that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.”In Trumpʼs Truth Social post, he suggested that Leo — the first American-born pontiff — was only elected to the papacy as part of a diplomatic strategy to “deal with” Trump himself, due to Leoʼs U.S. background. “If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican,” Trump claimed in the post. Responding to a question about Trumpʼs post on April 13, Leo told media that “people who read it will be able to draw their own conclusions.” "I am not a politician, and I have no intention of entering into a debate with him,” the pope said, adding that he had "no fear neither of the Trump administration nor of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel."](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/police-reveal-bomb-threat-at-chicago-area-home-of-pope-leo-xivs-brother-catholic-the-brother-of-pope-leo-xiv-was-reportedly-the-victim-of-a-hoax-bomb-threat-in-a-suburb-outside-of-chicago-a.jpg "Police reveal bomb threat at Chicago-area home of Pope Leo XIV’s brother #Catholic The brother of Pope Leo XIV was reportedly the victim of a hoax bomb threat in a suburb outside of Chicago, according to police and media reports. The New Lenox, Illinois, Police Department said in a Facebook post on April 15 that it had responded to a “reported bomb threat at a private residence” in the Chicago suburb about 40 miles outside of the city center. The statement did not identify the home as belonging to Leoʼs brother John Prevost, but local media reports said the target of the threat was Prevostʼs home. Public records indicate that Prevost lives on the street to which police responded. Police evacuated nearby homes during their investigation and called in explosive-detection K9 units. “After careful examination, investigators determined that the threat was unsubstantiated and that no explosive devices or hazardous materials were present,” New Lenox police said. The police noted that no injuries were reported but that the false bomb threat was “a serious offense and may result in criminal charges.”New Lenox Police Chief Micah Nuesse told EWTN News via email on April 16 that the matter was an “active and ongoing investigation” and that the police department had “no new updates to share” about the crime or any suspects. The hoax threat came just several days after President Donald Trump praised Pope Leo XIVʼs other brother, Louis, in a rambling Truth Social post in which he derided Pope Leo XIV as “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy” after Leo repeatedly criticized the ongoing U.S.-led war in Iran. “I like [Leoʼs] brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA. He gets it, and Leo doesn’t!” Trump said. Louis Prevost currently lives in Florida. On April 11 at a Vatican peace vigil, the pope criticized the “madness of war” and urged world leaders: “Stop! Itʼs time for peace!” On March 29, meanwhile, he said that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.”In Trumpʼs Truth Social post, he suggested that Leo — the first American-born pontiff — was only elected to the papacy as part of a diplomatic strategy to “deal with” Trump himself, due to Leoʼs U.S. background. “If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican,” Trump claimed in the post. Responding to a question about Trumpʼs post on April 13, Leo told media that “people who read it will be able to draw their own conclusions.” \"I am not a politician, and I have no intention of entering into a debate with him,” the pope said, adding that he had \"no fear neither of the Trump administration nor of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel.\"")
‘We can always begin anew’: Pope Leo leads peace meeting in heart of Cameroon’s conflict zone #Catholic – 
BAMENDA, Cameroon (OSV News) — A religious sister in Cameroon who was kidnapped just a few months ago by separatists and held hostage for three days in the bush was among those who shared her testimony with Pope Leo XIV April 16 in an emotional peace meeting in Cameroon’s northwest city of Bamenda, a region marred by years of separatist violence.
“We were held hostage for three days and three nights. During those days and nights, we neither slept nor ate,” Sister Carine Tangiri Mangu told the pope.
“What kept our hope alive was the rosary which we prayed continuously for those days,” she added.
“Most Holy Father, this is the situation under which many consecrated women do their work and live their lives within this war zone. Some have undergone more dramatic and more traumatizing experiences, but we continue to rely on the help of God and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary,” she said.
Pope Leo led a historic peace meeting on April 16 in Cameroon’s northwest city of Bamenda, a region marred by years of separatist violence.
The long-running separatist conflict in its English-speaking regions has killed thousands since 2017. The violence pits Anglophone separatists against the Francophone-dominated government, leaving entire communities displaced and children out of school in what humanitarian groups describe as one of the world’s most neglected conflicts.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
In his speech in St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Pope Leo loudly and passionately said, “I am here to proclaim peace,” to an enthusiastic reaction in the crowd.
The pope also had strong words of denunciation for those who perpetuate war. “The masters of war pretend not to know that it takes only a moment to destroy, yet often a lifetime is not enough to rebuild,” the pope said. “They turn a blind eye to the fact that billions of dollars are spent on killing and devastation, yet the resources needed for healing, education and restoration are nowhere to be found.”
Pope Leo strongly denounced those who “rob your land of its resources generally invest much of the profit in weapons, thus perpetuating an endless cycle of destabilization and death.”
“The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants, yet it is held together by a multitude of supportive brothers and sisters,” he underlined.
During the peace meeting, the pope heard testimonies from local traditional and religious leaders and a family displaced by the violence.
A local chief imam told the pope about how in November armed men invaded a mosque in Sabga, near Bamenda, during the time of prayer and killed three people, injuring nine others.
Mohammed Abubakar of the Buea Central Mosque continued that on Jan. 14, 2025, “Armed men targeted cattle rearers from the Mbororo ethnic community and killed at least 15 people, including 8 children.” The chief imam added that “The Islamic community has suffered in many English speaking towns and villages, and there were Muslim victims in what has come to be known as the Ngabur Massacre, in which 23 civilians were killed in 2020.
“Holy Father, welcome, and please help us to have peace again,” the imam added.
Denis Salo met the pope, along with his wife and three children, telling Pope Leo how “five of my neighbors were killed and one of my close friends was also killed. While we were being targeted by the separatist fighters, government soldiers were also burning down houses.”
“In 2017, I escaped with my family out of Mbiame, abandoning all that I ever owned, including house, farms, and animals, and arrived in Bamenda. My kids had to abandon school. After seeing no better in Bamenda, I proceeded to Douala to look for livelihood and not finding anything better, I returned to Bamenda,” he said. “I now live in a little rented house with my entire family, and working as a gateman in the hospital of Maria Soledad, and at the same time working as gardener in the Parish of the Immaculate Conception, Ngomgham,” Salo said.
The pope affirmed to the afflicted community that “God has never abandoned us! In him, in his peace, we can always begin anew!”
In an emotional address welcoming the Holy Father in the cathedral, Archbishop Andrew Nkea of Bamenda told the pope: “Today your feet are standing on the soil of Bamenda that has drunk the blood of many of our children.”
“The archbishop mentioned the prophecy that exclaims: ‘How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace!’ (Is 52:7). He welcomed me with these words, and now I would like to respond: how beautiful are your feet as well, dusty from this bloodstained yet fertile land that has been mistreated, yet is rich in vegetation and fruit,” the pope said.
The Rev. Fonki Samuel Forba, moderator emeritus of the Presbyterian Church
in Cameroon, described to the pope how religious leaders of different denominations have “bonded together and founded a Peace Movement through which we have tried to broker peace and dialogue with the government of Cameroon and the Separatist Fighters.”
He said that under the leadership of Archbishop Nkea, they “have visited and spoken with many of the leaders of the separatist movements at home and abroad, and we have tried to engage the local separatist fighters on the ground in dialogue, convincing them that peace is better than war, and that war can never really solve any conflict,” he said.
“Practically all of us gathered here are traumatized and need both psychological and spiritual healing,” the reverend said.
“This Anglophone crisis is one of the forgotten crises on the planet earth, but it was brought to the notice of the Vatican, and the Vatican was even willing to facilitate dialogue between the warring factions,” Rev. Forba said.
Bishop Michael Miabesue Bibi of Buea told OSV News that the Anglophone crisis made it impossible for people to live normally in the conflicted region.
On top of loss of life and education opportunities for children, he said people “experienced abject poverty” as farmers were unable to sell products due to violence.
“There are people whose houses have been destroyed and they have been rendered homeless,” instantly becoming internally displaced, the bishop listed.
Even though pastoral work has been challenging, the bishop said, “we continue to hope in God, as we continue to pray and the situation will be better.”
Pope Leo expressed support for how “religious leaders have come together to establish a Movement for Peace, through which they seek to mediate between the opposing sides.”
He had however a strong condemnation for those who wage war in the name of God.
“But woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth,” Pope Leo said.
“Yes, dear brothers and sisters, you who hunger and thirst for justice, who are poor, merciful, meek, and pure of heart, who have wept — you are the light of the world! (cf. Mt 5:3-14),” he said.
After the ceremony, Pope Leo XIV released doves outside of the cathedral, symbolizing peace. A crowd gathered outside of the cathedral, people sang and cheered enthusiastically.
“Our hearts are full of joy and it sounds unbelievable that the successor of St. Peter is among us in this remote part of Africa,” Archbishop Andrew Nkea of Bamenda told the pope.
Courtney Mares is Vatican editor for OSV News. Follow her on X @catholicourtney.
– BAMENDA, Cameroon (OSV News) — A religious sister in Cameroon who was kidnapped just a few months ago by separatists and held hostage for three days in the bush was among those who shared her testimony with Pope Leo XIV April 16 in an emotional peace meeting in Cameroon’s northwest city of Bamenda, a region marred by years of separatist violence. “We were held hostage for three days and three nights. During those days and nights, we neither slept nor ate,” Sister Carine Tangiri Mangu told the pope. “What kept our hope alive was the rosary which we prayed continuously
![Diocese of Paterson Migrant Pastoral Ministry launches parish leadership training #Catholic - A three-session formation cycle aims to prepare ministers to accompany immigrant communities with faith, service, and justice
The Migrant Pastoral Ministry of the Diocese of Paterson has launched a formation cycle for future Parish Migrant Ministry leaders, as a concrete effort to strengthen support for the region’s immigrant communities.
The first gathering took place on Saturday, March 21, bringing together more than 80 parishioners from eight parishes, all united by the desire to be formed and to serve in this ministry. The event was supported by Father Javier Bareño, pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Passaic, N.J., and featured the participation of Father Duberney Villamizar, episcopal vicar for Hispanic Affairs of the Diocese of Paterson.
Diocesan Coordinator Miguel Antonio presented the details of the initiative, which will unfold across three sessions. The second gathering is scheduled for Saturday, April 18, at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Dover, N.J., and the formation cycle will conclude on May 16 at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Paterson, N.J.
Comprehensive formation: Faith, justice, and accompaniment
The first session included presentations addressing both the pastoral dimension and the practical aspects of accompanying migrants.
Marilú González, representative of the national Migrant Pastoral Ministry office based in Chicago, Ill., emphasized the close relationship between this ministry and Christian commitment, stressing that this work demands long-term dedication, with the goal of channeling resources, accompanying processes, and promoting fair treatment for those facing the challenges of the current immigration climate.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Immigration attorney Mayra Cano offered legal guidance, clarifying key issues and providing practical advice for situations involving contact with immigration authorities. In the same line, Leslie Tejada, representing the office of Senator Cory A. Booker, along with Henrique Ferreira, director of Community Outreach, shared information about resources available at the state level.
Father Alex Gaitán, director of Migrant Pastoral Ministry for the Archdiocese of Newark, and Damaris Nostrand presented a sobering account of conditions at the Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark, describing the circumstances faced by many individuals detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Building a Network of Support
One of the primary goals of these sessions is the formation of parish teams that will serve as the foundation for a strong support network, built on three core pillars: service, accompaniment, and justice.
The gathering also featured firsthand accounts from parishes already active in this field. Carmen Patricia Bautista, from the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, N.J., presented a resource kit developed by her community to guide those seeking assistance. Teresa Prendergast, from Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Paterson, highlighted collaborative efforts among various organizations, including joint initiatives with Protestant churches in the area.
Testimonies of hope and commitment
Participant testimonies reflected the profound impact of the gathering.
José E. Sánchez, from Sacred Heart and Holy Rosary Parish in Dover, N.J., highlighted the importance of close accompaniment for migrant families and the essential role of parish leaders. Nancy Ruiz, from St. Gerard Majella Parish in Paterson, N.J., described the experience as deeply edifying, emphasizing the need to be formed in order to guide the community and remind people that they are not alone.
Evelyn Leiton, Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist at St. Paul in Prospect Park, N.J., spoke to the reality faced by many families dealing with separation, and expressed her desire to offer close support. Brenda Sánchez, from Our Lady Queen of Peace in Branchville, N.J., expressed gratitude for the opportunity to participate and her eagerness to serve the community.
Deacon Luis Carlos Méndez, from St. Christopher in Parsippany, underscored the urgent need for accompaniment, affirming that migrants need to feel loved and welcomed by the Church in their new country.
This formation cycle responds to a concrete reality: the growing need to accompany migrant brothers and sisters with dignity, faith, and commitment. The Migrant Pastoral Ministry of the Diocese of Paterson continues to invite the faithful to become involved, recognizing that service to the most vulnerable is a living expression of the Gospel.
The upcoming sessions will continue to prepare leaders who can serve as bridges of hope, support, and justice within their parish communities.
For more information about the Migrant Pastoral Ministry, please contact Miguel Rodríguez at MRodriguez@patersonDiocese.org
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/diocese-of-paterson-migrant-pastoral-ministry-launches-parish-leadership-training-catholic-a-three-session-formation-cycle-aims-to-prepare-ministers-to-accompany-immigrant-communities-with-faith-s.jpg)
Diocese of Paterson Migrant Pastoral Ministry launches parish leadership training #Catholic – 
A three-session formation cycle aims to prepare ministers to accompany immigrant communities with faith, service, and justice
The Migrant Pastoral Ministry of the Diocese of Paterson has launched a formation cycle for future Parish Migrant Ministry leaders, as a concrete effort to strengthen support for the region’s immigrant communities.
The first gathering took place on Saturday, March 21, bringing together more than 80 parishioners from eight parishes, all united by the desire to be formed and to serve in this ministry. The event was supported by Father Javier Bareño, pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Passaic, N.J., and featured the participation of Father Duberney Villamizar, episcopal vicar for Hispanic Affairs of the Diocese of Paterson.
Diocesan Coordinator Miguel Antonio presented the details of the initiative, which will unfold across three sessions. The second gathering is scheduled for Saturday, April 18, at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Dover, N.J., and the formation cycle will conclude on May 16 at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Paterson, N.J.
Comprehensive formation: Faith, justice, and accompaniment
The first session included presentations addressing both the pastoral dimension and the practical aspects of accompanying migrants.
Marilú González, representative of the national Migrant Pastoral Ministry office based in Chicago, Ill., emphasized the close relationship between this ministry and Christian commitment, stressing that this work demands long-term dedication, with the goal of channeling resources, accompanying processes, and promoting fair treatment for those facing the challenges of the current immigration climate.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Immigration attorney Mayra Cano offered legal guidance, clarifying key issues and providing practical advice for situations involving contact with immigration authorities. In the same line, Leslie Tejada, representing the office of Senator Cory A. Booker, along with Henrique Ferreira, director of Community Outreach, shared information about resources available at the state level.
Father Alex Gaitán, director of Migrant Pastoral Ministry for the Archdiocese of Newark, and Damaris Nostrand presented a sobering account of conditions at the Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark, describing the circumstances faced by many individuals detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Building a Network of Support
One of the primary goals of these sessions is the formation of parish teams that will serve as the foundation for a strong support network, built on three core pillars: service, accompaniment, and justice.
The gathering also featured firsthand accounts from parishes already active in this field. Carmen Patricia Bautista, from the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, N.J., presented a resource kit developed by her community to guide those seeking assistance. Teresa Prendergast, from Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Paterson, highlighted collaborative efforts among various organizations, including joint initiatives with Protestant churches in the area.
Testimonies of hope and commitment
Participant testimonies reflected the profound impact of the gathering.
José E. Sánchez, from Sacred Heart and Holy Rosary Parish in Dover, N.J., highlighted the importance of close accompaniment for migrant families and the essential role of parish leaders. Nancy Ruiz, from St. Gerard Majella Parish in Paterson, N.J., described the experience as deeply edifying, emphasizing the need to be formed in order to guide the community and remind people that they are not alone.
Evelyn Leiton, Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist at St. Paul in Prospect Park, N.J., spoke to the reality faced by many families dealing with separation, and expressed her desire to offer close support. Brenda Sánchez, from Our Lady Queen of Peace in Branchville, N.J., expressed gratitude for the opportunity to participate and her eagerness to serve the community.
Deacon Luis Carlos Méndez, from St. Christopher in Parsippany, underscored the urgent need for accompaniment, affirming that migrants need to feel loved and welcomed by the Church in their new country.
This formation cycle responds to a concrete reality: the growing need to accompany migrant brothers and sisters with dignity, faith, and commitment. The Migrant Pastoral Ministry of the Diocese of Paterson continues to invite the faithful to become involved, recognizing that service to the most vulnerable is a living expression of the Gospel.
The upcoming sessions will continue to prepare leaders who can serve as bridges of hope, support, and justice within their parish communities.
For more information about the Migrant Pastoral Ministry, please contact Miguel Rodríguez at MRodriguez@patersonDiocese.org
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]
– A three-session formation cycle aims to prepare ministers to accompany immigrant communities with faith, service, and justice The Migrant Pastoral Ministry of the Diocese of Paterson has launched a formation cycle for future Parish Migrant Ministry leaders, as a concrete effort to strengthen support for the region’s immigrant communities. The first gathering took place on Saturday, March 21, bringing together more than 80 parishioners from eight parishes, all united by the desire to be formed and to serve in this ministry. The event was supported by Father Javier Bareño, pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Passaic, N.J., and
At Cameroonian orphanage, Pope Leo tells children they can always find a friend in Jesus #Catholic – 
YAOUNDE, Cameroon (OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV brought joy to 64 orphaned and abandoned children on the evening of April 15 when he visited the Ngul Zamba orphanage in Cameroon, blessing the children and assuring them that despite their suffering, Jesus “cares especially for children like you.”
The orphanage, whose name means “the power of God” in the Ewondo language, is run by the Congregation of the Daughters of Mary and currently houses children ranging in age from 3 to 20 years old.
“Dear children, I know that many of you have endured difficult trials,” the pope told the children, speaking in French. “Some of you have known the pain of loss through the death of parents or loved ones. Others have experienced fear, rejection, abandonment, deprivation and uncertainty. Yet, you are called to a future that is greater than your wounds.”
The pope drew on the Gospel to remind the children of Christ’s particular love for the young, noting that Jesus “would often place them at the center of a gathering” and looks upon each child “with that same affection” today.
Among those meeting the pope was Florence, who was celebrating her 11th birthday on the day of the papal visit. She told OSV News she was “very happy.”
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
The visit became a spontaneous moment of celebration when the children sang for the pope — and he joined in. Afterward, children and religious sisters alike, including some elderly sisters in wheelchairs, danced and sang in praise, offering a hymn drawing from the Blessed Virgin Mary’s Magnificat.
Pope Leo closed his remarks to the children by offering them an apostolic blessing and entrusting them to the care of Our Lady.
“As I impart my heartfelt blessing, I entrust each of you to the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Mother,” he said. “May she always watch over you, console you in moments of sadness and help you to grow as true friends of her son, Jesus.”
The superior general of the Congregation of the Daughters of Mary informed the pope that the congregation is marking its 100th anniversary of being founded in Cameroon this year. She noted that for more than 40 years, the congregation has welcomed abandoned children “to offer them a real family life,” in keeping with their charism, “In the footsteps of Christ, at the service of the poor and the small.”
The pope thanked the sisters, staff, volunteers and teachers who care for the children, urging them to persevere in their mission.
“Your faithful dedication is a beautiful testimony of love,” he said. “By caring for these children, you are getting a foretaste of the joy that the Lord has promised to those who serve the little ones. Your patience reflects the face of divine mercy.”
He added, “Through you, God’s tenderness is made manifest.”
The visit to the orphanage took place on Pope Leo’s first day in Cameroon, and the third day of an 11-day apsotolic visit to four African countries.
Courtney Mares is Vatican editor for OSV News. Follow her on X @catholicourtney.
– YAOUNDE, Cameroon (OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV brought joy to 64 orphaned and abandoned children on the evening of April 15 when he visited the Ngul Zamba orphanage in Cameroon, blessing the children and assuring them that despite their suffering, Jesus “cares especially for children like you.” The orphanage, whose name means “the power of God” in the Ewondo language, is run by the Congregation of the Daughters of Mary and currently houses children ranging in age from 3 to 20 years old. “Dear children, I know that many of you have endured difficult trials,” the pope told the
Americans continue to feel drawn to Pope Leo, first American pontiff, a year after election #Catholic – 
CHICAGO (OSV News) — A year into his papacy, Pope Leo XIV is still enjoying popularity and rockstar-like fame, especially in Chicago, his hometown. Beyond the pop-culture interest, some of the faithful told OSV News his message of peace, dedication to the faith and outreach to young people have stood out.
After Easter morning Mass, Victoria Mendez and her family stopped to talk by the heavy bronze doors of St. Rita of Casica Catholic Church on Chicago’s South Side. The parish is run by Augustinians, the religious order and its Midwest province that formed Pope Leo.
“I think we’ve seen a lot of people fall in love with Catholicism, seeing that their pope is from Chicago,” said 24-year-old Mendez.
While anecdotal, said she has the sense Pope Leo is drawing interest in the faith. She has observed more youth in the church since his election. She also mentioned an uptick in conversions to the faith — not just in the U.S. but also Europe, particularly this Easter. Though none of the reports about the bump in new Catholics have tied the pope’s popularity to the numbers, several people told OSV News it may play a role.
“He’s just very good with people. He’s very into creating peace within different forms of Catholicism. And he’s just so open-minded. And he cares about everybody,” said Mendez. “You see that in all his actions and everything he says and does, and the way he reflects himself. You can tell he’s really trying to bring peace on earth.”
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
On the day of his election, from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Pope Leo’s first words were, “Peace be with you all!”
His message for peace has been consistent throughout the past year. And these days, it is more vehement because of the war in Iran that the U.S. and Israel began Feb. 28.
Mendez pointed out Pope Leo also “connects with the younger generation” through his social media posts and stories of his youth told by his brothers about growing up in Dolton, a southern suburb of Chicago.
Pope Leo, born Robert F. Prevost, lived in Dolton until he entered the Augustinians’ minor seminary in Holland, Michigan, when he was 13. He completed an undergraduate degree in math at Villanova University near Philadelphia in 1977, earned a master’s degree from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago in 1982, the year he was ordained to the priesthood, and earned a doctorate in canon law in 1984 at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.
He then served in Peru’s impoverished northwest for nearly 20 years, where in 2015 he became bishop. He also held leadership positions in Rome, including prior general for the Augustinians, head of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America and prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops. He was elevated to cardinal in September 2023 and elected pope May 8, 2025.
Born and raised on Chicago’s South Side herself, Mendez said “it makes me happy” that Pope Leo is relatable to even non-Catholics, especially as a fellow fan of the South Side-based Chicago White Sox.
Mendez’s mother, Maria, said the family was drawn to St. Rita and recently began attending Mass there because of its ties to the pope. She said the papal connection and the Augustinian charism of fostering unity have made the parish very attractive.
The Augustinians “approach people in a different way, that makes people come back. (It’s) the welcoming (way), their hospitality,” said Maria.
The 70-year old Pope Leo is “a happy pope,” she said, adding, “He brings happiness to every individual. Doesn’t matter the nationality or age, he’s there for everyone. Yeah, we could feel it.”
Northeast of St. Rita, people walked April 7 under a bright spring sun and braced themselves against strong, cold wind as they left the downtown Holy Name Cathedral following daily Mass.
Tom Pyden was descending the cathedral’s steps when he told OSV News Pope Leo has “done a very good job” for the Church and the world because of “his repeated calls for peace and not backing down from that.”
Pyden was in Chicago from Plymouth, Michigan, to visit his son for Easter week. Though he is not from the Windy City, he said of Pope Leo that he was “so very proud that he’s from the U.S.”
“I read daily inspirational sayings from him. I think he’s very inclusive. And I don’t know him, but it seems like he has a wonderful personality that draws people together,” said Pyden, who also remarked on his possible impact on the number of new Catholics entering the Church at Easter vigil, even at his own parish.
Ellie Greg, a 26-year-old dog walker who lives near the cathedral, said she might have been baptized Catholic but was raised as a non-denomination Christian. She told OSV News she does not practice any faith now, but, she said, for pope “obviously, it’s good to have somebody hometown.”
“I haven’t had any complaints,” she said of the pope. “Honestly, I don’t pay too much attention to news of the Vatican, but I haven’t heard anything offensive (from Pope Leo).”
Even though she is not practicing the faith, Greg has a personal connection to the American pope. She grew up in Frankfurt, a south Chicago suburb. “It’s pretty close to where Pope Leo grew up,” she said, “and they said his favorite restaurant is Aurelio’s. I used to work at Aurelio’s.”
The local south suburban-based pizza chain created a “poperoni pizza” within days of his election.
A passerby who said she was on her way to her nearby mainline Protestant church shouted over her shoulder, “I think he’s doing a great job! Love him! Just love him!”
Pilar Villa of Guadalajara, Mexico, was visiting Chicago over Easter with her twin teenage daughters. She told OSV News she likes that Pope Leo has given clear messages and has dedicated time to youth and young people.
“He recently talked about the importance of young people not having ties to artificial intelligence, that they should follow God and believe in God,” she said.
Pope Leo has spoken via video twice with American youth, first in June and then in November.
In a video message to youth in June at the Chicago archdiocese Mass of thanksgiving for his election as pope, he emphasized the importance of recognizing God’s presence in their lives, especially “that longing for love in our lives, for … searching, a true searching, for finding the ways that we may be able to do something with our own lives to serve others.”
In November, Pope Leo had a live video encounter with young people at the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis. “Look to Jesus. Trust his mercy and go to him with confidence. He will always welcome you home,” he said.
Retired Bishop Daniel T. Turley of Chulacanas, Peru, a native Chicago South Sider and Pope Leo’s past Augustinian superior during his missionary work, said Pope Leo’s solid upbringing in the faith and missionary life in impoverished Peru beset with domestic terrorism have influenced Pope Leo’s leadership.
“(He) is a pope at a very time of crisis, so he brings to his papacy, a great deal of balance, of joy, but also a message asking for peace, asking for non-violence, asking to respect the dignity of life throughout the world, and asking countries to search out ways of unity. And he is a pope that is trying to build bridges,” he told OSV News.
Bishop Turley said a “Leo effect” might be having some impact on the faithful coming into the Church or returning. He said he has celebrated numerous large-group confirmations throughout the Chicago archdiocese over the past year, and pastors at those parishes have observed increased numbers of those entering rites of initiation.
“There’s a ‘Leo effect’ for Chicago in particular,” he said. “It’s like a ripple of the ocean, the waves, you know. So it’s a wave of energy, happiness, joy, hope. That’s rippling through the Augustinian order. It’s rippling through the United States of America because he’s the first American pope in the history of the Church. But he’s also the first pope from Chicago. There’s a ‘Leo effect’ in Chicago, in the United States, and then in the whole world.”
Simone Orendain is an OSV News correspondent. She writes from Chicago.
– CHICAGO (OSV News) — A year into his papacy, Pope Leo XIV is still enjoying popularity and rockstar-like fame, especially in Chicago, his hometown. Beyond the pop-culture interest, some of the faithful told OSV News his message of peace, dedication to the faith and outreach to young people have stood out. After Easter morning Mass, Victoria Mendez and her family stopped to talk by the heavy bronze doors of St. Rita of Casica Catholic Church on Chicago’s South Side. The parish is run by Augustinians, the religious order and its Midwest province that formed Pope Leo. “I think we’ve seen
Court hears lawsuit on Illinois law mandating pro-life doctors, centers give abortion referrals #Catholic – 
CHICAGO (OSV News) — A federal appellate court in Chicago heard oral arguments April 10 in a case challenging an Illinois law that compels pro-life physicians and pregnancy centers to give patients who ask for it a referral to an abortion provider.
Erin Hawley, counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, a public interest firm dedicated to religious freedom, went before a three-judge panel of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to argue against the law on behalf of pro-life physicians and pregnancy centers.
The case is Shroeder et al v. Treto Jr., and the lawsuit has to do with a provision left in place by U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston in a split decision handed down a year ago.
On April 4, 2025, Judge Johnston of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois struck down the part of the state’s 2016 Health Care Right of Conscience Act that required pro-life physicians and pregnancy centers to share the “benefits of abortion” after giving a pregnant woman an ultrasound — or lose their conscience protection rights.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
But Johnston upheld a separate amendment to the act which lawyers with the Thomas More Society argued “gutted conscience protections for pro-life physicians and pregnancy centers and required them to refer for abortion.”
Johnston ruled the provision “merely regulates professional conduct, instructing clinicians, upon request, to either refer or transfer a patient to another physician, or at least provide her with a list of potential providers,” and does not “compel speech.”
A preliminary injunction enjoining enforcement of the act, known as HCRCA, has been in place since 2017.
Hawley told OSV News outside the federal courthouse in downtown Chicago that ADF also believes the district court was “incorrect” on the referral provision.
“The district court found that a referral was conduct (behavior), but, of course, it’s speaking words,” Hawley said.
“It also conveys a message — as the pregnancy center experts expressed at trial — that the person you’re recommending is capable of performing the surgery and it vouches for them,” she said. “So we think, and that the 7th Circuit seemed to agree, that referrals are, in fact, speech that are protected by the First Amendment.”
Therefore, Hawley argued, refusing to engage in speech on referrals is also protected by the First Amendment.
Hawley added she was “hopeful” the appellate judges would rule in their favor based on their argument that a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that Colorado’s ban on so-called conversion therapy for minors was unconstitutional.
The justices ruled 8-1 March 31 in Chiles v. Salazar that a “talk therapy” counselor working with clients who wanted to “eliminate unwanted sexual attractions, change sexual behaviors or grow in the experience of harmony with their bodies,” could not be stopped by the state. They said the therapy is based on “how to best speak” and falls under free speech protections.
Schroeder, et al. v. Treto Jr. — Mario Treto Jr. heads the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation — was filed in 2017 by lawyers for the Thomas More Society. The Catholic-run public interest firm based in Chicago was representing Illinois physician Dr. Ronald Schroeder, 1st Way Pregnancy Support Services, and Pregnancy Aid South Suburbs.
Patrick Gillen, Thomas More Society senior counsel, said he was “hopeful that they’ll recognize the import of recent decisions like Chiles … and see that this case is very close” to that type of case.
He told OSV News if this appeal fails, they are prepared to go to the U.S. Supreme Court, calling cases like this “fundamentally important.”
“There’s no more telling sign of a society and a culture in crisis, than the effort to suppress dissent,” Gillen said.
With these cases, he said, “it becomes vitally important to push back against what I call a totalitarian impulse on the part of the state to control the speech and thoughts of their citizenry on matters of life and death importance.”
Simone Orendain is an OSV News correspondent. She writes from Chicago.
– CHICAGO (OSV News) — A federal appellate court in Chicago heard oral arguments April 10 in a case challenging an Illinois law that compels pro-life physicians and pregnancy centers to give patients who ask for it a referral to an abortion provider. Erin Hawley, counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, a public interest firm dedicated to religious freedom, went before a three-judge panel of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to argue against the law on behalf of pro-life physicians and pregnancy centers. The case is Shroeder et al v. Treto Jr., and the lawsuit has to do with a
Pope Leo XIV sets stage for June consistory with letter to cardinals #Catholic – 
(OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV sent a letter to the College of Cardinals thanking them for their participation in the January consistory and preparing the conversation for their next gathering June 26-27 — right before the solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul.
The January consistory focused on two topics, voted on by the cardinals: synodality and Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”).
The pope did not specify in his letter what the topics of the next consistory would be, but he gave hints on what are the possible further reflections driven by the first consistory that coincided with the closing of the Jubilee Year doors on Jan. 6 and started right afterward.
The conversation in January resulted in “free, concrete and spiritually fruitful exchanges,” the pope said in his letter, dated April 12 and published by the Vatican April 14. “The compiled contributions constitute a resource of lasting value, which I hope will be reflected on further, and will mature through ecclesial discernment,” he said.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Reflecting on “mission and the transmission of the faith” aspects of “Evangelii Gaudium,” the pope said in his letter to cardinals that the exhortation “was recognized as a ‘breath of fresh air,’ capable of initiating processes of pastoral and missionary conversion — rather than producing immediate structural reforms — and thus profoundly guiding the Church’s journey.”
“This journey affects the very quality of spiritual life, expressed in the primacy of prayer, in the witness that precedes words, and in the coherence between faith and life,” the pope said, adding that at the community level, “it calls for a shift from a pastoral approach of maintenance to one of mission.”
Communities, Pope Leo said, should be “living agents of the proclamation,” meaning they should be welcoming, using accessible language and being attentive to the “quality of relationships, and capable of offering places for listening, accompaniment and healing.”
He warned that on the diocesan level, the responsibility of pastors “to resolutely support missionary boldness” cannot be “weighed down or stifled by organizational excesses,” but needs to be “guided by a discernment that helps us to recognize what is essential.”
“From all this flows a profoundly unified understanding of mission,” the pope wrote to the cardinals, defining the mission as “Christ-centered and kerygmatic.”
“It is born of an encounter with Christ that is capable of transforming lives and spreading through attraction rather than conquest,” the pope wrote.
“It is an integral mission, holding in balance explicit proclamation, witness, commitment and dialogue, and yielding neither to the temptation of proselytism nor to a merely institutional mentality of preservation or expansion.”
Even when the Church finds herself in a minority, the pope said, “she is called to live with confident courage, as a small flock bringing hope to all, mindful that the aim of mission is not its own survival, but the communication of the love with which God loves the world.”
On the day his letter was released, the pope celebrated the first-ever public papal Mass in Algeria — a country that is 99% Sunni Muslim, home to fewer than 9,000 Catholics among more than 45 million people.
Among the specific suggestions that emerged from the January consistory, the pope pointed to some deserving further reflection, such as “the need to relaunch ‘Evangelii Gaudium’ through an honest assessment of what has actually been embraced over the years” and what “remains unfamiliar or unimplemented, with particular attention to the necessary reforms of the processes of Christian initiation.”
He also pointed out to “the importance of valuing apostolic and pastoral visits as authentic opportunities for kerygmatic proclamation and for a growth in the quality of relationships” and “the similar need to reassess the effectiveness of ecclesial communication, including at the level of the Holy See, from a more explicitly missionary perspective.”
– (OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV sent a letter to the College of Cardinals thanking them for their participation in the January consistory and preparing the conversation for their next gathering June 26-27 — right before the solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul. The January consistory focused on two topics, voted on by the cardinals: synodality and Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”). The pope did not specify in his letter what the topics of the next consistory would be, but he gave hints on what are the possible further reflections driven by the first
En Argelia, el Papa León encuentra la encarnación del ‘código fundamental’ de los cristianos #Catholic – 
ANNABA, ARGELIA (CNS) — En un país marcado por las penurias, una fe profunda y una independencia ganada a duras penas, el Papa León XIV señaló a Argelia como un testimonio vivo de lo que él denominó el “código fundamental” de la Iglesia: una caridad que trasciende el poder, une a la comunidad y construye la paz.
A lo largo de la primera etapa de su viaje de 11 días por África, el Papa volvió una y otra vez a una idea: la paz no viene a través del poder o el dominio, sino a través de un amor sacrificial, ejemplificado en Cristo.
En la Basílica de San Agustín, su padre espiritual, el Papa León presentó a los cristianos de Argelia como un ejemplo de este aspecto de la misión de la Iglesia, pidiéndoles que siguieran siendo un signo humilde y fiel del amor de Cristo.
“La presencia de ustedes en el país trae a la mente el incienso: un grano incandescente, que esparce perfume porque da gloria al Señor y alegría y consuelo a tantos hermanos y hermanas”, dijo durante su última Misa en el país el 14 de abril.
En su homilía, describió una Iglesia de la caridad: “donde hay desesperación, enciende esperanza; donde hay miseria, lleva dignidad; donde hay conflicto, lleva reconciliación”.
“Por eso, sobre todo ante la indigencia y la opresión, los cristianos tienen como código fundamental la caridad: hagamos al prójimo lo que quisiéramos que hicieran por nosotros”, dijo el Papa. “La fe en el único Dios, Señor del cielo y de la tierra, une a los hombres según una justicia perfecta, que invita a todos a la caridad, es decir, a amar a toda criatura con el amor que Dios nos da en Cristo”.
En su discurso del 13 de abril ante el presidente argelino Abdelmadjid Tebboune y el cuerpo diplomático, señaló que los argelinos practican la “sadaka” (que significa limosna y justicia) “incluso entre quienes tienen recursos limitados”, y cómo su “sentido de solidaridad, acogida y comunidad con el que está tejida la vida cotidiana de millones de personas humildes y justas”.
Tras ser colonia francesa durante más de 130 años, Argelia buscó la independencia en 1954, lo que desencadenó una guerra que dejó un saldo estimado de 1,5 millones de muertos.
Para suscribirse a nuestro boletín electrónico semanal, haga click aquí.
El Papa destacó la solidaridad de Argelia a pesar de sus años de penurias y conflicto.
Posicionó a Argelia como maestra de los países económicamente más ricos, replanteando lo que significa el desarrollo.
“Una religión sin piedad y una vida social sin solidaridad son un escándalo a los ojos de Dios”, dijo el Papa León. “Sin embargo, muchas sociedades que se creen avanzadas se precipitan cada vez más en la desigualdad y la exclusión. Las personas y las organizaciones que dominan sobre los demás –y África lo sabe bien– destruyen el mundo que el Altísimo ha creado para que todos viviéramos juntos”.
Durante su discurso del 13 de abril en la Basílica de Nuestra Señora de África, volvió a hablar sobre el amor desinteresado y señaló que la labor de la Iglesia con los niños con discapacidad demuestra cómo la caridad trasciende la ayuda o asistencia (mencionado como “ayuda material” en el texto en inglés publicado por el Vaticano) y crea “una verdadera comunidad en la que muchísimas personas participan, tanto en los acontecimientos alegres como en los dolorosos, unidos por vínculos de confianza, amistad y familiaridad”.
Reforzó este mensaje al hablar en un hogar de ancianos dirigido por las Hermanitas de los Pobres, reflejando su repetido mensaje de que este sentimiento es lo que construye el reino de Dios.
“El corazón de nuestro Padre no está con los malvados, con los prepotentes, con los soberbios”, dijo el Papa el 14 de abril. “El corazón de Dios está con los pequeños, con los humildes, y con ellos lleva adelante su Reino de amor y de paz, cada día. Como tratan de hacerlo ustedes aquí en el servicio cotidiano, en su amistad y en la vida comunitaria”.
Es precisamente a través de la caridad que, según el Papa, uno realiza actos de martirio, independientemente de su religión.
“El amor a los hermanos es precisamente el que ha animado el testimonio de los mártires que hemos recordado”, dijo en la Basílica de Nuestra Señora de África. “Frente al odio y a la violencia, permanecieron fieles a la caridad hasta el sacrificio de la vida, junto con tantos otros hombres y mujeres, cristianos y musulmanes”.
A lo largo de su estancia de dos días en Argelia, destacó la abnegación de los mártires. La primera parada del Papa León el 13 de abril fue el Monumento a los Mártires de Maqam Echahid, que conmemora a quienes murieron durante la Guerra de Argelia.
“Detenerse ante este Monumento es un homenaje a esa historia y al alma de un pueblo que ha luchado por la independencia, la dignidad y la soberanía de esta nación”, dijo.
Al comienzo de su discurso ante el cuerpo diplomático, recordó a los 19 religiosos y religiosas que fueron martirizados durante la Guerra de Argelia.
Al expresar este amor caritativo, los fieles encuentran la capacidad de perdonar y reconciliarse, lo que en última instancia conduce a la paz, la mayor prioridad del Papa León en este momento.
Durante meses, el Papa León se ha mostrado inquebrantablemente constante en su llamado a la paz, especialmente tras el conflicto en Oriente Medio. El Papa León presentó la paz no como un ideal vago, sino como una vocación moral, arraigada en la fraternidad humana, la justicia y la humildad.
Ante un país abrumadoramente musulmán –se estima que el 99 % se identifica como suní–, enfatizó que tanto los argelinos como los cristianos son hermanos y hermanas porque comparten el “mismo Padre en los cielos”.
“En un mundo lleno de enfrentamientos e incomprensiones, ¡encontrémonos y tratemos de comprendernos, reconociendo que todos somos una sola familia!”, dijo al cuerpo diplomático el 13 de abril. “Hoy, la sencillez de esta certeza es la llave para abrir muchas puertas cerradas”.
Desde el inicio de su visita, se presentó a sí mismo como “un peregrino de paz”. El Papa dijo que el mundo no puede “añadir resentimiento al resentimiento, de generación en generación”.
“En este lugar recordamos que Dios desea la paz para cada país; una paz que no es sólo ausencia de conflicto, sino expresión de justicia y de dignidad”, dijo ante el monumento de los mártires. “Esta paz, que permite enfrentar el futuro con ánimo reconciliado, es posible solamente con el perdón”.
– ANNABA, ARGELIA (CNS) — En un país marcado por las penurias, una fe profunda y una independencia ganada a duras penas, el Papa León XIV señaló a Argelia como un testimonio vivo de lo que él denominó el “código fundamental” de la Iglesia: una caridad que trasciende el poder, une a la comunidad y construye la paz. A lo largo de la primera etapa de su viaje de 11 días por África, el Papa volvió una y otra vez a una idea: la paz no viene a través del poder o el dominio, sino a través de un amor sacrificial,
Deacon channels personal loss into global mental health ministry #Catholic – 
When Deacon Ed Shoener lost his daughter, Katie, to suicide in 2016, her obituary did far more than announce her passing and celebrate her life.
“I am convinced that God used Katie’s obituary to deliver His message of love,” Deacon Shoener said. “It was just one small thing, but God used Katie’s obituary to help people understand that He is with them in their struggle with mental illness — and He has mercy on those who die by suicide.”
Her obituary, which spoke to the needs of those who struggle with mental illness, went viral.
“Millions of people read it, and tens of thousands of people from across the world contacted me,” he said. “Again and again, I heard from people who lamented that the Catholic Church offered little to minister to those suffering from mental illness and their loved ones.”
In response, Deacon Shoener — who serves at Saint Peter’s Cathedral in the Diocese of Scranton, Pa. — partnered with Bishop John P. Dolan of the Diocese of Phoenix to establish the International Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers. The lay association, which today counts more than 7,000 members across 75-plus countries, works to combat mental illness stigma and to extend resources to parish leaders around the world.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Deacon Shoener is one of several leading figures in the field who will be featured during a one-day conference, “From Isolation to Belonging, Mental Health and the Catholic Church.” The program will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. on May 2 at the Saint John Neumann Pastoral Center, 146 Metlars Lane, Piscataway. The cost to attend is $40 per person, and registration is limited. To register, visit the New Jersey Catholic Conference at njconf.com.
Bishop Dolan, who himself has lost multiple family members to suicide, will be the keynote speaker. Other speakers are mental health counselor Beth Hlabse, program director of the Fiat Program on Faith and Mental Health at Notre Dame University’s McGrath Institute for Church Life, and Ben Wortham, vice president for Behavioral Health Integration at Catholic Charities USA.
The International Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers “works to make mental health ministry an integral ministry in the Church that is available in every Catholic parish and community,” Deacon Shoener explained.
For those facing mental health struggles, a number of factors including insurance and government support might impact the ability to find good care. His organization offers assistance locating treatment and medical services in one’s own community. Spiritual support is offered to individuals struggling with mental health — and their families, too — and tools and insights are offered to clergy and lay ministers. The organization also offers resources for those interested in starting a mental health ministry.
“You do not need to be a mental health professional to offer this ministry,” he said. “All you need is a deep love of Christ and desire to help those among us with mental health challenges.”
Deacon Shoener believes pastoral care dedicated to supporting mental health has grown.
For example, Pope Leo’s prayer intention for October 2026 will be dedicated to mental health ministry. And just two years ago, Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ, the prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral, Human Development, described mental health ministry as essential — and “a universal human right.”
“This ministry would not have been possible 20 years ago because there was so much stigma and shame associated with mental illness. Most people were not willing to talk about it,” he said. “But the door has cracked open a bit, and the Holy Spirit is blowing through that opening.”
To learn more about the International Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers, visit CatholicMHM.org. If you are experiencing a crisis, dial 988.
– When Deacon Ed Shoener lost his daughter, Katie, to suicide in 2016, her obituary did far more than announce her passing and celebrate her life. “I am convinced that God used Katie’s obituary to deliver His message of love,” Deacon Shoener said. “It was just one small thing, but God used Katie’s obituary to help people understand that He is with them in their struggle with mental illness — and He has mercy on those who die by suicide.” Her obituary, which spoke to the needs of those who struggle with mental illness, went viral. “Millions of people read it,
A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 5:27-33
When the court officers had brought the Apostles in
and made them stand before the Sanhedrin,
the high priest questioned them,
"We gave you strict orders did we not,
to stop teaching in that name.
Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching
and want to bring this man’s blood upon us."
But Peter and the Apostles said in reply,
"We must obey God rather than men.
The God of our ancestors raised Jesus,
though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree.
God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior
to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.
We are witnesses of these things,
as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him."
When they heard this,
they became infuriated and wanted to put them to death.
From the Gospel according to John
3:31-36
The one who comes from above is above all.
The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things.
But the one who comes from heaven is above all.
He testifies to what he has seen and heard,
but no one accepts his testimony.
Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy.
For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God.
He does not ration his gift of the Spirit.
The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him.
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,
but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life,
but the wrath of God remains upon him.
This means, then, that this final judgement is already in progress, it begins now over the course of our lives. Thus judgement is pronounced at every moment of life, as it sums up our faith in the salvation which is present and active in Christ, or of our unbelief, whereby we close in upon ourselves. But if we close ourselves to the love of Jesus, we condemn ourselves. Salvation is to open oneself to Jesus, it is he who saves us. If we are sinners — and we all are — we ask him for forgiveness and if we go to him with the desire to be good, the Lord forgives us. But for this we must open ourselves to Jesus’ love, which is stronger than all else. Jesus’ love is great, Jesus’ love is merciful, Jesus’ love forgives; but you have to open yourself and to open oneself means to repent, to accuse oneself of the things that are not good and which we have done. The Lord Jesus gave himself and he continues to give himself to us, in order to fill us with all of the mercy. (Pope Francis, General Audience, 11 December 2013)
Read More![Knights of Columbus affirms ‘solidarity’ with Pope Leo XIV as Trump escalates criticism #Catholic The Knights of Columbus issued a statement that affirms the Catholic fraternal organization’s solidarity with Pope Leo XIV as President Donald Trump criticized the Holy Father a second time on Truth Social.“The Knights of Columbus has always stood in solidarity with the Holy Father, recognizing in him a spiritual father who calls the world not to division but to unity, not to conflict but to peace,” Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly said in the statement.“In this moment, we reaffirm that commitment with clarity and conviction,” he said.Trump escalated his criticism of the Holy Father late Tuesday evening in a second post on Truth Social, which criticized the pontiff’s staunch opposition to war.Whether one agrees or disagrees with Leo’s policy views, Kelly said, “the Holy Father’s prophetic voice deserves to be heard with respect and engaged seriously.”“Pope Leo XIV has consistently called for peace, dialogue, and restraint in a world marked by war and suffering,” he said. “The Holy Father’s words are not political talking points — they are reflections of the Gospel itself.”Kelly noted that many Catholics and others “have been deeply disappointed by the disparaging comments directed at Pope Leo XIV” by Trump, and that Leo “is not a politician — he is the vicar of Christ, entrusted with proclaiming the Gospel and shepherding souls.”In his statement, Kelly acknowledged that faithful Catholics can hold differing views on foreign policy and that Catholics should engage in the public square. He said nations can safeguard security “in accordance with the demands of justice and the pursuit of peace.”“The Church does not ask Catholics to withdraw from civic life but to engage with and elevate it — bringing to our civic dialogue the light of truth, respect for the dignity of every human person, and a steadfast concern for the common good," he said.Kelly also encouraged prayers for the pope, the president, and other politicians.“As Knights, we are called to be men of unity, as followers of Christ and patriotic citizens,” he said. “I encourage all Knights of Columbus to pray for the Holy Father, to pray for civic leaders, and to pray for peace and those working to achieve it.”“And let us recommit ourselves to charity in our public discourse,” he added. “May we be known not for echoing the divisions of our time, but for healing them. In a moment of tension, the path forward is not louder conflict but deeper fidelity — to truth, to charity, and to the Gospel.”Trump goes after Leo againTrumpʼs social media post said: “Will someone please tell Pope Leo that Iran has killed at least 42,000 innocent, completely unarmed, protesters in the last two months, and that for Iran to have a nuclear bomb is absolutely unacceptable."During the protests, Leo did call for peace, saying in January that “ongoing tensions [in Iran and Syria] continue to claim many lives.”“I hope and pray that dialogue and peace may be patiently nurtured in pursuit of the common good of the whole of society,” he said at the time.Leo has also strongly opposed nuclear weapons, saying in June 2025: “The further proliferation of nuclear weapons in the Middle East, as well as this escalation of violence, imperils the fragile stability remaining in the region.”While Trump cited numbers exceeding 40,000 people, estimates about the number of people killed in anti-regime protests and unrest in Iran varies a lot, ranging from several thousand to more than 30,000. Most protesters were unarmed, but Iran’s government claims some were armed and killed about 500 security personnel. Trump said the United States tried to arm the protesters, but those guns did not get to the right people.Vance, bishops offer more commentsCatholic bishops and leaders have responded to Trump’s attack on Pope Leo, and elected officials also have made statements.Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland, Oregon, said he is deeply concerned and troubled by Trump’s social media rhetoric, especially during Holy Week and Easter, which he says falls short of the moral standard expected of both the presidency and a professed Christian. The archbishop criticized Trump’s attacks on Pope Leo, saying the pope’s calls for peace and dialogue arise from his pastoral mission, not political ideology.Sample said the Church’s role is to proclaim peace, human dignity, and the Gospel, citing Jesus’ teaching: “Blessed are the peacemakers.”The Ancient Order of Hibernians condemned attacks and mockery directed at Pope Leo XIV and the papacy, affirming that respect for the Holy Father is essential to Catholic faith.Vice President JD Vance, a convert to Catholicism, said at a Turning Point USA event that Pope Leo XIV should “be careful when he talks about matters of theology.”“One of the issues here is that if youʼre going to opine on matters of theology, youʼve got to be careful,” he said. “Youʼve got to make sure itʼs anchored in the truth.”Republican U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana said: “Any religious leader can say anything they want, but obviously, if you wade into political waters, I think you should expect some political response.”Pope Leo XIV has responded to Trump’s public criticism by saying he has “no fear of the Trump administration” and will continue to speak out boldly with the message of the Gospel.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/knights-of-columbus-affirms-solidarity-with-pope-leo-xiv-as-trump-escalates-criticism-catholic-the-knights-of-columbus-issued-a-statement-that-affirms-the-catholic-fraternal-organiz.jpg "Knights of Columbus affirms ‘solidarity’ with Pope Leo XIV as Trump escalates criticism #Catholic The Knights of Columbus issued a statement that affirms the Catholic fraternal organization’s solidarity with Pope Leo XIV as President Donald Trump criticized the Holy Father a second time on Truth Social.“The Knights of Columbus has always stood in solidarity with the Holy Father, recognizing in him a spiritual father who calls the world not to division but to unity, not to conflict but to peace,” Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly said in the statement.“In this moment, we reaffirm that commitment with clarity and conviction,” he said.Trump escalated his criticism of the Holy Father late Tuesday evening in a second post on Truth Social, which criticized the pontiff’s staunch opposition to war.Whether one agrees or disagrees with Leo’s policy views, Kelly said, “the Holy Father’s prophetic voice deserves to be heard with respect and engaged seriously.”“Pope Leo XIV has consistently called for peace, dialogue, and restraint in a world marked by war and suffering,” he said. “The Holy Father’s words are not political talking points — they are reflections of the Gospel itself.”Kelly noted that many Catholics and others “have been deeply disappointed by the disparaging comments directed at Pope Leo XIV” by Trump, and that Leo “is not a politician — he is the vicar of Christ, entrusted with proclaiming the Gospel and shepherding souls.”In his statement, Kelly acknowledged that faithful Catholics can hold differing views on foreign policy and that Catholics should engage in the public square. He said nations can safeguard security “in accordance with the demands of justice and the pursuit of peace.”“The Church does not ask Catholics to withdraw from civic life but to engage with and elevate it — bringing to our civic dialogue the light of truth, respect for the dignity of every human person, and a steadfast concern for the common good,\" he said.Kelly also encouraged prayers for the pope, the president, and other politicians.“As Knights, we are called to be men of unity, as followers of Christ and patriotic citizens,” he said. “I encourage all Knights of Columbus to pray for the Holy Father, to pray for civic leaders, and to pray for peace and those working to achieve it.”“And let us recommit ourselves to charity in our public discourse,” he added. “May we be known not for echoing the divisions of our time, but for healing them. In a moment of tension, the path forward is not louder conflict but deeper fidelity — to truth, to charity, and to the Gospel.”Trump goes after Leo againTrumpʼs social media post said: “Will someone please tell Pope Leo that Iran has killed at least 42,000 innocent, completely unarmed, protesters in the last two months, and that for Iran to have a nuclear bomb is absolutely unacceptable.\"During the protests, Leo did call for peace, saying in January that “ongoing tensions [in Iran and Syria] continue to claim many lives.”“I hope and pray that dialogue and peace may be patiently nurtured in pursuit of the common good of the whole of society,” he said at the time.Leo has also strongly opposed nuclear weapons, saying in June 2025: “The further proliferation of nuclear weapons in the Middle East, as well as this escalation of violence, imperils the fragile stability remaining in the region.”While Trump cited numbers exceeding 40,000 people, estimates about the number of people killed in anti-regime protests and unrest in Iran varies a lot, ranging from several thousand to more than 30,000. Most protesters were unarmed, but Iran’s government claims some were armed and killed about 500 security personnel. Trump said the United States tried to arm the protesters, but those guns did not get to the right people.Vance, bishops offer more commentsCatholic bishops and leaders have responded to Trump’s attack on Pope Leo, and elected officials also have made statements.Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland, Oregon, said he is deeply concerned and troubled by Trump’s social media rhetoric, especially during Holy Week and Easter, which he says falls short of the moral standard expected of both the presidency and a professed Christian. The archbishop criticized Trump’s attacks on Pope Leo, saying the pope’s calls for peace and dialogue arise from his pastoral mission, not political ideology.Sample said the Church’s role is to proclaim peace, human dignity, and the Gospel, citing Jesus’ teaching: “Blessed are the peacemakers.”The Ancient Order of Hibernians condemned attacks and mockery directed at Pope Leo XIV and the papacy, affirming that respect for the Holy Father is essential to Catholic faith.Vice President JD Vance, a convert to Catholicism, said at a Turning Point USA event that Pope Leo XIV should “be careful when he talks about matters of theology.”“One of the issues here is that if youʼre going to opine on matters of theology, youʼve got to be careful,” he said. “Youʼve got to make sure itʼs anchored in the truth.”Republican U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana said: “Any religious leader can say anything they want, but obviously, if you wade into political waters, I think you should expect some political response.”Pope Leo XIV has responded to Trump’s public criticism by saying he has “no fear of the Trump administration” and will continue to speak out boldly with the message of the Gospel.")
Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly is asking Catholics to pray for the pope and the president, as President Trump again criticized Leo’s comments about the Iran war.
Reflecting on the visit to Algeria, the pope described it as “a wonderful opportunity to continue building bridges and promoting dialogue.”
The Amazing Story of St. Dymphna, the city that welcomed and embraced her, and Hope for Healing #Catholic – 
“The slain Dymphna was heavily mourned, respectfully buried, and long remembered in the Geel community, both for her stoic demise and for her generosity in building a hospice. After a long period of being venerated, she was canonized in 1247…”
Inspired by Dymphna, Belgium town welcomes mentally ill
BISHOP KEVIN J. SWEENEY
Our Catholic Faith, especially the stories and impact of the lives of the saints, never ceases to amaze me! Last October, in the place of my weekly column, I introduced the presentation of a “new ministry resource,” a group that was being formed in our diocese called the St. Dymphna and Our Lady of Hope Society. As part of the introduction, I said that,
“The St. Dymphna and Our Lady of Hope Society (is) a group of the faithful, as “pilgrims of Hope” within our diocese (who) have discerned the call to offer this pro-life ministry of accompaniment and offering of resources to brothers and sisters who are struggling with mental illness, addiction, or isolation.
I was grateful when the St. Dymphna and Our Lady of Hope Society let me know (reminded me) that the Feast of St. Dymphna is on May 15. As is the case with many, many Saints, the Feast of St. Dymphna is not included in the liturgical calendar of Feasts (and Memorials) celebrated on an annual basis in the United States. I was grateful that the members of the society reminded me that the Feast of St. Dymphna was only a few weeks away and offered some suggestions as to how we might pray, celebrate, and raise awareness of St. Dymphna on her Feast Day.
As I thought about the upcoming Feast Day and the suggestions offered by the society, I began to do some research online. As with most subjects, there is a great amount of information available on the internet about St. Dymphna. The story of St. Dymphna, of her life and death, is not an “easy read.” The article I quote above begins, “The story of Dymphna — the patron saint of the mentally ill — involves such horrors as incest and decapitation. However, her legacy launched a community of unprecedented and unrivaled compassion for the mentally ill.” The article goes on to tell the story of the town of Geel, Belgium, where St. Dymphna was martyred and is buried. It also tells the truly amazing story of how it became a therapeutic community that continues to welcome and assist those who struggle with mental illness to the present day.
With regard to online resources, one that I would highly recommend is the website of the International Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers. On the “Resources” section of the website, under “Worship and Liturgy” and “Prayer,” you can find prayers and novenas, asking the intercession of St. Dymphna. You may also see there are some (older) traditions that recognize May 30 as St. Dymphna’s Feast Day. The “Worship and Liturgy” section of the website speaks about the Feast Day and May as Mental Health Awareness Month.
The month of May provides opportunities to have a special Mass for people living with mental illness and for intercessory prayers and homilies that focus on mental health and how the Church is called to accompany people who live with mental illness. Saint Dymphna is a patron saint for those who live with a mental health challenge or disorder, and her feast day is May 30 (or May 15). In addition, May is Mental Health Month in the United States, and Mental Health Awareness Week is commemorated in Canada and Europe in May. Worship and Liturgy Resources
For more information on May as Mental Health Awareness Month, see also: The National Council for Mental Wellbeing.
I hope that many readers are already aware that the five Latin Rite Dioceses of our State, along with the Byzantine Eparchy of Passaic, and the New Jersey Catholic Conference will be sponsoring a Mental Health Conference: “From Isolation to Belonging: Mental Health and the Catholic Church” on Saturday, May 2. For more information and to register, you can go to our Diocesan website or click New Jersey Catholic Conference.
We will be sending information to our pastors and parishes for those who may be interested in having a special Mass, prayer service, or a prayer of the faithful during the month (May) that can be one of the “busiest” months for parish life, with First Holy Communions, Confirmations, graduations, Mother’s Day, and many other activities.
I am happy to let you know that, in collaboration with the St. Dymphna and Our Lady of Hope Society, St. Mary’s parish in Pompton Lakes will be offering a special Mass on the Feast of St. Dymphna, Friday, May 15, for Those Living With and Supporting Those Living with Mental Illness. For more information, see the flyer included with this article below. The Mass will also be livestreamed on St. Mary’s YouTube channel and Facebook page.
Mental illness should not lead to a life of isolation. That is an imperative born of faith. In a recent address to the Pontifical Academy for Life, our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, emphasized our common responsibility to reach out to the vulnerable. The Holy Father notes, “We need to rediscover the fundamental attitude of care as support and closeness to others, not only because someone is in need or is sick, but because they experience vulnerability, the vulnerability that is common to all human beings.” There should be no stigma attached to seeking personal health care for those struggling with mental illness, nor in caring for those who suffer from mental illness.
In our efforts to accompany those who bear the cross of emotional and mental anguish, we recognize our shared mortality and our hope for the fullness of life as God’s children. For those of us who have been impacted by a loved one who has struggled with mental illness, we know that it can be a very long and painful journey. Those who suffer personally from mental illness and those who care for them share a profound experience of the mystery of the Lord’s cross, the mystery of suffering. These Easter days and this beautiful Easter Season remind us that, as people of Faith, Hope, and Love, we know that the mystery of the cross, of pain, suffering, and isolation will lead us to the joy and peace of Easter. If we are united with Him in His suffering, we will be “…united with Him in the resurrection.” (Rom. 6:5)
The gift of our Catholic Faith can give us the Grace and strength to persevere in times of trial and accompany one another on the journey. I am grateful for the ministry of the St. Dymphna and Our Lady of Hope Society, and I am glad that they reminded me that the Feast of St. Dymphna was drawing near. As I mentioned above, I was amazed to learn more about the story of St. Dymphna’s life and death, but I was also amazed to learn of the impact that she has had and continues to have on the town of Geel in Belgium. I encourage you to read the full article, quoted above from “ncronline.” I also want to give credit and offer thanks to the Hallow app, because it was a link to the Hallow app’s webpage on St. Dymphna that led me to the “ncronline” article.
We believe that God “works in mysterious ways.” Let us continue to pray for all those who suffer, especially those suffering with mental illness, as we ask the intercession of our Lady of Hope and of St. Dympna, knowing that our Risen Lord can give us the gifts of His healing and peace. St. Dymphna, patroness of those who suffer mental affliction, pray for us. St. Dymphna, beloved child of Jesus and Mary, pray for us.
– “The slain Dymphna was heavily mourned, respectfully buried, and long remembered in the Geel community, both for her stoic demise and for her generosity in building a hospice. After a long period of being venerated, she was canonized in 1247…” Inspired by Dymphna, Belgium town welcomes mentally ill BISHOP KEVIN J. SWEENEY Our Catholic Faith, especially the stories and impact of the lives of the saints, never ceases to amaze me! Last October, in the place of my weekly column, I introduced the presentation of a “new ministry resource,” a group that was being formed in our diocese called the
Obituary: Deacon Charles ‘Chuck’ Mathias, 92 #Catholic – 
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held April 16 at Holy Spirit Church in Avon Lake, Ohio, for Deacon Charles “Chuck” Thomas Mathias, a former permanent deacon of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey, who died on April 11. He was 92.
Deacon Mathias was ordained a permanent deacon of the Paterson Diocese in 1995 and served St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish in Sparta, N.J. for 23 years. He belonged to Knights of Columbus and was a former Grand Knight of the Columbus Marquette Council 588 in Sparta. He also served as a chaplain in Sussex County in New Jersey.
In 2018, Deacon Mathias moved to Ohio to be closer to family and was incardinated in Cleveland, Ohio that year. He was a member of the Holy Name Society in Cleveland.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Deacon Mathias was born to the late Charles and Esther Mathias in Dover, Ohio, in 1934. He graduated St. Joseph Catholic High School in 1951. He continued his education at John Carroll University and Western Reserve Law School, where he earned a juris doctorate in 1958.
In 1956 in Ohio, Deacon Mathias married his wife, Mary Jo, whom he met during their college years. They remained married for more than 69 years. They lived in Lakewood, Ohio; Cleveland; Novi, Mich.; Byram, N.J. where they spent 35 years; and finally in Sheffield Village in Ohio.
Deacon Mathias was an attorney and retired from Allied Signal as risk manager in Morristown, N.J. He was a published poet and a member of the Wellington Writers Guild. He also was a member of the Sussex County Harmonizers.
Deacon Mathias is survived by his wife Mary Jo Mathias (nee Spoerl); their daughter, Debra DiCillo (James); their grandchildren, David Charles McFeeture and Ryan Joseph Munro (Diana); their great-grandchildren, Elexis Macy (Nathan) and Miles Munro; and their great-great-granddaughter, Mia Macy. He was predeceased by their daughter, Amy Joan Mathias, and their granddaughter, Elissa Spence (Rick).
Please mail condolences to Mrs. Mary Jo Mathias, 5435 Barkwood Dr., Sheffield Village, OH 44054 or email her at maryjmathias18@gmail.com
– A Mass of Christian Burial will be held April 16 at Holy Spirit Church in Avon Lake, Ohio, for Deacon Charles “Chuck” Thomas Mathias, a former permanent deacon of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey, who died on April 11. He was 92. Deacon Mathias was ordained a permanent deacon of the Paterson Diocese in 1995 and served St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish in Sparta, N.J. for 23 years. He belonged to Knights of Columbus and was a former Grand Knight of the Columbus Marquette Council 588 in Sparta. He also served as a chaplain in Sussex County in New Jersey.
A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 5:17-26
The high priest rose up and all his companions,
that is, the party of the Sadducees,
and, filled with jealousy,
laid hands upon the Apostles and put them in the public jail.
But during the night, the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison,
led them out, and said,
"Go and take your place in the temple area,
and tell the people everything about this life."
When they heard this,
they went to the temple early in the morning and taught.
When the high priest and his companions arrived,
they convened the Sanhedrin,
the full senate of the children of Israel,
and sent to the jail to have them brought in.
But the court officers who went did not find them in the prison,
so they came back and reported,
"We found the jail securely locked
and the guards stationed outside the doors,
but when we opened them, we found no one inside."
When the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this report,
they were at a loss about them,
as to what this would come to.
Then someone came in and reported to them,
"The men whom you put in prison are in the temple area
and are teaching the people."
Then the captain and the court officers went and brought them,
but without force,
because they were afraid of being stoned by the people.
From the Gospel according to John
3:16-21
God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him will not be condemned,
but whoever does not believe has already been condemned,
because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.
And this is the verdict,
that the light came into the world,
but people preferred darkness to light,
because their works were evil.
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light
and does not come toward the light,
so that his works might not be exposed.
But whoever lives the truth comes to the light,
so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.
“God so loved the world that he gave his Only-Begotten Son”. This is one of the central verses of the Gospel. The subject is God the Father, origin of the whole creating and redeeming mystery. The verbs “to love” and “to give” indicate a decisive and definitive act that expresses the radicalism with which God approached man in love, even to the total gift, crossing the threshold of our ultimate solitude, throwing himself into the abyss of our extreme abandonment, going beyond the door of death. The object and beneficiary of divine love is the world, namely, humanity. It is a word that erases completely the idea of a distant God alien to man’s journey and reveals, rather, his true face. He gave us his Son out of love, to be the near God, to make us feel his presence, to come to meet us and carry us in his love so that the whole of life might be enlivened by this divine love. The Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give life. God does not domineer but loves without measure. He does not express his omnipotence in punishment, but in mercy and in forgiveness. Understanding all this means entering into the mystery of salvation. Jesus came to save, not to condemn; with the sacrifice of the Cross he reveals the loving face of God. (Pope Benedict XVI, Homily, 4 November 2010)
Read More
At the Basilica of St. Augustine, the pontiff urged Christians to bear witness through “simple gestures, genuine relationships and a dialogue lived out day by day.”
![Chicago priest resigns after archdiocese discovers misuse of parish funds #Catholic A priest in Chicago has resigned after the archdiocese found that he misused parish funds for “personal expenses,” Cardinal Blase Cupich told parishioners this month. Cupich told St. John Henry Newman Parish in Evanston that the archdiocese had launched a review of the parishʼs finances on March 30 amid “serious questions” about the parishʼs “fiscal administration.” The prelate said in an April 10 letter to the parish that the review found Father Kenneth Anderson “violated a number of core archdiocesan policies pertaining to the proper exercise of good stewardship of parish resources.” Among the reported violations included “the creation and maintenance of a separate bank account into which he deposited substantial parish funds,” Cupich said. Some of those funds “were used to cover costs unrelated to parish needs including his personal expenses.”Anderson resigned after being presented with the findings of the report, Cupich said. The priest also “accepted [Cupichʼs] instruction that, when the full accounting is complete, he is to make restitution for any funds clearly identified as covering his personal expenses.”The archdiocese did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the total amount of funds reportedly misused at the parish. Cupich in his letter said Father Wayne Watts, the pastor of Sts. Joseph and Francis Xavier Parish in nearby Wilmette, oversaw the administration of St. John Henry Newman Parishʼs finances during the review process. The archbishop further said that he had asked the archdiocesan placement board to recommend a new pastor for the parish by July 1. Retired priest Father Gerald Gunderson will serve as parish administrator until the new pastor is appointed, Cupich said. The parish was formed in 2022 after the merging of Sts. Athanasius and Joan of Arc parishes as part of the archdiocesan Renew My Faith campaign.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/chicago-priest-resigns-after-archdiocese-discovers-misuse-of-parish-funds-catholic-a-priest-in-chicago-has-resigned-after-the-archdiocese-found-that-he-misused-parish-funds-for-personal-expe.jpg "Chicago priest resigns after archdiocese discovers misuse of parish funds #Catholic A priest in Chicago has resigned after the archdiocese found that he misused parish funds for “personal expenses,” Cardinal Blase Cupich told parishioners this month. Cupich told St. John Henry Newman Parish in Evanston that the archdiocese had launched a review of the parishʼs finances on March 30 amid “serious questions” about the parishʼs “fiscal administration.” The prelate said in an April 10 letter to the parish that the review found Father Kenneth Anderson “violated a number of core archdiocesan policies pertaining to the proper exercise of good stewardship of parish resources.” Among the reported violations included “the creation and maintenance of a separate bank account into which he deposited substantial parish funds,” Cupich said. Some of those funds “were used to cover costs unrelated to parish needs including his personal expenses.”Anderson resigned after being presented with the findings of the report, Cupich said. The priest also “accepted [Cupichʼs] instruction that, when the full accounting is complete, he is to make restitution for any funds clearly identified as covering his personal expenses.”The archdiocese did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the total amount of funds reportedly misused at the parish. Cupich in his letter said Father Wayne Watts, the pastor of Sts. Joseph and Francis Xavier Parish in nearby Wilmette, oversaw the administration of St. John Henry Newman Parishʼs finances during the review process. The archbishop further said that he had asked the archdiocesan placement board to recommend a new pastor for the parish by July 1. Retired priest Father Gerald Gunderson will serve as parish administrator until the new pastor is appointed, Cupich said. The parish was formed in 2022 after the merging of Sts. Athanasius and Joan of Arc parishes as part of the archdiocesan Renew My Faith campaign.")
Father Kenneth Anderson violated “a number of core archdiocesan policies,” Cardinal Blase Cupich told parishioners.
![Celebrate Morris Plains carnival’s 50th anniversary with funnel cakes, faith #Catholic - Five decades of amusement rides and sugary, savory food, while promoting a sense of community and the Catholic faith, culminate in early May in Morris Plains, N.J. St. Virgil Parish there is set to attract nearly 10,000 festival-goers to its 50th carnival, which marks the start of the Catholic festival season in the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey.
“I really enjoy and respect that the carnival has been part of the parish for 50 years,” said Father Lukasz Wnuk, the parish’s pastor. “It would have been easy for it to decline or even stop at any point, especially during COVID, when the parish could not hold it. Instead, it keeps growing, and we continue to invest in it.”
The St. Virgil Carnival is set to run on the parish grounds on Wednesday, May 6, through Friday, May 8, from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m., and on Saturday, May 9, from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m. The usual Saturday Mass of Anticipation at 5 p.m. will still take place inside the church.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
“We make money on the carnival, which helps keep us going as a parish,” said Terence Boyne, a 60-year parishioner at St. Virgil who has regularly volunteered since the carnival began.
Originally, one of the carnival’s purposes was to help a community recovering from a natural disaster.
Three years before the carnival started, a priest from St. Virgil’s visited the Bahamas. A natural disaster occurred in the area he visited, and the church there was badly damaged. A deacon from St. Virgil visited and reported that it would cost $10,000 to $12,000 to repair the church. According to Boyne, there was the thought that maybe St. Virgil’s could help them.
“Somebody said, ‘Why don’t we try doing a carnival? We’ll run it every year until we make up the cost.’ We ran it the first year, and they made $15,000 or $18,000. They couldn’t believe it. They sent the $10,000 to $12,000 down there, and the rest went to charities.”
The annual event has grown a lot, Boyne said. It started with 10 kiddie rides and only a few rides for older kids. Now it fills the parish property and fills the whole neighborhood with parked cars.
While the plethora of carnival rides attracts kids, the tasty food attracts thousands from across the diocese.
“I’d say the funnel cake line is never without at least a dozen people to 20 people at any given time during the carnival,” said Michael Scannelli, the carnival’s 2026 chair. He said the carnival added fried Oreos, fried pickles, chocolate brownies, and gelato, in addition to Dellano’s Food Trucks, pizza, soft pretzels, and other carnival staples.
Parish leaders emphasized that this kind of tradition doesn’t happen by accident, but through the dedication, hard work, and caring that countless people like Boyne and Scannelli have poured into it over the years.
Scannelli said the carnival allows St. Virgil’s to invite the wider community to experience the Catholic faith and the Eucharist at the parish throughout the rest of the year.
“I think the carnival-goers really see our faith-based community. I think they see all of us volunteering, coming together as one. Yes, we’re raising money, but we also feel like we’re giving back to the community and giving them a great four-day event,” said Scannelli. “You can’t help but see signs of faith like statues and crosses around St. Virgil’s, whether it’s outside the church or the Tracy Center (the parish hall). Our statue of Mary is right in the middle of where people eat and drink. You can’t help but feel some type of evangelization within the grounds itself,” he said.
Father Wnuk added, “Everyone is truly welcome. Whether you have been part of the parish for years or you are just stopping by for the first time, there’s a place for you here.”
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/celebrate-morris-plains-carnivals-50th-anniversary-with-funnel-cakes-faith-catholic-five-decades-of-amusement-rides-and-sugary-savory-food-while-promoting-a-sense-of-community-and-the-c.jpg)
Celebrate Morris Plains carnival’s 50th anniversary with funnel cakes, faith #Catholic – 
Five decades of amusement rides and sugary, savory food, while promoting a sense of community and the Catholic faith, culminate in early May in Morris Plains, N.J. St. Virgil Parish there is set to attract nearly 10,000 festival-goers to its 50th carnival, which marks the start of the Catholic festival season in the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey.
“I really enjoy and respect that the carnival has been part of the parish for 50 years,” said Father Lukasz Wnuk, the parish’s pastor. “It would have been easy for it to decline or even stop at any point, especially during COVID, when the parish could not hold it. Instead, it keeps growing, and we continue to invest in it.”
The St. Virgil Carnival is set to run on the parish grounds on Wednesday, May 6, through Friday, May 8, from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m., and on Saturday, May 9, from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m. The usual Saturday Mass of Anticipation at 5 p.m. will still take place inside the church.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
“We make money on the carnival, which helps keep us going as a parish,” said Terence Boyne, a 60-year parishioner at St. Virgil who has regularly volunteered since the carnival began.
Originally, one of the carnival’s purposes was to help a community recovering from a natural disaster.
Three years before the carnival started, a priest from St. Virgil’s visited the Bahamas. A natural disaster occurred in the area he visited, and the church there was badly damaged. A deacon from St. Virgil visited and reported that it would cost $10,000 to $12,000 to repair the church. According to Boyne, there was the thought that maybe St. Virgil’s could help them.
“Somebody said, ‘Why don’t we try doing a carnival? We’ll run it every year until we make up the cost.’ We ran it the first year, and they made $15,000 or $18,000. They couldn’t believe it. They sent the $10,000 to $12,000 down there, and the rest went to charities.”
The annual event has grown a lot, Boyne said. It started with 10 kiddie rides and only a few rides for older kids. Now it fills the parish property and fills the whole neighborhood with parked cars.
While the plethora of carnival rides attracts kids, the tasty food attracts thousands from across the diocese.
“I’d say the funnel cake line is never without at least a dozen people to 20 people at any given time during the carnival,” said Michael Scannelli, the carnival’s 2026 chair. He said the carnival added fried Oreos, fried pickles, chocolate brownies, and gelato, in addition to Dellano’s Food Trucks, pizza, soft pretzels, and other carnival staples.
Parish leaders emphasized that this kind of tradition doesn’t happen by accident, but through the dedication, hard work, and caring that countless people like Boyne and Scannelli have poured into it over the years.
Scannelli said the carnival allows St. Virgil’s to invite the wider community to experience the Catholic faith and the Eucharist at the parish throughout the rest of the year.
“I think the carnival-goers really see our faith-based community. I think they see all of us volunteering, coming together as one. Yes, we’re raising money, but we also feel like we’re giving back to the community and giving them a great four-day event,” said Scannelli. “You can’t help but see signs of faith like statues and crosses around St. Virgil’s, whether it’s outside the church or the Tracy Center (the parish hall). Our statue of Mary is right in the middle of where people eat and drink. You can’t help but feel some type of evangelization within the grounds itself,” he said.
Father Wnuk added, “Everyone is truly welcome. Whether you have been part of the parish for years or you are just stopping by for the first time, there’s a place for you here.”
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org] – Five decades of amusement rides and sugary, savory food, while promoting a sense of community and the Catholic faith, culminate in early May in Morris Plains, N.J. St. Virgil Parish there is set to attract nearly 10,000 festival-goers to its 50th carnival, which marks the start of the Catholic festival season in the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey. “I really enjoy and respect that the carnival has been part of the parish for 50 years,” said Father Lukasz Wnuk, the parish’s pastor. “It would have been easy for it to decline or even stop at any point, especially during COVID,
A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 4:32-37
The community of believers was of one heart and mind,
and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own,
but they had everything in common.
With great power the Apostles bore witness
to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,
and great favor was accorded them all.
There was no needy person among them,
for those who owned property or houses would sell them,
bring the proceeds of the sale,
and put them at the feet of the Apostles,
and they were distributed to each according to need.
Thus Joseph, also named by the Apostles Barnabas
(which is translated "son of encouragement"),
a Levite, a Cypriot by birth,
sold a piece of property that he owned,
then brought the money and put it at the feet of the Apostles.
From the Gospel according to John
3:7b-15
Jesus said to Nicodemus:
"’You must be born from above.’
The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;
so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
Nicodemus answered and said to him,
‘How can this happen?"
Jesus answered and said to him,
"You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this?
Amen, amen, I say to you,
we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen,
but you people do not accept our testimony.
If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe,
how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."
The scene unfolds at night: Nicodemus, one of the leaders of the Jews, a righteous and open-minded person (cf. Jn 7:50-51), comes to meet Jesus. He needs light and guidance: he seeks God and asks the Teacher of Nazareth for help because he recognizes him as a prophet, a man who performs extraordinary signs. The Lord welcomes him, listens to him, and eventually reveals to him that the Son of Man must be lifted up, “so that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (Jn 3:15), adding: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life” (v. 16). Nicodemus, who perhaps does not fully comprehend the meaning of these words in the moment, will certainly do so when he helps to bury the Savior’s body after the crucifixion (cf. Jn 19:39). It is then that he will understand that God, in order to redeem humanity, became man and died on the cross (…) for the immense love with which God has transformed the means to death into an instrument of life, embracing it for our salvation, teaching us that nothing can separate us from him (cf. Rom 8:35-39) and that his love is greater than our own sin (cf. Francis, Catechesis, 30 March 2016). (Pope Leo XIV, Angelus, 14 September 2025)
Read More
‘Cabrini’ screening to boost awareness of Eucharistic pilgrimage event #Catholic – 
“Cabrini,” the 2024 film about St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, America’s first Catholic saint and advocate for immigrants, will be screened Tuesday, April 21, at 7 p.m. at the Dolan Performing Arts Center, St. Elizabeth University in the Convent Station neighborhood of Morris Township, N.J.
A week later, on Tuesday, April 28, at 7 p.m., executive producer J. Eustace Wolfington and his team will host a “talk-back” on the film’s creation, focusing on human rights, women’s leadership, and hope. Bishop Emeritus Nicholas DiMarzio of the Brooklyn Diocese in New York, who advocates for immigrants’ rights, and Mother Cabrini’s family are also scheduled to appear.
Both events at St. Elizabeth’s will focus on St. Frances Cabrini as a model of women’s leadership, especially in her work with immigrants and the poor. They also promote the 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage (NEP) stops in Passaic and Paterson, N.J., on June 14 and 15. The St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Route of the NEP will travel the Eastern Seaboard this summer.
Before the “Cabrini” screening, Father Cesar Jaramillo, pilgrimage stop delegate and pastor of Holy Spirit Parish in Pequannock, N.J., will address attendees and invite them to join the local NEP event. Members of the Communications Department of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey will also be present to distribute NEP promotional materials.
Register now to secure your spot for the pilgrimage. See the schedule below for details.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
“The pilgrimage in our diocese is an opportunity for Catholics to renew their love for Jesus and the Eucharist — a goal of the New Evangelization — and to show solidarity with immigrants,” Father Cesar Jaramillo said. “We invite all Paterson parishes and the broader community to attend and join us in this spiritual journey.”
The pilgrimage route honors Mother Cabrini, born in Italy in 1850. She founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In 1889, Pope Leo XIII sent her and her sisters to New York. They opened schools and orphanages for Italian immigrants despite many challenges. According to the Missionary Sisters, Mother Cabrini traveled across Europe, the Americas, and the U.S., founding 67 institutions.
Father Jaramillo described “Cabrini” as telling the story of “a remarkable woman who was passionate about social justice.”
“Mother Cabrini was steadfast in giving a voice to the voiceless. Most were Italian immigrants who were ignored. The movie reflects today’s immigrant crisis in the U.S. The pilgrimage will also honor the U.S.’s 250th birthday. Immigrants built much of our country in search of the American Dream,” Father Jaramillo said.
The “Cabrini” screening and “talk-back” are possible through the friendship between Carol Bezak — a St. Elizabeth’s alumna and president of the National Association of Shrine and Pilgrimage Apostolate — and one of the film’s executive producers. Other NEP stops will also host screenings of the films, said Andrea M. Adams, director of alumni engagement and annual giving.
All are welcome to attend the two “Cabrini” film events at St. Elizabeth’s. Admission is free.
The pilgrimage, themed “One Nation Under God,” includes 18 stops from Pentecost to Independence Day in Philadelphia. It calls for renewal, unity, and mission. Nine young adult Perpetual Pilgrims and their chaplains will carry the Blessed Sacrament through the original 13 colonies, 18 dioceses, and two Eastern Rite eparchies.
All are welcome to pray before the Blessed Sacrament during the pilgrimage. Admission to events is free, but advance registration is requested to assist organizers. Please register now to reserve your spot for one or more events using the QR code on this page.
For questions about events in this diocese, please contact:MMoncaleano@patersondiocese.org. For registration assistance, please contact:registration@eucharisticcongress.org.
National Eucharistic Pilgrimage activities in the Paterson Diocese, N.J., on June 14 and 15
Pilgrimage activities on June 14:
3:30–5 p.m.: Eucharist talk (English), Fr. Rafael Capo, Holy Rosary Church, 6 Wall St., Passaic, N.J.
3:30–5 p.m.: “Influenciados por la Eucaristía” opening talk (Spanish), P. Heriberto García, St. Nicholas, 217 President St., Passaic, N.J.
5–6:30 p.m.: Eucharistic Procession from Holy Rosary Church (6 Wall St, Passaic, N.J.) to Boverini Stadium (1.5 miles). The procession will end with the opening Mass.
6:30–8 p.m.: Opening Mass, Boverini Stadium, 262 River Dr., Passaic, N.J., with Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney.
Pilgrimage events on June 15:
3–5 p.m.: Divine Liturgy with Byzantine Catholic community, St. Michael Chapel, 415 Lackawanna Ave., Woodland Park, N.J.
5:30–7 p.m.: Eucharistic Procession (loop) for communicants and local faithful at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, 381 Grand St., Paterson, N.J.
7–8:30 p.m.: Closing Mass with Bishop Sweeney and homily by Father Casey Cole, O.F.M., at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, 381 Grand St., Paterson. The municipal parking lot opens at 5 p.m. across from the Cathedral. Watch the livestream at https://rcdopcathedral.org/
– “Cabrini,” the 2024 film about St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, America’s first Catholic saint and advocate for immigrants, will be screened Tuesday, April 21, at 7 p.m. at the Dolan Performing Arts Center, St. Elizabeth University in the Convent Station neighborhood of Morris Township, N.J. A week later, on Tuesday, April 28, at 7 p.m., executive producer J. Eustace Wolfington and his team will host a “talk-back” on the film’s creation, focusing on human rights, women’s leadership, and hope. Bishop Emeritus Nicholas DiMarzio of the Brooklyn Diocese in New York, who advocates for immigrants’ rights, and Mother Cabrini’s family are also
![Trump’s comments on Pope Leo called ‘disrespectful’ as Americans react #Catholic Catholic bishops and U.S. elected officials have publicly criticized the president’s statements about Pope Leo XIV.President Donald Trump called Leo “weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy” in a lengthy social media post April 12 that drew response from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and elected officials.Bishop Robert Barron of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, called Trump’s attack on Pope Leo XIV “disrespectful." Barron, who serves on Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission, said in a post on X that Trump’s comments “were entirely inappropriate and disrespectful” and “I think the president owes the pope an apology.”“[Trump’s comments] don’t contribute at all to a constructive conversation,” he said. “It is the pope’s prerogative to articulate Catholic doctrine and the principles that govern the moral life. In regard to the concrete application of those principles, people of goodwill can and do disagree.”Barron encouraged Catholic Trump officials to arrange a meeting with Vatican officials “so that a real dialogue can take place,” saying “this is far preferable to the statements on social media.”Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, said in a social media post: “Along with Archbishop [Paul] Coakley, president of the USCCB, and my brother bishops, I was disheartened by recent comments from President Trump concerning Pope Leo XIV and the Church. I pray that civility and respect are fully restored as together, with God’s grace, we work for peace and harmony among all people. May we also be united in our prayer for the end of war and violence so that Christ’s peace reigns throughout the world and in our hearts.”Palm Beach, Florida, Bishop Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez posted on X: “The @DiocesePB stands firm with our Holy Father, @Pontifex, and strongly rejects the disrespectful and violent attacks that Donald J. Trump has directed against the Holy Father.”Buffalo, New York, Bishop Michael Fisher posted on X: “This is not about politics but the very cause of humanity.”The Catholic Association's Ashley McGuire said in a statement: “The Catholic Church does not in any way fit into American political boxes. It will always prioritize the protection of innocent life in all its stages as well as the cause of the poor and marginalized. Insulting the pope, and all Catholics by extension, with the hope of making the Church bend to American political agendas, is discouraging and counterproductive.” McGuire added: “We pray that President Trump apologizes to Pope Leo.”U.S. officials' reaction beginsRepublican Vice President JD Vance, who is Catholic, has not yet commented on the matter, nor has Secretary of State Marco Rubio, also a Catholic.Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona, who is Catholic, posted on X that “I find it abhorrent that the president of the United States would publicly attack the successor of St. Peter.”U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on X that Trump “shamefully attacked” the pope. Few Republican elected officials have spoken out.TweetDemocratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom posted on X: “Hey @GOP, you good with your guy directly attacking the pope now?”Rep. Lukas Schubert, a Republican Montana state lawmaker, disputed the presidentʼs statement that the pope is a “liberal person.”“Pope Leo is significantly further to the right than President Trump on abortion, gay marriage, and family values. Also he is more America First on the Iran War,” Schubert said.AI imageTrump also posted an AI-created image on Truth Social that appeared to portray himself as Jesus Christ, healing the sick, which led several Catholics to accuse the president of blasphemy.Edward Feser, a Catholic philosopher and professor at Pasadena City College, posted on X that Trump’s comments illustrate “how utter enslavement to the sin of pride makes a man unsuitable for the presidency.”“For all their faults, previous presidents had the visceral understanding of proper boundaries not to attack the vicar of Christ even when they disagreed with him,” he said.Feser quoted Daniel 11:36-37 in response to Trump’s AI image of himself as Christ, which reads: “And the king shall do according to his will; he shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods … He shall not give heed to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all.”In reaction to the AI photo, Matt Fradd, the host of “Pints With Aquinas,“ urged Catholics to “offer a rosary today for Donald Trump and all blasphemers. … Seriously. Do it. I will too.”TweetRep. Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, did not directly reference Trumpʼs remarks about the pope but criticized the AI-created image on X: “There aren’t enough words to denounce how wrong this is.”The comments came after Leo criticized the Iran war and Trump’s rhetoric about targeting the entire civilization of Iran. Leo said in response to the post: “I have no fear neither of the Trump administration nor of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel.”Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former Republican congresswoman who was a strong ally of Trump before splitting with him on the Iran war and his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, posted on X that Trump “attacked the pope because the pope is rightly against Trump’s war in Iran and then he posted this picture of himself as if he is replacing Jesus.”“This comes after last week’s post of his evil tirade on Easter and then threatening to kill an entire civilization,” she said. “I completely denounce this and I’m praying against it!!!”‘Fuels division’Father Robert Sirico, the founder of the Acton Institute, said in a statement that Leo “has both the right and the duty to speak prophetically on matters of war and peace, the dignity of the human person, and the moral limits of force — even when his words discomfort political leaders.”He said Trump’s post does not “strengthen America’s moral standing but “merely fuels division.”Sirico also added that Catholics can disagree with popes on prudential judgments, such as foreign policy or crime, which he said are not infallible: “The Church herself teaches that such applications of principle admit of legitimate debate.”This story was updated at 11:50 a.m. ET on April 13, 2026, with comments from Buffalo, New York, Bishop Michael Fisher and The Catholic Associationʼs Ashley McGuire.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/trumps-comments-on-pope-leo-called-disrespectful-as-americans-react-catholic-catholic-bishops-and-u-s-elected-officials-have-publicly-criticized-the-presidents-st.jpg "Trump’s comments on Pope Leo called ‘disrespectful’ as Americans react #Catholic Catholic bishops and U.S. elected officials have publicly criticized the president’s statements about Pope Leo XIV.President Donald Trump called Leo “weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy” in a lengthy social media post April 12 that drew response from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and elected officials.Bishop Robert Barron of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, called Trump’s attack on Pope Leo XIV “disrespectful.\" Barron, who serves on Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission, said in a post on X that Trump’s comments “were entirely inappropriate and disrespectful” and “I think the president owes the pope an apology.”“[Trump’s comments] don’t contribute at all to a constructive conversation,” he said. “It is the pope’s prerogative to articulate Catholic doctrine and the principles that govern the moral life. In regard to the concrete application of those principles, people of goodwill can and do disagree.”Barron encouraged Catholic Trump officials to arrange a meeting with Vatican officials “so that a real dialogue can take place,” saying “this is far preferable to the statements on social media.”Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, said in a social media post: “Along with Archbishop [Paul] Coakley, president of the USCCB, and my brother bishops, I was disheartened by recent comments from President Trump concerning Pope Leo XIV and the Church. I pray that civility and respect are fully restored as together, with God’s grace, we work for peace and harmony among all people. May we also be united in our prayer for the end of war and violence so that Christ’s peace reigns throughout the world and in our hearts.”Palm Beach, Florida, Bishop Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez posted on X: “The @DiocesePB stands firm with our Holy Father, @Pontifex, and strongly rejects the disrespectful and violent attacks that Donald J. Trump has directed against the Holy Father.”Buffalo, New York, Bishop Michael Fisher posted on X: “This is not about politics but the very cause of humanity.”The Catholic Association's Ashley McGuire said in a statement: “The Catholic Church does not in any way fit into American political boxes. It will always prioritize the protection of innocent life in all its stages as well as the cause of the poor and marginalized. Insulting the pope, and all Catholics by extension, with the hope of making the Church bend to American political agendas, is discouraging and counterproductive.” McGuire added: “We pray that President Trump apologizes to Pope Leo.”U.S. officials' reaction beginsRepublican Vice President JD Vance, who is Catholic, has not yet commented on the matter, nor has Secretary of State Marco Rubio, also a Catholic.Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona, who is Catholic, posted on X that “I find it abhorrent that the president of the United States would publicly attack the successor of St. Peter.”U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on X that Trump “shamefully attacked” the pope. Few Republican elected officials have spoken out.TweetDemocratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom posted on X: “Hey @GOP, you good with your guy directly attacking the pope now?”Rep. Lukas Schubert, a Republican Montana state lawmaker, disputed the presidentʼs statement that the pope is a “liberal person.”“Pope Leo is significantly further to the right than President Trump on abortion, gay marriage, and family values. Also he is more America First on the Iran War,” Schubert said.AI imageTrump also posted an AI-created image on Truth Social that appeared to portray himself as Jesus Christ, healing the sick, which led several Catholics to accuse the president of blasphemy.Edward Feser, a Catholic philosopher and professor at Pasadena City College, posted on X that Trump’s comments illustrate “how utter enslavement to the sin of pride makes a man unsuitable for the presidency.”“For all their faults, previous presidents had the visceral understanding of proper boundaries not to attack the vicar of Christ even when they disagreed with him,” he said.Feser quoted Daniel 11:36-37 in response to Trump’s AI image of himself as Christ, which reads: “And the king shall do according to his will; he shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods … He shall not give heed to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all.”In reaction to the AI photo, Matt Fradd, the host of “Pints With Aquinas,“ urged Catholics to “offer a rosary today for Donald Trump and all blasphemers. … Seriously. Do it. I will too.”TweetRep. Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, did not directly reference Trumpʼs remarks about the pope but criticized the AI-created image on X: “There aren’t enough words to denounce how wrong this is.”The comments came after Leo criticized the Iran war and Trump’s rhetoric about targeting the entire civilization of Iran. Leo said in response to the post: “I have no fear neither of the Trump administration nor of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel.”Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former Republican congresswoman who was a strong ally of Trump before splitting with him on the Iran war and his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, posted on X that Trump “attacked the pope because the pope is rightly against Trump’s war in Iran and then he posted this picture of himself as if he is replacing Jesus.”“This comes after last week’s post of his evil tirade on Easter and then threatening to kill an entire civilization,” she said. “I completely denounce this and I’m praying against it!!!”‘Fuels division’Father Robert Sirico, the founder of the Acton Institute, said in a statement that Leo “has both the right and the duty to speak prophetically on matters of war and peace, the dignity of the human person, and the moral limits of force — even when his words discomfort political leaders.”He said Trump’s post does not “strengthen America’s moral standing but “merely fuels division.”Sirico also added that Catholics can disagree with popes on prudential judgments, such as foreign policy or crime, which he said are not infallible: “The Church herself teaches that such applications of principle admit of legitimate debate.”This story was updated at 11:50 a.m. ET on April 13, 2026, with comments from Buffalo, New York, Bishop Michael Fisher and The Catholic Associationʼs Ashley McGuire.")
President Donald Trump called Leo “weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy” in a lengthy social media post April 12 that drew response from U.S. bishops and elected officials.
The pontiff called for a world order that does not exclude the vulnerable and urged leaders to serve the common good.
St. Therese Ministry reignites powerful gatherings praying for America #Catholic – 
The rosary and prayer ministry of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, also known as the “Little Flower,” at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Mountain Lakes, N.J., will restart its activities for the year with its first monthly meeting at the parish church on Tuesday, May 5, at 1 p.m.
The group will meet on Tuesdays until the end of the year. Members will pray the Novena to St. Therese, a PEACE prayer for the United States, the Memorare, and the rosary. Intentions will include prayers for peace in the Middle East.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Upcoming St. Therese Ministry events at St. Catherine’s will include:
• Healing service on Tuesday, May 19 at 1 p.m. led by Father Edward Rama, pastor of St. Bernard of Clairvaux Parish in Wharton, N.J. Those suffering serious illness will have the opportunity to be anointed with healing oil. A reception will follow in the gym.
• Musical performance on July 28 at 1 p.m. by, Karen Jaworski, vocalist, and Joe Tamburro, pianist, of St. Lawrence the Martyr Parish in Chester, N.J.
• Talk on Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 1 p.m. by Father Jared Brogan, director of the Worship Office of the Paterson Diocese, N.J.
• Celebration of the Feast Day of St. Therese on Sunday, Oct. 11, at 2 p.m. led by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney. It will not be a Mass. The celebration will feature five vocalists, the Knights of Columbus, an organist, and bagpipers. A reception will follow.
• Healing service on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 1 p.m. with Father Rama.
• A Christmas concert and final prayer service on Dec. 15 at 1 p.m.
For more information, call Carol Bsarany at 973-271-9252.
– The rosary and prayer ministry of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, also known as the “Little Flower,” at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Mountain Lakes, N.J., will restart its activities for the year with its first monthly meeting at the parish church on Tuesday, May 5, at 1 p.m. The group will meet on Tuesdays until the end of the year. Members will pray the Novena to St. Therese, a PEACE prayer for the United States, the Memorare, and the rosary. Intentions will include prayers for peace in the Middle East. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Upcoming
A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 4:23-31
After their release Peter and John went back to their own people
and reported what the chief priests and elders had told them.
And when they heard it,
they raised their voices to God with one accord
and said, "Sovereign Lord, maker of heaven and earth
and the sea and all that is in them,
you said by the Holy Spirit
through the mouth of our father David, your servant:
Why did the Gentiles rage
and the peoples entertain folly?
The kings of the earth took their stand
and the princes gathered together
against the Lord and against his anointed.
Indeed they gathered in this city
against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed,
Herod and Pontius Pilate,
together with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,
to do what your hand and your will
had long ago planned to take place.
And now, Lord, take note of their threats,
and enable your servants to speak your word
with all boldness, as you stretch forth your hand to heal,
and signs and wonders are done
through the name of your holy servant Jesus."
As they prayed, the place where they were gathered shook,
and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
From the Gospel according to John
3:1-8
There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
He came to Jesus at night and said to him,
"Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God,
for no one can do these signs that you are doing
unless God is with him."
Jesus answered and said to him,
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless one is born from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God."
Nicodemus said to him,
"How can a man once grown old be born again?
Surely he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?"
Jesus answered,
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless one is born of water and Spirit
he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.
What is born of flesh is flesh
and what is born of spirit is spirit.
Do not be amazed that I told you,
‘You must be born from above.’
The wind blows where it wills,
and you can hear the sound it makes,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;
so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
Jesus says to Nicodemus that in order to “see the kingdom of God”, one needs to be “born anew” from above (cf. v. 3). This does not mean starting over from birth, repeating our coming into the world, hoping that a new reincarnation will re-open our chance at a better life. This repetition makes no sense. Indeed, it would empty all meaning from the life we have lived, erasing it as if it were a failed experiment, an expired and lost value. No, this is not the rebirth that Jesus speaks of. It is something else. This life is precious in God’s eyes — it identifies us as creatures loved tenderly by Him. This “born anew” that allows us to “enter” the kingdom of God is a generation in the Spirit, a passage through the waters toward the promised land of a creation reconciled with the love of God. It is a rebirth from above with the grace of God. It is not being reborn physically another time. (…) Jesus says that faith, which welcomes the evangelical proclamation of the kingdom of God to which we are destined, has an extraordinary primary effect. It enables us to “see” the kingdom of God. We become capable of truly seeing the many signs of the approximation of our hope of fulfilment for that which in our life bears the sign of being destined for God’s eternity. (Pope Francis, General Audience, 8 June 2022)
Read More
“It is through the Eucharist that even our hands become ‘hands of the Risen One’,” the pope said.
His appointment comes following the resignation of Cardinal Raphael Sako, who submitted his resignation to Pope Leo XIV on March 9 amid a legal and financial scandal surrounding a former bishop.
