The pontiff also reflected on the kingdom of God as a treasure that enlarges life and unites people of different backgrounds in Christ.
As a young girl, Ann Teresa O’Neill’s miraculous cure from leukemia was accepted as a miracle to advance St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s path to sainthood.
Once known as a sinful woman, Mary Magdalene became the Apostle to the Apostles and the first witness to the Resurrection.
![Parishioners in western New York ask Vatican to let them save 160-year-old church #Catholic “[We] will not receive an extension or any second chances.” That’s the urgent message Catholics in western New York are telling the local faithful in their bid to preserve a Civil War-era parish in the small town of Auburn. The Diocese of Rochester is moving to permanently close and potentially sell Holy Family Church due to structural issues that officials say make it unsafe to use as a parish.
Interior details of Holy Family Catholic Church in Auburn, New York. | Credit: Photo courtesy of H.O.P.E.
The diocese shut down the church in June 2024, but parishioners of the parish in Auburn — located about 40 minutes outside of Syracuse — are petitioning the Vatican to keep the church an active holy site rather than allow it to be sold off to potential developers. On its website, Holy Family Organization to Preserve and Endure says the Vatican has requested that the group “demonstrate funding for the purchase, repair, and maintenance of the church.”The organizers say they are working to raise pledges to support the parish but there is a “narrow time window” and numbers “must be provided to the Vatican by mid-late summer 2026.”“If H.O.P.E. fails to demonstrate sufficient evidence to the Vatican by mid-late summer, then Holy Family Church could be sold to a secular buyer and could be destroyed,” the group said.Parish’s roots stretch back to early 1800sThe Auburn-based Roblee Historic Preservation said in a “statement of significance” report that Auburn was the site of the first Catholic Mass in the Western New York region in the early 1800s. The Roblee report was drafted in order to assist the city’s historic review board in potentially awarding a landmark designation to the parish. The New York Historic Preservation Office had previously said the property was eligible for listing on both the state and national historic registers.
Holy Family Church hosts the wedding of Joseph Paul Staehr Sr. and Jean Marie Hayes Staehr on Nov. 29, 1958. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Richard Staehr
The Church of the Holy Family was initially dedicated in 1830 in a chapel previously used by local Methodists. The current building was built in 1861 by local Dutch-born master builder John Vanderbosch.The report described the parish as the “mother church” of Auburn and “an iconic part of its downtown skyline.” On its website, the Catholic preservation group says it hopes to retain the parish for “Catholic religious activity,” including rosary groups and private prayer groups, “occasional worship,” sacred music concerts, sacred art displays, and architecture tours.Karen Odrzywolski, the president of the parish preservation group, said the church is also meant to preserve the memory and legacy of Bishop Patrick Byrne, an apostolic delegate to Korea who was martyred in 1950 during a four-month-long forced march while in the captivity of communist forces in North Korea. Born in Washington, D.C., Byrne spent his formative years in Auburn, living just a few blocks from the parish. His family attended Mass there and he attended the parochial school; he was confirmed at the parish in 1900.
A record from Holy Family Church shows the Sept. 2, 1900, date of Bishop Patrick Byrne’s confirmation. | Credit: Courtesy of H.O.P.E.
Odrzywolski told EWTN News the preservation group formed in July 2024, a month after the parish was officially shuttered by the diocese. “We initially put together a preservation plan, which we shared with our pastor and with the Diocese of Rochester,” she said. “We’ve also shared it with the Vatican.” “We’ve also worked on educating the community as to the significance of the church,” she said. “We’ve had events in honor of Bishop Byrne and of his family, and on the 75th anniversary of his martyrdom we had a prayer vigil.”In addition to the link with Byrne, Odrzywolski said the parish was also once host to another famous Catholic bishop, now-Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen. The prelate, at the time the bishop of the Diocese of Rochester, officiated the funeral Mass of Father William Davie at the parish in 1968. The Vatican has requested that the group demonstration its ability to fund the church’s upkeep, she said. “We’re very appreciative of this opportunity. We’re hopeful if we can demonstrate the funding they’ll allow us to proceed with preserving the church.”Thus far, Odrzywolski said, the group isn’t accepting cash donations; instead, it is collecting pledges “so we can demonstrate our ability to fund the maintenance, repair, and preservation of the church.” “We’ve received over 300 pledges,” she continued. “We’re extremely grateful to every single person who has pledged. Many people have pledged as much as they possibly can. Many who pledge in general may be of limited or fixed income.”Odrzywolski said the needed repairs are limited to the exterior facade. The interior, she said, has been well maintained over more than a century and a half. The Vatican, meanwhile, is expecting the group’s proof of viability by August. “We’re trying our best to aim for an Aug. 1 deadline in order to allow enough time to prepare the documents in a timely manner,” she said.“The truth is, we need the entire community to come together,” she said. “The closure of the church impacts the entire community, and we need individuals, families, and businesses to come together.” “It’s about the future of Auburn,” she continued. “but it’s also about honoring Bishop Byrne, and ultimately honoring God.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/parishioners-in-western-new-york-ask-vatican-to-let-them-save-160-year-old-church-catholic-we-will-not-receive-an-extension-or-any-second-chances-thats-the-urgent-messag-scaled.jpg)
Holy Family Church in Auburn, New York, is facing a possible sale to developers if local Catholics cannot provide a financial plan to the Holy See.
![Catholic, Orthodox bishops join in dialogue and prayer at Washington, D.C., conference #Catholic Catholic and Eastern Orthodox bishops exchanged dialogue and joined together in prayer at an ecumenical conference in Washington, D.C., this week with a hope that one day the Eastern and Western churches will be reunited.The conference, held at the retreat house for the St. John Paul II National Shrine on July 13–15, was organized by the Orientale Lumen Foundation. Jack Figel, an Eastern Catholic who founded the group, named it after St. John Paul II’s apostolic letter expressing hope for reunification.Speakers included the secretary for the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, Archbishop Flavio Pace; the primate of the Orthodox Church in America, Metropolitan Tikhon Mollard; Cardinal Seán Patrick OʼMalley; Greek Orthodox Bishop Anthony Vrame; and Romanian Catholic Bishop John Michael Botean.“I grew up with — I lived with — the tension between East and West my whole life,” Figel told EWTN News.A reunification, Figel said, “all depends on the Holy Spirit.” He said: “It is going to be a miracle and it’s going to be on God’s time.”The conference included speeches by both Catholic and Orthodox bishops and joint panels. Prayer services were held in the Eastern form in which bishops from both traditions participated: a moleben to the Holy Spirit on Monday, daily vespers on Tuesday, and the Akathist to the Mother of God on Wednesday.Theological hurdlesRecent popes have had friendly relations with Eastern Orthodox patriarchs, and ongoing study by the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church is seeking to resolve theological disputes.In 2024, the commission set up two subcommittees to analyze two major points of contention: one for papal infallibility and the other for the Filioque.Papal infallibility refers to Vatican I’s teaching that the pope can infallibly define doctrines. The Filioque — Latin for “and the Son” — refers to the West adding the phrase in the Nicene Creed “the Holy Spirit … who proceeds from the Father ‘and the Son.’” Catholics argue this clarifies the Latin translation of the Creed, which was originally in Greek; but many Orthodox see it as changing the understanding of the Trinity.Vrame told EWTN News these theological issues continue to be a hurdle toward Catholic and Orthodox communion.The No. 1 issueSpeaking from the Orthodox perspective, he said papal infallibility and supremacy is the No. 1 issue. Although Orthodox acknowledge Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew as “first among equals” among patriarchs, “our governance structure allows for each national Church to govern itself,” he said.Dialogue with Rome, Vrame said, must address questions of “how do we begin to understand any claims of universal jurisdiction of the papacy” and “how do we understand any form of papal infallibility.” He said the Catholic embrace of synodality could improve dialogue on this issue.He said a major question is what unity would look like and pointed toward Rome’s relationship with Eastern Catholics as a possible example, saying they are “in communion with Rome,” but “Rome allowed them to retain their distinctive rites and practices.” However, he noted historical complications with Rome’s past attempts to Latinize Eastern Catholics and a major question to settle is: “What would unity do?”Mollard also told EWTN News “the whole question of primacy and synodality” remains a major issue, along with “centuries of separation,” which he said “doesn’t help either.”Pace told EWTN News that the subcommittee addressing infallibility has to “prepare a very good draft” on the matter that the full committee made up of Catholic and Orthodox leaders “can discuss and approve.”Steps toward unityAs the hierarchy tries to work out millennium-old theological disputes, Mollard said another step is “trying to get from the theological [dialogue] to the implementation” of a stronger relationship but warned “everyone’s afraid to do anything.”“We do have to practice these things,” he said in his speech. “Let’s work together and see if we can find our unity in Christ … [and] work on the structures that could bring that about more formally.”“Prayer and humility are always good,” Mollard said.He told EWTN News that some steps could be jointly “caring for the poor” or “feeding the hungry,” which is “the most direct way that collaboration can take place” at this time. In his speech, O’Malley called for joint prayer and study sessions, joint pastoral letters and statements, and joint works of mercy.Figel suggested Catholic and Orthodox parishes should “pray once a month for unity for at least 10 or 15 minutes.”Ultimately, Vrame said full unity and communion would be expressed “in the Eucharist” if all issues are resolved.“We don’t share the Eucharist,” he said. “That would be the culminating moment.”Dialogue and the laityMany bishops said dialogue and bonds should take place among laity too, with Botean saying in his speech that ecumenism cannot just be “at the level of academics.”“Without the face-to-face stuff, … we’re going to get nowhere,” he said. “And if our competition is the internet, we have more driving us apart than together.”Botean warned against hostile and uncharitable exchanges, many of which occur on social media, saying: “When we become unloving because of our faith, we’re on the wrong track.”Lizbeth Moncada, a senior at Florida Atlantic University who attended the conference, told EWTN News that she has “a lot of friends who are Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox” but agreed that online dialogue can often be “polarizing.”She said exchanges online can be “very disheartening” and she has “wanted to stop engaging in these conversations” at times. Yet, she said discussions like what occurred at the conference are “encouraging.”Andrew Likoudis of the ecumenical Likoudis Legacy Foundation, told EWTN News: “I try not to even engage in online discourse because of how toxic it is.” Yet, he said “the discourse here is much healthier” and allows Catholics and Orthodox Christians to “cross theological boundaries and retain the integrity of our own traditions without compromise.”Vrame, commenting on dialogue, said “beating up on somebody else is not very Christian … no matter what you think of their position.” He said people can have “respectful disagreements … without having to beat up on somebody,” saying that’s “no way to show love for your neighbor.”He said it’s good that people are passionate about their faith but posed the question: “Are we passionate in a way that reflects Christ and Christianity?”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/catholic-orthodox-bishops-join-in-dialogue-and-prayer-at-washington-d-c-conference-catholic-catholic-and-eastern-orthodox-bishops-exchanged-dialogue-and-joined-together-in-prayer-at-an-ecumenical-scaled.jpg "Catholic, Orthodox bishops join in dialogue and prayer at Washington, D.C., conference #Catholic Catholic and Eastern Orthodox bishops exchanged dialogue and joined together in prayer at an ecumenical conference in Washington, D.C., this week with a hope that one day the Eastern and Western churches will be reunited.The conference, held at the retreat house for the St. John Paul II National Shrine on July 13–15, was organized by the Orientale Lumen Foundation. Jack Figel, an Eastern Catholic who founded the group, named it after St. John Paul II’s apostolic letter expressing hope for reunification.Speakers included the secretary for the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, Archbishop Flavio Pace; the primate of the Orthodox Church in America, Metropolitan Tikhon Mollard; Cardinal Seán Patrick OʼMalley; Greek Orthodox Bishop Anthony Vrame; and Romanian Catholic Bishop John Michael Botean.“I grew up with — I lived with — the tension between East and West my whole life,” Figel told EWTN News.A reunification, Figel said, “all depends on the Holy Spirit.” He said: “It is going to be a miracle and it’s going to be on God’s time.”The conference included speeches by both Catholic and Orthodox bishops and joint panels. Prayer services were held in the Eastern form in which bishops from both traditions participated: a moleben to the Holy Spirit on Monday, daily vespers on Tuesday, and the Akathist to the Mother of God on Wednesday.Theological hurdlesRecent popes have had friendly relations with Eastern Orthodox patriarchs, and ongoing study by the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church is seeking to resolve theological disputes.In 2024, the commission set up two subcommittees to analyze two major points of contention: one for papal infallibility and the other for the Filioque.Papal infallibility refers to Vatican I’s teaching that the pope can infallibly define doctrines. The Filioque — Latin for “and the Son” — refers to the West adding the phrase in the Nicene Creed “the Holy Spirit … who proceeds from the Father ‘and the Son.’” Catholics argue this clarifies the Latin translation of the Creed, which was originally in Greek; but many Orthodox see it as changing the understanding of the Trinity.Vrame told EWTN News these theological issues continue to be a hurdle toward Catholic and Orthodox communion.The No. 1 issueSpeaking from the Orthodox perspective, he said papal infallibility and supremacy is the No. 1 issue. Although Orthodox acknowledge Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew as “first among equals” among patriarchs, “our governance structure allows for each national Church to govern itself,” he said.Dialogue with Rome, Vrame said, must address questions of “how do we begin to understand any claims of universal jurisdiction of the papacy” and “how do we understand any form of papal infallibility.” He said the Catholic embrace of synodality could improve dialogue on this issue.He said a major question is what unity would look like and pointed toward Rome’s relationship with Eastern Catholics as a possible example, saying they are “in communion with Rome,” but “Rome allowed them to retain their distinctive rites and practices.” However, he noted historical complications with Rome’s past attempts to Latinize Eastern Catholics and a major question to settle is: “What would unity do?”Mollard also told EWTN News “the whole question of primacy and synodality” remains a major issue, along with “centuries of separation,” which he said “doesn’t help either.”Pace told EWTN News that the subcommittee addressing infallibility has to “prepare a very good draft” on the matter that the full committee made up of Catholic and Orthodox leaders “can discuss and approve.”Steps toward unityAs the hierarchy tries to work out millennium-old theological disputes, Mollard said another step is “trying to get from the theological [dialogue] to the implementation” of a stronger relationship but warned “everyone’s afraid to do anything.”“We do have to practice these things,” he said in his speech. “Let’s work together and see if we can find our unity in Christ … [and] work on the structures that could bring that about more formally.”“Prayer and humility are always good,” Mollard said.He told EWTN News that some steps could be jointly “caring for the poor” or “feeding the hungry,” which is “the most direct way that collaboration can take place” at this time. In his speech, O’Malley called for joint prayer and study sessions, joint pastoral letters and statements, and joint works of mercy.Figel suggested Catholic and Orthodox parishes should “pray once a month for unity for at least 10 or 15 minutes.”Ultimately, Vrame said full unity and communion would be expressed “in the Eucharist” if all issues are resolved.“We don’t share the Eucharist,” he said. “That would be the culminating moment.”Dialogue and the laityMany bishops said dialogue and bonds should take place among laity too, with Botean saying in his speech that ecumenism cannot just be “at the level of academics.”“Without the face-to-face stuff, … we’re going to get nowhere,” he said. “And if our competition is the internet, we have more driving us apart than together.”Botean warned against hostile and uncharitable exchanges, many of which occur on social media, saying: “When we become unloving because of our faith, we’re on the wrong track.”Lizbeth Moncada, a senior at Florida Atlantic University who attended the conference, told EWTN News that she has “a lot of friends who are Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox” but agreed that online dialogue can often be “polarizing.”She said exchanges online can be “very disheartening” and she has “wanted to stop engaging in these conversations” at times. Yet, she said discussions like what occurred at the conference are “encouraging.”Andrew Likoudis of the ecumenical Likoudis Legacy Foundation, told EWTN News: “I try not to even engage in online discourse because of how toxic it is.” Yet, he said “the discourse here is much healthier” and allows Catholics and Orthodox Christians to “cross theological boundaries and retain the integrity of our own traditions without compromise.”Vrame, commenting on dialogue, said “beating up on somebody else is not very Christian … no matter what you think of their position.” He said people can have “respectful disagreements … without having to beat up on somebody,” saying that’s “no way to show love for your neighbor.”He said it’s good that people are passionate about their faith but posed the question: “Are we passionate in a way that reflects Christ and Christianity?”")
Catholic and Orthodox bishops discussed steps toward unity and the importance of cooperation and friendly dialogue.
![Cardinal O’Malley at Catholic-Orthodox conference: ‘Come together and pray for unity’ #Catholic WASHINGTON — Cardinal Seán Patrick OʼMalley, retired archbishop of Boston, encouraged Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christians to pray together for reunification at a joint conference focused on healing the nearly 1,000-year schism between the churches.“Come together and pray for unity,” O’Malley said at the conference, hosted by the Orientale Lumen Foundation at the retreat house for the St. John Paul II National Shrine on July 13–15.Speakers included Roman Catholic, Eastern Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox bishops, and a few dozen laity and clergy focused on ecumenism attended. Along with O’Malley, speakers included Archbishop Flavio Pace — secretary of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity — and Metropolitan Tikhon Mollard, primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA).O’Malley encouraged concrete steps to integrate Catholic and Orthodox communities, one of the most important of which was “praying together.” Just prior to his speech, the Catholic and Orthodox clergy — including O’Malley, Pace, and Mollard — prayed daily vespers together in the form used in Eastern churches.The cardinal, speaking to those gathered, said unity will ultimately be achieved as a gift to the faithful granted by Christ and will come about “how he wills [it].” He said he considers joint prayer to be crucial because it is the Holy Spirit who will “illuminate the way” toward East-West communion.‘Work for unity’In his address, O’Malley discussed his concern with the disunity of Christianity, which he said “weakens our ability [as Christians] to proclaim the Gospel with coherence and authority.”He recalled his early work in the 1970s with the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin. The order was deeply involved in missionary work in Papua New Guinea. Although O’Malley himself was not a missionary there, he spoke about conversations with colleagues who were working with people accepting Christianity in large numbers.O’Malley noted that when new converts had learned about the various Christian denominations, many felt “sad and embarrassed.” Although many Christians view the disunity as “normative,” he said, the people of Papua New Guinea correctly recognized it as “scandalous.”“All disciples of Jesus Christ must feel an impulse to work for unity among Christians,” O’Malley said.O’Malley said Catholics should see Orthodoxy as the “greatest possibility of success in this task in fulfilling Christ’s wish so that we all become one so the world may believe.” He noted that the two share “so many saints and devotions” and are more similar to Catholics in theology than any other Christian community.He expressed joy that many Orthodox churches send representatives to meetings held by the Vatican and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and that the Catholic Church also sent representatives to the Orthodox Council of Crete in 2016. Yet, he encouraged a stronger bond.O’Malley urged the bodies to “consider the possibility of joint pastoral letters or statements” on issues of mutual agreement like world hunger, euthanasia, and abortion. He said they should establish committees together to organize joint prayer, study sessions, and works of mercy.His idea of unity, he explained, would be “communion without absorption” and said there is a difference between “unity and uniformity.” He said people should look to the Eastern Catholic Churches as a model, saying “they are bridges for reconciliation and laboratories for synodal communion.”Although Rome’s relationship with the Eastern Catholics was not always perfect (O’Malley noted historical attempts at forced Latinization), the cardinal said there is an opportunity to work more closely with Eastern Catholics as part of ecumenical efforts, focused on “greater respect for their uniqueness.”Mollard, speaking from the Orthodox position, echoed O’Malley’s desire for unity and the feeling of pain over continued separation.“It affects the faithful in the parishes and how they live their lives,” the metropolitan said. “And perhaps encourage[s] us all to not just reach out and educate but really inspire in people that faith in Christ and love for the Church can drive … [the path toward] unity.”O’Malley told EWTN News that ecumenism requires “different groups that would be Catholic and Orthodox, working together,” and Church leaders should be “letting people know the progress that has been made in the dialogue.”He said Eastern Orthodox Christians “have the sacraments,” they have apostolic succession, and “the differences are not great.” Although theological disputes remain a division between Catholicism and Orthodoxy, he said he believes the causes of the schism were more political and cultural.“Most Catholics and Orthodox in the pews are not focused on those fine points of theology,” O’Malley said.Ongoing Vatican ecumenical workMany theological disputes, however, are being hashed out at the highest levels of the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. Some of the biggest include questions of papal supremacy, primacy, and jurisdiction as well as the language of the Nicene Creed and subsequently certain details about the Holy Trinity.Pace, who flew in from Rome, discussed some of the history and recent progress on ecumenism related to these subjects during his speech, noting that the end goal is “full unity” between the East and the West.
Archbishop Flavio Pace, secretary of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, speaks at the Orientale Lumen Foundation conference at the retreat house for the St. John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C., on July 15, 2026. | Credit: Tyler Arnold/EWTN News
The Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, formed in 1980, created two subcommittees in 2024. One focuses on infallibility, which is the current priority. The other is about the dispute about the Nicene Creed."We have to prepare a very good draft,” Pace told EWTN News.He said once the subcommittee completes its draft on infallibility, the body will consider a call for a full meeting for approval. He said the subcommittee must “arrive to a good document that the [full committee] can discuss and approve.”The First Vatican Council teaches that the pope speaks infallibly on matters of faith and morals when defining matters of doctrine and invoking his papal authority, binding the declaration on the entire Church.Bishop Anthony Vrame, a Greek Orthodox bishop and director of Holy Cross Orthodox Press, said in a panel discussion that Orthodoxy recognizes the indefectibility of councils: “When the Church gathers together in council, … no error is possible.” Yet, papal infallibility is different, as it is “designated to one person.”Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, offered a prerecorded video message for the conference, stating that he hopes the eventual documents will be received by the Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox churches.Koch emphasized the importance of clergy informing the laity when there are developments, so the progress is “not to be remained known only by experts.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/cardinal-omalley-at-catholic-orthodox-conference-come-together-and-pray-for-unity-catholic-washington-cardinal-sean-patrick-ocabcmalley-retired-archbishop-of-scaled.jpg)
Cardinal Seán O’Malley discussed ways in which Catholics and Orthodox Christians can build closer bonds. Archbishop Flavio Pace discussed ongoing Vatican efforts to help bring about unity.
The vote, ending an unusual parliamentary stalemate between the National Assembly and the Senate, came three years after President Emmanuel Macron first opened the question to national debate.
![2 historic churches in Mexico City reopen almost 9 years after earthquake damage #Catholic Almost nine years after the earthquakes that shook central and southwestern Mexico in September 2017, St. John of God Church and Holy True Cross Church, both located in Mexico City, have reopened their doors for worship.On July 8, a Mass was celebrated at Holy Cross Church, marking the communityʼs return to their church and concluding a lengthy restoration process.
Start of the reopening Mass at Holy Cross Parish. | Credit: Holy True Cross Parish, Mexico City
The earthquakes of Sept. 7 and 19, 2017, resulted in 468 deaths and caused damage to thousands of buildings.In Mexico City alone, around 160 Catholic churches suffered structural damage of varying severity such as these two churches located just a short distance apart.
Restoration work at the Holy True Cross Parish. | Credit: Holy True Cross Parish, Mexico City
5 centuries of historyHoly True Cross Church is considered one of the oldest churches in the country.According to tradition, the explorer and conquistador Hernán Cortés ordered the construction of a small chapel to commemorate the landing of the Spanish expedition at the port of what is now known as the state of Veracruz. Over time, that chapel gave rise to the parish as it is known today.Facebook postThe church also houses important works of sacred art, such as the Christ of the Seven Veils, which is said to have been a gift from Pope Paul III to King Carlos V of Spain. Additionally, a relic of the true cross is preserved there, considered by Christian tradition to be a fragment of the cross on which Jesus Christ died.
Reliquary containing a splinter of the true cross. | Credit: “EWTN Noticias”
In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Father Juan Carlos Guerrero Ugalde, the pastor of Holy True Cross and St. John of God, stated that restoring the churches was a priority of “not only ecclesiastical but also civic interest.”“This church [Holy True Cross] was the third parish established in the city and, therefore, holds a tradition of faith dating back to the 16th century,” he explained.9 years to returnGuerrero described the restoration process as “meticulous and slow” due to the complexity of the damage.Among other measures, the bell towers, which were at risk of collapse, were reinforced, cracks were repaired, the hydraulic piles supporting both structures were serviced, the roofs were waterproofed, and work was carried out to correct the effects of the ground settling.Facebook postThe work was overseen by the National Institute of Anthropology and History, as both buildings are part of the nationʼs historical heritage.In Mexico, religious buildings constructed prior to the 1992 constitutional reforms are state property, although they remain places of worship and are used by religious associations.The restoration of the Holy True Cross church faced an additional challenge: a fire in August 2020 caused by individuals living on the street. Reports indicate that a campfire spiraled out of control, damaging the choir loft, the dome, and sacred art.Today, those walking through the historic central part of Mexico City can once again enter the church. Marcela Eduardo, who works in the area and took a moment of free time to stop in and pray, did just that.“It brought me great joy to see it open and to see that repairs are underway,” she noted in an interview with ACI Prensa. She said that when she saw the parish church open, her first thought was to go in to see Christ and “greet him, make the sign of the cross, and ask him for something: that he give me more energy.” Much more than a churchThese churches are surrounded by some of Mexico’s most important cultural landmarks, such as the Franz Mayer Museum, the Palace of Fine Arts, and the Alameda Central, a large city park.
Visible in the background of the photo are the Torre Latinoamericana, the Palace of Fine Arts, and part of the Alameda Central. | Credit: “EWTN Noticias”
Although Holy True Cross and St. John of God churches might go unnoticed by some tourists amid so many other buildings, Guerrero noted that their value has been “significant for both the faith and the city.”He explained that, following the 1985 earthquake, the area welcomed numerous families from various places, necessitating the construction of a new community identity. Pastoral work at the time “consisted of gradually integrating the way of life of longtime residents and that of those who were newly arriving.”Over the years, he added, violence, drug trafficking, and social breakdown affected life in the neighborhood, making the Church’s presence even more necessary.Facebook postFor Betsabé Jara, who visited the church after touring the Franz Mayer Museum, the reopening represents an opportunity to regain a place for encountering God.“It brings peace of mind that the church is open, that one can enter and pray. Especially for people who couldnʼt go elsewhere because there wasnʼt a church nearby,” she said in an interview with ACI Prensa.Building the communityThe priest noted that reactivating community life will be the next challenge. He explained that a “call has already gone out to neighborhood residents to come for formation as pastoral workers.”
Interior of Holy True Cross Church. | Credit: “EWTN Noticias”
He also noted that they aim to develop social programs such as job training for individuals who did not complete their formal education as well as cultural initiatives in collaboration with nearby museums.“We want the spaces we have in both churches to be truly utilized and filled with formation programs,” Guerrero said.As the community gradually restores life to these churches, Masses are currently held regularly on Sundays, whereas weekday Masses take place only upon the request of the faithful.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/2-historic-churches-in-mexico-city-reopen-almost-9-years-after-earthquake-damage-catholic-almost-nine-years-after-the-earthquakes-that-shook-central-and-southwestern-mexico-in-september-2017-st-joh.jpg)
Work was slow and meticulous due to the complexity of the damage, but the two churches in the historic city center of Mexico City are now open to the faithful.
The society filed its appeal with the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith on July 11, arguing that under canon law the move suspends the recent excommunication decree.
Efforts to address the abuse crisis in the Church have focused on minors and vulnerable adults, leaving unaddressed the abuse suffered by women religious. Efforts are underway to rectify that.
![Earthquake survivor in Venezuela: ‘The Miraculous Medal saved me’ #Catholic In Playa Grande, a neighborhood in the city of La Guaira, Venezuela, Kamar Galíndez was on the top floor of Chipi’s Beach Hotel, preparing to start his daily workout in the gym, unaware that his life was about to change forever.It was Wednesday, June 24, the feast day of St. John the Baptist and a national holiday commemorating the anniversary of the decisive Battle of Carabobo. At 6:05 p.m., the peaceful atmosphere created by the stunning ocean view from the top of the hotel was shattered by the thunderous violence of two consecutive earthquakes that took everyone by surprise, sowing anguish and confusion.Speaking with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Galíndez, a 53-year-old lawyer, recalled how the heavy gym machines began moving from one side to the other, much like an air hockey puck. Disaster struck within seconds.“The floor split, and immediately I saw half the building tilting forward while the section I was in collapsed straight down; I felt my feet were no longer standing on anything, and the next thing [I knew], I was trapped in the rubble,” he recounted.
Remains of Chipi’s Beach Hotel in Playa Grande, from which Kamar Galíndez managed to come out alive. | Credit: Andrés Henríquez/EWTN News
Faced with imminent death: ‘Lord, have mercy!’Galíndez recounted that the only thing he managed to do was to seek protection beside a nearby wall. As he felt the building collapsing, what came to his mind was the image of the Lord Jesus as he first appeared to St. Faustina Kowalska on Feb. 22, 1931.“I remember thinking of the merciful Christ and praying, ‘Lord, have mercy,’” he said, on the verge of tears. “The next thing was feeling the building collapse because with that violent shaking, I kept saying, ‘It’s going to fall,’ and of course, it did.”Galíndez never lost consciousness. He said he felt every blow but that “amid the shock and fear, physical sensations become secondary.” Once the confusion of the collapse subsided, he realized he was alive, though his body was completely buried in the rubble and pinned by a massive beam crushing his chest.He couldn’t breathe properly. His head had not been buried, and through that immense mountain of twisted metal, bricks, and earth, he could see the sky, still lit by the last rays of the evening sun. All around, the desperate screams of other people trapped in the rubble could be heard.Galíndez wiped his face and tried to move to free himself. Then he realized his left arm was broken: “A lot of desperation, a lot of fear” is what he recalled feeling, yet amid the suffering, he didn’t hesitate to entrust himself to God’s protection.“Then I prayed to stay calm. What I did was to pray a lot: ‘OK, Father God, help me get out of here. Keep me calm’ was the first thing I prayed. ‘Keep me calm and tell me what I need to do,’” he recounted.He signaled for help as best he could. He said he has no idea how long he was underneath the rubble, but he knows it “felt like an eternity.” Finally, a man who had climbed the mountain of debris helped him break free.‘The Miraculous Medal saved me’Galíndez made his way down the remains of the collapsed building on his own. Upon realizing the magnitude of the tragedy, which claimed thousands of lives in a split second, he is positive that emerging virtually unharmed was a miracle, one he attributes to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, to whom he has always been devoted.“I was wearing a small chain with a crucifix and a tiny medal of the Miraculous Virgin. Among the things I lost track of, the chain broke, though, of course, I hadnʼt noticed it at the time,” he recalled.On his way to his home, which was also completely destroyed, a couple of young people helped Galíndez with first aid. While they were tending to him, he became aware of one of those small miracles that holds profound meaning for someone with sincere faith.He asked the young people to help him put his watch into one of the pockets of his shorts, as he needed to remove it to hold his fractured arm still. And then, the inexplicable happened.“I was wearing shorts with a small zippered pocket, and when I looked — don’t ask me where from, don’t ask me how — a piece of the chain and the Miraculous Medal were caught inside.”"Of course, I told the boy: ‘Please, put that little medal away for me too, because that was what saved me,’” he said. “I havenʼt the slightest doubt.”“Absolutely, absolutely,” he replied when asked if he truly believes his life is a miracle obtained through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin.
The Miraculous Medal that Kamar Galíndez wore around his neck, which broke during the collapse and later appeared — inexplicably — in the pocket of his shorts. | Credit: Andrés Henríquez/EWTN News
Many people didn’t make it out of what was left of the hotel. For Galíndez, having survived is the work of the mercy of God, who listened to his pleas in every instant and granted him his request for a reason he still does not know.“In the greatest adversity, you begin to see it in terms of what is most basic, because the most basic thing becomes impossible. When the most basic thing is impossible and you manage to do it anyway, you say: ‘Only God can do that,’” he reflected.“There is a God who looks after you in that moment, attending to what you are asking of him and what you need. From freeing up an arm or reminding you of his presence by leaving a small medal hanging from your [shorts],” he said. He then emphasized what he considers most important following his harrowing experience: "I have the greatest gift God [my dear] Father gave me, which is life.”Galíndez said he feels deeply grateful to be alive. For him, what happened serves as a humbling reminder that what we have comes from the will and mercy of God, who does not abandon his people; who does not abandon Venezuelans, especially during times of greatest suffering.At the time of publication, the official death toll in Venezuela from the double earthquake has risen to 3,535, while the number of injured has reached 16,740. Estimates by independent organizations indicate that tens of thousands of people are still missing.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/earthquake-survivor-in-venezuela-the-miraculous-medal-saved-me-catholic-in-playa-grande-a-neighborhood-in-the-city-of-la-guaira-venezuela-kamar-galindez-was-on-the-top-floor-of.jpg)
Kamar Galíndez credits his survival to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Miraculous Medal he wore was torn from his neck as the building collapsed and inexplicably ended up in one of his zippered pockets.
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Aerial view of the ruins of Takht-i-Bahi, a 1st-century CE Buddhist monastery complex located in what was once the ancient Indian region of Gandhara, in the present-day northern Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is representative of Buddhist monastic architecture from its era and the ruins were listed as a World Heritage Site in 1980, with UNESCO describing it as having been “exceptionally well-preserved”.
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