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Jonathan Roumie trades in Jesus sandals for dress shoes in new ‘wholesome’ rom-com #Catholic Jonathan Roumie, known for his role portraying Jesus in “The Chosen,” is trading in the sandals for dress shoes in a new movie titled “Solo Mio” to be released on Feb. 6.Roumie first appeared as Jesus in the hit series in 2019. In 2023, he took on the role of Lonnie Frisbee, an evangelical pastor, in the film “Jesus Revolution.” Now, Roumie is playing the role of Neil, a wannabe therapist, in his first non-faith-based role since taking on the role of Jesus Christ.“It was a lovely change of pace for me,” Roumie told EWTN News in an interview. “It was nice to play a character that is not shouldering the weight of the world.”“Solo Mio,” rated PG and taking place in Rome, is a romantic comedy starring Kevin James as Matt Taylor, an art teacher left at the altar in Rome who decides to go on his nonrefundable honeymoon despite no longer being in a relationship. Throughout his journey, he encounters fellow honeymooners Neil, played by Roumie, and Julian, played by Kim Coates, who offer friendship and advice.Roumie shared that he became friends with James, a practicing Catholic, during a Lenten spiritual retreat. Two years later, James reached out to Roumie to pitch him the idea of the movie. Kevin James and Jonathan Roumie in “Solo Mio.” | Credit: Angel Studios “I said, ‘I’d do anything you’re doing. Whatever you’re doing, if you want me in it, I’d be honored to be in it,” Roumie recalled. “Because I just love him, I love his heart, and I love who he is and getting to know him as a person and as a man of faith to me was like, ‘All right, whatever this guy’s doing I know it’s going to be — he’s got God at the center of his life, so I know it’ll be good no matter what.’”Reflecting on his character, Neil, and Jesus, Roumie pointed out a similarity the two share in that they “both have huge hearts.”“Neil wants to help people heal. That’s his thing. He’s a therapist and he wants to help people heal and so does Jesus. And so I think that’s where they can kind of connect in that way,” he added.Another major theme seen throughout the film is the importance of genuine male friendships — a theme also seen among Jesus and the disciples in “The Chosen.”Roumie said he believes portrayals of male friendships are important because “for whatever reason, culture or society or the world in its current state has driven culture to, I don’t know, paint this negative picture of what it means to be masculine and what it means to share brotherhood.”“I think it comes down to this detraction of masculinity. And the whole toxic masculinity thing I think was something adopted by the culture that became very pervasive over the last 10 years,” he added. “And so you’ve seen any image of men being just men, and like good men, just stripped from stories and stripped from culture as if that’s what people want to see. And I think it’s a gross mischaracterization of what it means to be a man.”The actor said he sees this new movie as a “real throwback to how stories used to be told and the kinds of movies that used to be made — they were just good films, with great stories, that were wholesome, and that were beloved by generations of fans.”Roumie admitted that he’s aware that there will be people who are “a little nervous to see it because they only want to see me as Jesus.”“To them I say: It’s OK. It’s going to be OK. You’re going to enjoy the film. It’s within the ethos of the projects that appeal to me. It’s within the ethos of the spirit of the work that I think God has put me on this Earth to do. It’s within the ethos of the mission and the ministry that I carry as an artist,” he said.
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Jonathan Roumie trades in Jesus sandals for dress shoes in new ‘wholesome’ rom-com #Catholic Jonathan Roumie, known for his role portraying Jesus in “The Chosen,” is trading in the sandals for dress shoes in a new movie titled “Solo Mio” to be released on Feb. 6.Roumie first appeared as Jesus in the hit series in 2019. In 2023, he took on the role of Lonnie Frisbee, an evangelical pastor, in the film “Jesus Revolution.” Now, Roumie is playing the role of Neil, a wannabe therapist, in his first non-faith-based role since taking on the role of Jesus Christ.“It was a lovely change of pace for me,” Roumie told EWTN News in an interview. “It was nice to play a character that is not shouldering the weight of the world.”“Solo Mio,” rated PG and taking place in Rome, is a romantic comedy starring Kevin James as Matt Taylor, an art teacher left at the altar in Rome who decides to go on his nonrefundable honeymoon despite no longer being in a relationship. Throughout his journey, he encounters fellow honeymooners Neil, played by Roumie, and Julian, played by Kim Coates, who offer friendship and advice.Roumie shared that he became friends with James, a practicing Catholic, during a Lenten spiritual retreat. Two years later, James reached out to Roumie to pitch him the idea of the movie. Kevin James and Jonathan Roumie in “Solo Mio.” | Credit: Angel Studios “I said, ‘I’d do anything you’re doing. Whatever you’re doing, if you want me in it, I’d be honored to be in it,” Roumie recalled. “Because I just love him, I love his heart, and I love who he is and getting to know him as a person and as a man of faith to me was like, ‘All right, whatever this guy’s doing I know it’s going to be — he’s got God at the center of his life, so I know it’ll be good no matter what.’”Reflecting on his character, Neil, and Jesus, Roumie pointed out a similarity the two share in that they “both have huge hearts.”“Neil wants to help people heal. That’s his thing. He’s a therapist and he wants to help people heal and so does Jesus. And so I think that’s where they can kind of connect in that way,” he added.Another major theme seen throughout the film is the importance of genuine male friendships — a theme also seen among Jesus and the disciples in “The Chosen.”Roumie said he believes portrayals of male friendships are important because “for whatever reason, culture or society or the world in its current state has driven culture to, I don’t know, paint this negative picture of what it means to be masculine and what it means to share brotherhood.”“I think it comes down to this detraction of masculinity. And the whole toxic masculinity thing I think was something adopted by the culture that became very pervasive over the last 10 years,” he added. “And so you’ve seen any image of men being just men, and like good men, just stripped from stories and stripped from culture as if that’s what people want to see. And I think it’s a gross mischaracterization of what it means to be a man.”The actor said he sees this new movie as a “real throwback to how stories used to be told and the kinds of movies that used to be made — they were just good films, with great stories, that were wholesome, and that were beloved by generations of fans.”Roumie admitted that he’s aware that there will be people who are “a little nervous to see it because they only want to see me as Jesus.”“To them I say: It’s OK. It’s going to be OK. You’re going to enjoy the film. It’s within the ethos of the projects that appeal to me. It’s within the ethos of the spirit of the work that I think God has put me on this Earth to do. It’s within the ethos of the mission and the ministry that I carry as an artist,” he said.

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“Solo Mio” will be released in theaters across the U.S. on Feb. 6.

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‘Adopt a Bishop’ initiative invites faithful to pray for Church leaders #Catholic Pope Leo XIV speaks to bishops gathered for the Jubilee of Bishops on June 25, 2025, in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. | Credit: Vatican Media Jan 11, 2026 / 06:00 am (CNA). Soon after the election of Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle shared in a press conference that moments before then-Cardinal Robert Prevost was chosen to be pontiff, Tagle noticed the emotion by the soon-to-be-pope as it was becoming more clear he would be elected, so he reached into his pocket and offered Prevost a piece of candy.It was this simple moment that inspired Lauren Winter, founder of the Catholic company Brick House in the City, to start the Adopt a Bishop initiative.“It really reminded me that these are all human beings who made the choice one day to accept a very serious ‘yes,’” Winter told CNA in an interview.The Adopt a Bishop initiative, which has been launched in collaboration with The Dorothea Project, invites the faithful to adopt a bishop for the year and pray for that bishop throughout the year.“I think our bishops carry an enormous and often invisible spiritual weight,” she said. “They carry a responsibility that most of us never see — it’s pastoral and spiritual and it’s deeply personal and they’re holding entire dioceses in their prayer. And I think that kind of weight requires spiritual support.”This is the first year of the initiative and over 1,000 people have already signed up to adopt a bishop in prayer. When an individual signs up on the website that person is randomly assigned a bishop from anywhere in the world.Winter explained that she decided to use a random generator in order to “remove preference.”“I didn’t want anyone to choose a bishop that they already knew and admired and I wanted to leave that room for the Holy Spirit,” she said. “And it may be a bishop you are already familiar with. It may be a bishop that is someone that you have disagreed with. But the call to prayer is still there and I think receiving a bishop instead of choosing one, that felt more like a posture of reception, which I feel like it’s more aligned with how grace works in the Church — just leaving the room there for the Spirit to work.”The Catholic business owner highlighted the importance spiritual adoption plays in the Church in that it reminds us that “we are also being prayed for, it strengthens the bonds within the Church, and then I feel like it helps us to live more intentionally as one body of Christ.”Winter said she hopes that through this initiative “people feel more connected to their bishop, to the Church, to the quiet work of prayer, and how a small faithful commitment can really shape our faith.”“I imagine many people when they meet a bishop, they ask the good bishop to pray for them and I think it’s really beautiful that we can return that — the reciprocity of prayer. I think they need our prayers too.”
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‘Adopt a Bishop’ initiative invites faithful to pray for Church leaders #Catholic Pope Leo XIV speaks to bishops gathered for the Jubilee of Bishops on June 25, 2025, in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. | Credit: Vatican Media Jan 11, 2026 / 06:00 am (CNA). Soon after the election of Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle shared in a press conference that moments before then-Cardinal Robert Prevost was chosen to be pontiff, Tagle noticed the emotion by the soon-to-be-pope as it was becoming more clear he would be elected, so he reached into his pocket and offered Prevost a piece of candy.It was this simple moment that inspired Lauren Winter, founder of the Catholic company Brick House in the City, to start the Adopt a Bishop initiative.“It really reminded me that these are all human beings who made the choice one day to accept a very serious ‘yes,’” Winter told CNA in an interview.The Adopt a Bishop initiative, which has been launched in collaboration with The Dorothea Project, invites the faithful to adopt a bishop for the year and pray for that bishop throughout the year.“I think our bishops carry an enormous and often invisible spiritual weight,” she said. “They carry a responsibility that most of us never see — it’s pastoral and spiritual and it’s deeply personal and they’re holding entire dioceses in their prayer. And I think that kind of weight requires spiritual support.”This is the first year of the initiative and over 1,000 people have already signed up to adopt a bishop in prayer. When an individual signs up on the website that person is randomly assigned a bishop from anywhere in the world.Winter explained that she decided to use a random generator in order to “remove preference.”“I didn’t want anyone to choose a bishop that they already knew and admired and I wanted to leave that room for the Holy Spirit,” she said. “And it may be a bishop you are already familiar with. It may be a bishop that is someone that you have disagreed with. But the call to prayer is still there and I think receiving a bishop instead of choosing one, that felt more like a posture of reception, which I feel like it’s more aligned with how grace works in the Church — just leaving the room there for the Spirit to work.”The Catholic business owner highlighted the importance spiritual adoption plays in the Church in that it reminds us that “we are also being prayed for, it strengthens the bonds within the Church, and then I feel like it helps us to live more intentionally as one body of Christ.”Winter said she hopes that through this initiative “people feel more connected to their bishop, to the Church, to the quiet work of prayer, and how a small faithful commitment can really shape our faith.”“I imagine many people when they meet a bishop, they ask the good bishop to pray for them and I think it’s really beautiful that we can return that — the reciprocity of prayer. I think they need our prayers too.”

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Pope Leo XIV speaks to bishops gathered for the Jubilee of Bishops on June 25, 2025, in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. | Credit: Vatican Media

Jan 11, 2026 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Soon after the election of Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle shared in a press conference that moments before then-Cardinal Robert Prevost was chosen to be pontiff, Tagle noticed the emotion by the soon-to-be-pope as it was becoming more clear he would be elected, so he reached into his pocket and offered Prevost a piece of candy.

It was this simple moment that inspired Lauren Winter, founder of the Catholic company Brick House in the City, to start the Adopt a Bishop initiative.

“It really reminded me that these are all human beings who made the choice one day to accept a very serious ‘yes,’” Winter told CNA in an interview.

The Adopt a Bishop initiative, which has been launched in collaboration with The Dorothea Project, invites the faithful to adopt a bishop for the year and pray for that bishop throughout the year.

“I think our bishops carry an enormous and often invisible spiritual weight,” she said. “They carry a responsibility that most of us never see — it’s pastoral and spiritual and it’s deeply personal and they’re holding entire dioceses in their prayer. And I think that kind of weight requires spiritual support.”

This is the first year of the initiative and over 1,000 people have already signed up to adopt a bishop in prayer. When an individual signs up on the website that person is randomly assigned a bishop from anywhere in the world.

Winter explained that she decided to use a random generator in order to “remove preference.”

“I didn’t want anyone to choose a bishop that they already knew and admired and I wanted to leave that room for the Holy Spirit,” she said. “And it may be a bishop you are already familiar with. It may be a bishop that is someone that you have disagreed with. But the call to prayer is still there and I think receiving a bishop instead of choosing one, that felt more like a posture of reception, which I feel like it’s more aligned with how grace works in the Church — just leaving the room there for the Spirit to work.”

The Catholic business owner highlighted the importance spiritual adoption plays in the Church in that it reminds us that “we are also being prayed for, it strengthens the bonds within the Church, and then I feel like it helps us to live more intentionally as one body of Christ.”

Winter said she hopes that through this initiative “people feel more connected to their bishop, to the Church, to the quiet work of prayer, and how a small faithful commitment can really shape our faith.”

“I imagine many people when they meet a bishop, they ask the good bishop to pray for them and I think it’s really beautiful that we can return that — the reciprocity of prayer. I think they need our prayers too.”

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Anatomy of a Space Shuttle
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Anatomy of a Space Shuttle

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This illustration shows the parts of a space shuttle orbiter. About the same size and weight as a DC-9 aircraft, the orbiter contains the pressurized crew compartment (which can normally carry up to seven crew members), the cargo bay, and the three main engines mounted on its aft end.

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