Tianwen-2 arrives at target asteroid Kamoʻoalewa

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Nearly 400 days and a billion kilometers after leaving Earth, China’s Tianwen-2 spacecraft has arrived at its target: the near-Earth asteroid 469219 Kamoʻoalewa, also known as 2016 HO3. And the mission’s first photo of the rock has already had scientific impact, reopening an ongoing investigation over whether Kamoʻoalewa began as a chunk of the Moon.Continue reading “Tianwen-2 arrives at target asteroid Kamoʻoalewa”

The post Tianwen-2 arrives at target asteroid Kamoʻoalewa appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 15 July 2026 – A reading from the Book of Isaiah 10:5-7, 13b-16 Thus says the LORD: Woe to Assyria! My rod in anger, my staff in wrath. Against an impious nation I send him, and against a people under my wrath I order him To seize plunder, carry off loot, and tread them down like the mud of the streets. But this is not what he intends, nor does he have this in mind; Rather, it is in his heart to destroy, to make an end of nations not a few. For he says: “By my own power I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I am shrewd. I have moved the boundaries of peoples, their treasures I have pillaged, and, like a giant, I have put down the enthroned. My hand has seized like a nest the riches of nations; As one takes eggs left alone, so I took in all the earth; No one fluttered a wing, or opened a mouth, or chirped!” Will the axe boast against him who hews with it? Will the saw exalt itself above him who wields it? As if a rod could sway him who lifts it, or a staff him who is not wood! Therefore the Lord, the LORD of hosts, will send among his fat ones leanness, And instead of his glory there will be kindling like the kindling of fire.From the Gospel according to Matthew 11:25-27 At that time Jesus exclaimed:  “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”The action of the Holy Spirit is the source of the deepest inner joy. Jesus Himself experienced this particular “exultation in the Holy Spirit” when He spoke the words: “I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; yea, Father, for such was thy gracious will” (Lk 10:21; cf. Mt 11:25–26). In the texts of Luke and Matthew, these are followed by Jesus’ words on the knowledge of the Father by the Son and of the Son by the Father: a knowledge which is communicated by the Son precisely to those “babes”. It is therefore the Holy Spirit who gives also to Jesus’ disciples not only the power of victory over evil, over the “demons” (Lk 10:17), but also the supernatural joy of discovering God and life in Him through His Son. The revelation of the Holy Spirit through the power of action that fills the whole of Christ’s mission will also accompany the apostles and disciples in the work they will carry out by divine mandate. Jesus Himself announces this to them: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses . . . to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). (Saint John Paul II, Catechesis of 19 September 1990)

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A reading from the Book of Isaiah
10:5-7, 13b-16

Thus says the LORD:
Woe to Assyria! My rod in anger,
my staff in wrath.
Against an impious nation I send him,
and against a people under my wrath I order him
To seize plunder, carry off loot,
and tread them down like the mud of the streets.
But this is not what he intends,
nor does he have this in mind;
Rather, it is in his heart to destroy,
to make an end of nations not a few.

For he says:
“By my own power I have done it,
and by my wisdom, for I am shrewd.
I have moved the boundaries of peoples,
their treasures I have pillaged,
and, like a giant, I have put down the enthroned.
My hand has seized like a nest
the riches of nations;
As one takes eggs left alone,
so I took in all the earth;
No one fluttered a wing,
or opened a mouth, or chirped!”

Will the axe boast against him who hews with it?
Will the saw exalt itself above him who wields it?
As if a rod could sway him who lifts it,
or a staff him who is not wood!
Therefore the Lord, the LORD of hosts,
will send among his fat ones leanness,
And instead of his glory there will be kindling
like the kindling of fire.

From the Gospel according to Matthew
11:25-27

At that time Jesus exclaimed: 
“I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to the childlike.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows the Son except the Father,
and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

The action of the Holy Spirit is the source of the deepest inner joy. Jesus Himself experienced this particular “exultation in the Holy Spirit” when He spoke the words: “I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; yea, Father, for such was thy gracious will” (Lk 10:21; cf. Mt 11:25–26). In the texts of Luke and Matthew, these are followed by Jesus’ words on the knowledge of the Father by the Son and of the Son by the Father: a knowledge which is communicated by the Son precisely to those “babes”. It is therefore the Holy Spirit who gives also to Jesus’ disciples not only the power of victory over evil, over the “demons” (Lk 10:17), but also the supernatural joy of discovering God and life in Him through His Son. The revelation of the Holy Spirit through the power of action that fills the whole of Christ’s mission will also accompany the apostles and disciples in the work they will carry out by divine mandate. Jesus Himself announces this to them: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses . . . to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). (Saint John Paul II, Catechesis of 19 September 1990)

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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.
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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.

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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.

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Catholic Relief Services to receive 5 million in food aid for Sudan, Ethiopia #Catholic The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide up to 5 million through Catholic Relief Services (CRS) for emergency food and nutrition assistance in Sudan and Ethiopia amid widespread hunger.“More than 110,000 metric tons of U.S.-grown agricultural commodities” will be delivered to the two East African countries under an agreement in principle between CRS and the USDA, according to a July 14 USDA announcement.“American farmers feed, fuel, and clothe the world, and under President Trump’s leadership, we’re utilizing that bounty to serve those in need while ensuring that the benefits of U.S. food aid flow back to America’s hardworking farmers, ranchers, and producers that make this assistance possible,” Michelle Bekkering, USDA’s deputy undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs, said in a statement. “We’re also enforcing strict accountability so that aid goes to those who actually need it, safeguarding hard-earned taxpayer dollars, and delivering aid that builds self-reliance instead of long-term dependence.” “Authorized under Title II of the Food for Peace Act,” the announcement said, “the agreement leverages Catholic Relief Services’ operational footprints in East Africa, including the Sudan Emergency Project and the Joint Emergency Operation in Ethiopia.”CRS has faced a sharp drop in federal support after the Trump administration collapsed global‑health and humanitarian functions of the U.S. Agency for International Development into the State Department in 2025. USAID earlier supplied roughly half of the agency’s .5 billion budget.CRS President and CEO Sean Callahan said in a July 14 press release that the agreement came “at a critical moment for struggling families in Sudan and Ethiopia.”“For decades, our partnership with USDA has connected the generosity and productivity of American farmers with some of the world’s most vulnerable communities,” Callahan said. “We are committed to ensuring these resources are managed responsibly and translated into meaningful support for families working to overcome crisis.”“We are hopeful fellow trusted organizations carrying out lifesaving work across the world are supported in their efforts to meet these critical needs for extremely vulnerable families and communities,” he said.Callahan told EWTN News that CRS tracks the delivery of food commodities “to the last mile and employs robust monitoring, verification, and financial oversight to help ensure assistance reaches the people it is intended to serve.”“We continually assess security conditions, adjust operations as needed, and work closely with local partners to help ensure assistance reaches the people it is intended to serve,” he said.Maura O’Brien, a former USAID official who led its Sudan and South Sudan office and serves as coordinator for the Michael B. Kim Institute for Ethical Inquiry and Leadership at Haverford College, said CRS has been a trusted partner but USAID’s absence will be felt.“Not having any U.S. presence in the field makes any assistance more vulnerable to fraud, waste, and abuse — especially in a conflict environment. Oversight and coordination are essential to effectively delivering desperately needed relief to communities in East Africa," O’Brien said.USDA did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
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Catholic Relief Services to receive $235 million in food aid for Sudan, Ethiopia #Catholic The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide up to $235 million through Catholic Relief Services (CRS) for emergency food and nutrition assistance in Sudan and Ethiopia amid widespread hunger.“More than 110,000 metric tons of U.S.-grown agricultural commodities” will be delivered to the two East African countries under an agreement in principle between CRS and the USDA, according to a July 14 USDA announcement.“American farmers feed, fuel, and clothe the world, and under President Trump’s leadership, we’re utilizing that bounty to serve those in need while ensuring that the benefits of U.S. food aid flow back to America’s hardworking farmers, ranchers, and producers that make this assistance possible,” Michelle Bekkering, USDA’s deputy undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs, said in a statement. “We’re also enforcing strict accountability so that aid goes to those who actually need it, safeguarding hard-earned taxpayer dollars, and delivering aid that builds self-reliance instead of long-term dependence.” “Authorized under Title II of the Food for Peace Act,” the announcement said, “the agreement leverages Catholic Relief Services’ operational footprints in East Africa, including the Sudan Emergency Project and the Joint Emergency Operation in Ethiopia.”CRS has faced a sharp drop in federal support after the Trump administration collapsed global‑health and humanitarian functions of the U.S. Agency for International Development into the State Department in 2025. USAID earlier supplied roughly half of the agency’s $1.5 billion budget.CRS President and CEO Sean Callahan said in a July 14 press release that the agreement came “at a critical moment for struggling families in Sudan and Ethiopia.”“For decades, our partnership with USDA has connected the generosity and productivity of American farmers with some of the world’s most vulnerable communities,” Callahan said. “We are committed to ensuring these resources are managed responsibly and translated into meaningful support for families working to overcome crisis.”“We are hopeful fellow trusted organizations carrying out lifesaving work across the world are supported in their efforts to meet these critical needs for extremely vulnerable families and communities,” he said.Callahan told EWTN News that CRS tracks the delivery of food commodities “to the last mile and employs robust monitoring, verification, and financial oversight to help ensure assistance reaches the people it is intended to serve.”“We continually assess security conditions, adjust operations as needed, and work closely with local partners to help ensure assistance reaches the people it is intended to serve,” he said.Maura O’Brien, a former USAID official who led its Sudan and South Sudan office and serves as coordinator for the Michael B. Kim Institute for Ethical Inquiry and Leadership at Haverford College, said CRS has been a trusted partner but USAID’s absence will be felt.“Not having any U.S. presence in the field makes any assistance more vulnerable to fraud, waste, and abuse — especially in a conflict environment. Oversight and coordination are essential to effectively delivering desperately needed relief to communities in East Africa," O’Brien said.USDA did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

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“More than 110,000 metric tons of U.S.-grown agricultural commodities” will be delivered under an agreement in principle between Catholic Relief Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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Newly ordained permanent deacons are serving with Christ’s heart #Catholic – In Scripture, the number 40 is far more than a measure of time. It signifies a sacred season of prayer, preparation, testing, transformation, and new beginnings. Noah witnessed 40 days of rain before the Earth was renewed. Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai before receiving the Law. The Israelites wandered for 40 years before entering the Promised Land. Jesus fasted for 40 days in the desert before beginning his public ministry. After his resurrection, Christ remained with his disciples for 40 days before his ascension, preparing them to continue his mission. As I reflected on the first 40 days after our ordination to the permanent diaconate on May 30, I invited my brother deacons from my ordination class to share their experiences. Together, our reflections revealed a beautiful truth: although our ministries differ, our calling is the same — to serve with the heart of Jesus Christ. Contributors to this column are Deacon Elmer Lopez Maximo of Sacred Heart Parish in Rockaway, N.J.; Deacon Stephen Deehan of St. Luke Parish in the Long Valley neighborhood of Washington Township, N.J.; Deacon Paul DePinto of St. Joseph Parish in Lincoln Park, N.J.; Deacon Timothy Dunmyer of St. Jude Parish in Hopatcong, N.J.; Deacon James Gillespie of St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Mountain Lakes, N.J.; Deacon Tobi Ippolito of Holy Family Parish in Florham Park, N.J.; Deacon Tom Kimble of St. Jude Parish in the Budd Lake neighborhood of Mount Olive Township, N.J.; and Deacon Gregory Marchesi of St. Therese Parish in the Succasunna neighborhood of Roxbury Township, N.J. Living the Gospel Through Service The transition from ordination to ministry happened almost immediately. The joy of ordination quickly gave way to the privilege of serving God’s people. Many of us began preaching within days of our ordination, and we regularly proclaim the Gospel in our respective parishes. Baptism has been one of the greatest joys of our new ministry. Deacon Kimble’s very first baptism was his grandson Tommy’s into the Church. Deacons Gillespie, DePinto, Marchesi, Ippolito, and Deehan had the privilege of celebrating baptisms in the first weeks of ministry. I was blessed to celebrate my first baptism on the Feast of St. Benedict. Watching a child become a son of God while an entire family renewed their faith made the celebration memorable. Our ministry has brought us joys and sorrows. Some celebrated, assisted or preached at weddings. Deacon DePinto blessed two couples celebrating their 60th wedding anniversaries, a beautiful witness to the enduring grace of Christian marriage. They also have presided over funeral vigils, assisted at funeral Masses, and conducted their first committal services. Deacon Deehan said he blesses at least one person every day, seeing each blessing as an opportunity to renew hearts and strengthen faith. The new deacons have also blessed homes, religious articles, parishioners after Mass, and individuals asking for prayers. The deacons have found that some of the most meaningful moments happen quietly, accompanying Christ’s people in hospital rooms, parish meetings, Eucharistic adoration, holy hours, conversations after Mass, and simple encounters with people seeking encouragement. Moments That Will Stay With Us When I asked my classmates about their most memorable experiences so far, their responses reminded me that ministry is never about numbers; it is always about people served by Christ. Deacon Marchesi said that moment was when he preached his first homily, with his father present. Deacon DePinto said it was the overwhelming gratitude parishioners expressed after his first homily, thanking him for answering God’s call. Deacon Dunmyer recalls Trinity Sunday, when he delivered his first Sunday homily and realized that years of prayer, discernment, and formation had become a living reality. Deacon Deehan finds his greatest joy in witnessing lives renewed through simple, faithful presence at St. Luke’s. He said, “The best thing I find that I do is re-energizing people’s faith through my commitment to them through God.” I had the privilege of preaching at my pastor’s farewell Mass before his transfer to another parish. That day, I realized that a deacon is often invited into the holiest moments of people’s lives, not to be the center of attention but to help others encounter Christ. What We Are Learning Although each of us serves in different parishes and ministries, our reflections reveal remarkable unity. Deacon Kimble said deacons receive the grace of Holy Orders to share the Good News more effectively. Deacon Marchesi said, “Being a deacon is a humbling ministry.” Deacon DePinto reflected, “A deacon is a humble servant,” striving each day to follow Christ in both word and example. Deacon Ippolito said being a deacon involves “service to others in the name of Jesus.” Deacon Dunmyer admitted that he still has much to learn and prays for the wisdom to serve God’s people. Deacon Gillespie said, “Being a deacon means that I will be in a ministry of service, meeting the needs of my parish, community, and the diocese.” Deacon Deehan said that through a deacon’s compassionate presence, attentive listening, and faithful accompaniment, God often brings people back to the Church one encounter at a time. One of the greatest blessings of these first 40 days has been realizing that ordination did not mark the end of our journey together; it marked the beginning of a lifelong fraternity — a brotherhood in Christ, strengthening one another. We gather weekly on Zoom to pray, make sure we see each other at family gatherings and diocesan events, and have monthly dinners with our wives and families. Looking Ahead These first 40 days have taught us that a deacon’s ministry is measured not by statistics but by faithfulness. Whether preaching to a full church, baptizing a child, blessing couples celebrating 60 years of marriage, comforting grieving families, accompanying hospital patients, or quietly praying with someone after Mass, each act of service becomes an opportunity to make Christ present. We remain grateful to Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, our pastors, formation directors, mentors, families, and parish communities, whose prayers continue to sustain us. Above all, we thank God for the gift of Holy Orders and the privilege of serving His Church. Our prayer is that the Lord will continue to form our hearts after His own, so that in every word we proclaim, every person we accompany, and every act of charity we perform, others may encounter not us but Jesus Christ, the Servant of all. That is the final lesson of these first 40 days: our ministry is meant to lead others to Christ. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.  
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Newly ordained permanent deacons are serving with Christ’s heart #Catholic – In Scripture, the number 40 is far more than a measure of time. It signifies a sacred season of prayer, preparation, testing, transformation, and new beginnings. Noah witnessed 40 days of rain before the Earth was renewed. Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai before receiving the Law. The Israelites wandered for 40 years before entering the Promised Land. Jesus fasted for 40 days in the desert before beginning his public ministry. After his resurrection, Christ remained with his disciples for 40 days before his ascension, preparing them to continue his mission. As I reflected on the first 40 days after our ordination to the permanent diaconate on May 30, I invited my brother deacons from my ordination class to share their experiences. Together, our reflections revealed a beautiful truth: although our ministries differ, our calling is the same — to serve with the heart of Jesus Christ. Contributors to this column are Deacon Elmer Lopez Maximo of Sacred Heart Parish in Rockaway, N.J.; Deacon Stephen Deehan of St. Luke Parish in the Long Valley neighborhood of Washington Township, N.J.; Deacon Paul DePinto of St. Joseph Parish in Lincoln Park, N.J.; Deacon Timothy Dunmyer of St. Jude Parish in Hopatcong, N.J.; Deacon James Gillespie of St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Mountain Lakes, N.J.; Deacon Tobi Ippolito of Holy Family Parish in Florham Park, N.J.; Deacon Tom Kimble of St. Jude Parish in the Budd Lake neighborhood of Mount Olive Township, N.J.; and Deacon Gregory Marchesi of St. Therese Parish in the Succasunna neighborhood of Roxbury Township, N.J. Living the Gospel Through Service The transition from ordination to ministry happened almost immediately. The joy of ordination quickly gave way to the privilege of serving God’s people. Many of us began preaching within days of our ordination, and we regularly proclaim the Gospel in our respective parishes. Baptism has been one of the greatest joys of our new ministry. Deacon Kimble’s very first baptism was his grandson Tommy’s into the Church. Deacons Gillespie, DePinto, Marchesi, Ippolito, and Deehan had the privilege of celebrating baptisms in the first weeks of ministry. I was blessed to celebrate my first baptism on the Feast of St. Benedict. Watching a child become a son of God while an entire family renewed their faith made the celebration memorable. Our ministry has brought us joys and sorrows. Some celebrated, assisted or preached at weddings. Deacon DePinto blessed two couples celebrating their 60th wedding anniversaries, a beautiful witness to the enduring grace of Christian marriage. They also have presided over funeral vigils, assisted at funeral Masses, and conducted their first committal services. Deacon Deehan said he blesses at least one person every day, seeing each blessing as an opportunity to renew hearts and strengthen faith. The new deacons have also blessed homes, religious articles, parishioners after Mass, and individuals asking for prayers. The deacons have found that some of the most meaningful moments happen quietly, accompanying Christ’s people in hospital rooms, parish meetings, Eucharistic adoration, holy hours, conversations after Mass, and simple encounters with people seeking encouragement. Moments That Will Stay With Us When I asked my classmates about their most memorable experiences so far, their responses reminded me that ministry is never about numbers; it is always about people served by Christ. Deacon Marchesi said that moment was when he preached his first homily, with his father present. Deacon DePinto said it was the overwhelming gratitude parishioners expressed after his first homily, thanking him for answering God’s call. Deacon Dunmyer recalls Trinity Sunday, when he delivered his first Sunday homily and realized that years of prayer, discernment, and formation had become a living reality. Deacon Deehan finds his greatest joy in witnessing lives renewed through simple, faithful presence at St. Luke’s. He said, “The best thing I find that I do is re-energizing people’s faith through my commitment to them through God.” I had the privilege of preaching at my pastor’s farewell Mass before his transfer to another parish. That day, I realized that a deacon is often invited into the holiest moments of people’s lives, not to be the center of attention but to help others encounter Christ. What We Are Learning Although each of us serves in different parishes and ministries, our reflections reveal remarkable unity. Deacon Kimble said deacons receive the grace of Holy Orders to share the Good News more effectively. Deacon Marchesi said, “Being a deacon is a humbling ministry.” Deacon DePinto reflected, “A deacon is a humble servant,” striving each day to follow Christ in both word and example. Deacon Ippolito said being a deacon involves “service to others in the name of Jesus.” Deacon Dunmyer admitted that he still has much to learn and prays for the wisdom to serve God’s people. Deacon Gillespie said, “Being a deacon means that I will be in a ministry of service, meeting the needs of my parish, community, and the diocese.” Deacon Deehan said that through a deacon’s compassionate presence, attentive listening, and faithful accompaniment, God often brings people back to the Church one encounter at a time. One of the greatest blessings of these first 40 days has been realizing that ordination did not mark the end of our journey together; it marked the beginning of a lifelong fraternity — a brotherhood in Christ, strengthening one another. We gather weekly on Zoom to pray, make sure we see each other at family gatherings and diocesan events, and have monthly dinners with our wives and families. Looking Ahead These first 40 days have taught us that a deacon’s ministry is measured not by statistics but by faithfulness. Whether preaching to a full church, baptizing a child, blessing couples celebrating 60 years of marriage, comforting grieving families, accompanying hospital patients, or quietly praying with someone after Mass, each act of service becomes an opportunity to make Christ present. We remain grateful to Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, our pastors, formation directors, mentors, families, and parish communities, whose prayers continue to sustain us. Above all, we thank God for the gift of Holy Orders and the privilege of serving His Church. Our prayer is that the Lord will continue to form our hearts after His own, so that in every word we proclaim, every person we accompany, and every act of charity we perform, others may encounter not us but Jesus Christ, the Servant of all. That is the final lesson of these first 40 days: our ministry is meant to lead others to Christ. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.  

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Newly ordained permanent deacons are serving with Christ’s heart #Catholic –

In Scripture, the number 40 is far more than a measure of time. It signifies a sacred season of prayer, preparation, testing, transformation, and new beginnings. Noah witnessed 40 days of rain before the Earth was renewed. Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai before receiving the Law. The Israelites wandered for 40 years before entering the Promised Land. Jesus fasted for 40 days in the desert before beginning his public ministry. After his resurrection, Christ remained with his disciples for 40 days before his ascension, preparing them to continue his mission.

As I reflected on the first 40 days after our ordination to the permanent diaconate on May 30, I invited my brother deacons from my ordination class to share their experiences. Together, our reflections revealed a beautiful truth: although our ministries differ, our calling is the same — to serve with the heart of Jesus Christ.

Contributors to this column are Deacon Elmer Lopez Maximo of Sacred Heart Parish in Rockaway, N.J.; Deacon Stephen Deehan of St. Luke Parish in the Long Valley neighborhood of Washington Township, N.J.; Deacon Paul DePinto of St. Joseph Parish in Lincoln Park, N.J.; Deacon Timothy Dunmyer of St. Jude Parish in Hopatcong, N.J.; Deacon James Gillespie of St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Mountain Lakes, N.J.; Deacon Tobi Ippolito of Holy Family Parish in Florham Park, N.J.; Deacon Tom Kimble of St. Jude Parish in the Budd Lake neighborhood of Mount Olive Township, N.J.; and Deacon Gregory Marchesi of St. Therese Parish in the Succasunna neighborhood of Roxbury Township, N.J.

Living the Gospel Through Service

The transition from ordination to ministry happened almost immediately. The joy of ordination quickly gave way to the privilege of serving God’s people.

Many of us began preaching within days of our ordination, and we regularly proclaim the Gospel in our respective parishes.

Baptism has been one of the greatest joys of our new ministry. Deacon Kimble’s very first baptism was his grandson Tommy’s into the Church. Deacons Gillespie, DePinto, Marchesi, Ippolito, and Deehan had the privilege of celebrating baptisms in the first weeks of ministry.

I was blessed to celebrate my first baptism on the Feast of St. Benedict. Watching a child become a son of God while an entire family renewed their faith made the celebration memorable.

Our ministry has brought us joys and sorrows. Some celebrated, assisted or preached at weddings. Deacon DePinto blessed two couples celebrating their 60th wedding anniversaries, a beautiful witness to the enduring grace of Christian marriage. They also have presided over funeral vigils, assisted at funeral Masses, and conducted their first committal services.

Deacon Deehan said he blesses at least one person every day, seeing each blessing as an opportunity to renew hearts and strengthen faith. The new deacons have also blessed homes, religious articles, parishioners after Mass, and individuals asking for prayers.

The deacons have found that some of the most meaningful moments happen quietly, accompanying Christ’s people in hospital rooms, parish meetings, Eucharistic adoration, holy hours, conversations after Mass, and simple encounters with people seeking encouragement.

Moments That Will Stay With Us

When I asked my classmates about their most memorable experiences so far, their responses reminded me that ministry is never about numbers; it is always about people served by Christ.

Deacon Marchesi said that moment was when he preached his first homily, with his father present. Deacon DePinto said it was the overwhelming gratitude parishioners expressed after his first homily, thanking him for answering God’s call.

Deacon Dunmyer recalls Trinity Sunday, when he delivered his first Sunday homily and realized that years of prayer, discernment, and formation had become a living reality.

Deacon Deehan finds his greatest joy in witnessing lives renewed through simple, faithful presence at St. Luke’s. He said, “The best thing I find that I do is re-energizing people’s faith through my commitment to them through God.”

I had the privilege of preaching at my pastor’s farewell Mass before his transfer to another parish. That day, I realized that a deacon is often invited into the holiest moments of people’s lives, not to be the center of attention but to help others encounter Christ.

What We Are Learning

Although each of us serves in different parishes and ministries, our reflections reveal remarkable unity. Deacon Kimble said deacons receive the grace of Holy Orders to share the Good News more effectively. Deacon Marchesi said, “Being a deacon is a humbling ministry.”

Deacon DePinto reflected, “A deacon is a humble servant,” striving each day to follow Christ in both word and example. Deacon Ippolito said being a deacon involves “service to others in the name of Jesus.”

Deacon Dunmyer admitted that he still has much to learn and prays for the wisdom to serve God’s people. Deacon Gillespie said, “Being a deacon means that I will be in a ministry of service, meeting the needs of my parish, community, and the diocese.”

Deacon Deehan said that through a deacon’s compassionate presence, attentive listening, and faithful accompaniment, God often brings people back to the Church one encounter at a time.

One of the greatest blessings of these first 40 days has been realizing that ordination did not mark the end of our journey together; it marked the beginning of a lifelong fraternity — a brotherhood in Christ, strengthening one another. We gather weekly on Zoom to pray, make sure we see each other at family gatherings and diocesan events, and have monthly dinners with our wives and families.

Looking Ahead

These first 40 days have taught us that a deacon’s ministry is measured not by statistics but by faithfulness. Whether preaching to a full church, baptizing a child, blessing couples celebrating 60 years of marriage, comforting grieving families, accompanying hospital patients, or quietly praying with someone after Mass, each act of service becomes an opportunity to make Christ present.

We remain grateful to Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, our pastors, formation directors, mentors, families, and parish communities, whose prayers continue to sustain us. Above all, we thank God for the gift of Holy Orders and the privilege of serving His Church.

Our prayer is that the Lord will continue to form our hearts after His own, so that in every word we proclaim, every person we accompany, and every act of charity we perform, others may encounter not us but Jesus Christ, the Servant of all. That is the final lesson of these first 40 days: our ministry is meant to lead others to Christ.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

 

– In Scripture, the number 40 is far more than a measure of time. It signifies a sacred season of prayer, preparation, testing, transformation, and new beginnings. Noah witnessed 40 days of rain before the Earth was renewed. Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai before receiving the Law. The Israelites wandered for 40 years before entering the Promised Land. Jesus fasted for 40 days in the desert before beginning his public ministry. After his resurrection, Christ remained with his disciples for 40 days before his ascension, preparing them to continue his mission. As I reflected on the first 40 days

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BBC correspondent David Willey, longtime Vatican and papal chronicler, dies at 93 - #Catholic - David Willey, a BBC correspondent whose career in Rome spanned more than 50 years and five papacies, died July 11 in Italy at the age of 93.From being a student taking in the pomp of Pope Pius XII carried in a ceremonial throne to traveling the world with St. John Paul II to writing about the changes brought by Pope Francis, Willey saw “a complete revolution so that people saw the pope much more as a personality rather than in a hierarchical sense,” the journalist told EWTN News at his home in February.Catholic backgroundDavid Douglas Willey was born in High Wycombe, in the county of Buckinghamshire, northwest of London, in December 1932. He grew up Catholic in nearby Marlow.Willey’s first experience of Rome was a visit as a student, when he witnessed Pope Pius XII being carried through crowds in a gestatorial chair. “For me, the Vatican, St. Peter’s in Rome, was a spectacle, it was almost operatic,” he noted.After studying law and modern languages at Cambridge, he moved to Rome as a trainee for Reuters.He then left for stints in Algeria as a freelancer and subsequently East Africa as a correspondent for BBC. He also reported from Asia, including Saigon and Beijing, and then spent some time in London as the BBC’s assistant diplomatic correspondent.He returned to Italy as BBC’s Rome correspondent in 1972 — and he never left. David Willey, who died July 11, 2026, served as a BBC correspondent in Rome starting in 1972. He is seen here standing on a street in 1980. | Credit: Photo courtesy of BBC “I never imagined I would be covering the Vatican [as a] correspondent when I was an altar boy at St. Peter’s Church in Marlow,” he said.Willey explained that he no longer practiced the Catholic faith of his childhood but that he had “the greatest respect for the Catholic religion.”His reporting on the Vatican was through this lens. “I always treated reporting for the Vatican as a secular matter rather than a religious one,” he said, adding that he still found “inspiration and pleasure in covering Vatican affairs” because he thought the pope and the Church had an important message in a world “torn by war and discord.”Lengthy Rome careerDuring his more than five decades covering Rome and the Vatican, Willey witnessed dramatic technological changes both to journalism and to the Vatican’s own operations and communication.Two episodes from his early days in Rome illustrate this, including a call to the Vatican switchboard asking to be connected to a cardinal.He was immediately put through to Cardinal Agostino Casaroli, who would later become the pope’s No. 2 as the Vatican secretary of state.“An important cardinal in the Vatican because he dealt with what was called the Ostpolitik, the Vaticanʼs policy towards Eastern Europe, communist Eastern Europe, during the years of the Cold War,” Willey said, noting that he asked to speak and the cardinal invited him that very afternoon to his “palatial” apartment for what would become a three-and-a-half-hour conversation.Willey recalled how, while a Reuters apprentice in the 1950s, international news agencies would pay a Vatican official for information. Once, on Easter Sunday, he was sent to wait at a bar close to the Vatican to pick up a text of the pope’s “urbi et orbi” blessing.“That was how the system worked. The changes wrought by Vatican II were extraordinary in the sense that a whole department was set up in the Vatican dealing with relations with the media,” he noted.During the pontificate of St. John Paul II, Willey joined the Polish pope on at least 40 of his international trips, nearly half of the jet-setting pope’s total apostolic journeys.“We went all over the world,” Willey noted. “It added to my knowledge of the world immeasurably, but it also enabled me to see the Catholic Church as an international, worldwide body of believers, which you donʼt always understand when you live here in Europe or in Rome in particular.”Veering from the prevailing idea that the faithful should come to see the pope in Rome, John Paul II went out “to meet his flock in person. And he did this with great panache,” the British journalist said.“And by allowing journalists like me to join him on the papal plane; one day, for example, I found him sitting next to me at breakfast on the plane,” Willey recalled. “He used to get bored during his very long journeys across the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans and he mingled with the journalists and sat down and actually talked to them.”“I remember talking to him once about the usefulness of the United Nations, for example. He had some quite interesting things to say.”Willey said he also had a memorable encounter with another living saint — Mother Teresa of Calcutta.One day he rang up the Sisters of Charity in Rome to ask if he could interview Mother Teresa and was told they could arrange a meeting at the airport, in between her landing in Rome from India and before she would immediately depart again for Canada.“We sat down together, and she was, I must say, great fun,” Willey recalled. “We had a very lively conversation in which she confided all sorts of little secrets to me, such as I said, ‘What do you do when you normally arrive in a new country?’ ‘Oh,’ she said, ‘I go to the local phone box and call up the head of state and ask him to send a car to meet me. I ring up the pope and he sends me a car.’”“She was this combination of extreme saintliness and piety — and of course her work among the poor in India was completely a subject of which she was prepared to talk endlessly — but what I found was her sense of fun and her sense that the world was completely open to her,” the journalist said.In 2003, Willey was appointed an officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to broadcast journalism.He wrote several books, including “God’s Politician,” a 1992 biography of John Paul II’s global impact. He also wrote about the start of Pope Francis’ pontificate in “The Promise of Francis: The Man, the Pope, and the Challenge of Change” in 2015.Willey continued to be active into his 90s — including writing a final reflection on the Vatican following Pope Francis’ death in April 2025. Willey spent his final years in the quiet lakeside town of Trevignano Romano, about 30 miles north of Rome. He died on July 11 from heart failure, the BBC reported.
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BBC correspondent David Willey, longtime Vatican and papal chronicler, dies at 93 – #Catholic – David Willey, a BBC correspondent whose career in Rome spanned more than 50 years and five papacies, died July 11 in Italy at the age of 93.From being a student taking in the pomp of Pope Pius XII carried in a ceremonial throne to traveling the world with St. John Paul II to writing about the changes brought by Pope Francis, Willey saw “a complete revolution so that people saw the pope much more as a personality rather than in a hierarchical sense,” the journalist told EWTN News at his home in February.Catholic backgroundDavid Douglas Willey was born in High Wycombe, in the county of Buckinghamshire, northwest of London, in December 1932. He grew up Catholic in nearby Marlow.Willey’s first experience of Rome was a visit as a student, when he witnessed Pope Pius XII being carried through crowds in a gestatorial chair. “For me, the Vatican, St. Peter’s in Rome, was a spectacle, it was almost operatic,” he noted.After studying law and modern languages at Cambridge, he moved to Rome as a trainee for Reuters.He then left for stints in Algeria as a freelancer and subsequently East Africa as a correspondent for BBC. He also reported from Asia, including Saigon and Beijing, and then spent some time in London as the BBC’s assistant diplomatic correspondent.He returned to Italy as BBC’s Rome correspondent in 1972 — and he never left. David Willey, who died July 11, 2026, served as a BBC correspondent in Rome starting in 1972. He is seen here standing on a street in 1980. | Credit: Photo courtesy of BBC “I never imagined I would be covering the Vatican [as a] correspondent when I was an altar boy at St. Peter’s Church in Marlow,” he said.Willey explained that he no longer practiced the Catholic faith of his childhood but that he had “the greatest respect for the Catholic religion.”His reporting on the Vatican was through this lens. “I always treated reporting for the Vatican as a secular matter rather than a religious one,” he said, adding that he still found “inspiration and pleasure in covering Vatican affairs” because he thought the pope and the Church had an important message in a world “torn by war and discord.”Lengthy Rome careerDuring his more than five decades covering Rome and the Vatican, Willey witnessed dramatic technological changes both to journalism and to the Vatican’s own operations and communication.Two episodes from his early days in Rome illustrate this, including a call to the Vatican switchboard asking to be connected to a cardinal.He was immediately put through to Cardinal Agostino Casaroli, who would later become the pope’s No. 2 as the Vatican secretary of state.“An important cardinal in the Vatican because he dealt with what was called the Ostpolitik, the Vaticanʼs policy towards Eastern Europe, communist Eastern Europe, during the years of the Cold War,” Willey said, noting that he asked to speak and the cardinal invited him that very afternoon to his “palatial” apartment for what would become a three-and-a-half-hour conversation.Willey recalled how, while a Reuters apprentice in the 1950s, international news agencies would pay a Vatican official for information. Once, on Easter Sunday, he was sent to wait at a bar close to the Vatican to pick up a text of the pope’s “urbi et orbi” blessing.“That was how the system worked. The changes wrought by Vatican II were extraordinary in the sense that a whole department was set up in the Vatican dealing with relations with the media,” he noted.During the pontificate of St. John Paul II, Willey joined the Polish pope on at least 40 of his international trips, nearly half of the jet-setting pope’s total apostolic journeys.“We went all over the world,” Willey noted. “It added to my knowledge of the world immeasurably, but it also enabled me to see the Catholic Church as an international, worldwide body of believers, which you donʼt always understand when you live here in Europe or in Rome in particular.”Veering from the prevailing idea that the faithful should come to see the pope in Rome, John Paul II went out “to meet his flock in person. And he did this with great panache,” the British journalist said.“And by allowing journalists like me to join him on the papal plane; one day, for example, I found him sitting next to me at breakfast on the plane,” Willey recalled. “He used to get bored during his very long journeys across the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans and he mingled with the journalists and sat down and actually talked to them.”“I remember talking to him once about the usefulness of the United Nations, for example. He had some quite interesting things to say.”Willey said he also had a memorable encounter with another living saint — Mother Teresa of Calcutta.One day he rang up the Sisters of Charity in Rome to ask if he could interview Mother Teresa and was told they could arrange a meeting at the airport, in between her landing in Rome from India and before she would immediately depart again for Canada.“We sat down together, and she was, I must say, great fun,” Willey recalled. “We had a very lively conversation in which she confided all sorts of little secrets to me, such as I said, ‘What do you do when you normally arrive in a new country?’ ‘Oh,’ she said, ‘I go to the local phone box and call up the head of state and ask him to send a car to meet me. I ring up the pope and he sends me a car.’”“She was this combination of extreme saintliness and piety — and of course her work among the poor in India was completely a subject of which she was prepared to talk endlessly — but what I found was her sense of fun and her sense that the world was completely open to her,” the journalist said.In 2003, Willey was appointed an officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to broadcast journalism.He wrote several books, including “God’s Politician,” a 1992 biography of John Paul II’s global impact. He also wrote about the start of Pope Francis’ pontificate in “The Promise of Francis: The Man, the Pope, and the Challenge of Change” in 2015.Willey continued to be active into his 90s — including writing a final reflection on the Vatican following Pope Francis’ death in April 2025. Willey spent his final years in the quiet lakeside town of Trevignano Romano, about 30 miles north of Rome. He died on July 11 from heart failure, the BBC reported.

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EWTN News spoke to the journalist in February about his more than 50 years covering the Vatican.

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French bishop: Catholic lawmakers who back euthanasia bill cannot receive Communion – #Catholic – Catholic members of France’s National Assembly who vote for the country’s euthanasia and assisted-suicide bill will no longer be able to receive holy Communion, Bishop Marc Aillet of Bayonne, Lescar, and Oloron in southern France has warned ahead of the bill’s decisive final vote on July 15.“A Catholic engaged in public life cannot ignore” the Church’s constant teaching against euthanasia, Aillet told France Catholique in a July 7 interview. He highlighted that the Christian faith engages a person’s whole existence and that every lawmaker must examine in conscience whether the acts they take align with the faith they profess.A public vote for a law gravely contrary to the Church’s moral teaching, he said, creates “a real problem of ecclesial coherence,” and Catholic lawmakers who support the bill need to weigh the consequences of that choice. If they are aware of the inconsistency, he said, “they will no longer be able to receive Communion,” adding that the Church has the authority to remind them of this, just as some bishops have already done in the United States. Aillet said he wanted to invite lawmakers to a sincere examination of conscience and raised the question of whether society has the right to make the deliberate ending of a human life its answer to suffering.The National Assembly, the lower house of the French Parliament, is scheduled to hold the decisive vote on the bill Wednesday, July 15. Barring a last-minute reversal, the measure is expected to pass by a wide margin, as it has in each of its three previous readings in the lower chamber, most recently by 295 votes to 232 on June 30. The bill has been rejected three times by the Senate, most recently on July 7 by a narrow vote of 169 to 164, with 11 abstentions.Under Article 45 of the French Constitution, the government can give the Assembly the final word once the two chambers remain deadlocked after repeated readings, and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is expected to invoke that procedure Wednesday.The bill, titled a “right to aid in dying,” legalizes both euthanasia, administered by a doctor or nurse, and assisted suicide, in which the patient self-administers a lethal substance. Access is restricted to adults who are stable residents of France, suffer from a serious and incurable condition in an advanced or terminal phase, experience suffering that cannot be relieved by treatment, and remain able to express their will freely and with full understanding throughout the process.Aillet also grounded his warning in the Vatican’s 2020 letter Samaritanus Bonus, which he said had reaffirmed that euthanasia is intrinsically evil regardless of circumstance. He distinguished true compassion from what St. John Paul II called a “false mercy,” arguing that a genuinely fraternal society answers suffering with palliative care and accompaniment rather than the elimination of the person who suffers. The bishop also called for a fully guaranteed conscience clause for health workers and defended the right of Catholic-run care institutions to refuse to participate, warning that without it, some might be forced to close or relocate abroad.The French bishops’ conference has opposed the bill since its earliest stages, issuing formal statements opposing the bill after the Assembly’s first vote in May 2025, again after the second reading in February, and a third time on Ascension Day in May, when it warned of “moral imprudence” and “democratic disrespect” given the absence of political and social consensus. On the eve of the June 30 vote, the Church released a video appeal to lawmakers, with Archbishop Vincent Jordy of Tours saying the testimony of caregivers, jurists, and associations involved in end-of-life care had been “painfully ignored” during the debates.The Christian social network Hozana has separately called on believers to join a prayer chain addressed to French lawmakers ahead of Wednesdayʼs vote, an appeal that has drawn more than 58,000 participants.The bill’s critics are not confined to religious circles. The Société française d’accompagnement et de soins palliatifs and other caregiver federations have opposed the text, arguing that palliative care should be made a real, accessible alternative before any shift toward assisted death and that the bill’s clinical framework and oversight remain unclear.Asked about the pending visit of Pope Leo XIV to France, whose chosen motto for the trip is “So that the world may have life,” Aillet said he hoped the pope would reaffirm the inalienable dignity of every human life regardless of how the vote turns out.
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French bishop: Catholic lawmakers who back euthanasia bill cannot receive Communion – #Catholic – Catholic members of France’s National Assembly who vote for the country’s euthanasia and assisted-suicide bill will no longer be able to receive holy Communion, Bishop Marc Aillet of Bayonne, Lescar, and Oloron in southern France has warned ahead of the bill’s decisive final vote on July 15.“A Catholic engaged in public life cannot ignore” the Church’s constant teaching against euthanasia, Aillet told France Catholique in a July 7 interview. He highlighted that the Christian faith engages a person’s whole existence and that every lawmaker must examine in conscience whether the acts they take align with the faith they profess.A public vote for a law gravely contrary to the Church’s moral teaching, he said, creates “a real problem of ecclesial coherence,” and Catholic lawmakers who support the bill need to weigh the consequences of that choice. If they are aware of the inconsistency, he said, “they will no longer be able to receive Communion,” adding that the Church has the authority to remind them of this, just as some bishops have already done in the United States. Aillet said he wanted to invite lawmakers to a sincere examination of conscience and raised the question of whether society has the right to make the deliberate ending of a human life its answer to suffering.The National Assembly, the lower house of the French Parliament, is scheduled to hold the decisive vote on the bill Wednesday, July 15. Barring a last-minute reversal, the measure is expected to pass by a wide margin, as it has in each of its three previous readings in the lower chamber, most recently by 295 votes to 232 on June 30. The bill has been rejected three times by the Senate, most recently on July 7 by a narrow vote of 169 to 164, with 11 abstentions.Under Article 45 of the French Constitution, the government can give the Assembly the final word once the two chambers remain deadlocked after repeated readings, and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is expected to invoke that procedure Wednesday.The bill, titled a “right to aid in dying,” legalizes both euthanasia, administered by a doctor or nurse, and assisted suicide, in which the patient self-administers a lethal substance. Access is restricted to adults who are stable residents of France, suffer from a serious and incurable condition in an advanced or terminal phase, experience suffering that cannot be relieved by treatment, and remain able to express their will freely and with full understanding throughout the process.Aillet also grounded his warning in the Vatican’s 2020 letter Samaritanus Bonus, which he said had reaffirmed that euthanasia is intrinsically evil regardless of circumstance. He distinguished true compassion from what St. John Paul II called a “false mercy,” arguing that a genuinely fraternal society answers suffering with palliative care and accompaniment rather than the elimination of the person who suffers. The bishop also called for a fully guaranteed conscience clause for health workers and defended the right of Catholic-run care institutions to refuse to participate, warning that without it, some might be forced to close or relocate abroad.The French bishops’ conference has opposed the bill since its earliest stages, issuing formal statements opposing the bill after the Assembly’s first vote in May 2025, again after the second reading in February, and a third time on Ascension Day in May, when it warned of “moral imprudence” and “democratic disrespect” given the absence of political and social consensus. On the eve of the June 30 vote, the Church released a video appeal to lawmakers, with Archbishop Vincent Jordy of Tours saying the testimony of caregivers, jurists, and associations involved in end-of-life care had been “painfully ignored” during the debates.The Christian social network Hozana has separately called on believers to join a prayer chain addressed to French lawmakers ahead of Wednesdayʼs vote, an appeal that has drawn more than 58,000 participants.The bill’s critics are not confined to religious circles. The Société française d’accompagnement et de soins palliatifs and other caregiver federations have opposed the text, arguing that palliative care should be made a real, accessible alternative before any shift toward assisted death and that the bill’s clinical framework and oversight remain unclear.Asked about the pending visit of Pope Leo XIV to France, whose chosen motto for the trip is “So that the world may have life,” Aillet said he hoped the pope would reaffirm the inalienable dignity of every human life regardless of how the vote turns out.

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Bishop Marc Aillet has warned ahead of France’s decisive final vote on July 15 that Catholic lawmakers who support the bill “will no longer be able to receive Communion.”

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Totowa parish celebrates 100 years of faith, significant growth #Catholic - On July 12, St. James of the Marches Parish in Totowa, N.J., marked 100 years of faith with a centennial Mass celebrated by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney. The parish began with a small but strong group of faithful and has grown into a dynamic community of 800 families. Since its inception, St. James has served the Catholic community in the area by celebrating the Eucharist, attending to those in need, and administering the sacraments to all who wish to receive them. “For this centennial, parishioners are celebrating 100 years of people living the Catholic Christian faith as members of St. James. It’s a time for our parishioners now to become inspired by what they accomplished as they move forward, guided by the pastoral staff,” said Father Marc Mancini, who became pastor of St. James in 2019. St. James began in 1924 when Catholics in Totowa organized under the leadership of Franciscan Friars at St. Bonaventure Parish in nearby Paterson, N.J. A mission was established on July 4, 1926, and a hall on Grant Avenue and Church Street was outfitted to accommodate Masses. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. The Franciscans named the parish after a Franciscan saint: St. James of the Marches, a noted Italian preacher from the late medieval and early Renaissance period. In 1928, St. James built a permanent church on Totowa Road. The mission became a parish in 1945, when diocesan clergy assumed administration of St. James. The Academy of St. James of the Marches opened the following year and continues to serve local youth. A new church was built in 1955. St. James was originally founded by Italian Americans and today welcomes an increasing number of Hispanics and Eastern Europeans who have settled in Totowa. The parish holds periodic Spanish Masses, including for Our Lady of Guadalupe, and prayer services. Along with Father Mancini, concelebrants of the July 12 centennial Mass included Father Joseph DeMarzo III, parochial vicar of St. James, and Father Joseph Mactal, parochial vicar of St. Cecilia Parish in Rockaway, N.J., who previously served St. James. Another concelebrant, Father Paul Iovino, spent 20 years at the parish starting in 1985, retired, and recently returned to live there. In April, St. James began centennial celebrations with a brunch featuring a talk about the parish’s history by Msgr. Raymond J. Kupke, diocesan archivist. Centennial festivities will continue Sunday, Sept. 27, with a concert for the dedication of a new organ by Maestro Hector Olivera at 4 p.m. in the church. There is no charge, but donations will be accepted after the concert. A banquet will also be held at The Grand in Totowa on Sunday, Nov. 8. For questions about centennial celebrations, including obtaining tickets for the organ concert, call St. James at 973-790-0288. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  
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Totowa parish celebrates 100 years of faith, significant growth #Catholic – On July 12, St. James of the Marches Parish in Totowa, N.J., marked 100 years of faith with a centennial Mass celebrated by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney. The parish began with a small but strong group of faithful and has grown into a dynamic community of 800 families. Since its inception, St. James has served the Catholic community in the area by celebrating the Eucharist, attending to those in need, and administering the sacraments to all who wish to receive them. “For this centennial, parishioners are celebrating 100 years of people living the Catholic Christian faith as members of St. James. It’s a time for our parishioners now to become inspired by what they accomplished as they move forward, guided by the pastoral staff,” said Father Marc Mancini, who became pastor of St. James in 2019. St. James began in 1924 when Catholics in Totowa organized under the leadership of Franciscan Friars at St. Bonaventure Parish in nearby Paterson, N.J. A mission was established on July 4, 1926, and a hall on Grant Avenue and Church Street was outfitted to accommodate Masses. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. The Franciscans named the parish after a Franciscan saint: St. James of the Marches, a noted Italian preacher from the late medieval and early Renaissance period. In 1928, St. James built a permanent church on Totowa Road. The mission became a parish in 1945, when diocesan clergy assumed administration of St. James. The Academy of St. James of the Marches opened the following year and continues to serve local youth. A new church was built in 1955. St. James was originally founded by Italian Americans and today welcomes an increasing number of Hispanics and Eastern Europeans who have settled in Totowa. The parish holds periodic Spanish Masses, including for Our Lady of Guadalupe, and prayer services. Along with Father Mancini, concelebrants of the July 12 centennial Mass included Father Joseph DeMarzo III, parochial vicar of St. James, and Father Joseph Mactal, parochial vicar of St. Cecilia Parish in Rockaway, N.J., who previously served St. James. Another concelebrant, Father Paul Iovino, spent 20 years at the parish starting in 1985, retired, and recently returned to live there. In April, St. James began centennial celebrations with a brunch featuring a talk about the parish’s history by Msgr. Raymond J. Kupke, diocesan archivist. Centennial festivities will continue Sunday, Sept. 27, with a concert for the dedication of a new organ by Maestro Hector Olivera at 4 p.m. in the church. There is no charge, but donations will be accepted after the concert. A banquet will also be held at The Grand in Totowa on Sunday, Nov. 8. For questions about centennial celebrations, including obtaining tickets for the organ concert, call St. James at 973-790-0288. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  

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Totowa parish celebrates 100 years of faith, significant growth #Catholic –

On July 12, St. James of the Marches Parish in Totowa, N.J., marked 100 years of faith with a centennial Mass celebrated by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney. The parish began with a small but strong group of faithful and has grown into a dynamic community of 800 families.

Since its inception, St. James has served the Catholic community in the area by celebrating the Eucharist, attending to those in need, and administering the sacraments to all who wish to receive them.

“For this centennial, parishioners are celebrating 100 years of people living the Catholic Christian faith as members of St. James. It’s a time for our parishioners now to become inspired by what they accomplished as they move forward, guided by the pastoral staff,” said Father Marc Mancini, who became pastor of St. James in 2019.

St. James began in 1924 when Catholics in Totowa organized under the leadership of Franciscan Friars at St. Bonaventure Parish in nearby Paterson, N.J. A mission was established on July 4, 1926, and a hall on Grant Avenue and Church Street was outfitted to accommodate Masses.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

The Franciscans named the parish after a Franciscan saint: St. James of the Marches, a noted Italian preacher from the late medieval and early Renaissance period.

In 1928, St. James built a permanent church on Totowa Road. The mission became a parish in 1945, when diocesan clergy assumed administration of St. James. The Academy of St. James of the Marches opened the following year and continues to serve local youth. A new church was built in 1955.

St. James was originally founded by Italian Americans and today welcomes an increasing number of Hispanics and Eastern Europeans who have settled in Totowa. The parish holds periodic Spanish Masses, including for Our Lady of Guadalupe, and prayer services.

Along with Father Mancini, concelebrants of the July 12 centennial Mass included Father Joseph DeMarzo III, parochial vicar of St. James, and Father Joseph Mactal, parochial vicar of St. Cecilia Parish in Rockaway, N.J., who previously served St. James. Another concelebrant, Father Paul Iovino, spent 20 years at the parish starting in 1985, retired, and recently returned to live there.

In April, St. James began centennial celebrations with a brunch featuring a talk about the parish’s history by Msgr. Raymond J. Kupke, diocesan archivist.

Centennial festivities will continue Sunday, Sept. 27, with a concert for the dedication of a new organ by Maestro Hector Olivera at 4 p.m. in the church. There is no charge, but donations will be accepted after the concert. A banquet will also be held at The Grand in Totowa on Sunday, Nov. 8.

For questions about centennial celebrations, including obtaining tickets for the organ concert, call St. James at 973-790-0288.

BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI

– On July 12, St. James of the Marches Parish in Totowa, N.J., marked 100 years of faith with a centennial Mass celebrated by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney. The parish began with a small but strong group of faithful and has grown into a dynamic community of 800 families. Since its inception, St. James has served the Catholic community in the area by celebrating the Eucharist, attending to those in need, and administering the sacraments to all who wish to receive them. “For this centennial, parishioners are celebrating 100 years of people living the Catholic Christian faith as members of St.

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Iraq’s prime minister calls on Iraqi Christians abroad to return home – #Catholic – Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Falih al Zaidi has called on Iraqi Christians living abroad to return to their homeland.During a meeting with Chaldean Patriarch Paul III Nona, the prime minister said the return of Christians who were forced to leave Iraq has become a national priority for his government.He said the government is ready to provide the support needed to encourage Christian families to return, including making them eligible for the countryʼs 1 million residential land plot initiative.Al Zaidi said Iraqʼs strength lies in its ethnic, religious, and cultural diversity and in the unity of its people. He described Christians as “an active and essential component of Iraqi society and a key partner in building the state and shaping Iraqʼs history and future.”An invitation to investThe prime minister also encouraged Iraqi Christian business leaders and investors living abroad to return and take part in rebuilding the country by investing in the opportunities available across several sectors, particularly healthcare and education.He said the government remains committed to strengthening stability and providing the support needed to help their projects succeed, contribute to economic development, and create new jobs.Nona expressed appreciation for the prime ministerʼs initiatives and his commitment to supporting Iraqʼs Christian community.He said the governmentʼs position sends an important message encouraging Iraqi Christians in the diaspora to return home, strengthens their confidence in the countryʼs future, and supports the willingness of Christian business leaders and investors to contribute to Iraqʼs reconstruction and development.The Churchʼs responseCommenting on the initiative, Syriac Orthodox Archbishop Nicodemus Matti Sharaf of the Archdiocese of Mosul, Kirkuk, and Kurdistan welcomed the prime ministerʼs call for Christians to return.He described it as “an official recognition of the Christian communityʼs rightful place in the land of its fathers and ancestors.”At the same time, he stressed that addressing the reasons Christians left Iraq in the first place is even more important. Without doing so, he said, the invitation is unlikely to achieve its intended results. Archbishop Nicodemus Daoud Sharaf, archbishop of the Syriac Orthodox Archdiocese of Mosul, Kirkuk, and Kurdistan. | Credit: Syriac Orthodox Archdiocese of Mosul, Kirkuk, and Kurdistan Speaking to an Arabic television channel, Sharaf pointed to several challenges that have contributed to Christian emigration and continue to discourage many from returning.Among them, he said, are ongoing marginalization and the lack of genuine political representation, noting that Christians still do not have a dedicated electoral register that would allow them to elect their own representatives to Parliament.He also cited widespread corruption, inadequate infrastructure, limited access to quality healthcare and education, and a shortage of employment opportunities.These conditions, he said, force many Iraqi Christians abroad to compare what they have found overseas with what remains unavailable at home.Sharaf expressed hope that the governmentʼs campaign against corruption would continue with genuine determination and produce tangible results that restore citizens' confidence.He described Iraq as “a country floating on a lake of corruption,” adding that this alone is “enough to drive any citizen, Christian or otherwise, to leave.”This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Iraq’s prime minister calls on Iraqi Christians abroad to return home – #Catholic – Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Falih al Zaidi has called on Iraqi Christians living abroad to return to their homeland.During a meeting with Chaldean Patriarch Paul III Nona, the prime minister said the return of Christians who were forced to leave Iraq has become a national priority for his government.He said the government is ready to provide the support needed to encourage Christian families to return, including making them eligible for the countryʼs 1 million residential land plot initiative.Al Zaidi said Iraqʼs strength lies in its ethnic, religious, and cultural diversity and in the unity of its people. He described Christians as “an active and essential component of Iraqi society and a key partner in building the state and shaping Iraqʼs history and future.”An invitation to investThe prime minister also encouraged Iraqi Christian business leaders and investors living abroad to return and take part in rebuilding the country by investing in the opportunities available across several sectors, particularly healthcare and education.He said the government remains committed to strengthening stability and providing the support needed to help their projects succeed, contribute to economic development, and create new jobs.Nona expressed appreciation for the prime ministerʼs initiatives and his commitment to supporting Iraqʼs Christian community.He said the governmentʼs position sends an important message encouraging Iraqi Christians in the diaspora to return home, strengthens their confidence in the countryʼs future, and supports the willingness of Christian business leaders and investors to contribute to Iraqʼs reconstruction and development.The Churchʼs responseCommenting on the initiative, Syriac Orthodox Archbishop Nicodemus Matti Sharaf of the Archdiocese of Mosul, Kirkuk, and Kurdistan welcomed the prime ministerʼs call for Christians to return.He described it as “an official recognition of the Christian communityʼs rightful place in the land of its fathers and ancestors.”At the same time, he stressed that addressing the reasons Christians left Iraq in the first place is even more important. Without doing so, he said, the invitation is unlikely to achieve its intended results. Archbishop Nicodemus Daoud Sharaf, archbishop of the Syriac Orthodox Archdiocese of Mosul, Kirkuk, and Kurdistan. | Credit: Syriac Orthodox Archdiocese of Mosul, Kirkuk, and Kurdistan Speaking to an Arabic television channel, Sharaf pointed to several challenges that have contributed to Christian emigration and continue to discourage many from returning.Among them, he said, are ongoing marginalization and the lack of genuine political representation, noting that Christians still do not have a dedicated electoral register that would allow them to elect their own representatives to Parliament.He also cited widespread corruption, inadequate infrastructure, limited access to quality healthcare and education, and a shortage of employment opportunities.These conditions, he said, force many Iraqi Christians abroad to compare what they have found overseas with what remains unavailable at home.Sharaf expressed hope that the governmentʼs campaign against corruption would continue with genuine determination and produce tangible results that restore citizens' confidence.He described Iraq as “a country floating on a lake of corruption,” adding that this alone is “enough to drive any citizen, Christian or otherwise, to leave.”This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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Church leaders applauded Iraq Prime Minister Ali Falih al Zaidi’s call for Christians and business leaders to return to their homeland but stressed the need for reform.

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2026 Full Moon calendar: When to see the Full Moon and phases

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The phenomenon of a Full Moon arises when our planet, Earth, is precisely sandwiched between the Sun and the Moon. This alignment ensures the entire side of the Moon that faces us gleams under sunlight. Thanks to the Moon’s orbit around Earth, the angle of sunlight hitting the lunar surface and being reflected back toContinue reading “2026 Full Moon calendar: When to see the Full Moon and phases”

The post 2026 Full Moon calendar: When to see the Full Moon and phases appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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Society of St. Pius X appeals to Vatican against schism decree #Catholic The Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) has filed an appeal with the Vatican against the decree that declared the traditionalist group in schism with the Catholic Church for consecrating four bishops without papal authorization.According to a statement from the society — whose members are known as Lefebvrists — the appeal was submitted to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith on July 11, nine days after the group was declared to be in schism.Invoking Canon 1353The SSPX statement, published July 13, says that “through this appeal, the society wishes to exercise the right that the Church recognizes for any person who considers himself harmed by an administrative act to request its rectification, in a spirit of respect toward ecclesiastical authority and of faithful adherence to justice, truth, and the good of the Church.”It adds that the appeal is "the prior requirement before the eventual filing of a hierarchical recourse" and "has the effect of suspending the execution of the decree, in accordance with Canon 1353 of the Code of Canon Law."Canon 1353 states that an appeal or recourse against a judicial sentence or against a decree that imposes or declares any penalty has a suspensive effect.“The Society of St. Pius X places this request in the hands of the competent authorities and entrusts this procedure to the prayers of all the faithful,” the statement concludes.The appeal follows a letter the Lefebvrists addressed to Pope Leo XIV, published July 3, in which they reject the excommunications decreed by the Vatican after the illicit consecration of the four new bishops — measures they called “objectively unjust and invalid.”Origins of the LefebvristsThe group, founded by French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in 1970, holds as its purpose the preservation of the traditional liturgy that predates the reforms introduced after the Second Vatican Council, while maintaining its opposition to aspects of conciliar teaching on ecumenism, religious freedom, and collegiality.Lefebvre was excommunicated in 1988 after consecrating four bishops without the permission of St. John Paul II. That sanction was lifted by Benedict XVI in 2009.Two of the bishops Lefebvre consecrated — Alfonso de Galarreta and Bernard Fellay — took part in the recent illicit consecration, which led to their being excommunicated once again.The SSPX disregarded the Catholic Churchʼs warnings not to ordain new bishops, including an appeal from Leo XIV himself, who wrote to the society June 30: “With this spirit, and filled with Christian affection, I plead with you and ask you with all my heart: Please turn back! I ask you with all my heart: Please turn back!”The superior general of the SSPX is the Italian priest Father Davide Pagliarani. According to the societyʼs statistics as of Dec. 1, 2025, it comprises 733 priests of 50 nationalities — not counting the six bishops it now has — with an average age of 47.What is schism under canon law?Canon 751 of the Code of Canon Law states that schism is “the refusal of submission to the Supreme Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him.” The penalty for this canonical offense is usually excommunication, as has happened with the SSPX.Several bishops — including those of Panama and San Antonio, Texas — have warned the faithful not to take part in Masses or seek the sacraments from priests of the schismatic group.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, and has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Society of St. Pius X appeals to Vatican against schism decree #Catholic The Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) has filed an appeal with the Vatican against the decree that declared the traditionalist group in schism with the Catholic Church for consecrating four bishops without papal authorization.According to a statement from the society — whose members are known as Lefebvrists — the appeal was submitted to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith on July 11, nine days after the group was declared to be in schism.Invoking Canon 1353The SSPX statement, published July 13, says that “through this appeal, the society wishes to exercise the right that the Church recognizes for any person who considers himself harmed by an administrative act to request its rectification, in a spirit of respect toward ecclesiastical authority and of faithful adherence to justice, truth, and the good of the Church.”It adds that the appeal is "the prior requirement before the eventual filing of a hierarchical recourse" and "has the effect of suspending the execution of the decree, in accordance with Canon 1353 of the Code of Canon Law."Canon 1353 states that an appeal or recourse against a judicial sentence or against a decree that imposes or declares any penalty has a suspensive effect.“The Society of St. Pius X places this request in the hands of the competent authorities and entrusts this procedure to the prayers of all the faithful,” the statement concludes.The appeal follows a letter the Lefebvrists addressed to Pope Leo XIV, published July 3, in which they reject the excommunications decreed by the Vatican after the illicit consecration of the four new bishops — measures they called “objectively unjust and invalid.”Origins of the LefebvristsThe group, founded by French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in 1970, holds as its purpose the preservation of the traditional liturgy that predates the reforms introduced after the Second Vatican Council, while maintaining its opposition to aspects of conciliar teaching on ecumenism, religious freedom, and collegiality.Lefebvre was excommunicated in 1988 after consecrating four bishops without the permission of St. John Paul II. That sanction was lifted by Benedict XVI in 2009.Two of the bishops Lefebvre consecrated — Alfonso de Galarreta and Bernard Fellay — took part in the recent illicit consecration, which led to their being excommunicated once again.The SSPX disregarded the Catholic Churchʼs warnings not to ordain new bishops, including an appeal from Leo XIV himself, who wrote to the society June 30: “With this spirit, and filled with Christian affection, I plead with you and ask you with all my heart: Please turn back! I ask you with all my heart: Please turn back!”The superior general of the SSPX is the Italian priest Father Davide Pagliarani. According to the societyʼs statistics as of Dec. 1, 2025, it comprises 733 priests of 50 nationalities — not counting the six bishops it now has — with an average age of 47.What is schism under canon law?Canon 751 of the Code of Canon Law states that schism is “the refusal of submission to the Supreme Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him.” The penalty for this canonical offense is usually excommunication, as has happened with the SSPX.Several bishops — including those of Panama and San Antonio, Texas — have warned the faithful not to take part in Masses or seek the sacraments from priests of the schismatic group.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, and has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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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.

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Pro-life leaders remember Sen. Lindsey Graham as longtime champion for unborn children #Catholic WASHINGTON — National pro-life organizations are remembering the late Sen. Lindsey Graham as one of the movement’s most steadfast advocates, praising his decades-long legislative efforts to protect unborn children and pledging to continue the work he championed.Following news of Graham’s death, leaders from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, National Right to Life, and other pro-life groups reflected on the South Carolina Republican’s legacy, highlighting his willingness to pursue federal protections for unborn children even when such efforts faced political opposition.Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, has been named to hold his Senate seat temporarily to fulfill the remainder of his term.Among those paying tribute was Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, which worked closely with Graham on federal abortion legislation.“Lindsey Graham was an unwavering pro-life champion and a friend,” SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement. “A man of vision and tenacity, he gave wise counsel and advocacy in countless difficult moments fighting for the rights of the unborn child.”“Sen. Graham never retreated from the fight for the unborn,” Kelsey Pritchard, communications director for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, told Veronica Dudo in an interview with “EWTN News Nightly.” “He always would run into battle, even when no one else would.”Pritchard pointed to Graham’s role in efforts to defund Planned Parenthood, his advocacy on abortion pill regulations, and his repeated calls for national protections for unborn children.Legacy of federal pro-life advocacyFollowing the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, Graham became one of the leading congressional voices arguing that the federal government still had a responsibility to protect unborn children, introducing legislation to establish nationwide abortion limits.Pritchard said one of the movement’s top priorities remains ending the policy permitting abortion drugs to be prescribed through telehealth and mailed without an in-person physician visit.She noted that Graham was instrumental in organizing a letter signed by 51 senators urging the administration to rescind the policy.“Lindsey Graham was so influential on that front,” Pritchard said. “We’ll be continuing that work in the days ahead.”In a statement issued following Graham’s death, National Right to Life also honored Graham’s decades of advocacy, calling him “one of the most influential and steadfast champions of unborn children ever to serve in the United States Congress.”“The pro-life movement has lost one of its greatest champions,” National Right to Life President Carol Tobias said. “Throughout his career, Lindsey Graham never wavered in his conviction that every innocent human life has inherent dignity and deserves the protection of the law.”Graham’s office noted his role in passing a law enacted in 2004 that recognizes an unborn child as a separate victim in certain federal crimes. It also pointed to his years of introducing legislation to protect pain-capable unborn children from abortion and his advocacy for federal protections following the 2022 Dobbs decision.South Carolina Citizens for Life Executive Director Holly Gatling called Graham “a great defender” of the right to life, saying “the unborn, their mothers, and the medically vulnerable members of our human family had a great defender in Sen. Graham.”Carrying forward Graham’s legacyFor Pritchard, Graham’s lasting legacy extends beyond legislation.“We hope that they remember that he was such a cheerful warrior, someone with a great sense of humor and someone who never backed down,” she told “EWTN News Nightly.” “He said we should never apologize for standing up for the unborn.”“There will be no replacements for Lindsey Graham, that’s for sure,” she added. “But we hope and pray there will be many people who follow his example and continue the fight for babies and moms.”
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Pro-life leaders remember Sen. Lindsey Graham as longtime champion for unborn children #Catholic WASHINGTON — National pro-life organizations are remembering the late Sen. Lindsey Graham as one of the movement’s most steadfast advocates, praising his decades-long legislative efforts to protect unborn children and pledging to continue the work he championed.Following news of Graham’s death, leaders from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, National Right to Life, and other pro-life groups reflected on the South Carolina Republican’s legacy, highlighting his willingness to pursue federal protections for unborn children even when such efforts faced political opposition.Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, has been named to hold his Senate seat temporarily to fulfill the remainder of his term.Among those paying tribute was Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, which worked closely with Graham on federal abortion legislation.“Lindsey Graham was an unwavering pro-life champion and a friend,” SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement. “A man of vision and tenacity, he gave wise counsel and advocacy in countless difficult moments fighting for the rights of the unborn child.”“Sen. Graham never retreated from the fight for the unborn,” Kelsey Pritchard, communications director for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, told Veronica Dudo in an interview with “EWTN News Nightly.” “He always would run into battle, even when no one else would.”Pritchard pointed to Graham’s role in efforts to defund Planned Parenthood, his advocacy on abortion pill regulations, and his repeated calls for national protections for unborn children.Legacy of federal pro-life advocacyFollowing the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, Graham became one of the leading congressional voices arguing that the federal government still had a responsibility to protect unborn children, introducing legislation to establish nationwide abortion limits.Pritchard said one of the movement’s top priorities remains ending the policy permitting abortion drugs to be prescribed through telehealth and mailed without an in-person physician visit.She noted that Graham was instrumental in organizing a letter signed by 51 senators urging the administration to rescind the policy.“Lindsey Graham was so influential on that front,” Pritchard said. “We’ll be continuing that work in the days ahead.”In a statement issued following Graham’s death, National Right to Life also honored Graham’s decades of advocacy, calling him “one of the most influential and steadfast champions of unborn children ever to serve in the United States Congress.”“The pro-life movement has lost one of its greatest champions,” National Right to Life President Carol Tobias said. “Throughout his career, Lindsey Graham never wavered in his conviction that every innocent human life has inherent dignity and deserves the protection of the law.”Graham’s office noted his role in passing a law enacted in 2004 that recognizes an unborn child as a separate victim in certain federal crimes. It also pointed to his years of introducing legislation to protect pain-capable unborn children from abortion and his advocacy for federal protections following the 2022 Dobbs decision.South Carolina Citizens for Life Executive Director Holly Gatling called Graham “a great defender” of the right to life, saying “the unborn, their mothers, and the medically vulnerable members of our human family had a great defender in Sen. Graham.”Carrying forward Graham’s legacyFor Pritchard, Graham’s lasting legacy extends beyond legislation.“We hope that they remember that he was such a cheerful warrior, someone with a great sense of humor and someone who never backed down,” she told “EWTN News Nightly.” “He said we should never apologize for standing up for the unborn.”“There will be no replacements for Lindsey Graham, that’s for sure,” she added. “But we hope and pray there will be many people who follow his example and continue the fight for babies and moms.”

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Graham, 71, died on July 11, and pro-life groups pledged to continue legislative efforts he supported.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 14 July 2026 – A reading from the Book of Isaiah 7:1-9 In the days of Ahaz, king of Judah, son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, Rezin, king of Aram, and Pekah, king of Israel, son of Remaliah, went up to attack Jerusalem, but they were not able to conquer it. When word came to the house of David that Aram had allied itself with Ephraim, the heart of the king and heart of the people trembled, as the trees of the forest tremble in the wind. Then the LORD said to Isaiah: Go out to meet Ahaz, you and your son Shear-jashub, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, on the highway to the fuller’s field, and say to him: Take care you remain calm and do not fear; do not let your courage fail before these two stumps of smoldering brands, the blazing anger of Rezin and the Arameans and of the son of Remaliah— because Aram, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has planned evil against you. They say, “Let us go up against Judah, tear it apart, make it our own by force, and appoint the son of Tabeel king there.” Thus says the Lord GOD: It shall not stand, it shall not be! The head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. Within sixty-five years, Ephraim shall be crushed, no longer a nation. Unless your faith is firm, you shall not be firm!From the Gospel according to Matthew 11:20-24 Then he began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And as for you, Capernaum: ‘Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld.’ For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”At times the yearning we feel toward the Lord is too weak and it almost seems that God is silent; his promises of consolation seem far away and unreal to us (…). And so one is tempted to say that it is impossible to truly convert. How often we have heard this discouragement! “No, I can’t do it. I barely start and then I turn back”. And this is bad. But it is possible. It is possible. When you have this discouraging thought, do not remain there, because this is quicksand. It is quicksand: the quicksand of a mediocre existence. This is mediocrity. What can we do in these cases, when one would like to go but feels he or she cannot do it? First of all, remind ourselves that conversion is a grace: no one can convert by his or own strength. It is a grace that the Lord gives you, and thus we need to forcefully ask God for it. To ask God to convert us, that we can truly convert, to the degree in which we open ourselves up to the beauty, the goodness, the tenderness of God. Think about God’s tenderness. God is not a bad father, an unkind father, no. He is tender. He loves us so much, like the Good Shepherd, who searches for the last member of his flock. It is love, and this is conversion: a grace of God. Begin to walk, because it is he who moves you to walk, and you will see how he will arrive. Pray, walk, and you will always take a step forward. (Pope Francis, Angelus, 6 December 2020)

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A reading from the Book of Isaiah
7:1-9

In the days of Ahaz, king of Judah, son of Jotham,
son of Uzziah, Rezin, king of Aram, and Pekah, king of Israel,
son of Remaliah, went up to attack Jerusalem,
but they were not able to conquer it.
When word came to the house of David
that Aram had allied itself with Ephraim,
the heart of the king and heart of the people trembled,
as the trees of the forest tremble in the wind.
Then the LORD said to Isaiah:
Go out to meet Ahaz, you and your son Shear-jashub,
at the end of the conduit of the upper pool,
on the highway to the fuller’s field,
and say to him: Take care you remain calm and do not fear;
do not let your courage fail before these two stumps of smoldering brands,
the blazing anger of Rezin
and the Arameans and of the son of Remaliah—
because Aram, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah,
has planned evil against you. They say,
“Let us go up against Judah, tear it apart,
make it our own by force,
and appoint the son of Tabeel king there.”
Thus says the Lord GOD:
It shall not stand, it shall not be!
The head of Aram is Damascus,
and the head of Damascus is Rezin;
The head of Ephraim is Samaria,
and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.
Within sixty-five years,
Ephraim shall be crushed, no longer a nation.
Unless your faith is firm,
you shall not be firm!

From the Gospel according to Matthew
11:20-24

Then he began to reproach the towns where most
of his mighty deeds had been done,
since they had not repented.
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!
For if the mighty deeds done
in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon,
they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes.
But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon
on the day of judgment than for you.
And as for you, Capernaum:
‘Will you be exalted to heaven?
You will go down to the netherworld.’
For if the mighty deeds done in your midst
had been done in Sodom,
it would have remained until this day.
But I tell you, it will be more tolerable
for the land of Sodom on the day
of judgment than for you.”

At times the yearning we feel toward the Lord is too weak and it almost seems that God is silent; his promises of consolation seem far away and unreal to us (…). And so one is tempted to say that it is impossible to truly convert. How often we have heard this discouragement! “No, I can’t do it. I barely start and then I turn back”. And this is bad. But it is possible. It is possible. When you have this discouraging thought, do not remain there, because this is quicksand. It is quicksand: the quicksand of a mediocre existence. This is mediocrity. What can we do in these cases, when one would like to go but feels he or she cannot do it? First of all, remind ourselves that conversion is a grace: no one can convert by his or own strength. It is a grace that the Lord gives you, and thus we need to forcefully ask God for it. To ask God to convert us, that we can truly convert, to the degree in which we open ourselves up to the beauty, the goodness, the tenderness of God. Think about God’s tenderness. God is not a bad father, an unkind father, no. He is tender. He loves us so much, like the Good Shepherd, who searches for the last member of his flock. It is love, and this is conversion: a grace of God. Begin to walk, because it is he who moves you to walk, and you will see how he will arrive. Pray, walk, and you will always take a step forward. (Pope Francis, Angelus, 6 December 2020)

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Syro-Malabar Church in the U.S. gathers for joyful celebration of unity – #Catholic – CHICAGO — While most Christians can’t trace their faith lineage to a specific saint, Syro-Malabar Catholics know exactly who brought their ancestors the faith. They proudly call themselves “St. Thomas Christians” — descendants of the first Christians to whom St. Thomas the Apostle brought the Gospel in Kerala, India, in A.D. 52.The Syro-Malabar community came together July 9–12 in Chicago for “Syro26,” a jubilee convention not only to honor its 25th year as an official eparchy in the U.S. but also to reaffirm and celebrate its unity as a church after liturgical disputes in India nearly led to a schism last year.Counting some 5 million members worldwide, the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church is the largest of the 22 Eastern Catholic churches in communion with Rome. Originally found mostly in India, the church has experienced explosive growth in the U.S. during the 21st century.Just 25 years ago, St. John Paul II established the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy to serve the growing immigrant community. Headquartered in Chicago, the eparchy — what Western Churches call a “diocese” — has jurisdiction over the entire U.S., a region that includes some 87,000 souls who attend 53 parishes and 32 missions, served by 86 devoted priests.More than 3,500 people flooded Chicago’s McCormick Place for the four-day-long festival that featured luminous cultural and dramatic performances, engaging talks from well-known Catholic speakers, a congratulatory visit from local archbishop Cardinal Blaise Cupich, and a dizzying array of events designed for everyone in attendance.In some ways, Syro26 was like other Catholic conferences — plenty of clergy and religious in attendance, daily prayer and Holy Qurbana (the Syro-Malabar liturgy), Catholic speakers, ongoing Eucharistic adoration, and confession. But in other ways, it was its own distinct cultural experience, with attendees in vivid sarees and other traditional clothing; as many conversations in Malayalam as in English; and events that included Bollywood dance and traditional music. The Syro-Malabar community gathered July 9–12, 2026, in Chicago for “Syro26,” a jubilee convention to honor its 25th year as an official eparchy in the U.S. Counting some 5 million members worldwide, the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church is the largest of the 22 Eastern Catholic churches in communion with Rome. | Credit: Jitto Kurian Unity as a church and with RomeCupich, head of the Chicago Archdiocese, attended the inauguration and warmly affirmed the local Roman Catholic Church’s unity and friendship with the eparchy.Addressing those gathered, he said of the eparchy: “Today, this very thriving community is a sign of hope, with its robust youth ministry, catechetical programs, and outreach to immigrant families navigating the cultural differences of life in the United States, while always continuing the Indian traditions.”“We give thanks this evening for the many blessings — among them, the spiritual sustenance and the formation that this eparchy brings to the Syro-Malabar Catholics, the witness it offers to all Catholics in spiritual renewal, and the example that you give to all Americans,” he continued.The “witness to all Catholics” may include in part the church’s recent hard-fought efforts for unity over division. After decades of dispute, the Syro-Malabar Church reached a historic agreement in July 2025 to keep the church united rather than enter into schism.“There will always be issues that come down the line about which we have to be diligent and well-versed, and our leadership has set a good path for us as to how to manage any disagreements,” said Sony Thevalakara, a father of seven who is highly involved in the Chicago eparchy and gave a talk about parenting at Syro26.Events for young and oldWith attendees ranging from newborn babies to the elderly, Syro26 included a vast array of events.Theatrical productions brought to life the Gospel story and how St. Thomas brought the Catholic faith to India, and many attendees mentioned especially enjoying the formal gala and the Chicago River cruise.Catholic speakers like bestselling author Edward Sri, astrophysicist priest Father John Kartje, college chaplain Father Tim Anastos, and others addressed theological and lifestyle topics, while special gatherings brought together groups of catechists, seniors, choir members, nurses, sacristans and altar servers, artists, filmmakers, schoolteachers, youth ministers, and those of other interests.Breakout sessions included topics like college admissions, financial literacy, faith and mental health, skin care, professional networking with a “Syro Shark Tank” business startup summit, a Pietra Fitness workout class, a Bollywood dance workshop, and a saree draping and styling class.Younger participants mentioned enjoying the dodgeball tournament and World Cup Soccer watch party — and especially the 21+ rooftop social and the singles mixer. “I feel like thatʼs kind of half the purpose of the convention,” one young woman joked. Men in biblical garb hold palm branches in a scene from one of the plays about the life of Jesus performed at Syro26, held July 9–12, 2026, in Chicago. | Credit: Jitto Kurian Sister Dr. Jocelyn Edathil of the Bethany Sisters, who spoke on a “Catholic Ask Me Anything” panel, told EWTN News: “Coming here and being able to have a shared lived experience is really a blessing. Thereʼs a lot of love in this room.”Brian Kuncheria, logistics director for Syro26, said he hopes the event will make the Syro-Malabar Church better known, as he sometimes runs into misconceptions about being Eastern Catholic.“Often when I explain our church to someone, they’re not very familiar and they think the Roman Catholic Church is the only Catholic church. Itʼs very cool to explain to them the history of St. Thomas coming to India, spreading the faith to our people in India, and how our church is a direct result of that,” he said. “This convention is a unique opportunity to showcase and explain how our church maintains our heritage and traditions while being fully in communion with Rome.”Several speakers and organizers mentioned their hope for their church to grow in evangelization efforts and a missionary spirit here in the U.S. and how they are looking forward to the next 25 years of growth.But perhaps St. Thomas himself said it best in one of Syro26’s theatrical performances: “This mission did not end with St. Thomas. I planted its seed among your ancestors and they took it. They lived it… And in the fullness of time, from the Indian shores, that faith — in its unique expression — set sail for North America and other distant lands.”“It followed those Indian sons and daughters who ventured from their homes to settle in those places, and where they settled, the faith took root… And even still, the story continues.”
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Syro-Malabar Church in the U.S. gathers for joyful celebration of unity – #Catholic – CHICAGO — While most Christians can’t trace their faith lineage to a specific saint, Syro-Malabar Catholics know exactly who brought their ancestors the faith. They proudly call themselves “St. Thomas Christians” — descendants of the first Christians to whom St. Thomas the Apostle brought the Gospel in Kerala, India, in A.D. 52.The Syro-Malabar community came together July 9–12 in Chicago for “Syro26,” a jubilee convention not only to honor its 25th year as an official eparchy in the U.S. but also to reaffirm and celebrate its unity as a church after liturgical disputes in India nearly led to a schism last year.Counting some 5 million members worldwide, the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church is the largest of the 22 Eastern Catholic churches in communion with Rome. Originally found mostly in India, the church has experienced explosive growth in the U.S. during the 21st century.Just 25 years ago, St. John Paul II established the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy to serve the growing immigrant community. Headquartered in Chicago, the eparchy — what Western Churches call a “diocese” — has jurisdiction over the entire U.S., a region that includes some 87,000 souls who attend 53 parishes and 32 missions, served by 86 devoted priests.More than 3,500 people flooded Chicago’s McCormick Place for the four-day-long festival that featured luminous cultural and dramatic performances, engaging talks from well-known Catholic speakers, a congratulatory visit from local archbishop Cardinal Blaise Cupich, and a dizzying array of events designed for everyone in attendance.In some ways, Syro26 was like other Catholic conferences — plenty of clergy and religious in attendance, daily prayer and Holy Qurbana (the Syro-Malabar liturgy), Catholic speakers, ongoing Eucharistic adoration, and confession. But in other ways, it was its own distinct cultural experience, with attendees in vivid sarees and other traditional clothing; as many conversations in Malayalam as in English; and events that included Bollywood dance and traditional music. The Syro-Malabar community gathered July 9–12, 2026, in Chicago for “Syro26,” a jubilee convention to honor its 25th year as an official eparchy in the U.S. Counting some 5 million members worldwide, the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church is the largest of the 22 Eastern Catholic churches in communion with Rome. | Credit: Jitto Kurian Unity as a church and with RomeCupich, head of the Chicago Archdiocese, attended the inauguration and warmly affirmed the local Roman Catholic Church’s unity and friendship with the eparchy.Addressing those gathered, he said of the eparchy: “Today, this very thriving community is a sign of hope, with its robust youth ministry, catechetical programs, and outreach to immigrant families navigating the cultural differences of life in the United States, while always continuing the Indian traditions.”“We give thanks this evening for the many blessings — among them, the spiritual sustenance and the formation that this eparchy brings to the Syro-Malabar Catholics, the witness it offers to all Catholics in spiritual renewal, and the example that you give to all Americans,” he continued.The “witness to all Catholics” may include in part the church’s recent hard-fought efforts for unity over division. After decades of dispute, the Syro-Malabar Church reached a historic agreement in July 2025 to keep the church united rather than enter into schism.“There will always be issues that come down the line about which we have to be diligent and well-versed, and our leadership has set a good path for us as to how to manage any disagreements,” said Sony Thevalakara, a father of seven who is highly involved in the Chicago eparchy and gave a talk about parenting at Syro26.Events for young and oldWith attendees ranging from newborn babies to the elderly, Syro26 included a vast array of events.Theatrical productions brought to life the Gospel story and how St. Thomas brought the Catholic faith to India, and many attendees mentioned especially enjoying the formal gala and the Chicago River cruise.Catholic speakers like bestselling author Edward Sri, astrophysicist priest Father John Kartje, college chaplain Father Tim Anastos, and others addressed theological and lifestyle topics, while special gatherings brought together groups of catechists, seniors, choir members, nurses, sacristans and altar servers, artists, filmmakers, schoolteachers, youth ministers, and those of other interests.Breakout sessions included topics like college admissions, financial literacy, faith and mental health, skin care, professional networking with a “Syro Shark Tank” business startup summit, a Pietra Fitness workout class, a Bollywood dance workshop, and a saree draping and styling class.Younger participants mentioned enjoying the dodgeball tournament and World Cup Soccer watch party — and especially the 21+ rooftop social and the singles mixer. “I feel like thatʼs kind of half the purpose of the convention,” one young woman joked. Men in biblical garb hold palm branches in a scene from one of the plays about the life of Jesus performed at Syro26, held July 9–12, 2026, in Chicago. | Credit: Jitto Kurian Sister Dr. Jocelyn Edathil of the Bethany Sisters, who spoke on a “Catholic Ask Me Anything” panel, told EWTN News: “Coming here and being able to have a shared lived experience is really a blessing. Thereʼs a lot of love in this room.”Brian Kuncheria, logistics director for Syro26, said he hopes the event will make the Syro-Malabar Church better known, as he sometimes runs into misconceptions about being Eastern Catholic.“Often when I explain our church to someone, they’re not very familiar and they think the Roman Catholic Church is the only Catholic church. Itʼs very cool to explain to them the history of St. Thomas coming to India, spreading the faith to our people in India, and how our church is a direct result of that,” he said. “This convention is a unique opportunity to showcase and explain how our church maintains our heritage and traditions while being fully in communion with Rome.”Several speakers and organizers mentioned their hope for their church to grow in evangelization efforts and a missionary spirit here in the U.S. and how they are looking forward to the next 25 years of growth.But perhaps St. Thomas himself said it best in one of Syro26’s theatrical performances: “This mission did not end with St. Thomas. I planted its seed among your ancestors and they took it. They lived it… And in the fullness of time, from the Indian shores, that faith — in its unique expression — set sail for North America and other distant lands.”“It followed those Indian sons and daughters who ventured from their homes to settle in those places, and where they settled, the faith took root… And even still, the story continues.”

unitedyam

After liturgical disputes in India nearly led to a schism in 2025, the Syro-Malabar community came together July 9–12 in Chicago to honor its 25th year as an official eparchy in the U.S.

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Indian court upholds Hindu prayers in state schools, calls them ‘moral instruction’ – #Catholic – Catholic and other Christian groups have expressed concern after the High Court of Chhattisgarh — a central Indian state governed by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — declined to set aside a state government order making Hindu prayers mandatory in government schools, dismissing a challenge to it as “premature.”“The government order of June 12 [mandating Hindu prayers in schools at assemblies, meal breaks, and at closing] came as a shock to us,” Archbishop Victor Henry Thakur of Raipur, the state capital, told EWTN News on July 13.“We were looking forward to the judiciary to uphold the fundamental rights of the religious minorities enshrined under the constitution. But the July 2 verdict of the High Court belies our hope, as it has dismissed the plea against the government order as ‘premature,’” Thakur said.What the circular requiresThe ruling came on a petition filed by former Chhattisgarh Waqf Board chairman Abdul Salam Rizvi and two others challenging the June 12 order. According to The Hindu, which cited a government official, the morning assembly would include the national anthem, national song, Deep Mantra, Saraswati Vandana, Guru Mantra, and excerpts from the biographies of great personalities.During the midday meal, students would recite a food prayer, the Bhojan Mantra, while the closing session at the end of the school day would include the state song, the Gayatri Mantra, and the Shanti Mantra. The order also threatened punitive action “to ensure strict implementation of the order,” with officials inspecting schools to check for violations of the prescribed guidelines.The court’s rulingWhile dismissing the petition against the June 12 order as “premature,” the High Court said the plea was “based on mere apprehension rather than any actual grievance.”The judge, Justice Amitendra Kishore Prasad, said the petitioners could approach the court “afresh by way of an appropriate petition, supported by cogent and relevant material, if any exigency arises in the future.”However, Thakur said: “In a secular democratic country, young children or their families should not be forced to wage legal battle against the system to uphold their fundamental rights.”“We urge all concerned to ensure that the schools — temples of learning and harmony — are not reduced to communal battlefields of division and religious dominance,” reiterated Thakur, who heads the Catholic Church in Chhattisgarh, where Christians number less than 2% of the state’s 25 million people and the Catholic Church runs over 250 schools.Article 30 of the Indian Constitution empowers all religious and linguistic minorities to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.Protests and ‘deep disappointment’The notification of the order drew protests from Christian and civil rights groups and opposition political parties, which dubbed it a Hindu nationalist “majoritarian show.”Sushil Anand Shukla, spokesperson for the opposition Congress party, said: “Students of all faiths, castes, and communities study in government schools and making the recitation of specific religious mantras compulsory could hurt the sentiments of people belonging to other faiths.”The Progressive Christian Alliance (PCA), in a statement on July 10, expressed “deep disappointment” with the High Court order: “The judgment fails to adequately protect the fundamental rights of students of religious minorities and other faith streams … who now face daily pressure to participate in religious practices that are not their own.”“The dismissal overlooks the real and immediate coercive atmosphere created by a government circular that uses the … school setting where children have little agency to opt out without fear of stigma or exclusion,” said the Rev. Akhilesh Edgar, general secretary of the Evangelical Churches in India, in the statement issued on behalf of the educational wing of the PCA.“We organized protests in several places including Raipur against this move to enforce Hindutva [Hindu nationalist] agenda,” said Pastor Simon Digbal Tandi, coordinator of the PCA.“This court order has come even as we were preparing to move the court,” said Tandi, who heads the PCA’s Chhattisgarh chapter.Tandi also said “the government is hypocritical and playing double talk.” While the government had told the court the order drew no objections, he said, it had already begun allotting 25,000 rupees (about $260) per village school to install sound systems to carry out the prayers.
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Indian court upholds Hindu prayers in state schools, calls them ‘moral instruction’ – #Catholic – Catholic and other Christian groups have expressed concern after the High Court of Chhattisgarh — a central Indian state governed by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — declined to set aside a state government order making Hindu prayers mandatory in government schools, dismissing a challenge to it as “premature.”“The government order of June 12 [mandating Hindu prayers in schools at assemblies, meal breaks, and at closing] came as a shock to us,” Archbishop Victor Henry Thakur of Raipur, the state capital, told EWTN News on July 13.“We were looking forward to the judiciary to uphold the fundamental rights of the religious minorities enshrined under the constitution. But the July 2 verdict of the High Court belies our hope, as it has dismissed the plea against the government order as ‘premature,’” Thakur said.What the circular requiresThe ruling came on a petition filed by former Chhattisgarh Waqf Board chairman Abdul Salam Rizvi and two others challenging the June 12 order. According to The Hindu, which cited a government official, the morning assembly would include the national anthem, national song, Deep Mantra, Saraswati Vandana, Guru Mantra, and excerpts from the biographies of great personalities.During the midday meal, students would recite a food prayer, the Bhojan Mantra, while the closing session at the end of the school day would include the state song, the Gayatri Mantra, and the Shanti Mantra. The order also threatened punitive action “to ensure strict implementation of the order,” with officials inspecting schools to check for violations of the prescribed guidelines.The court’s rulingWhile dismissing the petition against the June 12 order as “premature,” the High Court said the plea was “based on mere apprehension rather than any actual grievance.”The judge, Justice Amitendra Kishore Prasad, said the petitioners could approach the court “afresh by way of an appropriate petition, supported by cogent and relevant material, if any exigency arises in the future.”However, Thakur said: “In a secular democratic country, young children or their families should not be forced to wage legal battle against the system to uphold their fundamental rights.”“We urge all concerned to ensure that the schools — temples of learning and harmony — are not reduced to communal battlefields of division and religious dominance,” reiterated Thakur, who heads the Catholic Church in Chhattisgarh, where Christians number less than 2% of the state’s 25 million people and the Catholic Church runs over 250 schools.Article 30 of the Indian Constitution empowers all religious and linguistic minorities to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.Protests and ‘deep disappointment’The notification of the order drew protests from Christian and civil rights groups and opposition political parties, which dubbed it a Hindu nationalist “majoritarian show.”Sushil Anand Shukla, spokesperson for the opposition Congress party, said: “Students of all faiths, castes, and communities study in government schools and making the recitation of specific religious mantras compulsory could hurt the sentiments of people belonging to other faiths.”The Progressive Christian Alliance (PCA), in a statement on July 10, expressed “deep disappointment” with the High Court order: “The judgment fails to adequately protect the fundamental rights of students of religious minorities and other faith streams … who now face daily pressure to participate in religious practices that are not their own.”“The dismissal overlooks the real and immediate coercive atmosphere created by a government circular that uses the … school setting where children have little agency to opt out without fear of stigma or exclusion,” said the Rev. Akhilesh Edgar, general secretary of the Evangelical Churches in India, in the statement issued on behalf of the educational wing of the PCA.“We organized protests in several places including Raipur against this move to enforce Hindutva [Hindu nationalist] agenda,” said Pastor Simon Digbal Tandi, coordinator of the PCA.“This court order has come even as we were preparing to move the court,” said Tandi, who heads the PCA’s Chhattisgarh chapter.Tandi also said “the government is hypocritical and playing double talk.” While the government had told the court the order drew no objections, he said, it had already begun allotting 25,000 rupees (about $260) per village school to install sound systems to carry out the prayers.

unitedyam

The Chhattisgarh High Court dismissed as “premature” a challenge to a government order mandating Hindu prayers in schools, prompting concern from Christian leaders.

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Papal nuncio to Great Britain: A visit from Pope Leo is ‘likely’ – #Catholic – The pope’s representative in Great Britain is hopeful that Pope Leo XIV will visit England and “awaken the conscience of the West.”A papal visit to England is “likely, desirable, and I would even say unavoidable,” Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía, apostolic nuncio to Great Britain since 2023, told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.A visit to Great Britain is “likely, because King Charles III paid a state visit to the Vatican last year, and it is logical that the United Kingdom would now invite Pope Leo XIV to return the visit,” he added.The last pope to make an official visit to the United Kingdom was Pope Benedict XVI in 2010.Maury said that, as the first English-speaking pope in more than eight centuries, the welcome for Pope Leo would be “extraordinary and his message amplified throughout the English-speaking world.”“The bishops of England and Scotland also hope that a papal visit will reinvigorate the proclamation of the faith in one of Europe’s most secularized societies — one which, I would say, is currently experiencing a time of grace,” the papal representative said.“The spiritual vacuum of recent decades is giving way to a quiet Christian revival among younger generations,” the archbishop continued. “Religious practice is increasing among Catholics, thanks in part to the thousands of immigrants and children of immigrants who are revitalizing parish life and contributing to the growth of Catholic communities.”“Everything suggests that the pontificate of Leo XIV is called to awaken the conscience of the West just as that of St. John Paul II once stirred the conscience of the East, so that the Church may once again breathe fully with both of its lungs,” he said.Born in 1955 in Spain, Maury was ordained a priest in 1980. He never imagined he would become an apostolic nuncio. Nevertheless, in obedience to one of his superiors, he entered the Holy See’s diplomatic service in 1987, beginning a career that would lead him to represent the pope in various countries around the world for more than 39 years.The book “Faith, Life, Diplomacy,” published in Spanish and Italian, reflects on Maury’s nearly four decades of diplomatic service in countries such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Romania, and Moldova.The following is an edited version of the nuncio’s full interview with ACI Prensa:ACI Prensa: You have published “Faith, Life, Diplomacy,” a book about your service in countries such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, where Catholics are a minority. What did you learn there, and what left a lasting mark on you?Maury: I discovered the great humanity of those peoples and the devastating effects on their souls of 70 years of communist and atheist rule. The Muslim majority and millions of Russian Orthodox believers abandoned their faith, while the Catholic minority preserved it — despite being deprived of priests for at least 20 years — thanks to the daily family rosary.Another thing that impressed me positively was the desire of the younger generations to learn and to serve society, now free from the terror under which their parents lived. This contrasts sharply with the apathy and selfishness present among much of Western youth.When Pope Benedict XVI sent me as his representative to those countries, I asked him for advice. “Go,” he told me, “to the remote places where none of your predecessors has gone, and bring them the pope’s blessing.”I did so, just as I have continued to do in the countries to which Pope Francis later sent me.Beyond the joy such — sometimes uncomfortable and risky — journeys bring to people, they provide an unfiltered view of realities on the ground, free from assumptions and prejudices, that can help enlighten officials in the Roman Curia.You began your diplomatic service in Rwanda. You arrived at a difficult time, amid the massacres in Burundi, and remained there when the genocide erupted. What do you remember most? Were you afraid of dying?I began my diplomatic service in Kigali at age 31, and I truly feared that a stray bullet might hit me. In fact, I still have one that came through my bedroom in the middle of the night.Certainly, no one intended to kill us, but the combatants’ lack of training was evident. As far as I know, apart from a few Europeans who had married Tutsi women and were specifically sought out during the genocide, only one elderly French religious sister and an Italian volunteer fell victim to stray bullets.We should not forget that most of the victims on both sides were killed with machetes. In other words, people knew exactly whom they were eliminating.Civil wars are the most horrific because they are driven by hatred, even though they are often provoked and fueled by outside interests.A nuncio’s mission is not the same as that of a typical ambassador. What are the methods and goals of the pope’s diplomacy?I never tire of repeating that the Holy See has no oranges to sell and no oil to buy.The very purpose of Vatican City State is different from that of other states, whose primary responsibility is to ensure the well-being of their citizens. The Vatican exists to guarantee the pope’s independence. He is the only global religious leader who is not subject to any political authority and is therefore free to proclaim the Gospel.The Holy See’s diplomacy gives priority to the spiritual dimension of the human person, raising awareness among the various actors in the international community of the need and benefit of respecting and promoting human rights at both the individual and social level.Every country’s embassies and consulates seek to protect the rights of their citizens abroad. The Holy See’s situation is different because Catholics living in different countries are generally citizens of those same states, so there is, at least in theory, a convergence of interests.The pope has just traveled to Spain. I believe you worked on preparations for Pope Francis’ visit to Romania. How are these visits prepared so that the pope’s message has a lasting impact?I followed the trip on Spanish television and saw that the enthusiasm of the Spanish people for the pope remains undiminished despite social changes.I had the honor of helping prepare five apostolic journeys of St. John Paul II — to Rwanda, Uganda, Nicaragua, Egypt, and Slovenia — and I did indeed welcome Pope Francis to Romania.When preparing papal trips, one must distinguish among different levels: program, logistics, message, and so on.Lately, excessive emphasis on security concerns has unfortunately had the effect of distancing the pontiff from the faithful.As for the lasting impact of his message, much depends on whether it responds to the expectations and historical circumstances of the countries he visits. Normally, it is the local Church that proposes the motto and themes of the trip, although the pope naturally has the final word.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.
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Papal nuncio to Great Britain: A visit from Pope Leo is ‘likely’ – #Catholic – The pope’s representative in Great Britain is hopeful that Pope Leo XIV will visit England and “awaken the conscience of the West.”A papal visit to England is “likely, desirable, and I would even say unavoidable,” Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía, apostolic nuncio to Great Britain since 2023, told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.A visit to Great Britain is “likely, because King Charles III paid a state visit to the Vatican last year, and it is logical that the United Kingdom would now invite Pope Leo XIV to return the visit,” he added.The last pope to make an official visit to the United Kingdom was Pope Benedict XVI in 2010.Maury said that, as the first English-speaking pope in more than eight centuries, the welcome for Pope Leo would be “extraordinary and his message amplified throughout the English-speaking world.”“The bishops of England and Scotland also hope that a papal visit will reinvigorate the proclamation of the faith in one of Europe’s most secularized societies — one which, I would say, is currently experiencing a time of grace,” the papal representative said.“The spiritual vacuum of recent decades is giving way to a quiet Christian revival among younger generations,” the archbishop continued. “Religious practice is increasing among Catholics, thanks in part to the thousands of immigrants and children of immigrants who are revitalizing parish life and contributing to the growth of Catholic communities.”“Everything suggests that the pontificate of Leo XIV is called to awaken the conscience of the West just as that of St. John Paul II once stirred the conscience of the East, so that the Church may once again breathe fully with both of its lungs,” he said.Born in 1955 in Spain, Maury was ordained a priest in 1980. He never imagined he would become an apostolic nuncio. Nevertheless, in obedience to one of his superiors, he entered the Holy See’s diplomatic service in 1987, beginning a career that would lead him to represent the pope in various countries around the world for more than 39 years.The book “Faith, Life, Diplomacy,” published in Spanish and Italian, reflects on Maury’s nearly four decades of diplomatic service in countries such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Romania, and Moldova.The following is an edited version of the nuncio’s full interview with ACI Prensa:ACI Prensa: You have published “Faith, Life, Diplomacy,” a book about your service in countries such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, where Catholics are a minority. What did you learn there, and what left a lasting mark on you?Maury: I discovered the great humanity of those peoples and the devastating effects on their souls of 70 years of communist and atheist rule. The Muslim majority and millions of Russian Orthodox believers abandoned their faith, while the Catholic minority preserved it — despite being deprived of priests for at least 20 years — thanks to the daily family rosary.Another thing that impressed me positively was the desire of the younger generations to learn and to serve society, now free from the terror under which their parents lived. This contrasts sharply with the apathy and selfishness present among much of Western youth.When Pope Benedict XVI sent me as his representative to those countries, I asked him for advice. “Go,” he told me, “to the remote places where none of your predecessors has gone, and bring them the pope’s blessing.”I did so, just as I have continued to do in the countries to which Pope Francis later sent me.Beyond the joy such — sometimes uncomfortable and risky — journeys bring to people, they provide an unfiltered view of realities on the ground, free from assumptions and prejudices, that can help enlighten officials in the Roman Curia.You began your diplomatic service in Rwanda. You arrived at a difficult time, amid the massacres in Burundi, and remained there when the genocide erupted. What do you remember most? Were you afraid of dying?I began my diplomatic service in Kigali at age 31, and I truly feared that a stray bullet might hit me. In fact, I still have one that came through my bedroom in the middle of the night.Certainly, no one intended to kill us, but the combatants’ lack of training was evident. As far as I know, apart from a few Europeans who had married Tutsi women and were specifically sought out during the genocide, only one elderly French religious sister and an Italian volunteer fell victim to stray bullets.We should not forget that most of the victims on both sides were killed with machetes. In other words, people knew exactly whom they were eliminating.Civil wars are the most horrific because they are driven by hatred, even though they are often provoked and fueled by outside interests.A nuncio’s mission is not the same as that of a typical ambassador. What are the methods and goals of the pope’s diplomacy?I never tire of repeating that the Holy See has no oranges to sell and no oil to buy.The very purpose of Vatican City State is different from that of other states, whose primary responsibility is to ensure the well-being of their citizens. The Vatican exists to guarantee the pope’s independence. He is the only global religious leader who is not subject to any political authority and is therefore free to proclaim the Gospel.The Holy See’s diplomacy gives priority to the spiritual dimension of the human person, raising awareness among the various actors in the international community of the need and benefit of respecting and promoting human rights at both the individual and social level.Every country’s embassies and consulates seek to protect the rights of their citizens abroad. The Holy See’s situation is different because Catholics living in different countries are generally citizens of those same states, so there is, at least in theory, a convergence of interests.The pope has just traveled to Spain. I believe you worked on preparations for Pope Francis’ visit to Romania. How are these visits prepared so that the pope’s message has a lasting impact?I followed the trip on Spanish television and saw that the enthusiasm of the Spanish people for the pope remains undiminished despite social changes.I had the honor of helping prepare five apostolic journeys of St. John Paul II — to Rwanda, Uganda, Nicaragua, Egypt, and Slovenia — and I did indeed welcome Pope Francis to Romania.When preparing papal trips, one must distinguish among different levels: program, logistics, message, and so on.Lately, excessive emphasis on security concerns has unfortunately had the effect of distancing the pontiff from the faithful.As for the lasting impact of his message, much depends on whether it responds to the expectations and historical circumstances of the countries he visits. Normally, it is the local Church that proposes the motto and themes of the trip, although the pope naturally has the final word.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.

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The apostolic nuncio to Great Britain, Archbishop Miguel Maury, has been in the Vatican’s diplomatic service for nearly four decades.

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How do planets clear out objects on the other side of their orbit?

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To be a planet, NASA says an object must be big enough that its gravity has cleared away any other objects of a similar size near its orbit around the Sun. I can understand how something can clear objects close to itself, but how does it clear something 180° away in its orbit? Rebecca SmithWashougal,Continue reading “How do planets clear out objects on the other side of their orbit?”

The post How do planets clear out objects on the other side of their orbit? appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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Picture of the day The Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C. commemorates the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826). Today marks the 200th anniversary of Jefferson’s death as well as the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, drafted primarily by Jefferson. #ImageOfTheDay

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Picture of the day
The Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C. commemorates the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826). Today marks the 200th anniversary of Jefferson’s death as well as the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, drafted primarily by Jefferson.
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Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus: Prayer of the Day for Monday, July 13, 2026 – #Prayer – O most holy heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing, I adore you, I love you, and with lively sorrow for my sins I offer you this poor heart of mine. Make me humble, patient, pure and wholly obedient to your will. Grant, Good Jesus, that I may live in you and for you. Protect me in the midst of danger. Comfort me in my afflictions. Give me health of body, assistance in my temporal needs, your blessing on all that I do, and the grace of a holy death. Amen.

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O most holy heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing, I adore you, I love you, and with lively sorrow for my sins I offer you this poor heart of mine. Make me humble, patient, pure and wholly obedient to your will. Grant, Good Jesus, that I may live in you and for you. Protect me in the midst of danger. Comfort me in my afflictions. Give me health of body, assistance in my temporal needs, your blessing on all that I do, and the grace of a holy death. Amen.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 13 July 2026 – A reading from the Book of Isaiah 1:10-17 Hear the word of the LORD, princes of Sodom! Listen to the instruction of our God, people of Gomorrah! What care I for the number of your sacrifices? says the LORD. I have had enough of whole-burnt rams and fat of fatlings; In the blood of calves, lambs and goats I find no pleasure.When you come in to visit me, who asks these things of you? Trample my courts no more! Bring no more worthless offerings; your incense is loathsome to me. New moon and sabbath, calling of assemblies, octaves with wickedness: these I cannot bear. Your new moons and festivals I detest; they weigh me down, I tire of the load. When you spread out your hands, I close my eyes to you; Though you pray the more, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood! Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil; learn to do good. Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow.From the Gospel according to Matthew 10:34-11:1 Jesus said to his Apostles: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one’s enemies will be those of his household.“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous  will receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple– amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”When Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples, he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.Christ’s words mean that the peace he came to bring us is not synonymous with the mere absence of conflicts. On the contrary, Jesus’ peace is the result of a constant battle against evil. The fight that Jesus is determined to support is not against human beings or human powers, but against Satan, the enemy of God and man. Anyone who desires to resist this enemy by remaining faithful to God and to good, must necessarily confront misunderstandings and sometimes real persecutions. All, therefore, who intend to follow Jesus and to commit themselves without compromise to the truth, must know that they will encounter opposition and that in spite of themselves they will become a sign of division between people, even in their own families. In fact, love for one’s parents is a holy commandment, but to be lived authentically it can never take precedence over love for God and love for Christ. Thus, following in the footsteps of the Lord Jesus, in accordance with St Francis of Assisi’s famous words, Christians become "instruments of peace"; not of a peace that is inconsistent and only apparent but one that is real, pursued with courage and tenacity in the daily commitment to overcome evil with good and paying in person the price that this entails. (Pope Benedict XVI, Angelus, 19 August 2007)

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A reading from the Book of Isaiah
1:10-17

Hear the word of the LORD,
princes of Sodom!
Listen to the instruction of our God,
people of Gomorrah!
What care I for the number of your sacrifices?
says the LORD.
I have had enough of whole-burnt rams
and fat of fatlings;
In the blood of calves, lambs and goats
I find no pleasure.When you come in to visit me,
who asks these things of you?
Trample my courts no more!
Bring no more worthless offerings;
your incense is loathsome to me.
New moon and sabbath, calling of assemblies,
octaves with wickedness: these I cannot bear.
Your new moons and festivals I detest;
they weigh me down, I tire of the load.
When you spread out your hands,
I close my eyes to you;
Though you pray the more,
I will not listen.
Your hands are full of blood!
Wash yourselves clean!
Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes;
cease doing evil; learn to do good.
Make justice your aim: redress the wronged,
hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow.

From the Gospel according to Matthew
10:34-11:1

Jesus said to his Apostles:
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth.
I have come to bring not peace but the sword.
For I have come to set
a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
and one’s enemies will be those of his household.“Whoever loves
father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever does not take up his cross
and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
“Whoever receives you receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet
will receive a prophet’s reward,
and whoever receives a righteous man
because he is righteous 
will receive a righteous man’s reward.
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones to drink
because he is a disciple–
amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”When Jesus
finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples,
he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.

Christ’s words mean that the peace he came to bring us is not synonymous with the mere absence of conflicts. On the contrary, Jesus’ peace is the result of a constant battle against evil. The fight that Jesus is determined to support is not against human beings or human powers, but against Satan, the enemy of God and man.

Anyone who desires to resist this enemy by remaining faithful to God and to good, must necessarily confront misunderstandings and sometimes real persecutions.

All, therefore, who intend to follow Jesus and to commit themselves without compromise to the truth, must know that they will encounter opposition and that in spite of themselves they will become a sign of division between people, even in their own families. In fact, love for one’s parents is a holy commandment, but to be lived authentically it can never take precedence over love for God and love for Christ.

Thus, following in the footsteps of the Lord Jesus, in accordance with St Francis of Assisi’s famous words, Christians become "instruments of peace"; not of a peace that is inconsistent and only apparent but one that is real, pursued with courage and tenacity in the daily commitment to overcome evil with good and paying in person the price that this entails. (Pope Benedict XVI, Angelus, 19 August 2007)

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Uh Oh: Mamdani’s New NYC Map Includes ‘Little Auschwitz’ In Brooklyn #BabylonBee – NEW YORK CITY — Concerns over Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s "Immigrant Enclave Map" have grown after it was noted that the Mayor had added a "Little Auschwitz" in the middle of Brooklyn.
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Uh Oh: Mamdani’s New NYC Map Includes ‘Little Auschwitz’ In Brooklyn #BabylonBee – NEW YORK CITY — Concerns over Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s "Immigrant Enclave Map" have grown after it was noted that the Mayor had added a "Little Auschwitz" in the middle of Brooklyn.

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NEW YORK CITY — Concerns over Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s "Immigrant Enclave Map" have grown after it was noted that the Mayor had added a "Little Auschwitz" in the middle of Brooklyn.

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Man Informs Wife He Can’t Mow The Lawn Today As He Is Busy Playing Lawn Mowing Simulator #BabylonBee – BIRMINGHAM, AL — Local man Brett Callahan informed his wife that he wouldn’t be able to mow the lawn today as he was completely tied up playing a lawn-mowing simulator.
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Man Informs Wife He Can’t Mow The Lawn Today As He Is Busy Playing Lawn Mowing Simulator #BabylonBee – BIRMINGHAM, AL — Local man Brett Callahan informed his wife that he wouldn’t be able to mow the lawn today as he was completely tied up playing a lawn-mowing simulator.

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BIRMINGHAM, AL — Local man Brett Callahan informed his wife that he wouldn’t be able to mow the lawn today as he was completely tied up playing a lawn-mowing simulator.

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VIDEO: FBI and Violent Crimes Taskforce Spotted Outside Home of Sen. Lindsey Graham – FBI agents and members of the Violent Crimes Taskforce have been spotted at the Washington, D.C., home of the late Sen. The post VIDEO: FBI and Violent Crimes Taskforce Spotted Outside Home of Sen. Lindsey Graham appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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VIDEO: FBI and Violent Crimes Taskforce Spotted Outside Home of Sen. Lindsey Graham – FBI agents and members of the Violent Crimes Taskforce have been spotted at the Washington, D.C., home of the late Sen. The post VIDEO: FBI and Violent Crimes Taskforce Spotted Outside Home of Sen. Lindsey Graham appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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FBI agents in tactical gear discussing near a black vehicle in an urban setting, surrounded by trees and pedestrians.

FBI agents in tactical gear discussing near a black vehicle in an urban setting, surrounded by trees and pedestrians.

FBI agents and members of the Violent Crimes Taskforce have been spotted at the Washington, D.C., home of the late Sen.

The post VIDEO: FBI and Violent Crimes Taskforce Spotted Outside Home of Sen. Lindsey Graham appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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After Caitlin Clark Assaults, Divisive and Unserious WNBA Promotes Kamala and Tim Walz This Weekend – After Caitlin Clark Assaults, Divisive and Unserious WNBA Promotes Kamala and Tim Walz This Weekend Two weeks ago, basketball phenom Caitlin Clark was beaten by an opponent who kneed her in the groin, then shoved her fist on Clark’s throat and tried to stomp on her. The post After Caitlin Clark Assaults, Divisive and Unserious WNBA Promotes Kamala and Tim Walz This Weekend appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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After Caitlin Clark Assaults, Divisive and Unserious WNBA Promotes Kamala and Tim Walz This Weekend – After Caitlin Clark Assaults, Divisive and Unserious WNBA Promotes Kamala and Tim Walz This Weekend Two weeks ago, basketball phenom Caitlin Clark was beaten by an opponent who kneed her in the groin, then shoved her fist on Clark’s throat and tried to stomp on her. The post After Caitlin Clark Assaults, Divisive and Unserious WNBA Promotes Kamala and Tim Walz This Weekend appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Event featuring notable figures engaging at a basketball game, highlighting moments of interaction and conversation in a lively sports atmosphere.

Event featuring notable figures engaging at a basketball game, highlighting moments of interaction and conversation in a lively sports atmosphere.

After Caitlin Clark Assaults, Divisive and Unserious WNBA Promotes Kamala and Tim Walz This Weekend Two weeks ago, basketball phenom Caitlin Clark was beaten by an opponent who kneed her in the groin, then shoved her fist on Clark’s throat and tried to stomp on her.

The post After Caitlin Clark Assaults, Divisive and Unserious WNBA Promotes Kamala and Tim Walz This Weekend appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Trump’s Shield of the Americas Gains Momentum: Colombia Set to Join, Ecuador Deepens U.S. Security Partnership, and Haiti Draws Regional Attention – President Donald Trump’s Shield of the Americas initiative continues to gain momentum across the Western Hemisphere. The post Trump’s Shield of the Americas Gains Momentum: Colombia Set to Join, Ecuador Deepens U.S. Security Partnership, and Haiti Draws Regional Attention appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Trump’s Shield of the Americas Gains Momentum: Colombia Set to Join, Ecuador Deepens U.S. Security Partnership, and Haiti Draws Regional Attention – President Donald Trump’s Shield of the Americas initiative continues to gain momentum across the Western Hemisphere. The post Trump’s Shield of the Americas Gains Momentum: Colombia Set to Join, Ecuador Deepens U.S. Security Partnership, and Haiti Draws Regional Attention appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Leaders from various countries gather at the Shield of the Americas summit in Doral 2026, showcasing flags and promoting regional collaboration.

Leaders from various countries gather at the Shield of the Americas summit in Doral 2026, showcasing flags and promoting regional collaboration.

President Donald Trump’s Shield of the Americas initiative continues to gain momentum across the Western Hemisphere.

The post Trump’s Shield of the Americas Gains Momentum: Colombia Set to Join, Ecuador Deepens U.S. Security Partnership, and Haiti Draws Regional Attention appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Legatus members learn about the most prominent U.S. Catholics #Catholic - On July 1, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney celebrated a Mass for the Northern New Jersey Chapter of Legatus at Assumption Parish in Morristown, N.J. Founded in 1987 by Domino’s Pizza creator Tom Monaghan, Legatus is an international peer group for Catholic CEOs, presidents, and business owners. Chapter members actively seek ways to integrate their Catholic faith into their daily professional lives. The chapter operates under the guidance and support of Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney. Concelebrating the Mass with Bishop Sweeney was Msgr. John Hart, pastor of Assumption and director of Clergy Personnel for the Paterson Diocese, N.J., along with other priests invited to learn more about Legatus. Deacon Len Deo of St. Ann Parish in Parsippany, N.J., assisted with the liturgy and facilitates the chapter’s Men’s Forum. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. After the Mass, Legatus members and many spouses enjoyed dinner at a local establishment. As the featured speaker, Bishop Sweeney discussed a recent column on BeaconNJ.com written by Msgr. Raymond Kupke, diocesan archivist, about “The most prominent Catholics of the United States in our first 250 years.” The column paid tribute to the recent 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Read the column at https://beaconnj.org/the-most-prominent-catholics-of-the-united-states-in-our-first-250-years-msgr-kupkes-top-10/ Established in 2000, the Northern New Jersey Legatus Chapter meets monthly, typically on a Wednesday or Thursday, beginning with the rosary and followed by Mass. Members and their spouses then enjoy dinner and a presentation at venues throughout northern New Jersey. There are more than 90 Legatus chapters across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  
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Legatus members learn about the most prominent U.S. Catholics #Catholic – On July 1, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney celebrated a Mass for the Northern New Jersey Chapter of Legatus at Assumption Parish in Morristown, N.J. Founded in 1987 by Domino’s Pizza creator Tom Monaghan, Legatus is an international peer group for Catholic CEOs, presidents, and business owners. Chapter members actively seek ways to integrate their Catholic faith into their daily professional lives. The chapter operates under the guidance and support of Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney. Concelebrating the Mass with Bishop Sweeney was Msgr. John Hart, pastor of Assumption and director of Clergy Personnel for the Paterson Diocese, N.J., along with other priests invited to learn more about Legatus. Deacon Len Deo of St. Ann Parish in Parsippany, N.J., assisted with the liturgy and facilitates the chapter’s Men’s Forum. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. After the Mass, Legatus members and many spouses enjoyed dinner at a local establishment. As the featured speaker, Bishop Sweeney discussed a recent column on BeaconNJ.com written by Msgr. Raymond Kupke, diocesan archivist, about “The most prominent Catholics of the United States in our first 250 years.” The column paid tribute to the recent 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Read the column at https://beaconnj.org/the-most-prominent-catholics-of-the-united-states-in-our-first-250-years-msgr-kupkes-top-10/ Established in 2000, the Northern New Jersey Legatus Chapter meets monthly, typically on a Wednesday or Thursday, beginning with the rosary and followed by Mass. Members and their spouses then enjoy dinner and a presentation at venues throughout northern New Jersey. There are more than 90 Legatus chapters across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  

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Legatus members learn about the most prominent U.S. Catholics #Catholic –

On July 1, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney celebrated a Mass for the Northern New Jersey Chapter of Legatus at Assumption Parish in Morristown, N.J. Founded in 1987 by Domino’s Pizza creator Tom Monaghan, Legatus is an international peer group for Catholic CEOs, presidents, and business owners.

Chapter members actively seek ways to integrate their Catholic faith into their daily professional lives. The chapter operates under the guidance and support of Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney.

Concelebrating the Mass with Bishop Sweeney was Msgr. John Hart, pastor of Assumption and director of Clergy Personnel for the Paterson Diocese, N.J., along with other priests invited to learn more about Legatus. Deacon Len Deo of St. Ann Parish in Parsippany, N.J., assisted with the liturgy and facilitates the chapter’s Men’s Forum.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

After the Mass, Legatus members and many spouses enjoyed dinner at a local establishment. As the featured speaker, Bishop Sweeney discussed a recent column on BeaconNJ.com written by Msgr. Raymond Kupke, diocesan archivist, about “The most prominent Catholics of the United States in our first 250 years.”

The column paid tribute to the recent 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Read the column at https://beaconnj.org/the-most-prominent-catholics-of-the-united-states-in-our-first-250-years-msgr-kupkes-top-10/

Established in 2000, the Northern New Jersey Legatus Chapter meets monthly, typically on a Wednesday or Thursday, beginning with the rosary and followed by Mass. Members and their spouses then enjoy dinner and a presentation at venues throughout northern New Jersey.

There are more than 90 Legatus chapters across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI

– On July 1, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney celebrated a Mass for the Northern New Jersey Chapter of Legatus at Assumption Parish in Morristown, N.J. Founded in 1987 by Domino’s Pizza creator Tom Monaghan, Legatus is an international peer group for Catholic CEOs, presidents, and business owners. Chapter members actively seek ways to integrate their Catholic faith into their daily professional lives. The chapter operates under the guidance and support of Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney. Concelebrating the Mass with Bishop Sweeney was Msgr. John Hart, pastor of Assumption and director of Clergy Personnel for the Paterson Diocese, N.J., along with other

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July 12, 1988: Phobos 2 launches

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The Soviet Union launched Phobos 2 on July 12, 1988, the second of two uncrewed probes designed to study Mars, moons Phobos and Deimos, the Sun, and the interplanetary environment. Each probe was equipped with 25 instruments including high-energy detectors; X-ray and solar photometers; infrared, ultrasound, and gamma-ray spectrometers; and more. Phobos 1 was lostContinue reading “July 12, 1988: Phobos 2 launches”

The post July 12, 1988: Phobos 2 launches appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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Pope Leo XIV: Make time for prayer and silence in the summer - #Catholic - From the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo, where he moved on July 5 to enjoy a period of rest, Pope Leo XIV has invited the faithful to make time for “meaningful moments of silence and prayer” during the summer.The pontiff’s remarks were made during his Sunday Angelus address on July 12 at Castel Gandolfo, where he will remain until July 27.Reviving a summer papal traditionThis summer, Leo XIV decided to spend part of it on vacation at the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo, becoming the first pope to do so since 2012. The residence has been used by the popes as a countryside retreat for over 400 years, and was a preferred vacation spot of Benedict XVI and St. John Paul II.Pope Francis, however, never left the Vatican during the summer of his 12-year papacy, choosing instead to remain at the Casa Santa Marta and repurpose the papal summer residence at Castel Gandolfo as a museum.The palace itself is a 17th-century building on the shores of Lake Albano. Although it will be closed to the public during the pope’s vacation, the nearby papal gardens will remain open to visitors.During Leo’s vacation, all private and public audiences, including the Wednesday general audience, are suspended. His only public audiences will be the Sunday Angelus, with the only exception so far being his lunch with the poor in the gardens on July 11.The parable of the sowerCommenting on the Sunday Gospel for the day, which contains the parable of the sower, Leo XIV highlighted “the generosity and trust” with which God puts his word and power in the hearts of believers.“Jesus himself, the Word made flesh, who gave his life for our salvation, is the seed that the Father continues to sow throughout the world so that, by dying, he may bear much fruit,” Leo said in his address. Pope Leo XIV greets the crowds after his Sunday Angelus on July 12, 2026, at the Piazza della Libertà at Castel Gandolfo. | Credit: Daniel Ibanez/EWTN News The pope also explained that, just as in the parable where the seed is planted in different soils, the faithful do not each receive this gift in the same way.“It is true that sometimes [God] finds in us hard and unresponsive soil, at other times distracted soil, like the beaten path, the rocky ground, or the thorny bushes. Yet there are also moments when he finds receptive and fertile ground, and then miracles of love are set in motion that have the power to transform everything — as we ourselves have no doubt experienced in our own lives.”Leo also reminded the faithful present that God’s love “is stronger than our weakness” and that he never stops sowing and believing in them. He also invited them to take advantage of the summer holidays to experience God through silence and prayer.“Let us therefore resolve, especially during these summer days of vacation, to make room for listening to, reading, and meditating on the Word of God, thereby fostering — together with rest and wholesome recreation— meaningful moments of silence and prayer,”  Leo said.A renewed appeal for peaceAfter praying the Angelus, Leo XIV renewed his appeal for peace in war-torn regions, lamenting that “the winds of war are blowing once again in the Middle East, in Ukraine and in many other parts of the world, sowing violence, terror and death.”The pope also urged political leaders to resume dialogue and opt for diplomatic means to stop the escalation of conflicts.Leoʼs words come at a time of rising international tension, after the United States and Iran once again became embroiled in a dangerous spiral of attacks. The United States launched new airstrikes against Iranian territory following the Revolutionary Guardʼs attack on a Cypriot-flagged cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz.Finally, the pope, recalling that July 12 is “Sea Sunday,” gave a special greeting to sailors, fishermen, and port workers. He praised them for their work despite being “marked by separation from their loved ones and sometimes by fear of the conflicts [that] occur on the seas.”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.
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Pope Leo XIV: Make time for prayer and silence in the summer – #Catholic – From the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo, where he moved on July 5 to enjoy a period of rest, Pope Leo XIV has invited the faithful to make time for “meaningful moments of silence and prayer” during the summer.The pontiff’s remarks were made during his Sunday Angelus address on July 12 at Castel Gandolfo, where he will remain until July 27.Reviving a summer papal traditionThis summer, Leo XIV decided to spend part of it on vacation at the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo, becoming the first pope to do so since 2012. The residence has been used by the popes as a countryside retreat for over 400 years, and was a preferred vacation spot of Benedict XVI and St. John Paul II.Pope Francis, however, never left the Vatican during the summer of his 12-year papacy, choosing instead to remain at the Casa Santa Marta and repurpose the papal summer residence at Castel Gandolfo as a museum.The palace itself is a 17th-century building on the shores of Lake Albano. Although it will be closed to the public during the pope’s vacation, the nearby papal gardens will remain open to visitors.During Leo’s vacation, all private and public audiences, including the Wednesday general audience, are suspended. His only public audiences will be the Sunday Angelus, with the only exception so far being his lunch with the poor in the gardens on July 11.The parable of the sowerCommenting on the Sunday Gospel for the day, which contains the parable of the sower, Leo XIV highlighted “the generosity and trust” with which God puts his word and power in the hearts of believers.“Jesus himself, the Word made flesh, who gave his life for our salvation, is the seed that the Father continues to sow throughout the world so that, by dying, he may bear much fruit,” Leo said in his address. Pope Leo XIV greets the crowds after his Sunday Angelus on July 12, 2026, at the Piazza della Libertà at Castel Gandolfo. | Credit: Daniel Ibanez/EWTN News The pope also explained that, just as in the parable where the seed is planted in different soils, the faithful do not each receive this gift in the same way.“It is true that sometimes [God] finds in us hard and unresponsive soil, at other times distracted soil, like the beaten path, the rocky ground, or the thorny bushes. Yet there are also moments when he finds receptive and fertile ground, and then miracles of love are set in motion that have the power to transform everything — as we ourselves have no doubt experienced in our own lives.”Leo also reminded the faithful present that God’s love “is stronger than our weakness” and that he never stops sowing and believing in them. He also invited them to take advantage of the summer holidays to experience God through silence and prayer.“Let us therefore resolve, especially during these summer days of vacation, to make room for listening to, reading, and meditating on the Word of God, thereby fostering — together with rest and wholesome recreation— meaningful moments of silence and prayer,”  Leo said.A renewed appeal for peaceAfter praying the Angelus, Leo XIV renewed his appeal for peace in war-torn regions, lamenting that “the winds of war are blowing once again in the Middle East, in Ukraine and in many other parts of the world, sowing violence, terror and death.”The pope also urged political leaders to resume dialogue and opt for diplomatic means to stop the escalation of conflicts.Leoʼs words come at a time of rising international tension, after the United States and Iran once again became embroiled in a dangerous spiral of attacks. The United States launched new airstrikes against Iranian territory following the Revolutionary Guardʼs attack on a Cypriot-flagged cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz.Finally, the pope, recalling that July 12 is “Sea Sunday,” gave a special greeting to sailors, fishermen, and port workers. He praised them for their work despite being “marked by separation from their loved ones and sometimes by fear of the conflicts [that] occur on the seas.”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.

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The pontiff addressed the faithful during the July 12 Angelus at Castel Gandolfo, where he is currently on vacation.

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U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham dies at 71 after ‘brief and sudden illness’ – #Catholic – U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, passed away on July 11 after a “brief and sudden illness,” his office said in a statement in the early hours of July 12. No further details were immediately given regarding the senator’s passing. Graham’s family “appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period,” the statement said. Graham was 71. He had served in the U.S. Senate since 2003. Tributes poured in for the late senator overnight through July 12. U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that Graham was “one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known.” “He was always working, and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!!” Trump said. Senate Majority Leader John Thune wrote on X that his “heart is heavy” after Graham’s passing. He described Graham as “a strong advocate for the United States and a strong ally to freedom-loving countries across the globe.”“He believed in the might of America to achieve good in the world and dedicated his life to advancing that cause,” Thune said. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster described him in a media statement as “the fiercest of fighters for South Carolina and America” and “a loyal and steadfast friend.”International tributes poured in as well. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he and his wife, Sara, “grieve with the American people” over Graham’s passing. “Lindsey understood that the security of Israel and America are inseparable. He devoted his life to defending America, strengthening our alliance, and standing up for the free world,” Netanyahu said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, said Graham was “a true defender of freedom and the values that make our world safer.”“He visited Ukraine 10 times during the years of Russiaʼs full-scale invasion and was here with our people when it was most needed,” he said. Born July 9, 1955, in Central, South Carolina, Graham attended the University of South Carolina, where he ultimately obtained a juris doctor degree from the university’s law school in 1981. He served in the JAG Corps of the U.S. Air Force before working as a lawyer in his home state.His political career began in 1992 when he was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives. He rose to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1995 and began serving in the U.S. Senate eight years later.A staunch ally of Trump, Graham was initially a sharp critic of the Republican president before backing him after his victory in the 2016 election. He was a fixture on political news television shows in the later years of his career. A lifelong bachelor, Graham wrote in his memoir that he “never found time to meet the right girl, or the right girl was smart enough not to have time for me.”A Southern Baptist, Graham was a member of Corinth Baptist Church in Seneca, South Carolina, where he lived. He is survived by his sister Darline and extended family.
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U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham dies at 71 after ‘brief and sudden illness’ – #Catholic – U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, passed away on July 11 after a “brief and sudden illness,” his office said in a statement in the early hours of July 12. No further details were immediately given regarding the senator’s passing. Graham’s family “appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period,” the statement said. Graham was 71. He had served in the U.S. Senate since 2003. Tributes poured in for the late senator overnight through July 12. U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that Graham was “one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known.” “He was always working, and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!!” Trump said. Senate Majority Leader John Thune wrote on X that his “heart is heavy” after Graham’s passing. He described Graham as “a strong advocate for the United States and a strong ally to freedom-loving countries across the globe.”“He believed in the might of America to achieve good in the world and dedicated his life to advancing that cause,” Thune said. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster described him in a media statement as “the fiercest of fighters for South Carolina and America” and “a loyal and steadfast friend.”International tributes poured in as well. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he and his wife, Sara, “grieve with the American people” over Graham’s passing. “Lindsey understood that the security of Israel and America are inseparable. He devoted his life to defending America, strengthening our alliance, and standing up for the free world,” Netanyahu said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, said Graham was “a true defender of freedom and the values that make our world safer.”“He visited Ukraine 10 times during the years of Russiaʼs full-scale invasion and was here with our people when it was most needed,” he said. Born July 9, 1955, in Central, South Carolina, Graham attended the University of South Carolina, where he ultimately obtained a juris doctor degree from the university’s law school in 1981. He served in the JAG Corps of the U.S. Air Force before working as a lawyer in his home state.His political career began in 1992 when he was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives. He rose to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1995 and began serving in the U.S. Senate eight years later.A staunch ally of Trump, Graham was initially a sharp critic of the Republican president before backing him after his victory in the 2016 election. He was a fixture on political news television shows in the later years of his career. A lifelong bachelor, Graham wrote in his memoir that he “never found time to meet the right girl, or the right girl was smart enough not to have time for me.”A Southern Baptist, Graham was a member of Corinth Baptist Church in Seneca, South Carolina, where he lived. He is survived by his sister Darline and extended family.

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The office of the long-serving South Carolina senator said he passed away on July 11.

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A month of married saints: July brings feast days of holy husbands and wives – #Catholic – Marriage is one of the Catholic Churchʼs greatest paths to holiness. From the first Christian missionaries to modern-day martyrs, married couples have shown that a shared life rooted in faith, sacrifice, and love can become a powerful witness to the Gospel.Throughout the month of July, the Church celebrates the feast days of several holy husbands and wives whose lives continue to inspire Catholic families today. Here are four of those couples:Blessed Joseph and Wiktoria Ulma (Feast day: July 7)Blessed Joseph and Wiktoria Ulma were a young married couple living in the small Polish village of Markowa during the Second World War. Devout Catholics, they were raising six young children and were expecting a seventh when they made the decision to shelter eight Jewish people in their home after Nazi Germany occupied Poland. They knew the penalty for helping Jews was death, but their Christian faith compelled them to protect their neighbors despite the grave risk.On March 24, 1944, German police discovered those they were hiding. Joseph and Wiktoria, along with the eight Jews they had sheltered, were executed. The soldiers then murdered each of the Ulmas' six children. During Wiktoriaʼs execution, she went into labor with her seventh child, who also died, making the entire family martyrs.While they are not saints yet, the Ulmas were beatified together on Sept. 10 2023, becoming the first entire family — including an unborn child — to be beatified as martyrs. Today, they are honored as patrons of families and unborn children.Sts. Priscilla and Aquila (Feast day: July 8)Priscilla and Aquila, close collaborators of St. Paul, were among the earliest Christian married couples. Jewish converts to Christianity, they were forced to leave Rome after Emperor Claudius expelled the Jews from the city around A.D. 49. The couple settled in Corinth, where they met Paul, who shared their trade of tent-making. They welcomed him into their home, and together they worked while spreading the Gospel throughout the Roman Empire.The New Testament frequently mentions the couple together, highlighting the strength of their marriage and shared mission. They traveled with Paul to Ephesus, where they hosted a church in their home, which is also referred to as a “house church.” Paul also writes that the couple “risked their necks” for his life — however there is no biblical record of the occasion.The couple is perhaps best known for mentoring the gifted preacher Apollos, gently explaining the fullness of the Christian faith so that he could become an even more effective evangelist.Priscilla and Aquila are the patron saints of marriage, love, and strong Christian families.Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin (Feast day: July 12)Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin are best known as the parents of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, but their own path to holiness began long before the birth of their famous daughter. Both initially considered religious life before discerning that God was instead calling them to marriage. They were wed on July 12, 1858, in Alençon, France — the date that would become their feast day.The Martins endured both profound joy and deep suffering. Of their nine children, four died in infancy or early childhood, while the remaining five daughters all entered religious life. Throughout these trials, Louis and Zélie remained steadfast in prayer, trusting Godʼs providence and making the practice of their Catholic faith the center of family life.Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, the prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints at the time of their beatification in Lisieux in 2008, said in his homily: “Louis and Zélie understood that they could sanctify themselves not despite marriage but through, in, and by marriage, and that their nuptials would be considered as the starting point for a mutual rise.”Canonized together on Oct. 18, 2015, by Pope Francis, Louis and Zélie became the first married couple in Church history to be declared saints together.Sts. Joachim and Anne (Feast day: July 26)Sts. Joachim and Anne are honored by the Church as the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the grandparents of Jesus Christ. Although they are not mentioned in the canonical Gospels, their story has been preserved through ancient Christian tradition, particularly through the second-century “Protoevangelium of James.” According to tradition, the couple was advanced in age and had long suffered the sorrow of childlessness before God answered their prayers with the miraculous conception of Mary.Today, Joachim and Anne are the patron saints of grandparents, married couples, and families. Their feast is a reminder of the indispensable role parents and grandparents play in passing on the faith to future generations.
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A month of married saints: July brings feast days of holy husbands and wives – #Catholic – Marriage is one of the Catholic Churchʼs greatest paths to holiness. From the first Christian missionaries to modern-day martyrs, married couples have shown that a shared life rooted in faith, sacrifice, and love can become a powerful witness to the Gospel.Throughout the month of July, the Church celebrates the feast days of several holy husbands and wives whose lives continue to inspire Catholic families today. Here are four of those couples:Blessed Joseph and Wiktoria Ulma (Feast day: July 7)Blessed Joseph and Wiktoria Ulma were a young married couple living in the small Polish village of Markowa during the Second World War. Devout Catholics, they were raising six young children and were expecting a seventh when they made the decision to shelter eight Jewish people in their home after Nazi Germany occupied Poland. They knew the penalty for helping Jews was death, but their Christian faith compelled them to protect their neighbors despite the grave risk.On March 24, 1944, German police discovered those they were hiding. Joseph and Wiktoria, along with the eight Jews they had sheltered, were executed. The soldiers then murdered each of the Ulmas' six children. During Wiktoriaʼs execution, she went into labor with her seventh child, who also died, making the entire family martyrs.While they are not saints yet, the Ulmas were beatified together on Sept. 10 2023, becoming the first entire family — including an unborn child — to be beatified as martyrs. Today, they are honored as patrons of families and unborn children.Sts. Priscilla and Aquila (Feast day: July 8)Priscilla and Aquila, close collaborators of St. Paul, were among the earliest Christian married couples. Jewish converts to Christianity, they were forced to leave Rome after Emperor Claudius expelled the Jews from the city around A.D. 49. The couple settled in Corinth, where they met Paul, who shared their trade of tent-making. They welcomed him into their home, and together they worked while spreading the Gospel throughout the Roman Empire.The New Testament frequently mentions the couple together, highlighting the strength of their marriage and shared mission. They traveled with Paul to Ephesus, where they hosted a church in their home, which is also referred to as a “house church.” Paul also writes that the couple “risked their necks” for his life — however there is no biblical record of the occasion.The couple is perhaps best known for mentoring the gifted preacher Apollos, gently explaining the fullness of the Christian faith so that he could become an even more effective evangelist.Priscilla and Aquila are the patron saints of marriage, love, and strong Christian families.Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin (Feast day: July 12)Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin are best known as the parents of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, but their own path to holiness began long before the birth of their famous daughter. Both initially considered religious life before discerning that God was instead calling them to marriage. They were wed on July 12, 1858, in Alençon, France — the date that would become their feast day.The Martins endured both profound joy and deep suffering. Of their nine children, four died in infancy or early childhood, while the remaining five daughters all entered religious life. Throughout these trials, Louis and Zélie remained steadfast in prayer, trusting Godʼs providence and making the practice of their Catholic faith the center of family life.Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, the prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints at the time of their beatification in Lisieux in 2008, said in his homily: “Louis and Zélie understood that they could sanctify themselves not despite marriage but through, in, and by marriage, and that their nuptials would be considered as the starting point for a mutual rise.”Canonized together on Oct. 18, 2015, by Pope Francis, Louis and Zélie became the first married couple in Church history to be declared saints together.Sts. Joachim and Anne (Feast day: July 26)Sts. Joachim and Anne are honored by the Church as the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the grandparents of Jesus Christ. Although they are not mentioned in the canonical Gospels, their story has been preserved through ancient Christian tradition, particularly through the second-century “Protoevangelium of James.” According to tradition, the couple was advanced in age and had long suffered the sorrow of childlessness before God answered their prayers with the miraculous conception of Mary.Today, Joachim and Anne are the patron saints of grandparents, married couples, and families. Their feast is a reminder of the indispensable role parents and grandparents play in passing on the faith to future generations.

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Throughout the month of July, the Church celebrates the feast days of several holy married couples whose lives continue to inspire Catholic families today.

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At lunch with the poor, Pope Leo XIV calls on society to eliminate the causes of poverty, injustice - #Catholic - Pope Leo XIV on July 11 expressed a “hunger for justice [and] authentic charity” while attending a lunch with poor people at Castel Gandolfo outside of Rome. “[I have] a hunger for a Church that truly knows how to open its doors and receive everyone — where there is love for all and no one is an enemy, where we all know how to live out reconciliation, forgiveness, and peace,” the pope told the crowd at the lunch, hosted in the gardens of the Borgo Laudato Si’. Pope Leo XIV dines with guests during a lunch for poor people at Castel Gandolfo outside of Rome, July 11, 2026. The event was the second lunch the pope has hosted with those facing poverty since the beginning of his pontificate. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News Leo pointed out that the historic papal title of “pontiff” means “a builder of bridges.” “Today, we too wish to build a bridge with all of you, with your families, and with the society in which we want to live — but to live with justice, to live where the causes of poverty can be eliminated, where the causes of the injustices that still exist in our world can be removed,” he said. Pope Leo XIV and guests sit for lunch at Castel Gandolfo outside of Rome, July 11, 2026. The event was the second lunch the pope has hosted with those facing poverty since the beginning of his pontificate. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News “This is the Church we want to be,” he said while thanking the organizers of the lunch, the second such event the pope has hosted since his pontificate began. “When we gather together, when we experience this spirit of encounter around the table — the very table where Jesus is present with us — we are truly building a different world, a world of hope. Let us strive always to embody this experience of a Church of justice, peace, and love,” he said.Before the pope spoke, Cardinal Fabio Baggio — the incoming pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development — had addressed the gathering. Cardinal Fabio Baggio speaks during a lunch for poor people at Castel Gandolfo outside of Rome, July 11, 2026. The event was the second lunch Pope Leo XIV has hosted with those facing poverty since the beginning of his pontificate. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News “At a time when the ‘throwaway culture’ risks relegating many people to the margins, this place seeks to be a small sign of hope,” the cardinal said. “Here, we wish to remind everyone — through our lives rather than just our words — that no one is superfluous in the eyes of God and that every person is a gift to the entire community.”About 200 people facing social vulnerability from the Diocese of Rome attended the lunch with the pope. On Aug. 17, 2025 the pope hosted a similar lunch with people living in poverty from the Diocese of Albano; he held another such luncheon on Nov. 16 of that year.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. 
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At lunch with the poor, Pope Leo XIV calls on society to eliminate the causes of poverty, injustice – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV on July 11 expressed a “hunger for justice [and] authentic charity” while attending a lunch with poor people at Castel Gandolfo outside of Rome. “[I have] a hunger for a Church that truly knows how to open its doors and receive everyone — where there is love for all and no one is an enemy, where we all know how to live out reconciliation, forgiveness, and peace,” the pope told the crowd at the lunch, hosted in the gardens of the Borgo Laudato Si’. Pope Leo XIV dines with guests during a lunch for poor people at Castel Gandolfo outside of Rome, July 11, 2026. The event was the second lunch the pope has hosted with those facing poverty since the beginning of his pontificate. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News Leo pointed out that the historic papal title of “pontiff” means “a builder of bridges.” “Today, we too wish to build a bridge with all of you, with your families, and with the society in which we want to live — but to live with justice, to live where the causes of poverty can be eliminated, where the causes of the injustices that still exist in our world can be removed,” he said. Pope Leo XIV and guests sit for lunch at Castel Gandolfo outside of Rome, July 11, 2026. The event was the second lunch the pope has hosted with those facing poverty since the beginning of his pontificate. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News “This is the Church we want to be,” he said while thanking the organizers of the lunch, the second such event the pope has hosted since his pontificate began. “When we gather together, when we experience this spirit of encounter around the table — the very table where Jesus is present with us — we are truly building a different world, a world of hope. Let us strive always to embody this experience of a Church of justice, peace, and love,” he said.Before the pope spoke, Cardinal Fabio Baggio — the incoming pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development — had addressed the gathering. Cardinal Fabio Baggio speaks during a lunch for poor people at Castel Gandolfo outside of Rome, July 11, 2026. The event was the second lunch Pope Leo XIV has hosted with those facing poverty since the beginning of his pontificate. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News “At a time when the ‘throwaway culture’ risks relegating many people to the margins, this place seeks to be a small sign of hope,” the cardinal said. “Here, we wish to remind everyone — through our lives rather than just our words — that no one is superfluous in the eyes of God and that every person is a gift to the entire community.”About 200 people facing social vulnerability from the Diocese of Rome attended the lunch with the pope. On Aug. 17, 2025 the pope hosted a similar lunch with people living in poverty from the Diocese of Albano; he held another such luncheon on Nov. 16 of that year.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. 

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The Holy Father on July 11 hosted “Lunch with the Pope,” a day of hospitality and fraternity at Borgo Laudato Si’ within the papal gardens of Castel Gandolfo.

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Catholic Church in Colombia calls for respecting presidential election results – #Catholic – The Colombian Bishops’ Conference called for the will of the people expressed in the results of the June 21 presidential elections, which saw Abelardo de la Espriella emerge as the winner, to be respected and accepted as a sign of peace for the country.In the final message of their 121st plenary assembly, the bishops noted the “robust and peaceful participation of the Colombian people” in the elections, describing it as a “clear sign of democratic maturity and of appreciation and respect for institutions.”“We regard respect for and acceptance of the will of the Colombian people, as expressed in the election results, as conditions and signs of peace,” they stated in their message, published on July 9.The bishops lamented that, following the elections, confrontation and division continue to be fueled by violent words and attitudes.After calling for a “culture of encounter,” the bishops’ conference urged government leaders to assume “their constitutional responsibility to safeguard and foster unity, the pursuit of the common good in truth and justice, and a national project that includes us all without disregarding what has been built and received as both a legacy and a task.”The bishops' call comes amid the political conflict sparked by President Gustavo Petroʼs decision on July 6 to reject the runoff election results, citing cyber fraud and claiming that the true winner was his candidate, Iván Cepeda.On June 25, the National Electoral Council declared de la Espriella the winner of the presidential runoff election.De la Espriella responded by suspending his team’s participation in the official transition process, that is, the handover of information between the outgoing government and the one set to take over the leadership of Colombia on Aug. 7.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.
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Catholic Church in Colombia calls for respecting presidential election results – #Catholic – The Colombian Bishops’ Conference called for the will of the people expressed in the results of the June 21 presidential elections, which saw Abelardo de la Espriella emerge as the winner, to be respected and accepted as a sign of peace for the country.In the final message of their 121st plenary assembly, the bishops noted the “robust and peaceful participation of the Colombian people” in the elections, describing it as a “clear sign of democratic maturity and of appreciation and respect for institutions.”“We regard respect for and acceptance of the will of the Colombian people, as expressed in the election results, as conditions and signs of peace,” they stated in their message, published on July 9.The bishops lamented that, following the elections, confrontation and division continue to be fueled by violent words and attitudes.After calling for a “culture of encounter,” the bishops’ conference urged government leaders to assume “their constitutional responsibility to safeguard and foster unity, the pursuit of the common good in truth and justice, and a national project that includes us all without disregarding what has been built and received as both a legacy and a task.”The bishops' call comes amid the political conflict sparked by President Gustavo Petroʼs decision on July 6 to reject the runoff election results, citing cyber fraud and claiming that the true winner was his candidate, Iván Cepeda.On June 25, the National Electoral Council declared de la Espriella the winner of the presidential runoff election.De la Espriella responded by suspending his team’s participation in the official transition process, that is, the handover of information between the outgoing government and the one set to take over the leadership of Colombia on Aug. 7.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.

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With Abelardo de la Espriella’s very narrow victory and outgoing President Gustavo Petros’ refusal to accept that result, alleging fraud, the Colombian bishops urged citizens to respect the outcome.

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July 11, 1801: Jean-Louis Pons finds his first comet

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On July 11, 1801, French astronomer Jean-Louis Pons made his first comet discovery, c/1801 N1. When he’d began his career in 1789 as a doorkeeper (essentially, a concierge) at Marseille Observatory, the directors had recognized his talents and taught him more about astronomy. That background, combined with his exceptional observational skills and the ability toContinue reading “July 11, 1801: Jean-Louis Pons finds his first comet”

The post July 11, 1801: Jean-Louis Pons finds his first comet appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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‘We will rise with him,’ Venezuelan bishop says as Catholic nonprofits mobilize relief efforts – #Catholic – Auxiliary Bishop Carlos Márquez of Caracas, Venezuela, this week underscored the Church’s commitment “to be with people” as Venezuela recovers from earthquakes.“First of all, we are committed to being with people,” Márquez told “EWTN News In Depth” on July 10. “Bishops and priests and deacons and religious personnel of all different congregations, we are on the street talking to people, conveying hope, and giving them consolation from all the pain and distress that they are suffering.”“We accompany the pain of our people,” he said. “We don’t leave them alone.”Márquez said that in Caracas, where he serves, around 20 to 25 churches and parish houses have been destroyed. While he said Caracas has seen “a lot of damage in many buildings,” the more heavily affected area is La Guajira.“La Guajira is the poor diocese of Venezuela,” he said. “It’s the sister diocese of Caracas. La Guajira was hit really, really bad and they have much, much more damage than we suffer here.”“Though we’ve been hit by nature, we don’t lose our hope because our hope is set on Christ the Lord, and he had victory over death and destruction, and we know that we join him in this pain,” Márquez said.The auxiliary bishop’s remarks come as Catholic aid organizations, including Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and Caritas Venezuela, are working together to mobilize relief efforts across the country.CRS Senior Technical Adviser for Humanitarian Operations John Service told “EWTN News Nightly” on July 10 that CRS and Caritas have channeled their assistance “down to the most affected area, which is La Guajira.”“Weʼve been sending food, water, hygiene materials, and medical supplies,” he said. “Itʼs been a massive mobilization, a big effort, and weʼve been able to get a lot of trucks going. And itʼs nonstop. Literally in this place where Iʼm standing right now, which is their main office, we get the materials, we process them, we put them into packages that are easy to deliver, and then the trucks go out daily to these different sites.”Service described the mood on the ground in Venezuela as “sad, frustrated, angry together, and determined.”“The reality is thereʼs quite a big trauma thatʼs hit these populations. Theyʼve lost loved ones. They still have loved ones they canʼt find. So it is a very difficult process for them to come to grips with whatʼs happened,” he said.Service said many Venezuelans faced financial hardship before the earthquakes, depleting the resources they might have used to offset the present crisis. “People donʼt have a big safety net,” he said.
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‘We will rise with him,’ Venezuelan bishop says as Catholic nonprofits mobilize relief efforts – #Catholic – Auxiliary Bishop Carlos Márquez of Caracas, Venezuela, this week underscored the Church’s commitment “to be with people” as Venezuela recovers from earthquakes.“First of all, we are committed to being with people,” Márquez told “EWTN News In Depth” on July 10. “Bishops and priests and deacons and religious personnel of all different congregations, we are on the street talking to people, conveying hope, and giving them consolation from all the pain and distress that they are suffering.”“We accompany the pain of our people,” he said. “We don’t leave them alone.”Márquez said that in Caracas, where he serves, around 20 to 25 churches and parish houses have been destroyed. While he said Caracas has seen “a lot of damage in many buildings,” the more heavily affected area is La Guajira.“La Guajira is the poor diocese of Venezuela,” he said. “It’s the sister diocese of Caracas. La Guajira was hit really, really bad and they have much, much more damage than we suffer here.”“Though we’ve been hit by nature, we don’t lose our hope because our hope is set on Christ the Lord, and he had victory over death and destruction, and we know that we join him in this pain,” Márquez said.The auxiliary bishop’s remarks come as Catholic aid organizations, including Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and Caritas Venezuela, are working together to mobilize relief efforts across the country.CRS Senior Technical Adviser for Humanitarian Operations John Service told “EWTN News Nightly” on July 10 that CRS and Caritas have channeled their assistance “down to the most affected area, which is La Guajira.”“Weʼve been sending food, water, hygiene materials, and medical supplies,” he said. “Itʼs been a massive mobilization, a big effort, and weʼve been able to get a lot of trucks going. And itʼs nonstop. Literally in this place where Iʼm standing right now, which is their main office, we get the materials, we process them, we put them into packages that are easy to deliver, and then the trucks go out daily to these different sites.”Service described the mood on the ground in Venezuela as “sad, frustrated, angry together, and determined.”“The reality is thereʼs quite a big trauma thatʼs hit these populations. Theyʼve lost loved ones. They still have loved ones they canʼt find. So it is a very difficult process for them to come to grips with whatʼs happened,” he said.Service said many Venezuelans faced financial hardship before the earthquakes, depleting the resources they might have used to offset the present crisis. “People donʼt have a big safety net,” he said.

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“Though we’ve been hit by nature, we don’t lose our hope because our hope is set on Christ the Lord, and he had victory over death and destruction,” Auxiliary Bishop Carlos Márquez said.

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Irish bishops condemn burning of mosque replica at holiday festivities #Catholic Archbishop Eamon Martin of the Catholic Archdiocese of Armagh and Archbishop John McDowell of the Church of Ireland have condemned the burning of a mosque replica in Northern Ireland during the country’s Eleventh Night bonfires.“The placement of a replica mosque atop a bonfire is grossly offensive and raises tensions so soon after the unrest that destroyed property and severely impacted the lives of individuals and families,” the archbishops said. Bonfires are traditionally lit in loyalist areas of Northern Ireland on the night before July 12 — a holiday referred to as “The Twelfth” — marking the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, which saw the defeat of Catholic King James II. The mosque replica placed on top of a bonfire was reported to depict a person holding a knife and a flag.The incident follows weeks of civil unrest and targeting of migrant communities throughout Northern Ireland after a brutal knife attack in Belfast carried out by a Sudanese national.Little Sisters of the Poor set up field hospital for Venezuela earthquake victimsThe Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Poor of Maiquetía has set up a field hospital following the destruction of San José Hospital during the earthquakes in Venezuela last month.The sisters are continuing their health ministry operations across the street from the damaged hospital, Sister María Yraida Mora Sánchez, vicar general of the Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Poor, told Vatican News. "We are also making regular visits to three emergency shelters, and the situation is extremely difficult. It is especially challenging because Venezuela was already facing a severe economic and humanitarian crisis, as much of the world already knows,” she said. Abuse survivors seek damages from entity tied to Christian Brothers’ asset transfersSurvivors of clergy abuse at the hands of the Congregation of Christian Brothers are seeking to transfer their compensation claims to Edmund Rice Education Australia, a Catholic entity that received over million worth of property from the Christian Brothers over the course of a decade in symbolic transfers. The move comes after the Christian Brothers said in court that they could not afford to pay survivors’ claims in full but that they would sell off their remaining 36 properties valued at 7 million to divide among creditors and abuse survivors, according to a report from The Guardian on Friday.Indonesia bishops speak out against killing of American mission pilotCatholic bishops in Papua, Indonesia’s easternmost province, have condemned the murder of an American pilot on July 2 by an armed group.“We strongly condemn this brutal act,” Archbishop Petrus Canisius Mandagi of Merauke said, according to Licas News, noting that the plane that was set on fire by the group was an Associated Mission Aviation (AMA) aircraft owned by five dioceses in Papua. AMA has served Papua for 67 years, delivering humanitarian aid to areas difficult to reach by land. “For decades, we have faced risks from weather and technical problems. However, a criminal act involving the burning of an aircraft and the murder of a pilot is extremely difficult to accept. It is a barbaric and inhumane act,” Bishop Yanuarius Theofilus Matopai of Jayapura in Papua said. Pakistan archbishop declares child abuse a national, moral crisisArchbishop Joseph Arshad of Islamabad-Rawalpindi in Pakistan has designated 2026 the “Year of Children” amid what he described as “deep concern over the growing number of child abuse cases in society.”"The issue of child sexual abuse in Pakistan remains widespread and requires urgent attention,” the archbishop said in an interview with Fides News Agency on July 8. “Crimes against children are among the most shameful and intolerable violations of human dignity. No society can call itself just, peaceful, or civilized as long as its children live under threat, fear, and insecurity. Children are a sacred gift from God and must be protected with the highest level of moral, social, legal and institutional responsibility,” he said, calling for action from the Pakistani government. New Zealand marks near-50% surge in euthanasia deaths in 3 yearsA report has recorded a 48.17% increase in deaths by euthanasia and assisted suicide in New Zealand over the past three years.The Registrar (assisted dying) Annual Report to the Minister of Health June 2026 report found there was a total of 486 cases of euthanasia and assisted suicide in New Zealand from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026. In 2023-2024, there were 328 cases nationwide. The New Zealand Catholic Bishops’ Conference has repeatedly spoken out against euthanasia and assisted suicide laws in the country. Bishop of Alexandria, Egypt, celebrates centenary of Latin Vicariate of Port SaidHundreds of pilgrims gathered in Port Said in Egypt to celebrate 100 years after the establishment of the apostolic procurator there, ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, reported Sunday.Bishop Claudio Lurati of the Apostolic Vicariate of Alexandria presided over the Mass celebrating the anniversary at the Regina Mundi Cathedral. Beyond the anniversary itself, the celebration brought together the history of the local Church, the legacy of generations of Christians, and a remarkable example of ecumenical cooperation, with Regina Mundi Cathedral serving both Latin Catholic and Coptic Orthodox communities.Thailand Catholic schools launch program to combat food insecurityIn the wake of catastrophic flooding across southern Thailand, the Catholic Foundation of the Surat Thani Diocese has launched a program to transform schools into food hubs.The “Promoting Nutrition and Sustainable Food Production for Children and the Poor” project is funded by Pope Leo XIV through the apostolic nuncio to Thailand, according to a report from Licas News on Wednesday. The project is designed to ensure that students receive balanced meals every day by enabling schools to become agricultural food production zones. The program will also establish health monitoring systems to track body mass index (BMI) of students suffering from food insecurity.
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Irish bishops condemn burning of mosque replica at holiday festivities #Catholic Archbishop Eamon Martin of the Catholic Archdiocese of Armagh and Archbishop John McDowell of the Church of Ireland have condemned the burning of a mosque replica in Northern Ireland during the country’s Eleventh Night bonfires.“The placement of a replica mosque atop a bonfire is grossly offensive and raises tensions so soon after the unrest that destroyed property and severely impacted the lives of individuals and families,” the archbishops said. Bonfires are traditionally lit in loyalist areas of Northern Ireland on the night before July 12 — a holiday referred to as “The Twelfth” — marking the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, which saw the defeat of Catholic King James II. The mosque replica placed on top of a bonfire was reported to depict a person holding a knife and a flag.The incident follows weeks of civil unrest and targeting of migrant communities throughout Northern Ireland after a brutal knife attack in Belfast carried out by a Sudanese national.Little Sisters of the Poor set up field hospital for Venezuela earthquake victimsThe Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Poor of Maiquetía has set up a field hospital following the destruction of San José Hospital during the earthquakes in Venezuela last month.The sisters are continuing their health ministry operations across the street from the damaged hospital, Sister María Yraida Mora Sánchez, vicar general of the Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Poor, told Vatican News. "We are also making regular visits to three emergency shelters, and the situation is extremely difficult. It is especially challenging because Venezuela was already facing a severe economic and humanitarian crisis, as much of the world already knows,” she said. Abuse survivors seek damages from entity tied to Christian Brothers’ asset transfersSurvivors of clergy abuse at the hands of the Congregation of Christian Brothers are seeking to transfer their compensation claims to Edmund Rice Education Australia, a Catholic entity that received over $50 million worth of property from the Christian Brothers over the course of a decade in symbolic $1 transfers. The move comes after the Christian Brothers said in court that they could not afford to pay survivors’ claims in full but that they would sell off their remaining 36 properties valued at $217 million to divide among creditors and abuse survivors, according to a report from The Guardian on Friday.Indonesia bishops speak out against killing of American mission pilotCatholic bishops in Papua, Indonesia’s easternmost province, have condemned the murder of an American pilot on July 2 by an armed group.“We strongly condemn this brutal act,” Archbishop Petrus Canisius Mandagi of Merauke said, according to Licas News, noting that the plane that was set on fire by the group was an Associated Mission Aviation (AMA) aircraft owned by five dioceses in Papua. AMA has served Papua for 67 years, delivering humanitarian aid to areas difficult to reach by land. “For decades, we have faced risks from weather and technical problems. However, a criminal act involving the burning of an aircraft and the murder of a pilot is extremely difficult to accept. It is a barbaric and inhumane act,” Bishop Yanuarius Theofilus Matopai of Jayapura in Papua said. Pakistan archbishop declares child abuse a national, moral crisisArchbishop Joseph Arshad of Islamabad-Rawalpindi in Pakistan has designated 2026 the “Year of Children” amid what he described as “deep concern over the growing number of child abuse cases in society.”"The issue of child sexual abuse in Pakistan remains widespread and requires urgent attention,” the archbishop said in an interview with Fides News Agency on July 8. “Crimes against children are among the most shameful and intolerable violations of human dignity. No society can call itself just, peaceful, or civilized as long as its children live under threat, fear, and insecurity. Children are a sacred gift from God and must be protected with the highest level of moral, social, legal and institutional responsibility,” he said, calling for action from the Pakistani government. New Zealand marks near-50% surge in euthanasia deaths in 3 yearsA report has recorded a 48.17% increase in deaths by euthanasia and assisted suicide in New Zealand over the past three years.The Registrar (assisted dying) Annual Report to the Minister of Health June 2026 report found there was a total of 486 cases of euthanasia and assisted suicide in New Zealand from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026. In 2023-2024, there were 328 cases nationwide. The New Zealand Catholic Bishops’ Conference has repeatedly spoken out against euthanasia and assisted suicide laws in the country. Bishop of Alexandria, Egypt, celebrates centenary of Latin Vicariate of Port SaidHundreds of pilgrims gathered in Port Said in Egypt to celebrate 100 years after the establishment of the apostolic procurator there, ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, reported Sunday.Bishop Claudio Lurati of the Apostolic Vicariate of Alexandria presided over the Mass celebrating the anniversary at the Regina Mundi Cathedral. Beyond the anniversary itself, the celebration brought together the history of the local Church, the legacy of generations of Christians, and a remarkable example of ecumenical cooperation, with Regina Mundi Cathedral serving both Latin Catholic and Coptic Orthodox communities.Thailand Catholic schools launch program to combat food insecurityIn the wake of catastrophic flooding across southern Thailand, the Catholic Foundation of the Surat Thani Diocese has launched a program to transform schools into food hubs.The “Promoting Nutrition and Sustainable Food Production for Children and the Poor” project is funded by Pope Leo XIV through the apostolic nuncio to Thailand, according to a report from Licas News on Wednesday. The project is designed to ensure that students receive balanced meals every day by enabling schools to become agricultural food production zones. The program will also establish health monitoring systems to track body mass index (BMI) of students suffering from food insecurity.

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Irish bishops condemn anti-Muslim display, religious sisters set up a field hospital for Venezuela earthquake victims, euthanasia in New Zealand surges, and more in this week’s world news roundup.

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Our Lady Queen of Peace celebrates its patronal feast as a sign of unity in Sussex County #Catholic - The Solemnity of Our Lady Queen of Peace was far more than a patronal feast for Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish in Branchville, N.J. The celebration became a sign of unity, bringing the English-speaking and Spanish-speaking communities together to honor their patroness in a day of prayer, fellowship and joy. Throughout the day, families from both communities took part in the various activities the parish organized: games for the children, Eucharistic adoration and an outdoor Mass celebrated by the pastor, Father Philip Tangorra, together with Father Dailon Lisabet, who provides pastoral care to the Hispanic community of Sussex County. The day closed with a parish picnic. During the Mass, Father Lisabet reflected on the deep meaning of the celebration: “Although we speak different languages, we share the same faith, the same baptism, the same Eucharist, this samehurch and the same Mother, Mary.” Father Lisabet thanked Father Philip Tangorra for his closeness, his openness and his constant desire that the Hispanic community take full part in parish life. “Since I arrived at this parish, one of Father Philip’s great desires has been that the Hispanic community not feel like a separate group, but like a living part of this parish family. That has been my desire and my mission as well,” Father Lisabet said. After the Eucharist, the two communities shared food, conversation and time together. The Hispanic community prepared tacos al pastor and shaved ice, which were welcomed enthusiastically by everyone present. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. The following Sunday, during the Spanish Mass, Mary Eileen B. Schoen publicly expressed her gratitude to the Hispanic community in a letter. “Thank you for being such a special part of the solemnity and barbecue of Our Lady Queen of Peace. The tacos and shaved ice were a great success. Everyone in the parish is so grateful for your becoming part of our parish family. May we continue to grow together in the love of God and of one another,” Schoen wrote. Susana Cabrera, who recently began taking part in the parish along with her husband, said she felt welcome from the very first moment. “It was the first time I took part in an outdoor Mass. I was moved to see the two communities adoring the Blessed Sacrament together and sharing a meal as one community,” Cabrera said. Stella Guevara said, “The unity we shared as two communities seemed wonderful to me. It was a beautiful tribute to Our Lady Queen of Peace, and I hope we can repeat moments like this.” For Pablo Noche and his family, who were in charge of preparing the tacos al pastor, the gathering reflected the true spirit of the parish. “It was an afternoon of fellowship and unity where we were able to get to know one another better and strengthen the bonds that unite us as one family in Christ,” Noche said. Beyond the various activities, the message that stayed in many hearts was deeply significant: when Christ and the Eucharist are at the center of parish life, differences of language and culture cease to be barriers and become a richness for the whole Church. Everything experienced during this day in Branchville was a manifestation of the universality of the Church: one faith, one family and one shared desire to keep building community under the protection of Mary, Queen of Peace. [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]    
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Our Lady Queen of Peace celebrates its patronal feast as a sign of unity in Sussex County #Catholic – The Solemnity of Our Lady Queen of Peace was far more than a patronal feast for Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish in Branchville, N.J. The celebration became a sign of unity, bringing the English-speaking and Spanish-speaking communities together to honor their patroness in a day of prayer, fellowship and joy. Throughout the day, families from both communities took part in the various activities the parish organized: games for the children, Eucharistic adoration and an outdoor Mass celebrated by the pastor, Father Philip Tangorra, together with Father Dailon Lisabet, who provides pastoral care to the Hispanic community of Sussex County. The day closed with a parish picnic. During the Mass, Father Lisabet reflected on the deep meaning of the celebration: “Although we speak different languages, we share the same faith, the same baptism, the same Eucharist, this samehurch and the same Mother, Mary.” Father Lisabet thanked Father Philip Tangorra for his closeness, his openness and his constant desire that the Hispanic community take full part in parish life. “Since I arrived at this parish, one of Father Philip’s great desires has been that the Hispanic community not feel like a separate group, but like a living part of this parish family. That has been my desire and my mission as well,” Father Lisabet said. After the Eucharist, the two communities shared food, conversation and time together. The Hispanic community prepared tacos al pastor and shaved ice, which were welcomed enthusiastically by everyone present. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. The following Sunday, during the Spanish Mass, Mary Eileen B. Schoen publicly expressed her gratitude to the Hispanic community in a letter. “Thank you for being such a special part of the solemnity and barbecue of Our Lady Queen of Peace. The tacos and shaved ice were a great success. Everyone in the parish is so grateful for your becoming part of our parish family. May we continue to grow together in the love of God and of one another,” Schoen wrote. Susana Cabrera, who recently began taking part in the parish along with her husband, said she felt welcome from the very first moment. “It was the first time I took part in an outdoor Mass. I was moved to see the two communities adoring the Blessed Sacrament together and sharing a meal as one community,” Cabrera said. Stella Guevara said, “The unity we shared as two communities seemed wonderful to me. It was a beautiful tribute to Our Lady Queen of Peace, and I hope we can repeat moments like this.” For Pablo Noche and his family, who were in charge of preparing the tacos al pastor, the gathering reflected the true spirit of the parish. “It was an afternoon of fellowship and unity where we were able to get to know one another better and strengthen the bonds that unite us as one family in Christ,” Noche said. Beyond the various activities, the message that stayed in many hearts was deeply significant: when Christ and the Eucharist are at the center of parish life, differences of language and culture cease to be barriers and become a richness for the whole Church. Everything experienced during this day in Branchville was a manifestation of the universality of the Church: one faith, one family and one shared desire to keep building community under the protection of Mary, Queen of Peace. [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]    

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Our Lady Queen of Peace celebrates its patronal feast as a sign of unity in Sussex County #Catholic –

The Solemnity of Our Lady Queen of Peace was far more than a patronal feast for Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish in Branchville, N.J. The celebration became a sign of unity, bringing the English-speaking and Spanish-speaking communities together to honor their patroness in a day of prayer, fellowship and joy.

Throughout the day, families from both communities took part in the various activities the parish organized: games for the children, Eucharistic adoration and an outdoor Mass celebrated by the pastor, Father Philip Tangorra, together with Father Dailon Lisabet, who provides pastoral care to the Hispanic community of Sussex County. The day closed with a parish picnic.

During the Mass, Father Lisabet reflected on the deep meaning of the celebration: “Although we speak different languages, we share the same faith, the same baptism, the same Eucharist, this samehurch and the same Mother, Mary.”

Father Lisabet thanked Father Philip Tangorra for his closeness, his openness and his constant desire that the Hispanic community take full part in parish life.

“Since I arrived at this parish, one of Father Philip’s great desires has been that the Hispanic community not feel like a separate group, but like a living part of this parish family. That has been my desire and my mission as well,” Father Lisabet said.

After the Eucharist, the two communities shared food, conversation and time together. The Hispanic community prepared tacos al pastor and shaved ice, which were welcomed enthusiastically by everyone present.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

The following Sunday, during the Spanish Mass, Mary Eileen B. Schoen publicly expressed her gratitude to the Hispanic community in a letter.

“Thank you for being such a special part of the solemnity and barbecue of Our Lady Queen of Peace. The tacos and shaved ice were a great success. Everyone in the parish is so grateful for your becoming part of our parish family. May we continue to grow together in the love of God and of one another,” Schoen wrote.

Susana Cabrera, who recently began taking part in the parish along with her husband, said she felt welcome from the very first moment.

“It was the first time I took part in an outdoor Mass. I was moved to see the two communities adoring the Blessed Sacrament together and sharing a meal as one community,” Cabrera said.

Stella Guevara said, “The unity we shared as two communities seemed wonderful to me. It was a beautiful tribute to Our Lady Queen of Peace, and I hope we can repeat moments like this.”

For Pablo Noche and his family, who were in charge of preparing the tacos al pastor, the gathering reflected the true spirit of the parish.

“It was an afternoon of fellowship and unity where we were able to get to know one another better and strengthen the bonds that unite us as one family in Christ,” Noche said.

Beyond the various activities, the message that stayed in many hearts was deeply significant: when Christ and the Eucharist are at the center of parish life, differences of language and culture cease to be barriers and become a richness for the whole Church. Everything experienced during this day in Branchville was a manifestation of the universality of the Church: one faith, one family and one shared desire to keep building community under the protection of Mary, Queen of Peace.

[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]

 

 

– The Solemnity of Our Lady Queen of Peace was far more than a patronal feast for Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish in Branchville, N.J. The celebration became a sign of unity, bringing the English-speaking and Spanish-speaking communities together to honor their patroness in a day of prayer, fellowship and joy. Throughout the day, families from both communities took part in the various activities the parish organized: games for the children, Eucharistic adoration and an outdoor Mass celebrated by the pastor, Father Philip Tangorra, together with Father Dailon Lisabet, who provides pastoral care to the Hispanic community of Sussex County.

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Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz celebró su fiesta patronal como un signo de unidad en Sussex County #Catholic - La Solemnidad de Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz fue mucho más que una fiesta patronal para la parroquia Our Lady Queen of Peace, en Branchville. La celebración se convirtió en un signo de unidad al reunir a las comunidades angloparlante e hispanohablante para celebrar juntas a su patrona en un día de oración, fraternidad y alegría. A lo largo del día, familias de ambas comunidades participaron en las distintas actividades organizadas por la parroquia: juegos para los niños, adoración eucarística y una Misa al aire libre presidida por el párroco, el Padre Philip Tangorra, junto con el Padre Dailon Lisabet, quien acompaña pastoralmente a la comunidad hispana de Sussex County. La jornada concluyó con un picnic parroquial. Durante la Misa, el Padre Dailon destacó el profundo significado de esta celebración: “aunque hablamos diferentes idiomas, compartimos la misma fe, el mismo Bautismo, la misma Eucaristía, este mismo templo y la misma Madre, María.” También expresó su agradecimiento al Padre Philip Tangorra por su cercanía, su apertura y el deseo constante de que la comunidad hispana forme parte plenamente de la vida parroquial: “desde que llegué a esta parroquia, uno de los grandes deseos del Padre Philip ha sido que la comunidad hispana no se sienta como un grupo aparte, sino como una parte viva de esta familia parroquial. Ese también ha sido mi deseo y mi misión.” Tras la Eucaristía, las dos comunidades compartieron alimentos, conversaciones y momentos de convivencia. La comunidad hispana preparó tacos al pastor y raspados de hielo, que fueron recibidos con entusiasmo por todos los asistentes. Para suscribirse a nuestro boletín electrónico semanal, haga click aquí. El domingo siguiente, durante la Misa en español, Mary Eileen B. Schoen expresó públicamente su agradecimiento a la comunidad hispana mediante una carta: “gracias por ser una parte tan especial de la solemnidad y del barbecue de Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz. Los tacos y los raspados fueron todo un éxito. Todos en la parroquia estamos muy agradecidos por su incorporación a nuestra familia parroquial. Que sigamos creciendo juntos en el amor de Dios y unos por otros.” Susana Cabrera, quien recientemente comenzó a participar en la parroquia junto con su esposo, comentó que se sintió bienvenida desde el primer momento: “fue la primera vez que participé en una Misa al aire libre. Me emocionó ver a las dos comunidades adorando juntas al Santísimo Sacramento y compartiendo la comida como una sola comunidad.” Stella Guevara también destacó el ambiente vivido durante la celebración: “me pareció espectacular la unión que tuvimos las dos comunidades. Fue un hermoso homenaje a Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz y ojalá podamos repetir momentos como este.” Para Pablo Noche y su familia, encargados de preparar los tacos al pastor, la convivencia reflejó el verdadero espíritu de la parroquia: “fue una tarde de fraternidad y unión donde pudimos conocernos mejor y fortalecer los lazos que nos unen como una sola familia en Cristo.” Más allá de las distintas actividades, el mensaje que quedó en el corazón de muchos fue muy significativo: cuando Cristo y la Eucaristía ocupan el centro de la vida parroquial, las diferencias de idioma y cultura dejan de ser barreras para convertirse en una riqueza para toda la Iglesia. Todo lo vivido durante este día en Branchville fue una manifestación de la universalidad de la Iglesia: una sola fe, una sola familia y un mismo deseo de seguir construyendo comunidad bajo el amparo de María, Reina de la Paz. [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  
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Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz celebró su fiesta patronal como un signo de unidad en Sussex County #Catholic – La Solemnidad de Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz fue mucho más que una fiesta patronal para la parroquia Our Lady Queen of Peace, en Branchville. La celebración se convirtió en un signo de unidad al reunir a las comunidades angloparlante e hispanohablante para celebrar juntas a su patrona en un día de oración, fraternidad y alegría. A lo largo del día, familias de ambas comunidades participaron en las distintas actividades organizadas por la parroquia: juegos para los niños, adoración eucarística y una Misa al aire libre presidida por el párroco, el Padre Philip Tangorra, junto con el Padre Dailon Lisabet, quien acompaña pastoralmente a la comunidad hispana de Sussex County. La jornada concluyó con un picnic parroquial. Durante la Misa, el Padre Dailon destacó el profundo significado de esta celebración: “aunque hablamos diferentes idiomas, compartimos la misma fe, el mismo Bautismo, la misma Eucaristía, este mismo templo y la misma Madre, María.” También expresó su agradecimiento al Padre Philip Tangorra por su cercanía, su apertura y el deseo constante de que la comunidad hispana forme parte plenamente de la vida parroquial: “desde que llegué a esta parroquia, uno de los grandes deseos del Padre Philip ha sido que la comunidad hispana no se sienta como un grupo aparte, sino como una parte viva de esta familia parroquial. Ese también ha sido mi deseo y mi misión.” Tras la Eucaristía, las dos comunidades compartieron alimentos, conversaciones y momentos de convivencia. La comunidad hispana preparó tacos al pastor y raspados de hielo, que fueron recibidos con entusiasmo por todos los asistentes. Para suscribirse a nuestro boletín electrónico semanal, haga click aquí. El domingo siguiente, durante la Misa en español, Mary Eileen B. Schoen expresó públicamente su agradecimiento a la comunidad hispana mediante una carta: “gracias por ser una parte tan especial de la solemnidad y del barbecue de Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz. Los tacos y los raspados fueron todo un éxito. Todos en la parroquia estamos muy agradecidos por su incorporación a nuestra familia parroquial. Que sigamos creciendo juntos en el amor de Dios y unos por otros.” Susana Cabrera, quien recientemente comenzó a participar en la parroquia junto con su esposo, comentó que se sintió bienvenida desde el primer momento: “fue la primera vez que participé en una Misa al aire libre. Me emocionó ver a las dos comunidades adorando juntas al Santísimo Sacramento y compartiendo la comida como una sola comunidad.” Stella Guevara también destacó el ambiente vivido durante la celebración: “me pareció espectacular la unión que tuvimos las dos comunidades. Fue un hermoso homenaje a Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz y ojalá podamos repetir momentos como este.” Para Pablo Noche y su familia, encargados de preparar los tacos al pastor, la convivencia reflejó el verdadero espíritu de la parroquia: “fue una tarde de fraternidad y unión donde pudimos conocernos mejor y fortalecer los lazos que nos unen como una sola familia en Cristo.” Más allá de las distintas actividades, el mensaje que quedó en el corazón de muchos fue muy significativo: cuando Cristo y la Eucaristía ocupan el centro de la vida parroquial, las diferencias de idioma y cultura dejan de ser barreras para convertirse en una riqueza para toda la Iglesia. Todo lo vivido durante este día en Branchville fue una manifestación de la universalidad de la Iglesia: una sola fe, una sola familia y un mismo deseo de seguir construyendo comunidad bajo el amparo de María, Reina de la Paz. [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  

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Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz celebró su fiesta patronal como un signo de unidad en Sussex County #Catholic –

La Solemnidad de Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz fue mucho más que una fiesta patronal para la parroquia Our Lady Queen of Peace, en Branchville. La celebración se convirtió en un signo de unidad al reunir a las comunidades angloparlante e hispanohablante para celebrar juntas a su patrona en un día de oración, fraternidad y alegría.

A lo largo del día, familias de ambas comunidades participaron en las distintas actividades organizadas por la parroquia: juegos para los niños, adoración eucarística y una Misa al aire libre presidida por el párroco, el Padre Philip Tangorra, junto con el Padre Dailon Lisabet, quien acompaña pastoralmente a la comunidad hispana de Sussex County. La jornada concluyó con un picnic parroquial.

Durante la Misa, el Padre Dailon destacó el profundo significado de esta celebración: “aunque hablamos diferentes idiomas, compartimos la misma fe, el mismo Bautismo, la misma Eucaristía, este mismo templo y la misma Madre, María.”

También expresó su agradecimiento al Padre Philip Tangorra por su cercanía, su apertura y el deseo constante de que la comunidad hispana forme parte plenamente de la vida parroquial: “desde que llegué a esta parroquia, uno de los grandes deseos del Padre Philip ha sido que la comunidad hispana no se sienta como un grupo aparte, sino como una parte viva de esta familia parroquial. Ese también ha sido mi deseo y mi misión.”

Tras la Eucaristía, las dos comunidades compartieron alimentos, conversaciones y momentos de convivencia. La comunidad hispana preparó tacos al pastor y raspados de hielo, que fueron recibidos con entusiasmo por todos los asistentes.

Para suscribirse a nuestro boletín electrónico semanal, haga click aquí.

El domingo siguiente, durante la Misa en español, Mary Eileen B. Schoen expresó públicamente su agradecimiento a la comunidad hispana mediante una carta: “gracias por ser una parte tan especial de la solemnidad y del barbecue de Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz. Los tacos y los raspados fueron todo un éxito. Todos en la parroquia estamos muy agradecidos por su incorporación a nuestra familia parroquial. Que sigamos creciendo juntos en el amor de Dios y unos por otros.”

Susana Cabrera, quien recientemente comenzó a participar en la parroquia junto con su esposo, comentó que se sintió bienvenida desde el primer momento: “fue la primera vez que participé en una Misa al aire libre. Me emocionó ver a las dos comunidades adorando juntas al Santísimo Sacramento y compartiendo la comida como una sola comunidad.”

Stella Guevara también destacó el ambiente vivido durante la celebración: “me pareció espectacular la unión que tuvimos las dos comunidades. Fue un hermoso homenaje a Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz y ojalá podamos repetir momentos como este.”

Para Pablo Noche y su familia, encargados de preparar los tacos al pastor, la convivencia reflejó el verdadero espíritu de la parroquia: “fue una tarde de fraternidad y unión donde pudimos conocernos mejor y fortalecer los lazos que nos unen como una sola familia en Cristo.”

Más allá de las distintas actividades, el mensaje que quedó en el corazón de muchos fue muy significativo: cuando Cristo y la Eucaristía ocupan el centro de la vida parroquial, las diferencias de idioma y cultura dejan de ser barreras para convertirse en una riqueza para toda la Iglesia. Todo lo vivido durante este día en Branchville fue una manifestación de la universalidad de la Iglesia: una sola fe, una sola familia y un mismo deseo de seguir construyendo comunidad bajo el amparo de María, Reina de la Paz.

[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]

 

– La Solemnidad de Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz fue mucho más que una fiesta patronal para la parroquia Our Lady Queen of Peace, en Branchville. La celebración se convirtió en un signo de unidad al reunir a las comunidades angloparlante e hispanohablante para celebrar juntas a su patrona en un día de oración, fraternidad y alegría. A lo largo del día, familias de ambas comunidades participaron en las distintas actividades organizadas por la parroquia: juegos para los niños, adoración eucarística y una Misa al aire libre presidida por el párroco, el Padre Philip Tangorra, junto con el Padre Dailon

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Czech court to weigh clearing cardinal jailed by communists #Catholic A second cardinal and a third senior churchman may be rehabilitated this year for mistreatment under the communist regime in Czechoslovakia. The District Court in Litoměřice, in what is now the Czech Republic, will consider a proposal for the rehabilitation of Cardinal Štěpán Trochta, the former bishop of Litoměřice, over his internment between 1950 and 1953.The public prosecutor asked the relevant authorities to carry out an investigation into the archives and, based on the outcome, found the initiative reasonable. He has already submitted a proposal for the judicial rehabilitation of Trochta over the illegal deprivation of his personal freedom. A date for consideration of the proposal has not yet been set.“I firmly believe that the name of Štěpán Trochta, my predecessor in Litoměřice, will be cleared through the courts,” said Archbishop Stanislav Přibyl of Prague, who is also apostolic administrator of Litoměřice.The verdict that sent Trochta to prison, handed down in a political trial for “treason and conspiracy,” was overturned in 1968, but the Czech courts have not dealt with his earlier illegal internment. The initiative for full rehabilitation came from Jan Kratochvil, director of the Museum of Czech, Slovak, and Ruthenian Exile of the 20th Century, and the lawyer Lubomír Müller.It is “important to clean his name in this way as well,” said Kratochvil, whose family was friends with the prelate.Salesian, prisoner, cardinalŠtěpán Trochta (1905–1974) was one of the first Czech members of the Society of St. Francis de Sales, the so-called Salesians. He studied in Turin, Italy, where he obtained a doctorate in theology. He returned to Czechoslovakia, and when Nazi Germany occupied the country, he was arrested for his contacts with and support for the resistance and was sent to several concentration camps.He was “ready to work, full of energy, enthusiasm, and willing to work hard.” Trochta was also a good organizer and a gifted speaker and writer who “enjoyed being among the boys, even though he gradually had to spend more time in administration,” according to “Life and Legacy,” a booklet published by the Salesians on the 50th anniversary of the prelate’s death.Shortly before the communists took over in Czechoslovakia, he was appointed bishop of Litoměřice. He became the spokesman for the episcopate of Czechoslovakia in difficult negotiations with the new government. In the end, the regime interned him in his residence and later imprisoned him. Although he was released sooner than expected, he was not allowed to continue as a bishop and had to work as a manual laborer.In 1969, when he was already back in the Diocese of Litoměřice, Pope Paul VI created him a cardinal “in pectore” — that is, secretly.When Trochta died five years later, the funeral was attended by many of the faithful, including cardinals from Berlin, Krakow, and Vienna. Archbishop Karol Wojtyła of Krakow, who later became Pope John Paul II, reportedly asked to concelebrate but was not permitted to do so. Wojtyła then defied the ban on foreign participants speaking, delivering a short address over the coffin in which he called the deceased prelate a martyr. The funeral Mass was celebrated by the Czech bishop and future Cardinal František Tomášek.A series of Czech rehabilitationsThe case may become one more in a recent series of rehabilitations in the Czech Republic.In February, the District Court of Prague recognized the unjust treatment of Cardinal Josef Beran, the former archbishop of Prague, who was interned in several locations. Last month, the District Court in Olomouc rehabilitated Archbishop Josef Karel Matocha of Olomouc, also over his internment.In 2024, the Regional Court in Hradec Králové rehabilitated Father Josef Toufar, who was illegally arrested and tortured to death.
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Czech court to weigh clearing cardinal jailed by communists #Catholic A second cardinal and a third senior churchman may be rehabilitated this year for mistreatment under the communist regime in Czechoslovakia. The District Court in Litoměřice, in what is now the Czech Republic, will consider a proposal for the rehabilitation of Cardinal Štěpán Trochta, the former bishop of Litoměřice, over his internment between 1950 and 1953.The public prosecutor asked the relevant authorities to carry out an investigation into the archives and, based on the outcome, found the initiative reasonable. He has already submitted a proposal for the judicial rehabilitation of Trochta over the illegal deprivation of his personal freedom. A date for consideration of the proposal has not yet been set.“I firmly believe that the name of Štěpán Trochta, my predecessor in Litoměřice, will be cleared through the courts,” said Archbishop Stanislav Přibyl of Prague, who is also apostolic administrator of Litoměřice.The verdict that sent Trochta to prison, handed down in a political trial for “treason and conspiracy,” was overturned in 1968, but the Czech courts have not dealt with his earlier illegal internment. The initiative for full rehabilitation came from Jan Kratochvil, director of the Museum of Czech, Slovak, and Ruthenian Exile of the 20th Century, and the lawyer Lubomír Müller.It is “important to clean his name in this way as well,” said Kratochvil, whose family was friends with the prelate.Salesian, prisoner, cardinalŠtěpán Trochta (1905–1974) was one of the first Czech members of the Society of St. Francis de Sales, the so-called Salesians. He studied in Turin, Italy, where he obtained a doctorate in theology. He returned to Czechoslovakia, and when Nazi Germany occupied the country, he was arrested for his contacts with and support for the resistance and was sent to several concentration camps.He was “ready to work, full of energy, enthusiasm, and willing to work hard.” Trochta was also a good organizer and a gifted speaker and writer who “enjoyed being among the boys, even though he gradually had to spend more time in administration,” according to “Life and Legacy,” a booklet published by the Salesians on the 50th anniversary of the prelate’s death.Shortly before the communists took over in Czechoslovakia, he was appointed bishop of Litoměřice. He became the spokesman for the episcopate of Czechoslovakia in difficult negotiations with the new government. In the end, the regime interned him in his residence and later imprisoned him. Although he was released sooner than expected, he was not allowed to continue as a bishop and had to work as a manual laborer.In 1969, when he was already back in the Diocese of Litoměřice, Pope Paul VI created him a cardinal “in pectore” — that is, secretly.When Trochta died five years later, the funeral was attended by many of the faithful, including cardinals from Berlin, Krakow, and Vienna. Archbishop Karol Wojtyła of Krakow, who later became Pope John Paul II, reportedly asked to concelebrate but was not permitted to do so. Wojtyła then defied the ban on foreign participants speaking, delivering a short address over the coffin in which he called the deceased prelate a martyr. The funeral Mass was celebrated by the Czech bishop and future Cardinal František Tomášek.A series of Czech rehabilitationsThe case may become one more in a recent series of rehabilitations in the Czech Republic.In February, the District Court of Prague recognized the unjust treatment of Cardinal Josef Beran, the former archbishop of Prague, who was interned in several locations. Last month, the District Court in Olomouc rehabilitated Archbishop Josef Karel Matocha of Olomouc, also over his internment.In 2024, the Regional Court in Hradec Králové rehabilitated Father Josef Toufar, who was illegally arrested and tortured to death.

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A district court will weigh whether Cardinal Štěpán Trochta, imprisoned by the Nazis and later by the communists, was unlawfully interned in the 1950s.

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How the St. Benedict medal became a shield against the powers of darkness #Catholic Temptations in a fallen city, memories of a beautiful woman, a poisoned chalice, the attacks of an envious priest, curses from a pagan priest, a rock that won’t budge and another that falls on a young monk, a kitchen in flames, a dragon that lurks to devour a fleeing monk, threats from Gothic warlords, and the prospect of a destroyed monastery.These are some of the attacks that St. Benedict, whose feast the Catholic Church celebrates on July 11, endured throughout his life.Benedict even had to use force to manifest his authority as abbot over his monks oppressed by the enemy, as related in Father Robert Nixon’s book “The Cross and Medal of Saint Benedict: A Mystical Sign of Divine Power” (TAN, 2024):“Benedict found this monk outside wandering around aimlessly when he should have been in the oratory in prayer. With a certain degree of paternal severity and charitable discipline, he reprimanded him for his lack of wisdom and discernment and struck him with his staff. At this, the monk fell down, motionless. And after that, the devil … never troubled him again. It was as if the staff of Benedict had not struck the hapless monk but had rather driven away the wicked tempter himself!” (p. 14).St. Benedict has come to be recognized for the power of his actions against the enemy, alongside St. Michael the Archangel, as a major protector against evil — particularly through the medal that bears his image.Nixon’s book offers an overview of how the medal rose to prominence as a Catholic devotion and received papal approval, couching it within the story of St. Benedict’s life and the rise of his order of monks.The St. Benedict medalIf you’ve seen the back of a St. Benedict medal, you may have noticed a series of letters. The first set is arranged in and around the shape of the cross: C S P B C S S M L N D S M D. The next set is arranged in a circle around the cross: V R S N S M V S M Q L I V B.This arrangement first came to serious attention in the year 1647 in relation to the Benedictine Abbey of Metten in Bavaria, Germany, when it was believed to have prevented a series of diabolic attacks.Although some of the laity already had medals with these letters engraved, no one at the time understood their meaning. It was only in researching the library’s manuscripts that a 15th-century illustration of St. Benedict pointed to the full prayer they abbreviated:“Cross of our Holy Father Benedict. May the cross be light to me. May the dragon not be a leader to me. Get behind me, Satan: Never persuade me to vain things. What you like is evil; may you yourself drink your venom!”Due to a widespread story of the medal preventing the effect of curses and bringing about exorcisms and healings, which Nixon details in his book, its use spread across Europe, with Pope Benedict XIV approving an official blessing for it and granting it indulgences in 1741.The great father of modern Benedictine monasticism, Dom Prosper Guéranger, speculated why God would grant so many favors to those who invoke his help through St. Benedict’s medal. In an age when “rationalism is so rife,” God has deigned to offer help to those “who put their confidence in the sacred signs marked on the medal” with “strong and simple” faith (Guéranger, “The Medal or Cross of St. Benedict,” author’s preface). It’s as if to laugh at the devil and his plans to pull people away from God through the alleged sophistication of the modern world, overcoming them with simple signs pointing us to the cross and the protection of a holy monk.Of course, the medal should not be used in a superstitious way. It expresses our faith and confidence in God, which conquers the power of the enemy through the blood of Christ. Within God’s plan of salvation, there are certain key defenders of God’s people. St. Benedict proved himself as one over his own monks in spiritual combat. Through the efficacy of his medal, he has manifested himself as a fatherly defender of all who invoke his help.Throughout history, the monastic life has served as a constant beacon calling us to greater conversion of life and prayer. Turning to St. Benedict can lead us to embrace some of his spiritual principles, such as humility, obedience, stability, hospitality, the prayerful reading of Scripture in “lectio divina,” and viewing our work as a means of honoring God.While St. Benedict faced trials in his life as a monk, we all face trials and attacks from the enemy in the Christian life. Sacramentals can help us in our journey of faith, including our efforts to keep evil far away.St. Benedict medals and rosaries with the medal affixed can be purchased at religious gift stores and can be blessed after purchase. Medals are also available at EWTN’s Religious Catalogue site.This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, and has been adapted by EWTN News.
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How the St. Benedict medal became a shield against the powers of darkness #Catholic Temptations in a fallen city, memories of a beautiful woman, a poisoned chalice, the attacks of an envious priest, curses from a pagan priest, a rock that won’t budge and another that falls on a young monk, a kitchen in flames, a dragon that lurks to devour a fleeing monk, threats from Gothic warlords, and the prospect of a destroyed monastery.These are some of the attacks that St. Benedict, whose feast the Catholic Church celebrates on July 11, endured throughout his life.Benedict even had to use force to manifest his authority as abbot over his monks oppressed by the enemy, as related in Father Robert Nixon’s book “The Cross and Medal of Saint Benedict: A Mystical Sign of Divine Power” (TAN, 2024):“Benedict found this monk outside wandering around aimlessly when he should have been in the oratory in prayer. With a certain degree of paternal severity and charitable discipline, he reprimanded him for his lack of wisdom and discernment and struck him with his staff. At this, the monk fell down, motionless. And after that, the devil … never troubled him again. It was as if the staff of Benedict had not struck the hapless monk but had rather driven away the wicked tempter himself!” (p. 14).St. Benedict has come to be recognized for the power of his actions against the enemy, alongside St. Michael the Archangel, as a major protector against evil — particularly through the medal that bears his image.Nixon’s book offers an overview of how the medal rose to prominence as a Catholic devotion and received papal approval, couching it within the story of St. Benedict’s life and the rise of his order of monks.The St. Benedict medalIf you’ve seen the back of a St. Benedict medal, you may have noticed a series of letters. The first set is arranged in and around the shape of the cross: C S P B C S S M L N D S M D. The next set is arranged in a circle around the cross: V R S N S M V S M Q L I V B.This arrangement first came to serious attention in the year 1647 in relation to the Benedictine Abbey of Metten in Bavaria, Germany, when it was believed to have prevented a series of diabolic attacks.Although some of the laity already had medals with these letters engraved, no one at the time understood their meaning. It was only in researching the library’s manuscripts that a 15th-century illustration of St. Benedict pointed to the full prayer they abbreviated:“Cross of our Holy Father Benedict. May the cross be light to me. May the dragon not be a leader to me. Get behind me, Satan: Never persuade me to vain things. What you like is evil; may you yourself drink your venom!”Due to a widespread story of the medal preventing the effect of curses and bringing about exorcisms and healings, which Nixon details in his book, its use spread across Europe, with Pope Benedict XIV approving an official blessing for it and granting it indulgences in 1741.The great father of modern Benedictine monasticism, Dom Prosper Guéranger, speculated why God would grant so many favors to those who invoke his help through St. Benedict’s medal. In an age when “rationalism is so rife,” God has deigned to offer help to those “who put their confidence in the sacred signs marked on the medal” with “strong and simple” faith (Guéranger, “The Medal or Cross of St. Benedict,” author’s preface). It’s as if to laugh at the devil and his plans to pull people away from God through the alleged sophistication of the modern world, overcoming them with simple signs pointing us to the cross and the protection of a holy monk.Of course, the medal should not be used in a superstitious way. It expresses our faith and confidence in God, which conquers the power of the enemy through the blood of Christ. Within God’s plan of salvation, there are certain key defenders of God’s people. St. Benedict proved himself as one over his own monks in spiritual combat. Through the efficacy of his medal, he has manifested himself as a fatherly defender of all who invoke his help.Throughout history, the monastic life has served as a constant beacon calling us to greater conversion of life and prayer. Turning to St. Benedict can lead us to embrace some of his spiritual principles, such as humility, obedience, stability, hospitality, the prayerful reading of Scripture in “lectio divina,” and viewing our work as a means of honoring God.While St. Benedict faced trials in his life as a monk, we all face trials and attacks from the enemy in the Christian life. Sacramentals can help us in our journey of faith, including our efforts to keep evil far away.St. Benedict medals and rosaries with the medal affixed can be purchased at religious gift stores and can be blessed after purchase. Medals are also available at EWTN’s Religious Catalogue site.This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, and has been adapted by EWTN News.

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St. Benedict, whose feast the Catholic Church celebrates on July 11, endured constant attacks from the enemy throughout his life.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 11 July 2026 – A reading from the Book of Isaiah 6:1-8 In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, with the train of his garment filling the temple. Seraphim were stationed above; each of them had six wings: with two they veiled their faces, with two they veiled their feet, and with two they hovered aloft.They cried one to the other, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts! All the earth is filled with his glory!” At the sound of that cry, the frame of the door shook and the house was filled with smoke.Then I said, “Woe is me, I am doomed! For I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, holding an ember that he had taken with tongs from the altar.He touched my mouth with it and said, “See, now that this has touched your lips, your wickedness is removed, your sin purged.”Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” “Here I am,” I said; “send me!” From the Gospel according to Matthew 10:24-33 Jesus said to his Apostles:  “No disciple is above his teacher, no slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, for the slave that he become like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more those of his household!“Therefore do not be afraid of them. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.”A life given to God is one of happiness, but it must be renewed each day through prayer, the sacraments and time spent with the brothers and sisters whom the Lord places along our path. In the communion of hearts and in acts of kindness toward those in need, the miracles of charity are continually renewed. So, if you feel that Christ is calling you to follow him in a path of special consecration — as priests, religious sisters, religious brothers, or catechists — do not be afraid to follow in his footsteps. As he himself promised, and I also wish to say emphatically to you here today — you will receive “a hundredfold and … eternal life” (Mt 19:29). (…) Let us be inspired by the beauty of love; let us become witnesses to the love that Jesus has left us and taught us! Let us show every day that it is beautiful to love — that the greatest joys, in every situation, come from knowing how to give and from giving of ourselves, especially when we reach out to those most in need. The light of charity, nurtured in our homes and lived out in faith, can truly transform the world — even its structures and institutions — so that every person is respected and no one is forgotten. (Pope Leo XIV, Meeting with young people and families, Bata Stadium, Equatorial Guinea, 22 April 2026)

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A reading from the Book of Isaiah
6:1-8

In the year King Uzziah died,
I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne,
with the train of his garment filling the temple.
Seraphim were stationed above; each of them had six wings:
with two they veiled their faces,
with two they veiled their feet,
and with two they hovered aloft.They cried one to the other,
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts!
All the earth is filled with his glory!”
At the sound of that cry, the frame of the door shook
and the house was filled with smoke.Then I said, “Woe is me, I am doomed!
For I am a man of unclean lips,
living among a people of unclean lips;
yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”
Then one of the seraphim flew to me,
holding an ember that he had taken with tongs from the altar.He touched my mouth with it and said,
“See, now that this has touched your lips,
your wickedness is removed, your sin purged.”Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
“Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?”
“Here I am,” I said; “send me!” 

From the Gospel according to Matthew
10:24-33

Jesus said to his Apostles: 
“No disciple is above his teacher,
no slave above his master.
It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher,
for the slave that he become like his master.
If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul,
how much more those of his household!“Therefore do not be afraid of them.
Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light;
what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.
And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul;
rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy
both soul and body in Gehenna.
Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?
Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge.
Even all the hairs of your head are counted.
So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Everyone who acknowledges me before others
I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.
But whoever denies me before others,
I will deny before my heavenly Father.”

A life given to God is one of happiness, but it must be renewed each day through prayer, the sacraments and time spent with the brothers and sisters whom the Lord places along our path. In the communion of hearts and in acts of kindness toward those in need, the miracles of charity are continually renewed. So, if you feel that Christ is calling you to follow him in a path of special consecration — as priests, religious sisters, religious brothers, or catechists — do not be afraid to follow in his footsteps. As he himself promised, and I also wish to say emphatically to you here today — you will receive “a hundredfold and … eternal life” (Mt 19:29). (…)

Let us be inspired by the beauty of love; let us become witnesses to the love that Jesus has left us and taught us! Let us show every day that it is beautiful to love — that the greatest joys, in every situation, come from knowing how to give and from giving of ourselves, especially when we reach out to those most in need. The light of charity, nurtured in our homes and lived out in faith, can truly transform the world — even its structures and institutions — so that every person is respected and no one is forgotten. (Pope Leo XIV, Meeting with young people and families, Bata Stadium, Equatorial Guinea, 22 April 2026)

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