SAN FRANCISCO — The homeless of California have achieved a final and decisive victory in Governor Gavin Newsom’s fight against homelessness.
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TEHRAN — Peace in the Middle East hit another major roadblock this week after Iranian officials issued a serious threat that they have a hidden strategic reserve of even more serious threats.
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Rapanui Rock during sunset, Sumner, Christchurch, New Zealand
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The grants will fund initiatives across the globe including the construction and renovation of Catholic schools, monasteries, orphanages, and medical clinics in numerous countries.
Beyond the Acropolis, I found Japanese fusion, herbal spa treatments, and some friendly stray cats.
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Frequently described as “the last man who knew everything,” 17th-century Jesuit Athanasius Kircher was a true polymath. Born May 2, 1601, in Germany, Kircher relocated to Italy and the Roman College by the 1630s, fleeing the Thirty Years’ War. There he began a lifetime of research and publication in an impressively wide array of fields:Continue reading “May 2, 1601: The birth of Athanasius Kircher”
The post May 2, 1601: The birth of Athanasius Kircher appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
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Israel arrests religious sister’s alleged attacker, Polish influencer honors JPII while raising money for charity, Indonesian cathedral turns 125, and more in this week’s world news roundup.
The inaugural conference, “Restoring the Covenant: Catholic Social Teaching as Common Social Ground,” will take place May 30 at De La Salle Oaklands College in Toronto.
![22 miles of faith: Catholic family of 10 turns Walk to Mary pilgrimage into a tradition - #Catholic - Two adults, eight children, 22 miles, and one purpose — to grow closer to Jesus Christ through Mary, his mother. That about sums up what the Allex family from Barrington, Illinois, will be taking on during their 10th Walk to Mary on May 2 in Champion, Wisconsin. The Walk to Mary is an annual pilgrimage held on the first Saturday of May. The first walk took place in 2013 and over the years thousands of Catholics from around the world have participated. The 22-mile pilgrimage starts at the National Shrine of St. Joseph and ends at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion, which is the only approved Marian apparition site in the United States, in which the Blessed Mother appeared to Adele Brise in 1859.For Kym Allex, a Catholic home schooling mother; her husband, Preston; and their eight children — ranging in age from 17 to 4 — the pilgrimage has become an annual tradition.
The Allex family participates in the Walk to Mary pilgrimage. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Kym Allex
The “Allex tribe” — as they’re referred to by their community — first participated in the Walk to Mary when the eldest child was only 8 years old. At the time, there were seven children in the family and they all took part in the two-mile version of the pilgrimage for their first several walks.The pilgrimage includes several “join in” points along the route that allow participants unable to walk the entire distance the ability to participate.“For that childrenʼs walk — the little two-miler — it was so great to have seven kids just tromping around, excited to walk for Mary,” Allex told EWTN News in an interview. She added: “It didnʼt seem like a very long walk to be able to have a 2-year-old in a backpack or my 5-year-old running as fast as he could because he wanted to catch up to Mary, which I donʼt think he ever did, but it was just a beautiful experience for our family for the first time and every year after.”After their first couple of years participating in the two-mile version of the walk, the Allexes began to expand on the length they completed. This year, for the first time, they plan to walk the entire 22-mile route. And it wasn’t mom and dad who made this decision — it was the two eldest children.“My 17-year-old daughter and my 16-year-old son came to my husband and [me] after last yearʼs 14-mile and they said, ‘Next year we have some big prayer intentions,’” she shared. “Theyʼre on the cusp of looking at colleges and figuring out where they want to go and where the Lord is calling them and so theyʼve stated, ‘Mom, Iʼm going to do the 22 miles if youʼre OK with it. Iʼd like for our whole family to join.’”The Allexes then sat down as a family to discern what God was calling them to do and what goals they needed to reach in order for everyone to feel comfortable doing the entire pilgrimage. With this in mind, the entire family has been preparing physically and spiritually for this event.“Even our little 4-year-old has been walking and biking in the neighborhood every day that she can to be able to get her sweet little legs ready for this beautiful opportunity,” Allex said.She added that it is her oldest children who want to make sure that taking part in the Walk to Mary is always a part of the family’s culture.“They take off of work, theyʼve told their sports coaches, ‘We wonʼt be able to go and do this race’ … because our family really wants to keep this part of our family tradition,” Allex said. “And itʼs great that itʼs my teenagers who are the ones that want to continue to pass this on. Thereʼs no fight because weʼve grown into this together.”
The Allex family participates in the Walk to Mary pilgrimage. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Kym Allex
Allex admitted that she was hesitant when her children first brought up the idea of doing the full pilgrimage.“I will tell you, this 22-miler makes me a little nervous and yet my kids are the ones who are like, ‘We can do this mom. Weʼve done 18 miles at Disney. So we can do 22 miles for Mary.’ Iʼm like, ‘That is such a beautiful thought, right? If I can do this for pleasure, I can surely do this for Mary, for my faith,’” she shared.When reflecting on how her familyʼs faith has been impacted by taking part in the Walk to Mary, Allex shared that it has reminded them that “the Blessed Mother is such an incredible spiritual mom for all of us.”She added: “Especially for me as a mom in this world today, I can get lost sometimes in the worry, the anxiety, the stress of life. And so to know that our Blessed Mother will wrap me like a swaddling blanket into her mantle and bring me to Jesus is so consoling.”“The fact that my kids have seen that I go to the Blessed Mother when Iʼm struggling and ask for her help to get closer to her son, then they see the humanness of their own mom and theyʼre like, ‘Wow, mom might not have it all together, but she knows someone who does and sheʼs going to lean in on that.’”The Catholic mother pointed out that the pilgrimage has also taught her children how to pray for others. She recalled an instance when one of her sons went up to a man during the walk and asked him if he had an intention he could lift in prayer for him. The man was from Brazil and was walking the pilgrimage asking for healing for his wife.“My hope is that they feel inspired to be those missionary disciples … and that theyʼre cultivating hearts of missionary discipleship — walking with people, being inspired to go and pray with people,” she said.Allex added that each member of the family has a prayer journal and the children have already been “collecting peopleʼs prayers and theyʼve already been wrapping them in our nightly rosary that we do every night.”When the Blessed Mother appeared to Brise in the woods of Champion, Wisconsin, one of the messages she gave the young woman was to “gather the children in this wild country and teach them what they should know for salvation.”This is something that has deeply impacted Allex’s faith and a message she carries daily in her vocation of motherhood.“Iʼve memorized it [the message] because that right there, that is the role for us as parents,” Allex said. “I think every one of our homes can feel like a wild country, you walk in and … for me sometimes it feels that way. It feels like a wild country. But if I can continue to gather my kids and teach them what they should know — I might not be preparing them for Harvard. Iʼm going to prepare them for heaven.”Summarizing her experiences taking part in the Walk to Mary and how it has impacted the entire family, Allex concluded that “this walk truly is this pilgrimage of graces.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/22-miles-of-faith-catholic-family-of-10-turns-walk-to-mary-pilgrimage-into-a-tradition-catholic-two-adults-eight-children-22-miles-and-one-purpose-to-grow-closer-to-jesus-christ-thr.png)
This year an Illinois family will make the entire 22-mile trek to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion in Wisconsin, which honors the only approved Marian apparition site in the United States.
Nasdaq Chair and Chief Executive Officer Adena T. Friedman, left, and NASA’s Artemis II crew ring the closing bell of the Nasdaq market session, Thursday, April 30, 2026.
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St. Athanasius, celebrated on May 2, was a fourth-century bishop who is known as “the father of orthodoxy” for his dedication to the doctrine of Christ’s divinity.
Longtime Democrat strategist James Carville totally melted down over the Supreme Court’s decision on Louisiana’s newly-drawn congressional map.
The post “Sons of B*tches!” – James Carville Goes Ballistic on Conservative Supreme Court Justices After Louisiana Gerrymander Ruling (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Los Angeles city councilman Hugo Martinez recently remarked that he wants illegals to be able to vote in city elections.
The post Los Angeles City Councilman Wants Illegals to be Able to Vote in City Elections (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Podcast host and stand-up comic Joe Rogan isn’t always right about everything, but when it comes to California Governor Gavin Newsom, his analysis is dead on.
The post Joe Rogan Blasts Gavin Newsom as a Phony Politician: ‘Cardboard Cutout of a Person’ (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Read MoreA reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 13:44-52
On the following sabbath
almost the whole city
gathered to hear the word of the Lord.
When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy
and with violent abuse contradicted what Paul said.
Both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said,
“It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first,
but since you reject it
and condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life,
we now turn to the Gentiles.
For so the Lord has commanded us,
I have made you a light to the Gentiles,
that you may be an instrument of salvation
to the ends of the earth.”
The Gentiles were delighted when they heard this
and glorified the word of the Lord.
All who were destined for eternal life came to believe,
and the word of the Lord continued to spread
through the whole region.
The Jews, however, incited the women of prominence who were worshipers
and the leading men of the city,
stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas,
and expelled them from their territory.
So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them
and went to Iconium.
The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.
From the Gospel according to John
14:7-14
Jesus said to his disciples:
“If you know me, then you will also know my Father.
From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
Philip said to Jesus,
“Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time
and you still do not know me, Philip?
Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own.
The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me,
or else, believe because of the works themselves.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,
and will do greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father.
And whatever you ask in my name, I will do,
so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.”
During the Last Supper, after Jesus affirmed that to know him was also to know the Father (cf. Jn 14: 7), Philip quite ingenuously asks him: "Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied" (Jn 14: 8). Jesus answered with a gentle rebuke: "Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father: how can you say, "Show us the Father?’ Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me?… Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me" (Jn 14: 9-11). These words are among the most exalted in John’s Gospel. They contain a true and proper revelation. At the end of the Prologue to his Gospel, John says: "No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known" (Jn 1: 18). Well, that declaration which is made by the Evangelist is taken up and confirmed by Jesus himself, but with a fresh nuance. (…) To express ourselves in accordance with the paradox of the Incarnation we can certainly say that God gave himself a human face, the Face of Jesus, and consequently, from now on, if we truly want to know the Face of God, all we have to do is to contemplate the Face of Jesus! In his Face we truly see who God is and what he looks like! (Pope Benedict XVI, General Audience, 6 September 2006)
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LAKEWOOD, CO — In a solemn family meeting, local father Chandler Cooke gathered his wife and children into the living room to unveil the family’s detailed, non-negotiable Lord of the Rings summer viewing schedule.
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As Spirit Airlines prepares to permanently close its doors, it’s time to take a look at some alternative means of travel.
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Glaucidium cuculoides (Asian barred owlet) in Kaziranga National Park, Assam, India.
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Bishop Pavel Konzbul of Brno, Czech Republic, is backing the late-May gathering despite a public backlash led by former Czech presidents Václav Klaus and Miloš Zeman.
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![London Marathon winner Sabastian Sawe ‘never misses Mass’ – #Catholic – NAIROBI, Kenya — Before Sabastian Sawe traveled to London for the Sunday, April 26, marathon in which he would emerge the winner, the young athlete attended Mass at Holy Family Catholic Church, an outstation of St. Josephine Bakhita Lower Moiben Parish in Kenya’s Catholic Diocese of Eldoret.Speaking to ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, after Sawe’s record London Marathon win, Julius Kemei, chairperson of Holy Family Catholic Church, remembered the athlete asking for prayers at the end of Mass.In the interview with ACI Africa on April 29, Kemei spoke about the marathon winnerʼs strong Catholic roots, his active participation in Church activities, and his generosity to Church projects.“Sabastian never misses any church service. The last time he was here, he told us that he was traveling the same day to London for a competition and asked us to pray for him,” Kemei said, emphasizing: “He never misses Mass. He comes with his entire family to church. Whenever he is not around, his wife and children come.”In London, the 31-year-old Kenyan crossed the line to win in a record time of 1:59:30 — more than one minute faster than the previous 2:00:35 record set by the late Kelvin Kiptum in 2023.Kemei, who taught Sawe at Cheukta Primary School, where the youngster’s star began to shine through interschool and zonal competitions, said that with the sustained success in athletics, the Catholic Church in Moiben has a role model, a mentor, and a big supporter of the Church’s development projects.“He may be young, but he has already entered the ranks of an elder of our church,” Kemei said, adding that Sawe has always been ready to donate toward Church projects.“There is a marathon he won before this London one… and he came and gave the church Ksh 100,000 [100,000 Kenyan shillings, about $775]. There are times he offers to complete projects by himself, saying that God has already blessed him so much,” Kemei said.The church official recounted the young athleteʼs strong Catholic upbringing, with his entire family being the pillar of the newly established parish.“Four families are pillars of our new parish — Sabastian’s is one of them,” Kemei said. “When Bishop Dominic Kimengich made us a parish before he was appointed archbishop of Mombasa, we were worried about resources. But each member of Sabastian’s family donated something to our church.”Saweʼs most recent donation to Holy Family Catholic Church was a large flock of sheep, which is helping to fund the construction of a new church to accommodate the parish’s growing numbers.Sabastian’s grandmother also donated a cow toward the church before she died in 2022 while her grandchild found his way in the world of athletics in Spain.Kemei agreed with media reports that Sawe has promised to complete the construction of his church back home after winning big in London.“After he is done with the national reception in Nairobi, I know he will want to head straight to his home, and the church is one of the first places he will want to be. And he will want to know how he can support the completion its construction.”While at Cheukta Primary School, Kemei said Sawe never struck him as an extraordinary child until upper primary school when he started participating in cross-country competitions and zonal competitions, where he performed really well.“I remember him as a very shy student. I saw his talent and nurtured it,“ Kemei said. ”But it was after he transitioned to high school that his star started to shine brighter.” He said that Sawe comes from a family of athletes. “His paternal grandfather was a marathoner. His uncle also participated in athletics up to Uganda. And his mother was also a sprinter for those who saw her at Kasarani stadium,” he said.Sawe shows young people that everything is possible with commitment and a firm trust in God, Kemei explained. “Many youths in our parish have started going to him for mentorship. He is a great resource to our church.”This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/london-marathon-winner-sabastian-sawe-never-misses-mass-catholic-nairobi-kenya-before-sabastian-sawe-traveled-to-london-for-the-sunday-april-26-marathon-in-which-he.jpg "London Marathon winner Sabastian Sawe ‘never misses Mass’ – #Catholic – NAIROBI, Kenya — Before Sabastian Sawe traveled to London for the Sunday, April 26, marathon in which he would emerge the winner, the young athlete attended Mass at Holy Family Catholic Church, an outstation of St. Josephine Bakhita Lower Moiben Parish in Kenya’s Catholic Diocese of Eldoret.Speaking to ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, after Sawe’s record London Marathon win, Julius Kemei, chairperson of Holy Family Catholic Church, remembered the athlete asking for prayers at the end of Mass.In the interview with ACI Africa on April 29, Kemei spoke about the marathon winnerʼs strong Catholic roots, his active participation in Church activities, and his generosity to Church projects.“Sabastian never misses any church service. The last time he was here, he told us that he was traveling the same day to London for a competition and asked us to pray for him,” Kemei said, emphasizing: “He never misses Mass. He comes with his entire family to church. Whenever he is not around, his wife and children come.”In London, the 31-year-old Kenyan crossed the line to win in a record time of 1:59:30 — more than one minute faster than the previous 2:00:35 record set by the late Kelvin Kiptum in 2023.Kemei, who taught Sawe at Cheukta Primary School, where the youngster’s star began to shine through interschool and zonal competitions, said that with the sustained success in athletics, the Catholic Church in Moiben has a role model, a mentor, and a big supporter of the Church’s development projects.“He may be young, but he has already entered the ranks of an elder of our church,” Kemei said, adding that Sawe has always been ready to donate toward Church projects.“There is a marathon he won before this London one… and he came and gave the church Ksh 100,000 [100,000 Kenyan shillings, about $775]. There are times he offers to complete projects by himself, saying that God has already blessed him so much,” Kemei said.The church official recounted the young athleteʼs strong Catholic upbringing, with his entire family being the pillar of the newly established parish.“Four families are pillars of our new parish — Sabastian’s is one of them,” Kemei said. “When Bishop Dominic Kimengich made us a parish before he was appointed archbishop of Mombasa, we were worried about resources. But each member of Sabastian’s family donated something to our church.”Saweʼs most recent donation to Holy Family Catholic Church was a large flock of sheep, which is helping to fund the construction of a new church to accommodate the parish’s growing numbers.Sabastian’s grandmother also donated a cow toward the church before she died in 2022 while her grandchild found his way in the world of athletics in Spain.Kemei agreed with media reports that Sawe has promised to complete the construction of his church back home after winning big in London.“After he is done with the national reception in Nairobi, I know he will want to head straight to his home, and the church is one of the first places he will want to be. And he will want to know how he can support the completion its construction.”While at Cheukta Primary School, Kemei said Sawe never struck him as an extraordinary child until upper primary school when he started participating in cross-country competitions and zonal competitions, where he performed really well.“I remember him as a very shy student. I saw his talent and nurtured it,“ Kemei said. ”But it was after he transitioned to high school that his star started to shine brighter.” He said that Sawe comes from a family of athletes. “His paternal grandfather was a marathoner. His uncle also participated in athletics up to Uganda. And his mother was also a sprinter for those who saw her at Kasarani stadium,” he said.Sawe shows young people that everything is possible with commitment and a firm trust in God, Kemei explained. “Many youths in our parish have started going to him for mentorship. He is a great resource to our church.”This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.")
A parish staff member and former teacher speaks about the athletic champion’s strong Catholic roots, active participation in parish activities, and generosity to the Church.
![Here’s why the month of May is dedicated to the Virgin Mary – #Catholic – The Catholic Church dedicates the entire month of May to the Blessed Virgin Mary, mother of God and spiritual mother of all.In the plan of salvation, the Blessed Virgin Mary holds a special place. By virtue of her role to be the mother of the Son of God by divine election, she was conceived immaculately — i.e., without the stain of original sin — and by fidelity to her son has been crowned queen of heaven and earth.Everything Mary said and did leads to Christ. Who knows a child better than a mother? And what good and loving child does not know his or her mother and love her with all of his or her heart?Mary knew and loved Jesus like no one else on earth — and she loves each of her children, human beings, with similar affection and tenderness.The Church, in its wisdom, asks its children to be especially devoted to Mother Mary during the month of May and to be particularly grateful for all of her care.A model for every ChristianMary, the most humble of all women, is a model for everyone, today, in the here and now. She is a model in a particular way for every woman, as expressed by Pope Francis.“There is only one model for you, Mary: the woman of fidelity, the one who did not understand what was happening to her but obeyed. The one who, as soon as she knew what her cousin needed took off [to help her], the Virgin of Promptness. The one who escaped as a refugee in a foreign country to save the life of her son,” Pope Francis said during an April 2014 message to 20,000 young people gathered in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for a regional youth day.The first discipleYears later, during an Aug. 24, 2021, catechesis, Pope Francis called Mary “the first disciple of Jesus” and reminded us that “Mary is there, praying for us, praying for those who do not pray. Why? Because she is our mother.”The Virgin, through Jesus, has brought heaven closer to us and her life is the best proof that it is possible to reach it. Pope Francis said it best: “She shows us that heaven is within reach, if we too do not give in to sin, we praise God with humility, and we serve others with generosity” (Pope Francis, Angelus address on the solemnity of the Assumption, Aug. 15, 2022).A version of this story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/heres-why-the-month-of-may-is-dedicated-to-the-virgin-mary-catholic-the-catholic-church-dedicates-the-entire-month-of-may-to-the-blessed-virgin-mary-mother-of-god-and-spiritual-mother-o.jpg "Here’s why the month of May is dedicated to the Virgin Mary – #Catholic – The Catholic Church dedicates the entire month of May to the Blessed Virgin Mary, mother of God and spiritual mother of all.In the plan of salvation, the Blessed Virgin Mary holds a special place. By virtue of her role to be the mother of the Son of God by divine election, she was conceived immaculately — i.e., without the stain of original sin — and by fidelity to her son has been crowned queen of heaven and earth.Everything Mary said and did leads to Christ. Who knows a child better than a mother? And what good and loving child does not know his or her mother and love her with all of his or her heart?Mary knew and loved Jesus like no one else on earth — and she loves each of her children, human beings, with similar affection and tenderness.The Church, in its wisdom, asks its children to be especially devoted to Mother Mary during the month of May and to be particularly grateful for all of her care.A model for every ChristianMary, the most humble of all women, is a model for everyone, today, in the here and now. She is a model in a particular way for every woman, as expressed by Pope Francis.“There is only one model for you, Mary: the woman of fidelity, the one who did not understand what was happening to her but obeyed. The one who, as soon as she knew what her cousin needed took off [to help her], the Virgin of Promptness. The one who escaped as a refugee in a foreign country to save the life of her son,” Pope Francis said during an April 2014 message to 20,000 young people gathered in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for a regional youth day.The first discipleYears later, during an Aug. 24, 2021, catechesis, Pope Francis called Mary “the first disciple of Jesus” and reminded us that “Mary is there, praying for us, praying for those who do not pray. Why? Because she is our mother.”The Virgin, through Jesus, has brought heaven closer to us and her life is the best proof that it is possible to reach it. Pope Francis said it best: “She shows us that heaven is within reach, if we too do not give in to sin, we praise God with humility, and we serve others with generosity” (Pope Francis, Angelus address on the solemnity of the Assumption, Aug. 15, 2022).A version of 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.")
The Catholic Church dedicates the entire month of May to the Blessed Virgin Mary, mother of God and spiritual mother of all.
![The story behind the feast of St. Joseph the Worker – #Catholic – St. Joseph, the beloved spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and earthly father of Jesus, is celebrated twice by the Catholic Church every year — first on March 19 for the feast of St. Joseph, Husband of Mary, and again on May 1 for the feast of St. Joseph the Worker.While the saint’s March feast dates back to the 10th century, his May feast wasn’t instituted until 1955. What was behind it?May DayPope Pius XII instituted the feast of St. Joseph the Worker on May 1, 1955, so that it would coincide with International Workers Day, also known as May Day — a secular celebration of labor and workers’ rights.During this time, the Soviet Union proclaimed itself as “the defender of workers” and utilized May Day as an opportunity to exalt communism and parade its military prowess. Pope Pius XII chose the date specifically to ensure that workers did not lose the Christian understanding of work.In his address to the Catholic Association of Italian Workers on that day in 1955, Pius XII said: “There could not be a better protector to help you penetrate the spirit of the Gospel into your life … From the heart of the Man-God, savior of the world, this spirit flows into you and into all men; but it is certain that no worker has ever been as perfectly and deeply penetrated by it as the putative father of Jesus, who lived with him in the closest intimacy and commonality of family and work.”He added: “So, if you want to be close to Christ, we also today repeat to you ‘Ite ad Ioseph’ — Go to Joseph!”The Catholic Church has long placed an importance on the dignity of human work. By working, we fulfill the commands found in the Book of Genesis to care for the earth and be productive in our labors.In his encyclical Laborem Exercens, Pope John Paul II wrote that “the Church considers it her task always to call attention to the dignity and rights of those who work, to condemn situations in which that dignity and those rights are violated, and to help to guide [social] changes so as to ensure authentic progress by man and society.”St. Joseph is considered a role model of this as he worked tirelessly to protect and provide for his family as he strove to listen to and obey God.Even before the institution of this feast, many popes were beginning to spread a devotion to St. Joseph the Worker. One of these was Pope Leo XIII, who wrote on the subject in his encyclical Quamquam Pluries in 1889.He wrote: “Joseph became the guardian, the administrator, and the legal defender of the divine house whose chief he was. And during the whole course of his life he fulfilled those charges and those duties. He set himself to protect with a mighty love and a daily solicitude his spouse and the Divine Infant; regularly by his work he earned what was necessary for the one and the other for nourishment and clothing; he guarded from death the Child threatened by a monarch’s jealousy, and found for him a refuge; in the miseries of the journey and in the bitternesses of exile he was ever the companion, the assistance, and the upholder of the Virgin and of Jesus.”In addition to being the patron of the universal Church and workers in general, St. Joseph is also the patron saint of several professions including craftsmen, carpenters, accountants, attorneys, bursars, cabinetmakers, cemetery workers, civil engineers, confectioners, educators, furniture makers, wheelwrights, and lawyers.This story was first published on May 1, 2024, and has been updated.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/the-story-behind-the-feast-of-st-joseph-the-worker-catholic-st-joseph-the-beloved-spouse-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary-and-earthly-father-of-jesus-is-celebrated-twice-by-the-catholic-church-ever.jpg "The story behind the feast of St. Joseph the Worker – #Catholic – St. Joseph, the beloved spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and earthly father of Jesus, is celebrated twice by the Catholic Church every year — first on March 19 for the feast of St. Joseph, Husband of Mary, and again on May 1 for the feast of St. Joseph the Worker.While the saint’s March feast dates back to the 10th century, his May feast wasn’t instituted until 1955. What was behind it?May DayPope Pius XII instituted the feast of St. Joseph the Worker on May 1, 1955, so that it would coincide with International Workers Day, also known as May Day — a secular celebration of labor and workers’ rights.During this time, the Soviet Union proclaimed itself as “the defender of workers” and utilized May Day as an opportunity to exalt communism and parade its military prowess. Pope Pius XII chose the date specifically to ensure that workers did not lose the Christian understanding of work.In his address to the Catholic Association of Italian Workers on that day in 1955, Pius XII said: “There could not be a better protector to help you penetrate the spirit of the Gospel into your life … From the heart of the Man-God, savior of the world, this spirit flows into you and into all men; but it is certain that no worker has ever been as perfectly and deeply penetrated by it as the putative father of Jesus, who lived with him in the closest intimacy and commonality of family and work.”He added: “So, if you want to be close to Christ, we also today repeat to you ‘Ite ad Ioseph’ — Go to Joseph!”The Catholic Church has long placed an importance on the dignity of human work. By working, we fulfill the commands found in the Book of Genesis to care for the earth and be productive in our labors.In his encyclical Laborem Exercens, Pope John Paul II wrote that “the Church considers it her task always to call attention to the dignity and rights of those who work, to condemn situations in which that dignity and those rights are violated, and to help to guide [social] changes so as to ensure authentic progress by man and society.”St. Joseph is considered a role model of this as he worked tirelessly to protect and provide for his family as he strove to listen to and obey God.Even before the institution of this feast, many popes were beginning to spread a devotion to St. Joseph the Worker. One of these was Pope Leo XIII, who wrote on the subject in his encyclical Quamquam Pluries in 1889.He wrote: “Joseph became the guardian, the administrator, and the legal defender of the divine house whose chief he was. And during the whole course of his life he fulfilled those charges and those duties. He set himself to protect with a mighty love and a daily solicitude his spouse and the Divine Infant; regularly by his work he earned what was necessary for the one and the other for nourishment and clothing; he guarded from death the Child threatened by a monarch’s jealousy, and found for him a refuge; in the miseries of the journey and in the bitternesses of exile he was ever the companion, the assistance, and the upholder of the Virgin and of Jesus.”In addition to being the patron of the universal Church and workers in general, St. Joseph is also the patron saint of several professions including craftsmen, carpenters, accountants, attorneys, bursars, cabinetmakers, cemetery workers, civil engineers, confectioners, educators, furniture makers, wheelwrights, and lawyers.This story was first published on May 1, 2024, and has been updated.")
St. Joseph, the beloved spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and earthly father of Jesus, is celebrated twice by the Catholic Church every year — March 19 and May 1.
Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column. April 30: Venus poses with a pair of stars Saturn, rising early in the morning, has now become a bit easier to spot in the predawn sky. About 45 minutes before sunrise on May 1, it has reached an altitude of nearlyContinue reading “The Sky Today on Friday, May 1: Catch Saturn before sunrise”
The post The Sky Today on Friday, May 1: Catch Saturn before sunrise appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
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NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) core stage for the Artemis III mission moves into the Vehicle Assembly Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, April 28, 2026.
Read MoreO great St. Peregrine, you have been called “The Mighty,” “The Wonder-Worker,” because of the numerous miracles which you have obtained from God for those who have had recourse to you. For so many years you bore in your own flesh this cancerous disease that destroys the very fiber of our being, and who had recourse to the source of all grace when the power of man could do no more. You were favored with the vision of Jesus coming down from His Cross to heal your affliction. Ask of God and Our …
Read MoreA reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 13:26-33
When Paul came to Antioch in Pisidia, he said in the synagogue:
“My brothers, children of the family of Abraham,
and those others among you who are God-fearing,
to us this word of salvation has been sent.
The inhabitants of Jerusalem and their leaders failed to recognize him,
and by condemning him they fulfilled the oracles of the prophets
that are read sabbath after sabbath.
For even though they found no grounds for a death sentence,
they asked Pilate to have him put to death,
and when they had accomplished all that was written about him,
they took him down from the tree and placed him in a tomb.
But God raised him from the dead,
and for many days he appeared to those
who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem.
These are now his witnesses before the people.
We ourselves are proclaiming this good news to you
that what God promised our fathers
he has brought to fulfillment for us, their children, by raising up Jesus,
as it is written in the second psalm,
You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.”
From the Gospel according to John
14:1-6
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You have faith in God; have faith also in me.
In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.
If there were not,
would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back again and take you to myself,
so that where I am you also may be.
Where I am going you know the way.”
Thomas said to him,
“Master, we do not know where you are going;
how can we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Jesus sees the disciples’ distress, he sees their fear of being abandoned, just as happens to us when we are forced to separate from someone we care for. And so, he says: “I go to prepare a place for you … that where I am you may be also” (vv. 2-3). Jesus uses the familiar image of home, the place of relationships and intimacy. In the Father’s house — he says to his friends, and to each one of us — there is room for you, (…) you will be received forever with the warmth of an embrace, and I am in Heaven to prepare a place for you! He prepares for us that embrace with the Father, the place for all eternity. Brothers and sisters, this Word is a source of consolation, and it is a source of hope for us. Jesus did not separate himself from us, but rather opened the way for us, anticipating our final destination: the encounter with God the Father, in whose heart there is a place for each one of us. So, when we experience fatigue, bewilderment and even failure, let us remember where our life is headed. We must not lose sight of the destination, even if today we run the risk of overlooking it, of forgetting the final questions, the important ones: where are we going? Where are we headed? What is worth living for? Without these questions, we flatten our life only into the present. We think we must enjoy it as much as possible and end up living day by day, without purpose, without a goal. Instead, our homeland is in heaven (cf. Phil 3:20); let us not forget the greatness and the beauty of our destination! (Pope Francis, Regina Caeli, 7 May 2023)
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MACON, GA — A smoke alarm living in the house of a local family waited patiently until all the home’s occupants went to sleep to start beeping loudly sometime around 3 A.M. to announce that its battery was low.
Read More
HEAVEN — Within moments of arriving at the Pearly Gates, local boomer Gary Whitaker located Heaven’s sound booth and politely but firmly informed the angelic operator that the worship music was too loud.
Read More
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The Capitoline Wolf is a bronze sculpture made by unknown Etruscan sculptors (5th century BC), with the twins Romulus and Remus added in the late 15th century AD, by sculptor Antonio del Pollaiuolo. The sculptural group depicts a scene from the legend of the founding of Rome, occurred on 21 April 753 BC.
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Beyond The Beacon podcast 110: This special program equips parishioners to become better evangelists #Catholic – 
On this episode, we learn about the Certificate in Catholic Evangelization and Leadership (CCE) — a unique program, taught over three years, that seeks to transform Catholics into effective evangelists and spiritual leaders, equipping them to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to their homes, parishes, and local communities.
The certificate is offered by the Office of Evangelization of the Diocese of Paterson (St. Paul Inside the Walls), in collaboration with Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology Seton Hall University.
Co-hosting with Bishop Kevin Sweeney is Vicar for Evangelization Father Paul Manning of the Diocese of Paterson, N.J.
Guests:
- Dianne Traflet, J.D., S.T.D., associate dean for Graduate Studies and Administration and assistant professor of Pastoral Theology at Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology Seton Hall University.
- Eniola Honsberger, director of the Office of Family Life of the Diocese of Paterson, N.J.
- Pat Dillon, parishioner and student in the program
- Annamaria Garcia, office manager and minister to Young Adults (ages 23-39) for the Diocese of Paterson, N.J.
Listen to the episode here, or on any major podcast platform, or watch it on Bishop Sweeney’s YouTube channel.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
– On this episode, we learn about the Certificate in Catholic Evangelization and Leadership (CCE) — a unique program, taught over three years, that seeks to transform Catholics into effective evangelists and spiritual leaders, equipping them to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to their homes, parishes, and local communities. The certificate is offered by the Office of Evangelization of the Diocese of Paterson (St. Paul Inside the Walls), in collaboration with Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology Seton Hall University. Co-hosting with Bishop Kevin Sweeney is Vicar for Evangelization Father Paul Manning of the Diocese of Paterson, N.J. Guests:
The October meeting in Rome will bring together presidents of bishops’ conferences from around the world to seek a response to what the pope considers a crucial issue for the Church and society.
![New York City street renamed for religious sister’s decades of service #Catholic A New York City street acquired a new name this past weekend honoring a Catholic sister’s decades of dedication to the East Harlem community.On Saturday, April 25, more than 100 people gathered to celebrate the newly named street — Sister Susanne Lachapelle Way — named for the life and legacy of Lachapelle and her contributions as a registered nurse, advocate, and Little Sister of the Assumption (LSA).“With a heart rooted in justice, she dedicated herself to serving the vulnerable through home visits, healthcare, and tireless advocacy, both locally and globally,” Rosario Jimenez, director for LSA Family in Mission, told EWTN News.The event and street naming flowed from Lachapelleʼs work with Little Sisters of the Assumption Family Health Service, a community-based nonprofit based in East Harlem. Founded by the Little Sisters, the organization offers numerous programs to help vulnerable families and children meet their basic needs.
Crowd celebrates the unveiling of the Sister Susanne Lachapelle Way street sign in East Harlem, New York, on April 25, 2026. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Alysa Jette and Grace Ayres-Doyle
The group has been in the city for almost 70 years and Lachapelle “really helped to set the trajectory for the organization,” Ray Lopez, chief program officer of LSA Family Health Service, told EWTN News.She was “a foundational visionary staff person and a leader who really, to this day, has a very profound impact on many of us who are on the staff and worked shoulder to shoulder with her, learning from her,” he said.“Since her passing, weʼve all … redoubled our efforts to find a way to keep LSAʼs original mission and vision going in this current environment,” Lopez said. “We really wanted to find ways to keep her name out there and the legacy going.”The street is on the southeast corner of East 115th Street and First Avenue. "Itʼs almost the exact midpoint of where Sister Susanne Lachapelle lived in the Little Sisters of the Assumption brownstone and where the LSA Family Health Service … center is located,” Lopez said.“She walked there every day for at least two decades,” he said. “We thought it was the appropriate place.”Sister Susanne and the Little Sisters: ‘Unsung heroes’Lachapelle entered the LSA order in 1962 and took the religious name Sister Susanne Mary of the Sacred Heart. She made her final vows in 1971.
Sister Susanne Lachapelle. | Credit: Photo courtesy of LSA Family in Mission
In her 60 years of religious life, she served in numerous areas and worked with many ministries. But for 45 years she made the community of East Harlem her home, helping to spearhead the LSA Family Health Service’s programs.As a nurse, Lachapelle conducted home visits, which “was a foundational program of LSA Family Health Service,” Lopez said. “All of the programs grew out of those interactions, those early interactions of nurses going into the homes to treat the sick and poor and really seeing conditions firsthand, sitting with families at their kitchen table, hearing their stories.”“Sister Susanne and the rest of the leadership created other programs to really provide wraparound services for families,” he said. "The Little Sisters set up a food pantry and a thrift store just to make sure that people had the very basics.”“From there, the services were about connecting people with public benefits, providing support around education, education enrichment, education navigation. A lot of … programs focused on maternal child health and early childhood development.”Along with her support for health and families, Lachapelle also had a passion for protecting the environment through her commitment to Pope Francis' Laudato Si', a call to protect our common home.
Sister Susanne Lachapelle. | Credit: Photo courtesy of LSA Family in Mission
Lachapelle decided to initiate “an environmental health component to the work that the Little Sisters were doing,” Lynn Tiede, a volunteer for LSA Health Service who worked with Lachapelle, told EWTN News.“She worked with the families and saw problems like asthma and other debilitating health things, she realized that … itʼs mold, itʼs the air quality, itʼs these other things that are really at the root of these health problems.”“Everybody was just so inspired … to see her traipsing into rough, rough buildings and just without any hesitation,” Tiede said. “If you went into a home and people were dealing with asthma, you … send in the environmental health team and then they try to work to get the building management to actually address those things.”With the success of her work, she even collaborated with the human rights group and nongovernmental organization Vivat International, where she helped bring voices and environmental issues to the United Nations, but she always remained “very, very humble,” Tiede said.Due to her humility “there were a few people who were against [the street-naming] when we proposed it, because they thought she would hate it — because she was so humble,” Tiede said.
Sister Susanne Lachapelle Way in East Harlem, New York. | Credit: Photo courtesy of LSA Family in Mission
Ultimately they chose to honor Lachapelle and the Little Sisters because they are “unsung heroes — these quiet heroes,” Tiede said.The process to get the street renamed began in 2024 and it was found to be an easier process than expected, as the city council was eager to acknowledge Lachapelle and the Little Sisters.Sister Susanne’s lasting impactAt the street naming celebration organizers “were expecting around 80 participants, but I think it was maybe 150 or a little bit more,” Jimenez said. “There were community members, families that she served, youth that she served, … volunteers, and of course, our board members and benefactors.”It honored her “simplicity and the way that she used to be a leader,” which was “was grounded in integrity, purpose, love,” Jimenez said. “Having a street named after her will honor all of that.”Reflecting on the event, Lopez said: “[It] feels like a dream because so many people came that worked with her in the past.”Despite having to move the event inside to avoid the cold and rain, the crowd of people stayed to celebrate. It “was crowded with people, and our center lobby was filled completely,” Lopez said. “It was just a very festive atmosphere.”He added: “It was really moving to have so many people there from so long ago that still feel it in their hearts, [how] the work here in East Harlem impacted their careers, impacted their lives, and that itʼs still a very significant thing for them,” he said.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/new-york-city-street-renamed-for-religious-sisters-decades-of-service-catholic-a-new-york-city-street-acquired-a-new-name-this-past-weekend-honoring-a-catholic-sisters-decades-of-de-scaled.png)
For 45 years, Sister Susanne Lachapelle made the community of East Harlem her home, helping to spearhead the LSA Family Health Service’s programs to help the most vulnerable.
![St. Elizabeth University event highlights Mother Cabrini’s local connections #Catholic - St. Francis Xavier Cabrini, America’s first Catholic saint, significantly impacted the nation by leading efforts to care for poor Italians and marginalized people in New York City and beyond. Her extensive connections also reached into the heart of Northern New Jersey, including the Paterson Diocese.
A distinguished panel of guests highlighted Mother Cabrini’s local connections and strong advocacy for immigrants and poor communities at a discussion of “Cabrini,” the 2024 feature film about the saint. The event drew a sizable audience to the Dolan Performing Arts Center at St. Elizabeth University in Morris Township, N.J., on April 28, underscoring her local and broader impact.
This “talk back” session followed a screening of powerful and dramatic clips from “Cabrini” at St. Elizabeth’s on April 21. Both events promoted the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage (NEP), which will stop in the Paterson Diocese, N.J. at sites in Passaic and Paterson on June 14 and 15. The NEP’s Cabrini Route will travel up the Eastern Seaboard, including through the diocese, this summer.
At both the screening and the discussion, Father Cesar Jaramillo, pilgrimage stop delegate and pastor of Holy Spirit Parish in Pequannock, N.J., encouraged participation in the NEP events being hosted by the diocese. He also offered theological and legal perspectives on the immigrant experience. As a panelist, he noted that the Cabrini Route “underscores what Mother Cabrini means to the East Coast because we were the witnesses of that great arrival of immigrants during her day.”
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“And the plight isn’t over. We have many immigrants still trying to provide a better life for their families by coming to the country,” Father Jaramillo said. “We can see how Mother Cabrini’s powerful example brought Christ to others and is still very much alive in the many wonderful religious we have and the wonderful work they do in favor of immigrants.”
The Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which Mother Cabrini founded, opened schools and orphanages for Italian immigrants despite many challenges. Mother Cabrini traveled across Europe, the Americas, and the U.S., founding 67 institutions.
Father Jaramillo also spoke about a Mother Cabrini connection in the Paterson Diocese. Bishop Emeritus Arthur J. Serratelli’s mother, Eva, received religious education in New York City from the future saint. Before the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson was rededicated in 2017, the bishop commissioned a large stained-glass window of Mother Cabrini in her honor, as part of major renovations to the diocese’s mother church.
The panel included J. Eustace Wolfington, executive producer of “Cabrini” and key organizer; Gilda Bello of Cabrini Asset Management, a journalist and promoter of Mother Cabrini’s story and mission; Carol Bezak, a St. Elizabeth’s graduate, administrator of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Middletown, N.Y., and president of the National Association of U.S. Shrines; Msgr. Paul Bochicchio, retired priest of the Newark Archdiocese, author, and chaplain/consultant on the film; Sister of Charity Judy Mertz, founding director of Josephine’s Place, a women’s outreach in Elizabeth, N.J.; and Zachary DeCarlo Jr., founder and president of ZCD Advisors, who worked with Wolfington on “Cabrini.”
Sister Mertz described how the Sisters of Charity in New York City welcomed Mother Cabrini and her Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus after their arrival from Italy around 1889, sent by Pope Leo XIII. She explained a further local connection: then-Sister of Charity Mary Xavier Mehegan, herself an Irish immigrant, traveled to Convent Station to help found the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth with several fellow religious sister. Together, they established the Academy of St. Elizabeth and later the College of St. Elizabeth, now St. Elizabeth University, demonstrating how Cabrini’s influence helped shape women’s religious life in New Jersey.
“Mother Cabrini was a great model of women in the Church at that time, who had the conviction of her calling, and a deep trust in God’s providence. She had such compassion,” said Sister Mertz. She called Mother Cabrini and Mother Mehegan “catalysts for systemic change.”
The NEP is an initiative of the U.S. bishops inspired by the Eucharistic Revival, held last year in Indianapolis, which sought to “to ignite that flame of love for Jesus in the Eucharist, especially geared to young people.” The NEP also will commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States, Father Jaramillo said.
“Mother Cabrini’s love for Jesus in the Eucharist was without a doubt what empowered her to carry out her missionary work,” Father Jaramillo said. “We want the events of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage to remind young people of her beautiful example and make them aware of how we too can exercise that same operative charity through a deep and lasting relationship with Christ in the Eucharist.”
A former parish pastoral associate in the diocese, Bezak brought a Mother Cabrini image with a third-class relic to the “talk back.” The “Cabrini” screening and “talk-back” were possible through her friendship with one of the film’s executive producers.
Initially, Wolfington, now 93, had refused a request to make a film about Mother Cabrini, but later accepted, believing he could make a better movie about her than another film company that had signed on to do it.
“Everywhere we go with the film, there’s been a transformation. People who walk in the movie are not the same people walking out, especially the young people. It’s had an incredible effect,” Wolfington said.
For questions about events in this diocese, please contact: MMoncaleano@patersondiocese.org. For registration assistance, please contact: registration@eucharisticcongress.org.
National Eucharistic Pilgrimage activities in the Paterson Diocese, N.J., on June 14 and 15
Pilgrimage activities on June 14:
3:30–5 p.m.: Eucharist talk (English), Fr. Rafael Capo, Holy Rosary Church, 6 Wall St., Passaic, N.J.
3:30–5 p.m.: “Influenciados por la Eucaristía” opening talk (Spanish), P. Heriberto García, St. Nicholas, 217 President St., Passaic, N.J.
5–6:30 p.m.: Eucharistic Procession from Holy Rosary Church (6 Wall St, Passaic, N.J.) to Boverini Stadium (1.5 miles). The procession will end with the opening Mass.
6:30–8 p.m.: Opening Mass, Boverini Stadium, 262 River Dr., Passaic, N.J., with Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney.
Pilgrimage events on June 15:
3–5 p.m.: Divine Liturgy with Byzantine Catholic community at St. Michael Chapel, 415 Lackawanna Ave., Woodland Park, N.J.
5:30–7 p.m.: Eucharistic Procession starting at the Father English Center, 435 Main St., in Paterson, N.J. and ending at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, 381 Grand St., Paterson, N.J.
7–8:30 p.m.: Closing Mass with Bishop Sweeney and homily by Father Casey Cole, O.F.M., at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, 381 Grand St., Paterson. The municipal parking lot opens at 5 p.m. across from the Cathedral. Watch the livestream at https://rcdopcathedral.org/.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/st-elizabeth-university-event-highlights-mother-cabrinis-local-connections-catholic-st-francis-xavier-cabrini-americas-first-catholic-saint-significantly-impacted-the-nation-b.jpg)
St. Elizabeth University event highlights Mother Cabrini’s local connections #Catholic – 
St. Francis Xavier Cabrini, America’s first Catholic saint, significantly impacted the nation by leading efforts to care for poor Italians and marginalized people in New York City and beyond. Her extensive connections also reached into the heart of Northern New Jersey, including the Paterson Diocese.
A distinguished panel of guests highlighted Mother Cabrini’s local connections and strong advocacy for immigrants and poor communities at a discussion of “Cabrini,” the 2024 feature film about the saint. The event drew a sizable audience to the Dolan Performing Arts Center at St. Elizabeth University in Morris Township, N.J., on April 28, underscoring her local and broader impact.
This “talk back” session followed a screening of powerful and dramatic clips from “Cabrini” at St. Elizabeth’s on April 21. Both events promoted the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage (NEP), which will stop in the Paterson Diocese, N.J. at sites in Passaic and Paterson on June 14 and 15. The NEP’s Cabrini Route will travel up the Eastern Seaboard, including through the diocese, this summer.
At both the screening and the discussion, Father Cesar Jaramillo, pilgrimage stop delegate and pastor of Holy Spirit Parish in Pequannock, N.J., encouraged participation in the NEP events being hosted by the diocese. He also offered theological and legal perspectives on the immigrant experience. As a panelist, he noted that the Cabrini Route “underscores what Mother Cabrini means to the East Coast because we were the witnesses of that great arrival of immigrants during her day.”
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
“And the plight isn’t over. We have many immigrants still trying to provide a better life for their families by coming to the country,” Father Jaramillo said. “We can see how Mother Cabrini’s powerful example brought Christ to others and is still very much alive in the many wonderful religious we have and the wonderful work they do in favor of immigrants.”
The Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which Mother Cabrini founded, opened schools and orphanages for Italian immigrants despite many challenges. Mother Cabrini traveled across Europe, the Americas, and the U.S., founding 67 institutions.
Father Jaramillo also spoke about a Mother Cabrini connection in the Paterson Diocese. Bishop Emeritus Arthur J. Serratelli’s mother, Eva, received religious education in New York City from the future saint. Before the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson was rededicated in 2017, the bishop commissioned a large stained-glass window of Mother Cabrini in her honor, as part of major renovations to the diocese’s mother church.
The panel included J. Eustace Wolfington, executive producer of “Cabrini” and key organizer; Gilda Bello of Cabrini Asset Management, a journalist and promoter of Mother Cabrini’s story and mission; Carol Bezak, a St. Elizabeth’s graduate, administrator of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Middletown, N.Y., and president of the National Association of U.S. Shrines; Msgr. Paul Bochicchio, retired priest of the Newark Archdiocese, author, and chaplain/consultant on the film; Sister of Charity Judy Mertz, founding director of Josephine’s Place, a women’s outreach in Elizabeth, N.J.; and Zachary DeCarlo Jr., founder and president of ZCD Advisors, who worked with Wolfington on “Cabrini.”
Sister Mertz described how the Sisters of Charity in New York City welcomed Mother Cabrini and her Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus after their arrival from Italy around 1889, sent by Pope Leo XIII. She explained a further local connection: then-Sister of Charity Mary Xavier Mehegan, herself an Irish immigrant, traveled to Convent Station to help found the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth with several fellow religious sister. Together, they established the Academy of St. Elizabeth and later the College of St. Elizabeth, now St. Elizabeth University, demonstrating how Cabrini’s influence helped shape women’s religious life in New Jersey.
“Mother Cabrini was a great model of women in the Church at that time, who had the conviction of her calling, and a deep trust in God’s providence. She had such compassion,” said Sister Mertz. She called Mother Cabrini and Mother Mehegan “catalysts for systemic change.”
The NEP is an initiative of the U.S. bishops inspired by the Eucharistic Revival, held last year in Indianapolis, which sought to “to ignite that flame of love for Jesus in the Eucharist, especially geared to young people.” The NEP also will commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States, Father Jaramillo said.
“Mother Cabrini’s love for Jesus in the Eucharist was without a doubt what empowered her to carry out her missionary work,” Father Jaramillo said. “We want the events of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage to remind young people of her beautiful example and make them aware of how we too can exercise that same operative charity through a deep and lasting relationship with Christ in the Eucharist.”
A former parish pastoral associate in the diocese, Bezak brought a Mother Cabrini image with a third-class relic to the “talk back.” The “Cabrini” screening and “talk-back” were possible through her friendship with one of the film’s executive producers.
Initially, Wolfington, now 93, had refused a request to make a film about Mother Cabrini, but later accepted, believing he could make a better movie about her than another film company that had signed on to do it.
“Everywhere we go with the film, there’s been a transformation. People who walk in the movie are not the same people walking out, especially the young people. It’s had an incredible effect,” Wolfington said.
For questions about events in this diocese, please contact: MMoncaleano@patersondiocese.org. For registration assistance, please contact: registration@eucharisticcongress.org.
National Eucharistic Pilgrimage activities in the Paterson Diocese, N.J., on June 14 and 15
Pilgrimage activities on June 14:
3:30–5 p.m.: Eucharist talk (English), Fr. Rafael Capo, Holy Rosary Church, 6 Wall St., Passaic, N.J.
3:30–5 p.m.: “Influenciados por la Eucaristía” opening talk (Spanish), P. Heriberto García, St. Nicholas, 217 President St., Passaic, N.J.
5–6:30 p.m.: Eucharistic Procession from Holy Rosary Church (6 Wall St, Passaic, N.J.) to Boverini Stadium (1.5 miles). The procession will end with the opening Mass.
6:30–8 p.m.: Opening Mass, Boverini Stadium, 262 River Dr., Passaic, N.J., with Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney.
Pilgrimage events on June 15:
3–5 p.m.: Divine Liturgy with Byzantine Catholic community at St. Michael Chapel, 415 Lackawanna Ave., Woodland Park, N.J.
5:30–7 p.m.: Eucharistic Procession starting at the Father English Center, 435 Main St., in Paterson, N.J. and ending at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, 381 Grand St., Paterson, N.J.
7–8:30 p.m.: Closing Mass with Bishop Sweeney and homily by Father Casey Cole, O.F.M., at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, 381 Grand St., Paterson. The municipal parking lot opens at 5 p.m. across from the Cathedral. Watch the livestream at https://rcdopcathedral.org/.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org] – St. Francis Xavier Cabrini, America’s first Catholic saint, significantly impacted the nation by leading efforts to care for poor Italians and marginalized people in New York City and beyond. Her extensive connections also reached into the heart of Northern New Jersey, including the Paterson Diocese. A distinguished panel of guests highlighted Mother Cabrini’s local connections and strong advocacy for immigrants and poor communities at a discussion of “Cabrini,” the 2024 feature film about the saint. The event drew a sizable audience to the Dolan Performing Arts Center at St. Elizabeth University in Morris Township, N.J., on April 28, underscoring her
![12 Ringwood youth confirmed by Bishop at Mass #Catholic - On April 25, St. Catherine of Bologna Parish in Ringwood, N.J., welcomed Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, who celebrated Mass. He also confirmed 12 youth during the liturgy. Father Pawel Szurek, pastor of St. Catherine’s, concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Sweeney. Father Jared Brogan, director of the Worship Office of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., served as master of ceremonies of the Mass.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/12-ringwood-youth-confirmed-by-bishop-at-mass-catholic-on-april-25-st-catherine-of-bologna-parish-in-ringwood-n-j-welcomed-bishop-kevin-j-sweeney-who-celebrated-mass-he-also-confirmed-12-yo.jpg)
12 Ringwood youth confirmed by Bishop at Mass #Catholic – 
On April 25, St. Catherine of Bologna Parish in Ringwood, N.J., welcomed Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, who celebrated Mass. He also confirmed 12 youth during the liturgy. Father Pawel Szurek, pastor of St. Catherine’s, concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Sweeney. Father Jared Brogan, director of the Worship Office of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., served as master of ceremonies of the Mass.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
– On April 25, St. Catherine of Bologna Parish in Ringwood, N.J., welcomed Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, who celebrated Mass. He also confirmed 12 youth during the liturgy. Father Pawel Szurek, pastor of St. Catherine’s, concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Sweeney. Father Jared Brogan, director of the Worship Office of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., served as master of ceremonies of the Mass. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
The Archdiocese of Atlanta is launching Sacred Heart Virtual Academy, an online high school program for students in Georgia and beyond.
Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column. April 29: Jupiter nudges up to Wasat Venus ends the month of April near a pair of 4th-magnitude stars in Taurus the Bull: Kappa (κ) and Upsilon (υ) Tauri. The bright planet now lies to the upper right of 1st-magnitude Aldebaran, theContinue reading “The Sky Today on Thursday, April 30: Venus poses with a pair of stars”
The post The Sky Today on Thursday, April 30: Venus poses with a pair of stars appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
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The barred spiral galaxy IC 486 glows with a soft, ethereal light in this NASA Hubble Space Telescope image.
Read More
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Former President Barack Obama lashed out at the United States Supreme Court for crippling the racial gerrymandering schemes practiced by his party, and Americans were quick to put him in his place.
The post Barack Obama Weighs In On Supreme Court “Gutting” Voting Rights Act by Striking Down Louisiana’s Racially Gerrymandered Map and It Instantly Backfires appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Fox News Media Vice President, Jason Hermes, has been fired after he was caught bragging about spending thousands of dollars at strip clubs on the Fox Corporate card.
The post Fox News Media Vice President Fired After Getting Caught on Hidden Camera Bragging About Charging ‘$4,000 Strip Club Bills’ to Fox Corporate Cards appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Kiev Regime’s rampant corruption is hitting the press.
The post Ukrainian Press Publishes New Leaked Recordings of Corrupt Fugitive Timur Mindich Lobbying Top Officials, and Implicating His Friend and Partner ‘Vova’ Zelensky appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Read MoreGlorious St. Joseph,
model of all those who are devoted to labour,
obtain for me the grace to work conscientiously,
putting the call of duty above my many sins;
to work with thankfulness and joy,
considering it an honour to employ and develop,
by means of labour,
the gifts received from God;
to work with order,
peace, prudence and patience,
never surrendering to weariness or difficulties;
to work, above all,
with purity of intention,
and with detachment …
A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 13:13-25
From Paphos, Paul and his companions
set sail and arrived at Perga in Pamphylia.
But John left them and returned to Jerusalem.
They continued on from Perga and reached Antioch in Pisidia.
On the sabbath they entered into the synagogue and took their seats.
After the reading of the law and the prophets,
the synagogue officials sent word to them,
“My brothers, if one of you has a word of exhortation
for the people, please speak.”
So Paul got up, motioned with his hand, and said,
“Fellow children of Israel and you others who are God-fearing, listen.
The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors
and exalted the people during their sojourn in the land of Egypt.
With uplifted arm he led them out,
and for about forty years he put up with them in the desert.
When he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan,
he gave them their land as an inheritance
at the end of about four hundred and fifty years.
After these things he provided judges up to Samuel the prophet.
Then they asked for a king.
God gave them Saul, son of Kish,
a man from the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.
Then he removed him and raised up David as their king;
of him he testified,
I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart;
he will carry out my every wish.
From this man’s descendants God, according to his promise,
has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus.
John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance
to all the people of Israel;
and as John was completing his course, he would say,
‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he.
Behold, one is coming after me;
I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.’"
From the Gospel according to John
13:16-20
When Jesus had washed the disciples’ feet, he said to them:
“Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master
nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him.
If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it.
I am not speaking of all of you.
I know those whom I have chosen.
But so that the Scripture might be fulfilled,
The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me.
From now on I am telling you before it happens,
so that when it happens you may believe that I AM.
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send
receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”
How can we understand if we truly have faith, that is, if our faith, while miniscule, is genuine, pure, sincere? Jesus explains this by indicating what the measure of faith is: service. (…) This attitude toward God is also reflected in the manner of behaviour in the community: it is reflected in the joy of being at the service of one another, finding one’s reward already therein, and not in the recognition and gains that may derive from it. (…). Unworthy servants, that is, without expecting to be thanked, without pretexts. “We are unworthy servants” is an expression of humility and willingness, which does much good for the Church and recalls the right attitude for working within her: humble service, of which Jesus gave the example, by washing the feet of the disciples. (Pope Francis, Angelus, 6 October 2019)
Read More![Supreme Court hears arguments on Trump’s effort to remove Haitian, Syrian migrants – #Catholic – The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a legal challenge to efforts from President Donald Trump’s administration to remove the temporary legal status of Haitian and Syrian migrants.Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem terminated the temporary protected status (TPS) designation for migrants from Syria, Haiti, and other countries. If the court rules that her actions are lawful, the administration could order the removal of more than 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians.The Trump administration argued April 29 that the executive branch has broad discretion to terminate TPS for any country. The challengers, representing the migrants, argued Noem failed to follow the proper procedure and accused officials of unlawfully using racist beliefs about migrants to make their determinations.The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has urged the administration to extend TPS status for both countries.Migrants’ lawyers challenge TrumpAhilan Arulanantham, who argued on behalf of the Syrians, recognized that the administration has “broad” discretion in determining TPS status but argued that Noem failed to follow proper procedure in her decision-making.Even though he said Noem can make the final decision to terminate TPS, he noted that the law requires Noem to consult with relevant agencies before deciding. He argued that Noem did not adequately consult with agencies prior to making the decision.“We cannot challenge on the ground that she’s wrong,” Arulanantham acknowledged, ”… [but] what is reviewable is whether she actually asks anything and gets any information about country conditions.”He said that one basis for Syria’s TPS designation was armed conflict, “but the secretary never consulted the State Department about the armed conflict.” Rather, he argued, “she terminated based on the national interest.”“We don’t argue about the levels; we don’t argue about the amount,” Arulanantham said. “All we say is [there] has to be deliberation about a subject. They have to talk about country conditions.”Justices questioned those arguments, with Justice Amy Coney Barrett pressing Arulanantham, asking him whether Noem could have consulted with the State Department on those subjects, and terminated the status, even if there was strong evidence in favor of extending it.Arulanantham said she could have, which led Barrett to assert the procedure appears to simply be a “box-checking exercise.”Justice Samuel Alito argued that if the administration has broad discretion in the “determination” of whether TPS status is extended: “If we apply the ordinary meaning of that term here, I really don’t understand how you can prevail.”Justice Elena Kagan appeared sympathetic to the claim that the court could review whether the administration followed procedures but that scrutinizing whether Noem consulted with agencies about proper or improper subjects “seems harder to me than the procedural argument.”Geoffrey Pipoly, who represented the Haitians, argued Noem’s review of the termination for his clients “was a sham,” saying the decision was “a preordained result driven by the president’s resolve to end TPS for Haiti no matter what.”He accused the president of “racial animus toward non-white immigrants and bare dislike of Haitians in particular,” citing Trump’s remark that Haiti is an “[expletive]-hole country” and his assertion that migrants were “eating the dogs and eating the cats.”Kagan questioned the argument, noting the Trump administration broadly scaled immigration back, stating: “I don’t quite see how that operates when all of these programs went.”Alito pressed Pipoly on what constitutes “white” and “non-white,” and said: “You have a really broad definition of who’s white and who’s not white. As I said, I don’t like dividing people of the world into these groups.”Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson defended the argument, noting that only predominantly non-white countries have TPS status.‘Broad discretion’U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer argued that the law does not permit judicial review of Noem’s decision to terminate TPS, arguing that Noem had “broad discretion” over how she considered whether to extend the status for those countries.“Any determination — with respect to designation, extension, or termination — is not subject to judicial review,” Sauer told the justices.Sauer said the secretary can determine which agencies are appropriate to consult and could even determine there are no proper agencies to consult. He accused the other side of simply claiming her consultation “wasn’t quite enough.”“Seeking input is consultation, seeking advice from someone knowledgeable is a form of consultation,” he said, arguing the secretary has broad discretion to decide what constitutes consultation.Sauer said these decisions are “traditionally entrusted to the political branches” and accused the district courts that halted TPS terminations of “appointing themselves junior varsity secretaries of state.”He also rejected the allegations of racism, saying “not a single one of [Trump’s comments] mentions race or relates to race.” He said they always refer to “crime, poverty, welfare dependency, drugs, [and] drug importation,” among other issues.Kagan challenged the suggestion there could be no judicial review at all, noting that Congress enacted a statute that requires consultation and “it set forth procedural steps that have to be followed.”“The Constitution … [says] due process applies to any alien who lives in the United States,” she said. “It applies to all people living here. … They’re entitled to due process. Now Congress has given them a process. It may not be a court process, but that’s OK. It’s a process and you’re saying … it’s unreviewable whether the president has followed that process.”Andrew Arthur, a resident fellow in law and policy at the Center for Immigration Studies and a former immigration judge, told “EWTN News Nightly” that terminating the status would not remove every person who entered through TPS if the administration succeeds in court because some people have other forms of lawful status, such as a student visa.“If they are here and they are not in lawful status and they donʼt have removal orders, [the Department of Homeland Security] is then going to have to take them all and put them into removal proceedings, get a removal order, and then remove them from the United States,” he said.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/supreme-court-hears-arguments-on-trumps-effort-to-remove-haitian-syrian-migrants-catholic-the-u-s-supreme-court-heard-oral-arguments-in-a-legal-challenge-to-efforts-from-president-dona.jpg "Supreme Court hears arguments on Trump’s effort to remove Haitian, Syrian migrants – #Catholic – The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a legal challenge to efforts from President Donald Trump’s administration to remove the temporary legal status of Haitian and Syrian migrants.Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem terminated the temporary protected status (TPS) designation for migrants from Syria, Haiti, and other countries. If the court rules that her actions are lawful, the administration could order the removal of more than 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians.The Trump administration argued April 29 that the executive branch has broad discretion to terminate TPS for any country. The challengers, representing the migrants, argued Noem failed to follow the proper procedure and accused officials of unlawfully using racist beliefs about migrants to make their determinations.The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has urged the administration to extend TPS status for both countries.Migrants’ lawyers challenge TrumpAhilan Arulanantham, who argued on behalf of the Syrians, recognized that the administration has “broad” discretion in determining TPS status but argued that Noem failed to follow proper procedure in her decision-making.Even though he said Noem can make the final decision to terminate TPS, he noted that the law requires Noem to consult with relevant agencies before deciding. He argued that Noem did not adequately consult with agencies prior to making the decision.“We cannot challenge on the ground that she’s wrong,” Arulanantham acknowledged, ”… [but] what is reviewable is whether she actually asks anything and gets any information about country conditions.”He said that one basis for Syria’s TPS designation was armed conflict, “but the secretary never consulted the State Department about the armed conflict.” Rather, he argued, “she terminated based on the national interest.”“We don’t argue about the levels; we don’t argue about the amount,” Arulanantham said. “All we say is [there] has to be deliberation about a subject. They have to talk about country conditions.”Justices questioned those arguments, with Justice Amy Coney Barrett pressing Arulanantham, asking him whether Noem could have consulted with the State Department on those subjects, and terminated the status, even if there was strong evidence in favor of extending it.Arulanantham said she could have, which led Barrett to assert the procedure appears to simply be a “box-checking exercise.”Justice Samuel Alito argued that if the administration has broad discretion in the “determination” of whether TPS status is extended: “If we apply the ordinary meaning of that term here, I really don’t understand how you can prevail.”Justice Elena Kagan appeared sympathetic to the claim that the court could review whether the administration followed procedures but that scrutinizing whether Noem consulted with agencies about proper or improper subjects “seems harder to me than the procedural argument.”Geoffrey Pipoly, who represented the Haitians, argued Noem’s review of the termination for his clients “was a sham,” saying the decision was “a preordained result driven by the president’s resolve to end TPS for Haiti no matter what.”He accused the president of “racial animus toward non-white immigrants and bare dislike of Haitians in particular,” citing Trump’s remark that Haiti is an “[expletive]-hole country” and his assertion that migrants were “eating the dogs and eating the cats.”Kagan questioned the argument, noting the Trump administration broadly scaled immigration back, stating: “I don’t quite see how that operates when all of these programs went.”Alito pressed Pipoly on what constitutes “white” and “non-white,” and said: “You have a really broad definition of who’s white and who’s not white. As I said, I don’t like dividing people of the world into these groups.”Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson defended the argument, noting that only predominantly non-white countries have TPS status.‘Broad discretion’U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer argued that the law does not permit judicial review of Noem’s decision to terminate TPS, arguing that Noem had “broad discretion” over how she considered whether to extend the status for those countries.“Any determination — with respect to designation, extension, or termination — is not subject to judicial review,” Sauer told the justices.Sauer said the secretary can determine which agencies are appropriate to consult and could even determine there are no proper agencies to consult. He accused the other side of simply claiming her consultation “wasn’t quite enough.”“Seeking input is consultation, seeking advice from someone knowledgeable is a form of consultation,” he said, arguing the secretary has broad discretion to decide what constitutes consultation.Sauer said these decisions are “traditionally entrusted to the political branches” and accused the district courts that halted TPS terminations of “appointing themselves junior varsity secretaries of state.”He also rejected the allegations of racism, saying “not a single one of [Trump’s comments] mentions race or relates to race.” He said they always refer to “crime, poverty, welfare dependency, drugs, [and] drug importation,” among other issues.Kagan challenged the suggestion there could be no judicial review at all, noting that Congress enacted a statute that requires consultation and “it set forth procedural steps that have to be followed.”“The Constitution … [says] due process applies to any alien who lives in the United States,” she said. “It applies to all people living here. … They’re entitled to due process. Now Congress has given them a process. It may not be a court process, but that’s OK. It’s a process and you’re saying … it’s unreviewable whether the president has followed that process.”Andrew Arthur, a resident fellow in law and policy at the Center for Immigration Studies and a former immigration judge, told “EWTN News Nightly” that terminating the status would not remove every person who entered through TPS if the administration succeeds in court because some people have other forms of lawful status, such as a student visa.“If they are here and they are not in lawful status and they donʼt have removal orders, [the Department of Homeland Security] is then going to have to take them all and put them into removal proceedings, get a removal order, and then remove them from the United States,” he said.")
The debate focused on whether the Trump administration followed the proper procedure and adhered to relevant laws.
The new board members said they are inspired by the university’s move toward building a stronger Catholic identity and the hope they see in young people.
Patron saints named for World Youth Day 2027 #Catholic – 
(OSV News) — Organizers in Seoul, South Korea, announced five patron saints for World Youth Day 2027 that reflect the themes of truth, peace and love that are at the heart of the youth gathering.
The five saints selected by the WYD Organizing Committee include: St. John Paul II, who founded the World Youth Day celebration; St. Andrew Kim Taegon, the first Korean Catholic priest, and companions who were martyred; St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, patron saint of immigrants; St. Josephine Bakhita, patron saint of victims of human trafficking and modern slavery; and St. Carlo Acutis, the millennial saint known for his use of technology to evangelize.
According to the Asian Catholic news site Licas News, organizers said the lives of the patron saints reflected on issues relevant today, including persecution, migration and social struggle, making them appropriate guides for the global event.
The process of choosing the event’s patron saints began in late 2024, including a survey of young people, youth ministers and pastoral workers, followed by deliberations by the organizing committee, Licas News reported.
Volunteers also studied the lives and spirituality of the saints chosen to prepare prayers and their respective symbolic representations. Among the symbols chosen were a crozier for St. John Paul II and a computer for St. Carlo Acutis.
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Commenting on the announcement, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, said the patron saints “play a fundamental role in the preparation” of every WYD.
“They invite young people, formators, and pastors to reflect on the gift of God’s call, on our baptismal, priestly, religious, and marital vocations, encouraging us to respond to it with generosity and courage in following Christ, who has conquered the world, as the theme of the upcoming WYD reminds us,” he said, according to Licas News.
Cardinal Farrell expressed his hope that the lives and witness of the five patron saints “inspire young people around the world, especially in contexts marked by difficulties and persecution, to see that holiness is not a distant ideal, to fix their gaze on Christ and to respond generously to His call.”
Korean Archbishop Peter Soon-Taick Chung of Seoul, president of the WYD organizing committee, noted that each saint “offers a concrete path for living out the faith amidst the realities that young people face today.”
“I hope that young people will discover in these saints examples for their own lives and, through the journey of preparation for World Youth Day, forge a deep spiritual bond with them,” he said.
The official website for World Youth Day 2027 was updated with biographical information on each saint. Organizers also launched an interactive site, titled “Meet Your Patron Saint,” where users can take a short quiz to match with one of the five saints.
Junno Arocho Esteves is an international correspondent for OSV News. Follow him on X @jae_journalist.
– (OSV News) — Organizers in Seoul, South Korea, announced five patron saints for World Youth Day 2027 that reflect the themes of truth, peace and love that are at the heart of the youth gathering. The five saints selected by the WYD Organizing Committee include: St. John Paul II, who founded the World Youth Day celebration; St. Andrew Kim Taegon, the first Korean Catholic priest, and companions who were martyred; St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, patron saint of immigrants; St. Josephine Bakhita, patron saint of victims of human trafficking and modern slavery; and St. Carlo Acutis, the millennial saint known for
Church advocates for disappeared priest who became a symbol of South Sudan’s struggle #Catholic – 
(OSV News) — A Catholic bishop in South Sudan has appealed for information regarding a priest and his driver who disappeared three years ago without trace in the southwestern part of the country.
His appeal is a reminder of a tragic reality for pastors in the area, issued just days after the papal visit to the continent and after the Church observed Good Shepherd Sunday April 26.
On April 27, three years after Father Luke Yugue Mbokusa, and his driver Michael Gbeko, disappeared, Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala of Tombura-Yambio asked that Masses be offered for their intention.
He said that silence, many unanswered questions and deep wounds marked the unresolved and painful disappearance of the two. Even though the priest was declared dead by the diocese in 2024, the wound remains open as neither the family nor the diocese knows anything about the circumstances of his declared death and are unable to bury him.
“We have not received any new information about the disappearances,” Bishop Kussala told OSV News in an interview. “I believe the priest was killed because three years is a long time. Someone would have revealed it if he was alive.”
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In an appeal for the third anniversary, the bishop said Father Yugue was a servant of the Gospel, a shepherd dedicated to Christ’s mission of peace, reconciliation and hope. He said Gbeko was the priest’s companion in service, who walked faithfully beside him.
“They did not belong only to their families or to the Church. They belonged to all of us. Their disappearance is not a private loss. It is a national wound. It is a moral test for our society,” Bishop Kussala said in an April 27 statement.
Father John Gbemboyo Joseph Mbikoyezu, the pastoral and social communication coordinator of the bishops’ conference of Sudan and South Sudan, said that as a priest, he was in disbelief that his brother in the priesthood could disappear within the community he served without any trace.
“The disappearance of Father Luke Yugue three years ago has a lot to tell us about the people of South Sudan and beyond. It shows how fragile the lives of people are in the hands of the powerful,” he told OSV News, urging prayers for South Sudan’s Catholics.
According to Bishop Kussala, the two disappeared in a dangerous area controlled by a rebel group, where violence continues.
For this reason, the Church has been unable to mount a search to retrieve the remains of two.
“The place where we believe he was killed has never been peaceful. The rebels are still active there and we cannot fully access the place,” said Bishop Kussala.
The bishop is concerned that the government and the relevant institutions have not taken any action in relation to the disappearance, and nobody has been arrested in connection with it, adding that the Church continues to plead for help to know what went wrong.
“We want to keep pushing so that we can get a glimpse of what happened,” said Bishop Kussala. “He was a very useful and kind person. He gave himself to the service of the people. He did not deserve to die this way.”
The priest and the driver were among the many who have disappeared across South Sudan, according to the bishop.
“Many lives have been taken lightly. Many families continue to cry in silence. Their tears are not invisible to God,” he said in his April 27 statement.
As of June 2025, the International Committee of the Red Cross and South Sudan Red Cross were handling more than 6,000 open cases of missing persons.
Father Mbikoyezu said the Church has been advocating and praying for the priest and his driver, and trying to bring their disappearance to the attention of the leadership, so that their lives are not forgotten.
“It is time to stabilize the country for the good of all and it’s time to think of the needed peace required for all,” said Father Mbikoyezu.
Prior to Easter, a Catholic bishop in South Sudan warned that his people are living a real-life Way of the Cross, marked by suffering, violence and deep wounds.
Bishop Christian Carlassare of Bentiu, the Church’s newest diocese in northern South Sudan, said many families have mourned their dead, communities have been shattered, and many hearts carry deep wounds due to war and violence in the region.
“And when wounds run so deep, the word ‘forgiveness’ can seem almost disrespectful, and the word ‘peace’ may appear fragile, distant — almost impossible,” the bishop said in a message sent to OSV News on March 26. “And yet, it is precisely here, within these very wounds, that true peace can be born.”
Concerns are rising that current political instability is gradually pushing South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, back toward war. As of March, 2.6 million people were internally displaced due to renewed conflict and intercommunal violence, with another 2.3 million living as refugees in neighboring countries, according to aid agencies.
Fredrick Nzwili writes for OSV News from Nairobi, Kenya.
– (OSV News) — A Catholic bishop in South Sudan has appealed for information regarding a priest and his driver who disappeared three years ago without trace in the southwestern part of the country. His appeal is a reminder of a tragic reality for pastors in the area, issued just days after the papal visit to the continent and after the Church observed Good Shepherd Sunday April 26. On April 27, three years after Father Luke Yugue Mbokusa, and his driver Michael Gbeko, disappeared, Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala of Tombura-Yambio asked that Masses be offered for their intention. He said that
Papal trip put spotlight on local injustices, joy of Christian faith, pope says #Catholic – 
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Leo XIV wanted his journey to Africa to highlight the serious injustices continuing there and propose a message of peace to a world marred by conflict and violations of international law.
“At the same time, the apostolic journey gave people in Africa a chance to make their voices heard and to express the joy of being God’s people,” he said.
As had been customary by his predecessors, Pope Leo used his first general audience after his April 13-23 trip to four nations in Africa to tell people about the purpose of his visit and what struck him most about his travels.
Addressing thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square April 29, Pope Leo said in English that his time there “was meant to offer the world a message of peace at a moment marked by conflicts and frequent violations of international law.”
“Along with the call for peace, I also denounced the grave injustices that exist in those countries that are so rich in natural resources, urging the international community to overcome neo-colonial attitudes and engage in authentic collaboration,” he said.
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On his journey, the pope visited Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea.
“From the very beginning of my pontificate, I have thought about a journey in Africa,” he said in his main address in Italian. “I thank the Lord for granting me the opportunity to undertake it, as shepherd, to meet and encourage the people of God.”
In Algeria, a predominantly Muslim country, the pope said he wanted to “show the world that it is possible to live together as brothers and sisters, even of different religions, when we recognize ourselves as children of the same merciful Father.”
The northern African country is also the birthplace of his “spiritual father,” St. Augustine, and by “revisiting the roots of my spiritual identity,” it offered a way to highlight his legacy, he said. “He is a master in the search for God and for truth. A testimony that is more important than ever today for Christians and for every person.”
The other three countries were predominantly Christian, he said, and “I, therefore, found myself immersed in an atmosphere of celebration of the faith.”
It was also a bit similar to “what happened to Jesus with the crowds in Galilee: He saw them thirsting and hungry for justice and proclaimed to them: ‘Blessed are the poor, blessed are the meek, blessed are the peacemakers,’” the pope said, “and, recognizing their faith, (Jesus) said, ‘You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world.’”
In Cameroon, he told the crowds in St. Peter’s Square, he reinforced the call to work together for reconciliation and peace.
Like the rest of the continent, Cameroon is rich in natural and human resources, he said, but there needs to be: “a fair distribution of wealth”; more opportunities for young people; an end to “endemic corruption”; the promotion of integral and sustainable development; and a stop to “the various forms of neo-colonialism with far-sighted international cooperation.”
In Equatorial Guinea, he said, the people “have weathered the vicissitudes of their history” and “renewed with great enthusiasm their determination to walk together towards a future of hope.”
“I cannot forget what happened in the prison in Bata,” he said, saying he “had never seen anything like it.”
“The prisoners sang at the top of their voices a song of thanksgiving to God and to the pope, asking him to pray ‘for their sins and their freedom,’” and then “they prayed the ‘Our Father’ with me in the pouring rain. A genuine sign of the Kingdom of God!”
Remarking on Angola overcoming its troubled period of civil war, the pope said, “God has guided and purified the Church, increasingly converting her in the service of the Gospel, human promotion, reconciliation and peace. A free Church for a free people!”
Seeing the joy and unity of the different generations and vocations of the Catholic faithful, the pope said he witnessed “the foundation of a hope that withstands the disappointments caused by ideologies and the empty promises of the powerful.”
“This hope demands concrete commitment, and the Church has the responsibility, with the witness and courageous proclamation of the Word of God, to recognize the rights of all and to promote their actual respect,” he added.
Whenever a pope visits a country, it is a chance for the people to have their voices be heard and for Catholics to “express the joy of being God’s people and the hope for a better future, of dignity for each and every one,” he said. “I am happy to have given them this opportunity, and at the same time I thank the Lord for what they have given me, an inestimable treasure for my heart and my ministry.”
– VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Leo XIV wanted his journey to Africa to highlight the serious injustices continuing there and propose a message of peace to a world marred by conflict and violations of international law. “At the same time, the apostolic journey gave people in Africa a chance to make their voices heard and to express the joy of being God’s people,” he said. As had been customary by his predecessors, Pope Leo used his first general audience after his April 13-23 trip to four nations in Africa to tell people about the purpose of his visit and what