Collection for the Holy Land: Christians need concrete hope, not just consoling words #Catholic Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, called upon the faithful worldwide to participate in the Good Friday collection aimed at assisting Christian communities in the Holy Land.The Good Friday collection is one of the primary sources of support for the Custody of the Holy Land — the Franciscan institution that for centuries has safeguarded the sites connected to the life of Jesus Christ and accompanied the Christian communities living in the region.The prefect called upon the faithful around the world to respond with a concrete gesture of solidarity. “I wish to propose a small gesture to you: to offer a little of our money to help our brothers and sisters who find themselves in extreme peril to live one more day, to find hope, and to find the possibility of starting anew.”“How many times have I personally visited those Christian minorities who wake up every morning facing the danger of no longer having a place to exist!” Gugerotti wrote in the March 18 letter, which was also signed by the dicastery’s secretary, Archbishop Michel Jalakh.“Help us to offer them concrete hope, not merely words of consolation — for we who visit them will leave, while they remain with their fears, even with the terror that, precisely because they are Christians, they may be eliminated,” the cardinal stated. The cardinal explained that the Good Friday donations hold a twofold significance: on the one hand, providing material aid to those living amid war and poverty, and on the other, challenging the conscience of the faithful.“It is also vital for us, because without sacrifice, without a real change in our way of living, we risk remaining inert before a world in flames — and thus complicit in its destruction,” he said. Gugerotti noted that many Christians in the Holy Land have lost their means of livelihood, especially those who depended on religious tourism, which historically sustained a large portion of the local economy. The conflict that began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, triggered a sharp decline in religious tourism.“A great many Christians in the Holy Land have lost everything, even the work that came from serving pilgrims,” he pointed out.In early 2025, Israel’s Ministry of Tourism characterized the year as a turning point, with 1.3 million international arrivals. However, 2026 has once again proven to be a highly problematic year for pilgrimages primarily due to the military escalation by the United States and Israel against Iran, which has thrown the entire region into crisis.The drastic reduction in pilgrimages and the current climate of insecurity have  exacerbated the situation. “Now, out of fear, almost everyone tends to avoid venturing into those lands,” he said.What is done with the money collected?In 2023 — the most recent year for which official data are available — the Holy Land collection raised 6,571,893 euros (.5 million). The Custody of the Holy Land typically receives 65% of the proceeds, while the remaining 35% goes to the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, which uses it for the formation of priests and for subsidies to the various dioceses and eparchies in Palestine, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, and Iraq.Of the money it receives, the Custody of the Holy Land normally invests 20% in the upkeep of the sites where Jesus Christ walked, while the remainder goes to Christian families, who, in 1948, constituted 20% of the local population but now make up less than 1.4%.In the Gaza Strip, it collaborates with the Latin parish and the Atfa-Luna association to provide psycho-social support “to some 1,000 children and 300 adults,” as well as to distribute emergency kits and aid to families of people with disabilities.In Lebanon, the Church responded to the 2024 crisis (the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah) by providing “hot meals for some 500 beneficiaries every day” and ensuring “drinking water for about 250 people daily.” The Custody of the Holy Land also manages hundreds of housing units at nominal rents to prevent emigration.“It has been said that peace has been achieved; however, even though the media speak of it much less today than before, the shooting continues, people continue to die, lands remain disputed, and Christians continue to emigrate to save their lives,” the cardinal noted.According to the 2023 data released by the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, 2,376,167 euros (.7 million) was donated to seminaries, houses of religious formation, and cultural institutions. The Franciscan Custody allocated more than 2 million euros (.3 million) to the education of young people in the Holy Land in 2023, funding scholarships at various universities in the region. Nearly 1 million euros (.15 million) were allocated to the Pontifical Oriental Institute, which now encompasses, at Pope Francis’ direction, the Pontifical Gregorian University.A portion was also invested in Bethlehem University, one of the prestigious foundations that underwrites the academic studies of 3,300 young people, both Muslim and Christian, with the aim of educating them to build a future of peace in the Holy Land.A concrete gesture: Giving is a ‘strong sign of faith’In his message, the cardinal invited bishops and pastoral leaders to raise awareness among the faithful regarding the importance of sustaining the Christian presence in the places where Christianity was born.“Let us ensure that our people approach the collection with the awareness that giving is a strong sign of faith,” he wrote. “A Holy Land without believers is a lost land, for the living memory of salvation is lost,” he added.“Pope Leo XIV never ceases to bring to our minds and hearts this commitment to be one, so that there may be peace — not a provisional truce, not perpetual hatred, not an immense expenditure on armaments, but a contribution to our common rebirth,” the cardinal wrote.The prelate concluded his letter by acknowledging that the collection would be merely “a drop in the ocean” but that “the ocean, as a result of losing its drops, is turning into a desert.”In addition to supporting the Franciscan mission in the Holy Land to safeguard the holy places, sustain local Christian communities, and foster peace in the region where Jesus lived, the cardinal said Christians can actively contribute by offering prayers to support this work and inspire new vocations, or by undertaking a pilgrimage to discover the roots of Christianity.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Collection for the Holy Land: Christians need concrete hope, not just consoling words #Catholic Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, called upon the faithful worldwide to participate in the Good Friday collection aimed at assisting Christian communities in the Holy Land.The Good Friday collection is one of the primary sources of support for the Custody of the Holy Land — the Franciscan institution that for centuries has safeguarded the sites connected to the life of Jesus Christ and accompanied the Christian communities living in the region.The prefect called upon the faithful around the world to respond with a concrete gesture of solidarity. “I wish to propose a small gesture to you: to offer a little of our money to help our brothers and sisters who find themselves in extreme peril to live one more day, to find hope, and to find the possibility of starting anew.”“How many times have I personally visited those Christian minorities who wake up every morning facing the danger of no longer having a place to exist!” Gugerotti wrote in the March 18 letter, which was also signed by the dicastery’s secretary, Archbishop Michel Jalakh.“Help us to offer them concrete hope, not merely words of consolation — for we who visit them will leave, while they remain with their fears, even with the terror that, precisely because they are Christians, they may be eliminated,” the cardinal stated. The cardinal explained that the Good Friday donations hold a twofold significance: on the one hand, providing material aid to those living amid war and poverty, and on the other, challenging the conscience of the faithful.“It is also vital for us, because without sacrifice, without a real change in our way of living, we risk remaining inert before a world in flames — and thus complicit in its destruction,” he said. Gugerotti noted that many Christians in the Holy Land have lost their means of livelihood, especially those who depended on religious tourism, which historically sustained a large portion of the local economy. The conflict that began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, triggered a sharp decline in religious tourism.“A great many Christians in the Holy Land have lost everything, even the work that came from serving pilgrims,” he pointed out.In early 2025, Israel’s Ministry of Tourism characterized the year as a turning point, with 1.3 million international arrivals. However, 2026 has once again proven to be a highly problematic year for pilgrimages primarily due to the military escalation by the United States and Israel against Iran, which has thrown the entire region into crisis.The drastic reduction in pilgrimages and the current climate of insecurity have  exacerbated the situation. “Now, out of fear, almost everyone tends to avoid venturing into those lands,” he said.What is done with the money collected?In 2023 — the most recent year for which official data are available — the Holy Land collection raised 6,571,893 euros ($7.5 million). The Custody of the Holy Land typically receives 65% of the proceeds, while the remaining 35% goes to the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, which uses it for the formation of priests and for subsidies to the various dioceses and eparchies in Palestine, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, and Iraq.Of the money it receives, the Custody of the Holy Land normally invests 20% in the upkeep of the sites where Jesus Christ walked, while the remainder goes to Christian families, who, in 1948, constituted 20% of the local population but now make up less than 1.4%.In the Gaza Strip, it collaborates with the Latin parish and the Atfa-Luna association to provide psycho-social support “to some 1,000 children and 300 adults,” as well as to distribute emergency kits and aid to families of people with disabilities.In Lebanon, the Church responded to the 2024 crisis (the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah) by providing “hot meals for some 500 beneficiaries every day” and ensuring “drinking water for about 250 people daily.” The Custody of the Holy Land also manages hundreds of housing units at nominal rents to prevent emigration.“It has been said that peace has been achieved; however, even though the media speak of it much less today than before, the shooting continues, people continue to die, lands remain disputed, and Christians continue to emigrate to save their lives,” the cardinal noted.According to the 2023 data released by the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, 2,376,167 euros ($2.7 million) was donated to seminaries, houses of religious formation, and cultural institutions. The Franciscan Custody allocated more than 2 million euros ($2.3 million) to the education of young people in the Holy Land in 2023, funding scholarships at various universities in the region. Nearly 1 million euros ($1.15 million) were allocated to the Pontifical Oriental Institute, which now encompasses, at Pope Francis’ direction, the Pontifical Gregorian University.A portion was also invested in Bethlehem University, one of the prestigious foundations that underwrites the academic studies of 3,300 young people, both Muslim and Christian, with the aim of educating them to build a future of peace in the Holy Land.A concrete gesture: Giving is a ‘strong sign of faith’In his message, the cardinal invited bishops and pastoral leaders to raise awareness among the faithful regarding the importance of sustaining the Christian presence in the places where Christianity was born.“Let us ensure that our people approach the collection with the awareness that giving is a strong sign of faith,” he wrote. “A Holy Land without believers is a lost land, for the living memory of salvation is lost,” he added.“Pope Leo XIV never ceases to bring to our minds and hearts this commitment to be one, so that there may be peace — not a provisional truce, not perpetual hatred, not an immense expenditure on armaments, but a contribution to our common rebirth,” the cardinal wrote.The prelate concluded his letter by acknowledging that the collection would be merely “a drop in the ocean” but that “the ocean, as a result of losing its drops, is turning into a desert.”In addition to supporting the Franciscan mission in the Holy Land to safeguard the holy places, sustain local Christian communities, and foster peace in the region where Jesus lived, the cardinal said Christians can actively contribute by offering prayers to support this work and inspire new vocations, or by undertaking a pilgrimage to discover the roots of Christianity.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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Now more than ever, the Christian minority in the Holy Land needs the support it receives through the annual Good Friday collection as ongoing violence in the Middle East has curtailed pilgrimages.

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Speakers at 2026 Catholic graduations to include Ron DeSantis, Cardinal Dolan #Catholic Prominent U.S. Catholic leaders will headline commencement ceremonies at multiple Newman Guide-listed schools this spring, offering words of wisdom and faith to graduates around the country. Clergy, political leaders, and media figures will all take part in graduation events from Florida to Texas to Ohio and beyond. Ave Maria UniversityFlorida Gov. Ron DeSantis will be the commencement speaker at Ave Maria University, a spokesperson for the university told EWTN News.The Florida governor and former presidential candidate, who is a Catholic, will speak at the university’s May 9 graduation ceremony.Benedictine CollegePeter Cancro, the founder and chairman of the popular sandwich chain Jersey Mike’s, will deliver the 2026 commencement address at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas.Cancro will address graduates during the college’s commencement exercises on May 16 and will be presented with an honorary doctor of humane letters degree, according to a March 3 press release. Cancro is renowned for his charitable contributions to faith-based organizations, including a million gift to Ave Maria School of Law.University of DallasCardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop emeritus of New York, will deliver the commencement address at the University of Dallas this year.The university will present Dolan with an honorary doctor of humane letters degree during the May 16 ceremony, according to a press release. “Cardinal Dolan is one of the Church’s most joyful and widely respected shepherds, and we are honored to welcome him to the University of Dallas,” University of Dallas President Jonathan Sanford said.The Catholic University of AmericaUniversity of Mary President Monsignor James Shea will return to his alma mater, The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., to deliver the commencement address for the class of 2026.In a March 3 statement, university President Peter Kilpatrick described Shea as a “teacher, evangelist, interpreter of culture, and preacher,” one who is “deeply committed to the education and formation of young people.” “His ability to engage the larger culture with clarity, Christian hope, and great wit is a much-needed antidote to so many of the challenges we face today and an example I pray our students will take with them into their future vocations,” Kilpatrick said. The school’s graduation ceremony will take place May 16.Wyoming Catholic CollegeCatholicVote President and CEO Kelsey Reinhardt will give the commencement address for Wyoming Catholic College.“As two Wyoming natives, frequently traveling on behalf of our apostolates, our paths cross somewhat regularly,” said Wyoming Catholic College President Kyle Washut in a Feb. 23 press release.“I have had the privilege of visiting with Kelsey a number of times over the past year, and I have been impressed by her clarity on the moral challenges confronting America today and by her generosity and gentleness toward those who do not agree with her own clear-eyed analysis of those challenges.”Reinhardt’s commencement address will take place on May 18.Franciscan University of Steubenville The founders of the Napa Institute, Tim Busch and Father Robert J. Spitzer, SJ, will deliver commencement speeches for Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio.Busch, co-founder of the Napa Institute and founder of the Busch Firm, will deliver the commencement address for graduates of Franciscan University’s business and science programs, while Spitzer will give the commencement speech for humanities and social sciences graduates during the May 9 ceremonies, according to a March 10 university press release. The Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, OFM, will also celebrate the baccalaureate Mass.Christendom CollegeAnne Carroll, founder of Seton School and Seton Home Study, will deliver the commencement address at Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia.Carroll, who is the wife of the late Christendom College Founder Warren Carroll, will give the commencement address on May 15, the college announced in a March 12 release. The college will also honor Carroll “for her outstanding contributions to the Catholic faith, culture, and public life.”Walsh UniversityEWTN “Real Life Catholic” host Chris Stefanick will serve as commencement speaker for Walsh University, a Catholic university in Ohio.The university will also present Stefanick with an honorary doctorate of applied theology at the May 2 commencement ceremonies. “Commencement is more than a celebration of achievement. It is a commissioning,” President Tim Collins said in a Feb. 25 press release. “The leaders we honor on this day remind us that a life well lived is measured not only by accomplishment, but by impact — by how we place our talents at the service of faith, community, and the greater good. That is our hope for every Walsh University graduate. We pray they carry a deep sense of purpose, lead with integrity, and embrace the calling that gives their lives and work lasting meaning throughout every stage of life.”
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Speakers at 2026 Catholic graduations to include Ron DeSantis, Cardinal Dolan #Catholic Prominent U.S. Catholic leaders will headline commencement ceremonies at multiple Newman Guide-listed schools this spring, offering words of wisdom and faith to graduates around the country. Clergy, political leaders, and media figures will all take part in graduation events from Florida to Texas to Ohio and beyond. Ave Maria UniversityFlorida Gov. Ron DeSantis will be the commencement speaker at Ave Maria University, a spokesperson for the university told EWTN News.The Florida governor and former presidential candidate, who is a Catholic, will speak at the university’s May 9 graduation ceremony.Benedictine CollegePeter Cancro, the founder and chairman of the popular sandwich chain Jersey Mike’s, will deliver the 2026 commencement address at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas.Cancro will address graduates during the college’s commencement exercises on May 16 and will be presented with an honorary doctor of humane letters degree, according to a March 3 press release. Cancro is renowned for his charitable contributions to faith-based organizations, including a $5 million gift to Ave Maria School of Law.University of DallasCardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop emeritus of New York, will deliver the commencement address at the University of Dallas this year.The university will present Dolan with an honorary doctor of humane letters degree during the May 16 ceremony, according to a press release. “Cardinal Dolan is one of the Church’s most joyful and widely respected shepherds, and we are honored to welcome him to the University of Dallas,” University of Dallas President Jonathan Sanford said.The Catholic University of AmericaUniversity of Mary President Monsignor James Shea will return to his alma mater, The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., to deliver the commencement address for the class of 2026.In a March 3 statement, university President Peter Kilpatrick described Shea as a “teacher, evangelist, interpreter of culture, and preacher,” one who is “deeply committed to the education and formation of young people.” “His ability to engage the larger culture with clarity, Christian hope, and great wit is a much-needed antidote to so many of the challenges we face today and an example I pray our students will take with them into their future vocations,” Kilpatrick said. The school’s graduation ceremony will take place May 16.Wyoming Catholic CollegeCatholicVote President and CEO Kelsey Reinhardt will give the commencement address for Wyoming Catholic College.“As two Wyoming natives, frequently traveling on behalf of our apostolates, our paths cross somewhat regularly,” said Wyoming Catholic College President Kyle Washut in a Feb. 23 press release.“I have had the privilege of visiting with Kelsey a number of times over the past year, and I have been impressed by her clarity on the moral challenges confronting America today and by her generosity and gentleness toward those who do not agree with her own clear-eyed analysis of those challenges.”Reinhardt’s commencement address will take place on May 18.Franciscan University of Steubenville The founders of the Napa Institute, Tim Busch and Father Robert J. Spitzer, SJ, will deliver commencement speeches for Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio.Busch, co-founder of the Napa Institute and founder of the Busch Firm, will deliver the commencement address for graduates of Franciscan University’s business and science programs, while Spitzer will give the commencement speech for humanities and social sciences graduates during the May 9 ceremonies, according to a March 10 university press release. The Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, OFM, will also celebrate the baccalaureate Mass.Christendom CollegeAnne Carroll, founder of Seton School and Seton Home Study, will deliver the commencement address at Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia.Carroll, who is the wife of the late Christendom College Founder Warren Carroll, will give the commencement address on May 15, the college announced in a March 12 release. The college will also honor Carroll “for her outstanding contributions to the Catholic faith, culture, and public life.”Walsh UniversityEWTN “Real Life Catholic” host Chris Stefanick will serve as commencement speaker for Walsh University, a Catholic university in Ohio.The university will also present Stefanick with an honorary doctorate of applied theology at the May 2 commencement ceremonies. “Commencement is more than a celebration of achievement. It is a commissioning,” President Tim Collins said in a Feb. 25 press release. “The leaders we honor on this day remind us that a life well lived is measured not only by accomplishment, but by impact — by how we place our talents at the service of faith, community, and the greater good. That is our hope for every Walsh University graduate. We pray they carry a deep sense of purpose, lead with integrity, and embrace the calling that gives their lives and work lasting meaning throughout every stage of life.”

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Multiple Catholic leaders are slated to be commencement speakers at Newman Guide Schools in 2026.

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Parsippany pastor to explore ‘When is Enough, Enough?’ on radio show #Catholic – Father David Pickens, pastor of St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Parsippany, N.J., will discuss the renewed interest in faith-based films, the meaning of Holy Week, and hopeful signs of people returning to church during the March 25 episode of “Let Go and Let God.” This weekly radio show addresses listeners who are struggling with their Catholic faith, have doubts, or wish to strengthen their beliefs. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. In a busy, distracted world, this episode, “When is Enough, Enough?”, invites listeners to pause and remember what truly matters. Listeners will be reminded that God has already blessed them abundantly, and that true peace comes not from having more, but from gratitude and trust in him. Art Suriano of Newton, N.J., the show’s creator, host, and producer, interviews a wide variety of guests, who cover different topical issues. He includes performances of his original Christian contemporary songs to further illuminate the episode’s theme. Stream the episode on or after Wednesday, March 25, here or on all podcast platforms. The show will be broadcast locally on Sunday, March 29, on WRSK in Sussex at 7 a.m., and on WOLD in Edison at 8 a.m.
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Parsippany pastor to explore ‘When is Enough, Enough?’ on radio show #Catholic – Father David Pickens, pastor of St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Parsippany, N.J., will discuss the renewed interest in faith-based films, the meaning of Holy Week, and hopeful signs of people returning to church during the March 25 episode of “Let Go and Let God.” This weekly radio show addresses listeners who are struggling with their Catholic faith, have doubts, or wish to strengthen their beliefs. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. In a busy, distracted world, this episode, “When is Enough, Enough?”, invites listeners to pause and remember what truly matters. Listeners will be reminded that God has already blessed them abundantly, and that true peace comes not from having more, but from gratitude and trust in him. Art Suriano of Newton, N.J., the show’s creator, host, and producer, interviews a wide variety of guests, who cover different topical issues. He includes performances of his original Christian contemporary songs to further illuminate the episode’s theme. Stream the episode on or after Wednesday, March 25, here or on all podcast platforms. The show will be broadcast locally on Sunday, March 29, on WRSK in Sussex at 7 a.m., and on WOLD in Edison at 8 a.m.

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Parsippany pastor to explore ‘When is Enough, Enough?’ on radio show #Catholic –

Father David Pickens, pastor of St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Parsippany, N.J., will discuss the renewed interest in faith-based films, the meaning of Holy Week, and hopeful signs of people returning to church during the March 25 episode of “Let Go and Let God.” This weekly radio show addresses listeners who are struggling with their Catholic faith, have doubts, or wish to strengthen their beliefs.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

In a busy, distracted world, this episode, “When is Enough, Enough?”, invites listeners to pause and remember what truly matters. Listeners will be reminded that God has already blessed them abundantly, and that true peace comes not from having more, but from gratitude and trust in him.

Art Suriano of Newton, N.J., the show’s creator, host, and producer, interviews a wide variety of guests, who cover different topical issues. He includes performances of his original Christian contemporary songs to further illuminate the episode’s theme.

Stream the episode on or after Wednesday, March 25, here or on all podcast platforms. The show will be broadcast locally on Sunday, March 29, on WRSK in Sussex at 7 a.m., and on WOLD in Edison at 8 a.m.

– Father David Pickens, pastor of St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Parsippany, N.J., will discuss the renewed interest in faith-based films, the meaning of Holy Week, and hopeful signs of people returning to church during the March 25 episode of “Let Go and Let God.” This weekly radio show addresses listeners who are struggling with their Catholic faith, have doubts, or wish to strengthen their beliefs. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. In a busy, distracted world, this episode, “When is Enough, Enough?”, invites listeners to pause and remember what truly matters. Listeners will be reminded that God

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Sacred oils to be consecrated at Paterson Chrism Mass #Catholic – All the faithful of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey are invited to join Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney for the Chrism Mass on Tuesday, March 31, at 7 p.m. in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J. All the priests of the diocese attend the annual Mass for the blessing of coming together in spiritual fellowship with Bishop Sweeney. During the Mass, Bishop Sweeney will consecrate and bless the Oil of the Sick, used in the Anointing of the Sick, and the Oil of Catechumens, used for anointing those preparing for baptism. He will also consecrate the Sacred Chrism, used for baptism, confirmation, holy orders, and the dedication of altars. These holy oils will be used in parishes throughout the diocese during the coming year for various sacramental celebrations. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Bishop Sweeney will be the homilist and principal celebrant of the Mass, with the priests of the diocese in attendance, concelebrating. The priests will renew their priestly promises before the bishop and receive the prayers and support of the people of God. Diocesan faithful, including deacons, religious, and laity, typically attend the liturgy, which will be livestreamed. Father Jared Brogan, diocesan director of the Office of Worship and diocesan master of ceremonies, is coordinating the Chrism Mass. “For priests, concelebrating the Chrism Mass with the bishop and presbyterate shows our relationship with the bishop and with one another,” Father Brogan said. “It is also an opportunity to renew our priestly promises before the bishop and to be present as he blesses the holy oils to be used by priests in their parishes. There is a great sense of communion: time to reflect, be reminded of, and appreciate the gift and mystery of the priesthood. It is also a sign of communion with all the faithful at this liturgy. They witness the priesthood and are invited to pray for the priests,” he said. After the Mass, the holy oils will be distributed to representatives from each parish in the diocese, who will use them for the first time at the Easter Vigil. Once a year, a bishop blesses holy oils in his diocese, uniting him with the parishes when the sacraments are celebrated, and the oils are used.
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Sacred oils to be consecrated at Paterson Chrism Mass #Catholic – All the faithful of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey are invited to join Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney for the Chrism Mass on Tuesday, March 31, at 7 p.m. in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J. All the priests of the diocese attend the annual Mass for the blessing of coming together in spiritual fellowship with Bishop Sweeney. During the Mass, Bishop Sweeney will consecrate and bless the Oil of the Sick, used in the Anointing of the Sick, and the Oil of Catechumens, used for anointing those preparing for baptism. He will also consecrate the Sacred Chrism, used for baptism, confirmation, holy orders, and the dedication of altars. These holy oils will be used in parishes throughout the diocese during the coming year for various sacramental celebrations. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Bishop Sweeney will be the homilist and principal celebrant of the Mass, with the priests of the diocese in attendance, concelebrating. The priests will renew their priestly promises before the bishop and receive the prayers and support of the people of God. Diocesan faithful, including deacons, religious, and laity, typically attend the liturgy, which will be livestreamed. Father Jared Brogan, diocesan director of the Office of Worship and diocesan master of ceremonies, is coordinating the Chrism Mass. “For priests, concelebrating the Chrism Mass with the bishop and presbyterate shows our relationship with the bishop and with one another,” Father Brogan said. “It is also an opportunity to renew our priestly promises before the bishop and to be present as he blesses the holy oils to be used by priests in their parishes. There is a great sense of communion: time to reflect, be reminded of, and appreciate the gift and mystery of the priesthood. It is also a sign of communion with all the faithful at this liturgy. They witness the priesthood and are invited to pray for the priests,” he said. After the Mass, the holy oils will be distributed to representatives from each parish in the diocese, who will use them for the first time at the Easter Vigil. Once a year, a bishop blesses holy oils in his diocese, uniting him with the parishes when the sacraments are celebrated, and the oils are used.

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Sacred oils to be consecrated at Paterson Chrism Mass #Catholic –

All the faithful of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey are invited to join Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney for the Chrism Mass on Tuesday, March 31, at 7 p.m. in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J. All the priests of the diocese attend the annual Mass for the blessing of coming together in spiritual fellowship with Bishop Sweeney.

During the Mass, Bishop Sweeney will consecrate and bless the Oil of the Sick, used in the Anointing of the Sick, and the Oil of Catechumens, used for anointing those preparing for baptism. He will also consecrate the Sacred Chrism, used for baptism, confirmation, holy orders, and the dedication of altars. These holy oils will be used in parishes throughout the diocese during the coming year for various sacramental celebrations.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Bishop Sweeney will be the homilist and principal celebrant of the Mass, with the priests of the diocese in attendance, concelebrating. The priests will renew their priestly promises before the bishop and receive the prayers and support of the people of God. Diocesan faithful, including deacons, religious, and laity, typically attend the liturgy, which will be livestreamed.

Father Jared Brogan, diocesan director of the Office of Worship and diocesan master of ceremonies, is coordinating the Chrism Mass.

“For priests, concelebrating the Chrism Mass with the bishop and presbyterate shows our relationship with the bishop and with one another,” Father Brogan said. “It is also an opportunity to renew our priestly promises before the bishop and to be present as he blesses the holy oils to be used by priests in their parishes. There is a great sense of communion: time to reflect, be reminded of, and appreciate the gift and mystery of the priesthood. It is also a sign of communion with all the faithful at this liturgy. They witness the priesthood and are invited to pray for the priests,” he said.

After the Mass, the holy oils will be distributed to representatives from each parish in the diocese, who will use them for the first time at the Easter Vigil. Once a year, a bishop blesses holy oils in his diocese, uniting him with the parishes when the sacraments are celebrated, and the oils are used.

– All the faithful of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey are invited to join Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney for the Chrism Mass on Tuesday, March 31, at 7 p.m. in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J. All the priests of the diocese attend the annual Mass for the blessing of coming together in spiritual fellowship with Bishop Sweeney. During the Mass, Bishop Sweeney will consecrate and bless the Oil of the Sick, used in the Anointing of the Sick, and the Oil of Catechumens, used for anointing those preparing for baptism. He will also consecrate the

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8 Coolest Perks Of Becoming The New Ayatollah #BabylonBee – The hottest job on the market right now is being the Iranian Ayatollah, but why is everyone suddenly buzzing about it? Here are just eight of the most incredible perks that come with being the new Supreme Leader:
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8 Coolest Perks Of Becoming The New Ayatollah #BabylonBee – The hottest job on the market right now is being the Iranian Ayatollah, but why is everyone suddenly buzzing about it? Here are just eight of the most incredible perks that come with being the new Supreme Leader:

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The hottest job on the market right now is being the Iranian Ayatollah, but why is everyone suddenly buzzing about it? Here are just eight of the most incredible perks that come with being the new Supreme Leader:

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Kevin The Janitor Now Most Senior Military Official Left In Iran #BabylonBee – TEHRAN — Following the latest round of U.S. and Israeli airstrikes in the country, Kevin, the janitor at the Office of the Supreme Leader, was officially recognized as now being the most senior military official left in Iran.
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Kevin The Janitor Now Most Senior Military Official Left In Iran #BabylonBee – TEHRAN — Following the latest round of U.S. and Israeli airstrikes in the country, Kevin, the janitor at the Office of the Supreme Leader, was officially recognized as now being the most senior military official left in Iran.

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TEHRAN — Following the latest round of U.S. and Israeli airstrikes in the country, Kevin, the janitor at the Office of the Supreme Leader, was officially recognized as now being the most senior military official left in Iran.

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WATCH: Democrat Senator Alex Padilla Scurries Away as Reporter Questions Him About O’Keefe’s Undercover Cash For Ballots Video on Skid Row – Democrat Senator Alex Padilla (CA) walked away as a reporter questioned him about the O’Keefe Media Group’s undercover cash for ballots video on Skid Row. The post WATCH: Democrat Senator Alex Padilla Scurries Away as Reporter Questions Him About O’Keefe’s Undercover Cash For Ballots Video on Skid Row appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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WATCH: Democrat Senator Alex Padilla Scurries Away as Reporter Questions Him About O’Keefe’s Undercover Cash For Ballots Video on Skid Row – Democrat Senator Alex Padilla (CA) walked away as a reporter questioned him about the O’Keefe Media Group’s undercover cash for ballots video on Skid Row. The post WATCH: Democrat Senator Alex Padilla Scurries Away as Reporter Questions Him About O’Keefe’s Undercover Cash For Ballots Video on Skid Row appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Group of people walking outside, with a man in a tan coat leading and others following closely in a public space.

Group of people walking outside, with a man in a tan coat leading and others following closely in a public space.

Democrat Senator Alex Padilla (CA) walked away as a reporter questioned him about the O’Keefe Media Group’s undercover cash for ballots video on Skid Row.

The post WATCH: Democrat Senator Alex Padilla Scurries Away as Reporter Questions Him About O’Keefe’s Undercover Cash For Ballots Video on Skid Row appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Leftist Civil Rights Icon Cesar Chavez Accused of Years of Child Sexual Abuse – A major investigation by The New York Times has raised child asexual abuse allegations against Cesar Chavez, the leftist labor activist long celebrated as a civil rights figure. The post Leftist Civil Rights Icon Cesar Chavez Accused of Years of Child Sexual Abuse appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Leftist Civil Rights Icon Cesar Chavez Accused of Years of Child Sexual Abuse – A major investigation by The New York Times has raised child asexual abuse allegations against Cesar Chavez, the leftist labor activist long celebrated as a civil rights figure. The post Leftist Civil Rights Icon Cesar Chavez Accused of Years of Child Sexual Abuse appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Civil rights leader speaking at a podium with microphones, advocating for social justice and labor rights during a historic event.

Civil rights leader speaking at a podium with microphones, advocating for social justice and labor rights during a historic event.

A major investigation by The New York Times has raised child asexual abuse allegations against Cesar Chavez, the leftist labor activist long celebrated as a civil rights figure.

The post Leftist Civil Rights Icon Cesar Chavez Accused of Years of Child Sexual Abuse appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Trump Threatens to “Finish Off” Iran and Let Asia and NATO “Be Responsible” for the Strait of Hormuz – President Trump seemingly threatened to escalate the war in Iran and leave the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery where up to 25% of the world’s oil travels through, to other countries that use it for their oil. The post Trump Threatens to “Finish Off” Iran and Let Asia and NATO “Be Responsible” for the Strait of Hormuz appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Trump Threatens to “Finish Off” Iran and Let Asia and NATO “Be Responsible” for the Strait of Hormuz – President Trump seemingly threatened to escalate the war in Iran and leave the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery where up to 25% of the world’s oil travels through, to other countries that use it for their oil. The post Trump Threatens to “Finish Off” Iran and Let Asia and NATO “Be Responsible” for the Strait of Hormuz appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Former President Donald Trump gestures emphatically while standing in front of multiple American flags at a political event.

Former President Donald Trump gestures emphatically while standing in front of multiple American flags at a political event.

President Trump seemingly threatened to escalate the war in Iran and leave the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery where up to 25% of the world’s oil travels through, to other countries that use it for their oil.

The post Trump Threatens to “Finish Off” Iran and Let Asia and NATO “Be Responsible” for the Strait of Hormuz appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 19 March 2026 – A reading from the Second Book of Samuel 2 Samuel 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16 The LORD spoke to Nathan and said: "Go, tell my servant David, ‘When your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins, and I will make his kingdom firm. It is he who shall build a house for my name. And I will make his royal throne firm forever. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever.’" A reading from the Letter to the Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22 Brothers and sisters: It was not through the law that the promise was made to Abraham and his descendants that he would inherit the world, but through the righteousness that comes from faith. For this reason, it depends on faith, so that it may be a gift, and the promise may be guaranteed to all his descendants, not to those who only adhere to the law but to those who follow the faith of Abraham, who is the father of all of us, as it is written, I have made you father of many nations. He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into being what does not exist. He believed, hoping against hope, that he would become the father of many nations, according to what was said, Thus shall your descendants be. That is why it was credited to him as righteousness.From the Gospel according to Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24a Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ. Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.Today’s Gospel passage presents a situation that is in human terms embarrassing and conflicting. Joseph and Mary are betrothed; they do not yet live together, but she is expecting a child by the work of God. Joseph, faced with this surprise, is naturally disturbed but, instead of reacting in an impulsive and punitive manner (…) he seeks a solution that respects the dignity and integrity of his beloved Mary. (…) But the Angel of the Lord intervenes to tell him that the solution he proposes is not the one desired by God. (…). At this point, Joseph trusts God totally, obeys the Angel’s words and takes Mary with him. It was precisely this unshakable trust in God that enabled him to accept a humanly difficult and, in a certain sense, incomprehensible situation. Joseph understands, in faith, that the child born in Mary’s womb is not his child, but the Son of God, and he, Joseph, will be its guardian, fully assuming its earthly paternity. The example of this gentle and wise man exhorts us to lift up our gaze and push it further. It is a question of recovering the surprising logic of God which, far from small or great calculations, is made up of openness towards new horizons, towards Christ and His Word. (Francis – Angelus, 22 December 2019)  

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A reading from the Second Book of Samuel
2 Samuel 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16

The LORD spoke to Nathan and said:
"Go, tell my servant David,
‘When your time comes and you rest with your ancestors,
I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins,
and I will make his kingdom firm.
It is he who shall build a house for my name.
And I will make his royal throne firm forever.
I will be a father to him,
and he shall be a son to me.
Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me;
your throne shall stand firm forever.’"

A reading from the Letter to the Romans
4:13, 16-18, 22

Brothers and sisters:
It was not through the law
that the promise was made to Abraham and his descendants
that he would inherit the world,
but through the righteousness that comes from faith.
For this reason, it depends on faith,
so that it may be a gift,
and the promise may be guaranteed to all his descendants,
not to those who only adhere to the law
but to those who follow the faith of Abraham,
who is the father of all of us, as it is written,
I have made you father of many nations.
He is our father in the sight of God,
in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead
and calls into being what does not exist.
He believed, hoping against hope,
that he would become the father of many nations,
according to what was said, Thus shall your descendants be.
That is why it was credited to him as righteousness.

From the Gospel according to Matthew
1:16, 18-21, 24a

Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.

Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.

Today’s Gospel passage presents a situation that is in human terms embarrassing and conflicting. Joseph and Mary are betrothed; they do not yet live together, but she is expecting a child by the work of God. Joseph, faced with this surprise, is naturally disturbed but, instead of reacting in an impulsive and punitive manner (…) he seeks a solution that respects the dignity and integrity of his beloved Mary. (…) But the Angel of the Lord intervenes to tell him that the solution he proposes is not the one desired by God. (…). At this point, Joseph trusts God totally, obeys the Angel’s words and takes Mary with him. It was precisely this unshakable trust in God that enabled him to accept a humanly difficult and, in a certain sense, incomprehensible situation. Joseph understands, in faith, that the child born in Mary’s womb is not his child, but the Son of God, and he, Joseph, will be its guardian, fully assuming its earthly paternity. The example of this gentle and wise man exhorts us to lift up our gaze and push it further. It is a question of recovering the surprising logic of God which, far from small or great calculations, is made up of openness towards new horizons, towards Christ and His Word. (Francis – Angelus, 22 December 2019)

 

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Holy See calls on UN to eradicate surrogacy ‘in all its forms’ #Catholic The Holy See has reaffirmed its position against surrogacy in a statement to the United Nations, urging the complete eradication of the practice and calling for the protection of women and children from exploitation.Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, apostolic nuncio and permanent observer of the Holy See to the U.N., highlighted the urgency and sensitivity of the issue, lamenting that “technology and practice have run laps around the law and ethics.”Although he acknowledged that many view surrogacy “as a compassionate solution for those wishing to be parents,” he urged the adoption of measures that respect the dignity and rights of women and children.Women choose it due to financial needCaccia lamented that because of financial need, many women agree to carry a child in their womb and subsequently hand the child over to others for money. This situation could be remedied through the development of “social protection, education, and economic opportunities,” he said.The statement asked whether the surrogacy industry could survive if poverty were eradicated. It warned that the demand for this practice “already exceeds the supply” and that many women who do not wish to participate may find themselves pressured or even coerced into doing so by family members.The text also addressed the rights of children, who are reduced to an item to be ordered “within an industrial and dehumanized logic.” The statement from the Holy See also denounced the commodification of babies and the fact that many are considered “a defective product” when they have a disability.This attitude “runs contrary to a just society in which children can grow and flourish. Children, in fact, possess rights and interests that must be respected, beginning with “a moral right to be created in an act of love,” as well as the right “to know their parents and to be cared for by them,” according to the statement.Although the Holy See acknowledged the “very real and understandable desire to have children,” it maintained that these issues cannot simply be resolved through the regulation of surrogacy. The Permanent Mission of the Holy See to the U.N. commended the decision of the Hague Conference on Private International Law not to proceed with the drafting of a convention on legal parentage in cases of surrogacy.Caccia also recalled the words of Pope Leo XIV, who affirmed that, by transforming gestation into a negotiable service, one “violates the dignity both of the child, who is reduced to a ‘product,’ and of the mother, exploiting her body and the generative process, and distorting the original relational calling of the family.”The Holy See urged that new steps be taken “toward ending this practice in all its forms and at all levels,” with the aim of protecting women and children “from exploitation and violence.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Holy See calls on UN to eradicate surrogacy ‘in all its forms’ #Catholic The Holy See has reaffirmed its position against surrogacy in a statement to the United Nations, urging the complete eradication of the practice and calling for the protection of women and children from exploitation.Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, apostolic nuncio and permanent observer of the Holy See to the U.N., highlighted the urgency and sensitivity of the issue, lamenting that “technology and practice have run laps around the law and ethics.”Although he acknowledged that many view surrogacy “as a compassionate solution for those wishing to be parents,” he urged the adoption of measures that respect the dignity and rights of women and children.Women choose it due to financial needCaccia lamented that because of financial need, many women agree to carry a child in their womb and subsequently hand the child over to others for money. This situation could be remedied through the development of “social protection, education, and economic opportunities,” he said.The statement asked whether the surrogacy industry could survive if poverty were eradicated. It warned that the demand for this practice “already exceeds the supply” and that many women who do not wish to participate may find themselves pressured or even coerced into doing so by family members.The text also addressed the rights of children, who are reduced to an item to be ordered “within an industrial and dehumanized logic.” The statement from the Holy See also denounced the commodification of babies and the fact that many are considered “a defective product” when they have a disability.This attitude “runs contrary to a just society in which children can grow and flourish. Children, in fact, possess rights and interests that must be respected, beginning with “a moral right to be created in an act of love,” as well as the right “to know their parents and to be cared for by them,” according to the statement.Although the Holy See acknowledged the “very real and understandable desire to have children,” it maintained that these issues cannot simply be resolved through the regulation of surrogacy. The Permanent Mission of the Holy See to the U.N. commended the decision of the Hague Conference on Private International Law not to proceed with the drafting of a convention on legal parentage in cases of surrogacy.Caccia also recalled the words of Pope Leo XIV, who affirmed that, by transforming gestation into a negotiable service, one “violates the dignity both of the child, who is reduced to a ‘product,’ and of the mother, exploiting her body and the generative process, and distorting the original relational calling of the family.”The Holy See urged that new steps be taken “toward ending this practice in all its forms and at all levels,” with the aim of protecting women and children “from exploitation and violence.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the Holy See’s permanent observer to the United Nations, laid out the economic reasons surrogacy exists, the harm it does, and why it is wrong.

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Scottish bishops say ‘prayer moved hearts’ after Scottish Parliament rejects assisted suicide #Catholic In a final vote, members of Scottish Parliament (MSPs) have rejected a bill that would have made assisted suicide legal — a dramatic turn of events that Scotland’s Catholic bishops are attributing to the power of prayer.Reacting to the result immediately after its announcement on March 17, Scotland’s bishops told EWTN News: “Prayer is what moved hearts on this important issue. We are over the moon. Glory be to God that life has triumphed tonight!”Bill sponsor Liam McArthur and his supporters were confident of the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill becoming law. In the first vote in May 2025, Parliament voted 70 to 56 in favor of the bill progressing to Stage 2. The bill was then amended at Stage 2 before moving to Stage 3 for a decisive vote. in the end, however, MSPs rejected it, voting 69 to 57 against the bill. Bishop John Keenan, president of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, said the vote against the assisted suicide bill would “protect some of Scotland’s most vulnerable individuals from the risk of being pressured into a premature death.” | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland After an emotional debate, 12 MSPs changed sides, moving from supporting the Bill at Stage 1 to opposing it. Notable MSPs who swapped sides included Jamie Hepburn (Scottish National Party), Daniel Johnson (Labour), and Brian Whittle (Conservative), who publicly announced their decisions during the debate. This followed other notable announcements in the buildup to the vote by Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay and Scottish National Party MSPs Audrey Nicoll and Collette Stevenson, who had initially supported the bill and then shared their decisions to vote against it.Commending MSPs for voting against the legislation, Bishop John Keenan, president of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, said after the vote: “I would like to express my gratitude to all MSPs for their serious engagement with this issue and for the thoughtful and considered attention they have given to the bill. I am especially grateful to those who upheld the principle of human dignity and advocated on behalf of the vulnerable.”The Catholic Church teaches that assisted suicide is inherently immoral. In advance of the final vote, Keenan commented that a vote against the bill would “protect some of Scotland’s most vulnerable individuals from the risk of being pressured into a premature death.”“Every human life possesses inherent value,” he said. “Genuine compassion is not expressed through ending a life but through accompanying those who suffer and ensuring they receive the medical, emotional, and spiritual support that recognizes their dignity.” Alisdair Hungerford-Morgan, chief executive of pro-life charity Right To Life UK, called the result “a great and deeply significant victory for the most vulnerable people in Scotland.” | Credit: Photo courtesy of Right To Life UK Pro-life groups opposing the bill also highlighted the importance of the vote for the vulnerable. In a message to EWTN News, Alisdair Hungerford-Morgan, chief executive of pro-life charity Right To Life UK, called the result “a great and deeply significant victory for the most vulnerable people in Scotland.”Hungerford-Morgan told EWTN News: “People nearing the end of their lives, no matter what their condition, need love and support, not a pathway to suicide, which is exactly what the Scottish assisted suicide bill would have done."The vote followed an intense and long debate over five sessions, culminating in the final debate and vote on March 17.Hungerford-Morgan said: “If this bill had passed in the Scottish Parliament and gone on to become law, it would have ushered in an irrevocable change that would have put the vulnerable at risk and seen the ending of thousands of lives through assisted suicide in Scotland.”He added: “After two years of debate, and the most intense scrutiny that the question of assisted suicide has ever received in Scotland, Holyrood, which is widely regarded as one of the world’s most socially and politically progressive legislatures, has come to the conclusion that introducing assisted suicide is unsafe and dangerous.”Paul Atkin, pro-life officer at the Archdiocese of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, highlighted “the strength of engagement across our archdiocese” due to the fact that, from the 12 MSPs who changed their votes to opposing the bill, eight represent constituencies within the Archdiocese of St. Andrews and Edinburgh.Atkin told EWTN News: “The defeat of this bill is a welcome result, reflecting the strength of engagement across our archdiocese. From the archbishop’s leadership to parishes who organized hundreds of letters, this was a united effort which made the difference.”Praising the “remarkable contribution” of the archdiocese, Atkin paid tribute to the “polite, persistent engagement from the Catholic community,” which helped “shape outcomes and protect the most vulnerable.”Opponents of the bill called for attention to now move away from assisted suicide toward investment in palliative care. “Our next priority must be to strengthen palliative care by ensuring that it is properly funded and accessible to all who require it,” Keenan said. Echoing this viewpoint, Hungerford-Morgan urged MSPs to “unite to focus on renewed efforts to promote and improve palliative care.”Following the defeat of the bill, Hungerford-Morgan turned his attention to a separate bill currently being debated in the House of Lords in London that would legalize assisted suicide in England and Wales, initiated by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater.Calling on the Leadbeater Bill’s sponsors to “reject assisted suicide,” he said: “This victory will have an impact far beyond Holyrood as the Leadbeater Bill is being debated in the House of Lords. Instead of pushing ahead with this dangerous bill, its sponsors should follow Scotland’s example and reject assisted suicide.”
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Scottish bishops say ‘prayer moved hearts’ after Scottish Parliament rejects assisted suicide #Catholic In a final vote, members of Scottish Parliament (MSPs) have rejected a bill that would have made assisted suicide legal — a dramatic turn of events that Scotland’s Catholic bishops are attributing to the power of prayer.Reacting to the result immediately after its announcement on March 17, Scotland’s bishops told EWTN News: “Prayer is what moved hearts on this important issue. We are over the moon. Glory be to God that life has triumphed tonight!”Bill sponsor Liam McArthur and his supporters were confident of the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill becoming law. In the first vote in May 2025, Parliament voted 70 to 56 in favor of the bill progressing to Stage 2. The bill was then amended at Stage 2 before moving to Stage 3 for a decisive vote. in the end, however, MSPs rejected it, voting 69 to 57 against the bill. Bishop John Keenan, president of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, said the vote against the assisted suicide bill would “protect some of Scotland’s most vulnerable individuals from the risk of being pressured into a premature death.” | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland After an emotional debate, 12 MSPs changed sides, moving from supporting the Bill at Stage 1 to opposing it. Notable MSPs who swapped sides included Jamie Hepburn (Scottish National Party), Daniel Johnson (Labour), and Brian Whittle (Conservative), who publicly announced their decisions during the debate. This followed other notable announcements in the buildup to the vote by Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay and Scottish National Party MSPs Audrey Nicoll and Collette Stevenson, who had initially supported the bill and then shared their decisions to vote against it.Commending MSPs for voting against the legislation, Bishop John Keenan, president of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, said after the vote: “I would like to express my gratitude to all MSPs for their serious engagement with this issue and for the thoughtful and considered attention they have given to the bill. I am especially grateful to those who upheld the principle of human dignity and advocated on behalf of the vulnerable.”The Catholic Church teaches that assisted suicide is inherently immoral. In advance of the final vote, Keenan commented that a vote against the bill would “protect some of Scotland’s most vulnerable individuals from the risk of being pressured into a premature death.”“Every human life possesses inherent value,” he said. “Genuine compassion is not expressed through ending a life but through accompanying those who suffer and ensuring they receive the medical, emotional, and spiritual support that recognizes their dignity.” Alisdair Hungerford-Morgan, chief executive of pro-life charity Right To Life UK, called the result “a great and deeply significant victory for the most vulnerable people in Scotland.” | Credit: Photo courtesy of Right To Life UK Pro-life groups opposing the bill also highlighted the importance of the vote for the vulnerable. In a message to EWTN News, Alisdair Hungerford-Morgan, chief executive of pro-life charity Right To Life UK, called the result “a great and deeply significant victory for the most vulnerable people in Scotland.”Hungerford-Morgan told EWTN News: “People nearing the end of their lives, no matter what their condition, need love and support, not a pathway to suicide, which is exactly what the Scottish assisted suicide bill would have done."The vote followed an intense and long debate over five sessions, culminating in the final debate and vote on March 17.Hungerford-Morgan said: “If this bill had passed in the Scottish Parliament and gone on to become law, it would have ushered in an irrevocable change that would have put the vulnerable at risk and seen the ending of thousands of lives through assisted suicide in Scotland.”He added: “After two years of debate, and the most intense scrutiny that the question of assisted suicide has ever received in Scotland, Holyrood, which is widely regarded as one of the world’s most socially and politically progressive legislatures, has come to the conclusion that introducing assisted suicide is unsafe and dangerous.”Paul Atkin, pro-life officer at the Archdiocese of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, highlighted “the strength of engagement across our archdiocese” due to the fact that, from the 12 MSPs who changed their votes to opposing the bill, eight represent constituencies within the Archdiocese of St. Andrews and Edinburgh.Atkin told EWTN News: “The defeat of this bill is a welcome result, reflecting the strength of engagement across our archdiocese. From the archbishop’s leadership to parishes who organized hundreds of letters, this was a united effort which made the difference.”Praising the “remarkable contribution” of the archdiocese, Atkin paid tribute to the “polite, persistent engagement from the Catholic community,” which helped “shape outcomes and protect the most vulnerable.”Opponents of the bill called for attention to now move away from assisted suicide toward investment in palliative care. “Our next priority must be to strengthen palliative care by ensuring that it is properly funded and accessible to all who require it,” Keenan said. Echoing this viewpoint, Hungerford-Morgan urged MSPs to “unite to focus on renewed efforts to promote and improve palliative care.”Following the defeat of the bill, Hungerford-Morgan turned his attention to a separate bill currently being debated in the House of Lords in London that would legalize assisted suicide in England and Wales, initiated by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater.Calling on the Leadbeater Bill’s sponsors to “reject assisted suicide,” he said: “This victory will have an impact far beyond Holyrood as the Leadbeater Bill is being debated in the House of Lords. Instead of pushing ahead with this dangerous bill, its sponsors should follow Scotland’s example and reject assisted suicide.”

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In a decisive vote, Scottish members of Parliament have rejected the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, a victory the bishops in Scotland are praising.

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National Eucharistic Pilgrimage registration opens; schedule released – #Catholic – The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage has opened registration for the 2026 pilgrimage and announced the schedule for its public events.In celebration of the 2026 theme, “One Nation Under God,” and the nation’s 250th anniversary, many of the events will not only bring the faithful together in prayer but also will reflect U.S. history.The journey will take place from Pentecost through Independence Day weekend. Pilgrims will travel the Eastern seaboard on the St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Route, named for the first U.S. citizen to be canonized.A group of nine Perpetual Pilgrims will carry the Blessed Sacrament through several of the original 13 colonies, 18 dioceses, and two Eastern-rite eparchies. The faithful are invited to join the public processions and other events.“In the past few years we’ve witnessed a powerful renewal of Eucharistic faith across the country,” said Jason Shanks, president of the National Eucharistic Congress. “The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage is one of the most visible expressions of that renewal, as believers bring Jesus in the Eucharist out into our streets and communities and inviting people everywhere to encounter him,” he said.Schedule highlightsThe procession will pass through the dioceses of St. Augustine, Florida; Savannah, Georgia; Charleston, South Carolina; Charlotte, North Carolina; Richmond and Arlington, Virginia; Washington, D.C.; Baltimore; Wilmington, Delaware; Camden and Paterson, New Jersey; Manchester, New Hampshire; Portland, Maine; Boston, Springfield, and Fall River, Massachusetts; Providence, Rhode Island; and Philadelphia.The events hosted by the dioceses will offer opportunities for Mass, prayer, and community service.In St. Augustine, the faithful can walk the grounds at the Our Lady of La Leche Shrine, the oldest Marian shrine in the U.S., while learning about the Florida martyrs’ cause for canonization.There will also be a testimony from Monsignor James Boddie Jr., the first Black diocesan priest ordained in Florida, at Christ the King Catholic Church.In Savannah, the faithful can learn about the Georgia martyrs who will be beatified on Oct. 31. Father Pablo Migone will share the story of the martyrdom of Friars Pedro de Corpa, Blas, Miguel, Antonio, and Francisco during a bilingual presentation.The faithful can attend Mass at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Richmond, celebrated by Bishop Barry Knestout. There will be a Holy Hour with prayers and songs of praise led by Our Lady of Mount Carmel’s Grupo Carismatico.There will also be a presentation on the theme of mosaics and the communion of saints at St. Bede Catholic Church. Attendees can learn about a few of the saints who are being highlighted in St. Bede’s mosaic project.The nation’s capital will serve as the halfway point for the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage. On June 6, the pilgrimage will partner with the annual Catholic Information Center Eucharistic procession that brings the real presence through Washington, D.C., near the White House and past the U.S. Capitol.Near Baltimore, there will be a procession and hymns on the grounds of the Washington Monument State Park, which has the country’s first monument to President George Washington.There will be a Mass in the Basilica of the Assumption celebrated by Archbishop William E. Lori. The basilica is the first cathedral constructed in the United States and was designed by architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe under the guidance of Bishop John Carroll, America’s first bishop.The final mainland procession will be from the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland, Maine, to the Casco Bay Ferry Terminal. The diocese chartered a ferry to make multiple trips to Peaks Island so passengers can travel while adoring the Eucharist.In Boston there will be adoration available at multiple historic sights including  Plymouth Memorial Park and Bunker Hill.The pilgrimage will conclude over Independence Day weekend in Philadelphia. There will be 24 hours of Eucharistic adoration in the Cathedral Basilica, showings of the feature film “Cabrini,” and a solemn closing Mass and Eucharistic procession through the city.“It’s my joy, and that of the Church in Philadelphia, to host the closing events of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, which will be held in what I affectionately call the City of Saints,” Archbishop Nelson Perez of Philadelphia said in a press release.“As the only diocese in the country that houses two saints, St. Katherine Drexel and St. John Neumann, this is the place that Catholics can reference to remember our history in this great country and the future we are building here,” Perez said.For the full list of events and detailed schedule, those interested can visit the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage website.Other prayer opportunities For the faithful who cannot attend in person, people can participate by submitting prayer intentions and spending time in Eucharistic adoration. The pilgrimage aims to gather 250,000 Holy Hours of prayer for the renewal of the nation, which will be presented to national leaders.People can also participate by utilizing the online lecture series. Every week, a new lecture will be released on the Manna app exploring the intersection of faith, culture, and what it truly means to be American.“As we approach the 250th anniversary of our nation, this pilgrimage is a powerful reminder that the deepest foundation of our country is our dependence on God,” Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, chair of the National Eucharistic Congress, said in a press release. “By carrying the Eucharist across our nation and gathering in prayer, we are asking the Lord to renew the Church and to bless our country so that we may truly be one nation under God,” he said.
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National Eucharistic Pilgrimage registration opens; schedule released – #Catholic – The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage has opened registration for the 2026 pilgrimage and announced the schedule for its public events.In celebration of the 2026 theme, “One Nation Under God,” and the nation’s 250th anniversary, many of the events will not only bring the faithful together in prayer but also will reflect U.S. history.The journey will take place from Pentecost through Independence Day weekend. Pilgrims will travel the Eastern seaboard on the St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Route, named for the first U.S. citizen to be canonized.A group of nine Perpetual Pilgrims will carry the Blessed Sacrament through several of the original 13 colonies, 18 dioceses, and two Eastern-rite eparchies. The faithful are invited to join the public processions and other events.“In the past few years we’ve witnessed a powerful renewal of Eucharistic faith across the country,” said Jason Shanks, president of the National Eucharistic Congress. “The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage is one of the most visible expressions of that renewal, as believers bring Jesus in the Eucharist out into our streets and communities and inviting people everywhere to encounter him,” he said.Schedule highlightsThe procession will pass through the dioceses of St. Augustine, Florida; Savannah, Georgia; Charleston, South Carolina; Charlotte, North Carolina; Richmond and Arlington, Virginia; Washington, D.C.; Baltimore; Wilmington, Delaware; Camden and Paterson, New Jersey; Manchester, New Hampshire; Portland, Maine; Boston, Springfield, and Fall River, Massachusetts; Providence, Rhode Island; and Philadelphia.The events hosted by the dioceses will offer opportunities for Mass, prayer, and community service.In St. Augustine, the faithful can walk the grounds at the Our Lady of La Leche Shrine, the oldest Marian shrine in the U.S., while learning about the Florida martyrs’ cause for canonization.There will also be a testimony from Monsignor James Boddie Jr., the first Black diocesan priest ordained in Florida, at Christ the King Catholic Church.In Savannah, the faithful can learn about the Georgia martyrs who will be beatified on Oct. 31. Father Pablo Migone will share the story of the martyrdom of Friars Pedro de Corpa, Blas, Miguel, Antonio, and Francisco during a bilingual presentation.The faithful can attend Mass at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Richmond, celebrated by Bishop Barry Knestout. There will be a Holy Hour with prayers and songs of praise led by Our Lady of Mount Carmel’s Grupo Carismatico.There will also be a presentation on the theme of mosaics and the communion of saints at St. Bede Catholic Church. Attendees can learn about a few of the saints who are being highlighted in St. Bede’s mosaic project.The nation’s capital will serve as the halfway point for the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage. On June 6, the pilgrimage will partner with the annual Catholic Information Center Eucharistic procession that brings the real presence through Washington, D.C., near the White House and past the U.S. Capitol.Near Baltimore, there will be a procession and hymns on the grounds of the Washington Monument State Park, which has the country’s first monument to President George Washington.There will be a Mass in the Basilica of the Assumption celebrated by Archbishop William E. Lori. The basilica is the first cathedral constructed in the United States and was designed by architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe under the guidance of Bishop John Carroll, America’s first bishop.The final mainland procession will be from the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland, Maine, to the Casco Bay Ferry Terminal. The diocese chartered a ferry to make multiple trips to Peaks Island so passengers can travel while adoring the Eucharist.In Boston there will be adoration available at multiple historic sights including  Plymouth Memorial Park and Bunker Hill.The pilgrimage will conclude over Independence Day weekend in Philadelphia. There will be 24 hours of Eucharistic adoration in the Cathedral Basilica, showings of the feature film “Cabrini,” and a solemn closing Mass and Eucharistic procession through the city.“It’s my joy, and that of the Church in Philadelphia, to host the closing events of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, which will be held in what I affectionately call the City of Saints,” Archbishop Nelson Perez of Philadelphia said in a press release.“As the only diocese in the country that houses two saints, St. Katherine Drexel and St. John Neumann, this is the place that Catholics can reference to remember our history in this great country and the future we are building here,” Perez said.For the full list of events and detailed schedule, those interested can visit the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage website.Other prayer opportunities For the faithful who cannot attend in person, people can participate by submitting prayer intentions and spending time in Eucharistic adoration. The pilgrimage aims to gather 250,000 Holy Hours of prayer for the renewal of the nation, which will be presented to national leaders.People can also participate by utilizing the online lecture series. Every week, a new lecture will be released on the Manna app exploring the intersection of faith, culture, and what it truly means to be American.“As we approach the 250th anniversary of our nation, this pilgrimage is a powerful reminder that the deepest foundation of our country is our dependence on God,” Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, chair of the National Eucharistic Congress, said in a press release. “By carrying the Eucharist across our nation and gathering in prayer, we are asking the Lord to renew the Church and to bless our country so that we may truly be one nation under God,” he said.

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The 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage will bring the faithful together in prayer and celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States.

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Chatham school salutes their patron, St. Patrick, at Mass #Catholic - St. Patrick School and Parish in Chatham, N.J., honored their patron, St. Patrick, during a Mass with Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney on March 15, ahead of the Feast of St. Patrick on March 17. Father Peter Glabik, St. Patrick’s pastor, and Father Christopher Han, parochial vicar of the parish, concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Sweeney. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  
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Chatham school salutes their patron, St. Patrick, at Mass #Catholic – St. Patrick School and Parish in Chatham, N.J., honored their patron, St. Patrick, during a Mass with Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney on March 15, ahead of the Feast of St. Patrick on March 17. Father Peter Glabik, St. Patrick’s pastor, and Father Christopher Han, parochial vicar of the parish, concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Sweeney. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  

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Chatham school salutes their patron, St. Patrick, at Mass #Catholic –

St. Patrick School and Parish in Chatham, N.J., honored their patron, St. Patrick, during a Mass with Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney on March 15, ahead of the Feast of St. Patrick on March 17. Father Peter Glabik, St. Patrick’s pastor, and Father Christopher Han, parochial vicar of the parish, concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Sweeney.

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BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI

– St. Patrick School and Parish in Chatham, N.J., honored their patron, St. Patrick, during a Mass with Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney on March 15, ahead of the Feast of St. Patrick on March 17. Father Peter Glabik, St. Patrick’s pastor, and Father Christopher Han, parochial vicar of the parish, concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Sweeney. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI  

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Vienna’s archbishop: ‘What comes from the Holy Spirit, canon law cannot stop’ – #Catholic – Archbishop Josef Grünwidl of Vienna has called for a Church in which “renewal and change” are possible, telling Austria’s bishops that what comes from the Holy Spirit cannot be stopped by canon law.Grünwidl delivered the sermon on March 11 at the Austrian Bishops’ Conference spring plenary in a Styrian parish church, Kathpress reported. The Vienna archbishop said he was firmly convinced that “what comes from the Holy Spirit, canon law cannot hold back.” He said this applies also to the role of women in the Church.Listening to women’s voicesGrünwidl addressed the recent Vatican report on “women’s participation in the life and leadership of the Church,” the final report of the synod study group, published March 10. The document recalled the great female figures of Scripture and the example of Jesus, who in many ways did not conform to the patriarchal norms of his time, Grünwidl said. Synod calls for more leadership roles for women but female diaconate ‘not yet ripe’ Women were among Jesus’ followers, a publicly known sinner was permitted to touch him, and it was not an apostle but Mary Magdalene — a woman — who was the first witness of the Resurrection, the archbishop said.“I trust that our Church will become more in keeping with Jesus and the Gospel when we walk together synodally, listen more to the voices of women, and include them in decision-making processes,” Grünwidl said.“When we as a Church heed the demands of the Sermon on the Mount and look to the example of Jesus, renewal and change become possible,” the archbishop said. “When during Lent we try day by day not merely to serve by the book but to live love, then Easter will happen within us.”Former member of controversial ‘Priests’ Initiative’Grünwidl was a member of the controversial “Priests’ Initiative,” according to ORF, Austria’s public broadcasting service. The group issued a “call to disobedience” that explicitly advocated for the admission of women and married men to the priesthood. The Austrian newspaper Der Standard also described him as a former member of the initiative who is “open to reforms.” Grünwidl’s name no longer appears on the group’s official membership list, but he was still presented as a “supporter” on a television broadcast as recently as 2023.At the start of his tenure as apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Vienna in January 2025, Grünwidl addressed his former membership, Kathpress reported. He said he had left the group for two reasons. He felt Pope Francis had “overtaken” the initiative’s proposals and ideas, and he could no longer support its banner slogan of disobedience. “Critical obedience” was important to him, he said, adding that he “cannot imagine open opposition to the bishop in the Church.”Austrian broadcaster ORF reported in October 2025 that the new Vienna archbishop was “open to reforms.” He had recently emphasized that celibacy was for him personally a deliberately chosen way of life but “not a matter of faith” and should therefore not be a mandatory requirement for priests.On the topic of women in the Church, Grünwidl identified “an urgent need for clarification,” ORF reported. He said the female diaconate should continue to be discussed and that admitting women to the College of Cardinals was conceivable.This story was first published by CNA Deutsch, the German-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Vienna’s archbishop: ‘What comes from the Holy Spirit, canon law cannot stop’ – #Catholic – Archbishop Josef Grünwidl of Vienna has called for a Church in which “renewal and change” are possible, telling Austria’s bishops that what comes from the Holy Spirit cannot be stopped by canon law.Grünwidl delivered the sermon on March 11 at the Austrian Bishops’ Conference spring plenary in a Styrian parish church, Kathpress reported. The Vienna archbishop said he was firmly convinced that “what comes from the Holy Spirit, canon law cannot hold back.” He said this applies also to the role of women in the Church.Listening to women’s voicesGrünwidl addressed the recent Vatican report on “women’s participation in the life and leadership of the Church,” the final report of the synod study group, published March 10. The document recalled the great female figures of Scripture and the example of Jesus, who in many ways did not conform to the patriarchal norms of his time, Grünwidl said. Synod calls for more leadership roles for women but female diaconate ‘not yet ripe’ Women were among Jesus’ followers, a publicly known sinner was permitted to touch him, and it was not an apostle but Mary Magdalene — a woman — who was the first witness of the Resurrection, the archbishop said.“I trust that our Church will become more in keeping with Jesus and the Gospel when we walk together synodally, listen more to the voices of women, and include them in decision-making processes,” Grünwidl said.“When we as a Church heed the demands of the Sermon on the Mount and look to the example of Jesus, renewal and change become possible,” the archbishop said. “When during Lent we try day by day not merely to serve by the book but to live love, then Easter will happen within us.”Former member of controversial ‘Priests’ Initiative’Grünwidl was a member of the controversial “Priests’ Initiative,” according to ORF, Austria’s public broadcasting service. The group issued a “call to disobedience” that explicitly advocated for the admission of women and married men to the priesthood. The Austrian newspaper Der Standard also described him as a former member of the initiative who is “open to reforms.” Grünwidl’s name no longer appears on the group’s official membership list, but he was still presented as a “supporter” on a television broadcast as recently as 2023.At the start of his tenure as apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Vienna in January 2025, Grünwidl addressed his former membership, Kathpress reported. He said he had left the group for two reasons. He felt Pope Francis had “overtaken” the initiative’s proposals and ideas, and he could no longer support its banner slogan of disobedience. “Critical obedience” was important to him, he said, adding that he “cannot imagine open opposition to the bishop in the Church.”Austrian broadcaster ORF reported in October 2025 that the new Vienna archbishop was “open to reforms.” He had recently emphasized that celibacy was for him personally a deliberately chosen way of life but “not a matter of faith” and should therefore not be a mandatory requirement for priests.On the topic of women in the Church, Grünwidl identified “an urgent need for clarification,” ORF reported. He said the female diaconate should continue to be discussed and that admitting women to the College of Cardinals was conceivable.This story was first published by CNA Deutsch, the German-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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Vienna’s new archbishop preached at Austria’s bishops’ conference plenary, calling for change on women’s roles and saying canon law cannot hold back the Holy Spirit.

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Statewide Catholic Mental Health Conference set for May 2 #Catholic - Conference aims to combat stigma, offer support and resources With the goal of educating about the scope of the mental health crisis, reducing stigma around mental illness and offering resources for individuals and their families, the New Jersey Catholic Conference is partnering with the state’s Catholic Dioceses, Catholic Charities organizations and Catholic Healthcare Partnership of New Jersey to organize a special one-day program. “From Isolation to Belonging, Mental Health and the Catholic Church” will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. on May 2 at the Saint John Neumann Pastoral Center, 146 Metlars Lane, Piscataway. The cost to attend is $40 per person and registration is limited; those interested in attending are encouraged to register online at www.njconf.com before registration is full. “Health issues impact everyone,” said James King, executive director of the New Jersey Catholic Conference – the public policy arm of the state’s Catholic bishops. “This conference is an opportunity to learn more about mental health issues and how Catholics engage these issues.” Organizers encourage clergy, religious, parish leaders, ministry volunteers, educators, mental health professionals and those seeking a deeper understanding of mental health and the Church to consider attending. The day will include Mass celebrated by Cardinal Joseph Tobin, C.Ss.R., of the Archdiocese of Newark. “Since God created us both body and spirit, we have a responsibility to not only care for our souls, but our minds and bodies as well. However, we must learn to do this in an authentically Catholic way,” King said. “There is a lot of information out there about mindfulness and wellness, [and] some of it is not consistent with Catholic teaching. As Catholics, not only do we need to understand why addressing our mental health is important, but how to do this in a manner that is rooted in our Catholic faith.” Related Podcast The Diocese of Paterson recently invited Beth Hlabse from the University of Notre Dame on its Beyond The Beacon to discuss mental health and the upcoming conference. Check it out below. Attendees will hear from leading Catholic voices and experts in the field, including keynote speaker Bishop John P. Dolan of the Diocese of Phoenix. Bishop Dolan founded an Office of Mental Health Ministry at the diocesan level, the first of its kind in the United States. He has long been motivated to support those experiencing mental health crises, especially after losing several family members and loved ones to suicide. Breakout sessions during the conference will also feature several speakers, including Beth Hlabse, program director of the Fiat Program on Faith and Mental Health at Notre Dame University’s McGrath Institute for Church Life. A mental health counselor, Hlabse leads pastoral research and education efforts, and helps facilitate formation on mental health in the context of the Catholic tradition. Another speaker, Ben Wortham, serves as vice president for Behavioral Health Integration at Catholic Charities USA. Through his role, Wortham leads efforts to support 168 Catholic Charities agencies across the country, and works to support strong relationships between those agencies and healthcare systems. Attendees will also hear from Deacon Ed Shoener, founder of the International Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers. A permanent deacon at Saint Peter’s Cathedral in the Diocese of Scranton, Pa., Deacon Shoener was inspired to enter this field following the death of his daughter from suicide in 2016. The organization he founded works to combat stigma around mental illness by offering free resources for parishes, individuals and families around the world. The association has more than 7,000 members across 75 countries. King said that the idea for the conference follows increased efforts by the state’s diocesan communities and Catholic Charities agencies to address mental health, as well as to work on the national level with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. A key goal of the program is to combat stigma. “During the planning process, we heard from several people who described feeling isolated from their parish community when they or a family member experienced a mental health issue,” he said. “Essential to our mission as Catholics is to walk with people who are experiencing hardships. Unfortunately, from time to time, fear, or lack of understanding of a person’s situation, may make us reluctant to engage.” King hopes that participants will walk away with a deeper understanding of how they can provide support. “The conference is not meant to turn attendees into trained therapists,” he said. “The goal of the conference is to help people overcome these fears and gain the confidence to engage with people in their families and communities who may be experiencing mental health issues.” If you are experiencing a crisis, dial 988. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.  
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Statewide Catholic Mental Health Conference set for May 2 #Catholic – Conference aims to combat stigma, offer support and resources With the goal of educating about the scope of the mental health crisis, reducing stigma around mental illness and offering resources for individuals and their families, the New Jersey Catholic Conference is partnering with the state’s Catholic Dioceses, Catholic Charities organizations and Catholic Healthcare Partnership of New Jersey to organize a special one-day program. “From Isolation to Belonging, Mental Health and the Catholic Church” will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. on May 2 at the Saint John Neumann Pastoral Center, 146 Metlars Lane, Piscataway. The cost to attend is $40 per person and registration is limited; those interested in attending are encouraged to register online at www.njconf.com before registration is full. “Health issues impact everyone,” said James King, executive director of the New Jersey Catholic Conference – the public policy arm of the state’s Catholic bishops. “This conference is an opportunity to learn more about mental health issues and how Catholics engage these issues.” Organizers encourage clergy, religious, parish leaders, ministry volunteers, educators, mental health professionals and those seeking a deeper understanding of mental health and the Church to consider attending. The day will include Mass celebrated by Cardinal Joseph Tobin, C.Ss.R., of the Archdiocese of Newark. “Since God created us both body and spirit, we have a responsibility to not only care for our souls, but our minds and bodies as well. However, we must learn to do this in an authentically Catholic way,” King said. “There is a lot of information out there about mindfulness and wellness, [and] some of it is not consistent with Catholic teaching. As Catholics, not only do we need to understand why addressing our mental health is important, but how to do this in a manner that is rooted in our Catholic faith.” Related Podcast The Diocese of Paterson recently invited Beth Hlabse from the University of Notre Dame on its Beyond The Beacon to discuss mental health and the upcoming conference. Check it out below. Attendees will hear from leading Catholic voices and experts in the field, including keynote speaker Bishop John P. Dolan of the Diocese of Phoenix. Bishop Dolan founded an Office of Mental Health Ministry at the diocesan level, the first of its kind in the United States. He has long been motivated to support those experiencing mental health crises, especially after losing several family members and loved ones to suicide. Breakout sessions during the conference will also feature several speakers, including Beth Hlabse, program director of the Fiat Program on Faith and Mental Health at Notre Dame University’s McGrath Institute for Church Life. A mental health counselor, Hlabse leads pastoral research and education efforts, and helps facilitate formation on mental health in the context of the Catholic tradition. Another speaker, Ben Wortham, serves as vice president for Behavioral Health Integration at Catholic Charities USA. Through his role, Wortham leads efforts to support 168 Catholic Charities agencies across the country, and works to support strong relationships between those agencies and healthcare systems. Attendees will also hear from Deacon Ed Shoener, founder of the International Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers. A permanent deacon at Saint Peter’s Cathedral in the Diocese of Scranton, Pa., Deacon Shoener was inspired to enter this field following the death of his daughter from suicide in 2016. The organization he founded works to combat stigma around mental illness by offering free resources for parishes, individuals and families around the world. The association has more than 7,000 members across 75 countries. King said that the idea for the conference follows increased efforts by the state’s diocesan communities and Catholic Charities agencies to address mental health, as well as to work on the national level with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. A key goal of the program is to combat stigma. “During the planning process, we heard from several people who described feeling isolated from their parish community when they or a family member experienced a mental health issue,” he said. “Essential to our mission as Catholics is to walk with people who are experiencing hardships. Unfortunately, from time to time, fear, or lack of understanding of a person’s situation, may make us reluctant to engage.” King hopes that participants will walk away with a deeper understanding of how they can provide support. “The conference is not meant to turn attendees into trained therapists,” he said. “The goal of the conference is to help people overcome these fears and gain the confidence to engage with people in their families and communities who may be experiencing mental health issues.” If you are experiencing a crisis, dial 988. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.  

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Statewide Catholic Mental Health Conference set for May 2 #Catholic –

Conference aims to combat stigma, offer support and resources

With the goal of educating about the scope of the mental health crisis, reducing stigma around mental illness and offering resources for individuals and their families, the New Jersey Catholic Conference is partnering with the state’s Catholic Dioceses, Catholic Charities organizations and Catholic Healthcare Partnership of New Jersey to organize a special one-day program.

“From Isolation to Belonging, Mental Health and the Catholic Church” will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. on May 2 at the Saint John Neumann Pastoral Center, 146 Metlars Lane, Piscataway. The cost to attend is $40 per person and registration is limited; those interested in attending are encouraged to register online at www.njconf.com before registration is full.

“Health issues impact everyone,” said James King, executive director of the New Jersey Catholic Conference – the public policy arm of the state’s Catholic bishops. “This conference is an opportunity to learn more about mental health issues and how Catholics engage these issues.”

Organizers encourage clergy, religious, parish leaders, ministry volunteers, educators, mental health professionals and those seeking a deeper understanding of mental health and the Church to consider attending. The day will include Mass celebrated by Cardinal Joseph Tobin, C.Ss.R., of the Archdiocese of Newark.

“Since God created us both body and spirit, we have a responsibility to not only care for our souls, but our minds and bodies as well. However, we must learn to do this in an authentically Catholic way,” King said. “There is a lot of information out there about mindfulness and wellness, [and] some of it is not consistent with Catholic teaching. As Catholics, not only do we need to understand why addressing our mental health is important, but how to do this in a manner that is rooted in our Catholic faith.”

Related Podcast

The Diocese of Paterson recently invited Beth Hlabse from the University of Notre Dame on its Beyond The Beacon to discuss mental health and the upcoming conference. Check it out below.

Attendees will hear from leading Catholic voices and experts in the field, including keynote speaker Bishop John P. Dolan of the Diocese of Phoenix. Bishop Dolan founded an Office of Mental Health Ministry at the diocesan level, the first of its kind in the United States. He has long been motivated to support those experiencing mental health crises, especially after losing several family members and loved ones to suicide.

Breakout sessions during the conference will also feature several speakers, including Beth Hlabse, program director of the Fiat Program on Faith and Mental Health at Notre Dame University’s McGrath Institute for Church Life. A mental health counselor, Hlabse leads pastoral research and education efforts, and helps facilitate formation on mental health in the context of the Catholic tradition.

Another speaker, Ben Wortham, serves as vice president for Behavioral Health Integration at Catholic Charities USA. Through his role, Wortham leads efforts to support 168 Catholic Charities agencies across the country, and works to support strong relationships between those agencies and healthcare systems.

Attendees will also hear from Deacon Ed Shoener, founder of the International Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers. A permanent deacon at Saint Peter’s Cathedral in the Diocese of Scranton, Pa., Deacon Shoener was inspired to enter this field following the death of his daughter from suicide in 2016. The organization he founded works to combat stigma around mental illness by offering free resources for parishes, individuals and families around the world. The association has more than 7,000 members across 75 countries.

King said that the idea for the conference follows increased efforts by the state’s diocesan communities and Catholic Charities agencies to address mental health, as well as to work on the national level with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. A key goal of the program is to combat stigma.

“During the planning process, we heard from several people who described feeling isolated from their parish community when they or a family member experienced a mental health issue,” he said. “Essential to our mission as Catholics is to walk with people who are experiencing hardships. Unfortunately, from time to time, fear, or lack of understanding of a person’s situation, may make us reluctant to engage.”

King hopes that participants will walk away with a deeper understanding of how they can provide support.

“The conference is not meant to turn attendees into trained therapists,” he said. “The goal of the conference is to help people overcome these fears and gain the confidence to engage with people in their families and communities who may be experiencing mental health issues.”

If you are experiencing a crisis, dial 988.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

 

– Conference aims to combat stigma, offer support and resources With the goal of educating about the scope of the mental health crisis, reducing stigma around mental illness and offering resources for individuals and their families, the New Jersey Catholic Conference is partnering with the state’s Catholic Dioceses, Catholic Charities organizations and Catholic Healthcare Partnership of New Jersey to organize a special one-day program. “From Isolation to Belonging, Mental Health and the Catholic Church” will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. on May 2 at the Saint John Neumann Pastoral Center, 146 Metlars Lane, Piscataway. The cost to attend

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Bishops of global south urge abandonment of fossil fuels; some Catholic economists warn against it – #Catholic – Catholic bishops from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean, along with others from Europe and Oceania, issued a manifesto this week urging world governments to abandon the use of fossil fuels because of “record global warming” that they say has increased the suffering of the poor. Catholic economists disagree with this assessment, however.The document, titled “Manifesto of the Churches of the Global South for Our Common Home,” was guided by Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ and Laudate Deum, according to the bishops, who write that climate change as a result of the burning of fossil fuels is a “consequence of unsustainable patterns of production and consumption and an ‘economy that kills.’”The world, according to the bishops, again quoting Francis, “‘is crumbling and perhaps approaching a breaking point.’”Catherine Pakaluk, an economist at The Catholic University of America, told EWTN News this type of “the-sky-is-falling” language does not reflect reality.While she lauded Pope Francis’ notion that human life is part of creation and both are gifts, she disputed the idea that the earth is on the brink of an environmental catastrophe and called a reduction of fossil fuel reliance the opposite of helping the poor.On the contrary, she said, a “clear-eyed” view of economic development is one that acknowledges that “the No. 1 thing poor nations and poor people need” to be lifted out of poverty is “cheap energy.” Catherine Ruth Pakaluk is director of political economy and associate professor at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. | Credit: EWTN/Screenshot The West “became wealthy using these cheap fossil fuels. It is stingy and inhumane” to deny developing nations this same opportunity, she said, and to instead require the use of wind and solar energy, which “are costly and don’t work” as well as fossil fuels.Patrick Fleming, a Catholic environmental and agricultural economist who evaluates public policies related to agricultural sustainability and poverty at Franklin and Marshall College, agreed.“To get the horsepower for large-scale efficient farming, nothing can match the power of machinery that burns fossil fuels,” he told EWTN News. “Likewise, heating a home in winter can’t be done with battery power. You need something you can burn.”Fleming, who also holds a degree in theological studies from the Pontifical John Paul II Institute, acknowledged that while wealthier countries have a greater responsibility to develop more sustainable practices, “poorer countries need to build roads, schools, hospitals; fossil fuels make the building of such infrastructure more affordable and feasible.”“You can’t do a lot of that development work with renewable energy,” he said.Fleming said that globally, “by far, the biggest source of emissions is land use change, or deforestation for agriculture.”He advocated for regenerative agricultural practices, telling EWTN News that “agricultural soils could sequester all the carbon globally if they were managed with regenerative principles.”“You fit farming to the place, you work in cooperation with the natural order, as opposed to extracting and getting as high of a yield as you can without an eye to the long-term health of the land,” he said.The manifesto’s three principal signatories are Cardinal Jaime Spengler, president of the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council; Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar; and Cardinal Filipe Neri, president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences.Additional signatories include Monsignor Ryan Pagante Jiménez, vice president of the Federation of Catholic Bishops’ Conferences of Oceania, and Cardinal Ladislav Nemet, vice president of the Council of Bishops’ Conferences of Europe.U.S. bishops‘ letter does not call for fossil fuel banLast month, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued “An Invitation to Ecological Conversion for U.S. Catholics,” noting that “progress to slow climate change remains elusive” and emphasizing the need for personal and communal conversion, prayer, and action to protect the vulnerable and the earth as humanity’s common home.Citing Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ and Laudate Deum, the U.S. bishops’ Lenten letter described how “instances of extreme weather, wildfires, droughts, and floods are now common,” disproportionately affect vulnerable groups like refugees, farmers facing erratic patterns, children suffering hunger and dehydration, migrants fleeing lost livelihoods, and declining species in forests and coral reefs.Everything is “interconnected,” with the “cry of the earth” linked to the “cry of the poor,” the bishops wrote.In its letter, the USCCB promoted discernment and advocacy but did not call for treaty-level interventions or direct fossil fuel bans.In their manifesto, however, the global south bishops praise an initiative called the Fossil Fuel Treaty as a way to address “the root of the problem.”To ensure that all nations are held accountable for the dictates of the Fossil Fuel Treaty, the bishops claim a mandatory open-source Global Fossil Fuel Registry must be created to ensure “a just and equitable transition.” They do not explain who will monitor this registry or hold nations that fail to meet the treaty’s standards to account, however.The treaty advocates for an immediate stop to all new coal, oil, and gas exploration and production, calling any new authorization of such endeavors “unethical.”The bishops demand that wealthy nations reduce their energy consumption, promoting the values of “happy sobriety” and the “less is more” approach to “good living” promoted in Laudato Si’, emphasizing reduced consumption in wealthy nations to ensure access to “clean” energy as a fundamental right for all.Pakaluk called such language “ignorant.”“There’s a pattern: People continually think we will run out” of resources, she said, but the “laws of economics are well understood.”“The bishops don’t understand the nature of economic growth. They are worried that the consumption of some takes away from the consumption of others,” she said. “This is patently false. When you consume, you have more opportunity. To consume, you have to work … My consumption doesn’t diminish yours; it contributes to it. It’s why anyone gets wealthy.”Pakaluk said she is certain “the path these countries will follow will be what” the West followed as it became wealthy: as countries become richer, they will “start caring for the environment in various ways because they can now absorb that.”As wealth builds, “people will switch to more electric power” and will develop a “renewed and sustained interest in nuclear power,” which, she said, is the “only way to sustain a technology-based future.”The manifesto also strongly rejects what it calls “false solutions” such as “green capitalism,” neo-extractivism, carbon markets, and the creation of new sacrifice zones for critical mineral extraction in the global south.The manifesto stresses equity and differentiated responsibilities, asserting that rich nations, which are, historically, responsible for fossil fuel-driven wealth and “bear an ecological debt to the global south,” must lead the phaseout by providing financial support, technology transfers, and compensation for poorer, fossil-fuel-dependent countries.In this context, the bishops also call for a “fair distribution” of goods but do not give specifics for what this would look like practically.The bishops also demand participatory, democratic processes that protect Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and marginalized communities and safeguard human rights.Pakaluk blamed political and economic corruption and a lack of property rights, not greed in the West, for the slow development of the global south, calling developing countries’ “terrible monetary regimes” a “plague.”
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Bishops of global south urge abandonment of fossil fuels; some Catholic economists warn against it – #Catholic – Catholic bishops from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean, along with others from Europe and Oceania, issued a manifesto this week urging world governments to abandon the use of fossil fuels because of “record global warming” that they say has increased the suffering of the poor. Catholic economists disagree with this assessment, however.The document, titled “Manifesto of the Churches of the Global South for Our Common Home,” was guided by Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ and Laudate Deum, according to the bishops, who write that climate change as a result of the burning of fossil fuels is a “consequence of unsustainable patterns of production and consumption and an ‘economy that kills.’”The world, according to the bishops, again quoting Francis, “‘is crumbling and perhaps approaching a breaking point.’”Catherine Pakaluk, an economist at The Catholic University of America, told EWTN News this type of “the-sky-is-falling” language does not reflect reality.While she lauded Pope Francis’ notion that human life is part of creation and both are gifts, she disputed the idea that the earth is on the brink of an environmental catastrophe and called a reduction of fossil fuel reliance the opposite of helping the poor.On the contrary, she said, a “clear-eyed” view of economic development is one that acknowledges that “the No. 1 thing poor nations and poor people need” to be lifted out of poverty is “cheap energy.” Catherine Ruth Pakaluk is director of political economy and associate professor at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. | Credit: EWTN/Screenshot The West “became wealthy using these cheap fossil fuels. It is stingy and inhumane” to deny developing nations this same opportunity, she said, and to instead require the use of wind and solar energy, which “are costly and don’t work” as well as fossil fuels.Patrick Fleming, a Catholic environmental and agricultural economist who evaluates public policies related to agricultural sustainability and poverty at Franklin and Marshall College, agreed.“To get the horsepower for large-scale efficient farming, nothing can match the power of machinery that burns fossil fuels,” he told EWTN News. “Likewise, heating a home in winter can’t be done with battery power. You need something you can burn.”Fleming, who also holds a degree in theological studies from the Pontifical John Paul II Institute, acknowledged that while wealthier countries have a greater responsibility to develop more sustainable practices, “poorer countries need to build roads, schools, hospitals; fossil fuels make the building of such infrastructure more affordable and feasible.”“You can’t do a lot of that development work with renewable energy,” he said.Fleming said that globally, “by far, the biggest source of emissions is land use change, or deforestation for agriculture.”He advocated for regenerative agricultural practices, telling EWTN News that “agricultural soils could sequester all the carbon globally if they were managed with regenerative principles.”“You fit farming to the place, you work in cooperation with the natural order, as opposed to extracting and getting as high of a yield as you can without an eye to the long-term health of the land,” he said.The manifesto’s three principal signatories are Cardinal Jaime Spengler, president of the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council; Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar; and Cardinal Filipe Neri, president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences.Additional signatories include Monsignor Ryan Pagante Jiménez, vice president of the Federation of Catholic Bishops’ Conferences of Oceania, and Cardinal Ladislav Nemet, vice president of the Council of Bishops’ Conferences of Europe.U.S. bishops‘ letter does not call for fossil fuel banLast month, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued “An Invitation to Ecological Conversion for U.S. Catholics,” noting that “progress to slow climate change remains elusive” and emphasizing the need for personal and communal conversion, prayer, and action to protect the vulnerable and the earth as humanity’s common home.Citing Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ and Laudate Deum, the U.S. bishops’ Lenten letter described how “instances of extreme weather, wildfires, droughts, and floods are now common,” disproportionately affect vulnerable groups like refugees, farmers facing erratic patterns, children suffering hunger and dehydration, migrants fleeing lost livelihoods, and declining species in forests and coral reefs.Everything is “interconnected,” with the “cry of the earth” linked to the “cry of the poor,” the bishops wrote.In its letter, the USCCB promoted discernment and advocacy but did not call for treaty-level interventions or direct fossil fuel bans.In their manifesto, however, the global south bishops praise an initiative called the Fossil Fuel Treaty as a way to address “the root of the problem.”To ensure that all nations are held accountable for the dictates of the Fossil Fuel Treaty, the bishops claim a mandatory open-source Global Fossil Fuel Registry must be created to ensure “a just and equitable transition.” They do not explain who will monitor this registry or hold nations that fail to meet the treaty’s standards to account, however.The treaty advocates for an immediate stop to all new coal, oil, and gas exploration and production, calling any new authorization of such endeavors “unethical.”The bishops demand that wealthy nations reduce their energy consumption, promoting the values of “happy sobriety” and the “less is more” approach to “good living” promoted in Laudato Si’, emphasizing reduced consumption in wealthy nations to ensure access to “clean” energy as a fundamental right for all.Pakaluk called such language “ignorant.”“There’s a pattern: People continually think we will run out” of resources, she said, but the “laws of economics are well understood.”“The bishops don’t understand the nature of economic growth. They are worried that the consumption of some takes away from the consumption of others,” she said. “This is patently false. When you consume, you have more opportunity. To consume, you have to work … My consumption doesn’t diminish yours; it contributes to it. It’s why anyone gets wealthy.”Pakaluk said she is certain “the path these countries will follow will be what” the West followed as it became wealthy: as countries become richer, they will “start caring for the environment in various ways because they can now absorb that.”As wealth builds, “people will switch to more electric power” and will develop a “renewed and sustained interest in nuclear power,” which, she said, is the “only way to sustain a technology-based future.”The manifesto also strongly rejects what it calls “false solutions” such as “green capitalism,” neo-extractivism, carbon markets, and the creation of new sacrifice zones for critical mineral extraction in the global south.The manifesto stresses equity and differentiated responsibilities, asserting that rich nations, which are, historically, responsible for fossil fuel-driven wealth and “bear an ecological debt to the global south,” must lead the phaseout by providing financial support, technology transfers, and compensation for poorer, fossil-fuel-dependent countries.In this context, the bishops also call for a “fair distribution” of goods but do not give specifics for what this would look like practically.The bishops also demand participatory, democratic processes that protect Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and marginalized communities and safeguard human rights.Pakaluk blamed political and economic corruption and a lack of property rights, not greed in the West, for the slow development of the global south, calling developing countries’ “terrible monetary regimes” a “plague.”

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The bishops called for an end to fossil fuel use. But some Catholic economists say it is necessary to bring developing nations out of poverty.

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March 18, 1965: The first spacewalk

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Born in 1934, Alexei Leonov became the 11th Soviet cosmonaut and achieved several major milestones of space exploration. During the Voskhod 2 mission, on March 18, 1965, he exited his capsule for 12 minutes, performing the first human spacewalk. Leonov barely survived the excursion after a malfunction with his suit forced him to drop itsContinue reading “March 18, 1965: The first spacewalk”

The post March 18, 1965: The first spacewalk appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 18 March 2026 – A reading from the Book of Isaiah 49:8-15 Thus says the LORD: In a time of favor I answer you, on the day of salvation I help you; and I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people, To restore the land and allot the desolate heritages, Saying to the prisoners: Come out! To those in darkness: Show yourselves! Along the ways they shall find pasture, on every bare height shall their pastures be. They shall not hunger or thirst, nor shall the scorching wind or the sun strike them; For he who pities them leads them and guides them beside springs of water. I will cut a road through all my mountains, and make my highways level. See, some shall come from afar, others from the north and the west, and some from the land of Syene. Sing out, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth, break forth into song, you mountains. For the LORD comforts his people and shows mercy to his afflicted. But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me." Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you.From the Gospel according to John 5:17-30 Jesus answered the Jews: "My Father is at work until now, so I am at work." For this reason they tried all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God. Jesus answered and said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, the Son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for what he does, the Son will do also. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything that he himself does, and he will show him greater works than these, so that you may be amazed. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life, so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes. Nor does the Father judge anyone, but he has given all judgment to the Son, so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not come to condemnation, but has passed from death to life. Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming and is now here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he gave to the Son the possession of life in himself. And he gave him power to exercise judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not be amazed at this, because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and will come out, those who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation. "I cannot do anything on my own; I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me."It will be our Lord Jesus who on the last day raises those who have believed in him. Jesus has come among us, he became man like us in all things, except sin; in this way he took us with him on his return journey to the Father. He, the Word Incarnate, who died for us and rose again, gives to his disciples the Holy Spirit as a pledge of full communion in his glorious Kingdom, which we vigilantly await. This waiting is the source and reason for our hope: a hope that, if cultivated and guarded — our hope, if we cultivate and guard it — becomes a light that illumines our common history. Let us remember it always: we are disciples of the One who came, who comes everyday and who will come at the end. If we can manage to be more aware of this reality, we will be less fatigued by daily life, less prisoners of the ephemeral and more disposed to walk with a merciful heart on the way of salvation. (Francis – General Audience, 4 December 2013)  

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A reading from the Book of Isaiah
49:8-15

Thus says the LORD:
In a time of favor I answer you,
on the day of salvation I help you;
and I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people,
To restore the land
and allot the desolate heritages,
Saying to the prisoners: Come out!
To those in darkness: Show yourselves!
Along the ways they shall find pasture,
on every bare height shall their pastures be.
They shall not hunger or thirst,
nor shall the scorching wind or the sun strike them;
For he who pities them leads them
and guides them beside springs of water.
I will cut a road through all my mountains,
and make my highways level.
See, some shall come from afar,
others from the north and the west,
and some from the land of Syene.
Sing out, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth,
break forth into song, you mountains.
For the LORD comforts his people
and shows mercy to his afflicted.

But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me;
my Lord has forgotten me."
Can a mother forget her infant,
be without tenderness for the child of her womb?
Even should she forget,
I will never forget you.

From the Gospel according to John
5:17-30

Jesus answered the Jews:
"My Father is at work until now, so I am at work."
For this reason they tried all the more to kill him,
because he not only broke the sabbath
but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God.

Jesus answered and said to them,
"Amen, amen, I say to you, the Son cannot do anything on his own,
but only what he sees the Father doing;
for what he does, the Son will do also.
For the Father loves the Son
and shows him everything that he himself does,
and he will show him greater works than these,
so that you may be amazed.
For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life,
so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes.
Nor does the Father judge anyone,
but he has given all judgment to the Son,
so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father.
Whoever does not honor the Son
does not honor the Father who sent him.
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word
and believes in the one who sent me
has eternal life and will not come to condemnation,
but has passed from death to life.
Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming and is now here
when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God,
and those who hear will live.
For just as the Father has life in himself,
so also he gave to the Son the possession of life in himself.
And he gave him power to exercise judgment,
because he is the Son of Man.
Do not be amazed at this,
because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs
will hear his voice and will come out,
those who have done good deeds
to the resurrection of life,
but those who have done wicked deeds
to the resurrection of condemnation.

"I cannot do anything on my own;
I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just,
because I do not seek my own will
but the will of the one who sent me."

It will be our Lord Jesus who on the last day raises those who have believed in him. Jesus has come among us, he became man like us in all things, except sin; in this way he took us with him on his return journey to the Father. He, the Word Incarnate, who died for us and rose again, gives to his disciples the Holy Spirit as a pledge of full communion in his glorious Kingdom, which we vigilantly await. This waiting is the source and reason for our hope: a hope that, if cultivated and guarded — our hope, if we cultivate and guard it — becomes a light that illumines our common history. Let us remember it always: we are disciples of the One who came, who comes everyday and who will come at the end. If we can manage to be more aware of this reality, we will be less fatigued by daily life, less prisoners of the ephemeral and more disposed to walk with a merciful heart on the way of salvation. (Francis – General Audience, 4 December 2013)

 

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Man Condemned To Hell For Texting ‘LOL’ When He Didn’t Really Laugh Out Loud #BabylonBee – HADES — Demons happily welcomed 27-year-old Jim Carole to Hell on Tuesday after he was immediately condemned to eternal damnation for texting "LOL" to a close friend when he didn’t really laugh out loud.
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Man Condemned To Hell For Texting ‘LOL’ When He Didn’t Really Laugh Out Loud #BabylonBee – HADES — Demons happily welcomed 27-year-old Jim Carole to Hell on Tuesday after he was immediately condemned to eternal damnation for texting "LOL" to a close friend when he didn’t really laugh out loud.

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HADES — Demons happily welcomed 27-year-old Jim Carole to Hell on Tuesday after he was immediately condemned to eternal damnation for texting "LOL" to a close friend when he didn’t really laugh out loud.

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Spirit Unveils New All-Duct Tape Aircraft #BabylonBee – DANIA BEACH, FL — Spirit Airlines unveiled a new all-duct tape aircraft that is expected to increase the company’s profit margins at the expense of customer safety in an effort to appease shareholders.
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Spirit Unveils New All-Duct Tape Aircraft #BabylonBee – DANIA BEACH, FL — Spirit Airlines unveiled a new all-duct tape aircraft that is expected to increase the company’s profit margins at the expense of customer safety in an effort to appease shareholders.

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DANIA BEACH, FL — Spirit Airlines unveiled a new all-duct tape aircraft that is expected to increase the company’s profit margins at the expense of customer safety in an effort to appease shareholders.

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WAYNE ROOT: Does MAGA Want to Win the Midterms and Save America Does MAGA Want to Pass the SAVE Act? Here is How To Do It. HINT: Think 2-for-Price of 1. – By Wayne Allyn Root Despite the lies, rhetoric and propaganda we all hear in the biased mainstream media, President Trump is not only popular, he’s in the perfect position to win the midterms… If we can pass the infamous SAVE Act. The post WAYNE ROOT: Does MAGA Want to Win the Midterms and Save America Does MAGA Want to Pass the SAVE Act? Here is How To Do It. HINT: Think 2-for-Price of 1. appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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WAYNE ROOT: Does MAGA Want to Win the Midterms and Save America Does MAGA Want to Pass the SAVE Act? Here is How To Do It. HINT: Think 2-for-Price of 1. – By Wayne Allyn Root Despite the lies, rhetoric and propaganda we all hear in the biased mainstream media, President Trump is not only popular, he’s in the perfect position to win the midterms… If we can pass the infamous SAVE Act. The post WAYNE ROOT: Does MAGA Want to Win the Midterms and Save America Does MAGA Want to Pass the SAVE Act? Here is How To Do It. HINT: Think 2-for-Price of 1. appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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By Wayne Allyn Root Despite the lies, rhetoric and propaganda we all hear in the biased mainstream media, President Trump is not only popular, he’s in the perfect position to win the midterms… If we can pass the infamous SAVE Act.

The post WAYNE ROOT: Does MAGA Want to Win the Midterms and Save America Does MAGA Want to Pass the SAVE Act? Here is How To Do It. HINT: Think 2-for-Price of 1. appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Anchored Oil Tanker Hit by Strike as Iran Begins Targeting Some of World’s Most Critical Oil Infrastructure – Iran launched vicious attacks Tuesday on oil-producing Arab neighbors, hoping to drive up oil prices to outlast the United States and Israel. The post Anchored Oil Tanker Hit by Strike as Iran Begins Targeting Some of World’s Most Critical Oil Infrastructure appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Anchored Oil Tanker Hit by Strike as Iran Begins Targeting Some of World’s Most Critical Oil Infrastructure – Iran launched vicious attacks Tuesday on oil-producing Arab neighbors, hoping to drive up oil prices to outlast the United States and Israel. The post Anchored Oil Tanker Hit by Strike as Iran Begins Targeting Some of World’s Most Critical Oil Infrastructure appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Iran launched vicious attacks Tuesday on oil-producing Arab neighbors, hoping to drive up oil prices to outlast the United States and Israel.

The post Anchored Oil Tanker Hit by Strike as Iran Begins Targeting Some of World’s Most Critical Oil Infrastructure appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Bishop Mark Seitz issues first pastoral letter on mass detention, deportations – #Catholic – Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, Texas, released the first pastoral letter on mass detention and deportations.The “current national campaign of mass detention and detention is a grave moral evil, one which must be opposed, with prayer, peaceful action, and acts of solidarity with those affected,” Seitz wrote.The Diocese of El Paso will hold a vigil on March 24 to “plead for respect for human life,” Seitz announced in the letter. He invited the faithful “to march and pray” with him and Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Celino as “an act of Lenten solidarity.”“In this holy season of Lent, God invites us to journey with the suffering Jesus to the cross and to new life in the Resurrection,” Seitz wrote. “For this reason, I take this opportunity to speak to all the faithful in our El Paso Catholic community, and in particular to immigrant families.”“Our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, told me personally to stand in solidarity with suffering migrant families and not to remain silent,” he said. “I will do everything I can to uphold the God-given dignity of every person in our borderlands community.”The message written by Seitz was the first pastoral letter, a message authored by a U.S. bishop, on mass detention and deportations, according to the Diocese of El Paso.The letter follows the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) special message on immigration approved at the 2025 Fall Plenary Assembly on Nov. 12, which expressed the bishops’ opposition to “the indiscriminate mass deportation of people.”The bishops also addressed their concerns over the conditions of detention centers and prayed “for an end to dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether directed at immigrants or at law enforcement.”Deportation and detention facilities“To those of you affected by hatred and discrimination and afraid of what comes next, know that the Church stands with you,” Seitz wrote. “As your bishop, I carry your pain daily in my heart and in my prayers.”The bishop wrote that people in the El Paso community are being taken by law enforcement as they leave immigration court proceedings, workers are being taken from their jobs, and parents are no longer able to work because the government has taken away their work permits.Seitz also detailed the treatment of immigrants in detention centers, specifically at El Paso’s Camp East Montana immigrant detention center.“Young women are languishing in mental torture for months in private detention centers, even when, coerced by the conditions of their imprisonment, they beg to be deported,” he wrote. “So many people are once again being made to feel like they are less than American.”To combat this, the El Paso Catholic Church “will redouble our ministries with those in the downtown courthouse, in the detention centers, in Ciudad Juarez and with families in our parishes,” Seitz wrote. “We will continue to celebrate your contributions to our community, to defend your human dignity, and to work to end racism and make immigration reform a reality.”Need for ‘significant immigration reforms’“While we do need significant immigration reforms, it is an injustice to make families, children, and the vulnerable pay the price of our inaction,” Seitz wrote. “Policies, laws, and borders must always be at the service of human dignity, genuine community security, and human flourishing.”Addressing law enforcement, Seitz said he is “blessed with many friendships” in local law enforcement and immigration enforcement agents. “Their work to keep our community safe is vital,” he said. “But the death of those in immigration detention is unacceptable.” … the death of those in immigration detention is unacceptable. Bishop Mark SeitzDiocese of El Paso Thirty-eight people have died in custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since the start of fiscal 2025, 58% more detainee deaths in ICE custody than occurred during all four previous fiscal years combined (24 deaths), according to ICE detainee death reporting data. Seitz called on immigration enforcement to follow the Gospel rather than “immoral order,” offering them guidance on how to decide what actions align with the faith.“No one has to obey an immoral order. I implore all involved to carefully discern the moral requirements of the Gospel at this moment with integrity and honesty,” Seitz said.“I promise the pastoral support of our priests, chaplains, and myself as you navigate the demands of conscience with sincerity. You are also in my prayers,” he wrote.“May Mary of Guadalupe, who challenges us to build up a common home of tenderness and love, pray for us,” Seitz concluded.
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Bishop Mark Seitz issues first pastoral letter on mass detention, deportations – #Catholic – Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, Texas, released the first pastoral letter on mass detention and deportations.The “current national campaign of mass detention and detention is a grave moral evil, one which must be opposed, with prayer, peaceful action, and acts of solidarity with those affected,” Seitz wrote.The Diocese of El Paso will hold a vigil on March 24 to “plead for respect for human life,” Seitz announced in the letter. He invited the faithful “to march and pray” with him and Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Celino as “an act of Lenten solidarity.”“In this holy season of Lent, God invites us to journey with the suffering Jesus to the cross and to new life in the Resurrection,” Seitz wrote. “For this reason, I take this opportunity to speak to all the faithful in our El Paso Catholic community, and in particular to immigrant families.”“Our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, told me personally to stand in solidarity with suffering migrant families and not to remain silent,” he said. “I will do everything I can to uphold the God-given dignity of every person in our borderlands community.”The message written by Seitz was the first pastoral letter, a message authored by a U.S. bishop, on mass detention and deportations, according to the Diocese of El Paso.The letter follows the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) special message on immigration approved at the 2025 Fall Plenary Assembly on Nov. 12, which expressed the bishops’ opposition to “the indiscriminate mass deportation of people.”The bishops also addressed their concerns over the conditions of detention centers and prayed “for an end to dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether directed at immigrants or at law enforcement.”Deportation and detention facilities“To those of you affected by hatred and discrimination and afraid of what comes next, know that the Church stands with you,” Seitz wrote. “As your bishop, I carry your pain daily in my heart and in my prayers.”The bishop wrote that people in the El Paso community are being taken by law enforcement as they leave immigration court proceedings, workers are being taken from their jobs, and parents are no longer able to work because the government has taken away their work permits.Seitz also detailed the treatment of immigrants in detention centers, specifically at El Paso’s Camp East Montana immigrant detention center.“Young women are languishing in mental torture for months in private detention centers, even when, coerced by the conditions of their imprisonment, they beg to be deported,” he wrote. “So many people are once again being made to feel like they are less than American.”To combat this, the El Paso Catholic Church “will redouble our ministries with those in the downtown courthouse, in the detention centers, in Ciudad Juarez and with families in our parishes,” Seitz wrote. “We will continue to celebrate your contributions to our community, to defend your human dignity, and to work to end racism and make immigration reform a reality.”Need for ‘significant immigration reforms’“While we do need significant immigration reforms, it is an injustice to make families, children, and the vulnerable pay the price of our inaction,” Seitz wrote. “Policies, laws, and borders must always be at the service of human dignity, genuine community security, and human flourishing.”Addressing law enforcement, Seitz said he is “blessed with many friendships” in local law enforcement and immigration enforcement agents. “Their work to keep our community safe is vital,” he said. “But the death of those in immigration detention is unacceptable.” … the death of those in immigration detention is unacceptable. Bishop Mark SeitzDiocese of El Paso Thirty-eight people have died in custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since the start of fiscal 2025, 58% more detainee deaths in ICE custody than occurred during all four previous fiscal years combined (24 deaths), according to ICE detainee death reporting data. Seitz called on immigration enforcement to follow the Gospel rather than “immoral order,” offering them guidance on how to decide what actions align with the faith.“No one has to obey an immoral order. I implore all involved to carefully discern the moral requirements of the Gospel at this moment with integrity and honesty,” Seitz said.“I promise the pastoral support of our priests, chaplains, and myself as you navigate the demands of conscience with sincerity. You are also in my prayers,” he wrote.“May Mary of Guadalupe, who challenges us to build up a common home of tenderness and love, pray for us,” Seitz concluded.

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The bishop of El Paso, Texas, called on immigration enforcement officers to follow the Gospel rather than “immoral order.”

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At a time of conflict, Pope Leo sends a bridge-builder to the United States #Catholic Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the recently appointed apostolic nuncio to the United States, takes up his new role at a time of heightened tension between the Vatican and the White House over issues including immigration to the U.S. and war in the Middle East.Former collaborators say Caccia’s personal qualities and wide diplomatic experience — including in Lebanon and the Philippines — make him well suited for this crucial assignment.The 68-year-old diplomat recently served as the permanent observer of the Holy See Mission to the United Nations in New York after Pope Francis appointed him there in 2019. His new job is important as a liaison between the Vatican and the U.S., where recent federal policies have faced growing resistance from Church leaders.Pope Leo’s new man on a high-stakes missionA veteran diplomat, Caccia will serve as Pope Leo XIV’s chief representative to the Trump administration. Like his predecessor, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, he assumes office amid ongoing tension between the administration and the Church, especially on immigration enforcement and foreign policy.In a public statement in November 2025, U.S. bishops strongly opposed the administration’s treatment of migrants during mass deportations. Pope Leo expressed support for the statement and denounced the treatment of migrants as “extremely disrespectful, and with instances of violence.”The U.S. bishops have also voiced concern over recent foreign policy moves, including interventions in the Middle East. In January of this year, three U.S. cardinals — Blase Cupich, Joseph Tobin, and Robert McElroy — jointly condemned the administration’s foreign policy in a public statement. In recent addresses, Pope Leo has also called for a ceasefire in the Middle East, deploring on March 15 a “widespread climate of hatred and fear.”Monsignor Roger Landry, who served at the Holy See Mission from 2015 to 2022 and now heads the Pontifical Mission Societies, expressed confidence in the nuncio’s ability to communicate the Holy See’s concerns effectively to the U.S. government while supporting the bishops.“He will represent Pope Leo very well to the U.S. government and the U.S. Church, be a great listener and effective relayer of what’s happening in the United States to Pope Leo, and be a steady source of counsel and support to U.S. bishops,” he told EWTN News.Dálida Morales, who interned at the mission and now works at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in the Dominican Republic, conveyed hope for the archbishop’s potential to build international dialogue.“He is genuinely a bridge-builder for peace. At a time when dialogue, moral clarity, and principled leadership are urgently needed in the United States, his appointment there is both timely and hopeful,” she said.A diplomat forged in complex geopoliticsHaving worked in the diplomatic service of the Holy See since 1991, Caccia previously served in challenging posts before his appointment to the U.N. He served as apostolic nuncio to Lebanon and the Philippines, two countries with sensitive political climates.His service in Lebanon occurred during the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War in 2011. There, he helped coordinate the Church’s humanitarian response to support over 1.5 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon. His service also included helping maintain peace in a country constitutionally divided among Maronite Christians, Muslims, and Druze.He served in the Philippines at the height of President Rodrigo Duterte’s highly aggressive and controversial anti-narcotics campaign, which resulted in thousands of extrajudicial killings. As the nuncio, he helped to support the bishops, who were vocal critics against the government, while maintaining the country’s diplomatic relations with the Holy See.During his time at the U.N., he promoted the Vatican’s diplomatic stance. Father Mark Knestout, who served with Caccia as a former attaché for the Holy See Mission, noted the importance of his diplomatic experience in his new role.“He was in Lebanon for eight years, which is a complex situation because you have multiple denominations of Catholics there, alongside the situation with Muslims,” he told EWTN News. “So I see him being personable and striving to get to know everyone in the United States as best he can.”An inclusive leader and sports loverFormer staff of Caccia also shared with EWTN News some personal anecdotes from their time serving with him in New York. Vitória Volpato, a former intern at the mission who serves at the Prefecture of São Paulo in Brazil, noted with gratitude the archbishop’s insights on leadership.“He said something that stayed with me: ‘I do not choose the people I work with, but I work with the people I have.’ That made me reflect on what a good leader must be, something the archbishop clearly is,” she said.Ashley Campbell, who interned at the mission and now works at the Religious Freedom Institute, reflected on his love of sports. “I remember once walking with him back to the Holy See Mission building from the U.N., and we talked about how we both grew up playing sports and how amazing it would be if Vatican City could send athletes to the Olympics.”Fidelity to the Holy FatherOne trait consistently praised by those who have worked with the archbishop is his fidelity to the Holy Father. Knestout described the archbishop as a “true Churchman who wants to represent the desires and the intentions of the Holy Father.”Morales added: “Every Wednesday, he would ask us about the Holy Father’s general audience. In this way, he reminded us that one of the most meaningful ways to remain united to the Church is by listening to the voice of the pope. It is a habit I continue to keep today thanks to him.”
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At a time of conflict, Pope Leo sends a bridge-builder to the United States #Catholic Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the recently appointed apostolic nuncio to the United States, takes up his new role at a time of heightened tension between the Vatican and the White House over issues including immigration to the U.S. and war in the Middle East.Former collaborators say Caccia’s personal qualities and wide diplomatic experience — including in Lebanon and the Philippines — make him well suited for this crucial assignment.The 68-year-old diplomat recently served as the permanent observer of the Holy See Mission to the United Nations in New York after Pope Francis appointed him there in 2019. His new job is important as a liaison between the Vatican and the U.S., where recent federal policies have faced growing resistance from Church leaders.Pope Leo’s new man on a high-stakes missionA veteran diplomat, Caccia will serve as Pope Leo XIV’s chief representative to the Trump administration. Like his predecessor, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, he assumes office amid ongoing tension between the administration and the Church, especially on immigration enforcement and foreign policy.In a public statement in November 2025, U.S. bishops strongly opposed the administration’s treatment of migrants during mass deportations. Pope Leo expressed support for the statement and denounced the treatment of migrants as “extremely disrespectful, and with instances of violence.”The U.S. bishops have also voiced concern over recent foreign policy moves, including interventions in the Middle East. In January of this year, three U.S. cardinals — Blase Cupich, Joseph Tobin, and Robert McElroy — jointly condemned the administration’s foreign policy in a public statement. In recent addresses, Pope Leo has also called for a ceasefire in the Middle East, deploring on March 15 a “widespread climate of hatred and fear.”Monsignor Roger Landry, who served at the Holy See Mission from 2015 to 2022 and now heads the Pontifical Mission Societies, expressed confidence in the nuncio’s ability to communicate the Holy See’s concerns effectively to the U.S. government while supporting the bishops.“He will represent Pope Leo very well to the U.S. government and the U.S. Church, be a great listener and effective relayer of what’s happening in the United States to Pope Leo, and be a steady source of counsel and support to U.S. bishops,” he told EWTN News.Dálida Morales, who interned at the mission and now works at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in the Dominican Republic, conveyed hope for the archbishop’s potential to build international dialogue.“He is genuinely a bridge-builder for peace. At a time when dialogue, moral clarity, and principled leadership are urgently needed in the United States, his appointment there is both timely and hopeful,” she said.A diplomat forged in complex geopoliticsHaving worked in the diplomatic service of the Holy See since 1991, Caccia previously served in challenging posts before his appointment to the U.N. He served as apostolic nuncio to Lebanon and the Philippines, two countries with sensitive political climates.His service in Lebanon occurred during the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War in 2011. There, he helped coordinate the Church’s humanitarian response to support over 1.5 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon. His service also included helping maintain peace in a country constitutionally divided among Maronite Christians, Muslims, and Druze.He served in the Philippines at the height of President Rodrigo Duterte’s highly aggressive and controversial anti-narcotics campaign, which resulted in thousands of extrajudicial killings. As the nuncio, he helped to support the bishops, who were vocal critics against the government, while maintaining the country’s diplomatic relations with the Holy See.During his time at the U.N., he promoted the Vatican’s diplomatic stance. Father Mark Knestout, who served with Caccia as a former attaché for the Holy See Mission, noted the importance of his diplomatic experience in his new role.“He was in Lebanon for eight years, which is a complex situation because you have multiple denominations of Catholics there, alongside the situation with Muslims,” he told EWTN News. “So I see him being personable and striving to get to know everyone in the United States as best he can.”An inclusive leader and sports loverFormer staff of Caccia also shared with EWTN News some personal anecdotes from their time serving with him in New York. Vitória Volpato, a former intern at the mission who serves at the Prefecture of São Paulo in Brazil, noted with gratitude the archbishop’s insights on leadership.“He said something that stayed with me: ‘I do not choose the people I work with, but I work with the people I have.’ That made me reflect on what a good leader must be, something the archbishop clearly is,” she said.Ashley Campbell, who interned at the mission and now works at the Religious Freedom Institute, reflected on his love of sports. “I remember once walking with him back to the Holy See Mission building from the U.N., and we talked about how we both grew up playing sports and how amazing it would be if Vatican City could send athletes to the Olympics.”Fidelity to the Holy FatherOne trait consistently praised by those who have worked with the archbishop is his fidelity to the Holy Father. Knestout described the archbishop as a “true Churchman who wants to represent the desires and the intentions of the Holy Father.”Morales added: “Every Wednesday, he would ask us about the Holy Father’s general audience. In this way, he reminded us that one of the most meaningful ways to remain united to the Church is by listening to the voice of the pope. It is a habit I continue to keep today thanks to him.”

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Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the new papal envoy to Washington, has been shaped by a diplomatic career in geopolitical hot spots.

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‘They want to evict us’: Why Indigenous Catholics fight forest project in Bangladesh #Catholic MADHUPUR, Bangladesh — Indigenous Catholic and tribal leaders in central Bangladesh are warning the government that a stronger protest movement will follow if it does not withdraw a contested forest development project before the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan this week.The Garo and Koch Indigenous peoples say a government plan to dig an artificial lake and build an eco-park in the Madhupur forest — about 94 miles north of the capital, Dhaka — is a pretext for evicting them from ancestral lands they have occupied for generations.“What the government is doing in the name of development is not development. It is a clear plan to evict the Garo and Koch Indigenous from this forest area,” said Toni Chiran, a Catholic from Corpus Christi Church in Jalchatra and president of the Bangladesh Indigenous Youth Forum. A speaker addresses Indigenous Garo people at a protest rally in Madhupur, Bangladesh, on March 6, 2026. | Credit: Stephan Uttom Rozario Chiran spoke at a protest rally on March 6 in Madhupur’s Tangail district, where hundreds of Indigenous students and community members gathered to oppose the project. He said that if the artificial lake and eco-park are built, Indigenous people will lose their agricultural land and the natural forest will be destroyed, leaving the Garo and other Indigenous peoples with no means to sustain their way of life.Bangladesh is home to approximately 400,000 Catholics in a population of nearly 178 million, and more than half of the country’s Catholics come from Indigenous communities.Church voices supportFather Simon Hacha, the vicar general of the Diocese of Mymensingh, which covers the area, said the Church cannot support the government’s plans.“If this project is implemented, the Indigenous people’s cropland will be destroyed and they will face eviction. We think that is what the government wants,” Hacha told EWTN News.“We want to tell the government to back off from such shameful steps. The Catholic Church has always been for justice and has been giving moral support to the Indigenous movement,” he added.Decades-long disputeThe Bangladesh government first proposed an artificial lake and eco-park in the Madhupur forest in 2000. In 2004, at least one Garo man was killed by police gunfire during a protest, and many others were injured. The government subsequently halted the project.In 2026, authorities revived the plan and have already begun excavating the designated area. Indigenous leaders say the project amounts to a long-term strategy to force tribal communities from the region.Janoki Chisim, secretary of the Garo Indigenous Student Union, told EWTN News that the project would be an injustice not only to the forest but also to the people who depend on it.“Let the forest survive in its original form and glory. The Garo and Koch Indigenous people have lived in this forest since time immemorial,” Chisim said. An excavator digs inside the Madhupur forest in Bangladesh on March 6, 2026, as part of a government project to expand an artificial lake that Indigenous communities say threatens their ancestral land. | Credit: Stephan Uttom Rozario According to tribal elders, tigers, bears, deer, wild boars, and wild cats once roamed freely in the forest, and hundreds of bird species thrived alongside them. Forest dwellers traditionally collected wild potatoes and medicinal plants from the forest vines. That way of life, residents say, is slowly disappearing.After the Tenancy Act of 1950, the Forest Department encroached on tribal forestland. Successive government projects have steadily eroded the forest’s biodiversity. Remaining forest is being cleared for lakes, entertainment centers, hotels, and resorts, and the local Garo and Koch Indigenous people are being displaced, community leaders say.“If the customary land rights of the tribals are not ensured, a strong movement will be launched in the coming days,” Chisim told EWTN News.Forest officials respondForest officials say the lake is being expanded to 1,165 feet. An existing 665-foot-long lake, dug five decades ago, has silted up, causing a severe water shortage in the forest during the dry season.When rivers and canals dry up, monkeys, hanuman langurs, deer, and other wildlife venture into populated areas in search of water and are sometimes attacked, officials said.“Deer, peacocks, and tortoises in the breeding center also face water shortage. The expansion of this lake is necessary to protect the life of wildlife,” Mosharraf Hossain, a forest official, told EWTN News.Hossain added that no one has customary land rights in the reserved forest and that lakes are not being dug on Garo land. Forest department officials say some youths are spreading unnecessary confusion at the behest of a vested interest group.
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‘They want to evict us’: Why Indigenous Catholics fight forest project in Bangladesh #Catholic MADHUPUR, Bangladesh — Indigenous Catholic and tribal leaders in central Bangladesh are warning the government that a stronger protest movement will follow if it does not withdraw a contested forest development project before the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan this week.The Garo and Koch Indigenous peoples say a government plan to dig an artificial lake and build an eco-park in the Madhupur forest — about 94 miles north of the capital, Dhaka — is a pretext for evicting them from ancestral lands they have occupied for generations.“What the government is doing in the name of development is not development. It is a clear plan to evict the Garo and Koch Indigenous from this forest area,” said Toni Chiran, a Catholic from Corpus Christi Church in Jalchatra and president of the Bangladesh Indigenous Youth Forum. A speaker addresses Indigenous Garo people at a protest rally in Madhupur, Bangladesh, on March 6, 2026. | Credit: Stephan Uttom Rozario Chiran spoke at a protest rally on March 6 in Madhupur’s Tangail district, where hundreds of Indigenous students and community members gathered to oppose the project. He said that if the artificial lake and eco-park are built, Indigenous people will lose their agricultural land and the natural forest will be destroyed, leaving the Garo and other Indigenous peoples with no means to sustain their way of life.Bangladesh is home to approximately 400,000 Catholics in a population of nearly 178 million, and more than half of the country’s Catholics come from Indigenous communities.Church voices supportFather Simon Hacha, the vicar general of the Diocese of Mymensingh, which covers the area, said the Church cannot support the government’s plans.“If this project is implemented, the Indigenous people’s cropland will be destroyed and they will face eviction. We think that is what the government wants,” Hacha told EWTN News.“We want to tell the government to back off from such shameful steps. The Catholic Church has always been for justice and has been giving moral support to the Indigenous movement,” he added.Decades-long disputeThe Bangladesh government first proposed an artificial lake and eco-park in the Madhupur forest in 2000. In 2004, at least one Garo man was killed by police gunfire during a protest, and many others were injured. The government subsequently halted the project.In 2026, authorities revived the plan and have already begun excavating the designated area. Indigenous leaders say the project amounts to a long-term strategy to force tribal communities from the region.Janoki Chisim, secretary of the Garo Indigenous Student Union, told EWTN News that the project would be an injustice not only to the forest but also to the people who depend on it.“Let the forest survive in its original form and glory. The Garo and Koch Indigenous people have lived in this forest since time immemorial,” Chisim said. An excavator digs inside the Madhupur forest in Bangladesh on March 6, 2026, as part of a government project to expand an artificial lake that Indigenous communities say threatens their ancestral land. | Credit: Stephan Uttom Rozario According to tribal elders, tigers, bears, deer, wild boars, and wild cats once roamed freely in the forest, and hundreds of bird species thrived alongside them. Forest dwellers traditionally collected wild potatoes and medicinal plants from the forest vines. That way of life, residents say, is slowly disappearing.After the Tenancy Act of 1950, the Forest Department encroached on tribal forestland. Successive government projects have steadily eroded the forest’s biodiversity. Remaining forest is being cleared for lakes, entertainment centers, hotels, and resorts, and the local Garo and Koch Indigenous people are being displaced, community leaders say.“If the customary land rights of the tribals are not ensured, a strong movement will be launched in the coming days,” Chisim told EWTN News.Forest officials respondForest officials say the lake is being expanded to 1,165 feet. An existing 665-foot-long lake, dug five decades ago, has silted up, causing a severe water shortage in the forest during the dry season.When rivers and canals dry up, monkeys, hanuman langurs, deer, and other wildlife venture into populated areas in search of water and are sometimes attacked, officials said.“Deer, peacocks, and tortoises in the breeding center also face water shortage. The expansion of this lake is necessary to protect the life of wildlife,” Mosharraf Hossain, a forest official, told EWTN News.Hossain added that no one has customary land rights in the reserved forest and that lakes are not being dug on Garo land. Forest department officials say some youths are spreading unnecessary confusion at the behest of a vested interest group.

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Catholic Indigenous leaders in Bangladesh say they will escalate protests if the government does not halt a forest development project they call a pretext for eviction.

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March 17, 1958: Vanguard 1 blasts off

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America’s second satellite, Vanguard 1, was launched into space on March 17, 1958. And though it only blasted off some six months after the Soviet’s Sputnik satellite, Vanguard 1 still remains in orbit — more than 60 years later. This makes it Earth’s longest-orbiting artificial satellite, as well as the oldest human-made object still inContinue reading “March 17, 1958: Vanguard 1 blasts off”

The post March 17, 1958: Vanguard 1 blasts off appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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‘Catholic Connections’ aims to unite Catholics working on Capitol Hill – #Catholic – House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minnesota, wants Catholics on the Hill to be able to recognize one another by more than a cross they may wear or Ash Wednesday ashes on their foreheads. Emmer’s office has spearheaded a new group called “Catholic Connections,” dedicated to fostering a faith-based community among Catholics working on Capitol Hill.“This is a huge Catholic community around here,” Emmer told EWTN News in an interview at the group’s latest event on March 6, which centered on a Lenten reflection delivered by the pastor of St. Joseph’s Parish on Capitol Hill.“They don’t have anything like this,” he said.The Friday morning event, hosted in the Members’ Dining Room on the House side of the Capitol, drew roughly 50 participants, including several members of Congress.Emmer told EWTN News he was inspired to start the group this past January after witnessing a surge of young people on the Hill attending Mass in the wake of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk’s assassination in September 2025.“All of a sudden, we started to see a lot of young people showing up for daily Mass,” he said. “It dawned on me that they’re looking for something that’s bigger than themselves, that they want to be part of.”“Catholic Connections is not only giving a community of Catholics a place to go,” he said. “Like somebody just said to me out the door, ‘Hey, the biggest identifier of Catholics on the Hill is Ash Wednesday,’ and he said, ‘Thanks for doing this because now we all see who each other is, and we don’t have to wait and try to guess.’”Emmer said the group plans to meet every month and that he hopes to see more staffers attend.The Republican leader emphasized the importance of Capitol Hill staffers grounding their work in “something bigger than yourself” rather than trying to achieve a level of perfection that is beyond their human capacity. “You’ve got to believe; otherwise, all of this is pointless,” he said.“I think you’re going to see more young staffers show up because they will know that the door’s open to them,” he said. “If they think it’s a networking thing, I’m all for it.”Finding common groundDavid Planning, a principal at Cornerstone Government Affairs, expressed gratitude to the whip’s office for giving Catholic lobbyists and staffers on the Hill the opportunity to “settle down, reflect on our shared faith, and build community outside of work.”“It’s funny,” he said. “You see members walking around these events with big smiles on their faces, happy to engage with their friends. Some folks are on opposite sides of issues in the professional world. But coming together under that shared faith is something that I hope we see expand. It’s something that is worth growing.”Sarah Donovan, another lobbyist who serves as a senior policy adviser at Venable, told EWTN News that she was “struck” by the opportunity “to come together as a group of Catholics.”“We do so many meetings on the Hill all day long and advocate for a lot of different causes,” she said. “But this is an opportunity to come together as Catholics and stand in a room with other members of our Catholic community and pray together, and be together, and reflect on what’s really important.” “I find it to be very grounding and inspiring,” she said.‘Building up a spiritual network’Rep. Julie Fedorchak, R-North Dakota, expressed excitement for the group, especially as a freshman member, to have the opportunity “to build up a spiritual network that goes beyond just the politics here.”“There’s a large number of Catholics in our class,” she said, naming Reps. Michael Baumgartner, R-Washington; Jeff Hurd, R-Colorado; and Robert Onder, R-Missouri. “We all loved that, when we got to know each other and realized that there’s a strong network of pretty faithful Catholics,” she said, noting that the event “is just an extension of that.”According to data from the Pew Research Center, 150 members of Congress are Catholic, making up about 28% of the total 535 members.“So, with Emmer being a strong Catholic and really trying to be outward in his faith and use it to ground his work, that’s something that I aspire to do as well and try to focus on, on a daily basis,” she said.Fedorchak, who is the first woman to be elected to the House of Representatives from North Dakota, is married with three children and serves on the Board of Trustees at the University of Mary. The youngest of eight children, Fedorchak described herself as “a diehard Catholic.”Reflecting on the Lenten address given by Father William Gurnee, which focused on temptation, Fedorchak said: “I think the temptations when you’re in an office in Washington are even stronger because of all the demands.”The freshman member said she especially appreciated the talk because of her own Lenten practices. “I am trying to abstain from hopelessness,” she said.“That’s an easy feeling to set in when you’ve got daunting challenges and you’re just one voice in a sea of people here. And you can feel sometimes like it’s hopeless,” she said. “But I’m trying to abstain from that this Lent and realize that God is ultimately in control. So do what you can and then trust that he’s going to take care of the rest.”
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‘Catholic Connections’ aims to unite Catholics working on Capitol Hill – #Catholic – House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minnesota, wants Catholics on the Hill to be able to recognize one another by more than a cross they may wear or Ash Wednesday ashes on their foreheads. Emmer’s office has spearheaded a new group called “Catholic Connections,” dedicated to fostering a faith-based community among Catholics working on Capitol Hill.“This is a huge Catholic community around here,” Emmer told EWTN News in an interview at the group’s latest event on March 6, which centered on a Lenten reflection delivered by the pastor of St. Joseph’s Parish on Capitol Hill.“They don’t have anything like this,” he said.The Friday morning event, hosted in the Members’ Dining Room on the House side of the Capitol, drew roughly 50 participants, including several members of Congress.Emmer told EWTN News he was inspired to start the group this past January after witnessing a surge of young people on the Hill attending Mass in the wake of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk’s assassination in September 2025.“All of a sudden, we started to see a lot of young people showing up for daily Mass,” he said. “It dawned on me that they’re looking for something that’s bigger than themselves, that they want to be part of.”“Catholic Connections is not only giving a community of Catholics a place to go,” he said. “Like somebody just said to me out the door, ‘Hey, the biggest identifier of Catholics on the Hill is Ash Wednesday,’ and he said, ‘Thanks for doing this because now we all see who each other is, and we don’t have to wait and try to guess.’”Emmer said the group plans to meet every month and that he hopes to see more staffers attend.The Republican leader emphasized the importance of Capitol Hill staffers grounding their work in “something bigger than yourself” rather than trying to achieve a level of perfection that is beyond their human capacity. “You’ve got to believe; otherwise, all of this is pointless,” he said.“I think you’re going to see more young staffers show up because they will know that the door’s open to them,” he said. “If they think it’s a networking thing, I’m all for it.”Finding common groundDavid Planning, a principal at Cornerstone Government Affairs, expressed gratitude to the whip’s office for giving Catholic lobbyists and staffers on the Hill the opportunity to “settle down, reflect on our shared faith, and build community outside of work.”“It’s funny,” he said. “You see members walking around these events with big smiles on their faces, happy to engage with their friends. Some folks are on opposite sides of issues in the professional world. But coming together under that shared faith is something that I hope we see expand. It’s something that is worth growing.”Sarah Donovan, another lobbyist who serves as a senior policy adviser at Venable, told EWTN News that she was “struck” by the opportunity “to come together as a group of Catholics.”“We do so many meetings on the Hill all day long and advocate for a lot of different causes,” she said. “But this is an opportunity to come together as Catholics and stand in a room with other members of our Catholic community and pray together, and be together, and reflect on what’s really important.” “I find it to be very grounding and inspiring,” she said.‘Building up a spiritual network’Rep. Julie Fedorchak, R-North Dakota, expressed excitement for the group, especially as a freshman member, to have the opportunity “to build up a spiritual network that goes beyond just the politics here.”“There’s a large number of Catholics in our class,” she said, naming Reps. Michael Baumgartner, R-Washington; Jeff Hurd, R-Colorado; and Robert Onder, R-Missouri. “We all loved that, when we got to know each other and realized that there’s a strong network of pretty faithful Catholics,” she said, noting that the event “is just an extension of that.”According to data from the Pew Research Center, 150 members of Congress are Catholic, making up about 28% of the total 535 members.“So, with Emmer being a strong Catholic and really trying to be outward in his faith and use it to ground his work, that’s something that I aspire to do as well and try to focus on, on a daily basis,” she said.Fedorchak, who is the first woman to be elected to the House of Representatives from North Dakota, is married with three children and serves on the Board of Trustees at the University of Mary. The youngest of eight children, Fedorchak described herself as “a diehard Catholic.”Reflecting on the Lenten address given by Father William Gurnee, which focused on temptation, Fedorchak said: “I think the temptations when you’re in an office in Washington are even stronger because of all the demands.”The freshman member said she especially appreciated the talk because of her own Lenten practices. “I am trying to abstain from hopelessness,” she said.“That’s an easy feeling to set in when you’ve got daunting challenges and you’re just one voice in a sea of people here. And you can feel sometimes like it’s hopeless,” she said. “But I’m trying to abstain from that this Lent and realize that God is ultimately in control. So do what you can and then trust that he’s going to take care of the rest.”

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Catholics on Capitol Hill are beginning to build a tight-knit community amid their busy schedules.

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St. Patrick’s Day during Lent ‘should inspire us to be joyful, not dire’ – #Catholic – Catholics around the world celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with special Masses, parades, festive gatherings, and Irish favorites like corned beef and cabbage. While the festivities may seem contradictory to the penitential season of Lent, they provide an opportunity for the faithful to honor and celebrate the life of one of the Church’s most beloved saints.“Sometimes Lent is viewed as a ‘gloomy’ season. However, the Preface for Lent (I) states: ‘for your faithful await the sacred paschal feasts with the joy of minds made pure,’” Bishop Stephen Parkes of Savannah, Georgia, told EWTN News. “This is a time for reflection, repentance, and renewal, which should inspire us to be joyful, not dour.”On St. Patrick’s Day, many enjoy the opportunity to celebrate the gifts of Irish culture and heritage, but “in Savannah, we don’t stop with just a day and a parade … but rather celebrate a whole ‘season of St. Patrick,’ which encompasses many different events over a two-week period,” Parkes said.There are many reasons to celebrate the great saint’s life. The patron of Ireland was born in Scotland to Roman parents around 385. When he was a teenager, St. Patrick was kidnapped by an Irish raiding party and taken to Ireland as a slave.Throughout his captivity, St. Patrick fervently prayed to God and at the age of 20, inspired by an angel in a dream, he escaped and journeyed across the sea back to his family. He then studied for the priesthood and was ordained, later becoming a bishop.Pope Celestine instructed St. Patrick to return to Ireland to bring its people into the Catholic Church. St. Patrick arrived at Ireland’s shores around 433 on the feast of the Annunciation. There, he transformed the pagan society by converting thousands, baptizing converts, ordaining clergy, and establishing hundreds of churches across the country.“My advice to anyone who is celebrating St. Patrick for a whole season, or just a day, is to ask this beloved saint to intercede on our behalf, that we may follow his holy example in embracing missionary discipleship,” Parkes said.We can ask St. Patrick “to help us to provide a spirit of welcome and hospitality to those who come to our country seeking opportunity, safety, and peace,” he said. “We can also embrace a spirit of gratitude, giving thanks for the many Irish priests who ventured to the United States to serve our growing Church.”Dispensations for feast days“This is a time to honor this great missionary saint through a lens of faith, friendship, and community, all of which can bring great joy,” Parkes said. “Even though St. Patrick’s Day falls during Lent on the calendar, we put this into perspective by honoring our Catholic guidelines for the season.”During Lent, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence from meat, and Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence from meat “unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday,” according to the Code of Canon Law.Catholics are also strongly encouraged to take on additional practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving during the Lenten season.When St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Friday during Lent, a dispensation may be given by the local bishop so that a traditional Irish meal containing meat may be enjoyed. This year, this is not a concern as it falls on a Tuesday.As many Catholics celebrate the saint with parades, parties, and friends, some may wonder whether they can partake in what they personally gave up for Lent on the feast day — similar to how some choose to do so on Sundays during Lent.As it is left up to the individual to what extent they take on additional Lenten practices, if they decide to enjoy the drink, food, or treat they have given up on St. Patrick’s Day, it is not against the Catholic Church’s guidelines for the season. But the faithful can always ask their archdiocese or diocese to find out more.Other ways to celebrateEnjoying a treat or meal to honor St. Patrick’s Day is not the only way to observe the feast. Catholics can take the time to learn about the saint’s life, attend Mass, and connect with the Irish-American community.“I would hope that everyone, whether Irish-American or ‘Irish for the day,’ would honor St. Patrick by beginning his feast day with Mass, as we do in the grand cathedral on Fifth Avenue that bears his name,” Archbishop Ronald Hicks of New York told EWTN News.“Like so many others in this archdiocese, I am proud of all that the Irish have given to our city and country, including, most importantly, a deep love of the faith,” Hicks said. “There can be no better way to celebrate this great saint while still maintaining reverence for the beautiful season of Lent.”The faithful can use the feast day and nature of the Lenten season as an opportunity to spend time in prayer, including reciting “St. Patrick’s Breastplate.” The fifth-century Irish hymn is a powerful prayer that calls upon the Trinity and invokes divine protection against spiritual and physical dangers.Catholics can also take time to reflect on the Holy Trinity using the Shamrock as St. Patrick himself is said to have done.St. Patrick’s own words in his “Confessio” also offer a great reflection for the faithful. His words, “I am a sinner, a simple country person, and the least of all believers,” are a reminder of his humility and relatability to us today.
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St. Patrick’s Day during Lent ‘should inspire us to be joyful, not dire’ – #Catholic – Catholics around the world celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with special Masses, parades, festive gatherings, and Irish favorites like corned beef and cabbage. While the festivities may seem contradictory to the penitential season of Lent, they provide an opportunity for the faithful to honor and celebrate the life of one of the Church’s most beloved saints.“Sometimes Lent is viewed as a ‘gloomy’ season. However, the Preface for Lent (I) states: ‘for your faithful await the sacred paschal feasts with the joy of minds made pure,’” Bishop Stephen Parkes of Savannah, Georgia, told EWTN News. “This is a time for reflection, repentance, and renewal, which should inspire us to be joyful, not dour.”On St. Patrick’s Day, many enjoy the opportunity to celebrate the gifts of Irish culture and heritage, but “in Savannah, we don’t stop with just a day and a parade … but rather celebrate a whole ‘season of St. Patrick,’ which encompasses many different events over a two-week period,” Parkes said.There are many reasons to celebrate the great saint’s life. The patron of Ireland was born in Scotland to Roman parents around 385. When he was a teenager, St. Patrick was kidnapped by an Irish raiding party and taken to Ireland as a slave.Throughout his captivity, St. Patrick fervently prayed to God and at the age of 20, inspired by an angel in a dream, he escaped and journeyed across the sea back to his family. He then studied for the priesthood and was ordained, later becoming a bishop.Pope Celestine instructed St. Patrick to return to Ireland to bring its people into the Catholic Church. St. Patrick arrived at Ireland’s shores around 433 on the feast of the Annunciation. There, he transformed the pagan society by converting thousands, baptizing converts, ordaining clergy, and establishing hundreds of churches across the country.“My advice to anyone who is celebrating St. Patrick for a whole season, or just a day, is to ask this beloved saint to intercede on our behalf, that we may follow his holy example in embracing missionary discipleship,” Parkes said.We can ask St. Patrick “to help us to provide a spirit of welcome and hospitality to those who come to our country seeking opportunity, safety, and peace,” he said. “We can also embrace a spirit of gratitude, giving thanks for the many Irish priests who ventured to the United States to serve our growing Church.”Dispensations for feast days“This is a time to honor this great missionary saint through a lens of faith, friendship, and community, all of which can bring great joy,” Parkes said. “Even though St. Patrick’s Day falls during Lent on the calendar, we put this into perspective by honoring our Catholic guidelines for the season.”During Lent, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence from meat, and Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence from meat “unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday,” according to the Code of Canon Law.Catholics are also strongly encouraged to take on additional practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving during the Lenten season.When St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Friday during Lent, a dispensation may be given by the local bishop so that a traditional Irish meal containing meat may be enjoyed. This year, this is not a concern as it falls on a Tuesday.As many Catholics celebrate the saint with parades, parties, and friends, some may wonder whether they can partake in what they personally gave up for Lent on the feast day — similar to how some choose to do so on Sundays during Lent.As it is left up to the individual to what extent they take on additional Lenten practices, if they decide to enjoy the drink, food, or treat they have given up on St. Patrick’s Day, it is not against the Catholic Church’s guidelines for the season. But the faithful can always ask their archdiocese or diocese to find out more.Other ways to celebrateEnjoying a treat or meal to honor St. Patrick’s Day is not the only way to observe the feast. Catholics can take the time to learn about the saint’s life, attend Mass, and connect with the Irish-American community.“I would hope that everyone, whether Irish-American or ‘Irish for the day,’ would honor St. Patrick by beginning his feast day with Mass, as we do in the grand cathedral on Fifth Avenue that bears his name,” Archbishop Ronald Hicks of New York told EWTN News.“Like so many others in this archdiocese, I am proud of all that the Irish have given to our city and country, including, most importantly, a deep love of the faith,” Hicks said. “There can be no better way to celebrate this great saint while still maintaining reverence for the beautiful season of Lent.”The faithful can use the feast day and nature of the Lenten season as an opportunity to spend time in prayer, including reciting “St. Patrick’s Breastplate.” The fifth-century Irish hymn is a powerful prayer that calls upon the Trinity and invokes divine protection against spiritual and physical dangers.Catholics can also take time to reflect on the Holy Trinity using the Shamrock as St. Patrick himself is said to have done.St. Patrick’s own words in his “Confessio” also offer a great reflection for the faithful. His words, “I am a sinner, a simple country person, and the least of all believers,” are a reminder of his humility and relatability to us today.

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Bishop Stephen Parkes of Savannah, Georgia, reminds us of the many reasons to celebrate the great saint’s life.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 17 March 2026 – A reading from the Book of Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12 The angel brought me, Ezekiel, back to the entrance of the temple of the LORD, and I saw water flowing out from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the façade of the temple was toward the east; the water flowed down from the right side of the temple, south of the altar. He led me outside by the north gate, and around to the outer gate facing the east, where I saw water trickling from the right side. Then when he had walked off to the east with a measuring cord in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and had me wade through the water, which was ankle-deep. He measured off another thousand and once more had me wade through the water, which was now knee-deep. Again he measured off a thousand and had me wade; the water was up to my waist. Once more he measured off a thousand, but there was now a river through which I could not wade; for the water had risen so high it had become a river that could not be crossed except by swimming. He asked me, "Have you seen this, son of man?" Then he brought me to the bank of the river, where he had me sit. Along the bank of the river I saw very many trees on both sides. He said to me, "This water flows into the eastern district down upon the Arabah, and empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh. Wherever the river flows, every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live, and there shall be abundant fish, for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh. Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow; their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail. Every month they shall bear fresh fruit, for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary. Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine."From the Gospel according to John 5:1-16 There was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem at the Sheep Gate a pool called in Hebrew Bethesda, with five porticoes. In these lay a large number of ill, blind, lame, and crippled. One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be well?" The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me." Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your mat, and walk." Immediately the man became well, took up his mat, and walked. Now that day was a sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who was cured, "It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to carry your mat." He answered them, "The man who made me well told me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.’" They asked him, "Who is the man who told you, ‘Take it up and walk’?" The man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away, since there was a crowd there. After this Jesus found him in the temple area and said to him, "Look, you are well; do not sin any more, so that nothing worse may happen to you." The man went and told the Jews that Jesus was the one who had made him well. Therefore, the Jews began to persecute Jesus because he did this on a sabbath.Jesus asks the paralytic a question that may seem superfluous: “Do you want to be well?” (v. 6). Instead, it is a necessary question, because when one is stuck for so many years, even the will to heal may fade. (…) Indeed, this man replies in a more articulate way to Jesus’ question, revealing his true vision of life. He says first of all that he has no-one to immerse him in the pool: so he is not to blame, but the others who do not take care of him. This attitude becomes the pretext for avoiding responsibility. (…) Instead, Jesus helps him to discover that his life is also in his hands. He invites him to get up, to raise himself up from his chronic situation, and to take his stretcher (cf. v. 8). That mat is not to be left or thrown away: it represents his past of sickness, his history. Until that moment, the past had blocked him; it had forced him to lie like a dead man. Now it is he who can take that mat and carry it wherever he wishes: he can decide what to make of his history! It is a matter of walking, taking responsibility for choosing what road to take. And this is thanks to Jesus! (Leo XIV – General Audience, 18 June 2025)

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A reading from the Book of Ezekiel
47:1-9, 12

The angel brought me, Ezekiel,
back to the entrance of the temple of the LORD,
and I saw water flowing out
from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east,
for the façade of the temple was toward the east;
the water flowed down from the right side of the temple,
south of the altar.
He led me outside by the north gate,
and around to the outer gate facing the east,
where I saw water trickling from the right side.
Then when he had walked off to the east
with a measuring cord in his hand,
he measured off a thousand cubits
and had me wade through the water,
which was ankle-deep.
He measured off another thousand
and once more had me wade through the water,
which was now knee-deep.
Again he measured off a thousand and had me wade;
the water was up to my waist.
Once more he measured off a thousand,
but there was now a river through which I could not wade;
for the water had risen so high it had become a river
that could not be crossed except by swimming.
He asked me, "Have you seen this, son of man?"
Then he brought me to the bank of the river, where he had me sit.
Along the bank of the river I saw very many trees on both sides.
He said to me,
"This water flows into the eastern district down upon the Arabah,
and empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh.
Wherever the river flows,
every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live,
and there shall be abundant fish,
for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh.
Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow;
their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail.
Every month they shall bear fresh fruit,
for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary.
Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine."

From the Gospel according to John
5:1-16

There was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
Now there is in Jerusalem at the Sheep Gate
a pool called in Hebrew Bethesda, with five porticoes.
In these lay a large number of ill, blind, lame, and crippled.
One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years.
When Jesus saw him lying there
and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him,
"Do you want to be well?"
The sick man answered him,
"Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool
when the water is stirred up;
while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me."
Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your mat, and walk."
Immediately the man became well, took up his mat, and walked.

Now that day was a sabbath.
So the Jews said to the man who was cured,
"It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to carry your mat."
He answered them, "The man who made me well told me,
‘Take up your mat and walk.’"
They asked him,
"Who is the man who told you, ‘Take it up and walk’?"
The man who was healed did not know who it was,
for Jesus had slipped away, since there was a crowd there.
After this Jesus found him in the temple area and said to him,
"Look, you are well; do not sin any more,
so that nothing worse may happen to you."
The man went and told the Jews
that Jesus was the one who had made him well.
Therefore, the Jews began to persecute Jesus
because he did this on a sabbath.

Jesus asks the paralytic a question that may seem superfluous: “Do you want to be well?” (v. 6). Instead, it is a necessary question, because when one is stuck for so many years, even the will to heal may fade. (…) Indeed, this man replies in a more articulate way to Jesus’ question, revealing his true vision of life. He says first of all that he has no-one to immerse him in the pool: so he is not to blame, but the others who do not take care of him. This attitude becomes the pretext for avoiding responsibility. (…) Instead, Jesus helps him to discover that his life is also in his hands. He invites him to get up, to raise himself up from his chronic situation, and to take his stretcher (cf. v. 8). That mat is not to be left or thrown away: it represents his past of sickness, his history. Until that moment, the past had blocked him; it had forced him to lie like a dead man. Now it is he who can take that mat and carry it wherever he wishes: he can decide what to make of his history! It is a matter of walking, taking responsibility for choosing what road to take. And this is thanks to Jesus! (Leo XIV – General Audience, 18 June 2025)

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‘New York Times’ Retracts Story Due To Several Accuracies #BabylonBee – NEW YORK, NY — The recent string of embarrassing incidents involving popular media outlets continued on Monday, as The New York Times was forced to retract a story due to several accuracies.
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‘New York Times’ Retracts Story Due To Several Accuracies #BabylonBee – NEW YORK, NY — The recent string of embarrassing incidents involving popular media outlets continued on Monday, as The New York Times was forced to retract a story due to several accuracies.

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NEW YORK, NY — The recent string of embarrassing incidents involving popular media outlets continued on Monday, as The New York Times was forced to retract a story due to several accuracies.

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Wise Dad Prepares Son For Life’s Challenges By Having Him Play ‘Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!’ #BabylonBee – REDLANDS, CA — For eons, fathers have been sharing wisdom with their sons to prepare them for adulthood, but none have been as successful as local father Garrett Jackson, who reportedly prepared his son for life’s challenges by making him play Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!
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Wise Dad Prepares Son For Life’s Challenges By Having Him Play ‘Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!’ #BabylonBee – REDLANDS, CA — For eons, fathers have been sharing wisdom with their sons to prepare them for adulthood, but none have been as successful as local father Garrett Jackson, who reportedly prepared his son for life’s challenges by making him play Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!

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REDLANDS, CA — For eons, fathers have been sharing wisdom with their sons to prepare them for adulthood, but none have been as successful as local father Garrett Jackson, who reportedly prepared his son for life’s challenges by making him play Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!

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Picture of the day A California Sheephead at Ensenada´s fishmarket (Mercado Negro), Baja California, México. The California Sheephead (Semicossyphus pulcher) is characterized by its wrasse-like shape, and three different color patterns for juveniles, adult males, and adult females. #ImageOfTheDay
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Picture of the day A California Sheephead at Ensenada´s fishmarket (Mercado Negro), Baja California, México. The California Sheephead (Semicossyphus pulcher) is characterized by its wrasse-like shape, and three different color patterns for juveniles, adult males, and adult females. #ImageOfTheDay

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Picture of the day
A California Sheephead at Ensenada´s fishmarket (Mercado Negro), Baja California, México. The California Sheephead (Semicossyphus pulcher) is characterized by its wrasse-like shape, and three different color patterns for juveniles, adult males, and adult females.
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‘Prerequisite to ending wars is the uprooting of the Ayatollah regime,’ Says Retired Israeli Ambassador – Many individuals and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are saying that President Donald Trump promised there would be no new wars. The post ‘Prerequisite to ending wars is the uprooting of the Ayatollah regime,’ Says Retired Israeli Ambassador appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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‘Prerequisite to ending wars is the uprooting of the Ayatollah regime,’ Says Retired Israeli Ambassador – Many individuals and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are saying that President Donald Trump promised there would be no new wars. The post ‘Prerequisite to ending wars is the uprooting of the Ayatollah regime,’ Says Retired Israeli Ambassador appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Many individuals and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are saying that President Donald Trump promised there would be no new wars.

The post ‘Prerequisite to ending wars is the uprooting of the Ayatollah regime,’ Says Retired Israeli Ambassador appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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JUST IN: President Trump Announces White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles Diagnosed with Breast Cancer – President Trump on Monday announced White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has been diagnosed with early stage breast cancer. The post JUST IN: President Trump Announces White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles Diagnosed with Breast Cancer appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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JUST IN: President Trump Announces White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles Diagnosed with Breast Cancer – President Trump on Monday announced White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has been diagnosed with early stage breast cancer. The post JUST IN: President Trump Announces White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles Diagnosed with Breast Cancer appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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President Trump on Monday announced White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has been diagnosed with early stage breast cancer.

The post JUST IN: President Trump Announces White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles Diagnosed with Breast Cancer appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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The Million Fairy Tale: How Louisiana’s GOP is Sabotaging the Classroom – The Million Fairy Tale: How Louisiana’s GOP is Sabotaging the Classroom The Republican Supermajority’s Controlled Retreat from Education  Guest post by J. The post The Million Fairy Tale: How Louisiana’s GOP is Sabotaging the Classroom appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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The $6 Million Fairy Tale: How Louisiana’s GOP is Sabotaging the Classroom – The $6 Million Fairy Tale: How Louisiana’s GOP is Sabotaging the Classroom The Republican Supermajority’s Controlled Retreat from Education  Guest post by J. The post The $6 Million Fairy Tale: How Louisiana’s GOP is Sabotaging the Classroom appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Father and son fishing in Louisiana with an oil rig at sunset, highlighting the state's rich natural resources and recreational activities.

Father and son fishing in Louisiana with an oil rig at sunset, highlighting the state's rich natural resources and recreational activities.

The $6 Million Fairy Tale: How Louisiana’s GOP is Sabotaging the Classroom The Republican Supermajority’s Controlled Retreat from Education  Guest post by J.

The post The $6 Million Fairy Tale: How Louisiana’s GOP is Sabotaging the Classroom appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Rohingya refugees learn about Lent as Caritas Bangladesh bridges faiths in camps #Catholic COX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh — As more than 1 million Rohingya Muslim refugees in Bangladesh observe the final days of Ramadan, the Catholic charity Caritas Bangladesh is building bridges between the two faiths by sharing the meaning of Lent with refugees and host communities in the sprawling camps of Cox’s Bazar.“We at Caritas Bangladesh are building a bridge between the two religions by highlighting the significance of Lent for our Christians with the Rohingya refugees and the host community so that they can understand the meaning of Lent,” said Liton Luis Gomes, project director of Caritas Bangladesh’s Emergency Response Program.“We have been sharing with the Rohingya refugees the significance of our fasting, which is to eat less and distribute it to the poor, to listen to people, or to serve those who really deserve it,” Gomes told EWTN News.Caritas is sharing the theme of its 2026 Lenten campaign — “Prayer, Listening, and Fasting: A Holy Call of Inner Transformation” — with the Rohingya and host communities, Gomes said.The pope and the RohingyaPope Francis met a group of Rohingya refugees during his apostolic visit to Bangladesh on Dec. 1, 2017. The refugees traveled to Dhaka from Cox’s Bazar to meet the pope during an interreligious gathering at the archbishop’s residence.“The presence of God today is also called Rohingya,” Francis told the gathering in remarks that marked the first time during his visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh that he publicly used the word “Rohingya” to describe the persecuted Muslim minority. Pope urges ‘full rights’ be given to persecuted Rohingya minority Most of the Rohingya in the Cox’s Bazar camps arrived from Myanmar since August 2017, when the military began conducting clearance operations after a series of rebel attacks in Myanmar’s Rakhine state. The Rohingya are Muslims who have long faced discrimination in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, including being denied citizenship since 1982. The military coup in Myanmar, formerly Burma, in February 2021 further heightened their vulnerability.The population density of the camps is staggering — roughly 103,600 people per square mile, more than 40 times the average population density of Bangladesh as a whole. Refugees live in side-by-side plastic and bamboo shelters, each just a little larger than 100 square feet, some holding a dozen residents.‘We are not in a festive mood’Eid al-Fitr, one of Islam’s most important religious celebrations, is expected to begin later this week, but refugees say they are not able to celebrate.Abdur Rahim, 55, a Rohingya father of five, told EWTN News that food in the camps is not sufficient but that refugees are “still surviving, thanks to the Bangladesh government and the Almighty.”“We have no money to buy new clothes for my child and grandchild for this festival. Eid is joyful to Muslims, but we are not in a festive mood, because if we can go to our motherland Myanmar, we will be happy,” Rahim said.Rahim said the Caritas initiative had given him a new understanding of the season of fasting.“I didn’t know that Ramadan is not just about not eating. Now, through Caritas, I’ve learned that Ramadan is about helping people and reducing your expenses,” Rahim said.Between 2017 and 2023, Caritas provided million in emergency efforts for Rohingya and host community members in Cox’s Bazar, according to Caritas Internationalis. During that period the charity assisted nearly 1.7 million individuals with shelter support, protection, disaster risk reduction, education, and water, sanitation, and hygiene services.Caritas Bangladesh is the social action arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Bangladesh.
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Rohingya refugees learn about Lent as Caritas Bangladesh bridges faiths in camps #Catholic COX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh — As more than 1 million Rohingya Muslim refugees in Bangladesh observe the final days of Ramadan, the Catholic charity Caritas Bangladesh is building bridges between the two faiths by sharing the meaning of Lent with refugees and host communities in the sprawling camps of Cox’s Bazar.“We at Caritas Bangladesh are building a bridge between the two religions by highlighting the significance of Lent for our Christians with the Rohingya refugees and the host community so that they can understand the meaning of Lent,” said Liton Luis Gomes, project director of Caritas Bangladesh’s Emergency Response Program.“We have been sharing with the Rohingya refugees the significance of our fasting, which is to eat less and distribute it to the poor, to listen to people, or to serve those who really deserve it,” Gomes told EWTN News.Caritas is sharing the theme of its 2026 Lenten campaign — “Prayer, Listening, and Fasting: A Holy Call of Inner Transformation” — with the Rohingya and host communities, Gomes said.The pope and the RohingyaPope Francis met a group of Rohingya refugees during his apostolic visit to Bangladesh on Dec. 1, 2017. The refugees traveled to Dhaka from Cox’s Bazar to meet the pope during an interreligious gathering at the archbishop’s residence.“The presence of God today is also called Rohingya,” Francis told the gathering in remarks that marked the first time during his visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh that he publicly used the word “Rohingya” to describe the persecuted Muslim minority. Pope urges ‘full rights’ be given to persecuted Rohingya minority Most of the Rohingya in the Cox’s Bazar camps arrived from Myanmar since August 2017, when the military began conducting clearance operations after a series of rebel attacks in Myanmar’s Rakhine state. The Rohingya are Muslims who have long faced discrimination in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, including being denied citizenship since 1982. The military coup in Myanmar, formerly Burma, in February 2021 further heightened their vulnerability.The population density of the camps is staggering — roughly 103,600 people per square mile, more than 40 times the average population density of Bangladesh as a whole. Refugees live in side-by-side plastic and bamboo shelters, each just a little larger than 100 square feet, some holding a dozen residents.‘We are not in a festive mood’Eid al-Fitr, one of Islam’s most important religious celebrations, is expected to begin later this week, but refugees say they are not able to celebrate.Abdur Rahim, 55, a Rohingya father of five, told EWTN News that food in the camps is not sufficient but that refugees are “still surviving, thanks to the Bangladesh government and the Almighty.”“We have no money to buy new clothes for my child and grandchild for this festival. Eid is joyful to Muslims, but we are not in a festive mood, because if we can go to our motherland Myanmar, we will be happy,” Rahim said.Rahim said the Caritas initiative had given him a new understanding of the season of fasting.“I didn’t know that Ramadan is not just about not eating. Now, through Caritas, I’ve learned that Ramadan is about helping people and reducing your expenses,” Rahim said.Between 2017 and 2023, Caritas provided $45 million in emergency efforts for Rohingya and host community members in Cox’s Bazar, according to Caritas Internationalis. During that period the charity assisted nearly 1.7 million individuals with shelter support, protection, disaster risk reduction, education, and water, sanitation, and hygiene services.Caritas Bangladesh is the social action arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Bangladesh.

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As Ramadan draws to a close in the camps of Cox’s Bazar, Caritas Bangladesh is sharing the meaning of Lent with more than 1 million Rohingya Muslim refugees.

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Attack on one faith wounds all, Detroit archbishop says after synagogue attack #Catholic Archbishop Edward J. Weisenburger of Detroit offered prayers and “profound sorrow” for the Jewish community after an attack on Temple Israel Synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan.“We stand in solidarity with our Jewish brothers and sisters, holding in prayer all those affected by this act of violence, especially those who are wounded, grieving, or shaken, including the congregation, first responders, and the greater community,” Weisenburger said in a statement.On March 12, an attacker drove a vehicle into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, near Detroit, and opened fire.“An attack on one faith community wounds us all,” Weisenburger said. “As details continue to emerge, we remain united with our partners in faith, particularly our Jewish friends and neighbors.”“Together, we pray for an end to violence and for deeper peace in our world. May God’s abundant love and mercy guide us toward compassion, justice, and peace,” he said.Synagogue attackJennifer Runyan, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Detroit field office, said in a statement the FBI “forensically confirmed the assailant responsible” was 41-year-old Ayman Mohamad Ghazali of Dearborn Heights, Michigan. He “has no previous criminal history and registered weapons. He also has never been the subject of an FBI investigation.”In a timeline released by Runyan, the FBI reported Ghazali drove his vehicle into the synagogue building, injuring a security officer in the process. Ghazali then began firing a gun, starting a gunfight between him and security guards, the FBI said.Ghazali’s vehicle’s engine compartment caught fire and at some point during the gunfire, Ghazali suffered “a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” Runyan said.In the bed of his truck, law enforcement found “a large quantity of commercial grade fireworks and several jugs filled with a flammable liquid we believe to be gasoline, some of which was consumed in the fire,” she said.The FBI confirmed the suspect is deceased, but “thankfully, the brave officers and security personnel who protected the Temple … are recovering, and we continue to pray for their speedy healing,” Runyan said.
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Attack on one faith wounds all, Detroit archbishop says after synagogue attack #Catholic Archbishop Edward J. Weisenburger of Detroit offered prayers and “profound sorrow” for the Jewish community after an attack on Temple Israel Synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan.“We stand in solidarity with our Jewish brothers and sisters, holding in prayer all those affected by this act of violence, especially those who are wounded, grieving, or shaken, including the congregation, first responders, and the greater community,” Weisenburger said in a statement.On March 12, an attacker drove a vehicle into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, near Detroit, and opened fire.“An attack on one faith community wounds us all,” Weisenburger said. “As details continue to emerge, we remain united with our partners in faith, particularly our Jewish friends and neighbors.”“Together, we pray for an end to violence and for deeper peace in our world. May God’s abundant love and mercy guide us toward compassion, justice, and peace,” he said.Synagogue attackJennifer Runyan, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Detroit field office, said in a statement the FBI “forensically confirmed the assailant responsible” was 41-year-old Ayman Mohamad Ghazali of Dearborn Heights, Michigan. He “has no previous criminal history and registered weapons. He also has never been the subject of an FBI investigation.”In a timeline released by Runyan, the FBI reported Ghazali drove his vehicle into the synagogue building, injuring a security officer in the process. Ghazali then began firing a gun, starting a gunfight between him and security guards, the FBI said.Ghazali’s vehicle’s engine compartment caught fire and at some point during the gunfire, Ghazali suffered “a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” Runyan said.In the bed of his truck, law enforcement found “a large quantity of commercial grade fireworks and several jugs filled with a flammable liquid we believe to be gasoline, some of which was consumed in the fire,” she said.The FBI confirmed the suspect is deceased, but “thankfully, the brave officers and security personnel who protected the Temple … are recovering, and we continue to pray for their speedy healing,” Runyan said.

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Michigan Catholics “stand in solidarity” with Jewish community after attack on a synagogue.

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Pope Leo meets author critical of Opus Dei – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV on Monday met in a private audience with Gareth Gore, a British journalist whose work has criticized Opus Dei as abusive.Gore said he spoke to the pope for more than 40 minutes and presented him with testimonies from alleged victims of the organization.Gore is the author of the 2024 book “Opus,” which accuses Opus Dei of financial misdeeds and spiritual and physical abuse against its members.Writing on his Substack after the March 16 meeting, the journalist said Pope Leo praised his book as a “rigorous piece of work.”Gore also said he previously thought the Vatican did not want to seriously address accusations of abuse within Opus Dei but that his meeting with Leo “forces me to reassess those conclusions.”The Vatican did not respond to a request for comment on the meeting.A spokesman for Opus Dei said the group had no comment on the meeting or Gore’s statement and pointed to prior statements from Opus Dei about Gore’s book.Opus Dei has previously denounced Gore’s book as “littered with twisted facts, errors, conspiracy theories, and even outright lies.”The pope received Opus Dei’s prelate, Monsignor Fernando Ocáriz, in audience at the Vatican last month.The Feb. 16 meeting came as the personal prelature’s proposed statutes — submitted to the Holy See on June 11, 2025 — remain under review.Opus Dei’s draft is being examined by the Dicastery for the Clergy following the reforms to the governance of personal prelatures introduced under Pope Francis.In Church structure, Opus Dei is a “personal prelature,” which, according to canon law, “consists of presbyters and deacons of the secular clergy” joined together to “accomplish particular pastoral or missionary works.”The organization was founded by Spanish priest Father Josemaría Escrivá in 1928. Escrivá was canonized a saint in 2002.
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Pope Leo meets author critical of Opus Dei – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV on Monday met in a private audience with Gareth Gore, a British journalist whose work has criticized Opus Dei as abusive.Gore said he spoke to the pope for more than 40 minutes and presented him with testimonies from alleged victims of the organization.Gore is the author of the 2024 book “Opus,” which accuses Opus Dei of financial misdeeds and spiritual and physical abuse against its members.Writing on his Substack after the March 16 meeting, the journalist said Pope Leo praised his book as a “rigorous piece of work.”Gore also said he previously thought the Vatican did not want to seriously address accusations of abuse within Opus Dei but that his meeting with Leo “forces me to reassess those conclusions.”The Vatican did not respond to a request for comment on the meeting.A spokesman for Opus Dei said the group had no comment on the meeting or Gore’s statement and pointed to prior statements from Opus Dei about Gore’s book.Opus Dei has previously denounced Gore’s book as “littered with twisted facts, errors, conspiracy theories, and even outright lies.”The pope received Opus Dei’s prelate, Monsignor Fernando Ocáriz, in audience at the Vatican last month.The Feb. 16 meeting came as the personal prelature’s proposed statutes — submitted to the Holy See on June 11, 2025 — remain under review.Opus Dei’s draft is being examined by the Dicastery for the Clergy following the reforms to the governance of personal prelatures introduced under Pope Francis.In Church structure, Opus Dei is a “personal prelature,” which, according to canon law, “consists of presbyters and deacons of the secular clergy” joined together to “accomplish particular pastoral or missionary works.”The organization was founded by Spanish priest Father Josemaría Escrivá in 1928. Escrivá was canonized a saint in 2002.

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Gareth Gore is the author of the 2024 book “Opus,” which accuses Opus Dei of financial misdeeds and spiritual and physical abuse against its members.

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Why are craters perfectly round even though meteorites are irregularly shaped?

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Why are craters perfectly round even though meteorites are irregularly shaped? Steven RiserConyers, Georgia To answer your question, let’s have some fun. First, watch as I throw this irregularly shaped rock down at an angle onto a smooth mudflat. The rock strikes the flat and, in the process, splatters mud in all directions. Now let’sContinue reading “Why are craters perfectly round even though meteorites are irregularly shaped?”

The post Why are craters perfectly round even though meteorites are irregularly shaped? appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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‘I would do everything to become a priest,’ Iceland’s Capuchin bishop says – #Catholic – ROME — The only Catholic bishop in Iceland, David Bartimej Tencer, is celebrating a double jubilee this year — the 40th anniversary of his priestly ordination and the Franciscan jubilee marking the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi — as a member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchins.Looking back, he said, he feels great gratitude. Even if he had not become a priest, he “would do everything to become one,” the bishop of Reykjavik, the only diocese on the island, said in a conversation with EWTN News in Rome.He was ordained in Slovakia, then communist Czechoslovakia, but “even if communism had not fallen, and thank God it did, a priest would still do what he was supposed to do,” he stressed. He had good priests in a seminary and in a parish who worked a lot and were able to eschew the imposed limits of the regime, the prelate explained.The priests collaborated and were pastorally active, confessing and forming parishioners privately, outside the supervision of the state apparatus. Consequently, when the Iron Curtain fell in 1989, “an enormously powerful — or rather beautiful — Church arose in Slovakia,” Tencer told EWTN News.“I am not just interested in what a priest does but in what he is — by transforming bread and wine,” the Slovak prelate explained.Before he was ordained a bishop in 2015, he recalled it is “the fullness of priesthood and likeness to the Lord Jesus.”He became a member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchins in 1990. In the light of the current 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, he said he sees the order’s spirituality “applicable everywhere, and we in Iceland appreciate it very much,” as it brings “the charism of the brotherhood.”It “creates bridges and not barriers,” which is especially important on this island northwest of Europe, “as its nature and the way of life” constrain its inhabitants to be “very dependent on themselves,” Tencer said.The bishop recently came to Rome to ordain a seminarian of Brazilian origin a deacon where he studies, one of the two seminarians in his diocese. The other one is a native Icelander who has been Catholic for seven years and came to faith through organ music, Tencer shared.“He liked to listen to the organ and when he started going to the Catholic church, he saw that we use it as a means. We mostly do not go to concerts and listen to Bach, but it is simply an instrument for accompaniment during liturgy,” the bishop said, adding that the seminarian is now “a pretty good organist.”Other Icelanders discover faith thanks to their spouse. For example, a Catholic Filipino woman might marry an evangelical Icelander. Since there is not much public transport in the country, he takes her to Mass by car and accompanies her also during the liturgy. “And so he also experiences the Catholic atmosphere,” the bishop of Reykjavik said.Due to its small population of around 400,000, “a normal priest knows the majority of people by name.” People are very grateful, as this direct contact suits them very well, he clarified.Interest in faith is risingYet the diocese does not just grab people and “make out of them some kind of Catholic so you do not even know what you have fallen into,” Tencer joked. Even for baptized Christians, the diocese requires that they experience Mass ideally every Sunday and spend the whole liturgical year with them.“If they say no, it is OK, because we can live without them.”The most beautiful thing about the Church in Iceland is that it does not impose but “offers,” he said.When Tencer came to Reykjavik in 2015, the parish hall after Mass at the Reykjavik cathedral was always half full. The Icelanders who travel from great distances eat something and drink coffee after the liturgy to warm up. Nowadays, the hall and surrounding rooms are so full after Mass that he cannot find a place to sit. “I am usually in the corridor where a few Indian fathers chat in their native Malayalam. It became their spot,” the Slovak bishop said, marking the rising number of Massgoers.Regarding new ways to attract people, the Slovak bishop takes the example from communism when a priest would once a year on a given Sunday say: “If someone feels a calling to be a priest, go to the parish office.”“When my school-leaving exam approached, I did,” he shared. The bishop was surprised no one did that in Iceland, so he took up this method.“When I speak Icelandic in church, half of the congregation does not understand. If I speak English, another half does not understand. We are from 172 countries and are not united by culture or language.”Yet it is not a reason to abstain from taking part in the liturgy, “since you go to a Mass to receive grace, not to understand the language,” Tencer clarified further.“Even a blind person gets suntanned in the sun.”Pope Leo XIV was a surprise in IcelandIceland sits between Europe and Greenland — a former Danish colony like Iceland was in the past. When geopolitical tensions arose over Greenland earlier this year, it did not create much stir in the society at large. People rather viewed it as a joke. “Anyway, who would be interested in us?” the bishop said jokingly, reminding that the Catholic community is overwhelmingly immigrant in a foreign land.A few Greenlanders who are mostly fishermen in Iceland did not make a big deal out of it. However, the diocese has a fairly large group of Chaldeans, Syrians, and Ukrainian refugees, so when the problems hit Syria and Ukraine, “we felt for them and were afraid of their families in their homeland.”The election of Pope Leo XIV was seen as “a very big surprise” in Iceland, he revealed. Since the Cathedral of Christ the King in Reykjavik will turn 100 in 2029, Tencer said he wants to invite the pope to visit the island on the occasion. The Holy Father usually sends papal legates for such occasions, but “if he came himself, that would be amazing for the local community,” the bishop said.Iceland is part of the Nordic Bishops’ Conference together with Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. Bishops from these countries “are considered ours as if they were in one country,” Tencer said.He was glad that fellow Nordic bishop Erik Varden of Trondheim, Norway, gave the Lenten spiritual exercises to the Roman Curia this year. They must have been “very lively and the cardinals were not bored,” Tencer said. He also revealed that when Varden met Pope Francis, the Holy Father told him he had read his book. “Which one?” the prolific Norwegian author and prelate responded.
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‘I would do everything to become a priest,’ Iceland’s Capuchin bishop says – #Catholic – ROME — The only Catholic bishop in Iceland, David Bartimej Tencer, is celebrating a double jubilee this year — the 40th anniversary of his priestly ordination and the Franciscan jubilee marking the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi — as a member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchins.Looking back, he said, he feels great gratitude. Even if he had not become a priest, he “would do everything to become one,” the bishop of Reykjavik, the only diocese on the island, said in a conversation with EWTN News in Rome.He was ordained in Slovakia, then communist Czechoslovakia, but “even if communism had not fallen, and thank God it did, a priest would still do what he was supposed to do,” he stressed. He had good priests in a seminary and in a parish who worked a lot and were able to eschew the imposed limits of the regime, the prelate explained.The priests collaborated and were pastorally active, confessing and forming parishioners privately, outside the supervision of the state apparatus. Consequently, when the Iron Curtain fell in 1989, “an enormously powerful — or rather beautiful — Church arose in Slovakia,” Tencer told EWTN News.“I am not just interested in what a priest does but in what he is — by transforming bread and wine,” the Slovak prelate explained.Before he was ordained a bishop in 2015, he recalled it is “the fullness of priesthood and likeness to the Lord Jesus.”He became a member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchins in 1990. In the light of the current 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, he said he sees the order’s spirituality “applicable everywhere, and we in Iceland appreciate it very much,” as it brings “the charism of the brotherhood.”It “creates bridges and not barriers,” which is especially important on this island northwest of Europe, “as its nature and the way of life” constrain its inhabitants to be “very dependent on themselves,” Tencer said.The bishop recently came to Rome to ordain a seminarian of Brazilian origin a deacon where he studies, one of the two seminarians in his diocese. The other one is a native Icelander who has been Catholic for seven years and came to faith through organ music, Tencer shared.“He liked to listen to the organ and when he started going to the Catholic church, he saw that we use it as a means. We mostly do not go to concerts and listen to Bach, but it is simply an instrument for accompaniment during liturgy,” the bishop said, adding that the seminarian is now “a pretty good organist.”Other Icelanders discover faith thanks to their spouse. For example, a Catholic Filipino woman might marry an evangelical Icelander. Since there is not much public transport in the country, he takes her to Mass by car and accompanies her also during the liturgy. “And so he also experiences the Catholic atmosphere,” the bishop of Reykjavik said.Due to its small population of around 400,000, “a normal priest knows the majority of people by name.” People are very grateful, as this direct contact suits them very well, he clarified.Interest in faith is risingYet the diocese does not just grab people and “make out of them some kind of Catholic so you do not even know what you have fallen into,” Tencer joked. Even for baptized Christians, the diocese requires that they experience Mass ideally every Sunday and spend the whole liturgical year with them.“If they say no, it is OK, because we can live without them.”The most beautiful thing about the Church in Iceland is that it does not impose but “offers,” he said.When Tencer came to Reykjavik in 2015, the parish hall after Mass at the Reykjavik cathedral was always half full. The Icelanders who travel from great distances eat something and drink coffee after the liturgy to warm up. Nowadays, the hall and surrounding rooms are so full after Mass that he cannot find a place to sit. “I am usually in the corridor where a few Indian fathers chat in their native Malayalam. It became their spot,” the Slovak bishop said, marking the rising number of Massgoers.Regarding new ways to attract people, the Slovak bishop takes the example from communism when a priest would once a year on a given Sunday say: “If someone feels a calling to be a priest, go to the parish office.”“When my school-leaving exam approached, I did,” he shared. The bishop was surprised no one did that in Iceland, so he took up this method.“When I speak Icelandic in church, half of the congregation does not understand. If I speak English, another half does not understand. We are from 172 countries and are not united by culture or language.”Yet it is not a reason to abstain from taking part in the liturgy, “since you go to a Mass to receive grace, not to understand the language,” Tencer clarified further.“Even a blind person gets suntanned in the sun.”Pope Leo XIV was a surprise in IcelandIceland sits between Europe and Greenland — a former Danish colony like Iceland was in the past. When geopolitical tensions arose over Greenland earlier this year, it did not create much stir in the society at large. People rather viewed it as a joke. “Anyway, who would be interested in us?” the bishop said jokingly, reminding that the Catholic community is overwhelmingly immigrant in a foreign land.A few Greenlanders who are mostly fishermen in Iceland did not make a big deal out of it. However, the diocese has a fairly large group of Chaldeans, Syrians, and Ukrainian refugees, so when the problems hit Syria and Ukraine, “we felt for them and were afraid of their families in their homeland.”The election of Pope Leo XIV was seen as “a very big surprise” in Iceland, he revealed. Since the Cathedral of Christ the King in Reykjavik will turn 100 in 2029, Tencer said he wants to invite the pope to visit the island on the occasion. The Holy Father usually sends papal legates for such occasions, but “if he came himself, that would be amazing for the local community,” the bishop said.Iceland is part of the Nordic Bishops’ Conference together with Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. Bishops from these countries “are considered ours as if they were in one country,” Tencer said.He was glad that fellow Nordic bishop Erik Varden of Trondheim, Norway, gave the Lenten spiritual exercises to the Roman Curia this year. They must have been “very lively and the cardinals were not bored,” Tencer said. He also revealed that when Varden met Pope Francis, the Holy Father told him he had read his book. “Which one?” the prolific Norwegian author and prelate responded.

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Bishop David Tencer of Reykjavik, Iceland, a Slovak Capuchin, reflects on four decades of priesthood, the Franciscan charism, and a rising Catholic community drawn from 172 countries.

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