Heavenly Father,
in glorifying Jesus
and sending us your Spirit,
You open the way to eternal life.
May my sharing in this Gift increase my love
and make my faith grow stronger.
Send Your Spirit to cleanse my life
so that the offering of myself to You at Mass
may be pleasing to You.
May my sharing in the Eucharist,
our Bread of Life,
bring me eternal life.
Bishop Barry Knestout of Richmond, Virginia, urged vigilance in child protection, and Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago posted a video message about the month’s observance on behalf of U.S. bishops.
In response to a shooting at a Mexican archeological site that left two dead and 13 injured, Bishop Guillermo Escobar urged people to look to Jesus Christ and return to Christian values.
President Trump on Tuesday afternoon announced he has extended the ceasefire with Iran – but the Strait of Hormuz blockade is still in place.
The post BREAKING: President Trump Extends Ceasefire with Iran appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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The Holy Father has already visited Algeria, Cameroon, and Angola as part of his papal visit to the continent.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Tuesday that the state has opened a full criminal investigation into OpenAI and its popular chatbot ChatGPT over allegations it provided “significant advice” to the man accused of carrying out the deadly 2025 Florida State University shooting.
The post Florida AG Launches Landmark Criminal Investigation into ChatGPT and OpenAI for ‘Offering Significant Advice’ to Alleged FSU School Shooter, ‘If It Was a Person, We’d Charge Them with Murder’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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The more Starmer explains, the worse his situation becomes.
The post Starmer Pressured Foreign Office Into Granting Security Clearance for Epstein-Linked Peter Mandelson, His Chief of Staff Ordered: ‘Just F***ing Approve It!’ (VIDEOS) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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AUSTIN, TX — Following an announcement that Infowars would soon be converted into a satirical news outlet, American media personality Alex Jones, known for his fringe conspiracy theories related to the Sandy Hook school shooting and homosexual frogs, expressed concern that people would start to think the stories reported by Infowars are fake.
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KINGMAN, AZ — According to witness accounts, a local woman carried her unborn child to a full 9 months, enduring considerable hardship in the process, only to name him "Walter."
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Arboreal stingless bee nest (Trigona sp.) near Flores, Guatemala
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![March for Life in Warsaw commemorates 1,060 years of Christianity in Poland #Catholic Thousands of people gathered in Poland’s capital on April 19 for the National March for Life, a large public demonstration organized under the slogan “Faith and Fidelity 1966–2026,” commemorating the 1,060th anniversary of the Christianization of Poland. The event combined religious observance, civic participation, and pro-life advocacy, drawing families, clergy, activists, and public figures to central Warsaw. The day began with Mass celebrated in two of the cityʼs major churches.
Mass is celebrated at the Archcathedral Basilica of the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist in Warsaw, Poland, on April 19, 2026. | Credit: Tomasz Daniluk/Ordo Iuris
In the Archcathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist, Bishop Piotr Jarecki presided over the liturgy, while Bishop Tomasz Sztajerwald celebrated Mass at the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel and St. Florian in Warsaw-Praga.Participants later gathered at Castle Square, where the march officially began. Organizers described the event as a public expression of support for life and family, rooted in Poland’s Christian tradition. Metropolitan Archbishop Adrian Galbas of Warsaw encouraged participation ahead of the event, framing it as a testimony to human dignity. “We want to testify that we are lovers of life. Bring your family along! Life triumphs over every death,” he declared.
Church leaders join Poland’s President Karol Nawrocki and other dignitaries at the March for Life in Warsaw on April 19, 2026. | Credit: Tomasz Daniluk/Ordo lures
March through Warsaw highlights pro-life messageThe procession moved through central Warsaw streets under the historic slogan marking Poland’s Christian heritage. As participants approached the Presidential Palace, Polish President Karol Nawrocki spoke, linking the march to broader social concerns.“I support initiatives that serve Poland, and this initiative certainly serves Poland,” he said. “It is also a response to the deep demographic crisis. Today, the answer to many Polish problems lies precisely in Polish families, in our identity, in remembering where we come from and where we are going.”Organizers said the march was intended not only as a demonstration of pro-life conviction but also as a broader reflection on national identity and social cohesion.A prominent symbol carried during the march was a copy of the icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa, which has been traveling internationally for 14 years as part of the From Ocean to Ocean pilgrimage in defense of life. The icon has traveled more than 220,000 kilometers (almost 137,000 miles) and visited 32 countries across five continents.
Participants carry an icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa. | Credit: Tomasz Daniluk/Ordo Iuris
Shifting abortion attitudes among younger PolesThe National March for Life is organized by the St. Benedict Foundation alongside dozens of pro-life groups from across Poland and takes place under the honorary patronage of the Polish Episcopal Conference.Patrycja Michońska-Dynek, director of the Press Center of the Archdiocese of Warsaw, told EWTN News that there are shifting public attitudes toward abortion in Poland, including growing societal acceptance and increased calls for liberalization, attributing these changes to secularization, cultural pressures, and differing interpretations of freedom.Michońska-Dynek also observed that while pro-life values remain important in Polish society, younger generations often approach the issue with more nuanced perspectives, particularly in complex or exceptional situations. Fostering a “culture of life” must include practical support for families, such as assistance for single mothers and couples in crisis, Michońska-Dynek said.
Lidia, a participant at the National March for Life. | Credit: Tomasz Daniluk/Ordo Iuris
Not a single-issue agendaLidia Sankowska-Grabczuk, one of the organizers of the National March for Life, told EWTN News that the pro-life movement in Poland extends beyond a single-issue focus on abortion.“In a nutshell, the pro-life movement is [often] the anti-abortion movement. In our view… it’s a bit different. We don’t reduce it to a single-issue agenda,” she said, warning that such a narrow framing “strips it of its true meaning.” While protecting unborn life remains central, she described it as part of a broader vision rooted in what she called “the public voice of Polish Christianity.”She outlined three core pillars underpinning the movement. The first is “respect for life,” encompassing not only the unborn but also solidarity with the elderly, families, and those in need. The second is the family as society’s foundation, grounded in the traditional understanding of marriage and its role in Poland’s social stability. The third pillar is “a state serving the common good,” reflecting a view of politics as service and a call for greater social solidarity.
March for Life in Warsaw commemorates 1,060 years of Christianity in Poland. | Credit: Tomasz Daniluk/Ordo Iuris
Sankowska-Grabczuk also discussed the importance of Poland’s historical and Christian identity in shaping the movement. She noted that recent marches have intentionally marked major national milestones, including the 1,000th anniversary of Poland’s first royal coronation in 2025.These commemorations, she said, highlight how the movement sees its mission as inseparable from Poland’s historical development, where Christianity has long informed both national identity and social values.Pro-life voices and public participationAmong international participants was Tonio Borg, president of the European Federation One of Us. He urged participants to remain steadfast in their convictions despite criticism or public pressure. “Do not be afraid of being slandered and ridiculed because you seek to protect life from the moment of conception,” he said, encouraging continued public engagement and advocacy. He also called on supporters to make their voices heard in the public sphere, stressing the importance of influencing lawmakers and demonstrating that “the unborn child is one of us.”
Paula, a participant at the National March for Life in Poland. | Credit: Tomasz Daniluk/Ordo Iuris
Marcin Perłowski, director of the Centre for Life and Family, said participants gathered at the march out of a shared conviction that “human life begins at conception” and must be defended. He stated that the National March for Life serves as a public demonstration of that belief, describing it as a stand “against all those who raise a hand against unborn children.”Pro-life activist Emilia Mędrzecka told EWTN News that her position is grounded in a belief in universal human dignity. “Children in the womb are as human as we are… they are more dependent and need time to grow,” she said while adding that the march reflected a strong presence of families, young people, and older generations united in support of life.
Polish president Karol Nawrocki walks among participants at the National March for Life in Poland. | Credit: Tomasz Daniluk/Ordo Iuris
While official attendance figures have not been released, estimates provided to EWTN News suggested more than 10,000 people participated, with organizers placing peak attendance between 25,000 and 30,000.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/march-for-life-in-warsaw-commemorates-1060-years-of-christianity-in-poland-catholic-thousands-of-people-gathered-in-polands-capital-on-april-19-for-the-national-march-for-life-a-large-publ-scaled.jpg)
Recent marches in Poland have intentionally marked major national milestones, including the 1,000th anniversary of Poland’s first royal coronation in 2025.
At the inauguration of a new campus named in his honor in Equatorial Guinea, the pope urged the education of young people in truth, responsibility, and service to the common good.
Some people may think that the words astronomer and party-animal don’t go together. Nonetheless, for many astronomy enthusiasts, star parties are the social highlight of the observing season. Star parties are informal gatherings of amateur astronomers that let them share the night sky and their telescopes with the public and other observers. They can rangeContinue reading “How to prepare for a star party”
The post How to prepare for a star party appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
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NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft flies over the Mojave Desert in California on April 14, 2026.
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NASA’s Lucy spacecraft visited the asteroid 52246 Donaldjohanson on April 20, 2025, coming within 600 miles (920 kilometers) of the object located in the inner region of the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The asteroid was named after the paleontologist Donald Johanson, who in 1974 co-discovered the first identified example of previously unknown typeContinue reading “April 20, 2025: Visiting Asteroid Donaldjohanson”
The post April 20, 2025: Visiting Asteroid Donaldjohanson appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
Read MoreO most merciful Jesus,
Lover of souls,
I beseech Thee,
by the agony of Thy most Sacred Heart,
and by the sorrows of Thine Immaculate Mother,
wash clean in the Thy Blood
the sinners of the whole world
who are to die this day.
Remember most especially the soul I spiritually adopt
with the intention of entrusting him or her to Thy Shepherd’s care:
I beseech Thee for the grace to move this sinner,
who is in danger of going to Hell, to repent.
I ask this …
![Charlotte Diocese says priest did not violate conduct policies during confession with teens – #Catholic – The Diocese of Charlotte has found that a priest did not violate any of its conduct policies during confessions with teens at Charlotte Catholic High School in North Carolina last December.Multiple families whose teens attend the school had complained that a priest stepped over the line into “inappropriate” talk during confession, but in a statement to EWTN News, the diocese said it “looked into complaints raised about conversations that occurred during confession at Charlotte Catholic High School last December” and did not identify any “violations of our conduct policies” in the priest’s behavior.The families, who wished to remain anonymous to protect their daughters, said that during the sacrament of reconciliation, a priest asked the young women “unexpected and personal questions,” according to a report by WCNC Charlotte.One father said the priest, who has not been identified, asked his daughter about sexual sins.According to the young woman’s mother, the question was unrelated to the sins she was confessing at the time. “‘Mom, I was telling him about missing Mass and lying to you and fighting with my brother … and we were not talking about anything sexual at all and he just asked me that,’” the mother said.Another mother reported that the priest asked her daughter “if she’s ever had a sexual relationship with a boy.”Those two families and others said they informed the school as well as the Diocese of Charlotte of their concerns.In its statement, the diocese said it has communicated about the matter “with all involved at the time and has addressed the issue with all priests of the diocese, reiterating the need for pastoral sensitivity in celebrating the sacrament.”According to the Diocese of Charlotte, Bishop Michael Martin also responded by letter to the families, who told WCNC they received similar responses.“I am sorry that your daughter had a conversation in confession that made her feel uncomfortable,” Martin reportedly said in his letter.He said priests sometimes ask clarifying questions during confession or lead a penitent who has not properly examined his or her conscience.The Catholic Church teaches that the faithful should examine their consciences regularly, but especially prior to the sacrament of reconciliation in order to make a good confession.“Penitents frequently come to the sacrament having engaged in a limited examination of conscience,” Martin continued, saying a priest might “raise common age-appropriate struggles with sin … to jog his or her memory or give them the benefit of having only to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ so they do not have to describe the sin in too much detail."He reminded the families that priests are prohibited from breaking what is known as the “sacramental seal,” or discussing what they hear in confession.Charlotte Catholic High School did not respond to EWTN News in time for publication.Several of the parents who raised the issue expressed dissatisfaction with the bishop’s response, however, with one parent saying she felt her concerns were “dismissed.” “The whole letter felt like we were being gaslighted,” another mother told the local news outlet. “We understand what is appropriate and inappropriate.”Nevertheless, one of the mothers said “I’m still a faithful Catholic. I just want this to be about doing the right thing.”The dioceseʼs statement continued: “Confession is a sacrament meant to address sins so a priest can offer a penitent absolution and guidance. A variety of topics come up during confession, and according to Church norms, a priest may ask clarifying questions and, if necessary, assists the penitent to make a complete confession.”“Confession is a sacrament Catholics learn about at home and at their church, through required sacramental preparation classes. Confession is offered on a voluntary basis at our schools, and as Catholics, students are encouraged but not required to participate at school,” the statement concluded.Priests' perspectiveA priest who serves as a chaplain to middle and high school students told EWTN News that he knows of only one case personally where a penitent was “scandalized that the priest was asking for clarifying information,” which he acknowledged priests sometimes do to help the penitent make a “good confession.”“People are sensitive about topics like that right now,” said the priest, who wished to remain anonymous. “Even with completely innocent intentions, things can play out really badly. We’re in the ‘Me Too’ season, we’re in the ‘priests are pedophiles’ time of history.”The priest told EWTN News that he does not “regularly lead [penitents] in examination of conscience” during confession. He added: “I donʼt know of a single priest that does.”In addition, the priest noted that there “is a beauty of the seal of confession,” he said, but because of it, a priest accused of wrongdoing “is helpless, not that he’s necessarily innocent, but his ability to defend himself is really limited.”Another priest and former high school chaplain who also wished to remain anonymous told EWTN News that it is possible there was a misunderstanding, because young people, “especially teen girls, are often embarrassed to speak of sins of a sexual nature and are sometimes not clear during confession, requiring the priest to ask clarifying questions.”“But the priest should not bring up questions unrelated to the sins the penitent is confessing, and then, they should be clarifying questions only to help him or her make a better confession,” he said.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/charlotte-diocese-says-priest-did-not-violate-conduct-policies-during-confession-with-teens-catholic-the-diocese-of-charlotte-has-found-that-a-priest-did-not-violate-any-of-its-conduct-policies-d.jpg "Charlotte Diocese says priest did not violate conduct policies during confession with teens – #Catholic – The Diocese of Charlotte has found that a priest did not violate any of its conduct policies during confessions with teens at Charlotte Catholic High School in North Carolina last December.Multiple families whose teens attend the school had complained that a priest stepped over the line into “inappropriate” talk during confession, but in a statement to EWTN News, the diocese said it “looked into complaints raised about conversations that occurred during confession at Charlotte Catholic High School last December” and did not identify any “violations of our conduct policies” in the priest’s behavior.The families, who wished to remain anonymous to protect their daughters, said that during the sacrament of reconciliation, a priest asked the young women “unexpected and personal questions,” according to a report by WCNC Charlotte.One father said the priest, who has not been identified, asked his daughter about sexual sins.According to the young woman’s mother, the question was unrelated to the sins she was confessing at the time. “‘Mom, I was telling him about missing Mass and lying to you and fighting with my brother … and we were not talking about anything sexual at all and he just asked me that,’” the mother said.Another mother reported that the priest asked her daughter “if she’s ever had a sexual relationship with a boy.”Those two families and others said they informed the school as well as the Diocese of Charlotte of their concerns.In its statement, the diocese said it has communicated about the matter “with all involved at the time and has addressed the issue with all priests of the diocese, reiterating the need for pastoral sensitivity in celebrating the sacrament.”According to the Diocese of Charlotte, Bishop Michael Martin also responded by letter to the families, who told WCNC they received similar responses.“I am sorry that your daughter had a conversation in confession that made her feel uncomfortable,” Martin reportedly said in his letter.He said priests sometimes ask clarifying questions during confession or lead a penitent who has not properly examined his or her conscience.The Catholic Church teaches that the faithful should examine their consciences regularly, but especially prior to the sacrament of reconciliation in order to make a good confession.“Penitents frequently come to the sacrament having engaged in a limited examination of conscience,” Martin continued, saying a priest might “raise common age-appropriate struggles with sin … to jog his or her memory or give them the benefit of having only to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ so they do not have to describe the sin in too much detail.\"He reminded the families that priests are prohibited from breaking what is known as the “sacramental seal,” or discussing what they hear in confession.Charlotte Catholic High School did not respond to EWTN News in time for publication.Several of the parents who raised the issue expressed dissatisfaction with the bishop’s response, however, with one parent saying she felt her concerns were “dismissed.” “The whole letter felt like we were being gaslighted,” another mother told the local news outlet. “We understand what is appropriate and inappropriate.”Nevertheless, one of the mothers said “I’m still a faithful Catholic. I just want this to be about doing the right thing.”The dioceseʼs statement continued: “Confession is a sacrament meant to address sins so a priest can offer a penitent absolution and guidance. A variety of topics come up during confession, and according to Church norms, a priest may ask clarifying questions and, if necessary, assists the penitent to make a complete confession.”“Confession is a sacrament Catholics learn about at home and at their church, through required sacramental preparation classes. Confession is offered on a voluntary basis at our schools, and as Catholics, students are encouraged but not required to participate at school,” the statement concluded.Priests' perspectiveA priest who serves as a chaplain to middle and high school students told EWTN News that he knows of only one case personally where a penitent was “scandalized that the priest was asking for clarifying information,” which he acknowledged priests sometimes do to help the penitent make a “good confession.”“People are sensitive about topics like that right now,” said the priest, who wished to remain anonymous. “Even with completely innocent intentions, things can play out really badly. We’re in the ‘Me Too’ season, we’re in the ‘priests are pedophiles’ time of history.”The priest told EWTN News that he does not “regularly lead [penitents] in examination of conscience” during confession. He added: “I donʼt know of a single priest that does.”In addition, the priest noted that there “is a beauty of the seal of confession,” he said, but because of it, a priest accused of wrongdoing “is helpless, not that he’s necessarily innocent, but his ability to defend himself is really limited.”Another priest and former high school chaplain who also wished to remain anonymous told EWTN News that it is possible there was a misunderstanding, because young people, “especially teen girls, are often embarrassed to speak of sins of a sexual nature and are sometimes not clear during confession, requiring the priest to ask clarifying questions.”“But the priest should not bring up questions unrelated to the sins the penitent is confessing, and then, they should be clarifying questions only to help him or her make a better confession,” he said.")
Several families at Charlotte Catholic High School alleged that a priest asked their teenage daughters “inappropriate” questions during confession in December, but the diocese found no wrongdoing.
Ordinands on average are 33 years old and are lifelong Catholics preparing for diocesan ministry, according to the 2026 survey by The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA).
A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 7:51—8:1a
Stephen said to the people, the elders, and the scribes:
“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears,
you always oppose the Holy Spirit;
you are just like your ancestors.
Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute?
They put to death those who foretold the coming of the righteous one,
whose betrayers and murderers you have now become.
You received the law as transmitted by angels,
but you did not observe it.”
When they heard this, they were infuriated,
and they ground their teeth at him.
But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit,
looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God
and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,
and Stephen said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened
and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
But they cried out in a loud voice,
covered their ears, and rushed upon him together.
They threw him out of the city, and began to stone him.
The witnesses laid down their cloaks
at the feet of a young man named Saul.
As they were stoning Stephen, he called out,
“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice,
“Lord, do not hold this sin against them”;
and when he said this, he fell asleep.
Now Saul was consenting to his execution.
From the Gospel according to John
6:30-35
The crowd said to Jesus:
“What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you?
What can you do?
Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written:
He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”
So Jesus said to them,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven;
my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.
For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven
and gives life to the world.”
So they said to Jesus,
“Sir, give us this bread always.”
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me will never hunger,
and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”
What does bread of life mean? We need bread to live. Those who are hungry do not ask for refined and expensive food, they ask for bread. Those who are unemployed do not ask for enormous wages, but the “bread” of employment. Jesus reveals himself as bread, that is, the essential, what is necessary for everyday life; without Him it does not work. Not one bread among many others, but the bread of life. In other words, without him, rather than living, we get by: because he alone nourishes the soul; he alone forgives us from that evil that we cannot overcome on our own; he alone makes us feel loved even if everyone else disappoints us; he alone gives us the strength to love and, he alone gives us the strength to forgive in difficulties; he alone gives that peace to the heart that it is searching for; he alone gives eternal life when life here on earth ends. He is the essential bread of life. (Pope Francis, Angelus, 8 August 2021)
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Catholic parents in Colorado are anticipating the results of an ongoing lawsuit over a Colorado “universal” preschool tuition program as the U.S. Supreme Court has just agreed to hear the case.
Did you hear or have you read Pope Leo XIV’s Homily at the Vigil for Peace? #Catholic – 
Dear brothers and sisters,
Your prayer is an expression of that faith which, according to the words of Jesus, moves mountains (cf. Mt 17:20). Thank you for accepting this invitation to gather here at the tomb of Saint Peter and in so many other places around the world to pray for peace. War divides; hope unites. Arrogance tramples upon others; love lifts up. Idolatry blinds us; the living God enlightens…
BISHOP KEVIN J. SWEENEY
On Saturday, April 11, 2026, Saturday in the Octave of Easter and the Vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday, Pope Leo XIV led thousands of pilgrims in Rome and hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of people throughout the world in a Prayer Vigil for Peace. In recent days, President Donald Trump has publicly criticized Pope Leo on more than one occasion. Many cardinals, bishops, and other Catholic and non-Catholic leaders have made public statements defending Pope Leo and expressing disappointment, not only with what President Trump has said, but also with the manner and tone of the statements.
Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M. of the Diocese of Trenton, issued an excellent, clear, and thorough statement, beginning with these words:
“In recent days, many of the faithful in the Diocese have reached out to me as Bishop and Shepherd of the local Church with concern, confusion, sorrow, and, in some cases, even anger regarding public comments made by President Donald Trump about our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, as well as the Holy Father’s measured response. Moments like these can unsettle hearts, especially when the unity of the Church and the dignity of her mission appear to be drawn into the turbulence of political discourse… Reflection on recent public criticism of the Holy Father, tragedy of war.
I strongly encourage readers to read (or listen to) the full text of Bishop O’Connell’s statement, available on the website of the Diocese of Trenton and on YouTube. I have shared previously that Bishop O’Connell was a Dean at St. John’s University when I was a student. He also served as the president of the Catholic University of America (from 1998 to 2010). He has served as the bishop of Trenton since Dec. 1, 2010. He is an excellent teacher and spokesperson for our Church. If you take the time to read or listen to his full statement, I believe that you will be grateful you did so.
In addition to or before reading Bishop O’Connell’s statement, I encourage you, if you have not done so, to read the homily that Pope Leo gave at the Vigil for Peace. Here is an article that offers a summary of the homily and reports on the Vigil for Peace: Pope Leo at Prayer Vigil for Peace.
This past Sunday, the Third Sunday of Easter, in the First Reading at Mass, from the Acts of the Apostles (2:14, 22-33), we heard these words: “Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed:…” It was the day of Pentecost. Peter and the Apostles had just received the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, and Peter gives a long speech (homily), v. 14-36, in which he proclaims the Good News of Jesus Christ. Those words of St. Peter were the preaching of the Good News of the Gospel to all the nations that continues today.
Since May 8, 2025, when he was elected as our Holy Father, as Pope, to the “Petrine (Peter’s) Ministry,” Pope Leo XIV has been doing what he is called to do, to preach the Good News of the Gospel. His first words as Pope (see Transcript of Cardinal Robert Prevost’s first speech as Pope Leo XIV), “Peace be with (all of) you,” were not his own words, but “the greeting of the Risen Christ.” He went on to speak of “…the peace of the Risen Christ, an unarmed peace and a disarming peace, humble and persevering. It comes from God, God who loves us all unconditionally…” Pope Leo XIV has been consistent in his calling for peace, for an end to war, and for mediation and negotiations instead of violence to address conflicts.
Just as the first Christian “converts” responded to the words of the “first Pope”, St. Peter, “…Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day.” (Acts 2: 41), let us respond to Pope Leo XIV’s invitation to pray and work for Peace. As he said in the homily at the Vigil for Peace:
“…Dear brothers and sisters, let us return home having made a commitment to pray without ceasing and without growing weary, a commitment to a profound conversion of heart. The Church is a great people at the service of reconciliation and peace. She advances without hesitation, even when rejecting the logic of war may lead to misunderstanding and scorn…”
Pope Leo XIV, Successor to Peter, is the living sign of the Church’s unbroken fidelity to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the teaching of the apostles. The Holy Father is following in the line of his predecessors. In his homily at the Vigil for Peace, he quotes St. Pope John XXIII and St. Pope John Paul calling for Peace. He also recalls what was a historic first, Pope Saint Paul VI addressing the General Assembly of The United Nations on Oct. 4, 1965, the Feast of the Saint of Peace, Francis of Assisi. Sixty years ago, Pope Paul used words that appear now perhaps prescient: “You know very well who we are, and whatever your opinion of the Pontiff of Rome may be, you know that our mission is to bring a message for all mankind.” The simple message of Pope Paul that followed remains the hope and prayer of people of goodwill everywhere, “Never again war, never again war! It is peace, peace that has to guide the destiny of the nations of all mankind!” In a turbulent world, as Christians, we turn to the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, who is “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8) and pray that God’s will is done so that peace will reign over all of the earth.
– Dear brothers and sisters, Your prayer is an expression of that faith which, according to the words of Jesus, moves mountains (cf. Mt 17:20). Thank you for accepting this invitation to gather here at the tomb of Saint Peter and in so many other places around the world to pray for peace. War divides; hope unites. Arrogance tramples upon others; love lifts up. Idolatry blinds us; the living God enlightens… Prayer Vigil led by Pope Leo XIV BISHOP KEVIN J. SWEENEY On Saturday, April 11, 2026, Saturday in the Octave of Easter and the Vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday, Pope
Whether you prefer secluded island coves or lively boardwalks, discover your perfect beach.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/carmel-beach-carmel-by-the-sea-california-USBEACHES0420-25b84473f01b48debc6400b7da1c97da.jpg)
The knives are out as the sun sets on Eric Swalwell’s political career.
The post Knives Out: Bill Maher Recounts Having ‘Creep’ Eric Swalwell on His Show: ‘I Never Liked Him’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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FBI Director Kash Patel on Monday sued The Atlantic for $250 million for defamation.
The post Kash Patel Sues The Atlantic for $250 Million for Defamation appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo embarrassed Rep.
The post Maria Bartiromo Unloads on Far-Left Rep. Ro Khanna for Absurb Claim Obama ‘Delivered’ on Iran: ‘He Sent Pallets of Cash!’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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| Picture of the day |
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Glendale tea estate with silver oak shade trees, verdant green and bright blue during a break from the monsoon rains. View from NH-181, Kattery, Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu, India
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![Christ is not ‘a guru or a good luck charm,’ pope says at Mass in Angola #Catholic SAURIMO, Angola — Pope Leo XIV warned at Mass in Saurimo, Angola, on Monday of making God into an idol that is sought only when advantageous — “when genuine faith is replaced with superstitious practices.”“There are erroneous motives for seeking Christ, particularly when he is considered to be a guru or a good luck charm,” the pope said on April 20, referring to how the crowds in the Gospel reading reacted after Jesus performed the miracle of the loaves and the fishes.“They were not seeking a teacher whom they love but a leader to applaud for their own advantage,” he said.Joyful faith in Saurimo
Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass in Saurimo, Angola, on April 20, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media
From the start of his arrival in Sub-Saharan Africa — first in Cameroon and then in Angola — Pope Leo has been welcomed by the warmth of the faithful. In Saurimo, a city in northeastern Angola, the atmosphere greeting the pope on Monday was marked by joyful faith. Everyone welcomed the successor of Peter with songs, dances, and applause.Despite the intense heat, upon reaching the esplanade before Mass, Leo XIV greeted the roughly 60,000 faithful of all ages — who had come from across the region and neighboring dioceses — by making a circuit in the popemobile.“This is the first time a pope has gone beyond Angola’s coastal belt and come — using Pope Francis’ language — to the peripheries,“ the director of the communications office of the Archdiocese of Saurimo said. ”This is a region rich in diamonds, but there is also great poverty, and he comes here to show our reality. For us, having the Holy Father in our region is a great joy.”“This is a unique and unforgettable moment in my life and in the lives of the many pilgrims here today,” Filomena Vunda, who works in the pastoral secretariat of the Archdiocese of Malanje, told ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, at the Mass.Vunda encouraged non-Catholics in Angola to “keep in mind our African word ‘Ubuntu’: The happiness of others depends on me; my happiness depends solely on the happiness of others.”Ubuntu is an African philosophy about human interconnectedness. It can be translated as “I am because we are.”‘Disciples of Christ’In his homily at Mass, concelebrated by Angolan bishops, Pope Leo said: “In every part of the world, the Church lives as a people who walk as disciples of Christ, our brother and redeemer.”"He, the Risen One, illumines for us the path to the Father and with the strength of the Spirit he sanctifies us so that we may transform our way of life in conformity with his love," the pope said. "This is the good news, the Gospel that courses through our veins like blood, sustaining us on the journey. A journey that has brought me here with you today!”
Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass in Saurimo, Angola, on April 20, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media
Commenting on the Gospel of the day, Leo reflected: “Indeed, when the Son of God became man, he performed striking miracles in order to manifest the will of the Father: He made light shine in the darkness by giving sight to the blind, he gave a voice to the oppressed by loosening the tongues of the mute, he slaked our thirst for justice by multiplying bread for the poor and weak. Anyone who heard about these works set out in search of Jesus. At the same time, the Lord looks into our heart and asks us whether we seek him out of gratitude or for our own self-interest, with calculation or with love.”“The Lord himself says,” the pope continued, “‘you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves’ (Jn 6:26). His words reveal the designs of those who do not want to encounter a person but want to consume things. The crowd sees Jesus as means to an end, a provider of services. If he had not given them something to eat, his actions and teachings would not have interested them.”“This happens,” Leo XIV explained, “when genuine faith is replaced with superstitious practices, in which God becomes an idol that is sought only when it is advantageous to us and only for as long as it is. Even the most beautiful gifts of the Lord, which are always for the care of his people, become a pretext, a prize or a bargaining chip, and are misinterpreted by those who receive them.”“How different is Jesus’ attitude toward us,” the pontiff continued. “Yet, he does not reject this insincere search, but encourages its conversion ... Christ calls us to freedom: He does not want servants or clients, rather he seeks brothers and sisters to whom he can totally dedicate himself.”“Therefore,” Leo XIV said, “the admonition that the Lord directs to the crowd is transformed into an invitation: ‘Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life’ (Jn 6:27)."“His gift sheds light on our current situation,” the pope went on. “We can see today how the hope of many people is frustrated by violence, exploited by the powerful, and defrauded by the rich. Consequently, when injustice corrupts hearts, the bread of all becomes the possession of a few."“In the face of these evils, Christ hears the cry of the people and renews our history by lifting us up from every fall, comforting us in every suffering, and encouraging us in our mission," he said.
Crowds of people brave the heat and sun to attend Mass with Pope Leo XIV in Saurimo, Angola, on April 20, 2026. | Credit: Raúl Kangombe Sapiti/ACI Africa
“All this,” the pope exhorted, “means that, in light of our discipleship, the ecclesial journey is a ‘synod of resurrection and hope,’ as St. John Paul II affirmed in his apostolic exhortation Ecclesia in Africa. Let us proceed in this wise direction! Christ himself guides and strengthens our journey, a journey that we want to learn to live more and more as it should be, that is, in a synodal manner.”The pope concluded by recalling the importance of the martyrs and saints, whose witness “encourages us and pushes us onto a path of hope, reconciliation, and peace, along which the gift of God becomes the responsibility of the head of the household, in the Christian community, in civil society.”"The vitality of the vocations that you experience [in Angola]," he said, "is a sign that you are responding to the Lord’s gift, which is always abundant for those who welcome it with pure hearts.”ACI Africa reporter Raúl Kangombe Sapiti contributed to this report.This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/christ-is-not-a-guru-or-a-good-luck-charm-pope-says-at-mass-in-angola-catholic-saurimo-angola-pope-leo-xiv-warned-at-mass-in-saurimo-angola-on-monday-of-making-god-int-scaled.jpg)
After praying at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Saurimo, Pope Leo XIV proceeded to the site of the Mass, attended by an estimated 60,000 people.
Born on April 20, 1923, Mother Angelica would be turning 103 years old this year. There is nothing she liked better than to share about faith in Jesus Christ.
Dear Lord! Fill our parents with Thy choicest blessings;
enrich their souls with Thy holy grace;
grant that they may faithfully
and constantly guard that likeness to Thy union with Thy Church,
which Thou didst imprint upon them on their wedding day.
Fill them with Thy spirit of holy fear,
which is the beginning of wisdom;
inspire them to impart it to their children.
May they ever walk in the way of Thy commandments,
and may we their children be their joy on earth …
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles
6:8-15
Stephen, filled with grace and power,
was working great wonders and signs among the people.
Certain members of the so-called Synagogue of Freedmen,
Cyreneans, and Alexandrians,
and people from Cilicia and Asia,
came forward and debated with Stephen,
but they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.
Then they instigated some men to say,
"We have heard him speaking blasphemous words
against Moses and God."
They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes,
accosted him, seized him,
and brought him before the Sanhedrin.
They presented false witnesses who testified,
"This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law.
For we have heard him claim
that this Jesus the Nazorean will destroy this place
and change the customs that Moses handed down to us."
All those who sat in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him
and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
From the Gospel according to John
6:22-29
[After Jesus had fed the five thousand men, his disciples saw him walking on the sea.]
The next day, the crowd that remained across the sea
saw that there had been only one boat there,
and that Jesus had not gone along with his disciples in the boat,
but only his disciples had left.
Other boats came from Tiberias
near the place where they had eaten the bread
when the Lord gave thanks.
When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there,
they themselves got into boats
and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus.
And when they found him across the sea they said to him,
"Rabbi, when did you get here?"
Jesus answered them and said,
"Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me
not because you saw signs
but because you ate the loaves and were filled.
Do not work for food that perishes
but for the food that endures for eternal life,
which the Son of Man will give you.
For on him the Father, God, has set his seal."
So they said to him,
"What can we do to accomplish the works of God?"
Jesus answered and said to them,
"This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent."
Stephen, "full of grace and power" (Acts 6: 8), presented in Jesus’ Name a new interpretation of Moses and of God’s Law itself. He reread the Old Testament in the light of the proclamation of Christ’s death and Resurrection. He gave the Old Testament a Christological reinterpretation and provoked reactions from the Jews, who took his words to be blasphemous (cf. Acts 6: 11-14).
For this reason he was condemned to stoning. And St Luke passes on to us the saint’s last discourse, a synthesis of his preaching. Just as Jesus had shown the disciples of Emmaus that the whole of the Old Testament speaks of him, of his Cross and his Resurrection, so St Stephen, following Jesus’ teaching, interpreted the whole of the Old Testament in a Christological key. He shows that the mystery of the Cross stands at the centre of the history of salvation as recounted in the Old Testament; it shows that Jesus, Crucified and Risen, is truly the goal of all this history.
St Stephen also shows that the cult of the temple was over and that Jesus, the Risen One, was the new, true "temple". (Pope Benedict XVI, General Audience, 10 January 2007)
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![55 religious jubilarians honored for joyful service in Parsippany #Catholic - On April 18, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney joyfully commemorated 55 dedicated religious sisters and priests as they reached major anniversaries in consecrated life — from 25 to an inspiring 80 years — during the jubilant annual Mass for Religious of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey at St. Ann Church in Parsippany, N.J. The bishop wholeheartedly thanked the jubilarians for their remarkable combined 3,280 years of selfless service to the diocese and the Church.
Several priests, including Father Nico Quintos, pastor of St. Ann’s and minister to the diocesan retired senior priests, concelebrated the Mass. Meanwhile, Father Jared Brogan, director of the diocesan Office of Worship, served as master of ceremonies for the liturgy, which was organized by the office of Salesian Sister Theresa Lee, diocesan chancellor and delegate for religious.
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During the joyful Mass, Bishop Sweeney led the jubilarians in renewing their heartfelt commitment as religious “to follow Christ in chastity, poverty, and obedience.” With Sister Lee’s help, Bishop Sweeney then handed out anniversary certificates to the 24 jubilarians who attended. Afterward, worshippers proceeded to St. Ann’s parish hall for a festive reception.
Jubilarians of the Paterson Diocese for 2026
80 Years
Sr. Domenica Di Peri, FMA
Sr. Anna Grace Mascolo, MPF
Sr. Raphael Santitoro, MPF
75 Years
Sr. Lorraine Chaudron, MPF
Sr. Joan Digan, SC
Sr. Louise Lauretti, MPF
Sr. Santa Priolo, MPF
Sr. Livia Setti, FMA
Sr. Helen Sholander, MPF
Sr. Mary Catherine Slattery, SCC
70 Years
Sr. Mary Culhane, SC
Sr. Eileen Eager, SC
Sr. Carmela Falcone, MPF
Sr. Mary Gintilla, MPF
Sr. Joan Daniel Healy, SCC
Sr. Rose Marie O’Brien, SC
Sr. Mary Bertha Paquin, FMA
Sr. Geraldine Romano, MPF
Sr. Jean Ann Trainor, SC
65 Years
Sr. Maureen Ann Corcoran, SC
Sr. Anna DeCarli, MPF
Sr. Balbina Lopez, FMA
Sr. Barbara Quandt, MPF
Sr. Carmela Santarsiero, MPF
Sr. Rosemary Smith, SC
Sr. Alice Swartz, RSM
Sr. Carmela Termine, FMA
60 Years
Sr. Donna Brady, SCC
Sr. Ellen Byrnes, FSP
Fr. Bernard Creighton, OFM
Sr. Shawn Donnolly, SCC
Sr. Geraldine Frisk, MPF
Sr. Margaret Gaffikin, FSP
Sr. Maureen Himchak, MPF
Sr. Janice Jolin, SMIC
Sr. Justina Lanasa, SCC
Sr. Merris Larkin, SC
Sr. Josita Marks, SCC
Sr. Diane Moughan, SCC
Sr. Gale Pankowski, SCC
Sr. Joan Repka, SC
Sr. Gerardine Tansits, SCC
Sr. Inez Valentin, FMA
50 Years
Sr. Marie Cecilia Landis, SCC
Sr. Ann Lavelle, SCC
Sr. Joyce O’Shea, SC
Sr. Teresita Teran, FMA
40 Years
Sr. Elaine Bebyn, MPF
Sr. Fran DaGrossa, FMA
Sr. Emy De Fillippi, FMA
25 Years
Fr. John C. Coughlin, OFM
Sr. Maria Goretti Nguyen, SCC
Sr. Araceli Soldevilla, FSSE
Fr. Agustino Miguel Torres, CFR
Br. Matthias Kwang-Jae Yoo, OSB
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/55-religious-jubilarians-honored-for-joyful-service-in-parsippany-catholic-on-april-18-bishop-kevin-j-sweeney-joyfully-commemorated-55-dedicated-religious-sisters-and-priests-as-they-reached-majo.jpg)
55 religious jubilarians honored for joyful service in Parsippany #Catholic – 
On April 18, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney joyfully commemorated 55 dedicated religious sisters and priests as they reached major anniversaries in consecrated life — from 25 to an inspiring 80 years — during the jubilant annual Mass for Religious of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey at St. Ann Church in Parsippany, N.J. The bishop wholeheartedly thanked the jubilarians for their remarkable combined 3,280 years of selfless service to the diocese and the Church.
Several priests, including Father Nico Quintos, pastor of St. Ann’s and minister to the diocesan retired senior priests, concelebrated the Mass. Meanwhile, Father Jared Brogan, director of the diocesan Office of Worship, served as master of ceremonies for the liturgy, which was organized by the office of Salesian Sister Theresa Lee, diocesan chancellor and delegate for religious.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
During the joyful Mass, Bishop Sweeney led the jubilarians in renewing their heartfelt commitment as religious “to follow Christ in chastity, poverty, and obedience.” With Sister Lee’s help, Bishop Sweeney then handed out anniversary certificates to the 24 jubilarians who attended. Afterward, worshippers proceeded to St. Ann’s parish hall for a festive reception.
Jubilarians of the Paterson Diocese for 2026
80 Years
Sr. Domenica Di Peri, FMA
Sr. Anna Grace Mascolo, MPF
Sr. Raphael Santitoro, MPF
75 Years
Sr. Lorraine Chaudron, MPF
Sr. Joan Digan, SC
Sr. Louise Lauretti, MPF
Sr. Santa Priolo, MPF
Sr. Livia Setti, FMA
Sr. Helen Sholander, MPF
Sr. Mary Catherine Slattery, SCC
70 Years
Sr. Mary Culhane, SC
Sr. Eileen Eager, SC
Sr. Carmela Falcone, MPF
Sr. Mary Gintilla, MPF
Sr. Joan Daniel Healy, SCC
Sr. Rose Marie O’Brien, SC
Sr. Mary Bertha Paquin, FMA
Sr. Geraldine Romano, MPF
Sr. Jean Ann Trainor, SC
65 Years
Sr. Maureen Ann Corcoran, SC
Sr. Anna DeCarli, MPF
Sr. Balbina Lopez, FMA
Sr. Barbara Quandt, MPF
Sr. Carmela Santarsiero, MPF
Sr. Rosemary Smith, SC
Sr. Alice Swartz, RSM
Sr. Carmela Termine, FMA
60 Years
Sr. Donna Brady, SCC
Sr. Ellen Byrnes, FSP
Fr. Bernard Creighton, OFM
Sr. Shawn Donnolly, SCC
Sr. Geraldine Frisk, MPF
Sr. Margaret Gaffikin, FSP
Sr. Maureen Himchak, MPF
Sr. Janice Jolin, SMIC
Sr. Justina Lanasa, SCC
Sr. Merris Larkin, SC
Sr. Josita Marks, SCC
Sr. Diane Moughan, SCC
Sr. Gale Pankowski, SCC
Sr. Joan Repka, SC
Sr. Gerardine Tansits, SCC
Sr. Inez Valentin, FMA
50 Years
Sr. Marie Cecilia Landis, SCC
Sr. Ann Lavelle, SCC
Sr. Joyce O’Shea, SC
Sr. Teresita Teran, FMA
40 Years
Sr. Elaine Bebyn, MPF
Sr. Fran DaGrossa, FMA
Sr. Emy De Fillippi, FMA
25 Years
Fr. John C. Coughlin, OFM
Sr. Maria Goretti Nguyen, SCC
Sr. Araceli Soldevilla, FSSE
Fr. Agustino Miguel Torres, CFR
Br. Matthias Kwang-Jae Yoo, OSB
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
– On April 18, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney joyfully commemorated 55 dedicated religious sisters and priests as they reached major anniversaries in consecrated life — from 25 to an inspiring 80 years — during the jubilant annual Mass for Religious of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey at St. Ann Church in Parsippany, N.J. The bishop wholeheartedly thanked the jubilarians for their remarkable combined 3,280 years of selfless service to the diocese and the Church. Several priests, including Father Nico Quintos, pastor of St. Ann’s and minister to the diocesan retired senior priests, concelebrated the Mass. Meanwhile, Father Jared Brogan, director
The pontiff told young Angolans that Our Lady entrusts them with the task of building a better world shaped by the Gospel.
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HOLLYWOOD — Studio executives have been utterly baffled by the massive success of a movie made to entertain people.
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U.S. — Local man Richard Manfred was arrested today after failing to give attention to a matter despite President Trump thanking him for his attention to the matter.
Read More| Picture of the day |
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Three pewter measuring cups.
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National Public Radio (NPR) has secured $113 million in donations as it continues to grapple with the fallout from major federal funding cuts under the Trump administration.
The post Wife of Ex-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer Bails Out NPR With $80 Million Donation After Trump Cut Federal Funding appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Three Los Angeles-area residents have been sentenced to jail time after pleading no contest to felony insurance fraud in a bizarre scheme that involved dressing in a bear costume to stage fake attacks on luxury vehicles and then filing fraudulent insurance claims.
The post ‘Clearly a Human in a Bear Suit’: California Trio Jailed for Staging Fake Bear Attacks on Rolls-Royce and Mercedes in $142K Insurance Scam (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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A parachuter slammed into Virginia Tech’s stadium scoreboard moments before kickoff on Saturday, leaving the jumper dangling above the field and delaying the school’s spring football game.
The post OUCH! Parachuter Crashes Into Scoreboard at Virginia Tech Game, Left Dangling Above Stadium (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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In honor of National Infertility Awareness Week, here are four Catholic ministries helping couples carry the cross of infertility.
![Beloved Catholic kids book series ‘Chime Travelers’ becomes animated TV show #Catholic The beloved children’s book series “Chime Travelers” has now made an exciting leap from page to screen with its development into an animated TV series, bringing its imaginative world to life in a whole new way. Known for its blend of adventure, time travel, and meaningful life lessons, the Catholic series has captivated young readers with its charming characters and heartfelt storytelling for over 10 years.“Chime Travelers,” written by Catholic author Lisa Hendey, follows twins Patrick and Katie as they travel to different places and time periods — all thanks to some magical church bells — to learn valuable life lessons from the saints.Developed by Family Theater Productions and Herald Entertainment, the new animated series depicts the same stories from the book series and includes episodes on St. Patrick, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Clare of Assisi, St. Kateri Tekakwitha, and the Holy Family.In an interview with EWTN News, Hendey said she’s “absolutely thrilled with the outcome” of the animated series.She shared that she had been in conversations with Family Theater Productions — a Catholic production studio in Hollywood — since 2017 about adapting the books for television.“They really saw at an early point the potential for the books to become a very dynamic [series], something even bigger than what they were as books, and itʼs been a long path enough to get to where we are now,” Hendey said.
Katie meets St. Kateri Tekakwitha in an episode of “Chime Travelers.” | Credit: Family Theater Productions
Father David Guffey, executive producer of “Chime Travelers” and the national director of Family Theater Productions, told EWTN News that he believed this series needed to be made because there aren’t many options in terms of Catholic media for children.“If you look at all the media thatʼs out there, thereʼs not much for Catholic children,” he said. “Thereʼs a lot for Catholic teens. Thereʼs a lot for Catholic adults. Thereʼs not a lot of Catholic childrenʼs programming. And we decided just to take a risk on this animated series so that thereʼd be another option for parents that wanted something solid to show their children.”While the book series only included five stories, the animated series will have more saint stories made into episodes for future seasons. For these additional stories, Hendey is serving as a consultant.“Iʼm so delighted that they continue to involve my voice and to give me the chance to say, ‘Well, I donʼt think my character would say that, or have we tried this, or have we thought about this?’ But the new stories are — theyʼre so exciting because theyʼre brand-new. I didnʼt write books about them,” she said. “And now the question will be, do we adapt books from those or what happens next?”Guffey, who is also a biblical consultant on the hit series “The Chosen," said he believes the rise in popularity in faith-based movies and shows being created has “been a long time in coming.”“For a long time, executives in Hollywood didnʼt believe that Christians were an audience,” he explained. “They didnʼt believe there was a faith-based audience and so they were very reluctant to fund or distribute projects. Weʼve had some big signs that there is an audience. Christians have proved themselves.”He highlighted “The Passion of the Christ” as the faith-based movie that opened the doors for other faith-based films to be created and “The Chosen” for doing the same for faith-based television series.“Christians and Catholics are showing they will seek out the kind of content that suits their families and their faith. And thatʼs going to change Hollywood — the business side of Hollywood especially,” Guffey added.The Catholic priest also emphasized the importance of creating faith-based media specifically for children.“With an adult show, adults will watch it once and theyʼre done. But with childrenʼs shows, if theyʼre of any quality at all, children will watch them over and over and over again. So, these shows and these stories really form young people in a really significant way,” he said.Hendey added that she’s grateful “we have now programming thatʼs not only faithful — because we always wanted to be faithful and we always wanted to really speak to the truth and the beauty and the goodness of our Church — but also thatʼs fun, thatʼs compelling, that kids want to watch over and over again.”As for her hopes for the series, Hendey said: “I hope that the kids who watch this, in particular, understand the agency that they have in their own lives to learn valuable lessons from the community of saints and to be a force for good in our world. We need them. We need their hearts and their purity and the love that they have, and so I hope they feel emboldened to realize that they really can make change in their world and in our world.”Guffey added: “When youʼre a kid, you think the problem youʼre going through, youʼre the only one that ever had it and you think you can be a very lonely place. I hope the series shows that first of all, Katie and Patrick go through some of the things they go through at school or at home, but also that the saints and the people whoʼve gone before us have gone through the same thing. And we can draw on the wisdom and the experience of others to gracefully move through the problems, the troubles that we encounter in our lives today.”“The lives of the saints are the lives of the Gospel in action. And I think itʼs important that children see how faith is put into practice,” Guffey shared. “And when we tell the stories of the saints, we are really telling the story of people who put their faith into practice in the good times and in the more difficult times.”“Chime Travelers” can be watched on Formed and on Hallow.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/beloved-catholic-kids-book-series-chime-travelers-becomes-animated-tv-show-catholic-the-beloved-childrens-book-series-chime-travelers-has-now-made-an-exci-scaled.jpg)
The new animated series depicts the same stories from the books, including episodes on St. Patrick, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Clare of Assisi, St. Kateri Tekakwitha, and the Holy Family.
The pontiff urged the country to overcome old divisions, reject corruption, and help young people recover hope.
Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column. April 18: Venus moves into Taurus The Moon passes 5° north of Venus at 5 A.M. EDT, then passes 5° north of Uranus at 2 P.M. EDT. By this evening, our satellite is more than 2.5 days old and some 10 percentContinue reading “The Sky Today on Sunday, April 19: The Moon passes above the Pleiades”
The post The Sky Today on Sunday, April 19: The Moon passes above the Pleiades appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
Read MoreAlmighty and ever-faithful Lord,
gratefully acknowledging Your mercy
and humbly admitting our need,
we pledge our trust in You and each other.
Filled with desire,
we respond to Your call for discipleship
by shaping our lives in imitation of Christ.
We profess that the call requires us
to be stewards of Your gifts.
As stewards, we receive Your gifts gratefully,
cherish and tend them in a responsible manner,
share them in practice and love with others,
and …
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 2:14, 22-33
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven,
raised his voice, and proclaimed:
"You who are Jews, indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem.
Let this be known to you, and listen to my words.
You who are Israelites, hear these words.
Jesus the Nazarene was a man commended to you by God
with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs,
which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know.
This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God,
you killed, using lawless men to crucify him.
But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death,
because it was impossible for him to be held by it.
For David says of him:
I saw the Lord ever before me,
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
Therefore my heart has been glad and my tongue has exulted;
my flesh, too, will dwell in hope,
because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld,
nor will you suffer your holy one to see corruption.
You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.
"My brothers, one can confidently say to you
about the patriarch David that he died and was buried,
and his tomb is in our midst to this day.
But since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn an oath to him
that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne,
he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ,
that neither was he abandoned to the netherworld
nor did his flesh see corruption.
God raised this Jesus;
of this we are all witnesses.
Exalted at the right hand of God,
he received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father
and poured him forth, as you see and hear."
A reading from the Letter of Peter
1:17-21
Beloved:
If you invoke as Father him who judges impartially
according to each one’s works,
conduct yourselves with reverence during the time of your sojourning,
realizing that you were ransomed from your futile conduct,
handed on by your ancestors,
not with perishable things like silver or gold
but with the precious blood of Christ
as of a spotless unblemished lamb.
He was known before the foundation of the world
but revealed in the final time for you,
who through him believe in God
who raised him from the dead and gave him glory,
so that your faith and hope are in God.
From the Gospel according to Luke
24:13-35
That very day, the first day of the week,
two of Jesus’ disciples were going
to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus,
and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.
And it happened that while they were conversing and debating,
Jesus himself drew near and walked with them,
but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
He asked them,
"What are you discussing as you walk along?"
They stopped, looking downcast.
One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply,
"Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem
who does not know of the things
that have taken place there in these days?"
And he replied to them, "What sort of things?"
They said to him,
"The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene,
who was a prophet mighty in deed and word
before God and all the people,
how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over
to a sentence of death and crucified him.
But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel;
and besides all this,
it is now the third day since this took place.
Some women from our group, however, have astounded us:
they were at the tomb early in the morning
and did not find his body;
they came back and reported
that they had indeed seen a vision of angels
who announced that he was alive.
Then some of those with us went to the tomb
and found things just as the women had described,
but him they did not see."
And he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are!
How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!
Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things
and enter into his glory?"
Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets,
he interpreted to them what referred to him
in all the Scriptures.
As they approached the village to which they were going,
he gave the impression that he was going on farther.
But they urged him, "Stay with us,
for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over."
So he went in to stay with them.
And it happened that, while he was with them at table,
he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and gave it to them.
With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,
but he vanished from their sight.
Then they said to each other,
"Were not our hearts burning within us
while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?"
So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem
where they found gathered together
the eleven and those with them who were saying,
"The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!"
Then the two recounted
what had taken place on the way
and how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread.
The disciples of Emmaus walk sadly because they hoped for a different ending, for a Messiah who did not know the cross. Although they have heard that the tomb is empty, they cannot smile. But Jesus walks alongside them and patiently helps them understand that pain is not the denial of the promise, but the way through which God has manifested the measure of his love (cf. Lk 24:13-27). When they are finally seated at the table with him and break bread, their eyes are opened. They realize that their hearts were already burning, even though they did not know it (cf. Lk 24:28-32). This is the greatest surprise: to discover that beneath the ashes of disenchantment and weariness there is always a living ember, waiting only to be rekindled.
Brothers and sisters, Christ’s resurrection teaches us that no history is so marked by disappointment or sin that it cannot be visited by hope. No fall is definitive, no night is eternal, no wound is destined to remain open forever. However distant, lost or unworthy we may feel, there is no distance that can extinguish the unfailing power of God’s love. (Pope Leo XIV, General Audience, 8 October 2025)
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The Holy Father will spend several days in Angola before finishing his trip in Equatorial Guinea.
The pontiff urged the country to reject exploitative models of development and place the common good above particular interests.
![Pope Leo XIV says debate with Trump is ‘not in my interest at all’ #Catholic ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE — Pope Leo XIV arrived in Angola after a two-and-a-half-hour flight from Cameroon on April 18, using the short journey to reject suggestions that his recent remarks about war were aimed at U.S. President Donald Trump while reflecting on the pastoral focus of his African trip.In a brief in-flight press conference with journalists, the pope addressed the interpretation of some of his recent speeches as a response to criticism from Trump, who had accused him of weakness in foreign policy.“[T]hereʼs been a certain narrative that has not been accurate in all of its aspects, but because of the political situation created when on the first day of the trip, the President of the United States made some comments about myself,” the pope said.“Much of what has been written since then has been more commentary on commentary, trying to interpret what has been said.”He pointed in particular to his address at the April 16 prayer meeting for peace in Cameroon.“Just one little example, the talk that I gave at the prayer meeting for peace a couple days ago was prepared two weeks ago, well before the president ever commented on myself and on the message of peace that I am promoting,” he said.“And yet, as it happens, it was looked at as if I was trying to debate again the president, which is not in my interest at all.”Leo XIV said he intends instead to continue proclaiming the Gospel and promoting peace.“So we go on the journey, we continue proclaiming the Gospel message,” he said.He added that the liturgies during the trip have highlighted what it means to follow Christ, promote fraternity, and seek justice and peace.The pope also said the broader African journey has been shaped by themes that emerged at the start of the trip in Algeria, especially the figure of St. Augustine.“I was personally very pleased, as you know, we began the trip in Algeria with the theme of Saint Augustine, and yesterday at the Catholic University, we had the blessing of that beautiful monument that they had prepared with a map of Africa and Saint Augustine at the center,” he said.“And so in one sense, it expresses part of what this trip is about.”Leo XIV emphasized that his primary purpose in Africa is to accompany Catholics.“And I primarily come to Africa as pastor, as the head of the Catholic Church, to be with, to celebrate with, to encourage and accompany all of the Catholics throughout Africa.”He also referred to a meeting with imams in Cameroon, describing it in general terms as part of the Church’s continuing commitment to interreligious dialogue, understanding, and peace-building.He concluded his main remarks by thanking journalists for their work and expressing hope that God would continue to bless the journey.Responding later to a French journalist, Leo XIV expressed gratitude for the reception he received in Cameroon.“I would just like to thank everyone in Cameroon for the wonderful welcome, the great enthusiasm, the joy of the people,” he said.“It was absolutely fantastic, the experience … how wonderful it is to experience what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ and to celebrate our faith together.”The pope’s flight took him from Yaoundé to Luanda, crossing over Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Angola. Angola is the third and penultimate stop of his African journey.The Catholic Church has longstanding ties with Angola. Formal relations date back centuries, including the 1608 appointment of Antonio Manuel Nyunda as the first ambassador to Rome from the then-Kingdom of Kongo. More recently, in 2019, the Holy See and Angola signed an agreement recognizing the legal personality of the Catholic Church and defining its property rights.This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/pope-leo-xiv-says-debate-with-trump-is-not-in-my-interest-at-all-catholic-aboard-the-papal-plane-pope-leo-xiv-arrived-in-angola-after-a-two-and-a-half-hour-flight-from-cameroon-o-scaled.jpg "Pope Leo XIV says debate with Trump is ‘not in my interest at all’ #Catholic ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE — Pope Leo XIV arrived in Angola after a two-and-a-half-hour flight from Cameroon on April 18, using the short journey to reject suggestions that his recent remarks about war were aimed at U.S. President Donald Trump while reflecting on the pastoral focus of his African trip.In a brief in-flight press conference with journalists, the pope addressed the interpretation of some of his recent speeches as a response to criticism from Trump, who had accused him of weakness in foreign policy.“[T]hereʼs been a certain narrative that has not been accurate in all of its aspects, but because of the political situation created when on the first day of the trip, the President of the United States made some comments about myself,” the pope said.“Much of what has been written since then has been more commentary on commentary, trying to interpret what has been said.”He pointed in particular to his address at the April 16 prayer meeting for peace in Cameroon.“Just one little example, the talk that I gave at the prayer meeting for peace a couple days ago was prepared two weeks ago, well before the president ever commented on myself and on the message of peace that I am promoting,” he said.“And yet, as it happens, it was looked at as if I was trying to debate again the president, which is not in my interest at all.”Leo XIV said he intends instead to continue proclaiming the Gospel and promoting peace.“So we go on the journey, we continue proclaiming the Gospel message,” he said.He added that the liturgies during the trip have highlighted what it means to follow Christ, promote fraternity, and seek justice and peace.The pope also said the broader African journey has been shaped by themes that emerged at the start of the trip in Algeria, especially the figure of St. Augustine.“I was personally very pleased, as you know, we began the trip in Algeria with the theme of Saint Augustine, and yesterday at the Catholic University, we had the blessing of that beautiful monument that they had prepared with a map of Africa and Saint Augustine at the center,” he said.“And so in one sense, it expresses part of what this trip is about.”Leo XIV emphasized that his primary purpose in Africa is to accompany Catholics.“And I primarily come to Africa as pastor, as the head of the Catholic Church, to be with, to celebrate with, to encourage and accompany all of the Catholics throughout Africa.”He also referred to a meeting with imams in Cameroon, describing it in general terms as part of the Church’s continuing commitment to interreligious dialogue, understanding, and peace-building.He concluded his main remarks by thanking journalists for their work and expressing hope that God would continue to bless the journey.Responding later to a French journalist, Leo XIV expressed gratitude for the reception he received in Cameroon.“I would just like to thank everyone in Cameroon for the wonderful welcome, the great enthusiasm, the joy of the people,” he said.“It was absolutely fantastic, the experience … how wonderful it is to experience what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ and to celebrate our faith together.”The pope’s flight took him from Yaoundé to Luanda, crossing over Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Angola. Angola is the third and penultimate stop of his African journey.The Catholic Church has longstanding ties with Angola. Formal relations date back centuries, including the 1608 appointment of Antonio Manuel Nyunda as the first ambassador to Rome from the then-Kingdom of Kongo. More recently, in 2019, the Holy See and Angola signed an agreement recognizing the legal personality of the Catholic Church and defining its property rights.This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.")
En route from Cameroon to Angola, the pope said his mission in Africa is pastoral and rejected suggestions that his recent remarks were aimed at President Donald Trump.
