Vatican synod report urges women’s input in preparing future priests #Catholic The General Secretariat of the Synod has published a preliminary report urging that women’s “views and assessments” be given due weight in the discernment of candidates for priesthood and warning against seminary models that separate future priests from the ordinary life of the people of God.The text gathers conclusions from a synod study group tasked with examining priestly formation in a synodal key. The proposals are not definitive and have been forwarded to Pope Leo XIV for review.One central concern in the report is the need to rethink seminary formation so it does not foster a culture of separation from parish life. “The formation itinerary must not create artificial environments detached from the ordinary life of the faithful,” the document says, calling instead for formation in “close contact with the daily life of the people of God.”The report says the seminary “should not be a prolonged experience far from the people of God” and proposes “other formative modules along the way, not alternative but complementary to the ‘place/time’ of the seminary.” Those modules could include residence in parish communities or other ecclesial settings, while avoiding any further extension of overall formation time.Such isolation, it warns, can become fertile ground for unhealthy dynamics. The report says this approach “will avoid the condition of separation where irresponsibility, dissimulation, and clerical infantilism are more easily bred.”The document also stresses the importance of a “real experience of the life of faith and commitment in the Christian community” before entering specific vocational paths, describing it as an indispensable condition for initial discernment.On selection for ordination, the report says the people of God should be “truly listened to” in the process “in view of the conferral of holy orders,” including consultation with the candidate’s pastor and those who have known his pastoral service — “giving due importance also to the views and assessments of women.”The publication is part of a broader move toward transparency as the synod releases the work of its study groups, with additional reports expected in the coming weeks, including texts on liturgy in a synodal perspective and on the status of episcopal conferences, ecclesial assemblies, and particular councils.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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Vatican synod report urges women’s input in preparing future priests #Catholic The General Secretariat of the Synod has published a preliminary report urging that women’s “views and assessments” be given due weight in the discernment of candidates for priesthood and warning against seminary models that separate future priests from the ordinary life of the people of God.The text gathers conclusions from a synod study group tasked with examining priestly formation in a synodal key. The proposals are not definitive and have been forwarded to Pope Leo XIV for review.One central concern in the report is the need to rethink seminary formation so it does not foster a culture of separation from parish life. “The formation itinerary must not create artificial environments detached from the ordinary life of the faithful,” the document says, calling instead for formation in “close contact with the daily life of the people of God.”The report says the seminary “should not be a prolonged experience far from the people of God” and proposes “other formative modules along the way, not alternative but complementary to the ‘place/time’ of the seminary.” Those modules could include residence in parish communities or other ecclesial settings, while avoiding any further extension of overall formation time.Such isolation, it warns, can become fertile ground for unhealthy dynamics. The report says this approach “will avoid the condition of separation where irresponsibility, dissimulation, and clerical infantilism are more easily bred.”The document also stresses the importance of a “real experience of the life of faith and commitment in the Christian community” before entering specific vocational paths, describing it as an indispensable condition for initial discernment.On selection for ordination, the report says the people of God should be “truly listened to” in the process “in view of the conferral of holy orders,” including consultation with the candidate’s pastor and those who have known his pastoral service — “giving due importance also to the views and assessments of women.”The publication is part of a broader move toward transparency as the synod releases the work of its study groups, with additional reports expected in the coming weeks, including texts on liturgy in a synodal perspective and on the status of episcopal conferences, ecclesial assemblies, and particular councils.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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The report also warns seminaries must not become an “artificial environment” detached from the ordinary life of the faithful.

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‘Biblical Roots’: Picasso’s spiritual ‘sensibilities’ on display at Burgos Cathedral #Catholic The Burgos Cathedral in Spain is hosting an exhibition of 44 works by Pablo Picasso titled “Biblical Roots,” which explores the biblical essence and Christian origins present in the Spanish painter’s work.Among those attending the March 2 opening of the exhibit were Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, Queen Sofía, and Bernard Ruiz-Picasso, the artist’s grandson and president of the Bernard Ruiz-Picasso Foundation for Art (FABA, by its Spanish acronym).The cardinal emphasized during the opening that half a century after the artist’s death, “one of the least examined dimensions of Pablo Picasso is his radical exploration of transcendence,” according to a statement from the Archdiocese of Burgos. The cardinal also remarked that though the artist declared he had no faith, “he never abandoned the symbolic foundation of biblical and Christian tradition,” which constitutes “a generative tension throughout his work.” Queen Sofía at the exhibition in Burgos Cathedral. | Credit: Archdiocese of Burgos He said the Bible was for Picasso a “profound structure” of his sensibility, “an inner interpretive key forged in the sensory experience of the liturgy and the sacred Catholic imagery of his childhood.”He emphasized that in many of Picasso’s works, “the body of Christ becomes an archetype of human suffering,” particularly visible in the painting “Guernica,” “where the rhetoric of sacred iconography emerges as a language of pain.”For the cardinal, this exhibition also constitutes “an exemplary act of cultural dialogue: The cathedral and Picasso are not viewed as separate entities, but rather they challenge and illuminate each other by addressing the ultimate questions about meaning, suffering, and fraternity.”On behalf of Pope Leo XIV, he encouraged continued promotion of an authentic dialogue between Christianity and contemporary culture, “convinced that the artistic experience demands taking a broad view capable of recognizing the spiritual depth that dwells even in those who do not profess to be believers.” The opening of the exhibition — organized by the Archdiocese of Burgos, the Metropolitan Chapter, the FABA Foundation, and the Burgos Consulate of the Sea Foundation — was also attended by the vicar general of the archdiocese, Father Carlos Izquierdo Yusta, and Archbishop Emeritus Fidel Herráez Vegas, as well as other local officials.For Archbishop Mario Iceta of Burgos, the exhibition “constitutes a new milestone in the cathedral’s historical dialogue with culture.”He also recalled that the Burgos Cathedral, since the laying of its foundation stone by King St. Ferdinand (1199–1252), “has integrated all artistic styles throughout the centuries like a living organism,” and that today it also seeks to open itself up to contemporary culture through the work Picasso, a “leading and highly influential” artist.The artist’s grandson emphasized that the exhibition also has a profound meaning for the Ruiz-Picasso family, since “the artist visited the church ‘incognito’ in 1936, accompanied by his wife and son,” in what would be his last visit to Spain.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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‘Biblical Roots’: Picasso’s spiritual ‘sensibilities’ on display at Burgos Cathedral #Catholic The Burgos Cathedral in Spain is hosting an exhibition of 44 works by Pablo Picasso titled “Biblical Roots,” which explores the biblical essence and Christian origins present in the Spanish painter’s work.Among those attending the March 2 opening of the exhibit were Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, Queen Sofía, and Bernard Ruiz-Picasso, the artist’s grandson and president of the Bernard Ruiz-Picasso Foundation for Art (FABA, by its Spanish acronym).The cardinal emphasized during the opening that half a century after the artist’s death, “one of the least examined dimensions of Pablo Picasso is his radical exploration of transcendence,” according to a statement from the Archdiocese of Burgos. The cardinal also remarked that though the artist declared he had no faith, “he never abandoned the symbolic foundation of biblical and Christian tradition,” which constitutes “a generative tension throughout his work.” Queen Sofía at the exhibition in Burgos Cathedral. | Credit: Archdiocese of Burgos He said the Bible was for Picasso a “profound structure” of his sensibility, “an inner interpretive key forged in the sensory experience of the liturgy and the sacred Catholic imagery of his childhood.”He emphasized that in many of Picasso’s works, “the body of Christ becomes an archetype of human suffering,” particularly visible in the painting “Guernica,” “where the rhetoric of sacred iconography emerges as a language of pain.”For the cardinal, this exhibition also constitutes “an exemplary act of cultural dialogue: The cathedral and Picasso are not viewed as separate entities, but rather they challenge and illuminate each other by addressing the ultimate questions about meaning, suffering, and fraternity.”On behalf of Pope Leo XIV, he encouraged continued promotion of an authentic dialogue between Christianity and contemporary culture, “convinced that the artistic experience demands taking a broad view capable of recognizing the spiritual depth that dwells even in those who do not profess to be believers.” The opening of the exhibition — organized by the Archdiocese of Burgos, the Metropolitan Chapter, the FABA Foundation, and the Burgos Consulate of the Sea Foundation — was also attended by the vicar general of the archdiocese, Father Carlos Izquierdo Yusta, and Archbishop Emeritus Fidel Herráez Vegas, as well as other local officials.For Archbishop Mario Iceta of Burgos, the exhibition “constitutes a new milestone in the cathedral’s historical dialogue with culture.”He also recalled that the Burgos Cathedral, since the laying of its foundation stone by King St. Ferdinand (1199–1252), “has integrated all artistic styles throughout the centuries like a living organism,” and that today it also seeks to open itself up to contemporary culture through the work Picasso, a “leading and highly influential” artist.The artist’s grandson emphasized that the exhibition also has a profound meaning for the Ruiz-Picasso family, since “the artist visited the church ‘incognito’ in 1936, accompanied by his wife and son,” in what would be his last visit to Spain.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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While Pablo Picasso was a professed atheist, a new exhibit in Spain highlights the spiritual sensibilities of his art.

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Morning Offering Prayer #4: Prayer of the Day for Wednesday, March 04, 2026 – #Prayer – Almighty God, I thank you for your past blessings. Today I offer myself – whatever I do, say, or think – to your loving care. Continue to bless me, Lord. I make this morning offering in union with the divine intentions of Jesus Christ who offers himself daily inthe holy sacrifice of the Mass, and in union with Mary, his Virgin Mother and our Mother, who was always the faithful handmaid of the Lord. Amen.

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Almighty God, I thank you for your past blessings.
Today I offer myself – whatever I do, say, or think –
to your loving care.
Continue to bless me, Lord.
I make this morning offering in union
with the divine intentions of Jesus Christ
who offers himself daily inthe holy sacrifice of the Mass,
and in union with Mary, his Virgin Mother and our Mother,
who was always the faithful handmaid of the Lord.

Amen.

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Iraqi archbishop laments spread of Iranian conflict, communication barrier with Tehran archbishop – #Catholic – An Iraqi Catholic archbishop said his flock is frightened and communication with Tehran’s archbishop has been impossible as the Iranian conflict escalates.Archbishop Bashar Matti Warda of Erbil, the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq, told “EWTN News Nightly” that the situation is “quite frightening” because the Christian community is once more asking: “Will it reach us? Will we have to really leave again? Will our children have a future?”Warda said the situation is particularly sensitive for Iraq’s Christian population, which has seen “almost 50 years of continuous violence,” including eight years of war with Iran, followed by the first and second Gulf wars, as well as sectarian violence.“All of these memories,” he said, are “still there.”Warda said schools and universities in the region have been closed for nearly a week, and “the economy is collapsing.” All the while, he said, there is fear that “around every three, four hours, Erbil would be hit by either rockets or drones.”“The fear is there,” he said. “And the scope of violence is just getting bigger, because following the news, we see new countries being attacked and new places being attacked.”“Erbil [has been] targeted a few times so far,” he said, “and we know the largest Iraqi Christian gathering is in Erbil, and this might be another reason for the Christians to say, ‘There is no future.’”In Iraq, regional and local reporting said drones attempted to target Erbil International Airport and were intercepted.Warda said his “biggest fear” is that Christian families who were previously committed to remaining in Iraq will decide to flee the region due to ongoing instability. “These types of wars and conflicts will shake everything,” he said, regardless of what has been done to “really build something for the Christian community to stay.”Regarding efforts to get in contact with Archbishop Dominique Joseph Mathieu of Tehran, Iran, Warda said: “We have tried several times. But there is no communication whatsoever.”Warda said he asked one of the Chaldean religious sisters currently working in his diocese about her family, who live in Iran, but she has not been able to reach them. “Sadly enough, there is no communication whatsoever with that part of the world,” he said, noting loss of power and communication lines in Iran.“We are praying for the community there,” he said.Amid the conflict, Warda said attendance at morning Mass and evening prayer in the community has been “really great.” The community has canceled its weekly catechism classes, however, as well as its annual Ankawa Youth Gathering, the largest gathering of young people in Iraq.
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Iraqi archbishop laments spread of Iranian conflict, communication barrier with Tehran archbishop – #Catholic – An Iraqi Catholic archbishop said his flock is frightened and communication with Tehran’s archbishop has been impossible as the Iranian conflict escalates.Archbishop Bashar Matti Warda of Erbil, the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq, told “EWTN News Nightly” that the situation is “quite frightening” because the Christian community is once more asking: “Will it reach us? Will we have to really leave again? Will our children have a future?”Warda said the situation is particularly sensitive for Iraq’s Christian population, which has seen “almost 50 years of continuous violence,” including eight years of war with Iran, followed by the first and second Gulf wars, as well as sectarian violence.“All of these memories,” he said, are “still there.”Warda said schools and universities in the region have been closed for nearly a week, and “the economy is collapsing.” All the while, he said, there is fear that “around every three, four hours, Erbil would be hit by either rockets or drones.”“The fear is there,” he said. “And the scope of violence is just getting bigger, because following the news, we see new countries being attacked and new places being attacked.”“Erbil [has been] targeted a few times so far,” he said, “and we know the largest Iraqi Christian gathering is in Erbil, and this might be another reason for the Christians to say, ‘There is no future.’”In Iraq, regional and local reporting said drones attempted to target Erbil International Airport and were intercepted.Warda said his “biggest fear” is that Christian families who were previously committed to remaining in Iraq will decide to flee the region due to ongoing instability. “These types of wars and conflicts will shake everything,” he said, regardless of what has been done to “really build something for the Christian community to stay.”Regarding efforts to get in contact with Archbishop Dominique Joseph Mathieu of Tehran, Iran, Warda said: “We have tried several times. But there is no communication whatsoever.”Warda said he asked one of the Chaldean religious sisters currently working in his diocese about her family, who live in Iran, but she has not been able to reach them. “Sadly enough, there is no communication whatsoever with that part of the world,” he said, noting loss of power and communication lines in Iran.“We are praying for the community there,” he said.Amid the conflict, Warda said attendance at morning Mass and evening prayer in the community has been “really great.” The community has canceled its weekly catechism classes, however, as well as its annual Ankawa Youth Gathering, the largest gathering of young people in Iraq.

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Archbishop Bashar Matti Warda of Erbil, Iraq, shared the situation on the ground for the Iraqi Christian community with “EWTN News Nightly” as the prospect of broader regional war looms.

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‘This work is about hope:’ University of St. Mary prison education program centers on human dignity - #Catholic - English professor Leanna Brunner devotes much of her time to educating prisoners — work that she says is “some of the most rewarding work of my entire career.”“The students are some of the most devoted, conscientious, and hardworking I have had,” Brunner told EWTN News. “Every week that I go in the prison to teach, I come out feeling even more insightful than when I entered. I learn as much from the students about life as they do from me.”Brunner, an assistant professor at University of St. Mary, a Catholic liberal arts university in Leavenworth, Kansas, is involved in the university’s prison education program.About 100 students are enrolled across federal, state, and military correctional facilities in the university’s program. Though the university has worked in prisons for decades, the program recently received full accreditation, according to a Feb. 26 announcement.“This is not an auxiliary initiative but a central expression of our Catholic identity,” program director Michelle Workman said.“We approach prison education as authentic higher education rooted in rigor, dignity, and long-term formation,” Workman told EWTN News. “Our faculty teach the same curriculum, and our students meet the same expectations, as those enrolled on campus.” Michelle Workman, director of the prison education program at University of St. Mary in Kansas, said the initiative is “a central expression of our Catholic identity.” | Credit: Photo courtesy of Michelle Workman As the university is sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, Workman said that “our mission calls us to educate the whole person and to serve those on the margins.”“Catholic social teaching affirms the inherent dignity of every human person and calls us to solidarity and the pursuit of the common good,” Workman said. “Incarcerated individuals are not defined solely by their past actions; they remain persons created in the image of God, capable of intellectual growth, moral reflection, and meaningful contribution.”Another professor involved in the program, Michael Hill, told EWTN News: “We are called to serve the least of these; to care for the imprisoned.”“When I look at many of my students, I know that, with only a few different choices or a few different contingencies, I might well be one of them,” said Hill, assistant professor of history and theology at the university. “I had several great professors in my life who radically altered my trajectory, not by being great, but by simply being present,” he continued. “If I can help some of these men, in however small a way, then my life has been for something.” When asked about the challenges of the work he does, Hill said they are “beyond count.” “On a personal level, many of our students come from backgrounds that don’t celebrate academic success. Many wonder if they truly belong in college. All carry the scars of life that ultimately placed them in prison,” he said. “I’m not only a teacher to many of our students, I’m also an adviser, mentor, and counselor. Wearing so many hats is an ongoing challenge. But those challenges make the successes so much sweeter.”Sometimes, unexpected challenges arise that are “more to do with the nature of prison itself,” Brunner added.“Flexibility is the name of the game because we never know what to expect on any given day,” Brunner said. “We constantly have to pivot, whether it be because of lockdowns, rules that arise because of prison culture, or any other unexpected event.”But the in-person element of education “adds a layer of humanity to the program that other modes of learning cannot,” Brunner observed.“Sitting in a classroom with these men again allows them to feel human,” she said. “Being there in person with them shows the men that I believe in their ability to change and that I am not going to judge them for the mistakes they have made in the past.”“Sadly, their time in my class is one of the few times in their lives when they can feel like ordinary humans — a time when they can forget their bad decisions and focus on making a better life for themselves, both in prison and out,” Brunner said.Classes give students a reprieve from the daily life of prison, what Hill described as “a space to be men, not just inmates or [a] number.” “Giving our students a time and place to simply be — away from the violence and politics — matters,” Hill said. “Giving them face-to-face responsibility and accountability, not in a hierarchical relationship of authority with the state or its representatives, matters.” Workman said higher education improves outcomes after prison, including reducing the likelihood of re-offending.“Education inside correctional facilities strengthens families, reduces the social and financial costs of re-incarceration, and contributes to safer communities,” Workman said.“Research consistently demonstrates that participation in higher education during incarceration is associated with significantly lower recidivism rates and stronger post-release employment outcomes,” she continued.“Education builds cognitive skills, strengthens decision-making capacity, and supports the development of pro-social identity,” Workman said.Brunner often sees the men “realize that they have the ability to learn, grow, and make better decisions.”“Watching this kind of transformation is life-changing for me as well,” Brunner said. “I often tell my students that just because they are imprisoned physically, they do not have to be imprisoned mentally or spiritually. That is a choice, and there is no better feeling than to see them choose freedom.”“At its core, however, this work is about hope — about restoring the possibility that a person can grow intellectually, rebuild identity, and reenter society with purpose,” Workman said.
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‘This work is about hope:’ University of St. Mary prison education program centers on human dignity – #Catholic – English professor Leanna Brunner devotes much of her time to educating prisoners — work that she says is “some of the most rewarding work of my entire career.”“The students are some of the most devoted, conscientious, and hardworking I have had,” Brunner told EWTN News. “Every week that I go in the prison to teach, I come out feeling even more insightful than when I entered. I learn as much from the students about life as they do from me.”Brunner, an assistant professor at University of St. Mary, a Catholic liberal arts university in Leavenworth, Kansas, is involved in the university’s prison education program.About 100 students are enrolled across federal, state, and military correctional facilities in the university’s program. Though the university has worked in prisons for decades, the program recently received full accreditation, according to a Feb. 26 announcement.“This is not an auxiliary initiative but a central expression of our Catholic identity,” program director Michelle Workman said.“We approach prison education as authentic higher education rooted in rigor, dignity, and long-term formation,” Workman told EWTN News. “Our faculty teach the same curriculum, and our students meet the same expectations, as those enrolled on campus.” Michelle Workman, director of the prison education program at University of St. Mary in Kansas, said the initiative is “a central expression of our Catholic identity.” | Credit: Photo courtesy of Michelle Workman As the university is sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, Workman said that “our mission calls us to educate the whole person and to serve those on the margins.”“Catholic social teaching affirms the inherent dignity of every human person and calls us to solidarity and the pursuit of the common good,” Workman said. “Incarcerated individuals are not defined solely by their past actions; they remain persons created in the image of God, capable of intellectual growth, moral reflection, and meaningful contribution.”Another professor involved in the program, Michael Hill, told EWTN News: “We are called to serve the least of these; to care for the imprisoned.”“When I look at many of my students, I know that, with only a few different choices or a few different contingencies, I might well be one of them,” said Hill, assistant professor of history and theology at the university. “I had several great professors in my life who radically altered my trajectory, not by being great, but by simply being present,” he continued. “If I can help some of these men, in however small a way, then my life has been for something.” When asked about the challenges of the work he does, Hill said they are “beyond count.” “On a personal level, many of our students come from backgrounds that don’t celebrate academic success. Many wonder if they truly belong in college. All carry the scars of life that ultimately placed them in prison,” he said. “I’m not only a teacher to many of our students, I’m also an adviser, mentor, and counselor. Wearing so many hats is an ongoing challenge. But those challenges make the successes so much sweeter.”Sometimes, unexpected challenges arise that are “more to do with the nature of prison itself,” Brunner added.“Flexibility is the name of the game because we never know what to expect on any given day,” Brunner said. “We constantly have to pivot, whether it be because of lockdowns, rules that arise because of prison culture, or any other unexpected event.”But the in-person element of education “adds a layer of humanity to the program that other modes of learning cannot,” Brunner observed.“Sitting in a classroom with these men again allows them to feel human,” she said. “Being there in person with them shows the men that I believe in their ability to change and that I am not going to judge them for the mistakes they have made in the past.”“Sadly, their time in my class is one of the few times in their lives when they can feel like ordinary humans — a time when they can forget their bad decisions and focus on making a better life for themselves, both in prison and out,” Brunner said.Classes give students a reprieve from the daily life of prison, what Hill described as “a space to be men, not just inmates or [a] number.” “Giving our students a time and place to simply be — away from the violence and politics — matters,” Hill said. “Giving them face-to-face responsibility and accountability, not in a hierarchical relationship of authority with the state or its representatives, matters.” Workman said higher education improves outcomes after prison, including reducing the likelihood of re-offending.“Education inside correctional facilities strengthens families, reduces the social and financial costs of re-incarceration, and contributes to safer communities,” Workman said.“Research consistently demonstrates that participation in higher education during incarceration is associated with significantly lower recidivism rates and stronger post-release employment outcomes,” she continued.“Education builds cognitive skills, strengthens decision-making capacity, and supports the development of pro-social identity,” Workman said.Brunner often sees the men “realize that they have the ability to learn, grow, and make better decisions.”“Watching this kind of transformation is life-changing for me as well,” Brunner said. “I often tell my students that just because they are imprisoned physically, they do not have to be imprisoned mentally or spiritually. That is a choice, and there is no better feeling than to see them choose freedom.”“At its core, however, this work is about hope — about restoring the possibility that a person can grow intellectually, rebuild identity, and reenter society with purpose,” Workman said.

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University of St. Mary, a Catholic liberal arts university in Leavenworth, Kansas, offers a prison education program as part of its Catholic mission.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 04 March 2026 – A reading from the Book of Jeremiah 18:18-20 The people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem said, "Come, let us contrive a plot against Jeremiah. It will not mean the loss of instruction from the priests, nor of counsel from the wise, nor of messages from the prophets. And so, let us destroy him by his own tongue; let us carefully note his every word." Heed me, O LORD, and listen to what my adversaries say. Must good be repaid with evil that they should dig a pit to take my life? Remember that I stood before you to speak in their behalf, to turn away your wrath from them.From the Gospel according to Matthew 20:17-28 As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the Twelve disciples aside by themselves, and said to them on the way, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day." Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something. He said to her, "What do you wish?" She answered him, "Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom." Jesus said in reply, "You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?" They said to him, "We can." He replied, "My chalice you will indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father." When the ten heard this, they became indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus summoned them and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."This “hundredfold” is comprised of things first possessed and then left, but which shall be restored and multiplied ad infinitum. In divesting oneself of possessions, one receives in exchange the comfort of true good; freed from the slavery of things, one earns the freedom of serving out of love; in renouncing possessions, one acquires the joy of giving. As Jesus said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (cf. Acts 20:35). (…) Only by accepting with humble gratitude the love of the Lord do we free ourselves from the seduction of idols and the blindness of our illusions. Money, pleasure, success dazzle but then disappoint: they promise life but procure death. The Lord asks us to detach ourselves from these false riches in order to enter into true life, the full, authentic, luminous life. (…) May the Virgin Mary help us to open our heart to Jesus’ love, to Jesus’ gaze, the only One who can satiate our thirst for happiness. (Pope Francis, Angelus, 11 October 2015)

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A reading from the Book of Jeremiah
18:18-20

The people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem said,
"Come, let us contrive a plot against Jeremiah.
It will not mean the loss of instruction from the priests,
nor of counsel from the wise, nor of messages from the prophets.
And so, let us destroy him by his own tongue;
let us carefully note his every word."

Heed me, O LORD,
and listen to what my adversaries say.
Must good be repaid with evil
that they should dig a pit to take my life?
Remember that I stood before you
to speak in their behalf,
to turn away your wrath from them.

From the Gospel according to Matthew
20:17-28

As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem,
he took the Twelve disciples aside by themselves,
and said to them on the way,
"Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem,
and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests
and the scribes,
and they will condemn him to death,
and hand him over to the Gentiles
to be mocked and scourged and crucified,
and he will be raised on the third day."

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons
and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something.
He said to her, "What do you wish?"
She answered him,
"Command that these two sons of mine sit,
one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom."
Jesus said in reply,
"You do not know what you are asking.
Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?"
They said to him, "We can."
He replied,
"My chalice you will indeed drink,
but to sit at my right and at my left,
this is not mine to give
but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father."
When the ten heard this,
they became indignant at the two brothers.
But Jesus summoned them and said,
"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,
and the great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.
Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many."

This “hundredfold” is comprised of things first possessed and then left, but which shall be restored and multiplied ad infinitum. In divesting oneself of possessions, one receives in exchange the comfort of true good; freed from the slavery of things, one earns the freedom of serving out of love; in renouncing possessions, one acquires the joy of giving. As Jesus said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (cf. Acts 20:35). (…)

Only by accepting with humble gratitude the love of the Lord do we free ourselves from the seduction of idols and the blindness of our illusions. Money, pleasure, success dazzle but then disappoint: they promise life but procure death. The Lord asks us to detach ourselves from these false riches in order to enter into true life, the full, authentic, luminous life. (…)

May the Virgin Mary help us to open our heart to Jesus’ love, to Jesus’ gaze, the only One who can satiate our thirst for happiness. (Pope Francis, Angelus, 11 October 2015)

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Priest scrutinized for letters written on behalf of 2 notorious Mexican drug traffickers – #Catholic – Mexican priest José Dolores Aguayo González, known as Father Lolo, has received criticism from the archbishop of Guadalajara, Cardinal Francisco Robles Ortega, about letters Aguayo sent to a U.S. court on behalf of two convicted drug traffickers. The letters concerning Jessica Johanna and Rubén Oseguera, adult children of drug trafficker Nemesio Rubén Oseguera, known as “El Mencho,” were written at the request of the judge and the detainees’ family as part of the priest’s work providing spiritual ministry to people in prison.The elder Oseguera was the founder and leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation drug cartel who was killed in a shoot-out with the Mexican military on Feb. 22.In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, the priest defended his actions, stating that “the Church cannot turn its back on those who seek reconciliation with God, even if they are public figures.”“Imagine if the Church slams the door on them, and I think the issue here is, if it had been any anonymous prisoner in Puente Grande [penitentiary], there wouldn’t have been a problem. The problem is that the Church tried to fulfill its mission with these individuals,” the priest stated.Both letters, revealed last week by journalist Laura Sánchez Ley, were addressed to Judge Beryl A. Howell in Washington, D.C. The first, sent in March 2021, describes Jessica Johanna Oseguera as “a very kind person, an excellent mother, a very philanthropic woman.”Aguayo explained that he met the cartel leader’s daughter because she actively participated in parish activities, years before she pleaded guilty in U.S. court to drug trafficking charges. “When I wrote about this man’s daughter, the judge was the one who asked for my personal opinion of her, how although she had already pleaded guilty to certain crimes, had taken responsibility, what was my personal assessment [of her],” the priest told ACI Prensa.He sent the second letter to the same judge in January 2025, this time speaking favorably of Rubén Oseguera, known as “El Menchito” (Little Mencho), who was extradited to the U.S. in 2020 and sentenced to life imprisonment for drug trafficking two months after the priest’s letter.In that letter, Aguayo said that he was Rubén Oseguera’s “spiritual director” and that “he comes from a very devout Catholic family, has reflected a great deal on his future, and has read the holy Scriptures,” adding that “despite any mistakes he may have made, he is a man who has been touched by God’s mercy.”The priest clarified that he did not know “El Menchito” personally but rather maintained correspondence through letters and phone conversations with family members during Oseguera’s imprisonment.“His wife asked me to accompany them spiritually through letters … what did we talk about? Biblical themes, faith, personal growth, change — nothing out of the ordinary that could be discussed with a priest,” he recounted.“Having gotten to know this young man through the letters … all I can say is that human beings make mistakes, they can change. I’m not saying he shouldn’t be punished by human justice, because we will also be punished by divine justice for our sins, but there is an opportunity to remake ourselves. In the Church, we believe in remaking ourselves; in conversion, and that is the great calling we have as priests: the sacrament of reconciliation,” he added.Though visibly concerned about the public judgment of his actions, the priest said he has nothing to hide. He maintained that he has conducted his ministry in accordance with the precepts of the Church and that, to date, no authority in Mexico or the U.S. has contacted him regarding this matter.The Archdiocese of Guadalajara on Feb. 28 issued a statement on the case, describing a lack of “prudence and good judgment on the part of this priest in addressing this matter … given the nature of this relationship.”The archbishop said at a March 1 press conference that “the issue is much more complex and much broader than the issue of the imprudence or inexperience of a priest who wanted to act in good faith, but, as we say in slang, messed up.”Robles added that Aguayo continues to fulfill his pastoral duties as a parish priest and that the Church is committed to providing spiritual support to everyone, including criminals and their families.“For example, if a family member of someone who was killed or cut down [in a confrontation with law enforcement] and whose involvement in criminal activity has been proven, requests, for instance, a Mass, they cannot be refused. If they request to take the body to the church, they cannot be refused,” the cardinal stated.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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Priest scrutinized for letters written on behalf of 2 notorious Mexican drug traffickers – #Catholic – Mexican priest José Dolores Aguayo González, known as Father Lolo, has received criticism from the archbishop of Guadalajara, Cardinal Francisco Robles Ortega, about letters Aguayo sent to a U.S. court on behalf of two convicted drug traffickers. The letters concerning Jessica Johanna and Rubén Oseguera, adult children of drug trafficker Nemesio Rubén Oseguera, known as “El Mencho,” were written at the request of the judge and the detainees’ family as part of the priest’s work providing spiritual ministry to people in prison.The elder Oseguera was the founder and leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation drug cartel who was killed in a shoot-out with the Mexican military on Feb. 22.In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, the priest defended his actions, stating that “the Church cannot turn its back on those who seek reconciliation with God, even if they are public figures.”“Imagine if the Church slams the door on them, and I think the issue here is, if it had been any anonymous prisoner in Puente Grande [penitentiary], there wouldn’t have been a problem. The problem is that the Church tried to fulfill its mission with these individuals,” the priest stated.Both letters, revealed last week by journalist Laura Sánchez Ley, were addressed to Judge Beryl A. Howell in Washington, D.C. The first, sent in March 2021, describes Jessica Johanna Oseguera as “a very kind person, an excellent mother, a very philanthropic woman.”Aguayo explained that he met the cartel leader’s daughter because she actively participated in parish activities, years before she pleaded guilty in U.S. court to drug trafficking charges. “When I wrote about this man’s daughter, the judge was the one who asked for my personal opinion of her, how although she had already pleaded guilty to certain crimes, had taken responsibility, what was my personal assessment [of her],” the priest told ACI Prensa.He sent the second letter to the same judge in January 2025, this time speaking favorably of Rubén Oseguera, known as “El Menchito” (Little Mencho), who was extradited to the U.S. in 2020 and sentenced to life imprisonment for drug trafficking two months after the priest’s letter.In that letter, Aguayo said that he was Rubén Oseguera’s “spiritual director” and that “he comes from a very devout Catholic family, has reflected a great deal on his future, and has read the holy Scriptures,” adding that “despite any mistakes he may have made, he is a man who has been touched by God’s mercy.”The priest clarified that he did not know “El Menchito” personally but rather maintained correspondence through letters and phone conversations with family members during Oseguera’s imprisonment.“His wife asked me to accompany them spiritually through letters … what did we talk about? Biblical themes, faith, personal growth, change — nothing out of the ordinary that could be discussed with a priest,” he recounted.“Having gotten to know this young man through the letters … all I can say is that human beings make mistakes, they can change. I’m not saying he shouldn’t be punished by human justice, because we will also be punished by divine justice for our sins, but there is an opportunity to remake ourselves. In the Church, we believe in remaking ourselves; in conversion, and that is the great calling we have as priests: the sacrament of reconciliation,” he added.Though visibly concerned about the public judgment of his actions, the priest said he has nothing to hide. He maintained that he has conducted his ministry in accordance with the precepts of the Church and that, to date, no authority in Mexico or the U.S. has contacted him regarding this matter.The Archdiocese of Guadalajara on Feb. 28 issued a statement on the case, describing a lack of “prudence and good judgment on the part of this priest in addressing this matter … given the nature of this relationship.”The archbishop said at a March 1 press conference that “the issue is much more complex and much broader than the issue of the imprudence or inexperience of a priest who wanted to act in good faith, but, as we say in slang, messed up.”Robles added that Aguayo continues to fulfill his pastoral duties as a parish priest and that the Church is committed to providing spiritual support to everyone, including criminals and their families.“For example, if a family member of someone who was killed or cut down [in a confrontation with law enforcement] and whose involvement in criminal activity has been proven, requests, for instance, a Mass, they cannot be refused. If they request to take the body to the church, they cannot be refused,” the cardinal stated.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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A Mexican priest is at the center of controversy for sending letters on behalf of two high-profile drug traffickers in U.S. custody.

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BREAKING: US Consulate in Dubai on Fire After Iranian Drone Strike (VIDEO) – The US Consulate in Dubai is on fire after it was hit by an Iranian drone on Tuesday. The post BREAKING: US Consulate in Dubai on Fire After Iranian Drone Strike (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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BREAKING: US Consulate in Dubai on Fire After Iranian Drone Strike (VIDEO) – The US Consulate in Dubai is on fire after it was hit by an Iranian drone on Tuesday. The post BREAKING: US Consulate in Dubai on Fire After Iranian Drone Strike (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Trey Yingst reports live from Tel Aviv on breaking news about the U.S. consulate in Dubai being hit by an Iranian drone.

Trey Yingst reports live from Tel Aviv on breaking news about the U.S. consulate in Dubai being hit by an Iranian drone.

The US Consulate in Dubai is on fire after it was hit by an Iranian drone on Tuesday.

The post BREAKING: US Consulate in Dubai on Fire After Iranian Drone Strike (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Top US Negotiator Steve Witkoff Says Iranian Officials Claimed to Have Enough Enriched Uranium To Build 11 Nuclear Bombs – Iran has what it takes to make almost a dozen nukes, according to the top US Envoy. The post Top US Negotiator Steve Witkoff Says Iranian Officials Claimed to Have Enough Enriched Uranium To Build 11 Nuclear Bombs appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Top US Negotiator Steve Witkoff Says Iranian Officials Claimed to Have Enough Enriched Uranium To Build 11 Nuclear Bombs – Iran has what it takes to make almost a dozen nukes, according to the top US Envoy. The post Top US Negotiator Steve Witkoff Says Iranian Officials Claimed to Have Enough Enriched Uranium To Build 11 Nuclear Bombs appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Image depicting a military official with barrels of enriched uranium and radioactive symbols, highlighting concerns about nuclear materials and security.

Image depicting a military official with barrels of enriched uranium and radioactive symbols, highlighting concerns about nuclear materials and security.

Iran has what it takes to make almost a dozen nukes, according to the top US Envoy.

The post Top US Negotiator Steve Witkoff Says Iranian Officials Claimed to Have Enough Enriched Uranium To Build 11 Nuclear Bombs appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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US Central Command Releases Footage of Navy Guided-Missile Destroyers Delivering Unrelenting Firepower Amid Operation Epic Fury (VIDEO) – The US Central Command on Tuesday released footage of Navy-guided missile destroyers delivering “overwhelming firepower” in Operation Epic Fury. The post US Central Command Releases Footage of Navy Guided-Missile Destroyers Delivering Unrelenting Firepower Amid Operation Epic Fury (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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US Central Command Releases Footage of Navy Guided-Missile Destroyers Delivering Unrelenting Firepower Amid Operation Epic Fury (VIDEO) – The US Central Command on Tuesday released footage of Navy-guided missile destroyers delivering “overwhelming firepower” in Operation Epic Fury. The post US Central Command Releases Footage of Navy Guided-Missile Destroyers Delivering Unrelenting Firepower Amid Operation Epic Fury (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Naval ship launching a missile, creating a large fireball and smoke against a blue sky with clouds.

Naval ship launching a missile, creating a large fireball and smoke against a blue sky with clouds.

The US Central Command on Tuesday released footage of Navy-guided missile destroyers delivering “overwhelming firepower” in Operation Epic Fury.

The post US Central Command Releases Footage of Navy Guided-Missile Destroyers Delivering Unrelenting Firepower Amid Operation Epic Fury (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Are you Ready (Have You Started to Prepare) for World Youth Day 2027 in Seoul, South Korea #Catholic – “Take courage! I have overcome the world. ” (John 16:33) “ (Pope) Leo XIV concluded his Angelus address with a powerful missionary call: “You, young pilgrims of hope, will be witnesses of this to the ends of the earth! I look forward to seeing you in Seoul: Let us continue to dream together and to hope together.” The 2027 World Youth Day will be the first to be held in South Korea and the second in Asia, following the historic gathering of young people in Manila, Philippines, in 1995.” Pope announces 2027 World Youth Day BISHOP KEVIN J. SWEENEY World Youth Day (WYD) is a unique and rare opportunity for a young person, youth leader, adult chaperone, seminarian, priest or religious to experience the Universal Church, to encounter Christ in His “Mystical Body”, and to gather with the Pope, our Holy Father. In August of 2027 young people and their companions will have the opportunity to gather with Pope Leo XIV for his “first” WYD as Pope. When you hear or read “August of 2027” it might sound like that is a “long way off, in the future”. However, for youth and young adults, pastors, youth ministers, parish and schools leaders, parents, and generous donors, “now is the time” to start praying and planning if you would like to attend, to lead a group, and/or to help others to be able to experience, this opportunity for a truly life-changing experience of Faith and the Church. I hope that many readers are aware that we have already begun our WYD preparations, here in our Diocese of Paterson. I am grateful that John Cammarata, Executive Director of St. Paul’s Center and Diocesan director of youth ministry, and Sister Theresa Lee, FMA, diocesan chancellor and delegate for religious, are working together to lead our diocesan planning and preparation and will assist me in leading what hopefully will be a large diocesan group of pilgrims who will journey to Seoul to participate in WYD 2027. By the time you are reading this, we will already have had our first two information sessions. I was happy to be able to visit the first info-session at St. Paul’s Inside the Walls Evangelization Center on Saturday, Feb. 28 and was very encouraged to see that we had more than a dozen participants, representing ten parishes. The second info-session is scheduled for Tuesday, March 3 at Holy Rosary Parish in Passaic. I hope you may be reading this before Tuesday, March 10, when there will be the third and final info-session at St. Kateri Parish in Sparta. In the coming months, there will be additional gatherings, in-person and Zoom, where registered pilgrims and potential pilgrims can receive more information and formation as we prepare for this spiritual adventure in Seoul. Visit our diocesan website to sign-up for the WYD2027 newsletter or find out more here. You can also contact John Cammarata at jcammrata@patersondiocese.org or Sr Theresa at tlee@patersondiocese.org with any questions you may have. I have often tried to share my personal experience of World You Day, especially the impact of being able to attend WYD in Denver, Colorado in 1993 with (St.) Pope John Paul II. I had graduated from college the previous year and had just finished my first year in the major seminary. I was “far from sure” whether or not God was calling me to be a priest and, if I was being called, I was not sure how I wanted to respond. The experience of WYD did not “answer all my questions”, but it helped me to feel and believe that I was “part of something” so much bigger and more meaningful than I had ever imagined. I hope that readers can understand or appreciate what a difference it can make for a young person or young adult to have an experience of the Universal Church, to have a whole new appreciation of what we mean (every Sunday) when we say, “I believe … in the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church…” At the information session, I was so excited and encouraged to learn that the theme for WYD 2027 is “Take courage! I have overcome the world.” (Jn. 16:33). How much do all of us, especially young people, need to hear today and in our times, those words that Jesus spoke to the Apostles at the Last Supper, as He was preparing them for the experience of His Passion? I shared with those attending the information session that I still (vividly) recall the theme of WYD 1993 in Denver. It was, “I came so that they may have life” (and have it more abundantly) (Jn. 10:10) I have already begun to encourage our priests and pastors to consider speaking with parish and youth leaders to see if some young people (and their parents and families) might be open to the possibility that the Lord may be calling them to be WYD Pilgrims, to begin making plans, to begin fund-raising efforts, and to bring all of the above to prayer. **If there are readers who may not be able to attend WYD themselves but may be able to prayerfully consider “sponsoring” or helping a young person to attend by making a donation, please feel free to contact John Cammarata or Sister Theresa Lee. On the WYD page of our Diocesan Website, you can find the full text of the “Official WYD 2027 Prayer”. I will quote the last two paragraphs of the prayer (below), as I ask readers to consider how they might prepare for WYD or invite others to attend WYD. I also ask you to pray that God will bless our efforts to invite and assist as many young people as possible from our Diocese to be able to attend World Youth Day 2027 in Seoul. From the Official WYD 2027 Prayer: Oh Holy Spirit, Flame of Love, by your wonderous hand you have sown the seeds of faith in Korea. Kindle the flame of the Korean martyrs’ faith in our hearts, making us into disciples who live out the gospel of peace, love, and truth. Lord, we pray that through this pilgrim journey of World Youth Day we may listen to each other, discern your will, and become a synodal Church, walking together with all of God’s people. Amen. Our Lady of mercy and peace, pray for us. Holy patrons of World Youth Day Seoul 2027,  pray for all young people. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
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Are you Ready (Have You Started to Prepare) for World Youth Day 2027 in Seoul, South Korea #Catholic – “Take courage! I have overcome the world. ” (John 16:33) “ (Pope) Leo XIV concluded his Angelus address with a powerful missionary call: “You, young pilgrims of hope, will be witnesses of this to the ends of the earth! I look forward to seeing you in Seoul: Let us continue to dream together and to hope together.” The 2027 World Youth Day will be the first to be held in South Korea and the second in Asia, following the historic gathering of young people in Manila, Philippines, in 1995.” Pope announces 2027 World Youth Day BISHOP KEVIN J. SWEENEY World Youth Day (WYD) is a unique and rare opportunity for a young person, youth leader, adult chaperone, seminarian, priest or religious to experience the Universal Church, to encounter Christ in His “Mystical Body”, and to gather with the Pope, our Holy Father. In August of 2027 young people and their companions will have the opportunity to gather with Pope Leo XIV for his “first” WYD as Pope. When you hear or read “August of 2027” it might sound like that is a “long way off, in the future”. However, for youth and young adults, pastors, youth ministers, parish and schools leaders, parents, and generous donors, “now is the time” to start praying and planning if you would like to attend, to lead a group, and/or to help others to be able to experience, this opportunity for a truly life-changing experience of Faith and the Church. I hope that many readers are aware that we have already begun our WYD preparations, here in our Diocese of Paterson. I am grateful that John Cammarata, Executive Director of St. Paul’s Center and Diocesan director of youth ministry, and Sister Theresa Lee, FMA, diocesan chancellor and delegate for religious, are working together to lead our diocesan planning and preparation and will assist me in leading what hopefully will be a large diocesan group of pilgrims who will journey to Seoul to participate in WYD 2027. By the time you are reading this, we will already have had our first two information sessions. I was happy to be able to visit the first info-session at St. Paul’s Inside the Walls Evangelization Center on Saturday, Feb. 28 and was very encouraged to see that we had more than a dozen participants, representing ten parishes. The second info-session is scheduled for Tuesday, March 3 at Holy Rosary Parish in Passaic. I hope you may be reading this before Tuesday, March 10, when there will be the third and final info-session at St. Kateri Parish in Sparta. In the coming months, there will be additional gatherings, in-person and Zoom, where registered pilgrims and potential pilgrims can receive more information and formation as we prepare for this spiritual adventure in Seoul. Visit our diocesan website to sign-up for the WYD2027 newsletter or find out more here. You can also contact John Cammarata at jcammrata@patersondiocese.org or Sr Theresa at tlee@patersondiocese.org with any questions you may have. I have often tried to share my personal experience of World You Day, especially the impact of being able to attend WYD in Denver, Colorado in 1993 with (St.) Pope John Paul II. I had graduated from college the previous year and had just finished my first year in the major seminary. I was “far from sure” whether or not God was calling me to be a priest and, if I was being called, I was not sure how I wanted to respond. The experience of WYD did not “answer all my questions”, but it helped me to feel and believe that I was “part of something” so much bigger and more meaningful than I had ever imagined. I hope that readers can understand or appreciate what a difference it can make for a young person or young adult to have an experience of the Universal Church, to have a whole new appreciation of what we mean (every Sunday) when we say, “I believe … in the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church…” At the information session, I was so excited and encouraged to learn that the theme for WYD 2027 is “Take courage! I have overcome the world.” (Jn. 16:33). How much do all of us, especially young people, need to hear today and in our times, those words that Jesus spoke to the Apostles at the Last Supper, as He was preparing them for the experience of His Passion? I shared with those attending the information session that I still (vividly) recall the theme of WYD 1993 in Denver. It was, “I came so that they may have life” (and have it more abundantly) (Jn. 10:10) I have already begun to encourage our priests and pastors to consider speaking with parish and youth leaders to see if some young people (and their parents and families) might be open to the possibility that the Lord may be calling them to be WYD Pilgrims, to begin making plans, to begin fund-raising efforts, and to bring all of the above to prayer. **If there are readers who may not be able to attend WYD themselves but may be able to prayerfully consider “sponsoring” or helping a young person to attend by making a donation, please feel free to contact John Cammarata or Sister Theresa Lee. On the WYD page of our Diocesan Website, you can find the full text of the “Official WYD 2027 Prayer”. I will quote the last two paragraphs of the prayer (below), as I ask readers to consider how they might prepare for WYD or invite others to attend WYD. I also ask you to pray that God will bless our efforts to invite and assist as many young people as possible from our Diocese to be able to attend World Youth Day 2027 in Seoul. From the Official WYD 2027 Prayer: Oh Holy Spirit, Flame of Love, by your wonderous hand you have sown the seeds of faith in Korea. Kindle the flame of the Korean martyrs’ faith in our hearts, making us into disciples who live out the gospel of peace, love, and truth. Lord, we pray that through this pilgrim journey of World Youth Day we may listen to each other, discern your will, and become a synodal Church, walking together with all of God’s people. Amen. Our Lady of mercy and peace, pray for us. Holy patrons of World Youth Day Seoul 2027,  pray for all young people. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

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Are you Ready (Have You Started to Prepare) for World Youth Day 2027 in Seoul, South Korea #Catholic –

“Take courage! I have overcome the world. ” (John 16:33)

“ (Pope) Leo XIV concluded his Angelus address with a powerful missionary call: “You, young pilgrims of hope, will be witnesses of this to the ends of the earth! I look forward to seeing you in Seoul: Let us continue to dream together and to hope together.”

The 2027 World Youth Day will be the first to be held in South Korea and the second in Asia, following the historic gathering of young people in Manila, Philippines, in 1995.”

Pope announces 2027 World Youth Day

BISHOP KEVIN J. SWEENEY

World Youth Day (WYD) is a unique and rare opportunity for a young person, youth leader, adult chaperone, seminarian, priest or religious to experience the Universal Church, to encounter Christ in His “Mystical Body”, and to gather with the Pope, our Holy Father. In August of 2027 young people and their companions will have the opportunity to gather with Pope Leo XIV for his “first” WYD as Pope.

When you hear or read “August of 2027” it might sound like that is a “long way off, in the future”. However, for youth and young adults, pastors, youth ministers, parish and schools leaders, parents, and generous donors, “now is the time” to start praying and planning if you would like to attend, to lead a group, and/or to help others to be able to experience, this opportunity for a truly life-changing experience of Faith and the Church.

I hope that many readers are aware that we have already begun our WYD preparations, here in our Diocese of Paterson. I am grateful that John Cammarata, Executive Director of St. Paul’s Center and Diocesan director of youth ministry, and Sister Theresa Lee, FMA, diocesan chancellor and delegate for religious, are working together to lead our diocesan planning and preparation and will assist me in leading what hopefully will be a large diocesan group of pilgrims who will journey to Seoul to participate in WYD 2027.

By the time you are reading this, we will already have had our first two information sessions. I was happy to be able to visit the first info-session at St. Paul’s Inside the Walls Evangelization Center on Saturday, Feb. 28 and was very encouraged to see that we had more than a dozen participants, representing ten parishes. The second info-session is scheduled for Tuesday, March 3 at Holy Rosary Parish in Passaic. I hope you may be reading this before Tuesday, March 10, when there will be the third and final info-session at St. Kateri Parish in Sparta.

In the coming months, there will be additional gatherings, in-person and Zoom, where registered pilgrims and potential pilgrims can receive more information and formation as we prepare for this spiritual adventure in Seoul. Visit our diocesan website to sign-up for the WYD2027 newsletter or find out more here. You can also contact John Cammarata at jcammrata@patersondiocese.org or Sr Theresa at tlee@patersondiocese.org with any questions you may have.

I have often tried to share my personal experience of World You Day, especially the impact of being able to attend WYD in Denver, Colorado in 1993 with (St.) Pope John Paul II. I had graduated from college the previous year and had just finished my first year in the major seminary. I was “far from sure” whether or not God was calling me to be a priest and, if I was being called, I was not sure how I wanted to respond. The experience of WYD did not “answer all my questions”, but it helped me to feel and believe that I was “part of something” so much bigger and more meaningful than I had ever imagined. I hope that readers can understand or appreciate what a difference it can make for a young person or young adult to have an experience of the Universal Church, to have a whole new appreciation of what we mean (every Sunday) when we say, “I believe … in the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church…”

At the information session, I was so excited and encouraged to learn that the theme for WYD 2027 is “Take courage! I have overcome the world.” (Jn. 16:33). How much do all of us, especially young people, need to hear today and in our times, those words that Jesus spoke to the Apostles at the Last Supper, as He was preparing them for the experience of His Passion? I shared with those attending the information session that I still (vividly) recall the theme of WYD 1993 in Denver. It was, “I came so that they may have life” (and have it more abundantly) (Jn. 10:10)

I have already begun to encourage our priests and pastors to consider speaking with parish and youth leaders to see if some young people (and their parents and families) might be open to the possibility that the Lord may be calling them to be WYD Pilgrims, to begin making plans, to begin fund-raising efforts, and to bring all of the above to prayer.

**If there are readers who may not be able to attend WYD themselves but may be able to prayerfully consider “sponsoring” or helping a young person to attend by making a donation, please feel free to contact John Cammarata or Sister Theresa Lee.

On the WYD page of our Diocesan Website, you can find the full text of the “Official WYD 2027 Prayer”. I will quote the last two paragraphs of the prayer (below), as I ask readers to consider how they might prepare for WYD or invite others to attend WYD. I also ask you to pray that God will bless our efforts to invite and assist as many young people as possible from our Diocese to be able to attend World Youth Day 2027 in Seoul.

From the Official WYD 2027 Prayer:

Oh Holy Spirit, Flame of Love,
by your wonderous hand
you have sown the seeds of faith in Korea.
Kindle the flame of the Korean martyrs’ faith in our hearts,
making us into disciples who live out the gospel of peace, love, and truth.

Lord, we pray that through this pilgrim journey of World Youth Day
we may listen to each other, discern your will,
and become a synodal Church, walking together with all of God’s people. Amen.

Our Lady of mercy and peace, pray for us.
Holy patrons of World Youth Day Seoul 2027,  pray for all young people.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

– “Take courage! I have overcome the world. ” (John 16:33) “ (Pope) Leo XIV concluded his Angelus address with a powerful missionary call: “You, young pilgrims of hope, will be witnesses of this to the ends of the earth! I look forward to seeing you in Seoul: Let us continue to dream together and to hope together.” The 2027 World Youth Day will be the first to be held in South Korea and the second in Asia, following the historic gathering of young people in Manila, Philippines, in 1995.” Pope announces 2027 World Youth Day BISHOP KEVIN J. SWEENEY World

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Artemis II Recovery Training – Off the coast of California, NASA’s Artemis Landing and Recovery team and the Department of War that will work together to retrieve the Artemis II crew and Orion spacecraft following their return to Earth and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean are performing a final simulation of their activities, called a just-in-time training, at sea on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. During the training, teams use the Crew Module Test Article, a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft, to simulate as close as possible the conditions they can expect to encounter during splashdown of the Artemis II mission.
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Artemis II Recovery Training – Off the coast of California, NASA’s Artemis Landing and Recovery team and the Department of War that will work together to retrieve the Artemis II crew and Orion spacecraft following their return to Earth and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean are performing a final simulation of their activities, called a just-in-time training, at sea on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. During the training, teams use the Crew Module Test Article, a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft, to simulate as close as possible the conditions they can expect to encounter during splashdown of the Artemis II mission.

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Off the coast of California, NASA’s Artemis Landing and Recovery team and the Department of War that will work together to retrieve the Artemis II crew and Orion spacecraft following their return to Earth and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean are performing a final simulation of their activities, called a just-in-time training, at sea on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. During the training, teams use the Crew Module Test Article, a full-scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft, to simulate as close as possible the conditions they can expect to encounter during splashdown of the Artemis II mission.

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The March 3 total lunar eclipse: a recap

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Early this morning, I watched the total eclipse of the Moon from my observatory in Tucson, Arizona. Yesterday (Monday, March 2) was mostly clear with a cerulean blue sky throughout, a high temperature near 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius), and just a bit of a breeze, so I had high hopes that I’d see the event. MyContinue reading “The March 3 total lunar eclipse: a recap”

The post The March 3 total lunar eclipse: a recap appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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Bishop explains how Our Lady of Guadalupe can reach postmodern Silicon Valley #Catholic In a world marked by secularization and cultural fragmentation, Our Lady of Guadalupe remains a privileged path for proclaiming the Gospel, said Bishop Óscar Cantú of San Jose, California, as he shared how a recent event dedicated to the Virgin Mary illuminates the mission of the Church in the heart of Silicon Valley.During the recent “Theological and Pastoral Congress on the Guadalupe Event,” held in Mexico, the prelate described his diocese as a former valley of fruit orchards now transformed into the heart of global technology, home to world-class companies such as Google, Apple, Hewlett-Packard, and Nvidia.There, Cantú explained, people from India, China, Latin America, Africa, and many other countries live together, bringing with them their religions or their religious “indifference.”He spoke of “a strong secularization” there, calling it a “society that proudly proclaims itself postmodern, without need for God or religion.” He added that many “no longer have the time or space for religion” and that they “prefer modern practices” such as yoga or meditation, which they call mindfulness, which is “meditation without transcendence.”The bishop wants the pastoral and spiritual preparation for the 50th anniversary of the Diocese of San José in 2031 to be marked by Our Lady of Guadalupe, who he hopes will serve as a point of reference and model.Using Our Lady of Guadalupe’s methodology in Silicon ValleyThe bishop posed a direct challenge to priests, deacons, religious, and laity of his diocese: “How can we apply the methodology of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which she used 500 years ago in Mexico, now, in Silicon Valley, in a postmodern world?”He said the Spanish friars “did not have much success in evangelizing” because they arrived with the conquistadors, who used aggression and force. “But Our Lady had a great success that the friars could not have imagined. Millions of hearts were touched and transformed in a short time.”Cantú enumerated the key elements of this Guadalupan pedagogy, beginning with beauty and maternal tenderness of her words to Juan Diego: “‘My dearest Juan Diego, the littlest of my sons.’ Whose heart made of stone like we have in our Silicon Valley wouldn’t melt with those words?” he asked. He also emphasized how Mary “spoke to him in his language, not in Spanish. She used the symbolism of the Indigenous people, a codex that bore witness to what she recounted, which bore witness to what Juan Diego later told the other Indigenous people.” He recalled the Christological way the Virgin introduced herself, identifying herself as “the Mother of the God by whom we live,” and how she thus introduced “the beauty of truth” in contrast to the old logic of human sacrifice.Another element that Cantú emphasized is the role of the laity and, in particular, the poor. He highlighted that the Virgin involves Juan Diego in the mission of the Church when she tells him: “It is necessary that you go to the bishop.” He commented that “participation brings dignity and is an expression of dignity,” and that aspects of synodality are already evident in Guadalupe: participation and a voice within the ecclesial community.The bishop noted that Juan Diego’s participation does not create a separate structure, because “we shouldn’t create a parallel Church but rather everything should be under the authority, the structure that the Son of the Virgin left us, which is a hierarchical Church, with respect for the magisterium, but the magisterium, in turn, with the participation and listening of everyone, everyone, everyone.” For this reason, he defined it as “a hierarchical and synodal Church.”Among the elements the prelate highlighted is the concept of the sacred little house as a Church of mercy, a house where wounded humanity is welcomed: a “little house of love and compassion.”Our Lady of Guadalupe resonates with migrant communitiesCantú explained that in his diocese, faith has remained alive thanks to refugees and immigrants: Hispanics, Filipinos, Vietnamese, Indians, and Africans, many of them with histories of having to leave their native lands and discrimination.The Virgin of Guadalupe becomes a bridge of identity and solace there, not only for Mexicans, he noted. To illustrate this, he recounted an experience in a trilingual parish (Vietnamese, Filipino, and Hispanic) during a Mass in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe.The bishop arrived prepared to celebrate Mass in Spanish with the Hispanic community, but discovered that about half of those present were Vietnamese, so he decided to preach by including his own story as the son of Mexican immigrants in Texas.“In Texas, many times Americans didn’t see me purely as American because my parents were born in another country, and at home they spoke Spanish; and when I went to visit my cousins ​​in Monterrey, they also didn’t see me as Mexican, so, well, I felt like a bit of an outsider.”As he shared this experience of not belonging, Cantú observed the faces of the Vietnamese faithful: “I saw in their faces that they understood, as refugees who left their country 30 or 40 years ago, that perhaps they never had the opportunity to learn the language well, to fully understand American politics or culture, that for the rest of their lives they felt like guests. And it was, I believe, at that moment that they identified with Juan Diego, whom the Virgin received in her little house.”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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Bishop explains how Our Lady of Guadalupe can reach postmodern Silicon Valley #Catholic In a world marked by secularization and cultural fragmentation, Our Lady of Guadalupe remains a privileged path for proclaiming the Gospel, said Bishop Óscar Cantú of San Jose, California, as he shared how a recent event dedicated to the Virgin Mary illuminates the mission of the Church in the heart of Silicon Valley.During the recent “Theological and Pastoral Congress on the Guadalupe Event,” held in Mexico, the prelate described his diocese as a former valley of fruit orchards now transformed into the heart of global technology, home to world-class companies such as Google, Apple, Hewlett-Packard, and Nvidia.There, Cantú explained, people from India, China, Latin America, Africa, and many other countries live together, bringing with them their religions or their religious “indifference.”He spoke of “a strong secularization” there, calling it a “society that proudly proclaims itself postmodern, without need for God or religion.” He added that many “no longer have the time or space for religion” and that they “prefer modern practices” such as yoga or meditation, which they call mindfulness, which is “meditation without transcendence.”The bishop wants the pastoral and spiritual preparation for the 50th anniversary of the Diocese of San José in 2031 to be marked by Our Lady of Guadalupe, who he hopes will serve as a point of reference and model.Using Our Lady of Guadalupe’s methodology in Silicon ValleyThe bishop posed a direct challenge to priests, deacons, religious, and laity of his diocese: “How can we apply the methodology of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which she used 500 years ago in Mexico, now, in Silicon Valley, in a postmodern world?”He said the Spanish friars “did not have much success in evangelizing” because they arrived with the conquistadors, who used aggression and force. “But Our Lady had a great success that the friars could not have imagined. Millions of hearts were touched and transformed in a short time.”Cantú enumerated the key elements of this Guadalupan pedagogy, beginning with beauty and maternal tenderness of her words to Juan Diego: “‘My dearest Juan Diego, the littlest of my sons.’ Whose heart made of stone like we have in our Silicon Valley wouldn’t melt with those words?” he asked. He also emphasized how Mary “spoke to him in his language, not in Spanish. She used the symbolism of the Indigenous people, a codex that bore witness to what she recounted, which bore witness to what Juan Diego later told the other Indigenous people.” He recalled the Christological way the Virgin introduced herself, identifying herself as “the Mother of the God by whom we live,” and how she thus introduced “the beauty of truth” in contrast to the old logic of human sacrifice.Another element that Cantú emphasized is the role of the laity and, in particular, the poor. He highlighted that the Virgin involves Juan Diego in the mission of the Church when she tells him: “It is necessary that you go to the bishop.” He commented that “participation brings dignity and is an expression of dignity,” and that aspects of synodality are already evident in Guadalupe: participation and a voice within the ecclesial community.The bishop noted that Juan Diego’s participation does not create a separate structure, because “we shouldn’t create a parallel Church but rather everything should be under the authority, the structure that the Son of the Virgin left us, which is a hierarchical Church, with respect for the magisterium, but the magisterium, in turn, with the participation and listening of everyone, everyone, everyone.” For this reason, he defined it as “a hierarchical and synodal Church.”Among the elements the prelate highlighted is the concept of the sacred little house as a Church of mercy, a house where wounded humanity is welcomed: a “little house of love and compassion.”Our Lady of Guadalupe resonates with migrant communitiesCantú explained that in his diocese, faith has remained alive thanks to refugees and immigrants: Hispanics, Filipinos, Vietnamese, Indians, and Africans, many of them with histories of having to leave their native lands and discrimination.The Virgin of Guadalupe becomes a bridge of identity and solace there, not only for Mexicans, he noted. To illustrate this, he recounted an experience in a trilingual parish (Vietnamese, Filipino, and Hispanic) during a Mass in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe.The bishop arrived prepared to celebrate Mass in Spanish with the Hispanic community, but discovered that about half of those present were Vietnamese, so he decided to preach by including his own story as the son of Mexican immigrants in Texas.“In Texas, many times Americans didn’t see me purely as American because my parents were born in another country, and at home they spoke Spanish; and when I went to visit my cousins ​​in Monterrey, they also didn’t see me as Mexican, so, well, I felt like a bit of an outsider.”As he shared this experience of not belonging, Cantú observed the faces of the Vietnamese faithful: “I saw in their faces that they understood, as refugees who left their country 30 or 40 years ago, that perhaps they never had the opportunity to learn the language well, to fully understand American politics or culture, that for the rest of their lives they felt like guests. And it was, I believe, at that moment that they identified with Juan Diego, whom the Virgin received in her little house.”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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Bishop Óscar Cantú of San Jose, California, explains how the highly secularized society there can receive the message and imagery of Our Lady of Guadalupe in a way that is meaningful to them.

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From heiress to saint: The radical life of St. Katharine Drexel #Catholic St. Katharine Drexel was born in 1858 to a wealthy family in Philadelphia. Five weeks after her birth, her mother died. She and her two sisters were reared by their father, Frank, a successful international banker, and stepmother, Emma — whom Katharine always considered her mother. Both were devout Catholics and loving parents. The family was generous with the poor — three times a week they opened their lavish home to those in need, offering them food, clothing, medicine, and other necessities.From the earliest ages, the Drexel children were taught to pursue personal holiness through daily Mass, meditation, the rosary, and other devotions as well as by acts of penance and sacrifice. Katharine kept notes on her efforts to grow in virtue. In 1878, she wrote: “I am resolved during this year to try to overcome impatience and give attention to lessons. I, Katie, put these resolutions at the feet of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph hoping that they will find acceptance there. May Jesus, Mary, and Joseph help me to bear much fruit in the year 1878.”When she was in her 20s, Katharine lost both of her parents and inherited a portion of the family’s vast wealth. At this time, she became aware of the plight of the Native Americans, many of whom suffered from dire poverty and a lack of education. She would devote the remainder of her life to assisting them.In two private audiences with Pope Leo XIII, she begged him to send more missionaries to the Native Americans. During one of these meetings, the Holy Father suggested to an astonished Katharine that she herself become such a missionary.Although Katharine enjoyed an opulent lifestyle, she became disillusioned with the things of the world. She wrote a longtime friend, Bishop James O’Connor, of her desire to enter religious life.“Like the little girl who wept when she found that her doll was stuffed with sawdust and her drum was hollow, I, too, have made a horrifying discovery and my discovery, like hers, is true. I have ripped both the doll and the drum open and the fact lies plainly and in all its glaring reality before me: All, all, all (there is no exception) is passing away and will pass away,” she wrote.The bishop thought Katharine could do more for the Church in her position in society and worried she might have difficulty in renouncing her wealth. She responded: “The question alone important, the solution of which depends upon how I have spent my life, is the state of my soul at the moment of death. Infinite misery or infinite happiness! There is no half and half, either one or the other.”The bishop eventually relented and advised her to found a community to work among Native Americans and African Americans, declaring: “God has put in your heart a great love for the Indian and the Negroes.” In 1891, joined by 13 others, she founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament.Mother Drexel went to work opening mission churches and boarding schools for Black and Native American children throughout the U.S.At times, prejudice and racism hindered her work. She would often buy buildings to create schools through third parties — otherwise, when sellers learned Mother Drexel was buying them to educate Black or Native children, they wouldn’t sell to her.Once, when members of the Nashville, Tennessee, city council wondered if Blacks were capable of higher education, she responded: “I cannot share these views with regard to the education of the race. I feel that if among our colored people we find individuals gifted with capabilities, with those sterling qualities which constitute character, our holy mother the Church who fosters and develops the intellect only that it may give God more glory and be of benefit to others, should also concede to the Negro the privilege of higher education.”In 1915, Katharine founded a teachers’ college in Louisiana, which would eventually become Xavier University of New Orleans and one of the first American colleges to admit Black students.Throughout her life, Mother Drexel’s chief motivation in addition to her missionary outreach was to help more souls know and love Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. She believed devotion to the Blessed Sacrament was key to the success to her community’s missionary work.She died in 1955 at the age of 96 and was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000. Her community’s motherhouse for decades was located in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, a Philadelphia suburb, which included a shrine — elements of which included Mother Drexel’s remains and a museum dedicated to her memory. However, due to a lack of vocations, the motherhouse closed and the property sold at the end of 2017. The St. Katharine Drexel Shrine is now part of the Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Philadelphia.St. Katharine Drexel is honored in the Church on March 3.This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, a sister news service of EWTN News, on March 3, 2021, and has been updated and adapted by EWTN News.
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From heiress to saint: The radical life of St. Katharine Drexel #Catholic St. Katharine Drexel was born in 1858 to a wealthy family in Philadelphia. Five weeks after her birth, her mother died. She and her two sisters were reared by their father, Frank, a successful international banker, and stepmother, Emma — whom Katharine always considered her mother. Both were devout Catholics and loving parents. The family was generous with the poor — three times a week they opened their lavish home to those in need, offering them food, clothing, medicine, and other necessities.From the earliest ages, the Drexel children were taught to pursue personal holiness through daily Mass, meditation, the rosary, and other devotions as well as by acts of penance and sacrifice. Katharine kept notes on her efforts to grow in virtue. In 1878, she wrote: “I am resolved during this year to try to overcome impatience and give attention to lessons. I, Katie, put these resolutions at the feet of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph hoping that they will find acceptance there. May Jesus, Mary, and Joseph help me to bear much fruit in the year 1878.”When she was in her 20s, Katharine lost both of her parents and inherited a portion of the family’s vast wealth. At this time, she became aware of the plight of the Native Americans, many of whom suffered from dire poverty and a lack of education. She would devote the remainder of her life to assisting them.In two private audiences with Pope Leo XIII, she begged him to send more missionaries to the Native Americans. During one of these meetings, the Holy Father suggested to an astonished Katharine that she herself become such a missionary.Although Katharine enjoyed an opulent lifestyle, she became disillusioned with the things of the world. She wrote a longtime friend, Bishop James O’Connor, of her desire to enter religious life.“Like the little girl who wept when she found that her doll was stuffed with sawdust and her drum was hollow, I, too, have made a horrifying discovery and my discovery, like hers, is true. I have ripped both the doll and the drum open and the fact lies plainly and in all its glaring reality before me: All, all, all (there is no exception) is passing away and will pass away,” she wrote.The bishop thought Katharine could do more for the Church in her position in society and worried she might have difficulty in renouncing her wealth. She responded: “The question alone important, the solution of which depends upon how I have spent my life, is the state of my soul at the moment of death. Infinite misery or infinite happiness! There is no half and half, either one or the other.”The bishop eventually relented and advised her to found a community to work among Native Americans and African Americans, declaring: “God has put in your heart a great love for the Indian and the Negroes.” In 1891, joined by 13 others, she founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament.Mother Drexel went to work opening mission churches and boarding schools for Black and Native American children throughout the U.S.At times, prejudice and racism hindered her work. She would often buy buildings to create schools through third parties — otherwise, when sellers learned Mother Drexel was buying them to educate Black or Native children, they wouldn’t sell to her.Once, when members of the Nashville, Tennessee, city council wondered if Blacks were capable of higher education, she responded: “I cannot share these views with regard to the education of the race. I feel that if among our colored people we find individuals gifted with capabilities, with those sterling qualities which constitute character, our holy mother the Church who fosters and develops the intellect only that it may give God more glory and be of benefit to others, should also concede to the Negro the privilege of higher education.”In 1915, Katharine founded a teachers’ college in Louisiana, which would eventually become Xavier University of New Orleans and one of the first American colleges to admit Black students.Throughout her life, Mother Drexel’s chief motivation in addition to her missionary outreach was to help more souls know and love Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. She believed devotion to the Blessed Sacrament was key to the success to her community’s missionary work.She died in 1955 at the age of 96 and was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000. Her community’s motherhouse for decades was located in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, a Philadelphia suburb, which included a shrine — elements of which included Mother Drexel’s remains and a museum dedicated to her memory. However, due to a lack of vocations, the motherhouse closed and the property sold at the end of 2017. The St. Katharine Drexel Shrine is now part of the Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Philadelphia.St. Katharine Drexel is honored in the Church on March 3.This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, a sister news service of EWTN News, on March 3, 2021, and has been updated and adapted by EWTN News.

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Throughout her life, St. Katharine Drexel’s chief motivation was to help more people know and love Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

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Man Awarded Medal Of Honor For Courageously Monitoring Iran War Effort Online #BabylonBee – WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a modest ceremony at the White House, President Trump awarded the Medal of Honor to a man who was up all weekend monitoring the situation in Iran from his home computer, the administration confirmed on Monday.
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Man Awarded Medal Of Honor For Courageously Monitoring Iran War Effort Online #BabylonBee – WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a modest ceremony at the White House, President Trump awarded the Medal of Honor to a man who was up all weekend monitoring the situation in Iran from his home computer, the administration confirmed on Monday.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a modest ceremony at the White House, President Trump awarded the Medal of Honor to a man who was up all weekend monitoring the situation in Iran from his home computer, the administration confirmed on Monday.

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Supreme Court says California can’t hide student transgender identities from parents – #Catholic – In a landmark decision on March 2, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the state of California cannot keep student “transgender” identities secret from parents, with the justices ruling that the secretive policies likely violate the First Amendment rights of parents whose children believe themselves to be the opposite sex. The 6-3 ruling was announced by the Thomas More Society, a religious liberty law firm that has represented parents and teachers through the legal fight, one that has spanned nearly three years and multiple courts. U.S. District Court Judge Roger Benitez originally ruled in the class action lawsuit on Dec. 22, 2025 that parents “have a right” to the “gender information” of their children, while teachers themselves also possess the right to provide parents with that information. Benitez issued an order at the time striking down Californiaʼs secretive school gender policies. In January the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit blocked that order amid the ongoing lawsuit, which the plaintiffs then appealed to the Supreme Court.On March 2 the Supreme Court blocked the appeals court ruling, holding in part that Californiaʼs policies "substantially interfere" with the "right of parents to guide the religious development of their children.”Pointing to earlier precedent on parental rights, the court said that parents enjoy “the right not to be shut out of participation in decisions regarding their children’s mental health.”“Gender dysphoria is a condition that has an important bearing on a child’s mental health, but when a child exhibits symptoms of gender dysphoria at school, California’s policies conceal that information from parents and facilitate a degree of gender transitioning during school hours,” the court said. “These policies likely violate parents’ rights to direct the upbringing and education of their children.”Thomas More Society attorney Paul Jonna called the ruling a “watershed moment for parental rights in America.”“The Supreme Court has told California and every state in the nation in no uncertain terms: you cannot secretly transition a child behind a parent’s back," Jonna said. "The Court’s landmark reaffirmation of substantive due process, its vindication of religious liberty, and its approval of class-wide relief together set a historic precedent that will dismantle secret gender transition policies across the country.”In his December 2025 ruling, Benitez had ordered that parents have a right to transgender-related information regarding their children on grounds of the 14th and First Amendments. Teachers, he said, can also assert similar First Amendment rights in sharing that information with parents.“Even if [the government] could demonstrate that excluding parents was good policy on some level, such a policy cannot be implemented at the expense of parents’ constitutional rights,” Benitez wrote at the time.
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Supreme Court says California can’t hide student transgender identities from parents – #Catholic – In a landmark decision on March 2, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the state of California cannot keep student “transgender” identities secret from parents, with the justices ruling that the secretive policies likely violate the First Amendment rights of parents whose children believe themselves to be the opposite sex. The 6-3 ruling was announced by the Thomas More Society, a religious liberty law firm that has represented parents and teachers through the legal fight, one that has spanned nearly three years and multiple courts. U.S. District Court Judge Roger Benitez originally ruled in the class action lawsuit on Dec. 22, 2025 that parents “have a right” to the “gender information” of their children, while teachers themselves also possess the right to provide parents with that information. Benitez issued an order at the time striking down Californiaʼs secretive school gender policies. In January the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit blocked that order amid the ongoing lawsuit, which the plaintiffs then appealed to the Supreme Court.On March 2 the Supreme Court blocked the appeals court ruling, holding in part that Californiaʼs policies "substantially interfere" with the "right of parents to guide the religious development of their children.”Pointing to earlier precedent on parental rights, the court said that parents enjoy “the right not to be shut out of participation in decisions regarding their children’s mental health.”“Gender dysphoria is a condition that has an important bearing on a child’s mental health, but when a child exhibits symptoms of gender dysphoria at school, California’s policies conceal that information from parents and facilitate a degree of gender transitioning during school hours,” the court said. “These policies likely violate parents’ rights to direct the upbringing and education of their children.”Thomas More Society attorney Paul Jonna called the ruling a “watershed moment for parental rights in America.”“The Supreme Court has told California and every state in the nation in no uncertain terms: you cannot secretly transition a child behind a parent’s back," Jonna said. "The Court’s landmark reaffirmation of substantive due process, its vindication of religious liberty, and its approval of class-wide relief together set a historic precedent that will dismantle secret gender transition policies across the country.”In his December 2025 ruling, Benitez had ordered that parents have a right to transgender-related information regarding their children on grounds of the 14th and First Amendments. Teachers, he said, can also assert similar First Amendment rights in sharing that information with parents.“Even if [the government] could demonstrate that excluding parents was good policy on some level, such a policy cannot be implemented at the expense of parents’ constitutional rights,” Benitez wrote at the time.

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Keeping student “transitions” secret likely violates the First Amendment rights of parents, the high court said.

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Prayer for the Sick: Prayer of the Day for Tuesday, March 03, 2026 – #Prayer – Watch, O Lord, with those who wake, or watch, or weep tonight, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend your sick ones, O Lord Christ. Rest your weary ones. Bless your dying ones. Soothe your suffering ones. Pity your afflicted ones. Shield your joyous ones. And for all your love’s sake. Amen. Saint Augustine

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Watch, O Lord, with those who wake, or watch, or weep tonight, and give your angels charge over those who sleep.

Tend your sick ones, O Lord Christ.
Rest your weary ones.
Bless your dying ones.
Soothe your suffering ones.
Pity your afflicted ones.
Shield your joyous ones.
And for all your love’s sake. Amen.

Saint Augustine

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 03 March 2026 – A reading from the Book of Isaiah 1:10, 16-20 Hear the word of the LORD, princes of Sodom! Listen to the instruction of our God, people of Gomorrah! Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil; learn to do good. Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow. Come now, let us set things right, says the LORD: Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow; Though they be crimson red, they may become white as wool. If you are willing, and obey, you shall eat the good things of the land; But if you refuse and resist, the sword shall consume you: for the mouth of the LORD has spoken!From the Gospel according to Matthew 23:1-12 Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying, "The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them. All their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’ As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’ You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. Do not be called ‘Master’; you have but one master, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted."A frequent flaw of those in authority, whether civil or ecclesiastic authority, is that of demanding of others things — even righteous things — that they do not, however, put into practise in the first person. They live a double life. (…) This attitude sets a bad example of authority, which should instead derive its primary strength precisely from setting a good example. Authority arises from a good example, so as to help others to practise what is right and proper, sustaining them in the trials that they meet on the right path. Authority is a help, but if it is wrongly exercised, it becomes oppressive; it does not allow people to grow, and creates a climate of distrust and hostility, and also leads to corruption. (…) We disciples of Jesus must not seek titles of honour, of authority or supremacy (…), because among ourselves there must be a simple and fraternal attitude. (…) May the Virgin Mary, “humble and exalted more than any creature” (Dante,  Paradiso, xxxiii:2), help us, with her motherly intercession, to spurn pride and vanity, and to be meek and docile to the love that comes from God, for the service of our brothers and sisters and for their joy, which will also be our own. (Pope Francis, Angelus, 5 November 2017)

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A reading from the Book of Isaiah
1:10, 16-20

Hear the word of the LORD,
princes of Sodom!
Listen to the instruction of our God,
people of Gomorrah!

Wash yourselves clean!
Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes;
cease doing evil; learn to do good.
Make justice your aim: redress the wronged,
hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow.

Come now, let us set things right,
says the LORD:
Though your sins be like scarlet,
they may become white as snow;
Though they be crimson red,
they may become white as wool.
If you are willing, and obey,
you shall eat the good things of the land;
But if you refuse and resist,
the sword shall consume you:
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken!

From the Gospel according to Matthew
23:1-12

Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying,
"The scribes and the Pharisees
have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,
but do not follow their example.
For they preach but they do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry
and lay them on people’s shoulders,
but they will not lift a finger to move them.
All their works are performed to be seen.
They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues,
greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’
As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’
You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.
Call no one on earth your father;
you have but one Father in heaven.
Do not be called ‘Master’;
you have but one master, the Christ.
The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted."

A frequent flaw of those in authority, whether civil or ecclesiastic authority, is that of demanding of others things — even righteous things — that they do not, however, put into practise in the first person. They live a double life. (…) This attitude sets a bad example of authority, which should instead derive its primary strength precisely from setting a good example. Authority arises from a good example, so as to help others to practise what is right and proper, sustaining them in the trials that they meet on the right path. Authority is a help, but if it is wrongly exercised, it becomes oppressive; it does not allow people to grow, and creates a climate of distrust and hostility, and also leads to corruption. (…)

We disciples of Jesus must not seek titles of honour, of authority or supremacy (…), because among ourselves there must be a simple and fraternal attitude. (…)

May the Virgin Mary, “humble and exalted more than any creature” (Dante,  Paradiso, xxxiii:2), help us, with her motherly intercession, to spurn pride and vanity, and to be meek and docile to the love that comes from God, for the service of our brothers and sisters and for their joy, which will also be our own. (Pope Francis, Angelus, 5 November 2017)

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Deacon Thomas Gibbons, former assistant director of Diaconate Program, 89 #Catholic – A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, March 4, at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of the Mountain Church in the Long Valley neighborhood of Washington Township, N.J., for Deacon Thomas Gibbons, who died at Forest Manor Care Center on Feb. 26. He was 89. Deacon Gibbons was ordained to the Permanent Diaconate of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey in 1999 and served Our Lady of the Mountain Parish for more than 20 years, dedicating himself to his faith community with compassion and devotion. For more than eight years, he was assistant director in the diocesan Office of the Permanent Diaconate at St. Paul Inside the Walls Center for Evangelization in Madison, N.J., before retiring in 2019. Born in Chicago, Ill., to the late John and Elizabeth Gibbons, Deacon Gibbons had lived in Washington Township since 1969. He retired as a human resource manager with Warner-Lambert Pharmaceuticals in New Jersey. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Deacon Gibbons earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from the University of Illinois, a master’s degree in industrial administration from Purdue University, and a master’s degree in theology from Seton Hall University. Deacon Gibbons was also a longtime member of Alcoholics Anonymous and supported and mentored many individuals throughout the years. Although he made New Jersey his home, Deacon Gibbons remained a devoted Chicago Cubs and Chicago Bears fan and enjoyed following Major League Baseball. He was an avid reader, particularly fond of Stephen King novels. Deacon Gibbons is survived by his wife, Marjorie Gibbons; his three sons (and daughters-in-law), Michael (Marsha), Patrick (Teresa), and Sean (Darcie); his nine grandchildren, Tyler, Matthew, Ryan, Cecilia, John, Lucie, Scott, Ian, Quinn; and his great-granddaughter, Ella. A visitation for Deacon Gibbons will be held on Tuesday, March 3, from 4 to 8 p.m. at Our Lady of the Mountain Church, followed by the Mass of Christian Burial on Wednesday, March 4 at 10 a.m. in the church. Interment will be held in the spring at Our Lady of the Mountain Cemetery. Memorial donations in Deacon Gibbons’ name may be made to the American Diabetes Association or to Our Lady of the Mountain Church.   
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Deacon Thomas Gibbons, former assistant director of Diaconate Program, 89 #Catholic – A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, March 4, at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of the Mountain Church in the Long Valley neighborhood of Washington Township, N.J., for Deacon Thomas Gibbons, who died at Forest Manor Care Center on Feb. 26. He was 89. Deacon Gibbons was ordained to the Permanent Diaconate of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey in 1999 and served Our Lady of the Mountain Parish for more than 20 years, dedicating himself to his faith community with compassion and devotion. For more than eight years, he was assistant director in the diocesan Office of the Permanent Diaconate at St. Paul Inside the Walls Center for Evangelization in Madison, N.J., before retiring in 2019. Born in Chicago, Ill., to the late John and Elizabeth Gibbons, Deacon Gibbons had lived in Washington Township since 1969. He retired as a human resource manager with Warner-Lambert Pharmaceuticals in New Jersey. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Deacon Gibbons earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from the University of Illinois, a master’s degree in industrial administration from Purdue University, and a master’s degree in theology from Seton Hall University. Deacon Gibbons was also a longtime member of Alcoholics Anonymous and supported and mentored many individuals throughout the years. Although he made New Jersey his home, Deacon Gibbons remained a devoted Chicago Cubs and Chicago Bears fan and enjoyed following Major League Baseball. He was an avid reader, particularly fond of Stephen King novels. Deacon Gibbons is survived by his wife, Marjorie Gibbons; his three sons (and daughters-in-law), Michael (Marsha), Patrick (Teresa), and Sean (Darcie); his nine grandchildren, Tyler, Matthew, Ryan, Cecilia, John, Lucie, Scott, Ian, Quinn; and his great-granddaughter, Ella. A visitation for Deacon Gibbons will be held on Tuesday, March 3, from 4 to 8 p.m. at Our Lady of the Mountain Church, followed by the Mass of Christian Burial on Wednesday, March 4 at 10 a.m. in the church. Interment will be held in the spring at Our Lady of the Mountain Cemetery. Memorial donations in Deacon Gibbons’ name may be made to the American Diabetes Association or to Our Lady of the Mountain Church.   

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Deacon Thomas Gibbons, former assistant director of Diaconate Program, 89 #Catholic –

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, March 4, at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of the Mountain Church in the Long Valley neighborhood of Washington Township, N.J., for Deacon Thomas Gibbons, who died at Forest Manor Care Center on Feb. 26. He was 89.

Deacon Gibbons was ordained to the Permanent Diaconate of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey in 1999 and served Our Lady of the Mountain Parish for more than 20 years, dedicating himself to his faith community with compassion and devotion. For more than eight years, he was assistant director in the diocesan Office of the Permanent Diaconate at St. Paul Inside the Walls Center for Evangelization in Madison, N.J., before retiring in 2019.

Born in Chicago, Ill., to the late John and Elizabeth Gibbons, Deacon Gibbons had lived in Washington Township since 1969. He retired as a human resource manager with Warner-Lambert Pharmaceuticals in New Jersey.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Deacon Gibbons earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from the University of Illinois, a master’s degree in industrial administration from Purdue University, and a master’s degree in theology from Seton Hall University.

Deacon Gibbons was also a longtime member of Alcoholics Anonymous and supported and mentored many individuals throughout the years.

Although he made New Jersey his home, Deacon Gibbons remained a devoted Chicago Cubs and Chicago Bears fan and enjoyed following Major League Baseball. He was an avid reader, particularly fond of Stephen King novels.

Deacon Gibbons is survived by his wife, Marjorie Gibbons; his three sons (and daughters-in-law), Michael (Marsha), Patrick (Teresa), and Sean (Darcie); his nine grandchildren, Tyler, Matthew, Ryan, Cecilia, John, Lucie, Scott, Ian, Quinn; and his great-granddaughter, Ella.

A visitation for Deacon Gibbons will be held on Tuesday, March 3, from 4 to 8 p.m. at Our Lady of the Mountain Church, followed by the Mass of Christian Burial on Wednesday, March 4 at 10 a.m. in the church. Interment will be held in the spring at Our Lady of the Mountain Cemetery.

Memorial donations in Deacon Gibbons’ name may be made to the American Diabetes Association or to Our Lady of the Mountain Church. 

 

– A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, March 4, at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of the Mountain Church in the Long Valley neighborhood of Washington Township, N.J., for Deacon Thomas Gibbons, who died at Forest Manor Care Center on Feb. 26. He was 89. Deacon Gibbons was ordained to the Permanent Diaconate of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey in 1999 and served Our Lady of the Mountain Parish for more than 20 years, dedicating himself to his faith community with compassion and devotion. For more than eight years, he was assistant director in the diocesan

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U.S. drug czar prays before image of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico – #Catholic – Sara Carter, director of the U.S. government’s Office of National Drug Control Policy, recently visited the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, where she stated that with God’s blessing, “the plague of the cartels and the poisons they inflict on us and our children” will be overcome.On Feb. 26, Carter visited the basilica, the site that houses the original tilma of St. Juan Diego, upon which the Virgin of Guadalupe’s image is imprinted.Carter’s visit last week follows the operation carried out on Feb. 22 in the state of Jalisco, which resulted in the capture and subsequent death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias “El Mencho,” leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.At a press conference on Feb. 23, Omar García Harfuch, Mexico’s secretary of security and citizen protection, indicated that the capture of the drug kingpin was also made possible thanks to information provided by U.S. authorities.Faith, a ‘cornerstone’ against addictionThe released photographs show Carter at various points within the Marian shrine, accompanied by Father Martín Muñoz López, vicar general of the Archdiocese of Mexico City and canon of the basilica.TweetThe post was accompanied by a message in which the official stated that “faith remains a cornerstone in the fight against drug addiction — guiding prevention, healing, and recovery for communities everywhere.”In another image, in which she appears at the feet of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Carter affirmed that faith “is not only the cornerstone of my life, but our National Drug Control strategy.”“I pray for the people of the United States and Mexico who are under the protection of Our Lady of Guadalupe. With God’s blessings and his providence, we will overcome the plague of cartels and the poisons they inflict on us and our children,” Carter said.TweetBilateral security meetingsThe day before, on Feb. 25, Carter met with Mexico’s security cabinet, along with U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson.Those participating in the meeting included Secretary of National Defense General Ricardo Trevilla; Secretary of the Navy Admiral Raymundo Morales; Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection Omar García Harfuch; Secretary of the Interior Rosa Icela Rodríguez; and Attorney General of the Republic Ernestina Godoy, as well as members of the U.S. delegation.Following the meeting, Johnson stated that both governments are working “together to stop the scourge of fentanyl and dismantle the networks that are poisoning our communities.”It was also reported that the director met with Foreign Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente and Undersecretary Roberto Velasco Álvarez as part of the bilateral agenda on cooperation and combating drug trafficking.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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U.S. drug czar prays before image of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico – #Catholic – Sara Carter, director of the U.S. government’s Office of National Drug Control Policy, recently visited the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, where she stated that with God’s blessing, “the plague of the cartels and the poisons they inflict on us and our children” will be overcome.On Feb. 26, Carter visited the basilica, the site that houses the original tilma of St. Juan Diego, upon which the Virgin of Guadalupe’s image is imprinted.Carter’s visit last week follows the operation carried out on Feb. 22 in the state of Jalisco, which resulted in the capture and subsequent death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias “El Mencho,” leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.At a press conference on Feb. 23, Omar García Harfuch, Mexico’s secretary of security and citizen protection, indicated that the capture of the drug kingpin was also made possible thanks to information provided by U.S. authorities.Faith, a ‘cornerstone’ against addictionThe released photographs show Carter at various points within the Marian shrine, accompanied by Father Martín Muñoz López, vicar general of the Archdiocese of Mexico City and canon of the basilica.TweetThe post was accompanied by a message in which the official stated that “faith remains a cornerstone in the fight against drug addiction — guiding prevention, healing, and recovery for communities everywhere.”In another image, in which she appears at the feet of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Carter affirmed that faith “is not only the cornerstone of my life, but our National Drug Control strategy.”“I pray for the people of the United States and Mexico who are under the protection of Our Lady of Guadalupe. With God’s blessings and his providence, we will overcome the plague of cartels and the poisons they inflict on us and our children,” Carter said.TweetBilateral security meetingsThe day before, on Feb. 25, Carter met with Mexico’s security cabinet, along with U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson.Those participating in the meeting included Secretary of National Defense General Ricardo Trevilla; Secretary of the Navy Admiral Raymundo Morales; Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection Omar García Harfuch; Secretary of the Interior Rosa Icela Rodríguez; and Attorney General of the Republic Ernestina Godoy, as well as members of the U.S. delegation.Following the meeting, Johnson stated that both governments are working “together to stop the scourge of fentanyl and dismantle the networks that are poisoning our communities.”It was also reported that the director met with Foreign Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente and Undersecretary Roberto Velasco Álvarez as part of the bilateral agenda on cooperation and combating drug trafficking.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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In Mexico for a meeting with security officials regarding combatting drug trafficking, U.S. drug czar Sara Carter visited the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

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Pope Leo XIV promulgates new statutes for Pontifical Academy for Life – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV promulgated new statutes for the Pontifical Academy for Life, recalling that its objective is “the defense and promotion of the value of human life and the dignity of the person.”The new statutes, which introduce the role of “supporters,” according to Vatican News, the Vatican’s official media outlet, were signed by the Holy Father on Feb. 27 and were released in Italian by the Vatican Press Office on Feb. 28.“Supporters, subject to approval from the Secretariat of State, are appointed by the board of directors for a three-year term and may be confirmed, upon resolution of the same body, for a maximum of two further consecutive terms,” the new statutes state.Supporters “are individuals who, identifying with the academy’s institutional purposes, contribute to the advancement of its academic activities. They are persons who do not possess an academic profile but who wish to sustain the objectives promoted by the academy,” the new statutes explain. The Pontifical Academy for Life was established by Pope John Paul II in 1994 with his motu proprio Vitae Mysterium. In that document, the Polish saint emphasized that “the mystery of life, and of human life in particular, is attracting the increased attention of experts who are drawn by the extraordinary opportunities for investigation that scientific and technological advances offer their research today.”“This new situation opens up fascinating horizons for intervention at the sources of life itself; it also gives rise to a variety of new moral questions that man cannot ignore without the risk of taking steps that could prove irreversible,” John Paul II warned.The work on drafting the new document, which updates the statutes approved by Pope Francis in 2016, began “more than a year ago,” the Vatican news outlet added.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Pope Leo XIV promulgates new statutes for Pontifical Academy for Life – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV promulgated new statutes for the Pontifical Academy for Life, recalling that its objective is “the defense and promotion of the value of human life and the dignity of the person.”The new statutes, which introduce the role of “supporters,” according to Vatican News, the Vatican’s official media outlet, were signed by the Holy Father on Feb. 27 and were released in Italian by the Vatican Press Office on Feb. 28.“Supporters, subject to approval from the Secretariat of State, are appointed by the board of directors for a three-year term and may be confirmed, upon resolution of the same body, for a maximum of two further consecutive terms,” the new statutes state.Supporters “are individuals who, identifying with the academy’s institutional purposes, contribute to the advancement of its academic activities. They are persons who do not possess an academic profile but who wish to sustain the objectives promoted by the academy,” the new statutes explain. The Pontifical Academy for Life was established by Pope John Paul II in 1994 with his motu proprio Vitae Mysterium. In that document, the Polish saint emphasized that “the mystery of life, and of human life in particular, is attracting the increased attention of experts who are drawn by the extraordinary opportunities for investigation that scientific and technological advances offer their research today.”“This new situation opens up fascinating horizons for intervention at the sources of life itself; it also gives rise to a variety of new moral questions that man cannot ignore without the risk of taking steps that could prove irreversible,” John Paul II warned.The work on drafting the new document, which updates the statutes approved by Pope Francis in 2016, began “more than a year ago,” the Vatican news outlet added.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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The new statues introduce the new role of “supporters” who, while not academics, identify with the academy’s mission and “contribute to the advancement of its academic activities.”

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After Supporting Unlimited Aid to Ukraine, Democrat Rep. Condems Iran Strike (VIDEO) – Voters deserve a foreign policy framework guided by consistent standards, not shifting rhetoric that depends on political context. The post After Supporting Unlimited Aid to Ukraine, Democrat Rep. Condems Iran Strike (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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After Supporting Unlimited Aid to Ukraine, Democrat Rep. Condems Iran Strike (VIDEO) – Voters deserve a foreign policy framework guided by consistent standards, not shifting rhetoric that depends on political context. The post After Supporting Unlimited Aid to Ukraine, Democrat Rep. Condems Iran Strike (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Split image featuring a news commentator discussing significant political events on the left and a former president delivering a speech on the right.

Split image featuring a news commentator discussing significant political events on the left and a former president delivering a speech on the right.

Voters deserve a foreign policy framework guided by consistent standards, not shifting rhetoric that depends on political context.

The post After Supporting Unlimited Aid to Ukraine, Democrat Rep. Condems Iran Strike (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Oops: Team Gavin Newsom’s Attempt to Troll Trump Over Iran and Gas Prices Backfires Spectacularly When the US Oil and Gas Association Delivers this Devastating Reply – Team Gavin Newsom could not resist a cheap shot against President Trump following the bombing of Iran, and it promptly blew up in their faces. The post Oops: Team Gavin Newsom’s Attempt to Troll Trump Over Iran and Gas Prices Backfires Spectacularly When the US Oil and Gas Association Delivers this Devastating Reply appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Oops: Team Gavin Newsom’s Attempt to Troll Trump Over Iran and Gas Prices Backfires Spectacularly When the US Oil and Gas Association Delivers this Devastating Reply – Team Gavin Newsom could not resist a cheap shot against President Trump following the bombing of Iran, and it promptly blew up in their faces. The post Oops: Team Gavin Newsom’s Attempt to Troll Trump Over Iran and Gas Prices Backfires Spectacularly When the US Oil and Gas Association Delivers this Devastating Reply appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Team Gavin Newsom could not resist a cheap shot against President Trump following the bombing of Iran, and it promptly blew up in their faces.

The post Oops: Team Gavin Newsom’s Attempt to Troll Trump Over Iran and Gas Prices Backfires Spectacularly When the US Oil and Gas Association Delivers this Devastating Reply appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Ending Soon: Premium Pillows, Sheets, Towels and More at MyPillow’s MEGA SALE (Up to 80% Off!) – The fake news media and Leftists tried to destroy Mike Lindell and MyPillow for supporting President Trump. The post Ending Soon: Premium Pillows, Sheets, Towels and More at MyPillow’s MEGA SALE (Up to 80% Off!) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Ending Soon: Premium Pillows, Sheets, Towels and More at MyPillow’s MEGA SALE (Up to 80% Off!) – The fake news media and Leftists tried to destroy Mike Lindell and MyPillow for supporting President Trump. The post Ending Soon: Premium Pillows, Sheets, Towels and More at MyPillow’s MEGA SALE (Up to 80% Off!) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Second annual mega sale featuring 6-piece towel sets and Classic MyPillow at discounted prices, promoting savings with promo codes.

Second annual mega sale featuring 6-piece towel sets and Classic MyPillow at discounted prices, promoting savings with promo codes.

The fake news media and Leftists tried to destroy Mike Lindell and MyPillow for supporting President Trump.

The post Ending Soon: Premium Pillows, Sheets, Towels and More at MyPillow’s MEGA SALE (Up to 80% Off!) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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How can galaxies merge if the everything in the universe is moving apart?

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How is it that galaxies merge and collide but the universe is expanding and everything is moving away from everything else? Justin HammersleySterling Heights, Michigan Whether or not galaxies merge depends on how strong the gravitational attraction is between the galaxies and whether the universe’s expansion is more powerful than gravity. Gravity affects everything inContinue reading “How can galaxies merge if the everything in the universe is moving apart?”

The post How can galaxies merge if the everything in the universe is moving apart? appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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ChosenCon 2026: ‘This is the Comic-Con of the Bible’ #Catholic Thousands of fans of the hit series “The Chosen” gathered at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, Feb. 19–21 for ChosenCon — a fan convention for the show.This year’s gathering also featured cast members from other shows from “The Chosen” universe including “The Chosen Adventures” and 5&2 Studios’ next series, “Joseph of Egypt,” as well as Amazon MGM Studios and the Wonder Project’s “House of David.”“This is huge. This is the Comic-Con of the Bible,” Michael Iskander, the actor who portrays King David in “House of David,” told EWTN News on the teal carpet.This was the young actor’s first time attending ChosenCon. He participated in a panel discussion alongside star of “The Chosen” Jonathan Roumie and Adam Hashmi, the actor who will portray Joseph in “Joseph of Egypt.”“I’ve wanted to come to ChosenCon for such a long time as a fan but I’m here as a guest. So this is really, really special,” he said.Speaking about his panel, Iskander said: “Everybody has been so warm. It was Jonathan and Adam and I and we had a really, really amazing conversation about what it means to play these biblical characters, how it affects us, how it’s changed us and what these biblical characters mean to everyone who is watching.” Michael Iskander and Jonathan Roumie at ChosenCon in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Feb. 20, 2026. | Credit: Photo courtesy of 5&2 Studios Many of the actors in attendance highlighted the importance the fans have played in the success of “The Chosen” and shared their feelings on the fact that they only have one season left to film.“I remember in Season 1 we had like five superfans that would follow us around — by the way those five same fans we can see around here on occasion. So if we do see them we’re just like ‘Oh my goodness — here since the beginning,’” said George Xanthis, the actor who portrays the apostle John in “The Chosen.” “But they’re just as important as the fans that have been here for two years or one year or six years or whatever it is but remembering back to that time, we were so grateful that we even had five fans.”He added: “So I take that feeling into things like today and it’s not lost on me how lucky I am, and how lucky we all are as a series and as a cast and as a production. So when days like this come about I just try to give my all. I want to say ‘Hi’ to as many people as possible.” Actor George Xanthis takes pictures with fans at ChosenCon in Charlotte, North Carolina. | Credit: Courtesy of 5&2 Studios Paras Patel, who plays Matthew, called his time on the show “a gift and a blessing.”“In many ways I have learned so much about myself being on the show and strengthened myself through it that I’m excited to see what will happen after,” he shared. “I kind of don’t want it to end because I just love these guys and I love our crew, but, as they say, all good things must come to an end.”An actor who has been deeply impacted by his time portraying his character is Giavani Cairo, the actor who plays Thaddeus. The actor has spoken openly about growing up without his biological father and during a panel discussion at ChosenCon discussed a moment of healing he received while filming.“He’s [Thaddeus] impacted me in ways that I could not have even imagined,” he told EWTN News.He shared that a few months before booking the role on “The Chosen,” he decided to “renew” his faith.“I started reading the Bible every day, talking to God like he was a friend, and that’s when the audition for ‘The Chosen’ came — at the right moment, right time,” he said. “And they always say God finds you in those moments.”He added: “So for me it started a healing process. I always had a chip on my shoulder wanting to prove that I was worthy. And he’s made me reflective that I am worthy of his love, and I’m worthy of other people’s love as well. So I just wanted to make people feel seen through Thaddeus that we all do matter.” Nearly 5,000 fans attended the third ChosenCon, which was held in Charlotte, North Carolina, Feb. 19–21, 2026. | Credit: Courtesy of 5&2 Studios While details of Season 6 of “The Chosen” are still largely under wraps, Roumie briefly discussed his experience portraying the Lord’s passion and crucifixion.“For the first few months afterwards going to Mass — and even thinking about it now — I just get weepy. I get emotional. It’s hard. It’s left an indelible impression on me — mentally and emotionally sharing even just a percentage, a micron of a percentage of the Lord’s passion playing it and reenacting it has left me absolutely humbled and moved,” he told EWTN News.Monsignor Patrick J. Winslow, vicar general and chancellor of the Diocese of Charlotte, was grateful that his city was hosting the conference and called the event “inspiring to the faithful.”“I think it’s such a beautiful new art form — a series — and to take the Gospel story in elevated form of that art form and present it for the world in a way that so many people can view and resonate with is just an extraordinary feat,” he said.Winslow added: “When you present a faithful rendition of Our Lord, or a faithful rendition of the Gospel, or David, or for that matter any story of faith, but you do it in a way that’s very well done, very well produced, it’s striking chords that very few people have access to. They’re deep within. And when you strike those chords with people, it inspires.”
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ChosenCon 2026: ‘This is the Comic-Con of the Bible’ #Catholic Thousands of fans of the hit series “The Chosen” gathered at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, Feb. 19–21 for ChosenCon — a fan convention for the show.This year’s gathering also featured cast members from other shows from “The Chosen” universe including “The Chosen Adventures” and 5&2 Studios’ next series, “Joseph of Egypt,” as well as Amazon MGM Studios and the Wonder Project’s “House of David.”“This is huge. This is the Comic-Con of the Bible,” Michael Iskander, the actor who portrays King David in “House of David,” told EWTN News on the teal carpet.This was the young actor’s first time attending ChosenCon. He participated in a panel discussion alongside star of “The Chosen” Jonathan Roumie and Adam Hashmi, the actor who will portray Joseph in “Joseph of Egypt.”“I’ve wanted to come to ChosenCon for such a long time as a fan but I’m here as a guest. So this is really, really special,” he said.Speaking about his panel, Iskander said: “Everybody has been so warm. It was Jonathan and Adam and I and we had a really, really amazing conversation about what it means to play these biblical characters, how it affects us, how it’s changed us and what these biblical characters mean to everyone who is watching.” Michael Iskander and Jonathan Roumie at ChosenCon in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Feb. 20, 2026. | Credit: Photo courtesy of 5&2 Studios Many of the actors in attendance highlighted the importance the fans have played in the success of “The Chosen” and shared their feelings on the fact that they only have one season left to film.“I remember in Season 1 we had like five superfans that would follow us around — by the way those five same fans we can see around here on occasion. So if we do see them we’re just like ‘Oh my goodness — here since the beginning,’” said George Xanthis, the actor who portrays the apostle John in “The Chosen.” “But they’re just as important as the fans that have been here for two years or one year or six years or whatever it is but remembering back to that time, we were so grateful that we even had five fans.”He added: “So I take that feeling into things like today and it’s not lost on me how lucky I am, and how lucky we all are as a series and as a cast and as a production. So when days like this come about I just try to give my all. I want to say ‘Hi’ to as many people as possible.” Actor George Xanthis takes pictures with fans at ChosenCon in Charlotte, North Carolina. | Credit: Courtesy of 5&2 Studios Paras Patel, who plays Matthew, called his time on the show “a gift and a blessing.”“In many ways I have learned so much about myself being on the show and strengthened myself through it that I’m excited to see what will happen after,” he shared. “I kind of don’t want it to end because I just love these guys and I love our crew, but, as they say, all good things must come to an end.”An actor who has been deeply impacted by his time portraying his character is Giavani Cairo, the actor who plays Thaddeus. The actor has spoken openly about growing up without his biological father and during a panel discussion at ChosenCon discussed a moment of healing he received while filming.“He’s [Thaddeus] impacted me in ways that I could not have even imagined,” he told EWTN News.He shared that a few months before booking the role on “The Chosen,” he decided to “renew” his faith.“I started reading the Bible every day, talking to God like he was a friend, and that’s when the audition for ‘The Chosen’ came — at the right moment, right time,” he said. “And they always say God finds you in those moments.”He added: “So for me it started a healing process. I always had a chip on my shoulder wanting to prove that I was worthy. And he’s made me reflective that I am worthy of his love, and I’m worthy of other people’s love as well. So I just wanted to make people feel seen through Thaddeus that we all do matter.” Nearly 5,000 fans attended the third ChosenCon, which was held in Charlotte, North Carolina, Feb. 19–21, 2026. | Credit: Courtesy of 5&2 Studios While details of Season 6 of “The Chosen” are still largely under wraps, Roumie briefly discussed his experience portraying the Lord’s passion and crucifixion.“For the first few months afterwards going to Mass — and even thinking about it now — I just get weepy. I get emotional. It’s hard. It’s left an indelible impression on me — mentally and emotionally sharing even just a percentage, a micron of a percentage of the Lord’s passion playing it and reenacting it has left me absolutely humbled and moved,” he told EWTN News.Monsignor Patrick J. Winslow, vicar general and chancellor of the Diocese of Charlotte, was grateful that his city was hosting the conference and called the event “inspiring to the faithful.”“I think it’s such a beautiful new art form — a series — and to take the Gospel story in elevated form of that art form and present it for the world in a way that so many people can view and resonate with is just an extraordinary feat,” he said.Winslow added: “When you present a faithful rendition of Our Lord, or a faithful rendition of the Gospel, or David, or for that matter any story of faith, but you do it in a way that’s very well done, very well produced, it’s striking chords that very few people have access to. They’re deep within. And when you strike those chords with people, it inspires.”

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Roughly 5,000 fans recently filled the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, for ChosenCon.

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American Catholics launch crowdfunding effort to gift Pope Leo XIV papal tiara #Catholic A newly established nonprofit launched a crowdfunding effort to construct a papal tiara that will contain Catholic and American symbolism, with the plan to offer it to Pope Leo XIV as a gift from American Catholics for the first pontiff from the United States.“Historically, the majority of papal tiaras are gifts, usually from the home diocese of the pope or from religious [communities] they may be affiliated with,” Isaac Smith, a convert to Catholicism and the founder of Amici Vaticani, told EWTN News.Smith said he was motivated to launch the project to provide Leo with a papal tiara based on the desire for “us, as Americans, to continue that tradition.” He said the first American pope is “such a historical milestone” for Catholicism in the United States.The history of papal crowns dates back to at least the eighth century with the word “tiara” first used in the 12th century. A second crown was added to the tiara in the 13th century to symbolize that the pope holds authority in both spiritual and temporal matters.A three-crown tiara first appeared in the 14th century. One interpretation of the three crowns is that they represent the threefold office of Christ: priest, prophet, and king. Another suggests it represents the militant, the suffering, and the triumphant Church.The proposed tiara commissioned by Amici Vaticani maintains the 14th-century tradition of three crowns. The tiara will be constructed with sterling silver and the crowns will be gold-plated.Because the gift is meant to honor Leo’s American heritage, the tiara will have red, white, and blue stones, which represent the colors of the American flag. It will incorporate other American symbols: oak leaves, representing the national tree; and corn stalks, representing the national crop.Some of the symbols included in the tiara have dual meanings relevant to both the papacy and the United States. It will incorporate roses, which is a symbol of the Virgin Mary and the national flower; and it will incorporate olives, which is a symbol of the pontiff’s commitment to peace and appears on the Great Seal of the United States.A buttony cross will sit atop the crown as a symbol of American Catholicism. The cross is used in the coat of arms for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, the country’s first Catholic diocese, and is featured on the flag of Maryland, which is the location of the first English Catholic colonies.The design, Smith explained, is meant to be “elegant and traditional” to honor the office of the papacy but is also meant to “incorporate distinctively American elements” to honor the pope’s American heritage. Maltese jeweler Gabriel Farrugia works on a project. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Gabriel Farrugia Smith said he hopes to fund the project through small donations from the American Catholic faithful so the pontiff can see “this was a group effort” and a gift from Catholics in his home country. This project, he said, provides “a tangible way for people to connect with the successor of Peter.”He also said he plans to compile the names of every person who donates more than $20 into a book, which would be presented to the Holy Father along with the crown and would say on the cover: “Holy Father, please pray for these people.”Smith said his intention is that the tiara can “hopefully [be] put on display in a place of honor” after it is constructed “and presented to the pope when he visits.” When Leo met Vice President JD Vance, the pontiff said he would travel to the United States at some point, although the Holy Father does not have any specific publicly announced plans to visit as of yet.The tiara will be constructed by a Maltese jeweler and artist named Gabriel Farrugia, who has a background in creating religious art, including an Our Lady of Fátima crown, which was used in a coronation ceremony in Guardamangia, Malta. He has also been commissioned by Catholic churches for artistic projects.“Making sacred art is a type of thanksgiving to the One who created us,” Farrugia told EWTN News.“For the God that created us and gave us life, I think we should give him something,” he said, adding that sacred art provides “something that will be left there for ages” and something for “people to admire, to enjoy, and to reflect [upon].”The construction of the crown has not yet begun, as Amici Vaticani is still in the early stages of the crowdfunding effort.Amici Vaticani was launched in 2025 for the purpose of constructing the tiara. According to its website, the nonprofit also seeks to build up “the awakening of a Catholic spirit in the United States.”“Our country, once defined by its Protestant heritage, is now witnessing a boon of conversions,” the website notes. “Men and women rediscovering the depth, beauty, and authority of the Catholic faith.”
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American Catholics launch crowdfunding effort to gift Pope Leo XIV papal tiara #Catholic A newly established nonprofit launched a crowdfunding effort to construct a papal tiara that will contain Catholic and American symbolism, with the plan to offer it to Pope Leo XIV as a gift from American Catholics for the first pontiff from the United States.“Historically, the majority of papal tiaras are gifts, usually from the home diocese of the pope or from religious [communities] they may be affiliated with,” Isaac Smith, a convert to Catholicism and the founder of Amici Vaticani, told EWTN News.Smith said he was motivated to launch the project to provide Leo with a papal tiara based on the desire for “us, as Americans, to continue that tradition.” He said the first American pope is “such a historical milestone” for Catholicism in the United States.The history of papal crowns dates back to at least the eighth century with the word “tiara” first used in the 12th century. A second crown was added to the tiara in the 13th century to symbolize that the pope holds authority in both spiritual and temporal matters.A three-crown tiara first appeared in the 14th century. One interpretation of the three crowns is that they represent the threefold office of Christ: priest, prophet, and king. Another suggests it represents the militant, the suffering, and the triumphant Church.The proposed tiara commissioned by Amici Vaticani maintains the 14th-century tradition of three crowns. The tiara will be constructed with sterling silver and the crowns will be gold-plated.Because the gift is meant to honor Leo’s American heritage, the tiara will have red, white, and blue stones, which represent the colors of the American flag. It will incorporate other American symbols: oak leaves, representing the national tree; and corn stalks, representing the national crop.Some of the symbols included in the tiara have dual meanings relevant to both the papacy and the United States. It will incorporate roses, which is a symbol of the Virgin Mary and the national flower; and it will incorporate olives, which is a symbol of the pontiff’s commitment to peace and appears on the Great Seal of the United States.A buttony cross will sit atop the crown as a symbol of American Catholicism. The cross is used in the coat of arms for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, the country’s first Catholic diocese, and is featured on the flag of Maryland, which is the location of the first English Catholic colonies.The design, Smith explained, is meant to be “elegant and traditional” to honor the office of the papacy but is also meant to “incorporate distinctively American elements” to honor the pope’s American heritage. Maltese jeweler Gabriel Farrugia works on a project. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Gabriel Farrugia Smith said he hopes to fund the project through small donations from the American Catholic faithful so the pontiff can see “this was a group effort” and a gift from Catholics in his home country. This project, he said, provides “a tangible way for people to connect with the successor of Peter.”He also said he plans to compile the names of every person who donates more than $20 into a book, which would be presented to the Holy Father along with the crown and would say on the cover: “Holy Father, please pray for these people.”Smith said his intention is that the tiara can “hopefully [be] put on display in a place of honor” after it is constructed “and presented to the pope when he visits.” When Leo met Vice President JD Vance, the pontiff said he would travel to the United States at some point, although the Holy Father does not have any specific publicly announced plans to visit as of yet.The tiara will be constructed by a Maltese jeweler and artist named Gabriel Farrugia, who has a background in creating religious art, including an Our Lady of Fátima crown, which was used in a coronation ceremony in Guardamangia, Malta. He has also been commissioned by Catholic churches for artistic projects.“Making sacred art is a type of thanksgiving to the One who created us,” Farrugia told EWTN News.“For the God that created us and gave us life, I think we should give him something,” he said, adding that sacred art provides “something that will be left there for ages” and something for “people to admire, to enjoy, and to reflect [upon].”The construction of the crown has not yet begun, as Amici Vaticani is still in the early stages of the crowdfunding effort.Amici Vaticani was launched in 2025 for the purpose of constructing the tiara. According to its website, the nonprofit also seeks to build up “the awakening of a Catholic spirit in the United States.”“Our country, once defined by its Protestant heritage, is now witnessing a boon of conversions,” the website notes. “Men and women rediscovering the depth, beauty, and authority of the Catholic faith.”

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A nonprofit hopes to generate enough small donations to construct a papal tiara for Pope Leo XIV as a gift from American Catholics.

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Thanks for Family and Friends: Prayer of the Day for Monday, March 02, 2026 – #Prayer – Blessed are You, loving Father, For all your gifts to us. Blessed are You for giving us family and friends To be with us in times of joy and sorrow, To help us in days of need, And to rejoice with us in moments of celebration.. Father, We praise You for Your Son Jesus, Who knew the happiness of family and friends, And in the love of Your Holy Spirit. Blessed are you for ever and ever. Amen.

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Blessed are You, loving Father,
For all your gifts to us.
Blessed are You for giving us family and friends
To be with us in times of joy and sorrow,
To help us in days of need,
And to rejoice with us in moments of celebration..

Father,
We praise You for Your Son Jesus,
Who knew the happiness of family and friends,
And in the love of Your Holy Spirit.
Blessed are you for ever and ever.

Amen.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 02 March 2026 – A reading from the Book of Daniel 9:4b-10 "Lord, great and awesome God, you who keep your merciful covenant toward those who love you and observe your commandments! We have sinned, been wicked and done evil; we have rebelled and departed from your commandments and your laws. We have not obeyed your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, our fathers, and all the people of the land. Justice, O Lord, is on your side; we are shamefaced even to this day: we, the men of Judah, the residents of Jerusalem, and all Israel, near and far, in all the countries to which you have scattered them because of their treachery toward you. O LORD, we are shamefaced, like our kings, our princes, and our fathers, for having sinned against you. But yours, O Lord, our God, are compassion and forgiveness! Yet we rebelled against you and paid no heed to your command, O LORD, our God, to live by the law you gave us through your servants the prophets."From the Gospel according to Luke 6:36-38 Jesus said to his disciples: "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. "Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you."St Luke specifies that perfection is merciful love: to be perfect means to be merciful. Is a person who is not merciful perfect? No! Is a person who is not merciful good? No! Goodness and perfection are rooted in mercy. Certainly, God is perfect. (…) But when Jesus calls us to be merciful like the Father, he does not mean in quantity! He asks his disciples to become signs, channels, witnesses of his mercy. The Church can be nothing other than a sacrament of God’s mercy in the world, at every time and for all of mankind. Every Christian, therefore, is called to be a witness of mercy, and this happens along the path of holiness. Let us think of the many saints who became merciful because they allowed their hearts to be filled with divine mercy. They embodied the Lord’s love, pouring it into the multiple needs of a suffering humanity. Within the flourishing of many forms of charity you can see the reflection of Christ’s merciful face. (Pope Francis, General audience, 21 September 2016)

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A reading from the Book of Daniel
9:4b-10

"Lord, great and awesome God,
you who keep your merciful covenant toward those who love you
and observe your commandments!
We have sinned, been wicked and done evil;
we have rebelled and departed from your commandments and your laws.
We have not obeyed your servants the prophets,
who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes,
our fathers, and all the people of the land.
Justice, O Lord, is on your side;
we are shamefaced even to this day:
we, the men of Judah, the residents of Jerusalem,
and all Israel, near and far,
in all the countries to which you have scattered them
because of their treachery toward you.
O LORD, we are shamefaced, like our kings, our princes, and our fathers,
for having sinned against you.
But yours, O Lord, our God, are compassion and forgiveness!
Yet we rebelled against you
and paid no heed to your command, O LORD, our God,
to live by the law you gave us through your servants the prophets."

From the Gospel according to Luke
6:36-38

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

"Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and gifts will be given to you;
a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.
For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you."

St Luke specifies that perfection is merciful love: to be perfect means to be merciful. Is a person who is not merciful perfect? No! Is a person who is not merciful good? No! Goodness and perfection are rooted in mercy. Certainly, God is perfect. (…) But when Jesus calls us to be merciful like the Father, he does not mean in quantity! He asks his disciples to become signs, channels, witnesses of his mercy.

The Church can be nothing other than a sacrament of God’s mercy in the world, at every time and for all of mankind. Every Christian, therefore, is called to be a witness of mercy, and this happens along the path of holiness. Let us think of the many saints who became merciful because they allowed their hearts to be filled with divine mercy. They embodied the Lord’s love, pouring it into the multiple needs of a suffering humanity. Within the flourishing of many forms of charity you can see the reflection of Christ’s merciful face. (Pope Francis, General audience, 21 September 2016)

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March 1, 1966: Venera 3 crashes into Venus

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Beginning at the dawn of the Space Age in the late 1950s, the Soviets worked to design and construct a series of Venus probes. And for almost 30 years, they built and flew the interplanetary spacecraft as part of the Venera program — carrying out rather impressive feats, even by today’s standards.  Venera 1, theContinue reading “March 1, 1966: Venera 3 crashes into Venus”

The post March 1, 1966: Venera 3 crashes into Venus appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman’s voice needed ‘more than ever’ #Catholic African American Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman’s ability to bridge divides shines as a witness needed today, according to those who knew her, and her cause for canonization may create a pathway for other African Americans on their ways to sainthood.More than three decades after her death, Bowman should be remembered for “her charism, gifts, prophetic voice, charismatic personality, and real strong commitment to the Church — truly being Catholic,” Bishop Joseph Kopacz of the Diocese of Jackson, Mississippi, told EWTN News.Bowman, the granddaughter of a slave, challenged the Church in the 20th century to confront its history of racial exclusion and to embrace Black Catholics through her work as a scholar, teacher, and speaker.The Diocese of Jackson officially closed its proceedings regarding her potential sainthood on Feb. 9 after Kopacz opened her cause in November 2018. The records are now being sent to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints at the Vatican.“People around the world will be very excited and will celebrate what we hope will be the occasion of her canonization. And that’s because people, Catholic and non-Catholics alike, are drawn to her story,” Veryl Miles, law professor and leader of the Sister Thea Bowman Committee at The Catholic University of America, told EWTN News.Sister Thea’s life and legacyBowman was born Dec. 29, 1937, in Yazoo City, Mississippi, and was given the name Bertha Elizabeth Bowman. While her family was Methodist, Bowman was called to the Catholic faith at a young age.“At 9 years old, she told her parents she wanted to be Catholic. The sisters who were teaching at the school, the parish where she was, had such an impact on her. Then six years later, she joined their religious community,” Kopacz said.She joined the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration at age 15 and enrolled in Viterbo University, which was run by the Franciscan sisters. Three years into formation, she took the religious name Thea, which means “of God” and is a version of her father’s name, Theon.“She was so focused on serving the Lord as a religious, and in this community, because they loved her as a young child,” Kopaz said. Bowman knew: “This is who I know. This is who I love. This is where I want to be.”She was the first and only African American woman in her religious community, often facing racism both within and beyond the Church, leading her to become an advocate for the dignity of Black people, their culture, and Black Catholic spirituality.Bowman went on to study at The Catholic University of America, earning a doctorate in English in 1972. Bowman helped found the National Black Sisters’ Conference and taught the university’s first Black literature course.Bowman, who taught for many years, was “a master teacher,” Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration Charlene Smith, a close friend of Bowman’s and co-author of her biography “Thea’s Song,” told EWTN News.Smith and Bowman met in 1954 in La Crosse, Wisconsin, at St. Rose Convent. “She was just like me. We both wanted to be Franciscans, we both wanted to teach, and we both wanted to major in English in college, and we did all three of those things,” Smith said.After having moved away for graduate school, Bowman returned to La Crosse to teach in the English Department at Viterbo University. Smith also returned to serve as the school’s dean of students.“When I got back to La Crosse, they told me that I should beware of Sister Thea Bowman because she was ‘the most powerful woman on campus.’ They didn’t know that we were really good friends,” Smith said.“Being the dean, I was able to go to any classroom. I would go to Thea’s classrooms, and she would always come bounding in with a song, and she would get everybody into a really good mood,” Smith said.Bowman would also teach at parishes about Black liturgy and music. Eventually she starting to speak at a national level, becoming the first African American woman to address the U.S. bishops’ conference.She often used music to help evangelize and bridge interracial divides, and became a major contributor to the development of “Lead Me, Guide Me,” the Black Catholic hymnal published in 1987.Smith reflected on Bowman’s “marvelous” and “magnetic” personality. “We were invited to a dinner at a hotel, and she was going to give a speech. We got there early, so we went to sit down in the lobby … a pianist from Argentina was playing songs from ‘Porgy and Bess,’ and Thea got up and started singing ‘Summertime.’”“She got a standing ovation and an encore,” Smith said. “I think one of the greatest gifts, graces, in my life was my friendship with her. She was very kind to me, and she was very kind to all the people that she met.”At age 54, on March 30, 1990, Bowman died of breast cancer. She was buried at Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis, Tennessee, alongside her parents.Impact of Bowman’s causeBowman’s journey toward sainthood could have an especially effective impact today with the present division in the nation, as she would preach how we are “all human beings, and we should love everybody,” Smith said.“She was not interested in the melting pot at all,” Smith said. “She was more interested in a salad bowl because she said: ‘In a salad, people keep their identity, whereas in a melting pot, they’re all mushed together.’”Bowman “welcomed all in the universal body of Christ” Kopacz said. “She said the Church needs to truly be actively universal, and embrace different cultures and all the gifts that people bring.”“So today, more than ever, that voice is needed in our society as we can get more divisive,” Kopacz said. “I just think it’s perfect for our time and our Church.”“Her message is so universal,” Miles said. Especially “understanding the relationship between faith and identity among its members.”“She really understood and articulated so beautifully that we are people of faith and we are people of identities. The Church is a global church. There’s so many different people who are part of this Church  — people of different races, different ethnicities, and nationalities.”‘An impetus’ for other African Americans on their way to sainthoodCurrently, there are no canonized African American saints, but the Church honors Black saints from other nations, including St. Josephine Bakhita, St. Martin de Porres, St. Monica of Hippo, and St. Augustine of Hippo, among others.Bowman is among seven African American Catholics with active canonization causes — dubbed the “Saintly Seven.” The group also includes Venerable Pierre Toussaint, Venerable Mother Mary Lange, Venerable Mother Henriette Delille, Venerable Father Augustus Tolton, Servant of God Julia Greeley, and Servant of God Friar Martin de Porres Maria Ward.Even before her potential canonization, Bowman will “draw attention” to the group, Kopacz said. If she becomes venerable, which the bishop expects she will, he believes Bowman “will be an impetus” for the causes of other African Americans to move forward. “She’s going to be an important part, and she’ll move the other causes along,” he said.Since people “can relate” to Bowman’s story as it “is so contemporary and so special,” Miles said she also hopes the other stories of the seven Catholics “will become highlighted” by her cause.“People will be more interested in finding out about the other African Americans who are in the process of canonization, because their stories are very special and very unique, too,” Miles said.
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Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman’s voice needed ‘more than ever’ #Catholic African American Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman’s ability to bridge divides shines as a witness needed today, according to those who knew her, and her cause for canonization may create a pathway for other African Americans on their ways to sainthood.More than three decades after her death, Bowman should be remembered for “her charism, gifts, prophetic voice, charismatic personality, and real strong commitment to the Church — truly being Catholic,” Bishop Joseph Kopacz of the Diocese of Jackson, Mississippi, told EWTN News.Bowman, the granddaughter of a slave, challenged the Church in the 20th century to confront its history of racial exclusion and to embrace Black Catholics through her work as a scholar, teacher, and speaker.The Diocese of Jackson officially closed its proceedings regarding her potential sainthood on Feb. 9 after Kopacz opened her cause in November 2018. The records are now being sent to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints at the Vatican.“People around the world will be very excited and will celebrate what we hope will be the occasion of her canonization. And that’s because people, Catholic and non-Catholics alike, are drawn to her story,” Veryl Miles, law professor and leader of the Sister Thea Bowman Committee at The Catholic University of America, told EWTN News.Sister Thea’s life and legacyBowman was born Dec. 29, 1937, in Yazoo City, Mississippi, and was given the name Bertha Elizabeth Bowman. While her family was Methodist, Bowman was called to the Catholic faith at a young age.“At 9 years old, she told her parents she wanted to be Catholic. The sisters who were teaching at the school, the parish where she was, had such an impact on her. Then six years later, she joined their religious community,” Kopacz said.She joined the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration at age 15 and enrolled in Viterbo University, which was run by the Franciscan sisters. Three years into formation, she took the religious name Thea, which means “of God” and is a version of her father’s name, Theon.“She was so focused on serving the Lord as a religious, and in this community, because they loved her as a young child,” Kopaz said. Bowman knew: “This is who I know. This is who I love. This is where I want to be.”She was the first and only African American woman in her religious community, often facing racism both within and beyond the Church, leading her to become an advocate for the dignity of Black people, their culture, and Black Catholic spirituality.Bowman went on to study at The Catholic University of America, earning a doctorate in English in 1972. Bowman helped found the National Black Sisters’ Conference and taught the university’s first Black literature course.Bowman, who taught for many years, was “a master teacher,” Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration Charlene Smith, a close friend of Bowman’s and co-author of her biography “Thea’s Song,” told EWTN News.Smith and Bowman met in 1954 in La Crosse, Wisconsin, at St. Rose Convent. “She was just like me. We both wanted to be Franciscans, we both wanted to teach, and we both wanted to major in English in college, and we did all three of those things,” Smith said.After having moved away for graduate school, Bowman returned to La Crosse to teach in the English Department at Viterbo University. Smith also returned to serve as the school’s dean of students.“When I got back to La Crosse, they told me that I should beware of Sister Thea Bowman because she was ‘the most powerful woman on campus.’ They didn’t know that we were really good friends,” Smith said.“Being the dean, I was able to go to any classroom. I would go to Thea’s classrooms, and she would always come bounding in with a song, and she would get everybody into a really good mood,” Smith said.Bowman would also teach at parishes about Black liturgy and music. Eventually she starting to speak at a national level, becoming the first African American woman to address the U.S. bishops’ conference.She often used music to help evangelize and bridge interracial divides, and became a major contributor to the development of “Lead Me, Guide Me,” the Black Catholic hymnal published in 1987.Smith reflected on Bowman’s “marvelous” and “magnetic” personality. “We were invited to a dinner at a hotel, and she was going to give a speech. We got there early, so we went to sit down in the lobby … a pianist from Argentina was playing songs from ‘Porgy and Bess,’ and Thea got up and started singing ‘Summertime.’”“She got a standing ovation and an encore,” Smith said. “I think one of the greatest gifts, graces, in my life was my friendship with her. She was very kind to me, and she was very kind to all the people that she met.”At age 54, on March 30, 1990, Bowman died of breast cancer. She was buried at Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis, Tennessee, alongside her parents.Impact of Bowman’s causeBowman’s journey toward sainthood could have an especially effective impact today with the present division in the nation, as she would preach how we are “all human beings, and we should love everybody,” Smith said.“She was not interested in the melting pot at all,” Smith said. “She was more interested in a salad bowl because she said: ‘In a salad, people keep their identity, whereas in a melting pot, they’re all mushed together.’”Bowman “welcomed all in the universal body of Christ” Kopacz said. “She said the Church needs to truly be actively universal, and embrace different cultures and all the gifts that people bring.”“So today, more than ever, that voice is needed in our society as we can get more divisive,” Kopacz said. “I just think it’s perfect for our time and our Church.”“Her message is so universal,” Miles said. Especially “understanding the relationship between faith and identity among its members.”“She really understood and articulated so beautifully that we are people of faith and we are people of identities. The Church is a global church. There’s so many different people who are part of this Church  — people of different races, different ethnicities, and nationalities.”‘An impetus’ for other African Americans on their way to sainthoodCurrently, there are no canonized African American saints, but the Church honors Black saints from other nations, including St. Josephine Bakhita, St. Martin de Porres, St. Monica of Hippo, and St. Augustine of Hippo, among others.Bowman is among seven African American Catholics with active canonization causes — dubbed the “Saintly Seven.” The group also includes Venerable Pierre Toussaint, Venerable Mother Mary Lange, Venerable Mother Henriette Delille, Venerable Father Augustus Tolton, Servant of God Julia Greeley, and Servant of God Friar Martin de Porres Maria Ward.Even before her potential canonization, Bowman will “draw attention” to the group, Kopacz said. If she becomes venerable, which the bishop expects she will, he believes Bowman “will be an impetus” for the causes of other African Americans to move forward. “She’s going to be an important part, and she’ll move the other causes along,” he said.Since people “can relate” to Bowman’s story as it “is so contemporary and so special,” Miles said she also hopes the other stories of the seven Catholics “will become highlighted” by her cause.“People will be more interested in finding out about the other African Americans who are in the process of canonization, because their stories are very special and very unique, too,” Miles said.

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Bowman’s ability to see the dignity of each individual, and embrace all gifts and cultures, is an essential message for Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

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Diocesan senior leadership reflects on mission during Morristown retreat #Catholic - Diocesan senior staff members came together for a Lenten Day of Reflection for Leadership at the Loyola Jesuit Center in Morristown Feb 20. Brian Corbin, executive vice president of Member Services and senior vice president of Social Policy at Catholic Charities USA, was the speaker for the retreat. The retreat was meant to be a day of prayer and reflection in the mission and in serving the work of the Paterson Diocese with the guidance of Bishop Kevin Sweeney. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]
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Diocesan senior leadership reflects on mission during Morristown retreat #Catholic – Diocesan senior staff members came together for a Lenten Day of Reflection for Leadership at the Loyola Jesuit Center in Morristown Feb 20. Brian Corbin, executive vice president of Member Services and senior vice president of Social Policy at Catholic Charities USA, was the speaker for the retreat. The retreat was meant to be a day of prayer and reflection in the mission and in serving the work of the Paterson Diocese with the guidance of Bishop Kevin Sweeney. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]

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Diocesan senior leadership reflects on mission during Morristown retreat #Catholic –

Diocesan senior staff members came together for a Lenten Day of Reflection for Leadership at the Loyola Jesuit Center in Morristown Feb 20. Brian Corbin, executive vice president of Member Services and senior vice president of Social Policy at Catholic Charities USA, was the speaker for the retreat.

The retreat was meant to be a day of prayer and reflection in the mission and in serving the work of the Paterson Diocese with the guidance of Bishop Kevin Sweeney.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

[See image gallery at beaconnj.org] – Diocesan senior staff members came together for a Lenten Day of Reflection for Leadership at the Loyola Jesuit Center in Morristown Feb 20. Brian Corbin, executive vice president of Member Services and senior vice president of Social Policy at Catholic Charities USA, was the speaker for the retreat. The retreat was meant to be a day of prayer and reflection in the mission and in serving the work of the Paterson Diocese with the guidance of Bishop Kevin Sweeney. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.  

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President Trump Fires Warning Shot to Iran Amid Threats of New Retaliatory Strikes on US Military Bases – President Trump on Saturday evening fired a warning shot to Iran amid reports the country was going to hit US military bases in retaliatory strikes. The post President Trump Fires Warning Shot to Iran Amid Threats of New Retaliatory Strikes on US Military Bases appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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President Trump Fires Warning Shot to Iran Amid Threats of New Retaliatory Strikes on US Military Bases – President Trump on Saturday evening fired a warning shot to Iran amid reports the country was going to hit US military bases in retaliatory strikes. The post President Trump Fires Warning Shot to Iran Amid Threats of New Retaliatory Strikes on US Military Bases appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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President Trump on Saturday evening fired a warning shot to Iran amid reports the country was going to hit US military bases in retaliatory strikes.

The post President Trump Fires Warning Shot to Iran Amid Threats of New Retaliatory Strikes on US Military Bases appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Pro-Palestinian Columbia University Student Group Posts “Marg Bar Amrika” (Death to America) – An unofficial Columbia University student group, the pro-Palestinian ‘Columbia University Apartheid Divest’ posted “marg bar amrika,” the Islamist Iranian regime chant that means, “death to America,” to X Saturday in response to the killing of Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ale Khamenei in joint U.S.-Israeli air strikes. The post Pro-Palestinian Columbia University Student Group Posts “Marg Bar Amrika” (Death to America) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Pro-Palestinian Columbia University Student Group Posts “Marg Bar Amrika” (Death to America) – An unofficial Columbia University student group, the pro-Palestinian ‘Columbia University Apartheid Divest’ posted “marg bar amrika,” the Islamist Iranian regime chant that means, “death to America,” to X Saturday in response to the killing of Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ale Khamenei in joint U.S.-Israeli air strikes. The post Pro-Palestinian Columbia University Student Group Posts “Marg Bar Amrika” (Death to America) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Tweet from CU Apartheid Divest discussing a controversial statement, dated February 28, 2026, with 1.4K views.

Tweet from CU Apartheid Divest discussing a controversial statement, dated February 28, 2026, with 1.4K views.

An unofficial Columbia University student group, the pro-Palestinian ‘Columbia University Apartheid Divest’ posted “marg bar amrika,” the Islamist Iranian regime chant that means, “death to America,” to X Saturday in response to the killing of Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ale Khamenei in joint U.S.-Israeli air strikes.

The post Pro-Palestinian Columbia University Student Group Posts “Marg Bar Amrika” (Death to America) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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REALLY? Jonathan Capehart of MSNOW Claims ‘The Media Isn’t Necessarily Liberal’ (VIDEO) – Jonathan Capehart of MSNOW appeared on PBS this weekend and claimed, with a straight face, that the media is necessarily liberal. The post REALLY? Jonathan Capehart of MSNOW Claims ‘The Media Isn’t Necessarily Liberal’ (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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REALLY? Jonathan Capehart of MSNOW Claims ‘The Media Isn’t Necessarily Liberal’ (VIDEO) – Jonathan Capehart of MSNOW appeared on PBS this weekend and claimed, with a straight face, that the media is necessarily liberal. The post REALLY? Jonathan Capehart of MSNOW Claims ‘The Media Isn’t Necessarily Liberal’ (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

unitedyam

Jonathan Capehart of MSNOW appeared on PBS this weekend and claimed, with a straight face, that the media is necessarily liberal.

The post REALLY? Jonathan Capehart of MSNOW Claims ‘The Media Isn’t Necessarily Liberal’ (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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The U.S. Just Attacked Iran: Here’s What Happens Next #BabylonBee – The United States launched a major military attack on Iran overnight, striking dozens of high-level targets across the nation. As the dust settles, everyone is asking the question: what happens next? Here is what’s about to go down:
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The U.S. Just Attacked Iran: Here’s What Happens Next #BabylonBee – The United States launched a major military attack on Iran overnight, striking dozens of high-level targets across the nation. As the dust settles, everyone is asking the question: what happens next? Here is what’s about to go down:

unitedyam

The United States launched a major military attack on Iran overnight, striking dozens of high-level targets across the nation. As the dust settles, everyone is asking the question: what happens next? Here is what’s about to go down:

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