A delegation from the Italian luxury sports car manufacturer met Pope Leo at Castel Gandolfo on May 26.
As winter’s brilliant stars slip toward the western horizon and the constellations of spring climb higher, Northern Hemisphere observers discover a quieter but richly rewarding sky. Spring is celebrated for its galaxies, yet our own Milky Way offers an equally compelling bounty of open and globular clusters. From youthful, loosely packed groups that still sparkleContinue reading “Observe spring’s star clusters”
The post Observe spring’s star clusters appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
Read More
The Holy Father will spend half a day in the microstate in north-central Italy before traveling around 14 miles northeast to the city of Rimini, Italy.
![Pope Leo will visit a polarized Spain in political turmoil but where all sides want to hear him - #Catholic - Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming visit to Spain will take place against a political and social backdrop marked by intense polarization.The divided political climate coincides with an unprecedented event in Spanish democracy: the indictment on charges of alleged corruption by a former prime minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party, who held the office when Pope Benedict XVI visited the country 15 years ago.Zapatero’s scheduled court appearance in connection with his alleged involvement in a scheme linked to the 2021 public bailout of the airline Plus Ultra, originally set for June 2, has been postponed by the judge to June 17–18.The cardinal archbishop of Madrid, José Cobo, downplayed the impact the case will have on the popeʼs June 6–12 visit. “We are accustomed to operating amid many events in political life. That is simply part of life, and the headlines keep shifting,” he stated in an interview with EWTN News.
The archbishop of Madrid, Spain, Cardinal José Cobo Cano. | Credit: EWTN News
The stability of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchezʼs government is also being called into question by some of its coalition partners, such as the Basque Nationalist Party, which has labeled the decision not to call general elections before the end of the year “irresponsible.”Polarization is not limited to the political sphere, however. According to the Atlas of Polarization by More in Common (2025), nearly 5 million Spaniards have broken off a personal relationship in the past year due to ideological differences, a figure equivalent to 14% of the population. Furthermore, three out of every five citizens say they avoid discussing politics to avoid creating conflict.According to jurist Rafael Domingo Oslé, professor at the University of Navarra in Spain, this phenomenon reflects a grave deterioration of society at large. “Spain is experiencing a moment of profound social fragmentation, exacerbated by a political class incapable of lowering the tone,” he said in an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. In his view, the volume of personal breakups “is a symptom that we are losing the respect necessary to prevent a society from fragmenting.”A shared languageIn this context, the pope’s visit takes on a particular significance as the emergence of a voice capable of introducing a different language into the public debate.“A papal visit does not, in and of itself, resolve a crisis of this nature. But it can accomplish something that politics, by its very logic, is no longer able to achieve: offering a common framework and a shared language,” Domingo explained. The key, he added, lies in the pontiff’s unique position: “The pope arrives not as an arbiter of an ideological debate but as a shepherd reminding a weary society that every person, regardless of whom they vote for, possesses a dignity that precedes their opinions.”
Main façade of the Congress of Deputies (lower house) in Madrid. | Credit: Nicolás de Cárdenas/ACI Prensa
This circumstance has prompted an unusual gesture in recent Spanish politics: a unanimous invitation to the pope extended by both the House and the Senate.“In a country where parliamentary consensus is nearly impossible, all political forces have agreed to listen to the same voice. That, in itself, is already a healthy gesture,” Domingo emphasized.Leo XIV will address a joint session of the Legislature on June 8, marking the first time a pontiff has spoken before both Spanish legislative chambers. The motto of the trip, “Lift Up Your Eyes,” encapsulates the spirit of the visit, according to Domingo, who said he hopes Spaniards will "cease focusing solely on immediate conflict and look toward what truly matters.” Concurrently, the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas has met with a remarkable reception in the Spanish political world.In a message posted on X, Sánchez emphasized: “Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas challenges us all. AI is not neutral, and digital power could lead us to new atrocities if it is not directed toward the common good. The text is also a defense of peace, human dignity, and multilateralism. Spain is clear on this: In this moment of change, we cannot be resigned spectators. Everything that makes us human is at stake.”Along the same lines, Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares told the press, following his audience with the pope on May 4: “There is a great convergence between the Vatican’s positions and Spain’s humanist foreign policy at this time.”Despite these points of convergence, tensions between the Church and the political realm remain. One of the most visible flashpoints is the re-signification of the Valley of the Fallen (Cuelgamuros), a monument to the victims from both sides of the 1936–1939 Spanish Civil War comprising a basilica, a cemetery, and a guesthouse. For 44 years, the mortal remains of dictator Francisco Franco lay buried there until their exhumation in 2019. Franco was the general who led the victorious right-wing Nationalist side against the leftist Republican side in the conflict. The current government has led the drive to transform the site into a political memorial, while the Church has advocated for the preservation of the monumentʼs religious dimension.Italian constitutional scholar Marco Olivetti warned during a press conference at LUMSA University in Rome that “historical memory has been used as a divisive element that shapes public perception of the Church.”Added to this are legislative clashes such as the attempt to enshrine abortion rights in the Spanish Constitution or proposals to eliminate military chaplains, efforts in direct confrontation with Church doctrine.However, criticism of the Church does not stem solely from the left. The bishops' defense of immigrants, including their support for the government’s plan to give legal status to undocumented immigrants, which would benefit nearly half a million people already residing in Spain, has also drawn reproaches from conservative quarters.Santiago Abascal, the leader of the Vox party, which declares itself Catholic, lashed out at the secretary-general of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Francisco César García Magán: “This character never dares to criticize the mafioso government. Because the government provides him with his business through the invasion [the influx of illegal immigrants]. And that’s his priority: the business. And a profound contempt for the Spaniards who wish to defend their homeland.”The risk of instrumentalizing the pope’s wordsThe papal visit is not without risks in a climate of high polarization, Domingo warns. “One party will highlight whatever suits its agenda while remaining silent on the rest; another will try to do the opposite. It’s inevitable.” Nevertheless, he underscored the Holy See’s experience in “writing speeches that stand as a cohesive whole.”“Taking the pope out of context is relatively easy; refuting him is much more difficult,” he said.Cobo shared this concern regarding the pontiffʼs address before the joint session. “I believe this is a gesture that is also very characteristic of the Church, for it entails listening to the Christian tradition speaking about politics, but ‘Politics with a capital P’ [the noble art or statesmanship]. In a society where we are accustomed to talking about political parties, that moment is significant. The fear, indeed, is that we might attempt to make a discourse on ‘Politics with a capital P’ to fit into a partisan narrative, effectively pitting one against the other,” he noted in his interview with EWTN News.Moreover, the context is exacerbated by the rise of identity-based discourses that conflate politics and faith.Sociologist Rafael Ruiz Andrés, a professor at Complutense University in Madrid, warned in an interview with ACI Prensa that “there is a whole range of sectors, located primarily within the far-right spectrum, and specifically in Spain within the Vox party, that seek to portray the defense of Christian culture as a central tenet of their platforms.” However, he qualified this by noting that “it’s not necessarily a defense based on religion” but is rather linked to “identity-based culture, and in many instances, positioned in opposition to Islam.”In his view, one of Pope Leo XIV’s concerns is precisely “that there be this sort of hijacking of Christianity by politics.” In line with this, reports published following a meeting of the executive committee of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference with the pope pointed to the Vatican’s unease regarding attempts to “instrumentalize the Church,” although the bishops subsequently clarified that the pontiff spoke in general terms about “the risks of subjecting faith to ideologies,” without referring to any specific group.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/pope-leo-will-visit-a-polarized-spain-in-political-turmoil-but-where-all-sides-want-to-hear-him-catholic-pope-leo-xivs-upcoming-visit-to-spain-will-take-place-against-a-political-and-soc.webp)
In the divisive political climate in Spain, some say there is the risk that political factions will try to use the pope’s words to their advantage.
![Certificate inspires catechetical, lay leaders to serve Church better #Catholic - On May 18 at Resurrection Parish in Randolph, N.J., Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney celebrated a Graduation Mass for 15 catechetical leaders and lay ministers in the Church who earned the NCCL Certificate in Catechetical Ministry and Religious Education. This initiative seeks to expand and enrich the graduates’ training.
In 2024, Saint Elizabeth University, located in the Convent Station neighborhood of Morris Township, N.J., and the Paterson Diocese, N.J., partnered to offer a certificate program using the NCCL curriculum. This collaboration represents a pivotal step in a broader effort across the Church to elevate the standard of catechetical ministry and religious education.
Those who complete the NCCL program can take additional graduate credits at Saint Elizabeth’s.
Bishop Sweeney concelebrated the Graduation Mass on May 18. Father Yojaneider Garcia, pastor of Resurrection and director of the diocesan Office of Catechesis and Faith Formation, concelebrated the liturgy.
The certificate recipients were: Cathy Metcalf, Martha Spyker, Cheryl Wallace, Magda Campson, Carolyn Kelly, Colleen Huber, Debbie Dericks, Teresa Gallo, Denise Gaylord, Elsa Gonzalez, Jean Caughey, Lauro Marcillo, Mary Hill, Maryann Schwork and Thomas Schwork.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/certificate-inspires-catechetical-lay-leaders-to-serve-church-better-catholic-on-may-18-at-resurrection-parish-in-randolph-n-j-bishop-kevin-j-sweeney-celebrated-a-graduation-mass-for-15-catech.jpg)
Certificate inspires catechetical, lay leaders to serve Church better #Catholic – 
On May 18 at Resurrection Parish in Randolph, N.J., Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney celebrated a Graduation Mass for 15 catechetical leaders and lay ministers in the Church who earned the NCCL Certificate in Catechetical Ministry and Religious Education. This initiative seeks to expand and enrich the graduates’ training.
In 2024, Saint Elizabeth University, located in the Convent Station neighborhood of Morris Township, N.J., and the Paterson Diocese, N.J., partnered to offer a certificate program using the NCCL curriculum. This collaboration represents a pivotal step in a broader effort across the Church to elevate the standard of catechetical ministry and religious education.
Those who complete the NCCL program can take additional graduate credits at Saint Elizabeth’s.
Bishop Sweeney concelebrated the Graduation Mass on May 18. Father Yojaneider Garcia, pastor of Resurrection and director of the diocesan Office of Catechesis and Faith Formation, concelebrated the liturgy.
The certificate recipients were: Cathy Metcalf, Martha Spyker, Cheryl Wallace, Magda Campson, Carolyn Kelly, Colleen Huber, Debbie Dericks, Teresa Gallo, Denise Gaylord, Elsa Gonzalez, Jean Caughey, Lauro Marcillo, Mary Hill, Maryann Schwork and Thomas Schwork.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
– On May 18 at Resurrection Parish in Randolph, N.J., Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney celebrated a Graduation Mass for 15 catechetical leaders and lay ministers in the Church who earned the NCCL Certificate in Catechetical Ministry and Religious Education. This initiative seeks to expand and enrich the graduates’ training. In 2024, Saint Elizabeth University, located in the Convent Station neighborhood of Morris Township, N.J., and the Paterson Diocese, N.J., partnered to offer a certificate program using the NCCL curriculum. This collaboration represents a pivotal step in a broader effort across the Church to elevate the standard of catechetical ministry and religious
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/TAL-lead-image-CABODEGATASP0526-6b05e9e22384408087f564de8bb138f1.jpg)
NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft flies above NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, during testing focused on lower-speed and altitude flight conditions in support of NASA’s Quesst mission. NASA continues to include two-flight days in its envelope expansion as teams work to better understand how the aircraft responds throughout its operating range.
Read More
Spencer Pratt appeared on the Gutfeld!
The post WATCH: Spencer Pratt Talks About His Viral Campaign for Mayor of Los Angeles on the Gutfeld! Show (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Read More
The field of Democrats running for president in 2028 is going to be huge, but according to Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, she will not be one of them.
The post SHE’S OUT? Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer Claims She is NOT RUNNING for President in 2028 (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Read More
The individual who carried out a loud, steam >affair with an Obama federal judge has been unmasked as a prominent Atlanta policeman, causing the scandal to take another turn for the worse.
The post Meet the Prominent Police Officer Who Carried Out a Steamy, Two-Year Sexual Affair with Married Obama Judge in Her Chambers appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Read MoreA Reading from the First Letter of St. Peter
4:7-13
Beloved:
The end of all things is at hand.
Therefore be serious and sober-minded
so that you will be able to pray.
Above all, let your love for one another be intense,
because love covers a multitude of sins.
Be hospitable to one another without complaining.
As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another
as good stewards of God’s varied grace.
Whoever preaches, let it be with the words of God;
whoever serves, let it be with the strength that God supplies,
so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ,
to whom belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Beloved, do not be surprised that a trial by fire is occurring among you,
as if something strange were happening to you.
But rejoice to the extent that you share in the sufferings of Christ,
so that when his glory is revealed
you may also rejoice exultantly.
From the Gospel according to Mark
11:11-26
Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple area.
He looked around at everything and, since it was already late,
went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
The next day as they were leaving Bethany he was hungry.
Seeing from a distance a fig tree in leaf,
he went over to see if he could find anything on it.
When he reached it he found nothing but leaves;
it was not the time for figs.
And he said to it in reply, “May no one ever eat of your fruit again!”
And his disciples heard it.
They came to Jerusalem,
and on entering the temple area
he began to drive out those selling and buying there.
He overturned the tables of the money changers
and the seats of those who were selling doves.
He did not permit anyone to carry anything through the temple area.
Then he taught them saying, “Is it not written:
My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples?
But you have made it a den of thieves.”
The chief priests and the scribes came to hear of it
and were seeking a way to put him to death,
yet they feared him
because the whole crowd was astonished at his teaching.
When evening came, they went out of the city.
Early in the morning, as they were walking along,
they saw the fig tree withered to its roots.
Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look!
The fig tree that you cursed has withered.”
Jesus said to them in reply, “Have faith in God.
Amen, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain,
‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’
and does not doubt in his heart
but believes that what he says will happen,
it shall be done for him.
Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer,
believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours.
When you stand to pray,
forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance,
so that your heavenly Father may in turn
forgive you your transgressions.”
AUSTIN, TX — James Talarico drew attention in recent months with his candidacy for Texas senator, but he reportedly had a bit of trouble appealing to the average Texan. To help with that, the Democratic Party sent in Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to give him "not acting gay" lessons.
Read More
Ten years ago, this world lost one of its greatest heroes: Harambe, the gorilla. Friend to many and beloved by all, the loss of Harambe left a gaping hole that changed the course of history.
Read More
| Picture of the day |
|---|
|
|
Mundari child in a cattle camp near Terekeka, South Sudan.
|
15th N.J. Army Tank Pull sets goal at $2M milestone for veterans #Catholic – 
Teams to pull 80,000-pound tank in test of strength and solidarity
The 15th Annual New Jersey Army Tank Pull Challenge will take place on Sunday, June 7, in Clifton, N.J. at 1100 Clifton Ave. between St. James Place and Olga B Terrace from
8 a.m. to 4 p.m. rain or shine. This landmark event is on track to surpass $2 million in total funds raised for veterans since its inception, having already generated $1.93 million over the past 14 years.
For the fifth consecutive year, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Paterson, will collaborate with the Knights of Columbus to organize this extraordinary demonstration of community strength and commitment to those who have served our country.
“The Tank Pull Challenge represents the ultimate test of physical endurance and teamwork,” said David Pearson of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Paterson. “More importantly, it symbolizes our collective determination to support veterans facing seemingly insurmountable challenges in civilian life.”
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
The event challenges teams to pull an 80,000-pound tank mounted on a flatbed truck — an impressive feat that draws participants from diverse backgrounds including law enforcement, labor unions, veterans’ organizations, businesses, and community groups. This year’s event features over 50 teams, each pulling together to honor veterans’ service and sacrifice.
All proceeds directly benefit New Jersey veterans, with special attention to those wounded in combat. Catholic Charities supports hundreds of veterans in need throughout the state each day through various programs and services.
“When we see teams straining to move that massive tank, it’s a powerful metaphor for our veterans’ daily struggles,” noted John Hughes of the Knights of Columbus. “Just as our teams overcome the seemingly impossible task of moving the tank, we aim to help our veterans overcome obstacles in their lives.”
Among this year’s 53 participating teams are IBEW Local 743 Veterans Committee, Don Bosco Ironmen, Clifton PBA 36, PSEG Vets, NFL Alumni Infringers, and Women Veterans of New Jersey.
The event is made possible through the generous support of sponsors including Pallottines of the Immaculate Conception Province, Natoli Construction, Passaic County Central Labor Council, Fairleigh Dickinson University Veterans Office, Plumbers Local 24, Visions FCU, and Atlantic Health/True North.
The event is free for spectators and will feature family-friendly activities alongside the main Tank Pull competition.
For more information about sponsoring or supporting the15th Annual NJ Army Tank Pull Challenge, visit ccpaterson.org/TankPull or contact Hazel Yaptangco, Development Director, Catholic Charities Diocese of Paterson; hazel@ccpaterson.org
– Teams to pull 80,000-pound tank in test of strength and solidarity The 15th Annual New Jersey Army Tank Pull Challenge will take place on Sunday, June 7, in Clifton, N.J. at 1100 Clifton Ave. between St. James Place and Olga B Terrace from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. rain or shine. This landmark event is on track to surpass $2 million in total funds raised for veterans since its inception, having already generated $1.93 million over the past 14 years. For the fifth consecutive year, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Paterson, will collaborate with the Knights of Columbus to organize this
![Former Russian Orthodox ‘foreign minister’ freed after Czech drug probe #Catholic Czech police arrested Metropolitan Hilarion, a prominent clergyman of the Russian Orthodox Church, on suspicion of drug possession during a vehicle stop on May 24. Officers acted “on anonymous information” about the alleged “transportation of narcotics and psychotropic substances.”A few grams of an unidentified substance were found in the vehicle, though the discovery “does not answer the central question: how the items ended up in the vehicle,” Hilarion said, denying “any involvement in the illegal possession or transportation of prohibited substances.”He was released May 26 after protests from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which called the detention a “deliberate, orchestrated provocation” and summoned a Czech diplomat in Moscow. The Russian Orthodox Church likewise defended him, saying the incident “looks like a classic farce” since drug smuggling is often used by “unscrupulous police officers around the world.”No charges have been brought, and Hilarion is free without restrictions while the investigation continues, according to a statement on his Telegram account. His team also called the arrest “a provocation,” claiming he had received anonymous death threats demanding he leave the country.Who is Hilarion?Metropolitan Hilarion, whose secular name is Grigory Alfeyev, headed the Moscow Patriarchateʼs Department for External Church Relations from 2009 to 2022, a role often described as the Russian Orthodox Churchʼs “foreign minister.” He was widely regarded as a close ally of Patriarch Kirill and a possible successor.In June 2022, he was removed from the post and appointed to the Budapest diocese, a move widely interpreted as a demotion. During Pope Francis' apostolic trip to Budapest in April 2023, the two held a private meeting at the apostolic nunciature.In July 2024, Hilarion was accused of sexual harassment by George Suzuki, a former personal attendant. Hilarion denied the allegations. The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church subsequently declared “the inconsistency of the nature of his relations with his immediate environment and his life with the image of a monk and clergyman” and removed him from the Budapest diocese on Dec. 27, 2024. He has since been serving at the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Karlovy Vary, a spa town in western Czech Republic.Rising tensions over the Russian Orthodox Church in Czech RepublicSergei Chapnin, a Russian church affairs scholar at Fordham University and former employee of the Moscow Patriarchate, offered two possible explanations for the incident. First, Hilarion may serve “as a high-level courier” who “moves sensitive documents and other items around Western Europe” since “Russian diplomats are closely monitored and constrained in their movements.” Second, Hilarion was operating “inside a very rough political and ecclesiastical game … over assets and influence” involving local Orthodox communities.The Church of Sts. Peter and Paul was recently registered under the Russian Orthodox Church in Hungary to prevent Czech authorities from freezing Russian assets. Patriarch Kirill, the churchʼs head, is personally listed on the Czech national sanctions list for his support of Russiaʼs invasion of Ukraine.Concerns about the churchʼs role in Czech Republic have been escalating. The Czech security agencyʼs annual report said the Russian Orthodox Churchʼs local representatives are loyal to the Moscow leadership and their “support for the Russian official line is evident.”A study titled “Security Risks of the Orthodox Church,” published by the Czech Academy of Sciences in 2025, called for systematic monitoring of the Russian Orthodox Church in the country. The authors recommended investigating “activities with regard to the danger of money laundering, purposeful export of funds and property, smuggling of goods and people, passing information to the enemy, for example the Russian side, [and] influencing the opinions of Czech society through social networks.”The study also noted that the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Karlovy Vary allegedly hosted meetings involving Russian military intelligence (GRU) officials.In a related case, a Prague court recently convicted former Orthodox abbess Taťána Hanhur for the unauthorized transfer of a monastery and property worth 73 million Czech crowns (approximately $3.2 million). The property had belonged to the autocephalous Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/former-russian-orthodox-foreign-minister-freed-after-czech-drug-probe-catholic-czech-police-arrested-metropolitan-hilarion-a-prominent-clergyman-of-the-russian-orthodox-church-on.jpg "Former Russian Orthodox ‘foreign minister’ freed after Czech drug probe #Catholic Czech police arrested Metropolitan Hilarion, a prominent clergyman of the Russian Orthodox Church, on suspicion of drug possession during a vehicle stop on May 24. Officers acted “on anonymous information” about the alleged “transportation of narcotics and psychotropic substances.”A few grams of an unidentified substance were found in the vehicle, though the discovery “does not answer the central question: how the items ended up in the vehicle,” Hilarion said, denying “any involvement in the illegal possession or transportation of prohibited substances.”He was released May 26 after protests from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which called the detention a “deliberate, orchestrated provocation” and summoned a Czech diplomat in Moscow. The Russian Orthodox Church likewise defended him, saying the incident “looks like a classic farce” since drug smuggling is often used by “unscrupulous police officers around the world.”No charges have been brought, and Hilarion is free without restrictions while the investigation continues, according to a statement on his Telegram account. His team also called the arrest “a provocation,” claiming he had received anonymous death threats demanding he leave the country.Who is Hilarion?Metropolitan Hilarion, whose secular name is Grigory Alfeyev, headed the Moscow Patriarchateʼs Department for External Church Relations from 2009 to 2022, a role often described as the Russian Orthodox Churchʼs “foreign minister.” He was widely regarded as a close ally of Patriarch Kirill and a possible successor.In June 2022, he was removed from the post and appointed to the Budapest diocese, a move widely interpreted as a demotion. During Pope Francis' apostolic trip to Budapest in April 2023, the two held a private meeting at the apostolic nunciature.In July 2024, Hilarion was accused of sexual harassment by George Suzuki, a former personal attendant. Hilarion denied the allegations. The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church subsequently declared “the inconsistency of the nature of his relations with his immediate environment and his life with the image of a monk and clergyman” and removed him from the Budapest diocese on Dec. 27, 2024. He has since been serving at the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Karlovy Vary, a spa town in western Czech Republic.Rising tensions over the Russian Orthodox Church in Czech RepublicSergei Chapnin, a Russian church affairs scholar at Fordham University and former employee of the Moscow Patriarchate, offered two possible explanations for the incident. First, Hilarion may serve “as a high-level courier” who “moves sensitive documents and other items around Western Europe” since “Russian diplomats are closely monitored and constrained in their movements.” Second, Hilarion was operating “inside a very rough political and ecclesiastical game … over assets and influence” involving local Orthodox communities.The Church of Sts. Peter and Paul was recently registered under the Russian Orthodox Church in Hungary to prevent Czech authorities from freezing Russian assets. Patriarch Kirill, the churchʼs head, is personally listed on the Czech national sanctions list for his support of Russiaʼs invasion of Ukraine.Concerns about the churchʼs role in Czech Republic have been escalating. The Czech security agencyʼs annual report said the Russian Orthodox Churchʼs local representatives are loyal to the Moscow leadership and their “support for the Russian official line is evident.”A study titled “Security Risks of the Orthodox Church,” published by the Czech Academy of Sciences in 2025, called for systematic monitoring of the Russian Orthodox Church in the country. The authors recommended investigating “activities with regard to the danger of money laundering, purposeful export of funds and property, smuggling of goods and people, passing information to the enemy, for example the Russian side, [and] influencing the opinions of Czech society through social networks.”The study also noted that the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Karlovy Vary allegedly hosted meetings involving Russian military intelligence (GRU) officials.In a related case, a Prague court recently convicted former Orthodox abbess Taťána Hanhur for the unauthorized transfer of a monastery and property worth 73 million Czech crowns (approximately $3.2 million). The property had belonged to the autocephalous Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia.")
Metropolitan Hilarion, once tipped as successor to Patriarch Kirill, was released without charges after Czech police found an unidentified substance in his vehicle.
The pontiff said the Church must respond to religious indifference not by softening the Gospel’s demands but by offering credible witness to Christ.
The latest attack occurred on May 21 in the outstation of Kurmin Bongo, in the Dangana District of Kaduna State,.
13 things to know about Pope Leo’s encyclical on AI #Catholic – 
(OSV News) — What does it mean to safeguard our humanity? That question is at the heart of Pope Leo XIV’s much anticipated first encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence,” released May 25. The following are some key things to know about this weighty papal letter.
1. Latin for “Magnificent Humanity,” the title is drawn from the opening words of the text as rendered in Latin, as is customary for papal encyclicals. Those words state, in its English translation, “Humanity, created by God in all its grandeur, is today facing a pivotal choice: either to construct a new Tower of Babel or to build the city in which God and humanity dwell together.” Throughout the encyclical, Pope Leo points to “the grandeur of humanity,” with men and women created by God for relationship with him and each other, cooperating in God’s creative work and guided by the Holy Spirit.
2. The document is about 42,000 words long, including footnotes, making it roughly the size of a novella. It spans five chapters sandwiched between a robust introduction and conclusion. The first chapter traces the development of Catholic social doctrine, or social teaching, especially since “Rerum Novarum,” Pope Leo XIII’s seminal 1891 encyclical on the dignity of labor. The second chapter dives into the substance of Catholic social teaching. The third chapter explores the challenges artificial intelligence presents to humanity; the fourth chapter hones in on safeguarding truth, work and freedom; and the fifth chapter focuses on the implications of AI in warfare.
3. From education and jobs to private tech companies and families, “Magnifica Humanitas” is wide-ranging. It touches on the prospect of massive unemployment, the future of education, the protection of human freedom, excessive screen time for young people and technology addiction, data ownership, cryptocurrencies, economic disparities, environmental impacts, transhumanism and posthumanism, and cyberattacks and other forms of warfare. Pope Leo addresses the idea of “moral AI,” and argues that the basis for “alignment of AI with human values” requires “openly discussing the ethical frameworks involved and subjecting them to shared standards of social justice” in a conversation inclusive to all communities.
4. The document includes references to an array of influential thinkers. Beyond Pope Leo’s papal predecessors, the letter points to or quotes Dorothy Day, Maria Montessori, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., J.R.R. Tolkien, Plato, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the American humanist thinker Hannah Arendt, among others. And, of course, Pope Leo weaves in St. Augustine, the patron of Pope Leo’s Augustinian religious order and Pope Leo’s ever-present guide, particularly through the African bishop’s important fifth-century book, “The City of God.”
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
5. It uses biblical imagery, imploring people to examine what humanity is building in “the construction site of our time.” The Tower of Babel and the City of God are contrasted throughout the encyclical to illustrate the two possible directions that the era of AI could take: a path of arrogance, artificial sense of self-sufficiency and chaos, or a path towards communion, relationship and God. Pope Leo underlines the critical need for developing a process for discernment to guide the development of AI. “The task of building today must place our relationship with God at its center,” Pope Leo writes.
6. Despite its challenges, AI is not to be inherently feared. “Technology should not be considered, in itself, as a force antagonistic to humanity,” he writes. “Over the centuries, technological development has significantly improved the living conditions of humanity. At the same time, each phase of progress has also revealed the ambiguity of tools that can cause harm when not oriented toward the good.” He speaks directly to AI developers, telling them that “technological innovation can represent human participation in the divine act of creation,” and therefore they “bear a particular ethical and spiritual responsibility, for every design choice reflects a vision of humanity.”
7. Taking time for discernment is critical in our path forward. The encyclical invites people of goodwill into “a shared discernment process for identifying the spiritual and cultural roots of ongoing transformations” as they relate to AI. “We are living through a rapid phase of transition, a ‘change of era,’ in which … most people are watching and waiting, observing from afar and merely hoping for the best,” Pope Leo writes. “For this very reason, crucial questions impose themselves on our conscience and can no longer be avoided: Where are we going? Toward what goal do we wish to orient ourselves? What direction should we choose as people and as a human community?”
8. It explains the principles of Catholic social teaching and why they are important in building a future where humanity flourishes. Pope Leo explains central tenets of Catholic social teaching — the dignity of the person, the common good, the universal destination of goods, subsidiarity, solidarity and justice — as he makes the case for their use as guiding principles for AI. “The Social Doctrine of the Church is a legacy of wisdom, where we find principles for thought, criteria for discernment and judgment, and concrete guidelines for action,” Pope Leo writes. “Founded on Sacred Scripture and Tradition, and in engagement with the sciences, it helps us clearly interpret the challenges of the present and identify appropriate ways for living out a clear Christian witness, with joy and in service to the world. It is not an inert set of concepts, but a living corpus of truth that safeguards and interprets humanity’s vocation to a full and just life.” As AI has exponentially advanced and become part of daily life, people of goodwill must “face the challenges of our time with clarity of thought and responsibility,” he writes.
9. People cannot be reduced to machines, measured for their efficiency and valued for their “optimization.” Artificial intelligence “threatens to normalize an anti-human vision,” Pope Leo writes. “In that vision, the fullness of life is equated with having more, reducing weakness, eliminating uncertainty and exerting total control. When efficiency becomes the ultimate measure of value, human beings are tempted to see themselves as a project to be optimized rather than as persons called to relationship and communion.” Instead, “the quality of a civilization,” he writes, “is measured not by the power of its means, but by the care it is able to offer, by its ability to recognize the other as a face not merely as a function.”
10. Robust ethical consideration should be given to AI’s impact on war. Pope Leo is particularly concerned that AI, “detached from ethics and responsibility, will render decisions about life and death more rapid and impersonal, and will present the use of force as an immediate and viable option.” In calling for the principles of Catholic social teaching to serve as decision-making guidelines, he condemns “the spread of a culture of power characterized by polarization and violence.” Instead, he calls humanity to “the civilization of love,” which is “no naïve utopia, but a demanding project, which consists in translating charity into structures of justice, giving institutional form to fraternity, and regarding others — whether individuals or peoples — as allies necessary for building the common good.” He also gives criteria for using AI in war.
11. “Magnifica Humanitas” is actually all about relationship. Throughout the encyclical, Pope Leo points to humanity’s relationship to God and relationship to each other. In this area, he underscores action over passivity, and urges people to work toward “a willed and chosen solidarity.” He writes, “This is the guiding principle for technological processes: it is not enough for artificial intelligence to make us more efficient or connected; it must also serve to build a universal human family, with shared rights and duties, where digital proximity becomes a real opportunity for encounter and mutual care.”
12. Whatever the future holds, humanity’s meaning is rooted in Jesus Christ. The document’s conclusion includes a compelling reflection on the Incarnation through the “face of the Son of God, the grandeur of humanity that shines a light also on the era of AI.” “No computational system, however sophisticated, can create a heart that gives itself, or a conscience that discerns good from evil. Even when machines excel in efficiency, a human face that asks to be gazed upon remains the center of our history,” Pope Leo writes. “This human face is the fullness toward which history is moving.”
13. The encyclical calls for personal conversion. The pope proposes for the Christian “a sober yet demanding program of Christian life with which we can navigate this epochal change in the light of the Gospel” centered on “contemplating God’s plan,” receiving the Eucharist, “building a world centered on the common good,” and praying in union with Mary. He encourages people to cultivate community and in-person relationships, educate young people to love wisdom, spend time with the poor and lonely, be a voice for justice, defend objective truth, and treat the digital world as “a new continent to be evangelized.” His final reflection centers on the “Magnificat,” Mary’s famous canticle glorifying God, recounted in the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke. Pope Leo writes: “In the humble fidelity of daily life, even the era of AI can become a time in which the Holy Spirit brings about the civilization of love in our lives.”
Maria Wiering is managing editor of OSV News. Contributing to this story were OSV News’ Vatican Editor Courtney Mares and Digital Editor Megan Marley.
– (OSV News) — What does it mean to safeguard our humanity? That question is at the heart of Pope Leo XIV’s much anticipated first encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence,” released May 25. The following are some key things to know about this weighty papal letter. 1. Latin for “Magnificent Humanity,” the title is drawn from the opening words of the text as rendered in Latin, as is customary for papal encyclicals. Those words state, in its English translation, “Humanity, created by God in all its grandeur, is today facing a pivotal
Trece cosas que hay que saber sobre la encíclica del Papa León sobre la IA #Catholic – 
(OSV News) — ¿Qué significa custodiar nuestra humanidad? Esa pregunta está en el centro de la tan esperada primera encíclica del Papa León XIV, “Magnifica Humanitas: Sobre la custodia de la persona humana en el tiempo de la inteligencia artificial”, publicada el 25 de mayo. A continuación, se presentan algunos aspectos clave sobre esta importante misiva papal.
1. Significa “Magnífica humanidad” en latín; el título proviene de las primeras palabras del texto tal y como están traducidas al latín, como habitualmente ocurre con las encíclicas papales. Esas palabras dicen, según su traducción al español: “La magnífica humanidad que Dios ha creado se encuentra hoy ante una elección decisiva: levantar una nueva torre de Babel o edificar la ciudad donde Dios y la humanidad habiten juntos”. A lo largo de la encíclica, el Papa León destaca “la grandeza de la persona humana”, con hombres y mujeres creados por Dios para la relación con él y para con los demás, cooperando con la labor creativa de Dios y guiados por el Espíritu Santo.
2. El documento –en su versión en español– cuenta con más de 44.000 palabras. Contiene cinco capítulos enmarcados entre una introducción y una conclusión sólidas. El primer capítulo traza la evolución de la doctrina social de la Iglesia, o enseñanza social, especialmente desde la “Rerum Novarum”, la influyente encíclica de 1891 del Papa León XIII sobre la dignidad del trabajo. El segundo capítulo ahonda en la substancia de la doctrina social católica. El tercer capítulo explora los desafíos que la inteligencia artificial presenta a la humanidad, el cuarto capítulo se centra en la defensa de la verdad, el trabajo, y la libertad; y el quinto capítulo se enfoca en lo que implica usar IA en situaciones bélicas.
Para suscribirse a nuestro boletín electrónico semanal, haga click aquí.
3. Desde la educación y los trabajos a las compañías tecnológicas privadas y las familias, los temas cubiertos por “Magnifica Humanitas” son muy amplios. La encíclica aborda temas como el prospecto del desempleo, el futuro de la educación, la protección de las libertades humanas, el tiempo excesivo frente a las pantallas, la adición a la tecnología, la propiedad de los datos, criptomonedas, disparidades económicas, el impacto medioambiental, transhumanismo y posthumanismo, además de ciberataques y otros tipos de conflictos bélicos. El Papa León habló de la idea de una “IA más moral” y argumenta que las bases de “la denominada ‘alineación’ de la IA con los valores humanos” requiere “la posibilidad de discutir el código ético que debe ser usado, sometiéndolo a criterios de justicia social compartida” en conversaciones que incluyan a todas las comunidades.
4. Este documento incluye referencias a una variedad de pensadores influyentes. Más allá de los predecesores del Papa León, la encíclica apunta, o cita a Dorothy Day, Maria Montessori, Martin Luther King Jr., J.R.R. Tolkien, Platón, la conferencia episcopal estadounidense, y la pensadora Hannah Arendt, entre otros. Y, por supuesto, el Papa León entreteje referencias a San Agustín, el santo patrón de la orden religiosa del pontífice agustino y un guía siempre presente, especialmente por medio del libro del obispo africano del siglo V, “La ciudad de Dios”. 5. 5. Recurre a imágenes bíblicas para instar a la gente a reflexionar sobre lo que la humanidad está construyendo en “la obra de nuestro tiempo”. La Torre de Babel y la Ciudad de Dios son contrastadas a lo largo de la encíclica para ilustrar las dos direcciones posibles que podría tomar la era de la IA: un camino de arrogancia, hacia un sentido artificial de autosuficiencia y caos, o un camino hacia la comunión, la relación y Dios. El Papa León subraya la necesidad crítica para desarrollar un proceso de discernimiento para guiar el desarrollo de la IA. “Hoy nuestra edificación debe tener como fundamento la relación con Dios”, escribió el Papa León.
6. A pesar de sus desafíos, la IA no debe ser temida. La tecnología “no debe considerarse, en sí misma, como una fuerza antagónica respecto a la persona”, escribió. “A lo largo de los siglos, el desarrollo tecnológico ha contribuido a una mejora significativa de las condiciones de vida de la humanidad; al mismo tiempo, cada etapa del progreso también ha puesto de manifiesto el lado ambiguo de instrumentos capaces de causar daño cuando no se orientan hacia el bien”. Se dirige directamente a quienes desarrollan sistemas de IA, diciéndoles que “la innovación tecnológica puede ser, en cierto modo, una forma humana de participación en el acto divino de la creación” y, por tanto, los desarrolladores llevan “un importante peso ético y espiritual, ya que cada elección de proyecto expresa una visión de la humanidad”.
7. Dedicar tiempo al discernimiento es fundamental en nuestro camino hacia el futuro. La encíclica invita a la gente de buena voluntad a iniciar “un discernimiento compartido capaz de profundizar en las raíces espirituales y culturales de las transformaciones que se están produciendo” con lo que respecta a la IA. “Estamos viviendo una rápida fase de transición, un ‘cambio de época’ en el que … la mayoría de las personas permanece a la espera, observa desde lejos y simplemente aguarda a que todo salga bien”, escribió el Papa León. “Precisamente por eso se imponen en nuestra conciencia preguntas decisivas, que ya no pueden eludirse: ¿Hacia dónde vamos? ¿Hacia qué meta deseamos orientarnos? ¿Qué dirección elegir como comunidad humana y como pueblos?”
8. Explica los principios de la doctrina social de la Iglesia y por qué son importantes para construir un futuro en el que la humanidad prospere. El Papa León explica los principios fundamentales de la doctrina social católica –la dignidad de la persona, el bien común, el destino universal de los bienes, la subsidiariedad, la solidaridad y la justicia– al tiempo que defiende su aplicación como principios rectores de la IA. “La Doctrina social de la Iglesia es un patrimonio de sabiduría, en el que encontramos principios para pensar, criterios para discernir y juzgar, y orientaciones concretas para actuar”, escribió. “Se fundamenta en la Sagrada Escritura y en la Tradición y, en diálogo con las ciencias, nos ayuda a leer con lucidez los desafíos del presente, identificando caminos adecuados para vivir un testimonio cristiano límpido, con alegría y al servicio del mundo. No es un conjunto estático de conceptos, sino un corpus vivo de verdades, que custodia e interpreta la vocación de la humanidad a una vida plena y justa”. Mientras la inteligencia artificial ha avanzado exponencialmente y se ha convertido en parte de la vida cotidiana, las personas de bien deben “asumir con lucidez y responsabilidad los retos de nuestro tiempo”, dijo.
9. Las personas no pueden ser reducidas a máquinas, medirse por su eficiencia ni valorarse por su “optimización”. La inteligencia artificial amenaza con hacer “parecer justa y normal una visión antihumana”, escribió el Papa León, “según la cual la plenitud de la vida consistiría en tener más, reducir la fragilidad, eliminar lo imprevisto y controlarlo todo. Cuando la eficiencia se vuelve medida de valor, el ser humano es tentado a considerarse como un proyecto que debe optimizarse más que como una criatura llamada a la relación y a la comunión”. Por el contrario, escribió “la calidad de una civilización se mide no por el poder de sus medios, sino por el cuidado que sabe ofrecer, por la capacidad de reconocer un rostro en el otro y no una función”.
10. Se debe considerar seriamente el impacto de la IA en situaciones de guerra. El Papa León se preocupa de manera particular que la inteligencia artificial “separada de la ética y de la responsabilidad, haga más rápida e impersonal la decisión sobre la vida y la muerte, y presente el uso de la fuerza como una opción inmediata y viable”. Al llamar a la humanidad a una “civilización del amor”, ésta “no es una utopía ingenua, sino un proyecto exigente. Consiste en traducir la caridad en estructuras de justicia, en dar cuerpo institucional a la fraternidad y en considerar al otro –ya sea persona o pueblo– como un aliado necesario para la construcción del bien común”. También da pautas para el uso de AI en conflictos bélicos.
11. “Magnifica Humanitas” trata fundamentalmente sobre las relaciones. A lo largo de su encíclica, el Papa León destaca la relación de la humanidad con Dios, la relación de las personas entre sí. En este aspecto, él enfatiza la acción sobre la pasividad e insta a las personas a trabajar para lograr “una solidaridad deseada y elegida”. Escribió que “es el criterio para orientar los procesos tecnológicos: no basta con que la IA nos haga más eficientes o conectados, debe servir para edificar esa familia humana universal, con derechos y deberes compartidos, donde la proximidad digital se convierta en una ocasión real de encuentro y de cuidado recíproco”.
12. Independientemente de lo que depare el futuro, el sentido de la humanidad está arraigado en Jesucristo. Las conclusiones del documento incluyen una reflexión cautivadora sobre la Encarnación por medio del “rostro del Hijo una magnífica humanidad que también ilumina la época de la IA”. “Ningún sistema de cálculo, por sofisticado que sea, genera un corazón que se entrega, ni una conciencia capaz de discernir el bien. Incluso cuando las máquinas sobresalen en eficiencia, el centro de la historia sigue siendo un rostro humano que exige ser contemplado”, escribió. “Este rostro humano es la plenitud hacia la que camina la historia”.
13. La encíclica nos llama a una conversión personal. El Papa propone para los cristianos un itinerario “sobrio y exigente con el cual vivir este cambio de época a la luz del Evangelio” centrados en “la contemplación del designio de Dios”, nutriéndose de la Palabra y de la Eucaristía, construyendo “el bien en el mundo” y orando junto con la Virgen María. Él motivó a la gente a cultivar comunidad y relaciones en persona, educar a los jóvenes para que amen la verdad, pasar tiempo con los pobres y solitarios, ser una voz a favor de la justicia, defender la verdad objetiva y tratar el mundo digital “como un nuevo continente por evangelizar”. En su reflexión final, se centró en el “Magníficat”, el cántico en el que la Virgen María glorifica a Dios, y que es mencionado en el primer capítulo del Evangelio de Lucas. El Papa León escribió: “En la fidelidad humilde de cada día, también el tiempo de la IA puede ser un paso en el que el Espíritu haga madurar la civilización del amor en nuestras vidas”.
Maria Wiering es editora de OSV News. Contribuyeron a este reportaje la editora del Vaticano de OSV News, Courtney Mares, y la editora digital, Megan Marley.
– (OSV News) — ¿Qué significa custodiar nuestra humanidad? Esa pregunta está en el centro de la tan esperada primera encíclica del Papa León XIV, “Magnifica Humanitas: Sobre la custodia de la persona humana en el tiempo de la inteligencia artificial”, publicada el 25 de mayo. A continuación, se presentan algunos aspectos clave sobre esta importante misiva papal. 1. Significa “Magnífica humanidad” en latín; el título proviene de las primeras palabras del texto tal y como están traducidas al latín, como habitualmente ocurre con las encíclicas papales. Esas palabras dicen, según su traducción al español: “La magnífica humanidad que Dios ha
Before Pope Leo’s visit to Barcelona, an architect and a priest discuss Antoni Gaudí’s holiness and skill, which enabled him to envision Sagrada Família Basilica and transcend deep divisions in Spain.
In ancient times, a total solar eclipse might have ended a war over territory between the Lydians, inhabitants of modern Turkey, and the Medes, who lived in what is now Iran. The two peoples had been fighting for over five years, but that ended on May 28, 585 B.C.E. Greek historian Herodotus wrote about theContinue reading “May 28, 585 B.C.E.: A war-ending eclipse”
The post May 28, 585 B.C.E.: A war-ending eclipse appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
Read More![Salesian sisters go viral after attending San Antonio Spurs playoff game – #Catholic – Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco have drawn national attention as “diehard” San Antonio Spurs fans after a group of sisters attended a recent NBA playoff game.The sisters went viral on social media following the Texas teamʼs May 24 home-court matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The superfans wore Spurs jerseys, cheered on the team, and prayed over Catholic Spurs player Luke Kornet before the game. The prayer was seemingly answered as the Spurs scored their biggest victory in the 2026 NBA Western Conference finals so far.TweetSalesian Sister Cherilly Galley said the response the order has received since the game has been “really beautiful.”There has been a “response of people who are interested in Catholicism and people who would like to get involved, cheer on the Spurs, and also see how they can support our sisters here in San Antonio, which is really a huge blessing and a wonderful surprise from the Lord,” Galley said in an interview May 27 with “EWTN News Nightly.”While many first noticed the group of sisters at the recent game, the fans have been attending Spurs games “for over 20 years,” said Sister Bernadette Mota, a Salesian sister who prayed with Kornet at the game. “We have some sisters who were really diehard Spurs fans throughout the years, and theyʼre the ones who made that initial connection with the Spurs,” she said. “They would write to Coach [Gregg] Popovich, and he would actually write back.”Popovich, president of the San Antonio Spurs and former coach, and his wife “came to visit the sisters a few times,” Mota said.The sisters “would watch the games” and over the years the connection has “just kept up,” Mota said. “But a few years back, it had kind of died down a little bit, and then COVID happened, and we kind of lost that connection.”“But just this past year, and more recently in these past weeks, it really has built up in a very strong way. And so weʼre back praying with the Spurs and being there to support the community and the San Antonio people who love the Spurs,” she said.Itʼs “wonderful” to “have a lot of family and friends come together and watch the games,” Galley said.The sisters host watch parties with “parents and students from our school at St. John Bosco here in San Antonio,” she said. It’s “a lot of fun and a wonderful way to share the joy of faith and family.”Keep God ‘first’Mota and Galley said their favorite Spurs players are Kornet and Victor Wembanyama — widely known as "Wemby.”“Wemby by far is the best player,” but the sisters “really like Luke [Kornet] because of the way he lives his Catholic faith on and off the court,” Mota said.While “sports and things like that are great,” players must remember that “God has to be first in your life,” Mota said.“Keep him first. Play strong, play your best, and work as a team because a team thatʼs united is very hard to pull down. So play together and have faith in God,” Mota said.“Trust one another as your team members — that is very valuable,” Galley added. Also, “have fun, enjoy it. Thatʼs always a wonderful thing: to have fun on the court.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/salesian-sisters-go-viral-after-attending-san-antonio-spurs-playoff-game-catholic-salesian-sisters-of-st-john-bosco-have-drawn-national-attention-as-diehard-san-antonio-spurs-f.jpg "Salesian sisters go viral after attending San Antonio Spurs playoff game – #Catholic – Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco have drawn national attention as “diehard” San Antonio Spurs fans after a group of sisters attended a recent NBA playoff game.The sisters went viral on social media following the Texas teamʼs May 24 home-court matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The superfans wore Spurs jerseys, cheered on the team, and prayed over Catholic Spurs player Luke Kornet before the game. The prayer was seemingly answered as the Spurs scored their biggest victory in the 2026 NBA Western Conference finals so far.TweetSalesian Sister Cherilly Galley said the response the order has received since the game has been “really beautiful.”There has been a “response of people who are interested in Catholicism and people who would like to get involved, cheer on the Spurs, and also see how they can support our sisters here in San Antonio, which is really a huge blessing and a wonderful surprise from the Lord,” Galley said in an interview May 27 with “EWTN News Nightly.”While many first noticed the group of sisters at the recent game, the fans have been attending Spurs games “for over 20 years,” said Sister Bernadette Mota, a Salesian sister who prayed with Kornet at the game. “We have some sisters who were really diehard Spurs fans throughout the years, and theyʼre the ones who made that initial connection with the Spurs,” she said. “They would write to Coach [Gregg] Popovich, and he would actually write back.”Popovich, president of the San Antonio Spurs and former coach, and his wife “came to visit the sisters a few times,” Mota said.The sisters “would watch the games” and over the years the connection has “just kept up,” Mota said. “But a few years back, it had kind of died down a little bit, and then COVID happened, and we kind of lost that connection.”“But just this past year, and more recently in these past weeks, it really has built up in a very strong way. And so weʼre back praying with the Spurs and being there to support the community and the San Antonio people who love the Spurs,” she said.Itʼs “wonderful” to “have a lot of family and friends come together and watch the games,” Galley said.The sisters host watch parties with “parents and students from our school at St. John Bosco here in San Antonio,” she said. It’s “a lot of fun and a wonderful way to share the joy of faith and family.”Keep God ‘first’Mota and Galley said their favorite Spurs players are Kornet and Victor Wembanyama — widely known as \"Wemby.”“Wemby by far is the best player,” but the sisters “really like Luke [Kornet] because of the way he lives his Catholic faith on and off the court,” Mota said.While “sports and things like that are great,” players must remember that “God has to be first in your life,” Mota said.“Keep him first. Play strong, play your best, and work as a team because a team thatʼs united is very hard to pull down. So play together and have faith in God,” Mota said.“Trust one another as your team members — that is very valuable,” Galley added. Also, “have fun, enjoy it. Thatʼs always a wonderful thing: to have fun on the court.”")
Salesian Sisters say their viral appearance at the San Antonio Spurs game has drawn an interest in Catholicism.
Katherine Rauscher, of Michigan Technological University, prepares her team’s prototype lunar robot for its turn during the finals for NASA’s 2026 Lunabotics Challenge competition on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, inside the Astronauts Memorial Foundation’s Center for Space Education at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Forty-seven teams from around the U.S. designed and built remote-controlled robots capable of traversing challenging lunar terrain while constructing regolith-based berm under conditions similar to those the agency will face as it returns to the lunar surface through Artemis.
Read More
The Justice Department launched a criminal investigation into Trump rape accuser E.
The post BREAKING: DOJ Launches Criminal Investigation Into Trump Rape Accuser E. Jean Carroll appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Read More
A former Biden official reacted to Jill Biden’s interview with CBS Mornings in which she claimed she thought Joe Biden had a stroke during the 2024 debate.
The post “She’s Lying” – Former Biden Official Reacts to Jill Biden’s Claims She “Never” Saw Joe Biden Stroke Out Before Or After the 2024 Debate appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Read More
Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Kelly Loeffler revealed during a White House cabinet meeting on Wednesday that her agency has uncovered staggering amounts of fraud, including $200 billion in fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans that the Biden regime kept hush-hush. “We found $200 billion in fraudulent PPP loans that the Biden administration tried to hide and forgive and sweep under the rug,” she said.
The post WATCH: SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler Reveals $200 BILLION in Fraudulent PPP Loans Were Hidden by Biden Admin – “People Are Going to Jail” appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Read MoreA Reading from the First Letter of St. Peter
2:2-5, 9-12
Beloved:
Like newborn infants, long for pure spiritual milk
so that through it you may grow into salvation,
for you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings
but chosen and precious in the sight of God,
and, like living stones,
let yourselves be built into a spiritual house
to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, a people of his own,
so that you may announce the praises of him
who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Once you were no people
but now you are God’s people;
you had not received mercy
but now you have received mercy.
Beloved, I urge you as aliens and sojourners
to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against the soul.
Maintain good conduct among the Gentiles,
so that if they speak of you as evildoers,
they may observe your good works
and glorify God on the day of visitation.
From the Gospel according to Mark
10:46-52
As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd,
Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus,
sat by the roadside begging.
On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth,
he began to cry out and say,
“Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.”
And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent.
But he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me.”
Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”
So they called the blind man, saying to him,
“Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you.”
He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.
Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?”
The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.”
Jesus told him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.”
Immediately he received his sight
and followed him on the way.
What can we do when we find ourselves in a situation that seems to have no way out? Bartimaeus teaches us to appeal to the resources we have within us and which form a part of us. He is a beggar, he knows how to ask, indeed, he can shout! If you truly want something, you do everything in order to be able to reach it, even when others reproach you, humiliate you and tell you to let it be. If you really desire it, you keep on shouting! The cry of Bartimaeus, in the Gospel of Mark – “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me!” (v. 47) – has become a very well-known prayer in the Eastern tradition, which we too can use: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have pity on me, a sinner”. Bartimaeus is blind, but paradoxically he sees better than the others, and he recognizes who Jesus is! Before his cry, Jesus stops and has him called (cf. 49), because there is no cry that God does not hear, even when we are not aware we are addressing him (…). What saves Bartimaeus, and each one of us, is faith. Jesus heals us so that we can become free. He does not invite Bartimaeus to follow him, but tells him to go, to set out on his way (cf. v.52). However, Mark concludes the story by saying that Bartimaeus began to follow Jesus: he freely chose to follow him, He who is the Way! (Pope Leo XIV, General Audience, 11 June 2025)
Read More
CALGARY — One elderly woman was convinced that her life was soon going to change forever, as the Canadian grandmother expressed excitement after hearing that her family was preparing to hire a MAID.
Read More
RED ROCKS, CO — Local concertgoers experienced a wave of dread Friday night when indie-rock front man Julian Vance announced the band was going to "play a little something from the new album."
Read More
| Picture of the day |
|---|
_21.jpg)
|
|
Scuol-Motta Naluns, View from Motta Naluns on the environment.
|
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/TAL-new-york-city-SOLOFTRAVEL0325-5c162bcf702342d8bba43cce825c3418.jpg)
![2 years after Pakistan mob lynching, Christian family still seeks justice #Catholic LAHORE, Pakistan — As Muslims across Pakistan celebrate Eid al-Adha, Sultan Gill is quietly preparing for the death anniversary of his father, who died after a violent mob attack over allegations of blasphemy in 2024.Nearly 2,000 people attacked Gillʼs family in Sargodha, in northern Punjab province, on May 25, 2024, after allegations emerged that his father, Nazir (Lazar) Masih, had desecrated pages of the Quran. EWTN News covered the attack at the time.The mob ransacked the familyʼs home and shoe factory in Mujahid Colony and later set the business on fire after a mosque announcement reportedly amplified the accusations.Police managed to evacuate nine members of the family, but Masih was caught by the crowd and beaten with stones, bricks, and sticks. The 74-year-old succumbed to his injuries on the night of June 2–3, 2024.The killing sparked protests by Christian groups across the country, while politicians and Catholic bishops visited the family and held meetings with police officials.Yet nearly two years later, the family says it is still waiting for justice and compensation for the destruction of their property, which remains abandoned after they fled Sargodha.“Our wounds became fresh during Eid. The cruelty cannot be described in words,” Gill told EWTN News.“The confidence is gone. We cannot move around or talk freely. Two of my children had to discontinue their education and start working to support the family in a new city and help pay house rent,” he said.“The police assured us of 1.2 million rupees [about $4,300] as compensation for damage to the factory, which was actually worth millions. But despite repeated visits to the district administration and Punjabʼs minority affairs minister, we received nothing.”Arrests but no accountabilitySargodha police registered cases against about 450 unidentified suspects under anti-terrorism laws, and 25 people were arrested over the attack on Masih.However, all of the accused were released within weeks, according to Sunil Kaleem, director of the Organization for Legal Aid, which has provided legal support to the family.“We challenged the bails granted to the accused, but without success. The biased judges of lower courts often rely on consistency and benefit-of-doubt principles in such cases,” Kaleem said.“There are no independent eyewitnesses apart from police officials, and there is little interest in pursuing accountability. The chances of punishment in mob attacks linked to blasphemy allegations remain very low.”Church leaders and rights groups have long argued that Pakistanʼs blasphemy laws disproportionately affect religious minorities and often fail to uphold principles of justice, including due process and the presumption of innocence.At least 26 Christians were killed extrajudicially in Pakistan between 1994 and 2024 following blasphemy allegations, according to the Center for Social Justice, a Lahore-based advocacy group.Church responseFather David John, parish priest of St. Francis Xavier Church in Sargodha, said Masihʼs family received financial assistance and shelter from the National Commission for Justice and Peace, the Catholic bishops' rights body, for 20 months.“Psychological support was crucial for frightened Christians in the area, and it was important to stand with them,” he said.“We did what we could. There was a long struggle to restore normalcy in the city with the support of district peace committees and Muslim friends.”“Religious minorities in Pakistan deserve to live in peace and harmony. People of goodwill stand with us. There is tremendous scope for interfaith dialogue, and efforts toward acceptance must continue.”Catholic activist Ashiknaz Khokhar criticized delays in the justice process and warned of wider consequences.“It weakens public trust and leaves vulnerable communities exposed to further harm. When cases remain unresolved, fear and instability increase,” he said, adding that Masihʼs family now plans to sell its two homes after losing its business in Sargodha.He called for stronger preventive measures, including proactive law enforcement to manage crowds before violence escalates.“The state should use digital monitoring systems to address online hate speech, provide administrative and security safeguards to ensure judicial independence, discourage misuse of laws through consistent accountability, and introduce educational reforms promoting religious tolerance and civic responsibility,” he said.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2-years-after-pakistan-mob-lynching-christian-family-still-seeks-justice-catholic-lahore-pakistan-as-muslims-across-pakistan-celebrate-eid-al-adha-sultan-gill-is-quietly-preparing-for-th.jpg "2 years after Pakistan mob lynching, Christian family still seeks justice #Catholic LAHORE, Pakistan — As Muslims across Pakistan celebrate Eid al-Adha, Sultan Gill is quietly preparing for the death anniversary of his father, who died after a violent mob attack over allegations of blasphemy in 2024.Nearly 2,000 people attacked Gillʼs family in Sargodha, in northern Punjab province, on May 25, 2024, after allegations emerged that his father, Nazir (Lazar) Masih, had desecrated pages of the Quran. EWTN News covered the attack at the time.The mob ransacked the familyʼs home and shoe factory in Mujahid Colony and later set the business on fire after a mosque announcement reportedly amplified the accusations.Police managed to evacuate nine members of the family, but Masih was caught by the crowd and beaten with stones, bricks, and sticks. The 74-year-old succumbed to his injuries on the night of June 2–3, 2024.The killing sparked protests by Christian groups across the country, while politicians and Catholic bishops visited the family and held meetings with police officials.Yet nearly two years later, the family says it is still waiting for justice and compensation for the destruction of their property, which remains abandoned after they fled Sargodha.“Our wounds became fresh during Eid. The cruelty cannot be described in words,” Gill told EWTN News.“The confidence is gone. We cannot move around or talk freely. Two of my children had to discontinue their education and start working to support the family in a new city and help pay house rent,” he said.“The police assured us of 1.2 million rupees [about $4,300] as compensation for damage to the factory, which was actually worth millions. But despite repeated visits to the district administration and Punjabʼs minority affairs minister, we received nothing.”Arrests but no accountabilitySargodha police registered cases against about 450 unidentified suspects under anti-terrorism laws, and 25 people were arrested over the attack on Masih.However, all of the accused were released within weeks, according to Sunil Kaleem, director of the Organization for Legal Aid, which has provided legal support to the family.“We challenged the bails granted to the accused, but without success. The biased judges of lower courts often rely on consistency and benefit-of-doubt principles in such cases,” Kaleem said.“There are no independent eyewitnesses apart from police officials, and there is little interest in pursuing accountability. The chances of punishment in mob attacks linked to blasphemy allegations remain very low.”Church leaders and rights groups have long argued that Pakistanʼs blasphemy laws disproportionately affect religious minorities and often fail to uphold principles of justice, including due process and the presumption of innocence.At least 26 Christians were killed extrajudicially in Pakistan between 1994 and 2024 following blasphemy allegations, according to the Center for Social Justice, a Lahore-based advocacy group.Church responseFather David John, parish priest of St. Francis Xavier Church in Sargodha, said Masihʼs family received financial assistance and shelter from the National Commission for Justice and Peace, the Catholic bishops' rights body, for 20 months.“Psychological support was crucial for frightened Christians in the area, and it was important to stand with them,” he said.“We did what we could. There was a long struggle to restore normalcy in the city with the support of district peace committees and Muslim friends.”“Religious minorities in Pakistan deserve to live in peace and harmony. People of goodwill stand with us. There is tremendous scope for interfaith dialogue, and efforts toward acceptance must continue.”Catholic activist Ashiknaz Khokhar criticized delays in the justice process and warned of wider consequences.“It weakens public trust and leaves vulnerable communities exposed to further harm. When cases remain unresolved, fear and instability increase,” he said, adding that Masihʼs family now plans to sell its two homes after losing its business in Sargodha.He called for stronger preventive measures, including proactive law enforcement to manage crowds before violence escalates.“The state should use digital monitoring systems to address online hate speech, provide administrative and security safeguards to ensure judicial independence, discourage misuse of laws through consistent accountability, and introduce educational reforms promoting religious tolerance and civic responsibility,” he said.")
As Pakistan marks Eid al-Adha, the son of a Christian man killed by a mob over blasphemy allegations says his family has received no compensation and no one has been punished.
The hospital in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy, where the saint known as Padre Pio lived for most of his life, has debts estimated to run between about $290 million to $350 million.
The phenomenon of a Full Moon arises when our planet, Earth, is precisely sandwiched between the Sun and the Moon. This alignment ensures the entire side of the Moon that faces us gleams under sunlight. Thanks to the Moon’s orbit around Earth, the angle of sunlight hitting the lunar surface and being reflected back toContinue reading “2026 Full Moon calendar: When to see the Full Moon and phases”
The post 2026 Full Moon calendar: When to see the Full Moon and phases appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
Read More
Pope Leo’s catechesis focused on the Second Vatican Council’s constitution, “Sacrosanctum Concilium,” a document that transformed the way Catholics celebrate Mass.
![Clifton parish ablaze with Holy Spirit on Pentecost Sunday #Catholic - On May 24, Pentecost Sunday, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney visited St. Paul Parish in Clifton, N.J., where he celebrated a 1 p.m. Spanish Mass. Earlier that day, during his pastoral visit, the bishop also confirmed 15 parish youth at an 11 a.m. Mass he presided over.
Joining him at 1 p.m. Spanish Mass, Father Leonardo Jaramillo, pastor of St. Paul’s, concelebrated, while Deacon Hector Castellanos, also of the parish, assisted.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
The Solemnity of Pentecost is not simply the end of Easter. It is the day the Church celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the first disciples gathered in Jerusalem. That moment marks when the fearful followers of Jesus were strengthened to proclaim the Gospel boldly to the world. For this reason, Pentecost is often called “the birthday of the Church,” according to Catholic Answers.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/clifton-parish-ablaze-with-holy-spirit-on-pentecost-sunday-catholic-on-may-24-pentecost-sunday-bishop-kevin-j-sweeney-visited-st-paul-parish-in-clifton-n-j-where-he-celebrated-a-1-p-m-spani.jpg)
Clifton parish ablaze with Holy Spirit on Pentecost Sunday #Catholic – 
On May 24, Pentecost Sunday, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney visited St. Paul Parish in Clifton, N.J., where he celebrated a 1 p.m. Spanish Mass. Earlier that day, during his pastoral visit, the bishop also confirmed 15 parish youth at an 11 a.m. Mass he presided over.
Joining him at 1 p.m. Spanish Mass, Father Leonardo Jaramillo, pastor of St. Paul’s, concelebrated, while Deacon Hector Castellanos, also of the parish, assisted.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
The Solemnity of Pentecost is not simply the end of Easter. It is the day the Church celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the first disciples gathered in Jerusalem. That moment marks when the fearful followers of Jesus were strengthened to proclaim the Gospel boldly to the world. For this reason, Pentecost is often called “the birthday of the Church,” according to Catholic Answers.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
– On May 24, Pentecost Sunday, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney visited St. Paul Parish in Clifton, N.J., where he celebrated a 1 p.m. Spanish Mass. Earlier that day, during his pastoral visit, the bishop also confirmed 15 parish youth at an 11 a.m. Mass he presided over. Joining him at 1 p.m. Spanish Mass, Father Leonardo Jaramillo, pastor of St. Paul’s, concelebrated, while Deacon Hector Castellanos, also of the parish, assisted. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. The Solemnity of Pentecost is not simply the end of Easter. It is the day the Church celebrates the descent of the
![Hawthorne parish celebrates as Bishop installs new pastor #Catholic - On May 23, the faithful of St. Anthony Parish in Hawthorne, N.J., rejoiced as Father Stephen Prisk was officially installed as their 11th pastor by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, who celebrated the Mass in the church.
Ordained on May 23, 2015, by Bishop Emeritus Arthur J. Serratelli, Father Prisk was appointed St. Anthony’s pastor on July 1, 2025. He succeeds Msgr. Raymond Kupke, the parish’s former pastor. Msgr. Kupke retired from active ministry last year but remains archivist of the Paterson Diocese, N.J. Father Prisk also retains his position as diocesan vice chancellor.
At the event, two members of the Hawthorne Borough Council presented Father Prisk with a congratulatory resolution.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
In addition to Father Prisk and Msgr. Kupke, several priests concelebrated the installation Mass with Bishop Sweeney. Among them were Father Charles Lana, diocesan vocations director, and Msgr. Francis Duffy, a retired diocesan priest. Also concelebrating were Father Pawel Tomczyk, pastoral-formation director and assistant professor of moral theology at Immaculate Conception Seminary in South Orange, N.J.; Father Thomas Rekiel, pastor of Holy Family Parish in Florham Park, N.J.; and Father Brendon Harfmann, parochial vicar of St. Anthony’s.
Father Jared Brogan, director of the diocesan Worship Office, served as master of ceremonies. Deacon Ronnie Gonzalez of St. Anthony’s and Brian Reilly, a diocesan seminarian assigned to the parish for the summer, assisted with the liturgy.
An only child, Father Prisk was born and raised in Clifton and belonged to Sacred Heart Parish there, where he attended elementary school.
After graduating from Seton Hall Preparatory High School in South Orange, N.J., Father Prisk earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio.
Father Prisk discerned the call to the priesthood while in college. He attended Immaculate Conception Seminary at Seton Hall University in South Orange for a year before transferring to the North American College in Rome for theology studies.
While in Rome, Father Prisk earned a Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University. He also received a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Institute of John Paul II for Studies on Marriage and the Family.
Father Prisk’s first priestly assignment, in 2015, was as parochial vicar at St. Joseph Parish in Mendham, N.J. In 2019, he was named diocesan vice chancellor and priest-secretary to Bishop Serratelli.
In 2021, he had been appointed pastor of Holy Spirit Parish in Pequannock, N.J., while continuing as diocesan vice chancellor. He served at Holy Spirit before being transferred to St. Anthony’s.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/hawthorne-parish-celebrates-as-bishop-installs-new-pastor-catholic-on-may-23-the-faithful-of-st-anthony-parish-in-hawthorne-n-j-rejoiced-as-father-stephen-prisk-was-officially-installed-as-the.jpg)
Hawthorne parish celebrates as Bishop installs new pastor #Catholic – 
On May 23, the faithful of St. Anthony Parish in Hawthorne, N.J., rejoiced as Father Stephen Prisk was officially installed as their 11th pastor by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, who celebrated the Mass in the church.
Ordained on May 23, 2015, by Bishop Emeritus Arthur J. Serratelli, Father Prisk was appointed St. Anthony’s pastor on July 1, 2025. He succeeds Msgr. Raymond Kupke, the parish’s former pastor. Msgr. Kupke retired from active ministry last year but remains archivist of the Paterson Diocese, N.J. Father Prisk also retains his position as diocesan vice chancellor.
At the event, two members of the Hawthorne Borough Council presented Father Prisk with a congratulatory resolution.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
In addition to Father Prisk and Msgr. Kupke, several priests concelebrated the installation Mass with Bishop Sweeney. Among them were Father Charles Lana, diocesan vocations director, and Msgr. Francis Duffy, a retired diocesan priest. Also concelebrating were Father Pawel Tomczyk, pastoral-formation director and assistant professor of moral theology at Immaculate Conception Seminary in South Orange, N.J.; Father Thomas Rekiel, pastor of Holy Family Parish in Florham Park, N.J.; and Father Brendon Harfmann, parochial vicar of St. Anthony’s.
Father Jared Brogan, director of the diocesan Worship Office, served as master of ceremonies. Deacon Ronnie Gonzalez of St. Anthony’s and Brian Reilly, a diocesan seminarian assigned to the parish for the summer, assisted with the liturgy.
An only child, Father Prisk was born and raised in Clifton and belonged to Sacred Heart Parish there, where he attended elementary school.
After graduating from Seton Hall Preparatory High School in South Orange, N.J., Father Prisk earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio.
Father Prisk discerned the call to the priesthood while in college. He attended Immaculate Conception Seminary at Seton Hall University in South Orange for a year before transferring to the North American College in Rome for theology studies.
While in Rome, Father Prisk earned a Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University. He also received a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Institute of John Paul II for Studies on Marriage and the Family.
Father Prisk’s first priestly assignment, in 2015, was as parochial vicar at St. Joseph Parish in Mendham, N.J. In 2019, he was named diocesan vice chancellor and priest-secretary to Bishop Serratelli.
In 2021, he had been appointed pastor of Holy Spirit Parish in Pequannock, N.J., while continuing as diocesan vice chancellor. He served at Holy Spirit before being transferred to St. Anthony’s.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
– On May 23, the faithful of St. Anthony Parish in Hawthorne, N.J., rejoiced as Father Stephen Prisk was officially installed as their 11th pastor by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, who celebrated the Mass in the church. Ordained on May 23, 2015, by Bishop Emeritus Arthur J. Serratelli, Father Prisk was appointed St. Anthony’s pastor on July 1, 2025. He succeeds Msgr. Raymond Kupke, the parish’s former pastor. Msgr. Kupke retired from active ministry last year but remains archivist of the Paterson Diocese, N.J. Father Prisk also retains his position as diocesan vice chancellor. At the event, two members of the
The archbishop of Santiago, Chile, distills 10 important takeaways from the timely document on artificial intelligence.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/TAL-pine-creek-lake-absaroka-beartooth-wilderness-ABSAROKAWILDERNESS0526-82152b523aa04866a4c27da0b798a4cc.jpg)
The cause for canonization began in 2022 with nearly 30,000 pages of documentation. More than 118,000 people have visited her tomb, and favors are continually received through her intercession.
Chennai, on India’s southern coast along the Bay of Bengal and with a metropolitan population of about 8.7 million, shines with white LED streetlights in this photograph taken at approximately 9:13 p.m. local time on May 2, 2026, from the International Space Station.
Read MoreA Reading from the First Letter of St. Peter
1:18-25
Beloved:
Realize that you were ransomed from your futile conduct,
handed on by your ancestors,
not with perishable things like silver or gold
but with the precious Blood of Christ
as of a spotless unblemished Lamb.
He was known before the foundation of the world
but revealed in the final time for you,
who through him believe in God
who raised him from the dead and gave him glory,
so that your faith and hope are in God.
Since you have purified yourselves
by obedience to the truth for sincere brotherly love,
love one another intensely from a pure heart.
You have been born anew,
not from perishable but from imperishable seed,
through the living and abiding word of God, for:
"All flesh is like grass,
and all its glory like the flower of the field;
the grass withers,
and the flower wilts;
but the word of the Lord remains forever."
This is the word that has been proclaimed to you.
From the Gospel according to Mark
10:32-45
The disciples were on the way, going up to Jerusalem,
and Jesus went ahead of them.
They were amazed, and those who followed were afraid.
Taking the Twelve aside again, he began to tell them
what was going to happen to him.
"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 who will mock him,
spit upon him, scourge him, and put him to death,
but after three days he will rise."
Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee,
came to Jesus and said to him,
"Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you."
He replied, "What do you wish me to do for you?"
They answered him,
"Grant that in your glory
we may sit one at your right and the other at your left."
Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking.
Can you drink the chalice that I drink
or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?"
They said to him, "We can."
Jesus said to them, "The chalice that I drink, you will drink,
and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized;
but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give
but is for those for whom it has been prepared."
When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John.
Jesus summoned them and said to them,
"You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles
lord it over them,
and their great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.
For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Who is great, who is “first” for God? First of all Jesus looks at behaviour which “those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles” risk assuming: to “lord it over them”. Jesus points out to the disciples a completely different conduct. “But it shall not be so among you”. His community follows another rule, another logic, another model: “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all”. The criterion of greatness and primacy according to God is not domination but service; diaconia is the fundamental law of the disciple and of the Christian community, and lets us glimpse something about “the lordship of God”. And Jesus also indicates the reference point: the Son of man who came to serve. In other words he sums up his mission in the category of service, not meant in a generic sense but in the concrete sense of the Cross, of the total gift of life as a “ransom”, as redemption for many, and he points it out as a condition of the “sequela” (Pope Benedict XVI, Homily in the Holy Mass on the Ordinary Public Concistory for the creation of new Cardinals, 20 November 2010)
Read More
Multiple people were killed and injured in a major chemical explosion at a paper mill in Washington state on Tuesday morning.
The post JUST IN: Multiple People Killed, Missing and Injured in Major Chemical Explosion in Washington State appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Read More
The Trump White House gave far-left CNN a taste of its own medicine after the network’s media hacks spread nefarious rumors about the President’s health in recent days.
The post White House Shares These Brutal Images of CNN ‘Journalists’ After the Media Hacks Spread Garbage Rumors About President Trump’s Health appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Read More
The O’Keefe Media Group on Tuesday released an undercover video of Washington Nationals Director of Community Relations, Sean Hudson, admitting to religious discrimination against Christian pitcher Trevor Williams.
The post Washington Nationals Director of Community Relations Admits on Hidden Camera to Discriminating Against Christian Pitcher Trevor Williams (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Read More![Supreme Court declines to intervene in federal lawsuit over Peter’s Pence papal collection #Catholic The U.S. bishops will continue to face a lawsuit over millions of dollars in contested papal donations after the U.S. Supreme Court on May 26 refused to weigh in on the case. The decision represents a blow for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), which was seeking to have the lawsuit dismissed on religious liberty grounds. The high court did not explain its reason for rejecting the petition from the U.S. bishops, issuing the decision as part of a larger order list.Rhode Island resident David OʼConnell filed the class action suit against the bishops in January 2020, alleging that the prelates had misled Catholics about the nature of the annual Peterʼs Pence papal collection.OʼConnell claimed he had been led to believe that the offering — which dates back centuries and which is used to help fund the popeʼs charitable initiatives — was strictly for emergency assistance to victims of war and poverty; OʼConnell said he subsequently found out it was used in part to “defray Vatican administrative expenses.”The U.S. bishops argued in court that the suit should be dismissed on the grounds of the “church autonomy doctrine,” a long-standing principle in U.S. case law that bars the government from exercising control over internal church decisions. Both a federal district court and an appeals court ruled against the bishops. The Supreme Courtʼs refusal to consider the case means it will continue to work its way through the lower courts. In a statement on May 26, Daniel Blomberg — a senior attorney at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which is representing the bishops — said the decision was “disappointing.” But he said the USCCB is “evaluating all of its options moving forward” and “remains committed to protecting the Church from unconstitutional government entanglement.” Multiple religious advocates have come out in favor of the bishops in the dispute. A coalition of organizations including the Thomas More Society, the Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod, and several other groups filed an amicus brief at the Supreme Court in January arguing that their respective religious beliefs involve “matters of internal governance that must be protected from government entwinement.”In their petition to the Supreme Court, meanwhile, the bishops alleged that OʼConnell was "leveraging civil power for religious ends," claiming the plaintiff was “essentially seek[ing] the structural reform of a religious institution."Such disputes “are beyond the ken of civil courts,” the bishops argued, claiming that the suit includes “demands for lists of papal donors, accounting for the pope’s use of Peter’s Pence, and disclosure of the bishops’ internal communications with the Holy See about Peter’s Pence.”The suit threatens to “thrust civil courts into church pulpits and pews … pit millions of parishioners against their Church, and second-guess the meaning of an offering given to the head of a foreign religious sovereign for over 1,000 years,” the bishops said.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/supreme-court-declines-to-intervene-in-federal-lawsuit-over-peters-pence-papal-collection-catholic-the-u-s-bishops-will-continue-to-face-a-lawsuit-over-millions-of-dollars-in-contested-papa.png "Supreme Court declines to intervene in federal lawsuit over Peter’s Pence papal collection #Catholic The U.S. bishops will continue to face a lawsuit over millions of dollars in contested papal donations after the U.S. Supreme Court on May 26 refused to weigh in on the case. The decision represents a blow for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), which was seeking to have the lawsuit dismissed on religious liberty grounds. The high court did not explain its reason for rejecting the petition from the U.S. bishops, issuing the decision as part of a larger order list.Rhode Island resident David OʼConnell filed the class action suit against the bishops in January 2020, alleging that the prelates had misled Catholics about the nature of the annual Peterʼs Pence papal collection.OʼConnell claimed he had been led to believe that the offering — which dates back centuries and which is used to help fund the popeʼs charitable initiatives — was strictly for emergency assistance to victims of war and poverty; OʼConnell said he subsequently found out it was used in part to “defray Vatican administrative expenses.”The U.S. bishops argued in court that the suit should be dismissed on the grounds of the “church autonomy doctrine,” a long-standing principle in U.S. case law that bars the government from exercising control over internal church decisions. Both a federal district court and an appeals court ruled against the bishops. The Supreme Courtʼs refusal to consider the case means it will continue to work its way through the lower courts. In a statement on May 26, Daniel Blomberg — a senior attorney at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which is representing the bishops — said the decision was “disappointing.” But he said the USCCB is “evaluating all of its options moving forward” and “remains committed to protecting the Church from unconstitutional government entanglement.” Multiple religious advocates have come out in favor of the bishops in the dispute. A coalition of organizations including the Thomas More Society, the Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod, and several other groups filed an amicus brief at the Supreme Court in January arguing that their respective religious beliefs involve “matters of internal governance that must be protected from government entwinement.”In their petition to the Supreme Court, meanwhile, the bishops alleged that OʼConnell was \"leveraging civil power for religious ends,\" claiming the plaintiff was “essentially seek[ing] the structural reform of a religious institution.\"Such disputes “are beyond the ken of civil courts,” the bishops argued, claiming that the suit includes “demands for lists of papal donors, accounting for the pope’s use of Peter’s Pence, and disclosure of the bishops’ internal communications with the Holy See about Peter’s Pence.”The suit threatens to “thrust civil courts into church pulpits and pews … pit millions of parishioners against their Church, and second-guess the meaning of an offering given to the head of a foreign religious sovereign for over 1,000 years,” the bishops said.")
The lawsuit will continue in the federal courts after the Supreme Court refused to consider a religious liberty objection by the U.S. bishops.
![Priest charged with theft of $160,000 from Kansas parish #Catholic A priest turned himself in to police after being accused of stealing about $160,000 from a parish, according to officials with the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. Father Richard Storey “voluntarily surrendered to the Leawood Police Department … on a level 5 felony charge involving theft of funds valued at approximately $160,000,” the archdiocese said in a May 23 statement.The alleged theft occurred at the Curé of Ars Catholic Church in Leawood just outside of Kansas City, Kansas. Storey had resigned from that parish in September 2025 amid “a criminal investigation involving [Storey] concerning another adult,” according to the archdiocese. Kansas City Archbishop Shawn McKnight said on May 23 that the theft allegations were “deeply painful for all of us in the Catholic community, particularly given the nature of the allegations involving resources entrusted to the Church through the sacrifice and generosity of the faithful.”The archdiocese said a recent financial review identified discrepancies in the parishʼs finances that “warranted referral to law enforcement.” The parish will be filing an insurance claim to cover the losses, the archdiocese added. The archbishop urged parishioners at the Leawood parish to "treat one another with greater sensitivity, patience, charity, and respect as we move through this together, trusting that with faith in Christ, our community can emerge stronger and more united.”The prelate further thanked archdiocesan vicar general Father John Riley, the temporary administrator of the Leawood parish, for his “steady leadership and care for this community during this difficult time.”Arrest records show that Storey was booked on May 23 and posted $250,000 bond. The priest could face up to four years in prison on the charges.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/priest-charged-with-theft-of-160000-from-kansas-parish-catholic-a-priest-turned-himself-in-to-police-after-being-accused-of-stealing-about-160000-from-a-parish-according-to-officials-with-the-ar.jpg "Priest charged with theft of $160,000 from Kansas parish #Catholic A priest turned himself in to police after being accused of stealing about $160,000 from a parish, according to officials with the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. Father Richard Storey “voluntarily surrendered to the Leawood Police Department … on a level 5 felony charge involving theft of funds valued at approximately $160,000,” the archdiocese said in a May 23 statement.The alleged theft occurred at the Curé of Ars Catholic Church in Leawood just outside of Kansas City, Kansas. Storey had resigned from that parish in September 2025 amid “a criminal investigation involving [Storey] concerning another adult,” according to the archdiocese. Kansas City Archbishop Shawn McKnight said on May 23 that the theft allegations were “deeply painful for all of us in the Catholic community, particularly given the nature of the allegations involving resources entrusted to the Church through the sacrifice and generosity of the faithful.”The archdiocese said a recent financial review identified discrepancies in the parishʼs finances that “warranted referral to law enforcement.” The parish will be filing an insurance claim to cover the losses, the archdiocese added. The archbishop urged parishioners at the Leawood parish to \"treat one another with greater sensitivity, patience, charity, and respect as we move through this together, trusting that with faith in Christ, our community can emerge stronger and more united.”The prelate further thanked archdiocesan vicar general Father John Riley, the temporary administrator of the Leawood parish, for his “steady leadership and care for this community during this difficult time.”Arrest records show that Storey was booked on May 23 and posted $250,000 bond. The priest could face up to four years in prison on the charges.")
Father Richard Storey turned himself in after being charged with theft from a Kansas City, Kansas, parish, according to the Archdiocese of Kansas City.
BETHLEHEM — As Ruth was about to come pick up extra crops left for her in the fields, workers reportedly spotted Boaz carefully arranging stalks of grain on the ground to spell out "Hey Gurl."
Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Chuck Schumer reportedly spent Memorial Day alone with his thoughts after having killed all of his backyard barbecue guests the previous year by serving them raw hamburger beef infected with E. coli.
Read More