Washington Post Slapped with Class Action Over Secret ‘Surveillance Pricing’ Scheme That Charged Readers Different Rates – The Washington Post has been hit with a class action lawsuit alleging the newspaper secretly used readers’ personal data to charge different subscription prices. The post Washington Post Slapped with Class Action Over Secret ‘Surveillance Pricing’ Scheme That Charged Readers Different Rates appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Washington Post Slapped with Class Action Over Secret ‘Surveillance Pricing’ Scheme That Charged Readers Different Rates – The Washington Post has been hit with a class action lawsuit alleging the newspaper secretly used readers’ personal data to charge different subscription prices. The post Washington Post Slapped with Class Action Over Secret ‘Surveillance Pricing’ Scheme That Charged Readers Different Rates appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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The image shows the exterior of The Washington Post building with American and D.C. flags prominently displayed against a clear blue sky.

The image shows the exterior of The Washington Post building with American and D.C. flags prominently displayed against a clear blue sky.

The Washington Post has been hit with a class action lawsuit alleging the newspaper secretly used readers’ personal data to charge different subscription prices.

The post Washington Post Slapped with Class Action Over Secret ‘Surveillance Pricing’ Scheme That Charged Readers Different Rates appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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‘INDUSTRIAL SCALE’: Europol Issues Warning as Recruiting of Children for Criminal Acts Surges – Killer children are the new frontier in European organized crime. The post ‘INDUSTRIAL SCALE’: Europol Issues Warning as Recruiting of Children for Criminal Acts Surges appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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‘INDUSTRIAL SCALE’: Europol Issues Warning as Recruiting of Children for Criminal Acts Surges – Killer children are the new frontier in European organized crime. The post ‘INDUSTRIAL SCALE’: Europol Issues Warning as Recruiting of Children for Criminal Acts Surges appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Silhouette of a person in dark clothing aiming a firearm against a blurred background, highlighting a tense moment.

Silhouette of a person in dark clothing aiming a firearm against a blurred background, highlighting a tense moment.

Killer children are the new frontier in European organized crime.

The post ‘INDUSTRIAL SCALE’: Europol Issues Warning as Recruiting of Children for Criminal Acts Surges appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Missing German Model’s Name Surfaces in Epstein Files 11 Years After Disappearance, Family Fears She Was Killed by Sex Traffickers – The name of a young German model who vanished without a trace in 2015 has appeared in the Jeffrey Epstein files, raising fresh and disturbing questions about whether she was targeted by the convicted sex offender’s network. The post Missing German Model’s Name Surfaces in Epstein Files 11 Years After Disappearance, Family Fears She Was Killed by Sex Traffickers appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Missing German Model’s Name Surfaces in Epstein Files 11 Years After Disappearance, Family Fears She Was Killed by Sex Traffickers – The name of a young German model who vanished without a trace in 2015 has appeared in the Jeffrey Epstein files, raising fresh and disturbing questions about whether she was targeted by the convicted sex offender’s network. The post Missing German Model’s Name Surfaces in Epstein Files 11 Years After Disappearance, Family Fears She Was Killed by Sex Traffickers appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

unitedyam

Smiling woman with long hair wearing a colorful floral dress, standing in a vibrant, dimly lit setting with colorful lights.

Smiling woman with long hair wearing a colorful floral dress, standing in a vibrant, dimly lit setting with colorful lights.

The name of a young German model who vanished without a trace in 2015 has appeared in the Jeffrey Epstein files, raising fresh and disturbing questions about whether she was targeted by the convicted sex offender’s network.

The post Missing German Model’s Name Surfaces in Epstein Files 11 Years After Disappearance, Family Fears She Was Killed by Sex Traffickers appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Pro-life advocates defend unborn babies with Down syndrome after YouTuber goes public with abortion #Catholic Pro-life advocates defend unborn babies with Down syndromePro-life advocates are defending unborn children with Down syndrome after a YouTuber told the world that he and his wife aborted their child who had been diagnosed with the condition.YouTube creator Jesse Ridgway went viral for posting about how he and his wife decided to abort their unborn baby after they learned the child would likely have Down syndrome. Advocates on X reacted by sharing posts celebrating the worth of individuals with the medical diagnosis."Down syndrome shouldn’t mean a death sentence,” Live Action Founder and President Lila Rose said.SBA Pro-Life America posted in response to Ridgway’s post: “This is so sad and awful. We CANʼT stand silently by.”“Research shows 99% of people with Down syndrome are happy with their lives, and their families love them,” the pro-life group continued. “Families deserve truthful information & support. People with Down syndrome deserve to live. They should never be targets for discrimination, inside the womb or out. Period.”“Babies with Down syndrome arenʼt a ‘glitch.’ Theyʼre a blessing.” Live Action posted. “Yet 67-80% of these beautiful babies are killed for their disability before they are born."Study: Women aren’t informed on emotional, physical impact of abortionWomen want information on abortion symptoms and the emotional impacts associated with the procedure, but they often aren’t given it, according to a recent peer-reviewed study.The study by scholars associated with the Charlotte Lozier Institute found women experience significant informed consent gaps when they are given abortion drugs.The researchers found that three in 10 women report experiencing unexpected levels of pain and bleeding.“Because they didn’t know what was ‘normal,’ many women turned to the internet for information about abortion side effects like excessive pain and bleeding, help processing difficult emotions, and urgent reassurance during the abortion process,” the study read.Tessa Cox, senior research associate at the institute and one of the authors of the study emphasized the risks associated with this lack of medical information-sharing. “The stakes are too high for informed consent to be treated as a formality,” Cox said in a statement.Fourteen attorneys general call for clean water protections from abortion drugsFourteen attorneys general called on the federal government to track water pollution from abortion pills this week.The attorneys general asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to track pollution from the drugs dumped into the U.S. water supply. They argued that “loosened regulations” have “increased the number of chemical abortions occurring in the home,” resulting in “tons of chemically tainted medical waste being flushed into American waterways.”Students for Life President Kristan Hawkins, who spearheaded the movement, called the request “commonsense.”“Because of negligent FDA policy and the failure to enforce the Comstock Act, more than 50 tons of chemically tainted blood, placenta tissue, and human remains go into our waterways every year. With infertility on the rise, we need to know: what is the extent of the damage?” Hawkins said in a statement shared with EWTN News.The letter was signed by attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas.Head of Knights of Columbus awarded for ‘building up a culture of life’The Sisters of Life, a religious organization centered around affirming the life of every human being, gave an award to the head of the Knights of Columbus, Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly, for his life-affirming work.Kelly received the John Cardinal O’Connor Award on on June 5 at the annual Friends of the Sisters of Life Gala in Rye, New York.“His Eminence John Cardinal O’Connor was a towering pillar of the pro-life movement,” Kelly said in a press release. “With an unshakable resolve, he dedicated so much of his ministry as bishop to proclaiming the sanctity of every human life, made in the image and likeness of God.”“Speaking for the Knights, we will keep doing everything we can to support the Sisters of Life, and to protect vulnerable mothers and their children,” Kelly said. "As we prepare for the work ahead, we take comfort in the knowledge that Jesus Christ will continue to guide us.”Alabama attorney general launches legal challenge against abortion drug companiesAlabama Attorney General Steve Marshall issued cease-and-desist letters to six companies that have been allegedly illegally distributing abortion drugs.According to a June 9 press release, the companies were providing chemical abortion drugs in Alabama, where abortion is illegal.“These companies are not only breaking the law, they are deceiving Alabama consumers about the very real dangers of these drugs,” said Marshall in a statement. “That stops now.”The letters were sent to abortion drug providers across the United States, as well as one company based in the United Arab Emirates. Several companies were based in California or New York, which have “shield laws” designed to protect abortion companies.
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Pro-life advocates defend unborn babies with Down syndrome after YouTuber goes public with abortion #Catholic Pro-life advocates defend unborn babies with Down syndromePro-life advocates are defending unborn children with Down syndrome after a YouTuber told the world that he and his wife aborted their child who had been diagnosed with the condition.YouTube creator Jesse Ridgway went viral for posting about how he and his wife decided to abort their unborn baby after they learned the child would likely have Down syndrome. Advocates on X reacted by sharing posts celebrating the worth of individuals with the medical diagnosis."Down syndrome shouldn’t mean a death sentence,” Live Action Founder and President Lila Rose said.SBA Pro-Life America posted in response to Ridgway’s post: “This is so sad and awful. We CANʼT stand silently by.”“Research shows 99% of people with Down syndrome are happy with their lives, and their families love them,” the pro-life group continued. “Families deserve truthful information & support. People with Down syndrome deserve to live. They should never be targets for discrimination, inside the womb or out. Period.”“Babies with Down syndrome arenʼt a ‘glitch.’ Theyʼre a blessing.” Live Action posted. “Yet 67-80% of these beautiful babies are killed for their disability before they are born."Study: Women aren’t informed on emotional, physical impact of abortionWomen want information on abortion symptoms and the emotional impacts associated with the procedure, but they often aren’t given it, according to a recent peer-reviewed study.The study by scholars associated with the Charlotte Lozier Institute found women experience significant informed consent gaps when they are given abortion drugs.The researchers found that three in 10 women report experiencing unexpected levels of pain and bleeding.“Because they didn’t know what was ‘normal,’ many women turned to the internet for information about abortion side effects like excessive pain and bleeding, help processing difficult emotions, and urgent reassurance during the abortion process,” the study read.Tessa Cox, senior research associate at the institute and one of the authors of the study emphasized the risks associated with this lack of medical information-sharing. “The stakes are too high for informed consent to be treated as a formality,” Cox said in a statement.Fourteen attorneys general call for clean water protections from abortion drugsFourteen attorneys general called on the federal government to track water pollution from abortion pills this week.The attorneys general asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to track pollution from the drugs dumped into the U.S. water supply. They argued that “loosened regulations” have “increased the number of chemical abortions occurring in the home,” resulting in “tons of chemically tainted medical waste being flushed into American waterways.”Students for Life President Kristan Hawkins, who spearheaded the movement, called the request “commonsense.”“Because of negligent FDA policy and the failure to enforce the Comstock Act, more than 50 tons of chemically tainted blood, placenta tissue, and human remains go into our waterways every year. With infertility on the rise, we need to know: what is the extent of the damage?” Hawkins said in a statement shared with EWTN News.The letter was signed by attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas.Head of Knights of Columbus awarded for ‘building up a culture of life’The Sisters of Life, a religious organization centered around affirming the life of every human being, gave an award to the head of the Knights of Columbus, Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly, for his life-affirming work.Kelly received the John Cardinal O’Connor Award on on June 5 at the annual Friends of the Sisters of Life Gala in Rye, New York.“His Eminence John Cardinal O’Connor was a towering pillar of the pro-life movement,” Kelly said in a press release. “With an unshakable resolve, he dedicated so much of his ministry as bishop to proclaiming the sanctity of every human life, made in the image and likeness of God.”“Speaking for the Knights, we will keep doing everything we can to support the Sisters of Life, and to protect vulnerable mothers and their children,” Kelly said. "As we prepare for the work ahead, we take comfort in the knowledge that Jesus Christ will continue to guide us.”Alabama attorney general launches legal challenge against abortion drug companiesAlabama Attorney General Steve Marshall issued cease-and-desist letters to six companies that have been allegedly illegally distributing abortion drugs.According to a June 9 press release, the companies were providing chemical abortion drugs in Alabama, where abortion is illegal.“These companies are not only breaking the law, they are deceiving Alabama consumers about the very real dangers of these drugs,” said Marshall in a statement. “That stops now.”The letters were sent to abortion drug providers across the United States, as well as one company based in the United Arab Emirates. Several companies were based in California or New York, which have “shield laws” designed to protect abortion companies.

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Pro-life and abortion-related news you may have missed this week.

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Irish bishops call for calm in Belfast following racially motivated civil unrest #Catholic Following its summer 2026 general meeting, the Irish Bishops’ Conference voiced its deep concern about the attack on human life and the wider violence and social disorder that has taken place in Belfast and across Northern Ireland this past week.The civil unrest followed a brutal knife attack in Belfast carried out by a Sudanese national. Footage of the incident has been widely circulated globally and on social media. Bishop Alan McGuckian, SJ, of Down and Connor said: “My thoughts and prayers are firstly with Stephen Ogilvie, who sustained life-changing devastating injuries in a brutal and horrific attack.”Referring to the rioting, intimidation, and vandalism toward immigrant people that followed, he said: “So many newcomers make an outstanding contribution to our communities, including our parishes. They are our friends. Shame on all those who have sought to mobilize, agitate, weaponize, and politicize the fear and concerns of others over the last few days. All of us have a responsibility to de-escalate societal tension rather than stoke the flames of racism.”Lebanese priest says ‘situation drastically deteriorating’ for ChristiansFather Youssef Semaan, parish priest of Kfour, Nabatieh District, in Lebanon, said the situation for Christians remaining in the country is continuing to worsen.“Every week is more dangerous than the last. The situation has become unbearable,” Semaan said, according to a press release from Aid to the Church in Need on Thursday. The priest, who was forced to leave Kfour due to safety reasons, said he has managed to return on two occasions. He said many Christians have been faced with the difficult decision to “stay and risk their lives or abandon our land without any guarantee that we will ever get our houses or our goods back.” In Kfour, the Christian population has dropped from 120 to around 12, ACN noted. “We still have hope,” Semaan said. “But hope itself is not enough. It has to be based on solid foundations that allow us to rebuild and go on living. We are human after all.”Zimbabwe bishops consecrate nation to Mary, a ‘model of courage’ in difficult timesMembers of the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference (ZCBC) have consecrated the Southern African nation to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, entrusting the country to her maternal protection and presenting her as a model of faith, hope, courage, and love amid ongoing challenges.The consecration took place during a Mass marking the conclusion of the bishops’ 2026 plenary assembly at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Harare on June 10, ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, reported Thursday. In his homily, ZCBC president Bishop Raymond Tapiwa Mupandasekwa said the bishops identified Mary as a fitting patroness for Zimbabwe, saying: “The act of surrender to God is indeed an imitation of this Holy Virgin. She is the woman who not only shows her total surrender to God in faith, but she is also a woman of great hope. At the foot of the cross she stands. A great sign of courage in a very difficult moment.”Legislation threatening the seal of confession in France failsA provision in a bill proposed to the French National Assembly that would have compelled priests to violate the seal of confession to report instances of abuse against minors has failed.The bill, aimed at preventing and combating violence in schools in the wake of a sex abuse scandal at a Catholic boarding school in southern France, was adopted on June 1 without the proposed clause that would have removed exemptions for priests from mandatory reporting of information regarding sexual abuse heard during the sacrament of confession. The French Bishops’ Conference expressed “grave concern” ahead of a debate on the bill, noting several articles in the bill that “call into question several fundamental freedoms,” including the right to secrecy under the seal of confession.Christians in Tyre face new wave of uncertaintyThe Christian community in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre is watching recent developments with growing concern after the area was included in an Israeli evacuation warning for the first time, ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, reported Thursday.Church leaders fear that any military escalation could have lasting consequences for one of Lebanon’s oldest Christian communities, which has already endured years of economic hardship and emigration. Melkite Greek Catholic Archbishop Georges Iskandar called for urgent efforts to protect civilians and preserve the city’s historic and religious character, warning that further instability could accelerate the decline of the local Christian presence.Victims of clergy abuse in Australia clash with diocese over memorialA group representing victim survivors of clergy abuse has announced its agreement with the Diocese of Ballarat in Australia to build a memorial for victims “null and void” after an alleged communication breakdown with the diocese.“Throughout the memorial process, we have sought to engage with Church representatives in a respectful, transparent, and constructive manner. We have acted in good faith and demonstrated a genuine willingness to work collaboratively towards memorials at both sites: St. Patrick’s Cathedral and St. Alipius Old Boys School,” the Ballarat and District Survivors Memorial Committee said in a June 6 Facebook post. “Regrettably, we do not believe the same level of transparency and good faith has been demonstrated by the Church during these negotiations.”British National Trust reopens 420-year-old Catholic lodgeLyveden, a three-story Tudor lodge in Northamptonshire, England, known for its Catholic symbolism, has been reopened following conservation work.“Weʼre very excited to open Lyveden Lodge after 18 months and welcome visitors back inside this remarkable building,” Matthew Glasgow, senior building surveyor, said in a BBC News report on Friday. “While further conservation work will be needed in the coming years, the completed repairs mean visitors can once again enjoy this extraordinary unfinished vision of Sir Thomas Tresham.” Conservationists conducted repairs to the lodge’s stonework, replaced timber, and restored its Elizabethan garden. Constructed in the 16th century by Sir Thomas Tresham, a practicing Catholic who faced persecution for refusing to attend Anglican church services during the late 1500s and early 1600s, Lyveden is built in the shape of a Greek cross and features references to Christian numerology, according to the National Trust’s website.Rebaptisms raise questions in Syria’s Maronite communityReports that several Maronites in the Latakia countryside of Syria joined Protestant groups and underwent “rebaptism” have sparked discussion within the local Church about the challenges facing parish life in the region.The situation came to light in the village of Ain Halaqim, where community members pointed to years of pastoral difficulties, including the absence of a resident priest and limited opportunities for ongoing catechesis, ACI MENA reported Friday. Rather than focusing solely on the individuals who left, many local voices are asking broader questions about how the Church can better accompany the faithful, especially in communities affected by economic struggles and migration.
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Irish bishops call for calm in Belfast following racially motivated civil unrest #Catholic Following its summer 2026 general meeting, the Irish Bishops’ Conference voiced its deep concern about the attack on human life and the wider violence and social disorder that has taken place in Belfast and across Northern Ireland this past week.The civil unrest followed a brutal knife attack in Belfast carried out by a Sudanese national. Footage of the incident has been widely circulated globally and on social media. Bishop Alan McGuckian, SJ, of Down and Connor said: “My thoughts and prayers are firstly with Stephen Ogilvie, who sustained life-changing devastating injuries in a brutal and horrific attack.”Referring to the rioting, intimidation, and vandalism toward immigrant people that followed, he said: “So many newcomers make an outstanding contribution to our communities, including our parishes. They are our friends. Shame on all those who have sought to mobilize, agitate, weaponize, and politicize the fear and concerns of others over the last few days. All of us have a responsibility to de-escalate societal tension rather than stoke the flames of racism.”Lebanese priest says ‘situation drastically deteriorating’ for ChristiansFather Youssef Semaan, parish priest of Kfour, Nabatieh District, in Lebanon, said the situation for Christians remaining in the country is continuing to worsen.“Every week is more dangerous than the last. The situation has become unbearable,” Semaan said, according to a press release from Aid to the Church in Need on Thursday. The priest, who was forced to leave Kfour due to safety reasons, said he has managed to return on two occasions. He said many Christians have been faced with the difficult decision to “stay and risk their lives or abandon our land without any guarantee that we will ever get our houses or our goods back.” In Kfour, the Christian population has dropped from 120 to around 12, ACN noted. “We still have hope,” Semaan said. “But hope itself is not enough. It has to be based on solid foundations that allow us to rebuild and go on living. We are human after all.”Zimbabwe bishops consecrate nation to Mary, a ‘model of courage’ in difficult timesMembers of the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference (ZCBC) have consecrated the Southern African nation to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, entrusting the country to her maternal protection and presenting her as a model of faith, hope, courage, and love amid ongoing challenges.The consecration took place during a Mass marking the conclusion of the bishops’ 2026 plenary assembly at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Harare on June 10, ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, reported Thursday. In his homily, ZCBC president Bishop Raymond Tapiwa Mupandasekwa said the bishops identified Mary as a fitting patroness for Zimbabwe, saying: “The act of surrender to God is indeed an imitation of this Holy Virgin. She is the woman who not only shows her total surrender to God in faith, but she is also a woman of great hope. At the foot of the cross she stands. A great sign of courage in a very difficult moment.”Legislation threatening the seal of confession in France failsA provision in a bill proposed to the French National Assembly that would have compelled priests to violate the seal of confession to report instances of abuse against minors has failed.The bill, aimed at preventing and combating violence in schools in the wake of a sex abuse scandal at a Catholic boarding school in southern France, was adopted on June 1 without the proposed clause that would have removed exemptions for priests from mandatory reporting of information regarding sexual abuse heard during the sacrament of confession. The French Bishops’ Conference expressed “grave concern” ahead of a debate on the bill, noting several articles in the bill that “call into question several fundamental freedoms,” including the right to secrecy under the seal of confession.Christians in Tyre face new wave of uncertaintyThe Christian community in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre is watching recent developments with growing concern after the area was included in an Israeli evacuation warning for the first time, ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, reported Thursday.Church leaders fear that any military escalation could have lasting consequences for one of Lebanon’s oldest Christian communities, which has already endured years of economic hardship and emigration. Melkite Greek Catholic Archbishop Georges Iskandar called for urgent efforts to protect civilians and preserve the city’s historic and religious character, warning that further instability could accelerate the decline of the local Christian presence.Victims of clergy abuse in Australia clash with diocese over memorialA group representing victim survivors of clergy abuse has announced its agreement with the Diocese of Ballarat in Australia to build a memorial for victims “null and void” after an alleged communication breakdown with the diocese.“Throughout the memorial process, we have sought to engage with Church representatives in a respectful, transparent, and constructive manner. We have acted in good faith and demonstrated a genuine willingness to work collaboratively towards memorials at both sites: St. Patrick’s Cathedral and St. Alipius Old Boys School,” the Ballarat and District Survivors Memorial Committee said in a June 6 Facebook post. “Regrettably, we do not believe the same level of transparency and good faith has been demonstrated by the Church during these negotiations.”British National Trust reopens 420-year-old Catholic lodgeLyveden, a three-story Tudor lodge in Northamptonshire, England, known for its Catholic symbolism, has been reopened following conservation work.“Weʼre very excited to open Lyveden Lodge after 18 months and welcome visitors back inside this remarkable building,” Matthew Glasgow, senior building surveyor, said in a BBC News report on Friday. “While further conservation work will be needed in the coming years, the completed repairs mean visitors can once again enjoy this extraordinary unfinished vision of Sir Thomas Tresham.” Conservationists conducted repairs to the lodge’s stonework, replaced timber, and restored its Elizabethan garden. Constructed in the 16th century by Sir Thomas Tresham, a practicing Catholic who faced persecution for refusing to attend Anglican church services during the late 1500s and early 1600s, Lyveden is built in the shape of a Greek cross and features references to Christian numerology, according to the National Trust’s website.Rebaptisms raise questions in Syria’s Maronite communityReports that several Maronites in the Latakia countryside of Syria joined Protestant groups and underwent “rebaptism” have sparked discussion within the local Church about the challenges facing parish life in the region.The situation came to light in the village of Ain Halaqim, where community members pointed to years of pastoral difficulties, including the absence of a resident priest and limited opportunities for ongoing catechesis, ACI MENA reported Friday. Rather than focusing solely on the individuals who left, many local voices are asking broader questions about how the Church can better accompany the faithful, especially in communities affected by economic struggles and migration.

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Bishops in Northern Ireland call for peace, abuse victims in Australia clash with diocese, anti-Catholic legislation in France fails, Zimbabwe, and more in this week’s Catholic world news roundup.

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The Bee Explains: How Soccer Works #BabylonBee – The 2026 FIFA World Cup is being hosted in the United States for the first time since 1994. But what should be a cause for celebration is, instead, confusing a lot of Americans who can’t quite seem to grasp the nature of the game.
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The Bee Explains: How Soccer Works #BabylonBee – The 2026 FIFA World Cup is being hosted in the United States for the first time since 1994. But what should be a cause for celebration is, instead, confusing a lot of Americans who can’t quite seem to grasp the nature of the game.

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The 2026 FIFA World Cup is being hosted in the United States for the first time since 1994. But what should be a cause for celebration is, instead, confusing a lot of Americans who can’t quite seem to grasp the nature of the game.

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British Government Gives Religious Exemption For Suicide Vests #BabylonBee – LONDON — In an ongoing effort to balance religious freedom and public safety, the government of the United Kingdom decided to grant exemptions for committed Muslims who wish to don suicide vests for religious and ceremonial purposes.
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British Government Gives Religious Exemption For Suicide Vests #BabylonBee – LONDON — In an ongoing effort to balance religious freedom and public safety, the government of the United Kingdom decided to grant exemptions for committed Muslims who wish to don suicide vests for religious and ceremonial purposes.

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LONDON — In an ongoing effort to balance religious freedom and public safety, the government of the United Kingdom decided to grant exemptions for committed Muslims who wish to don suicide vests for religious and ceremonial purposes.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 13 June 2026 – A reading from the First Book of Kings 19:19-21 Elijah set out, and came upon Elisha, son of Shaphat, as he was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen; he was following the twelfth. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak over him. Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, "Please, let me kiss my father and mother goodbye, and I will follow you." Elijah answered, "Go back!  Have I done anything to you?" Elisha left him and, taking the yoke of oxen, slaughtered them; he used the plowing equipment for fuel to boil their flesh, and gave it to his people to eat. Then he left and followed Elijah as his attendant.From the Gospel according to Luke (2,41-51) Each year his parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he said to them. He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.If we want the world to change, then first our hearts must change.  For this to happen, let us allow Our Lady to take us by the hand.  Let us gaze upon her Immaculate Heart in which God dwelt, “our tainted nature’s solitary boast”.  Mary is “full of grace” (v. 28), and thus free from sin.  In her, there is no trace of evil and hence, with her, God was able to begin a new story of salvation and peace.  There, in her, history took a turn.  God changed history by knocking at the door of Mary’s heart. (…) We turn to our Mother, reposing all our fears and pain in her heart and abandoning ourselves to her.  It means placing in that pure and undefiled heart, where God is mirrored, the inestimable goods of fraternity and peace, all that we have and are, so that she, the Mother whom the Lord has given us, may protect us and watch over us. (Pope Francis, Homily, 25 March 2022)

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A reading from the First Book of Kings
19:19-21

Elijah set out, and came upon Elisha, son of Shaphat,
as he was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen;
he was following the twelfth.
Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak over him.
Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said,
"Please, let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,
and I will follow you."
Elijah answered, "Go back! 
Have I done anything to you?"
Elisha left him and, taking the yoke of oxen, slaughtered them;
he used the plowing equipment for fuel to boil their flesh,
and gave it to his people to eat.
Then he left and followed Elijah as his attendant.

From the Gospel according to Luke
(2,41-51)

Each year his parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he said to them. He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.

If we want the world to change, then first our hearts must change.  For this to happen, let us allow Our Lady to take us by the hand.  Let us gaze upon her Immaculate Heart in which God dwelt, “our tainted nature’s solitary boast”.  Mary is “full of grace” (v. 28), and thus free from sin.  In her, there is no trace of evil and hence, with her, God was able to begin a new story of salvation and peace.  There, in her, history took a turn.  God changed history by knocking at the door of Mary’s heart. (…)

We turn to our Mother, reposing all our fears and pain in her heart and abandoning ourselves to her.  It means placing in that pure and undefiled heart, where God is mirrored, the inestimable goods of fraternity and peace, all that we have and are, so that she, the Mother whom the Lord has given us, may protect us and watch over us. (Pope Francis, Homily, 25 March 2022)

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June 12, 2021: Seiji Ueda discovers Nova Herculis 2021

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On June 12, 2021, Nova Herculis 2021 (V1674 Herculis) erupted, and was discovered by amateur astronomer Seiji Ueda of Japan. The white dwarf quickly became visible to the naked eye, surging to 10,000 times brighter than it originally had been. Its speed was unprecedented: V1674 Herculis faded from that peak brightness in just over oneContinue reading “June 12, 2021: Seiji Ueda discovers Nova Herculis 2021”

The post June 12, 2021: Seiji Ueda discovers Nova Herculis 2021 appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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Our Lady of Guadalupe image begins 6-month pilgrimage in the Philippines – #Catholic – An image of Our Lady of Guadalupe from Mexico arrived in the Philippines on June 11, marking the start of a six-month nationwide pilgrimage that Church leaders hope will strengthen people’s faith.Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo of Kidapawan, spiritual director of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Philippine Pilgrimage, led the reception and blessing of the pilgrim image at Malacañang Palace in Manila in the presence of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.; first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos; papal nuncio Archbishop Charles Brown; Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso; and other government officials, clergy, and lay faithful.Marcos and the first lady hosted the reception and blessing, formally launching the Philippine Pilgrimage 2026. Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo of Kidapawan, far left; first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., sixth and seventh from left; papal nuncio Archbishop Charles Brown; and others gather after the blessing of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe at Malacañang Palace in Manila on June 11, 2026. | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Presidential Communications Office The occasion highlighted the Philippines’ deep Marian devotion and its participation in the Novena Intercontinental Guadalupana, a worldwide spiritual preparation for the 500th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe to St. Juan Diego. She appeared on four occasions on Dec. 9–12, 1531: three at the hill of Tepeyac and a fourth before Juan de Zumárraga, then the first bishop of Mexico and a Spanish Basque Franciscan prelate.The replica of the Mexican Marian icon and an image of St. Juan Diego, a Nahua peasant and Marian visionary, are considered a source of inspiration for many around the world.The pilgrimage forms part of a global initiative promoting prayer, evangelization, and unity among Catholics across different nations.The image, a replica of the original enshrined at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, embarks on a pilgrimage across the Philippines, visiting more than 50 churches.In a social media video, Bagaforo invited the faithful to join the nationwide pilgrimage, calling it a “moment of grace” and an opportunity to pray for hope, peace, and blessings amid today’s challenges.Cardinal Jose Advincula, archbishop of Manila, will hold a special Mass at the Manila Cathedral on June 13, formally opening the pilgrimage, before the image visits more than 50 cathedrals, shrines, and parish churches across the country.The image will also be present during the 132nd Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Plenary in Ozamiz City on July 3–10 before its permanent installation at the Manila Cathedral in December.Bishops call for a spiritual journeyIn a June 3 pastoral letter, the CBCP urged Catholics to take part in the spiritual journey and renew their relationship with Jesus through Mary.According to Archbishop Gilbert Garcera of Lipa, the CBCP president, churches hosting the pilgrimage will recite the Act of Consecration and Entrustment to Our Lady of Guadalupe during all Masses while the image is present.“During this pilgrimage, the Act of Consecration and Entrustment to Our Lady of Guadalupe shall be recited in all Masses in the churches to be visited,” he said.The pilgrimage hopes to inspire Filipinos to come closer to Jesus and to deepen their devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.“This visit aims to bring us, Filipinos, closer to Our Lord Jesus Christ and our Blessed Mother,” Garcera said.Advincula named the pilgrim image “Madre Peregrina de Guadalupe,” or “Pilgrim Mother of Guadalupe,” underscoring Mary’s role as a mother who journeys with the faithful. Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo of Kidapawan, spiritual director of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Philippine Pilgrimage, takes part in the blessing of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe at Malacañang Palace in Manila on June 11, 2026, in the presence of government officials, Church leaders, and other guests. | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Presidential Communications Office According to event organizers, the pilgrimage would deepen devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe and prepare Filipino Catholics for the 500th anniversary celebrations in 2031.The Philippines is home to more than 93 million Catholics and has the third-largest Catholic population globally, after Brazil and Mexico. In the Asian context, it is the largest Catholic nation, followed by East Timor.Pope Pius XI declared Our Lady of Guadalupe the “Celestial Patroness of the Philippines” in 1935. In 2001, the CBCP declared Dec. 12 an obligatory memorial, and in 2002 it recognized her as the “Pro-Life Patroness of the Philippines” in response to the global movement to entrust the plight of unborn children to her intercession.“I am glad to know that the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is on a pilgrimage in the Philippines. It will strengthen people’s prayer, Marian devotion, and spiritual renewal,” Janice Castro, an elementary school teacher from the Diocese of Cubao, told EWTN News.
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Our Lady of Guadalupe image begins 6-month pilgrimage in the Philippines – #Catholic – An image of Our Lady of Guadalupe from Mexico arrived in the Philippines on June 11, marking the start of a six-month nationwide pilgrimage that Church leaders hope will strengthen people’s faith.Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo of Kidapawan, spiritual director of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Philippine Pilgrimage, led the reception and blessing of the pilgrim image at Malacañang Palace in Manila in the presence of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.; first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos; papal nuncio Archbishop Charles Brown; Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso; and other government officials, clergy, and lay faithful.Marcos and the first lady hosted the reception and blessing, formally launching the Philippine Pilgrimage 2026. Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo of Kidapawan, far left; first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., sixth and seventh from left; papal nuncio Archbishop Charles Brown; and others gather after the blessing of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe at Malacañang Palace in Manila on June 11, 2026. | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Presidential Communications Office The occasion highlighted the Philippines’ deep Marian devotion and its participation in the Novena Intercontinental Guadalupana, a worldwide spiritual preparation for the 500th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe to St. Juan Diego. She appeared on four occasions on Dec. 9–12, 1531: three at the hill of Tepeyac and a fourth before Juan de Zumárraga, then the first bishop of Mexico and a Spanish Basque Franciscan prelate.The replica of the Mexican Marian icon and an image of St. Juan Diego, a Nahua peasant and Marian visionary, are considered a source of inspiration for many around the world.The pilgrimage forms part of a global initiative promoting prayer, evangelization, and unity among Catholics across different nations.The image, a replica of the original enshrined at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, embarks on a pilgrimage across the Philippines, visiting more than 50 churches.In a social media video, Bagaforo invited the faithful to join the nationwide pilgrimage, calling it a “moment of grace” and an opportunity to pray for hope, peace, and blessings amid today’s challenges.Cardinal Jose Advincula, archbishop of Manila, will hold a special Mass at the Manila Cathedral on June 13, formally opening the pilgrimage, before the image visits more than 50 cathedrals, shrines, and parish churches across the country.The image will also be present during the 132nd Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Plenary in Ozamiz City on July 3–10 before its permanent installation at the Manila Cathedral in December.Bishops call for a spiritual journeyIn a June 3 pastoral letter, the CBCP urged Catholics to take part in the spiritual journey and renew their relationship with Jesus through Mary.According to Archbishop Gilbert Garcera of Lipa, the CBCP president, churches hosting the pilgrimage will recite the Act of Consecration and Entrustment to Our Lady of Guadalupe during all Masses while the image is present.“During this pilgrimage, the Act of Consecration and Entrustment to Our Lady of Guadalupe shall be recited in all Masses in the churches to be visited,” he said.The pilgrimage hopes to inspire Filipinos to come closer to Jesus and to deepen their devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.“This visit aims to bring us, Filipinos, closer to Our Lord Jesus Christ and our Blessed Mother,” Garcera said.Advincula named the pilgrim image “Madre Peregrina de Guadalupe,” or “Pilgrim Mother of Guadalupe,” underscoring Mary’s role as a mother who journeys with the faithful. Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo of Kidapawan, spiritual director of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Philippine Pilgrimage, takes part in the blessing of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe at Malacañang Palace in Manila on June 11, 2026, in the presence of government officials, Church leaders, and other guests. | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Presidential Communications Office According to event organizers, the pilgrimage would deepen devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe and prepare Filipino Catholics for the 500th anniversary celebrations in 2031.The Philippines is home to more than 93 million Catholics and has the third-largest Catholic population globally, after Brazil and Mexico. In the Asian context, it is the largest Catholic nation, followed by East Timor.Pope Pius XI declared Our Lady of Guadalupe the “Celestial Patroness of the Philippines” in 1935. In 2001, the CBCP declared Dec. 12 an obligatory memorial, and in 2002 it recognized her as the “Pro-Life Patroness of the Philippines” in response to the global movement to entrust the plight of unborn children to her intercession.“I am glad to know that the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is on a pilgrimage in the Philippines. It will strengthen people’s prayer, Marian devotion, and spiritual renewal,” Janice Castro, an elementary school teacher from the Diocese of Cubao, told EWTN News.

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Church leaders launched a six-month journey for the Marian icon, which will travel to more than 50 churches before its permanent installation at the Manila Cathedral in December.

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Pope Leo XIV’s advice to priests: ‘Holiness cannot be lived in isolation’ – #Catholic – The journey toward holiness is fulfilled in union with Christ’s perfect heart — a holiness that cannot be lived in isolation, Pope Leo XIV said in a message for the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests.“Cherish your priestly fraternity: Seek one another, listen to one another, and support one another. The priest who isolates himself slowly fades away; the priest who walks alongside his brothers grows,” the pope said in the June 12 message.The World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests takes place every year on the solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, which in 2026 is celebrated on June 12.The Sacred Heart, Leo said, “is the ‘place’ where holiness is manifested as closeness and tenderness. The priest’s holiness, then, is embodied in humble and courageous nearness, in being all things to all people, and in keeping the gate of the sheepfold open so that many can enter and find pasture and rest.”“For this reason, we are called to a relationship with God that does not distance us from others but brings us closer to everyone — shaping patient and tender hearts, capable of closeness, compassion, and listening,” he added.Pope Leo said it is “through the union of our imperfect hearts with Jesus’ pierced heart, our journey toward holiness is fulfilled. It is no longer we who live but Christ who lives in us. Such holiness cannot be lived in isolation.”Reflecting on the mystery of the Lord’s pierced heart, the Holy Father emphasized that holiness is not an abstract ideal but a share in God’s own holiness.“When he calls us to be holy as he is holy, he indicates that the path we must follow involves being fashioned after his own heart. And for us, dear brothers, this call is particularly radical,” he said, addressing his fellow priests.The holiness asked of priests, Leo continued, is of a trustful abandonment transformed by the Holy Spirit: “Yet it is precisely here that the great paradox of our priestly life emerges. We are called to share in God’s own holiness, but we carry this treasure in earthen vessels.”Reflecting on the imperfect, human side of the priesthood, the pontiff noted that “we are limited and imperfect, often weak and weary, and at times wounded. How can such a vulnerable human heart respond to such a high calling? The priest lives this tension. Yet at the same time, he must recognize that he finds peace in the open side of the Lord Jesus.”“Our humanity is not compartmentalized,” he said. “Prayer, ministry, relationships, weariness, joys, and failures — even time or love that apparently seems wasted — all become privileged places where God reveals himself and his infinite love.”He urged priests to renew the grace of their ordination through the daily celebration of the Eucharist, prayer, meditation on the word of God, and humble service to others.“A priestly life that is steady and configured to Jesus’ heart is a credible sign of unity, peace, and mercy. Thus, in an age marked by division and fear, we must be builders of peace and witnesses of the tenderness of the Good Shepherd who knows how to gather the scattered and heal the wounded,” he said.In his message, Pope Leo invited priests to daily renew their “Here I am” before Christ’s pierced heart and to remember the words of the Curé of Ars, St. John Vianney, who loved to say that “the priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus.”“This love is a pledge and a guarantee that, if we surrender and offer ourselves completely, nothing of us will be lost,” the pontiff said.
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Pope Leo XIV’s advice to priests: ‘Holiness cannot be lived in isolation’ – #Catholic – The journey toward holiness is fulfilled in union with Christ’s perfect heart — a holiness that cannot be lived in isolation, Pope Leo XIV said in a message for the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests.“Cherish your priestly fraternity: Seek one another, listen to one another, and support one another. The priest who isolates himself slowly fades away; the priest who walks alongside his brothers grows,” the pope said in the June 12 message.The World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests takes place every year on the solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, which in 2026 is celebrated on June 12.The Sacred Heart, Leo said, “is the ‘place’ where holiness is manifested as closeness and tenderness. The priest’s holiness, then, is embodied in humble and courageous nearness, in being all things to all people, and in keeping the gate of the sheepfold open so that many can enter and find pasture and rest.”“For this reason, we are called to a relationship with God that does not distance us from others but brings us closer to everyone — shaping patient and tender hearts, capable of closeness, compassion, and listening,” he added.Pope Leo said it is “through the union of our imperfect hearts with Jesus’ pierced heart, our journey toward holiness is fulfilled. It is no longer we who live but Christ who lives in us. Such holiness cannot be lived in isolation.”Reflecting on the mystery of the Lord’s pierced heart, the Holy Father emphasized that holiness is not an abstract ideal but a share in God’s own holiness.“When he calls us to be holy as he is holy, he indicates that the path we must follow involves being fashioned after his own heart. And for us, dear brothers, this call is particularly radical,” he said, addressing his fellow priests.The holiness asked of priests, Leo continued, is of a trustful abandonment transformed by the Holy Spirit: “Yet it is precisely here that the great paradox of our priestly life emerges. We are called to share in God’s own holiness, but we carry this treasure in earthen vessels.”Reflecting on the imperfect, human side of the priesthood, the pontiff noted that “we are limited and imperfect, often weak and weary, and at times wounded. How can such a vulnerable human heart respond to such a high calling? The priest lives this tension. Yet at the same time, he must recognize that he finds peace in the open side of the Lord Jesus.”“Our humanity is not compartmentalized,” he said. “Prayer, ministry, relationships, weariness, joys, and failures — even time or love that apparently seems wasted — all become privileged places where God reveals himself and his infinite love.”He urged priests to renew the grace of their ordination through the daily celebration of the Eucharist, prayer, meditation on the word of God, and humble service to others.“A priestly life that is steady and configured to Jesus’ heart is a credible sign of unity, peace, and mercy. Thus, in an age marked by division and fear, we must be builders of peace and witnesses of the tenderness of the Good Shepherd who knows how to gather the scattered and heal the wounded,” he said.In his message, Pope Leo invited priests to daily renew their “Here I am” before Christ’s pierced heart and to remember the words of the Curé of Ars, St. John Vianney, who loved to say that “the priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus.”“This love is a pledge and a guarantee that, if we surrender and offer ourselves completely, nothing of us will be lost,” the pontiff said.

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The World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests takes place every year on the solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

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Mary Help recognizes 46 graduating seniors at commencement #Catholic - Forty-six seniors of Mary Help of Christians Academy in North Haledon, N.J., graduated on June 6 during the school’s 82nd Commencement Exercises. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney distributed the diplomas to the smiling graduates. The Class of 2026’s valedictorian was Marcella Gallerani, and the salutatorian was Emma Ibarbia. The class earned more than $19,248,840 in merit scholarships. The Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco, Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, run Mary Help of Christians Academy. Among those participating in the graduation ceremony were Salesian Sister Kelly Schuster, head of school at Mary Help, and Salesian Sister Colleen Clair, provincial of the Salesian Sisters in the Eastern United States and Canada. She was Mary Help’s head of school from 2021 to 2023 and an alumna of the Class of 1988. Staff and faculty also attended the commencement. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org] Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
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Mary Help recognizes 46 graduating seniors at commencement #Catholic – Forty-six seniors of Mary Help of Christians Academy in North Haledon, N.J., graduated on June 6 during the school’s 82nd Commencement Exercises. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney distributed the diplomas to the smiling graduates. The Class of 2026’s valedictorian was Marcella Gallerani, and the salutatorian was Emma Ibarbia. The class earned more than $19,248,840 in merit scholarships. The Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco, Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, run Mary Help of Christians Academy. Among those participating in the graduation ceremony were Salesian Sister Kelly Schuster, head of school at Mary Help, and Salesian Sister Colleen Clair, provincial of the Salesian Sisters in the Eastern United States and Canada. She was Mary Help’s head of school from 2021 to 2023 and an alumna of the Class of 1988. Staff and faculty also attended the commencement. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org] Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

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Mary Help recognizes 46 graduating seniors at commencement #Catholic –

Forty-six seniors of Mary Help of Christians Academy in North Haledon, N.J., graduated on June 6 during the school’s 82nd Commencement Exercises. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney distributed the diplomas to the smiling graduates.

The Class of 2026’s valedictorian was Marcella Gallerani, and the salutatorian was Emma Ibarbia. The class earned more than $19,248,840 in merit scholarships.

The Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco, Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, run Mary Help of Christians Academy.

Among those participating in the graduation ceremony were Salesian Sister Kelly Schuster, head of school at Mary Help, and Salesian Sister Colleen Clair, provincial of the Salesian Sisters in the Eastern United States and Canada. She was Mary Help’s head of school from 2021 to 2023 and an alumna of the Class of 1988. Staff and faculty also attended the commencement.

BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
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– Forty-six seniors of Mary Help of Christians Academy in North Haledon, N.J., graduated on June 6 during the school’s 82nd Commencement Exercises. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney distributed the diplomas to the smiling graduates. The Class of 2026’s valedictorian was Marcella Gallerani, and the salutatorian was Emma Ibarbia. The class earned more than $19,248,840 in merit scholarships. The Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco, Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, run Mary Help of Christians Academy. Among those participating in the graduation ceremony were Salesian Sister Kelly Schuster, head of school at Mary Help, and Salesian Sister Colleen Clair, provincial of the

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32 teens confirmed at Our Lady of Fatima & St. Nicholas Parish #Catholic - At Our Lady of Fatima & St. Nicholas Parish in Passaic, N.J., 32 teenagers received the Sacrament of Confirmation, joined by their sponsors, families, and friends, at an 11 a.m. Mass on Saturday, May 30. The Mass was celebrated by Bishop Emeritus Arthur J. Serratelli, with Father Rolands Uribe concelebrating. The liturgy marked the end of the candidate’s formation as they deepened their understanding of their faith and prepared to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  In his homily, Bishop Serratelli shared the message on the role of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the faithful.  “The Holy Spirit comes with us, lives with us, helps us put God first, God’s will before our desires at once. The Holy Spirit helps us to respect God’s plan for his creation. The Holy Spirit, the spirit of love, makes us pure and chaste, honest and just, compassionate and charitable. In a word he enables us to live as sons and daughters of God for we are made not merely to explore this cosmos or to merely to enjoy life on earth. We are made to live now; this day, in this world as God’s children so that one day we could life beyond this world in Heaven with God forever.” This celebration was a meaningful highlight for the young parishioners, who now take on a more active role in the life of the Church, strengthened by the gifts of the Holy Spirit. PHOTOS | JESSICA MARTINEZ [See image gallery at beaconnj.org] Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
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32 teens confirmed at Our Lady of Fatima & St. Nicholas Parish #Catholic – At Our Lady of Fatima & St. Nicholas Parish in Passaic, N.J., 32 teenagers received the Sacrament of Confirmation, joined by their sponsors, families, and friends, at an 11 a.m. Mass on Saturday, May 30. The Mass was celebrated by Bishop Emeritus Arthur J. Serratelli, with Father Rolands Uribe concelebrating. The liturgy marked the end of the candidate’s formation as they deepened their understanding of their faith and prepared to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  In his homily, Bishop Serratelli shared the message on the role of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the faithful.  “The Holy Spirit comes with us, lives with us, helps us put God first, God’s will before our desires at once. The Holy Spirit helps us to respect God’s plan for his creation. The Holy Spirit, the spirit of love, makes us pure and chaste, honest and just, compassionate and charitable. In a word he enables us to live as sons and daughters of God for we are made not merely to explore this cosmos or to merely to enjoy life on earth. We are made to live now; this day, in this world as God’s children so that one day we could life beyond this world in Heaven with God forever.” This celebration was a meaningful highlight for the young parishioners, who now take on a more active role in the life of the Church, strengthened by the gifts of the Holy Spirit. PHOTOS | JESSICA MARTINEZ [See image gallery at beaconnj.org] Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

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32 teens confirmed at Our Lady of Fatima & St. Nicholas Parish #Catholic –

At Our Lady of Fatima & St. Nicholas Parish in Passaic, N.J., 32 teenagers received the Sacrament of Confirmation, joined by their sponsors, families, and friends, at an 11 a.m. Mass on Saturday, May 30.

The Mass was celebrated by Bishop Emeritus Arthur J. Serratelli, with Father Rolands Uribe concelebrating. The liturgy marked the end of the candidate’s formation as they deepened their understanding of their faith and prepared to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

In his homily, Bishop Serratelli shared the message on the role of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the faithful. 

“The Holy Spirit comes with us, lives with us, helps us put God first, God’s will before our desires at once. The Holy Spirit helps us to respect God’s plan for his creation. The Holy Spirit, the spirit of love, makes us pure and chaste, honest and just, compassionate and charitable. In a word he enables us to live as sons and daughters of God for we are made not merely to explore this cosmos or to merely to enjoy life on earth. We are made to live now; this day, in this world as God’s children so that one day we could life beyond this world in Heaven with God forever.”

This celebration was a meaningful highlight for the young parishioners, who now take on a more active role in the life of the Church, strengthened by the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

PHOTOS | JESSICA MARTINEZ
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

– At Our Lady of Fatima & St. Nicholas Parish in Passaic, N.J., 32 teenagers received the Sacrament of Confirmation, joined by their sponsors, families, and friends, at an 11 a.m. Mass on Saturday, May 30. The Mass was celebrated by Bishop Emeritus Arthur J. Serratelli, with Father Rolands Uribe concelebrating. The liturgy marked the end of the candidate’s formation as they deepened their understanding of their faith and prepared to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  In his homily, Bishop Serratelli shared the message on the role of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the faithful.  “The Holy

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Pope Leo XIV tells human traffickers in Tenerife: ‘Stop. Repent’ – #Catholic – SAN CRISTÓBAL DE LA LAGUNA, Spain — For the first time during his apostolic journey to Spain, which concluded Friday, Pope Leo XIV raised his voice with unusual force.He did so in Tenerife, speaking against human traffickers: those who charge staggering sums to help migrants cross the ocean and those who enslave them mercilessly.“For every life lost, every family deceived, every body subjugated, every woman threatened, every worker exploited, you will have to appear before divine justice,” the pope said.“Break those chains and free those you hold in bondage,” he added. “Return what has been taken and make amends as much as you can.”Then, in a cry reminiscent of Pope Francis’ 2014 appeal to members of the Mafia, Leo declared: “Stop. Repent.”To those who profit from the suffering of others, he also left open the door of return to God.“Repent while there is still time,” he said, “for God’s mercy can reach even the most hardened sinner, but it enters only through the narrow gate of truth, justice, and conversion.”The remarks came during the pope’s meeting with organizations working for the integration of migrants in the Plaza del Cristo de La Laguna, in the capital of Tenerife, before some 4,000 people.In this final day of his trip, Leo held a second encounter focused on the reality of migration, underscoring the importance he has given the issue throughout his visit. Pope Leo XIV listens during a meeting with organizations working for the integration of migrants in Tenerife, Canary Islands, on June 12, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News The pope offered several keys for migrants so they do “not … remain forever trapped in the role of victims.”Speaking to “dear migrant brothers and sisters,” Leo said that part of their journey is “to open yourselves with trust to the community that welcomes you, to learn its language, to respect its laws, to get to know its customs, to participate in communal life, and to offer your gifts with gratitude.”He also addressed Catholics directly, as he had done the previous day in Las Palmas, asking “that integration not be reduced to a social undertaking, however necessary that may be.”The pope warned of what he called a “silent shipwreck” that can take place after migrants arrive: “Being left alone in a city, without a voice, without ties, work, or a sense of security, and exposed to those who take advantage of vulnerability.”“Integration means preventing that second shipwreck,” he said.Leo said integration must take place “without diluting their identity or closing their hearts to the encounter,” adding that “every welcoming society has responsibilities toward those who arrive,” while those who are welcomed also discover that dignity “flourishes when it becomes a duty and a sincere desire to build together with others.”Before the final Mass that brought his apostolic journey to Spain to a close, the pope asked the faithful not to forget the many migrants from Latin America, the Philippines, and other parts of the world who are already a living part of the community.“Let yourselves also be evangelized by them,” he said, “for they surely bring with them gifts that Providence has wished to send to you through those who are integrating.”His predecessor, Pope Francis, summarized the Church’s approach to migration in four verbs: welcome, protect, promote, and integrate. Leo made that vision his own, insisting that integration cannot be reduced to a merely social task.“Those who come to our parishes need bread, shelter, language assistance, work, and protection,” he said. “They also must find a community capable of offering paths to knowing Jesus Christ through the witness of life and word, while always respecting the conscience and freedom of each person.”During the encounter, the pope listened to the testimony of Mbacke, a young Senegalese man who arrived as a child, completely alone.“I have learned alongside my classmates in all the training activities we have: Spanish, cooking, agriculture, masonry, carpentry, repairs, computer skills, sewing, etc., and in my particular case, basic training in Spain,” he said, thanking the Canary Islands’ El Buen Samaritano Foundation, linked to the Parish of Santa María de Añaza in Tenerife, for giving him a family.“Thank you for receiving young people like me who arrive alone, without family, and who are only looking for an opportunity to start over,” he added.His testimony put a face on the drama of migrant minors who cross borders without a parent or guardian. For some who have no family, turning 18 can mean “only the street,” once they leave Spain’s child protection system.Among those waiting for the pope on this final day was Mamadu, 33, originally from Mali. He arrived 15 years ago, still a child. Today he is fully integrated and speaks Spanish perfectly. He told ACI Prensa that he wanted to see the pope and give him a T-shirt he displayed proudly.Leo also heard from a Venezuelan migrant priest who has served for seven years on El Hierro, the westernmost and southernmost island in the Canary archipelago. The island, the smallest and least populated of the main Canary Islands, has recorded some of the highest migrant arrivals in recent months: Since March 2023, it has received 50,244 immigrants despite having just 11,600 residents.“There were days and nights when I wanted to stay in the comfort of my house, but I thought: What would Our Lord do?” the priest said. “And I renewed the service being asked of me. And there, amid pain and suffering, there was always some reason for hope, some smile, some grateful face that gave more than enough reason for our commitment.”The Holy Father also listened to harrowing accounts, including that of Khalid Allad, a 24-year-old Moroccan who, like many others, reached the Canary coast in 2020.“My journey in a small boat was not easy at all,” he said. “I tried twice. In the first attempt, 20 people died.”Although his father forbade him from trying again, he set out a year later.“Although I was afraid, I decided to leave again, this time without his permission,” he said.Once in Tenerife, he began a new life thanks to the Don Bosco Foundation.“They offered me a place to live, taught me Spanish, helped me read and write better, and gave me the confidence to move forward,” he said through tears.Thalia Johana Saldarriaga Diago, a Colombian immigrant who, thanks to Caritas, not only recovered her independence but also became a volunteer helping others in similar situations, also spoke at the meeting.“In this way,” the pope said, recalling her witness, “yesterday’s stranger can be today’s brother and neighbor.”The encounter took place as the European Union entered a new and stricter era in migration policy. The Migration and Asylum Pact, the result of years of negotiations among member states, officially entered into force Friday, promising to strengthen control of external borders, speed up asylum procedures, and increase returns of people without the right to remain in EU territory.After this effort to put a human face on the drama of migration, and before returning to Rome with an expected delay, the pope celebrated a large outdoor Mass at the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass at the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, on June 12, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News In his homily, Leo cited Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’ as he reflected on Tenerife’s “tourist vocation” and the island’s contact with visitors from many countries.“How important it is, especially for those who allow themselves to be guided by the Gospel, not to reduce everything to commerce and profit,” the pope said.Spain is a global tourism powerhouse, but its success has caused growing tensions in destinations like those the pope visited this week: Madrid, Barcelona, Las Palmas, and Tenerife.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Pope Leo XIV tells human traffickers in Tenerife: ‘Stop. Repent’ – #Catholic – SAN CRISTÓBAL DE LA LAGUNA, Spain — For the first time during his apostolic journey to Spain, which concluded Friday, Pope Leo XIV raised his voice with unusual force.He did so in Tenerife, speaking against human traffickers: those who charge staggering sums to help migrants cross the ocean and those who enslave them mercilessly.“For every life lost, every family deceived, every body subjugated, every woman threatened, every worker exploited, you will have to appear before divine justice,” the pope said.“Break those chains and free those you hold in bondage,” he added. “Return what has been taken and make amends as much as you can.”Then, in a cry reminiscent of Pope Francis’ 2014 appeal to members of the Mafia, Leo declared: “Stop. Repent.”To those who profit from the suffering of others, he also left open the door of return to God.“Repent while there is still time,” he said, “for God’s mercy can reach even the most hardened sinner, but it enters only through the narrow gate of truth, justice, and conversion.”The remarks came during the pope’s meeting with organizations working for the integration of migrants in the Plaza del Cristo de La Laguna, in the capital of Tenerife, before some 4,000 people.In this final day of his trip, Leo held a second encounter focused on the reality of migration, underscoring the importance he has given the issue throughout his visit. Pope Leo XIV listens during a meeting with organizations working for the integration of migrants in Tenerife, Canary Islands, on June 12, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News The pope offered several keys for migrants so they do “not … remain forever trapped in the role of victims.”Speaking to “dear migrant brothers and sisters,” Leo said that part of their journey is “to open yourselves with trust to the community that welcomes you, to learn its language, to respect its laws, to get to know its customs, to participate in communal life, and to offer your gifts with gratitude.”He also addressed Catholics directly, as he had done the previous day in Las Palmas, asking “that integration not be reduced to a social undertaking, however necessary that may be.”The pope warned of what he called a “silent shipwreck” that can take place after migrants arrive: “Being left alone in a city, without a voice, without ties, work, or a sense of security, and exposed to those who take advantage of vulnerability.”“Integration means preventing that second shipwreck,” he said.Leo said integration must take place “without diluting their identity or closing their hearts to the encounter,” adding that “every welcoming society has responsibilities toward those who arrive,” while those who are welcomed also discover that dignity “flourishes when it becomes a duty and a sincere desire to build together with others.”Before the final Mass that brought his apostolic journey to Spain to a close, the pope asked the faithful not to forget the many migrants from Latin America, the Philippines, and other parts of the world who are already a living part of the community.“Let yourselves also be evangelized by them,” he said, “for they surely bring with them gifts that Providence has wished to send to you through those who are integrating.”His predecessor, Pope Francis, summarized the Church’s approach to migration in four verbs: welcome, protect, promote, and integrate. Leo made that vision his own, insisting that integration cannot be reduced to a merely social task.“Those who come to our parishes need bread, shelter, language assistance, work, and protection,” he said. “They also must find a community capable of offering paths to knowing Jesus Christ through the witness of life and word, while always respecting the conscience and freedom of each person.”During the encounter, the pope listened to the testimony of Mbacke, a young Senegalese man who arrived as a child, completely alone.“I have learned alongside my classmates in all the training activities we have: Spanish, cooking, agriculture, masonry, carpentry, repairs, computer skills, sewing, etc., and in my particular case, basic training in Spain,” he said, thanking the Canary Islands’ El Buen Samaritano Foundation, linked to the Parish of Santa María de Añaza in Tenerife, for giving him a family.“Thank you for receiving young people like me who arrive alone, without family, and who are only looking for an opportunity to start over,” he added.His testimony put a face on the drama of migrant minors who cross borders without a parent or guardian. For some who have no family, turning 18 can mean “only the street,” once they leave Spain’s child protection system.Among those waiting for the pope on this final day was Mamadu, 33, originally from Mali. He arrived 15 years ago, still a child. Today he is fully integrated and speaks Spanish perfectly. He told ACI Prensa that he wanted to see the pope and give him a T-shirt he displayed proudly.Leo also heard from a Venezuelan migrant priest who has served for seven years on El Hierro, the westernmost and southernmost island in the Canary archipelago. The island, the smallest and least populated of the main Canary Islands, has recorded some of the highest migrant arrivals in recent months: Since March 2023, it has received 50,244 immigrants despite having just 11,600 residents.“There were days and nights when I wanted to stay in the comfort of my house, but I thought: What would Our Lord do?” the priest said. “And I renewed the service being asked of me. And there, amid pain and suffering, there was always some reason for hope, some smile, some grateful face that gave more than enough reason for our commitment.”The Holy Father also listened to harrowing accounts, including that of Khalid Allad, a 24-year-old Moroccan who, like many others, reached the Canary coast in 2020.“My journey in a small boat was not easy at all,” he said. “I tried twice. In the first attempt, 20 people died.”Although his father forbade him from trying again, he set out a year later.“Although I was afraid, I decided to leave again, this time without his permission,” he said.Once in Tenerife, he began a new life thanks to the Don Bosco Foundation.“They offered me a place to live, taught me Spanish, helped me read and write better, and gave me the confidence to move forward,” he said through tears.Thalia Johana Saldarriaga Diago, a Colombian immigrant who, thanks to Caritas, not only recovered her independence but also became a volunteer helping others in similar situations, also spoke at the meeting.“In this way,” the pope said, recalling her witness, “yesterday’s stranger can be today’s brother and neighbor.”The encounter took place as the European Union entered a new and stricter era in migration policy. The Migration and Asylum Pact, the result of years of negotiations among member states, officially entered into force Friday, promising to strengthen control of external borders, speed up asylum procedures, and increase returns of people without the right to remain in EU territory.After this effort to put a human face on the drama of migration, and before returning to Rome with an expected delay, the pope celebrated a large outdoor Mass at the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass at the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, on June 12, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News In his homily, Leo cited Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’ as he reflected on Tenerife’s “tourist vocation” and the island’s contact with visitors from many countries.“How important it is, especially for those who allow themselves to be guided by the Gospel, not to reduce everything to commerce and profit,” the pope said.Spain is a global tourism powerhouse, but its success has caused growing tensions in destinations like those the pope visited this week: Madrid, Barcelona, Las Palmas, and Tenerife.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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The pope urged migrants to embrace integration while warning traffickers that they “will have to appear before divine justice.”

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Migrants in Tenerife tell Pope Leo XIV: We do not ask for privileges or compassion #Catholic TENERIFE, Canary Islands — “No one leaves their land, their family and their roots by choice when they can live in peace,” said Bousso Diouf, a woman from Senegal who spoke with the moral authority of someone who risked her life crossing the Atlantic in a wooden boat, knowing the journey could last a week or end adrift at sea.Diouf was among the migrants who greeted Pope Leo XIV at the Las Raíces reception center in Tenerife, where some 700 sub-Saharan African migrants — all adult men — are currently housed. The center is located in the humid Las Raíces area of Tenerife, a eucalyptus-filled area about 3,300 feet above sea level.The number is relatively low compared with the hardest years of the “cayuco” crisis, especially at the end of 2024, when the center received between 2,000 and 3,000 migrants amid overcrowding and widely reported tensions.Most of those currently housed at the center come from Senegal, Gambia, and Mali, and on average spend about three months there before being transferred to mainland Spain.They arrive exhausted after having spent up to 72 hours in police custody for identification and registration procedures.“We come from countries where poverty, violence, war, persecution, and lack of opportunity forced us to leave,” Diouf said.Las Raíces opened in 2021 in response to the 2020 crisis, when more than 23,000 migrants arrived on the coasts of the Canary Islands.Now those numbers have fallen sharply, and the situation is very different.“Our work is to offer them an initial welcome that is dignified, humane, and organized at an especially difficult moment, immediately after their arrival by sea,” Navarro Atiénzar, regional director of Accem, the NGO that manages the Las Raíces Reception Center for Refugees and Immigrants in Tenerife, told Pope Leo.The pope arrived in Tenerife early in the morning from Las Palmas and went to the large camp set up inside a former rural military barracks after six marathon days in Spain that had taken him to Barcelona and Madrid.He listened to those housed there as a father listens when a child opens his heart to recount a trauma.One young Nigerian man said that crossing the ocean to the Canary Islands means facing hunger, cold, desperation, and often death.“Many brothers and sisters lost their lives at sea, and others continue to suffer in silence, victims of mafias that take advantage of need and human suffering,” he said.He also made a plea for humanity: “May we not be seen only as migrants, numbers, or documents, but as people with stories, dreams, families, and hope.”“We do not ask for privileges. We do not ask for compassion. We ask for respect, humanity, and the opportunity to live with dignity,” he said.Among those present was also Aliu Ceesay, a 16-year-old Gambian who arrived in the Canary Islands just one month ago in an irregular boat after a difficult journey from his home country. Like many other migrant minors, his goal is to find work so he can help support his family.Amid an experience marked by uncertainty, Aliu has followed Pope Leo XIV with interest online. The teenager said he wanted to see him in person and was struck by the pope’s message.“I have been following him on the internet and wanted to see him. He is very kind, very good,” Aliu said. He also emphasized the pope’s inclusive spirit: “He does not care if we are black or white, Muslim or Christian. He wants to help us.”More than 54,000 people have passed through Las Raíces. Behind each one is a story, a difficult journey, and, above all, a hope.In his address, Pope Leo repeated the message he gave on the first day he set foot in Las Palmas: “God’s love knows no borders, makes no distinctions, is given to all and brings us together in unity.”“As I look at your faces and listen to your stories, I also think of your hearts — wounded by so many difficulties, yet also comforted by the love you have received from other open, generous and merciful hearts,” the pope said.“Christ’s heart suffered and was pierced out of love, and he was also comforted by compassionate people who eased his pain,” he added.Missionary saints and migrantsThe pope dedicated part of his address to missionary saints such as St. Brother Peter of St. Joseph de Betancur and St. José de Anchieta, who set out from the Canary Islands to proclaim the Gospel in the Americas, opening new missionary horizons.“They too were migrants who ventured into the unknown, carrying faith, hope and charity as their greatest possessions,” he said.The pope called for “responsibility” with an eye toward future generations, to whom, he said, “we wish to bequeath the heritage of a civilization of love.”“Migration will play an important role in this,” he said, because it “can become an opportunity for encounter and mutual enrichment among peoples.”“Dear brothers and sisters, in a sense, all of us are migrants, for we are all pilgrims on our way to our heavenly homeland,” he said. “Let us help make this journey more humane for everyone by contributing in whatever way we can.”The pope said the name of the center, Las Raíces — “the roots” — had caught his attention. He recalled that Pope Francis, “who so longed to be with you,” often used the image of roots “to emphasize the importance of remembering our origins, staying united and trusting in the Lord.”“May this image of roots also help you to be firmly rooted in the Lord, so that no storm may drive you away from his presence, which strengthens and gives life,” Pope Leo said.At the end of his address, the pope told those gathered: “Dear friends, I carry you in my heart and will remember you in my prayers. May God bless you, your families and all who do good to you. And may the Blessed Virgin Mary, Consolation of Migrants, always accompany and assist you with her maternal protection.”During the meeting, when the pope announced that he would speak in French and English, many migrants responded with loud applause.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Migrants in Tenerife tell Pope Leo XIV: We do not ask for privileges or compassion #Catholic TENERIFE, Canary Islands — “No one leaves their land, their family and their roots by choice when they can live in peace,” said Bousso Diouf, a woman from Senegal who spoke with the moral authority of someone who risked her life crossing the Atlantic in a wooden boat, knowing the journey could last a week or end adrift at sea.Diouf was among the migrants who greeted Pope Leo XIV at the Las Raíces reception center in Tenerife, where some 700 sub-Saharan African migrants — all adult men — are currently housed. The center is located in the humid Las Raíces area of Tenerife, a eucalyptus-filled area about 3,300 feet above sea level.The number is relatively low compared with the hardest years of the “cayuco” crisis, especially at the end of 2024, when the center received between 2,000 and 3,000 migrants amid overcrowding and widely reported tensions.Most of those currently housed at the center come from Senegal, Gambia, and Mali, and on average spend about three months there before being transferred to mainland Spain.They arrive exhausted after having spent up to 72 hours in police custody for identification and registration procedures.“We come from countries where poverty, violence, war, persecution, and lack of opportunity forced us to leave,” Diouf said.Las Raíces opened in 2021 in response to the 2020 crisis, when more than 23,000 migrants arrived on the coasts of the Canary Islands.Now those numbers have fallen sharply, and the situation is very different.“Our work is to offer them an initial welcome that is dignified, humane, and organized at an especially difficult moment, immediately after their arrival by sea,” Navarro Atiénzar, regional director of Accem, the NGO that manages the Las Raíces Reception Center for Refugees and Immigrants in Tenerife, told Pope Leo.The pope arrived in Tenerife early in the morning from Las Palmas and went to the large camp set up inside a former rural military barracks after six marathon days in Spain that had taken him to Barcelona and Madrid.He listened to those housed there as a father listens when a child opens his heart to recount a trauma.One young Nigerian man said that crossing the ocean to the Canary Islands means facing hunger, cold, desperation, and often death.“Many brothers and sisters lost their lives at sea, and others continue to suffer in silence, victims of mafias that take advantage of need and human suffering,” he said.He also made a plea for humanity: “May we not be seen only as migrants, numbers, or documents, but as people with stories, dreams, families, and hope.”“We do not ask for privileges. We do not ask for compassion. We ask for respect, humanity, and the opportunity to live with dignity,” he said.Among those present was also Aliu Ceesay, a 16-year-old Gambian who arrived in the Canary Islands just one month ago in an irregular boat after a difficult journey from his home country. Like many other migrant minors, his goal is to find work so he can help support his family.Amid an experience marked by uncertainty, Aliu has followed Pope Leo XIV with interest online. The teenager said he wanted to see him in person and was struck by the pope’s message.“I have been following him on the internet and wanted to see him. He is very kind, very good,” Aliu said. He also emphasized the pope’s inclusive spirit: “He does not care if we are black or white, Muslim or Christian. He wants to help us.”More than 54,000 people have passed through Las Raíces. Behind each one is a story, a difficult journey, and, above all, a hope.In his address, Pope Leo repeated the message he gave on the first day he set foot in Las Palmas: “God’s love knows no borders, makes no distinctions, is given to all and brings us together in unity.”“As I look at your faces and listen to your stories, I also think of your hearts — wounded by so many difficulties, yet also comforted by the love you have received from other open, generous and merciful hearts,” the pope said.“Christ’s heart suffered and was pierced out of love, and he was also comforted by compassionate people who eased his pain,” he added.Missionary saints and migrantsThe pope dedicated part of his address to missionary saints such as St. Brother Peter of St. Joseph de Betancur and St. José de Anchieta, who set out from the Canary Islands to proclaim the Gospel in the Americas, opening new missionary horizons.“They too were migrants who ventured into the unknown, carrying faith, hope and charity as their greatest possessions,” he said.The pope called for “responsibility” with an eye toward future generations, to whom, he said, “we wish to bequeath the heritage of a civilization of love.”“Migration will play an important role in this,” he said, because it “can become an opportunity for encounter and mutual enrichment among peoples.”“Dear brothers and sisters, in a sense, all of us are migrants, for we are all pilgrims on our way to our heavenly homeland,” he said. “Let us help make this journey more humane for everyone by contributing in whatever way we can.”The pope said the name of the center, Las Raíces — “the roots” — had caught his attention. He recalled that Pope Francis, “who so longed to be with you,” often used the image of roots “to emphasize the importance of remembering our origins, staying united and trusting in the Lord.”“May this image of roots also help you to be firmly rooted in the Lord, so that no storm may drive you away from his presence, which strengthens and gives life,” Pope Leo said.At the end of his address, the pope told those gathered: “Dear friends, I carry you in my heart and will remember you in my prayers. May God bless you, your families and all who do good to you. And may the Blessed Virgin Mary, Consolation of Migrants, always accompany and assist you with her maternal protection.”During the meeting, when the pope announced that he would speak in French and English, many migrants responded with loud applause.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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At Las Raíces reception center in Spain’s Canary Islands, the pope heard testimonies from migrants who risked their lives crossing the Atlantic and urged a more humane response rooted in dignity.

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Everything you need to know about devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus #Catholic The solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus falls on the Friday after the Corpus Christi octave, which in 2026 is on June 12. What exactly is the meaning behind this feast day? Below are answers to some common questions.Why do Catholics venerate the Sacred Heart of Jesus?“Devoting ourselves to the Sacred Heart is one of the easiest, fastest, and most pleasant ways to grow in holiness,” Father Ambrose Dobrozsi, a priest of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, told EWTN News.“Many saints have done many things to grow close to Jesus Christ, but no way is more sure and more pleasing to him than to consecrate ourselves to his Sacred Heart through the Immaculate Heart of his mother,” he added.Where does devotion to the Sacred Heart come from?The story behind the modern iteration of the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, however, begins on Dec. 27, 1673, at a monastery belonging to the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary (Visitandines) in eastern France.There, a nun named Sister Margaret Mary Alacoque began experiencing visions of the Sacred Heart. Those visions continued for 18 months.During her visions, Sister Margaret Mary learned ways to venerate the Sacred Heart of Christ.These devotions included the concept of a Holy Hour on Thursdays, the creation of the feast of the Sacred Heart after Corpus Christi, and the reception of the Eucharist on the first Friday of every month.As with many mystics, many people were skeptical of Sister Margaret Mary’s claims of visions. Her confessor, the then-Father Claude La Colombière, SJ, (now St. Claude La Colombière) believed her, and eventually, the mother superior of her community began to believe as well.The first feast of the Sacred Heart was celebrated privately at the monastery in 1686.Sister Margaret Mary died in 1690 and was canonized by Pope Benedict XV on May 13, 1920.Initially, the Vatican was hesitant to declare a feast of the Sacred Heart but did allow the Visitandines to celebrate a Mass special to this day. As the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus spread throughout France, the Vatican granted the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to France in 1765.In 1856, after much lobbying by French bishops on behalf of the feast of the Sacred Heart, Pope Pius IX designated the Friday following the feast of Corpus Christi as the feast of the Sacred Heart for the entire Latin-rite Church.On May 25, 1899, Pope Leo XIII promulgated the encyclical Annum Sacrum, which consecrated the entire world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This encyclical was written after a nun, Sister Mary of the Sacred Heart, sent two letters to the pope requesting that he consecrate the world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.Sister Mary of the Divine Heart wrote the letters, she said, after Jesus made the request to her. Pope Leo XIII called this encyclical and the subsequent consecration the “great act” of his papacy.“Finally, there is one motive which we are unwilling to pass over in silence, personal to ourselves it is true, but still good and weighty, which moves us to undertake this celebration. God, the author of every good, not long ago preserved our life by curing us of a dangerous disease,” Leo XIII wrote.“We now wish, by this increase of the honor paid to the Sacred Heart, that the memory of this great mercy should be brought prominently forward, and our gratitude be publicly acknowledged.”But why consecrate the world — or anyone — to the Sacred Heart of Jesus? What does that mean?Pope Leo XIII described the act of consecration as one that will “establish or draw tighter the bonds which naturally connect public affairs with God,” which was especially needed for the world at the turn of the century.“While many see religion as unnecessary in a world with more and more technology and resources, swearing allegiance and consecrating ourselves to Christ the King in his Sacred Heart shows that humanity still needs and longs for a compassionate and all-powerful God,” Dobrozsi, the Cincinnati priest, told EWTN News.“In a society where some live in decadence and prideful luxury while others are destitute, the burning love of Christ’s Sacred Heart reminds us that the fires of his mercy are also fires of justice. And when the culture, and so many of us, feel hopeless that we could ever change after falling to sins of the flesh, the heart of Our Lord beats with powerful love, eternally declaring that true charity has triumphed over sin and death,” he added.These are the promises the Sacred Heart of Jesus made to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque:1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.2. I will give peace in their families.3. I will console them in all their troubles.4. I will be their refuge in life and especially in death.5. I will abundantly bless all their undertakings.6. Sinners shall find in my heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.7. Tepid souls shall become fervent.8. Fervent souls shall rise speedily to great perfection.9. I will bless those places wherein the image of my Sacred Heart shall be exposed and venerated.10. I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts.11. Persons who propagate this devotion shall have their names eternally written in my heart.12. In the excess of the mercy of my heart, I promise you that my all powerful love will grant to all those who will receive Communion on the first Fridays, for nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance: They will not die in my displeasure, nor without receiving the sacraments; and my heart will be their secure refuge in that last hour.This story was first published on EWTN News on June 19, 2020, and has been updated.
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Everything you need to know about devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus #Catholic The solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus falls on the Friday after the Corpus Christi octave, which in 2026 is on June 12. What exactly is the meaning behind this feast day? Below are answers to some common questions.Why do Catholics venerate the Sacred Heart of Jesus?“Devoting ourselves to the Sacred Heart is one of the easiest, fastest, and most pleasant ways to grow in holiness,” Father Ambrose Dobrozsi, a priest of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, told EWTN News.“Many saints have done many things to grow close to Jesus Christ, but no way is more sure and more pleasing to him than to consecrate ourselves to his Sacred Heart through the Immaculate Heart of his mother,” he added.Where does devotion to the Sacred Heart come from?The story behind the modern iteration of the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, however, begins on Dec. 27, 1673, at a monastery belonging to the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary (Visitandines) in eastern France.There, a nun named Sister Margaret Mary Alacoque began experiencing visions of the Sacred Heart. Those visions continued for 18 months.During her visions, Sister Margaret Mary learned ways to venerate the Sacred Heart of Christ.These devotions included the concept of a Holy Hour on Thursdays, the creation of the feast of the Sacred Heart after Corpus Christi, and the reception of the Eucharist on the first Friday of every month.As with many mystics, many people were skeptical of Sister Margaret Mary’s claims of visions. Her confessor, the then-Father Claude La Colombière, SJ, (now St. Claude La Colombière) believed her, and eventually, the mother superior of her community began to believe as well.The first feast of the Sacred Heart was celebrated privately at the monastery in 1686.Sister Margaret Mary died in 1690 and was canonized by Pope Benedict XV on May 13, 1920.Initially, the Vatican was hesitant to declare a feast of the Sacred Heart but did allow the Visitandines to celebrate a Mass special to this day. As the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus spread throughout France, the Vatican granted the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to France in 1765.In 1856, after much lobbying by French bishops on behalf of the feast of the Sacred Heart, Pope Pius IX designated the Friday following the feast of Corpus Christi as the feast of the Sacred Heart for the entire Latin-rite Church.On May 25, 1899, Pope Leo XIII promulgated the encyclical Annum Sacrum, which consecrated the entire world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This encyclical was written after a nun, Sister Mary of the Sacred Heart, sent two letters to the pope requesting that he consecrate the world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.Sister Mary of the Divine Heart wrote the letters, she said, after Jesus made the request to her. Pope Leo XIII called this encyclical and the subsequent consecration the “great act” of his papacy.“Finally, there is one motive which we are unwilling to pass over in silence, personal to ourselves it is true, but still good and weighty, which moves us to undertake this celebration. God, the author of every good, not long ago preserved our life by curing us of a dangerous disease,” Leo XIII wrote.“We now wish, by this increase of the honor paid to the Sacred Heart, that the memory of this great mercy should be brought prominently forward, and our gratitude be publicly acknowledged.”But why consecrate the world — or anyone — to the Sacred Heart of Jesus? What does that mean?Pope Leo XIII described the act of consecration as one that will “establish or draw tighter the bonds which naturally connect public affairs with God,” which was especially needed for the world at the turn of the century.“While many see religion as unnecessary in a world with more and more technology and resources, swearing allegiance and consecrating ourselves to Christ the King in his Sacred Heart shows that humanity still needs and longs for a compassionate and all-powerful God,” Dobrozsi, the Cincinnati priest, told EWTN News.“In a society where some live in decadence and prideful luxury while others are destitute, the burning love of Christ’s Sacred Heart reminds us that the fires of his mercy are also fires of justice. And when the culture, and so many of us, feel hopeless that we could ever change after falling to sins of the flesh, the heart of Our Lord beats with powerful love, eternally declaring that true charity has triumphed over sin and death,” he added.These are the promises the Sacred Heart of Jesus made to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque:1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.2. I will give peace in their families.3. I will console them in all their troubles.4. I will be their refuge in life and especially in death.5. I will abundantly bless all their undertakings.6. Sinners shall find in my heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.7. Tepid souls shall become fervent.8. Fervent souls shall rise speedily to great perfection.9. I will bless those places wherein the image of my Sacred Heart shall be exposed and venerated.10. I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts.11. Persons who propagate this devotion shall have their names eternally written in my heart.12. In the excess of the mercy of my heart, I promise you that my all powerful love will grant to all those who will receive Communion on the first Fridays, for nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance: They will not die in my displeasure, nor without receiving the sacraments; and my heart will be their secure refuge in that last hour.This story was first published on EWTN News on June 19, 2020, and has been updated.

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This year, the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is celebrated on June 12.

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Marco Rubio Cracks Up Crowd at the State Department Talking About the UFC Freedom 250 Fight at the White House (VIDEO) – The left is absolutely outraged about the UFC Freedom 250 fight that is happening at the White House next week. The post Marco Rubio Cracks Up Crowd at the State Department Talking About the UFC Freedom 250 Fight at the White House (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Marco Rubio Cracks Up Crowd at the State Department Talking About the UFC Freedom 250 Fight at the White House (VIDEO) – The left is absolutely outraged about the UFC Freedom 250 fight that is happening at the White House next week. The post Marco Rubio Cracks Up Crowd at the State Department Talking About the UFC Freedom 250 Fight at the White House (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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U.S. politician delivering a speech in front of an American flag, wearing a blue suit and red tie, emphasizing key issues.

U.S. politician delivering a speech in front of an American flag, wearing a blue suit and red tie, emphasizing key issues.

The left is absolutely outraged about the UFC Freedom 250 fight that is happening at the White House next week.

The post Marco Rubio Cracks Up Crowd at the State Department Talking About the UFC Freedom 250 Fight at the White House (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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WHAT COULD GO WRONG? Vice President JD Vance to Appear on ‘The View’ Next Week – Vice President JD Vance is going to appear on ‘The View’ next week, on Tuesday, June 16th. The post WHAT COULD GO WRONG? Vice President JD Vance to Appear on ‘The View’ Next Week appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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WHAT COULD GO WRONG? Vice President JD Vance to Appear on ‘The View’ Next Week – Vice President JD Vance is going to appear on ‘The View’ next week, on Tuesday, June 16th. The post WHAT COULD GO WRONG? Vice President JD Vance to Appear on ‘The View’ Next Week appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Vice President JD Vance is going to appear on ‘The View’ next week, on Tuesday, June 16th.

The post WHAT COULD GO WRONG? Vice President JD Vance to Appear on ‘The View’ Next Week appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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ABC News Complains Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine is POUNCING on Graham Platner’s Scandals (VIDEO) – If you follow political news and media, you know that ‘Republicans Pounce’ is a meme on the right. The post ABC News Complains Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine is POUNCING on Graham Platner’s Scandals (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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ABC News Complains Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine is POUNCING on Graham Platner’s Scandals (VIDEO) – If you follow political news and media, you know that ‘Republicans Pounce’ is a meme on the right. The post ABC News Complains Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine is POUNCING on Graham Platner’s Scandals (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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If you follow political news and media, you know that ‘Republicans Pounce’ is a meme on the right.

The post ABC News Complains Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine is POUNCING on Graham Platner’s Scandals (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 12 June 2026 – A reading from the Book of Deuteronomy 7:6-11 Moses said to the people: "You are a people sacred to the LORD, your God; he has chosen you from all the nations on the face of the earth to be a people peculiarly his own. It was not because you are the largest of all nations that the LORD set his heart on you and chose you, for you are really the smallest of all nations. It was because the LORD loved you and because of his fidelity to the oath he had sworn your fathers, that he brought you out with his strong hand from the place of slavery, and ransomed you from the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Understand, then, that the LORD, your God, is God indeed, the faithful God who keeps his merciful covenant down to the thousandth generation toward those who love him and keep his commandments, but who repays with destruction a person who hates him; he does not dally with such a one, but makes them personally pay for it. You shall therefore carefully observe the commandments, the statutes and the decrees that I enjoin on you today."   A reading from the First Letter of John 4:7-16 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another. No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us. This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us, that he has given us of his Spirit. Moreover, we have seen and testify that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world. Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God. We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us. God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.From the Gospel according to Matthew 11:25-30 At that time Jesus exclaimed: "I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to little ones. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father.  No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him. "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.""Learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart" (Mt 11:29). Only once, perhaps, did the Lord Jesus refer to his own heart, in his own words. And he stressed this sole feature: "gentleness and lowliness": as if he meant that it is only in this way that he wishes to conquer man; that by means of "gentleness and lowliness" he wishes to be the King of hearts. The whole mystery of his reign was expressed in these words. Gentleness and lowliness cover, in a certain sense, all the "riches" of the Redeemer’s heart (…). But also that "gentleness and lowliness" reveal him fully; and enable us to get to know him and accept him; they make him the object of supreme admiration. The beautiful litany to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is composed of many similar words—more, exclamations of admiration for the riches of the Heart of Christ. Let us meditate on them carefully on that day. Thus, at the end of this fundamental liturgical cycle of the Church—which began with the first Sunday of Advent and passed through the time of Christmas, then of Lent and of the Resurrection up to Pentecost, the Sunday of Holy Trinity, and Corpus Christi—the feast of the Divine Heart, of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, presents itself discreetly. All this cycle is enclosed definitively in it; in the Heart of the Man-God. From it, too, the whole life of the Church irradiates every year. (Pope John Paul II, General Audience, 20 June 1979)

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A reading from the Book of Deuteronomy
7:6-11

Moses said to the people:
"You are a people sacred to the LORD, your God;
he has chosen you from all the nations on the face of the earth
to be a people peculiarly his own.
It was not because you are the largest of all nations
that the LORD set his heart on you and chose you,
for you are really the smallest of all nations.
It was because the LORD loved you
and because of his fidelity to the oath he had sworn your fathers,
that he brought you out with his strong hand
from the place of slavery,
and ransomed you from the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.
Understand, then, that the LORD, your God, is God indeed,
the faithful God who keeps his merciful covenant
down to the thousandth generation
toward those who love him and keep his commandments,
but who repays with destruction a person who hates him;
he does not dally with such a one,
but makes them personally pay for it.
You shall therefore carefully observe the commandments,
the statutes and the decrees that I enjoin on you today."

 

A reading from the First Letter of John
4:7-16

Beloved, let us love one another,
because love is of God;
everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.
Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.
In this way the love of God was revealed to us:
God sent his only Son into the world
so that we might have life through him.
In this is love:
not that we have loved God, but that he loved us
and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.
Beloved, if God so loved us,
we also must love one another.
No one has ever seen God.
Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us,
and his love is brought to perfection in us.

This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us,
that he has given us of his Spirit.
Moreover, we have seen and testify
that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world.
Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,
God remains in him and he in God.
We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us.

God is love, and whoever remains in love
remains in God and God in him.

From the Gospel according to Matthew
11:25-30

At that time Jesus exclaimed:
"I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to little ones.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father. 
No one knows the Son except the Father,
and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves. 
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

"Learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart" (Mt 11:29). Only once, perhaps, did the Lord Jesus refer to his own heart, in his own words. And he stressed this sole feature: "gentleness and lowliness": as if he meant that it is only in this way that he wishes to conquer man; that by means of "gentleness and lowliness" he wishes to be the King of hearts. The whole mystery of his reign was expressed in these words. Gentleness and lowliness cover, in a certain sense, all the "riches" of the Redeemer’s heart (…). But also that "gentleness and lowliness" reveal him fully; and enable us to get to know him and accept him; they make him the object of supreme admiration. The beautiful litany to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is composed of many similar words—more, exclamations of admiration for the riches of the Heart of Christ. Let us meditate on them carefully on that day. Thus, at the end of this fundamental liturgical cycle of the Church—which began with the first Sunday of Advent and passed through the time of Christmas, then of Lent and of the Resurrection up to Pentecost, the Sunday of Holy Trinity, and Corpus Christi—the feast of the Divine Heart, of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, presents itself discreetly. All this cycle is enclosed definitively in it; in the Heart of the Man-God. From it, too, the whole life of the Church irradiates every year. (Pope John Paul II, General Audience, 20 June 1979)

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Trump Sets New World Record By Winning War With Iran 27 Times In One Year #BabylonBee – WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump set a new world record this week by winning the same war with Iran for the 27th time this year, shattering the previous record of one.
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Trump Sets New World Record By Winning War With Iran 27 Times In One Year #BabylonBee – WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump set a new world record this week by winning the same war with Iran for the 27th time this year, shattering the previous record of one.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump set a new world record this week by winning the same war with Iran for the 27th time this year, shattering the previous record of one.

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The real disclosure day: The protocols for announcing extraterrestrial intelligence

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In Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day, opening tomorrow, protagonists race across the globe to expose a decades-long government cover-up and reveal to the world that extraterrestrial life is real. It’s a question Spielberg has been asking since his 1977 Close Encounters of the Third Kind: How would the knowledge of extraterrestrial intelligence change us? Spielberg makesContinue reading “The real disclosure day: The protocols for announcing extraterrestrial intelligence”

The post The real disclosure day: The protocols for announcing extraterrestrial intelligence appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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New York bishops say gender-neutral language law ‘mocks the foundation of the family’ – #Catholic – The New York state Legislature passed a bill that replaces the words “mother” and “father” in some state laws with gender-neutral language, a move that New York’s bishops say will further “muddy what is true and good.”The bill, passed by the state Assembly in March and by the state Senate on June 2, now heads to Gov. Kathy Hochul to be signed into law.Under the new law, “mother” would be replaced with “gestating parent,” and “father” would be “non-gestating parent.” The words “paternity” and “filiation” would be replaced with “parentage.”The New York State Catholic Conference issued a memorandum on June 10 noting the bishops’ opposition to the new law, calling it “politically charged” and “unnecessary.”“The truth is that mothers are mothers, and fathers are fathers,” the bishops wrote. “Words matter, and serious changes to our governing language serve only to wash away the importance of these roles in our society.”“The yearslong push in our state for abortion on demand and up until birth, the endless millions of dollars funneled to Planned Parenthood, and the legalization of commercial surrogacy have reduced women to vessels and babies to disposable commodities,” they said.“The Legislature’s final twist of the knife is now apparently removing the term ‘mother’ altogether,” they wrote. “We must reverse course and recognize the importance of both mothers and fathers and pursue changes that truly support women and families.”The legislation (Senate Bill S9316/Assembly Bill A8382A) targets parts of the Family Court Act and laws having to do with, among others, domestic relations, social services, vehicle and traffic, alcoholic beverage control, child support statutes, and education law.On June 3, Hochul said she was unfamiliar with the specifics of the bill and would familiarize herself with them before commenting.“I have until the end of the year to review them and make a decision,” she said, though according to New York state law, now that the Legislature is adjourned, she has 30 days to sign it. If she does not, the bill is automatically pocket-vetoed (it dies and does not become law).New York’s bishops urged Hochul “to veto this upsetting legislation and uphold the importance of both mothers and fathers in our state,” saying the bill’s “wholesale effect will be to mock the foundation of the family.”The bishops accused legislators of “political pandering and appeasing a small group of very loud advocates.”“Erasing the terms ‘mother’ and ‘father’ from our laws will not help struggling New Yorkers afford groceries, access healthcare, or find housing, but it will further muddy what is true and good,” they wrote.All 38 Senate Democrats who voted supported the measure, while all 22 Republicans voted against it. One Democrat also voted no, joining the unanimous Republican opposition. The bill had previously passed the Assembly 91-46 on March 19, with almost all Democrats voting for it and almost all Republicans against.According to reporting by Fox5 New York, the state Senate bill passed quickly and with no debate, “shocking” some lawmakers.While there was a short floor speech last week by Republican State Sen. Dean Murray opposing the bill, the overall process was rushed as the legislative session wrapped up June 10.“These terms matter,” Murray said. “'Mother' is one of the most sacred titles you can have. As is 'father,' 'grandmother,' grandfather.'”He continued: “In fact … the term mother is so important, we have a special day named after it,” referring to Motherʼs Day.“Of course, now maybe we change that to Gestating Parentʼs Day … and Fatherʼs Day, just change it to Parentʼs Day.”Republican Rep. Claudia Tenney, a U.S. Congresswoman who previously served in the New York State Assembly from 2011 to 2016, issued a strong rebuke on social media, stating: “The party that can’t define a woman is now rewriting New York law to erase mothers and fathers. Only in Albany could ‘mom’ and ‘dad’ become too controversial.”Proponents argue the new language is more inclusive and takes into account special cases that occur when there is no clear biological parent, such as in surrogacy and adoption situations.
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New York bishops say gender-neutral language law ‘mocks the foundation of the family’ – #Catholic – The New York state Legislature passed a bill that replaces the words “mother” and “father” in some state laws with gender-neutral language, a move that New York’s bishops say will further “muddy what is true and good.”The bill, passed by the state Assembly in March and by the state Senate on June 2, now heads to Gov. Kathy Hochul to be signed into law.Under the new law, “mother” would be replaced with “gestating parent,” and “father” would be “non-gestating parent.” The words “paternity” and “filiation” would be replaced with “parentage.”The New York State Catholic Conference issued a memorandum on June 10 noting the bishops’ opposition to the new law, calling it “politically charged” and “unnecessary.”“The truth is that mothers are mothers, and fathers are fathers,” the bishops wrote. “Words matter, and serious changes to our governing language serve only to wash away the importance of these roles in our society.”“The yearslong push in our state for abortion on demand and up until birth, the endless millions of dollars funneled to Planned Parenthood, and the legalization of commercial surrogacy have reduced women to vessels and babies to disposable commodities,” they said.“The Legislature’s final twist of the knife is now apparently removing the term ‘mother’ altogether,” they wrote. “We must reverse course and recognize the importance of both mothers and fathers and pursue changes that truly support women and families.”The legislation (Senate Bill S9316/Assembly Bill A8382A) targets parts of the Family Court Act and laws having to do with, among others, domestic relations, social services, vehicle and traffic, alcoholic beverage control, child support statutes, and education law.On June 3, Hochul said she was unfamiliar with the specifics of the bill and would familiarize herself with them before commenting.“I have until the end of the year to review them and make a decision,” she said, though according to New York state law, now that the Legislature is adjourned, she has 30 days to sign it. If she does not, the bill is automatically pocket-vetoed (it dies and does not become law).New York’s bishops urged Hochul “to veto this upsetting legislation and uphold the importance of both mothers and fathers in our state,” saying the bill’s “wholesale effect will be to mock the foundation of the family.”The bishops accused legislators of “political pandering and appeasing a small group of very loud advocates.”“Erasing the terms ‘mother’ and ‘father’ from our laws will not help struggling New Yorkers afford groceries, access healthcare, or find housing, but it will further muddy what is true and good,” they wrote.All 38 Senate Democrats who voted supported the measure, while all 22 Republicans voted against it. One Democrat also voted no, joining the unanimous Republican opposition. The bill had previously passed the Assembly 91-46 on March 19, with almost all Democrats voting for it and almost all Republicans against.According to reporting by Fox5 New York, the state Senate bill passed quickly and with no debate, “shocking” some lawmakers.While there was a short floor speech last week by Republican State Sen. Dean Murray opposing the bill, the overall process was rushed as the legislative session wrapped up June 10.“These terms matter,” Murray said. “'Mother' is one of the most sacred titles you can have. As is 'father,' 'grandmother,' grandfather.'”He continued: “In fact … the term mother is so important, we have a special day named after it,” referring to Motherʼs Day.“Of course, now maybe we change that to Gestating Parentʼs Day … and Fatherʼs Day, just change it to Parentʼs Day.”Republican Rep. Claudia Tenney, a U.S. Congresswoman who previously served in the New York State Assembly from 2011 to 2016, issued a strong rebuke on social media, stating: “The party that can’t define a woman is now rewriting New York law to erase mothers and fathers. Only in Albany could ‘mom’ and ‘dad’ become too controversial.”Proponents argue the new language is more inclusive and takes into account special cases that occur when there is no clear biological parent, such as in surrogacy and adoption situations.

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Under the new law, “mother” would be replaced with “gestating parent,” and “father” would become “non-gestating parent.”

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Higher ed leader urges bishops to protect Catholic identity at universities – #Catholic – ORLANDO, Florida — A prominent Catholic academic urged a gathering of the U.S. bishops to take a more assertive role in ensuring that Catholic universities live out their distinctively religious mission.Santiago Schnell, the provost of Dartmouth University and a former dean at the University of Notre Dame, told members of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops at their plenary assembly in Orlando that they “could be more vocal” and “more pushy” when it comes to making sure that Catholic universities are faithful to their unique identity.“I think you are being too respectful,” Schnell told the bishops during his June 10 talk. “You own the word ‘Catholic.’ We academic administrators, we don’t.”Schnell delivered his pointed observations to the bishops at the end of a presentation on the state of Catholic higher education, during which the Ivy League administrator suggested that Catholic universities have focused more on imitating secular universities and chasing college rankings than on imaginatively living out their distinctive mission.As a result, Schnell contended, the Church is failing to impact the intellectual and cultural life of the nation and even retain its own members.“They’re leaving it because we don’t have intellectuals and we don’t have a proper formation in higher education that allows them to articulate effectively their faith, to themselves and others,” said Schnell, a frequent commentator on Catholic higher education and influential advocate for higher education reform in America.One bishop in attendance described Schnell’s presentation as a “sober moment for the bishops.”“Hopefully the topic motivated bishops to continue the hard work of calling our universities back to their ecclesial and evangelistic mission,” Bishop Andrew Cozzens of the Diocese of Crookston, Minnesota, told the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News.Schnell’s talk preceded a closed-door conversation on Catholic higher education with the U.S. bishops.The Dartmouth provost’s talk marked the 25th anniversary of the U.S. implementation of Ex Corde Ecclesiae (“From the Heart of the Church”), the 1990 apostolic constitution in which St. John Paul II outlined the Church’s vision for Catholic universities and their relationship with bishops.Promulgated amid growing tension between Catholic universities and the Church hierarchy, the document presents Catholic universities as participating directly in the Church’s mission.While Ex Corde Ecclesiae emphasizes that a Catholic university itself has a responsibility for upholding its Catholic identity, St. John Paul II also taught that the local bishop “has the right and duty to watch over the preservation and strengthening” of the Catholic character of Catholic universities in his diocese. A ‘Catholic paradox’In his presentation, Schnell described a widening gap between the Church’s vision for Catholic higher education and universities that increasingly resemble their secular counterparts.“These days, both Catholic institutions and non-Catholic institutions have become very secularized, and they’re doing this through imitation,” he said.A major driver, he argued, is college rankings, which reward convergence more than distinction.“Twenty-five years ago when I moved to the United States, I would give a seminar at the University of Chicago, I would give a seminar at Yale, and I would give a seminar at the University of Michigan, and I knew that I was in those universities,” said Schnell, who was born and raised in Venezuela and completed his graduate work in mathematical biology at England’s Oxford University. “Today … we have become so good imitations of each other that you cannot distinguish the place where you are.”Catholic universities, he added, have followed the same path, becoming “indifferent and indistinguishable” from secular peers.That shift, he said, has narrowed higher education’s purpose, reducing it to credentials and job preparation rather than intellectual and moral formation.“It’s about training for the first job,” he said, critiquing the current status quo. “It’s not training for life.”Schnell also argued that Catholic institutions are not producing enough intellectual and cultural leaders within the Church. He pointed to Hispanic Catholics, who represent a growing share of the Church but lag in educational attainment, as evidence of what he called a “Catholic paradox”: strong infrastructure paired with uneven outcomes.He also criticized mission statements that increasingly resemble social-service or advocacy organizations.“All academic institutions and mission statements, particularly the Catholics, have become what I call ‘NGOs,’” he said, referring to the acronym for nongovernmental organizations. “That’s not the mission of the Catholic university.”Forming future Church doctors When Schnell turned to what he described as the core of his proposal, he pointed to a slide outlining a three-part framework for renewal in Catholic higher education focused on forming the Church’s next generation of intellectual leaders, clarifying the role of bishops in university life and strengthening the formative culture of Catholic campuses.“Our mission shouldn’t be creating individuals who go to the workplace,” Schnell said. Instead, he said that Catholic universities should form scholars who have the potential to be doctors of the Church, i.e., saints who have made significant contributions to theology or doctrine. “That’s the primary mission of a Catholic institution.” Schnell said Catholic identity is sustained not only through governance but also through campus culture — what St. John Henry Newman called the “genius loci,” or spirit of place, formed in daily life.“It’s the conversations that the students have while they are walking to their dorms or they are walking to the chapel,” he said. “It’s the conversations that they’re having about their faith.” The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops consider questions about higher education at their plenary assembly in Orlando, Florida, on June 10, 2026. | Credit: USCCB/YouTube/screenshot Schnell warned that Catholic character can erode when faculty and administrators do not actively share the Church’s mission.In some cases, he said, universities have prioritized conformity over fidelity to that mission. Schnell recalled declining an invitation to lead a Catholic university after learning that only about 12% of its faculty and fewer than a quarter of its students were Catholic.“According to your definition, that’s no longer a Catholic institution,” he recalled his wife telling him.As the presentation concluded, Schnell returned briefly to the role of bishops in helping to shape the character of Catholic universities.“What is the participation of the bishops?” he said, telling the gathered Church leaders that the members of a Catholic university were “their flock.” “They’re not mine. They’re not going to be the flock of any academic administrator.”This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, and has been adapted by EWTN News.
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Higher ed leader urges bishops to protect Catholic identity at universities – #Catholic – ORLANDO, Florida — A prominent Catholic academic urged a gathering of the U.S. bishops to take a more assertive role in ensuring that Catholic universities live out their distinctively religious mission.Santiago Schnell, the provost of Dartmouth University and a former dean at the University of Notre Dame, told members of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops at their plenary assembly in Orlando that they “could be more vocal” and “more pushy” when it comes to making sure that Catholic universities are faithful to their unique identity.“I think you are being too respectful,” Schnell told the bishops during his June 10 talk. “You own the word ‘Catholic.’ We academic administrators, we don’t.”Schnell delivered his pointed observations to the bishops at the end of a presentation on the state of Catholic higher education, during which the Ivy League administrator suggested that Catholic universities have focused more on imitating secular universities and chasing college rankings than on imaginatively living out their distinctive mission.As a result, Schnell contended, the Church is failing to impact the intellectual and cultural life of the nation and even retain its own members.“They’re leaving it because we don’t have intellectuals and we don’t have a proper formation in higher education that allows them to articulate effectively their faith, to themselves and others,” said Schnell, a frequent commentator on Catholic higher education and influential advocate for higher education reform in America.One bishop in attendance described Schnell’s presentation as a “sober moment for the bishops.”“Hopefully the topic motivated bishops to continue the hard work of calling our universities back to their ecclesial and evangelistic mission,” Bishop Andrew Cozzens of the Diocese of Crookston, Minnesota, told the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News.Schnell’s talk preceded a closed-door conversation on Catholic higher education with the U.S. bishops.The Dartmouth provost’s talk marked the 25th anniversary of the U.S. implementation of Ex Corde Ecclesiae (“From the Heart of the Church”), the 1990 apostolic constitution in which St. John Paul II outlined the Church’s vision for Catholic universities and their relationship with bishops.Promulgated amid growing tension between Catholic universities and the Church hierarchy, the document presents Catholic universities as participating directly in the Church’s mission.While Ex Corde Ecclesiae emphasizes that a Catholic university itself has a responsibility for upholding its Catholic identity, St. John Paul II also taught that the local bishop “has the right and duty to watch over the preservation and strengthening” of the Catholic character of Catholic universities in his diocese. A ‘Catholic paradox’In his presentation, Schnell described a widening gap between the Church’s vision for Catholic higher education and universities that increasingly resemble their secular counterparts.“These days, both Catholic institutions and non-Catholic institutions have become very secularized, and they’re doing this through imitation,” he said.A major driver, he argued, is college rankings, which reward convergence more than distinction.“Twenty-five years ago when I moved to the United States, I would give a seminar at the University of Chicago, I would give a seminar at Yale, and I would give a seminar at the University of Michigan, and I knew that I was in those universities,” said Schnell, who was born and raised in Venezuela and completed his graduate work in mathematical biology at England’s Oxford University. “Today … we have become so good imitations of each other that you cannot distinguish the place where you are.”Catholic universities, he added, have followed the same path, becoming “indifferent and indistinguishable” from secular peers.That shift, he said, has narrowed higher education’s purpose, reducing it to credentials and job preparation rather than intellectual and moral formation.“It’s about training for the first job,” he said, critiquing the current status quo. “It’s not training for life.”Schnell also argued that Catholic institutions are not producing enough intellectual and cultural leaders within the Church. He pointed to Hispanic Catholics, who represent a growing share of the Church but lag in educational attainment, as evidence of what he called a “Catholic paradox”: strong infrastructure paired with uneven outcomes.He also criticized mission statements that increasingly resemble social-service or advocacy organizations.“All academic institutions and mission statements, particularly the Catholics, have become what I call ‘NGOs,’” he said, referring to the acronym for nongovernmental organizations. “That’s not the mission of the Catholic university.”Forming future Church doctors When Schnell turned to what he described as the core of his proposal, he pointed to a slide outlining a three-part framework for renewal in Catholic higher education focused on forming the Church’s next generation of intellectual leaders, clarifying the role of bishops in university life and strengthening the formative culture of Catholic campuses.“Our mission shouldn’t be creating individuals who go to the workplace,” Schnell said. Instead, he said that Catholic universities should form scholars who have the potential to be doctors of the Church, i.e., saints who have made significant contributions to theology or doctrine. “That’s the primary mission of a Catholic institution.” Schnell said Catholic identity is sustained not only through governance but also through campus culture — what St. John Henry Newman called the “genius loci,” or spirit of place, formed in daily life.“It’s the conversations that the students have while they are walking to their dorms or they are walking to the chapel,” he said. “It’s the conversations that they’re having about their faith.” The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops consider questions about higher education at their plenary assembly in Orlando, Florida, on June 10, 2026. | Credit: USCCB/YouTube/screenshot Schnell warned that Catholic character can erode when faculty and administrators do not actively share the Church’s mission.In some cases, he said, universities have prioritized conformity over fidelity to that mission. Schnell recalled declining an invitation to lead a Catholic university after learning that only about 12% of its faculty and fewer than a quarter of its students were Catholic.“According to your definition, that’s no longer a Catholic institution,” he recalled his wife telling him.As the presentation concluded, Schnell returned briefly to the role of bishops in helping to shape the character of Catholic universities.“What is the participation of the bishops?” he said, telling the gathered Church leaders that the members of a Catholic university were “their flock.” “They’re not mine. They’re not going to be the flock of any academic administrator.”This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, and has been adapted by EWTN News.

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Dartmouth provost and former Notre Dame dean Santiago Schnell called on U.S. bishops to take a more active role in safeguarding Catholic identity in education.

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Cardinal Kikuchi urges Caritas Asia to stand with the poor as funding shrinks – #Catholic – Cardinal Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi, SVD, president of Caritas Internationalis, urged Caritas Asia workers to stand at the side of the poor and to help build a synodal Church, addressing the Caritas Asia Regional Conference and Partners' Forum in Bangkok, Thailand.The conference, held under the theme “Synodality: Sensitivity, Synergy, and Spirituality. All for Caritas — Solidarity,” ran from June 9–11.“We cannot close our eyes to the reality of the poor. Today, our world is wounded. Humanity cries out. Sometimes people become indifferent to the suffering of others. Caritas is the Gospel made visible through compassion, closeness, and services,” Kikuchi said in his inaugural address.The Regional Conference and Partners‘ Forum serves as the premier governance and collaborative gathering for the Catholic Churchʼs humanitarian network in the region. It brought together presidents, directors, and senior staff from more than 25 Caritas member organizations across Asia, along with global partners including Catholic Relief Services, Caritas Spain, Caritas Italiana, Caritas Germany, Caritas Canada, and CAFOD, as well as representatives from the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences.Caritas Asia serves as the regional secretariat for one of the seven regions of the Caritas Internationalis network, said Benedict Alo DʼRozario, president of Caritas Asia, in a message to EWTN News. He said Caritas Asia represents the region within the global networkʼs support structures and takes part in joint work on staff capacity building, advocacy for social justice, care for creation, humanitarian response, integral human development, anti-human trafficking, safe migration, child protection, education, and moral formation.DʼRozario said Caritas Asia has adopted four priorities going forward: care for people and planet, adaptability and preparedness, organizational capacity and effectiveness, and leadership and engagement.He said Caritas Asia is not simply an organization but the heart of the Church, practicing synodality by going into communities, listening carefully, and responding to their needs. Caritas serves others, DʼRozario said, because it recognizes Christ in the poor, the suffering, and the vulnerable, and its mission is rooted in an encounter with Jesus Christ.Participants described Kikuchiʼs remarks as highly relevant and inspiring for those across Caritas Asia.Caritas Bangladesh acts as the social arm of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Bangladesh, as do other national Caritas organizations across Asia. Daud Jibon Das, executive director of Caritas Bangladesh, said the key message he took from the conference was that, although global funding is gradually decreasing, the Church must continue to care for the poor and those in need.Caritas Bangladesh has long worked for the poor and neglected people of the country, and the conference will further accelerate its educational work, Das said. “We work for justice for all, regardless of race, religion, caste, we want all neglected people, poor people to be well,” he told EWTN News. “Even if the funds decrease, we will continue to do our work within our means.”
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Cardinal Kikuchi urges Caritas Asia to stand with the poor as funding shrinks – #Catholic – Cardinal Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi, SVD, president of Caritas Internationalis, urged Caritas Asia workers to stand at the side of the poor and to help build a synodal Church, addressing the Caritas Asia Regional Conference and Partners' Forum in Bangkok, Thailand.The conference, held under the theme “Synodality: Sensitivity, Synergy, and Spirituality. All for Caritas — Solidarity,” ran from June 9–11.“We cannot close our eyes to the reality of the poor. Today, our world is wounded. Humanity cries out. Sometimes people become indifferent to the suffering of others. Caritas is the Gospel made visible through compassion, closeness, and services,” Kikuchi said in his inaugural address.The Regional Conference and Partners‘ Forum serves as the premier governance and collaborative gathering for the Catholic Churchʼs humanitarian network in the region. It brought together presidents, directors, and senior staff from more than 25 Caritas member organizations across Asia, along with global partners including Catholic Relief Services, Caritas Spain, Caritas Italiana, Caritas Germany, Caritas Canada, and CAFOD, as well as representatives from the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences.Caritas Asia serves as the regional secretariat for one of the seven regions of the Caritas Internationalis network, said Benedict Alo DʼRozario, president of Caritas Asia, in a message to EWTN News. He said Caritas Asia represents the region within the global networkʼs support structures and takes part in joint work on staff capacity building, advocacy for social justice, care for creation, humanitarian response, integral human development, anti-human trafficking, safe migration, child protection, education, and moral formation.DʼRozario said Caritas Asia has adopted four priorities going forward: care for people and planet, adaptability and preparedness, organizational capacity and effectiveness, and leadership and engagement.He said Caritas Asia is not simply an organization but the heart of the Church, practicing synodality by going into communities, listening carefully, and responding to their needs. Caritas serves others, DʼRozario said, because it recognizes Christ in the poor, the suffering, and the vulnerable, and its mission is rooted in an encounter with Jesus Christ.Participants described Kikuchiʼs remarks as highly relevant and inspiring for those across Caritas Asia.Caritas Bangladesh acts as the social arm of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Bangladesh, as do other national Caritas organizations across Asia. Daud Jibon Das, executive director of Caritas Bangladesh, said the key message he took from the conference was that, although global funding is gradually decreasing, the Church must continue to care for the poor and those in need.Caritas Bangladesh has long worked for the poor and neglected people of the country, and the conference will further accelerate its educational work, Das said. “We work for justice for all, regardless of race, religion, caste, we want all neglected people, poor people to be well,” he told EWTN News. “Even if the funds decrease, we will continue to do our work within our means.”

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Addressing humanitarian leaders from across Asia in Bangkok, the president of Caritas Internationalis said the Church’s charity must stay close to the poor even as global funding declines.

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Hardyston woman reflects on faith growth during Florence mission #Catholic – This little piece of advice helped Amanda Montague evangelize the Gospel on a mission trip to Italy this March: Don’t tell anyone you’re a missionary. In Florence, Italy, Montague, 21, of St. Jude the Apostle Parish in Hardyston, N.J., took a subtle approach while spreading the Gospel — in such an unlikely location. She and fellow members of Chi Alpha, a non-denominational Christian college group, gently introduced Jesus into their witness talks to students at local middle schools, high schools and universities. For Montague, it was a deeply personal mission, which gave her opportunities to speak specifically about her Catholic faith, which gave her the strength to recover from a serious injury that almost sidelined her trip. Back in December, a grief-stricken Montague called on her faith, praying for —and receiving — Jesus’s comfort after her mother, Marcey Lea, died unexpectedly at 51. “I felt compelled to go on the mission trip to share my testimony. My mother’s death tested my Catholic faith, but it grew stronger. Jesus had my back the whole time,” said Montague, who joined Chi Alpha while a student at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va. In May, she graduated there with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. “In bad times, Jesus is close to the brokenhearted,” she said. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Montague took advantage of subtle opportunities to bring up her Catholic faith. When students were divided into groups after the missionaries’ presentations, she asked whether they attended church or celebrated Easter. She also started a conversation when she noticed a young lady wearing a crucifix pendant. Florence might seem an unusual spot for a Christian mission trip, not an impoverished part of the world in need of assistance, such as Haiti. But Montague said only 20 percent of Italians today are active Catholics. “Italy needs a huge spiritual renewal. They need Jesus and the Gospel,” said Montague, a native of Wantage, N.J., who studied abroad in Florence last year. Montague’s spiritual renewal took time. An only child, she received her sacraments at St. Jude’s but didn’t feel connected to her faith. That changed when she went to James Madison. “I missed church — the community, rituals, and prayers,” said Montague, who joined Catholic Campus Ministry along with Chi Alpha. “I love the Catholic saints. We honor them as role models who pray for us. I love the rhythm of the Catholic Mass — singing songs of praise and receiving Jesus in the Eucharist. Through the Church, I have a personal relationship with Christ,” she said. That relationship grew stronger late last year after Montague drove from Virginia to Morristown to visit her mother, who had been hospitalized in a coma after suffering a heart attack. While praying in the hospital chapel, Montague and a friend encountered an unknown woman. This woman sat down and prayed with them, held Montague as she sobbed, and proclaimed, “Everything is going to be OK.” “The woman was an angel — a blessing from the Lord who gave me an extra week with my mother, even if it wasn’t what I wanted to happen,” said Montague, adding that her mother died of another heart attack. Early this year, Montague raised the ,500 needed for the trip from St. Jude’s parishioners during a weekend she petitioned them after Masses. Her plans almost ended after she shattered and dislocated her right knee in a skiing accident. Coordinators originally prohibited her from going, but later relented. She hobbled around Florence’s cobblestone streets on crutches. This month, Montague is moving to South Carolina to start an internship with a non-profit that provides mental health support to military personnel at a military base. She is also pursuing a master’s degree in mental health counseling for veterans and military personnel, with a concentration in Christian counseling. A few years ago, Montague impressed Father Michael Rodak, St. Jude’s pastor, when she launched a successful coat drive for the poor. “Amanda has great ambition as a planner and evangelizer. I think that throughout her life, she will continue to lead projects that do good for other people,” Father Rodak said.  
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Hardyston woman reflects on faith growth during Florence mission #Catholic – This little piece of advice helped Amanda Montague evangelize the Gospel on a mission trip to Italy this March: Don’t tell anyone you’re a missionary. In Florence, Italy, Montague, 21, of St. Jude the Apostle Parish in Hardyston, N.J., took a subtle approach while spreading the Gospel — in such an unlikely location. She and fellow members of Chi Alpha, a non-denominational Christian college group, gently introduced Jesus into their witness talks to students at local middle schools, high schools and universities. For Montague, it was a deeply personal mission, which gave her opportunities to speak specifically about her Catholic faith, which gave her the strength to recover from a serious injury that almost sidelined her trip. Back in December, a grief-stricken Montague called on her faith, praying for —and receiving — Jesus’s comfort after her mother, Marcey Lea, died unexpectedly at 51. “I felt compelled to go on the mission trip to share my testimony. My mother’s death tested my Catholic faith, but it grew stronger. Jesus had my back the whole time,” said Montague, who joined Chi Alpha while a student at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va. In May, she graduated there with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. “In bad times, Jesus is close to the brokenhearted,” she said. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Montague took advantage of subtle opportunities to bring up her Catholic faith. When students were divided into groups after the missionaries’ presentations, she asked whether they attended church or celebrated Easter. She also started a conversation when she noticed a young lady wearing a crucifix pendant. Florence might seem an unusual spot for a Christian mission trip, not an impoverished part of the world in need of assistance, such as Haiti. But Montague said only 20 percent of Italians today are active Catholics. “Italy needs a huge spiritual renewal. They need Jesus and the Gospel,” said Montague, a native of Wantage, N.J., who studied abroad in Florence last year. Montague’s spiritual renewal took time. An only child, she received her sacraments at St. Jude’s but didn’t feel connected to her faith. That changed when she went to James Madison. “I missed church — the community, rituals, and prayers,” said Montague, who joined Catholic Campus Ministry along with Chi Alpha. “I love the Catholic saints. We honor them as role models who pray for us. I love the rhythm of the Catholic Mass — singing songs of praise and receiving Jesus in the Eucharist. Through the Church, I have a personal relationship with Christ,” she said. That relationship grew stronger late last year after Montague drove from Virginia to Morristown to visit her mother, who had been hospitalized in a coma after suffering a heart attack. While praying in the hospital chapel, Montague and a friend encountered an unknown woman. This woman sat down and prayed with them, held Montague as she sobbed, and proclaimed, “Everything is going to be OK.” “The woman was an angel — a blessing from the Lord who gave me an extra week with my mother, even if it wasn’t what I wanted to happen,” said Montague, adding that her mother died of another heart attack. Early this year, Montague raised the $2,500 needed for the trip from St. Jude’s parishioners during a weekend she petitioned them after Masses. Her plans almost ended after she shattered and dislocated her right knee in a skiing accident. Coordinators originally prohibited her from going, but later relented. She hobbled around Florence’s cobblestone streets on crutches. This month, Montague is moving to South Carolina to start an internship with a non-profit that provides mental health support to military personnel at a military base. She is also pursuing a master’s degree in mental health counseling for veterans and military personnel, with a concentration in Christian counseling. A few years ago, Montague impressed Father Michael Rodak, St. Jude’s pastor, when she launched a successful coat drive for the poor. “Amanda has great ambition as a planner and evangelizer. I think that throughout her life, she will continue to lead projects that do good for other people,” Father Rodak said.  

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Hardyston woman reflects on faith growth during Florence mission #Catholic –

This little piece of advice helped Amanda Montague evangelize the Gospel on a mission trip to Italy this March: Don’t tell anyone you’re a missionary.

In Florence, Italy, Montague, 21, of St. Jude the Apostle Parish in Hardyston, N.J., took a subtle approach while spreading the Gospel — in such an unlikely location. She and fellow members of Chi Alpha, a non-denominational Christian college group, gently introduced Jesus into their witness talks to students at local middle schools, high schools and universities.

For Montague, it was a deeply personal mission, which gave her opportunities to speak specifically about her Catholic faith, which gave her the strength to recover from a serious injury that almost sidelined her trip. Back in December, a grief-stricken Montague called on her faith, praying for —and receiving — Jesus’s comfort after her mother, Marcey Lea, died unexpectedly at 51.

“I felt compelled to go on the mission trip to share my testimony. My mother’s death tested my Catholic faith, but it grew stronger. Jesus had my back the whole time,” said Montague, who joined Chi Alpha while a student at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va. In May, she graduated there with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. “In bad times, Jesus is close to the brokenhearted,” she said.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Montague took advantage of subtle opportunities to bring up her Catholic faith. When students were divided into groups after the missionaries’ presentations, she asked whether they attended church or celebrated Easter. She also started a conversation when she noticed a young lady wearing a crucifix pendant.

Florence might seem an unusual spot for a Christian mission trip, not an impoverished part of the world in need of assistance, such as Haiti. But Montague said only 20 percent of Italians today are active Catholics.

“Italy needs a huge spiritual renewal. They need Jesus and the Gospel,” said Montague, a native of Wantage, N.J., who studied abroad in Florence last year.

Montague’s spiritual renewal took time. An only child, she received her sacraments at St. Jude’s but didn’t feel connected to her faith. That changed when she went to James Madison.

“I missed church — the community, rituals, and prayers,” said Montague, who joined Catholic Campus Ministry along with Chi Alpha. “I love the Catholic saints. We honor them as role models who pray for us. I love the rhythm of the Catholic Mass — singing songs of praise and receiving Jesus in the Eucharist. Through the Church, I have a personal relationship with Christ,” she said.

That relationship grew stronger late last year after Montague drove from Virginia to Morristown to visit her mother, who had been hospitalized in a coma after suffering a heart attack.

While praying in the hospital chapel, Montague and a friend encountered an unknown woman. This woman sat down and prayed with them, held Montague as she sobbed, and proclaimed, “Everything is going to be OK.”

“The woman was an angel — a blessing from the Lord who gave me an extra week with my mother, even if it wasn’t what I wanted to happen,” said Montague, adding that her mother died of another heart attack.

Early this year, Montague raised the $2,500 needed for the trip from St. Jude’s parishioners during a weekend she petitioned them after Masses. Her plans almost ended after she shattered and dislocated her right knee in a skiing accident. Coordinators originally prohibited her from going, but later relented. She hobbled around Florence’s cobblestone streets on crutches.

This month, Montague is moving to South Carolina to start an internship with a non-profit that provides mental health support to military personnel at a military base. She is also pursuing a master’s degree in mental health counseling for veterans and military personnel, with a concentration in Christian counseling.

A few years ago, Montague impressed Father Michael Rodak, St. Jude’s pastor, when she launched a successful coat drive for the poor.

“Amanda has great ambition as a planner and evangelizer. I think that throughout her life, she will continue to lead projects that do good for other people,” Father Rodak said.

 

– This little piece of advice helped Amanda Montague evangelize the Gospel on a mission trip to Italy this March: Don’t tell anyone you’re a missionary. In Florence, Italy, Montague, 21, of St. Jude the Apostle Parish in Hardyston, N.J., took a subtle approach while spreading the Gospel — in such an unlikely location. She and fellow members of Chi Alpha, a non-denominational Christian college group, gently introduced Jesus into their witness talks to students at local middle schools, high schools and universities. For Montague, it was a deeply personal mission, which gave her opportunities to speak specifically about her Catholic

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National Eucharistic Pilgrimage brings Christ through rainy streets of historic Baltimore #Catholic BALTIMORE, Maryland — About 300 Catholics gathered at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Wednesday, June 10, for Mass and a Eucharistic procession through downtown Baltimore as the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage’s St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Route continued through the nation’s first Catholic diocese. The congregation participates in Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary during the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage in Baltimore, Maryland, June 10, 2026. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno/EWTN News A member of the congregation kneels in prayer during Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary during the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage in Baltimore, Maryland, June 10, 2026. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno/EWTN News Following the morning Mass, pilgrims processed several blocks in the rain from the basilica to Baltimore’s Washington Monument, one of the city’s most recognizable civic landmarks, praying and singing as they accompanied the Blessed Sacrament through the city’s historic streets. The Blessed Sacrament is carried beneath a canopy near Baltimore’s Washington Monument during the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage in Baltimore, Maryland, June 10, 2026. |.Credit: Jeffrey Bruno/EWTN News The Baltimore stop is part of the 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, which is traveling under the theme “One Nation Under God” as the United States prepares to mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Monsignor Jay OʼConnor delivers the homily during Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary during the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage in Baltimore, Maryland, June 10, 2026. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno/EWTN News In his homily, Monsignor Jay O’Connor reflected on the meaning of pilgrimage and the public witness of carrying the Eucharist through cities, towns, highways and waterways across the country. “This National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, which is of Jesus through the streets and the highways and the plains and the waterways of our country, brings the blessing of the Real Presence of Jesus into the heart and soul of our fellow citizens and our country,” he said.The basilica, completed in 1821, is the first cathedral constructed in the United States. It was built under the leadership of Bishop John Carroll, the first bishop of the United States, making the Baltimore stop a significant moment for a pilgrimage moving through many of the original 13 colonies during the nation’s semiquincentennial year. Members of the Knights of Columbus participate in a Eucharistic procession at Washington Monument Place in Baltimore, Maryland, June 10, 2026. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno/EWTN News O’Connor said pilgrimage is not meant to be easy, citing St. John Paul II’s teaching that God uses the challenges of the journey to form his people.“Through the challenges of the journey, God forms us into the people he calls us to be — a community of missionary disciples,” he said.The celebrant also recalled a previous Eucharistic procession in Baltimore, when a man came out of his home and asked what was happening as the procession passed through his neighborhood.“One pilgrim responded, ‘Jesus is walking through your neighborhood,’” he said. “The man asked, ‘Can I join you?’ And he was invited to walk the rest of the way with the pilgrims. That’s what a pilgrimage is.”For the perpetual pilgrims accompanying the Eucharist along the Cabrini route, the journey has included long days of travel, prayer, public witness and constant movement.“It’s been very busy,” said John Paul Flynn, one of the perpetual pilgrims. “But it’s through that busyness, I think, that you start to lean more into it and lean more into the graces that are there.”He said the experience of traveling with the Blessed Sacrament has been unlike anything else.“Getting to be with Jesus all the time is a really unique experience,” he said, noting that the pilgrims even have adoration in the van as they travel.The pilgrimage was scheduled to continue through Maryland with stops in Severna Park and Annapolis before crossing the Chesapeake Bay by boat to Kent Island and the Diocese of Wilmington. Members of the Knights of Columbus depart the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary before a Eucharistic procession in Baltimore, Maryland, June 10, 2026. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno/EWTN News The Cabrini route is named for St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, the Italian-born missionary sister who became the first U.S. citizen to be canonized a saint. Cabrini dedicated her life to serving immigrants, orphans, the sick and the poor, founding schools, hospitals and orphanages across the United States and beyond. The route began over Memorial Day weekend in St. Augustine, Florida, and is traveling north along the Eastern Seaboard before concluding in Philadelphia over Independence Day weekend.
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National Eucharistic Pilgrimage brings Christ through rainy streets of historic Baltimore #Catholic BALTIMORE, Maryland — About 300 Catholics gathered at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Wednesday, June 10, for Mass and a Eucharistic procession through downtown Baltimore as the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage’s St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Route continued through the nation’s first Catholic diocese. The congregation participates in Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary during the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage in Baltimore, Maryland, June 10, 2026. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno/EWTN News A member of the congregation kneels in prayer during Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary during the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage in Baltimore, Maryland, June 10, 2026. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno/EWTN News Following the morning Mass, pilgrims processed several blocks in the rain from the basilica to Baltimore’s Washington Monument, one of the city’s most recognizable civic landmarks, praying and singing as they accompanied the Blessed Sacrament through the city’s historic streets. The Blessed Sacrament is carried beneath a canopy near Baltimore’s Washington Monument during the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage in Baltimore, Maryland, June 10, 2026. |.Credit: Jeffrey Bruno/EWTN News The Baltimore stop is part of the 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, which is traveling under the theme “One Nation Under God” as the United States prepares to mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Monsignor Jay OʼConnor delivers the homily during Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary during the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage in Baltimore, Maryland, June 10, 2026. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno/EWTN News In his homily, Monsignor Jay O’Connor reflected on the meaning of pilgrimage and the public witness of carrying the Eucharist through cities, towns, highways and waterways across the country. “This National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, which is of Jesus through the streets and the highways and the plains and the waterways of our country, brings the blessing of the Real Presence of Jesus into the heart and soul of our fellow citizens and our country,” he said.The basilica, completed in 1821, is the first cathedral constructed in the United States. It was built under the leadership of Bishop John Carroll, the first bishop of the United States, making the Baltimore stop a significant moment for a pilgrimage moving through many of the original 13 colonies during the nation’s semiquincentennial year. Members of the Knights of Columbus participate in a Eucharistic procession at Washington Monument Place in Baltimore, Maryland, June 10, 2026. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno/EWTN News O’Connor said pilgrimage is not meant to be easy, citing St. John Paul II’s teaching that God uses the challenges of the journey to form his people.“Through the challenges of the journey, God forms us into the people he calls us to be — a community of missionary disciples,” he said.The celebrant also recalled a previous Eucharistic procession in Baltimore, when a man came out of his home and asked what was happening as the procession passed through his neighborhood.“One pilgrim responded, ‘Jesus is walking through your neighborhood,’” he said. “The man asked, ‘Can I join you?’ And he was invited to walk the rest of the way with the pilgrims. That’s what a pilgrimage is.”For the perpetual pilgrims accompanying the Eucharist along the Cabrini route, the journey has included long days of travel, prayer, public witness and constant movement.“It’s been very busy,” said John Paul Flynn, one of the perpetual pilgrims. “But it’s through that busyness, I think, that you start to lean more into it and lean more into the graces that are there.”He said the experience of traveling with the Blessed Sacrament has been unlike anything else.“Getting to be with Jesus all the time is a really unique experience,” he said, noting that the pilgrims even have adoration in the van as they travel.The pilgrimage was scheduled to continue through Maryland with stops in Severna Park and Annapolis before crossing the Chesapeake Bay by boat to Kent Island and the Diocese of Wilmington. Members of the Knights of Columbus depart the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary before a Eucharistic procession in Baltimore, Maryland, June 10, 2026. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno/EWTN News The Cabrini route is named for St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, the Italian-born missionary sister who became the first U.S. citizen to be canonized a saint. Cabrini dedicated her life to serving immigrants, orphans, the sick and the poor, founding schools, hospitals and orphanages across the United States and beyond. The route began over Memorial Day weekend in St. Augustine, Florida, and is traveling north along the Eastern Seaboard before concluding in Philadelphia over Independence Day weekend.

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Thousands gathered at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on June 10 for Mass and a Eucharistic procession through downtown Baltimore.

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Pope Leo XIV prayed with this young man’s rosary in Barcelona — and gave it back #Catholic Sergi, a young Catalan man, was surprised by an encounter with Pope Leo XIV in Spain on June 10 he will never forget.During the pope’s visit to the Shrine of Our Lady of Montserrat, an abbey northwest of Barcelona, Sergi handed Leo his rosary. The pontiff slipped it into his pocket before using it minutes later to pray.Unexpectedly, the story did not end there — after the event, Sergi managed to recover his prized sacramental, now prayed with by the pope.Sergi (who asked that his last name not be shared) told EWTN News he had not planned to go to the shrine on the day of the papal visit. He is from Terrassa, a city between Barcelona and Montserrat.The invitation to go to the popeʼs prayer came unexpectedly through a volunteer with the Missionaries of Charity, connected to his youth group, who encouraged both him and his girlfriend, María, to join the gathering. The night before, they attended the pope’s event at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona and returned so tired that they almost decided not to go again.However, they felt they could not miss the chance to see Pope Leo during his visit to their homeland, and in order to attend they both had to take the day off from work. They never imagined what would happen or the gift they would receive.Sergi, María, and their friend secured a spot in the atrium of the basilica, and when the pope arrived, Sergi managed to get very close to the mini-popemobile as it passed by. At that moment he took out his rosary, hoping it would be blessed.“I just wanted him to bless it, that’s all, but he asked me, ‘Is it for me?’ And I’m not going to say no, so of course I said yes, and he kept it,” the young man said.Indeed, in a video recorded by EWTN News, the pope can be seen taking the rosary and putting it in his pocket. A few minutes later, to the young couple’s total surprise, they saw the pope praying with Sergi’s rosary in his hands.“When we saw it on the screen, we realized it was the same one he was using to pray!” Sergi said. Pope Leo XIV prays with a simple, wooden rosary during a prayer at the Abbey of Our Lady of Montserrat, northwest of Barcelona, Spain, on June 10, 2026. The rosary belongs to Sergi, a young Catalan man who gave it to the pope to be blessed. | Credit: Vatican Media. But the story did not end there. María had the idea of trying to get the rosary back, and when the event ended, they tried. However, the pope was already in the official car, and the security caravan would not allow anyone to approach.“We tried to tell him, but he just passed us by,” Sergi told EWTN News.At that moment, the run of his life began. Montserrat, as its name suggests, is set on a mountain range, so he had to run downhill.“I ran the whole way down until I said, ‘Well, let the pope keep it,’ and I gave up, but my girlfriend told me, ‘Keep trying.’”So Sergi started running again, sprinting and shouting to the pope to give it back. Knowing the caravan could not stop, he took an extreme measure: asking the pope to throw it to him.“At that moment I wasn’t thinking — I just knew I wanted to get the rosary back, knowing the pope had prayed with it. I was overwhelmed with excitement by the moment and the situation.”The pope granted his request, tossing the rosary from the car window as he drove by. Then, with the help of a police officer, Sergi recovered his rosary, now prayed with by the pope.“We went without expecting anything, and we came back with the greatest gift we could have received,” the young man said, still moved by the experience.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, EWTN News' Spanish sister service. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Pope Leo XIV prayed with this young man’s rosary in Barcelona — and gave it back #Catholic Sergi, a young Catalan man, was surprised by an encounter with Pope Leo XIV in Spain on June 10 he will never forget.During the pope’s visit to the Shrine of Our Lady of Montserrat, an abbey northwest of Barcelona, Sergi handed Leo his rosary. The pontiff slipped it into his pocket before using it minutes later to pray.Unexpectedly, the story did not end there — after the event, Sergi managed to recover his prized sacramental, now prayed with by the pope.Sergi (who asked that his last name not be shared) told EWTN News he had not planned to go to the shrine on the day of the papal visit. He is from Terrassa, a city between Barcelona and Montserrat.The invitation to go to the popeʼs prayer came unexpectedly through a volunteer with the Missionaries of Charity, connected to his youth group, who encouraged both him and his girlfriend, María, to join the gathering. The night before, they attended the pope’s event at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona and returned so tired that they almost decided not to go again.However, they felt they could not miss the chance to see Pope Leo during his visit to their homeland, and in order to attend they both had to take the day off from work. They never imagined what would happen or the gift they would receive.Sergi, María, and their friend secured a spot in the atrium of the basilica, and when the pope arrived, Sergi managed to get very close to the mini-popemobile as it passed by. At that moment he took out his rosary, hoping it would be blessed.“I just wanted him to bless it, that’s all, but he asked me, ‘Is it for me?’ And I’m not going to say no, so of course I said yes, and he kept it,” the young man said.Indeed, in a video recorded by EWTN News, the pope can be seen taking the rosary and putting it in his pocket. A few minutes later, to the young couple’s total surprise, they saw the pope praying with Sergi’s rosary in his hands.“When we saw it on the screen, we realized it was the same one he was using to pray!” Sergi said. Pope Leo XIV prays with a simple, wooden rosary during a prayer at the Abbey of Our Lady of Montserrat, northwest of Barcelona, Spain, on June 10, 2026. The rosary belongs to Sergi, a young Catalan man who gave it to the pope to be blessed. | Credit: Vatican Media. But the story did not end there. María had the idea of trying to get the rosary back, and when the event ended, they tried. However, the pope was already in the official car, and the security caravan would not allow anyone to approach.“We tried to tell him, but he just passed us by,” Sergi told EWTN News.At that moment, the run of his life began. Montserrat, as its name suggests, is set on a mountain range, so he had to run downhill.“I ran the whole way down until I said, ‘Well, let the pope keep it,’ and I gave up, but my girlfriend told me, ‘Keep trying.’”So Sergi started running again, sprinting and shouting to the pope to give it back. Knowing the caravan could not stop, he took an extreme measure: asking the pope to throw it to him.“At that moment I wasn’t thinking — I just knew I wanted to get the rosary back, knowing the pope had prayed with it. I was overwhelmed with excitement by the moment and the situation.”The pope granted his request, tossing the rosary from the car window as he drove by. Then, with the help of a police officer, Sergi recovered his rosary, now prayed with by the pope.“We went without expecting anything, and we came back with the greatest gift we could have received,” the young man said, still moved by the experience.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, EWTN News' Spanish sister service. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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“We went without expecting anything, and we came back with the greatest gift we could have received,” Sergi told EWTN News.

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Train Ride to NASA Kennedy for Artemis III Booster Segments – A train transports eight booster motor segments for the SLS (Space Launch System rocket) that will power NASA’s Artemis III mission from Northrop Grumman’s Railyard Shipping Facility in Corinne, Utah, June 2, to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

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A train transports eight booster motor segments for the SLS (Space Launch System rocket) that will power NASA’s Artemis III mission from Northrop Grumman’s Railyard Shipping Facility in Corinne, Utah, June 2, to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

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Picture of the day Statue of Yaksha (in the Ramakien, broad class of nature-spirits, usually benevolent, but sometimes mischievous or capricious, connected with water, fertility, trees, the forest, treasure and wilderness) supporting the base of one of the Two Golden Chedi of Wat Phra Kaew, Bangkok, Thailand. #ImageOfTheDay

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Picture of the day
Statue of Yaksha (in the Ramakien, broad class of nature-spirits, usually benevolent, but sometimes mischievous or capricious, connected with water, fertility, trees, the forest, treasure and wilderness) supporting the base of one of the Two Golden Chedi of Wat Phra Kaew, Bangkok, Thailand.
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California Republican Governor Candidate Steve Hilton Open to Having Spencer Pratt Work on His Campaign, Maybe Even in His Administration (VIDEO) – Now that Republican California governor candidate Steve Hilton is going to appear on the ballot, he is being asked about the possibility of working with Spencer Pratt, an idea which he says he is completely open to, especially on issues like homelessness. The post California Republican Governor Candidate Steve Hilton Open to Having Spencer Pratt Work on His Campaign, Maybe Even in His Administration (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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California Republican Governor Candidate Steve Hilton Open to Having Spencer Pratt Work on His Campaign, Maybe Even in His Administration (VIDEO) – Now that Republican California governor candidate Steve Hilton is going to appear on the ballot, he is being asked about the possibility of working with Spencer Pratt, an idea which he says he is completely open to, especially on issues like homelessness. The post California Republican Governor Candidate Steve Hilton Open to Having Spencer Pratt Work on His Campaign, Maybe Even in His Administration (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Now that Republican California governor candidate Steve Hilton is going to appear on the ballot, he is being asked about the possibility of working with Spencer Pratt, an idea which he says he is completely open to, especially on issues like homelessness.

The post California Republican Governor Candidate Steve Hilton Open to Having Spencer Pratt Work on His Campaign, Maybe Even in His Administration (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Announces Multi-Million ‘Investment’ in Gender Affirming Care, Weeks After Claiming City is in ‘Historic’ Budget Crisis (VIDEO) – Back in April, New York City’s new Democratic Socialist (communist) Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared that the city was in the midst of an ‘historic’ budget crisis. The post NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Announces Multi-Million ‘Investment’ in Gender Affirming Care, Weeks After Claiming City is in ‘Historic’ Budget Crisis (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Announces Multi-Million ‘Investment’ in Gender Affirming Care, Weeks After Claiming City is in ‘Historic’ Budget Crisis (VIDEO) – Back in April, New York City’s new Democratic Socialist (communist) Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared that the city was in the midst of an ‘historic’ budget crisis. The post NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Announces Multi-Million ‘Investment’ in Gender Affirming Care, Weeks After Claiming City is in ‘Historic’ Budget Crisis (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Back in April, New York City’s new Democratic Socialist (communist) Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared that the city was in the midst of an ‘historic’ budget crisis.

The post NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Announces Multi-Million ‘Investment’ in Gender Affirming Care, Weeks After Claiming City is in ‘Historic’ Budget Crisis (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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American Diplomat Is Found Dead in Myanmar Hotel – Woman From Thailand Is in Custody – Southeast Asian country of Myanmar has been rocked by the death of an American diplomat in its largest city of Yangon. The post American Diplomat Is Found Dead in Myanmar Hotel – Woman From Thailand Is in Custody appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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American Diplomat Is Found Dead in Myanmar Hotel – Woman From Thailand Is in Custody – Southeast Asian country of Myanmar has been rocked by the death of an American diplomat in its largest city of Yangon. The post American Diplomat Is Found Dead in Myanmar Hotel – Woman From Thailand Is in Custody appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Modern skyscraper illuminated at dusk, featuring commercial signage and surrounded by urban architecture in a vibrant cityscape.

Modern skyscraper illuminated at dusk, featuring commercial signage and surrounded by urban architecture in a vibrant cityscape.

Southeast Asian country of Myanmar has been rocked by the death of an American diplomat in its largest city of Yangon.

The post American Diplomat Is Found Dead in Myanmar Hotel – Woman From Thailand Is in Custody appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Pope Leo blesses Sagrada Familia’s Tower of Jesus, says beauty can lead people to God #Catholic – BARCELONA, Spain (OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV blessed the newly completed Tower of Jesus Christ at Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia basilica June 10, inaugurating the crowning spire that makes the iconic church the tallest Catholic church the world and urging people to lift their gaze to Christ “who alone reveals to us the truth about God and the truth about ourselves.” Pope Leo offered Mass inside the basilica and formally inaugurated the Tower of Jesus Christ, which stands at more than 564 feet, before a crowd of thousands gathered inside and around the Sagrada Familia. “By looking at Christ, we can see the world with renewed eyes: the tower of the cross then becomes a banner of charity, for God loves us in this way, transforming an instrument of death into a sign of hope,” the pope said. 100th anniversary of Gaudí’s death Spain’s King Felipe VI welcomed the pope upon his arrival at the basilica. Before Mass, Pope Leo descended to the basilica’s crypt to pray at the tomb of Antoni Gaudí, the visionary Catalan architect who devoted 43 years of his life to the design and construction of the basilica before his death in 1926 at age 73. The papal Mass fell on the 100th anniversary of Gaudí’s death. Known as “God’s architect,” Gaudí’s cause for canonization advanced last year when Pope Francis declared him venerable in April 2025. Pope Leo paid tribute to the visionary builder in his homily, reflecting on Gaudí’s intent to narrate the mysteries of Christ’s life through stone and light. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Power of beauty to evangelize Light streamed through the basilica’s colorful stained glass windows as the pope spoke, casting dancing colors on the soaring columns. Trumpets sounded as a choir of 500 people sang hymns from the high galleries on either side of the basilica, as multiple children’s choirs harmonized around the apse. Pope Leo pointed to the Sagrada Familia as a testament to the power of art and beauty to draw people closer to God. “In her wisdom, the Church thus renews the ‘Biblia pauperum’ of the ancient cathedrals, which are in themselves rich messages of evangelization,” he said, invoking the medieval tradition of visual depictions of the Scripture designed to communicate the faith to those who could not read. “In this age in which image is so prevalent, it becomes even more evident how art and beauty are privileged channels of evangelization,” he said. The Sagrada Familia’s three facades — dedicated to the Nativity, the Passion and the Glory of Christ — embody this vision architecturally. Gaudí designed them so that sunlight illuminates each portal at the moment most consonant with its theological meaning: dawn light for the Nativity, the setting sun for the Passion and full midday light for the Glory facade. Gaudí’s design drew inspiration from both Christian doctrines and the observation of nature. The basilica is filled with organic forms inspired by natural elements. Its central nave columns evoke a forest of trees. Tower of Jesus Christ The Tower of Jesus Christ is now the tallest structure in Barcelona, and it makes the Sagrada Familia the tallest church in the world. Gaudí designed the tower to stand precisely half a meter below the summit of the nearby Montjuïc hill, believing the work of human hands should not surpass the work of God. At its crown stands a four-armed cross of glass and white enameled ceramic, roughly 17 meters tall and 13 meters wide, bearing the inscription: “Tu solus Sanctus, Tu solus Dominus, Tu solus Altissimus” — “You alone are Holy, You alone are Lord, You alone are Most High.” “In Jesus’ cross, our faith reaches its summit,” the pope said. “This cross shines by day, reflecting the sunlight, and shines by night, illuminating the city like a lighthouse overlooking the Mediterranean. Yes, the light of Christ shines in the darkness, even though the darkness has not received it.” Strong words on war, abortion, salvation An estimated 9,000 people attended the papal Mass inside the basilica, while an estimated 120,000 people worshipped from outside. In his homily in the Sagrada Familia, Pope Leo issued a forceful appeal against abortion, war and the exclusion of migrants. “Dear brothers and sisters, we cannot believe in Jesus and promote war. We cannot believe in Jesus and kill the innocent even before birth. We cannot believe in Jesus and abandon those who suffer, those who weep, those who flee from misery,” the pope said. The pope reflected on the day’s Gospel reading from John, in which Jesus tells the Pharisees, “you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he” (Jn 8:24). “These are strong words,” Pope Leo said. “They are an invitation to salvation — that is, a call to freedom extended by Christ, who desires for us the ultimate, eternal good.” “As God made man, he becomes for us Emmanuel, the source of grace and forgiveness, of salvation and new life,” he said. “That is why, if we do not believe in Jesus Christ, we remain in sin, and not only do we die, but we bring about the death of our neighbor.” Basilica a century in the making Pope Leo paid tribute to Gaudí and to all who have labored on the basilica across generations. “Together with Gaudí, as we commemorate the centenary of his death, we remember and give thanks to all the supporters and benefactors, the artists and the workers who cooperated in the construction of an architectural masterpiece, which is also an eloquent catechesis made of stones, colors and light.” The foundation stone of the Sagrada Familia was laid in 1882. The project was initially entrusted to architect Francisco de Paula del Villar before passing to Gaudí in 1883, who transformed it into one of the most ambitious building projects in modern history, comprising three facades, five naves and 18 towers. The portion built by Gaudí was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. Unfinished masterpiece Despite the completion of its crowning tower, the basilica remains unfinished; work is still ongoing on the baptistery, the sacristy, the Chapel of the Assumption, the cloisters and the Glory Facade. It is projected that the basilica will not be completed until 2036. Pope Leo embraced that incompleteness as a spiritual metaphor. “Much more than a monument, the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia remains a work in progress today, reminding us that the Christian life is always a journey, because it is a project that God is carrying out,” he said. “The fact that it is incomplete is not a flaw, for it bears witness to a desire; it does not signify a shortcoming, but rather expresses a promise that we wish to honor with consistency,” he added. “Our gratitude thus becomes a commitment as we cooperate in God’s plan — that is, in the edification to which he himself calls us.” “Since we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, this work consists in our very lives, which God conceives as a masterpiece that we are to create together.” Fireworks celebrate the tallest church in the world After Mass, the pope presided over the formal blessing of the Tower of Jesus Christ. The inauguration ceremony concluded with a dazzling interactive light show and a live musical performance by the Escolanía de Montserrat, the oldest boys choir in the world, followed by fireworks from the basilica’s towering spires. A drone show in the sky illuminated the face of Gaudí, as well the architect’s words, “First you need love, then technique.” “As we lift our gaze toward him, the crucified and risen One, let us commit ourselves to lifting up those who lie in the dust,” the pope said. “And let us show in this way that the Sagrada Familia is the tallest church in the world, not so as to stand out in worldly rankings, but rather to guide the steps of the people of God who make their pilgrimage in Spain, with the cross illuminating their path, like a lamp burning brightly as we await the return of the Bridegroom.” Courtney Mares is Vatican editor for OSV News. Follow her on X @catholicourtney.  
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Pope Leo blesses Sagrada Familia’s Tower of Jesus, says beauty can lead people to God #Catholic – BARCELONA, Spain (OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV blessed the newly completed Tower of Jesus Christ at Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia basilica June 10, inaugurating the crowning spire that makes the iconic church the tallest Catholic church the world and urging people to lift their gaze to Christ “who alone reveals to us the truth about God and the truth about ourselves.” Pope Leo offered Mass inside the basilica and formally inaugurated the Tower of Jesus Christ, which stands at more than 564 feet, before a crowd of thousands gathered inside and around the Sagrada Familia. “By looking at Christ, we can see the world with renewed eyes: the tower of the cross then becomes a banner of charity, for God loves us in this way, transforming an instrument of death into a sign of hope,” the pope said. 100th anniversary of Gaudí’s death Spain’s King Felipe VI welcomed the pope upon his arrival at the basilica. Before Mass, Pope Leo descended to the basilica’s crypt to pray at the tomb of Antoni Gaudí, the visionary Catalan architect who devoted 43 years of his life to the design and construction of the basilica before his death in 1926 at age 73. The papal Mass fell on the 100th anniversary of Gaudí’s death. Known as “God’s architect,” Gaudí’s cause for canonization advanced last year when Pope Francis declared him venerable in April 2025. Pope Leo paid tribute to the visionary builder in his homily, reflecting on Gaudí’s intent to narrate the mysteries of Christ’s life through stone and light. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Power of beauty to evangelize Light streamed through the basilica’s colorful stained glass windows as the pope spoke, casting dancing colors on the soaring columns. Trumpets sounded as a choir of 500 people sang hymns from the high galleries on either side of the basilica, as multiple children’s choirs harmonized around the apse. Pope Leo pointed to the Sagrada Familia as a testament to the power of art and beauty to draw people closer to God. “In her wisdom, the Church thus renews the ‘Biblia pauperum’ of the ancient cathedrals, which are in themselves rich messages of evangelization,” he said, invoking the medieval tradition of visual depictions of the Scripture designed to communicate the faith to those who could not read. “In this age in which image is so prevalent, it becomes even more evident how art and beauty are privileged channels of evangelization,” he said. The Sagrada Familia’s three facades — dedicated to the Nativity, the Passion and the Glory of Christ — embody this vision architecturally. Gaudí designed them so that sunlight illuminates each portal at the moment most consonant with its theological meaning: dawn light for the Nativity, the setting sun for the Passion and full midday light for the Glory facade. Gaudí’s design drew inspiration from both Christian doctrines and the observation of nature. The basilica is filled with organic forms inspired by natural elements. Its central nave columns evoke a forest of trees. Tower of Jesus Christ The Tower of Jesus Christ is now the tallest structure in Barcelona, and it makes the Sagrada Familia the tallest church in the world. Gaudí designed the tower to stand precisely half a meter below the summit of the nearby Montjuïc hill, believing the work of human hands should not surpass the work of God. At its crown stands a four-armed cross of glass and white enameled ceramic, roughly 17 meters tall and 13 meters wide, bearing the inscription: “Tu solus Sanctus, Tu solus Dominus, Tu solus Altissimus” — “You alone are Holy, You alone are Lord, You alone are Most High.” “In Jesus’ cross, our faith reaches its summit,” the pope said. “This cross shines by day, reflecting the sunlight, and shines by night, illuminating the city like a lighthouse overlooking the Mediterranean. Yes, the light of Christ shines in the darkness, even though the darkness has not received it.” Strong words on war, abortion, salvation An estimated 9,000 people attended the papal Mass inside the basilica, while an estimated 120,000 people worshipped from outside. In his homily in the Sagrada Familia, Pope Leo issued a forceful appeal against abortion, war and the exclusion of migrants. “Dear brothers and sisters, we cannot believe in Jesus and promote war. We cannot believe in Jesus and kill the innocent even before birth. We cannot believe in Jesus and abandon those who suffer, those who weep, those who flee from misery,” the pope said. The pope reflected on the day’s Gospel reading from John, in which Jesus tells the Pharisees, “you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he” (Jn 8:24). “These are strong words,” Pope Leo said. “They are an invitation to salvation — that is, a call to freedom extended by Christ, who desires for us the ultimate, eternal good.” “As God made man, he becomes for us Emmanuel, the source of grace and forgiveness, of salvation and new life,” he said. “That is why, if we do not believe in Jesus Christ, we remain in sin, and not only do we die, but we bring about the death of our neighbor.” Basilica a century in the making Pope Leo paid tribute to Gaudí and to all who have labored on the basilica across generations. “Together with Gaudí, as we commemorate the centenary of his death, we remember and give thanks to all the supporters and benefactors, the artists and the workers who cooperated in the construction of an architectural masterpiece, which is also an eloquent catechesis made of stones, colors and light.” The foundation stone of the Sagrada Familia was laid in 1882. The project was initially entrusted to architect Francisco de Paula del Villar before passing to Gaudí in 1883, who transformed it into one of the most ambitious building projects in modern history, comprising three facades, five naves and 18 towers. The portion built by Gaudí was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. Unfinished masterpiece Despite the completion of its crowning tower, the basilica remains unfinished; work is still ongoing on the baptistery, the sacristy, the Chapel of the Assumption, the cloisters and the Glory Facade. It is projected that the basilica will not be completed until 2036. Pope Leo embraced that incompleteness as a spiritual metaphor. “Much more than a monument, the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia remains a work in progress today, reminding us that the Christian life is always a journey, because it is a project that God is carrying out,” he said. “The fact that it is incomplete is not a flaw, for it bears witness to a desire; it does not signify a shortcoming, but rather expresses a promise that we wish to honor with consistency,” he added. “Our gratitude thus becomes a commitment as we cooperate in God’s plan — that is, in the edification to which he himself calls us.” “Since we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, this work consists in our very lives, which God conceives as a masterpiece that we are to create together.” Fireworks celebrate the tallest church in the world After Mass, the pope presided over the formal blessing of the Tower of Jesus Christ. The inauguration ceremony concluded with a dazzling interactive light show and a live musical performance by the Escolanía de Montserrat, the oldest boys choir in the world, followed by fireworks from the basilica’s towering spires. A drone show in the sky illuminated the face of Gaudí, as well the architect’s words, “First you need love, then technique.” “As we lift our gaze toward him, the crucified and risen One, let us commit ourselves to lifting up those who lie in the dust,” the pope said. “And let us show in this way that the Sagrada Familia is the tallest church in the world, not so as to stand out in worldly rankings, but rather to guide the steps of the people of God who make their pilgrimage in Spain, with the cross illuminating their path, like a lamp burning brightly as we await the return of the Bridegroom.” Courtney Mares is Vatican editor for OSV News. Follow her on X @catholicourtney.  

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Pope Leo blesses Sagrada Familia’s Tower of Jesus, says beauty can lead people to God #Catholic –

BARCELONA, Spain (OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV blessed the newly completed Tower of Jesus Christ at Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia basilica June 10, inaugurating the crowning spire that makes the iconic church the tallest Catholic church the world and urging people to lift their gaze to Christ “who alone reveals to us the truth about God and the truth about ourselves.”

Pope Leo offered Mass inside the basilica and formally inaugurated the Tower of Jesus Christ, which stands at more than 564 feet, before a crowd of thousands gathered inside and around the Sagrada Familia.

“By looking at Christ, we can see the world with renewed eyes: the tower of the cross then becomes a banner of charity, for God loves us in this way, transforming an instrument of death into a sign of hope,” the pope said.

100th anniversary of Gaudí’s death

Spain’s King Felipe VI welcomed the pope upon his arrival at the basilica. Before Mass, Pope Leo descended to the basilica’s crypt to pray at the tomb of Antoni Gaudí, the visionary Catalan architect who devoted 43 years of his life to the design and construction of the basilica before his death in 1926 at age 73.

The papal Mass fell on the 100th anniversary of Gaudí’s death. Known as “God’s architect,” Gaudí’s cause for canonization advanced last year when Pope Francis declared him venerable in April 2025.

Pope Leo paid tribute to the visionary builder in his homily, reflecting on Gaudí’s intent to narrate the mysteries of Christ’s life through stone and light.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Power of beauty to evangelize

Light streamed through the basilica’s colorful stained glass windows as the pope spoke, casting dancing colors on the soaring columns. Trumpets sounded as a choir of 500 people sang hymns from the high galleries on either side of the basilica, as multiple children’s choirs harmonized around the apse.
Pope Leo pointed to the Sagrada Familia as a testament to the power of art and beauty to draw people closer to God.

“In her wisdom, the Church thus renews the ‘Biblia pauperum’ of the ancient cathedrals, which are in themselves rich messages of evangelization,” he said, invoking the medieval tradition of visual depictions of the Scripture designed to communicate the faith to those who could not read.

“In this age in which image is so prevalent, it becomes even more evident how art and beauty are privileged channels of evangelization,” he said.

The Sagrada Familia’s three facades — dedicated to the Nativity, the Passion and the Glory of Christ — embody this vision architecturally. Gaudí designed them so that sunlight illuminates each portal at the moment most consonant with its theological meaning: dawn light for the Nativity, the setting sun for the Passion and full midday light for the Glory facade.

Gaudí’s design drew inspiration from both Christian doctrines and the observation of nature. The basilica is filled with organic forms inspired by natural elements. Its central nave columns evoke a forest of trees.

Tower of Jesus Christ

The Tower of Jesus Christ is now the tallest structure in Barcelona, and it makes the Sagrada Familia the tallest church in the world.

Gaudí designed the tower to stand precisely half a meter below the summit of the nearby Montjuïc hill, believing the work of human hands should not surpass the work of God. At its crown stands a four-armed cross of glass and white enameled ceramic, roughly 17 meters tall and 13 meters wide, bearing the inscription: “Tu solus Sanctus, Tu solus Dominus, Tu solus Altissimus” — “You alone are Holy, You alone are Lord, You alone are Most High.”

“In Jesus’ cross, our faith reaches its summit,” the pope said. “This cross shines by day, reflecting the sunlight, and shines by night, illuminating the city like a lighthouse overlooking the Mediterranean. Yes, the light of Christ shines in the darkness, even though the darkness has not received it.”

Strong words on war, abortion, salvation

An estimated 9,000 people attended the papal Mass inside the basilica, while an estimated 120,000 people worshipped from outside. In his homily in the Sagrada Familia, Pope Leo issued a forceful appeal against abortion, war and the exclusion of migrants.

“Dear brothers and sisters, we cannot believe in Jesus and promote war. We cannot believe in Jesus and kill the innocent even before birth. We cannot believe in Jesus and abandon those who suffer, those who weep, those who flee from misery,” the pope said.

The pope reflected on the day’s Gospel reading from John, in which Jesus tells the Pharisees, “you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he” (Jn 8:24).

“These are strong words,” Pope Leo said. “They are an invitation to salvation — that is, a call to freedom extended by Christ, who desires for us the ultimate, eternal good.”

“As God made man, he becomes for us Emmanuel, the source of grace and forgiveness, of salvation and new life,” he said. “That is why, if we do not believe in Jesus Christ, we remain in sin, and not only do we die, but we bring about the death of our neighbor.”

Basilica a century in the making

Pope Leo paid tribute to Gaudí and to all who have labored on the basilica across generations.

“Together with Gaudí, as we commemorate the centenary of his death, we remember and give thanks to all the supporters and benefactors, the artists and the workers who cooperated in the construction of an architectural masterpiece, which is also an eloquent catechesis made of stones, colors and light.”

The foundation stone of the Sagrada Familia was laid in 1882. The project was initially entrusted to architect Francisco de Paula del Villar before passing to Gaudí in 1883, who transformed it into one of the most ambitious building projects in modern history, comprising three facades, five naves and 18 towers. The portion built by Gaudí was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.

Unfinished masterpiece

Despite the completion of its crowning tower, the basilica remains unfinished; work is still ongoing on the baptistery, the sacristy, the Chapel of the Assumption, the cloisters and the Glory Facade. It is projected that the basilica will not be completed until 2036.

Pope Leo embraced that incompleteness as a spiritual metaphor. “Much more than a monument, the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia remains a work in progress today, reminding us that the Christian life is always a journey, because it is a project that God is carrying out,” he said.

“The fact that it is incomplete is not a flaw, for it bears witness to a desire; it does not signify a shortcoming, but rather expresses a promise that we wish to honor with consistency,” he added. “Our gratitude thus becomes a commitment as we cooperate in God’s plan — that is, in the edification to which he himself calls us.”

“Since we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, this work consists in our very lives, which God conceives as a masterpiece that we are to create together.”

Fireworks celebrate the tallest church in the world

After Mass, the pope presided over the formal blessing of the Tower of Jesus Christ. The inauguration ceremony concluded with a dazzling interactive light show and a live musical performance by the Escolanía de Montserrat, the oldest boys choir in the world, followed by fireworks from the basilica’s towering spires. A drone show in the sky illuminated the face of Gaudí, as well the architect’s words, “First you need love, then technique.”

“As we lift our gaze toward him, the crucified and risen One, let us commit ourselves to lifting up those who lie in the dust,” the pope said. “And let us show in this way that the Sagrada Familia is the tallest church in the world, not so as to stand out in worldly rankings, but rather to guide the steps of the people of God who make their pilgrimage in Spain, with the cross illuminating their path, like a lamp burning brightly as we await the return of the Bridegroom.”

Courtney Mares is Vatican editor for OSV News. Follow her on X @catholicourtney.

 

– BARCELONA, Spain (OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV blessed the newly completed Tower of Jesus Christ at Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia basilica June 10, inaugurating the crowning spire that makes the iconic church the tallest Catholic church the world and urging people to lift their gaze to Christ “who alone reveals to us the truth about God and the truth about ourselves.” Pope Leo offered Mass inside the basilica and formally inaugurated the Tower of Jesus Christ, which stands at more than 564 feet, before a crowd of thousands gathered inside and around the Sagrada Familia. “By looking at Christ, we

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 11 June 2026 – A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles 11:21b-26; 13:1-3 In those days a great number who believed turned to the Lord. The news about them reached the ears of the Church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to go to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart, for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith. And a large number of people was added to the Lord. Then he went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the Church and taught a large number of people, and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians. Now there were in the Church at Antioch prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Symeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who was a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, completing their fasting and prayer, they laid hands on them and sent them off.From the Gospel according to Matthew 10:7-13 As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give. Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick. The laborer deserves his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it, and stay there until you leave. As you enter a house, wish it peace. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; if not, let your peace return to you.“Preach as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (Mt 10:7). It is the same proclamation with which Jesus began his preaching: the kingdom of God, that is, his lordship of love, has come near; it comes in our midst. And this is not just one piece of news among others, no, but the fundamental reality of life: the closeness of God, the closeness of Jesus. Indeed, if the God of heaven is close, we are not alone on earth, and even in difficulty, we do not lose faith. Here is the first thing to say to people: God is not far away, but rather he is a Father. God is not distant, he is a Father, he knows you and he loves you; he wants to take you by the hand, even when you travel on steep and rugged paths, even when you fall and struggle to get up again and get back on track. He, the Lord, is there with you. (…) To proclaim that God is near — but how can we do this? In the Gospel, Jesus advises not to say many words, but rather to perform many deeds of love and hope in the name of the Lord. Not saying many words, but performing deeds! “Heal the sick”, says the Lord, “raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without pay, give without pay” (Mt 10:8). Here is the heart of proclamation: freely given witness, service. (Pope Francis, Angelus, 18 June 2023)

unitedyam

A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
11:21b-26; 13:1-3

In those days a great number who believed turned to the Lord.
The news about them reached the ears of the Church in Jerusalem,
and they sent Barnabas to go to Antioch.
When he arrived and saw the grace of God,
he rejoiced and encouraged them all
to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart,
for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith.
And a large number of people was added to the Lord.
Then he went to Tarsus to look for Saul,
and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch.
For a whole year they met with the Church
and taught a large number of people,
and it was in Antioch that the disciples
were first called Christians.

Now there were in the Church at Antioch prophets and teachers:
Barnabas, Symeon who was called Niger,
Lucius of Cyrene,
Manaen who was a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,
“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul
for the work to which I have called them.”
Then, completing their fasting and prayer,
they laid hands on them and sent them off.

From the Gospel according to Matthew
10:7-13

As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give. Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick. The laborer deserves his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it, and stay there until you leave. As you enter a house, wish it peace. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; if not, let your peace return to you.

“Preach as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (Mt 10:7). It is the same proclamation with which Jesus began his preaching: the kingdom of God, that is, his lordship of love, has come near; it comes in our midst. And this is not just one piece of news among others, no, but the fundamental reality of life: the closeness of God, the closeness of Jesus.

Indeed, if the God of heaven is close, we are not alone on earth, and even in difficulty, we do not lose faith. Here is the first thing to say to people: God is not far away, but rather he is a Father. God is not distant, he is a Father, he knows you and he loves you; he wants to take you by the hand, even when you travel on steep and rugged paths, even when you fall and struggle to get up again and get back on track. He, the Lord, is there with you. (…)

To proclaim that God is near — but how can we do this? In the Gospel, Jesus advises not to say many words, but rather to perform many deeds of love and hope in the name of the Lord. Not saying many words, but performing deeds! “Heal the sick”, says the Lord, “raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without pay, give without pay” (Mt 10:8). Here is the heart of proclamation: freely given witness, service. (Pope Francis, Angelus, 18 June 2023)

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Proud day as 98 Morris Catholic graduates receive diplomas #Catholic - Ninety-eight proud Morris Catholic High School graduates in Denville, N.J., received diplomas on June 4 during a commencement in the school’s gym. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney helped distribute the diplomas during the ceremony, which included a Mass. Bishop Sweeney presided over the Mass. Concelebrating were several priests, including Father Paul Manning, vicar for evangelization and education of the Paterson Diocese, N.J.; Father Peter Clarke, the school’s president; and Father Carmen Buono, a retired diocesan priest who serves as a part-time chaplain at Morris Catholic. Many students, faculty, and staff participated graduation events that day. Morris Catholic’s valedictorian was Jack Smitreski, while its salutatorian was Oliva Lopes. The Class of 2026 earned a total of $20,541,477 in scholarships and financial aid. Afterward, the high school posted on social media, “What a beautiful day to celebrate Morris Catholic’s graduation. The graduates of the Class of 2026 have amazing futures ahead of them. We are beyond proud.” BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]   Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
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Proud day as 98 Morris Catholic graduates receive diplomas #Catholic – Ninety-eight proud Morris Catholic High School graduates in Denville, N.J., received diplomas on June 4 during a commencement in the school’s gym. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney helped distribute the diplomas during the ceremony, which included a Mass. Bishop Sweeney presided over the Mass. Concelebrating were several priests, including Father Paul Manning, vicar for evangelization and education of the Paterson Diocese, N.J.; Father Peter Clarke, the school’s president; and Father Carmen Buono, a retired diocesan priest who serves as a part-time chaplain at Morris Catholic. Many students, faculty, and staff participated graduation events that day. Morris Catholic’s valedictorian was Jack Smitreski, while its salutatorian was Oliva Lopes. The Class of 2026 earned a total of $20,541,477 in scholarships and financial aid. Afterward, the high school posted on social media, “What a beautiful day to celebrate Morris Catholic’s graduation. The graduates of the Class of 2026 have amazing futures ahead of them. We are beyond proud.” BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]   Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

unitedyam

Proud day as 98 Morris Catholic graduates receive diplomas #Catholic –

Ninety-eight proud Morris Catholic High School graduates in Denville, N.J., received diplomas on June 4 during a commencement in the school’s gym. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney helped distribute the diplomas during the ceremony, which included a Mass.

Bishop Sweeney presided over the Mass. Concelebrating were several priests, including Father Paul Manning, vicar for evangelization and education of the Paterson Diocese, N.J.; Father Peter Clarke, the school’s president; and Father Carmen Buono, a retired diocesan priest who serves as a part-time chaplain at Morris Catholic.

Many students, faculty, and staff participated graduation events that day.

Morris Catholic’s valedictorian was Jack Smitreski, while its salutatorian was Oliva Lopes. The Class of 2026 earned a total of $20,541,477 in scholarships and financial aid.

Afterward, the high school posted on social media, “What a beautiful day to celebrate Morris Catholic’s graduation. The graduates of the Class of 2026 have amazing futures ahead of them. We are beyond proud.”

BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

– Ninety-eight proud Morris Catholic High School graduates in Denville, N.J., received diplomas on June 4 during a commencement in the school’s gym. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney helped distribute the diplomas during the ceremony, which included a Mass. Bishop Sweeney presided over the Mass. Concelebrating were several priests, including Father Paul Manning, vicar for evangelization and education of the Paterson Diocese, N.J.; Father Peter Clarke, the school’s president; and Father Carmen Buono, a retired diocesan priest who serves as a part-time chaplain at Morris Catholic. Many students, faculty, and staff participated graduation events that day. Morris Catholic’s valedictorian was Jack Smitreski,

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In Washington, National Eucharistic Pilgrimage includes national blessing, downtown procession #Catholic – WASHINGTON (OSV News) — While flashy events are planned in the U.S. capital for the Independence Day weekend, a prayerful commemoration of the United States’ 250th anniversary unfolded June 5-6 as the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage came to Washington to renew and deepen faith in Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. The pilgrimage included a special blessing of America near the Washington Monument on the evening of June 5, a Eucharistic procession through downtown Washington the next day, followed by a Vigil Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for the solemnity of Corpus Christi. “Today we walk with Jesus Christ our Redeemer, our Savior. We walk with him in the streets of our nation’s capital,” Father Charles Trullols, the director of the Catholic Information Center, said in his homily during a June 6 Mass outside the center before leading its fourth annual Eucharistic procession through the city. This year’s procession was held in conjunction with the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage’s arrival in Washington. An estimated crowd of 1,000 people attended the Mass and then prayerfully processed through the city, following Father Trullols and other priests who held the Eucharist aloft in a monstrance beneath a canopy, passing the city’s office buildings, public squares and landmarks, including within sight of the White House. Hundreds of people knelt reverently on the sidewalk and on closed-off sections of streets. The 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage — with the theme “One Nation Under God” — began May 24 in St. Augustine, Florida, and will wind through most of the 13 original colonies, traveling about 2,200 miles before arriving in Philadelphia July 4 to commemorate with prayer and Eucharistic devotion the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The pilgrimage’s St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Route is placed under the patronage of the religious sister and Italian immigrant who in 1946 became the first U.S. citizen to be canonized. In his homily at the Mass, Father Trullols said the phrase “one nation under God” should be more than a patriotic slogan. “A nation remains ‘under God’ only if its people place God first,” said Father Trullols, a priest of the Prelature of Opus Dei. The priest said that ways Catholics can put God first include through daily prayer, attending Mass, receiving the sacrament of confession, caring for the poor, remaining faithful in marriage and pursuing holiness in everyday life. “Today’s procession is not a parade,” he said, emphasizing that it would offer a public witness to the Catholic belief in the real presence of Jesus Christ’s body, blood, soul and divinity in the Eucharist. Father Trullols said early Christians understood that the Eucharist is not just a symbol — it is Jesus, the Bread of Life who transforms people’s lives. He noted how Mother Cabrini worked tirelessly to minister to poor immigrants, drawing her strength from praying before the Eucharist in the tabernacle, and he also pointed out how Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, who evangelized millions through his radio shows and TV programs, prayed before the Eucharist in a daily Holy Hour, no matter how busy he was. Noting the importance of such Eucharistic devotion, Father Trullols said, “There is where saints are made.” The evening before, Father Trullols had received the Blessed Sacrament at the Basilica of St. Mary in Alexandria, Virginia. Then he joined the nine young adult “perpetual pilgrims” accompanying the Eucharist in the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, as their Ford Transit Van crossed the Arlington Memorial Bridge to Washington. A press statement from the pilgrimage’s organizers noted that bridge, “long recognized as a symbol of national unity and reconciliation between North and South, serves as a fitting gateway for bringing Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, into the heart of the nation’s capital.” Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. After the pilgrimage vehicle arrived on the National Mall on the evening of June 5, Father Trullols led a Eucharistic procession toward the grounds near the base of the Washington Monument, and he offered a symbolic blessing for the nation within sight of that illuminated monument and the U.S. Capitol in the distance. Later that day, the perpetual pilgrims visited the St. John Paul II National Shrine in northeast Washington before attending Mass at the adjacent basilica, where Bishop-elect designate Gary R. Studniewski was principal celebrant and homilist. By instituting the Eucharist, Jesus “wanted for us to know, to see and to even feel that He is still among us not just a symbol, not just half a locket with the promise we will get the other half when we get to heaven, but his real body and blood right here,” said Bishop-elect designated Studniewski, whose episcopal ordination as an auxiliary bishop of Washington is scheduled for July 7. “And we do more than just see and touch his body and blood: We take Jesus into ourselves as food for our perilous journey,” the bishop-elect said. Speaking at the shrine prior to that Mass, perpetual pilgrim John Paul Flynn said, “accompanying Jesus is a one-of-a-kind experience, a really beautiful experience.” “We are having Jesus in the very center of our nation’s capital,” said Flynn, a native of the Washington area and a student at The Catholic University of America. “We are bringing Jesus to where all the decisions are made.” Saying he was blessed to “travel with Jesus every single day,” Flynn called it very special to “see Jesus walking our streets, walking the same steps I have walked.” Mark Zimmermann is editor of the Catholic Standard, the news outlet of the Archdiocese of Washington. Richard Szczepanowski, the Catholic Standard’s managing editor, contributed to this story. This story was originally published by the Catholic Standard and distributed through a partnership with OSV News.  
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In Washington, National Eucharistic Pilgrimage includes national blessing, downtown procession #Catholic – WASHINGTON (OSV News) — While flashy events are planned in the U.S. capital for the Independence Day weekend, a prayerful commemoration of the United States’ 250th anniversary unfolded June 5-6 as the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage came to Washington to renew and deepen faith in Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. The pilgrimage included a special blessing of America near the Washington Monument on the evening of June 5, a Eucharistic procession through downtown Washington the next day, followed by a Vigil Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for the solemnity of Corpus Christi. “Today we walk with Jesus Christ our Redeemer, our Savior. We walk with him in the streets of our nation’s capital,” Father Charles Trullols, the director of the Catholic Information Center, said in his homily during a June 6 Mass outside the center before leading its fourth annual Eucharistic procession through the city. This year’s procession was held in conjunction with the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage’s arrival in Washington. An estimated crowd of 1,000 people attended the Mass and then prayerfully processed through the city, following Father Trullols and other priests who held the Eucharist aloft in a monstrance beneath a canopy, passing the city’s office buildings, public squares and landmarks, including within sight of the White House. Hundreds of people knelt reverently on the sidewalk and on closed-off sections of streets. The 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage — with the theme “One Nation Under God” — began May 24 in St. Augustine, Florida, and will wind through most of the 13 original colonies, traveling about 2,200 miles before arriving in Philadelphia July 4 to commemorate with prayer and Eucharistic devotion the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The pilgrimage’s St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Route is placed under the patronage of the religious sister and Italian immigrant who in 1946 became the first U.S. citizen to be canonized. In his homily at the Mass, Father Trullols said the phrase “one nation under God” should be more than a patriotic slogan. “A nation remains ‘under God’ only if its people place God first,” said Father Trullols, a priest of the Prelature of Opus Dei. The priest said that ways Catholics can put God first include through daily prayer, attending Mass, receiving the sacrament of confession, caring for the poor, remaining faithful in marriage and pursuing holiness in everyday life. “Today’s procession is not a parade,” he said, emphasizing that it would offer a public witness to the Catholic belief in the real presence of Jesus Christ’s body, blood, soul and divinity in the Eucharist. Father Trullols said early Christians understood that the Eucharist is not just a symbol — it is Jesus, the Bread of Life who transforms people’s lives. He noted how Mother Cabrini worked tirelessly to minister to poor immigrants, drawing her strength from praying before the Eucharist in the tabernacle, and he also pointed out how Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, who evangelized millions through his radio shows and TV programs, prayed before the Eucharist in a daily Holy Hour, no matter how busy he was. Noting the importance of such Eucharistic devotion, Father Trullols said, “There is where saints are made.” The evening before, Father Trullols had received the Blessed Sacrament at the Basilica of St. Mary in Alexandria, Virginia. Then he joined the nine young adult “perpetual pilgrims” accompanying the Eucharist in the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, as their Ford Transit Van crossed the Arlington Memorial Bridge to Washington. A press statement from the pilgrimage’s organizers noted that bridge, “long recognized as a symbol of national unity and reconciliation between North and South, serves as a fitting gateway for bringing Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, into the heart of the nation’s capital.” Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. After the pilgrimage vehicle arrived on the National Mall on the evening of June 5, Father Trullols led a Eucharistic procession toward the grounds near the base of the Washington Monument, and he offered a symbolic blessing for the nation within sight of that illuminated monument and the U.S. Capitol in the distance. Later that day, the perpetual pilgrims visited the St. John Paul II National Shrine in northeast Washington before attending Mass at the adjacent basilica, where Bishop-elect designate Gary R. Studniewski was principal celebrant and homilist. By instituting the Eucharist, Jesus “wanted for us to know, to see and to even feel that He is still among us not just a symbol, not just half a locket with the promise we will get the other half when we get to heaven, but his real body and blood right here,” said Bishop-elect designated Studniewski, whose episcopal ordination as an auxiliary bishop of Washington is scheduled for July 7. “And we do more than just see and touch his body and blood: We take Jesus into ourselves as food for our perilous journey,” the bishop-elect said. Speaking at the shrine prior to that Mass, perpetual pilgrim John Paul Flynn said, “accompanying Jesus is a one-of-a-kind experience, a really beautiful experience.” “We are having Jesus in the very center of our nation’s capital,” said Flynn, a native of the Washington area and a student at The Catholic University of America. “We are bringing Jesus to where all the decisions are made.” Saying he was blessed to “travel with Jesus every single day,” Flynn called it very special to “see Jesus walking our streets, walking the same steps I have walked.” Mark Zimmermann is editor of the Catholic Standard, the news outlet of the Archdiocese of Washington. Richard Szczepanowski, the Catholic Standard’s managing editor, contributed to this story. This story was originally published by the Catholic Standard and distributed through a partnership with OSV News.  

unitedyam

In Washington, National Eucharistic Pilgrimage includes national blessing, downtown procession #Catholic –

WASHINGTON (OSV News) — While flashy events are planned in the U.S. capital for the Independence Day weekend, a prayerful commemoration of the United States’ 250th anniversary unfolded June 5-6 as the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage came to Washington to renew and deepen faith in Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.

The pilgrimage included a special blessing of America near the Washington Monument on the evening of June 5, a Eucharistic procession through downtown Washington the next day, followed by a Vigil Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for the solemnity of Corpus Christi.

“Today we walk with Jesus Christ our Redeemer, our Savior. We walk with him in the streets of our nation’s capital,” Father Charles Trullols, the director of the Catholic Information Center, said in his homily during a June 6 Mass outside the center before leading its fourth annual Eucharistic procession through the city.

This year’s procession was held in conjunction with the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage’s arrival in Washington. An estimated crowd of 1,000 people attended the Mass and then prayerfully processed through the city, following Father Trullols and other priests who held the Eucharist aloft in a monstrance beneath a canopy, passing the city’s office buildings, public squares and landmarks, including within sight of the White House. Hundreds of people knelt reverently on the sidewalk and on closed-off sections of streets.

The 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage — with the theme “One Nation Under God” — began May 24 in St. Augustine, Florida, and will wind through most of the 13 original colonies, traveling about 2,200 miles before arriving in Philadelphia July 4 to commemorate with prayer and Eucharistic devotion the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

The pilgrimage’s St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Route is placed under the patronage of the religious sister and Italian immigrant who in 1946 became the first U.S. citizen to be canonized.

In his homily at the Mass, Father Trullols said the phrase “one nation under God” should be more than a patriotic slogan.

“A nation remains ‘under God’ only if its people place God first,” said Father Trullols, a priest of the Prelature of Opus Dei.

The priest said that ways Catholics can put God first include through daily prayer, attending Mass, receiving the sacrament of confession, caring for the poor, remaining faithful in marriage and pursuing holiness in everyday life.

“Today’s procession is not a parade,” he said, emphasizing that it would offer a public witness to the Catholic belief in the real presence of Jesus Christ’s body, blood, soul and divinity in the Eucharist.

Father Trullols said early Christians understood that the Eucharist is not just a symbol — it is Jesus, the Bread of Life who transforms people’s lives. He noted how Mother Cabrini worked tirelessly to minister to poor immigrants, drawing her strength from praying before the Eucharist in the tabernacle, and he also pointed out how Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, who evangelized millions through his radio shows and TV programs, prayed before the Eucharist in a daily Holy Hour, no matter how busy he was.

Noting the importance of such Eucharistic devotion, Father Trullols said, “There is where saints are made.”

The evening before, Father Trullols had received the Blessed Sacrament at the Basilica of St. Mary in Alexandria, Virginia. Then he joined the nine young adult “perpetual pilgrims” accompanying the Eucharist in the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, as their Ford Transit Van crossed the Arlington Memorial Bridge to Washington.

A press statement from the pilgrimage’s organizers noted that bridge, “long recognized as a symbol of national unity and reconciliation between North and South, serves as a fitting gateway for bringing Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, into the heart of the nation’s capital.”

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

After the pilgrimage vehicle arrived on the National Mall on the evening of June 5, Father Trullols led a Eucharistic procession toward the grounds near the base of the Washington Monument, and he offered a symbolic blessing for the nation within sight of that illuminated monument and the U.S. Capitol in the distance.

Later that day, the perpetual pilgrims visited the St. John Paul II National Shrine in northeast Washington before attending Mass at the adjacent basilica, where Bishop-elect designate Gary R. Studniewski was principal celebrant and homilist.

By instituting the Eucharist, Jesus “wanted for us to know, to see and to even feel that He is still among us not just a symbol, not just half a locket with the promise we will get the other half when we get to heaven, but his real body and blood right here,” said Bishop-elect designated Studniewski, whose episcopal ordination as an auxiliary bishop of Washington is scheduled for July 7.

“And we do more than just see and touch his body and blood: We take Jesus into ourselves as food for our perilous journey,” the bishop-elect said.

Speaking at the shrine prior to that Mass, perpetual pilgrim John Paul Flynn said, “accompanying Jesus is a one-of-a-kind experience, a really beautiful experience.”

“We are having Jesus in the very center of our nation’s capital,” said Flynn, a native of the Washington area and a student at The Catholic University of America. “We are bringing Jesus to where all the decisions are made.”

Saying he was blessed to “travel with Jesus every single day,” Flynn called it very special to “see Jesus walking our streets, walking the same steps I have walked.”

Mark Zimmermann is editor of the Catholic Standard, the news outlet of the Archdiocese of Washington. Richard Szczepanowski, the Catholic Standard’s managing editor, contributed to this story. This story was originally published by the Catholic Standard and distributed through a partnership with OSV News.

 

– WASHINGTON (OSV News) — While flashy events are planned in the U.S. capital for the Independence Day weekend, a prayerful commemoration of the United States’ 250th anniversary unfolded June 5-6 as the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage came to Washington to renew and deepen faith in Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. The pilgrimage included a special blessing of America near the Washington Monument on the evening of June 5, a Eucharistic procession through downtown Washington the next day, followed by a Vigil Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for the solemnity of Corpus Christi. “Today we

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Life Hack: Wife Texting You Too Much? Reply ‘Unsubscribe’ And She’s Legally Required To Stop #BabylonBee – Unsubscribing from spam texts is well known, but did you know you can also unsubscribe from your wife? All you have to do is text back "UNSUBSCRIBE" and she’s legally required to stop.
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Life Hack: Wife Texting You Too Much? Reply ‘Unsubscribe’ And She’s Legally Required To Stop #BabylonBee – Unsubscribing from spam texts is well known, but did you know you can also unsubscribe from your wife? All you have to do is text back "UNSUBSCRIBE" and she’s legally required to stop.

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Unsubscribing from spam texts is well known, but did you know you can also unsubscribe from your wife? All you have to do is text back "UNSUBSCRIBE" and she’s legally required to stop.

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Pope Leo XIV: Fragility in old age can teach our efficiency-obsessed world – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV has called for greater respect for the elderly, affirming that their fragility still has much to teach humanity today.In a letter sent via the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, to the participants of the June 10 symposium in Rome titled “A Bridge Toward Heaven,” the pontiff expressed his hope that their efforts would encourage “renewed attitudes of respect, gratitude, and esteem toward the elderly.”Leo also criticized the modern tendency to equate strength with mere displays of power. “The society we live in is dominated by the logic of performance and competition, whereby strength is conceived as a display of power and tends to degenerate into abuse,” the message said.The pope also praised the witness of the elderly in their physical weakness with age and described them as offering profound lessons for the younger generation, who might not yet recognize their value.“The elderly, in the serene acceptance of the limitations linked to the passing of the years, without hiding them or being ashamed of them, can be teachers of life, capable of showing everyone — and especially young people — that the value of an existence is not measured by the yardstick of efficiency or self-sufficiency but by the capacity to love and to let oneself be loved, to give and to receive,” the message said.
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Pope Leo XIV: Fragility in old age can teach our efficiency-obsessed world – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV has called for greater respect for the elderly, affirming that their fragility still has much to teach humanity today.In a letter sent via the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, to the participants of the June 10 symposium in Rome titled “A Bridge Toward Heaven,” the pontiff expressed his hope that their efforts would encourage “renewed attitudes of respect, gratitude, and esteem toward the elderly.”Leo also criticized the modern tendency to equate strength with mere displays of power. “The society we live in is dominated by the logic of performance and competition, whereby strength is conceived as a display of power and tends to degenerate into abuse,” the message said.The pope also praised the witness of the elderly in their physical weakness with age and described them as offering profound lessons for the younger generation, who might not yet recognize their value.“The elderly, in the serene acceptance of the limitations linked to the passing of the years, without hiding them or being ashamed of them, can be teachers of life, capable of showing everyone — and especially young people — that the value of an existence is not measured by the yardstick of efficiency or self-sufficiency but by the capacity to love and to let oneself be loved, to give and to receive,” the message said.

unitedyam

The pontiff, who is traveling in Spain, sent a letter to be read at a Vatican symposium on the elderly.

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Refusing to inherit hatred and war: Teenagers launch peace initiative at the Vatican – #Catholic – Amid worsening armed conflicts in countries such as Ukraine, Nigeria, and those in the Middle East, a group of teenagers recently came to Rome to launch a new peace initiative, Project Oxygen.From May 31 to June 5, 40 teenagers from war-torn regions worldwide, including Ukraine, Nigeria, and the Middle East, participated in peace-building workshops on diplomacy and political engagement in conflict-affected areas. Through Project Oxygen, they aim to shift current narratives about conflict toward a future of creativity and compassion.Their activities included visits to Vatican dicasteries and the Italian Parliament, conferences on artificial intelligence, and a Wednesday general audience with Pope Leo XIV.One of the participants, Olena from Ukraine, expressed her conviction that her young generation can make a difference by uniting around shared values in a divided world.“We can make a change altogether and understand what things and circumstances unite us, and by that go to peace altogether,” Olena told EWTN News.Kathleen Hessert, founder of Project Oxygen and CEO of Sports Media Challenge, added: “The people in charge have not been able to come up with the solutions to peace. So we need to look somewhere else. And [by] their creativity and their imagination, these kids can bring a vibrancy, a creativity, and a dedication to peace.”
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Refusing to inherit hatred and war: Teenagers launch peace initiative at the Vatican – #Catholic – Amid worsening armed conflicts in countries such as Ukraine, Nigeria, and those in the Middle East, a group of teenagers recently came to Rome to launch a new peace initiative, Project Oxygen.From May 31 to June 5, 40 teenagers from war-torn regions worldwide, including Ukraine, Nigeria, and the Middle East, participated in peace-building workshops on diplomacy and political engagement in conflict-affected areas. Through Project Oxygen, they aim to shift current narratives about conflict toward a future of creativity and compassion.Their activities included visits to Vatican dicasteries and the Italian Parliament, conferences on artificial intelligence, and a Wednesday general audience with Pope Leo XIV.One of the participants, Olena from Ukraine, expressed her conviction that her young generation can make a difference by uniting around shared values in a divided world.“We can make a change altogether and understand what things and circumstances unite us, and by that go to peace altogether,” Olena told EWTN News.Kathleen Hessert, founder of Project Oxygen and CEO of Sports Media Challenge, added: “The people in charge have not been able to come up with the solutions to peace. So we need to look somewhere else. And [by] their creativity and their imagination, these kids can bring a vibrancy, a creativity, and a dedication to peace.”

unitedyam

Forty teenagers from war-torn countries recently took part in the Project Oxygen Teen Peace Summit.

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Pope Leo entrusts his pontificate to Our Lady of Montserrat: May she ‘guide us to Jesus’ – #Catholic – MONTSERRAT, Spain — The rugged silhouette of the Montserrat mountain range was one of the first symbols of Catalonia that Pope Leo XIV saw from above as his plane brought him to Barcelona from Madrid on June 9.The following day, the pope traveled by car to the mountainous area of Montserrat — whose name in Catalan means “serrated mountain” — home to a Benedictine abbey, which rises to a height of over 4,000 feet on the west side of the Llobregat River.Before arriving, however, the pontiff made a brief detour during the approximate 25-mile journey from Barcelona to stop at Brians 1 Penitentiary Center — a place steeped in suffering, where the lives of inmates find some comfort thanks to the prison chaplain, Father Jesús Bel, coordinator of prison ministry for the Diocese of Sant Feliu de Llobregat and a Mercedarian priest who has spent 40 years accompanying those deprived of their freedom.As he did during his trip to Equatorial Guinea, the pope embraced the suffering carried by prisoners.There, he heard directly from two inmates, Montserrat and Josefina, about the importance of having an anchor such as faith in Christ when life shows its harshest face. Their testimony moved the pope.“Here in prison I am not alone — Jesus gives me strength, he gives me life. I feel him within me; otherwise, I don’t know how I could have endured this,” Josefina told him.After her words, a heavy silence fell. Then, Leo offered a reflection that resonated among those present: “The mistakes of a person’s life do not determine who they are.”God loves you as you areThe pontiff invoked St. Augustine to underscore that the past does not chain the future, adding: “God loves you just as you are, but he dreams of you being even better! The Lord allows us all to start anew, for being human and being Christian does not mean never making mistakes, but rather growing in the ability to convert, repent, make amends, and, above all, to reconcile and forgive.”The encounter — though barely 20 minutes — set the tone for the rest of the day: the mercy of God embracing even the darkest hearts.The ascent to MontserratAfter visiting the prison, the pontiff headed to the Abbey of Montserrat, nestled among towering rock formations that resemble sculpted figures of animals or objects. The monastery radiates peace both inside and outside its ancient walls.In 1025, Abbot Oliba, then superior of the monastery of Ripoll, founded a smaller monastery on the mountain of Montserrat at a site where a small hermitage dedicated to the Virgin already stood.According to tradition, the first image of the Virgin — known in Catalan as “La Mare de Déu de Montserrat” — was discovered in the year 880 by children tending a flock in a cave after seeing a light on the mountain.When the bishop learned of the discovery, he sought to move the small statue to Manresa but was unable to do so because it became too heavy — a sign, he believed, that the Virgin wished to remain there. He then ordered a sanctuary to be built on the spot.At the foot of Montserrat, after praying the rosary, the pope lifted up his prayer: “Let us ask her to help us clothe ourselves only with the armor of God.”“Let us also consider how the Virgin holds the globe in her right hand, a sign of her maternal care, for the whole world finds a place in her heart. She invites us to recognize one another as brothers and sisters, so that no one is excluded and that communion is stronger than every division,” he added.The image of Mary currently venerated is a 12th-century Romanesque wooden sculpture, just over 3 feet tall, depicting the Blessed Virgin Mary with the Child Jesus.Except for the faces and hands, the statue is covered in gold, while the Virgin’s dark complexion has earned her the popular nickname “La Moreneta." In 2023, Pope Francis offered a Golden Rose to this venerated image.Among those who entrusted themselves to her was St. Ignatius of Loyola, in one of the most profound conversions in Christian tradition: “After a night spent in prayer before the Virgin, [he] laid aside his knightly arms — a moment that marked the beginning of a new life in the service of Jesus Christ,” Pope Leo XIV recalled.For centuries, faithful from all walks of life have passed through this sanctuary, praying the rosary bead by bead, because Mary, “Mare de Déu,” as the pope said, “is fundamental in the life of every Christian.”“I am happy to come to the feet of La Moreneta to entrust to her, with full confidence in her maternal intercession, my Petrine ministry and the mission of the Church in a world that cries out for justice and peace,” the pope said.“I invite you today to accept Mary’s invitation: ‘Do whatever he tells you' (Jn 2:5). These words spoken at Cana in Galilee contain a true guide for Christian living, because Mary leads us to Christ and teaches us to listen to his voice, obey his word, and allow him to transform us,” he added.The pontiff also made clear the message God brought to the world when he became man: “Jesus shows us the path of mercy, reconciliation, truth, and gentleness. At the same time, he exposes the violence that can lurk in our words and attitudes: criticism that humiliates, condemnation that destroys, and aggression that divides.”That hidden violence, he continued, “can often disguise itself as a kind of armor, which we use to protect our wounds, our fears, and the suffering caused by injustice.”Over the centuries, Montserrat has grown as living things do — with scars and memory. It has not always been a place of peace. It was plundered, destroyed, abandoned. Yet it always rose again, as if the mountain itself sustained it.Leo XIV concluded by asking that “Mary, Mother of the Church, always guide us to Jesus. I invite you to honor her with these words that you know so well: To the Catalans, you will always be the Princess; to the Spanish people and to the whole world, all our love; say to us: You are my treasure, I am your mother, do not be afraid.”In the abbey cloister, hundreds of people waited eagerly for the pope. Among them was Miguel, a kind-eyed boy who wrote a letter hoping to hand it to the pontiff himself.“He wanted to write it in Italian, even though the pope — as we know — speaks Spanish perfectly,” said his father, also named Miguel. In the letter, he asks nothing for himself or his family. “I would like him to bless all of Ukraine,” said the 9-year-old, an avid reader who currently keeps the greatest of all books on his nightstand. “I’m reading the Bible. I love everything about it,” he said.‘Catalonia without La Moreneta would be nothing’Also waiting for the pope were two nuns from the Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Poor, Sister Ángeles Piqué, from a small town in Lleida, and Sister Doraliza, originally from Cajamarca, Peru. “We need the pope to bring us Christ’s message: unity, fraternity, and to come to the Virgin as our point of reference," Sister Doralizia said.She gave voice to the widespread devotion to the Virgin of Montserrat in this region of Spain. “Catalonia without La Moreneta would be nothing,” she said.“Our Lady of Montserrat is a very special grace. This is her sanctuary, and all her children come here to ask for her protection and to be sheltered under her mantle,” Piqué added.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Pope Leo entrusts his pontificate to Our Lady of Montserrat: May she ‘guide us to Jesus’ – #Catholic – MONTSERRAT, Spain — The rugged silhouette of the Montserrat mountain range was one of the first symbols of Catalonia that Pope Leo XIV saw from above as his plane brought him to Barcelona from Madrid on June 9.The following day, the pope traveled by car to the mountainous area of Montserrat — whose name in Catalan means “serrated mountain” — home to a Benedictine abbey, which rises to a height of over 4,000 feet on the west side of the Llobregat River.Before arriving, however, the pontiff made a brief detour during the approximate 25-mile journey from Barcelona to stop at Brians 1 Penitentiary Center — a place steeped in suffering, where the lives of inmates find some comfort thanks to the prison chaplain, Father Jesús Bel, coordinator of prison ministry for the Diocese of Sant Feliu de Llobregat and a Mercedarian priest who has spent 40 years accompanying those deprived of their freedom.As he did during his trip to Equatorial Guinea, the pope embraced the suffering carried by prisoners.There, he heard directly from two inmates, Montserrat and Josefina, about the importance of having an anchor such as faith in Christ when life shows its harshest face. Their testimony moved the pope.“Here in prison I am not alone — Jesus gives me strength, he gives me life. I feel him within me; otherwise, I don’t know how I could have endured this,” Josefina told him.After her words, a heavy silence fell. Then, Leo offered a reflection that resonated among those present: “The mistakes of a person’s life do not determine who they are.”God loves you as you areThe pontiff invoked St. Augustine to underscore that the past does not chain the future, adding: “God loves you just as you are, but he dreams of you being even better! The Lord allows us all to start anew, for being human and being Christian does not mean never making mistakes, but rather growing in the ability to convert, repent, make amends, and, above all, to reconcile and forgive.”The encounter — though barely 20 minutes — set the tone for the rest of the day: the mercy of God embracing even the darkest hearts.The ascent to MontserratAfter visiting the prison, the pontiff headed to the Abbey of Montserrat, nestled among towering rock formations that resemble sculpted figures of animals or objects. The monastery radiates peace both inside and outside its ancient walls.In 1025, Abbot Oliba, then superior of the monastery of Ripoll, founded a smaller monastery on the mountain of Montserrat at a site where a small hermitage dedicated to the Virgin already stood.According to tradition, the first image of the Virgin — known in Catalan as “La Mare de Déu de Montserrat” — was discovered in the year 880 by children tending a flock in a cave after seeing a light on the mountain.When the bishop learned of the discovery, he sought to move the small statue to Manresa but was unable to do so because it became too heavy — a sign, he believed, that the Virgin wished to remain there. He then ordered a sanctuary to be built on the spot.At the foot of Montserrat, after praying the rosary, the pope lifted up his prayer: “Let us ask her to help us clothe ourselves only with the armor of God.”“Let us also consider how the Virgin holds the globe in her right hand, a sign of her maternal care, for the whole world finds a place in her heart. She invites us to recognize one another as brothers and sisters, so that no one is excluded and that communion is stronger than every division,” he added.The image of Mary currently venerated is a 12th-century Romanesque wooden sculpture, just over 3 feet tall, depicting the Blessed Virgin Mary with the Child Jesus.Except for the faces and hands, the statue is covered in gold, while the Virgin’s dark complexion has earned her the popular nickname “La Moreneta." In 2023, Pope Francis offered a Golden Rose to this venerated image.Among those who entrusted themselves to her was St. Ignatius of Loyola, in one of the most profound conversions in Christian tradition: “After a night spent in prayer before the Virgin, [he] laid aside his knightly arms — a moment that marked the beginning of a new life in the service of Jesus Christ,” Pope Leo XIV recalled.For centuries, faithful from all walks of life have passed through this sanctuary, praying the rosary bead by bead, because Mary, “Mare de Déu,” as the pope said, “is fundamental in the life of every Christian.”“I am happy to come to the feet of La Moreneta to entrust to her, with full confidence in her maternal intercession, my Petrine ministry and the mission of the Church in a world that cries out for justice and peace,” the pope said.“I invite you today to accept Mary’s invitation: ‘Do whatever he tells you' (Jn 2:5). These words spoken at Cana in Galilee contain a true guide for Christian living, because Mary leads us to Christ and teaches us to listen to his voice, obey his word, and allow him to transform us,” he added.The pontiff also made clear the message God brought to the world when he became man: “Jesus shows us the path of mercy, reconciliation, truth, and gentleness. At the same time, he exposes the violence that can lurk in our words and attitudes: criticism that humiliates, condemnation that destroys, and aggression that divides.”That hidden violence, he continued, “can often disguise itself as a kind of armor, which we use to protect our wounds, our fears, and the suffering caused by injustice.”Over the centuries, Montserrat has grown as living things do — with scars and memory. It has not always been a place of peace. It was plundered, destroyed, abandoned. Yet it always rose again, as if the mountain itself sustained it.Leo XIV concluded by asking that “Mary, Mother of the Church, always guide us to Jesus. I invite you to honor her with these words that you know so well: To the Catalans, you will always be the Princess; to the Spanish people and to the whole world, all our love; say to us: You are my treasure, I am your mother, do not be afraid.”In the abbey cloister, hundreds of people waited eagerly for the pope. Among them was Miguel, a kind-eyed boy who wrote a letter hoping to hand it to the pontiff himself.“He wanted to write it in Italian, even though the pope — as we know — speaks Spanish perfectly,” said his father, also named Miguel. In the letter, he asks nothing for himself or his family. “I would like him to bless all of Ukraine,” said the 9-year-old, an avid reader who currently keeps the greatest of all books on his nightstand. “I’m reading the Bible. I love everything about it,” he said.‘Catalonia without La Moreneta would be nothing’Also waiting for the pope were two nuns from the Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Poor, Sister Ángeles Piqué, from a small town in Lleida, and Sister Doraliza, originally from Cajamarca, Peru. “We need the pope to bring us Christ’s message: unity, fraternity, and to come to the Virgin as our point of reference," Sister Doralizia said.She gave voice to the widespread devotion to the Virgin of Montserrat in this region of Spain. “Catalonia without La Moreneta would be nothing,” she said.“Our Lady of Montserrat is a very special grace. This is her sanctuary, and all her children come here to ask for her protection and to be sheltered under her mantle,” Piqué added.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

unitedyam

After visiting a prison, Pope Leo headed to the Abbey of Montserrat northwest of Barcelona and nestled among towering rock formations that resemble sculpted figures of animals or objects.

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