United Yam – You Never Know

Picture of the day Jim Buckley’s Red Dragon sculpture from 1985 during River Lee flooding, October 2023 #ImageOfTheDay

unitedyam October 31, 2026October 31, 2026

Picture of the day

Jim Buckley’s Red Dragon sculpture from 1985 during River Lee flooding, October 2023

unitedyam October 30, 2026October 30, 2026

A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Philippians
1:18b-26

Brothers and sisters:
As long as in every way, whether in pretense or in truth,
Christ is being proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

Indeed I shall continue to rejoice,
for I know that this will result in deliverance for me
through your prayers and support from the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
My eager expectation and hope
is that I shall not be put to shame in any way,
but that with all boldness, now as always,
Christ will be magnified in my body,
whether by life or by death.
For to me life is Christ, and death is gain.
If I go on living in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me.
And I do not know which I shall choose.
I am caught between the two.
I long to depart this life and be with Christ,
for that is far better.
Yet that I remain in the flesh is more necessary for your benefit.
And this I know with confidence,
that I shall remain and continue in the service of all of you
for your progress and joy in the faith,
so that your boasting in Christ Jesus may abound on account of me
when I come to you again.

From the Gospel according to Luke
14:1, 7-11

On a sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees,
and the people there were observing him carefully.

He told a parable to those who had been invited,
noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table.
“When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet,
do not recline at table in the place of honor.
A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him,
and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say,
‘Give your place to this man,’
and then you would proceed with embarrassment
to take the lowest place.
Rather, when you are invited,
go and take the lowest place
so that when the host comes to you he may say,
‘My friend, move up to a higher position.’
Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table.
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,
but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

The Lord does not intend to give a lesson on etiquette or on the hierarchy of the different authorities. Rather, he insists on a crucial point, that of humility: "Every one who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" (Lk 14: 11). A deeper meaning of this parable also makes us think of the position of the human being in relation to God. The "lowest place" can in fact represent the condition of humanity degraded by sin, a condition from which the Incarnation of the Only-Begotten Son alone can raise it. For this reason Christ himself "took the lowest place in the world the Cross and by this radical humility he redeemed us and constantly comes to our aid" (Encyclical Deus Caritas Est, n. 35).

At the end of the parable Jesus suggests to the Pharisee leader that he invite to his table not his friends, kinsmen or rich neighbours, but rather poorer and more marginalized people who can in no way reciprocate (cf. Lk 14: 13-14), so that the gift may be given freely. The true reward, in fact, will ultimately be given by God, "who governs the world…. We offer him our service only to the extent that we can, and for as long as he grants us the strength" (Encyclical Deus Caritas Est, n. 35). Once again, therefore, let us look to Christ as a model of humility and of giving freely: let us learn from him patience in temptation, meekness in offence, obedience to God in suffering, in the hope that the One who has invited us will say to us: "Friend, go up higher" (cf. Lk 14: 10). Indeed, the true good is being close to him. (Pope Benedict XVI, Angelus, 29 August 2010)

Archbishop in Ecuador announces safety plan following death of priest struck by cross – #Catholic – Cardinal Luis Cabrera, archbishop of Guayaquil in Ecuador, has announced a safety plan aimed at preventing accidents such as the one that claimed the life of Father Patricio Sánchez Molinari, who was killed when a large crucifix broke loose from the sanctuary wall behind him and struck him on the head as he said Mass.The cardinal expressed his gratitude to those who “showed their solidarity through prayers and expressions of affection and appreciation for the community” of the Redemptorist priest, the pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, who passed away on Oct. 17.“As a security measure, and in coordination with the fire department and other state institutions, we will proceed with a technical inspection of the structures of churches and parish buildings, as well as the mountings of religious objects that could potentially cause similar injuries,” Cabrera explained during an Oct. 28 press conference held in anticipation of the Mass marking the 100th anniversary of the feast of Christ the King, which he will celebrate on Saturday, Oct. 31.

Father Patricio Sánchez Molinari. | Credit: Archdiocese of Guayaquil

“Accidents are not planned; they are chance occurrences … Some can be logically foreseen, and appropriate precautions can be taken to avoid them,” he added, noting that “there are 161 parishes, and each parish must ensure that its structures are in good condition.” On Thursday, EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, was told that the archdiocesan technical department, in collaboration with the fire department and other experts, will review the structural, electrical, water flow, and technical aspects of each parish.This will be done, the archdiocese explained, according to the availability of the parish priests who will be present for the inspection, taking into account that with Advent approaching, there is an increase in church activities.What will happen to the cross that fell on Sánchez?Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish told EWTN News Español that the cross that fell on Sánchez has not been put back up. “What the media are saying is false,” the parish noted, referring to some reports stating that the crucifix had been returned to the wall where it had previously hung.Father Pedro Calle, a Redemptorist priest who was in Guayaquil to participate in the novena for Sánchez, told EWTN News Español on Oct. 29 that whether or not the crucifix is put back up “depends on the new parish priest who will be assigned. It is a matter of time and internal organization.”El Niño phenomenonAt the press conference, Cabrera also addressed the El Niño weather phenomenon that is wreaking havoc in Guayaquil with heavy rains. According to the National Secretariat for Risk Management, it is estimated that 32,000 people have been affected by the rains.The cardinal stated that each parish has “a team of volunteers ready to assist those in need. Furthermore, in each of the seven episcopal vicariates, locations have been designated for the collection of food and other supplies.”A collection taken up at the Mass on Saturday, Oct. 31, will assist those affected.The 100th anniversary of the feast of Christ the KingOn Oct. 31, Cabrera will celebrate the Mass to commemorate the feast of Christ the King, established 100 years ago by Pope Pius XI, which left a lasting mark on life in Guayaquil and led to the custom of the faithful adorning their balconies with an image of the Lord and the flag of Ecuador.

Cardinal Luis Cabrera at an Oct. 28, 2026, press conference stands before an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which he blessed and which will be present at the Mass on Oct. 31. | Credit: Archdiocese of Guayaquil

In Ecuador, this feast is celebrated with the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to whom the country was consecrated on March 25, 1874, a consecration that was renewed this June. Ecuador was the first country in the world to be officially consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. At the conclusion of yesterday’s press conference, Cabrera blessed the image that will be displayed during Saturday’s Eucharist.This story was first published by EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English

unitedyam October 30, 2026October 31, 2026

The archbishop of Guayaquil, Ecuador, has announced a safety plan to prevent accidents like the one that claimed the life of Father Patricio Sánchez, who was struck when a cross fell during Mass.

EWTN to end shortwave radio operations after 34 years – #Catholic – EWTN Global Catholic Network (EWTN) will cease the operation of its long-running shortwave radio service this month, EWTN Chairman of the Board and CEO Michael Warsaw announced on Oct. 30.The shortwave service, which has operated under the call sign WEWN since its launch in 1992, will shut down on Oct. 31. EWTN’s board of governors recently confirmed the decision.Warsaw pointed to the decline of shortwave radio consumption as one of the driving factors leading to the station’s closure. A widely used media source in the 20th century, shortwave’s popularity has decreased in the 21st century amid the rapid global uptake in streaming and digital platforms.Operating costs at the WEWN network have been high relative to the declining number of shortwave listeners, Warsaw said, and the aging facility was in need of significant and expensive repairs, which he said would not be a “prudent stewardship of our resources.”“As we shift the use of shortwave to newer and more far-reaching distribution channels, we remain grateful for the co-workers and benefactors who sustained the service for so long,” he said.Among them, Warsaw recalled the late Dutch Catholic entrepreneur Piet Derkson and his wife, Trudy, whose million gift made the construction of WEWN possible and helped Mother Angelica, EWTN’s foundress, advance the network’s mission of sharing the truth of the Gospel around the world.“We are also mindful that it was Shortwave which inspired and allowed the growth of EWTN Radio,” he noted. Since its launch, EWTN Radio has grown to currently broadcast over 600 AM/FM stations worldwide, in addition to airing on satellite and digital platforms. In 2008, EWTN had previously ceased direct shortwave broadcasts to North America. Since then, its English-language shortwave service had reached audiences primarily in Africa and the Middle East. The Spanish-language shortwave coverage was directed to Latin America.EWTN Radio’s content continues to reach these audiences through its digital platforms, online streaming services, mobile applications, podcasts, satellite distribution, and its extensive network of AM/FM affiliates.

unitedyam October 30, 2026October 31, 2026

The global Catholic network has operated a shortwave station since the early 1990s, but high costs and the changing media landscape led to its closure.

EWTN News announces expanded U.S. midterm elections coverage – #Catholic – EWTN News is set to provide expanded coverage of the 2026 midterm elections in the United States, elections that will not only determine which political party controls a majority in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives but also decide other issues of keen interest to Catholic voters across the country.The award-winning team at the global Catholic network’s flagship nightly newscast, “EWTN News Nightly,” will kick off election night coverage at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Nov. 3, with an hourlong, scene-setting special.Anchors Veronica Dudo and Erik Rosales will be joined by EWTN News Vice President and Editorial Director Matthew Bunson, along with correspondents Owen Jensen, Roselle Reyes, Paola Flynn, “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly” host Abi Galván, and other colleagues on election night.At 9 p.m. ET on election night, the network will return to the air with a half-hour special as early results come in. The programming will include coverage of referendums on abortion in Virginia, Nevada, Idaho, and Missouri; key House, Senate, and gubernatorial races; and several other referendum questions Catholics are following closely.Joining the team for analysis of the elections and the issues surrounding it will be Josh Altic of Ballotpedia, political analyst Tim Rosales, Kelsey Pritchard of SBA Pro-Life America, Alejandro Ramos of Ramos Research Institute, and Kristi Hamrick of Students for Life of America, among others."EWTN News offers vital and timely coverage and analysis of the midterm elections from the Catholic perspective,” Bunson said of the coverage.“We provide reporting and commentary across multiple platforms and multiple languages, but above all we deliver professional award-winning journalism that is faithful to Catholic teaching and that touches on all of the issues that are of concern to Catholics,” he said.“EWTN News is uniquely positioned to be the go-to news outlet for a proper understanding of the results of the vote and their implications for Catholics in the United States and around the world,” Bunson added.To Bunson’s point, on Nov. 4, the network will also offer an expanded one-hour edition of “EWTN News Nightly” recapping all of the major results.The coverage will be accessible on multiple platforms, including cable television, YouTube, EWTN.com, Roku, Amazon Fire, and the EWTN app, which is free in the Google Play and Apple stores.

unitedyam October 30, 2026October 31, 2026

Coverage of next week’s U.S. midterm elections by the global Catholic network will be available on multiple platforms.

Catholic sisters’ visit to Buddhist temple stirs controversy in Vietnam #Catholic Vietnamese Catholics are debating the limits of interreligious dialogue following a visit of some 100 Catholic sisters to a Buddhist temple in Ho Chi Minh City.The sisters of the Theological Institute of the Inter-Congregations of Lovers of the Holy Cross learned basic principles of Buddhist prayers and “practiced seated meditations” at the visit to Minh Dang Quang Buddhist Monastery on Oct. 26, according to a UCA News report. Controversy followed after photos circulated online of the visit, the report said. Redemptorist Father Peter Nguyen Van Khai said the visit, which included offering incense and praying in front of a Buddhist statue, was inconsistent with Catholic teaching. “Good subjective intentions are not sufficient to justify an action that is objectively incompatible with the faith,” he said.Number of bishops in Ireland to drop by a third following mergerThe number of Catholic bishops in Ireland could decrease from 26 to 17 after a merger that was decided by Vatican consultations in which Pope Leo XIV participated prior to his election as pope.The merger was planned during a meeting in February 2025 with Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh, Archbishop Dermot Farrell of Dublin, Archbishop Kieran O’Reilly of Cashel and Emly, and Archbishop Francis Duffy of Tuam, according to an Oct. 27 report from the Irish Times. “Since the meeting in Rome held in February 2025, between the four archbishops of Ireland with Cardinal Robert Prevost … the subject of reconfiguration of dioceses within the province of Munster has been on the agenda of the regular meetings of the seven Munster bishops,” a spokesperson for the bishops said in the report, noting a consultative process is underway that could take “a number of years.”At UN, Holy See calls for ‘peaceful uses of outer space’ The apostolic nuncio to the United Nations, Archbishop Christophe El-Kassis, spoke out against the expansion of space activity at the expense of environmental damage at the 81st session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City.“Outer space is a common good entrusted to the responsibility of the entire human family. Its exploration and use hold extraordinary promise for scientific advancement and integral human development,” El-Kassis said in his Oct. 28 statement. “However, it is essential that such progress benefits all peoples, without creating new inequalities or exclusions.” The nuncio further called for “greater international cooperation,” especially so that developing countries may benefit from any possible advances. “The Holy See therefore encourages States to pursue their common efforts to preserve outer space as a realm of peace, stability, and cooperation, for the benefit of present and future generations,” he said.Displaced Christians in southern Lebanon appeal for protection, return homeFamilies from Qouzah, a Christian village in southern Lebanon, are appealing to the Vatican and the United States for help returning to their homes after months of displacement.Residents have called for their village to be protected from further conflict, while Father Antonios Hanna, the parish priest, reported extensive damage to homes and the 120-year-old St. Joseph Church, ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, reported on Oct. 27. Before the latest displacement, approximately 54 families lived in the village. Many now face unemployment, rent payments, and difficulties meeting basic needs. Hanna emphasized that residents want neither conflict nor confrontation but lasting peace that will allow them to return to their homes, churches, and farmland.Syrian curriculum changes spark controversy over religion, womenChanges to Syrian school textbooks have sparked criticism over the removal or alteration of material concerning women, the arts, civic education, and national history.According to documented comparisons of older and revised textbooks, images of women and girls were removed or digitally altered to include Islamic coverings, ACI MENA reported Oct. 26. References to traditional dances, famous artworks, and historical figures were also deleted. Some lessons on citizenship, democracy, and respect for the law were replaced or removed, while changes to historical and geographical references raised further concerns. Critics argue that the revisions promote a narrower religious and cultural perspective at the expense of Syriaʼs diverse heritage. The controversy has renewed debate over the role of education in preserving historical accuracy, encouraging critical thinking, and respecting the countryʼs social and religious diversity.African Church leaders urge quality formation as priestly vocations growCatholic leaders and formation personnel in Africa are calling for careful discernment of candidates, qualified formators, and continuing formation for clergy and laypeople as the continent records growth in priestly vocations.In responses shared with ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, they said the increase in major seminarians calls for attention to candidates’ motivations, human and spiritual maturity, pastoral preparation, and safeguarding. “Rigorous discernment at the entry level should be the norm,” Archbishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama of Abuja, Nigeria, said. “Careful vetting matters more than recruitment drives.” The archbishop further urged psychological and human screening, and for willingness to turn away candidates who are deemed unfit for the priesthood.Bishop reflects on 20 years of faith and service in Arabian PeninsulaAfter nearly two decades of service in the Arabian Peninsula, Swiss Capuchin Bishop Paul Hinder is preparing to return home, carrying with him memories of a diverse and deeply faithful Church.Appointed apostolic vicar of Arabia in 2005 and of Southern Arabia in 2011, he served communities across six countries, visiting Christians in Yemen and witnessing the devotion of migrant Catholics in Saudi Arabia, ACI MENA reported Oct. 23. Hinder helped build more than seven churches, supported the growth of the clergy, and encouraged lay participation, vocations, and Catholic education. He said his most lasting contribution was helping form people, whom he called the “living stones” of the Church. As he departs, he urged the faithful to remain united, resist hatred, and become peacemakers.

unitedyam October 30, 2026October 31, 2026

Catholic sisters visit Buddhist shrine, number of bishops in Ireland to drop by a third, Holy See at U.N. meeting calls for “peaceful uses of outer space,” and more in this week’s world news roundup.

unitedyam October 30, 2026October 30, 2026

Honor religious service by supporting retirement care and needs #Catholic –

The National Religious Retirement Office (NRRO) invites Catholics throughout the Paterson Diocese, N.J., to support the 2026 Retirement Fund for Religious collection on the weekend of Dec. 12-13.

In 2025, Catholics across the Paterson Diocese contributed $222,988.58 to the collection, primarily through their parishes. The Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, also known as the Salesian Sisters; Monastery of Discalced Carmelite Nuns; the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth; the Benedictine Monks of St. Paul’s Abbey; and Xaverian Missionary Fathers received a combined $1,719,725.64 in Direct Care Assistance associated with the 2025 collection.

Nationally, the 2025 collection raised a record-breaking $37.1 million. The latest grant cycle provided $40 million in Direct Care Assistance to 261 religious communities. These funds help cover health care, housing, and daily living expenses, strengthening communities’ ability to provide care in the years ahead.

The need remains substantial. Nearly 19,000 aging religious depend on this support. In 2025, their average annual cost of care was approximately $62,000 per person, while skilled nursing care averaged more than $102,000. The average annual Social Security benefit for a religious was $9,390, compared with $24,856 for the average lay beneficiary.

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“When we give, we thank them for a lifetime of service and make sure they can grow old in peace, dignity, and prayer,” wrote John Knutsen, NRRO director.

Since the collection began in 1988, Catholics have contributed more than $1 billion to the Retirement Fund for Religious. In addition to financial assistance, the NRRO offers educational programs, consultation, and retirement-planning resources to help religious communities address long-term needs.

The NRRO coordinates the annual national appeal for the Retirement Fund for Religious and distributes financial assistance to eligible religious communities. The Conference of Major Superiors of Men, the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops sponsor it.

For more information, visit retiredreligious.org or call 508-685-8899 or email campaign@retiredreligious.org.

– The National Religious Retirement Office (NRRO) invites Catholics throughout the Paterson Diocese, N.J., to support the 2026 Retirement Fund for Religious collection on the weekend of Dec. 12-13. In 2025, Catholics across the Paterson Diocese contributed $222,988.58 to the collection, primarily through their parishes. The Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, also known as the Salesian Sisters; Monastery of Discalced Carmelite Nuns; the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth; the Benedictine Monks of St. Paul’s Abbey; and Xaverian Missionary Fathers received a combined $1,719,725.64 in Direct Care Assistance associated with the 2025 collection. Nationally, the 2025 collection raised a record-breaking

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Captures Eerie Cat’s Head – NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s mid-infrared view reveals intricate structures within the Cat’s Head Nebula, traced by the emission from warm dust and carbon-based molecules excited by starlight.

unitedyam October 30, 2026October 30, 2026

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s mid-infrared view reveals intricate structures within the Cat’s Head Nebula, traced by the emission from warm dust and carbon-based molecules excited by starlight.

Pro-life advocates say they have enough signatures to suspend Massachusetts abortion law #Catholic Pro-life advocates in Massachusetts say they have collected enough signatures to both suspend a far-reaching abortion law there and put the question before voters in the next presidential election cycle. The state earlier this year became the latest in the U.S. to officially remove all limits on abortion. Lawmakers passed a law that permits abortion at any point in pregnancy for any reason; Democratic Gov. Maura Healey signed the bill on Aug. 10. Opponents of abortion subsequently launched an effort to suspend and potentially repeal the law, seeking enough signatures to enact a “veto referendum” that would put the law up for a statewide vote in 2028. The advocates needed to collect about 37,000 signatures to place the measure on the ballot; collecting just under 50,000 signatures, meanwhile, would suspend the law prior to that election. Myrna Maloney Flynn, the president of Massachusetts Citizens for Life, told EWTN News on Oct. 30 that the initiative had collected more than 100,000 signatures toward the effort. The pro-life coalition will deliver the signatures to the Massachusetts secretary of state, she said. “Then we’ll wait for his office to formally confirm the results.” “We do not know how long his office will take to verify,” she said. She said the governor could enact an “emergency preamble” that would nullify the presumptive suspension of the law, though Healey “has not indicated her intentions” in that regard. The governor’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the initiative. Upon its passage, the state abortion measure drew rebuke from the state’s Catholic bishops, who described it as “a radical measure which is gravely immoral.” The advocacy group CatholicVote, meanwhile, called for Healey — who identifies as Catholic — to be excommunicated.“Healey is a Catholic in a state of grave sin. She has publicly and now legislatively cooperated in the destruction of innocent human life,” CatholicVote President Kelsey Reinhardt said at the time.

unitedyam October 30, 2026October 31, 2026

The law will also be put to a vote in the 2028 elections, pending confirmation from the state.

unitedyam October 30, 2026October 30, 2026

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory may have found its first dwarf planet. Orbiting beyond Pluto, the object may also be one of the brightest and biggest in that stretch of the solar system. Matthew Holman, a Rubin operations team member and senior astrophysicist at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, discovered the dwarfContinue reading “Rubin spots possible dwarf planet”

The post Rubin spots possible dwarf planet appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

This California State Park Is a Less-crowded Alternative to Yosemite, With Giant Sequoias and Scenic Trails #Travel Walk among ancient giants at this low-key Sierra Nevada gem.

unitedyam October 30, 2026October 30, 2026

Walk among ancient giants at this low-key Sierra Nevada gem.

unitedyam October 29, 2026October 29, 2026

Picture of the day

A small hoverfly in the sun (female Episyrphus balteatus)

unitedyam October 29, 2026October 29, 2026

Behyar Bakhshandeh from Carlsbad, California The emission nebula IC 1318, also known as the Gamma Cygni Nebula, glows roughly 5,300 light-years away in Cygnus — far beyond Sadr, the bright supergiant star it only appears to surround. The imager spent 24 hours exposing in the Hubble palette (Hα/OIII/SII) plus RGB for the stars, using aContinue reading “A stellar illusion”

The post A stellar illusion appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney’s Schedule: November, 2026 #Catholic –

11/1
Sunday, 3 p.m. Silver and Gold Anniversary Mass – the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Paterson.

11/2
Monday, 9:30 a.m. Mass – All Saints Academy, Parsippany; 5 p.m. Tri County Annual Awards Dinner – honoring Bishop Sweeney.

11/3
Tuesday, 9:35 a.m. Mass – Delbarton School, Morristown.

11/5
Thursday, 6 p.m. Caritas Gala – The Meadow Wood, Randolph.

11/6
Friday, 6:30 p.m. Project Andrew – St. Padre Pio Parish, Paterson.

11/7
Saturday, 8 a.m. Mass for Life & Procession – St. Margaret of Scotland Parish, Morristown.

11/8
Sunday, 10 a.m. Confirmation – Sacred Heart Parish, Rockaway; 3 p.m. Mass – the Diocesan Youth Conference – St. Elizabeth University, Holy Family Chapel, Morristown; 4 p.m. St. James of the Marches Parish, Totowa, Centennial Dinner – The Grand, Totowa.

11/9
Monday, 1 p.m. Deans Meeting.

11/10
Tuesday, 1 p.m. Passaic Deanery Meeting – St. Joseph Parish, Passaic.

11/13
Friday, 8:30 a.m. Mass – St. Vincent Parish, Madison.

11/14–19
Saturday–Thursday USCCB General Assembly, Baltimore, MD.

11/20
Friday, 7 p.m. World Youth Day Pilgrims “Meet & Greet.”

11/22
Sunday, 10:45 p.m. Installation Mass for Father Mateusz Darlak – St. Cecilia Parish, Rockaway.

11/23
Monday, 1 p.m. Presbyteral Council; 6 p.m. Pride in Our Priests Dinner, The Hanover Manor, E. Hanover.

11/24
Tuesday, 9 a.m. Major Superiors Annual Meeting – St. Paul Inside the Walls, Madison.

11/26
Thursday, 9 a.m. Thanksgiving Day Mass – St. Mary Parish, Passaic.

11/29
Sunday, 1 p.m. Mass in Spanish – Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Pompton Plains.

unitedyam October 29, 2026October 29, 2026

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney’s Schedule: November, 2026 #Catholic –

11/1	Sunday, 3 p.m. Silver and Gold Anniversary Mass – the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Paterson.
11/2	Monday, 9:30 a.m. Mass – All Saints Academy, Parsippany; 5 p.m. Tri County Annual Awards Dinner – honoring Bishop Sweeney.
11/3	Tuesday, 9:35 a.m. Mass – Delbarton School, Morristown.
11/5	Thursday, 6 p.m. Caritas Gala – The Meadow Wood, Randolph.
11/6	Friday, 6:30 p.m. Project Andrew – St. Padre Pio Parish, Paterson.
11/7	Saturday, 8 a.m. Mass for Life & Procession – St. Margaret of Scotland Parish, Morristown.
11/8	Sunday, 10 a.m. Confirmation – Sacred Heart Parish, Rockaway; 3 p.m. Mass – the Diocesan Youth Conference – St. Elizabeth University, Holy Family Chapel, Morristown; 4 p.m. St. James of the Marches Parish, Totowa, Centennial Dinner – The Grand, Totowa.
11/9	Monday, 1 p.m. Deans Meeting.
11/10	Tuesday, 1 p.m. Passaic Deanery Meeting – St. Joseph Parish, Passaic.
11/13	Friday, 8:30 a.m. Mass – St. Vincent Parish, Madison.
11/14–19	Saturday–Thursday USCCB General Assembly, Baltimore, MD.
11/20	Friday, 7 p.m. World Youth Day Pilgrims “Meet & Greet.”
11/22	Sunday, 10:45 p.m. Installation Mass for Father Mateusz Darlak – St. Cecilia Parish, Rockaway.
11/23	Monday, 1 p.m. Presbyteral Council; 6 p.m. Pride in Our Priests Dinner, The Hanover Manor, E. Hanover.
11/24	Tuesday, 9 a.m. Major Superiors Annual Meeting – St. Paul Inside the Walls, Madison.
11/26	Thursday, 9 a.m. Thanksgiving Day Mass – St. Mary Parish, Passaic.
11/29	Sunday, 1 p.m. Mass in Spanish – Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Pompton Plains.

– 11/1 Sunday, 3 p.m. Silver and Gold Anniversary Mass – the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Paterson. 11/2 Monday, 9:30 a.m. Mass – All Saints Academy, Parsippany; 5 p.m. Tri County Annual Awards Dinner – honoring Bishop Sweeney. 11/3 Tuesday, 9:35 a.m. Mass – Delbarton School, Morristown. 11/5 Thursday, 6 p.m. Caritas Gala – The Meadow Wood, Randolph. 11/6 Friday, 6:30 p.m. Project Andrew – St. Padre Pio Parish, Paterson. 11/7 Saturday, 8 a.m. Mass for Life & Procession – St. Margaret of Scotland Parish, Morristown. 11/8 Sunday, 10 a.m. Confirmation – Sacred Heart Parish, Rockaway; 3 p.m. Mass

Pro-life group protests Cardinal Cupich’s award to philanthropist, Planned Parenthood donor – #Catholic – Pro-life activists will publicly protest the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Rerum Novarum Banquet based on objections to an award recipient who has donated more than $1 million to organizations that promote abortion access, including Planned Parenthood.The archdiocese announced it will give the Nostra Aetate Award to the billionaire businessman and philanthropist Michael Sacks at the Oct. 29 banquet. He is CEO of the investment firm GCM Grosvenor, the president of Sacks Family Foundation, and a board member of the Obama Foundation.Sacks, through his foundation, has donated to philanthropic efforts related to education, arts, veterans, and other issues. His contributions also include $500,000 to Planned Parenthood of Illinois from 2020 to 2022 and $600,000 to the Prairie State Access Fund in 2026, which was created by Illinois Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker with the help of philanthropists to support the “reproductive health ecosystem” of the state and combat federal restrictions “on abortion and gender affirming care.”Cardinal Blase Cupich, the archbishop of Chicago, has not publicly referenced Sacks’ support for these organizations. Rather, in a statement, he described Sacks as a “well-respected leader in Chicago and in the Jewish community.”His statement explained the Nostra Aetate Award is named after the Second Vatican Council document of the same name, which was intended to build stronger relations with non-Christian religions, including Judaism.“Honoring a leader, shaped by his Jewish faith, for the gifts he brings to society through his leadership, generosity and talent, acknowledges this shared divine heritage, distinct from specific contemporary political or doctrinal disputes,” Cupich said in his statement.Cupich said the honor “recognizes [the personʼs] dignity” and role in the community “without implying an endorsement of every statement or stance” the person has. He said the recognition helps bring about “conditions necessary for principled dialogue” and that such dialogue “cannot occur if respect is contingent upon complete agreement on Church doctrine or political policy.”The primary purpose of the banquet is to raise money for seminarians.‘Scandalizing the faithful’Pushback against Cupich for his decision to give the award to Sacks has come from the Chicago-based Illinois Right to Life, which was founded in 1968 to “honor the dignity and sanctity of human life at all stages.”The pro-life group launched a petition “demanding [Cupich] withdraw his award to Planned Parenthood Financier Michael Sacks,” which has garnered nearly 4,000 signatures as of the day of the banquet.Illinois Right to Life President Mary Kate Zander told EWTN News that the archdiocese has not responded to the petition. Because Cupich stood by his plan to give Sacks the award, the group will hold a protest outside of the IBEW Local 134 in Chicago, where the banquet will be held."Weʼre concerned about the scandal that it creates,” Zander, who is Catholic, told EWTN News when asked about the primary motivation for the protest.In addition to concerns about the funding of organizations that promote abortion access, Illinois Right to Life has noted Sacks in 2013 signed a letter endorsing same-sex marriage and helped organize business leaders to advocate for it, according to local media reports. Equality Illinois, an LGBT advocacy group, gave Sacks its 2015 Equality Illinois Business Leadership Award in recognition of his role.Zander said Cupich is “leading people astray and is scandalizing the faithful” by honoring Sacks. She said “we’re also concerned with this man’s soul” and said the cardinal has a responsibility to “hold people accountable … on their public stances.”Illinois Right to Life alleged granting Sacks the award violates rules set by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).The USCCB document “Catholics in Political Life” states: “The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.”The USCCB did not immediately reply to a request for comment on whether Cupich’s decision violates any USCCB rules. EWTN News also reached out to GCM Grosvenor to request a comment from Sacks but did not receive a response.Cupich doubles downIn his Oct. 26 statement about the Nostra Aetate Award, Cupich acknowledged his decision created backlash but did not mention any concerns related to Sacks’ position on abortion or same-sex marriage.Rather, Cupich said the archdiocese received criticism for its decision to “honor a person who does not hold to core beliefs of the Catholic Church, primary among them being the divinity of Jesus Christ” and said the backlash was about Sacks’ Jewish faith.“Refusing to honor or engage with Jews solely because they hold conflicting religious or political positions can risk mimicking historic patterns of antisemitism through exclusion and bigotry, which, frighteningly, is on the rise,” he said. “Nostra Aetate urges us to be proactive in separating personal and community respect from doctrinal agreement, ensuring that disagreement does not regress into hostility or social ostracization. This we cannot tolerate.”Nostra Aetate states that the Church “decries hatred, persecutions, displays of anti-Semitism, directed against Jews at any time and by anyone.” On the 60th anniversary of the document, Pope Leo XIV said “all of my predecessors have condemned antisemitism with clear words” since the Second Vatican Council, “and so I too confirm that the Church does not tolerate antisemitism and fights against it, on the basis of the Gospel itself.”Cupich’s statement does not name the critics he is referring to. The archdiocese did not immediately respond to an inquiry for clarification. Zander said Illinois Right to Life is “the only organization that has formally put out any kind of statement” about the award and their concern “has nothing to do with that.” She said Cupich’s statement “is confusing for people” who may infer that his decision to double down “is a response to antisemitism” and the disagreement is “an issue of this man not being Catholic.”“[Cupich is] distracting from the fact that this man is clearly a supporter of abortion at a very grand scale,” Zander said. “… He’s trying to distract from the fact that [he is also] a same-sex marriage supporter.”“The cardinal doesn’t want that to be the conversation,” she said. “He wants the conversation to be about that man’s faith background; his ethnic background.”None of the criticisms published by Illinois Right to Life comment on Sacks’ Jewish faith or ethnic identity.Last year, Illinois Right to Life launched a similar campaign against Cupich’s decision to give an award to Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, who consistently voted in favor of abortion access. Durbin, who is Catholic, declined the award amid the backlash, which included criticisms from other bishops.

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Cardinal Blase Cupich said the award is not an endorsement of every stance a person has, but Illinois Right to Life accused him of “scandalizing the faithful” at the Oct. 29 banquet.

Scholars criticize U.S. bishops for comparing proposed census rule to 18th century slave compromise – #Catholic – The U.S. bishops’ opposition to proposed rule changes affecting the 2030 census has provoked sharp criticism from U.S. historians and scholars, especially concerning the assertion that excluding noncitizens in the census count denies their personhood.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the proposed rule changes would remove demographic questions about race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation, and would count for congressional apportionment only citizens and lawful permanent residents.The proposal says “illegal aliens (among others) should not be included in the apportionment count, as they are not true inhabitants, members of the body politic, or persons with a ‘usual residence’ in the United States.”In an Oct. 20 letter submitted to Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, among other points, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ general counsel argued that excluding noncitizens from the apportionment count "is effectively to deny they are ‘persons’.” They wrote that this “denial of personhood recalls the ‘overtly sinful and gravely unjust’ Three-fifths Compromise.”The Three-fifths Compromise was the political deal reached at the 1787 U.S. Constitutional Convention that held the nascent Union together. It set a formula for apportioning seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, which is determined by each state’s population: free persons, including free Black people, counted fully, and “all other persons” (the enslaved population) counted as three-fifths.Several legal scholars and other experts strongly disagreed with the bishops’ comparison.Historian Susan Hanssen of the University of Dallas told EWTN News she thinks the bishops’ reference to the Three-fifths Compromise is “an egregious mis-reading of American history.”“That compromise did not aim at the denial of the personhood of slaves,” she argued, pointing to the compromiseʼs text, which consistently calls both free and enslaved people “persons.” She said the compromise was intended to mitigate “the power of the slave-owning states in the national government, refusing to award them greater political weight based on subjugated populations without a voice or vote.”Hanssen said the Census Bureau’s aims regarding the proposed changes are similarly aimed at mitigating political power, arguing that the bureau is refusing “to grant political clout to states that allow a larger number of undocumented illegal workers to be used for labor without the protection of the law.”David Upham, a constitutional law scholar at the University of Dallas whose work focuses heavily on the 14th Amendment — which established citizenship rights, including the rights to due process and equal protection under the law, particularly for recently freed slaves — told EWTN News that the proposed rule changes do not mean noncitizens are not persons. He called the bishops’ interpretation of persons an “overstatement.” “If that’s the case, every human being not being counted in the census is not a person,” he said, noting that the principal purpose of the census is to count people in order to determine the allocation of political power in the U.S. House of Representatives, whose members are supposed to be selected by the citizens.“The question really is, besides bona fide citizens, what other human beings within the state’s border are counted as members of the people,” he said, and noted the president has the constitutional authority to address the question. “The executive branch has substantial authority to determine whether an individual who isn’t a citizen” should be counted in the census for the purpose of political representation, he said.“I think the danger the Trump administration is seeking to redress is that those states most enthusiastic about encouraging unlawful migrants will, as result of their disinterest in enforcing federal law, receive more votes in Congress and the electoral college,” he said.Harvard Law School constitutional law professor Adrian Vermeule also weighed in, writing on X: “The analogy to slavery is utterly absurd unless the USCCB believes that all distinctions based on citizenship are unjust.”“With all due respect, ‘personhood’ is not a magical trump card that overrides the basic principles of the republican form of government,” he wrote. “One cannot conclude from the bare fact of personhood that anyone and everyone has a right to be counted in the census, to vote, or to stand for office.”“Why exactly should noncitizens with no status be counted for the apportionment of seats in the representative body?” he asked. He suggested the bishops’ public comment “really should be withdrawn” and added that he hopes “cooler heads prevail.”Scholars at various major think tanks were also quick to take aim at the bishops’ personhood argument.Mike Fragoso, a scholar at the Ethics and Public Policy Center’s Constitution, the Courts, and the Culture program, called the bishops “unserious,” while Jay Richards, vice president of social and domestic policy and senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation, called the bishops’ position “absurd.” Andrew Arthur, a former immigration judge and fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, told EWTN News that “our inherent recognition as persons — personhood — does not come from the governmentʼs census as to who is in the country.”“As Catholics, we believe that unborn children are people,” he continued, “but the bishops do not extend their logic to demand that the unborn be counted in the census notwithstanding the fact that a killing that results in the death of a pregnant mother is, in many places, considered to be two murders. Why not?”The proposed rule changes, published Sept. 10, are open to public comment until Nov. 2. The U.S. bishops did not respond to requests for comment on the backlash.

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Many legal scholars and other experts strongly disagreed with the bishops’ claim that excluding noncitizens from the census means they are not persons.

Lord of Miracles celebration in Peru: ‘It’s not enough to attend the procession,’ bishop exhorts – #Catholic – “It’s not enough to come to the procession; it‘s not enough to spend these festive days gathered around the image. What we must do is open our lives to the Lord, who is capable of transforming them,” Auxiliary Bishop Guillermo Elías of Lima, Peru, said during his homily at a well-attended Mass on Oct. 28, the central feast day of the Lord of the Miracles.The feast coincides with the second to the last procession of the “Cristo Moreno” (the dark-skinned Christ). The original image of the Lord of the Miracles was painted by an African slave on an adobe wall around 1651 and survived the massive earthquake of 1655, which was considered miraculous given the scale of destruction. Subsequently, additional miracles were associated with the image.Addressing the sea of devotees gathered outside the Church of the Nazarenas in the historic center of Lima, where the sacred image of the Christ of Pachacamilla (another name for the image) is kept, the prelate posed a question that reached beyond the celebration itself: “Do you come for the miracles of the Lord, or for the Lord who is capable of performing the miracle of your salvation?”Drawing from the day’s Gospel, in which Jesus speaks with Nicodemus about God’s love and eternal life, Elías invited the faithful to look upon the Cristo Moreno with a faith that does not stop at the image itself nor come to an end when the processions conclude.“What is the foundation of your faith? Do you come for the miracles of the Lord or for the Lord who performs miracles?” he reiterated.A faith demonstrated through worksFor Elías, devotion must also be evident in how one treats others. During his homily, he recalled a statement by 20th-century Chilean St. Alberto Hurtado, which was cited by Pope Francis: “Not doing evil is good, but not doing good is evil.”The bishop warned that observing religious practices is not enough if they do not lead to love: “You can do many good things, follow so many precepts, so many good deeds, but if you lack love, it’s not enough,” he stated.He also addressed the violence in Lima and other parts of the country, lamenting that a person could lose his life during an assault or an attack on a bus, and noted that “a city like ours is in great need of our witness.”Faced with this reality, he encouraged the faithful not to remain indifferent. “Let us ask that we, too, may bring salvation by loving the vulnerable, those who have nothing, those who have lost hope, by offering them the very best of ourselves,” he urged.Preparing hearts for Pope Leo XIVElías also touched on the upcoming visit of Pope Leo XIV to Peru, recalling he motto of the trip, “Let us open our hearts,” and asked whether the Peruvian people are truly preparing themselves to receive the pontiff.The call to open your heart, he explained, is not limited to welcoming the pope; rather, it is an invitation to live out Christian values in one’s personal, family, and community life.“Let us open our hearts to the values of the kingdom — to peace, justice, and solidarity,” he stated.The second to the last procession of the image of the Lord of Miracles in 2026 made its way through the center of Lima, reaching Archbishop Loayza National Hospital. This story was first published by EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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Bishop Guillermo Elías urged the faithful to live out a faith that goes beyond processions and translates into acts of love.

U.S. bishops urge Catholic voters: Start with your faith, discern your vote #Catholic Ahead of the contentious 2026 U.S. midterm elections, the U.S. bishops are urging Catholic voters to form their consciences in light of their faith and discern their vote informed by the teachings of the Church. In a video released by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Portland, Oregon, Archbishop Alexander Sample suggested Catholics should think of themselves as “disciples of Jesus first, Americans second … and, if you’re going to belong to a political party, that is third.” “Start with your relationship with Jesus. Start with your faith,” the archbishop said. “And then see how that shapes your view on social and political issues.” The archbishop’s video comes just days before the 2026 U.S. midterms, which could serve as a sharp referendum on U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term, particularly his administration’s launching of a war with Iran, which brought with it major increases in fuel costs and other prices. Multiple U.S. bishops have urged the faithful to pray ahead of the elections, including regarding major ballot initiatives involving abortion and other issues.In his Oct. 26 video, Sample — who serves as the chairman of the U.S. bishops’ religious liberty committee — noted that “none of the political parties” in the U.S. “embody all the Catholic social teaching.” “We don’t start with our party’s political platform,” he said. “We start with Catholic social teaching — the Catholic social doctrine of the Church, and all of those principles of Catholic social teaching.” Conscience ‘tells us to pursue the good’In a related video also released on Oct. 26, Baltimore Archbishop William Lori — who previously served as vice president of the USCCB — said the “importance of a properly formed conscience cannot be overstated.”The archbishop described conscience as “that part of us that tells us to pursue the good and to avoid evil,” a place where “God speaks to us and his word echoes in our hearts.” “It is vital that in this time when there is so much back-and-forth politically, when the news cycles never cease, when life is moving along rapidly — that in the exercise of our citizenship, we would slow down and engage in discernment.” The prelate pointed to St. Paul’s admonishment to “cling to what is good.” He described faithful citizenship as “an invitation to know what the Church teaches and then, when you’re faced with ballot issues or the question of for whom to vote, you’re equipped to engage in prayerful discernment.” He noted that the U.S. bishops issue messages about voting periodically. “[We] have a lot of faith in our people,” he said. The question of faithful citizenship was “never meant to be simply a list of dos and don’ts, or ‘vote this way or vote that way,’” Lori said. “It’s not a voter guide.” Rather, the principle “strives to present a beautiful vision of the United States as the best version of itself.” Archbishop Shelton Fabre of Louisville, Kentucky, meanwhile, in a separate video urged Catholics to keep the “desire to be the best disciple of Jesus Christ” at the center of all their decisions. “We participate in public life and in political life to advance the common good, and to also remind everyone in public life and in politics that the common good and the human dignity of each and every person are paramount,” he said.Some analysts are predicting a major Democratic victory in the 2026 midterms, particularly amid low approval ratings for Trump halfway through his second term.As of Oct. 29 the forecast and election-tracking outlet Decision Desk HQ was predicting likely Democratic victories in both the U.S. House and Senate, including an 80% probability of victory in the House.

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The videos come just days before the 2026 U.S. midterms, which could serve as a referendum on U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term.

unitedyam October 29, 2026October 29, 2026

A sinuous spiral galaxy (center) appears in the same field of view as a vivid gravitational lens (right corner) in this Hubble image.

Rome conference asks whether the Church did enough to resist totalitarian regimes #Catholic A conference in Rome this week examined how the Church addressed totalitarian regimes in the 20th century. The conference “The Holy See in the Face of Totalitarian Systems in the 20th Century: New Perspectives and Research Directions” was held at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome from Oct. 28–29. Over the two days, scholars discussed how the Vatican responded to oppressive governments, particularly from the time of Pope Pius XII to the Second Vatican Council.The Institute of National Remembrance – Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation and the Pontifical Committee of Historical Sciences, which organized the event, also presented a new exhibit at the Gregorian on the 1966 celebrations of the 1,000th anniversary of the Baptism of Poland in 966.Totalitarianism: Temptation to be like GodAs reported by Vatican News, the conference opened with a keynote address from Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who warned nations against asserting themselves in the place of God.“[Totalitarianism] arises from the human temptation to want to ‘be like God,’ to control how humanity lives and thinks, and to impose one’s own ideological convictions on it,” Parolin said.

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin speaks at the conference “The Holy See in the Face of Totalitarian Systems in the 20th Century: New Perspectives and Research Directions,” at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome on Oct. 28, 2026. | Credit: Dariusz Skrzyniarz/Instytut Pamięci Narodowej

He also criticized the tendency of countries to elevate the state and certain constructs in place of religion.“By elevating social class, race, or the state to the altar in God’s place, [totalitarian regimes] sacralized their ideological concepts and created political religions, with their own ‘liturgies,’ prophets, martyrs, and ethical norms,” Parolin added.

A new exhibit commemorating the 1966 celebration of the Baptism of Poland in A.D. 966 was launched at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome on Oct. 28, 2026. | Credit: Ishmael Adibuah/EWTN News

Pius XII’s Vatican and the Nazi regimeAmong the topics discussed at the conference was the Holy See’s stance under Venerable Pius XII toward Nazi Germany during the Second World War, including the Holocaust.Parolin maintained that Pius XII condemned wars in a way “that would not provoke even greater persecution” and that he displayed “a diplomacy of charity on an unprecedented scale.” Others at the conference described the Church’s stance during this period as “sustainable.”

Pope Pius XII and Adolf Hitler. | Credit: Everett Historical/Shutterstock

“I would say that the Church, and the Holy See in particular, did what it considered possible and sustainable during the periods we have discussed, just as it does today,” said Father Nicola Spinato, a theologian from Padua, Italy.“The Holy See and the Church are not simply political actors competing within the political arena. Their role is pastoral and ecclesial,” Spinato added.Vatican totalitarian resistance under Vatican II and John Paul IIDuring the conference, several participants presented on the influence of the Second Vatican Council on the Holy See’s vocal resistance to totalitarian regimes.Spinato presented on how the Church, through the council, formulated its opposition to racism and all forms of discrimination.“The confrontation with the totalitarianism and racism of the 20th century contributed to the development of the Church’s social teaching,” Spinato said.Others noted St. John Paul II’s influence on Vatican diplomacy, particularly in Poland and Latin America.

The Church of Santo Spirito in Sassia has a side chapel dedicated to St. John Paul II. | Credit: Courtney Grogan/EWTN News

“John Paul II actively intervened to end dictatorships and to promote the return to democracy. From April 1-6, 1987, he visited Chile — a trip that would change the country’s history,” Gianni La Bella, a member of the Pontifical Committee of Historical Sciences, said.“Following John Paul’s pilgrimages to Poland in 1983 and 1987, efforts began to overcome the crisis. His influence and laws guaranteeing religious freedom paved the way for Poland and the Holy See to restore full diplomatic relations on July 17, 1989,” Father Albert Warso, a professor at John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, said.

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During the conference, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin also warned nations against the temptation to “be like God.”

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Beyond The Beacon podcast 121: Parishes bring hope, love to Guatemala with mission trip #Catholic –

Members of the parish communities of Notre Dame of Mt. Carmel in Cedar Knolls (Hanover Township) and Resurrection Parish in Randolph join the podcast to discuss a joint mission trip to Guatemala. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish co-host. These mission trip organizers and participants discuss the joys and spiritual rewards of the experience.

Guests include:

Cristina Folan and her husband, Ken Folan. Christina Folan is the director of Communications & Evangelization for Notre Dame of Mt. Carmel, and the two help organize the mission trip for the parish along with Debbie White.
Father Yojan Garcia, pastor of Resurrection Parish, who also serves as director of the Office of Catechesis and Faith Formation for the Diocese of Paterson.
Eric Kalos and Tyler Kalos – a Father and son who are parishioners of Notre Dame of Mt. Carmel.
Terri Janosik, a parishioner at Resurrection Parish and co-coordinator of the mission trip for Resurrection Parish.

Listen or watch the episode here, or on any major podcast platform, or watch it on Bishop Sweeney’s YouTube channel.

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– Members of the parish communities of Notre Dame of Mt. Carmel in Cedar Knolls (Hanover Township) and Resurrection Parish in Randolph join the podcast to discuss a joint mission trip to Guatemala. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish co-host. These mission trip organizers and participants discuss the joys and spiritual rewards of the experience. Guests include: Cristina Folan and her husband, Ken Folan. Christina Folan is the director of Communications & Evangelization for Notre Dame of Mt. Carmel, and the two help organize the mission trip for the parish along with Debbie White. Father Yojan Garcia, pastor

unitedyam October 29, 2026October 30, 2026

Undecided Catholic voters a dependable but swing voting bloc, report finds #Catholic –

WASHINGTON (OSV News) — Undecided Catholic voters are a swing voting bloc, but reliably show up to the polls, a new report found.

The report, conducted by Untold Research on behalf of Network, a Catholic social justice lobby, found “Catholics are swing voters in the truest sense of the term.” It found that just 4% of respondents who described themselves as Catholics and as undecided, uncommitted voters in this election cycle did not vote at all in the past three presidential elections.

Laurie Carafone, Network’s executive director, told OSV News in an interview the group commissioned the report because “many voters, including Catholic voters, are undecided even close to the election, and we wanted just to have a better insight into what issues and factors motivate undecided Catholic voters.”

The report, released Oct. 28, filtered focus-group participants for those who identified as Catholics and said they were undecided in the upcoming elections. Most of the respondents resided in Michigan, they said, a battleground state with a key Senate race ranked as a toss-up by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.

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Catholics are a reliable voting bloc in terms of casting a ballot, the Network report found, but “what they offer in terms of dependability to show up at the polls, they lack in predictability for whom they will pull the lever.”

Nearly three-quarters of respondents said they have voted for both former President Barack Obama and President Donald Trump, “and majorities of uncommitted, undecided Catholics, as a whole, supported both presidents, despite the candidates’ vastly different policy priorities and approaches to governing,” the report said.

Data showing these voters “crossing party lines to vote over the past two decades,” shows they are “open to solutions from both parties,” Carafone said.

The Network report came after a recent Pew Research Center survey found that among all Catholics, 42% said that if the election were held today, they would vote for the Democrat in their House district, 39% said the Republican, while another 19% said they were unsure or would select another party’s candidate. But it also found white Catholics and Hispanic Catholics divide sharply over which party’s candidates they plan to support in the midterms.

Among white Catholics, the Pew survey found, 50% said they would support the Republican candidate, and 32% said the Democrat, with another 18% unsure. Among Hispanic Catholics, 59% said they would support the Democrat, 19% said the Republican candidate, and 21% said they were unsure.

Polls of the general public have consistently found that voters in the 2026 midterm elections report being most motivated by economic or cost-of-living issues. The Network report found undecided Catholic voters are also concerned about these issues, with 80% describing economic issues as having an influence in their decision-making, followed by healthcare at 78% and issues affecting older adults at 77%.

Carafone said the report found “these undecided Catholic voters that were surveyed care deeply about the issues that are at the heart of Catholic social teaching: feeding our families, caring for our loved ones, decent jobs with fair wages, just to name a few.”

“These are issues that are affecting voters and their communities across the country in a very real way,” she said.

Undecided and uncommitted Catholic voters who attend Mass more frequently, she added, “do stand out from the others in this survey group.”

The report found that group “decides whom to vote for later, and they do report stronger religious influence on their views and on the issues that are weighing most, especially if it involves family and children’s issues, and they do lean more Republican and name immigration and race as important issues for them,” she said.

The midterm elections are scheduled for Nov. 3. Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued a statement Oct. 14 reminding the faithful that “for citizens in a representative democracy such as our own, participation in public life — including voting — is both a right and a responsibility.”

Kate Scanlon is a national reporter for OSV News covering Washington. Follow her on X @kgscanlon.

– WASHINGTON (OSV News) — Undecided Catholic voters are a swing voting bloc, but reliably show up to the polls, a new report found. The report, conducted by Untold Research on behalf of Network, a Catholic social justice lobby, found “Catholics are swing voters in the truest sense of the term.” It found that just 4% of respondents who described themselves as Catholics and as undecided, uncommitted voters in this election cycle did not vote at all in the past three presidential elections. Laurie Carafone, Network’s executive director, told OSV News in an interview the group commissioned the report because “many

This Tiny Napa Valley Town Has Over 50 Wineries, Hot Springs, and California’s Own Old Faithful Geyser #Travel Plan a wellness- and wine-focused getaway in Calistoga, California.

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Plan a wellness- and wine-focused getaway in Calistoga, California.

Picture of the day

Cap with curled gills of a Laccaria laccata (deceiver, lackluster laccaria) Focus stack of 13 photos.
#ImageOfTheDay

unitedyam October 28, 2026October 28, 2026

Picture of the day

Cap with curled gills of a Laccaria laccata (deceiver, lackluster laccaria) Focus stack of 13 photos.

unitedyam October 28, 2026October 29, 2026

A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians
6:10-20

Brothers and sisters:
Draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power.
Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm
against the tactics of the Devil.
For our struggle is not with flesh and blood
but with the principalities, with the powers,
with the world rulers of this present darkness,
with the evil spirits in the heavens.
Therefore, put on the armor of God,
that you may be able to resist on the evil day
and, having done everything, to hold your ground.
So stand fast with your loins girded in truth,
clothed with righteousness as a breastplate,
and your feet shod in readiness for the Gospel of peace.
In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield,
to quench all the flaming arrows of the Evil One.
And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God.

With all prayer and supplication,
pray at every opportunity in the Spirit.
To that end, be watchful with all perseverance and supplication
for all the holy ones and also for me,
that speech may be given me to open my mouth,
to make known with boldness the mystery of the Gospel
for which I am an ambassador in chains,
so that I may have the courage to speak as I must.

From the Gospel according to Luke
13:31-35

Some Pharisees came to Jesus and said,
“Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you.”
He replied, “Go and tell that fox,
‘Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow,
and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.
Yet I must continue on my way today, tomorrow, and the following day,
for it is impossible that a prophet should die
outside of Jerusalem.’

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,
how many times I yearned to gather your children together
as a hen gathers her brood under her wings,
but you were unwilling!
Behold, your house will be abandoned.
But I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say,
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

What must I defend myself against? What must I do? “Put on the armour of God”, Paul tells us; that is, what belongs to God defends us, so that we may resist the devil’s wiles. (…) But this generation – and so many others – has been led to believe that the devil is a myth, a figure, an idea, the idea of evil. But the devil exists and we must fight against him. Paul says so, not me! The Word of God says so. But we are not entirely convinced. And then Paul describes what this armour of God is like, what the various parts are that make up this great armour of God. And he says: “Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth”. This is part of God’s armour: the truth. (…) The Christian life is a struggle, a beautiful struggle, because when the Lord triumphs at every stage of our lives, He gives us joy, great happiness: that joy that the Lord has brought about in us, through His freely-give gift of salvation. But yes, we are all a bit lazy, aren’t we, in the struggle, and we let ourselves be carried away by passion, by certain temptations. It is because we are all sinners! But do not lose heart. Take courage and be strong, for the Lord is with us. (Pope Francis, Homily at Santa Marta, 30 October 2014)

Cardinal Tobin asks for prayers as he heads to surgery for mass in kidney – #Catholic – Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin of the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey, is asking the faithful for prayers as he heads into surgery on Oct. 29 to address an issue with a kidney, according to an archdiocesan news release.“I am deeply grateful to the skilled and compassionate medical professionals who are guiding my care and preparing my treatment plan,” Tobin said in an Oct. 28 statement, one day before the surgery.“Above all, I place my complete trust in Christ our Redeemer, whose loving presence sustains me in all things,” Tobin said. “I humbly ask for your prayers and support during this time. God willing, I look forward to resuming my full duties within a few weeks after surgery.”According to the archdiocese, doctors discovered a mass in one of the cardinal’s kidneys and he will undergo surgery to remove it. The announcement states doctors believe the mass is confined to the kidney and are optimistic about his outlook.The news release states the doctor’s examination of the mass after the surgery will determine its nature and guide the cardinalʼs treatment moving forward.The archdiocese did not immediately respond to a request for further comment.

unitedyam October 28, 2026October 28, 2026

Cardinal Joseph Tobin will undergo surgery to remove a mass in a kidney, which will be examined by doctors. The archdiocese said doctors are optimistic about his outlook.

Deadly train accident in Spain: The Church joins in grief – #Catholic – The Spanish Bishops’ Conference (CEE, by its Spanish acronym) and numerous bishops and dioceses have expressed their condolences and dismay at another railway tragedy following the collision of two high-speed trains, which resulted in dozens of deaths on the morning of Oct. 28.The accident occurred in Urda, Toledo province, at around 9 a.m. local time when a Renfe AVE train reportedly rear-ended another train operated by the Iryo company, causing at least two passenger cars of the second train to derail.Authorities have reported a death toll of more than 60, surpassing the number of fatalities in the accident that occurred in Adamuz in January, which claimed the lives of 45 people.Father Fernando Fernández de Bobadilla, the parish priest of Los Yébenes, a town near the site of the accident, spoke to COPE (a radio station owned by the Spanish Bishops’ Conference) from the disaster scene while attending to the victims.“Right now, I’m holding an IV bag in one hand and another bag in the other. It’s horrific,” he said. “They’ve already begun removing the deceased. They place a black wristband on those who have died, a red one on those in critical condition, and a yellow one on those who can be treated. The two people I’m with right now have red wristbands, and I’m waiting for them to be taken away.”In its message, the CEE expressed its “condolences to the families of the victims and prays for the eternal rest of the deceased and for the recovery of the injured,” while also joining “in the grief of those affected.”The bishops called for prayers for all the victims during the religious services of the Christian community, so that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, comforter of the afflicted and queen of peace, the Lord may grant the gift of life to the victims, and hope to their families and all those affected.The CEE also commended to God “all those involved in emergency response efforts, those caring for the injured, and those providing support to the families of the victims.”Many prelates have likewise assured their prayers and closeness in the wake of the event.The archbishop of Toledo and primate of Spain, Francisco Cerro, expressed on behalf of his entire diocesan Church his “profound concern” and closeness to all those affected, assuring that they are offering prayers “for those who have been injured and for all those going through moments of distress and uncertainty as a result of this accident.”The primatial archbishop further stated that nearby parishes, the local vicariate, and the diocesan Caritas “make themselves available to all those affected and their families, to offer them the help, accompaniment, and support they may need during these difficult times.”“The diocesan Church of Toledo, like a house with open doors, joins in the pain and worry that this event is causing, and invites the faithful to lift up their prayers for those affected, their families, and the first responders,” he added.The archbishop of Madrid, Cardinal José Cobo, and the archbishop of Seville, José Ángel Saiz Meneses, have also shared expressions of consternation and prayers via social media. Saiz stated quite directly: “prayer, closeness, and support for the victims and their families.”Meanwhile, the archbishop of Granada, José María Gil Tamayo, also offered his condolences, while the bishop of Getafe, Ginés García Beltrán, prayed “that the Lord may sustain and bring comfort to those affected.”Messages in a similar vein have also been posted by the bishop of León, Luis Ángel de las Heras, who offered “our condolences and our prayers to the God of life” as well as by the bishop of Orihuela-Alicante, José Ignacio Munilla; the bishop of Málaga, José Antonio Satué; and the bishop of Vitoria, Juan Carlos Elizalde, who remarked: “May the Lord be their comfort, and may we, as brothers and sisters, accompany the injured and the families who have lost loved ones during these moments of sorrow.”This story was first published by EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

unitedyam October 28, 2026October 28, 2026

The Spanish Bishops’ Conference, along with numerous bishops and dioceses, expressed condolences and consternation following a railway tragedy that resulted in dozens of deaths.

Pew report challenges narrative on rising religiosity in U.S. – #Catholic – A Pew Research report is pushing back on headlines of religious revival in the U.S. with data showing “mixed signals” among young adults.The Oct. 28 report from Pew Research Center found that while religious practice in the U.S. has “remained stable” since 2020, a survey of young adults about religious practice uncovered “mixed signals.” The report is based on data from Pew’s probability-based, nationally representative 2026 National Public Opinion Reference Survey (NPORS) and the center’s 2025 Cross-Sectional Engagement Survey.Based on a June 2026 survey, Pew found that 34% of adults said they attended a religious service in the past month, while 45% said they either attended or watched a religious service online in the past month. “Both numbers are at their highest levels since the Center started asking these questions in July 2020,” the report said.However, the report said that while young adults born from 2004 to 2008 are reporting “relatively high rates of attendance at religious services,” young adults born from 2000 to 2003 “are the least religious age group when it comes to how often they pray, how important religion is in their lives and how many of them identify with religion.” In addition, the share of the older demographic that say they attend religious services regularly “is among the lowest of any age group.”The report noted that the youngest Republicans attend religious services at higher rates than older Republicans, but that “they are not solely responsible for the high levels of religious attendance among young adults,” and that younger Democrats also reported higher levels of attendance than older ones.The youngest men reported higher levels of religious observance than the youngest women, the report said, noting that “this is something we have not seen before in our surveys.” However, the youngest women did report “relatively high rates” of attendance at religious observance compared with older women.“Moreover, this is not the first time in recent decades that surveys have shown the youngest Americans entering adulthood with relatively high rates of religiousness,” the report said. “When this has happened in the past, the religiousness of the youngest adults has tended to fade with time, leaving them less religious than people in the preceding birth cohort. We have no way of knowing whether today’s youngest adults will follow that pattern or break it.”The report highlighted how findings from other organizations contrast with their own. While Gallup polls showed an increase in young men who identified religion as important to them and who attend religious services, more so than young women, the report noted that “by contrast, an aggregation of Pew Research Center surveys from 2025 and 2026 finds that among people ages 18 to 29, more young men than women attend services regularly, while roughly equal shares of young men and women say religion is very important to them.”

unitedyam October 28, 2026October 28, 2026

A Pew Research Center report found that while religious practice in the U.S. has “remained stable” since 2020, a survey of young adults about religious practice found “mixed signals.”

Coptic youths freed after video sparks accusations of insulting Islam #Catholic After less than three weeks in detention, six Coptic young men — one a minor — were released, bringing to a close a case that had raised fears of sectarian tensions in the countryside of Egypt’s Minya province. The case followed the young men’s posting of a video in which they reenacted a scene from an Egyptian film.In an interview with ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, Nader Shukry, a citizenship researcher and writer specializing in Coptic affairs, described the case and its broader implications. He highlighted challenges around understanding Egyptian law and using social media.Shukry said the young men, who live in Ezbet Tanious in the village of Taha al-Amda, in the Samalut district of Minya, reenacted a scene from the 2018 film “Khalawis.” The scene does not mock religion, he said; it depicts prisoners known for bullying and violence trying to pray without knowing how.Dozens of Egyptian Muslims also reenacted and posted the scene without provoking similar reactions, Shukry said. But when the Coptic young men posted it, one village resident objected and accused them of insulting Islam.The young men deleted the video shortly after posting it because they did not realize some viewers might find it offensive, Shukry said. But incitement continued, prompting security forces to detain them in an effort to contain anger and prevent possible attacks on Christians and their property. He said extremist currents in Minya seek to inflame religious sentiment and create disorder.Shukry said the young men were not held for long once it became clear they had not intended to insult religion. A de-escalation meeting was also held in the village, with the church taking part. He distinguished this meeting from customary reconciliation sessions, saying it aimed to counter incitement on social media and ease tensions among residents.Shukry stressed the danger of attributing an individual’s actions, whether the person is guilty or innocent, to an entire religious community. A citizen should be held accountable for what that person did, he said; Christians as a whole, or an entire village, should not bear responsibility for one person’s actions.He also pointed to pages that publish content insulting Christians without facing legal consequences comparable to those a Christian might face for discussing Islam. The case involving the six young men remains open until the prosecutor general issues a decision to close it, Shukry said, although it has largely concluded in practice. He cited the short length of their detention compared with other cases involving alleged contempt of religion.Shukry urged young people to exercise caution when dealing with religious matters and to avoid discussions that others might exploit or present as insults to religion. He distinguished such discussions from interreligious dialogue conducted by specialists.Egyptian society faces a challenge of awareness, he said, noting that many Christians have previously become involved in cases involving alleged contempt of religion because they were unfamiliar with Egyptian law and how to use social media.This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

unitedyam October 28, 2026October 29, 2026

Coptic researcher urges caution as religious contempt cases persist in Egypt.

China-Vatican deal has imperfections, Vatican’s foreign minister says #Catholic Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican’s secretary for relations with states and international organizations, acknowledged the challenges of the Vatican-China deal on Tuesday.Speaking at an event with journalists in Rome, the British diplomat responded to questions regarding the agreement, Pope Leo XIV’s health, and calls for a ceasefire in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war.The full text of the 2018 agreement between China and the Holy See has never been made public. Under the publicly understood terms of the agreement, the pope retains final authority over episcopal appointments in China and may reject candidates proposed by Beijing. The Holy See, for its part, agreed not to appoint bishops without the Chinese government’s prior approval.As reported by Reuters, Gallagher said that, regarding the agreement, its imperfections were visible.“Itʼs not easy, the dialogue is not easy,” Gallagher said. “The imperfections of the agreement are ⁠evident, but there is a commitment to persevere in dialogue … and that is what will continue to happen.”He also answered questions regarding a potential visit from Leo to the U.S., saying that it could happen “in the not too distant future.”Regarding the pope’s Oct. 13 surgery and subsequent recovery, Gallagher described it as a “bit of a game changer” and a revelation of the pope’s mortality, as with every human being.“[The pope] is a poor mortal like the rest of us,” Gallagher said.In August, Gallagher traveled to Russia to discuss the country’s ongoing war with Ukraine with senior officials. He told journalists that he did not believe the Vatican was involved in discussions of the ceasefire between the two nations.

unitedyam October 28, 2026October 29, 2026

Archbishop Paul Gallagher acknowledged the agreement’s challenges in a meeting with journalists in Rome.

unitedyam October 28, 2026October 28, 2026

Passaic parish honors St. John Paul II at Mass #Catholic –

The Shrine of St. John Paul II/Holy Rosary Parish in Passaic concluded a weeklong celebration of the beloved St. John Paul II on Oct. 25 with a Mass presided over by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney. The Church observes St. John Paul II’s feast day on Oct. 22.

Father Stephen Las, pastor of Holy Rosary, which serves an active Polish community, and Father Michal Dykalski, a parochial vicar, concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Sweeney. The bishop’s visit also included Eucharistic adoration.

St. John Paul II is remembered for guiding the Catholic Church into a new millennium by championing human dignity, traditional moral values, and a vigorous, worldwide new evangelization.

BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI

[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]

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– The Shrine of St. John Paul II/Holy Rosary Parish in Passaic concluded a weeklong celebration of the beloved St. John Paul II on Oct. 25 with a Mass presided over by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney. The Church observes St. John Paul II’s feast day on Oct. 22. Father Stephen Las, pastor of Holy Rosary, which serves an active Polish community, and Father Michal Dykalski, a parochial vicar, concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Sweeney. The bishop’s visit also included Eucharistic adoration. St. John Paul II is remembered for guiding the Catholic Church into a new millennium by championing human dignity, traditional

unitedyam October 28, 2026October 28, 2026

‘Alma Sana, Corazón Libre’ conference brings healing and renewal #Catholic –

On Oct. 24 and 25, the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of the Paterson Diocese gathered at the St. Gerard Majella Parish gym in Paterson, N.J., for its Healing and Deliverance Conference, “Alma Sana, Corazón Libre” (Healthy Soul, Free Heart).

The weekend, held in Spanish, combined praise, Mass, preaching and exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. Father Alexis Coffi, parochial vicar of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Passaic, N.J., celebrated Mass and preached on the heart as the door that lets God in to transform our lives. Osvaldo Fernández led preaching and prayer. Father Yasid Salas, the Renewal’s spiritual director and pastor of St. Therese Parish in Paterson, N.J., preached on how the soul is set free before Jesus in the Eucharist. Los Hijos Del Padre led the music.

Young people asked to join the Renewal, and others came forward to join a prayer group.

“The people left with a different glow: joyful, set free, healed,” said Teresa Amparo, coordinator of the Renewal in the diocese.

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– On Oct. 24 and 25, the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of the Paterson Diocese gathered at the St. Gerard Majella Parish gym in Paterson, N.J., for its Healing and Deliverance Conference, “Alma Sana, Corazón Libre” (Healthy Soul, Free Heart). The weekend, held in Spanish, combined praise, Mass, preaching and exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. Father Alexis Coffi, parochial vicar of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Passaic, N.J., celebrated Mass and preached on the heart as the door that lets God in to transform our lives. Osvaldo Fernández led preaching and prayer. Father Yasid Salas, the Renewal’s spiritual director and pastor

NASA’s Neo Surveyor Sunshade – The large sunshade of NASA’s Near-Earth Object Surveyor mission is inspected by a technician at BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems in Boulder, Colorado, in late July.

unitedyam October 28, 2026October 28, 2026

The large sunshade of NASA’s Near-Earth Object Surveyor mission is inspected by a technician at BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems in Boulder, Colorado, in late July.

unitedyam October 28, 2026October 28, 2026

The Prospero satellite, which launched on Oct. 28, 1971, holds the distinction of being the first and only British satellite to be launched by a British rocket. (The first British satellite launched by any rocket had been Ariel 1, carried to space on a U.S. rocket in 1962.) British engineers developed the Black Arrow carrierContinue reading “Oct. 28, 1971: The U.K. launches a satellite”

The post Oct. 28, 1971: The U.K. launches a satellite appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Christian persecution worsened in 55% of countries assessed, report finds #Catholic LONDON — Oppression of Christians has worsened in 55% of countries assessed according to the latest report from Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) UK, without any country showing an improvement.“Persecuted and Forgotten?” outlines how Christians are being forced from their homes through conflict, extremism, and religiously motivated violence in 18 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America between August 2024 and June 2026.

“Persecuted and Forgotten?” is Aid to the Church in Need UK’s latest report outlining the persecution of Christians in 18 selected countries, Oct. 27, 2026. | Credit: Elliot Hartley

According to research by ACN, 220 million Christians are directly exposed to persecution worldwide. The latest data from Pew Research Center indicates that anti-Christian harassment, ranging from verbal abuse to killings, occurred in 165 countries in 2023, up from 160 in 2021.At the launch of the report in Portcullis House, London, John Pontifex, head of press for ACN UK, told EWTN News: “By virtue of our shared faith, we identify, inevitably, particularly strongly, with those of our brothers and sisters who suffer for their faith, and we recognize that itʼs an accident of birth that sees them in that situation of persecution and us in a situation of much greater liberty.”He added: “There are Christians that suffer persecution in more countries than is the case with any other faith group. Up to 165 countries are those where Christians suffer from discrimination, oppression, or persecution. Thatʼs far more than any other religious group, so we need to share their story, and to tell people, our friends, our family, our parish, our [politicians].”The report outlines how the persecution of Christians by authoritarian regimes has grown to unprecedented levels in countries where there is an anti-West sentiment. Chinese authorities have intensified their oppression of Christians, as they aim to align religious doctrine more closely with communist principles. This has led to mass detentions, clergy being jailed on legal technicalities, churches closing, and online religious content being controlled.The report tells of the persecution in Nicaragua, where the regime increased its crackdown on Christians, arresting and exiling clergy, preventing ordinations, seizing Church institutions, and preventing people entering the country with Bibles. The report also outlines how the arrests of Christians doubled within 12 months in Iran, as crackdowns have intensified.“Weʼre calling on all countries around the world and the U.N. to fully implement Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which enshrines religious freedom,” Pontifex said. “Weʼre not calling for special treatment but simply calling for people to band together, to stop acts of oppression — be it people being kidnapped for their faith, be it people being forced from their jobs for reasons to do with their faith … And indeed, for those who are unfairly tried and sentenced to life imprisonment, for crimes theyʼve not committed,” he said. “Like blasphemy laws, which are arbitrarily enforced. And then recognizing there are people who are often asked to pay the ultimate price. This should stop.”Sub-Saharan Africa was one particular area of focus, listing Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger as territories with the worst extremist attacks since the height of the Daesh (ISIS) violence in the Middle East.The report outlines how jihadist violence in the Sahel region has led to militant groups now controlling 40% of the country. “They often coerce villagers to follow Islamic customs, making women veil their faces in public and men grow beards. Those who refuse are expelled or even publicly executed. Where insurgents allow Christians to practice their faith, this is restricted to inside churches, and it cannot be taught to children,” Pontifex explained.

Attendees at the launch of the Aid to the Church UK’s report “Persecuted and Forgotten?” in Portcullis House, London, Oct. 27, 2026.| Credit: Elliot Hartley

Speaking to the conference about the Christians suffering from this oppression, Caroline Hull, national director of ACN UK, said: “These are people just like you and me. If someone said, ‘Will you give up your faith or I will take your children?’ what would you do? If someone said, ‘Iʼll let you get out of prison if you turn your back on Jesus Christ’? These are fair questions to ask ourselves, and we need to remember that these are people just like us.”In October 2025, receiving an ACN delegation, Pope Leo XIV declared that religious freedom is “a cornerstone of any just society for it safeguards the moral space in which conscience may be informed and exercised… Religious freedom, therefore, is not merely a legal right or a privilege to us granted by governments; it is a foundational condition that makes reconciliation possible.”ACN is a Catholic charity founded to help Christians in need where they are persecuted, oppressed, or in pastoral need through support, charitable work, and generating awareness.On Nov. 18, ACN will celebrate the 10th anniversary of its #RedWednesday campaign, which raises awareness about the persecution of Christians worldwide.The full report is available to read here.

unitedyam October 27, 2026October 28, 2026

Aid to the Church in Need’s new report ““Persecuted and Forgotten?” outlines how Christians were persecuted in 18 countries across the globe between August 2024 and June 2026.

unitedyam October 27, 2026October 27, 2026

Almighty and Eternal God,
Give me, I beseech You,
the great gift of inward peace.
Command the winds and storms
of my unruly passions.
Subdue, by Your grace,
my proneness to love
created things too much.
Give me a love of suffering for Your sake.
make me forbearing and kind to others,
that I may avoid quarrels and contentions.
And teach me constantly to seek after
and to acquire that perfect resignation
to Your Holy Will
which alone brings interior peace.

Amen.

unitedyam October 27, 2026October 28, 2026

A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians
2:19-22

Brothers and sisters:
You are no longer strangers and sojourners,
but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones
and members of the household of God,
built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.
Through him the whole structure is held together
and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;
in him you also are being built together
into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

From the Gospel according to Luke
6:12-16

Jesus went up to the mountain to pray,
and he spent the night in prayer to God.
When day came, he called his disciples to himself,
and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles:
Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew,
James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew,
Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus,
Simon who was called a Zealot,
and Judas the son of James,
and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

The Gospels show us how prayer was fundamental in the relationship between Jesus and his disciples. This can already be seen in the choice of those who would later become the Apostles. Luke places their election in a precise context of prayer, and he says: “In these days he went out to the mountain to pray; and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called his disciples, and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles” (6:12-13). Jesus chooses them after a night of prayer. It seems that there is no criterion in this choice other than prayer, the dialogue of Jesus with the Father. Judging from how those men were to behave, it would seem that the choice was not the best, as they all fled, they left him alone before the Passion; but it is precisely this, especially the presence of Judas, the future betrayer, that demonstrates that those names were inscribed in God’s plan. (…)

From this quick journey through the Gospel, we learn that Jesus not only wants us to pray as he prays, but assures us that, even if our attempts at prayer are completely vain and ineffective, we can always count on his prayer. We must be aware of this: Jesus prays for me. (…) Do not forget: Jesus is praying for me. Now? Now. In the moment of trial, in the moment of sin, even in that moment, Jesus is praying for me with so much love. (Pope Francis, General Audience, 2 June 2021)

Survey: 39% of Catholics have faced racial discrimination, 10% within parish community – #Catholic – A survey of 2,401 Catholic adults found that 39% said they have faced racial discrimination at some point in their lives, and 10% said they have faced racial discrimination within their parish community.The survey was published on Oct. 26 by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA), which is a research center at Georgetown University that produces social scientific studies about the Catholic Church.It found significant differences among racial and ethnic categories, with Indigenous and Black Catholics reporting the highest levels of racial discrimination. Non-Hispanic white Catholics reported the lowest levels of racial discrimination.The survey found that 75% of Indigenous Catholics reported experiences of racial discrimination in their lives. About 15% said they have experienced it in their parishes and 23% have experienced it in Catholic education.It found that 66% of Black Catholics said they have experienced racial discrimination at some point in their lives, with 26% experiencing it in their parish communities and 26% experiencing it in Catholic education.About 54% of Hispanic Catholics reported experiencing racial discrimination in their lives, with 15% saying they have experienced it in their parishes and 16% saying they have experienced it in Catholic education.Among Asian, Pacific Islander, and Native Hawaiian Catholics, 54% said they have experienced racial discrimination in their lives, with 11% saying they experienced it in their parishes and 14% saying they have experienced it in Catholic education.For white non-Hispanic Catholics, 29% reported they have experienced racial discrimination in their lives, with 6% saying they experienced it in their parishes and 7% saying they experienced it in Catholic education.The largest category of respondents was white non-Hispanic Catholics, who made up 49% of those surveyed. About 24% of respondents were Hispanic; 16% were Black; 6% were Asian, Pacific Islander, or Native Hawaiian; 2% were Indigenous; 1% were another race; and 1% were mixed.Ali Mumbach, research assistant for CARA, told EWTN News: “The findings from this report are very revealing about racism in the U.S. Catholic Church.”“There is one group that experiences racial discrimination within the walls of the Catholic Church in the U.S. more than any other,” Mumbach said. “Black Catholics are the most likely to attend a parish that has merged (26%), have experienced racial discrimination in their parish (26%) as well as in Catholic education (26%). Twenty-six percent is 1 in 4 Black Catholics, compared to 1 in 10 adult Catholics in their parish or in Catholic education.”“Based on the findings in this study, adult Catholics are generally in agreement with Church teachings that racism is a sin,” she said. “However, the reality of living out anti-racism within the Church seems to be a different story.”A large majority of each racial and ethnic group said they believe implicit and explicit racism exist in their local communities to some degree. Implicit racism refers to forms of discrimination, such as unfair housing, access to education, and job opportunities. Explicit racism refers to forms of discrimination, such as verbal name calling, being denied services, and racial profiling.The survey found that 17% of Catholics believe implicit racism exists “very much” in their local communities. It found that 33% believe it exists “somewhat,” 28% believe it exists “a little,” and 22% said it does not exist at all in their communities.It found that 19% of Catholics said they believe explicit racism exists “very much” in their local communities, 32% said it exists “somewhat,” 27% said it exists “a little” and 22% said it does not exist at all.White Catholics were the least likely to say explicit and implicit racism exists “very much” in their local communities. Black Catholics were the most likely to say those forms of racism exist “very much” in their communities.Views about racismThe survey also asked respondents about their views on racism, which CARA said is derived from Church documents that condemn and define racism. A majority of each racial and ethnic group strongly or somewhat agreed with each statement.It found 75% of Catholics strongly or somewhat agree it is sinful to “exclude, ridicule, mistreat, or unjustly discriminate against persons on the basis of their race or ethnicity.” It found that 19% neither agree nor disagree and 7% either strongly or somewhat disagree.The survey found that 73% of Catholics strongly or somewhat agree racism can also come in the form of a sin of omission “when individuals, communities, and even churches remain silent and fail to act against racial injustice when it is encountered.” Another 20% neither agree nor disagree and 7% either strongly or somewhat disagree.It found 67% of Catholics strongly or somewhat agree “racism can only end if we contend with the policies and institutional barriers that perpetuate and preserve the inequality — economic and social — that we still see all around us.” Another 24% neither agreed nor disagreed, and 9% either strongly or somewhat disagreed.

unitedyam October 27, 2026October 27, 2026

The survey found that Indigenous and Black Catholics said they have faced racial discrimination at higher levels than other racial and ethnic groups.

Picture of the day

An image of Saint Luke from Grandes Heures d’Anne de Bretagne. Today is the feast day of Saint Luke.
#ImageOfTheDay

unitedyam October 27, 2026October 27, 2026

Picture of the day

An image of Saint Luke from Grandes Heures d’Anne de Bretagne. Today is the feast day of Saint Luke.

World Series stars share how God and the Virgin Mary sustain their careers – #Catholic – The Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays are facing each other in the Major League Baseball World Series in which both teams are seeking their first championship. In the run-up to the fall classic, several superstars from both teams spoke about their faith.Venezuelan outfielder Jackson Chourio put on a great performance in the postseason with the Brewers. At the beginning of October in Game 2 of the National League Division Series, he got a ninth-inning, 2-and-2-count hit off the San Diego Padres' star closer, Mason Miller, driving in two runs for the Brewers and winning the game.Chourio led the Brewers to their first World Series appearance since 1982. He spoke on Oct. 22 with Venezuelan journalist Mari Montes about how his relationship with God has played a vital role in his athletic career. “It’s thanks to him that I am here, and he fills me with so many blessings. How could I not believe?” he said, speaking to El Extrabase on camera.The 22-year-old ballplayer hails from Maracaibo, one of the Venezuelan cities most devoted to the Blessed Virgin. There, every Nov. 18, the city celebrates Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá, the patroness of both the city and the entire state of Zulia. This particular devotion is affectionately known as “la Chinita.”“It means a great deal. All of us from Maracaibo believe. She is always in my prayers; I ask her for so much, that she grant me good health and continue to bestow so many blessings upon me,” Chourio said regarding the Virgin Chinita.Another of the Brewers’ stars is catcher William Contreras, who was born in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela. Immediately after the conclusion of the fourth game of the National League Championship Series in which Milwaukee swept the Los Angeles Dodgers, Contreras knelt at home plate, looked toward to heaven, raised his arms, and exclaimed in a distinctly Venezuelan way: “Thank you, Papa God!”“Throughout these playoffs, I’ve been talking a lot with God, asking him to keep me healthy for the games. This is going to be a huge dream for me and my family. I always go out there to give my best, and that’s what I’ve been talking about with him, asking him to guide me and help me,” Contreras told El Extrabase.The catcher also shared that he is a devotee of the Virgin of Coromoto, the patroness of Venezuela. “She’s the one my mom mentions the most,” he said. Contreras also mentioned the health of Pope Leo XIV, expressing his joy that the Holy Father is recovering extraordinarily well from his recent surgery.Antonio Senzatela, a Venezuelan pitcher for the Brewers, also mentioned that he thanks God every day for having gotten to this point in his career. “I am a man of deep faith; I’ve gone to church since I was a little boy, that’s what my mom and dad taught me,” he said.“Life has taken things away from me. He has taken things away; my mom and dad are no longer with me but I have a wife who loves me and wonderful children. I feel grateful to God for everything he gives me. There are difficult moments, but he also gives me many moments to laugh and be happy,” he added.Similarly, Néstor Corredor, a key member of the Brewers’ coaching staff, shared that, until recently, he “called himself an atheist.” The Venezuelan noted that he did not have a “complete faith” but that in recent years, he has sought to understand God’s presence in his life.“Every time you wake up in the morning, you have to thank God, because he’s the one who allowed you to wake up. For me, every single day, the first words I speak before checking my phone, before talking to my wife, and before seeing my children, are directed to God. Knowing that he is listening, wherever it may be, and that when you surrender yourself to him, you will be blessed and in 2026, I have been quite blessed,” he remarked.Corredor, Chourio, Contreras, and Senzatela were all part of the Venezuelan national team roster that won the World Baseball Classic title in March after defeating a U.S. team packed with superstars.On the other side is Víctor Mesa Jr., a young Cuban outfielder for the Tampa Bay Rays. Before playing in his first World Series, Mesa reflected on his youth in Cuba, noting that faith is not a value that is typically instilled there.“Since I arrived here I believe more. If I am here, it’s for a reason, I have always said that. That is one of my favorite sayings: Everything happens for a reason and thank God because look what more beautiful reason is this,” he commented.This story was first published by EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

unitedyam October 27, 2026October 27, 2026

Big leaguers from Milwaukee and Tampa Bay share how their faith in God and the Virgin Mary inspires them as they compete for their first World Series title.

U.S. bishops urge Census Bureau to withdraw proposed rule changes – #Catholic – U.S. bishops are opposing proposed Census Bureau rule changes that would determine who is counted for congressional apportionment in the 2030 census, arguing that excluding noncitizens without lawful permanent resident status would effectively deny them recognition as persons.The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued a public comment on Oct. 22 to the Commerce Department, which houses the Census Bureau, asking it to entirely withdraw the proposed changes, which the bishops say “conflict with our fundamental belief in the equal dignity of every person, the obligations of a just society, and legal precedent.”The bishops compared the proposal to the Three-Fifths Compromise, calling to mind a constitutional provision rooted in slavery that was later changed and counted enslaved people as three-fifths of a person for purposes of congressional representation. They pointed to potential harm to federally funded healthcare, anti-poverty, family support, and infrastructure programs if millions of people are excluded from the census count.The proposed rule changes, published Sept. 10 and open to public comment until Nov. 2, would count only citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPRs) for apportionment, with the bureau stating that “illegal aliens (among others) should not be included in the apportionment count, as they are not true inhabitants, members of the body politic, or persons with a ‘usual residence’ in the United States due to their lack of a sufficient tie and allegiance to the United States.”“Excluding from the census noncitizens without LPR status, including but not limited to members of the undocumented population, is effectively to deny they are ‘persons,’” the letter said.The bishops called this change a “novel view,” challenging the Census Bureau’s interpretation of “usual residence,” which it says would generally be the place where a person lawfully spent the greatest number of days from Jan. 3 to April 1, consistent with tax records. The letter also notes some drafting ambiguity in the proposal about whether non-LPRs would be excluded from the census entirely or only from the apportionment base.The bishops say relying on tax records without a clear methodology will be statistically impractical and risks inaccuracy, arguing that additional questions or new practices will become necessary to determine whether a person’s “usual residence” conforms with their legal immigration status. They cite research findings published by the U.S. Census Bureau showing “an adverse effect on response rate” when immigration status and citizenship questions are scrutinized.They noted that every census since it began in 1790 has counted noncitizens, including those without permanent legal status.The bishops also wrote that in addition to its primary purpose of determining the number of seats allotted to each state in the U.S. House of Representatives, which is determined by population, the census, mandated by the U.S. Constitution, produces data used to apportion federal funds to communities.An undercount could severely harm the common good, the bishops argue, as programs that receive trillions in federal funding to provide healthcare, reduce poverty, support families, and provide crucial infrastructure utilized by all citizens will be impacted through excluding millions of persons from the apportionment count.They note that Catholic ministries, which often operate at the government’s request to help implement programs guided by census data, would be hindered in their service to vulnerable populations if communities lose access to resources and if the data needed to understand local needs is less accurate.The Census Bureau in the proposed rule change is also seeking to prohibit demographic questions concerning race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation on questionnaires used to count the population, supporting the change by citing privacy concerns, saying certain questions may make individuals more identifiable, and noting that fewer questions on the census questionnaire will increase the response rate. The bureau also argues such questions do not advance the core constitutional purpose of a census for apportionment of House seats.The bishops suggest including a “prefer not to disclose” option rather than removing questions about race and ethnicity altogether, writing that “demographic data can help identify and address inequity” due to racism. They note that the bureau “does not even attempt to address how the proposed restrictions on the collection of demographic information could adversely impact” the support various communities receive based on their particular community’s needs, which demographic data collected on the census helps determine.The U.S. Census Bureau did not immediately respond to EWTN News’ request for comment.

unitedyam October 27, 2026October 27, 2026

The proposed rule changes, open to public comment until Nov. 2, would count only citizens and lawful permanent residents in the census and would remove some demographic questions.

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Scientists believe they may finally have an explanation for a bizarre cloud that appears and promptly disappears each day above a martian volcano during the dusty season. Just after sunrise during spring and summer on Mars, an elongated cloud forms near the 12-mile-high (20 kilometers) volcano Arsia Mons. Stretching roughly 1,100 miles (1,800 km) inContinue reading “The weird science behind Mars’ weirdest cloud”

The post The weird science behind Mars’ weirdest cloud appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Archbishop Gomez to be recognized for his work in U.S. Hispanic ministry #Catholic Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles will receive the Encuentros Award, an honor presented by the Subcommittee on Hispanic/Latino Affairs of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) that recognizes individuals who “have made significant contributions to Hispanic/Latino ministry” in the country.In an Oct. 23 statement, the USCCB noted that the award was announced by Bishop Óscar Cantú of San José, California, chair of the USCCB’s Subcommittee on Hispanic/Latino Affairs, during the 2026 annual conference of the National Catholic Association of Diocesan Directors for Hispanic Ministry.The conference, held Oct. 20–23 in Anaheim, California, brought together hundreds of leaders in Hispanic ministry from dioceses across the United States.According to the statement, Cantú noted that Gomez “has advocated for the Hispanic community for decades. He has been a tireless champion for the Catholic Church and specifically for Hispanic Catholics, highlighting the gifts that they bring to the Church in the United States.”“With the Encuentros Award, we wish to recognize his work and express our heartfelt appreciation for everything he has done across many years,” Cantú stated.Gomez will receive the Encuentros Award during the U.S. bishops’ plenary assembly in November, which will take place in Baltimore.The life of Archbishop José H. GomezBorn in Monterrey in Nuevo León state in Mexico on Dec. 26, 1951, Gomez has three older sisters and one younger sister. His parents are Dr. José H. Gomez and Esperanza Velasco, according to a biography published by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.He was ordained a priest of the Prelature of Opus Dei on Aug. 15, 1978, at the Shrine of Torreciudad in Spain.Having studied accounting, philosophy, and theology, he earned a doctorate in theology from the University of Navarra in Spain.He subsequently served as a priest in the Archdiocese of San Antonio and in what is now the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.In 2001, he was appointed auxiliary bishop of Denver by Pope John Paul II. Four years later, again by the decision of the Polish saint, he became the archbishop of San Antonio.In 2010, he was appointed coadjutor archbishop of Los Angeles by Pope Benedict XVI and installed as archbishop in March 2011.He served as president of the USCCB from 2019 to 2022, becoming the first Hispanic and the first immigrant to assume leadership of the U.S. episcopate. Gomez is a naturalized American citizen. This story was first published by EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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The archbishop of Los Angeles will receive the award at the fall meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

unitedyam October 27, 2026October 27, 2026

The Diocesan Ministries Appeal 2026: ‘Be a Good Samaritan’ #Catholic –

Each year, our Diocesan Ministries Appeal has a theme that is meant to emphasize the connection between the work of the Appeal and our shared responsibility to live the Gospel message of charity, especially to those in need. I think this year’s theme – Be A Good Samaritan – perfectly encapsulates that idea.

BISHOP KEVIN J. SWEENEY

We have all heard the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk. 10:25-37), and perhaps we have heard it so often that its impact could be unintentionally dulled through repetition. Even so, I ask you to join me in reflecting on it again because the story, while familiar, is both timeless and timely.

Remember first that the Parable of the Good Samaritan is told in response to a question from a ‘scholar of the law’ who asks, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus begins the parable by painting a picture of a man who was robbed, beaten, and left for dead by the side of the road. He was not simply confronted by a nervous pickpocket or a beggar asking for alms. These robbers were ruthless. It was a scene of sudden, shocking, and extreme violence. It is important to reflect on that, given that what happens next in the parable could not be more opposite.

After the bloody confrontation, a priest walks by and sees the broken body in front of him. His response was not one of action. His response was deliberate passivity to the scene in front of him. He did not offer help or even speak any words of comfort. Instead, he crossed the road and continued on his way. A Levite came up to the man, and he also took no action, offered no assistance, crossed the road, and continued on his way. Neither the priest nor the Levite were blind to the man. They saw him – and chose to ignore his suffering. But their apathy did not erase the reality of the battered man’s desperate plight.

Another man traveling on the road – a Samaritan – encountered the victim. Instead of turning away from such an awful scene, he was “moved with compassion at the sight,” unlike the priest and Levite. Also, unlike the other two men, he took action. He went right up to the victim and cleaned and bandaged his wounds, physically lifted him up on his animal, took him to an inn, and cared for him. He even paid for his care at the inn until he was healed.

Jesus was clearly making the point that our neighbors are often people who are hurting, wounded, and suffering, and need our tender, loving care. Sometimes the pain of our neighbors is physical, sometimes it is situational, sometimes it is emotional. But it is always a wound that needs our attention, not our apathy. Crossing to the other side of the road is not the path to choose.

In this parable, Jesus was not being subtle in emphasizing that our neighbors are everyone in the human family. In biblical times, a Samaritan was someone who was despised and considered untrustworthy. They were untouchables, shunned by society and to be avoided at all costs. Yet it was this pariah, this outcast, who showed love and compassion to a man who was likely taught to look down on him. It was the Samaritan who was the model to emulate. For people at that time to hear of a Samaritan in such a positive light must have been shocking. It was Jesus’ way of teaching us all that the stranger, the passerby, – the anonymous person – is our neighbor, and we must love our neighbors as ourselves.

The goal of our Diocesan Ministries Appeal is to serve our neighbors by helping to fund important ministries and programs throughout our Diocese of Paterson. I just recently blessed the newly renovated Father English Food Pantry in Paterson, which received $600,000 from the Appeal to help toward these efforts. The interior has been reconfigured to provide additional aisles for food and clothing. It has a space for guests to speak with social workers to address emergency needs. There are classrooms for English as a Second Language courses and computer classes so clients can enhance their skills and future opportunities. Your support of the Appeal is helping your neighbors in need.

Who are some other neighbors you help when you support the Diocesan Ministries Appeal?

They are veterans facing homelessness. They are adults with disabilities living in our group homes and being shown dignity and respect. They are shut-ins being helped through our Meals on Wheels program. They are men and women hoping for a second chance at life through our programs that address addictions and substance abuse. In fact, there are dozens of unique Catholic Charities programs and ministries that receive support from the Diocesan Ministries Appeal each year with your support.

The Appeal also funds seminarian education so those men in formation for priesthood can focus solely on their studies and on their spiritual, pastoral, and human development. The Appeal assists inner-city Catholic education as well as senior priests’ healthcare needs, helping to support Nazareth Village, the residence for retired diocesan priests in Chester.

Your gift to the Appeal negates the passivity of the priest and Levite in the parable. Through your affirmative response and generosity, you are “taking action” as a modern-day Good Samaritan. You take to heart the words of Jesus at the end of the parable when he says, “Go and do likewise” (Lk. 10:37). Your support of the Appeal helps to bring compassion and comfort to the wounded person on the side of the road who is in need. You live out your faith in concrete ways and are a priceless gift to the Lord and his people. I am grateful for your generosity, and may God bless you always!

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– Each year, our Diocesan Ministries Appeal has a theme that is meant to emphasize the connection between the work of the Appeal and our shared responsibility to live the Gospel message of charity, especially to those in need. I think this year’s theme – Be A Good Samaritan – perfectly encapsulates that idea. BISHOP KEVIN J. SWEENEY We have all heard the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk. 10:25-37), and perhaps we have heard it so often that its impact could be unintentionally dulled through repetition. Even so, I ask you to join me in reflecting on it again because

10 Best Colorado Mountain Towns to Visit Year-round, According to a Lifelong Local #Travel Charming Main Streets, Rocky Mountain views, and great skiing and snowboarding await.

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Charming Main Streets, Rocky Mountain views, and great skiing and snowboarding await.

unitedyam October 27, 2026October 27, 2026

Diocese of Metuchen welcomes its sixth shepherd #Catholic –

The people of Metuchen were overjoyed to welcome the Most Reverend Michael Arsenio Saporito as their sixth Bishop during an installation Mass held Oct. 22 in Sacred Heart Parish, South Plainfield. Representatives from parishes, schools, religious, lay and civil organizations were joined by clergy and civil dignitaries from throughout the state and beyond to witness the newest shepherd of the central New Jersey diocese.

Steeped in beauty and symbolism, the reception of the Bishop Designate began with his knock on the center door of the church. It was opened from within by Father Jonathan S. Toborowsky, diocesan administrator; Father Timothy A. Christy, Cathedral rector, and Father Edmund A. Luciano, pastor of the host parish, on behalf of the clergy, religious and faithful of the Diocese. Father Toborowsky presented Bishop-Designate Saporito with a crucifix resting upon a pillow to reverence, then he sprinkled holy water on those in the narthex. Numerous bishops of New Jersey joined other clergy in the procession, including Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M. of Trenton; Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney of Paterson; Bishop Joseph A. Williams of Camden, and Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, CSsR, of Newark.

His Excellency the Most Reverend Gabriele Giordano Caccia, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States of America, read the papal mandate from Pope Leo XIV naming Bishop Saporito the spiritual head of the Metuchen Diocese. Archbishop Caccia noted that the Mass coincided with the feast day of St. Pope John Paul II, who established the Diocese 45 years ago.

Bishop Saporito, smiling broadly, presented the mandate to the Diocesan College of Consultors, then, holding it aloft, walked throughout the church so that the faithful might see the Pope’s declaration up close. The bishops in the sanctuary extended a sign of peace, then Archbishop Caccia and Cardinal Tobin presented the new Bishop of Metuchen his cathedra and crozier.

Bishop Saporito began his homily recalling the advice by St. Pope John Paul II at his Oct. 22, 1978, inaugural Mass in St. Peter’s Square: Do not be afraid. Open wide the doors to Christ. The bishop’s own motto was inspired by the Gospel of John wherein Jesus had eaten breakfast with them and told them: Feed My Sheep.

“Our mission together in proclaiming the Good News … allows us to focus on three things: the meal, the mercy, and the mission,” said the Bishop. “Jesus used meals as places of encounter with others, he shared food and opened his heart, [and] here the word is proclaimed.” The meal, or Eucharist “fills our hearts and lives, joins us as one family, takes what we have received and offers it to the world… Jesus sought to touch people’s hearts, and so must we.”

Mercy, the Bishop continued, “frees us from shackles of our own sins. During the Jubilee Year of Mercy, my own sense of mercy expanded. We come to Jesus in distress, profound suffering, brokenness, and misery, and he offers freedom and redemption regardless of the baggage. I often picture the gaze of Jesus at Peter; that’s why the song is entitled ‘Amazing Grace’: he lets yesterday go so we can embrace tomorrow with joy. We are not perfect, but all can stand tall by his grace.”

Bishop Saporito cautioned the congregation not to simply fulfill the bare minimums of their faith, but rather to embrace the mission of holiness. “Purpose ignites a passion and a hope within us, for living and meaning and purpose all of our days. We know a better way, let’s show others what we know, let’s lead others to what we know.”

He continued, “It is not enough for us to simply maintain what we have, we must have a heart that aches for those who are missing… Become a Church that does not wait for people to find us, but we should risk leaving the shores of own comfort and seek out the missing. The mission of the Church must go beyond those already here.”

His voice rising in volume and intensity, Bishop Saporito issued a challenge to his new flock. Referring to his new ceremonial chair, or cathedra, he admitted, “Today I sit in a chair that is not mine to keep, but mine to steward, after the command of Christ for a time. Let us take advantage of it together.

“My new sisters and brothers of Metuchen, let us set out together to be a people of the Eucharist, a people of Mercy and a people on a mission,” he concluded. “The waiting is over, and responding to the call now begins. Let us not be afraid, let us open wide the doors to Christ. Amen?” he asked them. They answered with a loud, fervent, “AMEN!!” and resounding applause.

This article appears in the Metuchen Diocese’s October special supplement, “With Open Hearts,” welcoming Bishop Saporito as their new shepherd. Christina Leslie is a contributing editor and correspondent for The Catholic Spirit, the official newspaper of the Diocese of Metuchen in New Jersey.

PHOTOS | HAL BROWN PHOTOGRAPHY

[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]

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– The people of Metuchen were overjoyed to welcome the Most Reverend Michael Arsenio Saporito as their sixth Bishop during an installation Mass held Oct. 22 in Sacred Heart Parish, South Plainfield. Representatives from parishes, schools, religious, lay and civil organizations were joined by clergy and civil dignitaries from throughout the state and beyond to witness the newest shepherd of the central New Jersey diocese. Steeped in beauty and symbolism, the reception of the Bishop Designate began with his knock on the center door of the church. It was opened from within by Father Jonathan S. Toborowsky, diocesan administrator; Father Timothy

Riots Fizzle Out As French Refuse To Protest More Than 32 Hours Per Week #BabylonBee – PARIS — Fiery riots across the country ended suddenly on Saturday when participants refused to protest more than 32 hours in a given week.

unitedyam October 27, 2026

PARIS — Fiery riots across the country ended suddenly on Saturday when participants refused to protest more than 32 hours in a given week.

Newsom Touts California As The Only State Where You Can See A Homeless Man Defecating On A Beach And On A Mountain In The Same Day #BabylonBee – SACRAMENTO, CA — Ahead of the midterms, Governor Gavin Newsom once again touted California as the only state where you can see a homeless man defecating on a beach and on a mountain in the same day.

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SACRAMENTO, CA — Ahead of the midterms, Governor Gavin Newsom once again touted California as the only state where you can see a homeless man defecating on a beach and on a mountain in the same day.

NASA’s X-59 Aircraft and Test Pilot – NASA test pilot Mike Lippert poses for a photo ahead of his first time flying the agency’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft on Oct. 21, 2026.

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NASA test pilot Mike Lippert poses for a photo ahead of his first time flying the agency’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft on Oct. 21, 2026.

Discover the ‘Pennsylvania Grand Canyon,’ a 47-mile-long Gorge With Breathtaking Scenery in the Northeast #Travel Brace yourself for jaw-dropping views without the desert heat.

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Brace yourself for jaw-dropping views without the desert heat.

Older Posts

Picture of the day Jim Buckley’s Red Dragon sculpture from 1985 during River Lee flooding, October 2023 #ImageOfTheDay

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NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Captures Eerie Cat’s Head – NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s mid-infrared view reveals intricate structures within the Cat’s Head Nebula, traced by the emission from warm dust and carbon-based molecules excited by starlight.

Rubin spots possible dwarf planet

This California State Park Is a Less-crowded Alternative to Yosemite, With Giant Sequoias and Scenic Trails #Travel Walk among ancient giants at this low-key Sierra Nevada gem.

Picture of the day A small hoverfly in the sun (female Episyrphus balteatus) #ImageOfTheDay

A stellar illusion

NASA’s Hubble Marks Way for Roman Space Telescope – A sinuous spiral galaxy (center) appears in the same field of view as a vivid gravitational lens (right corner) in this Hubble image.

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This Tiny Napa Valley Town Has Over 50 Wineries, Hot Springs, and California’s Own Old Faithful Geyser #Travel Plan a wellness- and wine-focused getaway in Calistoga, California.

Picture of the day Cap with curled gills of a Laccaria laccata (deceiver, lackluster laccaria) Focus stack of 13 photos. #ImageOfTheDay

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NASA’s Neo Surveyor Sunshade – The large sunshade of NASA’s Near-Earth Object Surveyor mission is inspected by a technician at BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems in Boulder, Colorado, in late July.

Oct. 28, 1971: The U.K. launches a satellite

Picture of the day An image of Saint Luke from Grandes Heures d’Anne de Bretagne. Today is the feast day of Saint Luke. #ImageOfTheDay

The weird science behind Mars’ weirdest cloud

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10 Best Colorado Mountain Towns to Visit Year-round, According to a Lifelong Local #Travel Charming Main Streets, Rocky Mountain views, and great skiing and snowboarding await.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Riots Fizzle Out As French Refuse To Protest More Than 32 Hours Per Week #BabylonBee – PARIS — Fiery riots across the country ended suddenly on Saturday when participants refused to protest more than 32 hours in a given week.

NASA’s X-59 Aircraft and Test Pilot – NASA test pilot Mike Lippert poses for a photo ahead of his first time flying the agency’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft on Oct. 21, 2026.

Discover the ‘Pennsylvania Grand Canyon,’ a 47-mile-long Gorge With Breathtaking Scenery in the Northeast #Travel Brace yourself for jaw-dropping views without the desert heat.