A national annual collection supporting The Catholic University of America dates back over 50 years and is organized through the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. This year, Bishop Michael Martin has added support for Belmont Abbey College to the collection, with undesignated gifts to be divided equally between the two institutions.

The Belmont Abbey College portion will be placed in an endowment to provide tuition assistance for Catholic students from the Diocese of Charlotte, helping strengthen the future of the region’s only Catholic college.

Founded in 1876 by Benedictine monks, Belmont Abbey College has been a cornerstone of Catholicism in North Carolina – founding and staffing churches and schools, educating generations of Catholic laypeople, forming future priests and deacons, preparing educators for Catholic schools, supporting parish ministries, and serving as a center for Catholic intellectual, cultural and spiritual life. Through its Benedictine tradition of prayer, learning and hospitality, the college continues to strengthen the Church’s mission of evangelization throughout western North Carolina.

In a letter to the diocese’s clergy announcing the special collection, Bishop Martin praised Belmont Abbey College as “a blessing for Catholic life in our region for 150 years.”

The special collection, he wrote, “allows the diocese to collectively offer our thanks to our Benedictine brothers of Belmont Abbey for the role that they have played in the history and life of western North Carolina.”

Belmont Abbey’s president Dr. Jeff Talley thanked the bishop and the diocese for this new special collection. “It demonstrates Bishop Martin’s and the Diocese of Charlotte’s love and support for Belmont Abbey College as we continue to educate priests, deacons and laity for service to the Church and the world,” he said.

Donors who wish to direct their gift entirely to either institution may do so by mailing their contribution to the Diocese of Charlotte with the desired college noted in the memo line. Mail to: Diocese of Charlotte, 1123 S. Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203-4003.

To give online to the Belmont Abbey College collection, go to https://belmontabbeycollege.givevirtuous.org/donate/recurring-gift-page.

— Catholic News Herald

Celebrating the Feast of the Assumption Aug. 15, the pope said the artistic depictions of a youthful Mary ascending to heaven stand in stark contrast to the reality of aging that all people experience.

"The glorification of Mary, body and soul, teaches us that our true beauty does not lie in hiding the signs of aging, but in revealing the signs of love that never end, and are even impressed on our flesh," he said.

"With this in mind, we are invited to reexamine many of the aesthetic standards, predominantly hedonistic and consumerist in nature, that the world imposes on us," he added.

Pope Leo, who is staying at the papal residence in Castel Gandolfo Aug. 12-18, celebrated Mass at the parish of St. Thomas of Villanova. The 17th-century church, named after the Spanish Augustinian friar, was designed by the famed Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini and is the only pontifical parish located outside the Vatican.

The parish's celebration of the Marian feast day was a tradition started by St. John XXIII and continued by St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. Although Pope Francis broke with custom by staying in Rome during the summer, Pope Leo XIV revived the practice.

In his homily, the pope began by reflecting on the day's first reading from the Book of Revelation. The reading's description of "a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet," he said, signified "that in Mary's heart, heaven and earth, time and eternity, meet."

To understand what one has in common "with the beautiful young woman depicted on the altarpieces of our churches," the pope said Christians must "unite the two signs we have mentioned: the incorrupt body of the Mother of God and her immaculate heart."

"For it is the purity of the soul that, in Mary -- as in us -- by the grace of God, illuminates and transfigures the whole person, leading us to the glory of Heaven," he said.

Reflecting on modern beauty standards, Pope Leo said they "risk trapping us in burdensome expectations, causing us to waste precious energy on what does not really matter and does not last forever."

"In everyday life, we encounter people whose faces are marked by the years and by suffering, yet who are capable of radiating serenity, kindness and peace around them; just as we may observe others who are perhaps outwardly attractive but hard and cold at heart," he said. "It is easy to see where true beauty lies and where, on the other hand, there is still a need for conversion, forgiveness and healing."

In order "to discover and nurture" divine beauty, the pope continued, Christians must learn to see it in "the wrinkles of an elderly person as in the tender face of a child as well, in the maturity of an adult as in the liveliness of a young person as well, in work clothes and tools as well as in festive decorations."

Each of those realities, he added, contains unique stories of love that offer "small glimpses of heaven."

"Love is humanity's most beautiful adornment," the pope said. "Love transfigures, transforms, ennobles and lifts us up, making us light, free and close to God, even amid life's ups and downs."

Turning to the Gospel reading from St. Luke, in which Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth and "proclaims the greatness of the Lord," Pope Leo said Christians need not look far to understand Mary's humble exclamation of "the magnificent mysteries she experienced."

Those mysteries, he explained, are visible wherever true charity exists. The pope noted the examples of weary parents to their children "after a long day," grandparents caring for grandchildren, morally courageous young people, and ordinary workers who "help bring a little bit of heaven to Earth."

"The beautiful face of Our Lady of the Assumption is unique; it transcends any possible representation, and yet, at the same time, is familiar to us," Pope Leo said. "Even at this very moment, we can see her face in the people who are close to us, such as the brothers and sisters with whom, in faith, we share the daily offering of our lives."

— Junno Arocho Esteves, OSV News

"Minors are the most vulnerable group within the global movements of migration. They are concrete faces, who have unique stories, and call on our conscience," the pope wrote in his message for the Sept. 27 celebration of the World Day of Migrants and Refugees.

"We cannot remain indifferent, nor can we become accustomed to such suffering," he wrote.

Pope Leo's message, which focused on the theme, "Even just one of these children," was released by the Vatican Aug. 14.

In his message, the pope lamented the increasing number of children and adolescents forced to flee their homes due to "war, poverty, violence, environmental disasters and other tragedies."

The suffering of migrant children, Pope Leo noted, doesn't end with their relocation, as the majority have endured the loss of family and friends due to violence or separation and are often "exposed to extreme and traumatic conditions."

"To this already appalling situation are added further tragedies: deaths along migration routes, trafficking and exploitation, the recruitment of minors for use in armed conflicts, sexual violence, forced marriages, and the atrocities they have suffered or witnessed during their travels. Their dignity is trampled upon in countless ways," the pope wrote.

According to UNHCR, the U.N. refugee agency, an estimated 45 million children were among the people forcibly displaced worldwide at the end of 2025. Forced displacement can result from "persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations or events seriously disturbing public order," UNHCR states.
Citing UNHCR data, UNICEF USA said on June 17, 2026, that "while children represent 29 percent of the global population, they comprise 38 percent of the total 117.8 million forcibly displaced people in the world."
In his message, the pope also praised the witness of individuals, families, institutions and ecclesial communities who bring the "light of solidarity" amid the darkness experienced by child migrants.

Their commitment, he added, shows "that love can overcome indifference."

Noting that migrant children are "more easily ignored," especially because they lack adults who can protect and support them, Pope Leo called on their countries of origin to "remove the causes that compel them to flee" while also calling on countries of destination to offer protection and welcome.

"The cry of displaced children rises to God today, just as did the cry heard in the Book of Exodus: 'I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them,'" he wrote.

"God hears their cry and, in order to bring about liberation, he forcefully appeals to the conscience and action of each one of us, just as he did with Moses," the pope added.

The pope also called on society to see the reality of displaced children and young people and to overcome "that detachment which reduces the human person to a statistic that does not directly concern us."

For Christians, migrant children serve as a call to "transform welcoming from an abstract concept into a stable pastoral practice."

"We cannot simply delegate this task to institutes or associations endowed with a particular charism," the pope wrote. "Before the concrete faces that confront us in daily life, the entire Christian community is called to regard these children as its own sons and daughters, and to engage with the concrete story of each one of them."

For other faiths and religious traditions, he continued, creating supportive environments for migrant children and youth can become "fertile ground for a concrete interreligious dialogue" and decrease the risk of those who wish to take advantage of their vulnerability.

"Faith communities are called to create spaces in which every boy and every girl is respected and valued in his or her own cultural identity, thereby preventing the risk of radicalization by extremist groups. Ultimately, to protect a child is to safeguard the divine image imprinted within him or her," he wrote.

Pope Leo also called on civil institutions to prioritize the protection of every child and adolescent's dignity and the "prevention of the trauma caused by separation."

"An urgent change of perspective is needed: the focus of the debate must shift from the mere management of migration to the full and immediate protection of human rights," the pope wrote.

— Junno Arocho Esteves, OSV News

After praying the Angelus prayer on the Feast of the Assumption, Aug. 15, the pope invoked Mary's intercession for "those communities that are in particular need of consolation and of renewed hope."

"My thoughts go out to our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land, which is also, par excellence, the Land of Mary," the pope told pilgrims gathered outside the papal residence in Castel Gandolfo. Earlier that day, the pontiff celebrated Mass in the Pontifical Parish of St. Thomas of Villanova.

The pope's prayer for peace in the Holy Land comes at a time of uncertainty after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, which was part of a plan negotiated by U.S. President Donald Trump's Board of Peace.

Despite a ceasefire announced in October 2025, Israel has continued launching air strikes it says are aimed at dismantling Hamas.

Pope Leo also offered prayers for the people of Ukraine and Russia, "both of whom are united by their filial devotion to the Holy Mother of God, and to Christians who suffer discrimination or even persecution."

The pope's prayer for Ukraine and Russia echoed a similar appeal for peace that he made during his Sunday Angelus address Aug. 9, in which he lamented the killing of innocent civilians, including children.

Before greeting the faithful gathered outside his residence, Pope Leo said he continued "to pray for the people of Colombia" as recovery efforts are ongoing following a devastating 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck Aug. 10.

"I stand in solidarity with these communities and with all those living in difficult circumstances, and together with them I pray: 'Holy Mary, pray for us,'" the pope said.

 —  Junno Arocho Esteves, OSV News

The pope offered prayers "for the eternal rest of the deceased and raises his prayers to the Lord for the speedy recovery of those affected by this tragedy," said a telegram to Archbishop Francisco Javier Múnera Correa of Cartagena, president of the Colombian Bishops' Conference, signed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state.

The earthquake struck in the morning Aug. 10, with hundreds of videos posted online of people fleeing outdoors as the ground below them violently shook.

The Colombian Association of Capital Cities reported that the death toll rose to 132, with more than 570 injured. The association, which is a network of Colombia's major cities, said the number is expected to change as damage assessments continue in the affected areas.

In his message, which the Vatican published Aug. 11, Cardinal Parolin conveyed the pope's condolences "to the families who, in this hour of deep sorrow, mourn the loss of their loved ones."

"In the same way, he assures his spiritual closeness and expresses his gratitude to all those who, with generous dedication, are working in the search, rescue, and assistance efforts for those affected," the message read.

"Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, he asks the Lord to pour out upon the beloved Colombian people the gifts of spiritual strength and Christian hope," said the message.

According to Colombia's Geological Service, the quake's epicenter was the northwestern department of Chocó, and the intense magnitude made it "the strongest earthquake felt in Colombia in the last decade."

The Geological Service also reported that, as of Aug. 10 in the afternoon, the country has recorded 18 aftershocks with magnitudes between 1.4 and 4.8 since the initial earthquake.

In a message published Aug. 10, the Colombian Bishops' Conference expressed its closeness to the victims of the deadly 7.4 magnitude quake, as well as those who have been displaced.

"We pray for those who have lost their lives, that God may grant them eternal rest; for the persons who are still missing; for the injured, and for the affected families," the bishops said.

The bishops also prayed for relief and medical personnel, as well as military and government authorities, "and all those who, with generosity and courage, are working in search, rescue, and care efforts for those affected."

"This painful moment reminds us that no one can face an emergency of this magnitude alone," the statement read. "Colombia is called, once again, to recognize itself as one family and to respond to the suffering of its brothers and sisters with generosity, responsibility, and solidarity."

Among the videos of the destruction wrought by the earthquake were that of the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary in Manizales, as well as several churches that were heavily damaged in the aftermath.

The Archdiocese of Manizales also shared a 10-second video showing a Mass taking place as the earthquake struck in the morning.

In a video message to the city's faithful, Archbishop José Miguel Gómez of Manizales said that while the archdiocese continues to assess the damage to churches, "the most important thing is you, the faithful, the priests, and all our neighbors who suffered the same."

"God, our Lord, never abandons us, and it is in these moments when, lifting our eyes to Him, we must all, with humility and simplicity, ask Him for the graces we need to live through these difficulties," Archbishop Gómez said.

The archbishop also invoked the intercession of Our Lady of the Rosary, asking her to "console and comfort" those affected by the natural disaster. He also urged people to follow guidelines given by the authorities.

"And, following those instructions, always seek to be attentive to those who suffer the most, so that no person is left without care in these difficult times," he said before imparting his blessing.

The Colombian bishops' conference said dioceses across the country are setting up collection points to ensure food distribution to shelters, hospitals and communities in the affected areas.

Caritas Colombia, the conference said, activated its National Emergency Service "to raise funds to directly help the jurisdictions and communities that were most affected by this tragedy."

— Junno Arocho Esteves, OSV News

Originally from Puerto Rico, Román moved to North Carolina in 2018 with her husband after he accepted a position in the textile industry. She holds both a doctorate and a master’s degree in Education, from the University of Puerto Rico.

At Sacred Heart Parish in Salisbury, she has served as a lector and leader for the Liturgy of the Hours and participated in the Emmaus movement. Dr. Román hopes to bring her background in education and her passion for the Liturgy of the Hours to her new role.

“Teaching comes naturally to me, and I believe I can use that gift to help strengthen and educate the Hispanic community,” Román says.

— Brian Segovia

Father Cesa has served as pastor of St. Joan of Arc Parish in Candler since 2013. He also formerly served as pastor of Our Lady of the Mountains in Highlands, St. Barnabas in Arden, and St. John the Baptist in Tryon. Ordained in 1998, he also had assignments at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte and St. Leo the Great in Winston-Salem.

Father Yves Kennedy Ilapi will temporarily serve the parish until a new pastor is named.

— Catholic News Herald

St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte is known as “the seat of the bishop” metaphorically and literally with its marble chair, called the cathedra, that symbolizes the bishop’s leadership. The seat is made from marble pieces of the old high altar, which was removed during a 1979 renovation. The cathedra was used by Bishop William Curlin and Bishop Peter Jugis, and now by Bishop Michael Martin. The engraved marble backrest is updated to reflect each bishop’s personal coat of arms – a tradition stemming from the 14th century.

“I am just amazed by Greg’s craftsmanship and the artistic quality of the piece,” Bishop Martin said as he blessed the completed work on July 23, a little over two years after he was installed as the fifth bishop of Charlotte.

“It has such detail that it is painstaking,” Bishop Martin said.

Diocesan leaders wanted to keep the commission “in the family,” and Stump, with 20 years of experience in stained glass art and previous commissions around the diocese, was the perfect fit.
Stump, who has worked at Christ the King High School for 13 years, crafted pieces there as well as the Our Lady of Guadalupe mosaic at St. James the Greater Church in Concord and multiple stained-glass windows at St. Mark Church in Huntersville.

Yet the cathedra was Stump’s first armorial-bearing commission and his first experience engraving marble.

“I enjoy the challenge of working with a brand-new medium,” Stump said. “But it is a time-consuming process that requires a lot of patience.”

Over the past six months, he spent weeks delicately carving the white Italian Carrara marble – the same type used by Michelangelo to carve The Pietà – to inlay small hand-cut pieces of mosaic tile, gold-leaf glass and stained glass.

“You can’t make a mistake. If you fracture the marble, it is game over, and you have to start over,” Stump said.

He practiced on different materials so he wouldn’t fracture the stone, but he did run into other challenges. The two crossed arms bearing the nail wounds of the stigmata – the bare arm signifying Jesus and the sleeved arm of St. Francis of Assisi were ‘painstakingly’ intricate,” he said.

“The arms were cut out of stained glass and kiln-fired to get the details of the blood drops and the outlines,” Stump noted. “I had to drill holes where the stigmata is and put red glass in there.”

With a smile and laughter, the bishop enthusiastically embraced the intricate artwork.

“When you look at the small details, you realize the time it takes to do something like this,” Bishop Martin said. “I am in awe of the craftsman.”

Stump credits God with his ability to create sacred art and prays this endeavor will help him on his next project, the Blessing Hand of God – a three-dimensional image he hopes to sculpt out of marble.

“Sacred art is the most meaningful art to me and gives me the most pleasure,” Stump said. “It brings people a little closer to the divine. And I like the longevity. … It is nice to think it will still be there one day when maybe I am not around.”

— Lisa M. Geraci

More online
At www.charlottediocese.org: Read about the meaning behind the bishop’s coat of arms and motto

Charlotte missionaries Jon Studnek, Eric Warren and Ryan Monk tackle needed construction projects in El Cerinal, Guatemala. (Photos provided)

Father Joshua Voitus, pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Charlotte, led the week-long trip, bringing two other new clergy members, Deacon Daren Bitter from St. Matthew Parish in Charlotte and Father Juan Miguel Sanchez, priest-secretary to Bishop Michael Martin.

The trip originated with St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte in 2022, when organizers Chris Turley and John Bonner formed relationships in the village and started campaigning for a new church.

On this trip, Bonner and Turley introduced a new group of missionaries to an almost completed Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church and a village filled with Catholics desperate to thrive physically, mentally and spiritually.

“God was staring at us through the eyes of the Guatemalan people as we became the hands and feet of Christ,” said Deacon Bitter, who recounted the missionaries’ recent work in the impoverished town in southern Guatemala, not far from the Pacific Ocean.

“It’s fascinating because you can verbally say we are building a church. And yes, it’s the building and the pews, but it’s ultimately the people. In both avenues, we’re building a facility for Christ,” he said.

Amid the breathtaking landscapes of hills covered with coffee bean plants and the misty waters of the Laguna el Pino lies the hamlet of El Carmen. Its small huts have tarps as doors and dirt for floors. Electricity in the village is spotty, and the water that occasionally flows from the tap is undrinkable.
While 85% of the population of the small town is Catholic, the tiny church also has a spiritual drought with only one priest serving 10 parishes scattered across the province of Santa Rosa.

One Mass is celebrated at 6 a.m. every Sunday. Confession, daily Mass, Eucharistic Adoration and anointing of the sick – like the water – are inaccessible luxuries.

Father Juan Miguel Sanchez, priest-secretary to Bishop Michael Martin, was one of three diocesan clergy who celebrated the sacraments with villagers in an area where priests are scarce.

A week of love and charity

Father Voitus and Father Sanchez celebrated daily Mass in Spanish.

A smiling villager named Don Chilo walked an hour and a half each way on his one leg and crutches to attend each day.

“It was touching to see,” Deacon Bitter said.

More than 60 children ran, skipped and jumped their way down to the church every day for coloring, crafts, songs and faith-based lessons at Turley’s Vacation Bible School.

Bonner and his team installed 21 home water filtration systems. Clergy traveled the dirt paths, stopping at doorsteps to pray, drop off medication and assess needs.

Small acts of God were evident. One occasion stuck with Turley, who was with Father Voitus when they came across hysterical women kneeling next to a casket.

“They were praying for a priest because they had been unable to find one to perform the funeral for their family member,” Turley said.

Father Voitus immediately celebrated a funeral Mass.

“To me, it felt like a miracle that he appeared exactly when they were praying for a priest,” she said.

Father Sanchez and Father Voitus blessed homes, anointed the homebound and heard confessions.

“When you have extra priests, the community feels blessed. As we made our rounds to visit families, 90 percent asked for blessings or prayers,” Father Sanchez said. “The homes are not comfortable by U.S. standards, but the people are happy. That is the striking part. Sometimes we associate happiness with luxury and comfort, but in reality, it comes from the heart.”

Erika Lopez, a native of Guatemala, longed to share memories of home with her children. As she traveled with her son, she was reduced to tears of appreciation for her almost-lost culture.

“The connection was immediate – there was no pretense, just a shared sense of love,” Lopez said. “It brought back those childhood memories of this foreign little place that I used to know.”

By week’s end, even though there were spurts with no electricity, no air conditioning and no water, the group had difficulty saying goodbye, shifting to “hasta luego” (“I’ll see you later”) at that final Mass.

The tears flowed freely and were abundant, Deacon Bitter noted.

In 51 weeks, the group plans to return with more missionaries from more churches and schools. In 10 years’ time, Turley envisions visiting four times a year, operating from the cornerstone they laid once upon a time in the small hamlet with little hope but overwhelming faith.

“This trip is more than just people who want to go off the grid, put down their phone, and commit time, money and energy,” Deacon Bitter said. “It is spreading the love of Christ through prayer, through experience as one human family, and making the world a little smaller.”

— Lisa M. Geraci 

Children take part in Vacation Bible School led by the missionaries.

Building the Mt. Carmel Church from a coffee seed

Although it is not yet complete, parishioners of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel gathered to dedicate their new church in late July. Construction began in 2022. (Photo provided) CHARLOTTE —The Guatemala mission started in 2022, when a group of St. Gabriel Church parishioners visited the hamlet of El Carmen.

Then first-time missionary John Bonner fell in love with the people, as did Chris Turley.

“I always wanted to be a missionary, but when I graduated from college, life somehow got in the way. So, when this opportunity came up, I jumped,” Bonner recalled. “It feels like the path I was intended to be on.”

Turley felt similarly and shared, “God is in control there, not me. It is the grace of God that keeps everything moving, and the joy of the children keeps me going back.”

During that trip, on a donated three-acre parcel of a coffee farm owned by Catholics who employ most of the villagers, the missionaries left a physical cornerstone for a church, unsure if they would return.

After they left, the idea of building that church grew. Through parishioners at St. Gabriel and St. Matthew, the group raised $500,000.

To connect on a more personal level when they reunited, Bonner and Turley started taking Spanish classes. Turley focused on designing lesson plans for the children, while Bonner focused on home construction projects and water filtration systems.

Each time they returned, they were revitalized by the growth of that small cornerstone.

And in 2024, when the priest who introduced them to the ministry left St. Gabriel Church, they kept going – taking a handful of missionaries twice in 2025. When Father Joshua Voitus, pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte got involved, Turley thought it was an answer to prayer.

Between visits, the cornerstone grew as the people of El Cerinal rallied behind construction efforts, adding a roof and a crucifix and finishing the walls.

By the time the missionaries returned this year, the church dedication was the talk of the town – despite its lack of indoor plumbing, electricity and stained-glass windows.

“We certainly don’t have the funds to finish the church at this point in time, but I don’t know any of us that’s worried about that,” Bonner said. “The Holy Spirit seems to want the church done, and so it’s moving along.”
Chris Turley and John Bonner were part of the first St. Gabriel Guatemala mission trip in 2022.The bishop of Santa Rosa de Lima, Bishop José Cayetano Parra Novo, met with Bonner, Father Voitus, Deacon Daren Bitter from St. Matthew Parish in Charlotte and Father Juan Miguel Sanchez, priest-secretary to Bishop Michael Martin to break bread and thank his friends.

“The purpose of the church is to bring people together. It’s large enough to invite people who don’t live in the immediate community,” Bonner said. “The people here are Catholic, and the bishop wanted to use this as a central church, with meeting rooms in the basement for retreats – especially for young men and women discerning religious life. It’s very important to the diocese.”

The bishop told the men that the needs across Santa Rosa were as vast as priests were scarce. Villages just like El Cerinal dotted the landscape, some even more impoverished. Throughout the hills were people without clothing, without food and without frequent access to the sacraments – all people they could help through the new church.

As Bonner said, “This is about moving people from relief to sustainability. The language and faces may change, but the needs remain the same.”

— Lisa M. Geraci 

Across the diocese, students will be returning to expanded campuses, renovated classrooms and new programs, including the transition to a different stye of learning at Holy Trinity Catholic Academy. (Photos by Troy C. Hull | Catholic News Herald) CHARLOTTE — More than 8,000 students are gearing up to return to Catholic schools across the Diocese of Charlotte beginning Aug. 17, with many to be greeted by improved facilities, new programs, new leaders and new families.Cubbies and lockers will once again be full as students come back to classrooms starting Aug. 17.

The diocese’s only standalone middle school has a new name to reflect its new approach: Holy Trinity Catholic Academy in Charlotte has begun its transition toward blending the advantages of single-sex and co-ed classes for a more tailored educational experience. Other schools from the mountains to the Triad will unveil new athletic and other facilities, including Charlotte Catholic, Christ the King and Bishop McGuinness high schools.

Enthusiasm for Catholic education continues to remain high, school officials said, with enrollment in diocesan schools holding steady. Many schools are near capacity following years of continued growth.

“There is a great deal to be excited about,” said Dr. Greg Monroe, superintendent of Catholic schools. “Our schools are continuing to grow in different ways, but what is most encouraging is the strong culture taking shape across the diocese.”

He stressed the important contribution Catholic schools make in educating both the mind and the spirit of students.

“We have excellent educators, committed families and school leaders who understand that Catholic education is about strong academic achievement – but also about something more. It’s about forming young people in faith, character and wisdom as disciples of Christ.”

In western North Carolina, the second school year after Hurricane Helene is feeling more like a return to normal.

Last year, some school families had to leave to find new homes or employment after residences and businesses were damaged or destroyed, said Margaret Beale, principal of Immaculata Catholic School in Hendersonville.

This year, “we’re still seeing some impacts, a few school families that are having to move particularly because a parent’s job never came back after the storm, but in general, everything has settled down,” Beale says. “Everything here is busy, and we’re excited to begin the new year.”

The halls at Our Lady of the Assumption in Charlotte are filled with activity as walls get a fresh coat of paint before students return to campus. Many schools took the summer months to upgrade facilities.

What’s new for 2026-27:

Blended education

Holy Trinity Catholic Academy’s shift toward blended education embraces different learning styles to provide students the best of both worlds, school leaders say. Beginning with sixth graders only this year, single-sex instruction will be offered in core classes such as English and math, while co-ed instruction will continue in electives and extracurricular activities. This approach will phase in over three years, with seventh and eighth grade following over the next two years.

The school is also seeing progress on its three-phase, $11.7 million enhancement project. Thanks partly to a grant of more than $1 million from Shea Homes, the existing athletic field has been regraded, and new drainage and synthetic turf will go in this fall, along with lighting and team benches. As part of the project, the fine arts classrooms are being upgraded with modernized flooring, lighting and instructional equipment.

“While our name has changed, our mission remains the same,” said Kevin Parks, who is beginning his second year as Holy Trinity president after 17 years as principal. “Our new name reflects our enduring commitment to academic excellence, intentional faith formation, and preparing students to lead with confidence, compassion and integrity.”

Parks will work alongside Principal Robert “Bobby” Conrad, beginning his second year in the role, to see that the exciting changes are successful.

At St. Ann School in Charlotte, crews work to complete audiovisual and lighting improvements in the gym and to install acoustic panels in the cafeteria.

Upgrades at high schools

Charlotte Catholic High School is completing the first phase of an $8.5 million program of improvements that include upgrading the football field and sideline to premium artificial turf and renovating its media center into a multi-faceted student life center. Both will be ready for students’ return, said Kurt Telford, who is returning to his role as principal after a two-year stint as head of school. Michael Seeley joins Telford as the school’s president, a role that focuses on long-range planning, community relationships, financial and operational management and fundraising.
Charlotte Catholic has also been raising money to help transform a recently acquired building next to the campus into a Computer, Technology and Engineering Innovation Center, which will house career and technical education. Telford said work on that project is expected to begin this fall.

Christ the King High School in Huntersville will have a new playing surface for its athletic field with expanded bleachers that seat more than 1,000 people, as well as new restrooms and better accessibility. Teams will begin using the new facilities this fall, and a ribbon-cutting is set for Sept. 11.

“Everything is going along better than ‘according to plan,’’’ said Principal Mark Tolcher. “It’s going along great!”

Work is progressing on its $12 million expansion that will increase the school’s footprint by 21,000 square feet to 73,271. The project includes adding a new entry to the gym and a north lobby equipped with concession stands, ticketing booths and a Crusaders Spirit Store for the school’s athletics, band, musical and theatrical events.

Other perks include an expanded weight training area, a chorus and band studio, two additional classrooms, an industrial design workspace and a larger cafeteria with a full kitchen to prepare meals on site. The expansion is expected to be completed after Christmas break.

“The expansion offers us not just an increased footprint but also the ability to offer different programming and an enhanced education experience for both students and faculty,” Tolcher said.

Bishop McGuinness High School is hitting a milestone this year with enrollment reaching more than 500 students for the first time in about 15 years, said President Jared Rashford.

After a successful start last year, Bishop McGuinness is also expanding its St. Gabriel Program, which serves students with intellectual disabilities, to cater to a broader range of learners.

“Through individualized instruction, dedicated teachers and an expanded peer partner program that fosters both academic and social inclusion, we are helping students with diverse learning needs become fully integrated members of the Bishop McGuinness community,” said Principal Claire Willis.

Improvements to the school’s athletic facilities are expected to be complete by the end of August, including construction of six lighted tennis courts and outdoor restrooms and picnic facilities,

Rashford said. The gym floor was replaced and seating increased to accommodate about 800. New flooring is also being laid in the chapel, and the chairs are being reupholstered.

Students from Charlotte Catholic High School help volunteers from St. Gabriel donate used furniture to classrooms in need.

Other summer projects:

Immaculata Catholic School in Hendersonville recently began renovations of the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton House on Oakland Avenue, adjacent to the campus. It serves as home for Principal Beale and several religious sisters and eventually will be used to house teaching interns.

St. Gabriel School donated two truckloads of furniture to schools in need as it updated its classrooms with furniture that adapts to varied uses. Students at St. Patrick School in Charlotte will return to classrooms with gleaming restored wooden floors. Over the summer, carpet in all the classrooms was removed and the original cedar floors, which are more than 90 years old, were restored, said Principal Nicholas Calametti.

At St. Gabriel School, students are returning to new furniture in 14 classrooms, a retiled lobby floor and ongoing athletic field improvements including a new track, new sod and an irrigation system, said Assistant Principal Deven Dickerson.

St. Leo School in Winston-Salem underwent a $2.2 million replacement of its roof and HVAC system. “It is a major project that has long been needed, and it is expected to be done before school starts,” said Emmett Sapp, director of construction and real estate for the Diocese of Charlotte.

St. Mark School in Huntersville replaced the natural turf on its athletic field with artificial turf. The next phase of the project includes installing a playground.

Sacred Heart School in Salisbury is completing an art room funded by a $166,000 Shea Homes grant. To convert a shared space into a fully functional art room, a wall was sealed and soundproofed, storage for art supplies and a sink were incorporated, and interior finishes were upgraded to promote creativity. Existing furniture was replaced with flexible seating to accommodate students of varying ages.

St. Ann School in Charlotte is spotlighting students with audiovisual and lighting enhancements to its performance stage in the gym, as well as the installation of acoustical panels in the cafeteria, all funded by its annual fund.

— Christina Lee Knauss

"Every week and every day, the Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours are the breath of the life of the Church, which makes the Holy Spirit circulate through her Body," he said Aug. 5.

Because of Rome's summer heat, the pope held the audience inside instead of St. Peter's Square; however, this time it was held in St. Peter's Basilica rather than in the Paul VI Hall.  As he processed to the altar, he stopped to shake hands with attendees and bless babies and rosaries.

Continuing his series on the documents of the Second Vatican Council, Pope Leo reflected on 'Sacrosanctum Concilium,' the Constitution on the liturgy. He said "it is the Holy Spirit who teaches us to pray," and that Christians unite themselves with Christ in offering praise and thanksgiving to God through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Bound to the Eucharist, the Liturgy of the Hours sanctifies the rhythm of the day, the pope said, beginning with morning prayer, continuing at midday and evening, and ending with night prayer as the faithful entrust themselves to God's peace. 

"Each hour is an act of hope," he said.

The Liturgy of the Hours is the church's official daily prayer, consisting of psalms, Scripture readings, hymns and prayers recited at designated times throughout the day. Pope Leo said the tradition of prayer is "no longer passed on" even in many Christian families, even though prayer is a "fundamental dimension of our humanity."

In societies "dominated by an efficiency-driven and consumerist mindset," prayer can seem "pointless and trivial," the pope said. In a world "where science and technology claim to provide all the answers," he added, prayer may appear to be a form of escapism.

"Brothers and sisters, may we find the spiritual nourishment necessary on our earthly pilgrimage by joining with the whole Church in her liturgical prayer as we await the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ," the pope said in his greeting to English-speaking pilgrims.

"Far from avoiding the world and its needs, all prayer, especially in the entire liturgy, is the essential dimension of our humanity," he added.

The pope's encouragement comes after the Vatican approved a new English-language edition of the Liturgy of the Hours in November 2025. After 13 years, the U.S. bishops produced a translation that more closely reflects the original Latin texts. The first volume is expected to be released ahead of Lent 2027.

In his greeting to French-speaking pilgrims, Pope Leo encouraged those on summer vacation to deepen their interior life by spending more time with the Lord in prayer. Even leisure and rest, he said, "belong to him" and "can be sanctified by his presence."

 — Josephine Peterson, Catholic News Service

The Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Assisi, Italy. (OSV News photo/courtesy Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi)

The four-day event will bring thousands of Europeans aged 18 and 33 to the city of Saint Francis during his Jubilee Year.

The Pope will answer young people’s questions and preside over Mass, inviting them, as he did a year ago during the Jubilee of Youth at Tor Vergata, not to settle for a mediocre life.

Those involved in the pastoral care of young people - such as Friar Luca de Pasquale, one of the organizers of the event - note that many young people lack strong desires and have already stopped dreaming of their future.

The 38-year-old Friar Minor told Vatican News how important it is for youth to hear from someone like the Pope, who is able to speak to them about the fullness of life. He also spoke of the value of looking to a model of “holy restlessness” such as Saint Francis, who can speak to today’s young people as though he were their contemporary.

Vatican News: What will the Pope’s visit to Assisi look?

Friar Luca: The Holy Father will arrive quite early on the morning of Aug. 6, at 8:30 a.m., and everything will take place at Saint Mary of the Angels, in the Basilica that houses the little Porziuncola chapel, which Francis of Assisi restored, where he lived, founded the Order of Friars Minor and died. It is a key place for our family and also for the 800th anniversary of Francis’ “Transitus”, which we are celebrating this year.

The Pope will spend a brief moment in personal prayer inside the Porziuncola. He will then go out into the square, where, before the crowd, which is unable to enter the Basilica because of capacity restrictions, he will listen to three young people from different parts of Europe, who will put three questions to him on three different subjects.

The Pope will then meet privately with the Franciscan families. Afterwards, at around 10 or 10:30 a.m., he will preside over Mass. It will also be the Solemnity of the Transfiguration of the Lord.

Vatican News: A great many young people will be in Assisi: those participating in the “GO! Franciscan Youth Meeting”; those who will have just completed the 44th Franciscan March and arrived for the Pardon of Assisi; and those coming especially for Mass with Pope Leo XIV. It will be like a Franciscan World Youth Day…

Friar Luca: We are certain that, during his homily, the Holy Father will be able to offer a word that captures the meaning of everything the young people have experienced over the preceding days. On Thursday, Aug. 6, after Mass and once the Pope has departed, we will present the young people with a kind of “missionary charter”.

Vatican News: What will that involve?

Friar Luca: During the days preceding their encounter with the Pope, they will take part in workshops on various subjects. On the one hand, they will be called to listen; on the other, they themselves will take center stage and have the opportunity to express their views.

At the end, we will prepare a kind of synthesis of what emerges from the young people’s discussions and use it to draw up a missionary charter, which they will then be able to put into practice within their local communities across Europe and beyond.

— Daniele Piccini, Vatican News

“The biggest message that the Father wants to share with each one of His beloved sons and daughters is that our identity is within Him,” parishioner and event organizer Moreen Wilhelm said. “Every single person needs to know they are loved by a Father who pursues them relentlessly.”

Her fascination with the idea started a few years ago when she received a book: “The Father Speaks to His Children.” 

“It was actually the most beautiful love letter I have ever read in my life. I was in tears when I finished the book,” Wilhelm said. "I came away thinking that He is obsessed with us. We are so loved. I know that the Father has asked us for this feast day, and He wants us to know Him.”

Wilhelm is grateful that Father Mark Lawlor, St. Therese pastor, held the Mass and prays it gains popularity around the globe. 

— Lisa Geraci

In his monthly "Pray with the Pope" video, Pope Leo expressed his hope that urban environments may provide "fertile ground" for proclaiming the Gospel.

The Chicago-born pope acknowledged that while cities are meant to be places of "freedom and opportunity," they can also become "spaces of anonymity and isolation."

"Make us a Church that goes forth, able to reach out to the peripheries, to console those who are lonely, and to sow fraternity and connection instead of giving in to indifference," the pope prayed.

Today, almost 45% of the world's population lives in urban areas, making cities one of the largest mission territories of our time, according to the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network.

"Lord, may our urban communities be open and welcoming homes, places where hope is shared, where no one feels invisible, and where the joy of your Gospel shines in the hidden lives of so many brothers and sisters," Pope Leo said in his prayer for the month of August.

"Make us your witnesses in the city, bold and creative missionaries, who proclaim your Love with their lives— a Love capable of overcoming haste, noise, and anonymity."

 — OSV News

CHARLOTTE — Eritrean Catholics from around the country spent a joyful weekend focused on family, community and worship as the annual Eritrean Catholic National Conference came to Charlotte. 

The event was held July 31-Aug. 2 at the Charlotte Eritrean community’s property in Mint Hill and at St. Vincent de Paul Church, drawing more than 400 people from North Carolina, Atlanta, Ohio, Indiana and Washington, D.C. 

Attendees spent three days worshipping and praying together, enjoying traditional foods, seeing old friends and making new ones, and attending workshops on faith and topics such as mental health. 

On Saturday and Sunday, the pews inside St. Vincent de Paul were packed as hundreds attended Mass celebrated in the Ge’ez Rite, the traditional form of Catholic worship in Eritrea and Ethiopia. Rooted in the Alexandrian rite of Egypt, the liturgy often lasts close to three hours and is celebrated in Ge’ez, an ancient court language from the period when Ethiopia first adopted Christianity. It is no longer commonly spoken but is still used in sacred worship and texts. Young musicians from Atlanta and Washington, D.C. punctuated the beautiful chants in Ge’ez with upbeat hymns accompanied on keyboards. 

The Divine Liturgy on Saturday was celebrated by Father Kidanemariam Gebrehiwot, known to his flock as Father Kidane, who is based in Atlanta. Being in Charlotte was a homecoming of sorts for him, because he used to travel to the diocese regularly to celebrate Mass and the sacraments for the Eritrean community when it was based at St. Gabriel Church. 

“This is an important chance for all of us to come together, to get to know each other and to learn from one another,” Father Kidane said. 

A point of connection

The conference started more than a decade ago as a way for Eritrean Catholics to make connections and to pass on the Ge’ez rite, said Tesfatsian Sareke of Columbus, Ohio. The idea for a national gathering became important as Eritrea Catholics realized that their traditions weren’t being handed down to the younger generations. 

“The members of our community who were born here can feel disconnected from those who came over from Eritrea, because most of the younger people have grown up practicing in the Roman rite,” he said. “This is a way both to maintain our traditions and help build a bridge between the generations. It gives the young people a chance to build connections with each other and with their heritage.” 

Eritreans have fled their home nation for decades because of famine, natural disaster and persecution, and have formed large communities across the United States, primarily in California, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. They have been coming to Charlotte for more than 20 years, and that growth prompted the 2018 formation of the Ge’ez Rite community in the Diocese of Charlotte. 

The conference rotates regularly between Atlanta, Ohio, Washington, D.C. and Charlotte. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted it in 2020, but organizers quickly got it back up and running within a year, Sareke said. 

Coming together

In between events at St. Vincent de Paul, there was a palpable sense of joy in the air as people of all ages shared meals. Friends who had not seen each other in more than a year embraced and laughed, children played and people gathered around a table selling commemorative T-shirts and other items. 

During the weekend, community members also came together for Mezmur – lively prayerful music and song sessions conducted in Tigrinya, one of the primary languages spoken in Eritrea. 

The weekend featured seminars in Tigrinya and English. The Tigrinya workshops drew mostly adults who heard talks on maintaining a lively Catholic faith and the importance of mental health. 

The sessions in English were geared toward students in elementary through high school as well as young adults, and focused on topics relevant to their lives as young Catholics navigating a secular world – including internet safety. 

Sister Ghennet Ogbamichael of the Daughters of St. Anne spoke to the young people about the role of Mary the Blessed Mother in the Church and how she can be a role model for the faithful. Sister Ghennet was born in Eritrea but has been living in the Washington, D.C. area for 13 years, where she teaches religion classes at the parish level. 

“This event is so close to my heart because I get to share the important role of Mary in our lives with these young people,” she said. “This is an important chance for them to come together and renew their faith, to remember the importance of walking in faith every day. I want to help the Eritrean Catholic youth learn to take responsibility for their faith and to see God in everything they do.”

— Christina Lee Knauss, photos by Troy C. Hull

“It is a huge blessing,” said Father Brian Becker, the diocese's vocations promoter. “It all ties into the growth we have had as a seminary and a diocese. This was the 10th anniversary of St. Joseph. We ordained 10 men to the priesthood this year, and now 10 new men to the seminary.”

Priests, deacons, consecrated religious and seminarians from all corners of the diocese came together for Mass at Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury to celebrate the new seminarians: Jonathan Azamar (Our Lady of Lourdes, Monroe), Matthew Belanger (St. Barnabas, Arden), Michael Grant (St. Ann, Charlotte), Darrell Keller III (St. Mary, Help of Christians, Shelby), Mark Pressley (St. Mark, Huntersville), Anthony Quintero (St. Gabriel, Charlotte), John Townsend (St. Ann, Charlotte), Dominic Vogelbacher (Our Lady of the Mountains in Highlands), and Andrew Weyrauch and Ethan Winborn (both from St. Bernadette in Linville). 

The 10 new men of “Kilo class” join 17 others already enrolled at the college seminary.

Established in 2016, St. Joseph College Seminary in Mount Holly offers undergraduate men the opportunity to discern a possible vocation before taking the step of enrolling in a major seminary for specific formation to the priesthood for the diocese. Students pursue a bachelor’s degree at nearby Belmont Abbey College while experiencing a Benedictine-style communal life on their path of discernment.

‘What God has in store for you’

Bishop Michael Martin, OFM Conv., offered the Mass for the opening of the seminary year, jumpstarting the men’s discernment process with his homily. 

During the Mass, offered on the feast day of St. Ignatius of Loyola, he invited the men to embrace their new path.

“Just maybe, like Ignatius, the thing you thought you would be doing may not necessarily be the thing you are doing,” he said. “What God has in store for you no one else can imagine…You are not in this world by yourself, you are part of something larger.”

He told them to approach this process with open eyes and hearts. 

“In order for you to be able to stand on this altar, to be here in this priesthood and serve, as you have been called to serve…you need to take time to dig more deeply into who each and every one of you are.” 

He went on to say that the world’s values are often not aligned with what Christ is calling them to do. 

“Christ gives us the crucifixion,” Bishop Martin said. “You are not only called to embrace it, you’re called to tell the rest of us to embrace it. To do that you better be willingly to deny yourself completely all the things that you dreamt of, and of the things you imagined yourself doing. You've got to let it go. The seminary can only do so much, you have to do the rest.”

He told them not to be afraid that they don’t have what it takes because, he said, “the Holy Spirit does.”

‘Keep doing what you’re doing’

After Mass, hugs and laughter were contagious as everyone reunited on the church steps. 

Vocations Director and Sacred Heart's pastor, Father John Eckert, said this large class is the result of God working though the prayers of the diocese. 

“God is good and we are very blessed,” Father Eckert said. “The good people of the Charlotte diocese, please keep doing what you are doing, praying for vocations and all our young men and women discerning vocations.” 

Proud dad Adrian Quintero stayed back in the church, watching his son Anthony stand next to the bishop. 

“It is a joy to be able to know that your child has encountered the Lord so profoundly with a desire to respond to the calling – to step out in faith and trust,” he said. 

After Mass the Townsend brothers broke bread with family and friends, adding an additional last name to the growing list of siblings pursuing vocations in the diocese. 

“I feel a mixture of nervousness and excitement. I am starting a new chapter,” new seminarian John Townsend said. “A couple of years ago, I felt the call to come to the seminary. I fought it for a few years, but eventually God won, like He always does, and now I am here.” 

His brother, Father Peter Townsend, parochial vicar at St. Joseph of the Hills in Eden and Holy Infant in Reidsville, gives God all the credit.

“I didn’t do anything, it was all the Lord that has placed this desire in his heart to discern the priesthood,” Father Townsend said. “It is very exciting to see your younger brother go and follow the same seminary path.”

Seminary rector Father Matthew Kauth couldn't stop smiling as he credited the prayers of the diocese, the homegrown seminary and a strong support system for the continued boom of men called to priestly ministry. 

“I would do the entire enterprise again just for 10 guys total,” Father Kauth said. “Over these 10 years we have had so many. To have our largest class after 10 years is a great sign of God’s blessing and fidelity of what we attempted to do.”

Enrollment in the diocese's 2026-’27 vocations program also includes 16 men who are studying in major seminaries in Ohio or Rome, or taking a pastoral year to teach – bringing the total number of seminarians who are in priestly formation for the diocese to 43.

—  Lisa M. Geraci. Photos by Fredrik Akerblom.

"Every abortion involves the death of a child and harm to the mother. Now with easier access to abortion pills, the abortion rate is tragically climbing, along with increased health risks," Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, president of the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Bishop Daniel E. Thomas of Toledo, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities, said in joint remarks.

According to an estimate from Guttmacher Institute, a research firm for the abortion industry, 1.12 million abortions took place in 2025, marking a 21% increase from 2020. Guttmacher said 2020 marked “the last year of comprehensive national estimates” before the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision. Dobbs overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision and its related abortion precedents, returning the matter of abortion back to the legislative branch.

Guttmacher found the figures for 2025 were largely unchanged from the prior year, but suggested abortion numbers overall may be an undercount due to people acquiring abortion pills in advance or obtaining them by means other than U.S. abortion clinic providers.

Abortion rates in the U.S. bottomed out in 2017, when they were estimated to be just over 862,000, and began increasing again in the first Trump administration, which also approved the first generic for mifepristone, commonly called "the abortion pill," in 2019. The pill is commonly used in combination with misoprostol for early abortion, although the same combination is also used in some miscarriage care protocols that were more recently recommended for consideration by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

More than six of 10 abortions in the U.S. are performed through a combination of mifepristone and misoprostol, according to recent estimates.

A federal policy permitting distribution by mail of mifepristone was first issued by the Biden administration following the Dobbs decision. The policy has thus far been left in place by the second Trump administration, which approved a second generic for mifepristone in 2025 to the shock of pro-life groups.

The Department of Justice, under the current Trump administration, has also sought to block state challenges to the policy pending a promised safety review by the Food and Drug Administration. But the status and timeline of the FDA review are unclear.

Archbishop Coakley and Bishop Thomas stated that the FDA "has enabled a nationwide mail-order abortion industry by allowing abortion pills to be prescribed in telehealth appointments and sold both at neighborhood pharmacies and online, circumventing state laws that protect life in the womb."

"This leaves women vulnerable to suffering an abortion alone at home, without any medical supervision," they said. "It also sets up additional opportunities for exploitation by violent partners or human traffickers."

The bishops said that from the official start of the campaign through the end of October, when the Church in the U.S. marks Respect Life Month, "the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities is inviting Catholics to join a focused effort of prayer and action to stop the spread of abortion pills."

They urged Catholics to seek "the intercession of St. Joseph, Defender of Life" as well as to send messages to pharmacies and pharmaceutical companies that are involved.

The USCCB is gearing up to mobilize Catholics all over the U.S. with resources in time for the Aug. 18 launch of the campaign.

"We are setting up a simple on-line platform allowing users to click and send one message that will go to multiple entities, such as brick-and-mortar pharmacies and online pharmacies, distributors, and pharmaceutical companies," Kat Talalas, assistant director for pro-life communications at the USCCB's Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities, told OSV News. "We are also developing educational resources about the abortion pill, which will help explain distinctions between miscarriage care versus ending the life of a child in an abortion."

The Catholic Church teaches that all human life is sacred from conception to natural death, and as such, opposes direct abortion. Following the Dobbs decision, U.S. Church officials have reaffirmed the Church's concern for both mother and child, and have called for enhancing support to those made vulnerable to abortion through poverty and other factors.

 — Peter Jesserer Smith, OSV News

"The painful feeling of being forgotten is, unfortunately, shared by many people, and among them are quite a few elderly people," Pope Leo wrote, echoing his predecessor's reasons for establishing the day in 2021.

While the celebration normally falls on the fourth Sunday of July near the July 26 feast day of Jesus' grandparents Sts. Joachim and Anne, in the United States it is transferred to the first weekend after Labor Day (Sept. 12-13 in 2026), coinciding with a pre-existing national holiday that celebrates grandparents.

Here are a few practical takeaways from Pope Leo's message for the day.

1. Take time to see the unique person, and remember your worth as a child of God.

Pope Leo warns that the elderly can become invisible as they age, becoming isolated in their homes or becoming just a bed number or an illness in a care home. Observing the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly is "an opportunity to rediscover that the Church is called to be a mother to all and that at any age it is always possible to recognize ourselves as sons and daughters of God."

2. Make a real human connection, not just a digital one.

"The digital culture multiplies connections and offers new opportunities for interaction; yet, the human heart retains an irrevocable need for genuine closeness," Pope Leo wrote, quoting from his encyclical on humanity in an age of technology, "Magnifica Humanitas."

Pope Leo encouraged young people to "revive the beautiful custom of visiting their grandparents," elderly family members and "even those who have no one to visit them."

3. It's never too late to turn to God.

"For many, the discovery of God’s tenderness takes place over the course of their lives, sometimes even in its final stages," Pope Leo wrote. "Old age -- beginning with the questions that arise with greater urgency during this season of life -- can become the right time to begin or resume a spiritual life."

He added: "To God, who draws near to us and whom we learn to recognize in his tenderness, we can now turn with filial trust in prayer. It is never too late to begin turning to him."

4. Don't be afraid of human frailty.

"It is precisely this weakness that holds within itself a new potential that also illuminates the other stages of life," wrote Pope Leo.

All people are in need of one another, the pope said, and embracing this need is a strength that can "become an invitation not to resort to the ways of arrogance and power to ensure human coexistence, but to the ways of reconciliation and true peace."

5. Pray and work for peace across generations.

"In this time, so harshly marked by the violence of war and social unrest, many wonder what the world in which their grandchildren will grow up will be like," the pope wrote. "I urge you, dear friends, to join me in praying earnestly that peace may soon come to the whole world."

 — Megan Marley, OSV News

"Jesus doesn't want you to be 'young couch potatoes,' complacent or content with the comfort of 'that's just the way it's always been done,'" Pope Leo said, quoting the Spanish phrase Pope Francis used during his 2016 World Youth Day speech in Krakow.

In a Spanish-language video message sent to young people in Chota and Cutervo, Peru, for the celebration of their second Diocesan Youth Day, the pope urged young people to "feel the call to be missionaries in your schools, your universities, on your streets and in your fields."

The Church "needs your holy rebelliousness, your pure energy, and your desire to transform situations of suffering into spaces of hope," the pope said. "Serve with joy, especially the most forgotten, for that is where the suffering face of Jesus is found."

It was one of three video messages Pope Leo sent to gatherings of young people around the world over the weekend.

In a July 26 video message to the Halleluya Festival in Fortaleza, Brazil, Pope Leo pointed to the example of St. Carlo Acutis, encouraging young people never to lose the "missionary zeal that is indispensable for transforming this world, which so desperately needs the Gospel."

"In our day, there are still many people who need to know that it is Jesus who answers their deepest longings, revealing to human beings the truth about themselves," he said in Portuguese. "Therefore, proclaim with courage that a life without Christ is a life without grace! He is the way, the truth and the life; it is he who gives meaning to existence and to all things."

"Let us draw inspiration from the example of St. Carlo Acutis: He shows us how to keep Christ always at the center, even in our use of technology," Pope Leo told the Brazilian youth, urging them to use social media and artificial intelligence "in a moderate and disciplined way," and warning that such tools can pull people into "an unreal world where the ephemeral, mere appearances, and deception end up taking the place of true values and what really matters."

The pope acknowledged that the enthusiasm felt at a festival like Halleluya can fade over time, and he said sustaining it requires remaining in God's presence through prayer, with "constancy, perseverance and the firm certainty that the Father in heaven never abandons us."

Quoting Pope Benedict XVI, he added, "Do not be afraid of Christ! He takes nothing away, and he gives you everything."

In a third video message, sent to young people gathered in Lamego, Portugal, for the second "Rejoice" National Youth Day, Pope Leo reflected on his own recent encounters with young Catholics, from the Jubilee of Youth in Rome to a youth vigil during his apostolic trip to Spain, and said he is looking forward to World Youth Day in Seoul, South Korea, in August 2027.

"It is always special to be with young people, because the enthusiasm of your faith is infectious!" the pope said.

Pope Leo encouraged young people to "harness your restlessness so that, in moments of prayer and silence, in dialogue with God, you may ask him: 'Lord, what do you want me to do in the Church and in the world? What is my vocation? Are you calling me to start a family through marriage? Or are you calling me instead to the priestly life? Or to the religious life?'"

"Do not be afraid of the restlessness within you! Make the most of its drive to draw even closer to Christ and to bear witness to the values of the Gospel," the pope said.

 — Courtney Mares, OSV News

This year’s campaign will send financial aid to San Francisco de Asís Parish in Naiguatá, which has ties to the Charlotte parish, as well as aid to communities in Haiti, India and Puerto Rico.

“Nobody is fully prepared for a disaster of this magnitude, especially not Venezuela during this period of political transition. But we as the World Hunger Drive evolve through experience to respond quickly in emergency situations,” said St. Matthew parishioner Bruce Anderson, who is coordinating assistance in Venezuela. (Editor’s note: Read more on page 14.)

This year’s goal is to raise more than $400,000 and pack 300,000 meals for the destitute in Haiti, India and Puerto Rico. Additionally, approximately 10% of funds support local needs in the diocese.

“This is an opportunity for us to put the Gospel into action for those on the margins,” said Father Patrick Cahill, St. Matthew’s pastor.

The World Hunger Drive is a multi-week effort: An initial donation drive kicked off July 11. A “Hoops for Hunger” three-on-three basketball tournament is set for Aug. 1, and one of the nation’s largest meal-packing events will take place Aug. 15.

This year, organizer Pat McBride notes, “Our newest area of focus is Puerto Rico, where poverty remains a significant challenge. Approximately 43% of residents and 80% of children live below the poverty line, highlighting the urgent need for continued support.”

‘This is an opportunity for us to put the Gospel into action.’
Father Patrick Cahill, Pastor of St. Matthew Parish

Container shipments have become an expensive impossibility in some countries due to the political climate, excessive duties and gang activity. In response, organizers are sending funds to Venezuela, Haiti and India, while shipping food to Puerto Rico.

Inspiration to launch the World Hunger Food Drive came from St. Matthew’s former pastor, Monsignor John McSweeney, whose words still hang in the memory of parishioners like Anderson and McBride.

“Monsignor McSweeney, in one Sunday homily, said, ‘I have to report to you folks that we are well aware we have a serious illness, it’s contagious and rapidly spreading through our community – it’s called affluenza. We are affluent, and we are not sharing,’” Anderson remembered. “His words really set the tone.”
Over the past 23 years, St. Matthew parishioners have provided more than 4.7 million pounds of food and millions of dollars to local and global relief.

— Lisa M. Geraci

More online

At www.stmatthewcatholic.org/worldhungerdrive: Register and learn more

“What a joy it is to be here,” Bishop Martin told the congregation. “I’m blessed to be able to share this day with all of you.”

It was the first time a bishop has celebrated Mass for the Igbo community since it was organized in the Diocese of Charlotte 12 years ago, and it was also Bishop Martin’s first visit to one of the community’s Masses.

The Igbo people come from the Igboland province in southeastern Nigeria, which is predominantly Christian and has Catholicism as its largest faith community. Currently, Igbo people in the diocese meet for Mass both in Greensboro and Charlotte. 

Men, women and young people in bright traditional dress sang responses and hymns in the lyrical Igbo language, set to music and song by a choir of musicians drawn from around the diocese. 

Bishop Martin gave the congregation of more than 250 a greeting in Igbo, but confessed he only knew that one word. Still, his homily in English drew laughter and nods of approval. 

“The beauty of our liturgical life in the Catholic Church is that even if I don’t understand the words, I know what the words are, and so there’s a communion in our midst regardless of the language we speak, the culture that we embrace,” Bishop Martin said. “Despite it all, God desires for us to be one.” 

The bishop’s homily focused on connection and unity among Catholics, and the importance of sharing the good news of Christ with the world. He reminded the congregation that while it is good that they are able to come together as Nigerian Catholics, they also need to share the truth of the Gospel with the world at large. 

“You treasure your culture and yet you've come to another culture,” the bishop said. “You have the richness of living in two worlds and showing that Christ is alive in both and wants to be shared in both.”

Igbo people have settled in western North Carolina for many years, but there was no Catholic Mass in their native language until Nigerian Catholics met with retired Cardinal Francis Arinze, also of Igbo heritage, during his 2011 visit to the diocese’s Eucharistic Congress. 

He encouraged them to find a way to worship in their language. The first Igbo Mass in the diocese was celebrated in 2014 by a priest from Raleigh at St. Mary's Church in Greensboro.

Father Marcel Amadi, pastor at Our Lady of Consolation Parish, has served as the community’s spiritual director since 2015. The first Igbo Mass in Charlotte, which has a growing Nigerian community, was held in November 2025. 

After the Mass, Bishop Martin stopped for photos and conversation and then attended a reception that included a vibrant traditional dance performance by women from the community.

During the offertory, Winner Ndukuba of Monroe, dressed in a beautiful purple traditional dress, presented her 9-week-old baby David to the bishop for a blessing. 

“I feel like this whole Mass was a blessing, both receiving a visit from the bishop and just having the chance to worship together,” she said afterward. “Without this Mass, the only time we would have worship like this is if we went back to Nigeria for a visit. This is a great chance for us all to come together, and it’s wonderful to worship in our language.”

Attendees said the Igbo Masses build up the community and help to pass on their traditions. 

“It’s important for our children to both experience their lives as Americans and also learn about their Igbo traditions – the worship and language,” said Theresa Isibor, a member of St. James the Greater Parish in Concord. “Being able to come to these Masses is important for me because this is my community, and having the bishop here with us made today’s Mass extraordinary.” 

“These Masses are a chance not only to worship but to come together,” agreed Godfrey Uzochukwu, a professor at North Carolina A&T University in Greensboro and communications director for the Igbo community. “It’s important to have the chance to worship in Igbo because there are more of us moving to the area, and not everyone who comes speaks English. Access to the Igbo Mass helps make our community stronger, and the faith of our community helps make the diocese stronger.”

• Watch the Mass online at this link. 

— Christina Lee Knauss, photos by Troy C. Hull and Liz Chandler

Carter Virsik, a junior from Huntersville, developed “Pulse,” a gym membership management platform that tracks member activity, attendance and membership status. Daniel Vincent, a senior from Pflugerville, Texas, created “Cosmas,” an AI tool that helps medical device manufacturers detect defects and prevent product recalls.

Vibe coding uses natural language prompts to enable AI to generate code instead of requiring programmers to write it manually. 

Students were challenged to identify a real-world problem, build and deploy a working application with AI capabilities, and maintain a transparent development history on GitHub. Projects were judged on functionality, AI integration, code quality, user experience and business impact.

Virsik was inspired to create his platform after he noticed that gym employees were too bogged down with busy work to assist clients. 

“I decided to build an AI application that could make those employees more efficient at their jobs, which would in turn allow them to spend more time face-to-face with customers, which therefore would improve satisfaction and reduce member churn,” he said.

He encountered some technical challenges during the process that ultimately enhanced the product.

“I was able to find workarounds and ended up finding bigger and better features to add to my application that I never would have thought of if the difficulties never presented themselves,” he said.

Virsik noted that faith plays a key role in his life and he believes that, when used properly, AI can be a tool for good.

“Artificial Intelligence is inherently – by design – ‘artificial,’” he said. “However, my relationship with Jesus is genuine and very much real.”

“I am able to use AI to build many things – applications which I hope can be used as a force for good to help as many people as possible. If I can create more genuine, human-to-human interactions through the use of AI, I believe I am using it the right way. My faith has allowed me to look at AI as a way to use my skills to benefit others, and I am just at the tip of the iceberg.”

Participants learned the technique in 30 days with guidance from judges including professors, executives and alumni.

The competition was sponsored by David and Courtney Eisen of LuxRally Travel. David Eisen, a 2013 Catholic University alumnus, praised the students for delivering functioning products rather than simply proposing ideas.

— Catholic News Herald

CHARLOTTE — Veteran Catholic Church fundraiser Patty DiSandro has joined the Diocese of Charlotte to eventually serve as director of development as Jim Kelley transitions into a new role after 40 years at the department’s helm. 

DiSandro brings 20 years of nonprofit and Church fundraising experience and has begun her career locally as deputy director of development with Kelley continuing as director for several months for training and collaboration as each prepares for their new role. 

Over the next year, DiSandro will assume the director position as well as Kelley’s function as president of The Foundation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte. Kelley will continue working fulltime to deepen his one-on-one work with donors and play a key role in the diocese’s historic $150 million “Making Room” fundraising initiative.

“It’s a dream come true to succeed the legendary Jim Kelley as chief fundraiser for the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Charlotte,” DiSandro said, “and while I’m ready for this important position, I am glad we’ll have Jim around with his history and relationships.

“I am particularly impressed by Bishop Martin’s vision and the emphasis he’s placing on development and stewardship,” she said. “The people of this diocese clearly recognize the importance of generously supporting the work of the Church across the western half of North Carolina.”  

DiSandro has worked in development for a variety of organizations that include an Illinois university, an Ohio children’s hospital, a South Carolina aquarium, and the Salvation Army in Florida. She most recently worked for eight years as executive director of the Catholic Foundation of the Diocese of St. Augustine in Florida, which oversaw fundraising across the diocese’s 17 counties and nearly doubled the endowment assets of its foundation. In that role, she and Kelley got to know one another – and she was the first person who came to mind last year when he began planning for succession.

“I’ve been here over 40 years, and I’m 70,” Kelley said. “It made sense to put together a succession plan that will help preserve donor relationships and institutional knowledge – while also capturing a new generation of thinking about development and stewardship.”

As development director, DiSandro will be responsible for fundraising for the diocese’s operations and capital improvements, and as foundation president  she will oversee the organization that supports diocesan ministries through estate gifts and endowments.

Kelley will continue his work with the diocese’s “Making Room – for More to Know the Love of Jesus” fundraising initiative through June 2028, then will move toward working exclusively with individuals and couples on estate-planning, major gifts and endowments. 

Since joining the diocese in 1986, Kelley has helped raise close to $1 billion.

“I’ve enjoyed my job every day for 40 years, and I am grateful because I know most people can’t say that,” Kelley reflected. “I’m thrilled about this new opportunity to continue serving the Church I love and the clergy, parishioners, staff and Church leaders who have shaped my life and career.”  

The Catholic News Herald celebrated his 40-year anniversary with a special profile in its Feb. 20, 2026, edition, recapping his storied career: “Steward of Stewardship: Jim Kelley celebrates 40 years of giving to God.”

A FOUNDATION OF SERVICE

DiSandro welcomed the opportunity to work in the diocese: “It’s an exciting time to be in the Diocese of Charlotte,” DiSandro said. “With the vision Bishop Martin has cast, I am most excited about the opportunity to work with our clergy and parishioners.”

Originally from southern Illinois, DiSandro grew up on a farm. She attended Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois, on a volleyball scholarship, earning a bachelor’s degree before later completing her MBA. She is also a Certified Fundraising Executive. 

DiSandro and her husband, Jeff, have two teens and a rescue dog named Bear.

She and Kelley share a common vision for the diocese’s stewardship efforts.

“We want people to understand how blessed they are by God, to be grateful, and to give back a portion of their time, talent and treasure,” Kelley said.

DiSandro embraces that philosophy, too.

“God has given us so much, and we are blessed with the opportunity to help others using whatever gifts we have,” she said. “What a joy it is to respond in this generous way.”

— Trish Stukbauer and Courtney McLaughlin. Photo by Troy Hull.

A priest holds a monstrance at the site of a collapsed building in La Guaira, Venezuela, July 1, 2026, in the aftermath of earthquakes. Two catastrophic earthquakes hit Venezuela in quick succession June 24, leaving at least 3,500 dead, which experts say is a major undercount. (OSV News photo/Ricardo Arduengo, Reuters)

CHARLOTTE — Building on Bishop Michael Martin's call for Catholics to support victims of the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela, parishes across the Diocese of Charlotte will take up a special collection during Masses this weekend, July 18-19, to aid the Church’s humanitarian response.

The collection comes as the Church in Venezuela and Catholic Relief Services continue emergency relief efforts after twin earthquakes claimed thousands of lives and left countless others in need of lifesaving aid.

The special collection is part of the diocese’s response to an appeal from the Church in Venezuela and the U.S. Catholic bishops for people to support those affected, many of whom are still searching for loved ones and digging out from rubble.

Funds collected in parishes will go directly to the emergency response Catholic Relief Services is coordinating with Caritas Venezuela and the local Church to quickly deliver emergency shelter, food, water, medical care and other critical relief to survivors.

“Our diocese will answer the call for Catholics and all people of goodwill to stand in solidarity with those affected in Venezuela,” Monsignor Patrick Winslow, the diocese’s vicar general and chancellor, wrote in a letter to pastors announcing the special collection.

Parishioners may contribute directly through their local parish or donate online through Catholic Relief Services’ Venezuela earthquake relief campaign.

“As we lift up those who are suffering throughout the world in prayer,” Monsignor Winslow wrote, “may we also open our hearts to God’s call to be instruments of His compassion and peace.”

How to help

A special collection will be taken up in parishes across the Diocese of Charlotte this weekend, July 18-19. Checks may be made payable to the parish and marked “Venezuela Relief.”

Donations also may be made anytime securely online through Catholic Relief Services’ Venezuela earthquake relief appeal: https://www.crs.org/donate/venezuela-earthquake

The Midwestern priest and the support team for his current speaking tour were just off what they described as a very energetic and large gathering in Clearwater the night before.

He would find a similarly large, sold-out crowd at the main symphony hall at the Broward Center before a final Florida engagement in Jacksonville.

One of the most popular priest-influencers on social media, Father Schmitz was in Florida recently as part of his "Parables" tour, in which he unpacked Christ's Gospel parables and offered fresh insights.

A priest of the Diocese of Duluth, Minnesota, Father Schmitz is the director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the diocese as well as the chaplain for the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

The "Parables" tour has included stops in nearly two dozen in U.S. cities in Arizona, California, Louisiana and Florida over the last several months. His last scheduled tour date for this round of appearances is international, scheduled for July 20 in Dublin, although his website says more tour dates for cities in the U.S. and elsewhere are coming.

"On a certain level (young people) are searching for authenticity, for someone or a group being who they claim to be is one massive thing -- and that is the case for all of us, right?" the priest asked at his Fort Lauderdale event.

"We don't respect hypocrisy, in fact it has been the case for generations or even all of human history," he said. "Even Jesus was leveling a common criticism against hypocrites, saying one thing and not even wanting to live up to that one thing."

The 2018 Synod of Bishops on "Young People, Faith, and Vocational Discernment" came at a time when the church began to recognize that American Catholic youth increasingly see integrity and authenticity as lived consistency and not just institutional conformity.

The working document for the synod, heavily drawn from direct consultations with young people, said youth want an "authentic" and "credible" Church, whose leaders "speak in practical terms about controversial subjects."

"And so I think we have to have integrity that who we are is who we claim to be," Father Schmitz said at the event.

But in addition to integrity, clarity and the truth of Catholic teaching are other frequent topics by Father Schmitz, both online or in person. The human mind is made for truth and the human heart is made for goodness, he says, but "sometimes the way we present things and the way we say things has a lot to do with it."

Turning to the subject of male teenagers and young adult struggles in particular, Father Schmitz said indifference is the underlying problem or obstacle to a less cynical faith life during adolescence and young adulthood.

"You notice it if you are working with youth," he said, especially in terms of inviting young men to participate more in church life.

"One of the things that I have seen more and more particularly with people tired of being told online they have to live up to some (online) expectations that they have to live up to every single thing and there becomes a rejection of it."

Although the sexes both have a lot in common, the priest added, men are perhaps created to have a battle to fight in that sense of a mission to pursue or a mission to live out; and women are more oriented toward relationships.

"When a mission is not given, or a mission is not worth fighting for, is what (Harvard professor) Arthur C. Brooks says leaves a lack of meaning," Father Schmitz said, which is the number one crisis Brooks has identified and which is required to overcome modern emptiness and achieve true joy.

Trust issues, loneliness and anxiety among young people remain a troubling crisis among today's students.

"(On) college campuses in the last 10 years, anxiety has overcome depression as the number one mental health challenge young people are facing and anxiety is fear of the future and rooted in uncertainty," Father Schmitz said.

The remedy, he added, is an overarching sense of Christian hope.

"Christian hope is not just that I desire an outcome, it is knowing that I can trust in God and extending that into the future is the answer for anxiety I think," Father Schmitz said.

A return to Catholic tradition and authentic reverence among youth has been another antidote to modern-day angst. "There is something really compelling about the mystery and the ancient sense of the Mass or things we do as Catholics that is bigger than you," Father Schmitz said.

He also touched on artificial intelligence, which Pope Leo XIV addresses in his landmark encyclical "Magnifica Humanitas," issued May 25. The pope compares the attempt to build an AI future that excludes God to the "Tower of Babel" and underlines the need to safeguard human dignity as it is "threatened by new forms of dehumanization."

"I was talking with some people at the McGrath Institute for Church Life at Notre Dame University about a year ago," Father Schmitz said, "and one of the things that they highlighted was that every time we invented some kind of technology it was an extension of some human ability, such as our ability to move around in cars. And each time, we have stunted our ability to use that thing."

For example, in today's hyper-mobile society, people don't walk as much as they used to.

AI presents a similar scenario of extending human mental abilities to tackle problems both complicated and complex, Father Schmitz said.

"AI does a great job of solving complicated problems, but it cannot solve (all) complex problems," the priest said.

"In the immediate future, I hope we can hold on to our humanity by recognizing there are some questions a computer cannot solve no matter how developed the program is," Father Schmitz said.

The Fort Lauderdale event drew a cross section of youth, young adults and even senior citizens who likely are familiar with the priest through his popular YouTube videos along with his "The Bible in a Year" podcast. Produced by Ascension Press, the podcast consists of 365 daily episodes reading the entire Bible. In each episode, Father Schmitz reads and discusses sections of the Bible, also adding his own commentary and prayer.

The "Parables" tour is billed as part of a fundraising effort to support the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Some 700 students and faculty come to meet and worship under Father Schmitz's chaplaincy.

All the proceeds from each event are helping to fund the construction of a brand new church and a dedicated space for students to meet, pray, study, and grow in their faith on the campus.

— Tom Tracy / Florida Catholic, OSV News

The same week, Trump said he will not sign bipartisan housing legislation, which will in effect allow it to become law without his signature. He also ended a NATO meeting praising “tremendous unity” despite his criticism of the organization over Iran.

-- Trump calls Iran ceasefire 'over' after new strikes

U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. military operations in the region, said in a July 8 statement, "At the direction of the Commander in Chief, U.S. Central Command forces have started conducting additional strikes against Iran to further degrade its ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz."

"The United States is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway," the statement said.

Iran responded with drones and missiles aimed at U.S. bases in Kuwait and Bahrain.

The strikes come after the U.S. and Iran in June entered into a memorandum of understanding, a tentative framework to end the war.

Asked before a NATO summit in Turkey on July 8 whether the MOU was over, Trump said, "It's a very interesting question. To me, I think it's over. I don't want to deal with them."

"If we ‌make a deal with Iran I'm not sure that will stick," Trump continued. "I found them to be very dishonorable people."

Trump made a similar comment on July 10 on his social media website, Truth Social.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to continue 'talks,'" Trump wrote. "We have agreed to do so, but the United States has stated to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER!"

Pope Leo XIV is among the world leaders who have opposed the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran as unjust, and called for a return to diplomacy. Trump in April and May lashed out repeatedly at Pope Leo, claiming he supported Iran having nuclear weapons. However, the pope never made any such statement. Pope Leo has consistently called for the rejection of nuclear weapons, and for peace and dialogue in the region.

-- Trump declines to sign bipartisan housing bill, but it is still expected to become law

Trump said July 10 in a social media post that he would not sign a bipartisan bill aimed at easing housing costs "in PROTEST over the fact that the United States Senate is not capable of passing THE SAVE AMERICA ACT."

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, sponsored by Sens. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Reps. French Hill, R-Ark., and Maxine Waters, D-Calif., would ease some regulations on the construction of new housing and would limit corporations from buying large amounts of houses. Its supporters said it would take aim at high housing costs.

Catholic groups, including the U.S. bishops, had previously offered their support to the housing bill.

The legislation, approved in bipartisan votes in both chambers, was supported by the White House. But in June, Trump canceled a planned signing ceremony for the bipartisan housing bill as part of his call to pass the SAVE America Act.

However, the White House indicated Trump will not veto the measure, allowing it to become law at midnight the same day without his signature.

Trump has demanded that lawmakers pass the SAVE America Act, a voter ID bill that would require proof of citizenship -- specifically a birth certificate, a U.S. passport or related documents such as a naturalization certificate -- to register to vote in federal elections. A Real ID driver's license would not meet this registration requirement under the terms of the bill. It would also require the presentation of a photo ID to vote, for which a Real ID would qualify.

Supporters of the SAVE America Act argue it would prevent voter fraud, but critics say citizenship is already a requirement to vote in federal elections, and examples of noncitizens voting are rare. Opponents also argue it would bar eligible citizens from voting if they did not have access to their birth certificate or hold a passport. About 52% of registered voters do not have an unexpired passport with their current legal name, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center.

However, the SAVE America Act lacks sufficient support in the Senate to meet the upper chamber’s 60-vote filibuster threshold.

In his post, Trump argued, "THE SAVE AMERICA ACT’S non-passage is CRAZY, and a serious threat to any politician who votes against it!"

-- Trump ends NATO meeting praising 'tremendous unity' there despite previous criticism

Trump said at a NATO summit on July 8 in Turkey that the U.S. will give Ukraine a license to make Patriot air defense systems to counter missile attacks from Russia, a technology Kyiv has sought for several years since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022.

The commitment followed a reportedly positive meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"We've actually developed a good relationship. It's hard to believe," Trump said during a press conference with Zelenskyy, whom he previously sharply rebuked during a disastrous Oval Office meeting in 2025, in which Trump and Vice President JD Vance suggested Zelenskyy was not grateful enough for U.S. support.

But Trump on July 8 said Zelenskyy has "done an amazing job" and "We'll give them the right to make Patriots. We'll show them how to do it."

The move also marked something of a shift for Trump during his visit to Turkey, which he began by criticizing European partners for objecting to his argument that the U.S. should take control of Greenland and for not supporting the war in Iran.

But by the end of the summit, Trump told the press, "I just want to say there was tremendous love in that room.”

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told the BBC that Trump " is completely committed to NATO," likening any disagreement to a family argument.

Pope Leo has appealed for peace in Ukraine after Russian attacks there earlier this year.

— Kate Scanlon, OSV News

One of those squeezed into the regional Italian train heading to Lake Albano was Jana Kopkova from Koshice, Slovakia.

"We're in Rome for an extended weekend so we wanted to see the pope with our family," she said, her 7-year-old boy clinging to his mother's leg as they stood on the train, nodding his head with a smile when asked by OSV News if he was excited to meet the pope.

"Pope Leo is just so natural," Kopkova, whose cousin is an Augustinian friar, told OSV News.

"He looks like he was born to bless all those babies," she said with a smile, happy for the summer adventure and an opportunity to get the papal blessing for her family.

It was the family's first time to see the pope in the summer setting.

It was a similar case for Kevin's family. They came from Colombia -- Kevin, with his parents and two sisters.

"We're Catholics so it was important for us to be here," he told OSV News, as his sisters sheltered themselves from the sun under their umbrellas.

The Augustinian pope did not disappoint pilgrims waiting in the July Italian sun at Castel Gandolfo town square, delivering a reflection in a relaxed mood during his summer vacation.

"Brothers and sisters, happy Sunday!" He started to the cheers of those gathered.

Reflecting on the parable of the sower in the Gospel of Mathew, the pope said it "describes the generosity and trust with which God sows his word in our hearts and his power in us."

Jesus himself "is the seed," the pope said.

"It is true that sometimes he finds in us hard and unresponsive soil," but when the Lord "finds receptive and fertile ground," then "miracles of love are set in motion that have the power to transform everything."

The Father "never ceases to sow, because he knows that the power of his love is stronger than our weakness," Pope Leo said.

"God's generosity towards us is not naïve but wise. He sees within us the potential of a good that, at times, we ourselves might fail to recognize. For this reason, the Lord, who knows the soil of our hearts better than we, never ceases to believe in us -- in who we are and in who we can become, day by day, if we entrust ourselves to him in faith," the pope said.

Encouraging those gathered -- most of them enjoying their summer breaks -- to recharge their batteries remembering about God, Pope Leo said "Let us ... resolve, especially during these summer days of vacation, to make room for listening to, reading, and meditating on the word of God, thereby fostering -- together with rest and wholesome recreation -- meaningful moments of silence and prayer."

In this way, the pontiff stressed, "we shall return to our usual activities renewed in body and spirit, ready to proclaim the Good News of the Gospel and ever more capable of contributing to the growth of the Kingdom of God."

The pope prayed the Angelus standing at the gate of the Castel Gandolfo residence and used a small, motorized buggy cart to drive standing through the square and greet pilgrims after the Sunday prayer.

Luigi, who lives close to Castel Gandolfo, told OSV News while heading to Sunday Mass at the parish Church of St. Thomas of Villanova, that "it's a great joy to have the pope back, answering our desire to have him close."

Elia, with a big smile on her face as she sold magnet after magnet in her souvenir shop at the piazza, agreed: "We are just so happy," she said, adding that "so many people now come to Castel Gandolfo."

Castel Gandolfo lets pilgrims have a much more intimate experience of the pope than when he's meeting his flock in Vatican City. The town's square is tiny compared to St. Peter's Square and the numbers of people are also much smaller.

It is worth considering an early arrival to Castel Gandolfo -- either by train or bus from Rome. On July 12, buses were so filled with pilgrims that Legionaries of Christ Father Matthew Schneider asked for prayers for those left behind on Sunday morning.

"Pray for a few people who just missed the bus for the Pope's Angelus in Castel Gandolfo," he said in a July 12 X post. "We are squished on the bus, & they sent an extra bus, but some were still left at the bus stand outside the metro," he said, eventually arriving at Castel Gandolfo and sharing a smiling selfie on his account.

After the Angelus reflection and greeting both foreigners and inhabitants of the town, Pope Leo said that "unfortunately, the winds of war are blowing in the Middle East, in Ukraine and in many other parts of the world, sowing violence, terror and death, and once again affecting many innocent people.

"Let us not allow these events to extinguish the flame of hope and peace, even when it seems fragile and wavering," Pope Leo said, adding "I renew my hope that we will persevere on the path of dialogue, encounter and diplomacy. This is the only path capable of leading to a just and lasting peace, in which peoples can live in reconciliation, mutual security and respect for the dignity of every person."

After praying for "seafarers, fishermen, and dockworkers" and their families on what is commemorated as Sea Sunday, Pope Leo greeted Polish pilgrims from the Jasna Góra shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa -- with Poles flooding the little town they know well from when St. John Paul II spent his summer vacation there.

"The Holy Father is a caring, open and listening pastor, really focused on the people, and not putting distance, whether you're a lay person or priest," Polish Father Michal Miszkurka said of the American pope. "And here in Castel Gandolfo you can really see that lack of distance in a literal way!" he added.

Sylwia, also from Poland, brought her friend Anna with her. She said she came to Castel Gandolfo to get to know Pope Leo better. "I still don't know him well, so he has to convince me!" she laughed in a souvenir store, with her friend Ania absorbing every bit of the Italian beauty in her first trip to the country.

— Paulina Guzik, OSV News

Father Diệp ministered for years in rural southern Vietnam, where he was known for his care of the poor, the sick and those on the margins. During political unrest in 1946, he offered himself in place of parishioners who had been captured. The parishioners were ultimately released but Father Diệp was killed, and the Church later recognized him as a martyr.

More than 70,000 pilgrims gathered July 2 at Tắc Sậy Pilgrimage Center in Vietnam for his beatification Mass, the first beatification ever celebrated on Vietnamese soil.

Vietnamese Catholics in Greensboro gathered in prayer and thanksgiving the same day during a Mass by Father Casey Coleman, pastor.

In his homily, Father Coleman reflected on how Father Diệp responded generously to God’s grace. Every saint became a saint because they responded to God’s grace, he said, and he encouraged people today to model that same faith and willingness to love.

Attending the Mass was Sinh Pham, who said, “This gives the people of Vietnam great hope because Father Diệp brings the Christian model to the hearts and people of Vietnam.”

His wife Phuong Doan added, “We are very proud to see him elevated to Blessed. Father Diệp is beloved in Vietnam even by non-Catholics.” 

— Georgianna Penn

Vietnamese Catholics urged to become ‘messengers of truth’ at historic beatification

TAC SAY, Vietnam — Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle urged Vietnamese Catholics to become “messengers of truth” July 2 as the Church beatified Father Francis Xavier Truong Buu Diệp in the first beatification ceremony held in Vietnam.

The historic celebration at Tac Say Pilgrimage Center in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta drew more than 70,000 pilgrims, while another 1 million watched on Church YouTube channels. Cardinal Tagle, Pope Leo XIV’s special envoy, presided over the Mass with 40 bishops and about 1,000 priests.

Tac Say is located in southern Ca Mau province, where Blessed Diệp’s remains are enshrined.

Authorities closed the national highway running through the pilgrimage center to accommodate the crowds, many of whom slept overnight on sidewalks surrounding the shrine. Vatican and Vietnamese flags lined the route alongside images of the newly beatified priest.

Cardinal Tagle, a pro-prefect in the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization, said Blessed Diệp’s life offers a timely witness in a world increasingly clouded by falsehood.

“I hope Blessed Francis Xavier will inspire not only Vietnamese Catholics but also many others to return to the truth of Jesus Christ,” he said in an interview published on the website of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Vietnam before the beatification, noting that “being a martyr means bearing witness to the truth about Jesus.”

“Today there are too many messengers of lies and fake news, and we no longer know what the truth is. Therefore, we need messengers of truth,” Cardinal Tagle said.

The cardinal said Blessed Diệp proclaimed that truth not only through his preaching but especially through his pastoral care of the poor and his willingness to remain with his people despite grave danger.

“Even in moments of peril, he did not abandon his flock but bore witness to the love of Jesus Christ,” Cardinal Tagle said.

He emphasized that genuine devotion to Blessed Diệp means far more than honoring his memory.

“True devotion to Blessed Francis Xavier means imitating him in daily life through justice, charity, compassion for the poor and commitment to Jesus – not only when it is convenient but also when it is difficult,” he said. “Let devotion to Blessed Francis Xavier become a way of life.”

In his homily, Cardinal Tagle said the new blessed “is inviting all of us not to deny Jesus, but to be witnesses or martyrs of His truth.”

He urged Catholics to choose honesty over corruption even if it meant remaining poor, to share their possessions with those in need rather than hoarding wealth, and “to be united” with Jesus “even when it is dangerous, and not only when it is convenient.”

Cardinal Tagle also revealed that the Holy See wanted the beatification to be celebrated in Vietnam so local Catholics could experience its significance firsthand.

The ceremony marked a milestone for the Church in Vietnam. Since Christianity reached the country nearly 500 years ago, all previous beatifications of Vietnamese martyrs had taken place in Rome, including that of Blessed Andrew Phu-Yen in 2000. St. John Paul II canonized 117 Vietnamese martyrs in 1988.

The Church designated March 12, the anniversary of his death, as the liturgical memorial of the newly Blessed Diệp.

Archbishop Marek Zalewski, the pontifical representative to Vietnam, called the celebration “a special grace for the universal Church.”

“The greatest meaning today is not that the Church has a new blessed,” he said. “It reminds us that the path to holiness remains open to every one of us.”

Bishop Peter Phan Tan Loi of Can Tho described the beatification as “a miracle,” noting that hundreds of thousands of people, including followers of other religions, came to honor Blessed Diệp.

Addressing non-Christian pilgrims, Bishop Loi stressed that Blessed Diệp belongs to everyone.

“He is a meeting place of compassion,” he said. “Millions of people from different backgrounds and different religions honoring him together is a great miracle of harmony and unity.”

He expressed hope that Tac Say would remain “a peaceful home for everyone,” where Blessed Diệp’s spirit of boundless love would inspire mutual care and help people discover God.

Born in 1897, in An Giang province, Father Diệp was ordained in 1924 and served Tac Say Parish from 1930 until his death, earning a reputation for caring for the poor and protecting Catholics during the First Indochina War.

Despite repeated pleas to flee, he refused, saying, “I live among my sheep, and if I must die, I will die among them.” He was killed March 12, 1946, by two Japanese deserters, according to a Can Tho diocesan investigation, which also concluded his death was unrelated to the communists, correcting decades of misconceptions.

His remains are enshrined at Tac Say, now one of Vietnam’s largest Catholic pilgrimage destinations, attracting millions of visitors each year.

Among the pilgrims was Mary Nguyen Thi Lai, who traveled from Binh Thuan province for the beatification.

“The beatification ceremony brought people from all walks of life together in honoring Blessed Diệp and a bright future for local Catholics,” she told OSV News.

“We hope local people will follow Diệp’s example and work together for the common good.”

— Joachim Pham, OSV News

Pictured at top: Pilgrims pray by the tomb of Blessed Francis Xavier Truong Buu Diệp at Tac Say Pilgrimage Center in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta on July 1, 2026. (OSV News/Joachim Pham)

And, said the pope, the "strong, though largely unknown, Eucharistic heritage" of the nation "must continue to serve as source of both renewal and unity."

Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez of Philadelphia introduced Pope Leo's words to the faithful -- shared by the pope in a pre-recorded video -- during a July 5 Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in that city.

Amid an ongoing heatwave, hundreds filled the cathedral's pews for the liturgy, which was to be followed by a Eucharistic procession to the National Shrine of St. John Neumann, located at St. Peter the Apostle Church some two miles away.

With a theme of "One Nation Under God," the pilgrims arrived July 2 amid the Independence Day holiday weekend in Philadelphia, home to several key sites in the nation’s founding. The Declaration of Independence was signed in the city, which served as the nation’s capital from 1790 to 1800, when the new city of Washington became the nation’s seat of government.

Launched on May 24, the pilgrimage wound through most of the nation's 13 original colonies -- passing through 18 dioceses and archdioceses, as well as two Eastern Catholic eparchies -- as the U.S. marked its 250th anniversary.

The journey had been placed under the patronage of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, the woman religious and Italian immigrant who became the first U.S. citizen to be canonized after a lifetime of work ministering to immigrants. Stops along the Cabrini Route highlighted sites significant to Catholicism’s contributions to U.S. history.

In his message, Pope Leo described the pilgrimage as "particularly appropriate" for the commemoration of the nation’s 250th anniversary, since the journey "centered on our Lord."

He pointed out that "pilgrimages are deeply rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition," and "often undertaken to mark significant anniversaries as the community comes together in prayer."

The pope noted the pilgrims, walking through many of the nation’s original 13 colonies, had "prayed for unity, renewal and healing for the country," under the pilgrimage’s motto.

"These intentions are also close to my own heart," said Pope Leo, who expressed "sincere gratitude" to the U.S. Catholic bishops, pilgrimage organizers and both in-person and online participants.

The U.S., "united 'under God,' has been imbued with a sense of faith that recognizes God’s
sovereignty even before its formal establishment," said Pope Leo.

He observed that the pilgrimage’s starting city, St. Augustine, Florida, recalled a Mass of Thanksgiving celebrated on the feast of Mary’s nativity by Spanish explorers and settlers, who then joined the local Seloy tribe for a meal.

That event and "many others," said Pope Leo, attests to a vibrant but little-known "Eucharistic heritage of the United States of America."

He urged a continuation of that heritage as a "source of both renewal and unity," adding that "with the blessing of Almighty God, this heritage has continued to bear fruit by leading new generations of American Catholics to Jesus Christ."

The pope focused on "certain men and women" who bore "witness to the Gospel in a radical way."

He cited "the martyrs in New York and Georgia, St. Kateri Tekakwitha, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Katharine Drexel, St. John Neumann and Venerable Fulton Sheen, who will soon be beatified.”

The pope also highlighted that pilgrimage patron St. Frances Xavier Cabrini had been "the foundress of a religious congregation whose mission was to care for the spiritual and material needs of poor immigrants."

The "intense apostolic activity" of such "holy men and women, and others like them," said the pope, "would not have been possible without the strength they drew daily from moments of silent prayer before the tabernacle."

Pilgrimage participants "carry on this great legacy of faith," said Pope Leo.

The pilgrimage’s Masses, Eucharistic processions and hundreds of holy hours provided participants with "the strength and nourishment needed to continue your course," he said, adding, "The true body and blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ is the life of the pilgrim Church on earth."

He quoted St. John Paul II’s 2003 encyclical "Ecclesia de Eucharistia," saying, "The Eucharist, as Christ’s saving presence in the community of the faithful and its spiritual food, is the most precious possession which the Church can have in her journey through history."

"As the country marks the anniversary of the founding of its earthly homeland, it is my hope that this experience as pilgrims will also help you to fix your eyes on the heavenly one (cf. Hb 11:16), and likewise serve as a reminder that the Eucharist is an invaluable gift, our indispensable sustenance," said Pope Leo.

He stressed that "it is precisely through her recognition and reception of this gift that the Church in the United States will find strength to carry on her charitable service to the wider society."

In particular, said Pope Leo, that service includes "the areas of education, healthcare and basic social services, while at the same time continuing her mission to evangelize."

With the pilgrimage concluding, Pope Leo encouraged pilgrimage participants "to place your lives under God’s loving providence as you return to your homes," and "to cultivate a strong Eucharistic life among your families, friends and communities."

He expressed his confidence that "the Eucharistic Pilgrimage will bear abundant fruits in the United States of America," which he entrusted to Mary’s intercession before conferring his apostolic blessing.

— Gina Christian, OSV News

National Eucharistic Pilgrimage ends, but 'the journey continues'

PHILADELPHIA — As the 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage concluded amid the U.S.'s 250th anniversary, "the journey continues," said Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez of Philadelphia.

And, he added, "we're all walking to one place," with the path leading to the "powerful, transformative and lifegiving" love of God.

The archbishop was the principal celebrant and homilist at the final liturgy for the pilgrimage, which took place July 5 at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia, the second to last stop on the pilgrimage route.

At the start of the Mass, Pope Leo XIV -- the first U.S.-born pope -- addressed the faithful in a pre-recorded video message, saying that the "strong, though largely unknown, Eucharistic heritage" of the nation "must continue to serve as source of both renewal and unity."

The pilgrimage arrived in Philadelphia July 2, having traveled through most of the nation's original 13 colonies -- spanning 18 dioceses and archdioceses, as well as two Eastern Catholic eparchies -- since its May 24 launch.

With a theme of "One Nation Under God," the pilgrimage had been placed under the patronage of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, the woman religious and Italian immigrant who became the first U.S. citizen to be canonized after a lifetime of work ministering to immigrants. Stops along the Cabrini Route highlighted sites significant to Catholicism’s contributions to U.S. history.

Despite an ongoing heatwave, hundreds filled the cathedral's pews for the July 5 liturgy, overflowing into aisles and side chapels and joining in the hymns led by multiple multicultural choirs.

Following the Mass, attendees braved temperatures above 90 degrees and high levels of humidity for a Eucharistic procession through the streets of Philadelphia to the National Shrine of St. John Neumann, located at St. Peter the Apostle Church some two miles away.

Archbishop Pérez held the monstrance as he processed under a canopy held aloft by attendants, with the Knights of Columbus forming an honor guard and choir members, in full choral robes, leading pilgrims in multiple hymns.

Walking along the route, Kevin DePaulo and Helen Chalhoub -- young adult Catholics from the Philadelphia suburbs -- told OSV News that participating in the Philadelphia stop of the pilgrimage was a source of joy.

DePaulo described the Eucharistic procession as "a meaningful opportunity to really do something that shows our faith outside of just going to church on Sunday. It's a public witness."

Chalhoub, who carried a banner with the image of the Divine Mercy and the text of the Hail Mary, said that she looked forward to continuing "to lean on the Lord through everyday life, through challenges, and even when things are going well. Just to always lean on the Lord and be with him."

Patrick McNabb, a Philadelphia-area native now living in Rhode Island, brought his young children Grace and Brendan to the Mass and procession, having already attended earlier pilgrimage events in both Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

As a father, said McNabb, he hoped his kids would "grow closer to God" as a result of their participation.

Joshua Brooks, currently in his fourth college year at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Ambler, Pennsylvania, said the day's Mass and procession "really shows how the Eucharist is the source and summit of our Catholic faith."

As he prepared to help carry the main banner at the front of the procession, Brooks said, "We're going to bring Christ into the streets of Philadelphia, to give witness to people that Jesus is here with us on earth in the Blessed Sacrament."

Brooks, who converted to Catholicism in high school after being raised Baptist, added, "The Eucharist really means everything. And when we go out together as a Catholic family, we show that the Eucharist is for all of us."

Several members of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters of Wichita, Kansas, told OSV News after the procession that the liturgy and the journey to the St. John Neumann Shrine -- at which Benediction took place -- were an experience of oneness among Catholics.

"We certainly saw the universal Church in our procession today," said Sister Mary Monica. "It was beautiful coming together, because Christ is unity, and so our nation needs to come together. And it's only through Christ that will happen."

Bishop Erik T. Pohlmeier of St. Augustine, Florida -- whose diocese hosted the start of the 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage -- said that "what binds us all together is the Eucharist.

"Our greater identity is unity with each other, (more) than anything else," he told OSV News.

Bishop Pohlmeier said the nine young adults who accompanied the Blessed Sacrament throughout the 2026 pilgrimage -- known as "perpetual pilgrims" -- had gotten "a glimpse into the bigger reality of the Church" as a result of their journey.

Several pilgrims affirmed the bishop's insight during a post-procession press conference.

"I think it's so beautiful going through so many different parts of the country, so many different dioceses," said Cheyenne Johnson, who had also been a 2025 perpetual pilgrim.

Johnson said she and her fellow pilgrims had experienced "so many different cultures in different places," adding, "And I think that's a beautiful thing."

Yet at the heart of such diversity remains a divine unity, said Archbishop Pérez.

The "enduring presence" of Christ's "body, blood, soul and divinity" in the sacrament of the altar was given as a "gift" that gathers the faithful, he said during his homily at the cathedral.

"It transforms us," said Archbishop Pérez. "It conquers us."

— Gina Christian, OSV News

A member of the Knights of Columbus leads a procession at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington July 4, 2026, following a Mass of Thanksgiving for America’s 250th Anniversary. (OSV News photo/Tim Dias, courtesy National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception)

Cardinal Wuerl, the retired archbishop of Washington, delivered the homily at a Mass of Thanksgiving for America's 250th anniversary held at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington. The quietly dignified service was a cool reprise from the 100-degree heat and high humidity outside.

"We can claim to be free because we have been created free and equal by God," Cardinal Wuerl said.

And that, he said, can be traced, in American history, all the way back to the Mayflower Compact in New England in 1620. The compact, he reminded the congregation, only had two elements: "The law of God and the need of the common good."

In addition, American identity "doesn't rest on blood ties, ethnic origin or national heritage."

"Our beginnings as a nation celebrate our freedom," the cardinal observed, calling on the congregation to "do our part now to honor that promise for everyone."

In 1776, "We as a people collectively started down the pathway that eventually resulted in our national independence. We claimed our freedom as a nation and our civil liberties as a people," he said.

This event, he added, "calls for our reflection, our celebration and our prayers of thanksgiving as we renew today our appreciation of our historic heritage and focus on the present effort today to live up to all those ideals that have so identified us as a nation and as a people."

Thomas Jefferson, when he authored the declaration, told others that it did not contain ideas original to himself, but rather expressed "the common beliefs of people of his day," Cardinal Wuerl said.

Jefferson would call the Declaration "an expression of the American mind and spirit, deeply rooted in the thoughts and faith of the American people," he said.

As a result, the cardinal added, the many references of "our faith in God" should not come as a surprise to anyone.

"Even in this quintessentially civil declaration, we should not be surprised to find so many references to our faith in God," he said.

So on the Fourth of July, "We renew our identity as a people who claim a God-given right: To life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Our beginnings as a nation have religious roots, deep in the convictions of the people in those original 13 states and those who we refer to as our founders," he said.

Cardinal Wuerl, a native of Pittsburgh, was archbishop of Washington from 2006 to 2018.

One of the principal concelebrants was Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the new Apostolic Nuncio to the United States.

Delivering a message from Pope Leo IV, Archbishop Caccia said July 4, 1776, was "the defining moment in the history of the United States of America, and giving voice to the ideas of liberty, equality, pursuit of happiness, justice, and democratic types of government."

Religious freedom, and the ability to practice one's faith openly without fear, has long been central to the American promise, Archbishop Caccia said.

— Kurt Jensen, OSV News