Pope Leo XIV clasps his hands after leading the Angelus in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Oct. 18, 2026, after being released from the hospital the previous day. Lead surgeon Dr. Stefano Margaritora said the pope's recovery is progressing normally and that there is no medical reason to cancel his planned Nov. 6-17 trip to South America. (OSV News photo/Matteo Pernaselci, Vatican Media)

"I would like to thank all those who have prayed for me in recent days. I have truly sensed your support," the pope said after leading the crowd in St. Peter's Square in the prayer of the Angelus.

"This experience has made me feel particularly close to all those who are living with illness or infirmity. Now that I have overcome this delicate phase, as you know, I will gradually resume my activities, always with God’s help and your prayers," he added.

The pope said he was especially grateful to all of the doctors, nurses, and staff at Rome's Gemelli Hospital, where he underwent lung cancer surgery on Oct. 13 to remove the lower lobe of the right lung.

It was Pope Leo's first public appearance since he was discharged from Rome's Gemelli Hospital the day prior after his doctors deemed him fit to return to the Vatican earlier than had been originally expected.

Thousands of people in St. Peter's Square on the cloudy Sunday cheered loudly when the pope waved from the window of his papal apartment less than 24 hours after his hospital discharge.

-- Emotional pilgrims welcoming Pope Leo back to the Vatican --

For Ylenia Casati, a 32-year-old woman from Siena, Italy, the experience was very moving.

"It was emotional. I almost started crying because it was so wonderful to see him again,” Casati told OSV News.

"Today was the first Angelus right after his hospitalization, and I wanted and needed to see him, and to be reassured by hearing him and seeing that he was doing well.”

Her friend, Ilaria Beatrice, 31, from Prato, Italy, described St. Peter's Square as "full of passion, full of love, of excitement."

"To feel like part of such a close-knit community of believers, it’s wonderful," she said. "To turn around and see people clapping, crying, and cheering -- it gives you so much strength."

The Oct. 17 announcement of the pope’s imminent discharge from the hospital the day prior came earlier than previously expected, as the Holy See Press Office had originally indicated that the pope would remain in the hospital for about a week following his Oct. 13 admission to Gemelli on the day of his surgery.

-- Pope's surgeon praised Pope Leo as an 'ideal' patient, said pope can go to South America --

Dr. Stefano Margaritora, the lead surgeon for Pope Leo's 90-minute lung cancer operation on Oct. 13, said in an interview with Vatican News on the day of his hospital discharge that he saw no clinical reason to cancel the pope's planned trip to South America.

"As for a long trip involving air travel in about three weeks, I would say there are no clinical reasons why it should not take place," Margaritora said, indicating that he believed from a medical standpoint that Pope Leo could be ready to undertake the demanding visit to Latin America scheduled for Nov. 6-17.

"At the time of his discharge from the hospital, Pope Leo was in entirely satisfactory clinical condition," the surgeon said. "The lung’s re-expansion after surgery is proceeding according to the usual timetable."

The surgeon estimated that it usually takes "a couple of weeks to make a truly complete physical recovery after this kind of operation."

"Since almost a week has already passed, I believe the pope could be fully recovered in another ten days or so," he said.

Margaritora, who is the chief thoracic surgeon at Gemelli Hospital, described Pope Leo as "an ideal patient."

"He was always serene, always smiling, and rarely complained, despite the pain a person inevitably feels, even with all the measures we take," he said.

The doctor also shared a story of how Pope Leo offered a helping hand moving chairs in the chapel so that he could celebrate Mass two days after his cancer surgery.

"On the second day after the operation, we turned around and found him arranging the chairs in the chapel himself. We said, 'Holy Father, we can do that.' And he replied, 'It doesn’t matter. I can do it, so I will.' What can I say? He really was an absolutely ideal patient," Margaritora said.

-- Pope Leo celebrating the centenary of World Mission Sunday --

In his Angelus address, the pope marked the 100th anniversary of World Mission Sunday.

"Let us think of how much missionary history has unfolded over these 100 years," Pope Leo said. "Let us pray that the Church may always remain faithful to the mandate of the Risen Lord: 'Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.'"

Before praying the Marian prayer of the Angelus in Latin with the crowd, Pope Leo reflected on Sunday's Gospel in which St. Matthew records Jesus as saying, "Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God."

Pope Leo said, "In Jesus, we contemplate a God who is not afraid of history but comes instead to dwell within it. His Kingdom does not abolish human roles and responsibilities. It does, however, call us to live without compromise, free from selfish ambitions and unjust motives, seeking above all the Kingdom of God and his righteousness."

The pope described Jesus' teaching to render unto Caesar as a command "to be truthful, free from servile fear or hypocrisy, (and) free to do good."

"Let us pray to the Lord to help us live in this way. And let us entrust ourselves to the intercession of the Virgin Mary," he said.

— Courtney Mares, OSV News

In a statement released Oct. 16, the Vatican press office said the pope celebrated Mass in a room set up on the hospital's 10th floor, with off-duty medical staff and members of the Vatican Gendarmerie.

"In his homily, the pope thanked all the staff -- doctors, nurses, and orderlies -- for the work they do every day caring for the sick and their frailties, and especially for what they have done and continue to do for him," the statement read.

In the afternoon, the Vatican press office said Pope Leo received, in separate visits, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, the newly elected dean of the College of Cardinals, and Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the papal vicar for Rome and archpriest of the Basilica of St. John Lateran.

Earlier in the day, Dr. Luigi Carbone, the pope's personal doctor, and Dr. Stefano Margaritora, the chief surgeon for his operation, released a joint statement saying that blood tests and a chest X-ray "confirmed the constant improvement in his general condition."

The doctors noted that Pope Leo continues to receive physiotherapy and that his recovery "allows him to carry out normal daily activities completely independently."

Briefing journalists at the press office Oct. 16, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said that during Mass, Pope Leo distributed Communion to those present and remained in "good spirits."

However, he also cautioned against expecting an immediate discharge, adding that the Vatican is following the medical team's guidance.

"At the moment, we have received no communication from the doctors regarding discharge, other than what we had from the beginning concerning the one-week timeframe," Bruni said. "If there are any changes, they will be the ones to communicate it to us in their own way and time."

Bruni also confirmed that the pope's Sunday Angelus address "will take place"; however, logistical arrangements are still being finalized. "His current room is not the one where Pope Francis stayed," he explained. "So regarding where he might appear, further information will follow."

Pope Leo has continued his daily work routine from the hospital, the Vatican spokesman said, noting that the pontiff received a visit Oct. 15 from Archbishop Paolo Rudelli, the substitute secretary for general affairs at the Vatican Secretariat of State.

 — Junno Arocho Esteves, OSV News

Rescuers use a crane to carry the body of a killed person found under debris of an apartment building in Lviv, Ukraine July 30, 2026, damaged during a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine. A Russian ballistic missile and drone barrage across Ukraine killed at least eight civilians, including children, and injured more than 50 others, officials said July 30, and NATO scrambled its warplanes after one of the missiles crossed into Poland. (OSV News photo/Roman Baluk, Reuters)

The Holy See Press Office announced that the pope -- currently in Rome's Gemelli Hospital following an Oct. 13 lung cancer surgery -- "expressed his deep concern about the grave humanitarian situation in the city of Oleshky," located in Ukraine's partially occupied Kherson region.

Pope Leo's call comes after a Sept. 19 appeal by the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, urging the pope and other global religious leaders to intervene.

The pope's call also coincided with his message for World Food Day (Oct. 16), in which he described "regular access to safe, adequate and sufficient food" as "a basic human right" to be safeguarded by nations."

Oleshky and its surrounding communities are estimated to have more than 6,000 civilians remaining there, including some 200 children, who are "effectively trapped in a 'gray zone' near the front line," said UCCRO.

Russian forces have imposed a "humanitarian blockade," with food supplies last "delivered to the area at the end of May," the council said.

In addition, Russian officials have repeatedly refused to permit both evacuations and humanitarian aid, said Ukraine's foreign minister Andrii Sybiha in a Sept. 21 Facebook post.

Sybiha said in his post that "chilling accounts are emerging" from Oleshky of residents who "scavenge for food scraps and gather grass, as there is simply no other food available."

According to Reuters, the Kremlin released an Oct. 16 statement regarding the call between Pope Leo and Putin, with the exchange described as taking place "in a constructive atmosphere of mutual respect."

Putin, who wished the pope a speedy recovery, "thanked the pope for his willingness" to assist in "resolving the conflict" and "for his humanitarian efforts," said the Kremlin.

Putin also provided "a detailed explanation" concerning what he called Kyiv's "responsibility" for the humanitarian situation in Oleshky, while expressing "support" for the Vatican's aim to facilitate civilian safety and the delivery of essential aid, the Kremlin said.

"It has been agreed to cooperate on this ?matter," said the Kremlin.

Over the past several months, the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War has issued multiple warnings of a "dire" and "Russian-manufactured humanitarian crisis" in Oleshky.

In its Oct. 2 assessment, ISW noted Oleshky has not received any food deliveries since May 26. Drone attacks, mines and Russian occupation forces have prevented the remaining residents from fleeing.

ISW said that Russia has "deliberately weaponized deprivation and bureaucratic mismanagement," with the blockade placing "thousands at risk of disease, starvation, and abuse at the hands of Russian forces."

Russia's aid blockade has further compounded previous damage to Oleshky, which was one of several cities flooded by Russia's 2023 intentional destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant in Kherson, said UCCRO.

International humanitarian law, which governs armed conflict, mandates "rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for civilians in need," according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The Holy See Press Office said Pope Leo "called for a ceasefire to allow the delivery of food and medical assistance, and the voluntary and safe evacuation of the civilian population."

In addition, said the press office, "the Holy Father reaffirmed the Holy See’s commitment to promoting dialogue and peace."

Russia's attacks -- initiated in 2014, and accelerated by a 2022 full-scale invasion -- have been classified as a genocide in multiple reports by the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy and the Raoul Wallenberg Center for Human Rights.

 — Gina Christian, OSV News

CHARLOTTE — As unprecedented growth puts increasing demands on Catholic Charities, the Diocese of Charlotte’s charitable service agency is making fundamental changes to meet needs across one of the fastest growing regions in the country.

Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte is restructuring and pursuing other changes that will give it greater autonomy, better facilities, deeper ties to parishes, and more guidance from communities across western North Carolina in identifying their most pressing needs.

“We are transforming Catholic Charities to address the growing and changing needs across our 46 counties,” said Gerry Carter, president and CEO. “From our governance, to the needs we address, to the way we deliver our services – all of these things are changing. At the same time, the heart of Catholic Charities remains the same: We put our faith into action by serving people in need every day.”

The transformation comes as Bishop Michael Martin learns more about the challenges and opportunities growth presents for the local church. Upon his arrival in Charlotte in 2024, the bishop began consulting with other dioceses about ways to further empower and engage more people in the work of Catholic Charities.

The agency drew national attention after Hurricane Helene, as it launched the largest humanitarian effort in the diocese’s history.

“One goal for me is to highlight the fact that Catholic Charities and Catholic Relief Services are the two official social outreach arms of the Catholic Church,” Bishop Martin told the Catholic News Herald. “Catholic Charities works locally and CRS works internationally – and every Catholic is called to play a role in this social outreach. This is really at the heart of the Gospel.”

To do so, the bishop and Catholic Charities are seeking to leverage the engagement of the nearly 600,000 Catholics living in the diocese through parishes, schools, ministries and community outreach.

Changes underway at Catholic Charities include:

• Shifting away from an Advisory Board to appoint a Governing Board of Directors that will have more authority to guide, craft policy and implement changes, in collaboration with the bishop.
• Deepening collaboration with parishes to engage more parishioners in – and increase the impact of – their charitable work.
• Strategic spending of $19 million expected to be raised in the diocese’s “Making Room Challenge” to improve, expand and establish new service locations so Catholic Charities can serve more people.
• Seeking more input from Catholics and non-Catholics across 46 counties to help set priorities and respond to the most relevant needs.

“We want the laity to take more ownership of Catholic Charities as part of their lived experience in the parishes,” Carter said.

Connecting the mission of Catholic Charities “with each and every parish in the diocese” can dramatically increase the agency’s impact, said Kerry Robinson, CEO of Catholic Charities USA, who recently visited the Diocese of Charlotte to learn more about growing demands on Catholic Charities.

“The changing demographics and sweeping growth in this diocese is extraordinary,” she said. “It’s important to keep asking ourselves, ‘What is the mission of Catholic Charities, what is the need, and how can we ensure that we have the best structure and governance model in place to accomplish our mission and flourish in this important work?’”

Gaining a perspective on what the most relevant needs are across the diocese is a crucial element of helping people become more engaged. The agency recently surveyed more than 2,500 priests, deacons, seminarians, women religious and lay people earlier this year.

“Across the board, the most highlighted needs were food insecurity, homelessness and the need for mental health counseling,” Carter said.

To more effectively deliver those services, the agency is increasing collaboration with parishes to coordinate care. Regional directors have been meeting with pastors and parish leaders to determine what each community needs and how parish programs can mesh with what they offer.

For example, Catholic Charities is working with The Bulb non-profit to offer fresh food distribution at Our Lady of Guadalupe parish in Charlotte, bringing fruits and vegetables directly to a community where a gap in access exists.

“The hope is for parishes to enhance their charitable outreach and for Catholic Charities to serve as support in managing cases – which is one of our strengths,” Carter said. “We know how to get people what they need, whether it’s through direct service or referrals – but we’ll be stronger with more parishioners working in the trenches.”

Parishioners also find it rewarding to work in service of others, said Catholic Charities USA’s’ Robinson. “People are hungry for meaning and they yearn to understand that their own life can make a positive difference in the lives of others – especially those who are suffering.”

Ultimately, Carter said, the changes align with Bishop Martin’s pastoral vision: “It’s about inviting people of goodwill to put their faith into action,” he said.

For Bishop Martin, service to others and evangelization are key components of his calling as a Franciscan friar.

“The two must go hand-in-hand,” he said. “We are not simply an NGO with a crucifix on the wall. Putting a roof over someone’s head, placing a meal before someone, and helping someone get healthcare are all part of our Gospel mission. But it’s also important in an appropriate way to make it known to those we serve that it is Jesus who ultimately feeds us and nourishes us and clothes and houses us. That is the heart of the Good News! We demonstrate this simply through our actions and responses when sharing the healing message of the Gospel.”

— Christina Lee Knauss, Liz Chandler contributed

Parish engagement

To more effectively deliver services and get more Catholics directly engaged in the agency’s work, the agency is increasing collaboration with parishes to coordinate care. “Without building the relationship with parishes, we will never get the engagement of the 600,000 Catholics in Western North Carolina, which is what we need,” Bishop Martin has said. To that end, regional directors have been meeting with pastors and parish leaders to determine what each community needs and how existing parish programs can better mesh with what Catholic Charities already offers.

Governing board

Shifting away from an advisory board, the agency will appoint a governing board Nov. 3 that will have more authority to guide and implement changes. The board’s 15 members will serve three-year terms. The board will have the power to approve policy, hire and evaluate the CEO, and set strategic plans and goals. This structure is in line with best practices used by other Catholic Charities agencies across the country.

Community input

To determine the most critical needs across the diocese, the agency surveyed more than 2,500 clergy, women religious, seminarians and lay people. The most mentioned issues were food insecurity, homelessness and mental health services. Using the survey results as a basis for continued discussion, agency employees will engage with parishioners in communities across the diocese to learn how to move forward and to address ongoing needs as they develop.

Facilities

The agency’s expanding needs and outreach have caused it to outgrow its headquarters at the Diocesan Pastoral Center. The new board may decide to explore a free-standing headquarters facility as well as new and/or expanded service locations across the diocese that better reach people where they are. This effort will include strategic spending of an infusion of funds from the diocesan “Making Room Challenge,” including $19 million for new facilities and $10 million for an endowment.

Lorraine and John Lamonica are one of 80 couples who recently celebrated milestone anniversaries with Bishop Michael Martin. CHARLOTTE — St. Patrick Cathedral was full of love stories as more than 80 couples gathered for a special Wedding Anniversary Mass Oct. 11.

Bishop Michael T. Martin presided over the Mass and commended the couples on their love deeply rooted in Christ.

Ironically, that same weekend, a Vatican summit was addressing the global deterioration of matrimony and families due to the rise in cohabitation. Statistics from a 2026 Institute for Family Studies study seemingly agreed, reporting that the number of Catholic weddings has plunged by 74% since 1970. That same study did find that faith influences marital satisfaction, with 79% of

Massgoing Catholics saying they were happily married, compared to 66% of non-religious couples.

At St. Patrick Cathedral, however, married couples sat hand-in-hand, still thriving at milestone anniversaries of 25 and 50 years.

Bishop Martin recognized some reasons why love appears skewed through a worldly lens. Those answers can be found in the day’s liturgical readings, he said in his homily.

“‘Charm’ and ‘beauty’ … are fleeting,” the bishop said, referencing the first reading from Proverbs 31.

“The world misses the depth of relationships when it gets simply caught up in charm and beauty, when they don’t carry through to the uncharming and unbeautiful times,” he said.

The married couples present in the pews learned early on to make their unions less about charm and beauty and more about God and the virtues mentioned in Colossians 3:12-17: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience and forgiveness.

“If you don’t have compassion for your spouse, check your pulse, your relationship is dead,” Bishop Martin said.

“It begins with compassion. My heart gives and bleeds for you, that is the hallmark and the foundation,” he said.

At that, he asked the couples to turn to one another and say that they could love them even more.

“Wherever you are in your current journey, if you think this is as good as it gets, you don’t know God,” he told them. “You can be more in love with your spouse.”

His suggestions for a continued marriage full of God’s love were to pray together and share Jesus’ love with others – not by professing love for one another in the fruit section of the grocery store, he joked, but by being an example for other couples.

“We have to be on fire by sharing the love of Jesus with the world,” he said.

Attendees Lorraine and John Lamonica, married for 50 years and members of St. Aloysius Parish in Hickory, have been each other’s prayer warriors for years.

They go to Mass every Sunday and sometimes more often, as she is an altar server. And they never miss weekly Eucharistic Adoration.

Lorraine Lamonica credits the example of discipleship they received from their parents and the faith they have in God.

“His parents were really religious. My parents were really religious,” she said. “My parents were married for over 50 years. Seeing their life rubs off on you seeing how happy they were.”

Now, they are honored their granddaughter will follow in their footsteps, choosing to marry on their June 5 anniversary date.

“Being married isn’t easy, but it all works, it all blends, but it is all under the umbrella of God,” Lorraine Lamonica said. “I really believe that because we had God first – it worked. Keep focused on you and each other, your children and God.”

— Lisa M. Geraci 

Advice from married couples for married couples

Keep God First 
Kenneth and Erbie Rose

Kenneth and Erbie Rose’s love story started charmingly enough, but they say what has kept it strong is their Catholic faith and love of God.

First meeting at an Our Lady of Consolation Parish youth group function, the tall, smart-witted, cunning Kenneth Rose became a fixture in Erbie’s mind – so much so that when prom season rolled around later that year, she only had her sights on one guy: Kenneth.

“I did not hear from her anymore until the spring,” Kenneth says. “One night the Commodores were performing on our campus, and they had a sing-along. I was up there on stage playing the bongos. And one of her friends came up there on the stage and brought me a perfumed letter from

Erbie inviting me to her high school prom.”

It was a yes! Kenneth still remembers every minute of that prom night. Soon the young couple filled their nights with cruising down Beatties Ford

Road in Kenneth’s ’55 Chevy. The music was pumping, and when the traffic lights turned red, they’d turn on their dance moves in the middle of the street. They drank shakes at South 21 and rode the ferris wheel at Belmont amusement park. On weekends, they took trips to Myrtle Beach.

After they met each other’s families, Kenneth got down on one knee, and this time Erbie was the one to say yes. She joined OCIA classes, and soon they faced one another on the altar of Our Lady of Consolation – the church where they met – and professed their marriage vows.

Sixty years and four children later, they can finish each other’s sentences, still look into each other’s eyes as if they have a special secret, and laugh together at (some of) Kenneth’s jokes.

Compassion is what kept them bonded as they changed the diapers of their twin babies side-by-side in the middle of the night, taught youth ministry together, sang in the Gospel choir, and co-chaired many parish ministries while raising their growing family.

As a family, they would take the Eucharist to the sick – bringing their children along to play instruments to entertain the nursing home residents, and later, their granddaughter who would sing.

Now in their 80s, they remain committed to their faith and love for one another.

“God first, and then your spouse as your best friend to rely on and tell everything to, compromise with,” Erbie emphasizes. “He’s my best friend.”

Have compassion 
Sarah and Joe Lamonica

Sarah and Joe Lamonica, who have been married 25 years, did not start dating with butterflies in their stomachs. Instead, their love grew out of a place of grief.

The two met as a young widow and widower, both in a state of bereavement dealing with the death of their spouses.

Sarah recalls, “It was nice to have someone to really talk to and who really understood me, and we both happened to be Catholic.”

Joe was a New Jersey police officer, and Sarah worked with him. The two were paired up by co-workers and hit it off. They were in their 50s and had some children still home and others out of the house. The family dynamic blended well, however, and the two families came together in their brokenness. They moved to Hickory when Joe retired, because they wanted to be close to his brother John. Now, the two couples attend St. Aloysius Church together.

Sarah says the key to being in a happy marriage is being there for one another and trusting each other.

Be kind to one another 
Melvin and Elease Askew

When Elease visited her cousin in Ohio for a job opportunity, she was introduced to Melvin Askew. It was a funny coincidence – they went to the same high school in Alabama and were reunited in a city far from home.

Six months later, he proposed and they were married. Elease did not find a job on that visit to Ohio, but she did find the love of her life.

“When we first got married, I didn’t really know how to cook. So he would step in and make dinner for the family,” Elease recalls. “Every morning, he would get up early and make breakfast while I helped get the kids ready for school.”

Today, the Askews, who are members Our Lady of Consolation Parish in Charlotte, like to dance and still share recipes. The key to a great marriage, they say, is to keep God first and to keep laughing.

“We enjoy doing things together and keeping laughter in the family. Most of all, our faith has kept us grounded, and being close to our God helped us make choices to strengthen our family,” she says. 

Have humility 
Luis Navarrete and Coral Martinez

Luis Navarrete and Coral Martinez knew each other since they were 10 and were friends long before they were spouses. Luis traveled out of town a lot for work, but whenever he returned home, he always found Coral. Over the years, their friendship grew into more.

They were married in the Church, but at the time Luis wasn’t attending Mass regularly.

“At one point I was working and was out of town often. I missed my family. I created a bad habit of spending time with myself,” Luis recalls. “That’s when we decided to start going back to church, and it opened my eyes.”

Their faith has helped their marriage and has been a constant in the lives of their children. After 25 years, they are thriving at St. Joseph Parish in Kannapolis and are excited for the next 25 years in holiness.

“Keep God in your marriage,” Luis advises. “If you don’t have God in your marriage, the foundation is not strong and can fall, but He makes everything strong.”

Be patient and gentle
Lorraine and John Lamonica

Coming out of a difficult break-up, Lorraine was done with men, but when she crossed paths with John Lamonica, she started to change her mind.

They were both Italian Catholics from Brooklyn living in New Jersey. What were the chances? They got along well, and when she met his family, she immediately felt as if it was an extension of her own.

John knew from the second he met Lorraine she was “the one,” and he announced it to everyone. Soon enough, he proposed.

They were married in the Church and had one of those huge Italian weddings.

They moved to Hickory and as they got settled, his mother and brother followed, and so did Lorraine’s. John became a real estate agent, and through the years the growing Lamonica family started taking up entire pews at St. Aloysius Church in Hickory.

“We had some issues...but it didn’t separate us,” Lorraine recalls. “My dad was sick for like 10 years, and we took care of him, and we were always there for him. We never split because of it.

Trying to juggle a family and my father, then his mom got sick, and then my mom got sick.”

Lorraine says the key to staying in a relationship for 50 years is working as a team, keeping the faith and avoiding worldly advice.

She says, “It all works, it all blends, but it is all under the umbrella of God.”

More online
At www.charlottediocese.org/faith-life/marriage-family-and-life: Find marriage resources

The event will be held in two locations – Charlotte and Greensboro – from 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. on Nov. 21 and is hosted by the Marriage, Family and Life Office in partnership with the St. John Paul II Foundation.

“The conference is a great example of coming together as the family of God,” said Brendan Dudley, the diocese’s marriage preparation, enrichment and family program director. “We hope this will be a springboard for all of our parishes to develop year-round marriage enrichment opportunities that will help couples grow in their love for Jesus.”

This year’s conference theme is “United in Love” and will feature keynote speakers from national and local platforms ready to share lessons on love and faith. Sessions will focus on three topics: Communion with the Holy Spirit, Finding common ground in Christ, and Forgiveness: the key to lasting unity.

The event will take place at St. Ann Church in Charlotte and at St. Pius X Church in Greensboro. Childcare will be available at both locations.

Local speakers Dr. Mario Sacasa, a marriage counselor with more than 20 years of experience, will be featured at the Greensboro program. Christine Wisdom, owner and executive director of Wisdom Integrative Counseling, will be featured at the Charlotte program.

Both programs will also include two couples. Deacon Jason Bulman,a theologian, and his wife Rachel Bulman, a podcaster and writer, will discuss marriage and children, contributing stories of their life together raising six children. Educators and speakers Colin and Aimee MacIver, known for their theological approach to faith formation, will focus on St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, the sacramental nature of marriage and discipleship.

Mass will be celebrated during the programs, and there will be an opportunity for confession and Eucharistic Adoration throughout the day. St. Ann will provide headsets for Spanish speakers who will translate the presentations simultaneously.

Register for the event online at www.forlifeandfamily.org/events/th26-cnc-e.

 — Lisa M. Geraci 

St. William parishioner Joan Elizabeth Kennedy left a bequest in her will to help the parish fund needed imrovements and establish an endowment for future needs. (Photo provided)

“Joan Kennedy’s bequest to the parish of St. William is not only an extraordinary act of generosity,” said Father Augustine Ogar, M.S.P. “I consider it also as an invisible hand of God’s providence.”

When Father Ogar arrived at St. William in 2025, securing funds to address overdue maintenance needs and support the parish’s growth were top priorities. Many facility projects had been deferred since the COVID-19 pandemic and needed immediate attention.

Through the bequest, St. William has completed the refurbishment of the Seiglie Center – the parish’s education building – just in time for upcoming faith formation classes. Renovations included a new HVAC system and kitchen appliances. Other facility updates, including a kitchen upgrade in the Seiglie Center along with roof, flooring and sanctuary improvements, are also underway.

“Most important of all, this bequest has allowed the parish to set up a new named endowment fund in Joan’s honor, to help secure its financial future,” Father Ogar added.

Kennedy died on Nov. 1, 2024. She was known for her devout faith and generous spirit toward people and animals. Born in Hoboken, New Jersey, she lived in Oklahoma, Kansas and Florida before settling in Murphy – a place she considered the perfect spot to retire. She became active in her church and participated in the choir and ministries that reached out to the sick.

Kennedy first learned about leaving a bequest at a diocese-sponsored estate planning seminar in 2000, where she explored ways to support her parish through her estate.

An estate planning seminar is an opportunity for parishioners to learn about ways to take care of themselves and loved ones through a properly executed will and estate plan. The Office of Planned Giving has hosted more than 150 such seminars across the diocese.

“Joan then requested a follow up brochure from one of the ‘Your Legacy’ newsletter mailers in 2001,” said Jim Kelley, diocesan director of development.

For more than 25 years, Kennedy received informational materials about the benefits of estate planning from the Office of Planned Giving, and she decided to turn that information into action.

“Our diocese is blessed by the dedication of parishioners such as Joan Kennedy, who planned ahead by considering what they leave behind to the parishes and ministries that matter to them, said Jim Kelley, diocesan director of development. “It is through the realization of Joan’s thoughtful and generous gift to St. William, that her legacy of faith will be remembered forever.”

“St. William remains perpetually grateful for this bequest,” Father Ogar said.

— Courtney McLaughlin

Leave your legacy

Stewardship is not a single act. It is a way of life – a grateful response to the gifts God has entrusted to us. Your legacy may come through a bequest in a will, a beneficiary designation from a retirement plan, a trust or annuity, or a gift of real estate, life insurance, cash or securities.

For details, contact Gina Rhodes at 704-370-3364 or gmrhodes@rcdoc, or Heidi Kelley at 704-370-3348 or hmkelley@rcdoc.org.

Six bishops met with diocesan and immigrant non-profit leaders Sept. 30 to discuss ongoing immigration enforcement actions, Church teaching on migration and best practices to support migrants affected by mass deportation policies.

The Charlotte diocese’s Communications Director Liz Chandler, Hispanic Media Coordinator Brian Segovia and Hispanic Ministry Director Steven Samol participated in seminars on local and global Church initiatives defending the dignity of migrants, immigrant testimonies, effective communication strategies, and diocesan and parish planning.

Diocesan leaders from across the South donned pins with the message “We Stand with Immigrants” and joined a press conference led by the bishops of Knoxville, Lexington and Memphis where they spoke in support of migrants.

“We have a responsibility to care for the dignity of each and every human person and to respect the rights and due process that are due to citizens and anyone who lives on U.S. soil,’ said

Knoxville Bishop Mark Beckman. “What we see needs a response not only of compassion, but also of justice. Let’s work together today to build a world where everyone has a home.”

Samol said the press conference was a powerful example of the Church’s prophetic voice on the moral issue of human dignity.

“What challenged me was not necessarily a change in my concern for migrants, but a deeper understanding that the Church’s response must begin with the person, not the policy,” Samol said.

Samol saw the conference as a calling to dive deeper into learning about the immigrant experience in the diocese.

“These are not anonymous statistics. They are parishioners, volunteers, parents, friends and neighbors. Sharing their stories can help our communities recognize the human impact of these realities and encourage greater solidarity and prayerful support,” Samol said. “Migrants are not an issue to be managed, but members of the human family.”

— Catholic News Herald

Mental Health Sunday is part of the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops’ National Catholic Mental Health Campaign, a year-round initiative of the U.S. bishops that encourages the faithful to respond and bring awareness to the growing mental health crisis in the country.

While the campaign is a year-round initiative, a special emphasis is placed on the issue Oct. 10-18. During that week, the Novena for Mental Health is prayed. The novena includes themes related to mental health to reflect on and uses a pray, learn, act structure, which means that each day includes a prayer, a section where participants can learn about mental health issues and about those suffering, and a call to action where participants are encouraged to get involved.

The petitions in the novena include praying for the removal of stigma, the mental health ministry, families, youth and young adults, childhood, the effects of racial discrimination, poverty, suicide awareness and grief.

Parishes and dioceses are being encouraged to launch a mental health resource or provide resources in the narthex after Masses, take part in the novena as a parish community, invite parishioners to bring their petitions about mental health issues to pray as a community, include mental health issues during the Prayer of the Faithful at all Masses, or offer a blessing for those who work in mental health ministries.

The Diocese of Columbus, Ohio, is answering this call through the launch of its Mental Health Ministry, which was introduced to the diocesan community on Oct. 10. Bishop Earl Fernandes celebrated Mass at the St. Joseph Cathedral in Columbus and recognized individuals with mental health challenges, caregivers and mental health professionals.

Pope Leo XIV also called upon the faithful to join in prayer during the month of October for mental health ministry.

“Melancholy, bad character, confusion of senses – today, we understand that behind these old labels lies a deep, silent suffering not only of those affected by mental disorders but also of their loved ones and their communities,” Pope Leo said in a video released Oct. 1 on X.

He added: “We live in a world full of tensions, and even as solutions grow so does the number of people in crisis. This October, let us pray for the mental health ministry – an urgent and ever- more-needed service in our Church and in the world.”

In the full video shared on the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network website, Pope Leo recited an original prayer written specifically for this month’s prayer intention.

 —  Francesca Pollio Fenton, Catholic News Agency

Resources

• The Church in the United States is renewing its National Catholic Mental Health Campaign, encouraging all people to become more aware of the issues, eliminate the stigmas around mental illness, and seek creative ways to journey with those who struggle. Novena prayers, videos on awareness, discussions with experts and more are available on the USSCB’s website at www.usccb.org/mental-health
• Locally, Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte has mental health counseling resources available on a sliding scale. Learn more at ccdoc.org/counseling
• Watch the pope talk about his prayer intention at www.popesprayer.va/praywiththepope

Healed and Restored is a non-profit dedicated to helping abuse victims founded by Elza Spaedy, a St. Mark parishioner and trauma survivor.

The organization’s resources including counseling, retreats, self-care, life coaches and spiritual guidance – all helping survivors heal their wounds through a renewed view of themselves through Christ.

“Why we are so successful and why the women are finding true healing and restoration is because we are guiding them to the real physician (Jesus) who can truly put back the broken pieces of our hearts and soul,” Spaedy said.

During the gala, Father John Putnam, pastor of St. Mark and the ministry’s spiritual director, was acknowledged for his continued efforts. St. Ann Church, St. Mark Church and St. Matthew Church were also recognized for their contributions.

More than 100 parishioners, clergy, clients and guests filled Kerin Hall to listen to Spaedy and keynote speaker Christine Wisdom, a St. Mark parishioner and counselor.
Spaedy planned her speech weeks before but said God made some heavy tweaks as she went to Mass a few days before the event. She threw away her notecards and focused on John 4:1-42 – the woman at the well.

“I want to know that woman’s story. I have some questions for her,” Spaedy said. “How many unhealed wounds was this woman carrying around? How much unforgiveness was she holding onto? Just how heavy were the chains of shame she carried?”

Through it all Jesus met that woman and helped her face her brokenness, she said.

“Before you get healed you have to open yourself to Jesus,” Spaedy said. “His merciful love changed her life.”

That same love transforms the lives of the hundreds of women Healed and Restored has helped over the past four years.

Spaedy also unveiled her new book, “Your Story Matters,” an anthology of stories from the people she has helped.

“Your Story Matters,” is not just a title, but one of the three beliefs she strives to instill in the women she helps. The other two are: “your wounds do not define you,” and “you are heard and seen.”

— Lisa M. Geraci

More online:

Learn more at www.healedandrestored.org/

Beloved Belmont eatery Spruced Goose Station has reponed as goose + co. with an expanded selection of original art and the same fabulous food and coffee. (Photos provided)

Spruced Goose Station – a beloved local cafe created by and supporting local nonprofit Holy Angels, has reopened as goose + co. The newly modernized café experience has “fresh feathers,” but guests can still count on the same great coffee, delicious food and meaningful mission at the heart of it all.

“The goose is still part of who we are, but the ‘+ co.’ speaks to what we hope happens here every day,” said Kerri Massey, Holy Angels president and CEO. “Come for the coffee and great food, but stay for the company – including our crew members, who make this place so special.”

Holy Angels celebrated the grand reopening of goose + co. Sept. 30. The first 50 customers received a branded tote bag, and free coffee coupons were given out. Changes to the nest include new seating, community games, and walls covered with original artwork created by Holy Angels residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“We wanted this space and brand to better reflect the sense of community and belonging at the heart of all our sponsored businesses and programs,” Massey said. “We want everyone who walks through these doors to feel: You are seen. You are known. You belong.”

Earlier this year, Holy Angels closed Bliss Gallery in Belmont and began exploring new ways to share resident artwork with the greater community. Now, the walls of goose + co. serve as a gallery showcasing pieces created through the organization’s Creative Arts program, where residents and participants develop new skills and express themselves in ways that are uniquely their own.

“Seeing our residents’ art brightening the walls brings new meaning to the space,” Massey said. “Our crew members have always built wonderful relationships here, and now the artwork gives them another way to share their creativity with the community. We hope it will spark connection, start conversations and remind us all of the beauty, dignity and creativity within every person.”

An image of Pope Leo XIV and other items are displayed outside Rome's Gemelli Hospital in the evening hours of Oct. 13, 2026, where the pontiff underwent surgery to remove a lung nodule. The Vatican announced that evening the surgery was successful.

ROME — Pope Leo XIV was discharged from the hospital Oct. 17 after doctors deemed him fit to return to the Vatican four days after lung cancer surgery.

The pope walked out of Rome's Gemelli Hospital at about 3:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon waving to dozens of well-wishes and journalists waiting outside of the hospital.

In a joint statement released by the Vatican that morning, the pope's personal physician, Dr. Luigi Carbone, and chief surgeon Dr. Stefano Margaritora said, "Based on the blood tests and chest X-ray performed this morning, and after evaluating his clinical condition, the Holy Father has been deemed fit for discharge."

As he left the hospital, Pope Leo stopped to speak with a 13-year-old Ukrainian girl named Varvara who had previously greeted him while being treated for cancer in Rome earlier this year, according to Vatican News.

With the help of a Ukrainian priest as translator, Varvara explained to the pope that his embrace of her before her own cancer surgery in December had given her "the strength to overcome the illness."

The girl handed Pope Leo a large printed photo of their hug in St. Peter's Square and a handmade felt toy she had made in his likeness.

Before being discharged from the hospital, Pope Leo celebrated noon Mass at the hospital as he did the previous day, the Vatican spokesman noted.

The Vatican has confirmed that Pope Leo will lead the Sunday noon Angelus prayer on Oct. 18 from the window of the Apostolic Palace.

The morning's announcement of the pope's imminent discharge from the hospital came earlier than previously expected, as the Holy See Press Office had originally indicated that the pope would remain in the hospital for about a week following his Oct. 13 admission to Gemelli on the day of his surgery.

During the 90-minute video-assisted technique operation, doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung. Following the surgery, the Vatican revealed that the pope had been diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma.

The pope's discharge from the hospital comes less than one week since he announced to the world that he would be undergoing lung surgery during his Sunday Angelus address on Oct. 11, in which he disclosed that recent medical examinations had revealed a "well-contained" lung nodule that had been "detected at a very early stage."

According to Vatican News, further post-operation tests on the tissue removed were planned in the days following the surgery. The status of results of any additional laboratory analysis of tissue removed during surgery have not been made public.

— Courtney Mares, OSV News

In hospital, Pope Leo's tests show 'good recovery of the operated lung,' doctors say

ROME — Doctors treating Pope Leo XIV said Oct. 15 that tests show "good recovery of the operated lung" two days after his cancer surgery.

A joint statement from Dr. Luigi Carbone, the pope's personal doctor, and Dr. Stefano Margaritora, the chief surgeon for his operation, said that Pope Leo underwent routine checks in Rome's Gemelli Hospital on the morning of Oct. 15 which "showed normal results."

"The chest X-ray revealed good recovery of the operated lung," the doctors added, noting that the pope's physical therapy session that day also "included a full range of motor activities."

"Overall, his postoperative recovery is proceeding as expected," the statement said.

Pope Leo carried out his daily activities independently, it said, something Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni described as including doing a bit of normal work activities from the hospital.

On the night of Oct. 14, the Vatican confirmed that Pope Leo had concelebrated a Mass that day in the hospital chapel on the 10th floor on the day after his surgery.

Pope Leo was admitted to Gemelli Hospital Oct. 13 a few hours before his lung cancer surgery, following the pope's Oct. 11 disclosure that recent medical examinations had revealed a "well-contained" lung nodule that had been "detected at a very early stage."

During the 90-minute video-assisted technique operation, doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung.

The Vatican spokesman told journalists Oct. 14 that before having surgery, the 71-year-old pope had undergone a robotic bronchoscopy with biopsy, a chest CT scan with contrast, which indicated that the lung lobectomy was needed.

"They caught it early enough, and he'll be able to heal from the surgery and go on with his papal ministry," Pope Leo's older brother, Louis Prevost, said Oct. 13 in an interview with Newsmax.

The pope's brother said he is currently in treatment for cancer, participating in a clinical trial in Tampa, Florida, for multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer affecting the bone marrow, which he was first diagnosed with in 2017 and had been in remission until this year. He said that because of the clinical trial he is unable to travel to see his brother as he recovers from surgery in Rome.

On the day of the surgery, "I got a message from his right hand that he was out of surgery, awake, feeling good, and was in no pain," Prevost said. "So, as far as I know thus far, he's in good shape, in good hands."

The Italian newspaper Repubblica said Oct. 15 that reportedly Pope Leo's tumor had been discovered by chance in mid-September around the pope's 71st birthday during an MRI scan of the abdomen performed discreetly at Fatebenefratelli Hospital.

The report raises questions as to what Pope Leo may have known about his health during his apostolic visit to France and pilgrimage to the healing Marian shrine of Lourdes, where the pope prayed for and offered words of encouragement to the sick and the suffering.

According to Vatican News, further post-operation tests on the tissue removed were planned in the days following the surgery. It would typically take at least a week to get all of the biopsy results back, doctors not involved in the pope's care told OSV News.

Pope Leo is expected to remain in Rome's Gemelli Hospital as he recovers from surgery for at least one week. The Vatican has canceled all of the pope's scheduled audiences through Oct. 20.

— Courtney Mares, OSV News

Pope Leo XIV starts respiratory physical therapy a day after lung cancer surgery

ROME  — Pope Leo XIV underwent more medical exams and started respiratory physical therapy on Oct. 14, the day after the lung cancer surgery that removed the lower lobe of the pope's right lung.

In the first medical update provided by the Vatican since the late-night revelation of the pope's lung cancer diagnosis, the pope's doctors said Wednesday that the pope's "recovery is proceeding as expected" and the pope has begun walking around his hospital room.

"This morning, the Holy Father underwent the blood tests and chest X-ray scheduled following the surgery. The results confirm a normal postoperative recovery: the values are within the normal range for the type of surgery performed," the joint statement by Dr. Stefano Margaritora, the pope's surgeon, and Dr. Luigi Carbone, the pope's personal doctor, said.

"The Holy Father underwent respiratory physical therapy and has begun walking around his room. He has resumed his regular diet, having had breakfast and lunch. His recovery is proceeding as expected."

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni told journalists that Pope Leo was "in good spirits" the day after surgery. Bruni told journalists that before having surgery, Pope Leo had undergone a robotic bronchoscopy with biopsy, a chest CT scan with contrast, and a PET scan which indicated the need for the Oct. 13 surgery.

Pope Leo was admitted to Gemelli Hospital Oct. 13 for the lung surgery, following the pope's Oct. 11 disclosure that recent medical examinations had revealed a "well-contained" lung nodule that had been "detected at a very early stage."

According to Vatican News, post-operation tests will be conducted on the removed tissue in the coming days.

In response to a question of how long the wait might be to receive any results as to whether cancer remains beyond what was removed during the pope's surgery, Bruni said, "You have to ask a doctor for the timing of those. It usually takes five, 10, 15 days depending on the situation."

Speaking with OSV News, medical experts indicated that a potential analysis of the pope's lymph nodes could be key to evaluating the next steps.

Dr. Nirmal Veeramachaneni, professor of cardiothoracic surgery at St. Louis University School of Medicine and medical director for lung cancer screening at SSM Health -- who is not involved in the pope's care -- said in an interview with OSV News that it would typically take a week to get all of the biopsy results back.

The pope's doctors Oct. 14 statement is the first update from the Vatican on the pope's medical condition since the pope's surgery ended with the revelation from his doctors that the "examination confirmed the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, as suspected by the preoperative tests."

Adenocarcinoma of the lung is the most common form of lung cancer in the United States. It represents about 40% of all lung cancers, according to the Lung Cancer Foundation of America.

The right lower lobe of the lung, which Pope Leo had removed, is the largest of the three lobes in the right lung. Located in the posterior and inferior part of the right chest cavity, it contributes roughly 30% of total lung capacity, making it the single largest lung lobe, according to the Baylor College of Medicine.

Pope Leo is expected to remain in Rome's Gemelli Hospital as he recovers from surgery for at least one week. The Vatican has canceled all of the pope's scheduled audiences through Oct. 20.

Bruni said that there were no changes to announce at this time to the pope's expected length of stay in the hospital or to the pope's scheduled trip to Latin America Nov. 6-17. He said that Pope Leo XIV had "manifested his intention" to travel to Peru and "that's still there."

The previously published schedule for the 12-day trip to South America indicated that he would travel more than 19,000 miles on 14 flights during a November trip to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru, which includes stops high in the Andes mountains.

Peru's President Keiko Fujimori said the country received the news of the pontiff's diagnosis "with deep sadness" and asked God "to care for him, to give him strength, and allow us to see him soon recovered."

"Holy Father, this land, which is also your home, embraces you with immense affection. Today it is our turn to accompany you with our prayers, just as you have so many times accompanied us with yours," she wrote.
 — Courtney Mares, OSV News

Pope Leo XIV's surgery reveals lung cancer

ROME — Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung cancer following a 90-minute surgery on Oct. 13 during which surgeons removed the lower lobe of the pope's right lung.

Dr. Stefano Margaritora, chief thoracic surgeon at Rome's Gemelli Hospital, led a medical team in the video-assisted technique operation. In a joint statement with Dr. Luigi Carbone released at just before 10 p.m., the doctors said that the "examination confirmed the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, as suspected by the preoperative tests."

"The Holy Father was in the operating room for about 3 hours; the surgery itself lasted approximately 90 minutes," the statement said. "After the surgery, the pope woke up as expected and, following a brief period of observation, returned to his room on the 10th floor."

The pope underwent the surgery in the late afternoon after being admitted to Rome's Gemelli Hospital at 1 p.m.

"The surgery was successful, completed on schedule and as planned, and the Holy Father has returned to his room," the Holy See Press Office said in a statement issued shortly before 8 p.m.

Pope Leo was expected to remain for one week of recovery in Rome's Gemelli Hospital, located atop Monte Mario, the highest hill in Rome. The Vatican has canceled all of the pope's scheduled audiences through Oct. 20.

According to Vatican News, post-operation tests will be conducted on the removed tissue in the coming days. The Holy See was expected to provide an update on Pope Leo's condition the morning of Oct. 14.

Following the operation, Pope Leo had dinner and spent the evening in the company of Vatican staff members, according to Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See's press office.

According to Vatican News, post-operation tests will be conducted on the removed tissue in the coming days. The Holy See was expected to provide an update on Pope Leo's condition the morning of Oct. 14.

Following the operation, Pope Leo had dinner and spent the evening in the company of Vatican staff members, according to Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See's press office.

The hospital's chapel was overflowing with people on Tuesday evening as Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the vicar general of the Diocese of Rome, led a rosary for the pope's healing as people anxiously awaited the results of the pope's operation.

Among those who came to pray was Sister Alphonsa Manikkathan from India's state of Kerala and her fellow sisters from the Daughters of Divine Providence whose residence is located near the hospital.

"We pray for the pope every day, not only today," Sister Alphonsa told OSV News. "Jesus said wherever two or more are gathered and pray for something, he will give. So for his fast recovery, we are praying."

Father Miguel Silvestre Bengoa from Spain also joined in the rosary at the hospital. "If the pope is suffering, we also suffer with him," he said. "But we want also to see him again in the Vatican."

"It was so nice to be close to the pope in this same hospital," the priest said. "We entrust the health of the pope to the hands of Our Lady."

Pope Leo's operation took place just days after he first revealed to the world that he needed surgery at the end of his Angelus address in St. Peter's Square on Oct. 11.

Speaking from the window of the Apostolic Palace, the pope announced that doctors had discovered a nodule in his lung during a medical examination, adding that the growth was detected "at a very early stage" and it was "well-contained."

"The doctors believe intervention is advisable, so, following their advice, I have decided to undergo surgery to have it removed," Pope Leo said.

Since the pope's announcement, prayers and messages of support have poured in from around the globe from prime ministers, presidents, religious leaders and Catholic bishops.

This was the second hospitalization in the 71-year-old pope's life, according to a recently published biography. Shortly after his election, Pope Leo said that he had only been hospitalized once in his life before becoming pope when he caught typhoid fever after recently arriving as an Augustinian missionary in Peru in 1985.

"It's the only time in my life I've been hospitalized," Pope Leo is quoted as saying in the book, "Pope Leo XIV" by Elise Ann Allen, calling it "a very significant" moment in his life that helped him more sharply focus on his new ministry.

Pope Leo's surgery occurred less than one month before he was scheduled to depart for South America for what would be the longest international trip of his pontificate Nov. 6 to 17, with stops in Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. The Vatican has not yet announced any changes to the trip.

— Courtney Mares, OSV News

US bishops, lawmakers offer prayers for Pope Leo after cancer diagnosis

A man prays in front of a statue of the St. John Paul II outside Gemelli Hospital in Rome Oct. 13, 2026, where Pope Leo XIV had surgery that afternoon to remove a lung nodule. The Vatican confirmed that evening that Pope Leo has lung cancer. (OSV News photo/Matteo Minnella, Reuters)WASHINGTON, D.C. — Following the Holy See's Oct. 13 announcement that Pope Leo XIV was diagnosed with lung cancer and had the lower lobe of his right lung removed, Church and civic leaders expressed their hope and prayers for his full recovery.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops urged the faithful to pray for Pope Leo in a post on X.

"Doctors at Gemelli Hospital removed a cancerous tumor from Pope Leo XIV's right lung, according to the Holy See Press Office," the post said. "The surgery was successful, with no complications, and the Holy Father has returned to his hospital room. We ask the faithful to continue praying for Pope Leo's recovery and for the doctors and staff caring for him. We also hold in prayer all who are living with cancer, their families, and those who care for them."

Individual bishops and dioceses in the U.S. also urged prayer.

Here in Charlotte, Bishop Michael Martin, OFM Conv., echoed the thoughts of Catholics across the diocese.

“The Diocese of Charlotte offers its prayers and support for Pope Leo,” Bishop Martin said. “We are grateful for the excellent medical care the Holy Father is receiving, and we join Catholics of the diocese and all people of goodwill to support him in this time. We are looking forward to his speedy recovery.”

"Bless Pope Leo XIV with strength and peace as he faces this illness and unite him ever more closely with your Son," said the Archdiocese of New York in an X post asking for prayers for the restoration of the pope's health.

In a separate post, Archbishop Ronald A. Hicks of New York thanked God that the pope's surgery was "by all accounts, successful" and added that he joined faithful from the archdiocese, country and the world "in keeping the Holy Father in our prayer."

"Friends, please join me in praying for healing for our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, who has been diagnosed with lung cancer," Bishop Robert E. Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, wrote on X.

Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski of St. Louis asked "all people of good will to join us in prayer for Pope Leo XIV and those who are caring for him."

Bishop Mark A. Eckman of Pittsburgh said in a statement he joins Catholics in that diocese "and around the world in lifting up our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, in prayer following the news of his surgery and lung cancer diagnosis."

"We are grateful to hear that the surgery was successful, and we pray that the Holy Father will experience a full and peaceful recovery," Bishop Eckman said. "Pope Leo has reminded us of the importance of faith, hope, and caring for one another. Now, as he faces this personal health challenge, we have an opportunity to surround him with the same love and prayerful
support that he so generously offers to the Church and the world."

Some U.S. officials and lawmakers also weighed in, including Rep. Jonathan L. Jackson, D-Ill., who represents a Chicago-area district.

"Pope Leo XIV is one of our own, a Chicago kid who carried the values of our neighborhoods all the way onto the world stage, and today our whole city is wishing him strength and a full recovery," Jackson said in a post on X. "Let his diagnosis also be a reminder to talk with your doctor about lung cancer screening, because catching it early saves lives. Chicago is with you."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote in a post on X, "Jeanette and I are united in prayer for (Pope Leo)'s health following his recent diagnosis."

"May the Lord give him strength and the Holy Spirit guide the medical professionals taking care of the Holy Father," Rubio said.

Rep. Riley Moore, R-W.Va., who is Catholic, wrote in a post on X, "Saint Teresa of Avila reminds us that 'those who were nearest to Christ our Lord were those who had the greatest trials.'"

"This is no doubt true of (Pope Leo)," he said. "Please join Mina and me in praying for the Holy Father as he begins this battle to defeat cancer."

The 71-year-old pope disclosed during his Oct. 11 Angelus address that doctors had found a "localized nodule" in his lung. He said the nodule was "detected at a very early stage" during "some recent medical examinations."

"The doctors believe intervention is advisable, so, following their advice, I have decided to undergo surgery to have it removed," Pope Leo said.

The pope arrived at Rome's Gemelli Hospital at about 1 p.m. Rome time on Oct. 13, and underwent the surgery in the late afternoon.

"The surgery was successful, completed on schedule and as planned, and the Holy Father has returned to his room," the Holy See Press Office said in a statement issued shortly before 8 p.m.

Just before 10 p.m., a joint statement by Dr. Stefano Margaritora, chief thoracic surgeon at Rome's Gemelli Hospital, and Dr. Luigi Carbone revealed that the "examination confirmed the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, as suspected by the preoperative tests."

— OSV News, OSV News

This is a screenshot from video of Pope Leo XIV's October 2026 prayer intention dedicated to mental health. St. Dymphna is the patroness of people suffering from mental disorders and of mental health professionals. A U.S.-based Catholic association dedicated to mental health ministry unveiled two new online resources to help lay Catholics understand the signs of mental health struggles and how to better accompany those seeking help at an Oct. 10 news conference held at the Vatican. (OSV News screenshot /Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network)

Sometimes a loved one or acquaintance seems "irritable, emotional or just absent from things they used to love. But you're not sure what's wrong. Most of us don't. We weren't trained to recognize mental illness," a trailer for the free video courses said.

"We want to help. But we're afraid of saying the wrong thing, making it worse," it said, especially by offering the usual platitudes: "Time heals all wounds"; "God has a plan"; and "God never gives us more than we can handle."

Different members of the International Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers presented the trailer for the courses at Vatican News headquarters Oct. 10, World Mental Health Day. The news conference was part of its international meeting being held in Rome and at the Vatican, dedicated to "A Healing Presence: The Church's Call to Mental Health Ministry."

The new one-hour-plus video course on "mental health literacy" aims to help people recognize some of the signs and symptoms of the most common forms of mental illness, such as depression, bipolar disorder, addiction and trauma.

The two-hour course on "psychological first aid," said Deacon Ed Shoener, founder and president of the CMHM global association, is "much like physical first aid, where you can approach someone who may be in trouble or hurting, patch them up, so to speak, help them along, accompany them, and then direct them to professional care."

The courses are not meant to train people how to diagnose problems or to provide clinical treatment or advanced spiritual care, the video said. What they do is merge faith resources with the skills to recognize, speak about and support people showing signs of a mental health struggle or crisis so that everyday Catholics can learn how to be part of a mental health ministry team for their parish -- not how to be a licensed therapist or counselor.

The video lessons include scenes shot at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Chicago with professional local actors recreating scenarios of what to do and not to do.

The National Institute of Mental Health estimated that more than 1 in 5 adults in the United States was living with a mental illness in 2022. Women, young people between 18 and 25 years old, and people of two or more races or ethnicities were just some segments of the population showing the highest reported incidence of a mental illness according to gender, age or ethnicity.

That means, in a parish of just 500 people, there could be well over 100 parishioners that might be struggling, the video said, encouraging Catholics to "look, listen and link" someone to the right resources.

Andrea Sarubbi, director of outreach for the association, encouraged parishes, dioceses, media outlets and broadcasters to write info@catholicmhm.org for more information, and to look at its online learning center at learn.catholicmhm.org to create or strengthen a parish mental health ministry team, so that mental health ministry can be an integral part of every Catholic parish and community worldwide. The new videos are at catholicmhm.org/act-videos.

Pope Leo XIV's prayer intention for October 2026 is dedicated to praying specifically for mental health ministries.

He asked that the Church be a "safe space where everyone has a place -- a community that accompanies and never excludes, that listens without judging and draws near without fear" and he prayed that God give strength and compassion to all those who provide care.

The pope also underlined the need to ask for forgiveness for every time a Christian looked the other way or contributed to stigmatizing or discriminating against people with mental illnesses.

According to the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network, which produces and distributes the papal prayer videos, more than 1 billion people worldwide live with a mental disorder, and less than 2% of national health budgets are dedicated to public spending on mental health.

— Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service

The 71-year-old pope disclosed during his Oct. 11 Angelus address that doctors had found a "localized nodule" in his lung.

He said the nodule was "detected at a very early stage" during "some recent medical examinations."

Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See press office, said the operation will take place this coming week at Rome's Gemelli Hospital.

The "estimated post-recovery time will be about one week," said Bruni.

Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, swiftly promised prayers for the U.S.-born Pope Leo.

"The bishops of the United States join with the faithful and all people of good will in praying for his good health," Archbishop Coakley said in a statement provided to OSV News. "May the hand of Pope Leo's surgeons be guided by the divine physician Jesus Christ."

The archbishop added, "Please find a moment today, as I will, to offer a prayer for Pope Leo and his care team."

In an Oct. 11 statement provided to OSV News, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops said it united "with the faithful in prayer" for Pope Leo's health.

"We seek the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Health of the Sick, asking for a prompt recovery for the Holy Father following his upcoming surgery," said the Canadian bishops.

"I ask all of the people of the Archdiocese of Washington to raise their prayers to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit that Pope Leo may be sustained in the fullness of health and lead the Church on its pilgrimage of grace and hope with the same vision, holiness, sacrifice and pastoral compassion that have marked his pontificate at every moment since he assumed the Chair of Saint Peter," said Cardinal Robert W. McElroy of Washington in an Oct. 11 message posted by Catholic Standard, the Archdiocese of Washington's news outlet.

The cardinal -- currently in Rome for the Vatican's conference marking the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis' apostolic exhortation "Amoris Laetitia" -- added, "I would also ask every priest of the Archdiocese to offer Mass for Pope Leo and his health in these days."

In an Oct. 11 Facebook post, Archbishop Ronald A. Hicks of New York said he joined "with the bishops, priests, faithful, and all people of good will of the Archdiocese of New York in praying for our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, as he prepares for his surgery later this week."

The archbishop, currently completing a week-long pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago -- the ancient network of pilgrimage routes through Europe to the tomb of St. James in Santiago de Compostela, Spain -- said, "Pope Leo will have an even greater remembrance in my prayers" to "Jesus, the Divine Physician" to guide the pope's doctors and care team.

"We believe strongly in the power of prayerful petitions," Father Joseph Farrell, prior general of the Augustinian Order of which Pope Leo is a member, told OSV News by email.

He added, "The Augustinian brothers and sisters across the globe are praying for our brother Pope Leo XIV. We are praying also for the doctors and entire medical staff who will be assisting him in surgery in the coming days."

The Augustinian Order issued an Oct. 11 message of support saying, "As Augustinians, we pray together for the health of Pope Leo XIV."

"May God bless the Holy Father and his doctors during his upcoming surgery for a nodule found in his lung during a recent exam," said the order in its message, which was provided in Italian, English, Spanish, French and Portuguese.

Augustinian Father Tom McCarthy, prior provincial of the Our Mother of Good Counsel province to which Pope Leo belongs, told OSV News he and his Augustinian brothers "are very sad to hear that Pope Leo needs surgery."

"But," he added, "we are grateful it was caught early. We are offering prayers for the Holy Father and for his doctors, surgeons, nurses, and medical staff who will be caring for him. We are asking everyone to pray for Pope Leo."

Villanova University, Pope Leo's alma mater, said in an Oct. 11 X post that it "joins the global Church in prayer for Pope Leo as he prepares to undergo surgery."

"May God grant the Holy Father strength, healing and a full recovery in the days ahead," said the university.

Augustinian Father Robert Hagan, prior provincial of the order's St. Thomas of Villanova province, told OSV News that prisoners for whom he had celebrated Mass look on Pope Leo as their shepherd and had spontaneously included him in the prayers of the faithful.

Father Hagan recounted that during an Oct. 11 Mass at Pennsylvania's State Correctional Institute Chester, located some 20 miles south of Philadelphia, the prisoner reading the petitions said, "As Pope Leo prepares for his procedure, we pray for him, for his doctors, and in thanksgiving that all will go well."

"This fellow added that in on his own," said Father Hagan. "And I could tell he was a voice of the people."

— Gina Christian, OSV News

Pope Leo XIV to undergo surgery to remove lung nodule

Pope Leo XIV announced that he will undergo surgery after doctors discovered a nodule, or lump, in his lungs.

Speaking to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square Oct. 11, during his Sunday Angelus address, the pope said the nodule was "detected at a very early stage" during a medical checkup and it is "well-contained."

"The doctors believe intervention is advisable, so, following their advice, I have decided to undergo surgery to have it removed. The procedure is already scheduled for the coming days," he said.

Concluding his address, the pope thanked the crowds in the square for their "spiritual closeness" and entrusted himself to their prayers.

Responding to questions from journalists, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni confirmed that the surgery is scheduled within "the first few days" of this week and that "the expected post-operative hospital stay is about one week."

The Vatican also confirmed that the pope will undergo the medical procedure at Rome's Gemelli Hospital.

-- First reactions to the announcement --

In response to the announcement, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her closeness and that of the Italian government "in this time of trial he is called to face in the coming days."

"The serenity and peace of mind with which he spoke about it during today's Angelus reassures us," Meloni said in a post on X. "I am certain that the Italian people, too, will not fail to offer their support and affection."

In one of the first immediate reactions to the news, Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta posted on X, following the Angelus: "The Church in Malta is united in prayer for the Holy Father, wishing him well for the surgery he will be undergoing."

Archbishop Luis Argüello of Valladolid, president of the Spanish bishops' conference, also urged prayers for the pontiff, saying: "From Rome, I invite the entire Spanish Church, dioceses, institutions of consecrated life, lay communities and associations, all members of the People of God, and our fellow citizens, to pray for the health of our beloved Pope Leo XIV."

Archbishop Argüello is in Rome for Oct. 7-14 gathering of the world's bishops' conference presidents and the heads of Eastern Catholic churches, marking the 10th anniversary of "Amoris Laetitia."

Pope Leo was originally scheduled to celebrate the Oct. 14 closing Mass. However, the Vatican has not announced whether the pope's surgery will take place before or after the Mass.

-- Greeting Peruvian pilgrims, Pope Leo indicated Latin American visit remains on schedule --

The surprise announcement comes less than a month before his longest international trip to date, a 12-day apostolic visit to Latin America that includes stops in Uruguay, Argentina and Peru.

Nevertheless, during his address to pilgrims, the pope greeted members of the Hermandad del Señor de los Milagros, or the Brotherhood of the Lord of Miracles, a Peruvian religious association that spreads devotion to a revered image of Christ crucified, and said he was moving forward with his visit.

"Thank you for your prayers for the pastoral visit I will fulfill in Peru," the pope said before announcing his surgery.

The pope's surgery is the first major surgical intervention he has publicly disclosed during his pontificate. A pontiff rarely makes medical announcements, which are often handled by the Vatican press office.

On July 12, 1992, St. John Paul II told pilgrims: "I would now like to share something personal with you," and announced that he would be visiting Gemelli "for some diagnostic tests," which resulted in him undergoing surgery to remove a large tumor from his colon.

Pope Francis' visits to Gemelli for checkups or medical procedures, including his 2021 colon surgery and his 2023 abdominal surgery, were disclosed by the press office.

By Junno Arocho Esteves, OSV News

ASHEVILLE — Rain fell outside St. Lawrence Basilica Saturday, but for the first time in years, water was no longer a threat to the historic church. After a $7.7 million restoration to stop leaks and repair extensive damage, the 117-year-old Asheville landmark reopened its doors to a joyful celebration.

Bishop Michael Martin joined parishioners, donors and community members Oct. 10 to celebrate the completion of the first phase of a massive renovation project to preserve one of Asheville’s most treasured landmarks.

The “Restoration and Reopening” celebration came nearly a year after the renovation project officially launched last October. Although Masses and sacraments continued throughout construction, the basilica had been closed to visitors on weekdays. Now, its doors will be open daily once again.

Funded by parishioners and donors from across the country, the first phase focused on stopping water intrusion and stabilizing the historic structure. Work included replacing the copper-clad roof on the basilica’s iconic elliptical dome, installing new storm drains, gutters and cornices, stabilizing masonry over one of the side chapels, restoring the dome’s oculus skylight, and repairing damage from Hurricane Helene.

The work marks the first phase of a multi-year restoration effort that could ultimately exceed $30 million.

Plans to restore St. Lawrence Basilica date back two decades. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it was designed and built under the supervision of renowned Spanish architect Rafael Guastavino Sr. His distinctive tile vaulting can also be seen in New York landmarks including Carnegie Hall, Ellis Island, Grant’s Tomb and Grand Central Station.

“Just over a year ago I stood here and asked you all to look up at the dome and remember how you felt the first time you entered the basilica,” said parishioner Mary Everist, president of the Basilica Preservation Fund, the non-profit organization focused on the restoration. “This breathtaking space amazes all who walk through those doors. This basilica brings heaven and Earth closer to one another through its beauty and majesty and stands as a testament to our faith in the divine. Now, thanks to the hard work and tireless effort of so many people, this masterpiece will be here to inspire future generations as well.”

Bishop Martin opened Saturday’s celebration with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting.

Monsignor Roger Arnsparger, the basilica’s pastor and rector, thanked everyone who contributed to the renovation effort, saying that donations of every size helped make it possible.

“We took on something so wonderful to replicate what was done when the parish first took on building this beautiful church, back when there were so few Catholics in the area at the time,” Monsignor Arnsparger said.

Just as he did when the renovation work kicked off last year, Monsignor Arnsparger held up a silver trowel that Guastavino had presented to the basilica’s first rector and that was used to seal the church’s cornerstone in 1906.

Long-time parishioner Lonnie Gilliam, a founding member of the Basilica Preservation Fund, carried a box containing the names of project donors that will be placed in the basilica’s archives.

Bishop Martin recalled visiting the basilica in 2024 and seeing firsthand the damage that water had caused. He marveled at the progress and praised the community’s commitment to preserving the basilica for future generations.

“You’ve taken something that has been given to us and you’ve allowed it to be a gift for the ages, entrusted it to the care of the future and allowed us to continue to find a home here where we worship, where we’re graced in so many ways and where we can find a connection with one another and with our God,” he said.

Emmett Sapp, the Diocese of Charlotte’s director of construction and real estate, said the work accomplished two critical goals.

“Phase one had two jobs – stop the water and make this building safe – and that work is done,” Sapp said. “Why does this matter? For Asheville, this basilica is part of the skyline and the soul of downtown – a place of beauty and peace for people of every faith. After Hurricane Helene, a restored basilica on this hill is a sign of hope. For our diocese, it is one of our great treasures – a spiritual home for the whole region.”

The celebration also featured remarks from Shannon Brown, project manager for John G. Waite Associates, the project’s architects; Aaron Ernst, senior project manager for North Carolina-based Blum Construction; and Jennifer Cathey of the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office.

It also included several special musical selections, including the processional hymn “O God Beyond All Praising,” set to the melody “Thaxted” from British composer Gustav Holst’s work “The Planets” – chosen because of the theme of looking up and contemplating the heavens through the basilica’s beautiful interior.

The choir also offered Anton Bruckner’s “Locus Iste” and a Santus and Hosanna composed by Guastavino himself, who also was an accomplished musician. The piece is regularly performed at the basilica on special feast days and was doubly meaningful because of the day’s celebration of Guastavino’s architectural beauty.

— Christina Lee Knauss. Photos by Jason Blanco Media.

Watch online – Watch the recording of St. Lawrence Basilica’s “Restoration and Renovation” celebration:

The night was full of praise and festivities including a Holy Hour and Rosary, Mass, procession and reception. 

The Eritrean Catholic Community of Charlotte joined in as special guests. Parochial Administrator of OLR, Father Huver Navarro, presided over the Mass alongside concelebrant Ge'ez Rite priest, Father Michael Debesay. 

In his homily, Father Navarro noted the history of the parish, which was established in 1946 by a congregation of just 15 families. 

He then shared his secret recipe for a strong spiritual life and a way to gain continual spiritual renewal for the next 80 years – a daily dose of the holy rosary. 

“We give thanks to the Lord for the last 80 years. It is obvious our patroness of devotion has been at hand in the lives of the people,” said Father Navarro. “In a very special way…she accompanies each one of us. That is why here we promote this weapon of mass devotion, the rosary, which should be prayed by every child, by everyone, by every mother, and by every woman, because with that instrument…we will win the victory of our faith.”

A new tabernacle greeted the full house of more than 200 parishioners; a gift bought with the donations of generous parishioners and funds raised by the Lady’s Guild. While it was blessed during the Mass, Father Navarro reminded his flock of its importance.  

“Why is the tabernacle there? Three reasons.” Father Navarro said. “To let us know the ever-present presence of the Lord in the temple… The consecrated Host will be there to take to the sick and the dying…and to come together to adore the Lord.”

After Mass, the Ge’ez Rite community sang a traditional Eritrean song, and in return parishioners shared a tradition of their own, dancing the Matlachines. The ritual is rooted in Mexico and has been integrated into the community.     

Barbara Seuberling, a parishioner since 1970, attended Mass with her great-granddaughter. She was all smiles as she reminisced about the long line of children, grandchildren, and now her first great-grandchild, who grew up in the parish.

“It was always very small. When my children made their communions, there were only maybe two Catholics in the whole school. There weren’t many Catholics in North Carolina, until a lot of people moved here,” Seuberling said. “Now, we have a very lively and thriving community… This is really revived. The Spanish community has made it much more vibrant.” 

Amanda Passmore, leader of the Lady’s Guild, celebrated with her two children, who are both altar servers, well past their bedtime. She helped host the reception, which included a smorgasbord of Hispanic and American food, and looks forward to a future filled with faith. 

“I love our church. I love our people. I love the Church family. I love this,” Passmore said. “With the help of Father Huver and Father Oscar, we have really come together as an English- and Spanish-speaking congregation and my hope is that our efforts will continue, all for and through the Lord.”

— Lisa M. Geraci. Photos by Sergio Lopez and Lisa M. Geraci

Father Peter Madeya of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Malawi stands with children from the Phalombe district in the remains of a washed-out roadway on the outskirts of the Archdiocese of Blantyre in southern Malawi Dec. 8, 2023. Catholics around the world will mark World Mission Sunday Oct. 18, 2026. (OSV News photo/Margaret Murray)

VATICAN — The aim of World Mission Sunday (Oct. 18), established 100 years ago by Pope Pius XI, has "borne fruit in my own life," said Pope Leo XIV.

The pope reflected on the annual observance in a video message posted by Vatican News to its YouTube channel Oct. 7. A transcript of the message was also published on the Vatican's website.

In January, Pope Leo XIV announced he had chosen the theme "One in Christ, united in mission" for this year's celebration, with his message for the day encouraging "the whole Church to continue its missionary journey with joy and zeal in the Holy Spirit."

Established by Pope Pius XI in 1926 and universally observed by 1927, World Mission Sunday is a dedicated day of "prayer and missionary promotion throughout the Catholic world," according to its founding decree.

Held on the next-to-last Sunday of October, the observance also includes a special collection that serves as the primary financial support for the Pontifical Mission Societies, a worldwide network operating at the service of the pope and consisting of four organizations designated as pontifical by Pope Pius XI in 1922.

The Society for the Propagation of the Faith supports the evangelization efforts of the local church; the Missionary Childhood Association educates children about their part in the church's missionary outreach; the Society of St. Peter the Apostle trains the next generation of missionary clergy and consecrated religious; and the Pontifical Missionary Union focuses on forming clergy, religious and pastoral leaders more deeply in their role as evangelizers.

In his video message, Pope Leo said, "Looking back on my youth, I can see how the prayers offered to the Lord of the harvest mysteriously helped prepare my heart to hear Jesus' call to follow him as an Augustinian missionary."

The future pope served for years in Peru, a country particularly blessed by missionary priests, said Father Anthony D. Andreassi, a priest of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri in Brooklyn, New York, and a researcher for the Pontifical Mission Societies USA.

Father Andreassi explained how the 20th century saw an uptick in the number of North American priests, both diocesan and religious, assigned to Latin America, where the Church already had a 500-year presence, but "never enough of a native clergy."

The Augustinian Order "started sending people into Peru in the 1960s," said Father Andreassi. "And then, all of a sudden, you see Robert Prevost" – who would eventually become Pope Leo XIV – "there in the 1980s."

In his video message, Pope Leo said "the prayers and contributions of the faithful encouraged and sustained my missionary work in Peru, as well as that of countless others throughout the world."

"For this reason, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has supported World Mission Sunday over the years," he added.

The pope said this year's theme "invites us to reflect on the fundamental task of nurturing the Church's unity in following Christ, particularly in our commitment and responsibility to spread the Gospel message of salvation to all people."

Baptism makes each of the faithful "a member of the Body of Christ" with "a unique role in contributing to Jesus' saving work."

"Our Lord calls us to cooperate as one family, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to bring everyone everywhere into a communion of faith in Christ," said Pope Leo.

He reaffirmed his appeal from his previously released message for the day, urging all to "commit to contributing to the great mission of evangelization – which is always a work of love – according to our own vocation and the gifts we have received."

Prayers and "practical support" will be "a great help in bringing the Gospel of God's love to everyone, especially the poorest and those most in need," said the pope, quoting from his earlier message.

He thanked those who "carry on the legacy of World Mission Sunday" and "support generously the evangelizing mission of the Church throughout the world."

— Gina Christian, OSV News

CHARLOTTE — Students at St. Ann School gathered in prayer for a living rosary Oct. 8, celebrating their Catholic faith and honoring Hispanic Heritage Month.

During the schoolwide assembly, students participated in the living rosary as the school choir filled the gathering with sacred music. In recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month, one decade of the Rosary was recited in Spanish.

The gathering offered students the opportunity to deepen their devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary while celebrating the diverse languages and cultures that make up the universal Catholic Church.

The Catholic News Herald had a little extra help capturing the special occasion. St. Ann student Charlie Weiss stepped in as our newest photography assistant, lending a hand behind the scenes as we documented the school's celebration of faith and community.

— Photos by Troy C. Hull and Charlie Weiss

By worshipping Christ, "the Righteous One who died for the unrighteous," the faithful are called to work for justice, peace and fraternity, the pope said Oct. 7 in St. Peter's Square.

"The Church, therefore, 'has no fiercer desire than that in pursuit of the welfare of all she may be able to develop herself freely under any kind of government which grants recognition to the basic rights of person and family, to the demands of the common good,'" he said, quoting from the conciliar constitution, "Gaudium et Spes," as he continued his series of talks on documents from the Second Vatican Council.

Just as Christ was incarnated to reconcile the world with God, the Church exists within the world as a "sign of the incarnation of God, in order to manifest His plan to make us all His children in one great human family," Pope Leo said.

Journeying through history alongside different peoples and cultures helps the Church understand more clearly the scope of its mission, he said. That mission begins with helping people "be attentive to the profound questions of life: those concerning our origin and our destiny, as well as those concerning the meaning of love and suffering."

"The logic of profit at all costs and the manipulation of information risk exerting undue pressure on people to conform to a lifestyle centered on the consumption of material goods, but our hearts are made to look upwards," Pope Leo said.

The Church's mission also includes contributing to building the "earthly city," he said, although its methods and aims are not primarily political. Rather, the Church bears witness to "faith and charity, together with commitment for justice, peace, and fraternity."

To live the Gospel fully, Catholics must cooperate with the grace of the Holy Spirit so that their professed faith is reflected in their daily lives, the pope said, continuing his reflections on the constitution "Gaudium et Spes."

The discrepancy between professed faith and daily life, the council wrote, "deserves to be counted among the more serious errors of our age."

Living the faith in contemporary society also requires pastors, theologians and the faithful to discern what in modern cultures is worthy of consideration without "watering down" Christianity to make it more attractive, Pope Leo said.

"This requires a balanced mind, free from cultural trends, capable of viewing the world in a positive light whilst remaining steadfast in preserving and presenting the Gospel message in its entirety," he said.

The Church is not "above" or "beside" the world, but rather "grafted into it," Pope Leo said, and its ultimate purpose is that God's kingdom may come and "the salvation of the whole human race may come to pass."

"She strives towards this end above all through personal holiness and fraternal love," he said.

— Josephine Peterson, Catholic News Service

CHARLOTTE — Faithful across the Diocese of Charlotte gathered Sunday, Oct. 4, to kick off Respect Life Month and form Life Chains as a public witness to the dignity of all human life.

“Our united prayers, sacrifices and efforts to protect human life and heal the wounds inflicted by abortion remain as important as ever,” said Bishop Daniel E. Thomas – Bishop of Toledo, Ohio, and chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities – earlier this year. “Let us remain steadfast in our commitment to ensure that every human life may be protected in law and welcomed in love, and that abortion may be unthinkable.”

In the Diocese of Charlotte, Father John Putnam opened the annual Life Chain Sunday at St. Mark Church in Huntersville praying “may His Lordship to watch over the life chain. We ask you to bless us and may our witness be true and faithful and may it be the instrument in which hearts are changed.”

More than 80 people prayed along Stumptown Road. Father Christopher Angermeyer and Father John Cuppett also prayed with the group. Deacon Tom Martin and his wife Heather also lead the Rosary.

Around the diocese, many lined busy streets to witness for life. 

For details about these and other Life Chain events, go online to www.lifechain.org.

— Photos by Lisa M. Geraci, Georgianna Penn and provided

More than 220 people gathered at The Museum of the Waxhaws to sign a petition formally asking Bishop Michael T. Martin to establish a new parish.

The petition was signed in front of the Dillon Wellhouse, where on May 29, 1840, delegates from Mecklenburg and Anson counties came together to ask North Carolina’s governor to establish Union County.

“Once I heard this story, I said, ‘You mean there’s a spot right here that symbolizes where a group of people from this area wrote to a higher authority asking for establishment of something?’” said Father Benjamin Roberts, priest-in-charge for the community. “I said this is exactly where we need to do the petition for the parish.”

Although this step might not have been technically necessary to establish a parish in Waxhaw – members of St. Matthew Parish in Charlotte had already signed the initial petition to carve out a new parish from its territory, which includes Waxhaw – Father Roberts said the process itself was important.

“This community needs to do this,” he said, noting that the effort had helped bring people together. “It’s just a beautiful new beginning,” agreed St. Matthew parishioner Carissa Scibor, who brought her family to sign the petition. “I think our churches should be a place where we go out and we spread.”

As the petition noted, “With our signatures on the attached pages, we pledge our commitment to building up the Church in this community.”

For Ann Whipp, who has been attending church in Waxhaw since she moved there from Lake Norman two months ago, it was important to be present to add her signature.

“I think it’s very important to build God’s kingdom and to be part of the community, and I wanted to be part of the community in Waxhaw,” she said. “It is the center of my life focused on Christ, and wherever He is we will go.”

— Trish Stukbauer, Photos by Troy C. Hull 

The Maximilian Kolbe Fraternity of the Order of Franciscan Seculars (OFS) hosted the service celebrating the transition of the saint from earthyl life to death and eternal life. St. Francis was the leader of a spiritual movement that Catholics around the world continue to follow 800 years later.

The service was presided over by Father Stephen Hoyt, pastor of St. Charles Borromeo in Morganton, who, before serving as a diocesan priest, was a religious Capuchin friar and now serves as the spiritual director of the secular order.

During the entrance procession, the empty brown habit, laid on a canvas stretcher, was placed on the steps of the altar. The empty habit represents “the little poor man” who entered heaven just as he entered religious life - stripped of all earthly possessions, even his clothes.

While the secular Franciscans read the historical accounts from the night of his death, hymns were sung, just as they were on his deathbed - St. Francis is known for his fondness of music.

Franciscan Friars Minor, Father Casey Cole and Father Tito Serrano, also took part in the festivities.

Father Cole, read John 13:1–15, known as “The Washing of Feet,” the precise reading St. Francis requested on his deathbed. Father Cole knows why so many still make the pilgrimage to a small crypt in Italy to venerate the man - his humility.

“It is that humility that made him so attractive then and so inspiring to us today,” Father Cole said. “But humility is not simply littleness…not simply poverty, and certainly not passivity… He was humble before God, who stands for the truth. In fact, if we know him well, we know he was a bit fiery sometimes. He was a man with conviction that stood against the world, against sin, and against greed and had no problem talking about it.”

Father Cole explained that even facing death or disapproval, St. Francis stood up for truth.

“He had no problem correcting, no problem standing up for the truth. Not to put

people down or make people feel bad but to inspire us to reach higher,” he said. “What good is it if we don’t correct someone that is in sin?”

After the service there was a reception where the attendees celebrated with light refreshments. One was St. Francis’ favorite dessert, almond mostaccioli, which he was brought on his deathbed but unable to consume.

 — Lisa M. Geraci 

Here are a few scenes from around the diocese. 

— Photos by Troy C, Hull and provided

More than 100 pets and their owners gathered at St. Matthew Church for the annual Blessing of the Animals, celebrating the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. Father Herbert Burke led the blessing near the parish’s statue of St. Francis, welcoming a lively assortment of dogs, cats, and even several birds.

Deacon Rich McCarron blessed pets at St. Mark in Huntersville, including Daisy, Father John Putnam’s pet.

At St. Mark in Huntersville, Deacon Rich McCarron blessed preschooler’s stuffed animals and pictures of their pets Wednesday. 

Father Jason K. Barone was appointed pastor of the newly elevated Our Lady of the Mountains Parish in Highlands, effective Sept. 8. He had served the Catholic community there as parochial administrator since 2019.

Father Augustine O. Ogar, M.S.P., currently serving as parochial administrator of St. William Parish in Murphy and Immaculate Heart of Mary Mission in Hayesville, has been appointed pastor of the parish and mission effective Oct. 1.

Partnering with rural parishes enables Catholic Charities to reach people who may have difficulty traveling to Asheville for assistance, said Jesse Boeckermann, Catholic Charities’ Western Region official.MARS HILL — Nearly two years after Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina, a small Catholic parish in Madison County is building on the relationships forged during the disaster to help local children facing food insecurity.

St. Andrew the Apostle Parish, the only Catholic church in Madison County, became an emergency relief center after Helene – distributing food, water, clothing, batteries, cleaning products and other necessities to residents regardless of faith.

The parish’s mission, Sacred Heart in Burnsville, provided similar assistance in neighboring Yancey County. Both churches are led by Father Anthony Mbanefo, MSP.

The relief effort introduced many people in the wider community to St. Andrew and led to a new partnership with Mars Hill Elementary School, said Kelly Hansen, parish secretary/assistant.

After emergency operations wound down, school officials asked whether the parish could continue helping local families. Parishioners responded by providing weekend food bags each Friday for more than 60 children identified as being at risk for food insecurity.

This school year, Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte’s Western Regional Office has joined the effort – providing reusable bags, supplemental food donations and funding for food.

A core group of about 10 parishioners, led by Vicki Fedor, gathers weekly to pack the bags. A great-grandmother and former school employee, Fedor is passionate about ensuring children have the nutrition they need to succeed in school.

The parish and Catholic Charities also partnered Aug. 12 for a back-to-school giveaway for Madison County students. A grant secured by Catholic Charities from The David and Susan Schoenholz Foundation provided new backpacks and school supplies for elementary, middle and high school students.

Hansen said the outreach grew directly from the parish’s response to Helene.

“Our two churches rose to the challenge through our relief centers,” she said. “This brought our parishioners closer together as they spent countless hours volunteering to serve those affected by Helene’s devastation.”

Partnering with rural parishes also enables Catholic Charities to reach people who may have difficulty traveling to Asheville for assistance, said Jesse Boeckermann, Catholic Charities’ Western Region director of external engagement.

“The relationship between Catholic Charities and these two rural parishes is a working example of how to support a community,” Boeckermann said.

For St. Andrew parishioners, the ministry also echoes their patron: the Apostle who brought the boy with five barley loaves and two fish to Jesus before the feeding of the 5,000.

Today, their small parish continues that legacy – bringing what it has to Christ and sharing it with neighbors in need.

— Donna Bange

Belmont Abbey College’s Family Day celebration Sept. 18 was particularly joyful this year as the college celebrated 150 years.

U.S. News & World Report also named Belmont Abbey College the 3rd-highest-ranked regional college in North Carolina, underscoring its growing national recognition. The college is the highest-ranked Newman Guide college in the region – an annual ranking of Catholic colleges created by the Cardinal Newman Society.

“These rankings affirm what we hear consistently from our students and families: Belmont Abbey’s greatest strength is the quality of the education and formation students receive here,” said President Dr. Jeffrey W. Talley. “Our faculty are deeply invested in their students, and our community challenges them to pursue excellence while preparing them to lead lives of purpose and service.”

This national recognition comes as Belmont Abbey maintains stable enrollment –its 1,693 students represent its second largest enrollment in a decade – and welcomes its largest class of traditional non-athlete students in eight years. Officials attribute the growth to interest in the college’s academic program offerings as well as its distinctive approach to Catholic higher education.

“This recognition in the U.S. News rankings validates what we see every day: that more students and families are seeking an education dedicated to forming the whole person,” said Jesse Dorman, vice president of enrollment. “The strength of this year’s incoming class reflects the appeal of a Belmont Abbey education – an education that combines academic excellence, a close-knit community, and a strong Catholic identity. We are excited to welcome these students and see how they grow during their time at the Abbey.”

The nursing program welcomed 33 students this year, including 18 direct admits and 3 honors students, bringing total enrollment in the program to 125 students. Belmont Abbey’s unique motorsport program continues to attract students –including 12 female students – with 24 new students exploring the field through an introductory course.

The program is committed to educating and graduating more female students while helping to expand opportunities for women in the motorsport industry. This momentum reflects the appeal of combining a liberal arts education with the specialized knowledge and professional skills needed to pursue careers in dynamic fields such as motorsports and nursing.

The Fall 2026 enrollment comes as Belmont Abbey celebrates its 150th anniversary, making it a milestone year for the college and its community. Founded in 1876, the college has remained committed to an education rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition and its Benedictine identity.

— Belmont Abbey College

Dr. Matthew Harrison pioneered an abortion-reversal pill in 2007. The treatment has been credited with saving countless lives and is now available in all 50 states and 86 countries.

The event, which took place Sept. 17 in Charlotte, had many local priests, deacons and religious sisters in attendance. Yet it was the father of a local priest – Father Matthew Harrison, campus minister for High Point University – who took center stage among the crowd of 200 guests.

Dr. Matthew Harrison, a local physician and father of seven, was the recipient of the 2026 Proudly Pro-Life Award – one of National Right to Life’s highest honors.

Harrison, a parishioner of St. Mark Church in Huntersville, is known for his medical breakthrough – the abortion reversal pill – which is credited with saving 8,000 babies and is available in all 50 states and more than 86 countries.

“Dr. Matthew Harrison represents the very best of the pro-life movement – courage in the face of uncertainty, compassion for a mother in crisis, and an unwavering determination to save a child’s life,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life.

“His willingness to act when a mother turned to him for assistance helped launch an effort that has given thousands of women a second chance to choose life for their babies,” she said.

Harrison discovered the reversal method in 2007, when he received an emergency call. A frantic mother had ingested a dose of the abortion pill and regretted her decision. He worked quickly, preparing a progesterone hormone that was readily available in his office.

“The abortion pill blocks the progesterone receptor,” Harrison said. “I just knew that if I gave some progesterone, it would outcompete the abortion pill and reverse the effects.”

It worked, and now that child is a living, breathing testimony at 19 years old.

The progesterone-based reversal pill can in many cases nullify the effects of the abortion pill if taken within 72 hours of the first dose.

Demand for the reversal pill is surging due to easy access to the abortion pill through clinics and by mail order, making it responsible for 75 percent of the nation’s abortions. To combat it, pro-life organizations, clinics and centers have adopted the use of the reversal pill.

“We can start right outside the abortion clinic,” Harrison said. “They can get right in the mobile unit and get them an ultrasound. We can start the reversal process immediately.”

Harrison took the award and adoringly gifted it to his 91-year-old mother, the woman responsible for stirring the courageous fight within her son.

In 1973, right after the Roe v. Wade decision, his mother lost her sixth child in her womb.

“I remember I was there in the chapel at the hospital where we were having the baby’s funeral,” he recalled. “I saw all these doctors crying and upset, and it seemed strange to me, even at 8 years old, that they were all crying for our baby, but at the same time they supported the right for a mother to end the life of another child. That planted the seed.”

The child she lost that day has now saved so many through her son, but as Tobias points out, the war continues.

“What we do matters,” Tobias told the crowd. “And National Right to Life cannot do this work from Washington alone. Our strength has always come from the partnership between the national organization and strong state affiliates.”

Elisabeth Laskowski, director of North Carolina Right to Life and a parishioner of St. Mark Church, agrees. As she commended the efforts of those praying on the frontlines at abortion clinics and thanked God for the recent closing of “A Woman’s Choice” in Greensboro, she said there is more work to be done.

“Since Roe was overturned four years ago, North Carolina is now the No. 2 most popular abortion destination in the country, unfortunately,” she said. “Plus, there has been a surge in monthly abortion pills mailed into our state. We went from 250 monthly shipments in 2023 to 750 in 2025.”

At the gala, the organization announced a campaign to combat abortion tourism and chemical abortions called “Don’t Swallow the Lie.”

Harrison’s wife, Kathleen, stood by his side. She is a fighter, too, and not only in front of abortion clinics or volunteering at pregnancy centers.

She had four priests celebrate 81 Masses as she intently prayed for her then-Protestant husband’s conversion. In 2015, following the “nine-times novena,” Harrison came fully into the faith on Pentecost Sunday.

The following year their son Matthew went to seminary. Now, Brian, their younger son, is in his second year as a seminarian in Rome. The power couple has become a great Catholic example to pro-life supporters and families around the world.

— Lisa M. Geraci 

"If someone were to ask me, am I in panic mode? No, I'm not," he said Sept. 28 following his four-day apostolic journey to France. "I sleep at night."

"I do think that the concerns raised by many of the experts, specialists in AI, should be taken seriously," he said. "I don't think that that is fake news."

Protecting human dignity in the age of artificial intelligence has been a cornerstone of Pope Leo's teaching for months. He dedicated his first encyclical, "Magnifica Humanitas," to AI and its role in society, urging governments, technology companies and the public to ensure that technological development remains at the service of humanity.

The pope told journalists that the Vatican has formed its own commission on artificial intelligence, initially as a way to coordinate how AI is being used within Vatican City and to examine its risks and benefits.

Since the publication of his encyclical, however, the Vatican has been contacted by people working in numerous fields interested in the issue, he said.

"We are trying to continue to promote dialogue, study, investigation, to find ways to make sure that AI does not get to a point where it could destroy humanity or remove humanity from the conversation," Pope Leo said.

"I am relatively optimistic that that can happen," he added, saying there are enough people seriously interested in addressing the risks. But he warned against allowing questions of power, competition and the race toward artificial general intelligence to dictate its development.

"We have to keep working," he said. "We can't just sit back and pretend nothing is going to happen." 

"To simply say, 'Oh, it's not going to happen,' and close our eyes to it, I think is probably not the most responsible way to go about that," he said.

While in France, the pope repeatedly urged political and social leaders to place human dignity at the center of the development and use of artificial intelligence.

Speaking Sept. 25 at the Élysée Palace in Paris to French President Emmanuel Macron, government officials, civil society leaders and the diplomatic corps, Pope Leo warned against losing humanity amid what he called a "paradise of machines" and said ethical discernment is indispensable if technological progress is to promote integral human development.

Recent incidents involving unsupervised AI agents have intensified debates over safety measures for increasingly autonomous systems. During the in-flight news conference, Pope Leo noted reports that AI companies were working to introduce "guardrails" and limits into their systems.

"There is no one, however, that says there should be no limits placed and no government regulation," he said, calling for political leaders, technology companies and civil society to work together to examine "what is happening already and what could be down the road."

During the roughly 20-minute news conference, Pope Leo also addressed clergy sexual abuse, the rise of far-right political movements in Europe, the war in Ukraine, France's tradition of strict secularism and the housing crisis affecting many European cities.

During his visit, Pope Leo met privately with seven people who had suffered sexual abuse within the Catholic Church. Following the meeting, some of the survivors told reporters that the pope had acknowledged the systemic nature of abuse in the Church.

Asked about those accounts on the flight, Pope Leo said several of the survivors had spoken to him about systemic abuse and acknowledged that some organizations within the Church had, at times, been abusive "as a system." But he said he preferred to distinguish between those cases and sexual abuse more broadly.

"Sexual abuse is first and foremost a human problem," he said. "When it happens within the Church, it actually has another whole dimension added to it because people's lives of faith are deeply wounded and sometimes even destroyed."

"There's a particular responsibility of the Church to walk with them and to help them seek healing," he said.

The pope also responded to a question about the growth of far-right political movements in Germany and their relationship with Christianity.

Pope Leo said it would be worthwhile to examine whether there is a relationship between the decline in participation in Germany's Christian churches and the growth of far-right groups, noting that some of those movements have themselves splintered as factions become more extreme.

He particularly warned about attempts to combine far-right political views with religion, saying Catholic and Protestant leaders in Germany have spoken out against such movements as "not an authentic expression of Christianity."

The values of the Gospel, he said, "are not about hatred and division, but about understanding and compassion and accompanying."

He expressed hope that people would participate in political life and "make clear choices for the common good and not for extremist ideas that perhaps will do much more damage than we are even aware of right now."

"Again, on our part as a Church, social doctrine of the Church: talking about, teaching about, preaching about what we believe are these life-giving values and not destruction, division and hatred," he said.

Asked about France's tradition of strict secularism, known as "laïcité," and whether his repeated defense of human life during the trip had crossed the line between religion and politics, Pope Leo said he did not believe it had.

"When the Church speaks about defending life, when it speaks about questions of social doctrine, we're not entering into politics, we're applying the Gospel to people's lives," he said.

The pope repeatedly spoke against euthanasia during the trip, including during his visit to Lourdes, as France implements recently approved legislation permitting the practice under certain circumstances.

"If that's politics, I did that, but it was not to get involved in French politics," Pope Leo told journalists. "It was to teach what the Church really believes."

Pope Leo was also asked to clarify comments he made earlier in the trip that countries must have the courage to sacrifice certain positions for the greater good of peace, particularly in relation to Russia's war against Ukraine.

He reiterated the Church's opposition to violence, hatred and an escalating arms race, criticizing the enormous sums spent on weapons while hunger, health, education and other human needs remain unmet. The pope said the Church must continue to encourage negotiations even when diplomatic efforts appear to have little effect.

"I believe that the Church has a responsibility to promote these values, continually inviting the leaders of Russia and Ukraine, other countries, to come, to sit down, to dialogue, to look for how to solve problems without continuing these wars that no longer make sense," he said.

"We cannot force anyone," he added. "Sometimes it seems that it can be useless, but we are going to keep talking, we are going to keep inviting, we are going to keep announcing the Gospel."

The pope also called for greater cooperation among governments, local communities and the Church in confronting housing crises that have made it increasingly difficult for people, particularly young people, to afford homes in major European cities.

A Spanish journalist asked Pope Leo about the case of Maricarmen Abascal, an 87-year-old woman with a disability who was forcibly removed Sept. 23 from the Madrid apartment where she had lived for more than seven decades.

Abascal had lived in the apartment since 1956 under Spain's old system of rent-controlled leases, but subsequent changes to national rental law restricted the inheritance of such contracts. A court ultimately ruled that her decades-old lease had expired.

Pope Leo said he was unfamiliar with Abascal's particular case but said situations like hers demonstrate the need to search for "more just solutions so that these cases don't happen."

"I think it would be a case where the neighbors, the community, the parish, the diocese or the state would have to come together and say: How is it possible for a case like this to happen?" he said. "What is the problem in the system that allows the case of an elderly woman with a disability or with some difficulty to be kicked out of her home?"

The Church speaks both about the throwaway culture and injustice, he said, but the housing crisis requires action from political leaders and public authorities as well.

"Many times we react only at the moment of emergency," he said, "but we have to see in reality what is the systemic cause of this problem and how to help."

Asked about his future travel plans beyond Latin America in November, and when he might visit Germany, Pope Leo said no date had been set.

"The only trip definitely planned is World Youth Day in Korea," he said, which is scheduled for August 2027.

— Josephine Peterson, Catholic News Service

CHARLOTTE — They’ve laughed with him, prayed with him, learned from him, and on Sept. 24, parishioners from the Diocese of Charlotte joined with 50,000 Catholics to publicly venerate the television star, the American bishop, the soon-to-be saint - and the now Blessed Fulton J. Sheen.  

Archbishop Sheen left a lasting impression on this diocese through his visits to Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte, and Our Lady of Grace (OLG) in Greensboro. 

Years after, the charismatic "missionary evangelist" took to the radio and television waves - with his friends Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John - his legacy still remains in the hearts of our priests, parishioners and religious.  

“He is the reason I spend an hour a day in Eucharistic adoration,” said Father Lucas Rossi, one of the five diocesan priests raised in Sheen’s hometown of Peoria, Illinois, and pastor of St. John the Evangelist and Immaculate Conception in Canton. 

The event drew pilgrims from OLG, St. Mark in Huntersville, and Charlotte parishes St. Mary Syro Malabar, St. Matthew and Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Eileen Rohan, a parishioner of OLG, who traveled to the beatification with a group of eight from her church, believed the event highlighted Sheen’s “Life Worth Living.” 

She still remembers his blue eyes and booming voice when she saw him in person during the school dedication visit in Greensboro on Nov. 14, 1976 as a child. Through the years, she watched him from her living room couch, in college and with her grandmother. She read his books as an adult, and this week traveled the 700 miles to celebrate the religious figure she looked up to most of her life.

“When they did the altar installation, revealed the official pictures of him, and brought up the relics and placed them on the altar. Then the altar was dressed in cloth. It just seemed so incredibly special,” Rohan said. “Now he is Blessed. Now it means that he could be on an altar. That we could venerate his relics - where we couldn't before.”  

Father Raymond Esuka Ekosse, parochial vicar of OLG, also went on the trip.

“When Father Raymond entered seminary, there was a Sheen explosion throughout Africa,” Rohan laughed. “He learned all about Sheen. He watched his videos and read all his books.” 

Now, wearing vestments with Sheen’s trademark, “JMJ” (Jesus, Mary, Joseph) embroidered on the back, Father Ekosse, a long way from his hometown in Cameroon, processed with clergy and religious, including Father Rajeev Valiyaveettil Philipas from St. Mary, while their parishioners watched from stadium seating. 

“Way up in the bleachers we could see the whole floor. There had to be like 1,000 priests,” Rohan said. “They were greeting each other so warmly, like it was real brotherhood, which was something that Sheen wrote about. I always enjoy processions, but this one just was wonderful and seemed endless.” 

For Rohan, those best moments continued to play out in front of her in a rapid collage of beauty. 

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle’s homily left a teaching moment.

“It seemed to address Sheen, why he's a saint, but also address the priests to show how they could embrace teachings from Sheen today,” Rohan said. “But he also told us as laity how we could act in a missionary way.”

Arn and Brigitte Vogt, also OLG parishioners in their 80s, did not let their years stop them from making the trip for the long-awaited beatification of the man they grew up listening to.

Up on the stage, a stand with a velour covering awaited, and Arn Volk knew that was where his picture would be unveiled when Sheen was formally beautified. 

“I had my video ready, and when he announced the words ‘the Blessed Fulton Sheen’ I captured it on my camera,” Vogt said. “And, oh to hear the audience, all the people in the arena’s applause and all the excitement that took place. It was just gorgeous, the sights, the music, the sounds, of it all.

David and Carissa Scibor, St. Matthew parishioners, also felt called to bring their family to the rare moment.

“We feel like the best way we can model the faith to our kids is to have them go and experience the faith. You want to talk about the richness of the faith. Go to a beatification mass,” David Scibor said. “Your heart is full. You're seeing all the greatness of the church.”

Sitting in the main aisle, they had a clear view of James Fulton Engstrom, the young boy who was alive due to Sheen’s intercessionand whose case advanced Sheen’s cause of beatification, carrying up the relics.

The celebration of Catholics felt like a family reunion of sorts, he said. 

“Being able to come together as Catholics for this event was definitely emotional. It was cool to see this moment in which the status within the Church was elevated.” 

Writer and podcaster of “Rebranding Motherhood”, Jillian Tymo from St. Mark, came to the historic moment for for her work in communications for Abby Johnson, a prolife advocate. 

Tymo said, “Something said at the beatification that stuck with me was… he was described as both a man at the dinner table and a man of the stage. I thought of the intimacy of that…I found it to be such an incredible example of aiming at telling the truth in an age of social media and having the time for me to sit and reflect on his legacy.”

The main relic she found to be appropriate and poetic. 

“The relic they used celebrating him as a communicator was his bottom jawbone. That was so telling,” Tymo said. “That was a very special moment to be able to see. There is a severe poetry that the Church tends to use, the symbols all connect in this incredible way to continue to promote just how this man glorified God.”

With her, Tymo brought a picture of her infant mother being held by Sheen in the 50s and left with new memories of the soon-to-be saint who continues to teach lessons from the heavens.

“I always had that picture of my mother because it was taken right before her father died. Her life took such a difficult turn, but my grandmother kept the faith in a very tangible way,” Tymo said. “She was so proud of that photo, and I can’t wait to celebrate with her one day.”

Expecting her sixth child which is due around Sheen’s future feast day, she felt that deep connection of faith and motherhood between her and her grandmother during the beatification. 

As Scibor noted, “Fulton Sheen was on the right path. Whether you're touching hundreds of thousands of households or you're just touching the people that come into your daily life, we are all presented with opportunities. What are we going to do to make the people around us shine a little bit brighter?

— Lisa M. Geraci. Photos provided

"Our Lady of Lourdes, the Immaculate Conception, in this blessed place you spoke with such gentleness and tenderness to St. Bernadette, a humble daughter of the French people, to convey to the world a radiant message of prayer, conversion and hope," Pope Leo said in his prayer in the grotto.

The shrine of Lourdes is one of the most visited Catholic pilgrimage sites in the world, known as a place of healing and miracles since the Marian apparition. More than 7,000 cases of healing connected to Lourdes have been officially recorded since 1858, with 72 of them officially recognized as a miracle by the International Medical Committee of Lourdes. The most recent of which was announced last year: the 2009 healing of Antonietta Raco, an Italian woman who had suffered from primary lateral sclerosis, during a pilgrimage to Lourdes.

As the sun set, the pope arrived at the Lourdes grotto for the first time in his pontificate to the singing of the traditional Lourdes hymn "Ave Maria," waving to eager pilgrims from the popemobile.

In an intimate moment of prayer in the illuminated grotto, the crowd was silent as Pope Leo knelt before the image of Our Lady of Lourdes above.

Standing, he paused to touch the rock of the grotto's wall, and received a glass of water from the site's miraculous spring, offered by Father Michel Daubanes, the rector of the Sanctuary of Lourdes. Moving his hand over the walls of the grotto, he walked to its tiered candelabra, where he lit a tall candle, placing it among the others.

He then offered a public prayer to the Virgin Mary in French. "We turn to you with trust, for you are the Mother whom Jesus has given, and you are attentive to all our needs," he said. "We pray to you, our Mother, for France, for you are her patroness and have protected her for so many centuries."

Pope Leo prayed in particular for peace and for the renewal of "the faith and fervor of Christian families."

"May they be generously open to life, and may God awaken vocations within them, especially to the priesthood and religious life," he prayed. "Grant that your Church in France may show, especially to the youngest among them, the luminous path of the Gospel, so that they may build the just and fraternal society to which they aspire."

Praying for the sick, the caretakers, the poor and the disadvantaged, the pope asked the Virgin Mary to "obtain for France wise and generous leaders, ready to make sacrifices, capable of responding to challenges, and eager to serve the common good."

"We pray that you will remove all the obstacles that still separate us from your beloved Son and that he may reign in all heart," he concluded.

After his prayer, Pope Leo offered the shrine the gift of the "golden rose," a gilded rose that conveys papal affection and is a traditional papal gift especially to Marian shrines.

Under a shining full moon in a clear autumn sky, the pope then led the crowd in singing the Lord's Prayer in Latin and then imparted his apostolic blessing before individually greeting Lourdes' chaplains.

Lourdes is the fourth most visited Catholic pilgrimage site in the world after St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico, and the Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida in Brazil.

The Virgin Mary appeared to a poor and uneducated 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous 18 times in 1858. During the ninth apparition, Mary told St. Bernadette: "Go and drink at the spring and wash yourself there." That year, the miraculous spring that appeared after St. Bernadette humbly dug in the dirt with her hands resulted in the healing of a woman with a paralyzed hand in the presence of more than 1,500 people.

During the 16th apparition, St. Bernadette asked Mary, whom she had called "the Lady dressed in white," her name. Mary replied: "I am the Immaculate Conception," referring to the Catholic dogma -- long held in tradition but only promulgated four years earlier -- that she was conceived without sin.

Lourdes is the second leg of Pope Leo's four-day apostolic journey to France. On Sept. 27, the pope will offer Mass in Lourdes, where he will also meet with clerical abuse victims, visit the sick, speak to French bishops, and preside over a candlelight rosary procession.

 — Courtney Mares, OSV News