Created with an estate gift of $1.2 million by the late George Warren Pitman, scholarships from the George Pitman Endowment Fund are available to college-bound applicants who live in Mecklenburg County or the City of Dunn.

Pitman was a renowned designer who operated his firm, George Pitman Inc., from his home for more than 30 years until his death in 2007 at the age of 79. He was a graduate of Mount St. Mary’s College in Maryland and the Bright School of Design in Chicago.

Through the scholarship fund, college-bound Catholic students may apply for renewable scholarships of up to $3,000, with award amounts based on the type of institution they attend, including two-year, four-year and vocational schools.

Of the 20 scholarship recipients this year, six are first-time recipients attending N.C. State University, UNC Wilmington, the University of Alabama, The Catholic University of America, Elon University and Western Carolina University. The remaining 14 students received renewable scholarships and attend UNC Chapel Hill, the University of South Carolina, the University of Notre Dame, Auburn University, the University of Tennessee, Denison University, American University and Clemson University.

“Mr. Pitman’s transformative gift continues to benefit Catholic students to attend a college or university of their choice,” said Jim Kelley, diocesan director of development.

“We are thankful for the generosity of more and more people across the diocese who are remembering the Church in their estate plans. Those gifts – from thousands to millions – have a tremendous impact on the lives of students.”

Since its inception in 2018, the Pitman Scholarship Fund has awarded $273,000 in scholarships.

Donors like Pitman who make a planned gift to the diocese or one of its parishes, schools, ministries or agencies become members of the Catholic Heritage Society, which now includes more than 1,800 members.

— Courtney McLaughlin

The Catholic Daughters of the Americas was founded in 1903 to enable Catholic women to join together in sorority within their communities through works of charity, unity and love.

Walker breaks barriers by being the first African American and the first North Carolinian to hold the position in the century-plus history of the organization. 

Her formal installation will take place July 25 at the group’s 61st Biennial National Convention in Iowa.

“I am deeply humbled and honored to serve as the 29th national regent of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas,” Walker said. “It is a blessing and a great opportunity to take this two-year journey with a group of women of faith who believe in our motto: ‘Unity and Charity.’”

As national regent, Walker will oversee the organization of more than 53,000 members. She will manage nationwide charitable projects, scholarships and spiritual initiatives and create its bylaws. This move to leadership was a long time in the making.

“I have been climbing up this mountain for over 30 years,” Walker said. “One position at a time. I first went through all the ranks of the local court, and I was encouraged to continue. So, I kept going.” 

“Keep going” is a mantra Walker has lived out time and time again throughout her life. And though the position may be challenging, she is confident in her leadership.

“I am not worried about anything,” she said. “When I am presented with a challenge, I just take it to God, figure it out, and then keep moving.” 

Heading upward 

In April 1994, Walker was new to the Charlotte area and looking for a Catholic parish to join. After a couple of trial runs, Our Lady of Consolation hit all the marks. 

While making new friends after Mass one day, parishioner Addie Dew invited her to go to a Catholic Daughters of the Americas meeting. 

Walker had never heard of the organization, but as she listened to Dew talk enthusiastically about the service work they did, and how their mission was to promote justice, equality and the advancement of human rights, Walker was already interested in joining before she stepped foot into her first meeting. 

During that first meeting at the local Charlotte Court 1199, Walker felt at home. But more than that, she felt inspired. She saw herself getting involved with this work.

“I loved this group of women who love the same things that I do. We played together, we cried together, we served together,” she said. 

Her leadership ability and the Court’s trust surfaced quickly. Soon after she joined, she was elected treasurer. 

As the years went by, Walker continually advanced, first serving as the regent of the local Charlotte Court – a position that is comparable to an organization’s chapter president.

“By then, I had my sights focused on serving on the state level,” she said. 

The Catholic Daughters of the Americas agreed, electing her state regent of North Carolina. She stayed in that role for four years, all the while traveling to national conferences as a delegate. Of course, she couldn’t stop there. 

“I aspired to serve on the national level,” Walker said. “I came to see my journey as a mountain climb. I could see the top. But to get there, it was imperative that I took one step at a time. I felt that if I had rushed up the mountain, I would have missed something important along the way.”

She landed her first national role in 2016 as national director – the second African American to carry the title, following Lucretia Coates, now deceased. She was re-elected to serve a second term. Two months later, she climbed to a new appointment as national treasurer. 

“Serving in this position was an honor and gave me a deeper understanding of the business side of Catholic Daughters,” Walker said. 

In 2020, COVID struck the Charlotte Chapter hard and they were forced to disband. Walker joined the closest chapter, the Salisbury Court, which is now at 99 members.

Walker was elected second vice national regent, then first vice national regent just two years later. She continued climbing to the summit. While the steps got wider and steeper, her goal was in sight.

In 2024, she was elected national regent-elect, a position comparable to vice president. After serving for two years, the national regent-elect automatically steps up to serve as the national regent – the leader of the entire organization. 

Raised to lead

Walker grew up hearing she was a natural-born leader. 

She explained, “We sometimes forget that in order to be a leader, one must also know how to follow. It is important to remember that a true leader serves others, values clear communication, shows respect and leads with gratitude.”

Those have been words she has lived by ever since she could remember. 

Walker, one of the oldest of 12 children, felt her call to service young. Raised in Whiteville as a “down home country girl,” she couldn’t make it to school too often because she had diapers to change and meals to cook. Somebody had to look after her younger siblings while her parents were working and trying to put food on the table. 

“It wasn’t that I couldn’t make it through school. I just couldn’t get there every day,” Walker said. “I was babysitting when I was 6 years old.”

So, after she graduated high school, she packed her bags and headed to Brooklyn, New York, for her studies. She studied for two years before making the move to join the U.S. Marine Corps. 

She entered the military as a single Protestant. Due to a medical condition, she left 10 months in with a new husband, a new Catholic faith, and a baby on the way. But she wasn’t finished. Ten years later she returned, eventually retiring after 25 years of service. 

When Walker believes in a dream, she sees it through, and just as she did with the Marines, she pursued completing her education when she was able. In her later years, she graduated from Belmont Abbey College with a business degree. 

“Oh, I am very persistent, you know. I do whatever I like to do as long as I am not hurting anyone or taking anything away from anyone,” Walker laughed. 

Future goals

As the newly elected national regent, she plans to grow the Catholic Daughters of the Americas.

“I want to come up with a way to get more African Americans and young adults involved,” Walker said. “Being the first African American to reach this position, I feel like I can reach this community. Also, the youth. Sometimes, young women have difficulty committing to something like this because they have families and have to work, so it is difficult for them to come to the meetings. I think we can do better. I also hope to bring more unity to the order.”

She intends to restart the Charlotte chapter and other disbanded groups and has a 10-year plan to increase membership by 20 percent. 

She wants to inspire the Daughters to pray the rosary every day and to continue their culture of unity, charity and love. 

“My life has been good, so I believe in giving to those in need,” she said. 

Walker backs that commitment with her actions.

 In her “free time,” she volunteers for the Elder Ministry and Burial Assistance Ministry at Catholic Charities. She helps at the Ronald McDonald House in Charlotte and Victory Junction in Randleman. 

Walker’s reception Mass will be celebrated on Sept. 12 at Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral in Raleigh. 

— Lisa M. Geraci

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Catholic News Herald

WASHINGTON, D.C. — “Natural Family Planning, Designed by God, Guided by Love, Open to Life” is the theme of this year’s national Natural Family Planning Awareness Week (July 19-25, 2026), an educational campaign of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to celebrate God’s design for married love and the gift of life and to raise awareness of Natural Family Planning (NFP) methods.

“NFP,” as the U.S. bishops have written, is supportive of Catholic beliefs about married love because it “respects the God-given power to love a new human life into being” (“Married Love and the Gift of Life”).

NFP research reveals that married couples who practice a method of NFP reap many spiritual and human benefits such as improved couple communication; lower divorce rates; and more openness to life. In addition, a woman can gain a deeper knowledge of her reproductive health when charting her fertility. This information can be used by physicians to catch root causes of negative issues that may harm a woman’s fertility.

The dates of Natural Family Planning Awareness Week highlight the anniversary of “Humanae vitae” (July 25), the papal encyclical that beautifully teaches about married love and the gift of life and the ethical methods of NFP that support its use in marriage.

— USCCB

LEARN MORE: https://charlottediocese.org/faith-life/marriage-family-and-life/natural-family-planning

USCCB’s NFP Awareness Week highlights timeless truth with creative approaches

When the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops first considered holding an annual educational campaign on natural family planning, there was some debate over the best timing for it. Ultimately, the bishops settled on July 25, the anniversary of the 1968 encyclical “Humanae Vitae,“ in which St. Paul VI articulated Catholic teaching on artificial contraception, human sexuality, marital love and parenthood.

Now, 24 years after the USCCB’s first Natural Family Planning Awareness Week in 2002, Theresa Notare, assistant director for the NFP program in the USCCB's Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth, said that while the weeklong effort has developed over the years, it remains important. The 2026 National NFP Awareness Week is July 19-25.

Notare said NFP methods offer “an ethical means to live out the Gospel.“

“Sadly, the world does not know how valuable these methods are” and how they “can really strengthen a marriage,” she said.

Natural family planning encompasses several methods that use biomarkers in the woman's fertility cycle to help couples achieve or postpone pregnancy.

“All of this is deeply rooted into how God made men and women in His image and likeness,” Notare said. “We have a capacity to love just like God. We are not ourselves unless we give of ourselves to each other. The Church's social doctrine and moral teachings about the proper use of human sexuality is so foundational to who we are.”

She noted that modern pressures often impact couples' decisions about how large a family to have, or whether to have children at all.

NFP methods are important because “they don't harm human sexuality as God designed it,” Notare said. “They don't harm fertility.”

She added that there is “emotional growth and maturity, as well as spiritual growth and maturity, when couples actually work together to live with the gifts that God gave them, to live with their fertility as a gift, rather than suppressing it or keeping the Lord out of their sexual relationship.”

She said that dioceses celebrate National NFP Awareness Week in a variety of ways, ranging from “offering one-day conferences to family picnics to a Mass of celebration with families attending.”

The Diocese of Charlotte offers information about NFP online here: https://charlottediocese.org/faith-life/marriage-family-and-life/natural-family-planning

Notare said one major change she has noted after the COVID-19 pandemic is that many dioceses have moved celebrations online, opting for webinars and virtual prayer services.

She said that some couples use NFP as an approach to addressing infertility, and some parishes offer prayer services during National NFP Awareness Week for couples hoping to conceive a child.

The USCCB offers suggestions for parishes, dioceses and individuals to observe the week including educational billboard campaigns, homily notes for pastors to approach the topic sensitively and NFP parish mission ideas.

Notare believes the USCCB's National NFP Awareness Week theme – “designed by God, guided by love, open to life” – beautifully captures the theology behind the week.

“Natural family planning is designed by God because it's rooted in the body,” she explained, “and marriage, of course, is rooted in the image and likeness of God, of how we're made to be gifts to each other and the body has a spousal meaning. So it's designed by God, guided by love – of course, the love of the spouses for each other, and of course, the love of God for us, who first loved us -- and then open to life.”

Some parishes plan to offer educational talks during NFP week, in part to dispel misconceptions around the topic and the methods. Notare said that the most common misconception is that NFP is “guesswork” and “doesn't work.”

“Natural family planning methods … are based on teaching a woman to identify her biomarkers of fertility,” she said.

She noted the three main NFP approaches: cervical mucus (or ovulation) methods, which tracks when cervical mucus is most conducive to conception; sympto-thermal methods, which look to basal body temperature as well as cervical mucus and other biomarkers; and sympto-hormonal methods, which adds another biomarker: the detection of reproductive hormones in the urine.

She said people do not realize that NFP is reliable, “very doable” and even easier today with apps such as FEMM that make it simpler for a woman to track her fertility cycle.

Notare called National NFP Awareness Week the “tip of the iceberg” of deep reflection and teaching from the Church on how “the goods of marriage are the conjugal union and having children.” Her prayer is that people will learn more about these teachings and embrace them.

— Lauretta Brown, OSV News

Does diet impact Natural Family Planning? The latest science says yes

CHARLOTTE — When Catholics think about Natural Family Planning (NFP), scientific, natural and moral methods of planning a pregnancy are what typically come to mind. During National NFP Awareness Week (July 19-25), an annual campaign by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, it’s good to note that NFP resources can also help couples prepare for a healthy pregnancy.

Amanda Rohwedder, M.S., is a Charlotte-based nutritionist who founded Temple and Table in 2017 to evangelize through nutrition. As part of that ministry, she guides women to optimize nutrition for the phases of their menstrual cycles. She shared her insights on food trends and the connection between food and fertility with the Catholic News Herald.

“In recent years, there has been a rising interest in fertility nutrition,” Rohwedder said. “Increased research in the field has linked diet quality, for both men and women, with fertility. Fertility-supportive recipes and fertility-supportive foods have been in higher demand.”

The science-backed foundation

“Research consistently shows the benefits of following a balanced diet based on whole foods,” she said.

A balanced diet includes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, healthy fats and moderate protein to support female and male fertility, according to a study on “The Influence of Diet on Fertility and the Implications for Public Health Nutrition in the United States” published in Frontiers in Public Health.

Diets high in processed foods, including refined carbohydrates, added sugars and trans fats, were associated with reduced fertility, according to a study on “How Food Choices Impact on Male Fertility” in the medical journal Current Nutrition Reports.

Key nutrients that optimize fertility include folate – or folic acid – iron, healthy fats such as omega-3 fatty acids and complex carbohydrates, Rohwedder said.

Folate is essential for healthy ovulation and fetal development and is found in dark leafy greens, legumes and fortified grains. Iron has been shown to lower the risk of ovulatory infertility. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish, nuts and seeds, support hormone regulation and sperm health. Complex carbohydrates are good sources of fiber, which helps support stable blood sugar and hormone balance.

Does marketing matter?

“The uptick in interest around fertility nutrition and emerging research has impacted how food is marketed and produced,” she said. “It is much more common to see foods marketed for hormone balance and fertility support, especially in convenience foods like snacks, bars and smoothie drinks. Men are also being marketed to in the ‘fertility-supportive’ foods category.”

New products containing ingredients with healthy fats, such as nut and seed bars, seeded breads and chia pudding are gaining popularity. Others are highlighting hormone-healthy micronutrients such as zinc and selenium on their packaging.

Rather than following trends, Rohwedder advocates focusing on a balanced, whole-food diet, meaning lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, healthy fats and adequate protein.

“We are seeing a trend towards products marketed for hormone balance or fertility support, which may mirror nutrients shown to support fertility and therefore suggest value, but these are best viewed as complements not replacements of whole foods,” she said. “Always check ingredient labels for additives and preservatives.”

Rohwedder also recommended exercising caution around plant-based meat substitutes as protein sources, as these products can be highly processed. She reiterated, “Choose whole foods whenever possible.”

Fertility is complex: diet is just one piece of the puzzle, along with age, activity level, environment and medical history, to name a few.

“While diet is not a silver bullet,” she notes, “it is an important factor that is in your control. It is especially effective when combined with other healthy lifestyle habits like adequate sleep, hydration and daily physical activity.”

— Amanda Rohwedder and Catholic News Herald

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A FOUNDATION OF SERVICE

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

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

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

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

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

DiSandro embraces that philosophy, too.

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

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

CANDLER — Few people would think of writing songs about the multi-layered, often dark and violent short stories and novels of Southern Catholic writer Flannery O’Connor. 

Greensboro-based songwriter, poet and musician Colin Cutler accepted the challenge. The result was his critically acclaimed 2023 album “Tarwater,” named after the main character in O’Connor’s novel “The Violent Bear It Away.” 

Cutler and his band The Hot Pepper Jam will be one of the featured performers at the third annual Kingfisher Folk Festival Saturday August 1 in Candler. Other artists include Hightop Mountain Harmony; Tolkmith, an Irish folk band made up of students from St. Joseph the Worker College in Steubenville, Ohio; sea shanty-singing pirate band Nelson’s Blood; and returning headliners The Hillbilly Thomists, a group of Dominican friars who play bluegrass and folk music. 

Formed in 2024 by organizer Andrew Tolkmith, the festival benefits Canongate High School and emerged from his desire to raise awareness about the small Catholic high school while highlighting the connection between Catholic and traditional mountain cultures. 

“At Kingfisher, there are two main aspects – the folk and the music,” Tolkmith told the Catholic News Herald in 2025. “Folk obviously means people, and the main goals we have tried to celebrate and cultivate at the festival are our understanding of what it means to be a human being, a Catholic creature of God and the art that we make.”

Tolkmith’s words describe what O’Connor did in her stories, and what Cutler explores through songs focused on her writing. 

An Army veteran who traded his rifle for a banjo and guitar, Cutler found a home in Greensboro, where he teaches English at Guilford Technical Community College and is a vital part of the region’s folk and oldtime music community. 

On “Tarwater,” the songs draw from a variety of O’Connor’s works, from the novel it’s named after to short stories like “Parker’s Back,” which follows a man who tattoos the image of Christ’s crucifixion on his back during a time of spiritual transformation. 

Cutler shared his thoughts about O’Connor and Catholic spirituality with the Catholic News Herald:

CNH: What led to your interest in Flannery O’Connor?

Cutler: I first encountered her while doing undergraduate work on major Christian authors, and I knew her writing was good but didn’t know if I liked her. Then I had eight months between graduation and infantry school, and I did a self-study of her essays and letters and other work, and by the end of it I said “I get what she’s doing and I like what she’s doing.” 

Her stories are focused on the human element and on revelation. She can draw an image in just a few lines. Her stuff is very dark, but I think a lot of artists inspired by her miss the undercurrent of love and questioning that is there in her work. I think her work shows a deep love for her characters and the people around her. 

CNH: What is your spiritual background? 

Cutler: I grew up Pentecostal, but my great-grandmother was a devout Catholic and my mom was raised Catholic. I started OCIA classes for a bit when I was over in England and attended Catholic Masses, and even though I didn’t end up coming into the Church, the faith has certainly been a big influence on me. 

CNH: What shone out for you about O’Connor’s spirituality? 

Cutler: I think the big difference between Protestant sensibility and Catholic spirituality is that Protestant theology tends to be more propositional – how do you answer the question of what must you do to be saved? Whereas for Catholics it’s more about the event of the Incarnation, the union of body and soul and the Word made flesh. Those two things aren’t separate, and that shows up in her art. 

CNH: What do you think the Catholic faith meant to O’Connor? 

Cutler: I think it was absolutely central to her identity as a person and as a writer. I think it gave her the courage and the confidence to explore the human in a way that some of her Southern contemporaries did not. I like to compare O’Connor to William Faulkner. Faulker explored these big ideas with a lot of these almost disjointed images, whereas O’Connor was more focused on telling the story and letting her ideas shine through in her depictions of humans and their actions. I think her faith also helped her writing in the aspect of how the Catholic faith places the human in relation to the divine. 

CNH: How was the album received?

Cutler: The music and songs have been well received, and I’ve also heard that it’s led more people to read Flannery O’Connor. In most spaces I will at least mention her and there’s usually at least one person in the audience who says they love her. There are also a lot of people who don’t like her – she’s definitely a polarizing writer. ... Folks in the music industry also thought the album was a really cool concept, and it’s been well-received on the academic side of things. It even received a nice review in the Flannery O’Connor Review. It’s been fascinating to see how the different worlds have received it – both the folk music world and Catholic, academic and Southern literature spaces.

CNH: How would you describe the link between the Catholic imagination and folk music? 

Cutler: A lot of folk songwriters are very solid storytellers, and we even see that in the words of traditional folk songs that don’t have a specific author. They are very incarnational storytellers that draw a picture while they tell a story, and there’s a lot of meaning under the words of the song. We especially see that in Black folk music where there’s a lot of coding to the meaning, where people outside of that community might understand the bones of the story but not catch all of the significance. That is also something that a lot of Catholic art carries with it – there are layers of meaning that not everyone might understand if they aren’t Catholic, but they still evoke a response. 

CNH: How did you come to be a performer at Kingfisher? 

Cutler: I met Andrew Tolkmith at the Catholic Imagination Conference in 2024 up at Notre Dame because I was there to give a presentation and perform with the band. Andrew saw me and liked the music and what I had to say and reached out to me. 

– Christina Lee Knauss, photo by Colin Cutler Music

Don’t miss this Catholic-inspired mountain music festival

Featured performers: The Hillbilly Thomists, Colin Cutler and The Hot Pepper Jam, Hightop Mountain Harmony, Tolkmith, and Nelson’s Blood 

Other activities: Vendors, dancing, food trucks and pirate-themed activities

When: Noon to 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1 

Where: The Oaks at Daniel Ridge, 818 Monte Vista Road, Candler 

How much: $25 general admission, $35 premium seating, $75 family admission

For advance tickets and T-shirts: Go to www.kingfisherfest.com

In a special pastoral letter issued July 17, Bishop Martin personally invited local followers of the SSPX to return to the Church and cautioned Catholics in the Diocese of Charlotte not to participate in liturgies of the now-schismatic society.

“I write as your bishop and spiritual father,” he said. “I recognize the sincerity of many who have been drawn to the Society over the years. Your desire for holiness, fidelity, prayer, and devotion is not in question.”

“At the same time,” he continued, “authentic Catholic faith is never separated from communion with Peter and the bishops united with him. The unity of the Church is not merely an administrative arrangement; it is a gift of Christ Himself.”

“Dear brothers and sisters,” he told SSPX followers, “the door of the Church is open. The heart of Christ is open. As your bishop, I welcome every effort toward reconciliation and assure you of my prayers, my affection and my pastoral support.”

If you have been attending a chapel of the Society of Saint Pius X and are now uncertain about your place in the Church, know that you are loved. The Church is your home. We desire to walk with you, answer your questions honestly, and help you experience the peace that comes from full communion with the Catholic Church. The door is open, and you are welcome.
— Bishop Michael Martin, OFM Conv.

READ THE FULL LETTER AND FAQS: Letter to the Faithful Associated with the Society of Saint Pius X

Vatican declares SSPX in schism

Bishop Martin’s message echoed statements issued by other bishops and the Vatican after the Society of St. Pius X’s July 1 consecration of four bishops without papal approval in Ecône, Switzerland.

Just days earlier, Pope Leo XIV had issued an unusual personal appeal to the society’s leaders, warning them that going ahead with the consecrations would constitute a schismatic act and could deprive the faithful of valid access to the sacraments.

“I pray for you, because to tear the seamless garment of Christ is a sin of extreme gravity,” the pope said. “I plead with you and ask you with all my heart: please turn back!”

After the consecrations, the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith declared the society’s bishops had incurred automatic excommunication and clergy belonging to the SSPX “are in schism and therefore must be considered schismatics.”

Accompanying the Vatican’s July 2 decree was a note explaining that sacraments requiring the Church’s jurisdiction – including confession and marriage – are now invalid when celebrated by SSPX clergy.

SSPX leaders ignored the pope’s personal plea, dismissed the excommunication decree, and have filed an appeal with the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

A movement at odds with Vatican II

Founded in 1970 by French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, the SSPX emerged in opposition to the Second Vatican Council. Although the society is best known for celebrating the Traditional Latin Mass, it rejects key teachings and reforms associated with Vatican II, including those concerning religious liberty, ecumenism, changes to the liturgy and liturgical calendar, broader participation by the laity, and the Church’s relationship with the contemporary world.

The current conflict dates back to 1988, when Archbishop Lefebvre consecrated four bishops without the approval of then-Pope John Paul II. Decades of talks failed to resolve the society’s objections to the authority of the Church and the legitimacy of Vatican II.

The society operates three chapels in North Carolina: one west of Charlotte in Mount Holly, and two near Raleigh. They are not in communion with the Catholic Church and are not under the jurisdiction of the Charlotte or Raleigh dioceses.

Bishop Martin cautioned local Catholics that participating in liturgies at SSPX chapels “could be construed as a schismatic act and should therefore be avoided.”

At the same time, he emphasized the Church’s desire for reconciliation.

“I invite all who have been attending Society chapels to prayerfully examine their relationship with the Catholic Church and to consider returning fully and visibly to communion with the Successor of Peter and the Church throughout the world,” he said.

“To those who may be fearful, uncertain, or wounded by these events, I say: do not be afraid. The Church desires not punishment but reconciliation; not exclusion but communion.”

A path back to communion

The Vatican has released instructions outlining a path for SSPX adherents to return to the Church and has emphasized that penalties for lay Catholics associated with the society are not automatic but must be evaluated case by case.

According to the Holy See, laypeople who formally embrace the society’s positions, promote its separation from the Church, or knowingly and persistently reject the authority of the pope and bishops have incurred automatic excommunication. By contrast, Catholics who have attended SSPX chapels out of confusion, family obligation or attraction to traditional worship are not presumed to be excommunicated.

Church law notes that excommunication is intended to call people to repentance and reconciliation, not simply to punish them. Those who incur the penalty remain baptized Catholics but are barred from receiving the sacraments and from exercising certain ministries or offices in the Church.

The Vatican’s guidance states that Catholics seeking to return to full communion must profess the Catholic faith and affirm their adherence to the pope and the Church’s teaching authority under the direction of their local bishop.

In his pastoral message to SSPX followers, Bishop Martin emphasized the diocese “stands ready” to help anyone who wishes to return or affirm their communion with the Church. He advised those associated with the society not to presume their status in the Church and to seek guidance from a priest or diocesan representative.

“I ask our priests to be available with patience and charity to anyone seeking guidance,” he said. “I also ask all the faithful of the Diocese to pray for those affected by these developments, for the priests and faithful associated with the Society, and for the restoration of unity in the Church.”

— Patricia L. Guilfoyle. Additional reporting by OSV News and Vatican News.

FAQs for faithful returning from the Society of St. Pius X (excerpted)

Q: If I have attended an SSPX chapel, does the Church consider me excommunicated?

A: The Holy See has distinguished between those who have formally adhered to the Society and those whose degree of involvement and responsibility must be assessed individually. The recent guidance from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith specifically notes that questions of personal culpability and responsibility are to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. No one should presume his or her own canonical status without speaking to a priest or diocesan representative. However, Catholics are now called to refrain from participation in liturgical celebrations and activities of the SSPX.

Q: Must I accept the authority of the pope, the Second Vatican Council, and the Mass promulgated by St. Paul VI?

A: Yes. Full communion with the Catholic Church includes fidelity to the Roman pontiff and the bishops united with him, acceptance of the Second Vatican Council as a legitimate ecumenical council, and recognition that the Mass celebrated according to the liturgical books promulgated by Sts. Paul VI and John Paul II is valid and legitimate. The reconciliation norms issued by the Holy See require a profession of faith and adherence to the Church’s magisterium.

Q: What about baptisms, confirmations, marriages and confessions previously received at SSPX chapels?

A: Questions concerning the validity and canonical status of particular sacraments can involve important distinctions. Anyone with concerns should consult a priest or the diocesan tribunal so that his or her individual circumstances can be carefully reviewed.

Q: Will I be judged or treated harshly if I come forward?

A: No. The Church seeks to accompany persons with charity, patience and understanding. Many who attended SSPX chapels did so because of a sincere desire for reverent worship and fidelity to the Catholic faith. The bishop and his priests desire to assist all who seek communion with the Church.

READ MORE FAQS: Letter to the Faithful Associated with the Society of Saint Pius X

Padre Martin Vegas stands at the site of his chuch, Nuestra Señora de la Soledad Church, which was left in ruins by the earthquakes.

CHARLOTTE — It was just after 6 p.m. when Veronica Rodriguez settled in to watch the World Cup on TV and the phone rang.

There’s been an earthquake.

Your mother’s home in Venezuela was hit.

It’s bad.

“Oh my God,” Veronica said to herself, “I’ve got to call my mother.”

No answer.

Veronica flipped to follow the news on social media: Two earthquakes, 7.2 and 7.5. Buildings collapsed. People were killed.

“It was terrifying,” says Veronica, a St. Matthew parishioner who moved to the U.S. 15 years ago. “The buildings looked like Legos falling down – and my mom was right in the most affected area.”

Veronica’s mother, Beatriz Borregales, lives in the capital city Caracas but often spends weekends and holidays at a family home in Naiguatá, a small fishing and tourist town on the Caribbean, 25 miles east of Caracas. June 24 was a national holiday in Venezuela, so Veronica wondered if her mother might be there.

A similar scramble for information was unfolding among other St. Matthew parishioners. For the past eight years, the Diocese of Charlotte’s largest parish has supported a soup kitchen at the Catholic parish in Naiguatá.

Texts flew among parishioners: Is anyone hurt? Is the soup kitchen OK? Has anyone heard from Padre Martin?

Padre Martin Vegas is pastor of San Francisco de Asís Parish, where he oversees two churches and a Catholic school that hosts the soup kitchen. He wasn’t answering calls or texts either.

The twin earthquakes had wiped out communications and devastated structures at a time when most people were at home in Venezuela, celebrating the holiday. So, as night fell on June 24, the people of St. Matthew could only watch and wait.

Veronica and her daughter pose with a photo of their mom, who they could not contact after the June 24 earthquakes.

 Is my mother alive?

Dulce Peña holds a photo sheet of her family members.

Finding it impossible to sleep, Veronica turned to her Catholic chat group on WhatsApp and found similar panic among her Venezuelan friends now living in Charlotte. Everyone wanted information.

One friend, Dulce Peña, a parishioner at St. Mark in Huntersville, wrote that she too was looking for her mother. Her aunt, her brother and his wife were also unreachable. The four family members lived on the 13th and 14th floors of a high-rise condo building named “Riomar” on the edge of Naiguatá (pronounced Nye-gwah-TAH).

“We were on the phone with one another the whole night, praying,” Veronica says of her friend Dulce. “We promised whoever found their mother first would then help the other.” 

Across Charlotte, Bruce Anderson’s heart sank as it became clear that Naiguatá had been among the areas hardest hit. He helps organize St. Matthew’s support for the soup kitchen, and he stayed up late searching online for any word of Padre Martin and the Venezuelan parish.

Before midnight, Veronica made a clever connection: She managed to reach an errand runner in Caracas and hired him to go look for her mother the next morning.

“I needed to know if she was alive,” Veronica says.

Volunteers help distribute bags containing food, hygiene products, water bottles and clothing.

A growing Catholic bond

It was Veronica and her mother who originally connected St. Matthew with Venezuela’s San Francisco de Asis Parish back in 2018. The two had learned about St. Matthew’s efforts to combat hunger, so they asked parish leaders to include Venezuela in its annual food-and-funds drive.

“People are eating out of trash cans,” Veronica had explained to leaders of St. Matthew’s Monsignor McSweeney World Hunger Drive, which last year raised $430,000 to aid people in eight countries.

The Venezuelan economy had collapsed under the authoritarian rule of Nicolas Maduro, she said, and people needed help. Her mother sent photos of hungry children lined up at the parish soup kitchen, which operated on a shoestring.

“We knew we could have an impact,” says Hunger Drive leader Steve Favory, who vividly remembers Veronica’s presentation. “The fact that this mother and daughter were reaching out, they were so sincere and grateful, and sending photos of the priest feeding the children – it touched our hearts.”

St. Matthew sent $1,000 that first year and has steadily increased its support – with parishioners donating $74,000 so far.

The soup kitchen has fed about 150 people a day from two locations. Naiguatá is a modest, working-class town that benefits from tourists who come for its mountain-to-sea views, but significant poverty has crept in.

The day after the quakes, Bruce Anderson emailed Padre Martin and Bishop Alberto Castillo for information about Naiguatá.

“Your friends at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, are concerned about your community following yesterday's earthquake,” he wrote. “When you are able to communicate with us regarding the situation, we would like to know what your needs are. You are in our prayers.”

Bishop Castillo responded later that day, June 25: “The state remains without electricity or communications, with significant loss of life and material damage to buildings, homes, churches, and infrastructure…I have not yet been able to contact Father Martín Vegas to learn about the damage sustained by the San Francisco de Asís parish, the church facilities, and the soup kitchen. However, I have heard from others that the priest is alive and well.”

“We are counting on your prayers,” the bishop wrote, “and any assistance you might be able to provide.”

With that, St. Matthew sprang into action, immediately preparing to wire $27,000 for whatever food and supplies were available. Within days, they would also be working to increase funding earmarked for the parish during this year’s World Hunger Drive, which kicked off July 11.

“St. Matthew has a big heart for people in need,” says Father Patrick Cahill, “and this time, one of own parishioners – Veronica Rodriguez – was dramatically impacted.”

Search for the missing

The errand runner set out early the morning after the earthquakes to search for Veronica’s mother. On a motorbike, he navigated streets clogged with debris and desperation, from Caracas to Naiguatá, weaving around collapsed homes, damaged roadways and people digging through the rubble by hand for loved ones.

He had the address and a photo of Veronica’s mother on his phone. He also had a picture of the colorful mural that adorned the wall in front of Beatriz Borregales’ home, depicting Our Lady of Coromoto, Venezuela’s patron saint. It was a landmark. 

Hoodlums stopped painting graffiti on the wall when the mural went up. “People are very Catholic there,” Veronica says.

The runner sent to find Veronica’s mother the morning after quakes was told to look for the image of Our Lady of Coromoto, Venezuela’s patron saint, to identify the location of her home.

Finally, the errand runner was standing outside Beatriz Borregales’ modest home on a picturesque parcel passed down from her father, Germán Borregales, an anti-communist political leader who had run unsuccessfully for president of Venezuela several times in the 1960s.

Beatriz Borregales had maintained the property since his death in 1984 and frequently vacationed there with Veronica and her siblings, and now hosted gatherings for her San Francisco de Asís Parish community.

Borregales guardedly answered the door. She warmed up when the errand runner flashed a photo of Veronica, smiling. He asked if he could take Borregales’ picture and record her voice, so he would have evidence to send Veronica when a signal became available. “Proof of life,” Veronica had called it.

Borregales felt blessed to be alive. On the night of the quakes, she’d been watching TV and suddenly felt dizzy as the floor began to move. She looked outside and saw a four-foot wave of water splashing from her swimming pool.

“People began coming down from the higher part of town shouting, ‘Earthquake! Earthquake!’” she told the Catholic News Herald. “I remained calm, praying, and asking God to protect us. All night, everyone stayed out in the streets – children, mothers, entire families.”

It was around 2 p.m. on June 25 – 20 hours after the quakes – when Veronica’s phone buzzed with good news. She wept.

“My mother was overwhelmed, but she was safe,” Veronica says. “Everything around her collapsed. The house was the only thing left intact, but she was alive.”

He would also send photos of a collapsed high-rise with nothing but its sign remaining: Riomar, where Dulce Peña’s mother lived.   

Padre Martin stands inside of his parish Our Lady of La Soledad, which the local authorities consider a complete loss following the earthquakes.

Feeding the hungry

A day later, on June 26, Padre Martin Vegas finally replied to Bruce Anderson:

“Thank God, we are alive. The church and the parish house have been rendered unusable and have suffered severe structural damage,” he wrote of Nuestra Señora de la Soledad Church.

“We need basic supplies: water, lighting, medicines, and non-perishable food. … Aid is not reaching us due to the distance and the difficulty of access.

“We need your prayers.”

On the same street as the church, Padre Martin later said, 12 people had died. But the parish school and the soup kitchen were still standing, so he had relocated there along with 120 of his parishioners who had lost their homes.

Padre Martin restructured the soup kitchen. Instead of serving hot meals, he instructed parishioners to start packaging food and hygiene products. They went door to door delivering goods and taking a head count to see who was missing.

In the first week, Padre Martin said, “We have been able to assist people with 2,953 bags of food, hygiene kits, drinking water, and clothing. Despite everything we have experienced, people have shown great solidarity. … We have also seen many signs of hope. The church may have suffered damage, but the faith of the people remains standing.”

To Anderson, the devastation felt like Hurricane Helene all over again, just further away. Still, St. Matthew would be there in support.

Rubble from the nearby Our Lady of la Soledad Church meshes into the landscape of devastation in Naiguatá after the quakes.

A mother’s new purpose

With no services or supplies, Veronica’s mother decided to drive back to her apartment in Caracas on June 26.

“If one nail hit any of her tires,” Veronica laments, “she would have been stranded in the middle of nowhere.” 

Indeed, the trip was traumatic, Borregales said. High-rises lay in rubble. Friends were missing. Sadly, she realized people were trapped beneath debris and no search parties were coming.

“I saw the reality with my own eyes. Completely collapsed buildings, like an accordion. People in the streets. Destroyed roads. Fallen bridges,” she said. “I was praying the entire time, asking my guardian angel to accompany me.”

When she reached Caracas hours later, she called Veronica with new purpose: She wanted to use the family property in Naiguatá for an orphanage or maybe a seminary, since the quakes had destroyed the Diocese of La Guaira’s seminary.

“She was heartbroken,” Veronica recalls. “She especially wanted to take care of the kids. These kids no longer had homes, no beds, no food. … All she has there is some property and a will to help. Helping others is a priority for her as a Catholic.”

Padre Martin offers Mass outside at the Plaza of Bolívar de Pueblo Arriba near San Francisco de Asís Church in the town of Naiguatá.A call to unity

It would be another six days after the quakes, June 30, before Dulce Peña got news of her mother. A search team digging through rubble had found a woman’s body. In a photo, Peña and her sister recognized the striped pajamas and the rosary-style necklace the woman wore.

Yes, this was Dulce Avila Peña, age 88.
Padre Martin leads a Eucharistic Procession after the quakes in Naiguatá.

While there was still no word on her aunt, Peña was relieved to learn that her brother Julio and his wife had survived.

“It’s a miracle,” she says, “they fell down 14 floors. When they woke up, they were buried under bricks and dust and columns, and it was dark. My brother and his wife started screaming. They could hear each other but they couldn’t see each other.”

Peña would later learn her aunt Gladys had perished alongside her mother. Last weekend, July 18-19, St. Mark Church added their names to the Prayers of the Faithful at all six Masses.

As promised in their group chat, Veronica is reaching out to Dulce, recently hosting her for dinner.

Now, both women are asking for everyone to help provide relief to Venezuela – echoing the words of Padre Martin, whose soup kitchen has survived.

“Regarding the tragedy that has struck us with this double earthquake, which has caused so many deaths and destruction throughout the diocese, we too have been severely affected,” Padre Martin advised St. Matthew by email. “We have a team of very valuable servants who are ready to serve our brothers and sisters.

“In this moment of emergency and contingency, we would like to use the (St. Matthew) resources to serve the entire community,” including “neighbors sleeping in the square” because of damaged homes.

“So far, we have spent three days providing them with breakfast, lunch, and dinner, until our resources run out.”

“Any help you can send us at this time,” he wrote, “would be designated to address this emergency in the food sector.

“We are immensely grateful for your prayers and your charity, turned into solidarity. United in prayer.”

— Lisa Geraci and Brian Segovia. Liz Chandler contributed. Photos provided and by Troy C. Hull.

HOW TO HELP

Donate now to support the Church’s emergency response through Catholic Relief Services, securely online: www.crs.org/donate/venezuela-earthquake.
A special collection will be taken up at all Masses in the diocese this weekend (July 18-19). Donations will be sent directly to fund Catholic Relief Services’ humanitarian response on the ground. Learn more.

Volunteers from the soup kitchen are going around the town to give food and drinks to those in need. More than 120 people in the small coastal town have been left homeless.

Scale of the damage

•  7.2 and 7.5: Magnitude of the two earthquakes that hit on June 24, devastating the capital city of Caracas and the coastal state of La Guaira
• 5,208: Death toll as of July 21
• 16,740: Number of injured 
• 17,907: Estimated number of homeless 
• 23,820: Living in temporary shelters
• 58,000: Buildings damaged or destroyed
• $37 billion: Initial estimate of the damage to housing and infrastructure
• 650,000: People, including 234,000 children, in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the U.N. Children’s Fund
• 25 of 100: Churches in the Archdiocese of Caracas that sustained damage

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to help

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Tom Tracy / Florida Catholic, OSV News

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Kate Scanlon, OSV News

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Paulina Guzik, OSV News

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Georgianna Penn

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Joachim Pham, OSV News

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Gina Christian, OSV News

National Eucharistic Pilgrimage ends, but 'the journey continues'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Gina Christian, OSV News

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Kurt Jensen, OSV News

"I am deeply honored to celebrate this special day with a fellow American and the Bishop of Rome," Ambassador Brian Burch said, in a post on X.

Further posts on X said that the ambassador and Pope Leo "discussed President Trump's bold leadership and American efforts to pursue peace, religious freedom, and the need for moral clarity and courage around the world."

They also indicated that Pope Leo had received "a USA World Cup jersey, a commemorative Freedom 250 baseball, and a homemade apple pie" from the Burch family, the post said.

In a message to journalists, the Holy See Press Office July 4 confirmed the visit, saying, "welcoming an invitation from the U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, the Holy Father visited the ambassador's residence on the evening of Saturday, July 4, on the occasion of the national holiday."

The post thread added that Pope Leo had confirmed during the visit that he is rooting for Team USA in the World Cup.

— OSV News, OSV News

LAMPEDUSA, ITALY — Pope Leo XIV traveled to the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa July 4, laying a wreath at the graves of migrants who drowned trying to reach Europe and celebrating an open-air Mass in which he called on Catholics to be Good Samaritans offering compassion to those who suffer attempting make the perilous journey by sea. 

"I have not come to give speeches, but to celebrate the Eucharist, the supreme sign of Christ's presence among us. Jesus' gesture of breaking bread to give Himself gives meaning and strength to our daily acts of assistance and sharing," Pope Leo told the crowd before offering Mass in a field overlooking Lampedusa’s main port.

"Yes, this is a place where gestures speak more than words," he added. "But gestures, to be human, require a heart. This is why we have gathered here: to draw from Christ the love that only He can give us, so that the world of today and tomorrow may be more human, for everyone."

• Read the full text of Pope Leo XIV’s message

Lampedusa has for years been one of the main gateways to Europe for migrants crossing the Mediterranean from Tunisia and Libya, a journey that has claimed thousands of lives.

In April, the Italian coast guard recovered 19 bodies and rescued 58 people after intercepting a distressed dinghy about 80 nautical miles south of Lampedusa, according to the Associated Press. Last August, a boat carrying nearly 100 migrants capsized in international waters near the island, killing at least 26 people.

During his homily, Pope Leo described the seas surrounding Lampedusa as "as dangerous as the one that led down from Jerusalem to Jericho" in Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan in the Gospel of Luke. 

"Here you have seen not just one, but thousands of human beings fallen into the hands of robbers who have taken everything from them, beat them brutally and walked away, leaving them half-dead," he said. "The sea has claimed the lives of others … we feel their presence, which challenges us no less than that of those who have landed in need of attention and aid."

The pope landed on the island, which sits closer to the coast of North Africa than to mainland Italy, just before 9 a.m. His first stop was a cemetery, where he laid a floral wreath on the tombs of migrants who died at sea. The pope then visited the "Porta d'Europa," or "Gateway to Europe," a monument on the island, where he walked hand in hand with migrant children on the windy summer day. 

About 14,000 migrants arrived on Italy’s shores in the first six months of 2026, according to the UNHR. Nearly 60% of that number arrived in Lampedusa, which is only about 8 square miles in size.

While walking along the island’s rocky coastline, the wind blew the pope’s zucchetto off his head, which his personal secretary Monsignor Edgard Rimaycuna quickly retrieved. 

Pope Leo speaks to the faithful as he visits the island of Lampedusa, Italy, a key entry point for migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea, during a pastoral trip July 4, 2026. (OSV News/Reuters, Remo Casilli)From there, the pope traveled to the Favaloro Pier, where he blessed a plaque dedicating the pier to the late Pope Francis and greeted a group of migrants accompanied by the Red Cross before celebrating the Mass with about 4,000 people in attendance. 

"I have come to thank you, brothers and sisters of Lampedusa, for the solidarity that so many of you have shown," the pope told the crowd at the Mass. "The miracle of compassion … is an inner revolution that brings forth within us God’s ‘heart’ and broadens our thoughts, hearts and lives."

Among those present at the papal Mass was 24-year-old Giuseppe Capizzi, who traveled eight hours on an overnight ferry with about 70 other people from his parish of St. Francis in Cancicatti, Sicily, to attend Mass with the pope.

"I’ve been looking forward to this day for a long time, and I’m absolutely thrilled," Capizzi told OSV News. 

Father Mikolaj Dobosz from Warsaw, Poland, traveled even farther to be present at the Mass. 

The Polish priest, who has devoted the past few years to welcoming Ukrainian refugee mothers and children at his parish, said that he felt this was an important moment to pray with the pope for migrants and for people who are suffering. 

"We work in Poland a lot with migrants, not from Africa or (the) Middle East, but from Ukraine mainly. I work with kids from Ukraine, and I'm really happy to pray with the pope for the people who are suffering," Father Dobosz said.

One of the few Americans in the crowd for the papal Mass on U.S. Independence Day was Father Daniel Groody, a professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame and a member of the Vatican Dicastery for Integral Human Development. 

"Pope Leo, especially now on the Fourth of July, is signaling what true freedom is about. True freedom is about the capacity to love," Father Groody told OSV News.

"I think he's continuing the tradition of the Church that has always recognized that everybody is created in the image and likeness of God, and that he really wants to bring out the dignity that's often diminished in today's society."

Pope Leo’s visit comes 13 years after Pope Francis visited Lampedusa in July 2013, drawing attention to the island by choosing it as the destination of his first trip outside Rome after his election as pope, as a gesture of solidarity with migrants smuggled from North Africa. 

During his visit, Pope Francis celebrated Mass on an altar built from the wood of wrecked migrant boats and condemned what he called the "globalization of indifference" toward people risking their lives to reach Europe.

Migration has remained a concern for Pope Leo since his May 2025 election. In June, he met with migrants and local aid organizations in Spain's Canary Islands, another major entry point for people crossing from Africa, where he called on governments to establish legal and safe pathways for migration, strengthen rescue and assistance efforts, while also speaking of the "right not to have to migrate," or the right of people to remain in their homelands free of hunger, war, persecution and violence.

"It's just a great expression that Pope Leo, at the beginning of his pontificate, really has decided to come here to Lampedusa, as Pope Francis did, to recognize the Church must always be on the margins," Father Groody said. 

"The Church must always be accompanying those who are struggling to live a more dignified life and to really highlight the importance of the connection between faith and justice that's really integral to our faith."

Salvatore Sortino, who directs the International Organization for Migration’s coordination office for the Mediterranean, said that even as overall crossing numbers have declined since Pope Francis’ visit, the proportion of migrants who die at sea or fall victim to accidents during the journey has risen. 

On Lampedusa, the IOM works with Italian authorities and humanitarian partners throughout the reception and assistance process, identifying trafficking victims and other vulnerable migrants so they can be referred to appropriate authorities and transferred to suitable facilities on the Italian mainland.

"The importance of search-and-rescue operations remains a central element of protection in the Mediterranean," Sortino told Vatican Radio. "But opening legal pathways is eventually the real answer."

Pope Leo’s Lampedusa visit came a day after the pope delivered a virtual address to a gathering at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, which awarded him its 2026 Liberty Medal for advancing religious liberty and freedom of conscience, in which he spoke passionately about the importance of the "right to life" from the moment of conception to natural death.

In his homily in Lampedusa, the Pope Leo said that Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan "tells us that love is always rooted in freedom, and freedom lies in the decisions we make."

He said that "before any intellectual consideration or ideological conviction, the encounter with those who lie before us, stripped of everything, calls us to be close to them."

"There are also those who choose not to be a neighbor," the pope commented, adding, "it is time to recognize and affirm that religious affiliation must never become a reason for discrimination, as if faith had boundaries rather than being a universal call to salvation."

"There is no love of God without love of neighbor, and there is no neighbor if I do not draw near. To pause, to be moved, to bend down, to weep before another’s pain -- as Jesus did -- means entering into the dynamic of love, the very movement in which God has revealed himself," Pope Leo said.

An image of Our Lady of Portosalvo, Italian for "Our Lady of Safe Harbor," to whom Lampedusa's historic Marian shrine is dedicated, stood near the altar throughout the Mass. 

"St. Augustine liked to describe human life as a voyage across a stormy sea and one’s destiny as a safe and secure harbor," Pope Leo said. "In God we all have a safe haven, and every Christian community is called to be a reflection of it on earth."
— Courtney Mares, OSV News

Pictured at top: Pope Leo XIV blesses a plaque at Molo Favaloro in Lampedusa, Italy, and dedicates the pier to Pope Francis as he visits the island, a key entry point for migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea, during a pastoral trip July 4, 2026. (OSV News photo/Reuters, Remo Casilli)

HUNTERSVILLE — This year’s Miss All American Pageant begins Wednesday, and the Diocese of Charlotte is rooting for a familiar face: our very own Miss Huntersville, Deanna Glenn.

The four-day national pageant, taking place in Charleston, South Carolina, has a mission of empowering young women and making a positive impact.

“I just want to use this pageant to bring glory to God,” Glenn said. “I am open to trying to connect to people even if that means failing. Through all this, I have a newfound confidence, and I am happy to be a part of it and be able to represent whoever I can.”

The $10,000 grand prize includes an all-expense-paid trip to Paris and is not solely based on appearances but on personality, communication, and sportsmanship - and Glenn certainly makes the grade. The 28-year-old does have the looks to match her talent, fashion and prayer life. When she is not teaching music, you can find her in the church.

The active 28-year-old is a regular at several churches in the Charlotte area: singing at St. Therese Church in Mooresville, attending Mass with her long-term boyfriend at St. Mark in Huntersville, and visiting her parents’ church of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte while remaining an active participant in Campus Ministry.

Many remember Glenn for her Miss America days, when she entered as Miss Huntersville, and though never making it to the national spotlight, she was recognized as Miss Congeniality, within the local division.

Her pro-life platform then and now has highlighted her work with Catholic organizations such as Mira Via and Birthright of Charlotte and has led to motivational speeches like the one she delivered at the local March for Life in Charlotte.

“To be able to spread the message to anyone who needs to hear it is a blessing. People will know there is hope and there are people out there willing to help them,” she said. “Maybe years down the line they may find themselves pregnant, and they can remember what I said and see if the resources presented are still around. And, hopefully, through it all a life will be saved.”

Glenn is a team player for Catholic Sports, winning the first volleyball championship the organization hosted. And she recently started to host “Family Feud" at St. Thomas Aquinas.

— Lisa Geraci

WAXHAW — The Catholic Community of Waxhaw joyfully gathered July 1 at their church on Waxhaw-Marvin Road to watch their new shepherd, Father Benjamin Roberts, offer his first Mass on the first day of his new assignment.

Father Roberts drew laughter and applause less than a minute into his homily

“In the last 12 years, many priests have stood at this altar, many priests have celebrated Mass, and many priests have introduced themselves to you, and I get to say something that none of them ever did – I live here,” he said.

Father Roberts has been appointed to serve as priest-in-charge of the Catholic Community of Waxhaw alongside Father Patrick Cahill, pastor of St. Matthew Parish. The thriving former satellite campus of St. Matthew Parish is taking steps toward becoming a separate parish in response to the area’s growth. Together, the two priests will work with parishioners through the process of establishing the new parish.

Mass attendees received green wristbands reading “Catholic Community of Waxhaw” on one side and “Growing with the Love of Christ” on the other – a theme embraced by the congregation of about 1,600, which has worshiped at the Waxhaw campus for more than a decade.

Father Roberts quickly put his new flock at ease, joking, “I would have preferred that the Gospel reading (Matthew 8:28-34) for the evening did not end with the words, ‘but when they saw Him they begged Him to leave.’”

After shared laughter, he explained that Jesus was asked to leave because His presence required a mission the people of Gadara were unwilling to embrace. But “every grace that God gives comes with some kind of mission. It comes with some kind of response,” he said.

Father Roberts pointed to his own assignment as an example. After serving as pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Monroe for 14 years, Bishop Michael Martin asked him to take on the new role. At the time, he was staring at an image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in his living room. After some discernment, Father Roberts looked to the Blessed Mother and humbly accepted.

“I am living proof that saying yes to God’s call brings about God’s grace,” he said.

Though surprised by the assignment, he trusted God had something more in mind.

“The work that we are about to do together is the work that God graced us with,” Father Roberts said. “It is not the work God does in me, it is not the work that God does in you, it is the work that God does in us.

"To build up His Church. To build a church. But ultimately, to grow with the love of Jesus. That is why I feel sorry for the people that asked Jesus to leave, because they never got to know the joy of being loved by Him...but what they missed is ours.”

Father Roberts, who grew up in nearby Lancaster, South Carolina, is already a familiar face to many Catholics in the region.

Nancy Weber, who has attended Mass at the Waxhaw campus for six years, said the occasion was especially meaningful because she had known Father Roberts since his time at Sacred Heart Parish in Salisbury.

“I have known Father Benjamin since he entered seminary. I love him, and where he goes, I would be willing to follow. He is wonderful,” she said. “We are thrilled this will become a parish. It is long overdue.”

Pam Machaud, who has been reluctant to call any particular church her home, said she believes she has finally found it.

“We sort of bounced around… Two weeks ago, we were introduced to Father Benjamin and got extremely excited,” she said. “We never built a parish, and it is something that I am in awe of… Father Roberts sounds so positive about us coming together as a church. It is not just his Church, or our Church, it is all our Church together… You always find the home you are supposed to be at, and this is the home where we are supposed to be.”

— Lisa M. Geraci. Photos by Troy C. Hull.

Find Mass times and more info about the new Catholic community in Union County: https://stmatthewcatholic.org/ccow/

What's next for the Catholic Community of Waxhaw?

When will it officially become a parish?
No date has been set but the goal is about a year from now, Father Benjamin Roberts said. The timeline depends on establishing parish and finance councils, staffing and finances.

What will the new parish be called?
That has not yet been decided. Bishop Michael Martin has indicated the parish name will be chosen through a collaborate process, and Father Roberts said he hopes to develop details to announce soon.

Who will belong to the new parish?
The Diocese of Charlotte will establish parish boundaries, likely centered on the 28173 ZIP code and a small portion of Wesley Chapel. Catholics outside those boundaries, including those in nearby South Carolina, will also be welcome to worship in Waxhaw.

Will the new parish start from scratch?
No. Once the boundaries are finalized, a proportional share of St. Matthew Parish’s assets will transfer to the new parish, providing a financial foundation as it plans for future growth. Father Roberts notes, “We are responsible for building our church and everything else we are going to build. But we will have a firm footing.”

What happens before the parish is officially established?
The community will form the leadership and infrastructure every parish needs, including a pastoral council, finance council and staff. Until then, baptisms, weddings and funerals for community members will continue through St. Matthew Parish.

What happens to the current church property?
The entire 32-acre campus will be part of the proportionate division of assets that will transfer to the new parish.

What changes can parishioners expect now?
The Blessed Sacrament will remain reserved in the church, and a schedule for Mass, adoration, confessions, Rosary and Bible Study was recently announced. More information is online at www.stmatthewcatholic.org/ccow. 

Why create a new parish?
The Catholic population in the Waxhaw area continues to grow rapidly. About 2,600 registered Catholic families already live within the immediate area, and Father Roberts said projections indicate the community could grow to 7,000 Catholics by 2035. But a parish is more than a building, Father Roberts explains. “We are thinking about something that will be very big, but more than that, we need to be a reflection of the heart of Jesus Christ. A community rooted in Christ, which means we are rooted in welcome, compassion and growth.”

A cornerstone of his efforts to restrict immigration, the ruling comes as a loss for Trump, who even attended oral arguments in the case, Trump v. Barbara, in person, marking the first time a sitting president has done so, according to records from the high court and the nonprofit Supreme Court Historical Society.

Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote, "Citizenship, then and now, was the right to have rights -- to freely participate in our political community."

Citing comments made by Sen. Lyman Trumbull, a proponent of the Civil Rights Act of 1866, which led to the 14th Amendment, Roberts wrote, "The Framers of the Fourteenth Amendment extended that promise to 'every free-born person in this land.' We keep that promise today."

The case concerned an executive order signed by Trump within hours of returning to the Oval Office on Jan. 20, 2025, that sought to change the longstanding legal interpretation of the 14th Amendment, which states, "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside."

Trump's order, part of his administration's broader efforts to restrict immigration, sought to end birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to parents who either lack permanent legal status or are temporary visa holders. The order said that after 30 days from the executive order's date, only children born to at least one U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident parent would automatically acquire citizenship. It was promptly challenged in court.

Previously, the Supreme Court limited the ability of federal judges to issue nationwide injunctions against the order while litigation over it proceeded, but did not directly address the merits of the order itself.

The Trump administration previously argued in defense of the order that the phrase "subject to the jurisdiction thereof" makes the president's order lawful, despite longstanding legal interpretation that children born in the U.S. are granted citizenship with only narrow exceptions.

But Roberts wrote, "The word 'jurisdiction' was hardly unknown to the drafters and ratifiers of the Fourteenth Amendment. Congress chose to use an established legal term and the Clause must be interpreted in that light."

Roberts was joined in his opinion by Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Justice Brett Kavanaugh filed an opinion that concurred in the judgment but dissented in part. Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch dissented.

In his own opinion, Kavanaugh wrote that he disagrees with the court's finding that the order violates the 14th Amendment, instead arguing that it is unlawful because it ran afoul of a federal statute governing birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment, which specifies particular circumstances under which citizenship is granted at birth in accordance with that amendment.

"Congress could -- consistent with the Fourteenth Amendment -- amend §1401(a) or otherwise enact new legislation establishing exceptions to birthright citizenship for children born to foreign citizens unlawfully or temporarily in the country," he said. "But Congress has not yet done so."

Writing for the minority, Thomas argued the majority's ruling "adds to the sad history of the Fourteenth Amendment, which was designed and understood to secure equal rights for the freed blacks but has instead been repurposed for political projects that the Reconstruction Congress did not support."

Trump, in a post on his social media website Truth Social, argued, "The Supreme Court upheld Birthright Citizenship, which is too bad for our Country, but we can easily make it up in Congress through Legislation, with the support of the President, that has now been determined during this process."

"No long and unwieldy Constitutional Amendment is necessary! Congress should start TODAY to work on ending expensive and unfair to our Country, Birthright Citizenship. They will have my Complete and Total Support!" he argued.

However, it was not immediately clear what the path forward for such legislation would be in Congress, as such a proposal would need to gain enough support to meet the Senate's 60-vote filibuster threshold in order to reach Trump's desk.

Ashley Feasley, the legal expert in residence at the Immigration Law and Policy Initiative at The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law, told OSV News, "Today's opinion is a victory for immigrant children born in the United States."

Roberts' opinion, she said, "while focused on Constitutional analysis and history and tradition, aligns with the bishops, who noted in their amicus brief on the case, the alignment of birthright citizenship with Church teaching as it treats 'birth within a community as a sufficient and objective basis for political belonging.'"

J. Kevin Appleby, senior fellow for policy and communications at the Center for Migration Studies of New York and the former director of migration policy for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, told OSV News, "This decision shows that, when push comes to shove, the Constitution retains its authority and still guides our 250-year-old republic. It also sends a message to the administration that to change the Constitution you must go through a constitutional amendment process, not just use a pen."

"The executive order that was struck down would have returned us to a two-tiered society, with one group being stateless and having no rights in our democracy," he said. "The justices rightly did not take the nation back to that era."

Catholic social teaching on immigration involves three interrelated principles: the right of persons to migrate in order to sustain their lives and those of their families, the right of a country to regulate its borders and control immigration, and a nation's duty to regulate its borders with justice and mercy.

Anna Gallagher, executive director of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, also known as CLINIC, said in a statement, "We are relieved and grateful that the Supreme Court has upheld this right that is so important for our identity as a nation and for safeguarding justice and human dignity."

"In our amicus brief, we explained how the values of Catholic social teaching, the particular realities of undocumented immigration in the United States, and our nation's legal history make upholding the tradition of birthright citizenship the most just outcome of this case," she said. "We are glad to receive a decision that will bring relief to immigrant families and our network. This is a win for immigrants, and a win for justice."

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and CLINIC previously submitted a friend-of-the-court brief in the case, arguing that ending the practice of birthright citizenship would weaken families and risk leaving children stateless, thereby making them targets for violence, trafficking and exploitation.

"The principle of citizenship by birth is firmly rooted in Western legal tradition, enshrined in the Fourteenth Amendment, and reaffirmed by this Court's precedent," it said. "It is equally grounded in Church teachings, which affirms the inherent dignity of every human person, especially the innocent child."

Appleby told OSV News, "I think the Church's voice made a difference here."

"This is a victory for human dignity and for human life," he said, adding the ruling is one that could be celebrated by "Catholics of all political views."

 — Kate Scanlon, OSV News

Father Curran shared his reflections on the broader psychological and spiritual significance of borders, while pointing to Jesus' crossing "the border of death into new life."

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

OSV News: Why did you feel it was important to be at this border Mass?

Father Curran: We're participating (as members of the Dominican order) for a variety of reasons.

One is that we're standing with the bishops at an important moment, and an especially historic week (the nation's 250th anniversary), which is unfortunately also a bad news week at the Supreme Court. How appropriate it is that we have to be here today, amid the quite disturbing news about the court's decision regarding Temporary Protected Status (for Haitians and Syrians), which is a huge setback in terms of those communities and people (under TPS protection) who reside all over the United States.

So the primary reason for the (border Mass) gathering is of course the dignity of immigrants, and how, especially on this 250th anniversary of the United States, we can keep in front of us the value of the immigrant spirit, the immigrant passion, as well as immigrant peoples' plight and their finding new roots in a place that collectively we have for generations called home.

OSV News: You've spent considerable time working to develop community presence and ownership in southwest Chicago through your role as community organizer with The Resurrection Project, a social impact organization. Talk about how communities use borders to define themselves in both positive and negative ways.

Father Curran: Border space is a sign of a relationship that is so basic to humanity across the world. People move in and out of a border zone in a regular pattern, going across the border for work, coming back across the border to where they call home.

There is a border economy, and there are border people that this event (the border Mass) lifts up. Many of us who are away from the border physically are not aware of this, if they haven't lived close to or in such places.

I grew up on the South Side of Chicago. My father came here from Ireland in 1960. My mother's roots are in Los Angeles. I say that because my parents crossed multiple borders to fall in love. They met in Chicago, and it's so much the immigrant story; this is not unique.

In the very local reality of Chicago, neighborhoods become borders in unique ways, such that people visiting from other places (can sense that), because of how different and solid the border of a neighborhood seems. That's not necessarily a common experience in some other cities of the United States, but certainly in Chicago, it is true and feels absolutely real.

The positive aspect of this is that communities have built up a sense of home in a place over generations. There's a sense of welcome in such neighborhoods for people in the difficulty of the first years of arrival (as immigrants). There is a vibrance of culture and traditions you can find and experience. In Chicago, in a Catholic way, everyone still asks, "What parish are you from?"

And that is mostly a healthy experience of a border, because then people can identify you: "Oh, you're from that area." It helps to locate some of your life experience, to understand each other and our own self-identity.

But there is a negative part of that experience. I'm talking about the edges of communities who, because of the color of their skin or their accent, experience a sense that "you don't belong here; your people are over in that neighborhood. Why are you trying to buy a house in this neighborhood? You can't rent here; you can't buy here."

We have pockets of community where we continue to isolate people or intimidate people from crossing borders of neighborhoods. That's not necessarily the best of our society; that's an ugly part of borders.

OSV News: As Catholics, how do we recover a proper sense of borders, aligned with God's intention?

Father Curran: This tension over borders is not new. Jesus, in the Gospels, experienced border frictions. The Jewish community from which he came from experienced border differences.

In speaking with the woman at the well (John 4:4-42), Jesus was crossing borders in their society. He went to the woman at the well and her community, who were considered "watered-down," less-than-authentic Jews by some.

Jesus fled from his homeland so that his parents, wisely, could protect him from the evil policy that was slaughtering innocent children in order to get rid of him. They (the Holy Family) fled to Egypt, as we remember in Matthew's Gospel (Matthew 2:13-15); they were crossing borders to survive. Jesus absolutely lived through the traumas of this day in his own (historical) context, as we read about every Sunday.

All through salvation history, borders were an issue, a challenge. And we are often afraid to deal with these big subjects of "who's in" and "who's out" -- who's within my border, who belongs and who doesn't belong.

But we as the faithful believe in Jesus' resurrection. Jesus crossed the border of death into new life. The empty tomb reflects the crossing of a border.

We are border-crossing border people through the sacrament of baptism; we cross the border into the promise of new life. We do this as Catholics. This is our DNA.

If we proclaim we are Catholic, how do we live that out with regard to the borders with our lives?

Jesus knew how to do this. What are we doing about it?

— Gina Christian, OSV News

The case concerns a state ban on the AR-15 and other semiautomatic firearms in Connecticut and a similar ban in Cook County, Illinois, which includes Chicago.

The court took up the case the same day it issued major rulings finding President Donald Trump’s executive order limiting birthright citizenship violated the 14th Amendment, and upholding West Virginia and Idaho state laws requiring student athletes to compete on sports teams that correspond to their biological sex rather than their self-identified gender.

The high court will hear the semiautomatic rifles case during its next term, which typically begins in October.

According to Giffords -- a group that works to prevent gun violence led by former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., who survived a shooting -- 11 states and the District of Columbia, have enacted laws that generally ban the sale, manufacture, and transfer of firearms categorized as assault weapons. Two other states, Minnesota and Virginia, have some additional restrictions.

Connecticut first enacted a ban on semiautomatic weapons in 1993. The state increased those restrictions after the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, when a gunman armed with an AR-15-style rifle equipped with large capacity magazines killed 26 children and teachers. It was among the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has called for a national ban on assault weapons, a term that refers to military-style semiautomatic rifles, shotguns, and pistols fed by ammunition magazines of various capacities, arguing in favor of a federal assault weapons ban similar to the one they supported in the 1994 crime bill. That legislation had a sunset provision, and Congress allowed it to expire in 2004 without renewal.

That law, the Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act, commonly called the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, banned about a dozen specific firearms and features on guns, however, the law's effectiveness was debated as modifications to those features were adapted.

However, a 2004 study on the effectiveness of the ban, which was federally funded by the National Institute of Justice at the Department of Justice, found that the number of gun crimes involving assault weapons decreased by 17% in a sample of six U.S. cities: Baltimore, Miami, Milwaukee, Boston, St. Louis, and Anchorage.

The U.S. bishops have also supported other gun safety measures, including universal background checks and limitations on civilian access to high-capacity ammunition magazines, which allow a shooter to maintain a consistent rate of fire over a longer period of time without having to reload.

— Kate Scanlon, OSV News

The parish launched a capital campaign two years ago because the community is rapidly outgrowing its picturesque fieldstone church along U.S. 64.

A standing-room-only congregation attended the 9 a.m. Mass celebrated by Bishop Martin, who confirmed five young people and then joined Father Jason Barone, pastor, for a groundbreaking ceremony adjacent to the existing church, which was dedicated in 1972 by Bishop Michael Begley.

“This church has been such a source of grace and goodness for the local community here,” Bishop Martin told the crowd gathered for the groundbreaking. “Over the next few years many of you will drive by on this road and you will see the construction, the dirt being moved, and you’ll say ‘I was there when it was blessed.’”

Bishop Martin encouraged the people to take the holiness they receive from attending Mass at St. Jude out into the larger world.

“What we need to do is take what this building means out into our community, to be the Church in the world, to be the living stones in our workplaces, in our marketplace and in our homes in particular,” he said.

Father Barone said breaking ground for a new church is a significant milestone for a community that has only been a parish for four years. St. Jude, formerly a mission of Sacred Heart Parish in Brevard, was elevated to parish status July 5, 2022, and Father Barone, formerly its administrator, was elevated to pastor.

According to statistics compiled by the parish, Sapphire and its surroundings are expected to grow by 10 to 13 percent by 2030, as more retirees and year-round residents move into the area. Several large residential communities are being built nearby, and the number of seasonal visitors continues to increase.

The existing church currently averages about 125 attendees at winter Masses and more than 400 during the summer.

“I’m extremely proud of this little community,” Father Barone said. “Just a few years ago we were a little mission, and now we’re a big boy parish building a church. I’m very proud of all of you who have made this a reality and humbled you have trusted my leadership of this project. I want to thank our Lord, our most Holy Mother and St. Jude, our patron.”

Funds for the new church are being raised through a campaign called “Building Our Future Together.” So far, about $11.3 million has been pledged, with a goal of about $13.4 million for the new church.

Construction drawings are nearly complete, and construction is expected to begin in the fall, according to Emmett Sapp, director of construction and real estate for the Diocese of Charlotte. Once completed, the new church will seat about 300 people on the main level and 28 in the choir loft.

A RICH HISTORY

The new church will be a far cry from the early days of Catholic worship in the Sapphire Valley, where Mass was first celebrated in 1964 in the meeting room of the Sapphire Valley Inn. In 1969, the congregation outgrew the meeting room. One of the original members, Gene Howerdd, became ill and prayed to St. Jude that if she could recover, she would do everything she could to raise funds for a Catholic chapel in the Sapphire Valley and have it named in his honor.  

Father Charles Mulholland, then the pastor in Brevard, petitioned the Bishop of Raleigh for permission to establish a mission, call it St. Jude and begin planning to build a church. Permission was given. Howerdd set out to complete her pledge, which she did by gifting several acres along U.S. 64 for the new church property. Father Mulholland’s brother, a professor at The Catholic University of America, arranged for architectural students there to submit designs for the chapel as a class project. One – an octagonal chapel of fieldstone – was chosen as the perfect complement to the mountain setting.

Construction of the current church started in 1971 and was completed in 1972. Classrooms, a parish hall and offices were added in 2001. Once the new church is completed, plans call for the current church to be turned into a parish hall.

This is not the only construction project on Father Barone’s plate. He also serves as pastor at Our Lady of the Mountains in Highlands, about 30 minutes away. Ground was broken for a new church there in summer 2024 and construction is nearly complete. Bishop Martin is slated to dedicate the new Highlands church over Labor Day weekend. Flooring and pews will be installed after the dedication.

The cost of the Highlands project is expected to be about $15.8 million, Sapp said.

The architect on both projects is McCrery Architects of Washington, D.C.

R.W. Allen Construction out of Augusta, Ga. Is the contractor for the project at St. Jude, and J. Davis Construction of Greenville, S.C., is the contractor in Highlands.

As Father Barone noted, “It’s all for the glory of God, who will not ask us how many churches we built but how we built up the living stones in the image and likeness of God.”

—  Christina Lee Knauss

During Mass, parishioners dressed in traditional attire reflecting their cultural heritage and took part in a flag procession honoring the many nations and backgrounds that make up the parish community. Representatives from several African and Caribbean nations participated in the celebration.

After Mass, parishioners gathered for an international picnic. The shared meal provided an opportunity for fellowship and cultural exchange as families sampled foods and learned about traditions from different countries and regions.

The annual celebration reflects the universal nature of the Catholic Church and a reminder that that people of many languages, cultures and traditions are united in one faith.

— Troy C. Hull

Bishops from the Province of Atlanta gather together on the steps of the Cathedral of Christ the King following the provincial Mass on June 25. Front row from left, Bishop John N. Tran; Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv.; Bishop Joel Konzen, SM; Bishop Bernard E. Shlesinger III; back row from left, Bishop Luis Zarama of Raleigh; Bishop Stephen Parkes of Savannah; Bishop Jacques Fabre-Jeune, CS, of Charleston; and Bishop Michael Martin, OFM Conv., of Charlotte.

The meeting provides the bishops of the province the opportunity to discuss topics relating to the region. This year, they discussed issues related to growth – which all of the dioceses are experiencing – and how to support clergy, religious and the faithful.

Attending the gathering were Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv., of Atlanta; Bishop Michael Martin, OFM Conv., of Charlotte; Bishop Luis Zarama of Raleigh; Bishop Jacques Fabre-Jeune, CS, of Charleston; Bishop Stephen Parkes of Savannah; and Atlanta’s three auxiliary bishops: Bishop Joel Konzen, SM, Bishop Bernard Shlesinger III and Bishop John Nhan Tran. 

Archbishop Hartmayer, OFM Conv., celebrated a midday provincial Mass at the cathedral June 25. His homily focused on the parable of the two builders in Matthew 7, from the day’s Gospel reading.

The archbishop highlighted Jesus’ challenging words that not everyone who says, “Lord, Lord” will enter the Kingdom of heaven.

Jesus warns that not even prophesying, driving out demons or doing mighty deeds in his name is enough, shared the archbishop. Jesus doesn’t dispute their activities but rather questions their foundation, said Archbishop Hartmayer.

“‘I never knew you,’ he said. You never opened your heart to me. You did all those things that look good, but there was not relationship between us,” said the archbishop in summarizing Jesus’ words.

In the parable, the wise man built his house on a rock to withstand the rain, floods and wind. The foolish man built his house on sand, and it collapsed in ruin. 

Mass is celebrated communally as an act of faith in the “foundation on which we should build our house,” said Archbishop Hartmayer.

When bishops pray, govern, teach or sit with others in crisis, “we do this work on (the) rock, or not at all,” he said.

“The question is not whether we have been busy in the Lord’s name. The question is whether the Word of God has reached the foundation of our lives,” said Archbishop Hartmayer. 

The Eucharist serves to strengthen this foundation, he emphasized.

“That is why you are here. We are not here to inspect a building, but to shore up our foundation, to continue to add another layer of solid rock,” he said.

Following Mass, the bishops chatted with parishioners outside the cathedral. During their meetings, the bishops also listened to presentations from Atlanta’s synod leaders and discussed next steps the Vatican is asking dioceses to take in the synodal process, which involves soliciting parishioners opinions on various topics in the Church. 

— Nichole Golden, Georgia Bulletin

Watch the Province Meeting Mass

During the dedication Father Pat Hoare, chaplain of Pennybyrn, joked, “There is enough water coming down outside, maybe I shouldn’t sprinkle it with more.”

The courtyard is a memorial to former Pennybyrn residents, Melvin and Ruth Witcher. 

Their son Doug Witcher was the benefactor who made the courtyard a reality.

“I remember just how much Melvin loved being outdoors during his time (here). He and I would sit together and visit the outdoor spaces each location offered, and it was clear how much joy it brought him to be in those courtyard settings,” said Director of Development and Community Relations Sarah Barker.

As a landscaper, Melvin understood how to thoughtfully plant and care for landscapes. Melvin appreciated the simple gifts of nature — the beauty of flowers, the tranquility of being outside, and especially the peaceful sounds of water moving, trickling and bubbling.

Barker, Father Hoare, and the rest of the Pennybyrn community look forward to planting flowers, listening to birdsong, enjoying nature and making space to hear God’s quiet invitation in their souls for many years to come. 

“All of these moments will become part of Melvin and Ruth’s continuing legacy,” Barker said. “We are so deeply grateful for these additions that have enhanced our ministry.” 

—    Lisa M. Geraci, photos provided by Pennybyrn

Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte is encouraging parishioners, families and parish communities to take part in the effort through a local initiative called “250 Works of Mercy.”

The initiative builds on a national invitation from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which is commemorating America’s 250th anniversary by highlighting the contributions of Catholics and the impact of our faith on our nation’s history. As part of the celebration, the bishops are encouraging Catholics to pray for the unity and healing of our country through a collective “250 Hours of Adoration” and “250 Works of Mercy.”

The “250 Works of Mercy” initiative invites people to live out the seven corporal works of mercy in tangible ways throughout the summer.

Need a reminder? The Corporal Works of Mercy are feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, welcoming the stranger, visiting the sick, visiting the imprisoned, and burying the dead.

“The ‘250 Works of Mercy’ campaign reminds us that faith must be lived out loud to truly be alive,” said Gerry Carter, executive director and CEO of Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte. “Catholic Charities stands eager to support the countless ways our parishes and parishioners serve neighbors in need across the entire diocese.”
Rooted in the Gospel of Matthew, the corporal works of mercy are central to Catholic life and provide practical ways for the faithful to encounter Christ in those who are suffering or in need.

“As Catholics, we are called not only to believe in mercy, but to live it,” said Virginia Garramone, the agency’s director of development. “This is a beautiful opportunity to celebrate our nation’s anniversary by putting our faith into action. Whether it’s volunteering, donating needed items, checking in on a lonely neighbor or making a charitable gift, each act of mercy becomes a visible sign of Christ’s love in our communities.”

— Christina Lee Knauss

Put mercy into action

As Catholics across the Diocese of Charlotte respond to the U.S. bishops’ invitation to participate in the “250 Works of Mercy,” Catholic Charities offers opportunities to serve neighbors in need throughout western North Carolina. Here are some of the local needs:

Charlotte regional office: 704-370-3262 or volunteercharlotte@ccdoc.org. Needs include:

• Welcome home kit assembly
• Furniture warehouse organization
• Food pantry distribution (Tuesday)
• Food distribution at pop-up farmers market (first and third Thursdays)

Winston-Salem regional office: 336-727-0705. Help assemble much-needed supplies for families visiting the food pantry:

• Cat and dog food bags
• Laundry pod bags
• Shaved Ivory soap hygiene kits
• Toiletry bags

Salisbury regional office: Volunteers needed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Contact Deacon Jeff Font at 704-370-3234.

• Organize diapers and wipes in office
• Clean office space
• Prepare community outreach materials

Lenoir regional office: Volunteers needed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Contact Silvia Echeverria at 828-434-5710. Needs include:

• Organize diapers
• Pack client bags
• Welcome clients in the waiting room
• Organize files
• Conduct inventory
• Paint the office

Make a monetary donation

In honor of America’s 250th anniversary, Catholic Charities is inviting the faithful to help secure 250 gifts to support neighbors in need across western North Carolina.
Whether your gift helps stock a food pantry, provide mental health counseling, assist a veteran, support disaster recovery or provide burial assistance to a grieving family, every gift becomes an act of mercy.

To donate, visit: https://giving.gofundme.com/campaign/815131/donate

Share it on social
Whether you volunteer, donate needed supplies, support a neighbor, or make a charitable gift, Catholic Charities would love to hear your story.

Share your act of mercy on social media using #250ActsOfMercyCCDOC to show how faith in action transforms lives and strengthens communities.

St. Peter’s Social Justice Ministry hosted a “Season of Faithful Witness” prayer service that allowed participants to stand in solidarity with immigrants.

The service was organized by the Uptown Charlotte parish’s Social Justice Ministry as part of the “Season of Faithful Witness” initiative. This nationwide effort is coordinated through Catholics in Communion – a coalition of Catholic organizations, communities and leaders responding to challenges currently facing immigrants and vulnerable families. The group focuses on prayer, public witness and faithful action.

“Catholics across the country are gathering in public spaces to bear faithful witness to the dignity of every person,” said Jesuit Father Mark Scalese, parochial vicar at St. Peter. “We gather because we believe we are one Body in Christ. And when members of that body are suffering – when families are afraid, when neighbors feel forgotten, when human dignity is threatened – our faith calls us to respond with prayer, solidarity and courage.”

The service included songs and Scripture readings focused on the plight of migrants and refugees, as well as passages from a message Pope Leo XIV prepared for the 111th World Day of Migrants and Refugees in 2025. Participants also heard from Charlotte-area immigrants who have faced challenges. Charlotte Bishop Michael Martin has repeatedly called for outreach and support for immigrants in public statements.

As Father Scalese noted, “We come together to ask God to open our hearts, strengthen our courage, and help us become what we receive in the Eucharist: the Body of Christ for the life of the world.”

— Christina Lee Knauss

This summer marked the 25th anniversary of Camp SOAR. The Special Olympics Athletic Retreat offers a real summer camp experience for people with intellectual disabilities in the Charlotte region. (Troy C. Hull | Catholic New Herald)

CHARLOTTE — If you want to experience pure joy in action, it can be found at Camp SOAR. For 25 years, the Special Olympics Athletic Retreat has been offering a summer camp experience for people with intellectual disabilities in the Charlotte region.

Held annually at the Levine Jewish Community Center on Providence Road, this year’s camp hosted more than 300 campers assisted by 400 volunteers from area businesses and schools, including many from Charlotte Catholic High School and Holy Trinity Middle School.

A lasting legacy

The June 15-19 camp marked two milestones, one happy and one sad. Campers celebrated the program’s 25th year but also started the week with an emotional tribute to founder Bob Bowler, who passed away in September.

Bowler, a member of St. Gabriel Parish, volunteered with Special Olympics North Carolina for 40 years and started Camp SOAR in 2000 because he wanted the athletes to experience summer fun.

“Many of them saw their siblings going off to summer camp but they didn’t have a chance for a similar experience,” said Marilynn Bowler, Bob’s widow, who made several visits to this year’s camp. She was brought to tears of joy a few times as she saw the fruits of her late husband’s work.

Bowler’s memory and image were never far from the minds of organizers and volunteers. Several people wore commemorative T-shirts with his picture on them.

“I arrived the other day and was presented with one of these shirts and was in tears,” Marilynn Bowler said. “I remember when Bob came up with the idea of this camp. Bob’s background was in sales, and he was comfortable selling both products and ideas. He was so enthusiastic about starting this camp and surrounded himself with people who believed in this idea, and now 25 years later, we’re here.”

The camp is divided into two segments, one serving younger children and another geared toward teens and adults. Some have been attending the camp annually since childhood, and a few former participants are now volunteers.

It’s a daily flurry of activity from morning until afternoon, with campers moving constantly between different sports and activities. Each of them has a “buddy” volunteer who accompanies and assists them and cheers them on.

A week of fun

During the week, the campers participated in a variety of sports including basketball, boxing, bocce, bowling, soccer, tennis, pickleball, swimming and golf.

They also took part in daily arts and crafts and bingo and divided into teams to take part in a daily program that promoted general fitness along with the fun.

On June 18, Bishop Michael Martin paid a visit and even picked up a golf club to take a few swings on one of the athletic fields. He also took time to offer some golf tips to campers, showing them how to properly swing and grip the clubs. Bishop Martin also watched a spirited basketball session that featured a powerful slam dunk from one camper.

Throughout the day, volunteers and campers cheered each other on. No accomplishment was ignored, and smiles were the norm.

Camp ended with Friday Fun Day on June 19, with jugglers, movies and the highly anticipated annual dance party.

“Bob initially asked how we could pull this off, because he didn’t have any money for it and no facilities, but he did it,” said Al Tinson, a member of St. John Neumann Parish who along with Bowler helped to launch the camp and has been a volunteer ever since. “We started with just 25 campers and a handful of volunteers, and now we have hundreds involved. Many people come back year after year, and that’s the number one thing that pleased Bob.”

Emma Keese started as a volunteer when she was a freshman at Charlotte Catholic High School. The rising sophomore at St. Mary’s University in Indiana, where she majors in psychology and Spanish, was happy to be back.

“The reason I keep coming back is the fundamental joy that is present there,” Keese said. “When a camper recognizes you and there is that connection and recognition and appreciation, there is no feeling like it. It’s unmatched. What makes Camp SOAR so special is the joy and energy that’s present there.”

Many former student SOAR volunteers have gone on to pursue degrees and careers in special education and other related fields, Tinson said.

“We have no idea how much of an impact this program has had on the community, both in North Carolina and around the country,” he said. “This is all because of what Bob started. It’s a tough thing to not have him here – it leaves a huge hole. But the people came back, and they’re carrying on for him.”

— Christina Lee Knauss

A resident helps unwrap the new campus with Bishop Martin. The project represents the largest expansion in the nonprofit’s 70-year history and provides additional space for its youngest residents. (Photos provided; Troy C. Hull | Catholic News Herald)

BELMONT — A giant ‘Mercy Moment’ milestone occurred June 18, as Holy Angels dedicated its Treescape Campus, celebrating the largest expansion project in the nonprofit’s 70-year history.

A ‘Mercy Moment’ is when an unexpected, perfectly timed blessing or instance of help arrives without explanation. Thousands of these moments are built into the mortar of this expansion project, which has been in the making for the past decade.

“This campus is more than a collection of beautiful buildings,” said Holy Angels’ President and CEO Kerri Massey. “It reflects what happens when love leads the way.”

Sponsored and founded by the Sisters of Mercy, Holy Angels is located on 17.5 acres in Belmont and provides care for more than 85 residents, ranging from 3 years old to 84, who have intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The Treescape Campus includes three six-bedroom homes named Maple, Magnolia and Dogwood in honor of the native trees surrounding the property. Each 6,000-square-foot, single-story home features private bedrooms, family-style living and dining spaces, multi-sensory rooms and accessible outdoor areas.

The campus also includes the new 10,000-square-foot Holy Angels Community Center, featuring a saltwater pool, a gathering space – the community’s largest – and a specialized commercial kitchen where dietary staff can create the more than 90,000 individualized meals served each year to suit residents’ dietary needs.

This summer, Holy Angels’ youngest residents, ages 3 to 19, are expected to move into their new homes on the 4.5-acre campus designed to address their intellectual and developmental disabilities and delicate medical conditions.

The timing of the opening is a ‘Mercy Moment’ in itself, as their current home was damaged by a fire last month, displacing the residents and putting them in temporary housing across campus until the expansion was ready.

Residents Wyatt and Nora, along with their families, started the ribbon-cutting ceremony by “unwrapping” the campus. Bishop Michael Martin, joined by Benedictine Abbot Placid Solari, Father Dennis Kuhn and the Sisters of Mercy, blessed the homes and gathering spaces.

In his remarks, Bishop Martin pointed out that “the residents of Holy Angels reveal to us God’s image and likeness through their different abilities” and prayed that Holy Angels would continue to challenge the world to “experience and appreciate how these children of God reflect to us God’s image and likeness in a way that we would never have imagined.”

The impact of the campus is best understood through the families whose lives it will touch. One of the most moving moments came from Sara Anderson, whose son Nolan will move into the new campus after seven years at Holy Angels.

“This has truly been a labor of love, and we should all be so proud that we were able to have a part in making this dream a reality,” Anderson said.

Another resident angel commemorated during the event was Martha, who lived at Holy Angels for 50 years before she passed away two years ago. She will forever be remembered through Martha’s Courtyard, which features five metal sculptures of her favorite animal, penguins, designed by local artist Bob Doster. Doster meticulously welded together metal resident and staff handprints to create the birds that represent Martha and her family members.

“Our children’s campus wasn’t built by one person,” Massey said. “It was built by families who shared their hopes, donors who gave generously, architects who listened carefully, construction crews who worked through heat and rain, and staff who imagined what could be.”

The project represents years of planning by Holy Angels, led by President Emeritus Regina Moody.

“Here at Treescape, our kids will get to live like other kids – with their own room, spaces that meet their unique needs and connections to nature all around them,” Moody said.

Moody recognized the organizations and individuals who helped make the project possible, including the Sisters of Mercy, the Order of Malta and the State of North Carolina.

Donors’ contributions will remain planted in the very fabric of the building, with three-dimensional flowers displaying the donors’ names affixed to the community center walls.

“This campus is rooted in the love of countless people who believed in its potential, and we know the miracles are still to come,” Massey said. “The lives that will be lived here, the memories that will be made here and the future that will take shape here are the greatest celebration of all.”

— Lisa M. Geraci