The National Legal Foundation, Claybrook LLC, Troutman Pepper Locke, First Liberty Institute, and Alliance Defending Freedom filed the petition on Aug. 11. The filing follows a May 13 ruling by a 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel that rejected Hall’s attempt to sue Virginia officials for blocking her from using a $5,000 Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant for a youth ministries degree, citing the 2004 Supreme Court decision Locke v. Davey.

“It is odious to our Constitution for a state to fund a degree in music but refuse to fund a degree in music & worship,” Steven Fitschen of National Legal Foundation said in a press release announcing the petition. “The Free Exercise clause is meant to encourage and even prefer religion. But Virginia’s decision to deny funding based upon religious use is the type of hostility toward religion rejected by the First Amendment.”

Diocese of Scranton reopens St. Pius X Seminary after over 20 years

St. Pius X Seminary in the Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania, has been reestablished 22 years after its closure in 2004 due to a declining number of vocations to the priesthood.

Bishop Joseph Bambera presided over the seminary’s official opening on Aug. 23, welcoming four seminarians to the freshly renovated building that was formerly the Cathedral Convent building, according to a press release from the diocese.

“As we re-establish the ministry of Saint Pius X Seminary, what an incredible gift this is,” Bambera said during his homily at the seminary’s first Mass, according to the release. Bambera had been a seminarian at St. Pius X Seminary in Dalton 48 years ago.

The release noted that the decision to reestablish the seminary came from Bambera’s wish “to make the first stage of priestly formation more closely connected to the Diocese of Scranton and the people the seminarians may one day serve.”

“We are excited because it’s going to give these men, as they start seminary, an opportunity to get to know the Diocese better,” Father Alex Roche, diocesan secretary for clergy formation and rector of St. Pius X Seminary, said in the release. “It’s also going to give the people of the Diocese a chance to get to know our seminarians before they go elsewhere to continue their studies in theology.”

Justice Barrett to speak at Benedictine College’s library dedication

Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett will deliver a speech at the upcoming dedication of Benedictine College’s Independence Hall-inspired library on Sept. 26.

“This is an exciting milestone for Benedictine College,” Benedictine College President Stephen D. Minnis said in a press release on Aug. 25. “The library will not only demonstrate our commitment to academic excellence and the Catholic Intellectual Tradition, but it will also be a symbol of our love for this great country of ours.”

“The college is pleased to have Justice Barrett as part of the dedication ceremony,” the press release said, noting that the dedication for the Moritz Library in D’Aniello Hall will be free and open to the public.

Barrett earned her bachelor’s degree from Rhodes College and her law degree from the University of Notre Dame.

Students revive 1982 robotic arm at Catholic University despite lost documentation

A group of students from The Catholic University of America have brought to life a robotic space arm built in 1982 after documentation for the piece of technology has been lost for years.

Originally developed by Engineering Dean Emeritus and Ordinary Professor Charles Cuong Nguyen, the arm had been part of a pioneering technological effort to build the International Space Station, according to the university’s press release on Aug. 12.

The project to revive the arm, which is capable of a wide range of precise movements within a thousandth of an inch, was carried out by three students, including a high school Da Vinci Scholar, and was led by Nguyen. 

The students included Saliha Kavafogolu, an undergraduate intern from Yale University; Nathan Arega, a high school Da Vinci Scholar; and Ha (Jessica) Ngo-Tang, a biomedical engineering doctoral candidate.

California parents ask Supreme Court to overturn ruling excluding them from state program

Three California parents have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit to exclude them from a state program over the religious materials they chose to home-school their children.

“The Ninth Circuit declared the homes of these parents to be ‘public school programs’ in order to justify the state’s religious discrimination,” Hiram Sasser, executive general counsel for First Liberty Institute, said in an Aug. 20 press release. “Parents should not be punished for choosing quality religious curriculum meeting the state’s standard that they teach to their own children in their own home just because it’s religious.”

The state of California’s tuition-free charter schools allow parents to home-school their children and have access to state funds to purchase curriculum. However, the press release notes, parents “can’t select a religious curriculum, even if they purchase it with their own funds, and their children’s work samples are rejected if they include religious wording or derive from materials created by religious publishers.”

The petition states that “California’s policy singles out parents who wish to give their children a faith-based education and excludes them from homeschooling benefits and support extended to other California families.”

“Few Catholic communities in Southeast Asia still possess such a rich heritage,” Joseph Christopher Nguyen Thien Tuan Hoang, the leader of a Latin Mass community in Vietnam, said in an Aug. 25 UCA News report.

While there is no established parish dedicated to the Latin Mass according to the report, traditional communities are able to attend the liturgy when approval is granted and with the help of foreign visiting priests.

“Our biggest challenge is not hostility, but misunderstanding,” Hoang said. “If more Church leaders understood why some young Catholics are drawn to the older liturgy, I believe more people would have the opportunity to experience this part of the Churchʼs tradition.”

From Gaza to Taybeh, priests call for living Christian presence in Holy Land

Father Gabriel Romanelli of Holy Family Parish in Gaza City discussed the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza during a video appearance at the Rimini Meeting, a signature event hosted by the Catholic movement Communion and Liberation.

Romanelli described Gaza as a devastated territory where water, electricity, and basic necessities remain scarce. The priest said his decision to stay was rooted in pastoral duty: the parish could not abandon children, people with disabilities, or struggling families.

ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, reported Aug. 26 that Gaza’s Christian community now numbers 541 Catholics and Orthodox, and 60 members have died since the war began.

Father Francesco Ielpo, custos of the Holy Land, also spoke at the event, turning attention to the attacks facing the Christian town of Taybeh and called for concrete protection of fundamental rights. He also encouraged pilgrims to return, noting that their presence supports local Christians and strengthens their calling to care for the holy sites.

10 Catholic dioceses in the Philippines call for end to mining agreement

Bishops representing 10 Catholic dioceses in the Philippines have issued a joint pastoral statement addressed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Environment Secretary Juan Miguel T. Cuna calling for an end to mining in the island of Sibuyan.

The letter, titled “Let Sibuyan Live: A Joint Call to Initiate the Cancellation of APMC’s Mining Agreement,” urges political leaders to carry out a comprehensive review of a mining agreement with Altai Philippines Mining Corp (APMC) in Sibuyan to ensure compliance with environmental laws, according to an Aug. 24 report from Inquirer.net.

The bishops expressed concern over the mining agreement’s threats to the island’s mountains, watersheds, rivers, coral reefs, and species unique to the island.

Recently appointed apostolic nuncio to Germany makes first visit

The recently appointed apostolic nuncio to Germany, Archbishop Hubertus van Megen, completed his inaugural visit to the headquarters of the German Bishops' Conference (DBK) in Bonn this week, CNA Deutsch, the German-language sister service of EWTN News, reported Aug. 28. 

During the meeting, van Megen presented his official assignment letter as nuncio to the DBK chairman signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin. "It was the first visit of an apostolic nuncio to the Secretariat of the German Bishops' Conference in more than 13 years,” the DBK noted in its announcement on social media.

Van Megen has served as nuncio to Kenya and South Sudan and held various positions within United Nations institutions.

UK member of Parliament calls for reforms before considering assisted suicide

Member of Parliament Zubir Ahmed, a former health minister in the British Labour Party and National Health Service doctor, has backed calls from Prime Minister Andy Burnham, a Catholic, to carry out health reforms before considering legislation on assisted suicide.

“What kind of society are we building if, before we’ve fixed the systems designed to care for people, we introduce a system designed to help them die?” Ahmed asked in an Aug. 25 op-ed in The Guardian. “As a former health minister who has seen the system from the inside, I am able to say it is not ready or equipped to answer this question.”

Ahmed’s remarks come after the prime minister said in July that debates on assisted suicide should be delayed until the country’s palliative and social care systems have been reformed.

Syria’s Catholic schools seek to remain both strong and compassionate

With another school year approaching, Syria’s Christian schools are struggling to keep tuition affordable while covering salaries, taxes, electricity, books, and other rising expenses.

Father Fadi Najjar, secretary-general of Catholic educational institutions in Syria, said no child should be forced out because a family cannot pay, ACI MENA reported Aug. 27. At the same time, he cautioned that schools cannot fulfill their educational mission if they are treated solely as charitable institutions. Najjar appealed to churches and aid organizations to support families in genuine need and help protect the future of Christian education in Syria.

Catholic priest in Ghana suspended for ‘abandoning’ pastoral ministry

Ghana’s Diocese of Konongo-Mampong has imposed an indefinite canonical suspension on a priest of the diocese for taking a leave of absence and “abandoning his pastoral ministry” without legitimate permission.

Bishop John Opoku-Agyemang announced the suspension of Father Samuel Adapore on Aug. 24, ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, reported. The priest has been barred from administering any of the sacraments publicly, including the celebration of Mass, or officiating any other liturgical services.

The bishop said he made the decision “with a heavy heart but a great sense of duty to Holy Mother Church” to suspend the priest, who he noted had left his parish without telling anyone where he was going, including immediate family members.

Sierra Leonean priest cautions religious against shunning help for mental health struggles

The president of the Regional Union of Priests of West Africa has told members of the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life not to be ashamed of seeking psychological support, stressing that “mental-health struggles do not cancel their vocation,” ACI Africa reported Aug. 25.

“Our priests and religious spend their lives caring for others. We must also care for them. They need trusted friends, safe spaces for honest conversation, regular medical and psychological support, sufficient rest, and communities that listen without judgment,” Father Peter Konteh said following the resignation of Bishop Karl-Heinz Wiesemann of German’s Speyer Diocese over mental health struggles.

Christian city of Qamishli, Syria, turns 100

The city of Qamishli marked its centennial with a Christian community far smaller than the one that helped build the northeastern Syrian city.

Founded in 1926 after Christians fled Ottoman-era massacres, the city once had a population that was nearly 90% Christian, ACI MENA reported Aug. 25. Father Samir Kanoun, priest of the church of St. Yacoub Al-Nusaibini in Qamishli, said decades of migration, intensified after the Syrian crisis began in 2011, have reduced that share to about 20%, leaving roughly 2,000 Christian families.

Despite the decline, Qamishli retains a rich mix of Syriac, Armenian, Chaldean, Assyrian, and Protestant churches. Their cooperation grew stronger during the war through shared prayer, security coordination, and charitable work.

Kanoun remains hopeful, pointing to the city’s active young Christians and the Church’s efforts to preserve their faith, heritage, and sense of belonging to Syria.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Aug. 26, the bishops expressed deep sorrow over the recent abduction of more than 60 worshippers from a mosque in Borgu, Niger state, and the killing of 47 people in Ukum, Benue state.

Seventeen others were critically wounded in the Benue attack, according to the CBCN members.

“With heavy hearts and deep sorrow, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) once again decries the unabated trail of blood and terror across our nation which has reached an intolerable crest,” the statement said.

The bishops reiterated the fact that Nigerians continue to be killed, traumatized, and displaced regardless of where they live or worship.

“Whether in a mosque, a church, a marketplace, or the quiet of their homes, Nigerians are still being slaughtered, traumatised, and displaced with impunity,” they said in the statement.

The CBCN members expressed condolences to the families of those killed in Benue and prayed for the recovery of those critically wounded.

They also expressed solidarity with Muslims following the abduction of worshippers in Niger state, calling for their immediate and safe release.

“We stand in firm solidarity with our Muslim brothers and sisters in Niger State, and all over Nigeria, praying for the immediate and safe release of all 60 abducted worshippers,” they said.

The bishops emphasized that violence against places of worship affects society as a whole.

“An attack on any place of worship is an attack on our collective humanity,” they said.

The bishops also acknowledged efforts being made by government authorities but urged political leaders and security chiefs not to relent until Nigerians can live in safety.

“To those in government at all levels, security chiefs, and political leaders, while we commend some efforts being made, we urge that you do not give up on this responsibility until the security and welfare of the citizens are guaranteed,” they said.

The CBCN members called for proactive, intelligence-led security operations capable of identifying and dismantling criminal networks before they launch attacks.

They further called for the swift prosecution of those responsible for violence, including their sponsors, irrespective of their status or affiliations.

“Impunity fuels repetition,” the bishops warned.

The CBCN members also addressed those who commit violence and sponsor it. “To the bandits, terrorists, kidnappers, and their sponsors, we plead that you stop the bloodshed!” they said.

The bishops underscored the sanctity of human life and rejected any justification for the killing of innocent people.

“Human life belongs to God alone, and no cause justifies this cruelty. You cannot build a future on the tears of innocent persons,” they said, warning perpetrators that their actions carry consequences. “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”

The CBCN members urged those involved in violence to lay down their arms, abandon evil, and respect human life.

In the face of deteriorating security, the Catholic leaders urged Nigerians not to lose hope in their country, calling on citizens to remain steadfast in prayer for peace, security, and divine intervention.

“May the God of peace restore order to our nation, comfort those who mourn, and touch the hearts of those who inflict pain,” the CBCN members implored.

This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.

Until his election, Maroun was protosyncellus of the eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles of the Maronites in the United States since 2020 and served as pastor of St. Maron Maronite Parish in Minneapolis for more than 35 years — the third-oldest Maronite parish in the U.S.

In a statement released Friday, Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis said he was “thrilled” to learn of the pope’s assent and said Maroun is beloved in the archdiocese by priests and faithful alike.

“It is wonderfully providential that our Archdiocese has already been in a partnership with the Archeparchy of Damascus since 2017,” Hebda’s statement said. “It is my hope that the relationship will only grow stronger in the days ahead.”

Hebda called outgoing archbishop Nassar “a beacon of hope to the faithful of his flock as he guided them through the challenges of civil war.” 

Sharbel Ghattas Maroun was born in 1962 in Kfarselwan, Lebanon. Shortly after working for a bank, he left with his family in 1983 for the United States, fleeing the civil war raging in his home country.

The following year he entered the seminary of the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles of the Maronites in Washington, D.C. After completing his studies in philosophy and theology, he was ordained a priest on his 27th birthday, Jan. 6, 1989, and appointed vicar of the Maronite Parish of St. Anthony in Danbury, Connecticut.

In 2015 he was invested as chorbishop.

As protosyncellus of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles, Maroun has also held the following positions, according to the Holy See Press Office: parish vicar of St. Maron in Minneapolis, director of youth pastoral care, representative for ecumenism and interreligious dialogue, director of vocational pastoral care, protopresbyter of the deanery of Mid-America, administrator of the St. Sharbel Mission in Milwaukee, syncellus for the eparchal clergy, member of the Presbyteral Council and the College of Consultors, representative for new evangelization, and chair of the board of Télé Lumière International.

According to ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, Maroun prefers to be called “Abuna” — the Arabic word for “Father” — as a reflection of his Eastern identity and his desire to keep his heritage alive.

The proposed bill, AB 1709, is scheduled for its third reading in the state Senate on Aug. 28. The amended measure originally would have prohibited “anyone under the age of 16 from having a social media account,” as the conference’s action alert still asserted as of Aug. 28.

However, the bill was amended over the summer to simply restrict “addictive features” for youth under 16.

The Catholic conference wrote in its alert that studies “repeatedly show that social media is damaging to young kids.” The bishops said mental illness and self-harm have “skyrocketed” among youth since 2007, the year the iPhone was first released.

“Young people self-report feeling addicted, experiencing damaging messages to their body image and self-esteem from the comparisons and endless scrolling, receiving unwanted contact by strangers, and exposure to harmful content including eating disorders, suicidal ideation, violence, pornography, and drug use,” the conference wrote.

On Aug. 26, tech company Meta — the creator of Facebook and Instagram — agreed to pay up to $17.1 billion in a settlement after 29 states sued the company in a consolidated federal case. The settlement resolved claims that Meta’s platforms fueled addictive and harmful social media use among young people.

A much larger bipartisan coalition of 47 states, the District of Columbia, and several U.S. territories signed the settlement itself. Florida and New Mexico did not participate in the settlement.

“Children have a right to be children and to parental protection from harmful materials,” the California bishops said.

Apparently still referring to the original bill — which was introduced in February and would have banned social media outright for youth under age 16 — the alert continues: “Establishing the age of receiving a social media account at 16 helps preserve childrenʼs social and emotional development and parents' rights to safeguard their children from such harms.”

About 20 U.S. states have enacted social media and minor-safety laws, but so far enforcement is a patchwork: Some laws are in force, some are partly blocked, some are fully enjoined, and some have not taken effect yet.

Texas did not join the multistate Meta lawsuit. Instead, state Attorney General Ken Paxton announced a separate settlement the same day, under which Meta will pay the state more than $1 billion, or up to about $1.335 billion if YouTube and TikTok adopt similar teen-safety terms.

The Texas payout is larger than almost every other state’s share of the national deal; only California could receive more, up to $2.2 billion. The settlement is supposed to fund youth mental health services, crisis resources, digital literacy, after-school programs, and school grants in the state.

In addition to the payouts, both deals require Meta to verify users’ ages, cap most minors at two hours a day on Facebook and Instagram (with messaging exceptions), block overnight access and many nighttime notifications, set school-hour notification limits, hide likes and reactions by default, and restrict addictive features and inappropriate content for users under 18.

Parents will also have the option to permanently make their children’s Facebook news feeds “chronological” rather than algorithmic, meaning the feeds will simply display posts in chronological order rather than in an order selected by Facebook’s algorithm.

Australia became the first country to ban social media accounts for youth under 16 when the rule took effect in December 2025. France later became the first EU country to pass a similar ban, but for children under 15. The measure was approved in July and will be phased in beginning in September.

The DOJ and the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, a religious freedom advocacy group, held the meeting in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 27 to address the rise in attacks against houses of worship and faith-based communities.

Participants consisted of leaders from diverse faith backgrounds, including Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

The leaders spoke with Harmeet Dhillon, assistant attorney general for civil rights at the DOJ, and Karen Schneier Dresbach, executive vice president of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation — a coalition of business and religious leaders working worldwide on behalf of religious freedom, human rights, and the protection of houses of worship.

“No American should ever fear violence for simply practicing their faith," Dhillon said in a statement.

"The Department of Justiceʼs Civil Rights Division has zero tolerance for attacks on houses of worship, and we will continue to investigate and prosecute those who target Americans because of their religion,” Dhillon said.

The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division has zero tolerance for attacks on houses of worship, and we will continue to investigate and prosecute those who target Americans because of their religion.”

Harmeet Dhillon

assistant attorney general for civil rights for the Department of Justice

“Iʼm grateful to the Appeal of Conscience Foundation and the faith leaders gathered here today for their partnership in this work. Protecting religious liberty is a fundamental American value, and this Department will keep fighting to defend it,” Dhillon said in a statement.

The event also included a panel discussion among leaders and the presentation of a statement by participating groups read by Serbian Orthodox Bishop of Eastern America Irinej Dobrijevic and Archbishop Elpidophoros of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, according to a press release.

The statement called for stronger legislation to protect houses of worship and for the establishment of an ongoing body of religious leaders to monitor threats. The leaders asked that the DOJ work in tandem with the groups to help ensure that people of faith can worship safely.

The gathering comes amid rising concerns over attacks against houses of worship across the U.S. The meeting was held on Aug. 27, the first anniversary of the fatal shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis in which two children were killed.

Bishops’ concern about religiously motivated violence continues

In 2026, “the Committee for Religious Liberty continues to be concerned about politically and religiously motivated violence,” the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) said.

The U.S. bishops previously laid out “areas of critical concern” in their 2026 religious liberty report, including threats of political and anti-religious violence.

“In recent years, the USCCB has expressed concern about politically motivated violence. The polarization that has long been the subject of commentary by religious leaders appears to be devolving into a cycle of attack and retribution,” the bishops said in the report.

“Polarization is not simply a phenomenon ‘out there.’ It names a tendency within many people to turn away from truth in order to remain loyal to their political tribe. But Catholics are called to be conformed to Christ, not to partisan political leaders, media personalities, and social media influencers,” they said.

The bishops called for expanded federal support for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which funds security upgrades for houses of worship. They said funding is insufficient because fewer than half of applicants receive grants, despite rising threats.

“As we learn more about the devastating flashfloods in Nepal, I offer the prayers and solidarity of the Catholic community in the United States for our brothers and sisters impacted by this disaster,” Bishop Elias Zaidan said in an Aug. 27 statement. “I also encourage long-term efforts to help affected communities rebuild their homes, livelihoods, and critical infrastructure.”

The floods began after a glacier collapse triggered catastrophic flooding along the Nepal-Tibet border. The casualty count continues to rise, as hundreds of people remain missing.

Zaidan, chair of the USCCB Committee on International Justice and Peace, said Catholic Relief Services, the U.S. Church’s international aid agency, is tracking the situation closely and working with Caritas Nepal and other local partners to identify urgent needs and plan the most effective support.

“We appreciate the partnership of the U.S. government in supporting CRS’ essential work in these communities. We are also grateful to hear that the U.S. Department of State is closely monitoring the situation and deploying key personnel to support response efforts,” said Zaidan, Maronite Catholic bishop of the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles.

The U.S. Department of State said it is sending disaster advisers to help with rescue and cleanup efforts. The government said it also would distribute $500,000 in assistance via Catholic Relief Services.

“I exhort the international community to mobilize greater humanitarian assistance support for vulnerable families and communities in Nepal,” Zaidan said. “May the Immaculate Heart of Mary provide consolation and shelter to all those affected by this disaster, and may she inspire the international community to work together, as one family, to address the urgent needs of the Nepalese people.”

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the Rimini Meeting in northern Italy on Aug. 26, the cardinal said the West Bank “has become a no-man’s land — or rather, a lawless land — where everything that happens goes unchecked, with no safeguards in terms of security or the rule of law.”

Asked about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s announcement that he would continue to open settlements in the occupied land, Pizzaballa said: “This isn’t the first time he’s said that.”

“The government has stated very clearly that this is their intention, even though it makes a political solution in the near future increasingly difficult,” the cardinal continued. “I hope that all this drift — this political confrontation, including in language and positions — will moderate over time, because the Palestinian population is truly very tired and can no longer bear all of this.”

Pizzaballa explained that the situation in Gaza, from this point of view, is more stable than the West Bank, even while it continues to deteriorate.

“While there is a great deal of political debate, on the ground the human toll remains devastating,” he added.

The Rimini Meeting, officially named the Meeting for Friendship Among the Peoples, is an annual cultural festival organized by the Catholic lay movement Communion and Liberation. The 47th edition took place near the city of Rimini, Italy, from Aug. 21–26, and included a visit from Pope Leo XIV on Aug. 22.

Pizzaballa, a frequent speaker at recent editions of the gathering, participated in a dialogue with three young people on the final day of the 2026 meeting, touching on the topics of hope, suffering, and interreligious dialogue.

He also urged people to “listen to multiple voices,” including those with whom they do not agree, to understand and assess the events taking place in the Middle East.

“This is a task that must be undertaken continually in the Middle East,” he said, where “nothing is as it appears and everything is very complicated.”

In a conversation with the journalist Alessandro Banfi during the meeting, Pizzaballa underlined that “to assume that an agreement alone is enough to put an end” to what is happening in the Middle East “is presumptuous; it is an illusion.”

“Now, of course, we need agreements; we need to pursue political paths — but these must also be accompanied by educational, formative, human, and religious initiatives, which play a very important role in the Middle East in healing, in processing grief, and in addressing everything that has affected both the Israeli and Palestinian populations. And this doesn’t happen in the blink of an eye,” he said.

The Justice Department on Aug. 28 released an extensive report on the memo, which was drafted out of the FBI’s Richmond, Virginia, field office and leaked in early 2023.

Upon its leak the memo drew immediate criticism from Catholics and religious liberty advocates around the country. The FBI quickly retracted the document after the leak, with the bureau claiming that it did “not meet our exacting standards.”

On Aug. 28 FBI Director Kash Patel described the contents of the memo as “unacceptable.” He said the release of information “about what occurred under [the Biden administration] is an important part of the process” of ongoing investigations into alleged government weaponization.

Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward, meanwhile, described the memo as “a clear abuse of power,” one that targeted “conservative and religious beliefs disfavored by agents of government.”

Memo arose from 2020 investigation into violent extremist

The Aug. 28 report — released by the Department of Justice’s Weaponization Working Group — said the Catholic memo arose out of an FBI investigation that began in 2020 regarding an individual who moved to Virginia from New York and began writing “violent and racially-motivated” posts on the internet.

Richmond Domain Perspective Report

That individual was ultimately sentenced to two separate prison terms on vandalism and weapons charges. Prior to his second imprisonment, he reportedly began attending a Virginia chapel run by the Society of St. Pius X.

Federal agents began investigating the chapel and a priest associated with it; their investigation expanded to include another priest connected to the so-called SSPX Resistance, a breakaway group that the FBI alleged has neo-Nazi sympathies.

Based on those investigations, starting in late 2022 the Richmond field office began developing a “domain perspective” on the alleged “increasing intersection” of “radical-traditional Catholics” and “domestic violent extremists.”

Subsequent research turned up “only two additional cases,” the working group report said, and FBI investigators found “nothing linking Catholics or groups not in full communion with the Catholic Church to domestic extremism.”

The investigation progressed to the point where analysts were preparing to develop a high-level executive report of the inquiry to present to senior FBI officials. Yet after the leak of the memo on Feb. 8, 2023, that report was never developed.

The working group report described the FBI memo as using a “sweeping generalization” of “radical-traditionalist” Catholics. Internal FBI presentation materials obtained by EWTN News identify the “core ideology and beliefs” of such Catholics as including “conservative family values/roles” and a “tendency toward isolationism.”

The memo further identified such Catholics as believing in the “creation of a totalitarian, anti-pluralist Catholic nation” as well as the “rejection of religious neutrality and right to religious freedom.”

The document drew a distinction between “radical” Catholics and so-called “traditionalist Catholics” who prefer the Traditional Latin Mass and pre-Vatican II traditions yet do not adhere to “the more extremist ideological beliefs and violent rhetoric” of the “radical” group.

An internal review of the memo found no “constitutional concerns” related to the analysis, the working group report said. Yet the memo spawned “significant internal criticisms” in the FBI after its leak, the report said.

In particular, an agent with the bureau’s counterterrorism division said the unit found no “significant linkage” between violent extremists and “radical traditionalist” Catholics.

Bureau leadership ultimately ordered the deletion of the memo, though the working group report said the memo was still being worked on more than a month after that order came down.

Later in the year the bureau’s inspection division found that the drafters of the memo demonstrated a lack of “professional judgment” and that they “failed to adhere to FBI standards.” The division ordered “all individuals” involved in the memo’s production to be “admonished” and be subject to additional training.

The working group report noted that the personnel involved in the production of the memo “have been terminated from their positions.” It argued that “history” will “rightly judge the Richmond Catholic Memo as a grave failure of the FBI Richmond Field Office” to uphold First Amendment rights.

The controversial memo has generated sustained criticism from religious liberty advocates as well as numerous responses from lawmakers in Washington since it was leaked.

In March the conservative legal group Judicial Watch was in federal court arguing for the release of un-redacted files related to the memo. Attorney Meredith DiLiberto expressed disappointment at the time that heavy redaction practices had continued from the Biden administration to the Trump administration.

In December 2024 Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, warned the government to not destroy federal records including documents related to the FBI investigation. Hawley said at the time that he had received reports of employees “destroying records and other documents in an effort to conceal widespread misconduct that took place under the [Joe] Biden administration.”

The working group report released on Aug. 28 did not mention any reports of records destruction. But Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Justice Department “will not tolerate a weaponized bureaucracy that chills First Amendment activity.”

The working group’s investigations into alleged government weaponization “will continue,” Blanche said.

In an article titled “Hope Demands Action” released on Aug. 21, the patriarchate said restrictions on movement, the cancellation of work permits, and the paralysis of the tourism sector have exacerbated the conditions of Christian families in Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and the villages scattered in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and affected their ability to work and secure their needs.

The Catholic diocese — whose territory includes Cyprus, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine and is supported by six vicariates — highlighted that the unemployment rate in Christian communities in the Holy Land is 54%, which is about double the national average.

The patriarchate also pointed out that artisans, hotel workers, shopkeepers, tour guides, drivers, and restaurant owners rely heavily on pilgrims and visitors, which have significantly declined over the years, threatening livelihoods.

The patriarchate said the repercussions of the crisis extend to the younger generations, as limited job opportunities after university or vocational training may push young people to migrate, raising concerns for a generation that believes its future may be outside the land of its ancestors.

Gaza at the heart of the crisis

According to the patriarchate, only 541 Christians remain in the Gaza Strip, while others have been forced to flee and still others were killed in the war or lost their lives amid the collapse of medical care and lack of basic supplies.

The patriarchate said the possibility that no more Christians will be left in the Holy Land does not represent just a demographic change but a “crisis in history, identity, and faith,” stressing that a living Christian presence should remain in a land where Christianity originated.

The article called for international Christian solidarity to go beyond responding to emergency needs, including education, vocational training, special projects, and support for community institutions, allowing families to build a decent and sustainable life in their homeland.

In this context, the article referred to a back-to-school initiative to cover basic educational expenses for children and families most in need, stressing that keeping schools open — and reopening them where possible — represents a message that destruction will not have the final say.

The patriarchate stressed that the Christians of the Holy Land do not want to be a part of the past but desire the opportunity to live, work, raise their children, and exercise their faith in dignity in the land where Christianity began.

This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, and has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said a lake at the flood site was rising and at risk of bursting, raising the prospect of another deadly disaster.

China’s Minister of Water Resources said the lake had formed inside Nepal and was already overflowing. A further 3 million cubic meters could flow in over three days, the ministry said, raising the risk of a breach during that window to a high level. Rain is forecast across the coming days.

Catholic relief agencies immediately responded to the unfolding disaster, linking their efforts to the urgent needs created by the floods.

Caritas Nepal said it had mobilized teams and begun operating community kitchens in areas where people lost their homes, while also distributing immediate relief supplies. Some Catholics who had been working in tourist areas remain unaccounted for, the agency said.

Catholic Relief Services launched an emergency appeal, saying it was coordinating with Caritas Nepal and local partners to assess urgent needs and support affected communities.

Caritas Australia launched an urgent flood appeal, confirming teams are on the ground assessing the scale of the disaster and the needs it has created.

The needs will most likely include emergency shelter, clean water and sanitation, food, and immediate and long-term recovery, the aid agency noted.

The apostolic administrator of Nepal told Fides news agency on Thursday this was “the worst disaster in the country’s history.”

“It was terrible. A flood coming from the mountains, and directed violently towards the valley, overwhelmed everything: people, homes, bridges, structures. Villages, markets, and roads were swept away. It is a serious wound for the nation,” Father Silas Krishna Bogati said.

“We have about 25 Catholic families in the disaster area; they appear to be safe, but we are very worried about them,” he said. “We entrust them to God, we pray for their safety, and we will do everything we can to help them.”

Bogati noted that Nepalese, as well as foreigners and tourists, were in the area at the time of the disaster.

At least 392 people have been killed, 389 of them in Nepal and three in Tibet, according to Nepali authorities and Chinese state media. More than 900 remain unaccounted for in Nepal and more than 550 in Tibet; 466 people have been rescued.

Pope Leo sent his condolences and offered prayers for the victims on Thursday, expressing solidarity with those affected by the floods. In an Aug. 27 telegram sent on behalf of Leo, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said the pope was “saddened to learn of the loss of life and devastation” caused by the floods.

“Commending the souls of the deceased to the clemency of the Almighty, His Holiness sends heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved, with the assurance of his spiritual closeness to those affected by this tragedy,” the telegram said.

This story was updated at 3:15 a.m. on Aug. 28, 2026, with details from Caritas Nepal and Catholic Relief Services.

A Requiem Mass for King Harald will be celebrated at St. Olavʼs Cathedral in Trondheim on Aug. 29 at noon, and lauds and vespers will also be offered for the late monarch.

EWTN Norway is streaming the services on its website and YouTube channel.

Within hours of the kingʼs death, Bishop Erik Varden of Trondheim published a tribute on behalf of Norwegian Catholics. He commended Harald to Godʼs mercy and offered prayers for Queen Sonja, the royal family, and the new King Haakon VIII.

Varden, a Trappist monk who also serves as apostolic administrator of Tromsø and president of the Nordic Bishops' Conference, opened his reflection with the ninth-century “Commendatio Animae” — the Churchʼs prayer for the dying.

“Go forth, Christian soul, from this world in the name of God, the Almighty Father, who created you; in the name of Jesus Christ, the living Son of God, who suffered for you; and in the name of the Holy Spirit, who was poured out upon you,” the prayer begins.

Varden wrote that the prayer reminds the faithful that death is a transition “from life to Life.”

Prayers for the new king

Varden described Harald as a monarch who embodied the nation in an exemplary way, giving Norwegians a sense of being seen and cared for.

“He was so completely and utterly king, devoted to the people, that it was as if no ego stood in the way,” the bishop wrote. “In this way, he drew near to us in a comforting way.”

Harald “has spoken wisely to us, with a subtle sense of humor that we will miss,” Varden added.

The bishop placed the kingʼs passing in the context of the ancient acclamation “The King is dead; long live the King,” and wrote that the monarchy stands as “a stable pillar in society” that represents continuity.

“In a time as uncertain as ours, that is a comfort,” he wrote.

Varden called on Norwegian Catholics to pray for King Haakon VIII. He asked the faithful for “blessings and wisdom” and called on Catholics to stand loyally by the new sovereign.

Closing his tribute, the bishop invoked the intercession of St. Olav, Norwayʼs patron saint.

King Haraldʼs reign

Harald V was born on Feb. 21, 1937, and ascended the throne on Jan. 17, 1991, succeeding his father, King Olav V. He reigned for 35 years.

A three-time Olympic yachtsman, Harald modernized the Norwegian royal house. Later in his life, he refused to abdicate, saying he had taken a lifelong oath before the Norwegian Parliament.

He had experienced multiple health problems in recent years.

Harald is survived by Queen Sonja, 89, his wife of 57 years, and their two children: Princess Märtha Louise, 54, and the new King Haakon VIII, 53. His granddaughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, is now next in line to the throne.

This report draws on coverage by EWTN Norway and reporting by Pål Johannes Nes.

Five Catholic colleges and universities told EWTN News they are crafting classroom AI policies in light of the pope’s encyclical, as the University of Chicago moves — as first reported by the student newspaper The Chicago Maroon — to make social sciences classes fully analog this fall.

Belmont Abbey College

“The Chicago response in their core classes resonates strongly with where our thoughts are going, although theyʼre a bit ahead of us in formulating a general policy,” David Williams, dean of arts and sciences and professor of theology at Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, North Carolina, told EWTN News.

“Discussions on the pedagogical response to AI have been ongoing for some time now, with new impetus as we absorb Pope Leoʼs encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas,” Williams said. “There’s a significant contingent among the faculty who prefer the all-analog approach, at least in our core curriculum classes, and are teaching accordingly as a matter of individual choice.”

According to Williams, a faculty-led committee is expected to deliver a report to the university’s president and provost by the end of the fall 2026 semester.

“I wouldnʼt be surprised at all to see a recommendation similar to Chicagoʼs for all our core curriculum courses; the core here is a substantial part of the overall degree program, so that would be more than 40% of a graduateʼs coursework,” he said.

Ave Maria University

Daniel Davy, dean of faculty and associate professor of history at Ave Maria University in southwest Florida, told EWTN News that Pope Leo’s “concern for preserving genuine human formation, rather than outsourcing it to a machine, is at the heart of AMUʼs approach to teaching and learning” but noted that the university does not have plans to institute a university-wide AI ban.

“AMU approaches AI with what Pope Leo XIV calls in the encyclical a spirit of ‘prudence, rigorous evaluation and even, at times, a slower pace’ (par. 106), rather than either uncritical adoption or blanket prohibition,” Davy said in an email.

“AMU does not have a university-wide AI ban comparable to the University of Chicagoʼs Social Sciences Core policy; academic policy here is set at the course and department level, since pedagogical needs vary by discipline,” he continued, noting that the university’s academic honor code bans use of generative AI in any part of the writing process and in all freshmen- and sophomore-level courses.

“We are far less concerned with whether a student turns in a perfectly polished paper than with how the student grows through the act of trying to communicate an idea,” Davy said. “This is where generative AI poses its deepest danger, because it offloads the process of thinking onto a machine that cannot, in fact, think. Outsourcing that struggle diminishes a studentʼs own capacity to encounter truth more deeply in each discipline, and through that truth, ultimately, Christ, to whom every field of knowledge points.”

University of Mary

“Here at Mary, one of our charisms is Friendship with Truth,” David Echelbarger, vice president for academic affairs at the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota, told EWTN News. “Because we are made in the image of a Triune God who is himself a communion of Persons,” he said, “we are not made to arrive at the truth alone. We come to it through dialogue and conversation with other people.” 

“One concern with AI, then, is that it turns learning into an isolated, impersonal endeavor,” he said. “To counter that, many of our professors are incorporating into their courses activities that require hard and rigorous thinking together.”

Additionally, he said, all faculty members have been asked to place an AI policy on each of their assignments, clarifying the degree to which the technology is permitted for each individual assignment, “which is meant to help students understand when the use of AI is a hindrance to their intellectual formation and when it is a helpful learning tool.”

Benedictine College

Mariele Courtois, assistant professor of theology and director of the Center for Technology and Human Dignity at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, told EWTN News that the college’s “Academic Misconduct” statement was recently updated “to clearly state that AI cannot be used ‘in place of a student’s own effort,’ in order to respect the learning process and the special connection between students and their academic work, which should reveal the students’ own personalities and convictions.”

“While some classes, especially in the STEM fields, may utilize or learn about AI — including its function, risks, dangers, and potential promises — many professors choose to make their classes AI-free both in the lecture hall and for homework, especially in Theology and the humanities,” Courtois said in an email. “Benedictine College respects the prudential judgment of professors to make the pedagogical choices that are best suited to their particular class goals and the aims of their respective disciplines.”

Courtois noted the college’s Center for Technology and Human Dignity was recently founded “to help guide discussions about rising biomedical and digital technologies in light of Catholic moral teaching.”

In addition, she said, the theme of the college’s annual Symposium on Transforming Culture on Sept. 4–5 will be “The Church in an Algorithmic Age” and “will bring together intellectuals and students from many fields and business sectors to discuss the ethical questions and social implications for transformative technologies such as AI.”

University of St. Thomas

“With Pope Leo XIV, UST is alive both to the ways in which AI can serve the human and the ways in which the human can be made to serve the work of His hands,” Thomas Harmon, professor of theology and director of the University of St. Thomas’ honors program special projects, told EWTN News.

Harmon said the university, located in Houston, does not have a blanket ban on artificial intelligence but noted that many core courses prohibit screens and emphasize developing students’ own skills rather than relying on AI.

“We regard AI as an important and potentially very useful technology that needs to be utilized in ways that serve rather than replace human excellence, which requires training, formation, practice, and guidance by faculty mentors who themselves have already cultivated the habits we want our students to develop,” he said.

“Since it is so new, the ways in which it can be responsibly integrated into an excellent liberal education are not all clear yet, but we are confident that we will be able to integrate this new technology analogously to the ways in which we have integrated other useful technologies like books, pencils, white boards, and computers,” Harmon said.

“Iʼm very impressed with her credentials and her pro-life heart,” Dannenfelser said in an Aug. 26 interview with “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly” anchor Abigail Galván. “She, behind the scenes, was working very hard to make sure that the FDA was moving in the right direction on a new study to base further action on.”

The position became vacant after Dr. Marty Makary was fired and is currently filled by acting commissioner Kyle Diamantas, whom Dannenfelser also described as “a very strong pro-life person.”

“We’ve been extremely disappointed from the beginning of the administration with the direction of the FDA and the inaction from the Department of Justice, or the undermining of the pro-life priorities at the Department of Justice,” Dannenfelser said. “What I think is that her naming is an indication of the right direction that … this administration is now taking.”

Confirmation hearings will begin as soon as the Senate is back in session. Dannenfelser said she anticipates the hearings “will probably go pretty well.”

“Now, it doesnʼt mean that the hard questions shouldnʼt be asked,” she said. “They must be asked, and one of those questions would be the direction of the study: How long it will take? What do you see about preliminary findings come out that the court has ordered to be communicated in early October? And do you support the Department of Justice doing what it can to settle this case and get the drugs immediately out of the mail?”

“Because there is a challenge from the state of Louisiana, representing many states, that are saying what we all know: They have basically nullified those state laws,” she continued. “Theyʼve put a burden on states to help women that should never have been in a horrible situation. So while itʼs a question about the Department of Justice, one should not claim that the FDA is the only entity that can do something about fixing this horrific problem that is occurring for children and women in this nation.”

Dannenfelser called for a return to the first Trump administration policy on abortion drugs.

“Weʼve been battling for quite some time from the beginning of this administration to get these drugs out of the mail, and all weʼre hoping for, and what all any sane voter wants to see, is that on the at least on the Republican side, that we return to the first Trump administration policy on the distribution of these drugs, that only in a Biden administration that put on an emergency cloak around the distribution around the COVID moment,” she said.

“Itʼs time to restore the first Trump administration rules — no reason why we shouldnʼt,” she said. “The DOJ can act now and should.”

But unlike most people, she had another set of refrigerators to worry about — the commercial ones at the food pantry she coordinates at her parish, St. Mary of the Lake in Gary.

“I have two or three freezers full of meat. I have two refrigerators full of refrigerated items. Panic sets in, because I do not have a generator there,” Simon told the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News.

Not having an alternative power source, Simon was able to secure alternative storage options for the food, allowing St. Mary’s to continue serving the poor as some in the region enter their third week without electricity.

The outages began on Aug. 11, when 100 mph wind gusts and heavy rain blew through northwest Indiana and east Chicago. Numerous municipalities in northern Indiana including Gary, Portage, Lake Station, and Munster suffered widespread power outages, with as many as 400,000 customers affected at the peak.

Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) announced that power would be restored for nearly all of its customers in the area by Aug. 25. But more than 7,000 customers in Gary were without power for two weeks. The outages heavily affected the predominantly African American city of about 70,000 people, which has a poverty rate of about 33%, more than three times higher than the national average.

Indiana’s Republican governor, Mike Braun, called for an investigation into NIPSCO over the lengthy outages.

‘Trying to meet the need’

While conditions were extremely difficult, they also fostered solidarity.

When Simon was searching for alternative options for storing St. Mary’s perishable food pantry items, she started calling around to other ministries around Gary that the Catholic food bank works alongside. Many of them were also struggling due to the lack of electricity, but a nearby Christian church that still had power offered to keep 100 containers of milk cold, while the local secular food bank was able to keep the meat frozen.

Last Saturday, the volunteers at St. Mary’s loaded up their cars and distributed nonperishable food to 200 households in a local housing complex, including for several people with disabilities who were trapped with nonfunctioning elevators amid the blackout. Other parishes around Gary, along with local Knights of Columbus councils, also stepped up to offer food and other aid to their neighbors.

Bishop Robert McClory of the Diocese of Gary said in an Aug. 14 social media message that the trying times in the region are an “opportunity for us ... to be attentive to each other’s needs, to check in on your neighbors."

“I know many of us have already experienced a certain solidarity coming together with our neighbors during this time of need,” McClory continued. “Now is our opportunity to allow our Christian witness to shine forth. Know that you’ll all be in my prayers, and as we work together to navigate through this, we trust in the Lord, and we seek, as St. Paul says, to bear each other’s burdens.”

Terry Seljan, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Gary, told the Register that while roughly 99% of those who had lost power have now had it restored, significant needs remain among residents recovering from the recent storms.

Many people had to throw away food from refrigerators and freezers and are seeking assistance to restock their food, he explained. Others whose sump pumps stopped working during the heavy rain lost appliances, mattresses, and other belongings due to water damage. Additionally, some people who were unable to work while local businesses were shut down are seeking help with rent, while others need building supplies to make home repairs they cannot afford to address through insurance.

Seljan said the organization is focusing primarily on providing financial assistance and is asking those who want to help to donate through its website.

Prayers are ‘greatly appreciated’

With the help of roughly 60 regular volunteers, the St. Mary of the Lake pantry normally distributes mostly nonperishable food on the third Monday of each month. Normally at this time of year, the pantry serves about 155 households, or roughly 450 individuals.

Amid the power outages, St. Mary’s also donated some 1,400 pounds of fresh produce grown at a massive community garden associated with the parish to the local fire station for further distribution.

Father Jayababu Nuthulapati, rector of the Cathedral of the Holy Angels in Gary and pastor of two other parishes, including St. Mary of the Lake, told the Register that prayers for their community are greatly appreciated.

“[The storm] was very devastating,” he said, but “we never stopped feeding the poor.”

“We continue doing that even in the difficult moments, because we want to be out there for the people. And I’m very grateful for the volunteers,” Nuthulapati said.

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago and Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Gary have also been highly engaged, addressing the immediate and ongoing needs in the communities affected by the blackouts, including food, clothing, and housing assistance. 

On Aug. 22, the Chicago Bears announced a donation of $100,000 to the Chicago and Gary Catholic Charities to help them in this work. 

While St. Mary of the Lake’s pantry is managing with the help of the wider community, the church is currently seeking the donation of a backup generator to protect the investment of its food in the case of another emergency like this, Nuthulapati added.

For Simon, the experience has been a heartwarming show of community cooperation and a chance to practice gratitude.

“Thank God that we have what we have,” she said. “It could be worse. It could be a lot worse.”

This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, and has been adapted by EWTN News.

“I am very sorry to hear of her passing, and I am praying for those who are mourning her loss,” said Bishop Mark Beckman of Knoxville in a statement. "She made a wonderful contribution to our world and our community, and she will be greatly missed.”

The artist passed away on Aug. 25 at the age of 80 following a brief battle with cancer. Parton is being remembered across the world for her work as a singer, songwriter, actress, businesswoman, and philanthropist whose career spanned over 60 years.

“East Tennessee knew Dolly Parton as more than a world-famous star. We knew her as one of our own,” the diocese said in a statement.

“She was shaped by these hills and these churches. Her life shows what can grow from faith, perseverance, imagination, and love for oneʼs neighbors — even from humble beginnings,” the statement said.

Parton, who was not Catholic, sang and spoke frequently about her Christian faith and love for Jesus. Some of her public views — including her support for same‑sex marriage — differed from Catholic teaching. She was publicly silent on her views about abortion.

“She first sang in a small Pentecostal church, long before the world knew her name,” the diocesan statement said. Parton included the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame in her Dollywood theme park.

“She never hid her faith. It showed up in the hymns she recorded across six decades, in how openly she talked about God, and in the millions of free books her Imagination Library has placed in childrenʼs hands,” the statement said.

Parton’s “life carried the spirit of our mountain home far beyond the Smokies,” the statement said.

“As Catholics, we entrust her to the mercy of Almighty God. We pray that Jesus, who is the resurrection and the life, will receive her into His eternal kingdom,” the statement said.

Remembering Parton’s ‘generosity’

Father Jim Sichko, a papal missionary of mercy who has repeatedly referred to Parton as a friend, also mourned the artist’s passing, calling her “a woman whose extraordinary gifts reached far beyond the stage.”

“As a Papal Missionary of Mercy, I will remember Dolly not simply as an icon of American music, but as a woman who understood that blessings are meant to be shared,” Sichko said in a statement.

Sichko, a priest of the Diocese of Lexington, said he “had the privilege of welcoming Dolly to my church on several occasions.” He added: “She generously used her presence and influence to help raise money to support my ministry and its work of mercy.”

Parton “never forgot where she came from, and she never seemed to forget the people who needed a helping hand,” Sichko said.

“Her faith, generosity, humor, and unmistakable spirit touched millions,” he said.

"My faith impacts everything that I do because I do believe that, through God, all things are possible,” Parton said in a 2023 interview with Fox News. “And so I always ask God to bless everything that I do and the people that I work with and to bring all the right things and right people into my life and to take the wrong ones out.”

“So, I try to just live through love as much as I can,” Parton said.

“As representatives of the people, your mandate is clear: You must champion an immediate, binding international ban on fully autonomous lethal weapons,” the cardinal and archbishop of Yangon, Myanmar, said in Assisi, Italy, on Aug. 24.

“To automate the battlefield is to lower the moral threshold for violence, stripping conflict of human conscience and turning our sons, daughters, and citizens into bloodless data points,” he added.

Bo addressed lawmakers during a one-day peace summit organized by the International Catholic Legislators Network (ICLN) on Aug. 24. The summit immediately followed the group’s annual meeting in Rome Aug. 20–23, which included a private audience with Pope Leo XIV.

Bo — whose country has been suffering for years under unrelenting violence, economic collapse, and dramatic humanitarian concerns — gave a strong warning about AI’s “potential to amplify human conflicts and malice.”

“Human conflicts alone resulted in the deaths of 135 million people in the 20th century,” he said. “Now, we have a new lethal actor: AI in the hands of a few, in some countries, who perceive AI as the bride of geostrategic power games.”

The cardinal sounded the alarm about “a terrifying marriage of autocratic monopolies and automated surveillance” that replaces human freedom; he urged legislators not to give in to the pressure to adopt a “There Is No Alternative (TINA) narrative.”

“As lawmakers and Christians, we are called upon to embrace a different TINA: ‘There Is a New Alternative.’ This alternative involves human-led AI that would bring greater prosperity and ultimately lead to durable peace for all,” he said.

‘Christ is our model’

Acknowledging that his prognosis about AI may appear pessimistic or even dystopian, Bo recalled that the objective is to shape a society grounded in lasting peace.

“Between dystopian reaction and utopian celebration, humanity requires a guiding beacon in its journey. For men and women of faith, Christ serves as that beacon, the savior sent to remind humanity of its earthly and heavenly path,” he said.

“Christ is our model,” he continued. “Christ’s warning in Matthew 26:52 rings across history: ‘Put your sword back in its place... for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.’ When you delegate lethal force to an autonomous weapon system, the concept of a ‘moral agent’ collapses entirely. A machine cannot possess a right intention; it cannot comprehend grief, mercy, or the sacred value of a human life. It can only execute statistical optimization.”

The cardinal reminded Christian lawmakers of their responsibility to the people who elected them.

“Your faith is not a private luxury to be hidden away; it is a public covenant to build peace in a world tearing at the seams,” he said.

“We live in an era uniquely troubled by global war, civic unrest, and crushing economic upheaval, but Christ calls Christian leaders to a radically different, courageous path,” he added, quoting Christ’s words in Matthew 5:9, that “Blessed are the peacemakers.”

“Notice carefully that he does not bless the ‘peace-lovers’ or the ‘peace-wishers.’ He blesses the peacemakers — those who actively build bridges, enforce structural justice, and cultivate narrative empathy across bitter political and social divides,” he said.

True leaders in AI regulation

Bo noted the presence of Christopher Olah, a co-founder of Anthropic and machine learning researcher, at the May presentation of Pope Leo’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, and called it a sign that “the architects of our digital future are begging for governance. They are confessing that while they understand the code, they do not have the answers for human dignity.”

“If you refuse to regulate, if you accept the myth of technological inevitability, you are abdicating your sovereign duty to the people who elected you,” he said.

“In the words of St. Francis of Assisi, remember that ‘all the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle,’” the cardinal said. “Let your governance be that candle. Stand up as true leaders. Establish binding legal guardrails, demand corporate transparency, reject the automation of human slaughter, and ensure that technology remains entirely subservient to the magnificent humanity that God has entrusted to our care.”

The meeting highlights deepening ecumenical ties as Norway prepares to mark the 1,000th anniversary of its Christianization. The upcoming 2030 millennium commemorates 1,000 years since the pivotal Battle of Stiklestad in 1030, where King Olav Haraldsson was martyred. His death ultimately cemented the nation’s conversion to Christianity and established St. Olav as Norway’s patron saint.

Norwegian Catholic leaders greeted the historic Vatican encounter with great joy. “We have excellent ecumenical relations with the Church of Norway and are pleased that the bishops have an opportunity to meet Pope Leo XIV,” Bishop Fredrik Hansen of Oslo said. “We look forward to the millennium of Norway’s conversion and hope this jubilee will give occasion for broad ecumenical collaboration.”

Before visiting Rome, Presiding Lutheran Bishop Olav Fykse Tveit announced he would use the papal audience to invite Pope Leo XIV to the upcoming jubilee celebrations in Norway.

The pope closed the meeting by praying that Catholics and Lutherans live “ever more truly as brothers and sisters” and give “common witness to our savior, Our Lord Jesus Christ.”

A petition for a special year of jubilee

To mark this national milestone, Norway’s Catholic leadership, represented by Hansen and Bishop Erik Varden of Trondheim, formally petitioned Pope Leo XIV to declare a special year of jubilee for the Catholic Church in Norway running from July 29, 2030, through Aug. 3, 2031.

Explaining the significance of the dates, Varden explained that St. Olav is the centerpiece of the upcoming millennium. “29 July 2030 will mark the millennium of his martyr’s death at Stiklestad; 3 August 2031 will mark the millennium of his exhumation, when his body was found incorrupt,” he noted. “On that day he was proclaimed a saint not just for Norway, but for all of Christendom.”

For Catholics, a jubilee year serves as a period of special grace centered on prayer, pilgrimage, and reconciliation.

Hansen highlighted that the year will allow local Catholics and international pilgrims to walk in St. Olavʼs footsteps while renewing their faith “in gratitude for the Christian patrimony with which Norway has been blessed.” He added that the celebration will help the faithful keep “their eyes set on the Church’s present and future task in this country.”

A model of conversion and national identity

Speaking to EWTN News, Varden noted St. Olav’s life as a compelling witness for people who feel alienated from organized religion. Rather than viewing the saint as an untouchable historical figure, Varden pointed to his personal transformation.

“What attracts us in the life of any saint is to see how grace works over time and gradually transforms a person,” Varden said, describing the young king as “headstrong, ambitious, self-assured, [and] proud.”

Yet Olav was “increasingly drawn into Christ’s gentle mystery, fascinated by the all-reconciling love displayed in the cross,” making him “a model of conversion” for modern believers. Varden also noted that at the end of Olav’s life, Christ’s love was “the only thing that really mattered to him.”

Looking ahead to the jubilee’s pastoral impact, the prelate noted that his diocese began preparations years ago, choosing to use the millennium as “an opportunity to renew our baptismal promises.”

“We want to re-root ourselves in the essence of our faith,” he explained, adding that he hopes visiting pilgrims will discover the “fascination and freeing power” of Nordic Christianity. He noted Norway’s patrimony expressed across liturgy, literature, and architecture, which represents a “flowering of sanctity” that the Nordic Church is eager to share with the world.

This vision could also pave the way for a potential papal visit during the jubilee period.

Restoring Nidaros and looking toward 2033

Nidaros, the medieval name for present-day Trondheim, was one of northern Europe’s most important Christian pilgrimage centers. The city became the focal point of devotion to St. Olav, whose shrine at Nidaros Cathedral drew pilgrims from across Scandinavia and beyond.

“The cult of St. Olav spread with great speed in the 11th century,” Varden said, noting that it “nurtured apostolic efforts and the founding of churches throughout northern Europe.” He sees the revival of the pilgrimage as a means of recovering that Christian heritage, calling it “an aid to rereading the Christian history of our continent” and a source of inspiration for “endeavors of new evangelization.”

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“Unfortunately, too often Catholics and Catholic leaders are acting more like thermometers instead of thermostats,” Jonathan Lewis, mission strategy officer for the Paulist Fathers and co-director of the Communion Project, told EWTN News.

“Weʼre reading the temperature of the room or the culture, instead of setting the temperature according to our values and the truths of the Church,” he said.

“So, part of what this effort is aimed to do is to lower the temperature of division and distrust, starting with those of us Catholics who call ourselves brothers and sisters, who are a real spiritual family,” Lewis said.

“As we approach any election season, thereʼs always a need to help lower the temperature, have more thoughtful conversations, discern our Catholic values,” he said.

The Catholic initiative hopes to heal toxic polarization in the Church by creating dialogue, providing resources, promoting unity through national communication methods, and by aiding local communities to create unification at their level, organizers said. Exact plans are still being formed.

“Weʼre just beginning … and trying to share,” Lewis said. “Weʼre starting with a lot of resources” and “adapting resources that already existed.”

“Then weʼre planning, over the next year or two years, to develop programs for dioceses and organizations and religious communities, students in Catholic schools.”

The movement to start the project began in 2022 at the Paulist Fathers’ general assembly.

“One of the priorities of the Paulists is to read the signs of the times, like the Second Vatican Council tells us to do, so that we can respond in a spirit-filled way,” Lewis said.

At the gathering, they discussed “the realities of the United States and the Church in the United States today that we need to respond to or engage,” he said. “And thatʼs when the topic of toxic polarization emerged.”

"The polarization affecting the U.S. Catholic Church is not merely a matter of policy dispute or partisan loyalty,” said Father Ricky Manalo, CSP, co-director of the Communion Project. “It is a deeply spiritual and relational rupture, shaping how Catholics imagine moral life, celebrate the sacraments, interpret tradition, and remain in communion amid difference.”

“Within Catholic life, polarization is more than disagreement; it is the loss of our capacity to remain in relationship, even amid difference, as one body in Christ,” he said.

Inspired by Pope Francis, the group founded The Paulist Initiative on Polarization as a national partnership of Catholic leaders committed to strengthening unity across political, theological, and cultural divisions.

In 2025, the effort was renamed the Communion Project following Pope Leo XIV’s public commitment to building communion in the Church.

“This is really a priority of Pope Leo,” Lewis said. “In his first inaugural Mass, Pope Leo said his first great desire would be for a unified Church in communion. We really see this as an initiative that is trying to live out the message and the priority of the Holy Father.”

Polarization in the U.S.

When people think of polarization, they usually first think of “left and right politics, Republicans, Democrats,” Lewis said. “And certainly thatʼs one area, but I really see polarization showing up in a lot of different ways.”

“This isnʼt only in public life or in politics, where one might expect, itʼs also in the Roman Catholic Church in the United States,” Lewis said.

It can come up due to division surrounding the liturgy, or cultural or generational differences, but ultimately the goal is to remind Catholics of shared beliefs and values.

The project hopes to help the faithful “see that while people might prioritize different dimensions of our Catholic social teaching, thereʼs unity within that work, and we need to bring people together,” Lewis said.

For example, the Church has a mission to protect human dignity, and “some people focus on ending the death penalty,” while “other people might focus on ending abortion and the work of the pro-life movement,” Lewis explained. “Even if weʼre working in different areas, those areas are not in conflict.”

Connection through communication

The initiative’s resources and formation experiences are organized around three interconnected dimensions: the head, the heart, and the hands.

The project offers a “development of resources that impact our head, meaning our knowledge and our self-awareness,” and “also our hearts in terms of our prayer and discernment,” Lewis said.

There are also resources that impact “our hands,” which focus on “building skills and building relationships,” Lewis said.

“So we want to help organizations and churches work with leaders in particular, to equip them with the resources and programming to help them make a positive impact in their local community,” he said.

The resources can be found in the Communion Project’s “resource library” on its website, which offers a number of options for people to independently utilize or bring to a group. It also offers gatherings and workshops to aid its cause.

In the online library, people can find upcoming events, online courses, prayers for communion, articles, learning sessions to be used in small groups, and a Communion Project podcast.

It also has educational videos provided by outside organizations including Georgetown University, University of Notre Dame, and Boston College.

So far the podcast has included conversations with Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore on what happens when the faithful stop seeing one another as brothers and sisters, and University of Notre Dameʼs Tim O’Malley on liturgical division and what it means to live in communion with people.

The first episode featured a conversation “with Tim Busch, founder of Napa Institute, and Father James Martin from America Media, two people who speak to very different parts of the Church … but have developed a personal friendship,” Lewis said.

“It was a great opportunity to put people in the same place to talk about their friendship, of their shared faith, realizing that what unites us is so much stronger than what divides us,” he said.

“What matters most is gathering around a particular Eucharistic table and a particular family table and having hard conversations or sitting in discomfort, because love compels us to do hard things,” Lewis said.

The initiative is only “just beginning in terms of programming and trying to share.” But since starting, “thereʼs a great interest” among local communities wanting to be involved.

“The path of healing begins not in dominating strength, but in shared vulnerability. When both Church and nation dare to move toward one another — wounded yet willing — they may discover that grace lives precisely in the places we thought were beyond repair,” Manalo said.

While the event has captured the attention of the Catholic community in the country, the Church has urged the faithful to exercise “prudence and restraint.”

A consecrated host that reportedly failed to dissolve

The Niño Dios (Child God) Cathedral of the Diocese of Santa Rosa de Lima announced in a statement that the occurrence took place on July 30 during a Mass for Eucharistic Missionary Week held at a private school in Cuilapa, a city located approximately 40 miles southeast of Guatemala City.

According to the statement, during Communion, the priest celebrating the Mass noticed that one of the young people who had received the Eucharist “was taking the sacred host out of his mouth; he quickly approached him and was able to prevent him from discarding it on the floor.”

“Following the guidelines for such cases, the priest placed the sacred host in a glass vessel containing water in the rectory chapel,” the statement explained.

The intention was for the host to dissolve naturally. However, according to the statement, “the following Thursday [Aug. 13], while cleaning the chapel, a parish volunteer noticed that the host had not dissolved and bore red stains that could be blood.”

The discovery was reported to the parish priest, who questioned and took a statement from the volunteer who had noticed the situation. Subsequently, the matter was reported to Bishop José Cayetano Parra Novo of the Diocese of Santa Rosa de Lima.

‘Prudence and restraint’

The cathedral explicitly urged the faithful to exercise “prudence and restraint.”

“Throughout history, the Church has received testimony regarding the real and substantial presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, under this unique form of manifestation,” the cathedral noted in its statement, cautioning that such cases “have been neither common nor easy to discern; therefore, they cannot be called miracles until a full investigation, which must be carried out and will take time, is concluded.”

The cathedral also announced that the host is being reserved “in a special place and will not be on public display,” while Parra Novo is providing “guidelines for the necessary discernment and to enable a study of this possible Eucharistic manifestation” of the Real Presence.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Now, Our Lady of Grace is memorializing that connection in a fresco by Minnesota-based artist Mark Balma.

Balma is in the process of painting two large frescoes at the altar of Our Lady of Grace. On the right, already finished, is an image of Mary and the angel at the Annunciation. Green and blue ribbons painted in the bottom-right corner pay tribute to the school and the community.

“In the centuries-old tradition of Catholic sacred art, images have always carried more than beauty — they carry the prayers, memories, and stories of the communities who create and encounter them,” Rámond Mitchell, director of liturgy for Our Lady of Grace, told EWTN News.

“Sacred art has a unique ability to hold memory, communicate faith, and invite people into prayer,” Mitchell continued.

“Because our two communities had walked so closely with one another through such a difficult time, we wanted to create a lasting remembrance within our own sacred space as a reminder of the people we accompanied, the lives that were forever changed, and the hope and faith that sustained us,” Mitchell said.

Meaning of the ribbons

Balma painted blue-and-green ribbons onto a vase within his Annunciation fresco as a tribute to the community of Annunciation Church and School.

Mitchell explained how blue-and-green ribbons were an important symbol to the community after the shooting.

“Following the shooting, people throughout the surrounding community tied blue-and-green ribbons to doors, trees, lampposts, fences, and other places as a visible sign of solidarity and remembrance,” Mitchell said.

“In the fresco, the ribbons are tied around a water jug beside Mary. We wanted the ribbons to feel integrated into the scene rather than separate from it,” Mitchell continued. “The water jug is an ordinary object, much like the ordinary details of daily life that surrounded Mary when the angel appeared to her.”

“In that way, the ribbons become part of an ordinary moment that has been transformed by the presence of God and a reminder of the Annunciation community and of the sacredness of their lives and stories,” Mitchell continued.

Balma, who was in the Twin Cities at the time of the shooting, was asked to “find a way to honor the Annunciation community.”

“This tragedy really touched me and I prayed for guidance at how to best honor the children and families,” Balma told EWTN News.

“As a painter I try to find within Scriptures a word or concept that might help me unlock a vision to reveal a fresh way to transform the words into images,” Balma said. “For instance in the Annunciation fresco, the line ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord’ became the focal point of the imagery.”

“My concept for the Annunciation fresco is different than most historical depictions. They usually place an older-looking Mary in a room or cloister visited by Gabriel and the Holy Spirit,” Balma said. “As I studied the Scriptures, I found no reference to her being in a room.”

Balma pointed out that at the time of the Annunciation, Mary “was not that much older than the children” of Annunciation School.

“I imagined the 14-year-old Mary as carrying on her daily chores like going to the well for water,” Balma said. “So full of beautiful symbolism, the water vase then became the place I could attach the ribbons that were placed in the community in remembrance of the children.”

“Water is healing, and tying the ribbons around the vase seemed to be the heartfelt way to honor the children,” Balma said.

Sister communities

The community at Our Lady of Grace stepped up after the shooting; it was a tragedy that struck them deeply.

“Annunciation is not far from Our Lady of Grace, and there have long been many connections between our two communities,” Mitchell said. “Some of our parishioners attended Annunciation themselves, while others have children or grandchildren who attended the school. Our teachers knew teachers there, and some members of our parish community were neighbors or friends of students, staff, and families affected by the shooting.”

“Because of those relationships, the tragedy was felt very deeply at Our Lady of Grace,” Mitchell said. “In the aftermath, our parish and school community was able to offer a place of safety, hospitality, prayer, and support. Our campus became a place where members of the Annunciation community could simply be together when so much of their world had been disrupted.”

The principal of Annunciation was present at the live painting session when Balma painted the ribbons into the fresco, which was a particularly significant moment, Mitchell said.

“Having members of the Annunciation community participate in and witness the creation of the work has made the memorial even more meaningful,” Mitchell said.

Jerusalem Magistrate Court Judge Ophir Tischler acquitted Yona Schreiber citing an assessment from a district psychiatrist that found Schreiber was experiencing a psychotic episode during the attack and could not be found criminally responsible, according to The Jerusalem Post.

The Aug. 26 ruling ordered Schreiber to be committed to an inpatient treatment facility for a maximum six years, though he may be released early if a psychiatric council determines his mental condition to be improved.

The psychiatric assessment further diagnosed Schreiber with schizophrenia, media reports said. The assessment noted that a lack of conclusive evidence showing how Schreiber’s mental state led him to carry out the attack on the religious sister but said the illness influenced his actions nonetheless.

Schreiber was arrested and charged in April with assault and hostility toward a religious group for pushing a Catholic sister to the ground and kicking her in the head. The April 28 assault took place on Mount Zion near King David’s Tomb, steps from Dormition Abbey.

Videos of the attack circulated on social media, fueling a backlash and further outrage over persistent attacks against Christians in Israel and the West Bank.

At the time, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said it strongly condemned Schreiber’s actions, writing in an April 29 social media post: “Israel remains firmly committed to safeguarding freedom of religion and freedom of worship for all faiths, and to ensuring that Jerusalem remains a city where every community can live, pray, and practice its faith in safety and dignity.”

Speaking at the Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples in Rimini, Italy, Sideman said that “any act of violence against anyone is unacceptable” and that those responsible should be dealt with according to the law. However, he added that the situation in Taybeh had been “described in far more serious terms than it actually is.”

Sideman maintained that Israel is governed by the rule of law and guarantees religious freedom. He also assured pilgrims that visiting the holy sites is safe and encouraged them to return to the Holy Land.

The Observatory for the Christian Presence in the Holy Land said the ambassador’s characterization was inconsistent with the documented pattern of attacks and incursions affecting Taybeh — the last town in the West Bank with an entirely Christian population.

The incidents have been documented by the local Church and town institutions and followed by diplomatic missions, international media, and human rights organizations.

In July 2025, patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem visited Taybeh alongside diplomats and representatives from more than 20 countries following an escalation of attacks against the town and its religious sites.

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, warned at the time that the violence was leading some Christians to consider leaving the West Bank.

The World Council of Churches reported in August 2026 that Taybeh had received more than 50 diplomatic visits over the previous year, in addition to continued media attention. The organization highlighted residents’ concerns about attacks, incursions, and the effects of the violence on their daily lives.

Father Bashar Fawadleh, the Latin Patriarchate’s parish priest in Taybeh and head of the Observatory for the Christian Presence in the Holy Land, said the issue was not a series of isolated incidents but an accumulating reality affecting residents’ security, access to their land and livelihoods, and ability to remain in the town. He stressed that condemnations of the attacks must be followed by protection, accountability, and concrete measures to prevent their recurrence.

On Aug. 9, Israeli military authorities declared Taybeh closed to Israeli nonresidents. The military said the measure followed what it described as “violent attacks by Israelis” in the area and was intended to protect residents and maintain public order.

For local Christians, the official measure underscored the gap between the level of danger recognized by authorities on the ground and the ambassador’s assessment of the situation.

Christians in Taybeh are therefore repeating their invitation: “Come and see.” They are calling on visitors to meet the town’s families, farmers, and young people, listen to their testimonies, and witness firsthand the conditions affecting the Christian community, its land, and its property.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) refugee office proposed a rule on June 26 to update how it runs the program for unaccompanied children, including adding tougher background checks for adults who want to take in those children.

In a letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., William Quinn, general counsel for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), warned that the proposed rule could negatively affect unaccompanied children and their families.

The rule would add more requirements for evaluating sponsors before releasing unaccompanied migrant children from federal custody to them, including proof of identity and income, and background checks for sponsors and adult household members.

The bishops said they’re “grateful” for efforts to ensure “children are placed in safe and stable environments upon their release from government custody” but warned proposed sponsor‑vetting rules exclude otherwise eligible parents and relatives from sponsoring children, the letter said.

The bishops said they fear the proposed rule could keep children separated from their families longer because some parents or relatives “without lawful immigration status” may not have the documents the government would require including proof of identity and income. Under federal law, prospective sponsors may be noncitizens, including those without lawful immigration status.

The bishops warned that without enough flexibility, the rules could block eligible parents and relatives from taking in children, making reunification harder and keeping kids in government custody longer.

Longer custody stays for migrant children

The bishops said they are concerned about a “striking increase in the average length of time children are already spending” in the government’s care, the letter said.

The letter detailed federal data that found an increase in the average length of care over the past 10 fiscal years. Average monthly time in government care has surged in fiscal 2026 even as far fewer children entered the system, according to HHS data.

The average length of care in fiscal 2026 so far is nearly 190 days, according to federal data. The number is up from 2025, when the average stay was 117 days.

Previously, the highest monthly average length of care was 69 days in fiscal 2020. The average decreased during the Biden administration with an average number of 33 days in government care in 2021 and 29 days in 2022.

The bishops’ letter also points to government research indicating that children who remain in custody for prolonged periods of time can experience more stress, anxiety, and behavioral issues. These affects could lead to higher levels of defiance, hopelessness, and frustration, as well as more instances of self-harm and suicidal ideation, the letter said.

Proposed recommendations

“Pope Leo XIV has referred to children as ‘the most vulnerable group within the global movements of migration,’” the letter said.

“Unaccompanied children are particularly vulnerable to human trafficking, domestic servitude, and other exploitative situations. The Church considers it a moral obligation on the part of society as a whole to ensure that all children are protected from such harms, consistent with their God-given dignity,” the letter said.

To carry out this obligation, the bishops said they urge the government “to maintain and ensure reasonable flexibility regarding sponsor suitability requirements proposed.”

They asked that the government allow “deviation from the enumerated list of documents on a case-by-case basis” and allow “waivers for the requirement to collect Social Security or taxpayer identification numbers.”

They added that an “inability to show formal proof of income should not automatically disqualify a prospective sponsor.”

The bishops said while the changes aim to fix problems in how sponsors are vetted, the government’s own poor recordkeeping is one reason those problems exist. A 2024 HHS inspector general report found serious failures in how the agency documented the vetting.

The letter highlighted the need for “post-release services,” including access to legal counsel, enforcement of federal anti-trafficking and child labor laws, and general protection of children after reunification with a safe sponsor.

In a heated exchange that aired on the evening of Aug. 24 on Fox News’ “Jesse Watters Primetime,” Watters asked El-Sayed if he thinks opposing sharia — the religious law of the Islamic faith — is akin to “white supremacy.”

Watters pointed to a 2022 speech El-Sayed made for the Oklahoma branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations where he likened the 2010 passage of a law preemptively banning sharia in Oklahoma to white supremacist “forces” in the state who “destroyed Black Wall Street” and “drove native peoples from their lands.” That law passed with over 70% of the vote but was struck down by a federal judge.

Responding to Watters, El-Sayed said: “I don’t begrudge you your right to practice your faith as you choose. I don’t know why the idea that I could practice my faith as I choose is a problem.”

“Nobody is trying to push sharia law on anyone else,” he continued. “Just like I hope nobody is trying to push canon law on anybody else, because we live in America, where you should have the freedom of your religion.”

He said that with Muslims comprising around 1% of the U.S. population, preemptively trying to ban sharia law “seems to me to be deliberately targeting the Muslim community because theyʼre different.”

Watters and El-Sayed also sparred during the interview on topics including immigration enforcement, environmental issues, transgender medical procedures, taxes, Iran, and the economy.

El-Sayed’s campaign did not respond to an EWTN News inquiry inviting him to further discuss the matter.

Difference between canon law and sharia law

Sharia law, which governs Islamic religious practice along with family matters and financial transactions, also deals with aspects of political governance and public law, forming part or all of the political and legal systems in several Muslim-majority countries.

Canon law, on the other hand, regulates only the Catholic Church’s internal structure and functions, including rules about clergy, sacraments, and other ecclesiastical and administrative norms. It does not function as a civil or political legal code for the state or for non-Catholics, as sharia can for Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

Catholics are generally expected to obey the just civil laws of their countries, and canon law does not affect those laws.

Catholic media personality Michael Knowles mocked El-Sayed’s position on X, writing: “[T]he Catholic Church requires ministers to use plant oils in sacraments with the blessings of a bishop, so why shouldnʼt courts allow Muslim men to have four wives?"

Kyle Shideler, the director and senior analyst for homeland security and counterterrorism at the Center for Security Policy, wrote on X that El-Sayed’s comparison between canon and sharia law is “deliberately misleading.”

He noted that sharia law contains elements that conflict with U.S. laws, including “Islamic marriage contracts which conflict with policies on child welfare,” among others.

The Democrat is set to face Republican nominee Mike Rogers in the general election in Michigan this fall.

El-Sayed was born in Michigan to Egyptian parents. An epidemiologist, if elected he would be the first Muslim and the first Egyptian-American elected to serve in the U.S. Senate.

This story was updated on Aug. 28, 2026, noting that El-Sayed’s campaign did not respond to an EWTN News request for comment.

The disputed public displays are located within sight of each other at El Pueblo de Los Angeles, which has long been marked as a historical monument commemorating the founding of the city in 1781. The site was first established by settlers from Spain known as “los pobladores.”

The cross is displayed year-round at the head of Olvera Street, while the Nativity is displayed about 150 feet away in a gazebo in the site’s plaza every Christmas season.

Los Angeles resident Jack Gerritsen sued the city government alleging that the displays violate the establishment clause of the U.S. Constitution, which forbids federal and state government entities from favoring specific religions.

Gerritsen alleged that the displays make him “feel excluded as a nonbeliever.” A U.S. district court initially ruled against him, leading him to appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.

In an Aug. 24 filing, the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty asked the appeals court to allow a group of merchants on Olvera Street to intervene in the case as defendants alongside the city. The merchants have “a significant and legally protected interest in preserving the historic and cultural heritage of El Pueblo,” the filing said.

The business owners, the filing said, have “concrete economic interests in preserving the cross and nativity as important attractions that draw visitors to the area.”

The merchants help bring a “growing volume of visitors” to the area who travel there to witness the site’s “authentic and uninterrupted links to its historic past.”

The court filing notes that the area immediately surrounding the disputed monuments has considerable historic resources, including La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles, a Catholic parish the roots of which date to 1784, shortly after the city’s founding.

The plaza also hosts an annual “Blessing of the Animals” during the season of Lent at which a cardinal or archbishop provides benedictions to local pets.

One of the business owners who operates a cafe on Olvera Street, Edward Flores, said in the filing that his own heritage includes a Mexican Catholic background, but he said “Chinese and Italian heritage groups” are also present in the neighborhood.

“Preserving our distinct cultures and educating others about our roles in the founding and growth of Los Angeles ennobles Americans across all ethnicities, faiths, cultures, and generations to take pride in their own contributions and to see more clearly their future potential,” Flores wrote.

The filing suggested that, under existing court precedent, both the cross and the Nativity may not be sufficiently “established” to violate the establishment clause at issue in the suit.

The “longstanding and historic nature of the cross and nativity,” meanwhile, “reflect the precise nature of the Merchants’ interests they seek to protect.”

U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas rebuked the Trump administration in the Aug. 21 ruling for what she said was a “direct” infringement on normal federal policy rules.

The U.S. government through the Department of State had issued a policy on Jan. 14 suspending new immigrant visas to dozens of countries. Secretary of State Marco Rubio directed consular offices to adhere to the policy and deny new visas to nationals of 75 countries.

In making the policy, the government alleged that immigrants from those countries were at risk of becoming “public charges.”

The Catholic Legal Immigration Network subsequently sued, arguing that the White House had in part “invented a visa processing regime” that violated U.S. statutory rules.

In her ruling, Vargas described the decision as “not a challenging case.”

Congress established “comprehensive procedures” related to immigrant visa approvals, she said; those rules rely on consular officers to determine whether or not immigrants should receive visas.

The government’s policy, meanwhile, “categorically prohibits the issuance of immigrant visas based upon the nationality of the applicant,” a rule Vargas said is “a direct abrogation of this statutory scheme.”

Vargas said her order would vacate the government’s policy and “set aside and vacate any refusal of an immigrant visa that was based solely upon” that policy.

In a press release after the ruling, the Catholic legal group said it welcomed the decision, describing the government’s rule as one that “disrupted lawful immigration pathways and separated families around the world.”

Anna Gallagher, the group’s executive director, said the case “at its heart … is about keeping families together.”

“The suspension of lawful visa issuance across 75 countries separated spouses, parents and children who were simply following the legal immigration process,” Gallagher said, arguing that the ruling “allow[s] families to once again move forward toward reunification.”

The court’s ruling is the second high-profile loss this summer for the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration policies. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that President Donald Trump had exceeded his authority when he signed an executive order to deny citizenship to children born in the U.S. to parents in the country illegally.

In June, however, the high court ruled in favor of several other restrictive immigration policies from the Trump administration, including one that allowed the government to end temporary protected status for Haitian and Syrian migrants. Those policies have received pushback and criticism from the U.S. bishops.

Saint-Simon Catholic Church near the town of Caraquet was reduced to ashes and was considered a “total loss,” the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said on Aug. 25.

The fire, which consumed the church on Aug. 24, had been “intentionally set,” according to authorities. Police said in a news release that they arrested 68-year-old Gilles Mallet on suspicion of starting the blaze.

In a Facebook post, meanwhile, the town of Caraquet called the parish “a true emblem of our heritage.”

“Far more than just a building, this church held a significant place in our region’s collective memory and cultural life,” the town’s post said.

The parish “welcomed generations of families, hosted gatherings and performances, and was the setting for countless moments that brought our community to life.”

Monica Albert Légère, who lives near the parish, echoed those remarks when she told EWTN News on Aug. 26 that the church was “more than just a building.”

“It was a gathering place — it was the soul and the heart of Saint-Simon,” she said.

She said some commentators blamed immigrants for the blaze, though “no one in Saint-Simon” has leveled such blame. She described local immigrants as “all very kind.”

“We are all heartbroken, of course, but we are united and standing together, and we will get back on our feet as one,” she said.

In an Aug. 24 statement, Bathurst Bishop Michel Proulx, O Praem, said he was “devastated” by the blaze.

“This event has plunged us into deep sorrow,” the bishop wrote, describing the burned parish as an “immeasurable loss.”

“So many memories are tied to this beautiful wooden church: baptisms, weddings, funerals, and so many other significant events,” he said. “Several generations of Christians celebrated their faith there, and it was the precious legacy of our ancestors.”

The bishop said he was offering prayers and support to the Saint-Simon community.

The parish’s roots stretch back more than a century. News reports indicated the church dated to 1918, while the Bathurst directory says that the parish began as a mission in 1910.

We feel “obligated to speak out in the spirit of pastoral care for the young,” the episcopate writes in a statement titled “A Young Person Deserves More.”

The document was published Aug. 24 and signed by the presidency of the Polish Bishops' Conference headed by Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda of Gdańsk.

“Religion classes are not a privilege of the Church” but “a constitutional right” based on “freedom of conscience and religion and the right of parents to raise their children in accordance with their own beliefs,” the document stresses.

They also say religious classes can help nonbelievers in schools better understand the history of the nation and Europe as well as the arts, culture, and literature. “Especially in times of crisis,” the document says, religion is a “guiding light that prevents them from getting lost.”

The episcopacy raised concerns that the Ministry of National Education placed “religious education classes before or after other school activities,” reduced “teaching time to one hour per week,” eased mixing of such classes, and removed their grade from the grade point average. They said these measures marginalize religious formation in schools and called for “the immediate restoration of these classes to their proper place and for a genuine dialogue with representatives of religious communities.”

At the same time, the episcopate says “formation of values” is not “opposed to pluralism,” as it “enables respectful dialogue and building community.” Thus, it is not opposed to the choice between religion and ethics classes.

Polish Catholic leaders also voiced reservations about the new compulsory subject “health education.” Although it leaves the theme of sexuality optional, they said it “does not solve the problem,” since such “a sensitive area of human life must respect parents' right to decide” on its form.

They also argue that sexuality should be presented in the context of marital and family relationships, because in this context it serves the true good of humanity. They add that “the lack of a clear position that marriage is a union between a man and a woman is also concerning.”

So far, the proposed changes have sparked controversy due to conflicting views of education. Apart from bishops, the Coalition to Save the Polish Schools opposed “health education” for its allegedly “anti-family and gender-ideology character.”

The consecration of Brazilian dioceses to St. Michael the Archangel is part of the “Great Reconquest” initiative promoted by the Hesed Institute, a religious institute “dedicated to perpetual adoration and devotion to the blood of Christ, whose charism is to experience, live, and sing of Godʼs mercy through prayer and humble, simple works that transform into powerful intercession.”

The initiative began in July 2025 with the arrival in Brazil of the pilgrim statue of St. Michael from the shrine dedicated to the archangel on Monte Gargano in Italy, the site of the archangelʼs apparitions. To date, 35 Brazilian dioceses have been consecrated.

“Consecrating the diocese to the archangel aims to renew faith and seek spiritual protection against adversities,” Borges explained on the Diocese of Foz do Iguaçu’s website. The diocese noted that the consecration is in response to a request from the bishop.

Diocesan pilgrimage

The 20th diocesan pilgrimage aims “to bring the Catholic community together for a moment of faith and devotion to the Most Holy Mother of God,” the Diocese of Foz do Iguaçu stated.

The event begins with a triduum Aug. 26–28 held across 30 parishes in 14 cities within the diocese.

On Aug. 29, the day the Church commemorates the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist, patron saint of the Diocese of Foz do Iguaçu, a Mass with the participation of the youth ministry will be celebrated at 7 p.m. at St. John the Baptist Parish in downtown Foz.

On Aug. 30, the day of consecration, the program begins with a gathering at 7 a.m. at Mitre Square. At 7:30 a.m., pilgrims will walk in procession to the cathedral carrying the pilgrim images of Our Lady of Guadalupe (the cathedralʼs patron saint) and St. John the Baptist.

The Mass consecrating the Diocese of Foz do Iguaçu to St. Michael the Archangel will take place at 9:30 a.m.

Afterward, there will be the recitation of the rosary and confessions. The Mass for the Sick will be celebrated at 2 p.m. Starting at 3 p.m., the Hesed Institute will lead a time of praise, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and the “Combat Rosary.”

The Diocese of Foz do Iguaçu invited everyone to donate "clothing in good condition, nonperishable food, and personal hygiene and cleaning products for those in need.

This story was first published by ACI Digital, the Portuguese-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

The symposium drew 240 participants, 76% of whom were laypeople. According to Rebouças, the event was open to this audience because its goal was not “to provide training for performing exorcisms” but rather “to reflect theologically in light of Scripture, tradition, and the magisterium on the reality of the angelic beings who chose damnation.”

“We are convinced that this perspective is highly beneficial for deepening the faith of any and every Christian,” he said.

The gathering was organized by Marian Community Oasis of Peace with the support of the Archdiocese of Fortaleza and took place in the central auditorium of the Catholic College of Fortaleza.

Among the speakers were Bishop André Vital of Limoeiro do Norte in Ceará state; Father Pedro Paulo Alexandre, exorcist from the Archdiocese of Florianópolis in Santa Catarina state and member of the International Association of Exorcists (AIE, by its Portuguese acronym); Father Fellinto de Oliveira Britto, exorcist from the Diocese of Tianguá in Ceará state and a psychologist; Father Antônio Gomes Macedo Júnior, assistant exorcist; medical doctor Mauro Martins, also an assistant exorcist; and Father David Piter, exorcist from the Diocese of Quixadá in Ceará state and Rebouças.

The lectures dealt, among other topics, with demonology in the Gospels and the liberating ministry of Christ, the Churchʼs guidelines for the ministry of exorcisms, the distinction between prayer for deliverance and exorcism, and the discernment between psychiatric pathologies and possible spiritual phenomena.

Appointment by the bishop required

According to Rebouças, the meeting presented the AIE’s guidelines to “make it clear that only priests duly appointed by the bishop may perform solemn exorcisms.”

The priest stated that the guidance highlights “the Catholic Church’s commitment to pastoral ministry focused on discernment and mercy, rather than fear and sensationalism.”

The symposium also addressed the necessary precautions during prayer for healing and deliverance, particularly regarding individuals who become highly distressed during such prayer.

“Talks by both exorcists and mental health professionals addressed the need for prudence during prayer for healing and deliverance as it is frequently observed that highly suggestible individuals become emotionally destabilized during events that strongly appeal to the emotions,” Rebouças said.

According to him, participants were instructed on “what procedure to follow when a member of the faithful experiences a crisis during [such prayer], in order to protect him from unnecessary exposure and avoid leading to hasty conclusions about possible activity by the evil one.”

Moral certainty required

Another topic addressed was the discernment between possible extraordinary action by the devil and illnesses or other conditions of natural origin.

“The guidelines for the exorcism ministry state that it is not permissible to perform an exorcism on a member of the faithful until the exorcist possesses moral certainty that the case involves extraordinary action by the evil one, rather than merely an illness or condition of natural origin,” Rebouças explained.

Therefore, according to him, “mutual collaboration among the exorcist, family members, and healthcare professionals, especially mental health professionals, is extremely important.”

“It is certainly not the exorcist’s role to provide a psychiatric diagnosis for the person nor is it the role of scientists to say whether the devil exists or not,” he said. “Each performs their respective role, observing signs of improvement or deterioration in the person throughout the process of accompaniment.”

“Sometimes, a deeply devout but mentally ill believer refuses to take their medication until the priest comforts them by saying, ‘I will bless your medicines!’” he said. “And faith encourages the person to follow the treatment and therapies through which they find healing.”

“An exorcist will never discourage a believer from making use of scientific therapeutic resources,” the priest added.

“It is also not uncommon, in cases of genuine extraordinary demonic activity, for a doctor to tell the family: ‘We have done everything within our power!’ or even: ‘This defies scientific explanation!’” he said.

“In this sense, the Church’s faith offers an explanation that addresses the human need regarding spiritual realities,” Rebouças said.

The priest highlighted the importance of the training sessions for assistant exorcists offered by the Portuguese-language secretariat of the AIE in which laypeople and healthcare professionals may participate. The next training session will take place Nov. 27–29 at St. Benedict Monastery in Rio de Janeiro.

This story was first published by ACI Digital, the Portuguese-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

In July, the Archdiocese of Chicago withdrew Pfleger — longtime pastor of St. Sabina Church — from ministry to review an allegation of sexual abuse. A woman claimed that Pfleger abused her when she was a child more than 30 years ago. This is the fifth of several accusations of sexual abuse against Pfleger, all of which the archdiocese has cleared him of.

After reviewing a joint investigation, Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, has approved Pfleger to return to ministry “effective immediately.”

The archdiocese announced that “there is no reason to believe Father Pfleger is guilty of this allegation.”

“The Independent Review Board, assisted by our Office of Child Protection and outside investigators, thoroughly reviewed the allegation,” Cupich’s letter, addressed to the St. Sabina Parish community, read.

“An independent inquiry assures the public and the person making the accusation of a fair and impartial review of all matters related to such cases,” the letter continued. “It also protects the rights and interests of the accused cleric, especially if the board concludes there is no reason to believe the accused is guilty of the allegation. In that case, the cleric has the freedom to return to ministry without a cloud of suspicion over him.”

“In short, no one should underestimate the value of an independent and disciplined inquiry, even if it is made public and requires a substantial amount of time,” the letter continued.

“Thank you God,” Pfleger wrote in a Facebook post. “And thanks to all who have stood with me.”

Cupich also wrote about suffering in his letter and thanked the parish for its “prayers and support” for Pfleger.

“This coming weekend, Jesus tells us that being a disciple is about taking up our crosses and following him,” Cupich wrote. “Notice that Jesus redefines our sufferings in life. Sufferings are not punishments or even tests of our endurance for pain. Rather, Jesus calls them crosses and thus associates them with his own,” Cupich pointed out.

“He wants us to see discipleship as participating in the salvation of the world; discipleship involves joining our sufferings, our crosses to His on Calvary. Following Him, being a disciple, is then not a demanding chore, but a great gift. As we carry our crosses alongside Jesus, He transforms our sufferings into something much bigger than we ever imagined,” Cupich continued.

“It is in this spirit that I want to recognize the suffering you and Father Mike have endured, for I know his absence has been real and painful,” Cupich said.

Pfleger has pastored the predominantly Black parish St. Sabina, located on the South Side of Chicago, since 1981. While most priest’s assignments last about seven years, Pfleger’s has lasted 45 years.

Pfleger has a storied history in Chicago, leading fierce activism against drugs and guns along with outreach to prostitutes and drug dealers.

Some of the priest’s words and actions have put him at the center of controversy. The late Cardinal Francis George of Chicago suspended Pfleger in 2011 after the priest threatened to leave the priesthood if George reassigned him. The cardinal reinstated him as St. Sabina’s pastor after Pfleger apologized. In 2019, Cupich publicly denounced Pfleger’s decision to invite Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan to speak at St. Sabina.

“Remember your dignity as disciples, those who can claim that Jesus joins your sufferings to His for the salvation of the world,” Cupich concluded in his letter to the parish. “You will have my support and prayers as you continue to be a light in the community, a great witness that has distinguished St. Sabina’s for generations.”

The parish will hold a press conference on Aug. 26 at 11 a.m. Pfleger did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.

Alexis “Lexi” Arguello died of complications during an abortion at the Planned Parenthood in Fort Collins; her grandparents claimed the clinic waited too long to call 911.

The three-day “Justice for Lexi” campaign, taking place Aug. 27–29, aims to draw attention to the “the tragic death of Lexi Arguello and the numerous abortion injuries sustained by other unprotected women in unregulated abortion clinics across the state,” according to Operation Rescue, a watchdog group working to end abortion in the U.S. In the 1980s and 1990s, the group organized peaceful sit-ins and blockades in front of abortion clinics, which sometimes led to arrests.

A press conference on Aug. 28 will be held on the sidewalk in front of the Fort Collins Planned Parenthood, where 12 other women have been injured, according to the group. Auxiliary Bishop Jorge Rodriguez-Novelo of the Archdiocese of Denver will speak at the prayer rally following the press conference.

Dr. Catherine Wheeler, a former abortionist who now heads the Colorado Chapter of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a group that promotes patients’ rights for unborn babies and mothers, is set to speak at the event.

“The tragic loss of Lexi’s life and at least 13 ambulances from Fort Collins since January 2025 witness to the dangers of later abortion, magnified by lack of oversight, transparency and accountability,” Wheeler stated in an Aug. 24 press release.

“Women and Coloradans do not understand the dangers of abortion after the first trimester, and are not told the facilities are not regulated or inspected to be sure that anesthesia is safe, sterilization protocols are enforced, clinicians are adequately trained, or that the staff and facility are prepared, equipped and capable to manage emergencies like hemorrhage, uterine perforation or acute respiratory failure, known complications,” Wheeler continued.

Dr. Tom Perille, who heads Democrats for Life of Colorado, insists that women’s safety must come first.

“For two consecutive years, bills have been introduced in the Colorado Assembly to grant the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment the authority to license, regulate, and inspect second and third trimester abortion facilities like they do other high risk healthcare facilities,” Perille said in the release. “Both times, the bills were defeated along party lines at the bequest of the abortion industry.”

“Putting the abortion industry’s financial interests above the health and safety of Colorado women must stop,” he said.

Operation Rescue has been monitoring the Fort Collins Planned Parenthood since Arguello’s death last year, according to the press release.

“Since Lexi’s tragic death, our team has documented at least 12 more women injured at this same Planned Parenthood,” Sarah Neely, COO of Operation Rescue, said in a statement. “Another late-term Planned Parenthood located in Denver has injured nine women. Not one incident has been investigated, not even the death of Lexi, when evidence and testimony suggested Planned Parenthood staff waited too long to call 911.”

In one case on July 9, Planned Parenthood in Fort Collins called 911 for a “hemorrhaging” patient.

Attorney Alexandra Snyder of Life Legal Defense Foundation, a pro-life nonprofit defending unborn children, called for more safety regulations for abortion.

“The need for adequate regulations is most pronounced in facilities that perform second- and third-trimester abortions, like the one that treated Lexi before she died,” Snyder said. “Colorado’s legislature has twice rejected attempts to impose even basic safety requirements. We will continue to fight for laws that protect women in Colorado from this unconscionable neglect on the part of the Legislature.”

“We hope that Lexi’s death will finally compel lawmakers to require abortion clinics to meet the same patient safety standards required of other medical facilities,” Snyder said.

The letter, sent to President Donald Trump, Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, called for an extension because conditions in El Salvador remain “unsafe” and the removal of those living in the U.S. would be “detrimental” to communities.

“We believe that sending hundreds of thousands of Salvadoran TPS holders back into an unstable and unfamiliar country that does not have the capability to support its own nationals is a danger to those individuals and a decision that would have severe negative consequences for years to come,” the letter said.

“A thoughtful review of the current conditions in El Salvador, consideration of their contributions as TPS holders to the United States and the administration’s obligation to respect the statutory framework which governs TPS, supports an extension of El Salvador’s TPS designation,” the letter said.

The 97 faith-based organizations and 174 faith leaders “have a shared purpose in respecting human life, upholding the inherent dignity of every individual person, maintaining the family unit, and protecting those who are unable to safely return to their home country due to conflict, natural disasters, or some other extraordinary condition,” the leaders wrote.

The letter was signed by many Catholic leaders and institutions including Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami, Archbishop Gregory Hartmayer of Atlanta, and Bishop Stephen Parkes of Savannah, Georgia, as well as individuals from numerous religious orders.

The letter detailed that about 20% of TPS holders from El Salvador entered the U.S. when they were 16 or younger and “later became adults; some married and had children who were born in the United States.”

“They are our neighbors, our friends, and loved ones, and this administration should view them as such and value their contribution to the nation,” the letter said. Terminating TPS will cause the individuals “trauma and hardship” if separated from their families, the letter said.

Leaders call conditions ‘harmful’ as U.S. government cites low risk

“The current conditions in El Salvador remain harmful for TPS holders who face a possible return to their country,” the leaders said.

El Salvador has remained in a state of emergency since March 2022. The declaration was “in response to its efforts to tame organized crime, suspending basic human rights protections,” the letter said.

While the letter noted that returning to the nation is unsafe due to mass incarceration, enforced disappearances, and dangerous environmental conditions, the U.S. State Department lists El Salvador under a Level 1 advisory — “exercise normal precautions — as of June 2026.

The designation is the lowest safety and security risk level in the U.S. Department of Stateʼs travel advisory system.

While the nation was once one of the most violent countries, a 2025 Congressional Research Service report said data from Salvadoran police authorities revealed a measurable reduction in homicides in the country since 2015.

From 2015 through 2024, the homicide rate declined by more than 98%, according to Salvadoran security officials. The Salvadoran government claimed its crackdown on gang activity reduced El Salvadorʼs homicide rate to 1.9 homicides per 100,000 people in 2024, down from 53.1 per 100,000 in 2018.

The U.S. Embassy in El Salvador noted that over the past few years “there has been a significant reduction in gang-related activity,” but there is still “violent crime” throughout the country.

A 2026 World Report by Human Rights Watch found that the state of emergency “remains in effect, suspending constitutional rights.”

“Authorities have committed widespread abuses, including mass arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, torture and ill-treatment of detainees, and due process violations,” the report said.

While the violations continue, it did report that gang violence has “markedly declined.”

“Temporary Protected Status is exactly that — temporary,” according to DHS. “For too long, TPS has been allowed to function as a de facto amnesty program despite Congress never intending it to be permanent.”

Eoin Richard Connolly had organized an anti-Islam demonstration near the church just west of downtown on Aug. 23. An Instagram video captures him being chased from the church and doused in blue paint before he flees into a Starbucks.

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles said in a statement: “Several individuals participating in a rally at a nearby location moved their demonstration to the sidewalk directly outside of Precious Blood Church. Then, when the demonstrators made their way into the church they were asked to leave by a surprised group of women volunteers who were cleaning and locking up the church following the 12:30 p.m. Mass.”

The archdiocese said the parish had no participation in the demonstration, nor did it give permission for its filming.

“The individuals shown in the filming removing another person from the church are not staff nor are they affiliated with the parish in any way. In addition, the man wearing a clerical shirt seen in some of the videos is not part of the parish nor Archdiocese and is believed to be clergy member of another Christian denomination,” the statement said.

“The Archdiocese respects the right to peaceful expression while also recognizing the importance of maintaining a safe and orderly environment for those gathering for religious worship,” the statement said.

Jeff Lee, spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department, said officers responded around 2:25 p.m. on Aug. 23 to a report that 20 to 30 protestors were inside the church. No charges have been filed, Lee said.

Connolly said on Instagram that he planned the “march to the Southern California Islamic Center to stand against the war on AMERICANS by Jihadist sympathizers and Antifa Terrorists.” He could not immediately be reached for comment.

Shepherding Future Shepherds, an initiative through the International Institute for Culture, announced Aug. 18 that it will partner with the Avila Institute’s High Calling Program to support men discerning the priesthood. Shepherding Future Shepherds’ social media has generated more than 7.8 million views on its videos highlighting inspirational stories of modern-day priests.

The initiative’s program director, Matthew Haas, told EWTN News that Shepherding Future Shepherds’ partnership with High Calling will center on accompaniment, reaching out to men who feel they might have a call to the priesthood and offering “not only resources but an entire program that will take you through a formal process of discernment to make sure that this is truly your call.”

“We’re encouraging not only that reflection on that discernment but helping to provide them with the tools and resources to work through that to help uncover where it is that Godʼs calling them,” he said.

Haas said that since 2025, the initiative has not only reached people through social media and its newsletter but has also attracted more than 6,000 people to its weekly prayer group for vocations.

“We’re very hopeful despite all the negativity thatʼs out there,” Haas said. “Just the fact that weʼve seen the growth that we have is really encouraging, and it shows that a lot of people do care about the priesthood and … seeing it replenished, and understand that this is something that needs attention.”

Haas said a national poll the group conducted on people’s views of the priesthood revealed that those ages 18 to 25 held “the most negative view of priesthood,” with concerns over “predatory behavior” in the wake of the Church’s sex-abuse scandal cited by 1 in 4 adults in the demographic.

“Weʼre definitely up against the challenge,” Haas said. “And I think thatʼs so much of it is just that the sense of, you know, a cultural association with the priesthood.”

Ultimately, he said, “thatʼs where weʼre trying to show stories of these role models of priests who are alive today.”

“We donʼt want people to say, ‘Oh, that was a thousand years ago and thatʼs not relevant to me today,’” Haas said. “We want to say, ‘No, these priests are doing wonderful things today and serving the Church, serving our people … in all sorts of different capacities.’”

The trial in Plymouth Superior Court has ignited a national debate around mental health and postpartum psychosis. Supporters have argued that Clancy — who strangled her three small children on Jan. 24, 2023, at her Duxbury, Massachusetts, home — was suffering from postpartum mental conditions that mitigated her alleged responsibility in the killings.

Her legal team has conceded that she killed the children but has argued that she was not responsible for her actions. Clancy tried to take her own life just after she allegedly carried out the murders.

On Aug. 24 Kirk Heilbrun, a professor of psychology at Drexel University, appeared as a witness for the prosecution at the trial. During his testimony he said Clancy claimed to have told her children “Go to God, baby” as she was strangling them.

“That was part of her expectation that she and the children would be together in heaven with God,” Heilbrun said. “She was raised as a Catholic, and this, as I understand Catholic considerations — that’s not necessarily what happens.”

“But when I asked her about that, when I said, ‘Isn’t suicide a mortal sin?’” he continued, at which point Judge William Sullivan halted the proceedings and held a discussion with attorneys.

After a 20-minute recess, Clancy’s attorney Kevin Reddington asked for a mistrial, claiming that the prosecution was guilty of “intentional misconduct” for “injecting” religion into the proceedings. He cited another instance earlier in the trial in which the Catholic faith was discussed.

Prosecutors argued against the request. Sullivan ultimately denied the request for the mistrial, though he said he would tell the jury to “disregard” Heilbrun’s remarks about Catholicism.

“I’m going to tell them it’s an inappropriate area of inquiry, and that this witness’ understanding of Catholic dogma or Catholic teaching is irrelevant,” Sullivan said.

The trial continued on Aug. 25 with several more witnesses. Heilbrun himself returned to the stand, stating that he felt Clancy was “criminally responsible” for the alleged murders of her children.

“She retained an awareness of the illegality of killing others, including her children,” he told the court. “Her moral awareness of this killing was influenced by her strong desire to die and, if she was dead, not to leave her children behind.”

Springfield Bishop Thomas Paprocki had earlier in August brought the lawsuit against the state in U.S. district court alongside a Lutheran care home and several Christian doctors. The suit argues that the Illinois “End-of-Life Options” law requires doctors to participate in helping patients kill themselves even if the doctors conscientiously object to doing so.

On Aug. 21, the district court said the state would be restrained from enforcing the suicide rules against the objectors while the lawsuit continues through the federal court system. The Thomas More Society, which is representing the plaintiffs in the suit, announced the order in a press release on Aug. 24.

Peter Breen, the head of litigation at the Catholic legal group, described the order as “a critical first victory” for the religious objectors in the case.

Dr. Mary Keen Kirchoff, one of the doctors participating in the suit, said in the press release that the federal order “means I can go back to focusing on caring for my patients instead of wondering whether staying true to who I am is going to cost me my career.”

The doctor said she was “grateful I can keep practicing medicine according to my integrity and my faith without that threat hanging over me,” though she admitted that the arrangement was only “for now.”

In issuing its order, the district court noted that the block on the suicide rules only applies to the plaintiffs in the lawsuit and that the state can otherwise broadly enforce the suicide law.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed the law in December 2025. The measure permits doctors to help “qualified terminally ill patients” kill themselves with lethal doses of medication.

Patients must have the “mental capacity … to make medical decisions” and must be facing death within six months as determined by two physicians.

Pritzker in signing the law claimed the suicide rule “honors [the] strength and courage” of state residents suffering from terminal illnesses. 

This is not the first victory opponents of assisted suicide have won in U.S. courts this year. In July the state of New York agreed to a similar order after a coalition of religious sisters brought suit against the state’s assisted suicide law in federal court.

As in Illinois, the New York agreement applies only to the plaintiffs in that lawsuit and only while the suit itself is litigated in federal court.

The Synodal Conference is intended to serve as a permanent body implementing the controversial German Synodal Way. The Vatican continues to review the bylaws of this new national-level body, which is to consist of bishops and non-bishops.

“The statutes are currently being reviewed in Rome,” Bishop Heiner Wilmer of Münster said in an interview Sunday with the Kirche+Leben website.

“I know from those responsible there that it will still take some time. I am confident that we will make progress on this.”

Wilmer confirmed what he had already hinted at in May: “Personally, I do not expect us to meet as early as November, given the dynamics involved, because the matter is being passed from one dicastery to the next.”

The first meeting of the new German body was scheduled for Nov. 6–7 in Stuttgart. The next session was then scheduled to take place in Würzburg on April 16–17, 2027.

The Synodal Conferenceʼs bylaws have been under review in Rome since the end of March. Nearly half a year has now passed. That leaves just over two months until the originally planned date in November.

Originally, the German organizers had planned a permanent “Synodal Council.”

Who makes decisions?

The issue regarding the bylaws that remains contentious is that of joint deliberation and decision-making by diocesan bishops and non-bishops, which has met with resistance in the Vatican, at least in recent years.

Specifically, the bylaws state that the Synodal Conference “deliberates and makes decisions in the spirit of ‘synodal decision-making processes’” on important issues of Church life of supra-diocesan significance.

Despite all the criticism of the Synodal Way, the Vatican under Pope Francis — and now under Pope Leo XIV — has never formally demanded that the process, with its sometimes radical attempts to change traditional Church teaching, be terminated, nor has it demanded that bodies be established only in ways that are unproblematic under canon law and that already exist at all levels in Germany.

Meanwhile, in his interview with Kirche+Leben, Wilmer emphasized: “For me, the Church is synodal. I associate synodality with deep respect and great appreciation. We can only move forward if we journey together.”

In the Diocese of Münster, synodality is “deeply rooted,” according to the bishops’ conference chairman. As the new bishop of the diocese, he is looking forward “to walking this path together with so many baptized people here, but also internationally, ecumenically, and with our Jewish and Muslim brothers and sisters.”

Bishops who opted out

Three sitting diocesan bishops — Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki of Cologne; Bishop Stefan Oster, SDB, of Passau; and Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer of Regensburg — have already withdrawn from the Synodal Way some time ago, after the relevant Vatican authorities had issued several clear warnings. The now-resigned bishop of Eichstätt, Gregor Maria Hanke, OSB, had also withdrawn from the Synodal Way.

As a result, the Synodal Committee for the Preparation of the Synodal Conference was not supported by the German Bishops' Conference but rather by an association established specifically by the 23 other dioceses.

Should the Vatican approve the bylaws, it is possible that these three diocesan bishops could also join the committee.

Oster stated in March: “I have always said that I will follow the universal Church. I am waiting with some anticipation to see how Rome will respond. But fundamentally, my position is this: If we do this in agreement with the universal Church, then I will participate.”

The bishop of Passau emphasized that the “German side” had “tried to make it clear” in discussions with the Vatican that “passing resolutions” is different from “deciding.”

"Iʼm curious to see how the Romans will respond to this,” he said.

Nevertheless, he expressed confidence, because “the process has been going on for over two years now. A sense of reciprocity has developed in the meantime. Theyʼre not going to run this thing into the ground. The Romans, too, have an interest in ensuring that no one walks away having lost face. Thatʼs why I believe the Synodal Conference will take place.”

This story was first published by CNA Deutsch, the German-language sister service of EWTN News, and has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

This year, 65 have registered so far, which is keeping apace with last year’s “dramatic increase” in conversions, Father Nathaniel Sanders, the undergraduate chaplain at Harvard, told EWTN News.

Last year’s group, which came from both the Harvard Catholic Center and St. Paul’s, was the “largest class of people becoming Catholic in our history … So, there is something really exciting happening here," Sanders also noted in a recent episode of "The Great American Road Trip," a cultural and tourism initiative created to celebrate the countryʼs 250th anniversary.

In the episode, the family of U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy travels to Boston while their daughter, Paloma, is considering various college options, including Harvard. The young womanʼs parents arrived with reservations about the possibility of their daughter studying there, as they fear it threatens to undermine the Christian upbringing she received at home.

However, a meeting with Sanders ultimately gives them a different perspective.

A growing Catholic community

In the video, the chaplain speaks not only about those preparing to join the Church but he also highlights the increase in student participation in Catholic life at Harvard.

“Student attendance at Mass is very good right now. It has definitely increased by 10% to 20% in recent years,” he notes.

According to a report published in December 2025 by The Wall Street Journal, Sunday Mass at St. Paul’s currently draws an average of about 300 students, up from around 200 a few years ago.

Sanders says one of the characteristics of this community is the profile of the participants.

“We have very intelligent, high-achieving students. We can give talks on a range of issues, and the students ask great questions,” he explains in the video. “I am really grateful for what God is doing here.”

The Holy Spirit is behind the increase in conversions

Regarding the growth, Sanders told EWTN News that “there’s nothing particular about Harvard” that explains it. “There’s a wider trend going on among young people, and I attribute that to the Holy Spirit. I think there are real cultural factors at play leading students to want to discover more about the faith.”

He said a lot of the conversions on campus are driven through Bible study groups on campus. “We run about 30 different Bible studies, with the help of the FOCUS missionaries,” who “do a lot of outreach, get people involved.”

He credited many conversions to a study being led by “a dynamic student on a sports team who will run a Bible study with the help of the missionaries. A lot of converts have come through that.”

The two main groups of students he sees becoming Catholic at Harvard are unchurched youth who grew up in culturally Catholic homes but never received the sacraments and former evangelical Protestants.

“Fewer children are being baptized these days, so those who were never churched, who were raised culturally Catholic, in some sense, are coming in showing interest in the faith,” he told EWTN News.

The second group, former “megachurch Protestants, begin to read” about the Catholic faith, he said, “and then that’s sort of the end of it” — they convert.

Students speak out

John Phillips, a former president of the Harvard Catholic Center, told The Wall Street Journal last year that he had nearly turned down his admission to Harvard because he had previously attended only Catholic schools and feared he would not be able to grow in his faith within such a secular environment.

However, upon arriving on campus in 2022, he found students who, while taking their academic studies seriously, were equally committed to Catholicism.

“I saw a community I could be a part of,” Phillips explained.

Adaolisa Mba, now a senior and the Harvard Catholic Center’s formation chair, shared a similar experience with The Wall Street Journal: “It’s really impressive to be in a Catholic community with a lot of people my age. We motivate each other to be closer to God.”

‘I donʼt think thereʼs anything nefarious going on’

After visiting Boston College and heading on to Harvard, Paloma’s mother, Rachel Campos Duffy, remarked in the episode: “We have a saying in our house, and I say it all the time to the kids: My job isn’t to get you into Harvard, it’s to get you into heaven. So it’s kind of ironic that we’re now going to tour Harvard.”

The family had a chance to meet with Sanders during their visit, and Paloma’s father expressed to him his fear that the school might undermine the faith he had taught his children and weaken their convictions.

Addressing this concern, Sanders said: “I think it depends on the kids, whether or not they’re sort of coming with the virtues necessary to live out that life well. But I don’t think there is anything nefarious going on.”

“You come here because it’s the best opportunity. And if someone has a sense of themselves and a sense of God before coming, I think that will only flower,” he added.

The issue is not about preventing a young Catholic from having their beliefs challenged, Sanders said, but rather ensuring they have a sufficiently deep-rooted faith.

“If they are confident enough in their faith that they won’t have an existential crisis the first time it’s challenged in class, and they have the social skills,” he said, young Catholics can “thrive at Harvard.”

“Visiting Harvard seems to ease my parents’ concerns and the assumptions they had about the school, and I think they were pleasantly surprised to see how strong the Catholic community there is,” Paloma observed.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

His visit to Taybeh and Jenin followed an Israeli order issued in July declaring “the area of Taybeh and Rimon” a closed military zone, prohibiting Israelis and foreign nationals from entering or remaining there. The designated area includes part of Taybeh’s built-up area, agricultural land, and religious and historical sites.

Taybeh “represents a place which has been inhabited by followers of Jesus, by Christians, for 2,000 years,” said Monsignor Peter Vaccari, president of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA), a papal agency that provides humanitarian and pastoral support to Christians across the Middle East.

Taybeh “highlights the indigenous Christian population and remains to this day the only really Christian village that is left throughout the West Bank,” Vaccari said in interview Aug. 24, an excerpt of which was broadcast on “EWTN News Nightly.”

The persecution of the Christian population has “increased” as “radical settlers will take it upon themselves to either deface religious symbols, to interfere with the business enterprises of the people of Taybeh,” or “insert themselves in whatever way they feel they have the right to — which is a violation of international law,” Vaccari said.

Amid the conflict, on Aug. 15, Pizzaballa celebrated Mass at the Latin Church of Christ the Redeemer.

In his homily, Pizzaballa referred to the people of Taybeh as the “Christian voice, speaking out for justice, speaking out for the desire for dialogue with all people,” Vaccari said.

“He urged the people of Taybeh to guard their hearts ... against any kind of despair. Guard their hearts against any kind of contamination. Guard their hearts in a way that they would be those who would fight for justice and fight for the principles of justice,” Vaccari said.

“I may not have answers at the human and worldly level, but I believe in God,” Pizzaballa said. “And I am certain that, in him, we can continue to give birth to life, even here in Taybeh.”

“We will continue to do everything within our power to preserve the ecclesial presence here, at every level throughout the Holy Land,” he said.

Christian persecution continues to rise

In a separate interview with “EWTN News Nightly” on Aug. 21, Michael J. L. LaCivita, communications director at CNEWA, detailed the importance of Pizzaballa’s visit.

As Christians in the Holy Land “feel that theyʼre in danger of losing their homes and their livelihoods,” Pizzaballa was able “to assure them that they will not be abandoned” and “that we have not forgotten them,” he said.

Taybeh is “historically an agricultural village,” LaCivita said. “Itʼs surrounded by agricultural lands, olive groves, and oranges, and things of that nature. Itʼs quite a bustling place.”

Now, though, “they are under siege” and there is “violence,” LaCivita said.

“Their fields are being torched,” he said. “Even an ancient church dedicated to St. George, who was a very popular saint in the Palestinian community among Muslims as well as Christians ... was vandalized last year [and] set afire.”

“So theyʼre very much concerned about their livelihoods, especially now that the IDF has basically surrounded the village and said that it’s militarily closed off and will not permit either people in or out,” he said.

While the conflict continues, Catholics can “pray, because as we know, prayer moves mountains, and so we need to pray and pray for all people of goodwill,” LaCivita said.

“We need to work for justice so that there can be peace and unity. Because without justice we cannot have peace,” he said.

The faithful can also support the efforts of organizations like CNEWA, which work to “get the supplies and the food and the water that is needed” in the area, he said.

Catholic hospitals, hospices, and nursing homes will not be forced to allow euthanasia or assisted suicide on their premises, and pharmacists cannot be compelled to prepare or dispense the lethal substance.

This conscience-clause win, secured by interpretive reservations by the Constitutional Council on Aug. 14, has received less attention than the law itself, adopted by the Parliament in July, and which the progressive government of President Emmanuel Macron had vigorously defended since 2023.

In a press release on its ruling, the council — France’s highest constitutional authority — specified that the exemption applies when hosting assisted dying would be “manifestly contrary” to an institution’s statutory mission or project, and only if that opposition is formally written into its governing statutes or an ethical charter, and only if other establishments are able to meet local needs.

For pharmacists, the council issued a separate reservation grounded in Article 10 of the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man, ruling that preparing or dispensing the lethal substance “is liable to offend” personal convictions.

As originally adopted, the text required that when a person is hospitalized or living in certain covered facilities, “the head of the establishment must allow the intervention of the professionals participating in the procedure” as well as access for anyone accompanying the person requesting to die — with no exception for an institution’s own objections.

Archbishop Laurent Ulrich of Paris welcomed the reservations in his Aug. 19 message to the faithful marking the law’s promulgation, calling them “an opportunity.” He expressed his hope that institutions built around care for the gravely ill and expertise in palliative care would “find in these reservations an encouragement to maintain their particular character, and to remain places where no one will be killed.”

The Aug. 14 exemption followed formal submissions to the council from several Catholic and pro-life organizations, including the Fondation Jérôme Lejeune and the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ), a Strasbourg-based advocacy group, which argued that forcing institutions to accommodate mobile euthanasia teams “constitutes a clear violation of their freedom.”

While the bill was still moving through the French Parliament, Sister Agnès, a physician with the Little Sisters of the Poor, on March 3 spoke on behalf of French Catholic congregations that run hospitals and nursing homes during an interactive dialogue with the U.N. Human Rights Council’s special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief in Geneva. She told the rapporteur the draft law would force those congregations to accept euthanasia on their premises or risk up to two years in prison and a 30,000-euro fine, warning they could be forced to “renege on Godʼs commandments” to keep operating.

Legal scholars have noted the unusual character of this reversal and highlighted the weight of the advocacy of Catholic organizations.

Roseline Letteron, a professor of public law who publishes the blog “Libertés, Libertés chéries,” wrote that the council built the institutions’ exemption on different legal ground than the pharmacists’ clause: not the individual right to conscience but the right to form an association and the right to run a business as one sees fit, combined with an older idea, borrowed from a 1959 law on religious schools, that an institution can have a distinct “character” worth protecting.

French courts had rejected comparable institutional opt-outs before, for civil-status registrars who refused to perform same-sex marriages in 2013 and hospital department heads who objected to abortion in 2001. Letteron asked directly whether the council “wanted to give symbolic satisfaction to the Catholic lobby,” concluding that “the answer is yes.”

Meanwhile, ECLJ Director Grégor Puppinck called the Aug. 14 decision “a great victory,” saying in a statement that the group would now “continue this fight in other countries that have already legalized euthanasia, in order to guarantee the freedom of faith-based institutions there as well.”

A French constitutional ruling does not bind courts abroad, but the ECLJ — which has published its own comparative-law study of the question — intends to press the same argument through European Court of Human Rights jurisprudence on institutional autonomy, contending that freedom of religion protects “communities and institutions,” not only individuals, and that “the right to refuse to kill must be accepted completely” for both.

The Fondation Jérôme Lejeune, whose own submission had focused especially on the law’s lack of protection for people with intellectual disabilities — a concern it says it had also raised repeatedly with the U.N. — called the council’s ruling “scandalously minimal” in an Aug. 14 statement.

“The Fondation Jérôme Lejeune will never resign itself,” said its president, Jean-Marie Le Méné. “The fight is far from over.”

The foundation said it would watch closely as the government drafts implementing decrees, continuing to press its demand for protections for people with intellectual disabilities.

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago and Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Gary, Indiana, will each receive $100,000 to aid in their efforts to help address immediate and ongoing needs in the affected communities including food, clothing, housing assistance, and other resources to help in recovery while many families are still without power, displaced from their homes, and begin to consider rebuilding plans.

On Aug. 11, high winds, heavy rain, and tornado activity swept through northwest Indiana and east Chicago causing severe damage to homes and other buildings. Gary, Indiana, was reported as being the hardest-hit city.

NIPSCO, one of Indiana’s largest natural gas and electric companies, reported nearly 400,000 outages after the storm. The company described the storm as the most destructive ever to strike its service area, causing historic damage to the electric system and producing its largest power outage ever.

As of Aug. 24, roughly 10,000 individuals remain without power in Gary.

“We are very grateful for this generous gift from the Bears, which will immediately benefit many people in need who have been impacted by recent storms and provide for ongoing recovery efforts,” Bishop Robert J. McClory of the Diocese of Gary said in a statement.

“Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Gary has been responding to local needs from day one. The support from the Bears and many other partners will help elevate efforts to reach the most vulnerable in our communities,” he added. “I encourage everyone to continue to pray, reach out to our neighbors who are suffering, and support efforts by Catholic Charities and others to assist those in need.”

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Gary Executive Director Terry Seljan said: "The devastating impact of the storms across northwest Indiana has turned lives upside down for thousands of families, leaving them to face unexpected challenges and uncertainty.”

He explained that currently their focus "is on helping our neighbors access the support and resources they need to stabilize so they can begin to recover and move forward.”

He added: “We are incredibly grateful to the Chicago Bears organization for their generous support and for the care and concern they have shown for our Northwest Indiana community. Their commitment is a powerful reminder of what can happen when people come together to help their neighbors in times of need. We hope others who are able will join them in supporting the Storm Relief Fund and helping bring relief, hope, and healing to families across our region."

Sally Blount, CEO of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago, also expressed her gratitude.

"We deeply value and respect the long-standing philanthropic leadership of the Chicago Bears organization. As one of our regionʼs largest human services providers, we are honored to be entrusted with distributing this critical funding,” she said.

“An unexpected expense of even a few hundred dollars can amount to a crisis for an individual or family already living on a very limited budget. This funding will make a big difference to families affected by the storm," she said.

Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada is preparing its response for short- and long-term aid while evacuating employees and volunteers.

Marie Baxter, chief executive officer of Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada, said she had a family of six — and their two cats, dog, and rabbit — staying in her office Saturday night.

“We have 200 employees and, on a rough estimate, would say that 20% of our staff are evacuated,” she told EWTN News. “We are also navigating assisting our volunteers, as many of whom also are evacuated. Volunteers provide critical manpower in our dining rooms and our food pantry.”

Catholic Charities worked with the Red Cross over the weekend while planning to step in for a long-term response.

Both St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral and Holy Cross Catholic Church in Sparks opened doors for overnight guests, according to Baxter.

“Over the weekend, we were in regular communication with the Red Cross ready to provide volunteers, food, and other resources,” she said.

“Our most intensive role actually comes after the fire as we do all of the long-term case management for individuals referred to us by the Red Cross,” she said. “Red Cross and Washoe County Human Services Agency does the short-term stabilization; we take it from there.”

“We are also scaling up our food resources in our food pantry as we know we will see a surge of individuals once they are able to return home and have to throw out perishable foods due to extended power loss,” she said. “Many of those displaced on the north/northwest border of the fire live in lower-income neighborhoods or are seniors on fixed incomes.”

Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada has responded to wildfires “in and around our area the past seven years,” according to Baxter.

“We help with bridge housing, grocery replacement, household item replacement, et cetera,” she said. “We also help individuals replace essential documents, work with their insurance company (if they have insurance) and generally help them move back toward stability.”

“Where this fire burned, there are a lot of lower-income families and a lot of renters,” Baxter said. “There are often multiple families living in houses/trailers on a single land plot. When they are displaced, they are truly displaced.”

“Even when they are let back in, they could have damage or loss that makes it impossible for them to stay,” Baxter continued. “Just finding a new place and coming up with first/last monthʼs rent can be a huge barrier; tack on replacing your food, getting your kiddos back in school … this is where we shine at accompaniment.”

Hawk Fire Service did not yet have an anticipated timeline for when the nearly 90,000 evacuated people will be able to return to the area. The cause for the fire was identified as “human” by Hawk Fire. Officials anticipated that hot, dry, breezy conditions will spread the fire. There were a reported six people injured, three of whom were emergency responders.

“While the evacuation orders are still in place, we are stocking our pantry with additional food and extending what is available in our Essentials Closet so we can help individuals who need items while at the evacuation shelters or while they are staying with friends and family,” Baxter said.

“On campuses of various sizes, all across the United States, Catholicism is on the rise,” Hallow reported in an Aug. 19 study that found that OCIA participation increased by 87.6% from the 2024-25 school year to 2025-26.

Schools with the largest number of OCIA participants include Texas A&M, Arizona State University, the University of Illinois, the University of Oklahoma, Kansas State University, the University of Wisconsin, the University of Nebraska, and Harvard University. Hallow said it obtained OCIA data from nearly 60 U.S. colleges and universities.

Texas A&M saw the largest number of OCIA participants, increasing to 204 candidates and catechumens in 2025-26 from 121 in 2024-25.

Hallow said campus conversion growth is outpacing diocesan trends, noting that university parishes and Newman Centers reported faster increases than dioceses, which saw a 38% rise in 2025‑26.

“College-age young people may be entering the Church at a faster rate than the general American population,” Hallow said. “And when they enter or return to the Church, they’re doing so with a fire that spreads across various ministries.”

Hallow’s report noted that growth is not limited to college towns alone but that “campus ministries in and around some of America’s largest cities are reporting similar increases.”

“USC [University of Southern California], located in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, saw a 76% increase in OCIA participation this past school year,” the report said. “Further north, Stanford, located in the heart of Silicon Valley between San Jose and San Francisco, tripled its number of OCIA candidates and catechumens during the 2025-26 school year.”

New York University also reported an 88% increase in OCIA participation while its daily Mass attendance tripled, the Hallow report said.

The Hallow report said adult baptisms at Stanford University were unusually high this year. Dominican Father Bart Hutcherson said in the Hallow report that the parish typically sees about four adult baptisms annually, but he baptized 16 this Easter, nearly all of them Stanford students.

In his homily during the Aug. 22 priestly ordinations of 14 deacons for the Diocese of Makurdi, Cordileone said the commandment Jesus gave the apostles during his farewell discourse provides a fundamental framework for understanding the identity and mission of the Catholic priest.

“Be friends and fathers to your people,” he said during the Eucharistic celebration at the Sesugh Maria Pilgrimage Centre in Makurdi. “The people of God must know that the priest is with them, that he is for them, and that he acts only with their best interest in mind.”

The archbishop said priests are called to imitate Christ by giving themselves completely to those entrusted to them, including when their service requires difficult decisions or encounters resistance.

He encouraged the new priests to trust in God’s grace and allow themselves to become instruments through whom God transforms his people.

Cordileone explained that authentic priestly friendship goes beyond sharing interests or enjoying another person’s company and is rooted in Christ’s sacrificial love.

“The love of friendship is not one of slavish service, carried out reluctantly under the burden of oppression. Rather, it is a liberating service, one that brings joy to both,” he said.

The archbishop, who has led the San Francisco Archdiocese since his installation in October 2012, linked priestly fatherhood to the relationship between Christ and the Church, describing Christ as the bridegroom and the Church as his bride.

He also described the priest’s vocation as one of building bridges between people and Christ, saying the priest must become “a bridge and not an obstacle” to their encounter with Jesus Christ.

Addressing the challenging circumstances in which the 14 deacons were being ordained priests, particularly in Nigeria’s Benue state, Cordileone said: “You are being ordained into a world in which this is also a dangerous step.”

He said the world needs priests who are close enough to the people of God under their pastoral care to know them and guide them through life’s joys and sorrows toward a deeper life in Christ.

“There is a spiritual thirst in the world today,” he said, adding that the ministry of priesthood carries the danger of spiritual mediocrity when priests neglect their interior lives and noted that the Nigerian context presents an additional, more literal danger.

“There is the possibility that Our Lord may call you to lay down your life for your friends,” he said.

The archbishop referred to the suffering of Christians in Nigeria and the possibility that priests could be called to martyrdom in imitation of Christ.

Summarizing the identity and mission to which the newly ordained priests are called, he said: “Friend and father, shepherd and spouse, priest and victim.”

“This is who and what you are called to be as you take this awesome and fearful step,” the archbishop said.

He urged the newly ordained priests to embrace the daily sacrifices of priestly ministry and allow their lives to become a living expression of the Eucharistic sacrifice they celebrate.

Cordileone also expressed hope that their ministry would lead the faithful into communion with Christ, the source of “perfect peace, happiness, light, and love.”

This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.

However, religious tourism is far from reaching its full potential, according to Adrián Lomello, director for the Americas of the World Religious Tourism Network. The situation, he said, represents an opportunity that the Church should not let slip by.

In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Lomello explained that while pilgrimages constitute a phenomenon that has existed for centuries, the question is what pilgrimage destinations effectively provide visitors and how such sites can be enhanced to better welcome pilgrims while maintaining the integrity of their religious identity.

A phenomenon that attracts millions

According to data from the World Religious Tourism Network, around 400 million people travel to faith-based destinations each year, accounting for approximately 20% of global tourism.

Pilgrimage tourism alone generates economic activity worth nearly $18 billion, according to the network.

Latin America in particular plays a significant role in this sector. The region receives around 80 million pilgrims annually, and the segment is seeing estimated yearly growth of between 6% and 8%, based on data from the World Religious Tourism Network.

A few examples illustrate​​ the scale of the phenomenon.

The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico, for example, receives nearly 22 million visitors each year. In Brazil, the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida annually draws approximately 12 million pilgrims.

Another lesser-known example is La Tirana in northern Chile. During its religious celebrations, a town of about 1,500 inhabitants receives more than 150,000 pilgrims, coming mainly from Chile, Peru, and Bolivia.

“Regardless of how they are organized, those people will keep coming year after year because they are driven by a deep spiritual motivation,” Lomello explained.

Latin America specifically has over 3,000 registered shrines, hundreds of pilgrimage routes, major religious celebrations, and a heritage built up over centuries.

However, that heritage is not always accompanied by the infrastructure, information, services, or policies needed to make the most of it.

“Today, it’s an invisible sector. It goes unnoticed by churches, the public sector, and businesses alike,” Lomello stated.

The specialist noted that dioceses tend to focus on maintaining their churches and carrying out pastoral work. Governments, meanwhile, address other needs, while businesses seek out commercial opportunities.

The result is a constant flow of pilgrims, yet often no one takes charge of organizing everything that happens around them.

“We have extraordinary resources, but a resource on its own does not create development. It must be transformed into a tourism product,” he noted.

This does not mean turning a shrine into just another tourist attraction. It means, Lomello explained, “creating the conditions so that visitors can get around, find food, rest, explore the site, and understand its history.”

Having a shrine is not enough

Lomello emphasized that a church, a basilica, or a pilgrimage with huge numbers of participants is not enough to build a religious tourism destination. “You need to have products; you need to develop products,” he explained.

“The product consists of a narrative, a presence on social media, signage, adequate infrastructure, restrooms, good cuisine, the route itself, transportation, and communication,” he replied.

For example, a person might visit a shrine to attend a celebration and return home shortly after. However, if the surrounding area offers museums, tourist routes, local cuisine, heritage sites, cultural activities, and other attractions to explore, the experience can be extended.

“This is what we want cities to do, offer other things: good cuisine, engaging activities, museums, and events,” he stated.

The money doesnʼt just stay at the shrine

For Lomello, one of the advantages of religious tourism is precisely that the money can be distributed among various sectors of the community.

“The pilgrim arrives, spends money locally, buys handicrafts, stays overnight — perhaps an extra day — and visits a museum. The economic benefits spread throughout the entire community,” he explained.

This can benefit hotels, restaurants, merchants, artisans, transportation providers, and other workers. It can also help preserve the churches and religious sites themselves.

“Religious tourism is not going to take away the Churchʼs leading role, it is going to give it resources,” he said.

However, Lomello emphasized that religious tourism cannot be reduced to an economic issue, since “the spiritual benefit is fundamental.”

Religious tourism is not going to take away the Church’s leading role, it is going to give it resources.”

Adrián Lomello

World Religious Tourism Network

A pilgrim who arrives at a shrine may be looking for more than just getting to know a place. He may want to pray, go to confession, attend a Mass, or simply reconnect with his faith.

“The impact of a good spiritual narrative is conversion. It’s when someone, through religious tourism, arrives and is deeply moved by the story [behind the place] and the religious images, and asks for confession. That’s conversion,” he noted.

The Camino de Santiago model

One of the experiences that can serve as a model is the Camino de Santiago in Spain.

According to data shared by the network, the route welcomes around 530,000 pilgrims annually and generates an estimated annual economic impact of over $580 million, following decades of planning.

This comparison is of particular interest to Latin America, where there are numerous religious routes and destinations that attract large numbers of people but still lack planning.

“The difference lies not only in its heritage. It lies in policy decisions. Destinations that ignore their spiritual heritage are not making a cultural mistake; they are making a strategic economic development mistake,” Lomello asserted.

‘Lift up your gaze’

Lomello said he believes the Church has an important role to play in this process, but it cannot do it alone. Coordination is needed between dioceses, parishes, authorities, businessmen, and local communities.

Data is also needed. The region needs to know how many pilgrims it receives, where they come from, how long they stay, what services they use, and what their needs are.

The World Religious Tourism Network proposes, among other measures, doing market analysis, developing specific public policies, putting the destinations online, training those who work with pilgrims, and creating avenues for exchanging information among the various stakeholders.

For Lomello, the first step is to change the way the phenomenon is viewed.

“As the pope said in Spain: ‘Lift up your gaze.’ Lift up your gaze. Look at the religious tourism sector: an opportunity for development,” he urged.

And that opportunity, he emphasized, should not be viewed as competing with the Churchʼs mission.

“This is a time to lift up our gaze, to say: ‘Ladies and gentlemen, there is an opportunity here.’ Let us all work together, because this is for the benefit of all,” he affirmed.

Top 10 destinations in Latin America

According to data compiled by the World Religious Tourism Network, these are the top 10 religious destinations and celebrations in Latin America, Central America, and the Caribbean, ranked by estimated annual visitor numbers:

1. Mexico — Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe: 20 million

2. Brazil — Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida: 12 million

3. Argentina — Shrine of Our Lady of Luján: 10 million

4. Peru — Shrine of the Lord of Miracles: 5 million

5. Colombia — Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá: 4 million

6. Guatemala — Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary: ​​3.5 million

7. Ecuador — Shrine of Our Lady of El Quinche: 2.5 million

8. Venezuela — Basilica of Our Lady of Coromoto: 2 million

9. Chile — Shrine of the Virgin of Lo Vásquez: 1.5 million

10. Dominican Republic — Basilica of Our Lady of Altagracia: 1.5 million

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

His remarks followed the death due to a pregnancy complication of Stefano, the son of Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa and his wife, Lavinia Valbonesi.

On Aug. 15, Interior Minister Nataly Morillo announced the news and offered her condolences to the presidential family.

Many comments appeared on social media questioning the characterization of the loss as the death of a “child” rather than an embryo or fetus, or arguing that the matter should have remained private.

For Proaño, a lawyer with the firm Dignidad y Derecho (Dignity and Law), these reactions reveal “a lack of understanding regarding pregnancy loss and a lack of empathy that goes beyond the political debate over the way the president is running the country.”

“Many people approached this topic by first claiming it’s a ‘fake news’ story — arguing that it’s not a child, but rather an embryo or a fetus — and secondly, by insisting that it’s a matter that should remain private. And this reveals, as I said, a profound lack of empathy,” he noted in an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.

‘There’s already an expectation’ of welcoming the child

The lawyer explained that regardless of gestational age, “parents who already know, long for, and look forward to welcoming this baby are already forming an expectation, both on the psychological and social level.”

He said there can be “severe psychological impact following the loss” but also “long-term effects when the time comes to decide whether or not to try for another child.”

The lawyer also noted that this suffering can arise in everyday situations, particularly when the mother encounters other women with babies.

Proaño said he believes the scale of the phenomenon makes it important for society to learn how to support those going through this type of grief. “According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 4 women has experienced pregnancy loss at some point in her life,” he stated.

The lawyer noted that while the circumstances of a miscarriage or an abortion may differ, both situations can involve suffering and grief.

“Induced abortion often entails a greater sense of guilt,” he said.

Regarding miscarriage, he said there is also “a great deal of suffering regarding why the pregnancy could not be carried to term.”

“Many questions remain unanswered, and this creates a great deal of anxiety and can even lead to cases of severe depression in women and families going through this grief,” he continued.

The need for protocols regarding pregnancy loss

Proaño said he believes healthcare systems should have protocols in place to care for women who lose their babies during pregnancy.

“The first and most important aspect is institutional support from a medical standpoint. In many Latin American countries, there are protocols known as ‘butterfly protocols’ for the care of women experiencing pregnancy loss,” he explained.

In this practice, the silhouette of a butterfly is placed on the headboard of the patient’s bed, alerting the hospital staff to be particularly sensitive to her emotional state. The butterfly symbolizes a brief life, fragility, and transformation.

Ecuador does not currently have an official protocol from the Ministry of Health. “There are foundations promoting these types of protocols, and individual hospitals may implement them, but it largely depends on whether the hospital authorities choose to adopt them,” Proaño stated.

These protocols, he explained, aim to prevent situations that could increase the suffering of a woman who has just lost her child.

“What do these ‘butterfly protocols’ mean? It means healthcare staff are sensitized that they don’t say things like, ‘Oh, right. Well, it would have been better if you’d done this or that, and then you wouldn’t have lost the baby,’” he explained.

He also emphasized the need to avoid placing a woman who has just suffered a loss “in the maternity ward, where you can hear and see other women with their babies.”

Proaño even proposes identifying these patients: “They should be given a separate room and identified by a symbol or a sign on the door, so that when a nurse or doctor walks by, no one makes the mistake of asking, ‘And where is your baby? Why haven’t they brought your baby to you?’” he said.

In addition, the woman should receive psychological care, he noted.

Employers should also have to make allowances

According to Proaño, families also need “social recognition that extends to the workplace.”

“In Ecuador, these cases often only qualify for three days of leave for a family emergency, and three days is not enough,” he maintained.

“Many of these people go through episodes of severe depression, return to work, and are then fired because the enhanced job protection afforded to pregnant women because they are carrying a child does not apply. But if the baby dies, they don’t benefit from this leave,” he added.

Parents' right to say goodbye to their child

Another aspect the lawyer deems necessary to review is what happens to the babyʼs remains following a pregnancy loss.

Measures should be in place “to ensure the baby can be given a proper burial," he stated.

Proaño explained that, according to Ecuadorian regulations, there is a distinction regarding the release of remains based on whether the pregnancy has reached 22 weeks of gestation.

“In Ecuador, up to the 22nd week of pregnancy, hospitals are not required to hand over the child — the body or remains of the fetus — and may simply dispose of it, donate it for research, or even sell it to institutions,” he stated.

He said this situation can deprive parents of a step that is important for the grieving process.

“This baby is the child of a family that deserves and needs, for the sake of their grieving process, to bury him and have a place to go to mourn his death,” he noted.

In his view, families should receive clear information about their rights and be able to decide what happens to their childʼs remains.

“Parents should be provided with informed consent that explains this possibility and their rights, so they can make a decision. And if they ultimately decide not to take the fetus, they should also be able to decide on its final disposition,” he explained.

‘An unborn child is a child’

Beyond the legal and medical aspects, Proaño said he believes there is a cultural challenge: “A great deal of work to raise awareness and foster understanding” needs to be done, he noted.

“Because an unborn child is a child; it’s not merely a fetus,” he emphasized.

The lawyer lamented that many families do not even receive condolences after losing a child during pregnancy. He also questioned certain responses that may seem well-intentioned but ultimately minimize the pain.

For example, he said, “there are many doctors who say, ‘You can get pregnant again; there’s no problem.’ As if that loss could simply be erased from a mother’s heart.”

An issue that also involves the state

Proaño maintained that the response should include public policies focused on prevention, support, and family protection.

“At the state level, there are these three points: promoting the implementation of support protocols; ensuring proper informed consent when the disposition of the fetuses is to be decided; and enacting workplace reforms to grant parents more time to grieve the loss of their child in accordance with the law,” he explained.

“And also, having awareness-raising campaigns. Furthermore — taking it a step further — it would be very important for the state to take up this issue as a public policy necessity,” he added.

Proaño said he also believes that proper preventive care during pregnancy can help reduce some pregnancy losses. He cited, among other factors, medical monitoring during pregnancy and the detection of potential vitamin or hormonal deficiencies.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Friar Luis Enrique Ramírez, a Dominican priest and rector of the basilica located in Lima’s historic center, explained to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, how the relic is preserved and where it is kept within this historic church entrusted to the Order of Preachers.

“St. Rose’s skull has been here in the basilica since the late 1800s, around the time this neoclassical altarpiece was created,” the priest explained, standing before the reliquary housing the first-class relic. The reliquary, which also holds significant relics of St. Martin de Porres and St. John Macías, “consists of two parts: One section holds the skull itself, which wears a crown of roses that was originally gold but is now silver,” the priest noted, adding that the original crown was stolen.

The other part is a small box containing some of her bones, he said.

There is also a tablecloth she embroidered, which serves as an example “of the work she used to do.”

The Dominican friar also noted that over time, her bones “have been divided into minuscule fragments, and relics of St. Rose of Lima are found in a great number of places all over the world.”

St. Rose’s house, located very close to St. Dominic Convent, preserves 10 objects belonging to the first saint of the Americas, such as her betrothal ring to the Lord, soil from her grave, and a handwritten letter.

Why are there relics of saints like St. Rose of Lima?

Ramírez explained that the relics of saints represent “a way for the faithful to share in the holiness of the person they venerate. Being close to the saint is a very ancient tradition in the Church.”

By being near saints’ relics, the faithful can “share in their holiness; it’s a way to find encouragement. It’s also a way to help you, in some sense, to strive to live your life in a state of grace.”

The Dominican priest noted that given the current trade in relics and the risk of counterfeits, the Holy See has established clearer and stricter regulations for handling requests for a saintʼs relics, particularly to verify their authenticity. This process requires authorization from a bishop and, in the case of St. Rose, from the Dominicans.

Plaque commemorating the mystical betrothal of St. Rose of Lima

Inside the basilica, on the left side of the nave, there is a plaque on the floor marking the exact spot where St. Rose of Lima’s mystical betrothal took place in 1617 — the moment she consecrated herself entirely to the Lord after hearing the words “Rose, be my spouse.”

According to Ramírez, the saint had come to the site of the former Chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary to bid farewell, as she was preparing to become a Poor Clare nun; her friends had raised funds to enable her to enter the convent with the required dowry, as was the custom at the time.

“She came to bid farewell to Our Lady of the Rosary represented by the image that at that time was in her chapel, right where the plaque is now, and that is where the phenomenon occurred in which she became so heavy she could not be lifted, and where the mystical betrothal to the Infant Jesus also took place,” the Dominican friar explained.

“She realized that God did not want her to be a nun but rather a laywoman, so she decided to join the Dominican Third Order as a laywoman, here at St. Dominic Convent in Lima,” he added.

The ‘new’ chapel of St. Rose of Lima and another first-class relic

During a tour of the St. Dominic Convent Museum, Ramírez showed EWTN News a “new” chapel, erected about 10 years ago in a space that had previously been the room of another Dominican friar.

“On the main altar stands the image of St. Rose of Lima, the patron saint of Peru, America, and the Philippines, which is carried on a litter during the Aug. 29–30 processions,” the priest explained.

Beneath the image “lies a relic: the shoulder blade of St. Rose of Lima. And everything in the chapel is dedicated to her. We have paintings, both old and new, including of St. Catherine of Siena, to whom St. Rose was devoted, as well as images of St. Rose’s ‘Doctorcito’ [‘Little Doctor,’ her affectionate name for the Child Jesus], the image to which she held great devotion.” There is also Our Lady of the Rosary of the Creoles’ Confraternity and “the most important sculpture: the marble work by Melchiorre Cafà, which was present at St. Rose’s beatification ceremony at Santa Sabina Basilica” in Rome in 1668.

What lessons can Catholics today learn from St. Rose of Lima?

“Let’s remember that St. Rose of Lima was a laywoman; that is, she was not a religious sister but someone who lived in her own home,” the Dominican priest noted.

Ramírez recalled how the saint worked at various tasks such as embroidery and helping in other households to contribute to the support of her family. At the same time, he continued, “St. Rose was fully aware of God’s presence in her life and engaged in profound mystical prayer, imitating St. Catherine of Siena in what is known as the inner cell.”

This, he said, means that “she did not have a physical cell to retreat to, as in a monastery, but she did have an inner cell where she could take refuge, and indeed she had many mystical experiences in that regard.”

Rose of St. Mary, as she is also known, lived a life “deeply committed to the suffering and the needy in her society, to the poor who needed her help not just with her counsel but also with medical care, comforting, and assistance in general.”

In this way, Ramírez emphasized, St. Rose of Lima is “a very contemporary example” for any Catholic today. Like St. Rose, he said, “you can work to earn a living, you can commit yourself to mystical prayer, and you can commit yourself to social work in the service of the needy,” living a “committed life within our Church and, furthermore, in the spirit of our Dominican charism.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

St. Charbel Trail, known in the region as Darb Mar Charbel, is a 80.8-mile pilgrimage and hiking trail that crosses some of Lebanon’s most striking natural and spiritual landscapes, linking monasteries, villages, and historic sites associated with St. Charbel and the Maronite tradition.

The trail is currently divided into two main routes. The northern route stretches roughly 50 miles, beginning at the Monastery of St. Anthony of Qozhaya in the Qadisha Valley and continuing through sites including St. Charbel’s birthplace and the Monastery of St. Maroun in Annaya, where Pope Leo XIV prayed during his visit to Lebanon in 2025.

The southern route covers approximately 31 miles, beginning at the Maronite Patriarchal See in Bkerke and passing through Harissa, home to the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon, one of the country’s most important Marian pilgrimage sites, and ending at St. Charbel’s tomb in Annaya.

A landscape shaped by centuries of faith

Sliney, who has spent more than 27 years in priestly ministry serving young people and families in Washington, D.C., and New York City, said the trail “creates a peaceful, silent environment where you can actually hear God.”

That sense was especially strong, he said, in the Qadisha Valley, also known as the Valley of the Saints, a historic center of Maronite monastic life. “I felt this is where the heart of God is beating,” he said. “It’s beating in the Valley of the Saints. It’s beating in these monasteries.”

For Sliney, walking through the valley felt “almost like going back to a time capsule.” He said he was struck by the continuity of monastic life there, where Christians have prayed for centuries in monasteries and caves carved into the mountains.

At the Cave of St. Anthony, which dates back to the fourth century, that history became particularly tangible. “For 1,700 years people have been coming here to pray,” he said. “It’s hard to imagine… really since the time of Christ almost, people have been praying in that particular cave.”

The people along the trail

More than the monasteries, caves, and churches, what affected Sliney most during the pilgrimage, he said, were the people he encountered, especially the monks and nuns.

He described the nuns he met as “dynamic,” “happy,” and “joyful.” The monks left a similar impression. “I was very, very impressed by the fervor, the humility, the joy, and the dedication of these monks,” he said. “I really believe the Valley of the Saints is such a holy place because of these monks and these nuns.”

Sliney said he was also deeply marked by the resilience, hospitality, and spirit of service he encountered among Lebanese people more broadly.

He recalled being welcomed to celebrate Mass in the house of St. Charbel and being invited to wear Maronite vestments. He was also moved by small, personal gestures from people he had only just met.

At one monastery, a monk gave him a bag of medals of the saints that he had collected since childhood, asking him to distribute them among the pilgrims. The monk then offered him a rosary he had made for himself.

Family life also stood out to him. He recalled entering restaurants and seeing families of 15 or 20 people gathered around the same table.

A path back to faith and heritage

Sliney wants more people to experience the trail. He said he believes American Catholics would benefit from making the pilgrimage but says Lebanese Americans in particular should be among the first to rediscover it.

“I think they need to rediscover the beauty of their faith and the beauty of their heritage,” he said. “I think it would spark a faith in them that needs to be rekindled.”

While acknowledging the opportunities American life has offered many Lebanese families, Sliney said he worries that they can also become absorbed by “materialism” and “noise.”

“I think Lebanon — the peace, the serenity, the simplicity of this country and of the people — is something not just they need, but I think we need as Americans,” he said. “Our culture could use the silence so we can hear the whisper of God.”

For Lebanese living abroad, he sees the trail as more than a pilgrimage route. He believes it could become a way of reconnecting them with a faith and heritage that may have weakened across generations. “I think it would spark a faith in them that needs to be rekindled,” he said.

“I really believe St. Charbel is behind this trail. Our world today needs to learn from the simplicity and the humility and the joy of the monks and of the nuns and of the people of Lebanon. And I think the trail will allow them to experience that.”

Is Lebanon safe for pilgrims?

Sliney also pushed back against perceptions of Lebanon as uniformly unsafe. He said he felt safer in Lebanon than in Washington, D.C., while acknowledging the ongoing war in the south, which he did not visit.

“Lebanon being a very unsafe [place] to go to is a false narrative. And I feel it does an injustice to the country,” he noted.

He also described the hiking as “pretty intense,” with steep climbs and descents — despite being a marathon runner himself.

As parts of the trail are still being developed and funds are being raised, he said he plans to return to Lebanon to complete it once more sections are open.