Fr Richard D‘Souza S.J. is new Director of Vatican Observatory

Pope Leo XIV appoints Fr Richard Anthony D’Souza, S.J., as Director of the Vatican Observatory. The astronomist succeeds Br Guy Consolmagno, S.J, whose 10-year mandate expires in September. By Vatican News Pope Leo XIV has appointed Fr Richard Anthony D’Souza, S.J., as Director of the Vatican Observatory. A statement released …
St. John Henry Newman to be declared 38th doctor of the Church

By Kristina Millare Vatican City, Jul 31, 2025 / 09:36 am Pope Leo XIV on Thursday approved the decision to declare St. John Henry Newman the 38th doctor of the universal Church. The decision to confer the title upon the 19th-century English saint — a former Anglican priest who converted to …
Catholic Spirituality: Ignatians

On May 20th, 1521, a fiery young man named Íñigo López de Oñaz y Loyola—better known to us as St. Ignatius of Loyola—was injured in a battle at Pamplona in Spain. In the long months of bedrest and boredom during his convalescence, Ignatius either daydreamed about great romances and adventures …
Thousands of Vietnamese Catholics gather in Missouri for Marian pilgrimage

By Tessa Gervasini Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 29, 2025 / 12:43 pm Every summer, the small city of Carthage, Missouri, becomes a booming landmark of religion and culture as tens of thousands of pilgrims gather to celebrate family and faith, honor the Blessed Mother, and share in Vietnamese traditions. The Marian …
Vatican communication office urges 2-state solution as France backs Palestinian statehood

By Kate Quiñones CNA Staff, Jul 28, 2025 / 18:34 pm The Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication reiterated its long-standing call for recognition of Palestine statehood amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict after France announced last week it would recognize the region’s statehood. The editorial manager for the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication, Andrea …
Lebanese twin brothers turn tragedy into a call to action for Middle East Christians

By Marguerita Kallassy ACI MENA, Jul 29, 2025 / 08:00 am With a smartphone and an Instagram account, twin brothers Charbel and Giovanni Lteif are closing in on 800,000 followers with their “Eastern Christians” pages on social media. The 20-year-old Maronite Lebanese brothers have built their Christian social media platform in just one …
U.S. bishops invite Catholics to pray for end to taxpayer-funded abortion

By Tessa Gervasini Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 28, 2025 / 13:40 pm The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has invited Americans to participate in a daily prayer to St. Joseph, defender of life, to stop federal funding of the abortion industry. Archbishop Timothy Broglio, president of the USCCB, and …
Catholic Schools Bring the Light of Christ to a Desperate World

In August of 2000, my husband and I embarked on the next milestone of our young parenting adventure; it was time to send our oldest child to kindergarten. As the product of a Catholic elementary school and a teacher-turned-stay-at- home mom, my heart felt convicted that our children would attend …
The Sound of Music

Bands Build Community at Catholic Schools by Bonny Van Nothing heralds the change of seasons from summer to fall like the rat-a-tat-tat of snare drums in a high school marching band. “The first football game always feels electric,” said Carl Soucek, band director for 23 years at Carroll High School …
Community Gathered to Honor First Responders After Church Fire

Christ Our Light Family of Parishes gathered on Sunday for a “Firefighters & First Responders Thank You” event, honoring those who helped during the recent fire at St. John the Baptist Church. Originally planned as an outdoor prayer service across the street from the damaged church, heavy rain and storms moved the …