Pew study: Religion holds steady in America
By Tessa Gervasini Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 9, 2025 / 15:30 pm The number of American adults who identify with Christianity, with another religion, or with no religion have all remained steady, a new Pew Research Center report finds. Surveys conducted since 2020 have generally found that about 70% of U.S. …
Pope says Trump Ukraine plan would weaken U.S. alliance with Europe
By CNA Staff Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Dec 9, 2025 / 15:15 pm Pope Leo XIV said President Donald Trump’s plan to end Russia’s war against Ukraine threatens to break apart the alliance between Europe and the United States. Asked by reporters Dec. 9 to comment on the initiative’s fairness, the …
Archbishop performs rite of reparation at Annunciation Catholic Church after shooting
By Amira Abuzeid CNA Staff, Dec 9, 2025 / 15:10 pm Three months after a deadly shooting in Minneapolis that left two students dead and injured 18 others as well as three adults, Archbishop Bernard Hebda, along with Auxiliary Bishops Kevin Kenney and Michael Izen, said a special Mass at Annunciation …
What should I do with used religious items that I no longer need?
Catholics engage with their faith in bodily and material ways—not just genuflecting, kneeling, and making the sign of the cross but thumbing rosary beads, collecting holy cards, and praying before statues and artwork. Unlike members of some non-Catholic faith traditions, Catholics have long fostered a kind of tactile piety. But …
FBI leader who oversaw Catholic investigation tapped to lead Virginia public safety department
By Daniel Payne CNA Staff, Dec 9, 2025 / 11:45 am The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) special agent who oversaw the Virginia office responsible for a highly controversial investigation into local Catholics will lead the state’s safety office under its new Democratic governor. Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger nominated Stanley Meador as …
Pope Leo meets with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy
Pope Leo XIV welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the papal residence at Castel Gandolfo to discuss the war in Ukraine and the return of Ukrainian children taken to Russia. Vatican News Pope Leo XIV welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the papal residence in Castel Gandolfo on the morning …
Seminarian Spotlight: Zach Jarrell’s Pastoral Internship Year
From Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary and School of Theology: God willing, I will be ordained a deacon at the end of this school year, a big step on the road to the priesthood. That milestone feels both exciting and humbling, and it’s possible because of the people and experiences that …
Why is the Immaculate Conception patroness of the United States?
By Kate Olivera CNA Newsroom, Dec 8, 2025 / 04:00 am Mary, under her title of the Immaculate Conception, has been patroness of the United States since the mid-19th century. But her protection of the nation dates back to its earliest history. One of the first Catholic churches in what is …
‘Sons of Thunder’ vocations group teaches boys how to be Catholic men
By Francesca Pollio Fenton CNA Staff, Dec 7, 2025 / 06:00 am A little over a year ago, Father Matthew Gonzalez, a priest in the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey, had the idea to create a group for boys in grades eight to 12 that focuses on vocations and what it …
Do Not Be Afraid
Three years ago, I was blessed with the opportunity to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. While in Bethlehem, I was deeply moved by a reflection on Luke’s Gospel. Standing in the fields where the shepherds once stood, I imagined myself alongside those shepherds, encountering the angels. As I …
