Why St. Ignatius of Loyola is a saint for difficult times
By Jessica Pipes National Catholic Register, Jul 31, 2025 / 04:00 am When Ignatius of Loyola found himself bedridden with a shattered leg, all of his big dreams and plans disappeared. Arrogant, stubborn, and hot-tempered, Ignatius was a soldier to his core, and he excelled on the battlefield. Until now, his …
Start of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate brings surge of interest in papal blessings
By Hannah Brockhaus Vatican City, Jul 31, 2025 / 10:41 am The Vatican has seen a boom in requests for blessings from the new pope, with at least a 30% increase during Leo XIV’s first month reflecting enthusiasm over the start of a new pontificate — and highlighting a traditional practice …
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 …
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 …
