Catholic News

VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday called on Christians to be capable of "viewing the world in a positive light," while urging them to be actively committed to transforming society according to the spirit of the Gospel, without watering down the Christian message.

"It is certainly not by watering down the content or softening the demands that Christianity can be made attractive," he recalled on Wednesday, citing the address he delivered to the plenary assembly of the Dicastery for Evangelization, Section on Fundamental Questions Regarding Evangelization in the World, on May 28.

During the general audience held in St. Peter's Square on Oct. 7, the pontiff resumed his catechetical series dedicated to the texts of the Second Vatican Council, following last week's pause, when he reflected on his apostolic journey to France.

Leo thus continued his catechesis on the conciliar constitution Gaudium et Spes. In particular, he focused his reflection on Chapter 4 of the first part of the document, which is devoted to the Church's mission in the contemporary world.

"It is the task of the whole people of God, especially pastors and theologians, to discern what in the cultures of our time is worthy of consideration, always taking the word of God and the tradition of the Church as the supreme criteria for discernment. This requires a balanced mind, free from cultural trends, capable of viewing the world in a positive light whilst remaining steadfast in preserving and presenting the Gospel message in its entirety," he said.

We 'cannot accept the oppression of the weak'

Before thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square, Leo XIV reflected on the vocation of the lay faithful in the world and recalled that Vatican II fostered a new awareness of the responsibility of all the baptized in the Church's mission.

Referring to the concrete demands of the Christian faith, Leo XIV said that, by worshipping Christ, "the believer cannot accept the oppression of the weak and the poor, nor the unjust structures that perpetuate conditions of dependence and injustice."

"The social doctrine of the Church guides the actions of Christians, who collaborate with all people of goodwill in promoting the common good," he added.

The principal settings for this evangelizing mission, the Holy Father recalled, are the family and the workplace, though it extends to every sphere of life.

The Church's purpose is not political

The pontiff also made clear that the Church's purpose is not political in nature but consists rather in bearing witness to faith and charity.

"The council fathers remind us that the Church's mission is fulfilled also in contributing to the construction of the earthly city. However, her methods and aims are not primarily of a political order; rather, they consist in bearing witness to faith and charity, together with commitment for justice, peace, and fraternity," he said.

The Church's 'first mission'

Leo XIV further explained that the Second Vatican Council reminds us that the Church is neither "above" nor "beside" the world but is, as it were, grafted into it.

In this sense, he emphasized that the Church "journeys through history in the midst of peoples and cultures," though its "first mission" remains "to help people be attentive to the profound questions of life: those concerning our origin and our destiny, as well as those concerning the meaning of love and suffering."

"The logic of profit at all costs and the manipulation of information risk exerting undue pressure on people to conform to a lifestyle centered on the consumption of material goods, but our hearts are made to look upwards," he said.

Consistency between the 'faith we profess and our lives'

Leo then recalled that proclaiming the Gospel requires consistency of life on the part of believers. To carry out the Church's evangelizing mission effectively, the pontiff said, "it is necessary for every baptized person to commit to cooperating with the grace of the Holy Spirit, so that their faith may be living and expressed in consistent behavior."

In this context, he recalled that the council fathers stated that the discrepancy between professed faith and daily life "deserves to be counted among the more serious errors of our age."

The importance of the rosary

During his greetings to Italian-speaking faithful after the catechesis, the pope recalled the Oct. 7 liturgical memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary and emphasized the importance of this traditional Marian prayer, noting that it is "greatly cherished in the Church's tradition."

The Holy Father stressed that Mary is a "sure refuge amid the difficulties of life." The memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary, celebrated each year on Oct. 7, recalls the special protection of the Virgin Mary over the Church and encourages devotion to the holy rosary as a path of contemplation, conversion, and the strengthening of faith.

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.

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Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday urged patrons of the Vatican Museums to rediscover beauty in an era dominated by technology.

The pontiff held a private audience on Oct. 7 at the Vatican with the Louisiana chapter of the patrons during their pilgrimage to Rome. The Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums, founded in 1983, is an international group of benefactors who fund the conservation and restoration of the Vatican's art collections.

Leo, in his remarks, thanked them for their collaboration and support for the Vatican Museums and invited them to create spaces of beauty in a world where technology is often preferred.

"In an age dominated by technology, in which efficiency and profit often take precedence, it is so important that we continue to cultivate a spirit of contemplation and allow time and space for beauty," Leo said.

He also added that fostering this attitude would "greatly help humanity, especially young people, not only to discover the ability of art to uplift and reveal the depths of the human spirit."

"Ultimately," Leo added, "contemplation presents a marvelous opportunity to encounter the God who is beauty, whom St. Augustine described as ever-ancient and ever-new."

Leo's recent comments on classical art

Leo's remarks followed his address during a private audience with artists on Oct. 2 in which he explained the difference between authentic art and art created by artificial intelligence (AI).

"There is an ontological difference — even before an aesthetic one — between art and what a machine can generate through statistical calculation based on millions of images created by others. Algorithms lack the spark of the human, whereas 'authentic culture and art preserve this spark,'" Leo said, quoting from his encyclical on AI, Magnifica Humanitas.

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Pope Leo XIV received a relic of Blessed Fulton J. Sheen from leaders of the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois, this month, marking a poignant moment involving the Catholic Church's first American-born pope and one of the nation's most iconic modern evangelists.

Bishop Louis Tylka of Peoria, accompanied by Monsignor Jason Gray, executive director of the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation, met with the Holy Father in a private audience Oct. 5.

The audience followed the long-awaited beatification of Sheen, a pioneer of Catholic radio and television whose cause for sainthood was championed by his home diocese in central Illinois. The encounter carried added significance given that both Pope Leo XIV and Blessed Fulton Sheen trace their roots to the state of Illinois.

Following the audience, Tylka highlighted the deep spiritual connection and Church tradition tied to the gift.

"It was a profound joy and privilege to meet with our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, and to present him with a relic of Blessed Fulton J. Sheen on behalf of the Diocese of Peoria and all those who have prayed for and supported Archbishop Sheen's cause," Tylka said.

"There is a beautiful tradition in the Catholic Church of presenting the Holy Father with the relics of the saints and blesseds, and this particular moment carried special meaning for me. Pope Leo XIV has spoken of Archbishop Sheen on several occasions and has expressed his appreciation for Archbishop Sheen's extraordinary witness of faith, his ability to proclaim the Gospel through the means of communication available in his time, and his missionary heart. In the days surrounding the beatification, the Holy Father again pointed to Archbishop Sheen as an example of finding new ways to spread the Gospel."

Gray underscored the historic resonance of placing the relic of the Illinois-born preacher into the hands of an American pope.

"I am deeply grateful for the Holy Father's interest in Blessed Fulton Sheen and for his support that allowed us to celebrate this long-awaited beatification," Gray said.

"To place a relic of this son of the Diocese of Peoria into the hands of the first American pope, both of whom are from Illinois, was an especially moving moment. My hope is that this relic will serve as a reminder of who Fulton Sheen was and of the mission he embraced so completely: to bring Jesus Christ to the world. The Holy Father's own interest in Archbishop Sheen reminds us that his witness continues to speak to the Church today and challenges all of us to proclaim the Gospel with the same conviction and joy."

The presentation of the relic stands as a lasting symbol of Blessed Fulton Sheen's legacy as a master communicator, whose impact continues to resonate across the universal Church from his native Illinois to the Vatican.

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

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FOCUS, one of the largest Catholic outreach and missionary organizations in the world, announced Oct. 7 that Jonathan Reyes will serve as the organization's next chief executive officer, effective Nov. 16.

"Decades ago, I joined FOCUS at Curtis Martin's invitation to support the important work of missionary formation. That invitation changed my life in ways I never could have imagined," Reyes said in a press release. "Over the years, I have watched God use this apostolate to transform thousands of lives on college campuses and in parishes. That fruit is a sign of God's blessing and a testimony to the faithful leaders and missionaries who have given themselves completely to the Great Commission. It is a privilege to serve alongside them, and I pray God will continue to bless FOCUS for generations to come."

Curtis Martin, who founded FOCUS in 1998, announced on Dec. 13, 2025, that he would be stepping down from his role as CEO. He said he would continue to serve the student ministry group as its founder and as a board member.

"I have been blessed to know Jonathan for more than 25 years," Martin said. "Jonathan has extensive leadership experience working with the Church and a deep desire to help others encounter Jesus Christ. Please join me in praying for Jonathan as he helps lead FOCUS and carries this mission forward."

Reyes has devoted his career to the Catholic Church and returns to FOCUS after previously serving as the organization's vice president of ministry and formation, where he helped shape the formation of missionaries who accompany college students.

His most recent position was that of senior vice president of communications for the Knights of Columbus. Before joining the Knights, Reyes served the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB), first as the executive director of the Department of Justice, Peace, and Human Development and later as the assistant general secretary for Integral Human Development.

In 2005, Reyes co-founded and served as the first president of the Augustine Institute, which is a private Catholic graduate school of theology. In 2011, he founded Christ in the City, a nonprofit and missionary formation program that focuses on street outreach to homeless individuals. He also previously taught history at Christendom College.

Archbishop Paul Coakley of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and president of the USCCB told EWTN News: "I welcome with great joy the appointment of Jonathan Reyes, Ph.D., as the new CEO of FOCUS. The friendship Jonathan shares with Curtis Martin gives this transition a special continuity."

"Jonathan's experience in various apostolates, most recently the world's largest fraternal organization, the Knights of Columbus, has prepared him well to lead in this moment," he added. "My brother bishops and I rely deeply upon lay movements such as FOCUS to help bring the Great Commission to fruition in every generation. May the Lord bless Jonathan and the entire FOCUS family as they continue forming missionary disciples for Christ and his Church."

Monsignor James Shea, president of the University of Mary in North Dakota, told EWTN News: "Jonathan Reyes is an exemplary choice to lead FOCUS into its next chapter. He was there early on, understands the charism from the inside, and shares deeply in the vision that has animated Curtis Martin's remarkable work from the start. I have been so grateful for his wisdom and friendship as a trustee of the University of Mary, where I have seen firsthand his rare combination of intellectual depth, apostolic zeal, sound judgment, and genuine humility."

"Jonathan is a man of the Church, a gifted leader, and, above all, a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ," he added. "He understands that the great strength of FOCUS has always been its capacity to awaken in young people a love for Christ and a desire to share that love with others. He will lead this extraordinary apostolate into a new season of growth and fruitfulness."

"I've known and admired Jonathan Reyes for many years, both as a lay leader and a friend," said Archbishop Emeritus Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia. "He's a man of exceptional Christian character, intellect, apostolic energy, and professional skill. He knows the founder's vision and the wonderful FOCUS staff and missionaries from long personal experience, and he'll build on that to make the work of FOCUS even more fruitful in the years ahead. The FOCUS Board made exactly the right choice in a next-generation leader."

Reyes succeeds interim CEO Tim Thoman, who has led FOCUS during the board's national search since December 2025.

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October is designated by the Catholic Church as the month of the rosary, and Oct. 7 is the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.

Here are seven common myths and facts about this popular devotion and  prayer:

1. Only Catholics can pray the rosary.

False. While rosaries are typically associated with Catholics, non-Catholics can certainly pray the rosary — and in fact, many credit it to their conversion. Even some Protestants recognize the rosary as a valid form of prayer.

2. Praying the rosary is idolatry.

False. Some have objections to the rosary, claiming it idolizes Mary and is overly repetitive.

Just like any practice, the rosary can be abused — just as someone might idolize a particular pastor or priest, a form of worship, or fasting. But the rosary itself is not a form of idolatry.

The rosary is not a prayer to Mary — it is a meditation on the life of Christ revealed in five mysteries "with the purposes of drawing the person praying deeper into reflecting on Christ's joys, sacrifices, sufferings, and the glorious miracles of his life."

When we pray the Hail Mary, we are not adoring Mary; we are asking for her intercession — just as we might ask a friend or family member to pray for us.

Second, any prayer can lose its meaning if we do not intentionally meditate on it. Focusing on the mysteries with purpose and intention is key to the rosary's transforming power. As one author encourages: "The rosary itself stays the same, but we do not."

3. You can wear a rosary as a necklace.

It depends. It is typically considered disrespectful and irreverent to wear a rosary around one's neck as jewelry, even though the Church does not have an explicit declaration against doing so.

However, Canon 1171 of the Code of Canon Law says that "sacred objects, set aside for divine worship by dedication or blessing, are to be treated with reverence. They are not to be made over to secular or inappropriate use, even though they may belong to private persons."

It is important to treat the rosary with respect and intention. If you intend to wear the rosary as a piece of jewelry, this would not be respectful and should be avoided. It goes without saying that wearing the rosary as a mockery or gang symbol would be a sin.

But if it is your intention to use the rosary and be mindful of prayer, then it could be permissible. It is not uncommon in some cultures, like in Honduras and El Salvador, to see the rosary respectfully worn around the neck as a sign of devotion.

Rosary rings or bracelets might be a better option if you want to keep your rosary close at hand as a reminder to pray, as they are kept more out of sight and would not be as easily misconstrued to be a piece of jewelry.

4. The rosary is an extremist symbol.

False. Back in 2022, a widely-shared Atlantic article went viral for accusing the rosary of being an "extremist symbol."

"Just as the AR-15 rifle has become a sacred object for Christian nationalists in general, the rosary has acquired a militaristic meaning for radical-traditional (or 'rad trad') Catholics," the article read.

The author also cited the Church's stance on traditional marriage and the sanctity of life as evidence of "extremism" and claimed that Catholics' tendency to call the rosary a "weapon in the fight against evil" as dangerous.

As EWTN News reported in 2022, popes have urged Catholics to pray the rosary since 1571 — often referring to the rosary as a prayer "weapon" and most powerful spiritual tool.

5. The rosary is not biblical.

Untrue! Most of its words come directly from Scripture.

First, the Our Father is prayed. The words of the Our Father are those Christ taught his disciples to pray in Matthew 6:9–13.

The Hail Mary also comes straight from the Bible. The first part, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee," comes from Luke 1:28, and the second, "Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb," is found in Luke 1:42.

Finally, each of the decades prayed on the rosary symbolizes an event in the lives of Jesus and his mother. The decades are divided into four sets of mysteries: joyful, luminous, sorrowful, and glorious, the majority of which are found in Scripture.

6. A rosary bead, or pea, can kill you.

Somewhat true. A rosary pea, or abrus seed, is a vine plant native to India and parts of Asia. The seeds of the vine, which are red with black spots, are often used to make beaded jewelry — including rosaries. Rosary pea seeds contain a toxic substance called "abrin," which is a naturally-occurring poison that can be fatal if ingested. However, it's unlikely for someone to get abrin poisoning just from holding a rosary made from abrus seeds, as one would have to swallow them.

Today, most rosaries are made from other nontoxic materials, such as olive wood or glass — eliminating this concern.

7. The rosary can help protect you.

True. Praying the rosary has proven to be a miraculous force for protecting those of faith and bestowing upon them extra graces, such as the victory of the Christian forces at the Battle of Lepanto after St. Pius V implored Western Christians to pray the rosary.

Many great saints across history, including Pope John Paul II, Padre Pio, and Lucia of Fátima, have also recognized the rosary as the most powerful weapon in fighting the real spiritual battles we face in the world.

We know that spiritual warfare is a real and present danger: "For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens" (Eph 6:11–12).

"The rosary is a powerful weapon to put the demons to flight and to keep oneself from sin … If you desire peace in your hearts, in your homes, and in your country, assemble each evening to recite the rosary. Let not even one day pass without saying it, no matter how burdened you may be with many cares and labors," Pope Pius XI said.

This story was first published on Oct. 1, 2022, and has been updated.

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On his Radio María program, Bishop José Ignacio Munilla of the Diocese Orihuela-Alicante in Spain recently shared five reasons to pray the rosary during the month of October:

1. The Blessed Mother herself has repeatedly made the request.

The Spanish prelate pointed out that the fact that over the centuries the Virgin Mary has repeatedly asked for the rosary to be prayed "should have already been enough" for Christians to take up the beads every day.

He proceeded to review some of the instances where she had made this request, either explicitly or implicitly. "She did so with St. Dominic of Guzmán around the year 1208, when she asked for that prayer in the face of the Cathars," he noted.

At Lourdes, in 1858, there was no explicit command and yet, Munilla recalled, "the rosary was at the heart of the 18 apparitions to Bernadette."

Some 21 years later, during an 1877 apparition in Gietrzwald, Poland, the Virgin was cited saying directly: "I desire that you pray the rosary every day" and "pray the rosary with fervor."

As Munilla sees it, the apparitions at Fátima in 1917 constitute "the central case" in the matter, because it was there that the Virgin insisted upon the practice.

Munilla recalled that on May 13, 1917, the Blessed Virgin Mary said: "Pray the rosary every day to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war. She repeated this in June, July, and October, and on Oct. 13, she revealed herself as the Lady of the Rosary."

Munilla went on to reference what the Virgin Mary said in 1980, in the town of Cuapa, Nicaragua. There, "the Virgin Mary asked Bernardo Martínez to pray the rosary every day — not merely reciting it straight through, but meditating on the mysteries" — as well as "promoting it within the family and the parish."

In Kibeho, Rwanda, in 1981, she also made a request to pray the rosary, but with a distinctive feature: "There, the emphasis was not so much on the standard rosary but rather on the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows" of the Virgin.

Likewise, the prelate referred to the apparitions between 1983 and 1990 in San Nicolás, Argentina, where "the Virgin appeared under the title of Our Lady of the Rosary and the messages urged that it be prayed."

Munilla also referred to Medjugorje, where the Church has not issued a ruling on the supernatural nature of the alleged apparitions but has approved the religious and pastoral experience taking place there. It is an experience characterized, he said, by "an insistence on the daily recitation of the rosary."

2. In praying the rosary, one contemplates the face of Christ with Mary.

The second reason put forward is that praying the rosary allows one to contemplate the face of Christ with Mary through meditation on the joyful, sorrowful, glorious, and luminous mysteries. St. John Paul II affirmed this in his 2002 apostolic letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae.

"He points out that the rosary, while Marian in form, is Christocentric; it is a summary of the Gospel," Munilla noted.

"Each decade presents a mystery from the life of Jesus — joyful, luminous, sorrowful, or glorious — which is meditated upon while reciting the Hail Mary. It means letting the Gospel enter through humble repetition, contemplating the face of Christ with Mary," he explained.

3. It is accessible to everyone and fosters a familiar relationship with God.

Addressing this point, the Spanish prelate recalled how Sister Lucia, the visionary of Fátima, had explained: "If daily Mass and Communion had been required of us, many would not have been able to fulfill the obligation, because not everyone has access to a daily celebration of the Eucharist."

However, she continued, "the rosary, by contrast, fits into any state of life, at any time, and in any place." So much so that Sister Lucia considered it — after the Mass — to be "the prayer most pleasing to God and most beneficial for the soul."

4. It is a powerful prayer of intercession.

Praying the rosary "is a weapon called for to secure peace and for spiritual combat," the bishop added. "Leo XIII dedicated a dozen papal documents to it and proposed it as a remedy for society's great evils. John Paul II linked it again to peace," he added.

5. Repetition brings inner order.

Fifth, Munilla proposed that praying the rosary "helps us guard our hearts. It sustains faith, hope, and charity. It helps us preserve these three theological virtues and avoid being consumed by the spirit of this world."

"Repetition brings order to the inner self," the Spanish prelate continued, emphasizing that "meditation on the mysteries turns one's gaze back to what endures, and Mary's intercession sustains what one cannot uphold alone."

As St. John Bosco would say, Munilla concluded, "the rosary is as necessary for the health of the soul as bread is for the body."

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.

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Bishop Christopher Saunders, who led the Diocese of Broome in Australia for more than two decades, was sentenced Wednesday to six years and six months in prison for sexually abusing two young aboriginal men.

Judge Martin Flynn of the District Court of Western Australia set a non-parole period of four years and six months, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported. Saunders had been in custody since his August conviction.

The jury convicted Saunders of 13 offenses: one count of sexual penetration without consent and 12 counts of unlawful and indecent assault. The offenses involved two men. He was not convicted on charges involving a third man. Saunders, 76, pleaded not guilty and denied the allegations.

Flynn noted a statement from one of the victims saying Saunders had violated their autonomy over their body, ABC News reported.

Archbishop Timothy Costelloe, president of the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference, said the sentence and the judge's remarks recognized the gravity of the offenses and their profound impact on the victims and survivors.

"We are sorry for the pain and suffering that was inflicted on you," Costelloe said in a statement. "We are sorry that your trust was so directly and profoundly betrayed by a leader of the Church."

Bishop Tim Norton of Broome apologized to the victims and survivors and acknowledged that the sentence could not repair the harm caused. He said the diocese would consult local people about rituals and processes to address anger, loss, confusion, and grief across the diocese.

Saunders stepped aside from governing the Broome Diocese in 2020. Pope Francis accepted his resignation in August 2021.

As EWTN News previously reported, Western Australia Police investigated allegations against Saunders in 2018 but did not initially bring charges.

The Vatican ordered an investigation under Vos Estis Lux Mundi in 2022. It provided the report to civil authorities in 2023, and police reopened their investigation. Police arrested Saunders in February 2024.

After the August verdict, Costelloe said the Church's own investigation could resume and that Rome would determine Saunders' position in the Church.

The Australian bishops renewed their commitment Wednesday to healing, reconciliation, safeguarding, accountability, and transparency throughout the Church.

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A federal judge this month rejected a request from the Diocese of Oakland, California, to resolve its ongoing bankruptcy proceedings, arguing that the diocese had not satisfied statutory requirements to do so while dismissing claims that the diocese should be granted a special religious dispensation.

The diocese had proposed a plan earlier in the year to pay more than $200 million into an abuse victims' fund. A committee of survivors countered with a proposed payout of more than $300 million, which the diocese itself subsequently opposed.

Judge William Lafferty said in an Oct. 2 decision that the diocese had failed to demonstrate that it was undergoing a "substantial burden" on its religious rights in being required to adhere to federal bankruptcy proceedings.

The judge dismissed as "incorrect and impossible" a scenario suggested by the diocese that would result in what Lafferty described as an "apocalyptic forced sale of all churches in the Oakland Diocese" under the federal bankruptcy court.

Such a scheme, Lafferty said, "can never be compelled in the bankruptcy system."

Lafferty also expressed concern that the diocese's "liquidation analyses" are "structured in a manner that tilts the playing field" in favor of the diocese itself.

The federal judge admitted that the ruling was "not a happy result" for anyone involved in the trial, including for abuse victims, who he said have been "deeply … immersed" in the trial since 2023.

The diocese, meanwhile, "has prosecuted this case honorably and with great integrity," he said.

The judge urged the diocese and abuse victims to operate with "continuing dialogue and relentless good faith."

"There is no guarantee of success in such endeavors, but also no reason not to begin again," he said.

In a statement after the ruling, Oakland Bishop Michael Barber, SJ, described the decision as "a setback," but he said the diocese remains "committed to providing fair and equitable treatment" for abuse victims while "continuing our mission to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ in service to the 500,000 faithful Catholics in our community."

The diocese would "study the court's decision," Barber said, before deciding how to move forward.

The diocese was in the news earlier this year after a California man was awarded a massive $16 million in a civil abuse suit there.

The ruling — rare for U.S. diocesan abuse cases, where most settlements involve groups of abuse victims rather than individual plaintiffs — represented the first jury verdict reached under the 2019 California Child Victims Act, which opened up a three-year look-back window for abuse victims to bring civil suits.

The allegations brought by the John Doe in the Oakland case concerned Father Stephen Kiesle, a priest who has faced multiple abuse allegations dating from the 1970s. The victim said Kiesle abused him during that decade.

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Catholic bishops and other Christian leaders in Colorado issued a letter on immigrants and refugees in observance of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini's feast day during the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence. 

"This anniversary invites us to remember not only the founding of our nation but also the generations who have helped bring its ideals to life," the letter, released on Oct. 5, Cabrini's feast day, said, highlighting that "America's immigrant heritage is an essential part of, and inseparable from, our national identity."

Cabrini is the patron saint of immigrants and is the first American to be canonized.

The message, titled "A Pilgrim People, A Shared Hope," is signed by Archbishop James Golka and Auxiliary Bishop Jorge Rodriguez of Denver, Bishop Stephen Berg of Pueblo, and Father Kyle Ingels, the diocesan administrator of Colorado Springs, as well as several other Christian leaders across denominations. The letter comes as the Trump administration's deportation efforts across the country continue to stir controversy among Catholics, including in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, which filed a lawsuit Oct. 5 against local and federal officials for barring priests from ministering to Catholic immigrant detainees. 

"We remember with respect the Indigenous peoples who inhabited this land long before the nation's founding, as well as those brought here through slavery and denied the freedom our nation proclaimed," the letter said. "We also give thanks for generations of immigrants and refugees who arrived carrying their faith, cultures, hopes, and gifts."

The letter underscored the contributions of immigrants across agriculture, business, science, medicine, technology, and more. "Here in Colorado, immigrants have worked in our mines and fields, taught in our schools, opened businesses, served in our hospitals, raised families and enriched our civic and religious life," the letter said.

Addressing concerns about national sovereignty and border security, the Christian leaders affirmed "both a nation's responsibility to protect its people and maintain an orderly immigration system and its duty to treat every person with justice and mercy."

"Laws should serve the common good while respecting human dignity, protecting the vulnerable, preserving family unity and providing fair legal processes," the letter said, concluding: "On this anniversary, we invite the faithful to remember the immigrant and refugee stories that have shaped their families and communities; to pray for those displaced from their homes; to support ministries that accompany newcomers; and to build friendships across differences of language, culture and nationality."

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The rain did not stop the record-breaking number of faithful who made their way on a pilgrimage to Luján, Argentina, this past weekend. According to figures provided by the Buenos Aires Province Ministry of Security, the 52nd Youth Pilgrimage to Luján drew 2.7 million people.

The image of the Virgin set out at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3, from the San Cayetano Sanctuary in the Liniers sector of Buenos Aires, carried and escorted by a delegation from the Diocese of Lomas de Zamora.

Buenos Aires Archbishop Jorge García Cuerva, accompanied by La Plata Archbishop Gustavo Carrara, also set out from Liniers.

Reflecting on the pilgrimage's motto — "Mother, in your embrace we recognize each other as brothers and sisters" — García Cuerva observed: "To be brothers and sisters, the first step is discovering that Mary is the mother of all, and that she unites us. I believe we need to lower the intolerance and contempt we have on occasion for others; we must stop emphasizing what divides us and instead focus on what unites us."

In the rain, wearing store-bought or makeshift raincoats, the crowd began the journey of more than 37 miles separating Liniers from the Basilica and National Shrine of Our Lady of Luján, where anticipation is already building for the visit of Pope Leo XIV, who is scheduled to arrive in Argentina on Nov. 8.

Along the way, there was no shortage of prayers and songs, nor of the ever-present support stations where volunteers from parishes, movements, and organizations offered refreshments, assistance to pilgrims, and "free hugs."

By early afternoon on Saturday, the rain had passed, and the sun even came out. The first pilgrims began to arrive in Luján, which gradually filled with the faithful coming to the feet of the Mother — some walking with great difficulty, others supported by their companions, and most visibly moved.

Upon arrival in Luján at nightfall, the journey became difficult due to the sheer number of people — far greater than in previous years, according to regular pilgrims. Some reported taking over an hour just to cover the final few blocks to the basilica.

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Once in Luján, the prayers, expressions of gratitude, hugs, and tears bore witness to the faith of a people who — regardless of age, social class, or political views — had come to receive the embrace of the Virgin of Luján.

Marcos, from Our Lady of Fatima Parish, said he particularly valued the act of making the pilgrimage "not because it is mandatory, but because it allows for a deeper connection with the Virgin, with God, with oneself, and even with one's own family."

Mariana, a "free hugs" volunteer, described her role as providing that "little push" needed for the final 10.5 miles to Luján "to meet the Virgin."

"That embrace is not just for the person I give it to, but also for the one I receive; because I, too, receive so much affection and love — it is a caress for the soul."

Going on pilgrimage, she affirmed, "means following in Jesus' footsteps, going to meet Mother, just as Jesus walked with Mother. I imagine Mary teaching Jesus to walk, waiting for him in a little spot, ready to steady him so he wouldn't fall. That is how Mary is with us: waiting for us, steadying us so we can reach our destination," she reflected.

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García Cuerva celebrated the pilgrimage's main Mass early Sunday morning in Plaza Belgrano, facing the basilica.

In his homily, García Cuerva noted that "there are no ideological rifts or exclusions on the pilgrimage."

"The journey leveled the playing field for us all; as we walked, we all wore out our shoes, we all grew tired, and we all longed to reach Mary's home. What a profound lesson we learned! When we realize we are fellow travelers belonging to the same people, there is no room for individualism or hate speech," he declared.

Reflecting on the state of the nation, he also observed that "our country has many embraces yet to be shared: embraces of forgiveness in the face of so much disparagement and insult; embraces of solidarity amid such indifference; embraces of reconnection amid such lostness; deep embraces — not merely formal gestures — but embraces from the soul."

Along these lines, he also spoke of "wounds of disparagement, intolerance, and physical and verbal violence" — wounds that "are already festering, and it seems the heart of the Argentine people is becoming infected."

He therefore urged: "It is time for us to unite. If the Virgin of Luján embraces us all, it is impossible to look upon each other with contempt, for the other is my brother."

Addressing the faithful, he invited them to be "artisans of fraternity" and to bring Mary's embrace "to those at their breaking point, to the elderly, to those who think differently, to people with disabilities and their families, to the unemployed, to those sleeping on the streets, to adolescents and young people struggling with drug addiction, and to the poorest among us."

Finally, looking ahead to the upcoming visit of Pope Leo XIV, he encouraged everyone to make this pilgrimage a "school of fraternity for our country, one where "Mary teaches us to respect and forgive one another and to engage in dialogue with everyone; where we stop disparaging our brothers and sisters, stop being indifferent to those who suffer, and stop giving way to hatred among ourselves; because here in Luján, we have experienced that, within her maternal embrace, we recognize one another as brothers and sisters."

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.

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