Catholic News

With Lent beginning on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18, Father Manuel Corral, canon of the metropolitan cathedral of Mexico City, called on those involved in criminal violence to live this liturgical season as a genuine opportunity for interior conversion.

During a Feb. 6 press conference, the priest explained that Lent is a 40-day liturgical season of preparation for Easter in the Catholic Church, beginning on Ash Wednesday and concluding before Holy Thursday.

He emphasized that this is a privileged period for undergoing a profound transformation of attitudes, as it is an opportune moment to "be disposed to change."

He also reminded everyone that, although many Christians like to visibly wear the ash cross on their foreheads, its essential meaning should not be lost, since "it is a symbol of repentance" that invites us to examine our lives and turn our hearts back to God.

In this context, he made an explicit appeal to those who perpetrate violence in the country. He acknowledged that this exhortation is particularly complex regarding those involved in organized crime, since the cartels, he said, "are in such a huge spiral of violence that making an appeal" for an end to violence during Holy Week "is very difficult."

Nevertheless, he affirmed that "prayer, as recollection, can bring us peace, provided there is dialogue and that encounter with Christ."

As an example, he recalled when in 2011 the relic of St. John Paul II was being taken from place to place both in San Fernando in Tamaulipas state, and in Apatzingán in Michoacán state. In both cases, he explained, it was possible to create a period of calm amid contexts marked by violence.

In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, the cathedral canon noted that, although it is not common, there are criminals who approach the Church seeking reconciliation. He acknowledged that this process is not easy, since receiving sacramental forgiveness requires taking responsibility, because "you have to repent," and sometimes that means "going and turning yourself in to the authorities."

"It's not easy," he admitted, "but I tell you there have been [cases]… I can attest to people who have changed."

Beyond armed violence, Corral emphasized that the call to conversion is also personal and daily. In this regard, he urged the faithful to examine those attitudes that create conflict in daily life, reminding them that each person must "do what you have to do within yourself to foster and create a peaceful environment."

He also called for recognizing behaviors that harm others, such as "selfishness, not cooperating, or annoying others."

Begin Lent reconciled

To begin Lent reconciled with Christ, the priest pointed out that the most important thing is to approach the sacrament of confession.

As a sign of hope, Corral shared that during the opening of the Jubilee of Hope door at the metropolitan cathedral, he witnessed long days of confessions in which thousands of people came "moved by a real desire for change."

"Confession is like a blank check the Lord gives us, and we fill it with whatever we want, but having this [disposition], to say: Lord, here I am, and I want to have different attitudes, give me the strength so that my life is transformed, so that my life is changed," he said.

Along with confession, the priest reminded everyone that Lent is lived concretely through fasting, prayer, and charity.

He clarified that fasting is not a meaningless deprivation but rather "means self-discipline"; that prayer is not simply repeating formulas but rather involves "above all, silence… that is, 'speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.'"

He also emphasized that charity goes beyond giving alms, as it involves living with genuine generosity, since "to be charitable is to be generous, but generous in giving the best of myself, yes, taking responsibility for my life; that is carrying the cross, as I was saying, that is what it means to be charitable."

This story was first pub lished 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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Bonnie Engstrom, the mother of the child who was healed through Archbishop J. Fulton Sheen's intercession, said she "laughed out loud with joy" when she heard his beatification was going to move forward.

On Feb. 9, the Holy See officially informed Bishop Louis Tylka of the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois, that the cause for the Venerable Servant of God Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen can proceed to beatification. He is credited for the miracle that saved the life of Engstrom's son James Fulton Engstrom, who was named after Sheen.

"We had started getting to know Fulton Sheen and growing in our devotion to him while I was pregnant with James," Engstrom said in a Feb. 13 interview with "EWTN News In Depth." "During that pregnancy we had decided to name our son after him … to really put him under his patronage."

On Sept. 16, 2010, James was born at home. It had been a healthy pregnancy, and it was a healthy labor, but there was a knot in James' umbilical cord that tightened during birth. "He was a stillborn, there was absolutely no sign of life," Engstrom said.

In the "time of crisis, I was in a state of shock," she said. "I didn't really know what to do, but I remember calling on Fulton Sheen, just saying his name, 'Fulton Sheen, Fulton Sheen, Fulton Sheen.'"

"While [James] was at home, while he was in the ambulance, and while he was at the hospital in the emergency room, he did not have a pulse for that entire time," she said. "Right as the medical team was ready to call time of death, all hands were off. And at that moment, his heart started to beat again, and it never stopped after that."

James is a freshman in high school and doing "great," Engstrom said. "He is doing really well. He loves music. He's in an art class that he's really enjoying … he's a great kid. Hardworking, funny."

While James "has had some medical issues along the way," there is nothing the family can attribute to his health issues at birth.

Engstrom said that her son's "initial MRI, the first 24 hours of his life, showed extensive brain damage, and the follow-up one was perfectly clear."

Sheen's beatification

Sheen's cause for canonization was first opened in 2002 under the leadership of the Diocese of Peoria, Sheen's birthplace, and from then on he was referred to as a servant of God. Pope Benedict XVI declared him venerable in June 2012.

On March 6, 2014, the board of medical experts who advise the then-Congregation for the Causes of Saints unanimously approved the reported miracle of James. Pope Francis approved of the miracle of Sheen's on July 5, 2019, and the beatification experienced numerous delays due to an ownership dispute of his remains and an investigation into clergy sex abuse in New York.

While obstacles were eventually cleared, Engstrom said initially her family was "frustrated" and "disappointed" with the delays. "I think as things in the Church just continue to progress and time went by, we realized, we trust in Jesus and he's got it in control. And so we were able to really lean into that and move past the initial disappointment," she said.

The family is "so excited," Engstrom said. "We're so happy about it."

"We really appreciate that in all of Church history, our family has a little footnote in it in a very special way, and it's remarkable. It is such an honor, and it's such a joyful thing," she said.

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Here is a round up of recent Catholic-education-related news:

Ave Maria University to open campus in Ireland

Ave Maria University, a Catholic liberal arts university in Florida, is opening a new campus at a former monastery in rural Ireland, according to an announcement on its website.

The new campus will be in County Waterford in the southern region of Ireland at the former Cistercian monastery of Mount Melleray near Cappoquin, the university announced in a video. The abbey closed in January 2025 after almost two centuries.

The video announcement pledged that the new campus would be "a fully integrated Ave Maria University experience now embedded in the rich Catholic and cultural heritage of Europe."

Diocese of Brooklyn to close 7 struggling schools

Seven Catholic schools will be closing in June in the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York, due to financial challenges and enrollment declines, the diocese announced Feb. 11.

The seven schools closing are: Sacred Heart Catholic Academy, Cambria Heights; St. Bartholomew Catholic Academy in Elmhurst; St. Nicholas of Tolentine Catholic Academy in Jamaica; Incarnation Catholic Academy in Queens Village; St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Academy in Woodhaven; St. Elizabeth Catholic Academy in Ozone Park; and Our Lady of Trust Catholic Academy in Canarsie.

"Our responsibility is both pastoral and practical," said Deacon Kevin McCormack, superintendent of schools for the diocese. "We will walk with our families and employees through this process while continuing to strengthen Catholic education throughout Brooklyn and Queens."

The enrollment decline has been ongoing since 2019, with a sharp decline from 2024 to 2025, according to the diocese newspaper.

The diocese has a website to help families facilitate transferring to nearby Catholic schools.

Thomas Aquinas College celebrates 100 alumni priests

A Catholic liberal arts college in California with an East Coast satellite location in Massachusetts celebrated its 100th alumni priest.

Priest alumni of Thomas Aquinas College include 11 Benedictines, nine Dominicans, eight Norbertines, and 40 diocesan priests, among others, according to a Feb. 12 press release shared with EWTN News.

Thomas Aquinas College has a combined enrollment of about 500 students and is designed to be an intentionally small community.

"We are deeply honored to have played some small part in these men's formation, and we pray for their ministry and witness as they serve Christ's people throughout the world," President Paul O'Reilly said in a statement shared with EWTN News.

The four newest priests were ordained in 2024 at three separate ordination masses.

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Pro-lifers rally for baby left to die after failed abortion

Born alive at 16 weeks at an Australian hospital after a failed abortion, baby Samuel sucked his thumb. Doctors left him to die.

"He was left to die. No one picked him up, wrapped him or gave him any medical care to alleviate his pain and suffering," said South Australian pro-life activist Joanna Howe.

The photo was leaked by a whistleblower who Howe said "risked their career" by sharing the photo. Australian authorities are reportedly trying to remove the image from social media.

Australian pro-lifers rallied on Feb. 9 outside Queensland Parliament House in Brisbane for a "Public Gathering for Queensland Babies."

In 2024, a legislator introduced a bill to protect babies born alive after abortions. The Archdiocese of Brisbane came out in support of the amendment, saying that even if the child was unlikely to survive, medical staff had a duty to care for the baby.

But the motion failed to pass after Queensland Premier David Crisafulli banned discussion of abortion in state Parliament for the next four years.

Arizona judge strikes down pro-life laws, citing abortion rights amendment

An Arizona judge on Friday struck down three pro-life laws in the state, saying they violated the state constitution.

The ruling comes as a result of the abortion rights amendment that voters passed in Arizona in 2024. Citing the amendment, Judge Gregory Como ruled that the restrictions violated the state's constitutional right to abortion.

The court overturned state laws requiring in-person visits for chemical abortions as well as a 24-hour waiting period with mandatory ultrasound and a ban on discriminatory abortions.

"Each of these laws infringe on a woman's 'autonomous decision-making' by mandating medical procedures and disclosure of information regardless of the patient's needs and wishes," Como said in the ruling.

Right to Life Michigan suit alleges state hiring law violates First Amendment

Right to Life Michigan, a group that advocates for pro-life policies, is suing the state over its requirements to hire pro-abortion employees.

In a Feb. 3 filing, Right to Life Michigan and a pregnancy resource center alleged that a state employment law violates their First Amendment rights.

The state law redefined bans against discrimination based on sex to include termination of pregnancy. The law also requires the pro-life groups to offer abortion coverage in their insurance plans.

A spokesman from Alliance Defending Freedom, a nonprofit legal group defending Right to Life Michigan, said the law "makes no sense" and "forces these organizations to contradict their beliefs."

"Pro-life groups should be free to share the message of hope and joy with women and families experiencing a difficult season through employees who share their common goal," Senior Counsel Bryan Neihart said in a statement.

Iowa lawmakers propose anti-trafficking law, abortion criminalization

Iowa lawmakers are considering several pro-life bills, including one that would screen pregnant women for coercion and abuse before abortions.

The proposed bill would require an in-person examination by a physician before prescribing a pregnant woman abortion drugs and would require physicians to screen for coercion and abuse.

Another bill introduced Friday would make it a criminal act for a person to cause an elective abortion. A similar bill would criminalize abortion as a homicide at any stage.

Iowa law currently protects unborn children after their heartbeats can be detected, at about six weeks of pregnancy.

Federal judge dismisses abortion advertisers' free speech lawsuit

After the South Dakota attorney general sued an abortion rights group for allegedly misleading and harmful advertisements, a federal judge declined to intervene on the abortion rights group's behalf.

The federal judge ruled the court has no jurisdiction in the South Dakota issue and declined to intervene in a lawsuit.

South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley has sued the group Mayday Health in state court, alleging that the abortion pill ads were deceptive and harmful to women. Mayday launched a countersuit saying this violated its First Amendment right to free speech.

South Dakota protects unborn children from abortions in all cases, except to save the life of the mother.

California to give additional $90 million to abortion providers

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill on Feb. 11 to give $90 million to abortion providers.

Designed to replace Trump's federal cuts, the one-time grant will give funding to Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers that lost funding because they offer abortion.

The bill follows the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed by Trump last year, which prohibited federal Medicaid funding from going to the abortion provider Planned Parenthood.

In October 2025, Newsom signed a bill to supplement Planned Parenthood with another $140 million, also citing the Trump cuts.

The state already refunds more than 80% of an estimated 1.3 million patient visits to Planned Parenthood via its state Medicaid program, Medi-Cal.

Students for Life of America kicks of pro-life tour to reach Gen Z

Students for Life of America is kicking off a college speaking tour designed to reach Generation Z.

The "Make Gen Z Anti-Abortion" campus tour "counters the assumption that Gen Z is all in on abortion," according to the SFLA press release.

From February to April, SFLA spokesperson Lydia Taylor Davis will be speaking at University of Florida, Florida International University, University of South Carolina, Liberty University, University of Pittsburgh, and Virginia Commonwealth University.

"Gen Z is the largest voting bloc in America, with youth voters now making up over 48.5% of the electorate. Yet they're easily dismissed by conservatives — and heavily targeted by the abortion lobby," the SFLA press release said.

"But according to recent polling from SFLA's Demetree Institute for Pro-Life Advancement, roughly 6 in 10 youth voters are in the 'moveable middle' on abortion," SFLA continued.

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About two dozen couples in the Archdiocese of Boston will have their marriages "brought into the Church" this year, part of a now-yearly tradition there in which husbands and wives can take part in "convalidation" ceremonies.

Convalidation offers civilly married husbands and wives the opportunity for a valid Catholic sacramental marriage.

The Boston Archdiocese describes the ceremony as "an opportunity for couples married outside of the Catholic Church to enter a marriage covenant in the Catholic tradition, be strengthened by God's grace, and be supported by his Church."

Liz Cotrupi, the director of family life and ecclesial movements in the archdiocesan evangelization office, told EWTN News that this year's ceremony will be the third the archdiocese has held in as many years.

"We've been doing it during National Marriage Week," she said. "It just so happens that this year it falls on Valentine's Day, so it's a little special."

The program arose in Boston when former Regional Bishop Mark O'Connell began offering convalidation ceremonies in the north region of the archdiocese over which he presided.

"When he became the vicar general [in 2023], he said, 'Hey I've been doing this regionally in the north region and it's had some good feedback — what about doing it archdiocesan-wide?'" Cotrupi said.

The program has grown ever since. "We'll probably have 22 to 24 couples this year," Cotrupi said.

The archdiocese has advertised the ceremony in parish bulletins and on social media, she said, and the reaction has been positive. "People are coming out of the woodwork," she said.

The process is similar, but not identical, to that of preparing couples for marriage. "We've learned a lot through this process," Cotrupi said with a laugh.

The archdiocesan canonical affairs office takes part in the marriage preparation, she said, while a priest helps prepare the couple directly.

"Each couple, it's as if they're making their vows for the very first time," she said. "They will exchange consent, answer the questions, and then exchange rings, which are blessed."

"Each couple, it's as if they're making their vows for the very first time."

Liz Cotrupi

Director of Family Life and Ecclesial Movements, Archdiocese of Boston

The ceremony is not a full Mass, she said, but rather consists of the Liturgy of the Word, the prayers of the faithful, a blessing, and the marriage ceremony itself.

The event often has all the trappings of a wedding, she said. "Some brides come dressed in wedding dresses," she said. Others are dressed more casually. Some families bring their children.

At times, Cotrupi said, couples forget to bring the required two witnesses to the event, in which case she and archdiocesan Family Life Consultant
Emily Elliott have often stood as witnesses.

Couples are often given a gift on the day of the ceremony, she said, and afterward they often go out to dinner with family and friends to celebrate.

Cotrupi said the usual administrative tasks surrounding the process, like "all the paperwork," can be "a bit much." Still, she said, "it's a joyous occasion."

"We're so happy to do it for them," she said.

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A new movie titled "The Apocalypse of St. John" brings to life the Book of Revelation. Not only does the film tackle the challenging messages found in Revelation, but it also makes them accessible to a wider audience.

Written, created, and directed by Simón Delacre, the docudrama will air in theaters across the United States Feb. 15–17 after having tremendous success in South America and Latin America.

Delacre told EWTN News that he was inspired to make the film because he was a big fan of apocalyptic Hollywood movies growing up.

"But of course, being Catholic, I knew that would be somewhat far from the truth, somewhat far from the actual book of Revelation," he said.

He began to dive deeper into the theology of the Book of Revelation because he was "very intrigued" by the symbolism and complex images and explained that what impacted him the most was "how current the topic of Revelation was for our times."

"We are living in a crisis that is global in all aspects of men — like in the moral aspect, there's a huge crisis, there's a big crisis in the spiritual aspect, there's a crisis in the economic aspect, political aspect, all aspects of life. We're going through a great crisis that is at the same time global," Delacre said.

He added: "Since we are living — well, this is my opinion — the greatest crisis of all time, I think it is very important to give the world the good prophecy that is the Book of Revelation and give it in a Catholic way."

Delacre explained that he worked with many priests, biblical scholars, and theologians to properly depict Revelation and ensured to use language that would be understood by a general audience.

Amid his research into Revelation and creating the film, Delacre said his own faith was impacted in a way that allowed him to view crises in the world "not with desperation but with hope."

"Every time I see a new crisis, I just see something that moves history forwards to the second coming," he shared.

He recalled being in the middle of studying Revelation when his home country of Argentina legalized abortion in 2020. He spoke with a friend of his who is a priest on that day and despite being disappointed by the news, they "couldn't feel sad because we saw in that another sign that proves that we are closer to the second coming and that Christ is coming soon."

The filmmaker said he hopes audiences will have a similar experience after watching the film in that it will "bring comfort and solace to people who watch the movie in the midst of this crisis we are living [through]."

"Also, to teach them that the book of Revelation is not a book of terror, but a book of hope … Just rip off that fear to the book and encourage them to study more of Revelation."

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The University of Notre Dame is signaling that it will stick by its appointment of an outspoken pro-abortion advocate to lead a university institute even after bishops from around the U.S. have criticized the decision and urged the school to change course.

Multiple bishops have lamented the school's decision to appoint global affairs Professor Susan Ostermann as director of the school's Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies. The school announced the appointment in January.

On Feb. 11 Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, Bishop Kevin Rhoades, whose diocesan territory includes the university, expressed "dismay" and "strong opposition" to the appointment and called on the school to rescind the assignment, citing Ostermann's public support for abortion.

Several of Rhoades' brother bishops followed suit, commending Rhoades for his statement and similarly calling on the university to reverse course on Ostermann's appointment.

Yet in a Feb. 13 statement to EWTN News, the school indicated that it would not pull Ostermann's nomination to the leadership post.

Ostermann "is a highly regarded political scientist and legal scholar whose insightful research on regulatory compliance ... demonstrates the rigorous, interdisciplinary expertise required to lead the Liu Institute," the school said.

Calling Ostermann a "deeply committed educator," the school said she is "well prepared to expand the institute's global partnerships and create impactful research opportunities that advance our dedication to serving as the preeminent global Catholic research institution."

The university stressed its "unwavering" commitment "to upholding the inherent dignity of the human person and the sanctity of life at every stage."

"Those who serve in leadership positions at Notre Dame do so with the clear understanding that their decision-making as leaders must be guided by and consistent with the university's Catholic mission," the school said.

The school did not immediately respond when asked for direct confirmation that it was continuing with Ostermann's appointment to lead the Liu Institute.

But its statement suggested the school is not backing down from the controversial decision, one that has brought withering criticism from both U.S. bishops and pro-life advocates and has seen the departure of at least two academics from the storied Catholic institution.

Robert Gimello, a research professor emeritus of theology who is an expert on Buddhism, told the National Catholic Register that his "continued formal association with a unit of the university led by such a person is, for me, simply unconscionable."

Diane Desierto, a professor of law and of global affairs, also told the Register that she had cut ties with the institute over the appointment.

Ostermann's outspoken abortion advocacy has included instances where she has linked the pro-life movement to white supremacy and misogyny.

The professor told the National Catholic Register in January that she "respect[s] Notre Dame's institutional position on the sanctity of life at every stage" and described herself as "inspired by the university's focus on integral human development, which calls us to promote the dignity and flourishing of every person."

She told the Register that her role at the school "is to support the diverse research of our scholars and students, not to advance a personal political agenda."

Ostermann had no further comment beyond her earlier statement, according to a university spokesperson.

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Here is a roundup of world news you might have missed this past week:

Major British archdiocese announces exit from social media platform

The Archdiocese of Liverpool announced this week that it would no longer post on X "due to ethical and moral reasons."

In the Feb. 6 post, the archdiocese said it would remain on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn. The archdiocese has not returned by the time of publication EWTN News' request for clarification on the nature of the "ethical and moral" reasons it cited as reasons for the departure.

World Youth Day organizers use diplomatic channels to help attendees travel to Seoul

World Youth Day 2027 organizers held a meeting with ambassadors and diplomatic representatives from 25 countries across the EU and Latin America on Feb. 4 to discuss establishing pathways for young people around the world to attend the event.

The deputy director of World Youth Day, Father Fabiano Rebeggiani, said the meeting, which took place at the Catholic University of Korea and was facilitated by the apostolic nunciature, was focused on supporting "young people who are already making great efforts to attend" through travel and visa challenges. "World Youth Day Seoul 2027 will offer young people a space to seek the truth, pray for peace, and share reconciliation and hope amidst realities marked by division," he said. The priest noted that the upcoming World Youth Day will be the first of its kind to be held in a non-Christian majority country.

Christian organizations call for release of Syrian mayor Suleiman Khalil

Marking one year since the arrest of Sadad, Syria's mayor, Suleiman Khalil, advocacy groups In Defense of Christians (IDC) and Christian Solidarity International (CSI) have renewed calls for his immediate release, ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, reported Wednesday.

In a joint statement, the groups said Khalil remains detained in the security wing of Homs Central Prison without formal charges and has been denied access to legal counsel or evidence related to his case. The statement also cited a deterioration in his health and restrictions on religious items, including a Bible and cross.

The organizations argue that his continued detention violates both Syria's constitutional declaration issued in March 2025 and international human rights law.

Khalil is remembered locally for his role in organizing the defense of the predominantly Christian town of Sadad during attacks by extremist groups in 2015. His daughter, speaking from the United States, described harsh prison conditions and limited family access, urging international intervention to secure his release.

New Hampshire bishop gifts Swiss Marian statue to Catholic Medical Center

Bishop Peter Libasci of the Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire, gifted a hand-carved Swiss depiction of the Virgin Mary to the Catholic Medical Center in Manchester on Wednesday.

Libasci commissioned the statue of Our Lady of Einsiedeln from the Abbey of Einsiedeln, Switzerland, as a personal gift, according to local reports. The gesture coincided with the World Day of the Sick on Feb. 11 and the first anniversary of the Catholic Medical Center joining HCA Healthcare, a private U.S-founded health care provider. The statue has been placed in the Catholic Medical Center's lobby.

Patriarch Rai calls for prayers on feast of St. Maron

Presiding over the feast of St. Maron at St. George Cathedral in Beirut, in the presence of Lebanon's three top state officials and a broad assembly of clergy and faithful, Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros Rai underscored what he called the historic national mission of the Maronite community, ACI MENA reported Monday.

That mission, he said, is rooted in faith, attachment to the land, and a steady commitment to strengthening the foundations of the state and preserving coexistence.

Addressing political leaders directly, Rai called for the consolidation of arms under state authority, full implementation of U.N. Resolution 1701, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, and the extension of full Lebanese sovereignty across the country. He also emphasized the need to empower the Lebanese Armed Forces, advance reconstruction, and pursue structural reforms.

In his closing prayer, the patriarch asked that Lebanon remain "a land of encounter and a space of hope" for all its citizens. President Joseph Aoun, for his part, expressed hope that the feast would serve as a unifying national occasion, recalling Lebanon's identity as a country of freedom and witness.

New Pontifical Missions building opened in Bangalore

The Catholic Bishops' Conference in India celebrated the grand opening of a new secretariat building for the Pontifical Mission Organizations nearly 27 years after the process for the new building began, according to a Feb. 9 Licas News report.

Apostolic Nuncio to India and Nepal Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli presided over the opening festivities, including the ribbon cutting and unveiling of a plaque celebrating the building's completion. The new building has a chapel, six office rooms, a boardroom, documentation room, and media room. Over 170 bishops attended the ceremony for the building, which "is the cultivation of a process that began in 1999," according to the report.

As Lent and Ramadan coincide, Filipino bishop calls for peace, care for poor

Bishop Jose Colin M. Bagaforo of Kidapawan, Philippines, shared a message ahead of the start of Lent and Ramadan on Feb. 18, calling for Catholic and Muslim faith communities to renew their commitments to peace and care for the poor.

"In a world marked by violence and division, this moment calls us not only to pray for peace but to live it and work for it," said Bagaforo, who is also co-president of global Catholic peace movement PAX Christi International.

Bagaforo, who serves as chairman of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on Inter-Religious Dialogue, said the shared start date of two seasons of fasting "is a grace" that invites the faithful in both religions to prayer, repentance, and action for peace, justice, and care for the poor and the environment.

"In these sacred seasons, Muslims and Christians enter a time of prayer, fasting, repentance, and generosity. We turn our hearts to the merciful," he said. "We learn again to see one another as brothers and sisters. Our sacred texts call us to peace: "Blessed are the peacemakers" (Mt 5:9), and God "invites all to the Home of Peace" (Qur'an 10:25).

Exposition on sacred art's place in liturgy to be blessed by 6 Orthodox bishops

Orthodox priest, researcher, and iconographer Father Rijo Geevarghese of the Diocese of Ahmedabad of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church will host a sacred art exposition inviting viewers "to a contemplative encounter with liturgical art."

Instagram post

"The artworks are rooted in the liturgical life of the Church, drawing inspiration from Scripture, the Divine Liturgy, hymnography, and the patristic tradition," Geevarghese told EWTN News. "Rather than being merely aesthetic, each work is conceived as a visual theology, echoing the Church's understanding of art as an extension of worship."

Held at the Kanayi Kunhiraman Art Gallery, in Kerala, India, from Feb. 12–26, the event is titled "Mananam." Six senior bishops of the Orthodox church will be present at the opening of the exhibit, the priest shared, noting that the event "is intended to serve as a space of reflection for families, youth, and children alike."

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The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Broadview, Illinois, must accommodate Catholic clergy who wish to provide detainees with ashes and Communion on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18, according to a federal court ruling.

Judge Robert W. Gettleman issued the Feb. 12 order in favor of the Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership (CSPL), a nonprofit that helps facilitate Catholic services at ICE facilities among other initiatives. Its mission is rooted in liberation theology and focused on economic, environmental, racial, and social justice.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which operates ICE, denied repeated requests to administer the sacraments at the Broadview facility, including when clergy sought to bring Communion and pastoral care to immigration detainees on Christmas.

"The whole world has seen the injustices of our federal immigration system," Father Leandro Fossá, CS, a member of the CSPL Clergy Council, said in a statement.

"We are eager to see how the federal government responds to the injunction and restores the fundamental religious rights of people in detention to receive pastoral visits, rights that had been honored previously," he said.

The order states that the government has substantially burdened the religious exercise of the clergy and that there is no compelling government interest to justify that burden. The judge cited the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

"Allowing plaintiffs to provide pastoral care to migrants and detainees will improve the condition of those detained at Broadview," the judge's order states.

The judge ordered the government to permit ashes and Communion for Ash Wednesday and to coordinate with CSPL to establish an appropriate safety and security protocol. The order directs them to also meet and confer about future religious ministry at the facility.

Father Dan Hartnett, SJ, a member of the CSPL Clergy Council, expressed hope that this ruling will set a trend.

"The collective voices and faithful witness of Catholics and Christians in Chicago and across the country are making an impact," he said. "As Lent begins, we pray this ruling restores religious freedom for those detained and moves our country closer to justice in honoring the dignity of all migrants."

Pope Leo XIV said in November 2025 the spiritual rights of migrants in detention must be considered.

According to an CSPL statement, the nonprofit is awaiting a response from ICE about coordinating the Ash Wednesday services. Both priests and religious sisters are expected to visit the Broadview facility.

Neither ICE nor DHS immediately responded to a request for comment.

The Broadview facility is an ICE field office used to process detainees before being transferred to a detention center. Although detainees are only meant to be held there for a few hours, with the maximum being 72 hours, some alleged last year that they were held there for several days and even up to one week.

A large outdoor Mass with Scalabrinian Missionaries is set for Ash Wednesday at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Melrose Park, led by Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of the Archdiocese of Chicago. It will be followed by a procession through the Melrose Park community as participants say the rosary and sing as a sign of the Church's presence and solidarity with immigrant families.

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U.S. Catholic clergy are bringing the sacraments to the nation's immigrant detention centers, celebrating Masses and urging humane treatment for those held inside. As part of this effort, pastoral visits are aimed at ensuring detainees can access the Eucharist and receive spiritual support.

In California, Bishop Joseph Brennan of the Diocese of Fresno is set to celebrate Mass on Feb.?15 at the California City Detention Facility, the state's largest ICE center. While the diocese regularly provides sacraments in prisons and detention sites, this will be Brennan's first Mass inside an ICE facility.

In Oregon, Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland issued a Feb.?12 statement stressing the Church's duty to safeguard detainees' access to the sacraments and voicing concern about large-scale deportations. "I just feel very strongly about this, that there has to be a better solution to solving the immigration problems we have in the United States," he said.

In December 2025, seven bishops celebrated Mass at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in California.

Chandler Marquez, director of public affairs and innovation at the Fresno Diocese, told EWTN News that there are "people who are in the facility [who] want the sacrament — they want the spiritual accompaniment," which they are not able to access as frequently while in detention.

Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Brian Nunes and Father Kris Sorenson, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes in California City, will join for the Mass.

With President Donald Trump's mass deportation efforts still ongoing, Marquez said "the current climate has certainly motivated" Brennan's decision to celebrate Mass at the facility. He said the bishop has been "vocal about the promotion of human dignity" for migrants.

In January 2025, Brennan issued an open letter on "immigration challenges," in which he said "it seemed as if we took a step back as a society, and the old days of immigration sweeps were upon us once again" when he saw the uptick of immigration enforcement within his diocese.

"Our people are being asked to produce proof of citizenship, and it seems as if the request is based on how they look and how they speak," he said at the time. "That is not, by way of example, going after hardened criminals or drug dealers which, I hope, none of us would take exception to. It is going after people who, rightly or wrongly, were allowed to cross a border and who are now being subjected to tactics that are causing much fear and anxiety among my people. It is an insult to human dignity, and it is simply wrong."

Marquez noted the diocese has the largest detention facility and the "largest amount of prisons and detention centers" in the state, which is why the ministry at prisons and detention centers is "a very, very big part of our diocese."

"Our chaplains have a great relationship with the prisons and detention centers within our dioceses," he said, adding that the diocese has not run into problems gaining access to the facilities to provide religious services.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which operates ICE, said it encourages clergy to request accommodations for religious services at long-term ICE detention centers.

Catholic clergy ran into obstacles several times last year when trying to administer sacraments at an ICE field office in Broadview, Illinois, where detainees are processed. A federal judge said Feb. 12 that DHS must provide accommodations to ensure Catholic clergy could provide ashes and Communion for detainees on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18.

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