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St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, mother church of the Archdiocese of Bangalore in India. | Credit: Saad Faruque via Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 2.0)Jan 8, 2026 / 11:22 am (CNA).The Catholic Church in India has launched a systematic campaign to address growing mental illness in groups including families and religious communities."We decided to take up mental health as a major concern and set up the structure in response to increased family conflicts, death by suicide among young adults, and even among religious," said Archbishop Thomas Tharayil, the chairman of the Mental Health Ministry of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India."Mental health issues are on the increase both in personal lives and in families and service fields. The Church has to reach out to those in trouble at different levels from diocese to parishes," Tharayil told CNA from Changanacherry in southern Kerala state.After informal consultations and discussions, the ministry emerged at the national convention jointly org...

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An architectural rendering shows the planned Church of the Holy Trinity in Neratovice, Czech Republic. The Noah's Ark-inspired design by architect Zdenek Fránek features a green roof and may become the world's largest 3D-printed church. | Credit: The Neratovice Community Center FoundationJan 8, 2026 / 06:00 am (CNA).Communists in former Czechoslovakia wanted to turn Neratovice into the first church-free city. Now, in democratic Czech Republic, which banned the promotion of communism starting this January 2026, the city may become home to the world's largest 3D-printed church.The tower will be constructed using 3D printing technology, but whether the entire church will be printed is to be decided soon based on calculations and estimation of the building's vault."The decision to 3D-print the entire above-the-ground part of the building should be made in the near future, that is at the beginning of 2026," Marek Matocha, member of the board of directors of the Neratovice Community ...

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Vienna Skyline with St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna, Austria. | Credit: mrgb/shutterstockJan 8, 2026 / 07:00 am (CNA).The Catholic Church in Austria has launched a new formation program to promote late vocations, aimed at men between 45 and 60 years old who are currently employed and can complete the process without having to leave their jobs.The initiative, promoted by the Conference of Rectors of Austrian Seminaries, breaks with the traditional model of formation and preparation for priestly ordination and opts for a more flexible model as a response to the shortage of vocations.Under the name " Zweiten Weg für Spätberufene" ("Second Path for Late Vocations"), the program is specifically aimed at men with professional experience and offers the possibility of pursuing theological studies remotely, without requiring community life in the seminary or exclusively in-person formation, adapting to the professional demands of each candidate.This new program also allows them to co...