School district backs off violating student's free speech, religious freedom rights
http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=Catholic-News&view=post&articleid=287870&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
Sabrina Steffans displays her newly decorated school parking space. / Credit: Courtesy of First Liberty InstituteCNA Staff, Aug 28, 2025 / 15:53 pm (CNA).A rising senior at a high school in Grand Island, New York, Sabrina Steffans, is now allowed to decorate her school parking space with Christian messages after her high school reversed course after initially rejecting her faith-based artwork.Grand Island High School allows seniors to paint their parking spots "to encourage students to express themselves through positive artwork, to beautify the campus, to build school spirit, and to create a new and exciting radiation to support senior class activities and events."When Steffans, a Christian who leads a Bible club at her school, proposed three drawings for her parking space, the school rejected the first two, which had Christian themes.Steffans said the school approved the third design, "which had no Bible verses, no crosses, or anything."Steffans said after the school rejected...
Sabrina Steffans displays her newly decorated school parking space. / Credit: Courtesy of First Liberty Institute
CNA Staff, Aug 28, 2025 / 15:53 pm (CNA).
A rising senior at a high school in Grand Island, New York, Sabrina Steffans, is now allowed to decorate her school parking space with Christian messages after her high school reversed course after initially rejecting her faith-based artwork.
Grand Island High School allows seniors to paint their parking spots "to encourage students to express themselves through positive artwork, to beautify the campus, to build school spirit, and to create a new and exciting radiation to support senior class activities and events."
When Steffans, a Christian who leads a Bible club at her school, proposed three drawings for her parking space, the school rejected the first two, which had Christian themes.
Steffans said the school approved the third design, "which had no Bible verses, no crosses, or anything."
Steffans said after the school rejected the second proposed drawing, "that's when we kind of decided to take charge and move forward with this [legal action]."
Steffans hired lawyers from First Liberty Institute, a nonprofit religious liberty law firm, who wrote a demand letter to the Grand Island school district insisting she had a constitutionally-protected right to freely express her religious beliefs at school.
Days later, attorneys for the school district responded to the demand letter stating that Sabrina could proceed with her original design.
"We are pleased that the school district changed course and will allow Sabrina to truly express her deeply held beliefs in her design," said Keisha Russell, senior counsel for First Liberty Institute. "The First Amendment protects students' private expressions of faith in public schools."
In response to the threatened lawsuit, Grand Island Central School District Superintendent Brian Graham issued a statement last week saying the district takes "seriously our responsibility to uphold constitutional principles, including the First Amendment."
He continued: "While we strongly dispute any assertion that our policies or decisions violated the rights of any student, the board of education and district leadership, after careful consultation with legal counsel, have decided that the student in question will be permitted to proceed with her original senior parking space design."
Full Article
http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=Catholic-News&url=10&view=post&articleid=287882&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
A 30-centimeter (11.8-inch) plaster cross was unearthed in an ancient monastery on Sir Bani Yas Island about 106 miles southwest Abu Dhabi, ACI MENA reported. / Credit: Courtesy of Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu DhabiWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 28, 2025 / 17:37 pm (CNA).Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed:Ancient cross discovered in Abu Dhabi points to deep Christian roots in regionThe Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, has announced a new archaeological discovery: a 30-centimeter (11.8-inch) plaster cross unearthed in an ancient monastery on Sir Bani Yas Island about 106 miles southwest of Abu Dhabi, ACI MENA, CNA's Arabic-language news partner, reported.The artifact was uncovered during excavation work that began earlier this year. According to the Abu Dhabi Media Office, the cross was found in the courtyard of one of the monastery's houses. The cross is believed to date bac...
http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=Catholic-News&url=10&view=post&articleid=287869&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
The major archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church, Raphael Thattil. / Credit: Syro-Malabar ChurchACI Prensa Staff, Aug 28, 2025 / 16:23 pm (CNA).The Holy See Press Office has published a series of decisions by Pope Leo XIV to bring about unity in the Syro-Malabar Church of India, which has been at serious risk of schism in recent years due to liturgical disputes.The Syro-Malabar Church is one of the 23 Eastern Churches in full communion with the bishop of Rome and follows the Chaldean liturgical tradition. It is the largest Eastern Church after the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, and its origins date back to the preaching of St. Thomas the Apostle.Since 1999, the Church has undergone a long period of division as a result of liturgical reforms that were later confirmed by the synod of the Syro-Malabar Church in 2021.In July, Pope Leo XIV terminated the 2023 appointment of Archbishop Cyril Vasil' as papal delegate to the Syro-Malabar Church after an internal agreement was reached ...
http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=Catholic-News&url=10&view=post&articleid=287865&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
People attend a vigil following a mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic School on Aug. 27, 2025, in Minneapolis. / Credit: Stephen Maturen/Getty ImagesCNA Staff, Aug 28, 2025 / 11:30 am (CNA).The leaders of the Minneapolis Catholic school where two children were shot and killed during a mass shooting incident on Wednesday say the school will remain closed for the time being as the community continues to deal with the "unfathomable" deadly incident.The shooting took place during the all-school Mass at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis on Aug. 27. The gunman, identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman, born Robert Westman, shot through the church's stained-glass windows with a rifle, killing the two children and injuring nearly 20 children and adults before taking his own life.The shooting generated global headlines and drew prayers and support from leaders including Pope Leo XIV and President Donald Trump.In a Facebook post on Wednesday evening, Annunciation Catholic School Princ...
