Catholic News

Pope Leo XIV has offered prayers and condolences to the victims of major floods along the Nepal-China border that have claimed several hundred lives so far.

The flooding disaster was driven by what the U.S. Geological Survey said was a glacial collapse near the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu, one that displaced huge volumes of water and generated catastrophic flooding downstream.

Videos circulating on social media from closed-circuit camera footage showed massive waves of water rushing across the landscape and overtaking entire structures as local residents ran for their lives.

Tweet

In an Aug. 27 telegram sent on behalf of the Holy Father, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said the pope was "saddened to learn of the loss of life and devastation" caused by the floods.

"Commending the souls of the deceased to the clemency of the Almighty, His Holiness sends heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved, together with the assurance of his spiritual closeness to those affected by this tragedy," the telegram said.

"Likewise offering prayers for the emergency personnel engaged in the ongoing rescue efforts, [the pope] invokes upon all divine assistance and protection," the message continued.

The tragedy has resulted in a global outpouring of support, with governments and humanitarian organizations mobilizing to respond to the catastrophe with resources and assistance.

The U.S. Department of State said it was deploying a "disaster response advisor" to the region to help manage rescue and cleanup efforts. The government said it would also distribute $500,000 in assistance via Catholic Relief Services.

The United Nations, meanwhile, said it had released $2 million from its Global Emergency Fund to provide emergency medical care, water, and shelter to those affected by the flooding.

Workers with the U.N. World Food Programme and the U.N. Children's Fund were also being deployed to the region with supply trucks.

Full Article

The Diocese of Knoxville is mourning the passing of American artist and Tennessee native Dolly Parton and reflecting on her legacy.

"I am very sorry to hear of her passing, and I am praying for those who are mourning her loss," said Bishop Mark Beckman of Knoxville in a statement. "She made a wonderful contribution to our world and our community, and she will be greatly missed."

The artist passed away on Aug. 25 at the age of 80 following a brief battle with cancer. Parton is being remembered across the world for her work as a singer, songwriter, actress, businesswoman, and philanthropist whose career spanned over 60 years.

"East Tennessee knew Dolly Parton as more than a world-famous star. We knew her as one of our own," the diocese said in a statement.

"She was shaped by these hills and these churches. Her life shows what can grow from faith, perseverance, imagination, and love for one's neighbors — even from humble beginnings," the statement said.

Parton, who was not Catholic, sang and spoke frequently about her Christian faith and love for Jesus. Some of her public views — including her support for same-sex marriage — differed from Catholic teaching. She was publicly silent on her views about abortion.

"She first sang in a small Pentecostal church, long before the world knew her name," the diocesan statement said. Parton included the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame in her Dollywood theme park.

"She never hid her faith. It showed up in the hymns she recorded across six decades, in how openly she talked about God, and in the millions of free books her Imagination Library has placed in children's hands," the statement said.

Parton's "life carried the spirit of our mountain home far beyond the Smokies," the statement said.

"As Catholics, we entrust her to the mercy of Almighty God. We pray that Jesus, who is the resurrection and the life, will receive her into His eternal kingdom," the statement said.

Remembering Parton's 'generosity'

Father Jim Sichko, a papal missionary of mercy who has repeatedly referred to Parton as a friend, also mourned the artist's passing, calling her "a woman whose extraordinary gifts reached far beyond the stage."

"As a Papal Missionary of Mercy, I will remember Dolly not simply as an icon of American music, but as a woman who understood that blessings are meant to be shared," Sichko said in a statement.

Sichko, a priest of the Diocese of Lexington, said he "had the privilege of welcoming Dolly to my church on several occasions." He added: "She generously used her presence and influence to help raise money to support my ministry and its work of mercy."

Parton "never forgot where she came from, and she never seemed to forget the people who needed a helping hand," Sichko said.

"Her faith, generosity, humor, and unmistakable spirit touched millions," he said.

"My faith impacts everything that I do because I do believe that, through God, all things are possible," Parton said in a 2023 interview with Fox News. "And so I always ask God to bless everything that I do and the people that I work with and to bring all the right things and right people into my life and to take the wrong ones out."

"So, I try to just live through love as much as I can," Parton said.

Full Article

When a storm pummeled the electric grid and plunged much of northwest Indiana into darkness two weeks ago, Karen Simon was grateful she had a generator at her house to keep her refrigerator running so her food wouldn't spoil.

But unlike most people, she had another set of refrigerators to worry about — the commercial ones at the food pantry she coordinates at her parish, St. Mary of the Lake in Gary.

"I have two or three freezers full of meat. I have two refrigerators full of refrigerated items. Panic sets in, because I do not have a generator there," Simon told the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News.

Not having an alternative power source, Simon was able to secure alternative storage options for the food, allowing St. Mary's to continue serving the poor as some in the region enter their third week without electricity.

The outages began on Aug. 11, when 100 mph wind gusts and heavy rain blew through northwest Indiana and east Chicago. Numerous municipalities in northern Indiana including Gary, Portage, Lake Station, and Munster suffered widespread power outages, with as many as 400,000 customers affected at the peak.

Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) announced that power would be restored for nearly all of its customers in the area by Aug. 25. But more than 7,000 customers in Gary were without power for two weeks. The outages heavily affected the predominantly African American city of about 70,000 people, which has a poverty rate of about 33%, more than three times higher than the national average.

Indiana's Republican governor, Mike Braun, called for an investigation into NIPSCO over the lengthy outages.

'Trying to meet the need'

While conditions were extremely difficult, they also fostered solidarity.

When Simon was searching for alternative options for storing St. Mary's perishable food pantry items, she started calling around to other ministries around Gary that the Catholic food bank works alongside. Many of them were also struggling due to the lack of electricity, but a nearby Christian church that still had power offered to keep 100 containers of milk cold, while the local secular food bank was able to keep the meat frozen.

Last Saturday, the volunteers at St. Mary's loaded up their cars and distributed nonperishable food to 200 households in a local housing complex, including for several people with disabilities who were trapped with nonfunctioning elevators amid the blackout. Other parishes around Gary, along with local Knights of Columbus councils, also stepped up to offer food and other aid to their neighbors.

Bishop Robert McClory of the Diocese of Gary said in an Aug. 14 social media message that the trying times in the region are an "opportunity for us ... to be attentive to each other's needs, to check in on your neighbors."

"I know many of us have already experienced a certain solidarity coming together with our neighbors during this time of need," McClory continued. "Now is our opportunity to allow our Christian witness to shine forth. Know that you'll all be in my prayers, and as we work together to navigate through this, we trust in the Lord, and we seek, as St. Paul says, to bear each other's burdens."

Terry Seljan, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Gary, told the Register that while roughly 99% of those who had lost power have now had it restored, significant needs remain among residents recovering from the recent storms.

Many people had to throw away food from refrigerators and freezers and are seeking assistance to restock their food, he explained. Others whose sump pumps stopped working during the heavy rain lost appliances, mattresses, and other belongings due to water damage. Additionally, some people who were unable to work while local businesses were shut down are seeking help with rent, while others need building supplies to make home repairs they cannot afford to address through insurance.

Seljan said the organization is focusing primarily on providing financial assistance and is asking those who want to help to donate through its website.

Prayers are 'greatly appreciated'

With the help of roughly 60 regular volunteers, the St. Mary of the Lake pantry normally distributes mostly nonperishable food on the third Monday of each month. Normally at this time of year, the pantry serves about 155 households, or roughly 450 individuals.

Amid the power outages, St. Mary's also donated some 1,400 pounds of fresh produce grown at a massive community garden associated with the parish to the local fire station for further distribution.

Father Jayababu Nuthulapati, rector of the Cathedral of the Holy Angels in Gary and pastor of two other parishes, including St. Mary of the Lake, told the Register that prayers for their community are greatly appreciated.

"[The storm] was very devastating," he said, but "we never stopped feeding the poor."

"We continue doing that even in the difficult moments, because we want to be out there for the people. And I'm very grateful for the volunteers," Nuthulapati said.

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago and Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Gary have also been highly engaged, addressing the immediate and ongoing needs in the communities affected by the blackouts, including food, clothing, and housing assistance. 

On Aug. 22, the Chicago Bears announced a donation of $100,000 to the Chicago and Gary Catholic Charities to help them in this work. 

While St. Mary of the Lake's pantry is managing with the help of the wider community, the church is currently seeking the donation of a backup generator to protect the investment of its food in the case of another emergency like this, Nuthulapati added.

For Simon, the experience has been a heartwarming show of community cooperation and a chance to practice gratitude.

"Thank God that we have what we have," she said. "It could be worse. It could be a lot worse."

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

Full Article

The Communion Project initiative hopes to repair polarization in the U.S. Church and aid the Church in offering a better and more joyful witness in a divided country, organizers said.

"Unfortunately, too often Catholics and Catholic leaders are acting more like thermometers instead of thermostats," Jonathan Lewis, mission strategy officer for the Paulist Fathers and co-director of the Communion Project, told EWTN News.

"We're reading the temperature of the room or the culture, instead of setting the temperature according to our values and the truths of the Church," he said.

"So, part of what this effort is aimed to do is to lower the temperature of division and distrust, starting with those of us Catholics who call ourselves brothers and sisters, who are a real spiritual family," Lewis said.

"As we approach any election season, there's always a need to help lower the temperature, have more thoughtful conversations, discern our Catholic values," he said.

The Catholic initiative hopes to heal toxic polarization in the Church by creating dialogue, providing resources, promoting unity through national communication methods, and by aiding local communities to create unification at their level, organizers said. Exact plans are still being formed.

"We're just beginning … and trying to share," Lewis said. "We're starting with a lot of resources" and "adapting resources that already existed."

"Then we're planning, over the next year or two years, to develop programs for dioceses and organizations and religious communities, students in Catholic schools."

The movement to start the project began in 2022 at the Paulist Fathers' general assembly.

"One of the priorities of the Paulists is to read the signs of the times, like the Second Vatican Council tells us to do, so that we can respond in a spirit-filled way," Lewis said.

At the gathering, they discussed "the realities of the United States and the Church in the United States today that we need to respond to or engage," he said. "And that's when the topic of toxic polarization emerged."

"The polarization affecting the U.S. Catholic Church is not merely a matter of policy dispute or partisan loyalty," said Father Ricky Manalo, CSP, co-director of the Communion Project. "It is a deeply spiritual and relational rupture, shaping how Catholics imagine moral life, celebrate the sacraments, interpret tradition, and remain in communion amid difference."

"Within Catholic life, polarization is more than disagreement; it is the loss of our capacity to remain in relationship, even amid difference, as one body in Christ," he said.

Inspired by Pope Francis, the group founded The Paulist Initiative on Polarization as a national partnership of Catholic leaders committed to strengthening unity across political, theological, and cultural divisions.

In 2025, the effort was renamed the Communion Project following Pope Leo XIV's public commitment to building communion in the Church.

"This is really a priority of Pope Leo," Lewis said. "In his first inaugural Mass, Pope Leo said his first great desire would be for a unified Church in communion. We really see this as an initiative that is trying to live out the message and the priority of the Holy Father."

Polarization in the U.S.

When people think of polarization, they usually first think of "left and right politics, Republicans, Democrats," Lewis said. "And certainly that's one area, but I really see polarization showing up in a lot of different ways."

"This isn't only in public life or in politics, where one might expect, it's also in the Roman Catholic Church in the United States," Lewis said.

It can come up due to division surrounding the liturgy, or cultural or generational differences, but ultimately the goal is to remind Catholics of shared beliefs and values.

The project hopes to help the faithful "see that while people might prioritize different dimensions of our Catholic social teaching, there's unity within that work, and we need to bring people together," Lewis said.

For example, the Church has a mission to protect human dignity, and "some people focus on ending the death penalty," while "other people might focus on ending abortion and the work of the pro-life movement," Lewis explained. "Even if we're working in different areas, those areas are not in conflict."

Connection through communication

The initiative's resources and formation experiences are organized around three interconnected dimensions: the head, the heart, and the hands.

The project offers a "development of resources that impact our head, meaning our knowledge and our self-awareness," and "also our hearts in terms of our prayer and discernment," Lewis said.

There are also resources that impact "our hands," which focus on "building skills and building relationships," Lewis said.

"So we want to help organizations and churches work with leaders in particular, to equip them with the resources and programming to help them make a positive impact in their local community," he said.

The resources can be found in the Communion Project's "resource library" on its website, which offers a number of options for people to independently utilize or bring to a group. It also offers gatherings and workshops to aid its cause.

In the online library, people can find upcoming events, online courses, prayers for communion, articles, learning sessions to be used in small groups, and a Communion Project podcast.

It also has educational videos provided by outside organizations including Georgetown University, University of Notre Dame, and Boston College.

So far the podcast has included conversations with Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore on what happens when the faithful stop seeing one another as brothers and sisters, and University of Notre Dame's Tim O'Malley on liturgical division and what it means to live in communion with people.

The first episode featured a conversation "with Tim Busch, founder of Napa Institute, and Father James Martin from America Media, two people who speak to very different parts of the Church … but have developed a personal friendship," Lewis said.

"It was a great opportunity to put people in the same place to talk about their friendship, of their shared faith, realizing that what unites us is so much stronger than what divides us," he said.

"What matters most is gathering around a particular Eucharistic table and a particular family table and having hard conversations or sitting in discomfort, because love compels us to do hard things," Lewis said.

The initiative is only "just beginning in terms of programming and trying to share." But since starting, "there's a great interest" among local communities wanting to be involved.

"The path of healing begins not in dominating strength, but in shared vulnerability. When both Church and nation dare to move toward one another — wounded yet willing — they may discover that grace lives precisely in the places we thought were beyond repair," Manalo said.

Full Article

Pope Leo XIV welcomed Lutheran bishops from the Church of Norway for a formal Vatican audience on Aug. 26, urging Christians to seek "paths of reconciliation and fraternity" amid what he described as a "particularly turbulent period" marked by growing hostility in political and social life.

The meeting highlights deepening ecumenical ties as Norway prepares to mark the 1,000th anniversary of its Christianization. The upcoming 2030 millennium commemorates 1,000 years since the pivotal Battle of Stiklestad in 1030, where King Olav Haraldsson was martyred. His death ultimately cemented the nation's conversion to Christianity and established St. Olav as Norway's patron saint.

Norwegian Catholic leaders greeted the historic Vatican encounter with great joy. "We have excellent ecumenical relations with the Church of Norway and are pleased that the bishops have an opportunity to meet Pope Leo XIV," Bishop Fredrik Hansen of Oslo said. "We look forward to the millennium of Norway's conversion and hope this jubilee will give occasion for broad ecumenical collaboration."

Before visiting Rome, Presiding Lutheran Bishop Olav Fykse Tveit announced he would use the papal audience to invite Pope Leo XIV to the upcoming jubilee celebrations in Norway.

The pope closed the meeting by praying that Catholics and Lutherans live "ever more truly as brothers and sisters" and give "common witness to our savior, Our Lord Jesus Christ."

A petition for a special year of jubilee

To mark this national milestone, Norway's Catholic leadership, represented by Hansen and Bishop Erik Varden of Trondheim, formally petitioned Pope Leo XIV to declare a special year of jubilee for the Catholic Church in Norway running from July 29, 2030, through Aug. 3, 2031.

Explaining the significance of the dates, Varden explained that St. Olav is the centerpiece of the upcoming millennium. "29 July 2030 will mark the millennium of his martyr's death at Stiklestad; 3 August 2031 will mark the millennium of his exhumation, when his body was found incorrupt," he noted. "On that day he was proclaimed a saint not just for Norway, but for all of Christendom."

For Catholics, a jubilee year serves as a period of special grace centered on prayer, pilgrimage, and reconciliation.

Hansen highlighted that the year will allow local Catholics and international pilgrims to walk in St. Olav's footsteps while renewing their faith "in gratitude for the Christian patrimony with which Norway has been blessed." He added that the celebration will help the faithful keep "their eyes set on the Church's present and future task in this country."

A model of conversion and national identity

Speaking to EWTN News, Varden noted St. Olav's life as a compelling witness for people who feel alienated from organized religion. Rather than viewing the saint as an untouchable historical figure, Varden pointed to his personal transformation.

"What attracts us in the life of any saint is to see how grace works over time and gradually transforms a person," Varden said, describing the young king as "headstrong, ambitious, self-assured, [and] proud."

Yet Olav was "increasingly drawn into Christ's gentle mystery, fascinated by the all-reconciling love displayed in the cross," making him "a model of conversion" for modern believers. Varden also noted that at the end of Olav's life, Christ's love was "the only thing that really mattered to him."

Looking ahead to the jubilee's pastoral impact, the prelate noted that his diocese began preparations years ago, choosing to use the millennium as "an opportunity to renew our baptismal promises."

"We want to re-root ourselves in the essence of our faith," he explained, adding that he hopes visiting pilgrims will discover the "fascination and freeing power" of Nordic Christianity. He noted Norway's patrimony expressed across liturgy, literature, and architecture, which represents a "flowering of sanctity" that the Nordic Church is eager to share with the world.

This vision could also pave the way for a potential papal visit during the jubilee period.

Restoring Nidaros and looking toward 2033

Nidaros, the medieval name for present-day Trondheim, was one of northern Europe's most important Christian pilgrimage centers. The city became the focal point of devotion to St. Olav, whose shrine at Nidaros Cathedral drew pilgrims from across Scandinavia and beyond.

"The cult of St. Olav spread with great speed in the 11th century," Varden said, noting that it "nurtured apostolic efforts and the founding of churches throughout northern Europe." He sees the revival of the pilgrimage as a means of recovering that Christian heritage, calling it "an aid to rereading the Christian history of our continent" and a source of inspiration for "endeavors of new evangelization."

?

Full Article

Cardinal Charles Maung Bo has called on Christian legislators from around the world to "reject automated warfare" and support strong limits that keep the technology of artificial intelligence under human control.

"As representatives of the people, your mandate is clear: You must champion an immediate, binding international ban on fully autonomous lethal weapons," the cardinal and archbishop of Yangon, Myanmar, said in Assisi, Italy, on Aug. 24.

"To automate the battlefield is to lower the moral threshold for violence, stripping conflict of human conscience and turning our sons, daughters, and citizens into bloodless data points," he added.

Bo addressed lawmakers during a one-day peace summit organized by the International Catholic Legislators Network (ICLN) on Aug. 24. The summit immediately followed the group's annual meeting in Rome Aug. 20–23, which included a private audience with Pope Leo XIV.

Bo — whose country has been suffering for years under unrelenting violence, economic collapse, and dramatic humanitarian concerns — gave a strong warning about AI's "potential to amplify human conflicts and malice."

"Human conflicts alone resulted in the deaths of 135 million people in the 20th century," he said. "Now, we have a new lethal actor: AI in the hands of a few, in some countries, who perceive AI as the bride of geostrategic power games."

The cardinal sounded the alarm about "a terrifying marriage of autocratic monopolies and automated surveillance" that replaces human freedom; he urged legislators not to give in to the pressure to adopt a "There Is No Alternative (TINA) narrative."

"As lawmakers and Christians, we are called upon to embrace a different TINA: 'There Is a New Alternative.' This alternative involves human-led AI that would bring greater prosperity and ultimately lead to durable peace for all," he said.

'Christ is our model'

Acknowledging that his prognosis about AI may appear pessimistic or even dystopian, Bo recalled that the objective is to shape a society grounded in lasting peace.

"Between dystopian reaction and utopian celebration, humanity requires a guiding beacon in its journey. For men and women of faith, Christ serves as that beacon, the savior sent to remind humanity of its earthly and heavenly path," he said.

"Christ is our model," he continued. "Christ's warning in Matthew 26:52 rings across history: 'Put your sword back in its place... for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.' When you delegate lethal force to an autonomous weapon system, the concept of a 'moral agent' collapses entirely. A machine cannot possess a right intention; it cannot comprehend grief, mercy, or the sacred value of a human life. It can only execute statistical optimization."

The cardinal reminded Christian lawmakers of their responsibility to the people who elected them.

"Your faith is not a private luxury to be hidden away; it is a public covenant to build peace in a world tearing at the seams," he said.

"We live in an era uniquely troubled by global war, civic unrest, and crushing economic upheaval, but Christ calls Christian leaders to a radically different, courageous path," he added, quoting Christ's words in Matthew 5:9, that "Blessed are the peacemakers."

"Notice carefully that he does not bless the 'peace-lovers' or the 'peace-wishers.' He blesses the peacemakers — those who actively build bridges, enforce structural justice, and cultivate narrative empathy across bitter political and social divides," he said.

True leaders in AI regulation

Bo noted the presence of Christopher Olah, a co-founder of Anthropic and machine learning researcher, at the May presentation of Pope Leo's encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, and called it a sign that "the architects of our digital future are begging for governance. They are confessing that while they understand the code, they do not have the answers for human dignity."

"If you refuse to regulate, if you accept the myth of technological inevitability, you are abdicating your sovereign duty to the people who elected you," he said.

"In the words of St. Francis of Assisi, remember that 'all the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle,'" the cardinal said. "Let your governance be that candle. Stand up as true leaders. Establish binding legal guardrails, demand corporate transparency, reject the automation of human slaughter, and ensure that technology remains entirely subservient to the magnificent humanity that God has entrusted to our care."

Full Article

Pope Leo XIV has highlighted the importance of the family in preventing drug addiction in young people, saying that there is "no better defense against drugs than a good family."

The pontiff made these remarks during a private audience on Aug. 27 with participants in a conference on drug abuse, promoted by the Pontifical Commission for Latin America (CAL). According to Vatican News, the conference is being held from Aug. 25–27 and focuses on preventing drug addiction and the criminal recruitment of young people in Central and South America.

Leo will make his first apostolic journey to South America from Nov. 6–17, visiting 10 cities across Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru. He previously served as a missionary and bishop in Peru.

Families can help those suffering from drug addiction

In his address, Leo discussed the challenge of drug addiction in young people and its consequences for the family.

"Today, we bear witness to the pain of many broken families, whether due to drug use, violence, the criminal recruitment of a child, poverty, or the lack of opportunities that push people to the margins of society," Leo explained.

To solve this, the pope said, would require reemphasizing the family as the "domestic church."

"St. John Paul II asked us to make the Church 'the home and school of communion.'"

"The family, which the Second Vatican Council rightly called the 'domestic church,' is the place where life is nurtured, cared for, and planned. There is no better defense against drugs than a good family," Leo said.

Inspiration by Pope Francis

According to Vatican News, the conference drew inspiration from the actions of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who would later become Pope Francis. As the former archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, he supported the project "Familia Grande del Hogar de Cristo," a network of community centers that supports people battling drug addiction and social vulnerability.

Shortly after being elected pope in 2013, Francis traveled to Brazil for that year's World Youth Day. During a visit to a hospital in Rio de Janeiro, he sharply criticized drug traffickers as "dealers of death."

"How many 'dealers of death' there are that follow the logic of power and money at any cost," Francis lamented in his address. He would echo those sentiments again in a general audience in June 2024, calling drug traffickers "murderers."

Leo cited Francis in his address, reminding those present that Jesus wants the Church "to touch human misery, to touch the suffering flesh of others."

Full Article

A communications conference in Rome in 2027 will explore how Catholic journalists and media professionals can help foster a climate of trust.

The convocation for "Nurturing Unity Through Communication" will be hosted by the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome from Feb. 2–4, 2027. Typically held every two years, it will be the 15th edition of the Professional Seminar for Church Communications Offices.

The event is being organized in collaboration with the Vatican's Dicastery for Communication and is expected to draw over 500 participants, including Catholic communications professionals from dioceses, religious orders, and episcopal conferences.

Conference sponsors also include EWTN News, Rome Reports, and the Pontifical Mission Societies.

According to the event website, the gathering will invite participants to reflect "on the role of institutional communication as a path toward fostering unity and concord both within and beyond the Church."

The seminar is also inspired by Pope Leo XIV's call for Catholic media professionals to strive for peace in their work.

"Addressing communicators in his first public audience as pope, Leo XIV reminded them: 'Peace begins with each one of us: with the way we look at others, listen to others, speak about others; and, in this sense, the way we communicate is of fundamental importance: We must say 'no' to the war of words and images; we must reject the paradigm of war.'"

The conference will include plenary and parallel sessions covering topics ranging from social media to encouraging diversity rather than promoting division in the Church through media.

EWTN Chairman and CEO Michael Warsaw will speak on the topic "Leading Through Digital Disruption: Building Community in a Changing Media Landscape." EWTN Vice President and Chief Global Officer Andreas Thonhauser, meanwhile, will moderate a discussion of "AI and Magnifica Humanitas: Reflections One Year On."

Registration for the conference is open until Dec. 1 and can be made through the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross by clicking here.

Full Article

Since the fourth century, Christians have revered St. Monica, the mother of Church Father St. Augustine, as a woman of unwavering faith in God.

In an interview with EWTN News reporter Valentina Di Donato, two Augustinian priests living in Rome explained why the woman they refer to as their "grandmother" continues to be a source of hope and inspiration, especially for Catholic wives and mothers.

Augustinian Father Angelo Di Berardino, who has worked and lived at the Augustinian International College of Santa Monica in Rome for 50 years, said St. Monica had a great interior strength that influenced all members of her family.

"Respecting her husband, she was able to convert him," Di Berardino told EWTN News. "Then, she was a strong woman to educate her three children, especially Augustine."

"I think she was so strong in her life, in her prayer, that she had a great influence on the great theologian Augustine," he added.

According to Augustinian Father Edward Daleng Daniang, vice regent of the Prefecture of the Pontifical Household and former general counsellor and procurator general of the Order of St. Augustine, St. Monica is the saint to turn to for spouses who feel alone in their desire to create a Christian family home.

"St. Monica did not have it easy with her husband Patrick," he said. "She tried to win him with her love, with her patience and endurance and tolerance and, above all, bringing her husband to God through prayer."

Describing the ancient saint as a "living example" of a mother who does not give up on her children, Daniang said those struggling with their children can have hope that their prayers, and tears, are never wasted.

"St. Monica was struggling with her son St. Augustine who wandered away from home," he said. "He left Monica, his mother, to come to Italy in those days and Monica did not give up."

"He left the faith which she tried to transmit to him but she did not give up," he emphasized.

Following her son to Italy, Daniang said her main intention of leaving Africa was not to bring her son back home but to lead her son to Jesus Christ for the salvation of his soul.

"St. Monica stands as someone who led her husband to God, to Christ, and also brought her son St. Augustine to Christ," he said.

"That's bringing the unity of family together," he added.

This story was first published on Aug. 27, 2025, and has been updated.

Full Article

When a deadly shooting devastated Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis on Aug. 27, 2025, a neighboring Catholic parish quietly provided support to the school, opening its doors for the parish school's needs.

Now, Our Lady of Grace is memorializing that connection in a fresco by Minnesota-based artist Mark Balma.

Balma is in the process of painting two large frescoes at the altar of Our Lady of Grace. On the right, already finished, is an image of Mary and the angel at the Annunciation. Green and blue ribbons painted in the bottom-right corner pay tribute to the school and the community.

"In the centuries-old tradition of Catholic sacred art, images have always carried more than beauty — they carry the prayers, memories, and stories of the communities who create and encounter them," Rámond Mitchell, director of liturgy for Our Lady of Grace, told EWTN News.

"Sacred art has a unique ability to hold memory, communicate faith, and invite people into prayer," Mitchell continued.

"Because our two communities had walked so closely with one another through such a difficult time, we wanted to create a lasting remembrance within our own sacred space as a reminder of the people we accompanied, the lives that were forever changed, and the hope and faith that sustained us," Mitchell said.

Meaning of the ribbons

Balma painted blue-and-green ribbons onto a vase within his Annunciation fresco as a tribute to the community of Annunciation Church and School.

Mitchell explained how blue-and-green ribbons were an important symbol to the community after the shooting.

"Following the shooting, people throughout the surrounding community tied blue-and-green ribbons to doors, trees, lampposts, fences, and other places as a visible sign of solidarity and remembrance," Mitchell said.

"In the fresco, the ribbons are tied around a water jug beside Mary. We wanted the ribbons to feel integrated into the scene rather than separate from it," Mitchell continued. "The water jug is an ordinary object, much like the ordinary details of daily life that surrounded Mary when the angel appeared to her."

"In that way, the ribbons become part of an ordinary moment that has been transformed by the presence of God and a reminder of the Annunciation community and of the sacredness of their lives and stories," Mitchell continued.

Balma, who was in the Twin Cities at the time of the shooting, was asked to "find a way to honor the Annunciation community."

"This tragedy really touched me and I prayed for guidance at how to best honor the children and families," Balma told EWTN News.

"As a painter I try to find within Scriptures a word or concept that might help me unlock a vision to reveal a fresh way to transform the words into images," Balma said. "For instance in the Annunciation fresco, the line 'I am the handmaid of the Lord' became the focal point of the imagery."

"My concept for the Annunciation fresco is different than most historical depictions. They usually place an older-looking Mary in a room or cloister visited by Gabriel and the Holy Spirit," Balma said. "As I studied the Scriptures, I found no reference to her being in a room."

Balma pointed out that at the time of the Annunciation, Mary "was not that much older than the children" of Annunciation School.

"I imagined the 14-year-old Mary as carrying on her daily chores like going to the well for water," Balma said. "So full of beautiful symbolism, the water vase then became the place I could attach the ribbons that were placed in the community in remembrance of the children."

"Water is healing, and tying the ribbons around the vase seemed to be the heartfelt way to honor the children," Balma said.

Sister communities

The community at Our Lady of Grace stepped up after the shooting; it was a tragedy that struck them deeply.

"Annunciation is not far from Our Lady of Grace, and there have long been many connections between our two communities," Mitchell said. "Some of our parishioners attended Annunciation themselves, while others have children or grandchildren who attended the school. Our teachers knew teachers there, and some members of our parish community were neighbors or friends of students, staff, and families affected by the shooting."

"Because of those relationships, the tragedy was felt very deeply at Our Lady of Grace," Mitchell said. "In the aftermath, our parish and school community was able to offer a place of safety, hospitality, prayer, and support. Our campus became a place where members of the Annunciation community could simply be together when so much of their world had been disrupted."

The principal of Annunciation was present at the live painting session when Balma painted the ribbons into the fresco, which was a particularly significant moment, Mitchell said.

"Having members of the Annunciation community participate in and witness the creation of the work has made the memorial even more meaningful," Mitchell said.

Full Article