Catholic News

In 1976, Franciscan University of Steubenville held its first youth conference on its campus in Steubenville, Ohio. This summer, the Catholic university celebrates 50 years of a conference that has changed many lives.

Since its founding, the youth conferences have helped over 1 million young people encounter Jesus Christ through dynamic talks, the Mass, Eucharistic adoration, confession, prayer, and fellowship.

The inspiration for the conference for young people came after Father Michael Scanlan, TOR, former president of Franciscan University, held a conference for priests and asked them what the university could do for them. Their response? They wanted some kind of event for young people — specifically teenagers. The next year the first youth conference was held.

"It's really a beautiful testimony to God's faithfulness," Father Dave Pivonka, TOR, current president of Franciscan University, told EWTN News.

"I was thinking the other day that the teenagers that came to the first youth conferences are now in their late 60s, almost 70 years old," he added. "So that's half a century of young people whose hearts have been touched, who have encountered Jesus in the sacraments, who have encountered him in the community gathered of young people … it's just a tremendous milestone for the young people. Now, the fact that Franciscan University has been able to be a part of that and we had the vision to be able to provide this opportunity, I think, is just a great grace for us as well."

This summer, Franciscan University hosted four sold-out conferences on its campus in Steubenville with an additional 15 conferences taking place in cities across the United States.

Youth conference speakers this summer include Father Mike Schmitz, host of "The Bible in a Year" podcast; Chris Stefanick, author, speaker, and television host; Father Leo Patalinghug, author, podcast host, and priest of the Archdiocese of Baltimore; Katie Prejean McGrady, author and Catholic radio host; Paul J. Kim, speaker, author, and musician; and many more.

Brian Kissinger, executive director of conferences at Franciscan University, told EWTN News that "at the heart of our conferences, at the heart of this experience for young people, is the Blessed Sacrament."

He explained that they also try to keep the conferences "as invitational as possible."

"We know teens are coming from a million different places — not just geographically but emotionally, spiritually, catechetically. Some have great formation and loving Catholic homes, others are not Catholic but were just brought there by their Catholic friends," he explained. "So we really try to make the weekend as invitational as possible, to preach the Gospel message, which never changes, but always approaching the presentation of kerygma assuming that a teenager does not know the whole story."

One of the most impactful moments that takes place during the conference, Kissinger said, takes place during the closing Mass when the presiding priest invites young men and women to come forward if they heard during the weekend an invitation from God calling them to the priesthood or religious life.

According to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate's (CARA) 2026 survey of newly ordained priests, 18% of priests ordained this year attended a Franciscan University of Steubenville Youth Conference during their vocational journey.

Separate CARA studies found that 21% of women religious and 15% of religious brothers who recently professed perpetual vows also attended a Franciscan youth conference. Combined, 18% of newly professed religious men and women reported participating in a Steubenville Youth Conference — more than any other Catholic conference ministry in the United States.

So what is the secret to the Steubenville Youth Conference's success among young Catholics?

"People will often ask me, 'What's the secret sauce of the conferences?' But honestly, there's nothing complicated about it," Pivonka said. "What we do is we gather young people and we provide an environment where they can encounter Jesus. We do that through the sacraments. We do that through adoration. We do that through the sacrament of reconciliation. We do that through worship. And in the best way that we can, to kind of take down the barriers that might exist between that encounter."

"So, I'd like to say that there's some secret sauce but it's really just providing an environment for encounter for the young people," he added.

"I also don't buy into the whole 'young people aren't zealous or you can't challenge them,'" he continued. "I mean, we present the teachings of the Church without any hesitation. And what we're finding is that young people respond to that."

From reluctant attendee to joyful disciple

Elizabeth Feulner, an 18-year-old student from Syracuse, New York, has attended two Steubenville Youth Conferences.

In an interview with EWTN News, she shared that she was forced to attend the conference her first year. The youth group at her parish was just starting up and her mom received an email from the youth group leader giving her details about the conference.

"My mom was like, 'You're going to this. This sounds like a great opportunity. I wish I'd had this when I was your age.' And I was like, 'Wow, this is very short notice; I don't know if this is going to be my favorite thing.' So it wasn't really my choice the first year," Feulner said.

However, looking back at the first experience, she said it helped her "grow in my personal relationship with Jesus and in more outwardly showing that and being confident in that in a lot of ways in my life."

She pointed out that attending by herself the first year allowed her to "really sit there and feel the presence of Jesus and feel him working in my life," which then motivated her to find relationships "centered in God" when she returned home.

Feulner recalled the one moment that impacted her the most during that first conference: Eucharistic adoration.

That year, she attended the conference with a dislocated knee and had to walk with crutches. Adoration took place in the evening but during the day she had walked a lot and was in a lot of pain and was exhausted by the evening.

"I was sitting there during adoration; I was really emotional and the monstrance just stopped right over me and it just felt like for a moment it was just me and God and he was like, 'I see you and I'm here,'" she shared.

"I think that moment has shown me — and I've continued to try and allow it to show me — that he's always there," she added. "And so that physical representation of him being there, looking at me through the monstrance, it's like it's me and him. And that's continued to shape how I view my relationship with God especially through struggle and throughout my life."

When Feulner attended this year, she expressed having a completely different perspective and feeling extremely thankful for all the work God had done in her life since attending the first time the previous year.

Since then her youth group has formed and through that she has received Christ-centered friendships, her boyfriend of two years has now converted to Catholicism, and her younger sister was able to attend the conference with her this year.

"I just felt so thankful for the past year and for the community that I, honestly, never thought I would have as a youth," she said. "This past year has been so fundamental in finally having a community in Christ and in my faith and friendships that are just so unwavering."

Feulner said she hopes that for those who attend a Steubenville Youth Conference that they would have an "experience at some point that showed them that they know that they are worthy of his love, no matter what they've done and that they know that he sees them, whether they had that moment in adoration or not, that he truly sees them every single day and in everything they go through and that he loves them not in spite of that but because of that."

Information about upcoming Steubenville Youth Conferences can be found here.

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The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops submitted a public comment on proposed changes to federal grants, expressing support for restrictions on gender ideology and abortion but opposing restrictions for groups that work with migrants who are in the country unlawfully.

The bishops submitted the public comment to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on July 8. The proposed rule change regulates the activities of organizations that receive certain forms of federal assistance, which includes Catholic charities, schools, and healthcare providers.

Areas of agreement

The bishops support a provision that bans federal funds from being used on efforts that deny "the sex binary in humans" or express the notion "sex is a chosen or mutable characteristic."

"We fully support this provision, which is prudently designed as a restriction on the scope of activities that may be supported by federal awards rather than as a prohibition on speech or conduct outside the scope of the award," the bishops' comment stated.

The bishops also support a provision that bans organizations from charging federal awards for costs "associated with elective abortions … except as expressly authorized by federal law."

However, they also commented that the rule should be "even stronger in protecting innocent human life" by at least aligning fully with the Hyde Amendment, which would prohibit funds for abortions, with the exception of unborn children conceived in rape or incest, or when the life of the mother is in danger.

They also stated that OMB should clarify what "associated with" means, warning the language does not appear as strong as the gender ideology provision.

The bishops also support a proposal to ban federal agencies from discriminating against or disfavoring faith-based organizations in award applications but urged OMB to strengthen this language too by expressly applying the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA).

"Even when the law places religious and secular entities on equal footing, RFRA prohibits the federal government from substantially burdening religious exercise unless doing so serves a compelling governmental interest and is the manner of doing so that is least restrictive of that exercise," the comment added.

It also encouraged a revision in the language to ensure that religious organizations do not get accused of bias against other religions.

Areas of disagreement

The provision receiving the strongest opposition from the bishops is one that prohibits funds from being used to encourage or facilitate "illegal immigration," noting that Catholic charitable groups have been accused of doing that.

"Providing for the basic human needs of immigrants, without regard to their immigration status, is integral to the mission of the Catholic Church and her ministries," the comment stated.

"Religious entities that provide food, shelter, or other humanitarian aid to immigrants, or transportation related to such aid, may reasonably fear that their ordinary ministries could be characterized as facilitation of illegal immigration or as an initiative that compromises public safety," it added.

"Under these same interpretations, even ensuring the full inclusion of undocumented immigrants in the sacramental life of the Church or providing for the education of undocumented children could be misconstrued as 'encouraging' their presence in the United States without authorization," the comment continued.

The bishops also oppose a ban on funding that encourages "anti-American values," warning it is unclear what this means.

In their comment, they also opposed mandatory e-verify, saying it "may chill lawful hiring, burden nonprofits and religious organizations, create confusion over contractors and indirect-cost employees, and encourage discriminatory over-screening."

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Ferrán Torres is the Catholic forward who secured a 1–0 victory for Spain over Messi's Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, played on Sunday, July 19, in New Jersey.

"The goal is the least important thing; right now, all I want is to grab that trophy and squeeze it as hard as I can, because I believe it represents the dream of the 47 million people we were representing on the pitch today — because I think we deserved it and we gave it our all," said Ferrán Torres after the final.

Torres, who plays for Barcelona in Spain, also said that the goal brought him a sense of relief, given the heavy criticism he had faced during the World Cup. "Thank God, He always gives me the strength to keep going, and in the end — as I always say — God grants things to those who deserve them most," the forward emphasized.

Days before the final, a video was released in which Torres spoke about the importance of God in his life. "I have a cross and an image of the Virgin Mary; ultimately, I think having such strong faith gives me great support — it is something very important to me," remarked the Spanish forward, who was named the final's Superior Player of the Match.

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Torres stands out for his Catholic faith within the Spanish national team, alongside coach Luis de la Fuente — who, at the press conference prior to the semifinal match where they defeated France 2–0, stated that he prays "every day, but not because I am at a World Cup or in order to get a result."

"I give thanks every day — every day I wake up and find myself well, I look at myself and say: 'Another day I can enjoy life.' I give thanks for those little things. I pray—because I do pray every day — not to ask for more help," the Spanish head coach explained at the time.

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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Peru's bishops offered prayers and expressed their solidarity with the victims of an earthquake that struck Saturday night in the Junín region — located in the country's central Andean zone — leaving at least five people dead, more than twenty injured, and hundreds affected.

The earthquake, which occurred around 9:00 p.m., was centered in the district of Chongos Bajo, in the Chupaca province of the Junín region — situated in Peru's central Andes, some 193 miles east of Lima — according to the National Civil Defense Institute (INDECI, by its Spanish acronym).

"We share in the grief of the families mourning their loved ones, offering our prayers for the eternal rest of the deceased, and we ask the Lord to grant everyone strength, comfort, and hope," the bishops stated in the aftermath of the disaster.

"We express our spiritual closeness to all those affected, to those who have lost their homes, and to those generously participating in rescue, care, and relief efforts," said Bishop Carlos García Camader, president of the Peruvian Bishops Conference.

After encouraging Peruvians to show solidarity with those affected, the bishops urge them not to lose hope and pray "that the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Hope, may intercede for all those affected and accompany our beloved people of Junín."

Junín's 5.1 magnitude earthquake

Rescue operations involving the police, firefighters, and the Peruvian army are ongoing, and authorities are assessing the damage — particularly in the Pumpunya area of ??the Chongos Bajo district, where approximately 50 homes have been affected.

In an interview with Radio Programas del Perú (RPP, by its Spanish acronym), Hernando Tavera, president of the Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP, by its Spanish acronym), stated that the extent of the destruction in this area is due to the fragility of the houses, most of which were built using substandard materials.

"When structures are built according to standards and proper engineering, they obviously yield better results than those constructed using local materials," which makes them prone to easy collapse, Tavera explained.

So far, the IGP has recorded 12 aftershocks. The strongest measured 3.7 and 3.4 in magnitude.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Luis Enrique Arroyo Sánchez headed to the Chongos Bajo district alongside Defense Minister Amadeo Flores and INDECI chief Luis Enrique Vásquez "to oversee the response to the 5.1-magnitude earthquake and coordinate assistance for the affected population," according to the Office of the Prime Minister.

Historic cross collapses

As a result of the earthquake, the historic Cani Cruz —known as the Lord of Cani Cruz — collapsed. The cross, erected in 1534 and located in the main square of Chongos Bajo, is one of the region's oldest religious monuments, according to local media reports.

Carved from limestone and featuring reliefs of the crucified Christ and the Virgin Mary, in 1990 it was declared national cultural heritage site, alongside the main church of Chongos Bajo and the El Copón Chapel.

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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How can you find God amid tragedy? Why does God allow so much suffering?

These are questions people might be asking themselves in Venezuela following the earthquakes of June 24.

Carlos Márquez, auxiliary bishop of Caracas, reflected on the mystery of suffering in an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. In the prelate's view, the Catholic Church plays a fundamental role in shedding light on these existential questions.

A promise to hold onto: 'We are not alone'

Márquez said it would be "an act of tremendous pridefulness" to attempt to provide answers that fully resolve this mystery. Ultimately, he noted, asking these questions is a way of "looking for someone to blame." They are questions that "paralyze us and fill us with bitterness and pain."

"We can't escape biological law; we can't escape the laws of nature. What we once thought was a curse or divine punishment, we now know to be natural processes, processes that are even necessary," he explained regarding the devastating earthquakes.

To help make sense of the tragedy, Márquez pointed to two specific factors. The first is human freedom, which, when misused, "causes suffering and pain." He referred to the collapsed buildings, many of which might have been built in unsuitable locations due to poor ground conditions or perhaps constructed without adhering to proper safety standards.

"Imprudence, whether culpable or not, always ends in tragedy. This is not caused, desired, or much less ordained by God. It's not the divine will," he remarked.

Márquez identified the second specific element in St. Paul's Letter to the Romans, where the apostle to the Gentiles wrote that creation "groans until the present and suffers the pains of childbirth" (Rom 8:22-39).

This helps us understand that nature "readjusts, evolves, and moves" as part of a process "toward the fullness promised by Jesus Christ." The auxiliary bishop explained that creation "will be subject to pain" until it is recapitulated in Christ, and we, as creatures, undergo these vicissitudes.

"Therefore, on our journey toward the fullness of living happily forever with Christ in heaven, we will encounter pain and suffering," Márquez noted.

Yet in the face of these realities, the prelate offered a reassuring promise: "Christ's promise was not that we would not suffer, nor that there would be no earthquakes, floods, or natural tragedies. Amid the pain, he promised not to abandon us. We are not alone: ??'I will be with you until the end of the world.' He promises us his companionship in the midst of pain."

The Lord "walks with us in the midst of our pain" and fulfills his promise "through his Church, among those who suffer." The sacraments and the word, he continued, comfort and heal us, and transform our hearts "so we can move forward."

God also gives us the example and intercession of the saints "so that we do not lose heart" and might feel accompanied. "When one is in great pain, when one is suffering deeply, the tragedy becomes worse when we are alone and isolated," he said.

Christian hope in the face of death and tragedy

In recent weeks, the most heart-wrenching stories have filled social media. Yet, for the most part, they share a fundamental element highlighted by Márquez: hope.

Many people are thanking God for being alive and, amid unimaginable suffering, affirming that they will live to honor their deceased loved ones and will spare no effort to discover the purpose for which God has saved them.

"If we live united with Christ in suffering, we will live with him forever in heaven. Death does not have the final word. This earthquake does not have the final word. God has the final word, which is a word of life, happiness, and eternal joy," he stated.

So, what is required of those Venezuelans who remain? Márquez answered clearly: to follow the example of all their saintly compatriots, to face adversity without asking "why," and to work so that the future may be better.

"Pain is fleeting; death is not final. United in faith, hope, and charity, with our eyes fixed on the risen Christ, we walk together in communion to overcome this tragedy," Márquez said.

"Venezuela is a land of grace; Venezuela is a land of saints. We have hope, and we will rise again. We will rise from the dust of this earthquake," he added.

Finally, he recalled the words St. John Paul II spoke at the Teresa Carreño Theater in Caracas during his second visit to the country on Feb. 10, 1996: "Venezuelans, even though the difficulties are serious and the challenges immense, your resolve must be great. Faced with a present full of uncertainty and a future full of questions, put your abilities to use with imagination and, above all, with generosity, trusting in God: God loves mankind."

As of now, the official death toll following the earthquakes stands at 4,829, while the number of injured and affected people runs into the tens of thousands.

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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The canonization cause for celebrated novelist and Catholic convert Sigrid Undset is expected to open its diocesan phase this fall. One of Norway's most celebrated writers, her life of faith, suffering, and intellectual depth still speaks powerfully to the Church in a secular age.

Undset's life was marked by personal challenges, public controversy, and choices that drew social scandal — giving complexity to her witness to the faith. Literary historians have noted that her life was unconventional for a woman of her time: She smoked, drank, swore, and was known for a sharp tongue and strong personality.

Her work reflects the suffering and turmoil she encountered in her own life as well as the transcendent faith she discovered in Christ. She became Catholic at 42 after being raised an atheist.

Below is a list of several of Undset's books — both fiction and nonfiction — each a starting place to discover more about the work and life of this renowned writer and possible saint.

'Kristin Lavransdatter'

Set in medieval Norway, Undset's magnum opus follows the life of Kristin Lavransdatter, a headstrong and passionate fictional character who defies societal expectations. Throughout the trilogy, Kristin falls in love and weds against her family's wishes into a marriage that ultimately becomes tumultuous and stained with infidelity and tragedy.

'Gunnar's Daughter'

Set in the Viking era on the edge of the introduction of Christianity, a young woman named Vigdis is raped by a man she loved and conceives a son whom she raises on her own. The heart-wrenching story deals with revenge, forgiveness, and a society on the cusp of accepting Christianity but governed by laws of vengeance.

'The Master of Hestviken' tetralogy

"The Master of Hestviken" follows the life of Olav Audunsson, a man torn between pagan codes and Christian piety in medieval Norway. The tetralogy, consisting of four volumes ("The Axe," "The Snake Pit," "In the Wilderness," and "The Son Avenger"), deals with sin, suffering, guilt, and redemption. The book has deeply Catholic themes, including a focus on the sacrament of reconciliation, as Audunsson deals with the guilt of a great sin that he feels he cannot confess.

'Saga of Saints'

"Saga of Saints" tells the history of Norway through the lives of saints who witnessed to the faith throughout the nation's history. The saga begins with an opening essay called "The Coming of Christianity to Norway" and follows with stories of historical Norwegian figures including Sunniva, King Olava, and Eystein.

Undset's personal writings

With a journey to faith that has been compared to St. Augustine, Undset was raised by atheist parents and did not find Catholicism until later in her adult life. "Men, Women, and Places" is a collection of Undset's biographical and cultural essays that offer a closer look into her inner life.

In the collection of nine biographical essays and literary critiques, Undset explores literary figures, saints, and geography, among other topics. Essays highlight medieval English mystics like Margery Kempe and Julian of Norwich as well as poet and philosopher D.H. Lawrence and Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard.

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The Sicar retreat ("Sychar" in the English Bible) has given rise to one of the most notable youth evangelization experiences in Latin America. It came about through a process of discernment by a Mexican religious in her own search for God, a dynamic movement that today reaches thousands of young people.

With over 30 years of consecrated life, Mother María Elena Martínez has dedicated her life to the spiritual formation of young people and adults through "Mary, Mother of Love," a private association of the faithful she founded in Mexico in 2015.

The community is centered on retreats making a spiritual impact, such as Emmaus, which is held in parishes and correctional facilities, and Sicar, which is aimed specifically at young adults.

Her life, marked from childhood by a quest for God, would ultimately become bound up in an initiative that is active today in several Latin American countries, including Mexico, Guatemala, Paraguay, Argentina, and Peru.

"I remember as a little girl I had a great thirst for God," she shared in an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.

That initial calling deepened over time. At age 11, she recalled, a desire to please Jesus arose within her. "A desire for purity … I wanted to live a life of virginity," she noted, explaining that she prayed insistently to the Virgin Mary, asking for that consecration.

However, her path was neither immediate nor direct. "Religious life wasn't something that particularly appealed to me," she admitted. In her youth, she went through various experiences ranging from completing a degree in translating to exploring broader spiritual concerns, which eventually led her to try out consecrated life with the Missionaries of Charity.

Some time later, she tried cloistered contemplative life. "I wanted something more interior, deeper," she confessed.

A concern arises: 'What about the young people?'

The Sicar retreat did not originate as a planned initiative but rather as a pastoral response that only gradually took shape. According to Mother María Elena, for years many people approached her with the same concern: "What about the young people?"

"Do something for the young people," they would tell her.

The Gospel account of the Samaritan woman began to take center stage in her prayer and discernment. Jesus' dialogue at the well of Sychar — "If you knew the gift of God" (cf. Jn 4:1-42) — served as the starting point for helping young people discover Christ.

"The passage about the Samaritan woman was so rich, so rich, that I could draw so much from it," she explained.

The decisive step came in 2016, when the first Sicar retreat was held. Mother María Elena remembered it as the beginning of something small and simple yet deeply meaningful. Young people with prior experience in movements like Emmaus were the first to participate.

Sicar began to expand. After establishing itself in cities such as Mexico City, Tehuacán, and Tecamachalco (in the state of Puebla), as well as San Luis de la Paz (Guanajuato state), Veracruz, Mérida (Yucatán state), and Cuernavaca (Morelos state), the initiative began to cross borders beyond Mexico. The first retreat in Guatemala took place in 2017; Buenos Aires in 2018; Paraguay in 2022; and in Peru in 2023.

"It has been growing in many places, rescuing so many young people," Mother María Elena said with gratitude.

In Mexico, 38 Sicar retreats have been held with an average of 50 participants each, amounting to nearly 2,000 young people. In Peru, where the initiative arrived in 2023, seven retreats have already taken place with around 70 participants each, reaching approximately 490 people.

Ottmar Ricalde, a Sicar volunteer in Mexico, noted that "Sicar means and has meant so much over these past 10 years."

"I could write and speak about all the stories, all the laughter, and all the tears, but the most important thing of all is the love of God that has been a gift to me," he stated.

"My life was always focused on pleasing others, but when I met God and realized how much he loves me, I began wanting to please him," he said.

In Paraguay, Sicar coordinator Fátima Correa highlighted that the experience "was a time of growth and renewal. It allowed us to view our history with fresh eyes."

"It was a retreat organized by young people for young people, where every testimony reflected realities many of us could relate to," she added.

A couple from Argentina who participated in the retreat and are now married say that Sicar marked a turning point in their lives. "We arrived as boyfriend and girlfriend and returned with completely transformed hearts ... today, we feel that one of the greatest fruits was our marriage."

A growing community in Peru

Sicar arrived in Peru in 2023 and has since established a growing community.

Geraldine Spihlman, director of Sicar in Peru, explained that the initiative arose after a need was identified within youth ministry. "When young people reached the age of 24 or 25, they no longer had a place to continue their journey of faith," she noted.

Following contact with Mother María Elena, it was decided to launch the initiative in Lima, which holds two retreats a year: in May and November.

Spihlman highlighted that the most visible fruit is the community: "Many young people have discovered that it's hard to go it alone but that everything is easier in community. It is a community where you can see how they love one another."

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'God's mercy knows no bounds'

One of the most common fruits of these retreats is a shift in how one views others.

In personal encounters, transformation occurs not only for those receiving the retreat but also for those who put it on.

"God's mercy knows no bounds," Mother María Elena stated. "You look at people with eyes of mercy. You no longer judge the person; instead, you see them as a child of God," she explained.

Eros Acevedo, another team member, said the retreat "was an encounter with God that changed everything … I arrived bearing wounds, and his presence touched them. I left renewed."

Rafael Mansilla, 27, said Sicar taught him to persevere in the faith. "Faith is not a flame that goes out but a steady flame," he said.

Dina Dávila shared that the retreat was the instrument God used to call her. "The love I have experienced in the community is overwhelming," she added.

'A living Jesus'

Through the retreats, Mother María Elena explained, people are invited to encounter "a living Jesus."

"God continues to act; he continues to perform miracles every day," she affirmed.

She said she lives one day at a time. "Each day I tell the Lord, 'For one more day, I say yes to you.'"

The Sicar retreat, born of a contemplative reading of the Gospel, continues to spread wherever young people seek meaning, healing, and an experience of mature faith.

Today, the young "Samaritans" who have lived this experience carry with them the words that marked their encounter with God: "Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst" (Jn 4:14).

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 warned Sunday against imagining God as "a powerful figure who imposes himself by force, who takes over and dominates, or who arrives triumphantly," and urged Christians to embrace a Gospel-centered approach marked by humility and trust.

Speaking before the Angelus prayer in Liberty Square at Castel Gandolfo, where he is spending several weeks of rest through Monday, July 27, the pope reflected on the day's Gospel reading.

Following the parable of the sower, Jesus addresses the crowds through the images of the good wheat and the weeds, the mustard seed and the yeast in the dough, the pope noted.

"These three short parables recall the coming of the Kingdom of God in history, its action in human lives, and the way it grows, expands and transforms the world from within," Pope Leo said.

Through these images, he continued, Jesus warns against thinking of God principally in terms of power, domination and triumph.

"Instead, God favors smallness, a sign of his discreet love, by which he leaves us free to accept or reject him," the pope said. "His love makes its presence felt even among the weeds, acts in a hidden and invisible way like the smallest of all seeds, and leavens the dough without making a sound."

God favors smallness

Pope Leo said believers sometimes expect God to act in dramatic and immediately visible ways.

"We sometimes expect God to do something spectacular; we want him to intervene from on high, immediately uprooting the weeds of evil," he said.

"We imagine a strong and powerful God, and, unfortunately, we also model our way of being Christians and way of being the Church on this image."

The Kingdom of God, however, continues to grow quietly even amid evil, the pope said.

"However, the Kingdom of God spreads even amidst the weeds, requiring us to train our vision so we can discern the good that sprouts despite the darkness of evil, and avoiding rash judgments," he said.

The image of the smallest seed, Pope Leo explained, teaches Christians to be patient as God works through ordinary events and gradual processes.

"It comes like the smallest of seeds and thus calls for patience in accompanying these processes, so that we can recognize it in the little things of daily life and in the simplicity of ordinary existence," he said.

The kingdom also "grows invisibly like yeast in flour," the pope continued, freeing believers from discouragement and inviting them to maintain faith even when God appears absent.

"In fact, he is always with us, and his love is always ready to help us," he said.

Pope Leo then urged Catholics to apply this divine way of acting to both their personal lives and the life of the Church.

"God's way of acting must also become the way in which we live, both as individuals and as the Church, amidst the reality that surrounds us," he said.

"We are called to adopt a Gospel-centered approach, without hastily opposing others through arrogant judgments, without imposing ourselves through power and force, and without losing trust in God's work."

The pope cited a reflection given by then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict XVI, during the Jubilee of Catechists and Religion Teachers in the Holy Year 2000.

"As the then-Cardinal Ratzinger said, it is a matter of submitting ourselves to the logic of the seed — which is not that of success and greatness, but that of making ourselves small and serving others," Pope Leo said.

By embracing this approach, he concluded, Christians can become instruments through which the Gospel quietly transforms the world.

"In this way, we will become like small seeds of the Gospel that sprout, and leavens of love that transform the dough of the world."

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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More than 22 million Catholics across the globe make up a network dedicated to praying daily for the challenges facing humanity and the Church, uniting their prayers with Pope Leo XIV's monthly intentions.

The Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network is a pontifical foundation known for its Pray with the Pope campaign through which the Holy Father announces his month's intention in a video message.

While the pope "has an endless list" of prayer intentions, he chooses 12 to offer for each month of the year, Father Cristóbal Fones, SJ, the international director of the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network, explained in an interview with "EWTN News In Depth."

In order to do so, the network will "help the pope to discern the intentions a year ahead," Fones explained. "So we ask many people — all the dicasteries and our national directors — to give us some proposals, and we offer to him lots of them … about 20 of them."

The Holy Father "takes some time to pray on these proposals" and then chooses the 12 intentions for the upcoming year in advance.

"So we published, for instance, the 2027 monthly intentions last February. So you can already know what we are about to pray for next year too, so that we can have some time to make the translations, to create the materials in Indonesian, Hindi, Swahili, Guarani, and so on."

Pope Leo has continued the tradition of Pope Francis, who recorded the first video of the monthly intentions in 2016, but the current pontiff has put his own take on it.

Pope Leo is "not only asking us to pray but praying himself for the monthly intention and inviting us to join him in prayer," Fones said. "That's why we call this campaign 'Pray with the Pope,' because he's the first one interceding for the needs of humanity, and he is inviting us through this campaign to do it with him."

"Some people may watch the video and participate with him by praying. Others can do it [on] their own. But the important thing is to be united in this network of hearts — compassionate hearts for the needs of the world."

Pope Leo is also "constantly asking us to pray for contextual … prayer intentions, like a flood or an earthquake in Venezuela, for instance," Fones said.

All these prayer intentions are then updated "in what we call the pope's prayer profile," Fones said. It consists of "all the requests for prayer that he normally does, whether on Sunday in the Angelus or on Wednesdays during the general audience."

In order to aid the Holy Father, the network is run by a team of an administrative council appointed by the Holy See, international coordinators, formation leaders, and communications teams.

The network "is a participation in the mission of the Church by offering ourselves through prayer, service, and spiritual formation," Fones said. Made up of Catholics in more than 90 countries, the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network is "a very old pontifical work with more than 180 years."

The network started in 1844 and was first called the Apostleship of Prayer. It was later renamed and established as a formal Vatican foundation in 2020 to support Christ's mission of compassion for the world across continents and cultures.

Call for prayers to respect life

Pope Leo's prayer intention for the month of July is for respect for human life in all circumstances.

The Holy Father drew attention to the importance of the intention when he dined with 200 vulnerable people on July 11.

"Having a lunch is just to show a sign [of] what we actually have to do with one another, to sit at the same table, to recognize our common dignity, because we are all sons and daughters of the same God. And when you understand that, you treat others as equal in dignity," Fones said.

"We may think differently. We may have different positions in life — opinions, backgrounds, stories — but we are all sons and daughters of God. So when you recognize that you can treat others as brothers and sisters, even if you disagree with them," he said.

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As the Church prepares to beatify Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen on Sept. 24 in St. Louis, Bishop Robert Barron said the beloved archbishop's legacy extends far beyond his groundbreaking media ministry.

In a July 17 interview on "EWTN News In Depth," Barron said Sheen's enduring influence was rooted in decades of prayer, intellectual formation, and faithful preaching — a model he said he believes Catholic evangelists need now more than ever.

The Church's recognition follows years of investigation into Sheen's life of heroic virtue and the Vatican's approval of a miracle attributed to his intercession. During his priesthood, Sheen became known for proclaiming the Gospel through preaching, writing, radio, and television.

Evangelization built on formation

In the "EWTN News In Depth" interview with anchor Catherine Hadro, Barron, of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, said Sheen's example offers timely lessons for Catholics seeking to evangelize in today's digital media landscape.

While technology has made it easier than ever for individuals to become online personalities, Barron said authentic evangelization requires much more than a social media platform or podcast.

According to Barron, Sheen's extraordinary effectiveness in radio and television ministry was rooted in decades of intellectual, spiritual, and pastoral formation.

Before becoming one of America's best-known Catholic communicators, Sheen devoted years to seminary formation, graduate studies at The Catholic University of America, and doctoral studies at the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium. His preaching reflected a lifelong engagement with sacred Scripture and the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Augustine, G.K. Chesterton, and St. John Henry Newman.

"He begins his evangelical work only after a long apprenticeship as a teacher, as a writer, as a student," Barron said. "Fulton Sheen had an extremely rich academic formation. Seminary, Catholic University, and the advanced doctorate at Louvain."

For Barron, Sheen demonstrates that lasting evangelization is built upon disciplined study and prayer before public ministry.

"I want you to use the old medium of books," Barron said. "Read and read and read before you dream of getting in front of the microphone."

A warning for Catholic communicators

Barron said today's media environment presents opportunities for evangelization but also significant challenges.

"A lot of people just put a shingle on and say, 'I'm a Catholic spokesman,'" he said.

Without sufficient theological, philosophical, and spiritual formation, Barron warned, Catholic communicators can unintentionally misrepresent the faith.

"I think Sheen would be bothered by that," he said.

Rather than seeking influence first, Barron encouraged aspiring Catholic communicators to imitate Sheen's commitment to study, prayer, and fidelity to the Church before entering public ministry.

A life to imitate

Throughout the interview, Barron pointed to five enduring characteristics of Sheen's life that remain relevant for Catholics today: daily prayer, serious intellectual formation, Christ-centered preaching, personal humility, and joyful evangelization.

Those qualities, Barron said, explain why Sheen's witness continues to resonate decades after his death and why his influence extends well beyond his pioneering work in television.

Barron concluded by responding to comparisons often made between himself and Sheen. Although both men are Illinois natives, graduates of The Catholic University of America, and widely known for their use of media in evangelization, Barron humbly dismissed it.

"It embarrasses me because I'm much unworthy of a comparison," Barron said. "He is the greatest preacher in the history of our country."

Historic beatification

Sheen's beatification is expected to draw thousands of bishops, priests, religious, seminarians, and lay faithful from across the United States and around the world. Pilgrims are planning to travel to St. Louis not only to witness the historic celebration but also to give thanks for the enduring impact of Sheen's ministry.

As interest in Sheen continues to grow ahead of his beatification, Catholic leaders are organizing events examining his legacy. On Sept. 23, the Fulton Sheen Institute will host the conference "America's Saint: The Catholic Hour is Now" in St. Louis, bringing together scholars, clergy, and evangelists to discuss Sheen's relevance for the Church and American culture.

"This conference will rally the voices of American Catholics who championed Sheen when his cause was buried," said Peter Howard, founder and president of the Fulton Sheen Institute and Fulton Sheen Movement. "At a time marked by confusion, fragmentation, and a crisis of identity, Sheen's message cuts through the noise with conviction and clarity."

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