Catholic News

Three bishops took part in a traditional pilgrimage in Nitra, Slovakia, over the weekend to mark the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The largest event of its kind in the area, the pilgrimage dates back to the 18th century, with pilgrims first marching up the local hill of Calvary in 1766, according to the website of the Diocese of Nitra.

This year marked the 260th annual thanksgiving pilgrimage to the shrine, according to the diocese. Participation was restricted and at times banned under the communist regime, and the pilgrimages have been held freely again since 1990.

The ceremony in Nitra — the oldest Slavic diocese — drew several thousand faithful. Those taking part included Bishop František Rábek, the retired military ordinary of Slovakia; Bishop Jozef Halko, auxiliary bishop of Bratislava; and Bishop Viliam Judák of Nitra. Each celebrated a Mass and heard confessions during the two days, which featured several Masses and confessions in Slovak but also in Hungarian, as well as adoration and an organ concert.

Halko, who celebrated a Mass in Hungarian, told EWTN News that during the pilgrimage he reflected "on how we are very Marian in the Eucharist as we say yes to God, amen, which is our small preaching as we give ourselves to him and vice versa."

Bishops preach on Mary's example

For his part, Rábek, who was a priest in the local parish of Nitra-Calvary and now lives on the site of the pilgrimage, invited parents "to search for a healthy balance in your kids to develop their talents, but also the word of God."

Mary was a simple, ordinary woman, yet she was ready to embrace God's word and became a role model, he said. "Show me a woman who is as famous, glorified, and respected as Mary," he emphasized.

The pilgrimage culminated in a Mass on Sunday, which the mayor of Nitra and other local politicians attended. In his homily, Judák cited Carl Jung, the psychologist and son of a Protestant pastor, who called the Catholic Church's 1950 dogma of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary "the most important religious event since the Reformation."

The bishop of Nitra asked the Virgin Mary to help all present proceed on the path to the goal of life, which is self-giving love.

"If we strive to live according to our conscience, that is, to fulfill God's will just like she did, our life and the events of our life, everything we do well, will not perish even upon death," he stressed.

The prelate encouraged everyone to look, "just as we and many millions of people looked up" on Aug. 12 "to see the cosmic phenomenon of the solar eclipse," but now "with a spiritual sight to where the Virgin Mary leads us."

May this moment at the feet of the Virgin Mary of the Assumption help us, Judák continued, "so that tomorrow, in a week, in a month, in a year, at least until the end of our lives, we will never lose sight of the noble goal of our life, and that we strive for it with God's help."

He likewise encouraged the faithful to fulfill their Christian duty and to act and profess Christian values in the local elections coming this autumn.

50 pilgrims on foot in the heat

The pilgrimage was organized by the parish of Nitra-Calvary, run by the Divine Word Missionaries (the Society of the Divine Word), whose Slovak province has its seat on the Calvary hill.

The parish priest, Father Ján Štefanec, SVD, told EWTN News that he "is happy this place is alive for the feast, though I would like to see so many people show up more often" in the parish.

He said he finds it interesting that every year many pilgrims come from the region to pray to the Mother of God, that former parishioners return for the feast, and that cyclists at times make part of their pilgrimage on two wheels. Although people nowadays come by car or bus, this time a group of 50 pilgrims walked 20 kilometers (12 miles) in temperatures of 36 degrees Celsius (97 degrees Fahrenheit), the Divine Word missionary said.

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Upon turning 100, Father Ricardo Bello Mato, a priest from Santiago de Compostela, Spain, talked about what heaven means to him.

"It's like a dwelling place around the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. A space filled with the immensity of God, God's children living together, seeing God's wonderful, creative power in the cosmos," the centenarian priest shared in an interview with the Archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela, where he has served for more than seven decades.

Is it worth being a priest?

Reflecting on the most memorable moments of his long life, Bello highlighted "the day of my ordination as a deacon and the day of my first Mass. My diaconal ordination was conferred by the cardinal, Don Fernando Quiroga. There were about 33 of us, and at one point someone had to speak and offer thanks; that role fell to me, as I was the oldest."

"At my first Mass, I felt unworthy and inadequate. It was a deeply moving experience. It took place in 1955 at the parish in Cances, a time of great celebration and high hopes," he continued.

Regarding the crosses he has borne in his life, the priest remarked that there have been "many, which I strove to carry well."

When asked whether he felt it was worth being ordained a priest, he replied: "For me, yes, and I believe also for some of the faithful whom I supported and who later thanked me for it."

On Wednesday, Aug. 12, the archbishop of Santiago de Compostela, Francisco José Prieto Fernández, visited the priest, who now devotes himself to prayer, spiritual accompaniment, and writing.

Bello's life

Bello was born on Aug. 1, 1926, in the village of Cances into a large Catholic family. His childhood was marked by the aftermath of the 1936–1939 Spanish Civil War, the loss of his older brother, and the need to assume adult responsibilities, according to the archdiocese.

After the war, he was sent to the Salesian school in Madrid. He entered the seminary in 1943 and celebrated his first Mass in 1955. Shortly thereafter he was assigned to a parish where a group of university students assisted him in his ministry.

"I tried to go to the Americas, but Father Benito Espiño wouldn't let me; instead, he sent me to Ozón, near Muxía. The Holy Spirit took hold of me there and never let me go," the priest recalled, noting that he had also once hoped to reach what is known as the Continent of Hope (Latin America).

He served in various parishes, where he ministered to many people and helped restore a monastery. He also led short courses, spiritual exercises, and gave talks.

In 1999, he was appointed chaplain of the Padre Rubinos Residence and also of the Sisters of Charity, where he ministered to the elderly, the poor, and many other members of the faithful.

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 will make a pastoral visit to the Republic of San Marino on Aug. 22, becoming only the third pontiff to visit the country after Pope Benedict XVI and St. John Paul II.

During his visit, the pope will meet with authorities, lead Eucharistic adoration, and meet the faithful gathered before traveling to the nearby city of Rimini, Italy, for the "Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples."

Here are 10 things to know about San Marino's ancient history and deep Catholic heritage.

1. San Marino was founded at a time of Christian persecution.

San Marino is said to have been founded in A.D. 301, roughly 270 years after the death and resurrection of Christ. It was also founded at a time when early Christians in Rome still faced widespread persecution, producing martyrs such as St. Agnes, St. Pancras, and St. Lucy. The Great Persecution under Emperor Diocletian occurred soon after the country's founding and lasted nearly a decade (A.D. 303-311).

2. San Marino is among the world's oldest and smallest republics.

The country's founding in A.D. 301 also makes it the world's oldest continuing republic. Like Vatican City, it is completely surrounded by Italy and is one of the world's smallest states by both land area and population.

The land area measures 23.63 square miles, which is 20 times smaller than New York City by land area. Its population is approximately 34,000, about the same as Ithaca, New York.

3. The name San Marino comes from a hermit saint.

St. Marinus, after whom the country is named, was a third-century deacon who fled the Great Persecution under Diocletian. According to tradition, he settled on Monte Titano, where San Marino now stands, and founded a monastery there.

His reputation for holiness began to spread in his old age, leading many to join his monastery. The owner of Monte Titano also offered him the mountain as a gift. It has remained the highest point of the sovereign state ever since.

4. San Marino has been protected by popes and has never been annexed.

Though landlocked by Italy today and occupied several times throughout its more than 1,000-year history, San Marino has never been annexed by another nation.

By the 17th century, it was even surrounded by the Papal States, the region of Italy ruled by the popes until the Kingdom of Italy permanently absorbed it in 1870. Pope Urban VIII placed San Marino under papal protection through the 1631 treaty while recognizing its full sovereignty.

5. San Marino is governed by two captains who serve for only six months.

San Marino has two heads of state, the captains regent, who are currently Alice Mina and Vladimiro Selva. For nearly 800 years, they have been elected by the country's 60-member parliament, the Grand and General Council.

The captains regent serve only six-month terms, among the shortest constitutional terms for any political office in the world. They cannot serve a second consecutive term but can return to office after three years.

6. Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI have been there.

Despite being in Italy, San Marino has only been visited by two popes.

St. John Paul II visited the country on Aug. 29, 1982. During his visit, he met with the only communist head of state in Western Europe, Captain Regent Giuseppe Maiani.

Benedict XVI visited on June 19, 2011, as part of his pastoral visit to the nearby Diocese of San Marino-Montefeltro.

During their visits, both popes venerated the relics of St. Marinus, the country's patron, at the Basilica of San Marino.

7. The official language of San Marino is Italian.

Italian has remained San Marino's only official language since the Middle Ages, reflecting its shared history with the Italian peninsula.

The country also has a regional dialect called Sammarinese, a local variant of Romagnol spoken in the nearby Romagna region of Italy.

8. San Marino's most famous cake represents its three towers.

The country's cuisine has been heavily influenced by Italy. But one can visit there to try its most famous dessert: the Torta Tre Monti ("the cake of the three mountains").

The cake is made up of three layers of wafer and chocolate-hazelnut cream, representing the three towers that make up San Marino: the Guaita, the Cesta, and the Montale.

9. Abraham Lincoln was made an honorary citizen of San Marino.

Shortly after becoming U.S. president in 1861, Abraham Lincoln received a letter from the captains regent of San Marino granting him honorary citizenship as the U.S. prepared for the Civil War. Lincoln replied later that year, accepting the honor.

The original letter from the captains regent can still be viewed at the U.S. National Archives in Washington, D.C.

10. San Marino hosts an annual event, which Leo XIV will attend. 

On Aug. 22, Pope Leo XIV will become only the third pope in history to visit San Marino. He is scheduled to meet with civil and religious leaders during his visit and to greet the faithful who will gather in the country's main squares.

At 12:45 p.m. that day, he will travel to the nearby city of Rimini for the "Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples," an annual international Catholic cultural festival organized by the lay movement Communion and Liberation.

He will then meet the sick and elderly at Rimini Cathedral and celebrate Mass before returning to Rome at 8 p.m.

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KANO, Nigeria — A federal high court in Nigeria has restrained authorities in the country's Kano state and the Islamic religious police, known as Hisbah, from arresting a 22-year-old woman because she converted from Islam to Christianity and rejected a forced marriage.

In its May 26 ruling, the court described the actions taken against the woman, identified by the pseudonym "Sarah," as a "flagrant violation" of her fundamental rights to human dignity and freedom of religion, according to Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International.

The court also ordered that she receive financial compensation, ADF said in an Aug. 11 report announcing the ruling.

Sarah, a resident of Kano state, reportedly fled her family home in 2025 after suffering abuse from her elder siblings, who were allegedly attempting to force her into marriage.

Her parents had died years earlier, and her siblings subsequently enlisted local Hisbah officials to have her arrested, according to ADF.

Sarah was reportedly detained for four days. She alleged that she was beaten and pressured to accept the marriage from which she had fled.

She later found refuge with a Christian family, the Abaras, and voluntarily converted to Christianity while staying with them, ADF reported.

Amid fears of further threats, the family helped her relocate to Jos in January. Her siblings subsequently accused the Abaras of kidnapping her.

On Feb. 24, Sarah filed a fundamental-rights enforcement action challenging the measures taken against her. Two days later, the Abaras were arraigned in Kano without legal representation.

The Federal High Court of Nigeria subsequently prohibited Kano state authorities and Hisbah officials from pursuing Sarah's arrest because of her conversion or her refusal to enter the proposed marriage.

"The court's ruling in Sarah's case affirms that the Hisbah police have no jurisdiction over Christians or other non-Muslims," ADF Senior Counsel for Global Religious Freedom Sean Nelson said.

He added: "Sarah's choice to convert and reject a forced marriage is her right under law."

Sarah welcomed the judgment and expressed gratitude to the Christian family that had sheltered her.

"The Abara family kept me safe in a time when I had nowhere else to go. I am grateful to them especially for introducing me to the Gospel. It is not against the law for me to choose my faith in Jesus," she said.

She also expressed gratitude that the court had recognized her freedom to become a Christian and protected her from the religious police.

The criminal proceedings against the Abaras remain pending in Kano, with ADF providing legal assistance.

Previous cases involving Christian converts

Sarah's case follows other reported incidents involving people who converted, or were suspected of converting, from Islam to Christianity in northern Nigeria.

In January 2018, the reported conversion of Nabila Umar Sanda, then a 19-year-old student at Bingham University in Abuja, attracted national attention after security officials intervened.

Media reports indicated that Nigeria's Department of State Services arrested Sanda and some of her Christian associates after Islamic leaders learned of her conversion. Christian leaders Jeremiah Datim and Simput Dafup were also reportedly drawn into the case, which unfolded in Jos, Plateau state.

Hisbah organizations operate in several northern Nigerian states to enforce Islamic moral codes. They have faced allegations of interfering with Christians and other people who are not subject to Islamic religious obligations.

In November 2023, International Christian Concern reported that Hisbah officials in Kano stopped five Christian girls who were traveling to church. The girls were allegedly instructed to dress according to Islamic standards and prevented from attending church until the service had ended.

In another case, Pastor Yohanna Shuaibu was killed by a mob in Kano state in 2021 following allegations that he had helped convert a Muslim man to Christianity.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom reported that Shuaibu was attacked after being accused of involvement in the man's conversion.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reported that the man had left Islam but was attending neither a church nor a mosque. Members of the local Muslim community nevertheless reportedly assumed that he had become a Christian and blamed Shuaibu.

According to the organization, Shuaibu had returned to Massu village in Kano state's Sumaila Local Government Area to evacuate children from a Christian school when the mob attacked him. He later died from injuries sustained in the attack.

This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa. It has been adapted by EWTN News.

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The Second Vatican Council referred to the Eucharist as "the source and summit of the Christian life," St. Augustine referred to it as "a Divine storehouse filled with every virtue," and St. Thérèse of Lisieux described it simply as "the sole remedy, if you want to be cured."

Yet though Christ in the Eucharist occupies a place of centrality in the Church, many Catholics may not ever stop to reflect on the bread that in the Mass becomes Christ — namely, how is this unique substance produced before it is brought to the altar?

The question is not merely academic; in rare instances the local Church can run out of Communion hosts, as occurred in Cuba in June. All of Cuba's hosts are produced by Discalced Carmelites at the Monastery of Santa Teresa and San José, but the lack of a reliable power supply there hindered production over the summer.

Sister Ruth Starman, the head of altar bread production for the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in Clyde, Missouri, told EWTN News that the requirements for Catholic altar bread are dictated by the Code of Canon Law of the Church, specifically canon 924.

The sisters' abbey in Missouri has been producing altar bread for years and was the first U.S. producer of altar breads approved by the Vatican to make low-gluten hosts.

Standard hosts, she said, "can be made of wheat and water only."

"Yeast is not allowed because that would make it leavened bread and Jesus used unleavened bread at the Last Supper," she said. "Any other additives such as salt, honey, etc. would be forbidden."

In addition to the strict water-and-wheat requirements, Church law dictates that the bread must be "recently made so that there is no danger of spoiling."

Manufacturers, meanwhile, use special machines on which to bake the bread to ensure it is produced in the familiar uniform and thin style.

"The baking machines have plates that may have designs on them or not," Starman said. "The plates will produce a thin wafer sheet that will then need to be moistened in a dampener before being cut into the round hosts." Breads that are not moistened "will shatter when cut," she said.

Special cutters, meanwhile, allow bakers to divide the bread into differently sized hosts including the smaller rounds intended for lay communicants and the larger portions for priests and bishops.

As to why the bread is so thin and flat, Starman told EWTN News: "I don't have the answer for that but just conjecture. Because it is unleavened, the bread will be 'flat' anyway. However, I suppose with the invention of specialized baking equipment, where two baker plates close upon the batter, that probably started the more wafer-thin hosts."

Starman said there have been "no major changes" to the process in recent years.

"The Vatican does periodically have to remind priests and the Church at large that anything other than a wheat bread cannot be used," she said. "Hosts made from rice, corn, or potato starch, for example, are considered invalid matter."

The low-gluten hosts at the abbey, she said, are made from two different wheat starches that have had most of the gluten removed. "The Church does not say how much wheat percentage a host must have, but only that it needs to have some amount to make it valid matter," she said.

Elsewhere the Church has stressed the need for hosts to be treated with reverence at every stage of the process. The instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum, promulgated in March 2004 by what was then the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, states that the bread "should obviously be made by those who are not only distinguished by their integrity, but also skilled in making them and furnished with suitable tools."

In response to the shortage of Communion hosts in Cuba earlier this year,  Church leaders in Panama sent 35,000 hosts to the island nation, while another 300,000 were sent from Puerto Rico.

Archbishop José Domingo Ulloa Mendieta of Panama said at the time that the emergency shipment arose "in response to the difficulties several Cuban dioceses are facing in ensuring a supply of hosts."

The prelate called the hosts "an essential element for the celebration of the sacrament that constitutes the source and summit of the Christian life."

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Across the Middle East and North Africa, Christians celebrated the solemnity of the Assumption according to their own traditions and cultures, despite the different challenges facing their communities.

Lebanon

Despite the ongoing war and the country's difficult economic situation, streets across Lebanon on Saturday were filled with processions honoring the Virgin Mary, with each village marking the feast through its own customs.

In the southern town of Jezzine in Lebanon, a long procession culminated with a rosary made of balloons being released into the sky. A statue of the Virgin Mary was then lifted above the crowd by a crane, symbolizing her assumption into heaven, as flower petals rained down on those gathered below.

In Bhamdoun, Mount Lebanon, villagers continued their tradition of preparing "hreeseh" together for the feast. Residents took turns stirring the traditional wheat-and-meat dish in large cauldrons as it cooked for hours.

Syria

Despite earlier announcements by some churches canceling public festivities amid a rise in the kidnapping of Christians, several celebrations and religious observances still took place in Syria.

One example was the Marmarita Carnival. First held in 1975, the event returned this year, filling the streets with music and joy. Participants dressed in colorful costumes and paraded through the town, reviving a tradition that has long brought residents and members of the Syrian diaspora together for the feast.

Tunisia

In Tunisia, celebrations centered on La Goulette, the port town near Tunis where the traditional procession of Our Lady of Trapani takes place each year. Following Mass at the Church of St. Augustine and St. Fidelis, the statue of the Virgin Mary was carried through the streets as worshippers gathered to mark the Assumption.

The tradition originated among Sicilian fishermen who settled in La Goulette during the 19th century. They would carry the statue toward the sea, asking the Virgin Mary to bless the waters, protect fishermen, and grant them an abundant catch. Over time, the procession became part of the town's shared heritage, attracting Christians, Muslims, and people from different cultural backgrounds.

The celebration disappeared in the 1960s as much of La Goulette's European Christian community left Tunisia, but it was revived in 2017.

These celebrations offer only a glimpse of the many ways Christians across the Middle East and North Africa marked the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Across the region, communities gathered in churches, streets, and homes, blending their shared devotion to the Virgin Mary with local traditions passed down through generations. Amid uncertainty and change, the feast remained a moment of faith, continuity, and collective joy.

This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated for and adapted by EWTN News.

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What drives a young man to discern into the priesthood — a supportive family, a vibrant parish, a proactive pastor, an outspoken bishop?

Father John Eckert's response: "Yes."

Eckert, the vocations director for the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina, chuckled a little when describing the myriad paths that a young man may take when finding his way to holy orders. But, he said, "it's always the Holy Spirit at work. It's always cooperating with the grace of God."

The Charlotte Diocese is among those in the U.S. seeing high numbers of seminarians and priestly ordinations. The diocese in western North Carolina saw a record 10 young men ordained to the priesthood earlier in 2026; that followed six ordinations in 2025 and seven in 2024.

"We're blessed in the Diocese of Charlotte," Eckert said. "It's a beautiful moment."

The priest just wrapped up his first full year as vocations director there. He said one of the strengths of the diocese is in its vibrant faith life, which he attributed partly to the "evangelical Bible-belt roots" of the region.

"This is Billy Graham territory," he joked.

The diocese itself bears out that witness, he said. "The Church is growing like crazy down here," he said. "We have wonderful families. We have faithful, hardworking priests. We've had five bishops who keep on striving to bear the Gospel message and bring that to every corner of the diocese."

The growing ranks of the priesthood is proof of that high spirit, though Eckert said it can be tricky to tease out just what contributes to years of high ordinations. One of the diocese's strengths, he said, is its own "in-house college seminary."

"It's so wonderful that if we have a young man interested in the priesthood, we can actually just bring him to this place and show him where the initial years of formation will take place," he said.

The school offers prospective seminarians a chance to see "a group of men living this out, being very intentional about their prayer life, striving to grow in love of Our Lord."

Charlotte Bishop Michael Martin, OFM Conv, told EWTN News that when seeing such high levels of devotion to the priesthood, "we often have to just marvel at God's work."

Priests in the diocese, he said, excel at offering candidates to the priesthood "the opportunity to see a healthy, holy, good person that they can see themselves becoming."

Families, meanwhile, have become "far more open" to communicating to their sons that they would be "honored to see [them] consider the priesthood."

"That dynamic has come about because the presbyterate gives a good example," the bishop said. "It makes families, and parents in particular, more willing to be able to create that environment in their own families."

Both Martin and Eckert said that at a certain point Church leaders simply have to acknowledge the work of the Holy Spirit. "To fully try to understand it is important," Martin said, "but in some ways it's best just to appreciate and enjoy it and be grateful for it."

Eckert, meanwhile, cited as an example 1 Corinthians 3:6, in which Paul tells the Church at Corinth about its faith: "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth."

The priest spoke joyfully about his work in the diocesan vocations office, though he downplayed his own role in bringing men to holy orders. He recounted with a laugh what a speaker told a group of vocations directors at a recent conference: "Gentlemen, get over yourselves. Nobody ever entered seminary because of their vocations director."

Priestly vocation 'seen as a natural, fulfilling life'

Father Garett Burns, the director of vocations promotion in the Diocese of Wichita, Kansas, admitted that the Midwestern diocese is "blessed with a strong culture of vocations."

"For example, this past May six men were ordained to the priesthood," he said. "We've been blessed to generally have a steady number of ordinations each year. There have been 22 priestly ordinations since 2020 and 44 priestly ordinations in the last 10 years. We will begin this academic year with 50 seminarians in formation."

He said that it is "difficult to capture succinctly" why a diocese might have such abundant vocations, describing every Catholic's vocation as a "mystery of grace." But he said promoting vocations throughout every aspect of Church life — including in families, schools, and parishes — has borne steady fruit.

The diocese has an abundance of Eucharistic adoration, he said, including perpetual adoration. Such chapels present opportunities for young people to spend time in silence before Christ, he said, and "these moments are where vocations grow and flourish."

Priests and bishops in the diocese, meanwhile, are "deeply committed to the Lord."

"When priests love their priesthood and enjoy each other, that is attractive to young men," he said. A local seminary program has also borne fruit, he said, allowing young men to form a close, core connection with the Church "at home."

The priest said he hesitates to offer advice to other dioceses, admitting that there is "no universal solution" given the unique histories, gifts, and challenges of each diocese. But expanding opportunities for Eucharistic adoration, he said, offers "one viable option that promises to deepen the culture of vocations."

Father Noah Morey, the vocations director in the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, echoed the assessment of his fellow vocations directors: "It's not just one thing, it's everything," he told EWTN News.

The Arlington Diocese saw seven new priests ordained in 2026; it recorded 12 ordinations in 2025. Morey noted that when it comes to ordinations, "it's not about numbers, it's about quality." But he said the Arlington Diocese has a "strong culture of vocations" that has helped produce exemplary priests over the years.

The diocese has promoted vocations since its founding in 1974. Its first leader, Bishop Thomas Welsh, "really fostered that culture" in part by bringing a Poor Clares monastery to the diocese.

"Our bishops have all taken a hands-on approach of fostering vocations in young men from a young age," Morey said. Bishops in Arlington regularly attend seminary events and meet personally with aspiring priests, he said.

Eucharistic adoration is prolific throughout the diocese, meanwhile; several years ago, Morey said, current Bishop Michael Burbidge asked every pastor in the diocese to institute 40 hours of Eucharistic adoration annually.

The diocese also holds St. Andrew dinners several times a year, which allows young men to speak to both the bishop and diocesan priests about their potential discernment.

"I tell the young men, it's a very low-commitment event — you're not signing your life away!" he said. "You just show up for a free dinner with the bishop."

A yearly "Quo Vadis?" summer camp offers another opportunity for young men to have face-to-face discernment with Church leaders.

An active, vibrant priesthood in the diocese also helps foster vocational discernment, he said. "If a young man sees a priest who's in love with the Lord, that's really attractive to the priesthood," he said.

And faith-filled and encouraging families are equally to credit for fostering vocations in young men, Morey continued.

He offered a baseball analogy to describe the process by which young men find their way to the priesthood. "The families are the starting pitchers," he said. "The priests are the middle relievers. And the vocations director is the closer."

Globally the Church has continued to see lower vocations; the most recent data shows a continued drop in priests, with significant declines in Europe and the Americas, though Africa and Asia saw notable increases.

In the first 15 months of his pontificate Pope Leo XIV has continued to emphasize the importance of vocations. In June 2025 he told vocations ministers at the Vatican that their job consisted of "forming men capable of loving, listening, praying, and serving as a community."

The pope said God "continues to call and remains faithful to his promises." He urged leaders to help bring about the creation of appropriate conditions "to hear [God's] voice."

In Charlotte, Bishop Martin said the best response to an increase in vocations is to be both joyful for the gift and determined to help it flourish.

"There's something in God's design that's beyond even what I can say," he said. "I can provide some insights, but at the end of the day, this is the work of the Holy Spirit."

Eckert, meanwhile, said an increase in vocations is a blessing no matter where it develops.

"The job that I think we all have is being intentional in our discipleship of Jesus Christ," he said. "I pray for myself and all my brother vocations directors out there. Whether it happens in Peoria or it happens in Charlotte, it's good for all of us."

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In his Sunday Angelus address on Aug. 16, Pope Leo XIV renewed his appeal for peace in the Israel-Palestine conflict, calling for a two-state solution and an end to violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

"I renew my appeal for an end to the ongoing violence against the Palestinian civilian population in the West Bank, and I urgently call on the international community to work toward advancing the two-state solution, for a just and lasting peace," Leo said in his address.

The pope delivered his Angelus address once more from the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo after traveling there from the Vatican to celebrate the feast of the Assumption on Aug. 15, for which he also delivered an Angelus address. He will remain there from Aug. 12–18.

The Vatican's longtime support for a 2-state solution

The pope and the Holy See have consistently called for a two-state solution to the conflict in the Holy Land.

In 2025, Leo met separately with the Israeli and Palestinian presidents and discussed the solution with both heads of state.

During a Sept. 23 press briefing with reporters at Castel Gandolfo, the pope highlighted the Vatican's long-standing support for the two-state solution.

"The Holy See has supported the two-state solution for many years," the pope recalled, pointing out that the Vatican formally recognized Palestine in 2015 with the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement. "The Holy See recognized the two-state solution some time ago. That is clear: We must seek a path that respects all peoples."

Despite challenges, each person has own place with the Father

During his Angelus, Leo also preached on the Gospel of the day, recounting Jesus healing the daughter of a Canaanite woman. The pope noted the woman's persistence and faith in seeking a miracle, despite Jesus and his disciples initially refusing her.

"The disciples see her as a nuisance, and Jesus himself resists her pleas," the pope said. "Reflecting upon this, we can understand Jesus' obedience in fulfilling his mission by allowing himself to be moved by what he sees and hears. Finally, he says to her: 'Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.'"

From her persistence, Leo explained, the faithful can learn "humility and determination" and that "each person has his or her own place with the Father."

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Media outlets aligned with the Nicaraguan dictatorship released a video showing Bishop Abelardo Mata, bishop emeritus of Estelí, whose whereabouts have been unknown since late June.

In the video, whose recording date is unknown, the 80-year-old prelate, who celebrates his golden jubilee of priesthood on Aug. 15, is seen conversing with a journalist and pro-government lawmaker Adolfo Pastrán.

Among other things, Pastrán remarks that the bishop looks "full of vitality," to which the bishop briefly replies that "prayer helps a great deal" and that he is doing well.

'I'm in my element here, living a monastic life'

Throughout the nine minutes of footage, the two are seen discussing personal anecdotes, Mata's fondness for tending to his crops and plants, and his reading habits at the estate where he lives in Tisma, Masaya district, the location where the dictatorship says the bishop has been since July 4 following his detention in late June.

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Regarding whether he receives visitors, the bishop mentions that "a brother and a niece" have come to see him and that he enjoys "silence, study, and prayer. I am in my element, leading a monastic life; that is what I am doing — prayer and intellectual work."

'Pro-government propagandist'

Speaking on Aug. 14 to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Father Edwing Román, vicar of St. Agatha Parish in Miami, criticized the release of the video. He described Pastrán as a "pro-government propagandist" who fails to mention "anything about the bishop being intercepted by police as he left a clinic in Estelí."

"They kept him under restrictions and incommunicado for weeks in addition to trying to tarnish his reputation for integrity by questioning him about his property," he added.

When Mata was detained, the dictatorship of President Daniel Ortega and his wife and vice president, Rosario Murillo, issued a statement noting that the prelate had been subjected to a "necessary inquiry regarding the origin of properties and family ties inconsistent with his priestly status" and that, subsequently, "he has returned to his home, where he remains in perfect condition."

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Román also noted that "Bishop Mata has always been a critical voice and deeply attuned to the suffering of the Nicaraguan people. His arbitrary detention — being confined to his own home — is part of the pattern of harassment the Church in Nicaragua is facing."

"This video," the priest emphasized, "appears in response to pressure from Nicaraguans and, above all, the United States; yet it neither shows nor mentions the police patrols stationed at the property, where the bishop is not free to leave."

In mid-July, the U.S. government reiterated its demand for the "immediate and unconditional release of Bishop Abelardo Mata" in a statement by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Riley Barnes.

'The same script' used with Bishop Rolando Álvarez

Arturo McFields Yescas, Nicaragua's former ambassador to the Organization of American States, told ACI Prensa that "Nicaragua's dictatorship has repeated the same script they used with Bishop Rolando Álvarez. They changed the scenery and the persons being interviewed a bit, but it's the same script."

"The dictatorship presents a bishop who is being held captive, who is a 'disappeared' person deprived of his freedom, yet who appears well, healthy, in excellent physical condition, and well nourished," he noted.

In November 2023, as various institutions were demanding proof of life from the Nicaraguan regime regarding Rolando Álvarez, the bishop of Matagalpa and apostolic administrator of Estelí, the dictatorship released a series of images showing the prelate, who had been unjustly imprisoned since February of that year. In January 2024, he was expelled from the country and now lives in exile in Rome.

In McFields' view, the release of the video featuring Mata demonstrates that "we are living under a regime of terror and lies. Bishop Juan Abelardo Mata remains held against his will, and people want to see him free. They do not want partial or illusory freedom. What we are witnessing is another staged performance."

"No one believes the charade they put on, claiming that Bishop Mata was calm, relaxed, and in robust health. No one believes that lie. The video most likely dates back several weeks or months. It lacks credibility, and so does the interviewer," he added.

"Free the bishop and put an end to religious persecution in Nicaragua," urged the former Nicaraguan ambassador. "The life of Bishop Juan Abelardo Mata is in grave danger as long as he remains held captive by the dictatorship," he declared.

Day of prayer for Mata

Mata led the Diocese of Estelí for more than 30 years, from April 1990 to July 2021.

Mata was ordained a priest on Aug. 15, 1976. To mark this anniversary, a group of Nicaraguans in exile is encouraging a day of prayer for the prelate this Saturday, Aug. 15, "in all parishes and Catholic centers in Nicaragua and around the world."

The exiles are calling for Masses to be celebrated and the rosary to be prayed, as well as for the offering of the traditional "thousand Hail Marys" for Mata "for his life, his well-being, and his freedom," and "for his swift release and protection."

"On this Aug. 15, the Nicaraguan Church gives thanks for his golden jubilee of priesthood and lifts up prayers for the priest, the shepherd, and the brother who today also needs to be accompanied and upheld in prayer," the group stated.

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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Representatives of Venezuela's 2015 National Assembly — recognized by the Trump administration as the last democratically elected authority in the country — along with representatives of interim President Delcy Rodríguez's government announced the first agreements reached during their negotiations this week.

The process is being overseen by the United States government, with the primary objectives of restoring the country's institutions, reinstating civil and political liberties, and eventually calling for elections to enable a democratic transition in the aftermath of the capture and extradition to the U.S. of former President Nicolás Maduro on Jan. 3.

On Wednesday, Aug. 12, the leaders of both factions — Dinorah Figuera, representing the 2015 National Assembly, and Jorge Rodríguez, representing the ruling socialist government — addressed the nation to announce the outcome of the five working sessions that were held beginning Aug. 6.

Rodríguez said both sides had committed to working toward the recovery of Venezuelan gold held by the Bank of England, assets that had been frozen due to sanctions imposed during the Maduro regime.

Additionally, the negotiating team agreed to work on addressing the needs of those affected by the double earthquake that struck the country on June 24.

Figuera announced that the initial agreements also include a sweeping reform of the Venezuelan judicial system, initiating a new nomination process to replace the judges of the Supreme Court of Justice.

According to the parties involved, these resolutions will be implemented immediately, operating under a "continuous working mechanism to ensure strict compliance with every commitment."

Throughout the more than 20 years of the Chavez's socialist regime, Venezuela's state institutions, particularly the judiciary and the electoral authority, were completely controlled by the ruling party, giving rise to numerous abuses denounced by domestic and international activists and organizations over the years.

The start of the talks has elicited mixed reactions within Venezuelan society. María Corina Machado, an opposition leader who currently commands the greatest share of popular support, was excluded from the negotiations.

The delegations are scheduled to meet again in September to advance the three-phase plan outlined by the Trump administration in January: stabilization, economic recovery, and transition to democracy.

Earlier this week, two cardinals and a bishop emeritus said that they viewed the start of the talks "with approval," although they pointed to deficiencies in the process.

In a joint statement, they offered to serve as guarantors of the process from a "religious and moral standpoint" and pledged to monitor the work of the commissions, which, they emphasized, must ultimately aim to benefit the entire Venezuelan people.

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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