How Christian women are shaping South Asian soccer
Christian women from tribal and minority communities are increasingly visible at the top of South Asian soccer — and none more so than Maria Manda, a Catholic from Bangladeshʼs Garo Indigenous community who has been named captain of her countryʼs womenʼs national team for the regionʼs premier championship.
Manda, 23, a member of Bhalukapara Parish in the Diocese of Mymensingh, was appointed to lead her nationʼs squad for the 2026 South Asian Football Federation Womenʼs Championship by English head coach Peter James Butler.
The tournament is being held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa, India, from May 25 to June 7.
In Muslim-majority Bangladesh, where Christians make up a tiny minority, Mariaʼs appointment has been a source of widespread pride among the countryʼs Christian community, particularly its young people.
A member of the Garo Indigenous community, she is known for her ability to carry the ball from defensive lines to the opponentʼs box, earning a reputation as one of the teamʼs most decisive players.
‘A fighting leader’
Butler expressed strong confidence in the new captain.
“Maria is a player with a very fighting mentality, and she is highly respected in the entire squad,” he said.
“She will lead the team with her performance. I know she will earn that respect from others too. A fighting leader like her can earn everyoneʼs respect in the dressing room.”
Speaking at the tournamentʼs official press conference in Goa, Maria declared: “We have been champions in the last two editions. We want to play our natural game and keep moving forward.”
Under her captaincy, Bangladesh opened the tournament with a 4-2 victory over the Maldives on May 28. After the match, Manda told Bangladeshi broadcaster T Sports: “We always aim to play well and give a good game to our countrymen. We won the first match with everyoneʼs prayers and blessings. It feels great. I want more such support in the future.”
Bangladesh fell 3-0 to host nation India on May 31 but advances to the semifinal round, where the team faces Nepal on June 3.
From U-15 glory to senior captain
Manda first became involved in organized football through the Bangamata School Football Tournament in 2011. She went on to captain Bangladeshʼs U-15 team, which won the inaugural SAFF U-15 Womenʼs Championship in 2017 — a campaign in which Bangladesh went unbeaten and did not concede a single goal. She became a fixture in the senior squad that won back-to-back SAFF Womenʼs Championship titles in 2022 and 2024.
This is her first time captaining the senior national team.
Father Bikash James Rebeiro, CSC, secretary of the Episcopal Commission for Youth and national youth coordinator for the Catholic Church in Bangladesh, told EWTN News: “Today, Christian youth and the youth of the country are very happy and proud to see the national team armband in your hand. Maria, the fighter on the field, is leading the entire country — this is a huge achievement for us.”
“You have proven that with concentration and dreams, it is possible to overcome any obstacle,” he added.
“Your leadership, hard work, and dedication are a great inspiration for millions.”
Christian women rising in South Asian soccer
Manda is not alone in representing Christian communities on the South Asian soccer stage.
In Pakistan, Catholic defender Joyann Geraldine Thomas became the first Christian woman to represent her country when she debuted at the 2014 SAFF Womenʼs Championship in Islamabad, having developed her skills through a parish-based soccer club in Karachi.
India forward Grace Dangmei — a Christian from Manipurʼs Rongmei Naga tribe who faced Mandaʼs Bangladesh in Goa on May 31 — has helped India win multiple SAFF titles and is among the few Indian women to have played professionally overseas.
For now, Manda remains focused on the semifinal ahead. “We will be careful not to make the same mistakes we made in the first match,” she said.
Pope Leo XIV congratulates Neocatechumenal Way on 60th anniversary
In the mid-1960s, the Neocatechumenal Way began in an impoverished area of Madrid, where its initiators — Kiko Argüello and Carmen Hernández —proclaimed Christ among those most in need. Today, it is a reality of the Catholic Church that is present today on all five continents.
On the occasion of the apostolateʼs 60th anniversary — originally scheduled for 2025 but postponed due to the death of Pope Francis — Pope Leo XIV sent a special message to those who attended a Mass marking the occasion that was celebrated by Cardinal José Cobo, archbishop of Madrid, at the Almudena Cathedral.
“It is essential to remember that the evangelizing mission is a fundamental task of the entire Church — which, with joy and humility, seeking the unity of all its members (cf. Lumen Gentium, 7) and docile to the action of the Holy Spirit, strives to bring the gift of salvation to all,” the pope noted in a message signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
“May this conviction serve as an inspiration to undertake this missionary work on behalf of God’s beloved children,” the Holy Father emphasized, concluding with his apostolic blessing for the members of the Neocatechumenal Way.
In January, Pope Leo XIV received the leaders of the Neocatechumenal Way at the Vatican and highlighted that their charism, as well as their works of evangelization and catechesis, constitute “a valuable contribution to the life of the Church.”
Kiko Argüello: ‘Christian initiation inspired by the Holy Spirit’
“History is important — calling to mind how the Lord has acted throughout all these years,” said Argüello before the start of the Eucharist, beneath the icons he himself painted in the apse of the Madrid cathedral.
In the presence of several bishops and cardinals, and after asking for a round of applause for the 130 priests attending the Mass, Argüello expressed his joy at the conclusion of the diocesan phase of the canonization process for Hernández — the formal closing of which is scheduled to take place on June 2 in the Spanish capital.
“In the Way, we do nothing without the pope and without the bishops. If the Way has spread so remarkably, it is due to the support of all the popes, who have regarded it as a gift of the Holy Spirit for the good of the Church,” he affirmed.
Argüello — as noted on the Neocatechumenal Way’s website — explained that this apostolate “is a Christian initiation raised up by the Holy Spirit as one of the fruits of the council. What was being drafted in writing at Vatican II, Carmen and I were putting into practice in the shantytowns of Palomeras Altas.”
‘God tends to sow his most fruitful works in places that the world barely notices’
In his homily, Cobo referred to the place of origin of the Neocatechumenal Way, emphasizing that “it is no coincidence that it emerged there: God tends to sow his most fruitful works in places that the world barely notices, and through specific individuals such as Kiko, Carmen, and so many others who have followed in their footsteps.”
The cardinal expressed his gratitude for the evangelizing work of the Neocatechumenal Way over these past 60 years, highlighting that it “continues to inspire new paths for proclaiming the Gospel and calls upon the Church to confront the challenges of every era through the word of God, liturgical life, and community.”
‘Filial obedience to the Church’s pastors’
Cardinal Kevin Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life, also sent a message in which he noted that “Spain has gifted the Church with luminous examples of Christian life and spiritual renewal — through saints, martyrs, evangelization initiatives, schools of prayer, ecclesial movements, and spiritual currents. Among these fruits, the Neocatechumenal Way can undoubtedly be included.”
After highlighting the “innumerable conversions” and the many vocations that the Neocatechumenal Way has given to the Church, the cardinal invited its members to “live out their charism with renewed impetus and creativity, interpreting the spiritual needs of the men and women of today, and bringing them the ever-relevant treasure of the faith and of ecclesial tradition.”
“Emulate their example of creativity, courage, and candor, of filial obedience to the pastors of the Church, and of tireless zeal for the good and salvation of souls,” he encouraged.
The Neocatechumenal Way
Argüello and Hernández met in the mid-1960s in the Palomeras Altas neighborhood of Madrid, where the former — despite a promising career as a painter — gave it all up to live in a shack and proclaim the resurrection of Jesus Christ among the poorest of the poor.
This Christian initiation for adults soon spread to numerous parishes, driven by the encouragement of the then-archbishop of Madrid, Casimiro Morcillo.
The Neocatechumenal Way was officially approved by the Holy See in 2008 — “not as an association or movement but as a post-baptismal catechumenate, as an instrument to assist parishes and dioceses in the work of evangelization” — according to the organization.
The Neocatechumenal Way is present in 138 countries, has more than 115 seminaries, and comprises some 25,000 communities, totaling over 1 million members.
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.
Record number of priests ordained in Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina
Bishop Michael Martin of the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina, ordained 10 men to the priesthood on May 30, the highest number of priests ordained in one year in the diocese’s history.
The number surpasses the previous record high of seven ordinations (set in 2000 and 2024) and follows six ordinations in 2025.
“We stand in awe of God’s work in our midst,” Martin told EWTN News in a statement. “We give thanks for the ‘yes’ of these men, which is freely offered by them to God’s free invitation.”
The ordinands will bolster the diocese’s 145 active priests who serve more than 575,000 Catholics. The Diocese of Charlotte, covering western North Carolina, has seen steady growth in vocations amid a booming Catholic population.
“There is always a desire to explain a moment such as ours,” Martin said, noting that there are “factors unique to each man in our seminary formation program” that explain the record number of ordinations and that there is “no one set formula.”
“God uses whatever he chooses to invite and foster a faith-filled response from these men,” he said.
He credited families, who are “responsible as they are placing faith in Christ in its rightful place at the center of daily life,” as well as the diocese’s priests, who “are more regularly inviting young men to consider the priesthood.”
He also said the diocese has promoted a culture of vocations” for years and it “is clearly making a difference.”
In 2016, then-Bishop Peter Jugis founded St. Joseph’s College Seminary. Eight of this year’s 10 ordinands studied there before advancing to major seminary. The other two lived there during their pastoral years of parish ministry.
“Many years ago, seeing the desperate need for priests, Bishop Jugis and his clergy made the cultivation of vocations the highest priority,” said the seminary’s rector, Father Matthew Kauth, in May.
In addition, under the leadership of Father Christopher Gober, who served as the diocese’s vocations director until July 2025, two vocations camps were launched: “Quo Vadis Days” in 2014 for young men and “Duc in Altum” in 2016 for young women. The programs are held at Belmont Abbey College.
“We are now reaping the harvest of 20-plus years of labor. It didn’t just happen,” Kauth said. “God has blessed our efforts and a culture of vocations has been established — yielding increasing returns, just as Christ said it would. Now, we must cultivate and care for those vocations and give thanks to God.”
Saturdayʼs ordination drew an overflowing crowd of more than 1,640 attendees, many of whom arrived hours early.
In his homily, Martin described the occasion as “a day of great joy for the Church and for these 10 men.”
The bishop urged the new priests to love so that people “will follow not just what you say but follow who you are,” and encouraged them to “love the people of God you’re being sent out to serve.”
“His sheep are every human person on the face of the Earth, every person in whatever school or parish, every community, every hospital or nursing home,” Martin told the new priests. “Wherever you go, love them all … you cannot wait for them to come to you, you have to go out to them. That is the nature of the apostolic Church. As you feed them with this holy banquet, you nourish them in ways only the Lord can.”
The new priests are Father Robert Bauman, Father Michael Camilleri, Father Daniel Chaves Peña, Father John Cuppett, Father Maximilian Frei, Father Juan González Hernández, Father Bryan Ilagor, Father Michael Lugo, Father Peter Townsend, and Father James Tweed.
They offered first blessings for more than two hours after the Mass and will celebrate their inaugural Masses of thanksgiving in the coming days. Effective July 1, they will take up assignments across the diocese, serving as university and high school chaplains and in parochial vicar positions.
Also on May 30, the nine perpetual pilgrims from the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage arrived in the diocese where they were greeted by more than 100 Catholics at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Monroe.
The 2026 theme, “One Nation Under God,” recognizes the nation’s 250th anniversary. The pilgrimage began on Pentecost Sunday and will continue through Independence Day weekend.
A group of nine perpetual pilgrims carrying the Blessed Sacrament will journey up the Eastern Seaboard on the St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Route, named for the first U.S. citizen to be canonized.
All are invited to join the public processions and other events.
Pope Leo XIV highlights ‘key aspects’ of Catholic Charismatic Renewal
In his first meeting with members of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal (CCR), Pope Leo XIV focused on five “key aspects” of the spirituality that characterizes the movement.
“God has indeed blessed your communities with so many gifts, including spiritual vitality,” Leo declared before thousands of charismatic Catholics who gathered with him on May 30 in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican.
“The years following the Second Vatican Council were a time of great expansion and growth,” for the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, Leo continued, as he proceeded to cite several messages from his predecessors, such as St. Paul VI — who, in 1975, encouraged the CCR to bear witness to spiritual renewal in a secularized world — or St. John Paul II, who urged members of the movement to communicate “zeal for the Gospel to those around you.”
Leo XIV also cited Benedict XVI, who, in 2008, highlighted that the Catholic Charismatic Renewal has reminded the Church of the enduring relevance of the charisms — or gifts — of the Holy Spirit. He concluded with Francis, who regarded the CCR as a “flood of grace.”
5 key aspects
1. Baptism in the Spirit. Pope Leo XIV highlighted that the path of faith of the CCR “has its source in the personal experience of the Holy Spirit, which has enabled the grace of baptism to become effective within each of you, leading you to a clear awareness of God’s love.”
“The Holy Spirit has likewise allowed you to taste the sweetness of Christ. For you, too, life has changed since that moment. God ceased to be a mere idea and became the real and ultimate expression of fatherhood. His Spirit has brought inner reconciliation, peace, and freedom from worldly attachments and the oppression of sin,” which animates one “to be witnesses and heralds of his love, bringing his consolation to people oppressed by a sense of emptiness and loneliness.”
2. Prayer of praise. Leo XIV also underscored that it is “from this captivating experience of the Holy Spirit that a new life of prayer began, taking the form of a new capacity for spontaneous and sincere dialogue with God, and a new openness to praise, worship, and offering thanksgiving.”
“Worship and praise, which are so characteristic of your gatherings, are essential aspects of Christian prayer, and you have helped them to be rediscovered and brought them back to the forefront in recent years,” Leo noted.
3. The word of God. “The Holy Spirit inspired the revealed word of God and is also the one who keeps it ever alive and active in the Church, causing it to resonate in the hearts of believers, especially in the liturgy,” the pope continued.
So it is that “Scripture has therefore become for you a wonderful source of spiritual nourishment that enlightens and comforts. It is similarly a source of discernment for guiding your daily choices and gives substance to communal prayer, enabling you to address the Lord with words inspired by God himself.”
4. Communion. Leo XIV highlighted that “the Holy Spirit is the wellspring of communion” and recalled that Pope Leo XIII encouraged praying to the Holy Spirit for Christian unity. “You clearly appreciate the significance of this invitation, for you have seen that unity in the Church is the fruit of the Spirit,” Leo XIV emphasized.
“It is the Spirit who creates harmony among the various charisms and components of the charismatic renewal, as well as with our brothers and sisters of other Christian denominations,” Leo observed.
5. Charity. “The renewed presence of the Spirit has awakened in you a new capacity to love, inspired by divine charity itself. This love is directed toward God and toward your brothers and sisters, and inspires closeness and compassion, especially for those who are suffering,” he added.
“Many works of charity for those in need, both in spirit and in body, have sprung from the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. I invite you, then, to keep alive this love for the poor, which reveals the true face of God,” he continued.
Concluding exhortation
After thanking them, Pope Leo XIV encouraged the members of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal to pursue their mission by placing themselves “at the service of the dioceses and parishes, offering your experience and methods of evangelization. Faithfully follow the guidance of your priests and, in your communal discernment, listen to the voices of wise people, even if they do not belong to your groups,” Leo exhorted.
In his final exhortation, Pope Leo called upon the members of the movement to “cultivate harmony and cooperation among the communities to which you belong, taking care to never give way to the desire for self-promotion, or the pursuit of power or personal prestige.”
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.
Chaldean patriarch calls for prayer, peace, and support for Christians in the Middle East
Patriarch Paul III Nona did not hide the weight of responsibility he felt after the fathers of the synod announced his election as patriarch of the Chaldean Church. He said that moment was difficult to describe, marked by a mixture of awe, fear, and reverence before the responsibility entrusted to him, together with deep respect for the confidence placed in him by his brother bishops.
In an exclusive interview with EWTN News, the new Chaldean patriarch described his return to serve as patriarch in his homeland more than a decade after leaving it as part of the Church’s mission of service.
“The Church sends us wherever there is a need,” he said. “We served in Mosul during difficult years, when the Church needed us there. We do the same whenever the Church sees a need for our service in another place. The purpose of our service is to fulfill our mission: to be wherever the Church sends us and to do the will of Our Lord in that place.”
Nona served as bishop of the Chaldean Eparchy of Mosul in extremely difficult circumstances for nearly four years, before the city fell to terrorist groups in 2014. He accompanied the displaced faithful of his eparchy and continued serving them in the villages and towns where they took refuge after their displacement. In 2015, the Chaldean Synod appointed him to serve the Eparchy of Australia and New Zealand, where he remained until his election as patriarch this past April.
Speaking about his experience in Mosul, Nona said the years before ISIS as well as the period marked by the terrorist group’s advance shaped him deeply.
“I think the experience of Mosul before ISIS, and also the experience with ISIS, enriched my personality and made me more mature as a person and as a Christian,” he said.
He recalled living with the faithful in Mosul during a very difficult period, saying their faith was “very strong.” He also described the displacement of Christians to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq as a painful but spiritually powerful experience.
“It was sad to see all these people in that situation,” he said. “But on the other hand, it was very good to see that their faith was the first and most important thing for them.”
Fear and faith
Asked about his patriarchal motto, “Do not be afraid, just believe,” Nona said fear is not limited to the Middle East but is present throughout the world.
“I believe that fear is the most common aspect in all the world, not just in the Middle East,” he said. “I lived in Australia, in what we can call the Western world, and the fear there is the same as here — of course, with different challenges. But there is always fear. So we have to face our fear with faith.”
Safeguarding rights and dignity
Asked about the expected relationship between the new patriarch and Iraq’s new government, whose formation coincided with his installation, Nona said the Church has historically defended the rights of its faithful and remains committed to participating in building the country on sound and legal foundations that respect the dignity of all people and freedom of religion.
He highlighted the Church’s essential role in society wherever it is present, through educational, healthcare, and other institutions, as well as through serving its people and working to secure their rights and protect their dignity.
Challenges of being rooted in faith
Regarding the challenges facing members of the Chaldean Church in diaspora countries — whether in terms of being rooted in the faith and preserving identity or in facing moral challenges — Nona drew on his experience of service in Australia. He stressed that confronting these challenges, and succeeding in doing so, is possible by deepening the meaning of faith in the lives of believers, especially among new generations born and raised in diaspora countries.
He said the challenges facing young people have pushed their families to return to the Church. When these young people come to know their faith properly and hear meaningful answers to their complex and important questions, he said, they give the Church strength and support and become the strongest defenders of its faith and identity.
On strengthening dialogue among the three Churches that share the heritage of the Church of the East today, and on efforts toward the desired unity, the Chaldean patriarch said that a true relationship of human fraternity is the foundation of unity and common action.
While stressing respect for the different traditions and distinct heritage of each Church, he said the shared heritage and tradition of the three Churches open doors to joint work in cultural and liturgical fields while respecting the particular identity of each.
Magnifica Humanitas
Nona also addressed the issue of artificial intelligence and its threat to human dignity, citing Pope Leo XIV’s recent encyclical Magnifica Humanitas. He stressed the need for technology to remain at the service of the human person and human dignity, and to be used properly to promote a sound humanity built on upright values and principles — not one that demeans human beings and their dignity or encourages violence.
He encouraged people to read and study the pope’s teaching, saying its timely importance led Leo to choose it as the subject of his first encyclical.
Peoples longing for peace
Nona assumes his responsibilities amid the current challenges facing the Middle East, which he described as complex and painful. Wishing peace and stability for the countries and peoples of the region, he said: “I believe and think that all the peoples of the Middle East want to live in peace and security. Years of wars, divisions, and violence have exhausted them.”
Asked where he sees the future of the region heading amid ongoing conflict, Nona said major changes appear to be underway in the Middle East.
“Something is happening now that will change the Middle East a lot,” he said. “We hope it will be for the good, not for the bad. So we pray that everything will be good.”
He said taking on any responsibility in such a complex situation is a serious matter that requires responsible discipline in words and actions, directing them toward achieving peace and stability and defending the rights and dignity of peoples.
On the possibility of Christians returning to the Middle East, Nona said their return and continued presence depend on peace, stability, and a genuine sense of citizenship.
“When there is peace in this region, when there is stability, when they feel that they are citizens of this land and of these countries, they will come back, and they will stay here,” he said. Asked whether he hoped Christians would one day return, he replied: “I hope that. Of course, we pray for that also.”
A message to Catholics in the West
Nona also addressed Catholics in the West, asking them first to pray for the Chaldean Church.
“We need them to pray, because we are all Christians and Catholics,” he said. He also asked them to learn more about the Chaldean Church and the reality of Christians in the Middle East, and to help support efforts that allow Christians to remain in the region.
He emphasized the role of Chaldean youth, and Christian youth in general, as the foundation of the Church and a firm pillar of its mission. He stressed the need to give young people the place they deserve in the Church.
Nona concluded with a message to Christian youth, based on his personal experience: “Our Christian faith is our foundation, our strength, and our life. In the Chaldean Church, we live it through our Chaldean identity, distinct in language, liturgy, and tradition. The closer young people come to knowing their identity of faith in its proper form, the more they will become a tremendous force of faith and humanity, capable of defending faith and humanity.”
In a final message to Catholic youth around the world, Nona said: “Prayer is the most important thing. And also try always to live your faith with joy.”
U.S. bishops unveil prayer service for America’s 250th anniversary centered on migrants
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has released a national prayer service for the country’s upcoming 250th anniversary that places immigration, justice, and the dignity of migrants at the center of America’s semiquincentennial observance.
Titled “A National Prayer Service Honoring the Many Journeys that Shaped America,” the resource was developed by the Committee on Migration and the Subcommittee for the Promotion of Racial Justice and Reconciliation.
Designed as a template for dioceses and parishes across the country, the prayer service invites Catholics to reflect on the nation’s history through the lens of migration, displacement, slavery, and faith while encouraging advocacy for vulnerable migrant populations.
“In observance of the United States’ 250th anniversary in 2026, and rooted in the Church’s pastoral mission of welcome, accompaniment, and solidarity,” the instructions state, the service seeks “to acknowledge and honor the many diverse communities that have journeyed to the United States in search of hope, safety, and opportunity.”
The document also highlights “the voices, sufferings, and enduring contributions of those who were forcibly brought to this land.”
A prayer service rooted in hospitality
The proposed service combines hymns, Scripture readings, intercessory prayers, testimonies, and guided reflections focused heavily on migrants, refugees, victims of trafficking, and immigrant communities.
Organizers are encouraged to adapt the service to local needs and cultures by incorporating music and devotional practices that reflect “the lived experiences of migration, displacement, resilience, and faith.”
The service opens with the hymn “All Are Welcome” by Marty Haugen and includes prayers asking Catholics to “walk in deeper solidarity with immigrant communities” and to advocate for “greater protection, justice, and accompaniment for vulnerable and at-risk migrant populations.”
A prayer to St. Frances Xavier Cabrini — patroness of immigrants and herself an immigrant to the United States — asks for protection for migrant families separated from one another and for the grace to “welcome every stranger as Christ in our midst.”
The document also includes a “call to action” encouraging Catholics to reflect on “concrete and compassionate ways to welcome, protect, promote, and integrate migrants, immigrants, and refugees” while advocating for “just and humane immigration reform that upholds the dignity of every human person created in the image of God.”
The service concludes with a “Prayer for Migrants” asking God to help the Church “welcome, protect, promote, and integrate those who knock at our doors.”
Scripture and civil rights themes woven throughout
The Scripture passages selected for the service strongly emphasize hospitality toward foreigners and care for society’s most vulnerable.
A reading from Deuteronomy 10:12-22 exhorts believers: “So you too must befriend the alien, for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt.” The Gospel reading from Matthew 25:31-46 centers on Christ’s words, “I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me.”
The template also incorporates themes of racial justice and historical memory. Intercessions address slavery and modern human trafficking, praying both for victims of exploitation and for “perpetrators of slavery” to repent.
The service further recommends “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” often referred to as the Black national anthem and rooted in Black church worship and civic life in the U.S., as an intermediate hymn.
It also includes optional excerpts from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream" speech for use in a homily or guided reflection, alongside passages from the bishops’ 2025 special pastoral message on immigration.
Dignity of migrants
In recent years, U.S. bishops have consistently advocated for immigration reform while emphasizing the dignity of migrants, opposition to family separation, and support for refugees and trafficking victims.
The prayer service places those concerns within the broader context of the nation’s identity ahead of America’s 250th anniversary observances.
“This prayer service seeks to provide a sacred space for reflection, remembrance, lament, and hope,” the document states, inviting participants to encounter one another “as members of the one human family and the one body of Christ.”
EWTN News reached out to the USCCB for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.
Fulton Sheen’s missionary legacy hailed by Pope Leo XIV
Pope Leo XIV on Monday praised the missionary legacy of Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, the famed American evangelist who will be beatified Sept. 24 in St. Louis, calling him “a light of faith, hope, and love.”
The pope made his remarks June 1 during an audience with participants in the general assembly of the Pontifical Mission Societies, recalling Sheen’s long service as national director of the societies in the United States.
The pope noted that this year marks the 100th anniversary of Pope Pius XI’s establishment of the penultimate Sunday of October as World Mission Sunday, a day devoted to “prayer, reflection, and contributing to the Church’s mission of evangelization.”
Leo expressed his gratitude to those who promote the annual observance, which supports the Church’s missionary work throughout the world.
“For 100 years, this day has been set apart for prayer, reflection, and contributing to the Church’s mission of evangelization, especially in areas where the proclamation of the Gospel is only just beginning and where the Church is still young,” the pope said.
He added that “every Catholic community is invited to pray and offer spiritual and material sacrifices for the missionary efforts in areas of first evangelization and for the support of young Churches.”
World Mission Sunday also reminds older and more established Churches “how important it is that they too join in the missionary spirit of the whole Church,” he said.
The pope said the funds raised through World Mission Sunday make it possible for the Pontifical Society of the Propagation of the Faith to assist more than 1,130 ecclesiastical jurisdictions that depend on the Dicastery for Evangelization’s section for first evangelization and new particular Churches.
Those funds, he said, help establish Church infrastructure, support missionary initiatives, and contribute to the administration of five colleges in Rome for the ongoing formation of priests and consecrated men and women who later return to serve their local Churches.
Leo also highlighted the 110th anniversary of the Pontifical Missionary Union, founded by Blessed Paolo Manna, later declared pontifical by Pope Pius XII and described by St. Paul VI as the “soul” of the other Pontifical Mission Societies.
“I encourage all to participate in its mission of fostering among all the baptized an ever more fervent missionary spirituality and a deeper commitment to the Church’s universal mission of evangelization in this new missionary age,” he said.
The pope then turned again to Sheen, noting that his beatification is scheduled for Sept. 24 in St. Louis.
“It is also providential that this year, on 24 September, in St. Louis, Missouri, a renowned national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States of America, the Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, will be beatified,” Leo said.
“Archbishop Sheen was a light of faith, hope, and love that shone through the radio and television media for decades,” the pope continued. “I myself am a witness of his evangelization when I was growing up. His broadcasts touched millions with the hope of the Gospel and his initiatives and efforts resulted in enormous spiritual and material aid to the Churches in areas of first evangelization.”
“May our new blessed be an example for all of the national and diocesan directors of the Pontifical Mission Societies throughout the world,” he added.
Leo also underscored the importance of the Pontifical Mission Societies in a world “increasingly marked by division, war, and conflict among nations and peoples.”
He said the Pontifical Mission Society of the Holy Childhood carries out “a particularly precious mission” by bringing faith and Christian charity to children around the world, especially in places afflicted by hatred and violence. He also praised the Pontifical Mission Society of St. Peter the Apostle for sustaining the formation of Indigenous clergy and consecrated religious in mission territories.
The theme for this year’s World Mission Sunday, “One in Christ, United in Mission,” highlights the unity of believers and the 100th anniversary of the global celebration, the pope said.
The theme “invites all of the members of the Church to a deeper communion in Christ and to a fuller unity in his divine mission of love,” he said.
“I therefore encourage you to keep this teaching in mind, to live an authentic spirituality of missionary unity and communion centered on Christ, and to promote it through your activities among the faithful,” Leo told the assembly.
Citing the Second Vatican Council’s decree Ad Gentes, the pope recalled that the “Church on earth is by her very nature missionary since, according to the plan of the Father, it has her origin in the mission of the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
He urged participants to recognize “the urgency of embracing an ongoing missionary conversion” and to seek together ways of “being a missionary Church for the healing of our world, so fraught with tensions, conflicts, and wars.”
“In all that we do for the work of evangelization, may we always place Jesus Christ at the center,” Leo said, invoking the words of St. John the Baptist: “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
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.
‘Invisible, silent, misunderstood work’: The pope’s school for diplomats at 325 years
The Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, the school in Rome that trains young priests to serve as ambassadors for the pope, is celebrating the 325th anniversary of its founding this year.
Located at Romeʼs Piazza della Minerva and established in its current form in 1850, the academy is a crucial part of the Holy Seeʼs worldwide diplomatic mission and among the oldest institutions of its kind.
Pope Leo XIV marked the anniversary with a visit to the academy on April 27, reminding the community of its primary responsibility as shepherds and of the mission “to bear witness to the truth that is Christ, bringing his message to the forum of nations.”
The academy has trained apostolic nuncios — representatives of the pope and the Holy See to other countries — since 1701. It was founded by Pope Clement XI, initially to train the sons of noble families and later to train diocesan priests for diplomatic service on behalf of the papacy.
An important but often misunderstood service
The academy has produced more than 2,000 Church diplomats since its founding in 1701 and has many notable alumni, including five popes, among them Leo XIII and St. Paul VI. Its roster of graduates also includes eight Vatican secretaries of state, the latest being Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio, president of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, reflected on the institutionʼs importance with EWTN News. He explained that while the academy is not well known among ordinary Catholics, it is highly relevant to the life of the universal Church.
“Certainly, the academy seems a somewhat obscure and closed place, but in fact it is open to the world,” Pennacchio told EWTN News. “Naturally, we do not put ourselves in the newspapers, but I remember these words of Paul VI: ‘an invisible, silent, misunderstood work.’”
That work involves helping to maintain the Holy Seeʼs diplomatic relations with 183 countries. At times, it is delicate, ranging from negotiating with hostile governments to providing aid during natural disasters.
Pennacchio himself served for 44 years as an apostolic nuncio and explained that alumni who become papal diplomats in these countries help bring the pope closer to areas he cannot go in person.
“In my years as an apostolic nuncio, I served in post-genocide Rwanda and later in Thailand, where I oversaw six other Southeast Asian countries and made over 200 pastoral trips in seven years. A crucial aspect of the nuncioʼs role is representing the Holy Fatherʼs solidarity in places he cannot personally reach, providing both spiritual encouragement and material aid by mobilizing organizations like Caritas during natural disasters and conflicts,” Pennacchio said.
Academic, spiritual, and pastoral formation
Currently, 37 priests from 28 countries are in formation at the academy to become papal diplomats. Pennacchio explained to EWTN News that there are three aspects of formation for the future ambassadors of the pope.
“The first level is the academic-intellectual level. Each priest has a specific path, so they also receive training in canon law. Furthermore, they take language courses. At a minimum, they learn at least two other languages and must learn Italian because it is somewhat the language of communication of the Curia.”
“The second level is the spiritual aspect. There are priests here who already have experience as priests in their parishes or in other countries, with at least two years of pastoral life. In the period that we are together, we live as a community.”
“And then the third level is the pastoral one, because the students must continue to be priests. They must not abandon their apostolic zeal, and on weekends, they are assigned to parishes, hospitals, and prisons, where they can develop and exercise their pastoral ministry. Pope Francis also introduced a missionary year. Before being assigned to a diplomatic post, they must complete a year of missionary experience in the country to which they are assigned. After a year there, they return and then receive their first diplomatic post.”
Vatican versus civil diplomacy
Pennacchio also explained the distinction between Holy See diplomacy and civil diplomacy.
“I often compare our role to a train track with two parallel rails. While nuncios serve as ambassadors presenting credentials to the state, we simultaneously represent the Holy Father to the local Church. Unlike civil diplomats who focus on national, commercial, or military interests, ours is a unique, deeply spiritual mission. In the political sphere, our primary goal is always to bring a message of peace and inspire negotiations rather than war,” Pennacchio said.
Catholic scientists to gather near Chicago to discuss human sexuality, future of the universe
The Society of Catholic Scientists (SCS) is preparing to gather for its ninth annual conference June 5–7 at Mundelein Seminary northwest of Chicago, with plans to discuss some of the major issues facing the scientific community.
The society exists as an answer to the call of St. John Paul II that “members of the Church who are active scientists” be of service to those who are attempting to “integrate the worlds of science and religion in their own intellectual and spiritual lives.” SCS does this through annual and regional conferences, college chapters, lectures, and other activities, as well as by a large archive of educational material and articles on its website.
Founded in 2016, SCS has quickly grown to over 2,700 members from 65 countries (75% are from the U.S. and Canada, followed by Spain, Poland, and the UK). Many hundreds of scientists have attended its conferences — along with theologians, philosophers, and historians — while thousands, from professors to high school students, regularly attend its local events.
Stephen Barr, a physicist at the University of Delaware and founder of the group, told EWTN News that SCS gains about 250 new members each year. He expects this year’s convention to attract approximately 130 attendees, including a significant number of young participants.
Barr explained his impetus for founding SCS. “Thereʼs this big perception in society that science and religion are at odds — this has become the conventional wisdom. It’s going to take a lot of work to overcome that,” he said.
“We are there to proclaim that they are not at odds. The mere fact that we exist shows people that there are not just a handful of scientists who are religious, but a large number of scientists who are religious — and not only that, but a large number who are believing, practicing, faithful Catholics.”
Historically, many prominent scientists were Catholic, and several of this year’s talks will highlight that joint history.
Nuno Castel-Branco, a historian of science and Research Fellow at All Souls College, Oxford, will speak about “The Anatomy of a Conversion: Nicolaus Steno and the Search for Certainty in the Scientific Revolution.”
Steno was a Danish scientist in the 1600s. A pioneer in both anatomy and geology, he became a Catholic bishop in his later years and has been beatified by the Catholic Church.
Ignasi Rosell of the Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera will share a presentation called “John Henry Newman, New Doctor of the Church: His Vision of the University and the Place of the Sciences,” and Berta Moritz of "Science Meets Faith" will present “Gregor Mendel in Brno and Vienna: An On-Site Perspective.”
Part of SCS' mission is being a public witness to the compatibility of faith and science and a first-of-its-kind event at this yearʼs conference will address that issue directly: an event designed to prepare Catholic scientists to deliver effective talks on science and faith. Science and Faith Speaker Training is a one-and-a-half-day workshop that will take place before the main conference begins. A grant from The Templeton Religious Trust supports this event.
Another top-of-mind topic for science-curious Catholics is human biology and sexuality, and two talks from prominent scientists will clarify aspects of these issues.
James J. Lee, a professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Minnesota, will discuss “The Evolution of Sexual Reproduction and Differentiation” and Maureen L. Condic, a professor at The Catholic University of America whose research focuses on the role of stem cells in development and regeneration, will present a lecture on “The Biology of Human Nature and Human Individuation.”
“A lot of social issues nowadays touch upon the meaning of sex and what it means to be human,” Barr told EWTN News. “What is sex? What is a human being? We donʼt necessarily aim to have talks that address hot-button issues — actually, we try to steer clear of highly contentious social issues — but clearly a lot of theological questions revolve around the nature of sex and the nature of human beings.”
Another conference presentation will illuminate the latest research about the future of the universe. Robert J. Scherrer, a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Vanderbilt University, where he also served as department chair for 13 years, will present “How the Universe Will End.”
“The universe is accelerating, but it seems that will end at some point,“ Barr said. ”Itʼs not so clear anymore whether the universe is going to expand forever or collapse, and that is a very interesting question. It also has some theological interest if weʼre thinking about the end of the world and the next world and how theyʼre connected.”
Computer scientist Gregory F. Johnson, principal software engineer at Zap Surgical Systems, a spin-off of the Stanford Medical School, will discuss Gödelʼs Incompleteness Theorem and how it launched “a mathematical and philosophical revolution.”
“That talk is personally interesting to me, as Gödelʼs Theorem is regarded as having great philosophical implications,” Barr said. “But I think all the talks this year Iʼm going to learn something from, and thatʼs exciting. I like it when I go to a talk and come out knowing more than I did when I went in.”
The 2026 conference is open to SCS members and associates and will be livestreamed for free. The conference schedule and speaker biographies can be found here.
Vatican cardinal returns to native city for beatification of priests killed by communists
A Vatican cardinal born in the Czech city of Brno will return there on June 6 to preside at the beatification of two priests executed by the communist regime in what was then Czechoslovakia.
“To go and be there, near where I was born and where my family is from, is of course a very moving experience, and I am looking forward very much to it,” Cardinal Michael Czerny, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, told EWTN News.
Czerny was born 80 years ago, but due to a communist threat his family soon emigrated to Canada. Though he remembers the 1950s in Montreal, he said, “I never imagined what was happening behind the Iron Curtain.”
Getting to know Jan Bula and Václav Drbola
The Diocese of Brno, which will mark its 250th anniversary next year, will celebrate the first beatifications in its history. The diocese expects thousands of visitors at the cityʼs exhibition center, where a spiritual and cultural program will run all day, and it prepared a novena for the nine days leading up to the beatification.
“The coming days should help us get to know Jan Bula and Václav Drbola personally better, so that they will be close to us and become our spiritual friends,” Bishop Pavel Konzbul explained, stressing that he does not want “the beatification to be a one-time event.”
Jan Bula (1920–1952) and Václav Drbola (1912–1951) faced increasing pressure from the communist regime that took power in 1948 in Czechoslovakia. The regime imprisoned them without cause and accused them of complicity in a shooting that killed three communists, although both were already in prison at the time. They were condemned to death in staged trials in the early 1950s.
To prepare the faithful, the diocese has published educational, prayer, and catechetical materials. A six-minute animated film about the martyrs' lives was produced using AI, along with a documentary. Around 40 catechists also went on a pilgrimage this year to places linked with the two priests.
The organizer said the catechists were given “firsthand experience to get to know the churches, parishes, and other places where both martyrs worked” to “spread the story and legacy of Jan Bula and Václav Drbola among children and youth.”
Life as a hymn of praise
The two priests' witness was also recounted at a May 20 conference in Rome, “The Blessed Martyrs of Communism,” organized by the Embassy of the Czech Republic to the Holy See at the Czech Pontifical College Nepomucenum, where Czerny reflected on their martyrdom. The date marked the anniversary of Bulaʼs execution in 1952.
“Their life was a hymn of praise that burst out of the depths of promise and rose up above the tumult of the world,” Czerny said at the opening, adding that the two priests “turned the courtroom into a pulpit and the prison into an altar.”
When the bishops in Czechoslovakia decided to inform the faithful about the worsening situation in 1949 through pastoral and circular letters, many priests did not read them out. “They were afraid of the consequences,” said Father Karel Orlita, head of the diocesan phase of the beatification process. Bula and Drbola, however, read the pastoral letter in church, which testified to their courage, Orlita underscored.
The postulator of the Roman phase of the process, Maria Bresciani, said “the profound reason for their persecution was their Christian identity, influence on the faithful, loyalty to the pope and the Church, and their ability to shape peopleʼs consciences, mainly of the young.”
Both speakers agreed that Bula and Drbola were not stubborn or fanatics but simply decided to remain faithful to Christ, in peace and without hatred. Communists even singled out Bulaʼs influence on peopleʼs consciences as problematic, claiming he “abused the trust among people that he had as a priest.”
“They were popular with their parishioners and active in community life, and the reverence for them has a long tradition after their death,” said Eva Vybíralová of the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes.
She noted that Bishop Felix Davídek, who was secretly ordained in Czechoslovakia and had known Bula from the seminary, considered him a “candidate for canonization and one of the protectors of the secret Church.”
Bula and Drbola were rehabilitated in 1990 and will become the first beatified victims of the totalitarian regimes of the 20th century on the territory of todayʼs Czech Republic.