Vatican group to discuss AI, human dignity with world leaders at UN General Assembly
A Vatican-led organization is meeting with world leaders on artificial intelligence, human dignity, the common good, and other aspects of Catholic social teaching on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly this week.
The “Borgo Dialogues,” organized by the Vatican-run Laudato Si’ Center for Higher Education, began on Sept. 20 and will continue until Sept. 23 in New York, in conjunction with the U.N. meeting.
According to a news release, the gathering will focus on the question “What are we building, for whom, and who will inherit it?” The invitation-only meetings include leaders in business, finance, academia, faith, healthcare, sports, civil society, and international institutions.
“The Borgo Dialogues represent an invitation to courageous leadership rooted in listening, encounter and shared responsibility,” Cardinal Fabio Baggio, director general of the Laudato Si’ Center and founder of the Borgo Dialogues, said in a statement.
“At a moment when many institutions face growing fragmentation and distrust, we need spaces where leaders can engage difficult questions honestly, build trust across differences and commit themselves to actions that uphold human dignity and advance the common good,” he said.
The Borgo Dialogues initiative began in June with a meeting at the Vatican. It is inspired by papal teachings contained in Pope Francis’ encyclicals Laudato Si’ and Fratelli Tutti and Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas.
According to the news release, the main focus of the talks is AI and work transformation, healthcare and human dignity, sustainable development, systems-level change across industries, and the evolving responsibilities of leaders navigating an increasingly interconnected world.
The news release states there is a shared commitment to designing technologies, institutions, and systems that recognize the inherent dignity of each person, with a focus on those who are most vulnerable.
“The world’s most urgent challenges require relationships that rise above institutions and ideologies,” said Father Daniel G. Groody, CSC, a member of the Laudato Si’ Center’s General Council.
“The Borgo Dialogues create a distinctive environment where intellectual rigor, moral purpose and practical leadership come together, helping diverse leaders transform reflection into responsibility and ideas into action,” said Groody, who is also the vice president and associate provost for undergraduate education at the University of Notre Dame.
The inaugural Borgo Dialogues were held in the Pontifical Gardens of Castel Gandolfo, Vatican State, from June 17–19. It included more than 80 participants. The Laudato Si’ Center is expected to present proposals to the World Economic Forum based on the discussions.
The 81st U.N. General Assembly began on Sept. 8 in New York. General debate meetings begin on Sept. 22 and end on Sept. 28.
EWTN News’ Magdalena Wolińska-Riedi crowned as Polish speech champion
Magdalena Wolińska-Riedi, a Polish correspondent for EWTN News and a longtime Vatican affairs expert, was crowned Poland’s speech champion on Sept. 19.
She received the honor at the 26th edition of the Master of Polish Speech (Mistrz Mowy Polskiej) Social Program awards ceremony in Ostrowiec, Poland. The prestigious award was decided by a nationwide poll in Poland, with the winner selected by text votes.
Among those in attendance were Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski and Ostrowiec Mayor Artur Łakomiec.
The award “Master of Polish Speech Vox Populi” was established in 2000 as a nationwide initiative to promote the Polish language and culture. Wolińska-Riedi, who joined EWTN News as a Vatican correspondent in 2024, described the award as recognition of the valuable contributions of Poles living in the diaspora.
“I did not think they would think about me,” Wolińska-Riedi told EWTN News. “Usually, the winners are important and very famous actors and journalists from Poland, hosts of different Polish programs, and scientists and so on. To be recognized after having spent so many years abroad in Rome as a journalist was an honor.”
Wolińska-Riedi joined the EWTN News Vatican Bureau after spending more than 20 years living and working inside Vatican City. After completing her doctorate in Church studies from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, she continued to serve there as the Polish correspondent in Italy for Telewizja Polska, the oldest and largest Polish television network. She has also translated works from Polish to Italian and Latin for the Roman Rota, the Church’s highest court of appeals.
While living in Vatican City, where she is also a citizen by marriage, she developed a close friendship with St. John Paul II, who was Polish.
Speaking to EWTN News, she acknowledged the challenges of staying connected to her native Poland while living and working abroad in another language. She also said that while receiving the award was a profound honor, her greatest honor is being a proud mother of two daughters who speak Polish.
“My two daughters have grown up really with the Polish language, and Iʼm very proud of it,” she said.
Swiss March for Life draws thousands as masked cyclists attempt disruption
An estimated 2,200 pro-life advocates gathered in Zurich’s outer district of Oerlikon on Saturday for the annual March for Life, delivering a message focused on restoring family life and encouraging fatherhood under the banner “Together for Life!”
For six consecutive years, municipal authorities have barred the march from gathering in Zurich’s city center, citing security risks posed by the threat of hostile counterprotesters. Organizers pointed out that municipal officials routinely permit other demonstrations in the heart of the city, applying a clear double standard to the pro-life witness.
Similar to previous years, the Sept. 19 event faced opposition. One group of roughly 200 masked protesters on bicycles attempted to disrupt the event by setting off firecrackers, overturning trash bins onto the roadway, and attempting to block the route.
Swiss police maintained control of the situation by shielding marchers, conducting identity checks, and using two water cannons to disperse protesters. The Zurich March for Life proceeded without any reported injuries to participants.
While organizers estimated about 2,200 advocates, police counted more than 1,000 participants.
The fact that security was maintained in Oerlikon shows that law enforcement can manage counterprotests, undermining the cityʼs justification for keeping the march out of central Zurich, according to observers.
Restrictions prompt legal challenge
Speaking previously to CNA Deutsch, the German-language sister service of EWTN News, Beatrice Gall, president of the Swiss March for Life, pointed out that municipal officials routinely allow other groups permits to hold demonstrations in Zurich city center yet relocate the Zurich March for Life to the city outskirts. This results in reduced visibility and logistical issues, Gall said.
By restricting the march to the commercial and residential district of Oerlikon, city officials argue they are minimizing potential public order disruptions and protecting urban infrastructure.
Critics argue that authorities are effectively rewarding the violence of counterprotesters by allowing hostile agitators to veto a peaceful groupʼs constitutional rights to freedom of assembly and free expression.
To challenge this policy, organizers have launched a public petition and initiated legal proceedings against the City of Zurich, demanding equal access to the city center and insisting that police maintain law and order without suppressing peaceful pro-life voices.
Breaking the silence
Speaking to EWTN News, Gall described the current social climate surrounding abortion in Switzerland as “one of silence.”
“There is no public debate and no objective examination of the facts; instead, people remain silent about the high abortion rates, the suffering this causes many people, and the consequences thereof,” Gall said.
She noted that since Switzerland introduced its 12-week deadline regulation in 2002, at least 200,000 abortions have taken place. Estimating that five or more people are affected per procedure, including fathers and extended family, Gall stressed that over 1 million Swiss citizens carry the impact, making public awareness vital. This further justified the march in the city center so that greater “communication, dialogue, and discussions with people can begin.”
Pushing back against opponents and media outlets attempting to portray the pro-life movement as regressive, Gall rejected the stereotype. “Advocating for human life is not backward — it’s forward-looking!” she asserted, pointing to a “new wave of interest and strong commitment” among the younger generation.
Gall stressed that a mother’s womb should be “the safest place in the world, not the most dangerous,” calling on men to support their partners rather than leaving them isolated or pressuring them into abortion. “Even if you’re surprised by the pregnancy, be there for your partner and your child,” Gall urged. “They need you, even before birth.”
Call for responsibility and dialogue
Nicolas Kolly, a Swiss People’s Party national councilor and former member of the Pontifical Swiss Guard, addressed participants, encouraging society to “give a voice to those who do not yet have one,” and summarized his core message simply as “Protect life.”
He also urged comprehensive support for women facing difficult pregnancies, arguing that offering viable alternatives must be a societal duty. Furthermore, Kolly stressed paternal duty, stating that a man’s priority is “to take responsibility. To support. To listen. To protect.” Ultimately, Kolly framed maternal assistance and child protection as inseparable priorities, concluding that “these two ideas must go hand in hand: the protection of the child and the support of the mother.”
Among those who addressed the crowd was also Jonas Streule, regional director of ProLife Europe in Switzerland. Speaking to EWTN News, Streule acknowledged the broader hurdles facing pro-life advocacy in Switzerland, pointing specifically to distorted social media stereotypes that damage public perception.
“What people associate with the word ‘pro-life’ comes from screaming videos in the TikTok world of short clips,” Streule said. “That is not what actually happens when you engage in pro-life work.”
Turning to ProLife Europe’s outreach on university campuses, Streule explained that the organization prioritizes personal encounters over hostility. “Abortion is a severe matter, and it deserves to be touched face to face, in a loving way,” he noted, stressing that compassion and clarity go hand in hand.
According to Streule, few students he encounters actively view abortion as desirable. Instead, the primary challenge lies in helping young people realize they can play an active role in building a culture that supports life.
“We rarely leave a conversation without having made someone think about an opinion they simply adopted from the dominant culture,” Streule said. He added that across numerous Swiss campus outreaches, he has “never once received a bad word from the person I was talking to.”
For Streule, direct street outreach serves as a vital bridge to those personal conversations. By creating spaces for face-to-face dialogue, he said, he believes advocates can break through online misconceptions, encourage people to reconsider deep-seated assumptions, and foster genuine reflection on the value of human life.
Pope Leo XIV to Poor Clare nuns: Lack of vocations should renew your commitment
Pope Leo XIV has encouraged the Poor Clares not to be discouraged by their lack of vocations but to view it as a call to renew their commitment.
The pontiff made these remarks during a private audience with a delegation from the Federation of Capuchin Poor Clare Nuns of Italy on Sept. 21. The Capuchin Poor Clares, a branch of the Poor Clares, was founded in 1535 by the Spanish nun Blessed Maria Lorenza Longo.
Addressing the lack of vocations to their order and throughout Italy, Leo encouraged them not to give in to hopelessness and to renew their commitment to their spiritual values.
“The numerical decline of communities, and the fear of losing their autonomy that may result from it, should neither trouble you nor deprive you of hope,” Leo said. “Rather, it should encourage a renewal of your way of life and an even greater commitment to the spiritual accompaniment of those who knock on the doors of your monasteries.”
Leo also explained to them the true origins of vocations, stating that vocations do not come from campaigns but from “prayer, familiarity with the Gospel, silence, acceptance of oneself with one’s imperfections, and a sense of belonging.”
The pope also encouraged the nuns to prioritize ongoing formation, fostering deep communion with the Church in a society dominated by noise.
“Be formed, and form others, in a cloistered life lived in a spirit of deep communion among yourselves and with the Church; in a silence that, within a society dominated by haste and noise, awakens the need for times and spaces to stop, discern, and reflect,” he said.
Pope to pray rosary for peace with more than 700 children at the Vatican
Between 700 and 1,000 children will pray a rosary for peace with Pope Leo XIV on Oct. 1 at the Lourdes Grotto in the Vatican Gardens, part of a prayer initiative promoted by Aid to the Church in Need.
Coming from schools and parishes throughout Rome, the children will join the pontiff in the “One Million Children Praying the Rosary” campaign organized by the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).
They will also be spiritually united with children, families, schools, and Christian communities around the world in an event marking the beginning of the global week during which the prayer initiative is observed.
During that week, any diocese, parish, religious community, school, or family anywhere in the world can participate. The week concludes on Oct. 7, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.
Inspired by the message of Fátima
The 2026 campaign is inspired by the message received by the children at Fátima: “In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph.”
Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of ACN International and prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, said in particular that “the Immaculate Heart of Mary represents a life completely open to the Holy Spirit and presents Mary as a model of faith, love, and prayer.”
According to ACN, “the initiative takes on special significance at a time when millions of people are facing war, violence, persecution, poverty, and uncertainty.” For this reason, the prayer campaign “seeks to be a simple yet universal sign of trust and hope: children of different languages, cultures, and countries united in the same prayer for peace.”
The origins: Padre Pio and Venezuela 20 years ago
The “One Million Children Praying the Rosary” initiative began in Venezuela in 2005. Today it has become a worldwide prayer movement involving children, families, parishes, schools, and Church groups on every continent, inspired by the words of St. Pio of Pietrelcina, who said that “when 1 million children pray the rosary, the world will change.”
ACN said the invitation is not limited to children and that praying an entire rosary is not required: “Even a single decade prayed with faith can become part of this global chain of prayer.”
The pontifical foundation also provides prayer materials in several languages and asks participants to register so that the network of children joining the prayer in different countries can be displayed on a map.
The initiative is organized in collaboration with the Shrine of Fátima, the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, and the World Apostolate of Fátima. This year, World Rosary Day is also joining the campaign for the first time.
Bolivia, Sudan, Zimbabwe, and Paraguay
The prayers of Pope Leo XIV and the children of Rome will be joined by prayer gatherings planned in locations around the world, “from the Bolivian Amazon to parishes in Sudan, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, and many other places affected by war, poverty, or instability,” ACN said.
In war-torn Sudan, Father Franck Mandozi of the Kosti Pastoral Region confirmed that children from several parishes and schools will take part. From the Tsimané Indigenous community in the Bolivian Amazon, Sister Patricia Alejandra Botello López said they will pray in both their local language and Spanish.
Children from St. Christopher Parish in the Archdiocese of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, will gather on Sunday, Oct. 4, to pray with their pastor, Father Charles Mafurutu, who in the following weeks will travel to other communities.
In Paraguay, Radio Pa’i Puku plans to promote the initiative through its broadcasts and will carry a live transmission of the rosary prayed by children at St. Eugene de Mazenod Parish.
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.
Pope Leo XIV’s schedule for Latin America trip released
The Vatican has published the schedule for Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic journey to Latin America, where he will visit Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru from Nov. 6–17.
As the Holy See Press Office announced on Sept. 21, the pontiff will meet with authorities, interfaith leaders, workers, and Catholic communities during his visit.
A motto has been chosen for each of the countries he will visit in November.
According to the announcement, the pope will begin his journey by departing Rome on Nov. 6 at 7:50 a.m. Rome time and arriving at 4:30 p.m. local time the same day at the Carrasco/General Cesáreo L. Berisso International Airport in Uruguay. From there, he will travel to Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay.
Uruguay
Pope Leo XIV is set to be the first pope to visit Uruguay since St. John Paul II in 1988. He will remain there from Nov. 6–8.
At 5:30 p.m. local time on Nov. 6, Leo will attend an official welcome ceremony at the Plaza Independencia, Montevideo’s largest public square. Following the ceremony, he will meet with and address authorities and the diplomatic corps.
At 6:15 p.m., the pope will pay a courtesy visit to the president of Uruguay, Yamandú Orsi, at his residence at the Edificio José Artigas.
Leo will then celebrate vespers at 7:10 p.m. with clergy and religious at the
Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and Sts. Philip and
James.
The next day, Nov. 7, Leo is scheduled to travel from Montevideo to Paysandú in the morning. He will then celebrate Mass at the Parque París Londres at 10 a.m.
The pope will then return to Montevideo the same day for evening meetings with the Parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Catholic University of Uruguay.
At 7 p.m., Leo will lead a prayer vigil at the Centenary Stadium, which hosted the first FIFA World Cup in 1930.
On Nov. 8, Leo’s final day in Uruguay, he will celebrate Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Florida at 10 a.m. before departing for Argentina at 3:30 p.m.
Argentina
Pope Leo XIV will be the first pope to visit Argentina since 1987. He will remain there from Nov. 8–11.
The pontiff will land at the Jorge Newbery Airpark at 4:30 p.m. After visiting a war monument and attending an official welcome ceremony, he will meet with Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, in the evening and then address the country’s civil leaders and diplomatic corps.
On Nov. 9, Leo will travel to Claypole in the morning to visit the Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione de Claypole, Argentina’s largest institution dedicated to caring for people with disabilities. He will then celebrate Mass at the Monumento de los Españoles at 11:30 a.m.
The pope will then meet in the afternoon with the work community at the Catholic University of Argentina and then with interfaith leaders at the Palacio San Martín.
At 6:45 p.m., Leo will celebrate vespers with the bishops and the synodal teams at the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity. He will have dinner with the bishops afterward.
On Nov. 10, the pope will travel to Córdoba to celebrate Mass at the Military Aviation School. He will then meet with clergy and religious at the Cathedral of Córdoba before traveling back to Buenos Aires for a youth vigil at 8:15 p.m.
On the morning of Nov. 11, Leo will celebrate his final Mass in Argentina at the Basilica of Our Lady of Luján. He will then depart Buenos Aires at 2 p.m. to arrive in Lima, Peru, at 5:30 p.m.
Peru
Returning to the land where he served for two decades as a missionary and a bishop, Leo will visit Peru from Nov. 11–17.
After landing in Lima on Nov. 11, the pope will meet in the evening with the president of Peru, Keiko Fujimori, and address the country’s diplomatic corps.
He will meet in Lima on the morning of Nov. 12 with the bishops of Peru before leading midmorning prayer with clergy and religious at 10:20 a.m. at the Cathedral Basilica of Lima. Following the service, he will meet the faithful in the cathedral square and address them on the challenges of the Peruvian people.
In the evening, he will hold a prayer vigil with young people at the Estadio Monumental “U” in Lima before dinner with the bishops at the nunciature.
On Nov. 13 at 7:40 a.m., the pope will depart Lima for Chiclayo, where he served as diocesan bishop from 2015 to 2023. He is scheduled to arrive in Chiclayo at 9:10 a.m. and celebrate Mass near the Pampas de Pimentel at 10:30 a.m.
After a private visit to a chapel dedicated to St. Oscar Romero, Leo will meet in the evening with the synodal teams at the Shrine of Our Lady of Peace. Afterward, he will meet with the Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo Catholic University before having supper with priests of the Diocese of Chiclayo.
On Nov. 14 at 8 a.m., the pope will crown a statue of the Virgin Mary at the Cathedral of St. Mary in Chiclayo. He will then depart for Santa Cruz de Succhabamba to celebrate Mass there at 11 a.m. He will then return to Chiclayo that evening to lead a prayer service for the closing of the jubilee year of St. Turibius of Mogrovejo, who served as archbishop of Lima from 1579–1606.
On Nov. 15, Leo will travel from Chiclayo to Cusco. He will meet in the morning with the faithful at the Saqsaywaman National Park before leading the Angelus in the square of the Cusco Cathedral. In the afternoon, he will travel from Cusco to Pucallpa and meet with representatives of the Amazonian peoples. He will then celebrate Mass at the Villa Deportiva Regional Ucayali before traveling to the Callao Naval Air Base that evening.
On Nov. 16, the final day of his apostolic journey, Leo will visit a shelter run by nuns for elderly people in the morning before celebrating the final Mass of his trip at the Las Palmas Air Base.
He is scheduled to depart Callao Naval Air Base at 1:45 p.m. and arrive in Rome on Nov. 17 at 10:25 a.m. local time.
Where is the body of St. Matthew? A visit to his tomb
Sept. 21 marks the feast day of St. Matthew, also known as Levi, an apostle of Jesus and, according to tradition, the author of one of the four Gospels.
Surprisingly little is known for certain about Matthew’s life, even though his Gospel is so crucial for the Church. The manner of Matthew’s calling by Jesus is well known — Matthew was a Jew but worked as a tax collector for the Romans in Capernaum near the Sea of Galilee, making him a pariah among his own people. When Jesus called Matthew to follow him, Matthew gave up his presumably materialistic life as a tax collector to follow the Lord.
Jesus’ calling of Matthew led some religious authorities of the Jewish community to wonder: “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” To which Jesus responded: “I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
The Catholic Encyclopedia notes, however, that no further reference is made to Matthew in the Gospels, except in the list of the apostles, and “of Matthew’s subsequent career we have only inaccurate or legendary data.” It appears though, according to a number of other ancient sources, that he evangelized for at least a decade and a half in Asia.
Matthew’s earthly body is purported to lie in the crypt beneath the cathedral of Salerno, Italy. In the crypt, a bronze St. Matthew made by Michelangelo Naccherino in 1606 sits above the altar. The saint is shown writing the Gospel with a book resting on his left knee and a pen in his right hand. At his left side, an angel hands him an inkwell as he writes.
Alfano I, the archbishop of Salerno from 1058–1085, completed the crypt in 1081 and placed Matthew’s body in the sepulcher. The renovation in the early 17th century was carried out by architects Domenico and his son Giulio Cesare Fontana.
According to legend, St. Matthew’s intercession helped to protect the city in 1544 from the dreaded pirate Ariadeno Barbarossa, supreme commander of the Turkish military fleet, when a storm that had been prayed for by devotees to St. Matthew in Salerno blew Barbarossa’s fleet away from the city.
Eastern Catholics and the Orthodox churches celebrate St. Matthew on Nov. 16 along with St. Fulvianus, a prince who is recorded in some traditions as converting from paganism after Matthew’s martyrdom.
Pope Benedict said in 2006 that “in the figure of Matthew, the Gospels present to us a true and proper paradox: those who seem to be the farthest from holiness can even become a model of the acceptance of God’s mercy and offer a glimpse of its marvelous effects in their own lives."
This story was first published on Sept. 21, 2023, and has been updated.
Relic of Christ’s tunic to be displayed for Pope Leo in France
For the first time, a pope will witness an exposition of the Holy Tunic, the garment worn by Christ during his passion, which is preserved in the Basilica of Saint-Denis in Argenteuil, France.
The special relic is put on display during regular expositions every 50 years, as well as on extraordinary occasions — the most recent being in 2023 — but it has never before been brought before a pope.
Pope Leo XIV will be able to view it on Sept. 25, when it is displayed at the conclusion of the youth vigil at a soccer stadium in a suburb north of Paris, part of the packed schedule for his trip to France.
More than 80,000 French young people have registered for the prayer vigil at the Stade de France, and according to Father Guy-Emmanuel Cariot, former rector of the basilica of Argenteuil, Leo is the first pope to see the tunic since the time of St. Peter.
That may be an exaggeration, but it is true that there has never before been an extraordinary exposition of the relic during a papal journey and in the presence of a pontiff. That will happen during this trip, in part because only 3.7 miles separate the basilica of Argenteuil from the Stade de France.
The tunic will travel those nearly four miles under extremely tight security measures, made even stricter by memories of the theft of the tunic in 1983, when the relic disappeared for a couple of months. For that reason, the route the tunic will take is being kept confidential. It is known, however, that there will be surveillance both on the ground and from above to ensure that the transfer takes place discreetly and under optimal security conditions.
The tunic has been kept in Argenteuil for more than 1,200 years and is one of several relics of Christ’s passion preserved in France. The Crown of Thorns is kept at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, while the Holy Headcloth of Jesus is preserved in Cahors.
As for the Holy Tunic itself, it was mentioned in Gregory of Tours’ sixth-century work “Liber in Gloria Martyrum Beatorum” (“The Glory of the Martyrs and the Blessed”). The book notes that Jesus’ seamless tunic was kept in Galata, in a church dedicated to the holy archangels, about 120 miles from Constantinople. The seventh-century “Chronicle of Fredegar,” however, locates the tunic in Zafad, not far from Jerusalem.
The tunic later came into the possession of the Byzantine Empress Irene, who gave it to Charlemagne in the year 800 on the occasion of his coronation as the first emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. Charlemagne in turn donated it to the monastery of Argenteuil, whose abbess was his daughter Theodrada. The “Charta Hugonis” of 1156 notes that the tunic had long been kept in the basilica of Argenteuil.
Over the centuries, the tunic was hidden to protect it from the Normans and later from the Huguenots. During the French Revolution, in order to save it from anticlerical persecution, Father Ozot, pastor of Argenteuil, had it cut into pieces and hidden. It was eventually reassembled, although some portions were lost.
Other pieces of the tunic are preserved elsewhere. One example is the so-called “Tunic of Trier” in Germany, which has appeared in historical records since 1072 and is believed to be one of the relics brought back from the Holy Land by St. Helena. However, scholars have been unable to determine its origin and age because of its poor state of preservation and the extensive repairs it has undergone over the centuries.
This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
Catholic Church in U.S. to focus National Migration Week on migrant children
The situations faced by migrant and refugee children will be the focus of the U.S. Catholic Churchʼs 2026 National Migration Week, addressing the same concerns expressed by Pope Leo XIV in his message for this yearʼs World Day of Migrants and Refugees.
National Migration Week will begin on Monday, Sept. 21, and conclude on Sunday, Sept. 27, the day the Catholic Church observes the 112th World Day of Migrants and Refugees.
On its website, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) announced that in solidarity with the pontiff, it will adopt the theme “Even One of These Little Ones,” the same theme chosen by Leo XIV for the global observance.
In his message, Leo XIV explains that this theme “draws our attention to the minors directly involved in the experience of migration and flight, to the care owed to them, and to the Lord’s promise that “whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.’”
The chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration, Bishop Brendan Cahill, noted that the Catholic Church, “in this country and beyond has a long, inspiring history of caring for migrant and refugee children.”
In the United States, this history spans “from the days of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini and her sisters sheltering many orphaned immigrant children when few others looked their way to today’s diocesan charities providing them and their families with vital support,” he noted.
The Italian saint and her sisters arrived in New York in 1889, where they encountered a very harsh pastoral reality among European immigrants. Yet, despite the difficulties, the sisters managed to open an orphanage, a home for themselves, and a school for the children.
Cahill expressed his gratitude to law enforcement officers, social workers, pastoral staff, and caregivers who look after the safety and well-being of migrant and refugee minors.
However, he added, “[a]s we see protections for this population being undermined in various ways, including prolonged stays in detention and decreased access to legal representation, we urge governments and communities to ensure a high level of care rooted in their God-given human dignity.”
“This requires promoting family unity and reunification whenever possible,” he said.
Therefore, the USCCB invited the nation’s Catholics amid “heightened social tensions regarding immigration” to reflect “on how our faith is calling us to respond to this most vulnerable group.”
Toward this end, the bishops’ conference is encouraging “dioceses, parishes, schools, and organizations nationwide to mark this observance with prayer, educational programs, pastoral outreach and support for migration-related ministries.”
For its part, the USCCB’s Secretariat of Migration will host a webinar on Sept. 23 at 2 p.m. ET featuring “several expert panelists who will highlight some of the key implications of this yearʼs theme."
“These experts will shed light on both the international and domestic dynamics facing children in the context of migration,” the bishops’ conference explained.
Those interested in participating in the webinar may register at this link.
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.
Catholics worldwide invited to join Global Rosary for Peace
Catholics around the world are invited to join in prayer for the Global Rosary for Peace taking place on Oct. 22, the feast of St. John Paul II.
The event is an international prayer initiative that aims to bring together families, parishes, schools, religious communities, and individuals from around the world in response to Pope Leo XIV’s call for the Church to pray the rosary for peace.
The Global Rosary for Peace is organized by Holy Cross Family Ministries and is part of its efforts to strengthen family prayer and encourage the faithful to pray the rosary. The initiative received the pope’s blessing last year and over 67,000 people prayed the rosary live during the first global event.
Father Fred Jenga, CSC, president of Holy Cross Family Ministries (HCFM), told EWTN News that the first Global Rosary for Peace was created due to several global crises taking place and the need for prayer.
“There is always some kind of global crisis that is going on that really calls us to pray more,” he said. “Last year it was all the conflicts that were everywhere. Some of them have sort of died down a little bit but we still have more going on as well in this very year that we are in. So we are just picking up from where we left off. So that we invite people again to pray more.”
Currently, over 95,000 people have signed up to take part in this year’s live, global rosary.
HCFM was founded by Venerable Patrick Peyton, an Irish-born Catholic priest who was known as the “rosary priest” and for his famous phrase “a family that prays together stays together.”
With this at the core of its ministry, HCFM desires to “bring God back into the life of families because we know when God is at the center of the families, especially through prayer, regular prayer, God changes the chemistry in those families because God is love, God is kindness,” Jenga explained.
“God created our families. And they will be restless and weak and all over the place until they allow [God] to be the center,” he said.
Jenga also spoke about the importance of praying the rosary specifically.
“When we pray the rosary on a family level, the heart of the rosary is the mysteries of the rosary, and those mysteries speak to every human season that you can think about,” he shared. “We go through joy, we go through sorrow, we go through mission, we go through celebration or glory. So there you have a set of mysteries that you can pray with through any season that youʼre talking about.”
The priest also pointed out that when we look at the saints, nearly all of them share two characteristics: a love for the Eucharist and a love for the rosary.
“So, in their path to sanctity, these are the two rails that they ran on. And if we also desire the same kind of sanctity and strength in our families, right there is really a formula for us that we can be able to employ to help ourselves as a family and also to help ourselves as individuals,” Jenga said.
He added: “We’re at a time of need in our world right now. There are too many conflicts that are going on and we need a favor for global peace, and the rosary is one of those prayers that weʼre turning to because even throughout history, every time there was a global crisis, the Church, even our Blessed Mother, if she appeared, she asked us to pray the rosary.”
For those who participate in the Global Rosary for Peace, Jenga said he hopes they are “able to renew their belief in the power of prayer.”
“Secondly, this can be a jumping-off point for them to get started, in smaller ways, praying in their own families and for the needs in their families, but also keep praying for our world at this time.”
To take part and register for the Global Rosary of Peace visit https://hcfm.org/pray-for-peace/.