Czechs turn ‘symbol of division’ into ground for Catholic-Protestant unity
Czech and Slovak Christians gathered for ecumenical prayers on Friday at the site of the 1620 Battle of White Mountain and in some 10 cities across the Czech Republic, marking a historic Catholic-Protestant wound as an occasion for reconciliation.
The Habsburg victory at Bílá Hora — Czech for “White Mountain,” on a hill outside Prague — ended a Bohemian Protestant revolt and led to the forcible re-Catholicization of the Czech lands. The event is sometimes referred to as the Czech “national trauma” and helped shape anti-Catholic sentiment that has marked Czech religious identity for centuries.
The May 8 events took place on the Bílá Hora hilltop, which is now part of Prague, and on city squares and in churches across the country. At the main gathering, the Slovak Christian band Timothy performed, joined by other musicians and pilgrims.
The lay group Smíření Bílá hora — Czech for “Reconciliation White Mountain” — has organized the annual events since 2020. On the 400th anniversary of the battle that November, Archbishop Jan Graubner of Prague and the head of the Czech Ecumenical Council of Churches, Daniel Ženatý, presided at an ecumenical prayer service on the hill. Chief Rabbi Karol Sidon represented the Jewish community, and the Czech Bishops' Conference co-organized the event.
A reconciliation cross was installed at the site as “a permanent reminder” and “a place for symbolic events,” according to Father Stanislav Přibyl — then-general secretary of the Czech Bishops' Conference and now archbishop of Prague — speaking to the Czech weekly Katolický týdeník. He called the cross “part of the Czech spiritual tradition.”
When commemorative gatherings resumed in May 2021 as COVID-19 restrictions eased, the then-apostolic nuncio to the Czech Republic, Archbishop Charles Daniel Balvo, sent a letter to the lay organizers conveying that Pope Francis appreciated their prayers, “particularly when they are linked to a genuine wish to reconcile” people and “to heal the past wounds, accompanied by concrete gestures of forgiveness and meeting.”
Spreading reconciliation across the regions
Diocesan support has gradually widened.
The Archdiocese of Olomouc and the Diocese of Ostrava-Opava told EWTN News that while they do not organize anything specifically tied to Bílá Hora, they support all initiatives aimed at reconciliation. The Archdiocese of Prague is “supportive, including bishops, as well as the clergy and consecrated people, so not only laypersons,” its press office told EWTN News. Former archbishops of Prague Cardinal Miloslav Vlk and Cardinal Dominik Duka met with Protestants at Bílá Hora in 2000 and 2010, respectively, the archdiocese recalled.
“We support our local service rather symbolically — through promotion,” the press office of the Diocese of Ostrava-Opava said. In the city of Ostrava, the May 8 gathering is led by an ecumenical community on the conviction that “reconciliation begins in families and small communities and can gradually spread further through churches and into society.”
The eastern Czech diocese held a separate Lenten reconciliation event in the Opava co-cathedral marking its 30th anniversary, asking forgiveness for the sins “which hurt brothers and sisters from other Christian churches,” its press office said.
The Czech Bishops' Conference confirmed to EWTN News that it is no longer involved in organizing or coordinating the Bílá Hora events directly.
A wound rooted in the Thirty Years' War
The Battle of White Mountain took place on Nov. 8, 1620, near Prague during the early phase of the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648), a religious-political conflict that ravaged Europe.
The war was ended by the 1648 Peace of Westphalia, which reaffirmed and extended the principle of “cuius regio, eius religio” — “whose realm, his religion” — first established at the 1555 Peace of Augsburg, under which the ruler of a given territory determined the religion of its subjects.
The Catholic Church remains the largest religious community in the Czech Republic, but the country is one of the most secular in Europe. According to the 2021 census, about 22% of Czechs identified as religious, and Catholics made up roughly 9% of the population, down from nearly 40% in 1991. About 30% of respondents declined to answer the religion question.
Cardinal Bo: Myanmar in ‘polycrisis’ 5 years after military coup
Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, the archbishop of Yangon and Myanmarʼs first cardinal, told the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference on May 8 that his country is enduring a “polycrisis” five years after the military coup that toppled its civilian government.
Speaking on the opening day of the biannual plenary assembly in Sydney, Bo described overlapping economic, employment, social, health, and education crises gripping the southeast Asian nation, also known as Burma.
More than 3.5 million people have been displaced and basic healthcare and education systems have collapsed in much of the country, the cardinal said.
The figure has risen from the nearly 3 million Bo cited in a May 2024 interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, underscoring the worsening trajectory of the conflict.
A 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck central Myanmar in March 2025, killing thousands, compounded the suffering. Bo at the time described “apocalyptic scenes.”
“Among young people in particular,” he told the bishops on May 8, “daily life is increasingly defined by insecurity, psychological strain, and a loss of trust in the future.”
“We remain a people of hope,” Bo added.
The cardinal thanked Australian Catholics for what he called the “unwavering solidarity” of Catholic Mission, the Australian arm of the Pontifical Mission Societies, which has long partnered with the Archdiocese of Yangon on education initiatives.
“Your solidarity is not an abstract idea … it is a light in the darkness,” he said. “Your support … reminds our suffering people they are not forgotten by the universal Church.”
Bo linked his appeal to the centenary of World Mission Sunday, established by Pope Pius XI in 1926 and to be observed worldwide on Oct. 18.
“Mission,” he said, is “not the work of missionaries but the responsibility of the whole Church.”
“Your partnership with us is not just charity,” he added. “It is communion.”
A voice for peace amid civil war
Bo then led a short ceremony to commission Peter Gates as the new national director of Catholic Mission Australia in the presence of Archbishop Timothy Costelloe of Perth, the conference president. Like Bo, Costelloe is a member of the Salesians of Don Bosco.
Myanmar has been engulfed in civil war since the military seized power on Feb. 1, 2021, deposing the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi. Bo has repeatedly called for nonviolence and dialogue, urging both the junta and pro-democracy forces to step back from further bloodshed. Pope Francis visited the country in 2017. In November 2025, Pope Leo XIV appealed to the international community not to forget the people of Myanmar.
Born in Monhla Village in 1948, Bo joined the Salesians of Don Bosco as a young man and was ordained a priest in 1976. He was appointed archbishop of Yangon by Pope John Paul II in 2003 and was created cardinal by Pope Francis in 2015. He served as president of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences from 2018 to 2022.
The Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference plenary continues in Sydney through May 13.
As churches close in Europe, debate intensifies over their future
As Europe prepares to honor this yearʼs European Heritage Awards/Europa Nostra Awards, widely regarded as the continentʼs highest heritage distinction, the winning projects raise a broader question: What should become of sacred buildings as church attendance declines and religious communities diminish?
The annual awards, co-funded by the European Unionʼs Creative Europe program, recognize outstanding conservation projects, often bringing international visibility, tourism, and funding to heritage sites.
Among the 30 laureates selected from 18 countries this year, two projects have emerged as symbols of Europeʼs rich Christian heritage and the growing challenges surrounding its future: the restoration of the 18th-century dome of the Church of Escuelas Pías in Valencia, Spain, and the adaptive reuse of the Benedictine Monastery of San Benedetto Po in northern Italy.
A symbol restored
In Valencia, the domeʼs restoration sought to preserve the Church of Escuelas Pías as an active sacred space while introducing carefully managed cultural activities to support long-term sustainability.
The landmark structure, one of the largest masonry domes in Spain, underwent a meticulous restoration combining traditional craftsmanship with modern conservation techniques. Thousands of tiles were individually examined and replaced, while the dome itself was stabilized and renewed.
Professor Jacek Purchla, chair of the Europa Nostra Awards Jury, told EWTN News the project stood out for both technical quality and symbolic value. “The dome is a defining element of Valenciaʼs skyline and belongs to the European tradition of monumental domed architecture that emerged in the Renaissance,” he said. “It holds strong symbolic value for the city.”
The restoration also emphasized community engagement. Seminars, guided visits, and exhibitions attracted more than 46,000 visitors while the church stayed open for worship.
The projectʼs architect, Luis Cortés-Meseguer, told EWTN News that the aim was never to transform the church into a purely commercial or secular space.
“The challenge was to preserve its liturgical and symbolic identity while opening it to compatible cultural uses that could guarantee its long-term conservation,” he said.
In a paper shared with EWTN News ahead of publication, Cortés-Meseguer describes the approach not simply as “reuse” but as the “re-employment” of sacred space, a model intended to revitalize historic churches while preserving their original identity.
From decline to renewal
In contrast, the Benedictine Monastery of San Benedetto Po in Italy illustrates how adaptive reuse, which gives historic buildings new civic, cultural, or commercial functions, can also play a central role in preserving religious heritage.
Founded in 1007 and once one of medieval Europeʼs most important monastic centers, the vast complex had fallen into serious decline by the early 2000s. Following a major earthquake in 2012, nearly 20,000 square meters (about 5 acres) became unusable.
After being listed among Europa Nostraʼs “7 Most Endangered” heritage sites in 2013, a long restoration effort gradually transformed the monastery into a vibrant civic and cultural center. Today, the complex houses a museum, library, music academy, and exhibition spaces.
“Our international jury selected the monastery as a clear example of adaptive reuse that respects historical integrity,” Purchla said, describing it as a “transferable reference model for endangered heritage sites across Europe.” The restoration, he added, demonstrates how “heritage conservation can coexist with new cultural and social uses.”
More than architecture
Across Europe, declining church attendance, shrinking religious communities, and rising maintenance costs are leaving many religious buildings underused or at risk of abandonment.
Yet not all forms of reuse are equally welcomed. In the Belgian city of Ghent, the redevelopment of the 19th-century Sint-Anna church into a supermarket, restaurant, and wine bar has reignited debate over the transformation of sacred spaces. The Belgian supermarket chain Delhaize secured a 99-year lease and began renovation work in early 2025, with reopening planned for autumn 2027.
Supporters argue the project offers a viable future for a building that might otherwise face vacancy and deterioration. Critics question whether commercial uses risk eroding the cultural and spiritual significance of former places of worship.
At stake, heritage experts say, is more than architecture.
“Across Europe, churches and religious heritage sites are not only historical monuments or architectural structures, but places that carry a soul, a memory, and a vital social function for communities,” said a spokesperson for the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union (COMECE).
In 2018, the Pontifical Council for Culture published Guidelines for Decommissioning and Cultural Reuse of Churches, the Holy Seeʼs standing reference document on the question.
Seeking common ground
As debates over reuse intensify, organizations including Future for Religious Heritage and COMECE are increasingly working to develop shared approaches to how churches can be preserved, adapted, and sustained while respecting their historical and spiritual identity.
“There is no single approach to adapting or adding new uses to religious buildings,” Jordi Mallarach, executive officer at Future for Religious Heritage, told EWTN News. Successful projects, he said, ultimately seek to preserve the “spirit of the place,” maintaining the symbolism and historical identity of sacred spaces even as new uses are introduced.
Through initiatives including the New European Bauhaus Lab, COMECE says it is bringing together churches, heritage organizations, public authorities, and local communities to reflect on sustainable solutions for Europeʼs religious heritage.
Questions surrounding the future of Europeʼs sacred spaces are expected to feature prominently during the European Cultural Heritage Summit 2026, where this yearʼs winners will be honored from May 26–30 in Nicosia, Cyprus.
Colombia to be consecrated to Immaculate Heart of Mary on May 13
On May 13, the feast of Our Lady of Fátima, Colombia will be consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary as part of the fourth national rosary for peace and reconciliation.
The theme for the rosary event, organized by various lay groups and supported by the Colombian bishops, is “Colombia’s Peace and Reconciliation Are Built Upon the Conversion of Your Heart.”
The country has been plagued by violent Marxist guerrilla groups and drug trafficking for decades.
The day’s events will consist of two main parts. The first will take place at the Bogotá cathedral at 11 a.m. with the recitation of the rosary, the celebration of Mass, and the consecration of the country to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
The rosary will be led by the cathedral’s parish priest, Father Sergio Pulido Gutiérrez. The president of the bishops’ conference, Archbishop Francisco Javier Múnera Correa, will celebrate the Mass and make the act of consecration.
The second part will begin at 5 p.m. in Bogotá’s Plaza de Bolívar, where Eucharistic adoration, a candlelit procession, and the recitation of the rosary will take place. The organizers said that during this Marian prayer, Our Lady will be asked to intercede “for the conversion of Colombians, in order to achieve peace and reconciliation.”
Múnera invited Colombians living both within and outside the country to “join in on May 13 for the great act of consecration to the Immaculate Heart of the Virgin Mary.”
“We will ask the mother of the Lord to rekindle hope within us, sustain unity, and intercede for the reconciliation and peace of all Colombians,” the president of the bishops’ conference stated.
More information can be found on the national rosaryʼs YouTube and Instagram channels.
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.
After stillbirth loss, mother of 7 returns to school to help others heal
After experiencing an unimaginable loss, Kelly Helsel felt called to begin a new chapter. Following 17 years as a stay-at-home mother, she returned to school to pursue her dream of becoming a counselor — hoping to offer others the same compassionate support and Catholic guidance that helped bring healing to her own life.
In 2023 Helsel’s daughter, Mary Catherine, was stillborn. The experience and grief was ultimately “a huge catalyst to me going back to school,” Helsel told EWTN News.
“I think death has an interesting way of snapping your priorities in line,” she said. “And through the death of our daughter, I understood that tomorrow was not promised. And I had been holding this dream very closely for 17 years, just trusting,” she said.
“Much of my healing process after the stillbirth of our daughter was helped along by solid Catholic counseling,” she said. “So I just felt a whisper at first, and then I felt like, ‘I can turn around and be this for someone else in need.’ And so I did.”
Path back to school
A native of Arizona, Helsel met her now-husband, Doug, in high school. She then attended Northern Arizona University to receive a bachelorʼs degree in psychology with the hopes of becoming a counselor, but motherhood ultimately became her first priority.
“My firstborn … was born during finals week of my bachelorʼs degree,” Helsel said. “I actually had a positive pregnancy test the day before I was scheduled to take the GRE [Graduate Record Examination].”
“I just knew that motherhood was the priority and that Godʼs timing would take care of things. So I stayed at home,” she said.
Helsel decided to put her plans of working as a counselor on the side and focus on her growing family. She and her husband had seven children over the next 17 years, but after the loss of their sixth child she felt called to switch her plans and return to school.
“We just started taking one step in front of the other,” she said. Helsel started by applying to the University of Mary’s master’s program for counseling about six months after her daughter’s passing but was thrown an unexpected “curveball” during the process.
“On the feast of the Annunciation, I got in. But then I also had a positive pregnancy test with my daughter, Isabel, on the very same day.”
“I remember standing in the bathroom with my husband with my phone in one hand with an acceptance letter, and on the counter was a positive pregnancy test with our seventh baby.”
Motherhood provided ‘the skills to be a fantastic student’
Despite navigating grief, welcoming a new baby, and continuing to care for the rest of her family, Helsel not only decided to return to school but also opted for a five-semester accelerated program.
She graduated on April 25 with a 4.0 GPA and her whole family by her side. It was all possible not in spite of her 17 years as a stay-at-home mom but because of the experience.
“I actually think that motherhood, 17 years of motherhood, gave me the skills to be a fantastic student,” she said. “I learned time management. I learned prioritization. I learned how to ask for help. I learned all kinds of things in the trenches of motherhood that gave me the opportunity to really thrive at UMary.”
“I guess the loss of my daughter really showed me that like all things are ‘figure-out-able,’” she said. “When youʼve gone through something like that, it makes you unafraid to do really big things.”
“I knew that I could just cannonball into the deep end and we could do this. And my husband was an amazing support throughout the program. But, Isabel was the curveball of all curveballs,” she said.
“She was born during Christmas break and I just jumped back in in January. I didnʼt take any time off,” she said. "I would be in a rocking chair breastfeeding her, and my laptop is sitting next to me and Iʼm listening to a lecture.”
“I became a pro at using the dictation tool on Microsoft Word” so “I could hold my baby and dictate a paper,” she said. “It was just a really wild time. I learned to be extremely flexible and gentle with myself ... But I just knew God was like, ‘go, go right now.’”
“It was super bumpy at some points,“ she said. ”But I chose the University of Mary because I feel like [University of Mary president] Monsignor [James] Shea and the university really put their money where their mouth is in terms of supporting nontraditional students — especially mothers.”
“All of my professors were extremely accommodating with extensions if I needed one. A few professors gave me early finals because Isabel was born right at the end of that first semester,” she said. “So the University of Mary was really crucial to my success because everyone was behind me.”
Helsel noted that her professors, especially counseling professor Olivia Wedel, and other facility members and students were champions in cheering her “all the way to the finish line.”
Waddell “would always remind me that ‘Iʼm surrounded by support,’” Helsel said. “When youʼre super tired and youʼre on your fourth Crock-Pot meal of the week and you donʼt have anymore bandwidth left, I just thought, ‘I am surrounded by support.’”
“Jesus is real and his promises are too,” Helsel said. “I just remember really having to trust the Lord in a new way and also having to be very open to my dream not looking exactly like I wanted.”
“So yes, I went back to school and I got a masterʼs degree, but it looked absolutely nothing like I thought it was going to, but it was also better, just like he had promised me.”
“Your dreams matter to him,“ she said. ”Trust him, and especially Our Lady, with your dreams. Because he wants both. He wants your motherhood and your dreams.”
Catholic counseling offers ‘the keys to real human flourishing’
Officially a licensed counselor, Helsel is ready to jump in headfirst to help others in need by utilizing the guidance offered by the Catholic Church.
“I believe very deeply that the Catholic Church has the keys to real human flourishing,” she said. “So I knew I wanted to become a mental health professional with those guardrails in place, because I benefited so much from Catholic counseling.”
“I want to turn back around and help the next woman or couple or … anyone in line that needs to hear the good news, coupled with solid mental health formation. Like St. Thomas Aquinas says, ‘faith and reason.’ We need both.”
With her “perinatal mental health training,” Helsel hopes to primarily work in the womenʼs health category “to support other women, pregnant women, postpartum women,” she said. “And obviously I have a love for people who may have lost a child in a particular way.”
Helsel is interested in helping those discerning vocations, as her oldest son plans to apply to the priesthood. She is also hoping to support the vocation of marriage as it is “under a particular attack at this time.”
To accomplish all of this, Helsel has already started her own private practice called Concordia Counseling.
“I chose Concordia because Mary Catherine had a congenital heart condition,” she said. “Concordia means heart to heart or to bring two hearts into harmony. I wanted to honor my baby in heaven and Our Lord with my work. And so I started Concordia Counseling.”
“Iʼm just getting it started. I have a caseload of about 10 clients, but Iʼm hoping to accept more,“ Helsel said. ”I know that the work I want to do most of all involves not just mental health but the teachings of the Catholic Church.”
“I just think the framework needs to be formed properly, and that is the Catholic understanding of the whole person. And from there we can jump off anywhere,” she said.
Pope Leo XIV prays for Sahel victims
VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV on Sunday prayed for victims of growing violence in the Sahel, thanked the people of the Canary Islands for welcoming a cruise ship carrying people sick with hantavirus, and offered a special blessing for mothers during his Regina Caeli address in St. Peter’s Square.
Speaking after the Marian prayer May 10, the pope said he had learned “with deep concern of the reports regarding the growing violence in the Sahel region, particularly in Chad and Mali,” which have recently suffered terrorist attacks.
“I offer the assurance of my heartfelt prayers for the victims and my spiritual closeness to all those who are suffering as a result of the tragic events,” he said. “I fervently hope that every form of violence may cease, and I encourage all efforts aimed at fostering peace and development in that beloved land.”
The pope also marked the annual “Day of Coptic-Catholic Friendship,” extending “fraternal greetings” to Pope Tawadros II and assuring “the entire beloved Coptic Church” of his “remembrance in prayer.”
“It is my hope that our journey of friendship will lead us to perfect unity in Christ, who has called us ‘friends,’” he said.
In Spanish, Pope Leo XIV thanked the people of the Canary Islands who, “with the hospitality characteristic of them,” welcomed the Hondius cruise ship and the passengers infected with hantavirus.
“I look forward to seeing all of you next month during my visit to the Islands,” he said.
The pope also offered a Mother’s Day greeting, asking Mary, “the Mother of Jesus and our own Mother,” to intercede for all mothers.
“Let us pray with love and gratitude for every mother, particularly those living in very difficult circumstances,” he said. “Thank you! May God bless you!”
Before the Regina Caeli, Pope Leo reflected on the Gospel for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, in which Jesus tells his disciples: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
The pope said the words of Jesus free Christians from the misconception “that we are loved because we keep the commandments, as if our righteousness were a prerequisite for God’s love.”
“On the contrary, God’s love is the basis for our righteousness,” he said.
Jesus’ words, he said, are “an invitation to enter into a relationship, not a blackmail or a suspicious ultimatum.”
The Lord commands his followers to love one another as he has loved them, Pope Leo said, because “it is Jesus’ love that begets love within us.”
Christ, he said, is “the standard, the measure of true love: the love that is faithful forever, pure and unconditional,” the love that knows no “buts” or “maybes.”
“Because God loved us first, we too can love, and when we truly love God, we truly love one another,” he said.
The pope said the Lord’s commandments are “a way of life that heal us from false loves” and “a spiritual lifestyle that is a path towards salvation.”
Because God loves his people, the pope continued, he “does not leave us alone in life’s trials” but promises the Paraclete, the Advocate, the “Spirit of truth.”
The Holy Spirit, he said, is a gift that “the world cannot receive” as long as it persists in evil, “oppressing the poor, excluding the weak and killing the innocent.” But those who respond to Jesus’ love for all “will find in the Holy Spirit an ally who will never fail.”
Pope Leo said Christians can always bear witness to “God, who is love,” adding that love is “not an idea of the human mind, but the reality of divine life, through which all things were created out of nothing and redeemed from death.”
Jesus, he said, shares with believers his identity as the beloved Son: “I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.”
This “all-encompassing communion of life,” the pope said, refutes the Accuser, the adversary of the Paraclete, who seeks to set humanity against God and people against one another. Jesus does the opposite, he said, “saving us from evil and uniting us as a people of brothers and sisters in the Church.”
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.
‘Love is stronger’: How a Catholic woman saved tens of thousands of orphans
In a chapel in Burundi in 1993, after she saw 72 of her friends, family, and colleagues executed, Marguerite Barankitse told God she no longer believed he was love.
“How could God create those killers?” she recalled asking through her tears.
As mass killings and ethnic violence tore apart her home country after a coup, Barankitse fled with 25 children, both Hutu and Tutsi, to the safest place she could think of — a Catholic church.
But her faith had been challenged.
“I felt broken,” she told EWTN News. “After witnessing continued massacres and the deaths of my friends and family, I lost my voice and spirit.”
“[I] told God I no longer believed he was love because I could not understand how he could have created such hatred and killers,” she said.
Then, she heard the voice of a little girl — one of the first children she had rescued.
“We’re still in life,” little Chloe said. “We are here.”
“In this moment, I was reminded and saw that God is love,” Barankitse said.
She prayed for the strength “to go and shine in his glory.”
“I knew God had not abandoned me,” she said.
This wasn’t the only moment that shook Barankitse’s faith to her core. She would see more violence and death over the years. But it would become a defining moment for her.
Beginning with the 25 children she saved, Barankitse would go on to rescue and raise tens of thousands of children, eventually formally creating an organization called Maison Shalom.
Maison Shalom didn’t just provide for the children’s practical needs like shelter, education, and healthcare. Barankitse wanted to teach them to love and forgive, across ethnic barriers.
It was the children who came up with the name.
“We took the name ‘Shalom’ because my children heard on the radio that shalom meant peace, and that is our dream,” she explained.
“From the beginning, Maison Shalom was more than a shelter — it was a community where every child could belong, regardless of ethnicity,” she said.
Barankitse had seen firsthand the destruction of hate, and she wanted to break the cycle.
“Hate destroys not only its victims but also those who carry it,” she said.
“It is not entire ethnic groups that hate each other; it is individuals who choose hatred,” she said. “I refused to make that choice.”
“I asked myself, what could I do to raise children who would break this cycle?” Barankitse continued. “My answer was to raise children with compassion, forgiveness, and love.”
“My strategy has always been to love, because love is creative and transformative,” she said. “Through this love, I choose to respond to violence with compassion, protection, and reconciliation.”
“Love made me an inventor, and I sought to build a community infused with compassion.”
“Forgiveness, as taught by the Church, is radical — it asks us to break the cycle of vengeance and hatred, even when it seems justified,” Barankitse said.
“Love is not just a feeling; it is a force that builds futures out of the rubble of war,” she said.
“And I know that I can never give up because the children I help give me the strength and courage to always stand up, their resilience inspiring me every day,” Barankitse said.
Walking through war zones
Barankitse would walk through war zones to save orphans — even those other people thought weren’t worth saving.
“As the brutal violence and killings continued, I fought for the safety of these children,” she said. “More and more children continued to find refuge with me.”
“I walked directly into war zones and picked children out amid piles of dead bodies because these children deserved the opportunity to live, be treated with dignity, and build peace,” she said.
Barankitse fought for those who other people thought weren’t worth saving.
“One day, I came across a mother who had been killed in a grenade attack with her 4-month-old baby strapped to her back,” she recalled. “The baby was severely injured and people told me to leave him, but I knew I could not give up.”
“I chose to protect him and find medical help for him,” Barankitse said.
In spite of his injuries, the 4-month-old baby would live.
“I am proud to say that he survived and has grown up into a successful young man,” Barankitse said.
Baranktise still remembers another harrowing moment when she had to fight to get medical help for a child who was injured with a deep gash in her neck.
She took her to the airport to bring her to a hospital that could treat her — but other passengers “were refusing to let me aboard due to her condition,” she said.
“They were afraid,” Barankitse said. “I said, ‘No, you have no compassion. You will help me.’”
“Eventually, they listened to me and let me on the plane, putting a curtain between myself and the child and the other passengers,” Barankitse said.
The little girl survived. Now she is married with two children of her own.
“Sometimes love means standing strong for those who need help,” Barankitse said. “Nobody can stop love, and it remains my way of remaining strong against violence and hatred to this day.”
Barankitse had another “deep spiritual crisis” in 1996 after another wave of killings in which she witnessed the death of one of her best friends.
“I spent a month in prayer and returned humbled, realizing I am just a small instrument in God’s hands,” she said. “That is why I continue to pray to God to give me enough strength to continue doing his work.”
“Faith does not shield you from suffering; it walks with you through it,” she said.
“My strength comes from my faith and from the children themselves,” Barankitse said.
“Even as a child, I was troubled by violence and dreamed of becoming a teacher to change the world by teaching children compassion and love,” she said. “Throughout my childhood, my mother taught me that God is love, and when we are created, he gives us strength.”
Faith amid violence
Even after being forced out of her home nation in 2015 due to threats of violence, Barankitse has continued her work, relying on her faith to motivate her.
She left Burundi for Rwanda, where she created Oasis of Peace, which served more than 70,000 Burundian refugees.
“My faith taught me that we are created in love and that God gives us enough strength — ‘Do not be afraid, I will be with you until the end of the world,’” Barankitse said. “That is where I found my smile and my joy, even in the darkest moments.”
Barankitse’s work is founded in her Catholic faith.
“Being Christian is not just about going to church and praying; it is about restoring dignity to every human being,” Barankitse said.
“You can give someone food or clothes, but if they have no dignity, they have nothing,” Barankitse said. “By showing my love to the people around me, I seek to give back dignity to all — deciding to see the humanity in everyone, even those who have hurt you most.”
“This is how I build a future where no child has to suffer as my family and friends did,” she said. “Hate will never have the last word. Not as long as we practice love.”
“Catholic teaching tells us that every person is made in the image of God and deserves reverence and love,” she said. “This belief is a foundation for all of my work.”
Oasis of Peace offers counseling for victims of torture and rape, as well as education, vocational training, and micro-financing “so families can rebuild their lives with dignity,” Barankitse said.
Oasis of Peace also provides education for children. The recently launched École Sainte-Anne de Kigali initiative helps in “bringing together children from both underprivileged and more privileged backgrounds in a shared space of learning, growth, and dignity,” according to Barankitse.
“When I see a child orphaned by violence, I see a child of God. When I meet a woman who has survived rape, I see a person of infinite worth,” Barankitse said. “I believe in celebrating differences because this reminds us of how we are all created uniquely. We all deserve to feel love, compassion, and dignity.”
Barankitse continues her work every day, expanding Oasis of Peace, and speaking internationally about her story and the needs of the people she helps.
“Every day is full and purposeful,” she said.
“My hope is to continue sharing my story and the stories of Mason Shalom, inspiring others by showing them the power of love. My days are spent listening, organizing, and dreaming with those I serve.”
Barankitse won the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity, which provided her with funding to help more refugee children.
“My dream is to create Shalom Houses everywhere, so every person knows they belong,” she said.
When asked what message she wanted to share, Barankitse said: “Do not give up.”
“The world can show you things that make you want to despair — I have seen them,” she said. “I have been forced to watch friends be murdered, held mutilated children, and fled my country as a refugee. Yet I still believe love is stronger."
To support or learn more about Barankitseʼs work, visit https://maisonshalom.org/.
How Christ transformed 2 young converts from Islam
For Jonás’ family, who are Muslim, turning away from Islam constitutes a grave betrayal of their culture and roots. Despite this, following a long journey of searching and formation, the young man received the sacrament of baptism during the Easter Vigil at the cathedral in Getafe, the Spanish city where he has lived since he was barely a year old.
His decision came after a personal encounter with Christ, when he realized there was no turning back: He was firmly convinced that the Catholic faith was the true one.
The 25-year-old, who did not share his last name, first became interested in the Catholic faith during his school years, while studying authors such as St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine of Hippo.
For over five years, until beginning his catechumenate in 2025, the young man reflected deeply upon and researched various religious traditions. In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Jonás recalled that it was during the process of researching Islam that "I ended up becoming a Christian.”
Transformed lives
For Jonás, the person of Christ and the sacraments were what transformed his life. “If Christ doesn’t enter into your heart, Christ who is God made man, who gave himself up for us on the cross, then ultimately you are not a Christian, but merely someone who knows a lot about Christianity,” he said. In his case, what impacted him most were Christ’s passion and self-sacrifice on the cross, as well as Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.
On the same day as Jonás, Lourdes Ángel also received the sacrament of baptism. Like Jonás, she grew up in a Muslim family. However, she explained to ACI Prensa that she always felt it was abundantly clear “that Christ was present in my life; even though no one had ever spoken to me about him, I already felt his presence very deeply.”
“My mother always tried to instill the Muslim religion in me, but I always gravitated toward Christianity. It was as if my heart were already in another place, without having any formation” in the Catholic faith, the 21-year-old recalled.
She shared that God helped her escape a toxic relationship at the age of 19 and that it was then that she met her current boyfriend, who is involved with the Neocatechumenal Way. “I realized that God was calling me, and I wasn’t going to close the door on him or turn my back on him,” she recounted.
What struck her most about the Catholics she knew was seeing “that people were so happy. They follow God and are happy even when things go badly for them, even when they have problems from time to time. It’s as if they see something good in suffering and know that Christ has a better plan for them. I wanted that; I wanted to understand how they could be so happy.”
Breaking the parameters of their world
The journey both of them took to embrace the Catholic faith wasnʼt easy. “Leaving your initial faith,” Jonás explained, “is quite difficult, because ultimately it structures your life and [converting] entails breaking with the established framework of your world.”
What he found most difficult was conveying this decision to his family: “I don’t think they will ever understand it ... they simply cannot wrap their heads around the idea that someone could change something like that. To them, it’s like a kind of identity or culture more than a path that one must seek out and discover.”
Even so, Jonás said that Jesus Christ is the one who helps him keep going, the one who comforts him and gives him the necessary strength to persevere. “Even Jesus himself warns us that the world will not particularly love us ... if they did it to him, they’ll do it to us.”
For Lourdes, the most difficult part was leaving behind her former way of life and attempting to “fit God in without changing anything about myself.” She specifically recalled a lesson taught to her by her catechist: “You cannot bring God into your life without doing anything for him; you have to make room for him, and then you can worry about everything else.”
A new rebirth
Jonás cherishes a fond memory of the Easter Vigil, when he received the sacraments of Christian initiation alongside 47 other adults. “It was a very happy experience. The next day, I felt completed,” he recalled.
He said that, before receiving baptism, “I felt a rather large void in my life, one I tried to fill with various ideologies ... the truth is that I was living in a state of considerable internal disorder within my soul, within my spirit.”
“After accepting Jesus into my heart,” Jonás continued, “I believe I am a much more ordered person in the moral aspect. Now I view others not merely as instruments but truly as creations of God made in God’s image and that makes me feel complete; it’s been like being reborn.”
He also shared that he tries to go to Mass every day. “For me, the Eucharist is like a spiritual treasure, what recharges me with spiritual strength. The body of Christ gives us grace and the capacity to view the world in a supernatural way, not merely through human eyes, but to also see it somewhat like Jesus would,” he said.
Accompaniment and faith in community
On this journey of conversion, he said he is especially grateful for the guidance of his catechist as well as that of the parish priest and his fellow parishioners. He also highlighted the importance of living out one’s faith with the support of others and within a community, for as he pointed out, “in isolation, people succumb; they grow weak.”
Along these same lines, Lourdes emphasized that “forming yourself alone” is not the same as having the assistance of a catechist: “You are much more conscious of what you are receiving and of what you are going to do at Easter,” she emphasized.
Lourdes also recalled her baptism “with great joy.” Ultimately, she noted, “you receive Christ himself, something truly astonishing,” just as the realization “that God loved me despite everything I had done. He was there waiting for me, and I am very happy to have received him.”
Jonás encouraged those going through a similar situation not to give up, pointing out that the process of conversion “does not happen over a single weekend.”
“Don’t give up,“ he said. ”Ultimately, as Jesus said, a Christian is not accepted in his own home, nor in his own family. I would tell them to persevere, to draw strength from the words of Jesus in the Gospel, to come to know him, to continue inquiring and discerning, and to seek out people who share their beliefs and can help them.”
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 to sick and caregivers: ‘In the various situations of life, no one should be left alone’
In recognizing the work of the Italian Association for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (AISLA, by its Italian acronym), Pope Leo affirmed that “in the various situations of life — especially the difficult ones — no one should be left alone.”
His words were delivered during an audience with members of the association, which took place Saturday at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican.
The Holy Father stated that the work of AISLA “unites people experiencing an illness—along with their family members and caregivers—in a therapeutic alliance of great closeness and proximity that faithfully reflects the manner in which Jesus himself approached those who suffer.”
ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, affects nerve cells in the brain, brainstem, and spinal cord that control the movement of voluntary muscles. The disease causes motor nerve cells to deteriorate or die, rendering them unable to send messages to the muscles.
Over time, this leads to muscle weakness, spasms, and an inability to move the arms, legs, and body. The condition continues to worsen, and when the muscles in the chest area cease to function, breathing becomes difficult or impossible.
The Pope expressed that patients — with commitment, faith, and courage — “bear witness that the goodness and value of life are greater than illness,” and that the challenges it presents “can be faced together, transforming them into special and privileged opportunities to give and receive love.”
“Thank you for this! As prophets, you teach everyone the true value of life — and our world desperately needs this message!” Pope Leo said.
He strongly emphasized the closeness of the association’s members to the sick — something he considers “very important,” as healthcare requires presence “for the well-being of the person in their various dimensions: biological, psychological, and spiritual.”
“The Church deeply senses the value of this ‘closeness’: standing alongside people — wherever they are, in their homes — to offer support, not only in terms of care but also in terms of spirituality, paying special attention to the questions regarding the meaning of suffering — questions that cannot be left unanswered,” he underscored.
“In the various situations of life — especially the difficult ones — no one should be left alone; and volunteering, which unites people through generosity, powerfully embodies this value by fostering solidarity and respect, and by responding with gestures of care to the culture of waste and death,” he added.
Finally, he invited them to reflect upon the Passion of Jesus, who chose to experience it “as a time of trial, of physical pain and spiritual suffering,” standing in solidarity with humanity to the very end and demonstrating to them “that pain and suffering cannot halt love nor nullify the power of God.”
Augustiner Brewery delivers beer
On May 9, Pope Leo also received pilgrims from the Edith Haberland-Wagner Foundation and the Augustiner Brewery, who presented him with beer as a gift. This gesture allowed the Pontiff to offer two points for reflection.
First, he highlighted the pilgrims' connection to the Augustinian Order, to which he himself belongs. In this regard, he recalled the impact of Saint Augustine on his own life — a figure who “reminds us that we all possess gifts and talents bestowed upon us by God, and that our purpose, fulfillment, and joy derive from offering them in loving service to God and to our neighbor.”
The Augustiner Brewery is the oldest brewery in Munich and the last to remain privately owned. Its history dates back to 1328.
“I hope, therefore, that your pilgrimage not only strengthens you in faith but also inspires you to continue serving your brothers and sisters, especially those most in need,” he affirmed.
Then, recalling Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato Si’, the Holy Father stated that man is called not only to care for creation, but also to “ensure that its resources are always used with wisdom and with a view to justice — an indispensable prerequisite for peace.”
“Therefore, upon returning home, I encourage you to continue contributing to the promotion of a just and effective approach to the care of creation, both in the professional and personal spheres, for the common good,” he concluded, imparting his blessing upon all present.
Pope Leo meets with Haiti’s prime minister
Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, prime minister of Haiti, a country which continues to suffer from a wave of violence and insecurity, was received by Pope Leo on Saturday.
Following the meeting, the Holy See Press Office reported that the discussions between the two men focused on “the good relations between the Holy See and Haiti” and “the valuable contribution that the Church offers to the country at this particular time.”
The meeting’s readout indicated that various current issues facing Haiti were also addressed during the meeting, including “the socio-political situation and challenges in the humanitarian matters, migration, and security” as well as “the necessary contribution of the international community in addressing the present difficulties.”
Following his meeting with the Holy Father, the prime minister was received by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations.
Haiti’s ongoing turmoil
Haiti continues to experience a complex situation of violence and insecurity, particularly in the country’s capital of Port-au-Prince, where armed gangs operate freely, controlling a large portion of the region.
In the midst of this backdrop, which also affects the Catholic Church, general elections are slated to be held on August 30, 2026, to elect the new president, members of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, as well as mayors.
The last elections in Haiti took place in 2016 and were marked by controversy. Following that process, Jovenel Moïse assumed the presidency. Moïse was assassinated in 2021 and since then Haiti has spiraled into further political chaos and violence.
Given the situation, in February of this year Bishop Pierre-André Dumas of Anse-à-Veau-Miragoâne, the current vice president of the country’s bishops’ conference, anticipated that this year’s elections will neither be “transparent” nor “democratic.”