Church hails acquittal of Missionaries of Charity nun in India trafficking case
The acquittal of an elderly Missionaries of Charity (MC) nun and two others in a much-publicized “child trafficking” case at Ranchi in the eastern state of Jharkhand has been widely hailed by the Church.
“We thank God for this (court) verdict. We are happy as our prayers have been heard,” Sister Concettina, MC secretary general, told EWTN News June 19 from the Mother House in Kolkata.
“Finally, 8 long years ordeal has come to an end,” Archbishop Vincent Aind of Ranchi and head of the Catholic Church in Jharkhand told EWTN News, reacting to the June 18 verdict of the Ranchi district court.
On July 4, 2018, 62-year-old MC Sister Concilia and two aides from the MC home for unwed mothers at Jail Road in Ranchi were arrested on the allegation by Rupa Verma, the chairwoman of the Child Welfare Committee for the Ranchi district, that the home had sold a 14-day-old infant boy to a couple.
The sensational news of “child trafficking” against the Missionaries of Charity, the congregation founded by Mother Teresa, made worldwide headlines.
A flurry of criticism followed after the federal Ministry for Women and Child Welfare under the Hindu nationalist BJP government tried to malign the MC congregation by even ordering inspection of all MC homes across the country, as detailed in this National Catholic Register report.
On July 11, The Republic, a major news channel known for publicizing BJP perspectives, alleged that the number of babies missing from the Missionaries of Charity home was as many as 280 and branded the congregation as a “multimillion corporation.” However, three days later, the channel abandoned its hyperbolic earlier allegation and reported instead about “three babies sold.”
Even the Supreme Court of India denied bail to the accused nun, who was released after 14 months on bail from the Jharkhand High Court.
“We are happy that the judiciary has thrown out the concocted case,” Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas, who was then secretary general of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), told EWTN News.
“The whole allegation was part of a conspiracy to tarnish the image of the Church and has to be seen in the background of the political atmosphere in Jharkhand (under BJP rule) at the time with concerted attempts to discredit the Church. Church institutions were having visits of investigation teams in late evenings,” Mascarenhas said.
Following this case, he said, 22 children — from infants to those below five years — who were under nutritional care at the nearby MC home at Hinoo were taken away by the government, and two of the children died.
“I met the (federal) home minister to communicate the ridicule, humiliation, and distress the Missionaries of Charity congregation faced and the pain of the Church in India over the wild allegation,” said Mascarenhas, now bishop of Daltonganj in Jharkhand.
“I cannot forget the face of the tearful Sr. Concilia when I met her in jail when she told me ‘I am hungry for Eucharist,’” he added.
Meanwhile, church sources in Ranchi told EWTN News that the news of the court’s rejection of the “child trafficking” charge against the MCs has been virtually blacked out in the Jharkhand media, let alone the entire national media.
Detroit Archdiocese forecasts suspension of weekend Masses at 90 parishes
Weekend Masses could be suspended at a total of 90 parishes across southeast Michigan, according to plans revealed by the Archdiocese of Detroit.
Previously released models identified 58 parishes for potential stoppage of weekend Masses. An additional 32 parishes could see a suspension in weekend Masses.
The models released June 18 cover several planning areas across parts of metro Detroit and nearby counties including Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb.
The latest update follows the completion of 400 listening sessions at parishes across the archdiocese amid its two-year restructuring process. While the listening sessions are complete, parishioners are invited to share feedback through an online form available until July 31.
Archbishop Edward Weisenburger announced the restructuring and renewal initiative for the archdiocese on Nov. 16, 2025, saying: “I believe with all my heart that God is inviting us to reimagine parish life, priestly ministry, and our mission with new creativity and deep faith, to build something that will last — something vibrant, sustainable, and full of hope.”
Weisenburger said at the time that a reduction in the number of parishes and worship sites was expected and that implementation of the plan would take place in 2027, “with a goal of fostering long-term health and missionary vitality throughout the archdiocese.”
A similar suspension of weekend Masses at more than 80 parishes across northeastern Iowa will also take place this summer as a part of the Archdiocese of Dubuque, Iowa’s reorganization plan that began in September 2024.
Like the Archdiocese of Detroit, the Archdiocese of Dubuque cited a declining Catholic population, lower participation in the sacraments, and a continuously shrinking number of priests as reason for its restructuring.
Pope Leo urges youth to seek ‘true peace’ and ‘perfect joy’
In a message to thousands of participants on the 50th anniversary of the Steubenville Youth Conferences, Pope Leo XIV encouraged young Catholics to seek “true peace” and “perfect joy” through a deeper relationship with God, drawing inspiration from the life and teachings of St. Francis of Assisi.
Hosted by Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, the annual conferences are large Catholic youth evangelization events for high school students in North America. Since their founding in 1976, the conferences have drawn hundreds of thousands of young people for worship, Eucharistic adoration, confession, catechesis, and fellowship.
This year more than 43,000 teenagers are expected to participate in conferences held in Steubenville and at regional sites across North America. There is no known record of any previous papal message to the Steubenville conferences.
In his message, the pope reflected on the witness of St. Francis of Assisi and wrote on two themes that defined the saint’s life: authentic peace and perfect joy.
Recalling St. Francis’ traditional greeting, “peace and all good,” the pope emphasized that true peace is a gift from God and flows from a relationship with Christ. He encouraged participants to seek moments of silence and prayer during the conferences to discover the peace that Christ promised disciples and to become instruments of that peace in their families, communities, and society.
The Holy Father also addressed the meaning of “perfect joy,” drawing on St. Francis’ teaching that lasting happiness is not found in material success, popularity, entertainment, or social media. Instead, he explained, true joy comes from knowing God’s love and remaining faithful even amid suffering, rejection, and hardship.
The pope recalled St. Francis’ explanation for what perfect joy is. He wrote: “One winter evening, as he was walking back to Assisi with Brother Leo, one of the first members of the Franciscan order, St. Francis began to give a long list of apparently ‘good’ things that do not lead to perfect joy. At a certain point, Brother Leo finally exclaimed, ‘Father Francis, I pray that you will teach me about perfect joy!’”
Then, the pope wrote, St. Francis recounted “a tragic situation that implied suffering cold, hunger, and rejection — the opposite of what you would expect — and added that if such difficulties are embraced with patience, without complaining, and with love for God, ‘This is perfect joy.’”
“Is it really possible to have joy in such difficult circumstances, we might ask? It is only possible if our life is founded upon our relationship with God as a loving Father,” the pope wrote.
“Only the love of God can provide us with true and perfect joy,” the pope wrote, reminding young people that they are precious in God’s eyes and loved unconditionally by him. He urged conference participants to deepen their relationship with Christ through prayer, the sacraments, and trust in God’s providence.
The message concluded with an invitation to discern God’s call. Whether to marriage, priesthood, religious life, or missionary service, the pope encouraged young people not to be afraid to respond generously if they sense the Lord calling them to a particular vocation.
Colombian pro-life caucus celebrates victories, eyes new challenges
Colombia’s Congressional Pro-Life and Pro-Family Caucus on June 16 presented a detailed report on its four-year legislative record, highlighting its growth from 24 to 52 members and key victories including the passage of three landmark laws and the successful defense of traditional marriage, while warning of fresh battles as the new Congress convenes on July 20.
The caucus, which first formed in 2020, established ad hoc committees for the defense of life, family, and religious freedom in both chambers, coordinated by Rep. Luis Miguel López and Sen. Karina Espinosa.
Over the 2022–2026 term, the group advanced more than 30 legislative initiatives, three of which became law: Law 2310 of 2023 (the “Empty Arms” Law) providing comprehensive support for parents mourning miscarriage or newborn loss; Law 2361 of 2024 strengthening public policy on breastfeeding and human milk banks; and Law 2495 of 2025 creating the “Made by Family” Seal to support family-owned businesses.
The caucus also successfully modified Bill 155/23C to define marriage in the Civil Code as between “a man and a woman.” The bill initially stated that marriage is between “two adults.”
Furthermore, the caucus blocked or amended “articles to defend the family, life, and religious freedom.”
In the report, members of the caucus addressed not only their achievements but also “the battles fought against harmful bills, many of which were ultimately shelved thanks to the joint action of the caucus members.”
“Each victory represents a step toward solidifying the goal of ensuring that the voices of those who defend life and the family have a place in democratic debate,” the report notes.
The caucus also successfully eliminated the tax on churches within the Tax Reform and removed Article 277 of Bill 338/23C — the “2022–2026 National Development Plan” — which sought to establish a public policy favoring abortion and other “sexual and reproductive rights.’”
Furthermore, prevented from moving forward in the legislative process were initiatives “seeking to legalize cannabis, the four statutory bills on euthanasia, the more than 10 bills seeking to impose gender ideology, and the three statutory bills seeking to authorize surrogacy, among others.”
Nevertheless, the report notes that “the challenges ahead are enormous” for the members of the pro-life caucus during the term beginning on July 20.
Among these challenges are “continuing to strengthen the unity of the pro-life caucus, broadening its influence on public opinion, and confronting with solid arguments and constructive proposals the cultural and legislative challenges that put the values we defend under strain.”
“The struggle for life, family, and religious freedom is ongoing, and this report stands as a testament to the fact that, with perseverance and commitment, significant victories can be achieved and the groundwork laid for those yet to come.”
In the lead-up to the congressional elections on March 8, the citizens' group Unidos por la Vida (United for Life) encouraged candidates to sign the “Commitment to Life and Family.”
Following the official vote count, the group reported that more than 30 of the candidates who signed the pledge were elected to the new Congress. They will form the next pro-life caucus in the Legislature, alongside any other lawmakers who wish to join.
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.
Justice Department joins Catholic nuns’ lawsuit against New York’s housing rule
The Department of Justice (DOJ) joined in a lawsuit filed by Catholic nuns against a New York law that forces nursing facilities to require that women’s units accommodate transgender women, who are biologically male.
The Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, who have cared for terminal cancer patients at no charge for 125 years, sued the state after the New York Department of Health sent them three warnings about not following the transgender policies.
One letter warns about “refusing to assign a room to a resident other than in accordance with the resident’s gender identity,” “prohibiting a resident from using a restroom available to other persons of the same gender identity,” and “willfully and repeatedly failing to use a resident’s preferred name or pronouns after being clearly informed of the preferred name or pronouns.”
On June 18, the DOJ notified the U.S. District Court of its intent to intervene on behalf of the sisters, asserting that New York’s law violates their constitutional right to equal protection as a religious group.
“States should take notice that they cannot require Americans to abandon their religious beliefs in the name of woke gender ideology,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the DOJ Civil Rights Division said in a statement.
“For more than a century, the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne have provided free palliative care to indigent cancer patients in their last days,” she said. “New York’s law would force these religious women to choose between their faith and their license if they wish to continue serving the dying.”
The sisters argue that the state is violating their First Amendment right to the free exercise of religion. They also argue their First Amendment rights are being violated because the state is trying to force them to communicate a point of view with which they disagree.
The Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne operate Rosary Hill Home, a 42-bed nursing home in Thornwood, New York.
Justice Department looks into alleged MLB religious discrimination
Major League Baseball (MLB) is coming under federal investigation for potentially discriminating against San Francisco Giants players who displayed Bible verses on their uniforms during the team’s gay pride celebrations.
Harmeet Dhillon, assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ), sent a letter to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred on June 18 that said the DOJ will use all available means to hold employers accountable for discrimination and referred the matter to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
The Giants held a “Pride Night” on June 12 in which most players wore caps that infused the colors of the Progress Pride Flag onto the team’s logo, which was advertised as a “celebration of Pride and the LGBTQIA+ community” during a game against the Chicago Cubs.
Starting pitcher Landen Roupp and two relief pitchers wore the caps but wrote Bible verses next to the rainbow-colored logo. Roupp wrote “Genesis 9:12-16,” in which God tells Noah the rainbow is “the sign of the covenant that I am making between me and you and every living creature with you for all ages to come” and promises to never flood the entire Earth again.
The Giants apologized in a statement to the San Francisco Standard, saying the display “caused pain and anger to many in the LGBTQ+ community.” It also prompted an official warning from the MLB to not display handwritten messages in any future games.
The DOJ letter cites an MLB explanation for why the players were warned, reported by NBC News, which said the warning is not disciplinary and “had absolutely nothing to do with the content of the message.” Rather, the MLB cited a rule that prohibits displays of writings and messages on uniforms.
However, Dhillon accused the MLB of having a “double standard” in how it enforces this rule, noting the MLB allowed players to wear “Black Lives Matter” messages in spite of the broad prohibition.
Dhillon’s letter noted that employers cannot legally use “facially neutral” policies as “a pretext for discrimination” and said the selective enforcement “calls MLB’s true motives into question” and raises questions about whether the league is complying with federal civil rights protections. She also cited Supreme Court precedent requiring employers to accommodate religious expression in uniform rules.
“The Civil Rights Act prohibits MLB and its franchises from unreasonably burdening the rights of players with religious objections to serving as the league’s vehicle for pro-Pride messages,” she wrote to the commissioner.
Neither the MLB nor the Giants responded to a request for comment.
Support from archdiocese
The players got public support from the Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco, which was first reported by the New York Post.
Peter Marlow, a spokesperson for the archdiocese, said in statements provided to EWTN News that “people of faith should not be compelled to hide or suppress their sincerely held religious convictions in public life, including in the world of professional sports.”
“In a diverse society, respect should be a two-way street,” he said. “Just as individuals with same-sex attraction deserve to be treated with dignity and free from unjust discrimination, people of faith deserve the freedom to express their beliefs peacefully and respectfully without being presumed hostile or hateful.”
While he said he understands that “some individuals may have been offended,” he added: “We do not believe that a respectful reference to sacred Scripture should be viewed as inherently hurtful or exclusionary.”
Other controversies
This investigation also comes less than one month after the Nationals fired Sean Hudson, its former director of community relations, for saying the team tries to avoid the inclusion of pitcher Trevor Williams in promotional materials because of his strong Catholic faith.
Williams was outspoken against the Los Angeles Dodgers giving a Pride Night award to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence — a group of drag queens who dress like Catholic nuns and mock Catholic symbols and practices, which includes a blasphemous satire of the Mass.
This week, Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colorado, reiterated her call for a DOJ investigation into that incident and questioned a long-standing rule that exempts the league from antitrust regulations. In her June 17 letter, she demanded a response within 10 days to her concerns about alleged patterns of discriminatory behavior from the MLB.
“No private organization, even one granted special legal status, should be permitted to penalize or marginalize Americans for objecting to the public mockery of their faith,” she wrote. “MLB’s privileged antitrust position must not serve as a license for exclusionary practices.”
The Nationals did not respond to a request for comment.
Controversies about pride celebrations have also extended into the minor leagues, with the York Revolution forfeiting a game because some players refused to wear pride-themed jerseys. This team is part of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which is a partner of the MLB.
The team issued a statement saying the players’ refusal to participate in pride is “completely inconsistent with our vision.” The statement said they decided to cancel the game and host a separate Pride event “out of respect for the Pride community and the York community.”
U.S. permanent diaconate hits record size as retirements rise
WASHINGTON — The Catholic Church’s permanent diaconate in the United States reached a record size in 2025. Still, a national survey suggested the ministry may be approaching a demographic crossroads as aging membership, retirements, and deaths increasingly offset ordinations.
The findings come from the “A Portrait of the Permanent Diaconate in 2025,” an annual survey conducted by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University on behalf of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations.
The survey was administered between February and May, asking about the previous year. CARA received responses from 143 of the 185 archdioceses, dioceses, archeparchies, and eparchies whose bishops and eparchs belong to the USCCB and have an active Office of Deacons, for a 77% overall response rate.
Researchers estimated that 21,562 permanent deacons serve in the United States, a record high. The previous year’s report showed 20,212 U.S. deacons.
Yet beneath the 2025 record figure, the report revealed signs of stagnation that could shape the future of the ministry carried out by married or unmarried men ordained as permanent deacons to preach, teach, baptize, witness marriages, and lead charitable service.
“The 2025 diaconate portrait shows a remarkable rebound, estimating 570 ordinations compared to 494 retirements and 390 deaths,” Sister Thu Do, LHC, the report’s primary researcher, told EWTN News. “While we are moving toward a healthier replacement rate than in previous years, the workload for active deacons remains intense.”
Growth slows despite record numbers
The report estimated that 13,864 deacons are active in ministry, while thousands of others are retired or no longer serving in active assignments.
Although the overall number of deacons increased slightly from the previous year, growth has slowed considerably. The survey found that losses from retirement and death are nearly matching the number of men entering the ministry.
During the 2025 calendar year, 466 permanent deacons were ordained, the study showed. Extrapolating to include those who did not respond to the survey, it can be estimated that there were 570 deacons ordained in the United States in 2025, according to the report. At the same time, 494 deacons retired from active ministry, and another 390 deacons died, the report said.
The data suggest that growth will depend heavily on whether dioceses can attract and form enough candidates to replace those leaving ministry.
An aging ministry
The report’s findings highlight that the permanent diaconate is aging rapidly, and its pipeline isn’t keeping up.
The median age of active deacons is 69, while the median age of all permanent deacons, including retirees, is 70. Only a small percentage of active deacons are younger than 50.
The report indicates that the permanent diaconate remains one of the oldest groups of ordained ministers in the Church in the United States.
The aging trend is also reflected in the number of deacons who retire each year. In many dioceses, retirements outpace growth, contributing to concerns that the ministry could begin declining in size if ordination rates do not increase, the report said.
Demographic profile
The survey found that the vast majority of permanent deacons are married, with only a small percentage being widowed or never married.
Racial and ethnic diversity within the diaconate continues to increase, though most deacons are non-Hispanic white, the report said. Hispanic and Latino Catholics represent a growing share of both active deacons and men in formation, the report said.
“I want to highlight how beautifully the diaconate reflects the growing cultural diversity of the U.S. Catholic Church,” Sister Thu said. “This dynamic adaptation equips men to serve communities in their heart languages, serving as a wonderful testament to the universal and living nature of the Church.”
Questions about the future
The report does not forecast an imminent decline in the permanent diaconate. However, its findings point to growing demographic pressures that could limit future expansion.
While the total number of deacons has reached a historic high, the ministry’s growth increasingly depends on replacing aging members rather than expanding into new territory as retirements and deaths consume much of the annual increase generated by ordinations.
“This signals a crucial transition,” Sister Thu said. “To maintain vibrant parish ministries and avoid a pastoral vacuum as our senior deacons rightfully retire, we must actively encourage the next generation of men to discern and hear this call.”
Canada enacts hate crime law that removes long-standing religious exemption
Canada’s Parliament has passed a bill that strengthens the prosecution of hate crimes but removes a long‑standing protection for expressing religious beliefs, raising concerns among Catholic leaders.
The legislation, named the Combatting Hate Act (Bill C-9), received Royal Assent on June 18 and is set to take effect July 18. The law increases penalties for hate‑motivated offenses, adds new protections against intimidation or blocking access to places of worship, and bans the promotion of terrorism or certain hate symbols. It also repeals a section of the Criminal Code that said a person could not be convicted for “in good faith” expressing an opinion on a religious subject or based on a religious text.
Cardinal Frank Leo of Toronto urged lawmakers to “carefully consider amendments that will provide clear and unambiguous protection for freedom of religion, conscience, and expression.”
Missionaries of Charity acquitted by Indian court in child trafficking case
The Ranchi Civil Court of Jharkhand, India, has acquitted Missionaries of Charity Sister Concelia Baxla of 2018 charges of child trafficking.
Baxla had been accused of cooperating with the sale of a 2-week-old baby from a home for unwed mothers for 50,000 rupees.
“This has taken eight years to get cleared,” Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas of Daltonganj, a former general secretary of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India, said, according to an Asia News report Thursday. “Today, after years of suffering, prayer, and perseverance, truth has prevailed.” The decision comes after the sister spent three years in prison before being granted bail and an intense investigation of the congregation’s facilities across the Indian state of Jharkhand, the report noted.
U.S.-born missionary sister who helped shape African Bible dies at 87
Tributes poured in following the death of Sister Mary Augustine Nemer, a member of the Pious Society of the Daughters of St. Paul who spent more than three decades serving the Church in East Africa.
Nemer, who died Tuesday, according to a report from ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, contributed significantly to the publication of the African Bible, one of the most important Catholic publishing projects on the continent. Beyond publishing, the late Sister Mary Augustine assisted sisters serving in Africa with immigration documentation, taught English, catechetics, and the Constitutions of the Daughters of St. Paul, and played a key role in the formation of young women preparing for religious life.
Coptic Catholic synod focuses on education and the diaspora
The Coptic Catholic Synod concluded its two-day meeting in Egypt with discussions focused on pastoral life, education, and the future of communities outside Egypt, ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, reported Wednesday.
The bishops expressed support for the Upper Egypt Association for Education and emphasized the importance of developing its mission while preserving its Catholic identity. A point of discussion was the possible establishment of the first Coptic Catholic eparchy in the diaspora. The synod also reviewed developments related to Egypt’s Christian personal status law and reflected on Catholic social teaching in the age of artificial intelligence, especially the need to protect human dignity, truth, justice, and peace.
Weapons theft revealed in murder case of 11 Catholics in Northern Ireland
Documents detailing the theft of a British army gun later used to murder 11 Catholics in Northern Ireland have been revealed more than 50 years later amid an ongoing civil case against the country’s police service and Ministry of Defence by a surviving family member.
The documents, which were not provided to investigation teams, link a Sterling submachine gun stolen from a military base in Northern Ireland in May 1974 to two gang members, who family survivor Eugene Reavey claims were involved in the murder of his three brothers, John Martin Reavey, Brian Reavey, and Anthony Reavey, according to an Irish News report on Tuesday. The stolen gun was used to kill 11 Catholics in 1975 and 1976.
Patriarch Paul III Nona receives Kurdish officials in Ankawa
Newly installed Chaldean Patriarch Paul III Nona received senior officials from the Kurdistan Region during his first pastoral visit outside the patriarchal diocese.
The meetings in Ankawa included congratulations from President Nechirvan Barzani, Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani, and other political and civil figures, ACI MENA reported Wednesday. Discussions focused on the situation of Christians in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, coexistence, and the protection of the country’s religious and cultural diversity. Patriarch Nona thanked the Kurdish leadership and recalled the region’s role in receiving displaced Christians after the ISIS invasion in 2014.
He also stressed the need to help Christians regain confidence, remain in their homeland, and find safe conditions and work opportunities that could encourage displaced and emigrated families to return.
‘We still have a long way to go,’ says archbishop in Democratic Republic of Congo
Archbishop François-Xavier Maroy Rusengo of Bukavu in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has expressed concern over persistent insecurity and violence in the eastern part of the country, lamenting that decades of conflict continue to undermine efforts toward national unity and lasting peace.
“For three decades, we have lived through the horrors of war in eastern DRC. This situation shows that we still have a long way to go in building a united nation, one family of Godʼs children living on the land the Lord has entrusted to us,” the archbishop said during a Thanksgiving Mass marking the 20th anniversary of his installation on Thursday, ACI Africa reported. Drawing on the Gospel message of love and reconciliation, Maroy urged Congolese citizens to embrace peaceful coexistence and work together for the common good.
Vatican recognizes martyrdom of 20 priests killed during Spanish Civil War
The Dicastery for the Causes of Saints recognized the martyrdom of Servant of God Juan Torres Torres and 19 companions from the Diocese of Ibiza in Spain who were killed out of hatred for the faith at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War in 1936.
On June 18, the Vatican published the decree regarding these martyrs as well as the heroic virtues of the Servant of God Clara Andreu y Malferit (1596–1628), a nun at the Hieronymite monastery of San Bartolomé in Inca in Mallorca.
The diocesan phase of the beatification process for these Spanish martyrs was opened in 2008 by Vicente Juan Segura, bishop of Ibiza, and concluded in 2015, when the cause was forwarded to the then-Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
The process was validated in January 2017, allowing work to proceed on the “positio,” the extensive report that compiles testimonies and details regarding the candidates' lives and virtues and examines their writings.
The report was approved by historical consultants in 2025, and in 2026 it was submitted for review by the dicastery’s theological consultants and member cardinals and bishops.
Born in 1912, Father Juan Torres Torres was martyred at the age of 25; he was the youngest of his companions and the first to die at the hands of his murderers. The eldest was Father José Tur Bennassar, born in 1859, who was a cathedral canon at the time of his death. He died at Ibiza Castle on Sept. 13, 1936, alongside the majority of this group. The Diocese of Ibiza celebrates the feast of these martyrs on that date.
Sister Clara Andreu
Bárbara Andreu Malferit was born on Dec. 4, 1596. Her mother died during childbirth. At the age of 8, she entered the Monastery of San Bartolomé in Inca and took the name Clara, although she did not profess as a novice until she turned 12. She made her religious profession in 1613.
The Royal Academy of History highlights in her biography that “she was notable for the dedication with which she lived out the evangelical counsels and the precepts of the rule and constitutions of the Order of St. Jerome, in every role and wherever obedience placed her.”
She also “engaged in intense activity as an adviser to many people regarding their lives and conscience” and suffered from numerous illnesses. Censured “for the spiritual experiences of a mystical nature she claimed to have and had committed to writing” at the request of Bishop Baltasar de Borja of Mallorca, “she bore it all with exemplary resignation; following a special visit by the Franciscan Father Figuerola, spiritual peace was restored,” according to the biography.
After she died in 1628, "in light of the favors she performed for those who commended themselves to her,” the biography said her remains were placed in a tomb in the convent church in 1702.” Her body is incorrupt, which has heightened her reputation for holiness.
The diocesan phase of her cause concluded in 2011, where the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints in Rome has studied her case for 15 years.
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.
Conceived in rape, adopted on Juneteenth
Juneteenth, short for June 19, commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. For Ryan Bomberger, he also remembers the day his life changed through adoption.
Bomberger was conceived in rape. Even in states with strong protections for the unborn, these protections often don’t extend to children conceived in rape. Some consider these exceptions a mercy to women who have suffered assault; others consider abortion a secondary trauma.
“My birth mom chose courage in the midst of the chaos,” Bomberger told EWTN News. “She had a strength within that enabled her to be stronger than her circumstances.”
“She rejected what the world says was her right and, in some circles, her obligation,” Bomberger said. “The world looks at lives like mine and says we should have been aborted.”
“I have nothing but love and compassion for the post-abortive, but had my birth mom given in to the lie, I wouldn’t be here,” he said. “Those beautiful generational reverberations wouldn’t exist.”
“My family — my heart — wouldnʼt exist,” he said.
As an adult, Bomberger advocates for unborn babies and for adoption through the organization he co-founded with his wife, the Radiance Foundation.
Adopted into a diverse, loving family
After nearly being aborted, Bomberger was adopted into a large and loving family on June 19, 1971.
“I was the first of 10 children adopted and loved by parents who loved Jesus. They had three biological children prior to adopting,” he said. “We were a diverse family of white, Black, mixed, Asian, Native American, able, and disabled children from different backgrounds who became one family because of our faith.”
“We grew up on a farm in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania — the perfect place for all of us as we did life together,” Bomberger said. “People often looked at us, confused, trying to figure out whether we were a youth group, a team from school, or some other kind of unrelated crowd of kids. It was fun to see some of their reactions when they learned that we were all Bombergers.”
“Our family served as a powerful testament to the community about how color isn’t what binds us, but love is,” he said.
“I knew I was loved, unconditionally,” Bomberger said. “And I was a complete handful.”
Bomberger’s experience of adoption inspired him to advocate for adoption in his work — and to adopt two children.
Bomberger advocates for adoption through AdoptedAndLoved.com, an initiative that “helps defray expenses for Christian families seeking to adopt,” Bomberger said.
“I was grafted in as one of their own,” he said of the Bombergers. “That’s the beauty of adoption.”
“In the natural and the supernatural, it makes you a son or daughter without a disclaimer,” he continued. “It’s an act of love, mercy, and justice that helps brings wholeness and healing to what was broken.”
Juneteenth: Self-sacrificial love
For Bomberger, Juneteenth is a reminder of the unity of Christ’s love.
“Juneteenth broke through color barriers both in our nation’s history and in my own personal life,” Bomberger said. “Both situations took courageous white and Black people rejecting the lies about our humanity and choosing self-sacrificial love instead.”
“Juneteenth is a great reminder that there’s beauty in unity,” he said. “Only Christ’s love brings perfect unity.”
Bomberger advocates especially those targeted by Planned Parenthood, which often places locations in Black communities and has a history of eugenics and racism.
“Juneteenth demonstrates how truth has to get over so many obstacles to be finally heard and bring the freedom that is its very nature,” Bomberger said. “Our nation’s soul was finally moved by the truth that we’re created equal and led to the abolition of the inhumane institution of slavery.”
“My prayer is that the work I do helps bring this great nation to that same awakening when it comes to the inhumane institution of abortion,” he said.
How is the Black community targeted by the abortion industry?
Bomberger advocates against the abortions of all unborn babies, but especially Black babies.
He described Planned Parenthood as “the leading killer of Black lives.”
“Planned Parenthood kills more Black lives in two weeks than the KKK killed in a century,” Bomberger said.
Bomberger noted that Planned Parenthood has a past history of racism.
“Planned Parenthood has a long history of targeting the Black community initially through its eugenics programs including the Negro Project,” Bomberger said.
“Presently, it overtly targets the Black community with their facility placements, racial propaganda, marketing, and specific programs (i.e., Black Organizing Program, African-Americans for Planned Parenthood, and Stand with Black Women),” he said.
“They even admit in writing: ‘The fact is — Black people are our base,’” Bomberger continued.
“Planned Parenthood poses as an ally in a community they ravage with abortion,” he said.
Motivated by faith in Christ
Bomberger is inspired by his faith, his family, and love for all people.
“My faith in Jesus fuels my activism,” he said. “My resilient and resourceful wife, Bethany, who is the co-founder of our organization, inspires me.”
“1 Corinthians 13:6 says: ‘Love does not delight in evil, but it rejoices in the truth,’” he said.
“Everything I do is motivated by love for Christ and love for people,” he said.
“Our four children, two of whom were adopted, are the reason why we fight for the most marginalized,” he said. “They’ve been involved in our ministry since they were toddlers.”
His organization publishes children’s books that teach “an age-appropriate pro-life worldview” for kids.
“Each book shares the truth that every human life, whether planned, unplanned, able, or disabled, has God-given purpose.”
“We’ve taught them that every human life has equal and inherent worth from God, not government,” he said. “It’s been a blessing to see them, over the years, be able to communicate God’s heart for the most vulnerable through our original content and to live audiences across the country.”