Lord we pray "Help me to continually increase parish vitality and reflect the presence of Christ in the world."

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Browsing News Entries

Pope tells youth at Steubenville conferences: 'Only the love of God can provide us with true and perfect joy' (CWN)

In a video message released this morning, Pope Leo XIV told participants in Franciscan University of Steubenville’s summer youth conferences that “only the love of God can provide us with true and perfect joy.”

Detroit archdiocese forecasts suspension of weekend Masses at 90 parishes (EWTN News)

Sunday Masses could be suspended at 90 parishes of the Archdiocese of Detroit, according to models released June 18 amid the archdiocese’s restructuring process.

The archdiocese has 209 parishes, 483 priests, and 47 seminarians, according to the 2025 edition of The Official Catholic Directory. 299 of the priests are diocesan, and 184 are religious; of the 299 diocesan priests, 197 are in active ministry.

In 1968, the archdiocese had 1,373 total priests (763 of them diocesan) and 345 parishes.

Shalom Catholic Community's founder discusses charism with Pope (Shalom Catholic Community)

Moysés Azevedo, founder and moderator of the Shalom Catholic Community, met with Pope Leo XIV on June 19.

Azevedo “presented to the Holy Father aspects of Shalom life and charism, as well as some of the main initiatives carried out by the Community in favor of the evangelizing action of the Church, with emphasis on the work aimed at youth and human promotion,” the community said in a statement.

Members of the community, according to the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, “feel united by the call to be disciples and ministers of peace, on a journey of contemplation, unity and evangelization, marked by spousal love for Jesus Christ and an experience of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.”

Founded in Brazil in 1982, the community attained Vatican recognition as an international association of the faithful in 2007.

Charlotte seminary faces shortfall after diocese reduces financial support for operations (CWN)

The seminary of the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina, faces a $200,000 shortfall following a reduction in diocesan financial support for operations, according to a fundraising appeal sent by the seminary’s rector.

Most US Catholics view Pope favorably; half think president has been too critical of him (Pew Research Center)

A survey of 9,750 U.S. adults found that 78% of Catholics view Pope Leo favorably—down from 84% last year—and that 51% of Catholics believe that President Donald Trump has been too critical of him.

The survey, conducted between May 26 and June 1, found that Catholics who attend Mass weekly are more likely to have a favorable view of the Pope than do Catholics who attend Mass seldom or never (85% vs. 73%). Likewise, Democrats are more likely to have a favorable view of the Pope than do Republicans (84% vs. 72%). Men and women have equally favorable views of the Pope.

According to Pew surveys that date back to 1987, Pope St. John Paul II’s favorability ratings varied from 91% to 93%; Pope Benedict’s, from 67% to 83%; and Pope Francis’s, from 72% to 90%.

Leading development banker meets with Pontiff (Vatican News (Italian, video))

Pope Leo XIV received Ilan Goldfajn, president of the Inter-American Development Bank, in an audience on June 19.

Goldfajn, who posts regularly on X, did not refer to the papal audience in his posts of the day. As is customary, the Vatican did not reveal the topics discussed, apart from a brief video highlighting a gift to the Pontiff.

Detroit Archdiocese Forecasts Suspension of Weekend Masses at 90 Parishes

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Vatican newspaper devotes 8 articles to refugees' plight (CWN)

The Vatican newspaper highlighted the plight of refugees with eight articles in its June 19 edition, published the day before World Refugee Day.

Jun. 20 Saturday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time, Weekday

The Roman Martyrology commemorates on this date St. John Matera (also known as John Pulsano) (1070-1139). St. John was a native of Matera, Italy and in his childhood longed to become a hermit. As a young man, he worked for a time as a shepherd in the service of a monastery. His exceptional austerity, however, was so irksome to the less fervent monks that he soon had to leave. Thereafter he journeyed from place to place as he strove to carry out God's will for him. At one point, acting upon a vision of Saint Peter he had experienced, John rebuilt a dilapidated church dedicated to the saint. Later, he traveled to Bari, where he preached with great efficacy. Certain individuals, motivated perhaps by jealousy, attacked the popular preacher with false charges of heresy, but he was in the end totally cleared of their accusations. Eventually John founded a Benedictine monastery at Pulsano and became its first abbot.