As the nation’s Catholics are set to remember unborn children in prayer, a U.S. bishop is stressing that amid several positive developments in safeguarding human life, “many challenges remain” in making abortion “unthinkable.”
Nation
The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage is back for 2026 with a special route that will travel the East Coast from St. Augustine, Florida, to Portland, Maine, ending in Philadelphia, organizers announced Jan. 8.
In a revolutionary year, the spirited celebration of America’s 250th anniversary throughout 2026, the national shrine dedicated to the first U.S.-born saint is aiming to help patriotic revelers discover the place of “Mother Seton” among the pantheon of iconic nation-builders.
“Be open to what the Lord has in store for you,” Pope Leo XIV said in a video address to thousands of youth and young adults attending the SEEK 2026 conference.
Amid poinsettias and sparkling Christmas trees, Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis told Catholics gathered Dec. 28 at the Cathedral of St. Paul that the promise of the 2025 Jubilee of Hope did not disappoint, as the Church focused on mercy and conversion.
Pope Leo XIV has appointed Father James A. Misko, vicar general and moderator of the curia for the Diocese of Austin, Texas, as the bishop of Tucson, Arizona.
Several parishes and schools across western Washington have shut down operations due to historic flooding in the state.
Bishop Bruce A. Lewandowski of Providence offered prayers for “all affected by this tragedy” in the wake of a Dec. 13 shooting at Brown University that left two students dead and nine others injured.
More than 550 people attended a medical professionals conference at the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota, that focused on human dignity and explored the theme, “Mission-Driven Healthcare in a Profit-Driven World.”
Getting to know more deeply the people of Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis since a fatal shooting Aug. 27 during an all-school Mass has made clear how important prayer has been in keeping them together, Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda said Dec. 6.