Joyful, singing crowds were walking through Lisbon long after the opening Mass of World Youth Day 2023 was over Aug. 1. The atmosphere surprised even those that lived in the Portuguese capital throughout their lives.
Nation
In response to recent reports of inhumane actions along the Texas-Mexico border, the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops have issued a statement asking all “people of goodwill to join us in this work, and to join us in praying for our brothers and sisters experiencing the harsh realities of this journey, and for all who encounter them.”
Sheila and David Porter left their home in Newport News, Virginia, at 5 a.m. to celebrate the first anniversary of the Supreme Court’s landmark decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in Washington June 24. Together, the couple attended the 2023 National Celebrate Life Day rally held by national pro-life groups on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. The event commemorated the court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that overturned Roe, which legalized abortion nationwide in 1973, and freed states to decide abortion policy.
As the U.S. Catholic bishops heard at their spring assembly’s June 16 plenary session in Orlando, with support, open hearts and ears, and encouragement, World Youth Day 2023 can be not just a singular event, but become a movement to uplift the church for years and generations to come.
Retired Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan of Santa Fe, a former rector of Holy Trinity Seminary in Dallas, died June 3 at age 83.
As the nation celebrates the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Jan. 16, both personal conversion and action are needed to build what the slain civil rights leader called “the beloved community,” said Catholic clergy and lay leaders.