Autumn weather is starting to settle in here in the Kansas City metro area, and in my household it’s time to break out the fire pit, sweaters, hot drinks and casserole recipes. We’re celebrating some birthdays this weekend, and it looks to be a delightfully cozy time — I hope you have an excellent weekend yourself.
Below are some highlights from the news we covered this week:
— Tomorrow marks 40 years since the murder of Blessed Jerzy Popieluszko, the chaplain of Poland’s Solidarity union — the first independent trade union in the Soviet bloc — who was brutally murdered by officers of communist Poland’s security service. Earlier this week we had a story on him, interviewing his biographer, a childhood friend and others about his life story and the continued impact of his witness. It’s an interesting read for this weekend.
— Looking ahead, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops are gathering in Baltimore Nov. 11-14 for their 2024 fall plenary assembly — we’ll be covering that when the time comes, but in the meantime here are some possible items on their agenda (including some sainthood causes to keep an eye on.)
— Also, pilgrimage organizers are seeking eight young adults to spend six weeks next summer traveling with the Eucharist from Indiana to California as perpetual pilgrims in the United States’ second National Eucharistic Pilgrimage. Applications are due Nov. 1.
— Also in Eucharistic news, California-based Napa Institute and the Hallow prayer app collaborated on an event earlier this week that featured a spectacular Eucharistic procession through Midtown Manhattan in New York City — photos and a story can be found here.
With those last two news items, maybe I’ll attempt a bit of late-night adoration after the kids are asleep tonight. Hope you have a blessed weekend!
Megan Marley
Digital Editor
P.S.: Enjoy reading this roundup? Find more OSV News stories at osvnews.com and @OSVNews on social media, and sign up to receive our emails here.
Men grieve ‘shared suffering’ miscarriage differently than women, but can be overlooked
While the past decade has seen a growth in miscarriage ministries, especially online, most are geared toward women. However, how miscarriage affects fathers and how that affects their relationships is an often overlooked aspect of this ministry’s developing landscape, several experts told OSV News. (October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month.)
British court convicts army veteran for silent prayer in front of abortion clinic
A court has convicted a British army veteran of violating a “buffer zone” around an abortion clinic after he prayed silently within the boundary. The Oct. 16 judgment of the Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Council, or court, on England’s south coast, represents the first time anyone has been convicted for praying silently outside an abortion facility in the U.K.
LA Archdiocese to settle more than 1,300 historic abuse claims in new agreement
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has reached an agreement in principle worth $880 million to compensate more than a thousand decades-old claims of childhood sexual abuse. Announced Oct. 16 in a joint statement from archdiocesan counsel and a committee of plaintiffs’ lawyers, the global settlement caps a yearlong mediation process that followed California’s three-year revival of civil claims of past sexual abuse involving minors.
Cardinal Ryś: The church of ‘we’ saves the community from ‘clerical narcissism’
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Polls show tight contest in final stretch of presidential campaign season
U.S. POLITICS: Polls show a tight contest between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris in the final stretch of the 2024 campaign season.
High court hears ‘sham marriage’ immigration case raising risks for foreign-born spouse visas
U.S. Supreme Court justices appeared skeptical during Oct. 15 oral arguments of a challenge from American citizens about their spouses’ revoked visa after authorities found the spouse had previously engaged in a “sham marriage” for the purpose of immigration. J. Kevin Appleby, senior fellow for policy at the Center for Migration Studies of New York and the former director of migration policy for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, told OSV News that the immigration law involved is meant to protect valid unions, but attempting to subvert it through fraudulent marriage plays into the hands of those seeking to abolish citizenship for foreign-born spouses.
In November, two Sundays are devoted to prayer for persecuted Christians around world
A number of organizations are inviting faithful to pray for persecuted Christians throughout the month of November, as more than 365 million believers in Christ worldwide suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination, according to a 2024 report by the advocacy group Open Doors.
INTERNET: “Russia blocks Catholic, other religious websites amid war in Ukraine“
At home or abroad, mission work involves ‘radical transformation’ in Christ, says US missions expert
Ahead of World Mission Sunday — which the Catholic Church celebrates on the second to last Sunday in October, and which in 2024 falls on Oct. 20 — OSV News spoke with Kevin Foy, executive director of the United States Catholic Mission Association, on current perspectives and trends in mission work.
‘We must bring children up to the spotlight’: Praying and Learning con la Familia, a timely initiative in children’s ministry
As the U.S. Catholic Church is increasingly focusing on specialized ministerial formation to prepare leaders for various ministries, programs such as “Praying and Learning con la Familia,” developed by the Mexican American Catholic College in San Antonio, aim to highlight the unique needs of children’s spiritual growth, separate from youth ministry.
Dioceses navigate tensions, opportunities with Catholic homeschooling families
“Catholic homeschooling is one of the methods that empowers parents to engage in their children’s education while incorporating the teachings of the church into daily life,” said Bishop Alfred A. Schlert of the Diocese of Allentown, adding that parents “dedicating time and effort to educate their children on the truths of the faith … can work alongside the church to guide youth in discovering their God-given vocations — whether that be in holy marriage, the priesthood, or religious life.”EDUCATION: “Church leaders speak up after French school supervising body fires principal of Catholic school“