Prayer

The U.S. Catholic bishops have released a national prayer service text commemorating its immigrants and refugees, as well as those trafficked into slavery.

Under the bright Florida sun, Bishop Erik T. Pohlmeier of St. Augustine celebrated Mass to kick off the 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage on Pentecost.

Organizers of the event said they aimed to mark the nation’s upcoming 250th birthday “with Scripture, testimony, prayer, and rededication of our country as One Nation to God.”

“Any spiritual renewal worthy of its name is one that pierces the human heart, and that is something that an algorithm can’t do.”

Prayer, by its very definition, is dialogue with God. But do we really know how to pray — on our own, and together?

“The solution is not to detain them” but “to create a pathway for them to go through the process and become citizens and continue to build this country.”

The pope gave his reflections at St. Peter’s Basilica Saturday evening.

“Christ said, in response to what was the greatest command, that it was to love God with all you are,” said the team’s pilot.

Pope Leo emphasized the importance of the Gospel’s reach to “those oppressed by the evil that corrupts history and confuses consciences.”

Pope Leo XIV has called on Catholics to pray for priests who find themselves in crisis and to “support those who so often support us.”