2+ week, 6+ day ago (424+ words) The Good Newsroom | Instagram The Vatican Philatelic Office has released its 2025 commemorative stamps, a collection that unites faith, culture, and art in the Jubilee Year. Among the new issues is a 2.55-euro stamp honoring St. Kateri Tekakwitha " known as the "Lily of the Mohawks" " the first Native American saint from what is now the United States. The stamp depicts Kateri surrounded by natural imagery that evokes her Mohawk heritage and her profound sense of harmony with creation. It praises her as a "testimony of hope." Canonized in 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI, Kateri (16561680) was the daughter of a Mohawk father and an Algonquin Christian mother. After her conversion, she lived a life of prayer, chastity, and service to the sick, dying at only 24. For Indigenous and North American Catholics alike, her presence on a Vatican stamp represents a powerful acknowledgment of…...

1+ week, 2+ day ago (562+ words) Erdal Sekerr | Shutterstock November is olive-picking time in many parts of Italy. In the central Italian region of Umbria, many olive groves open up to visitors who can witness this ancient farming practice. In some cases, visitors are even welcome to take part in this beloved centuries-old ritual that sustains one of the most recognizable products in the world: olive oil. Catholic visitors to Umbria during the month of November would not be disappointed, as the history of olive oil production in this region is deeply intertwined with that of local monasteries. Beginning in the 12th century, abbeys and monasteries started to revive olive orchards that had been abandoned following the fall of the Roman Empire and the consequent decrease of Italy's population. Monks from Umbria revived ancient olive groves and developed new ones to supply growing demand for olive oil…...

3+ week, 4+ day ago (481+ words) In the Carmelite convent of Alba de Tormes, Spain, where the remains of St. Teresa of Jesus rest, science and faith have once again met face to face. A new forensic study has revealed that the linen cloths said to be the saint's are not mere devotional relics: They were burial shrouds, used to wrapRead More" The forensic enigma of St. Teresa's burial cloths, solved The forensic enigma of St. Teresa's burial cloths, solved Fray Juan de la Miseria - PD In the Carmelite convent of Alba de Tormes, Spain, where the remains of St. Teresa of Jesus rest, science and faith have once again met face to face. A new forensic study has revealed that the linen cloths said to be the saint's are not mere devotional relics: They were burial shrouds, used to wrap the body of the reformer…...

3+ week, 5+ day ago (631+ words) It all began with a letter to the shrine of Rocamadour, in which the archbishop of the Diocese of Fort-de-France (Martinique), David Macaire, expressed his desire to place his island under the protection of Our Lady of Rocamadour. But how should he represent her? For the archbishop, who had discovered the ancient history of this Black Madonna during previous missions with the Dominicans, the choice was obvious: She would be the patron saint of sailors and fishermen. Archbishop David Macaire shared his idea with the rector of the shrine, who was eager to embark on the adventure. But the archbishop wanted to give special meaning to this project. "He told us of his desire to see the Black Madonna arrive by sea," says Pierre-Henri de la Fage, director of the Rocamadour shrine. So the organizers of the Transat Caf" L'Or…...

2+ week, 2+ day ago (514+ words) Founded in the 19th century, the "Nouvelle Revue Th'ologique" lives up to its name. At a time when so many voices struggle to be heard, it continues to foster dialogue between Christian faith, contemporary culture, and critical reason. This dialogue, rooted in an understanding of the Scriptures, bears witness to a simple conviction: Christ makes all things new. The Nouvelle Revue Th'ologique ("New Theological Review") " affectionately nicknamed NRT " was founded by Father Jean-Joseph Loiseaux, a priest from the Belgian diocese of Tournai. It has been "at the service of research in the Church" since 1869, so its "newness" is more than 150 years old! But the "New" in its name comes not so much from its history as from its approach and originality in the world of theological journals. As Father Alban Massie, Jesuit and editor-in-chief, suggested during the 150th anniversary celebrations, the NRT…...

2+ week, 3+ day ago (234+ words) The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) elected a new conference secretary and additional six bishops to committee leadership roles on Wednesday, November 12, during its 2025 Fall Plenary Assembly. Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Ft. Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, was elected as the new conference secretary, defeating Archbishop James F. Checchio, coadjutor archbishop of New Orleans. He replaces Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, who was elected USCCB president on Tuesday, November. Bishop Rhoades will serve the remainder of Coakley's secretarial term, which goes until November 2027. Following the election of Rhoades as secretary, the bishops then elected six of their brothers to lead six of the USCCB's standing committees. Five of the elected bishops will serve for one year as "chairman-elect" of their committees before beginning a three-year term at the start of the Fall 2026 Plenary Assembly. One, Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland,…...

3+ week, 4+ day ago (414+ words) Pope Leo XIV's prayer intention for the month of November is for those who are struggling with suicidal thoughts. "Let us pray that those who are struggling with suicidal thoughts might find the support, care and love they need in their community, and be open to the beauty of life." The Pope Video, illustrating the November intention, was released today. It was produced and distributed by the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network with the support of the U.S. Diocese of Phoenix, and in collaboration with Vatican Media. The Holy Father prays: Lord Jesus,You who invite the weary and burdenedto come to You and rest in Your Heart,we ask You this month for all the peoplewho live in darkness and despair,especially for those strugglingwith suicidal thoughts. May they always find a communitythat welcomes them, listens to them, and accompanies them....

3+ week, 6+ day ago (928+ words) Myke Toman/Toman Imagery | Myke Toman/Toman Imagery When you come across cheesy religious art on greeting cards and in gift shops, it's easy to take the whole genre for granted. But this is a mistake, because true sacred art is something else entirely. Think of the Pieta or the Sistine Chapel " great religious art deeply affects us and inspires our faith. Our world needs this kind of art " art that is powerful, stirring, deeply moving. But what can we do when art in the modern world seems so far from our Catholic faith? One community in Houston found a brilliant, creative answer. "Society needs artists," St. John Paul II wrote in his 1999 Letter to Artists." You can't miss his letter if you're interested in art." In it, St. John Paul II called for "a new alliance" between artists and…...

2+ week, 2+ day ago (405+ words) The next National Eucharistic Congress will be held during the summer of 2029 in a to-be-determined city, the members of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) voted Wednesday, November 12. The bishops were asked to vote on an action item setting the date of the next National Eucharistic Congress as part of their annual Plenary Assembly meeting, which was held in Baltimore, Maryland. Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, addressed the USCCB, explaining that the 2029 date was chosen as to not conflict with World Youth Day in 2027 (in South Korea) or the International Eucharistic Congress in 2028 (in Australia). Bishop Cozzens said the location had been narrowed down to three cities, and that he had been in talks with leadership from all three about potentially hosting the event. The 10th National Eucharistic Congress, held in Indianapolis in 2024, was a "time of great…...

1+ week, 3+ day ago (502+ words) In 2022, during the meeting between Francis and indigenous leaders, some representatives visited the museum and expressed the wish to see them returned. On Saturday morning, Leo XIV received Pierre Goudreault, Bishop of Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocati're and President of the CCCB, accompanied by Archbishop Richard Smith of Vancouver, at the Apostolic Palace. At the end of the meeting, the Pope donated 62 objects from Canada's Indigenous communities, previously part of the Vatican Museums' ethnological collections, to the CCCB. "The Holy Father's gift is a tangible sign of his desire to help the bishops in Canada accompany Indigenous peoples in a spirit of reconciliation during the Jubilee Year of Hope and beyond," Bishop Goudreault said in a statement. The CCCB announced its intention to transfer these artifacts to national Indigenous organizations, which will be responsible for returning them to their communities of origin. The Holy…...