“I like you better without your beretta,” said James Bond to his love interest after meeting her for the second time.  Had she been wearing some sort of French hat when they first met?  No, she had been wearing a gun.  James Bond had spied the woman’s Beretta handgun under her dress.  At their second […]

In this challenging time God has chosen for us to live in, we need all the spiritual help we can get. Our Lady has been given to us as a model, guide, and helper. She, in turn, has given us her Holy Rosary as lifeline, a weapon, and a consolation. If we choose to pray […]

ENCOUNTERING THE WORD — YOUR DAILY BIBLE VERSES “Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!” – Psalm 66:20 Please help spread the Gospel. Share this Scripture with family and friends on Facebook and other social media. We are grateful for your support… Can you give […]

The post Your Daily Bible Verses — Psalm 66:20 appeared first on Integrated Catholic Life™.

Saint Pontian, who became pope in 230 AD, and Saint Hippolytus, a prominent theologian and priest, are remembered for their significant roles in the early Church and their steadfast witness to the faith. Their lives intersected during a tumultuous period of Christian persecution. Pontian was elected pope during a time of intense persecution under the […]

ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 12, 2025 / 17:38 pm (CNA).

At 76 years of age, and despite being wheelchair-bound, Reynaldo José Osorio Muñoz doesn’t let these factors interfere with his desire to serve God at the altar of his parish in Colombia. With love and dedication, he participates as an altar server at Mass, dedicating his service to God, the Church, and his fellow parishioners.

Osorio lives at the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Senior Citizen Wellness Center, a Christian-inspired institution dedicated to the comprehensive care of vulnerable seniors.

According to its website, the center offers meals, medical care, recreational activities, and cultural and spiritual formation, “allowing them to meet their basic needs and improve their quality of life in a safe and harmonious environment, through medical and human care, with love and respect.”

For a year, Osorio has been serving as an acolyte at Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Parish in the Diocese of Santa Marta, capital of the Colombian district of Magdalena, located in the Caribbean region.

As he shared in an interview with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, his initial involvement began with ringing the bell to announce the start of Mass to his fellow residents at the center. Over time, and thanks to the trust of a priest, that small action transformed into a deeper commitment to the altar.

“For me, it’s a very beautiful thing that I never expected because of my age. But thank God he placed me in this position. I appreciate it very much and I love [what I do] at the altar,” he said.

According to the Colombian Bishops’ Conference, the acolyte is called to “attend to service of the altar, assist the priest and deacon, and serve in the various processions” as well as assist with the incense, the liturgical book, the preparation of the altar, and the purification of the sacred vessels. He may also assist at the offertory, distribute Communion as an extraordinary minister, and expose and reserve the Blessed Sacrament, although without imparting the blessing.

Beyond these visible tasks, the ministry requires, as the same document points out, a “love of the sacraments, of Eucharistic worship, the offering of oneself, and the care of others, especially the most needy and the sick.”

A service for the love of God

“I am very devout and I believe deeply in God, and I always ask him to enlighten me,” Osorio said. In this regard, he said that even for this task, God “has enlightened me so that I may do it. That’s why I do it with all the love and appreciation.”

Since taking on this service, he said he feels “satisfied because I serve God, the Church, and all of us,” referring to his fellow residents at the center. And although he acknowledges his physical limitations, he said that he carries out his ministry “with all the love, with all the enjoyment, with everything I can manage to do.”

For the church’s parish priest, Father Mario Rafael González García, Osorio is not defined by his physical “limitations.” 

In an interview with ACI Prensa, he said he is a person “with a very good sense of humor, cheerful, dynamic, talkative, and with faith.”

On the occasion of the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly, celebrated on July 27, Pope Leo XIV called on every ecclesial community to be protagonists of a “revolution of gratitude and care” for the elderly.

The pope explained that this must be done “by regular visits to the elderly, the creation of networks of support and prayer for them and with them, and the forging of relationships that can restore hope and dignity to those who feel forgotten.”

Osorio’s testimony, according to González, is an example of this, and “we owe him gratitude for his witness of faith and care in his old age.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 12, 2025 / 17:07 pm (CNA).

Here’s a roundup of some of the latest Catholic education news:

Catholic University Press will exclusively publish Pope Leo XIV’s doctoral dissertation

The Catholic University of America has secured exclusive English-language editorial rights to Pope Leo XIV’s doctoral dissertation, “The Office and Authority of the Local Prior in the Order of St. Augustine.”

The book will be available in print and Kindle editions in October, according to an Aug. 11 press release, with a foreword by Dominican Father Thomas Joseph White, rector of the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, also known as the Angelicum, where the Holy Father defended his dissertation in 1987.

“While the future pontiff’s dissertation focuses on the role of the prior as the local superior in the Augustinians, his insights as a young priest in areas such as Church authority, the spiritual life following the way of St. Augustine, and the mission of the priesthood are of interest as they relate to contemporary Church leadership and Church life,” the press release states.

Catholic high school in St. Louis playing ‘the long game’ to help rebuild city

Administrators at St. Mary’s South Side Catholic High School are playing “the long game” to help revitalize St. Louis, and their neighborhood of Dutchtown, with the launch of a new HVAC and plumbing internship program for seniors.

“We believe in what our neighborhood and city can be, and we are all in on doing the work,” the school’s president, Mike England, said at an Aug. 12 press conference, according to the St. Louis Review. “There are no quick fixes. This is the long game, but each day, we will work to move the needle in a positive way to better support our young men, our families, and our community through our Catholic values and teaching.” This comes after the school bought its Dutchtown campus from the Archdiocese of St. Louis last month.

Bishop Conley announces rollout of new theology curriculum for high school freshmen 

In a video posted to social media on Wednesday, Bishop James Conley of Lincoln, Nebraska, announced a new theology curriculum for high school freshmen that will be implemented across the diocese’s six high schools.

The new curriculum, which he said the diocese has been working on for the past four years, will be rolled out this upcoming school year and will eventually be built out for sophomores, juniors, and seniors over the next four years. 

“We hope to be able to put together a beautiful curriculum that integrates all of our subjects and is historically aligned and gives us this coherent and integrated view of the world and how everything fits together and is connected in a beautiful whole education,” Conley said. 

Gonzaga teams up with Catholic Charities to launch small local business program 

Gonzaga University has partnered with Catholic Charities Eastern Washington to launch a new entrepreneurship program for low-income families to help grow their own small businesses, according to a local report.

The Spokane Entrepreneurship and Empowerment Network “will offer hands-on training, mentorship, and consulting to aspiring entrepreneurs, with a focus on small-scale businesses like housekeeping, pet care, skilled trades, and landscaping,” according to the report.

Baltimore, Milwaukee Catholic colleges band together to address teacher shortage

Notre Dame of Maryland University in Baltimore and Mount Mary University in Milwaukee are partnering to counteract staffing shortages by working to boost the number of students obtaining advanced degrees, according to the Catholic Review.

The partnership will allow Mount Mary master’s students to transfer to one of Notre Dame of Maryland’s two online doctorate in education programs, allowing students to transfer up to 12 credits from their master’s programs, saving both time and money. The university’s presidents celebrated the partnership in a signing ceremony on Aug. 1.

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 12, 2025 / 17:07 pm (CNA).

Here’s a roundup of some of the latest Catholic education news:

Catholic University Press will exclusively publish Pope Leo XIV’s doctoral dissertation

The Catholic University of America has secured exclusive English-language editorial rights to Pope Leo XIV’s doctoral dissertation, “The Office and Authority of the Local Prior in the Order of St. Augustine.”

The book will be available in print and Kindle editions in October, according to an Aug. 11 press release, with a foreword by Dominican Father Thomas Joseph White, rector of the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, also known as the Angelicum, where the Holy Father defended his dissertation in 1987.

“While the future pontiff’s dissertation focuses on the role of the prior as the local superior in the Augustinians, his insights as a young priest in areas such as Church authority, the spiritual life following the way of St. Augustine, and the mission of the priesthood are of interest as they relate to contemporary Church leadership and Church life,” the press release states.

Catholic high school in St. Louis playing ‘the long game’ to help rebuild city

Administrators at St. Mary’s South Side Catholic High School are playing “the long game” to help revitalize St. Louis, and their neighborhood of Dutchtown, with the launch of a new HVAC and plumbing internship program for seniors.

“We believe in what our neighborhood and city can be, and we are all in on doing the work,” the school’s president, Mike England, said at an Aug. 12 press conference, according to the St. Louis Review. “There are no quick fixes. This is the long game, but each day, we will work to move the needle in a positive way to better support our young men, our families, and our community through our Catholic values and teaching.” This comes after the school bought its Dutchtown campus from the Archdiocese of St. Louis last month.

Bishop Conley announces rollout of new theology curriculum for high school freshmen 

In a video posted to social media on Wednesday, Bishop James Conley of Lincoln, Nebraska, announced a new theology curriculum for high school freshmen that will be implemented across the diocese’s six high schools.

The new curriculum, which he said the diocese has been working on for the past four years, will be rolled out this upcoming school year and will eventually be built out for sophomores, juniors, and seniors over the next four years. 

“We hope to be able to put together a beautiful curriculum that integrates all of our subjects and is historically aligned and gives us this coherent and integrated view of the world and how everything fits together and is connected in a beautiful whole education,” Conley said. 

Gonzaga teams up with Catholic Charities to launch small local business program 

Gonzaga University has partnered with Catholic Charities Eastern Washington to launch a new entrepreneurship program for low-income families to help grow their own small businesses, according to a local report.

The Spokane Entrepreneurship and Empowerment Network “will offer hands-on training, mentorship, and consulting to aspiring entrepreneurs, with a focus on small-scale businesses like housekeeping, pet care, skilled trades, and landscaping,” according to the report.

Baltimore, Milwaukee Catholic colleges band together to address teacher shortage

Notre Dame of Maryland University in Baltimore and Mount Mary University in Milwaukee are partnering to counteract staffing shortages by working to boost the number of students obtaining advanced degrees, according to the Catholic Review.

The partnership will allow Mount Mary master’s students to transfer to one of Notre Dame of Maryland’s two online doctorate in education programs, allowing students to transfer up to 12 credits from their master’s programs, saving both time and money. The university’s presidents celebrated the partnership in a signing ceremony on Aug. 1.

Buenos Aires, Argentina, Aug 12, 2025 / 16:22 pm (CNA).

The government of Buenos Aires province in Argentina will distribute the 168-page book “The Teacher: The Humanism of Pope Francis” in public and private schools, an initiative that seeks to keep his legacy alive and transmit his thought to new generations.

Gov. Axel Kicillof and the archbishop of La Plata (the provincial capital), Gustavo Carrara, were present at the presentation of the book, produced by the province’s General Directorate of Culture and Education.

The book seeks to keep alive the legacy of the Argentine pontiff, who died on April 21. With this initiative, the governor stated, the pope’s thought will be present in all schools in Buenos Aires province.

The director general of culture and education, Alberto Sileoni, remembered Francis as an “educator who conveyed his teaching through ideas and actions, promoting the pedagogy of inclusion and encounter throughout his life,” according to the Argentine newspaper La Nación.

He also described him as “an Argentine concerned about the life of his peoples and a school that embraces, teaches, and leaves no one out.”

Religious figures such as Carrara and Father José María Di Paola as well as educator Adriana Puiggrós, who offered her reflective perspective on Jorge Bergoglio’s papacy, participated in the development of the book.

The book includes various messages addressed to different sectors of society as well as excerpts from the Global Compact on Education.

The archbishop of La Plata stated that the book “perfectly captures the essence of Francis’ thought and is a very valuable tool for conveying the richness of his ideas.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

CNA Staff, Aug 12, 2025 / 15:52 pm (CNA).

A religious institute in New Zealand has lost its appeal to the Vatican to continue public ministry in the Diocese of Christchurch after the local bishop ordered the ban amid allegations of unauthorized exorcisms and other abuses.

Christchurch Bishop Michael Gielen said in an Aug. 10 letter to his diocese that the Vatican “rejected in its entirety” the appeal of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer after Gielen forbade the community from ministering in Christchurch last year.

The bishop said in July 2024 that the community had been subject to an apostolic visitation by Australian Bishop Robert McGuckin. Gielen removed the ministry faculties of the members after the Vatican’s recommendation and also asked the group “to leave the Christchurch Diocese.”

Gielen in both letters did not clarify why the community was being investigated and sanctioned, but the Christchurch Press reported that the subject of the inquiry was “alleged abuse and unauthorized exorcisms.” The New Zealand Herald reported on those allegations in 2023.

In his Aug. 10 letter, Gielen noted that the institute continued its ministry in the diocese during the appeal.

The Vatican’s rejection of the appeal, the bishop noted, means the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer remains under the ban, which also applies to “priests who arrived after the decrees were announced.”

“My foremost concern remains the spiritual health and unity” of the Christchurch Diocese, the bishop said.

The Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer own the island of Papa Stronsay in the North Sea off the Scottish coast, where they operate a monastery and farm.

The community, formed in 1988 following a monastic rule based on that of St. Alphonsus Ligouri, was formally erected as a religious institute in 2012. They describe themselves as a “congregation of missionary monks” who regularly “leave their contemplative life and set out on voyages”  to “preach the eternal truths in the form of missions wherever they are invited.”

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 12, 2025 / 14:54 pm (CNA).

As advocates in Baltimore work to end violent crime in the area, officials with the Archdiocese of Baltimore are bringing to the city a sculpture of Jesus mourning a homicide victim.

The statue, made by Catholic artist Timothy Schmalz, is titled “Thou Shall Not Kill.”

On Aug. 9 the archdiocese held its third annual gun buyback program, inviting citizens to surrender their guns for cash to help lessen violence in the city. The Baltimore City Police Department, St. Joseph’s Monastery Parish, and the Health by Southwest coalition helped the archdiocese sponsor the event.

Following the success of the buybacks, St. Joseph’s Monastery parish priest Father Mike Murphy, the archdiocese, and community leaders are working to bring Schmalz’s work of Christian public art to the city.

The life-sized statue by Schmalz portrays Jesus weeping over a murder victim who has multiple gunshot wounds. 

The original piece was created in 2024 and is at the Father Augustus Tolton Peace Center, a hub for violence prevention programs in Chicago. The statue that will be placed in Baltimore is awaiting final approval of its designated location.

Schmalz is an internationally acclaimed Canadian sculptor known for his Christian works of art, including statues of saints, angels, and his well-known depictions of Jesus portrayed as a homeless man. 

More than 50 bronze works of “Homeless Jesus” are installed in locations around the world including Capernaum in Israel and Vatican City.

In April, a new Vatican-commissioned sculpture by the artist titled “Be Welcoming” was placed in St. Peter’s Square to inspire people to open their hearts to the poor. The bronze statue depicts a man seated on a bench who appears to be homeless, carrying a backpack on his shoulder and a stick in one hand.

In Baltimore, the goal for this year’s gun buyback program was to receive around 300 guns after buying nearly 160 in 2023 and 300 in 2024. By July the organizers had raised about $60,000 to fund the purchases of guns brought in. The 2025 buyback ultimately collected 410 firearms.

The latest buyback occurred as crime, including gun violence, has been dropping in Baltimore, though the city has long struggled with high levels of violent crime. 

From 2015–2022 the city recorded more than 300 homicides annually, including 348 in 2019, which almost equaled the record of 353 in 1993.