Posted on 07/2/2025 18:51 PM (CNA Daily News - US)
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 2, 2025 / 14:51 pm (CNA).
The Vatican has granted a parish in Texas an exemption from restrictions to the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) imposed by Pope Francis’ encyclical Traditionis Custodes.
The exemption, requested by Bishop Michael Sis on Feb. 6, was granted to St. Margaret of Scotland Parish in the Diocese of San Angelo, Texas.
No other such exemption by Pope Leo XIV has been reported since the start of his pontificate.
“The Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments informed me in a decree of May 28, 2025, that my request has been granted for a further two years for a dispensation from article 3§2 of the motu proprio Traditionis Custodes, so that Mass according to the ‘Missale Romanum’ of 1962 may be celebrated in the parish church of St. Margaret of Scotland in San Angelo,” Sis, who previously served as a member of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Doctrine, said in a statement he shared with CNA.
“Just as before,” he added, “the granting of this dispensation is based upon an ongoing effort to promote the full appreciation and acceptance of the liturgical books renewed by decree of the Second Vatican Council and promulgated by popes St. Paul VI and St. John Paul II.”
Sis noted further that when he submitted his request for the extension to the Vatican, he did so “with a spirit of total openness to whatever is the will of God.”
He continued: “I trust the judgment of our Holy Father Pope Leo and those who assist him in his ministry of unity through the various dicasteries of the Holy See.”
The exemption was originally announced in a June 27 social media post by the diocese’s director of vocations, Father Ryan Rojo.
I’m grateful to @Pontifex and to the Dicastery for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments for allowing the TLM to continue to exist in our parish church, extending permission for another two years. We look forward to shepherding them to heaven with love and care. pic.twitter.com/NBKUU0TRY4
— Fr. Ryan Rojo 🇺🇸🇻🇦🇲🇽 (@FrRyanRojo) June 27, 2025
“I’m grateful to @Pontifex and to the Dicastery for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments for allowing the TLM to continue to exist in our parish church, extending permission for another two years,” Rojo wrote in the June 27 post.
St. Margaret’s pastor, Father Freddy Perez, told CNA: “Now that we have the permission, the attitude is one of relief; I saw a lot of relief this past weekend.” Although the Vatican’s approval was dated May 28, Perez said he did not receive notification of the approval from his bishop until last week.
Perez revealed that the letter from the Vatican praised St. Margaret’s for the steps it took to follow the Holy Father’s motu proprio. The Vatican “commended our efforts and our ‘pastoral concern to instill a clear appreciation for the Church as unique, lex orandi,’” Perez told CNA, adding: “That’s a direct quote from the letter we were sent.”
Though the pastor noted some negativity from parishioners about having to ask permission to celebrate the TLM, his approach is to explain that “this is where the Church is right now, and is where we have to be obedient.”
Beyond the two-year extension, Perez said, “my hopes are just to continue to bring a positive experience of the liturgy to all of my people, to try to bring them into the Gospel, into the teachings of the Church, as we’re taught, and to try to teach them that the Mass gets us ready for heaven.”
Though the parish experienced uncertainty over whether it would be allowed to continue celebrating the TLM, Perez said the advice of Auxiliary Bishop Mario Avilés helped guide him. “The advice he gave me was very simple,” the pastor recalled. “He said: ‘Just be obedient, son.”
“And I think just putting my eyes on the Lord has satisfied everything that I wouldn’t be able to do through my own spirit of protest or my spirit of just being angry about not getting my way, by conforming my will to the will of Our Lord,” Perez reflected. “We’re in this world temporarily, and at the end of the day, we are asked to be faithful to Our Lord Jesus Christ and his holy mother Church.”
According to Perez, St. Margaret’s has been offering the TLM for just over five years, currently on Sunday afternoons and Thursday mornings.
The TLM community, he said, consists mostly of young families as well as curious people who are interested in experiencing the liturgy. The small parish consists of about 200 families, he said, noting that attendance at the TLM is usually on the larger side for the parish, with about 140 to 200 people each week.
News of St. Margaret’s exemption comes after the Archdiocese of Detroit announced earlier this month that non-parish churches in the archdiocese will be allowed to continue celebrating the TLM despite an earlier statement saying that most of the TLM celebrated in the area would be suspended.
The archdiocese reported that permissions given to parish church priests to carry out the TLM would expire and they could not be renewed, but Detroit Archbishop Edward Weisenburger said he would recognize at least four non-parish locations in the archdiocese where the TLM could still be celebrated.
Cardinal Raymond Burke, a champion of the traditional liturgy, has said he asked Pope Leo to remove measures restricting the celebration of TLM, stating at a conference in London recently: “It is my hope that he will, as soon as is reasonably possible, take up the study of this question.”
Posted on 07/2/2025 18:51 PM (CNA Daily News)
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 2, 2025 / 14:51 pm (CNA).
The Vatican has granted a parish in Texas an exemption from restrictions to the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) imposed by Pope Francis’ encyclical Traditionis Custodes.
The exemption, requested by Bishop Michael Sis on Feb. 6, was granted to St. Margaret of Scotland Parish in the Diocese of San Angelo, Texas.
No other such exemption by Pope Leo XIV has been reported since the start of his pontificate.
“The Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments informed me in a decree of May 28, 2025, that my request has been granted for a further two years for a dispensation from article 3§2 of the motu proprio Traditionis Custodes, so that Mass according to the ‘Missale Romanum’ of 1962 may be celebrated in the parish church of St. Margaret of Scotland in San Angelo,” Sis, who previously served as a member of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Doctrine, said in a statement he shared with CNA.
“Just as before,” he added, “the granting of this dispensation is based upon an ongoing effort to promote the full appreciation and acceptance of the liturgical books renewed by decree of the Second Vatican Council and promulgated by popes St. Paul VI and St. John Paul II.”
Sis noted further that when he submitted his request for the extension to the Vatican, he did so “with a spirit of total openness to whatever is the will of God.”
He continued: “I trust the judgment of our Holy Father Pope Leo and those who assist him in his ministry of unity through the various dicasteries of the Holy See.”
The exemption was originally announced in a June 27 social media post by the diocese’s director of vocations, Father Ryan Rojo.
I’m grateful to @Pontifex and to the Dicastery for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments for allowing the TLM to continue to exist in our parish church, extending permission for another two years. We look forward to shepherding them to heaven with love and care. pic.twitter.com/NBKUU0TRY4
— Fr. Ryan Rojo 🇺🇸🇻🇦🇲🇽 (@FrRyanRojo) June 27, 2025
“I’m grateful to @Pontifex and to the Dicastery for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments for allowing the TLM to continue to exist in our parish church, extending permission for another two years,” Rojo wrote in the June 27 post.
St. Margaret’s pastor, Father Freddy Perez, told CNA: “Now that we have the permission, the attitude is one of relief; I saw a lot of relief this past weekend.” Although the Vatican’s approval was dated May 28, Perez said he did not receive notification of the approval from his bishop until last week.
Perez revealed that the letter from the Vatican praised St. Margaret’s for the steps it took to follow the Holy Father’s motu proprio. The Vatican “commended our efforts and our ‘pastoral concern to instill a clear appreciation for the Church as unique, lex orandi,’” Perez told CNA, adding: “That’s a direct quote from the letter we were sent.”
Though the pastor noted some negativity from parishioners about having to ask permission to celebrate the TLM, his approach is to explain that “this is where the Church is right now, and is where we have to be obedient.”
Beyond the two-year extension, Perez said, “my hopes are just to continue to bring a positive experience of the liturgy to all of my people, to try to bring them into the Gospel, into the teachings of the Church, as we’re taught, and to try to teach them that the Mass gets us ready for heaven.”
Though the parish experienced uncertainty over whether it would be allowed to continue celebrating the TLM, Perez said the advice of Auxiliary Bishop Mario Avilés helped guide him. “The advice he gave me was very simple,” the pastor recalled. “He said: ‘Just be obedient, son.”
“And I think just putting my eyes on the Lord has satisfied everything that I wouldn’t be able to do through my own spirit of protest or my spirit of just being angry about not getting my way, by conforming my will to the will of Our Lord,” Perez reflected. “We’re in this world temporarily, and at the end of the day, we are asked to be faithful to Our Lord Jesus Christ and his holy mother Church.”
According to Perez, St. Margaret’s has been offering the TLM for just over five years, currently on Sunday afternoons and Thursday mornings.
The TLM community, he said, consists mostly of young families as well as curious people who are interested in experiencing the liturgy. The small parish consists of about 200 families, he said, noting that attendance at the TLM is usually on the larger side for the parish, with about 140 to 200 people each week.
News of St. Margaret’s exemption comes after the Archdiocese of Detroit announced earlier this month that non-parish churches in the archdiocese will be allowed to continue celebrating the TLM despite an earlier statement saying that most of the TLM celebrated in the area would be suspended.
The archdiocese reported that permissions given to parish church priests to carry out the TLM would expire and they could not be renewed, but Detroit Archbishop Edward Weisenburger said he would recognize at least four non-parish locations in the archdiocese where the TLM could still be celebrated.
Cardinal Raymond Burke, a champion of the traditional liturgy, has said he asked Pope Leo to remove measures restricting the celebration of TLM, stating at a conference in London recently: “It is my hope that he will, as soon as is reasonably possible, take up the study of this question.”
Posted on 07/2/2025 17:49 PM (CNA Daily News - US)
Vatican City, Jul 2, 2025 / 13:49 pm (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Daniel Garcia of Monterey, California, as the sixth bishop of Austin, Texas.
After leading the Diocese of Monterey for more than six years since 2018, Garcia, 64, has returned to his home state of Texas to serve the Austin Diocese as its leader.
At a July 2 press conference held by the Diocese of Austin, Garcia gave thanks to God for the local Church, which he described as “diverse in ethnicity, race, language, and way of life.”
“I was ordained a priest for this local Church in May of 1988,” he said on Wednesday. “It is filled with people of so many great gifts and talents and it is my hope to reacquaint myself with all of you whom I have known and get to know you whom I have not yet met.”
During his address given in English and in Spanish, the bishop emphasized that the Church and civil society cannot forget the “poor, the weak, and those who live on the margins” in its policies and practices.
The bishop, who is also a board member of Catholic Relief Services, quoted St. Vincent de Paul during his speech, saying: “It will be the poor who will be our entrance into heaven.”
Garcia, who celebrated the 10th anniversary of his episcopal consecration in January, was previously made auxiliary bishop of Austin and titular bishop of Capso by Pope Francis in 2015 before heading to Monterey.
Before becoming an auxiliary bishop for Austin, Garcia was parish vicar of St. Catherine of Siena there from 1988 to 1990, Cristo Rey from 1990 to 1991, St. Louis from 1991 to 1992, and St. Mary Magdalene from 1992 to 1995. Between 1995 and 2014, he was a parish priest at St. Vincent de Paul.
He is currently part of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ subcommittee on divine worship in Spanish.
While attending St. Mary’s Seminary in the 1980s, Garcia obtained a liberal arts degree and a master’s degree in divinity from the University of St. Thomas in Houston. He was awarded a master’s degree in liturgy from St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota, in 2007.
Posted on 07/2/2025 17:49 PM (CNA Daily News)
Vatican City, Jul 2, 2025 / 13:49 pm (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Daniel Garcia of Monterey, California, as the sixth bishop of Austin, Texas.
After leading the Diocese of Monterey for more than six years since 2018, Garcia, 64, has returned to his home state of Texas to serve the Austin Diocese as its leader.
At a July 2 press conference held by the Diocese of Austin, Garcia gave thanks to God for the local Church, which he described as “diverse in ethnicity, race, language, and way of life.”
“I was ordained a priest for this local Church in May of 1988,” he said on Wednesday. “It is filled with people of so many great gifts and talents and it is my hope to reacquaint myself with all of you whom I have known and get to know you whom I have not yet met.”
During his address given in English and in Spanish, the bishop emphasized that the Church and civil society cannot forget the “poor, the weak, and those who live on the margins” in its policies and practices.
The bishop, who is also a board member of Catholic Relief Services, quoted St. Vincent de Paul during his speech, saying: “It will be the poor who will be our entrance into heaven.”
Garcia, who celebrated the 10th anniversary of his episcopal consecration in January, was previously made auxiliary bishop of Austin and titular bishop of Capso by Pope Francis in 2015 before heading to Monterey.
Before becoming an auxiliary bishop for Austin, Garcia was parish vicar of St. Catherine of Siena there from 1988 to 1990, Cristo Rey from 1990 to 1991, St. Louis from 1991 to 1992, and St. Mary Magdalene from 1992 to 1995. Between 1995 and 2014, he was a parish priest at St. Vincent de Paul.
He is currently part of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ subcommittee on divine worship in Spanish.
While attending St. Mary’s Seminary in the 1980s, Garcia obtained a liberal arts degree and a master’s degree in divinity from the University of St. Thomas in Houston. He was awarded a master’s degree in liturgy from St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota, in 2007.
Posted on 07/2/2025 16:35 PM (CNA Daily News - Vatican)
Vatican City, Jul 2, 2025 / 12:35 pm (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV declared that nature should not be a “bargaining chip” in his message announcing the theme “Seeds of Peace and Hope” for the 10th World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, set for Sept. 1.
Drawing inspiration from Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, released 10 years ago, the Holy Father said the “Bible provides no justification for us to exercise ‘tyranny over creation’” and should therefore not be exploited.
“Nature itself is reduced at times to a bargaining chip, a commodity to be bartered for economic or political gain,” Leo said. “As a result, God’s creation turns into a battleground for the control of vital resources.”
The pope said poor nations, marginalized societies, and Indigenous communities are destabilized and penalized as a result of conflicts over water and natural resources as well as the destruction of forests and agricultural areas.
“These various wounds are the effect of sin,” he added. “This is surely not what God had in mind when he entrusted the earth to the men and women whom he created in his image.”
In his July 2 message, the pope said three things are necessary for genuine environmental justice: prayer, determination, and concrete actions.
Leo invited Catholics to prayerfully consider the significance of seeds as a metaphor of coming of the kingdom of God in Scripture, saying: “Jesus often used the image of the seed.”
“In Christ, we too are seeds, and indeed, ‘seeds of peace and hope,’” he said. “The prophet Isaiah tells us that the Spirit of God can make an arid and parched desert into a garden, a place of rest and serenity.”
Insisting that environmental justice is not an “abstract concept” or a “distant goal,” the Holy Father said “now is the time to follow words with deeds” in his message dedicated to the care of creation.
“By working with love and perseverance, we can sow many seeds of justice and thus contribute to the growth of peace and the renewal of hope,” he said.
This year, Pope Leo has twice visited sites linked to the Holy See’s integral ecology projects outside of Rome. In addition to visiting the Borgo Laudato Si’ project at Castel Gandolfo in May, he toured the proposed Vatican solar energy project site in Santa Maria di Galeria in June.
The Holy Father praised these initiatives, which serve as examples of “how people can live, work, and build community by applying the principles of the encyclical Laudato Si’.”
“I pray that Almighty God will send us in abundance his ‘Spirit from on high,’ so that these seeds, and others like them, may bring forth an abundant harvest of peace and hope,” the pope said.
Posted on 07/2/2025 16:35 PM (CNA Daily News)
Vatican City, Jul 2, 2025 / 12:35 pm (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV declared that nature should not be a “bargaining chip” in his message announcing the theme “Seeds of Peace and Hope” for the 10th World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, set for Sept. 1.
Drawing inspiration from Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, released 10 years ago, the Holy Father said the “Bible provides no justification for us to exercise ‘tyranny over creation’” and should therefore not be exploited.
“Nature itself is reduced at times to a bargaining chip, a commodity to be bartered for economic or political gain,” Leo said. “As a result, God’s creation turns into a battleground for the control of vital resources.”
The pope said poor nations, marginalized societies, and Indigenous communities are destabilized and penalized as a result of conflicts over water and natural resources as well as the destruction of forests and agricultural areas.
“These various wounds are the effect of sin,” he added. “This is surely not what God had in mind when he entrusted the earth to the men and women whom he created in his image.”
In his July 2 message, the pope said three things are necessary for genuine environmental justice: prayer, determination, and concrete actions.
Leo invited Catholics to prayerfully consider the significance of seeds as a metaphor of coming of the kingdom of God in Scripture, saying: “Jesus often used the image of the seed.”
“In Christ, we too are seeds, and indeed, ‘seeds of peace and hope,’” he said. “The prophet Isaiah tells us that the Spirit of God can make an arid and parched desert into a garden, a place of rest and serenity.”
Insisting that environmental justice is not an “abstract concept” or a “distant goal,” the Holy Father said “now is the time to follow words with deeds” in his message dedicated to the care of creation.
“By working with love and perseverance, we can sow many seeds of justice and thus contribute to the growth of peace and the renewal of hope,” he said.
This year, Pope Leo has twice visited sites linked to the Holy See’s integral ecology projects outside of Rome. In addition to visiting the Borgo Laudato Si’ project at Castel Gandolfo in May, he toured the proposed Vatican solar energy project site in Santa Maria di Galeria in June.
The Holy Father praised these initiatives, which serve as examples of “how people can live, work, and build community by applying the principles of the encyclical Laudato Si’.”
“I pray that Almighty God will send us in abundance his ‘Spirit from on high,’ so that these seeds, and others like them, may bring forth an abundant harvest of peace and hope,” the pope said.
Posted on 07/2/2025 15:17 PM (CNA Daily News - US)
CNA Staff, Jul 2, 2025 / 11:17 am (CNA).
The Diocese of Fresno in California filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on July 1, seeking to address more than 150 abuse claims filed there in what Bishop Joseph Brennan said was part of a “journey of conversion through contrition.”
Brennan announced the filing via a video message on Tuesday. The bishop’s message comes more than a year after he announced, in May 2024, that the diocese would seek the bankruptcy filing.
The prelate said the filing was “the only path that will allow us to handle claims of sexual abuse with compassion that is fair and equitable while simultaneously ensuring the continuation of ministry within our diocese.”
As with other dioceses in California and the U.S., the Fresno Diocese is facing a large number of allegations of clergy abuse. Brennan said last year that plaintiffs had lodged 154 sex abuse complaints against the Church there.
Those filings were made under a California law that temporarily relaxed the statute of limitations on sex abuse claims, allowing alleged victims a three-year window from 2019 to 2022 to file the complaints.
Brennan said the Fresno bankruptcy process will include allocating diocesan assets to “satisfy the claims against the diocese.” He added that a fund will also be established to pay abuse claims.
“Our Church must address the suffering that victims of clergy sexual abuse have endured,” he said.
“We know the sin. It will always be before us,” he continued. “Now that we have entered a journey of conversion through contrition and acknowledgement of the victims’ suffering, we must enter a path of reconciliation, which includes resolving the victims’ claims.”
The bishop urged the faithful to pray for abuse victims during the bankruptcy process.
In the bankruptcy petition, filed in U.S. bankruptcy court for the eastern district of California, Brennan authorized diocesan Chief Financial Officer Cynthia Martin and Vicar General Father Salvador Gonzalez to represent the diocese in the proceedings.
The bishop listed the diocese’s assets as between $50 million and $100 million, with between 1,000 and 5,000 creditors.
Posted on 07/2/2025 15:17 PM (CNA Daily News)
CNA Staff, Jul 2, 2025 / 11:17 am (CNA).
The Diocese of Fresno in California filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on July 1, seeking to address more than 150 abuse claims filed there in what Bishop Joseph Brennan said was part of a “journey of conversion through contrition.”
Brennan announced the filing via a video message on Tuesday. The bishop’s message comes more than a year after he announced, in May 2024, that the diocese would seek the bankruptcy filing.
The prelate said the filing was “the only path that will allow us to handle claims of sexual abuse with compassion that is fair and equitable while simultaneously ensuring the continuation of ministry within our diocese.”
As with other dioceses in California and the U.S., the Fresno Diocese is facing a large number of allegations of clergy abuse. Brennan said last year that plaintiffs had lodged 154 sex abuse complaints against the Church there.
Those filings were made under a California law that temporarily relaxed the statute of limitations on sex abuse claims, allowing alleged victims a three-year window from 2019 to 2022 to file the complaints.
Brennan said the Fresno bankruptcy process will include allocating diocesan assets to “satisfy the claims against the diocese.” He added that a fund will also be established to pay abuse claims.
“Our Church must address the suffering that victims of clergy sexual abuse have endured,” he said.
“We know the sin. It will always be before us,” he continued. “Now that we have entered a journey of conversion through contrition and acknowledgement of the victims’ suffering, we must enter a path of reconciliation, which includes resolving the victims’ claims.”
The bishop urged the faithful to pray for abuse victims during the bankruptcy process.
In the bankruptcy petition, filed in U.S. bankruptcy court for the eastern district of California, Brennan authorized diocesan Chief Financial Officer Cynthia Martin and Vicar General Father Salvador Gonzalez to represent the diocese in the proceedings.
The bishop listed the diocese’s assets as between $50 million and $100 million, with between 1,000 and 5,000 creditors.
Posted on 07/2/2025 14:00 PM (CNA Daily News)
Vatican City, Jul 2, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV recently offered marriage advice to a young American couple days after their wedding, sharing how he was blessed by the example of his own parents who prayed the rosary together every day.
Newlyweds Cole and Anna Stevens received Pope Leo’s personal blessing for their marriage during one of the pope’s first general audiences under the hot Roman summer sun on June 11, just four days after their wedding at the Cathedral of St. Paul in Birmingham, Alabama.
The moment, captured on video, became an unexpectedly intimate exchange with the American pope, who responded warmly to their question of how best to pray together as a married couple.
“First of all, it is very important to go slowly and to find the style of prayer that works for you and your spirituality,” Pope Leo replied in English.
“My parents prayed the rosary together their whole lives every day,” the pope said. “I found that I was always blessed by their love for one another and their faith in God … It’s a wonderful thing.”
The Stevenses, who now live in Pensacola, Florida, approached the crowded general audience in their wedding attire unsure if they would even get the chance to meet the pope. They were one of about 65 newlywed couples in St. Peter’s Square that day to receive the pope’s “‘sposi novelli’ blessing,” an opportunity that the Vatican offers each week to Catholics within six months of their wedding.
“We prayed a rosary while we were waiting for the audience [to begin] because we were in the square at 8 a.m.,” Cole said. “And the question that really came to my heart while we were praying the rosary [was] how can we deepen our faith, our prayer life inside of our marriage?”
Anna recalled how Pope Leo responded to Cole’s question as if there was no one else in the crowd at that moment.
“There was no rush in his voice. There was no looking around… He was solely focused on the question that Cole asked and then how could he answer it to the best of his abilities,” she said.
After the exchange, the couple gave the pope a prayer card from their wedding. “Then we asked for his personal blessing, which he gave to us … laying hands on us and blessing us.”
“He just entrusted us to the Holy Family,” Anna added, “and prayed over us that the Holy Family would watch over us, protect us, guide us, and lead us.”
Unbeknownst to Pope Leo, Cole had been holding a relic of the Holy Family — cloth that had touched St. Joseph’s staff, Our Lady’s veil, and Jesus’ manger — when he blessed them.
Cole, 24, originally from Colorado, and Anna, 25, a schoolteacher from Birmingham, Alabama, met on a blind date when Cole was pursuing his master’s degree at the University of Alabama.
“My good high school friend had met Cole and was asking Cole what kind of girl he was interested in,” Anna said. “And Cole threw out there ‘a Catholic volleyball player’ and she said, ‘Well, I have one girl for you.’ And that was me.”
“I played volleyball in college and I was her one Catholic friend. And so that was how we started off.”
Their relationship grew through long-distance calls and visits between cities in Alabama. “He took me to the [adoration] chapel on our third date,” Anna remembered. “And that’s where he ended up proposing two years later.”
They prayed novenas together for 90 days leading up to their wedding — to St. Joseph, Our Lady of Lourdes, and the Holy Family.
Their honeymoon, originally planned for the Amalfi coast, took a surprising turn when they realized the Vatican offered special blessings for newlyweds. “We were looking at Sorrento and we’re like two hours away,” Anna said. “Why would we skip out on the jubilee year and the Holy Doors? And then when we heard about the ‘sposi novelli,’ we were like, we have to go.”
It was Cole’s first time out of the country. “There’s no other experience in my life that I can look back on and say it was truly life-changing and just awe-striking at the same,” he said on meeting Pope Leo.
Back in Pensacola, Florida, Pope Leo’s advice has already shaped the young couple’s routine. “It’s funny,” Anna said. “At the end of the night we’re like, ‘Oh my goodness, we haven’t said the rosary. We have to say the rosary; Pope Leo told us to pray the rosary.’ And so we’ve built it in.”
Their solution? Rosary walks after dinner.
“Our new goal now is after dinner we go on rosary walks every night and that has been one of our favorite parts of the night,” Anna said. “It has been so peaceful. It is usually right around sunset.”
“We use it as a chance to pray for individual intentions throughout the week,” Cole added.
Anna, reflecting on the papal advice, said it’s important to work at “finding, like Pope Leo said, a way that works for you. So for us right now with our stage of life, it’s been rosary walks. And every couple will have a different stage and life and how they can pray the rosary together.”
What struck Cole most about the pope’s advice was its applicability. “I was surprised at how real it was… It was very practical in the sense of, here’s what my parents did, and find out what works for you. … I can actually use this advice.”
Posted on 07/2/2025 14:00 PM (CNA Daily News - Vatican)
Vatican City, Jul 2, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV recently offered marriage advice to a young American couple days after their wedding, sharing how he was blessed by the example of his own parents who prayed the rosary together every day.
Newlyweds Cole and Anna Stevens received Pope Leo’s personal blessing for their marriage during one of the pope’s first general audiences under the hot Roman summer sun on June 11, just four days after their wedding at the Cathedral of St. Paul in Birmingham, Alabama.
The moment, captured on video, became an unexpectedly intimate exchange with the American pope, who responded warmly to their question of how best to pray together as a married couple.
“First of all, it is very important to go slowly and to find the style of prayer that works for you and your spirituality,” Pope Leo replied in English.
“My parents prayed the rosary together their whole lives every day,” the pope said. “I found that I was always blessed by their love for one another and their faith in God … It’s a wonderful thing.”
The Stevenses, who now live in Pensacola, Florida, approached the crowded general audience in their wedding attire unsure if they would even get the chance to meet the pope. They were one of about 65 newlywed couples in St. Peter’s Square that day to receive the pope’s “‘sposi novelli’ blessing,” an opportunity that the Vatican offers each week to Catholics within six months of their wedding.
“We prayed a rosary while we were waiting for the audience [to begin] because we were in the square at 8 a.m.,” Cole said. “And the question that really came to my heart while we were praying the rosary [was] how can we deepen our faith, our prayer life inside of our marriage?”
Anna recalled how Pope Leo responded to Cole’s question as if there was no one else in the crowd at that moment.
“There was no rush in his voice. There was no looking around… He was solely focused on the question that Cole asked and then how could he answer it to the best of his abilities,” she said.
After the exchange, the couple gave the pope a prayer card from their wedding. “Then we asked for his personal blessing, which he gave to us … laying hands on us and blessing us.”
“He just entrusted us to the Holy Family,” Anna added, “and prayed over us that the Holy Family would watch over us, protect us, guide us, and lead us.”
Unbeknownst to Pope Leo, Cole had been holding a relic of the Holy Family — cloth that had touched St. Joseph’s staff, Our Lady’s veil, and Jesus’ manger — when he blessed them.
Cole, 24, originally from Colorado, and Anna, 25, a schoolteacher from Birmingham, Alabama, met on a blind date when Cole was pursuing his master’s degree at the University of Alabama.
“My good high school friend had met Cole and was asking Cole what kind of girl he was interested in,” Anna said. “And Cole threw out there ‘a Catholic volleyball player’ and she said, ‘Well, I have one girl for you.’ And that was me.”
“I played volleyball in college and I was her one Catholic friend. And so that was how we started off.”
Their relationship grew through long-distance calls and visits between cities in Alabama. “He took me to the [adoration] chapel on our third date,” Anna remembered. “And that’s where he ended up proposing two years later.”
They prayed novenas together for 90 days leading up to their wedding — to St. Joseph, Our Lady of Lourdes, and the Holy Family.
Their honeymoon, originally planned for the Amalfi coast, took a surprising turn when they realized the Vatican offered special blessings for newlyweds. “We were looking at Sorrento and we’re like two hours away,” Anna said. “Why would we skip out on the jubilee year and the Holy Doors? And then when we heard about the ‘sposi novelli,’ we were like, we have to go.”
It was Cole’s first time out of the country. “There’s no other experience in my life that I can look back on and say it was truly life-changing and just awe-striking at the same,” he said on meeting Pope Leo.
Back in Pensacola, Florida, Pope Leo’s advice has already shaped the young couple’s routine. “It’s funny,” Anna said. “At the end of the night we’re like, ‘Oh my goodness, we haven’t said the rosary. We have to say the rosary; Pope Leo told us to pray the rosary.’ And so we’ve built it in.”
Their solution? Rosary walks after dinner.
“Our new goal now is after dinner we go on rosary walks every night and that has been one of our favorite parts of the night,” Anna said. “It has been so peaceful. It is usually right around sunset.”
“We use it as a chance to pray for individual intentions throughout the week,” Cole added.
Anna, reflecting on the papal advice, said it’s important to work at “finding, like Pope Leo said, a way that works for you. So for us right now with our stage of life, it’s been rosary walks. And every couple will have a different stage and life and how they can pray the rosary together.”
What struck Cole most about the pope’s advice was its applicability. “I was surprised at how real it was… It was very practical in the sense of, here’s what my parents did, and find out what works for you. … I can actually use this advice.”