SENT founder John Cannon speaks at the September 2024 SENT Summit. / Credit: Carollynn Anne/Courtesy of SENT

National Catholic Register, Jun 23, 2025 / 13:06 pm (CNA).

Have an innovative idea for a Catholic-minded startup or ministry?

The SENT Summit may be just what you need to pitch your plan.

The summit is part of SENT Ventures’ broader vision to foster Catholic entrepreneurship in the secular world — fostering faith-driven entrepreneurship and innovation.

SENT Ventures’ fourth annual SENT Summit, to be held Sept. 8–11, expects to draw nearly 400 founders, investors, philanthropists, and nonprofit directors to the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. Now the largest U.S. gathering dedicated to “Spirit-led” Catholic enterprise, the summit pairs conventional business programming — keynotes, small-group breakouts, and sector-specific workshops — with daily Mass, adoration, and evening socials.

The format, organizers say, is meant to keep questions of capital and mission in the same conversation, showing how Catholic social teaching can guide decisions from product design to personnel policy.

A highlight for early-stage founders will be the summit’s third annual SENT “Pitch Competition.” Five finalists, selected on criteria including Catholic values alignment, market timing, and current traction, will present to a panel of venture capitalists and angel investors for the chance to receive a $10,000 grant and more than $50,000 in prizes, including business services. A previous winner, Presidio Healthcare, a pro-life insurance startup and the first of its kind, went on to raise $4 million in seed funding after its SENT appearance.

The deadline this year to apply for the Pitch Competition is July 25. 

Running alongside the startup track, the “Mission Showcase” offers emerging apostolates a similar platform. Up to five ministries will receive a $1,500 cash grant and paid ticket as well as stage time before major Catholic philanthropists. Past presenters range from MetaSaint — a Roblox-based catechetical game that has logged 300,000 users, with Roblox itself having 70 million daily users — to Forge, an Iowa-based men’s formation network that has since expanded across the Midwest and is endorsed by such Catholic figures as theologian Scott Hahn, Super Bowl champion Matt Birk, and New York Times bestselling author Leonard Sax.

The deadline to apply for the Mission Showcase is July 18.

Even those not selected to present should benefit, however, from the world-class coaching and application process, which helps sharpen mission and model.

Attendance has nearly doubled every year since SENT held its inaugural summit in 2022, forcing the first-ever registration cap this year. SENT founder John Cannon told the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner, this is because SENT “tries to run world-class events with deep Catholic spirituality — this includes starting every day with Mass and adoration, access to confession, inviting the top entrepreneurial leaders as speakers and presenters, and a strong culture of trying to lift others up.” 

As a former Carmelite monk for seven years before he was called back into the world of business, Cannon holds the firm conviction that business can — in fact, should — be both professionally excellent and integrally Catholic.

The summit is part of a wider SENT Ventures ecosystem that offers year-round masterminds to provide advisement, regional meetups, and mentorship circles aimed at Catholic professionals in startup culture. Cannon’s 2024 white paper “Entrepreneurs of the Spirit” illustrates that lay-led innovation has historically driven periods of great Church renewal — and today should be no different.

SENT’s organizers are showing year over year that their unique showcase of business strategizing and the silence of prayer resonates with Catholic leaders who view entrepreneurship as a vocation as well as a career. There is a great need in the Church to tell more stories of Catholics building businesses and apostolates outside traditional Church institutions.

“It’s not just another conference — it’s a thriving community,” Cannon said. “People often come to get some particular business value or make connections, which happens, but what stays with them is the friendship, the formation, and the sense that they’re not building alone.”

How you can apply

Send a query today.

How you can support sent

SENT Ventures is also actively seeking sponsors to scale these efforts.  

There are three main sponsorship opportunities:

— General summit sponsorship for brand visibility across the entire event

— Pitch Competition sponsorship to support high-growth Catholic startups

— Mission Showcase sponsorship to assist apostolates tackling pastoral and cultural challenges 

Interested parties are encouraged to reach out to Mary at Mary@sentventures.com.

This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner, and has been adapted by CNA.

In Knock, Ireland, on Sunday June 22, 2025, Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh urged the people of Ireland to “feel inspired and courageous” by the renewed consecration to the Sacred Heart. / Credit: Sean Flynn/Irish Catholic Bishops Conference

Dublin, Ireland, Jun 23, 2025 / 12:36 pm (CNA).

Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh urged the people of Ireland to “feel inspired and courageous” by the renewed consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Readings (Year C): Acts 12:1 – 11Psalm 34:2 – 3, 4 – 5, 6 – 7, 8 – 92 Timothy 4:6 – 8, 17 – 18Matthew 16:13 – 19 Reflection: The Lord stood by me and gave me strength Challenges come to us in myriads of ways and often leave us incapacitated, with little possibility […]

The post A reflection for the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles appeared first on U.S. Catholic.

When Pope Francis was elected in 2013, I was working as an economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). I watched the screen as a cardinal came onto the balcony to announce that Jorge Mario Bergoglio, a Jesuit, had been elected pope and had taken the name Francis. A tingle went down my spine. I […]

The post Pope Francis brought a fierce urgency to economic justice appeared first on U.S. Catholic.

Auxiliary Bishop Luis Manuel Alí Herrera is secretary of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. / Credit: “EWTN Noticias”/Screenshot

ACI Prensa Staff, Jun 23, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Auxiliary Bishop Luis Manuel Alí Herrera, secretary of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (PCTM, by its Italian acronym), contends that instead of a single reparative action, victims of abuse within the Church require “an in-depth process that listens to, welcomes, and accompanies.”

Alí Herrera explained that the harm done to such victims is “disastrous” as it harms “the very image of God, the [victim’s] relationship with the Church, interpersonal relationships, and one’s very identity. A victim sees their life plans and their ability to bounce back damaged,” Alí explained in an interview with “EWTN Noticias,” the Spanish-language broadcast edition of EWTN News.

The auxiliary bishop of Bogotá — who, along with the other members of his team, met with Pope Leo XIV two weeks ago — stated that the voice of survivors is at the center of the Church’s work and that the presence of victims within the commission itself is key to moving toward a true culture of prevention.

“We have victims on the pontifical commission; they are part of it as members. Their voice is essential to knowing how to speak to all victims and survivors, and also to guiding our responses in prevention processes,” he noted.

Since its creation in 2014, the PCTM, led by Cardinal Seán O’Malley, has been one of the Church’s most practical instruments for combating sexual abuse and promoting a culture of prevention.

The prelate shared that his pastoral perspective on this issue changed completely after hearing the testimony of a person who had suffered abuse.

“I had read, studied, and analyzed it. But it’s another thing entirely to be faced with the real pain, the tears, the despair of someone who has been deeply wounded. That transformed me,” he related.

For the commission’s secretary, a key part of the work of prevention begins with adequate psycho-affective formation of a candidate for the priesthood beginning at the very outset of seminary.

“Affective, communal, and sexual formation must be present from the preparatory phase to the end of theological formation. It must be across the board, continuous, and closely connected to the emotional world and interpersonal relationships,” he noted.

Regarding the impact of the abuse crisis on priestly vocations, Alí acknowledged that it has had painful but also positive effects.

“It has had an impact, because many pull back [from considering a priestly vocation] when they see news of cases. But it has also helped, because it has forced us to rethink vocation ministry and recognize that the priest is, above all, a human person, with wounds, crises, and emotions that he must learn to integrate,” the bishop explained.

Impact of Rupnik 

Regarding decisions such as that taken by the shrine at Lourdes, which this past March covered up the murals of the artist and former Jesuit Father Marko Rupnik, who is accused of serial sexual abuse, Alí believes it is necessary to act with discernment and empathy.

“Art can heal, but it can also retraumatize. It’s not about condemning beforehand but rather putting oneself in the shoes of the victims and not triggering their pain with gestures that may be insensitive,” Alí indicated.

With a clear appeal to the entire Church, Alí concluded: True reparation only begins when those who have suffered are truly listened to. “That listening, that closeness, is the first step toward restoring what has been broken: the image of God in each victim.”

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

Smoke from incense drifts in the air at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, California, where the 2025 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage concluded on June 22, 2025. / Credit: Jeffrey Bruno/EWTN

Los Angeles, Calif., Jun 22, 2025 / 23:23 pm (CNA).

The 2025 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage completed its 3,300-mile journey across the western United States on Sunday, having traversed 10 states, stopping in 20 dioceses and encountering thousands of enthusiastic parishioners.

The trek started May 18 in Indianapolis, the site of the 10th National Eucharistic Congress in 2024, and concluded 35 days later at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles. The pilgrimage was an outgrowth of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) three-year Eucharistic revival designed to promote belief in and devotion to the Eucharist among Catholics.

“We’ve had a wonderful reception, and the pilgrimage has borne much good fruit,” remarked Jason Shanks, president of the National Eucharistic Congress (NEC). “The pilgrims who have turned out have been in good spirits.”

The culminating event at the cathedral included Mass celebrated by U.S. apostolic nuncio Cardinal Christophe Pierre, a homily by Los Angeles Archbishop José Gómez, and a procession through the cathedral plaza.

Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, who led the USCCB’s Eucharistic revival program, and the auxiliary bishops of Los Angeles participated. The cathedral, which seats 3,000, was full, and the procession ended with Gómez blessing the city of Los Angeles in four directions, Shanks said, “which I hope will bring hope and healing to the city,” the scene of recent civil unrest.

The pilgrimage visited multiple sites of prominence in the archdiocese, including Corpus Christi Parish in Pacific Palisades and Sacred Heart Parish in Altadena, both of which are in the zones of wildfire destruction in Los Angeles’ Jan. 7 Palisades and Eaton fires (Corpus Christi was destroyed; Sacred Heart survived). The pilgrimage also stopped at the first and the last missions established in the Los Angeles area by St. Junipero Serra, Mission San Gabriel (founded in 1771), and Mission Basilica San Buenaventura (established in 1782).

Father Parker Sandoval, vice chancellor and senior director of ministerial services for the Los Angeles Archdiocese, was the main point of contact for the archdiocese and coordinated Los Angeles events with the NEC. He noted that each site at which the pilgrimage stopped was significant, such as of historical importance because they were 18th-century missions or because they were in the wildfire disaster zones.

“The archdiocese has been pleased to participate in the pilgrimage, and our hope and prayer is that the Eucharistic revival spreads far and wide,” he said.

Gómez, Pierre, Cozzens, and the auxiliary bishops participated in other events Friday through Sunday, including the events in the wildfire areas.

“We were there to pray for people and be part of the revival of life in those areas,” Cozzens said. “The people I spoke to told me that they were grateful of God’s presence in the midst of tragedy and for their faith, which has help sustain them in this time of trial.”

Pilgrims reflect on their journey

The pilgrimage traveled with eight young adults, known as perpetual pilgrims, traveling in a van with a trailer. Each diocese in which they made their stops acted as host, offering housing and food. The pilgrims found themselves spending the night in parishioners’ homes, retreat centers, religious houses, and hotels.

Ace Acuna, a perpetual pilgrim active in campus ministry with The Aquinas Institute on the campus of Princeton University in New Jersey, said he became passionate about the Eucharistic revival after attending the Indianapolis congress last year. 

“Everywhere we go people are excited to see us and give us a warm welcome,” he said. “They’re elated that Jesus is coming.”

Like Acuna, perpetual pilgrim Leslie Reyes-Hernandez was moved by her experience at the Indianapolis congress.  Her experience on the pilgrimage this year has been “transformative,” she said, adding that she believes Eucharistic adoration has the power to draw many young people like herself to the Lord.

“Young people are hungry for an encounter with God, and we’ve been blessed to meet many during this pilgrimage,” she said.

Activities at the diocesan stops included Mass, adoration, talks about the Eucharist, and processions. Many also took the opportunity to go to confession.

Pilgrims had to deal with protests

Attendance has been strong at many stops, Acuna related, including a Eucharistic procession to Holy Family Cathedral in Tulsa, which drew 1,800.

The spiritual journey was not without controversy; as many as 50 protestors from the Church of Wells protested the pilgrimage along the route, with their biggest turnout in Oklahoma City.

“They were using megaphones to tell us Catholics were wrong in their beliefs and confronting our participants individually about Catholic practices such as the rosary,” Shanks recounted. “They said they were looking to put the ‘protest’ back in Protestant.”

While additional security was added to protect perpetual pilgrims and surround the Blessed Sacrament, Shanks said he believes the group’s hostility did not adversely affect the pilgrimage.

“For us, this persecution was our Way of the Cross,” he said. “We were allowed to experience in a very small way the suffering of Christ.”

The pilgrims took side trips to sites of service or suffering along the route, such as a soup kitchen or to participate in prison ministry and to the site of the Oklahoma City bombing. Other stops included a visit to the tomb of Bishop Fulton Sheen and the Shrine of Blessed Stanley Rother.

Although the pilgrimage has ended, the work of the National Eucharistic Congress continues, Shanks said. He said he hopes to do more annual pilgrimages, as well as an 11th National Eucharistic Congress in 2029. The NEC is also working to train Eucharistic missionaries who can return to their parishes to share their enthusiasm for Christ in the Eucharist.

Cozzens said he believes the USCCB’s Eucharistic revival program has been “a beautiful evangelistic moment,” adding that he hopes “the essential work of Eucharistic revival will continue through the congress movement.”

The revival has exceeded his expectations for success, he said.

“I said we wanted to start a fire, not a program,” the bishop said. “And, today that fire of the Holy Spirit is burning brightly.”

Pope Leo XIV leads a Eucharistic procession in Rome on June 22, 2025, for the feast of Corpus Christi. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/EWTN

Rome, Italy, Jun 22, 2025 / 13:21 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday called on the faithful to “share the bread” — a sign of the gift of divine salvation — to “multiply hope and to proclaim the coming of God’s kingdom” as he presided for the first time as pope over Mass for the solemnity of Corpus Christi.

On the feast when the Catholic Church especially celebrates the mystery of the Eucharist —namely, the real presence of Jesus Christ in the consecrated bread and wine — the pontiff declared: “Christ is God’s answer to our human hunger, because his body is the bread of eternal life: Take this and eat of it, all of you!”

The pope traveled from the Vatican to the Basilica of St. John Lateran, his cathedral as bishop of Rome, to celebrate the Mass on Sunday afternoon. The Mass was followed by a Eucharistic procession along the city’s streets.

In his homily, Leo XIV reflected on the meaning of the Eucharist and the value of sharing. The celebration took place outside the basilica.

Commenting on the day’s Gospel, which recounts the miracle of the loaves and fishes, the pope noted that by saving the crowds from hunger, “Jesus proclaims that he will save everyone from death.”

In doing so, he established the foundation of the “mystery of faith, which we celebrate in the sacrament of the Eucharist,” the Holy Father said, adding: “Just as hunger is a sign of our radical needs in this life, so breaking bread is a sign of God’s gift of salvation.”

Leo said that Jesus’ compassion for the suffering “shows us the loving closeness of God, who comes into our world to save us.”

He added: “Where God reigns, we are set free from all evil.”

In the face of human finitude, he said, “when we partake of Jesus, the living and true bread, we live for him.”

Referring again to the Gospel miracle, Leo said that the people’s hunger is a profound sign, because “at that hour of need and of gathering shadows, Jesus remains present in our midst.”

When the apostles suggest sending the crowd away, the pope pointed out, Jesus teaches a contrary logic, “because hunger is not foreign to the preaching of the kingdom and the message of salvation.”

The pope continued: “He feels compassion for those who are hungry, and he invites his disciples to provide for them.”

The disciples offered only five loaves and two fish — a seemingly reasonable calculation that in fact “reveal their lack of faith, he said. “For where the Lord is present, we find all that we need to give strength and meaning to our lives.”

Jesus’ gesture of breaking the bread, the pope explained, “is not some complicated magical rite; they simply show his gratitude to the Father, his filial prayer and the fraternal communion sustained by the Holy Spirit.”

“To multiply the loaves and fishes, Jesus shares what is available. As a result, there is enough for everyone. In fact, more than enough,” he said.

The pope denounced current global inequalities and criticized “the accumulation by a few” as a sign “of an arrogant indifference that produces pain and injustice.”

“Today, in place of the crowds mentioned in the Gospel, entire peoples are suffering more as a result of the greed of others than from their own hunger,” he stated.

In this light, he called on the faithful to follow the Lord’s example and to live out this teaching with concrete actions, especially during the Jubilee of Hope.

“Especially in this jubilee year, the Lord’s example is a yardstick that should guide our actions and our service: We are called to share our bread, to multiply hope and to proclaim the coming of God’s kingdom,” he said.

The Augustinian pope also quoted St. Augustine’s description of the Eucharist as “bread that restores and does not run short; bread that can be eaten but not exhausted,” observing that the Eucharist “in fact, is the true, real, and substantial presence of the Savior, who transforms bread into himself in order to transform us into himself.”

The pope referred to the existential root of communion with Christ, saying: “Our hungry nature bears the mark of a need that is satisfied by the grace of the Eucharist.”

Leo reminded the faithful that “Living and life-giving, the Corpus Domini makes us, the Church herself, the body of the Lord.” Quoting Lumen Gentium, the dogmatic constitution of the Second Vatican Council, he added: “All are called to this union with Christ, who is the light of the world, from whom we come, through whom we live, and toward whom we direct our lives.”

Before beginning the Eucharistic procession to the Basilica of St. Mary Major, the pope explained its spiritual and missionary meaning.

“Together, as shepherds and flock, we will feed on the Blessed Sacrament, adore him, and carry him through the streets,” he said. “In doing so, we will present him before the eyes, the consciences, and the hearts of the people.”

Leo concluded with an invitation to all the faithful: “Strengthened by the food that God gives us, let us bring Jesus to the hearts of all, because Jesus involves everyone in his work of salvation by calling each of us to sit at his table. Blessed are those who are called, for they become witnesses of this love!”

Pope Leo XIV speaks to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the Sunday Angelus on June 22, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Jun 22, 2025 / 08:22 am (CNA).

Reacting to what he called the “alarming news” of U.S. airstrikes on nuclear facilities in Iran, Pope Leo XIV on Sunday pleaded with the international community “to stop the tragedy of war before it becomes an irreparable abyss.”

“Today more than ever, humanity cries out and pleads for peace,” the pope said in remarks following his Angelus reflection June 22, adding that the cry “must not be drowned out by the roar of weapons or by rhetoric that incites conflict.”

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Saturday night that the U.S. had “obliterated” Iran’s main nuclear sites with massive bunker-busting bombs. Iran responded by launching a volley of missiles at Israel. Scores of civilians were wounded in a missile strike in Tel Aviv, Reuters reported.

Speaking to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square from a window in the Apostolic Palace, Leo framed the attacks, which have escalated the conflict between Israel and Iran, within the broader context of regional conflicts.

“In this dramatic scenario, which includes Israel and Palestine, the daily suffering of the population — especially in Gaza and other territories — risks being forgotten, even as the urgency for proper humanitarian support becomes ever more pressing,” he said.

“There are no distant conflicts when human dignity is at stake,” he said. “War does not solve problems — on the contrary, it amplifies them and inflicts deep wounds on the history of nations that take generations to heal.”

The pope also evoked the most heartbreaking human toll of violence. “No armed victory can make up for a mother’s grief, a child’s fear, or a stolen future.”

Finally, he renewed his call for diplomacy and commitment to peace: “Let diplomacy silence the weapons; let nations shape their future through works of peace, not through violence and bloody conflict.”

In his catechesis prior to the Angelus on Sunday, the feast of Corpus Christi, Pope Leo XIV focused on the deep meaning of the Eucharist and the value of sharing.

Reflecting on the day’s Gospel, which recounts the miracle of the loaves and fishes (cf. Lk 9:11–17), he said that “God’s gifts, even the smallest, grow whenever they are shared.”

Pope Leo XIV noted that the supreme act of sharing was “God’s sharing with us.”

“He, the Creator, who gave us life, in order to save us asked one of his creatures to be his mother, to give him a fragile, limited, mortal body like ours, entrusting himself to her as a child,” the pope said. “In this way, he shared our poverty to the utmost limits, choosing to use the little we could offer him in order to redeem us.”

God’s generosity is especially manifested in the gift of the Eucharist, the Holy Father said.

“Indeed, what happens between us and God through the Eucharist is precisely that the Lord welcomes, sanctifies, and blesses the bread and wine that we place on the altar, together with the offering of our lives, and he transforms them into the body and blood of Christ, the sacrifice of love for the salvation of the world,” Leo said.

“God unites himself to us by joyfully accepting what we bring, and he invites us to unite ourselves to him by likewise joyfully receiving and sharing his gift of love,” he added. “In this way, says St. Augustine, ‘just as one loaf is made from single grains collected together ... so in the same way the body of Christ is made one by the harmony of charity.’”

The pope was scheduled to celebrate Mass for the feast of Corpus Christi at 5 p.m. Sunday followed by a Eucharistic procession through the streets of Rome.

null / Credit: SunKids/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Jun 22, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

At 45 years old, Patty Montagno thought she would be married and have children by now, but her journey of learning “how to trust God throughout this process” has led to the founding of a new Catholic matchmaking service called Cana Connections. 

Inspired by the Gospel story of the wedding feast at Cana and grounded in the Dominican principle of “veritas,” or truth, the ministry “embraces God’s vision for marriage as a sacred covenant” and offers a “purposeful and prayerful” matchmaking process, Montagno said.

The native of Manhattan in New York City has always considered herself gifted at connecting people, and not just romantically. She told CNA she has moved a lot during her life and everywhere she has gone she’s been able to form communities. When she heard a homily from popular priest and podcaster Father Mike Schmitz in which he talked about pursuing a job that you’re excellent at not for your sake but for the sake of others, she took it as a sign.

“That homily helped me get over my fear of doing something — even though I haven’t been successful in love in my own journey, that doesn’t mean that I can’t help other people,” she shared.

Montagno described Cana Connections as “more old-school, traditional matchmaking.”

Users first create a free member profile, which includes answering 50 questions that are designed to help Montagno get a deeper understanding of the individual’s background, preferences, values, faith journey, and hopes for the future. 

“I leave these questions purposely open-ended because it gives the person the ability to really tell their story and it gives me a better sense of who they are and what they’re looking for,” she explained. 

Once Montagno identifies a potential match, she reaches out to both individuals to let them know and shares a summary of the other person’s profile and their photo. If they agree to meet each other, Montagno facilitates the exchange of information. She also pointed out that a criminal background check is performed on each individual, and she conducts a virtual screening to make sure the people are who they say they are.

Montagno shared that as she has gone through profiles that she has received, it makes her “teary-eyed” because she can “hear the longing and the pain, but I can also see the beautiful desire for this sacred love.”

“And that gives me so much hope — that there are people out there who value love in the way that God intended it. That exists. And I’m seeing it from a different lens now,” she added.

For anyone still waiting to find their significant other, Montagno pointed out that this time of waiting is “a great opportunity to focus on deepening your relationship with God — whether that’s reading Scripture or however that works for you.”

When asked what her hopes are for Cana Connections, she shared that it is to be “that instrument in helping Catholics find a spouse who’s going to help them grow in holiness and it’s going to be a relationship in which they’re going to journey towards heaven together and become the people that God created them to be.” 

“And that’s our mission,” she said. “And my vision is that we’ll transform the world through these holy families, ensuring that God’s truth and love continue to shape future generations.”

“I’m really excited to see how God uses both my gifts and my pain for a purpose that’s greater than myself.”

A life-sized statue of Christ is displayed at the site of the Stations of the Cross garden in Maysville, Kentucky, Tuesday, June 3, 2025. / Credit: Tammie Brown Photography

CNA Staff, Jun 22, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Catholics in northeastern Kentucky will soon be able to follow the passion of Christ in life-sized form thanks to the efforts of a longtime state politician.

Jerry Lundergan, a fixture in Kentucky Democratic politics for decades, is aiming to have the Stations of the Cross and meditation garden in Maysville open by Easter of next year.

He told CNA he purchased the property about 15 years ago. The parcel of land is next to St. Patrick’s Cemetery; Lundergan himself attended St. Patrick School in Maysville from first through 12th grades.

“The cemetery’s always been very important to me, because that’s where my great-great grandparents, my grandparents, my parents, all my aunts and uncles — they’re all buried there,” he said. Several members of the Clooney family, including George Clooney’s aunt Rosemary, are buried there as well, he noted.

Lundergan said he had dreams of turning the property into a meditation garden in honor of the Blessed Virgin, to whom he’s always had a special devotion. 

But “I never did do it,” he admitted. “It was my plan, but you get busy doing other things, and a dream you had sort of fades away.” 

Several years ago, shortly after getting out of prison for campaign finance violations, Lundergan said he decided to finally get the property built. He and his wife spoke with others around the country who developed meditation gardens. While speaking to a friend in Ohio who runs a religious goods store, Lundergan said she asked him if he had ever considered a Stations of the Cross installation. 

“In church, they’re little 2-by-2 plaques molded to the wall,” Lundergan said. “That’s not what I wanted to do. I wanted a nice garden where you can walk, with a few statues, and you end up at a grotto for the Blessed Mother.”

His friend suggested the idea that instead of plaques, the stations be made as fully life-sized sculptures. 

“Now, that got my attention,” he said with a laugh. 

Italian-made sculptures on a Via Dolorosa

Armed with that vision, Lundergan said he sought out a sculptor who could bring full-sized depictions of Christ’s passion and crucifixion to life.

“We chose Reto Demetz,” he said. The Demetz Art Studio bills itself as “one of the worldwide leading studios that manufactures ecclesiastical art.” The business is located in Gardena, Italy, though Lundergan said that Reto Demetz has been to Maysville twice. 

In addition to the sculptures, the garden will feature a pathway that imitates the Via Dolorosa, the “Way of Suffering” that Christ walked in Jerusalem while carrying his cross toward his crucifixion. 

“We also came up with the idea that we would build a cross in the center of the garden,” Lundergan said. The cross will consist of “four steel columns, seven stories tall,” with the columns representing the four Gospels.

Notably, the cross will be built and positioned in such a way that, during the Easter season, it will project shadows onto the 13th Station of the Cross depicting Christ’s crucifixion. 

Nine of the stations have already been sculpted and shipped to Maysville, Lundergan said. The aim is to have the facility open by Easter 2026. 

Lundergan acknowledged that he’s “done very well in life, financially.” The property and installation, he said, will be given back to the Diocese of Covington. “My hope is that once we give it back [that] they’ll use that money for the upkeep of the garden and the cemetery, and then the church and the Catholic school.”

He said he aspires for visitors to the installation to “see the torture and the suffering Jesus experienced on this walk, and how he gave up his life for us.”

“It’s my hope that this garden is open to any denomination,” he said. “If you believe in the Crucifixion, you’ll want to come see it. Methodist, Baptist, anybody — it’s not just for Catholics.”

“This is for everybody that really wants to rethink their purpose here on Earth,” he said. “Why we’re here, and why we should be preparing ourselves for life afterward.”