U.S. bishops are set to elect a secretary and committee chairs at their November meeting. Those chosen will serve as chair-elect for one year and take up their positions in fall 2027.
The Archbishop of Dijon called for prayers after a priest in his archdiocese died by suicide. In a letter to the faithful, he asked them to entrust the priest to God’s mercy and pray for parishioners shocked by the news.
Exorcists discussing their work addressed the role of sacred music and the Virgin Mary’s intercession, which they described as essential in exorcisms.
A court order in Illinois has shielded nearly every Catholic health care institution in the state from its new assisted-suicide regime. The order follows a lawsuit brought by religious objectors.
At the U.N. General Assembly, the Holy See called for the abolition of the death penalty, describing it as an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the human person.
In Galatians, Paul shares his concern for the Galatians. He sees them turning away from faith and leaning on the law. He asks if they received the Holy Spirit through their actions or through their belief in Christ's message. Paul wants them to remember that beginning with the Spirit should not lead them back to relying on their own efforts. Their past experiences of faith should not be wasted.
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus tells a story about a man who needs help from a friend late at night. The friend initially refuses, but eventually helps because of the man's persistence. Jesus encourages his disciples to ask, seek, and knock. He assures them that God will respond generously. This teaches us importance of persistence in prayer and the goodness of God as a loving Father.
The Cornell Catholic Community issued a letter following campus protests over the university’s handling of alleged sexual assaults involving members of the Chi Phi fraternity in 2024. The protests brought renewed attention to the community’s concerns about the university’s response.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett spoke at the dedication of a library at Benedictine College. In other education news, the Archdiocese of Chicago urged Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker to opt into an education tax program.
Bishop Emeritus Frank Dewane, who led the Diocese of Venice, Florida, for nearly 20 years, died at 76 in a local hospital, surrounded by family and friends, Bishop Emilio Biosca Agüero, OFM Cap, said.
At the United Nations, the Holy See addressed development, poverty and women’s issues. Archbishop Christophe El-Kassis said a person’s circumstances of birth should not determine respect for their God-given dignity or access to opportunities.
Canada’s government said it would not expand medical assistance in dying to people suffering solely from mental illness. The proposal had been the subject of debate.
In Galatians, Paul shares his experience of visiting Jerusalem after fourteen years. He is with Barnabas and Titus. Paul presents the Gospel he preaches to the Gentiles to the Church leaders, seeking their approval. They recognize his calling to minister to the Gentiles, just as Peter is called to the Jews. They agree to support each other, committing to remember the poor. However, Paul later confronts Peter in Antioch for withdrawing from eating with Gentiles, pointing out the inconsistency among the Jewish believers.
The Responsorial Psalm invites all nations to praise the Lord and share the Good News. It speaks of God's kindness and faithfulness. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus teaches his disciples how to pray. He encourages them to call God Father and to ask for daily bread, forgiveness, and protection from trials. This prayer highlights the relationship with God and the significance of forgiveness in the lives of believers.
Tennessee’s Catholic bishops called for an end to the death penalty, saying accountability for serious wrongdoing does not require taking another life. Their appeal came as President Donald Trump approved an execution by military firing squad.
Bishop Michael Olson of Fort Worth urged FedEx to consider whether shipping mifepristone into states that restrict abortion could violate federal law. He said the request was intended to further a culture of life.
More than 2.7 million people took part in Argentina’s pilgrimage to Our Lady of Luján. This year’s theme called on Mary’s embrace as a place where people recognize one another as brothers and sisters.
Catholic bishops in Denver marked the United States’ 250th anniversary with a message about migrants and refugees, recalling the generations who have helped bring the nation’s ideals to life. In California, a federal bankruptcy judge rejected the Diocese of Oakland’s settlement plan, ruling that it had not met bankruptcy requirements and did not qualify for a special religious dispensation.
In Galatians, the author shares his journey from being a zealous persecutor of the Church to a devoted follower of Christ. He speaks of a moment when God revealed His Son to him. After this experience, he did not seek advice from others. Instead, he went to Arabia and then returned to Damascus. Three years later, he visited Jerusalem, meeting only with Cephas and James, before traveling to Syria and Cilicia. The churches in Judea were astonished to learn that the former persecutor was now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy. They glorified God for this transformation.
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus visits Martha and Mary. Martha welcomes Him but feels overwhelmed by her tasks. She asks Jesus to tell Mary to help her. Jesus responds gently, noting that Martha is anxious about many things. He points out that Mary has chosen to focus on what matters by listening to Him. This moment highlights the importance of prioritizing spiritual nourishment over the distractions of daily life.
The Archdiocese of St. Louis has sued over restrictions on access to Catholic sacraments for people detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The archdiocese says the limits discriminate against its efforts to minister to Catholic detainees.
French Bishop Matthieu Rougé condemned violence at protests and called for peaceful dialogue. As head of the French bishops’ conference’s Council for Catholic Education, he urged adults to guide young people in expressing their concerns peacefully.
An auxiliary bishop in Argentina has been removed from office following allegations made by two adults. For five years, he is barred from formal appointments and new offices and from administering the sacrament of penance, while remaining permitted to celebrate Mass and administer other sacraments.
A Red Mass in Washington marked the opening of the Supreme Court term. Cardinal Robert McElroy was the principal celebrant, and Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, preached the homily. Pope Leo, at a Mass honoring St. Michael the Archangel, urged Vatican gendarmes to protect others while exercising authority with humility and compassion.
In Galatians, the author is surprised that the community has turned away from the true Gospel of Christ. He warns that anyone who shares a different message, even an angel, should be cursed. The author makes it clear that his message comes from Jesus Christ, not from human teachings. He shows his dedication to serving God rather than seeking approval from others.
In the Gospel of Luke, a scholar asks Jesus how to attain eternal life. Jesus points him to the law, which teaches to love God and one's neighbor. When the scholar asks who qualifies as a neighbor, Jesus shares the parable of the Good Samaritan. In this story, a Samaritan helps a man who has been attacked, while a priest and a Levite pass by without helping. Jesus ends by telling the scholar to go and show the same compassion as the Samaritan.
Pope Leo XIV marked the 800th anniversary of St. Francis of Assisi’s death, saying the saint’s charism continues to bear fruit. He also asked for prayers that peoples might be freed from war.
The Villaregia Missionary Community has established a new presence in a Muslim-majority area of Ethiopia, where the Catholic Church has limited reach. The Italian community aims to serve local communities there.
The University of Notre Dame’s ethics center named Dominican sisters as recipients of its 2027 pro-life award. The center said their service offers a countercultural witness and supports a civilization grounded in truth and love.
Noah McKay, a philosopher at Princeton, has converted to Catholicism. He said evidence the Church presents for vindicatory miracles helped lead him to the faith. At the inaugural Sheen Awards, EWTN foundress Mother Angelica received the Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously.
The Church celebrates Saint Francis of Assisi on October 4. In 2026, the feast also falls in the 800th year since his death. Francis is loved for his gentleness toward animals, but his life began with a more demanding question: how could he follow Jesus Christ with nothing held back?
The Gospel came first
Francis grew up in a prosperous merchant family in Assisi. His change of heart was gradual. Prayer, the neglected church of San Damiano, and an encounter with a person suffering from leprosy drew him away from the life he had expected. He chose to live among the poor and to preach repentance, peace, and the love of God. The Franciscan Rule still begins with the heart of his vocation: living the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
That matters when Francis is remembered only as a kindly figure in a garden. He did not look away from people whom his society avoided. Poverty, for him, was a way to be free to serve and to depend on God; it was never a reason to ignore someone else’s hunger or suffering. A Franciscan reading of his feast begins with that concrete love of neighbor.
Peace, praise, and the created world
Francis called others to peace, but he also knew that peace asks something of the person offering it: patience, humility, and a willingness to meet someone face to face. His care for animals belongs within the same Gospel vision. Creatures were not props in a charming story. They shared a world given by God, and Francis saw in them a reason to give thanks.
Near the end of his life, while seriously ill, Francis composed the Canticle of the Creatures. He praised God through sun, moon, wind, water, fire, and the earth that sustains us. The song did not come from an easy life. It came from someone who could still recognize gifts around him in pain. That is why the Franciscan concern for creation also includes concern for the people most exposed to its harm. Pope Francis made that connection in Laudato Si’.
Keeping the feast
Francis died on October 3, 1226; the Church keeps his feast the following day. Franciscans call his passing the Transitus. On this 800th anniversary, a simple way to honor him is to pray, make peace where it is needed, help someone who has been overlooked, and treat the living world with care. Many churches also offer a blessing of animals around his feast.
For those grateful for an animal companion, Catholic Masses offers a Saint Francis–inspired pet enrollment card with a prayerful message. It can be a small way to remember a beloved pet and the joy of caring for God’s creatures.
