By Madelyn Johnson PEARL – On April 4, 2025, Bishop Joseph Kopcaz and Father Lincoln Dall blessed the gardens at Central Mississippi Correctional Facility (CMCF) in Pearl. The gardens are part of the Garden Project, a rehabilitation project at CMCF.
The goal of the Garden Project is to help the inmates increase their earnings after being released from prison. The project teaches men not only the basic aspects of gardening but also gives them the ability to better their family’s living conditions. Shaw hopes it will help incarcerated individuals with the ability to become safer members of society and commit fewer crimes.
There are two phases to the Garden Project – home gardening and farmers market management. Books and literature are donated by the Mississippi State University Agriculture Extension to assist with learning. The goal of these phases is to help men harvest and plant their own gardens, and to possibly create and manage their own booth at a local farmers market.
Michael Shaw is the recreational director at CMCF. The Garden Project was one of his ideas to create additional value to time served.
PEARL – Father Lincoln Dall is moved by the sign inmates at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility (CMCF) had made for him at the Garden Project at the facility. More photos can be viewed at jacksondiocese.zenfoliosite.com. (Photo by Madelyn Johnson)
“What is needed is a way to supplement income for these guys here, says Shaw. “Getting out of prison, they will make on average $9 per hour. With the garden project, we can teach these guys how to grow their own gardens and bring that income up to $11 per hour.”
Shaw recalls his time at CMCF, stating that he kept to himself until he saw the need for more programs for rehabilitation for the inmates. Shaw worked on many different projects, like writing classes, until being promoted to recreational director. Wanting to produce a safer society and give the chance for incarcerated men to help their families once released from prison is Shaw’s main goal.
“These guys that come in have big families, some five or six kids,” says Shaw. “When they are released they have no work, no family resources and low income. They need a way to subsidize their income.”
The community can help with the Garden Project by shopping at local farmers markets. “We don’t need monetary or physical donations,” says Shaw. “We need people to shop at local farmers markets to support our guys.”
What Shaw really wants the community to know is this quote from Dorothy Day, “Why was so much done in remedying evil instead of avoiding it in the first place?”
Currently, the gardens at CMCF are flourishing, the inmates just harvested their first vegetables: cabbage and lettuce. Father Lincoln recently brought in homemade salad dressing so that the inmates could enjoy their harvests. The men are hopeful that a local farmers market will allow them to sell their crops soon. Shaw received a 2025 Bishop Chanche Award for his efforts on the Garden Project.
By Madelyn Johnson GLUCKSTADT – Many Catholic mothers carry deep concern about their children’s faith. Whether praying for strength as their children face life’s struggles or longing for them to return to the church, these mothers often turn to St. Monica – patron saint of mothers – for guidance and hope. Inspired by St. Monica’s unwavering devotion, Millions of Monicas is a growing movement of women who gather at a local parish to pray for the faith of their children and loved ones who have strayed from the church.
GLUCKSTADT – A portrait depicting St. Monica sits at the front of the sanctuary of St. Joseph parish in Gluckstadt. Women gather in prayer at 6:30 p.m. every Tuesday at the parish, asking for the intercession of St. Monica in the lives of their children. (Photo courtesy of St. Joseph Gluckstadt’s Millions of Monicas)
Meeting once a week, the group strives to encounter God through prayer for their children. Since its inception in June 2021 in Grand Rapids, Michigan by three mothers who were struggling with their children’s faith journey in this tumultuous world, Millions of Monicas has grown to over 2,000 members in over 100 parishes. Each group is affiliated with a local parish and follows a simple, consistent format rooted in quiet prayer versus personal sharing or discussion.
Jane VanHouten is one of the founding members of the movement. When asked about the impact she hopes Millions of Monicas will make she says, “We at Millions of Monicas do not seek anything but what God wills for our ministry. It started with just three women fervently praying for each other’s children and has been lovingly anointed by God’s grace to grow and move hearts toward Him.”
In the Diocese of Jackson, St. Joseph Church in Gluckstadt hosts a Millions of Monicas group every Tuesday. The group started much like the original group with a few women who wanted to pray for the faith of their struggling children and sought guidance from their priest.
Fran Patterson, another member of the group, began praying to St. Monica when her children were young, asking the saint to have her intercede and help her be a faithful model of the Catholic faith for her four children. Today, Millions of Monicas continues to nourish her spiritually.
“For me, it has been very powerful to pray with this group of women each week,” says Patterson. “Knowing that each week there are several women who are praying for me and my specific prayer intention – and that I get to do the same for them – has strengthened my faith. I love this ministry because it is simply a holy hour of prayer. We come knowing what to expect and do not need to share any details or are ever expected to, we are there to pray – with and for one another and ourselves.” Patterson brings words of welcome and encouragement to women who may be hesitant to join, as Millions of Monicas will always strive to help Catholic women pray for their children and others return to the faith.
“Prayer is powerful and prayer as a group is even more so,” says Patterson. “This is not a time of personal sharing of your story but a very intentional and structured time of prayer. The goal is to unite our hearts and prayers together each week as we pray for our loved ones and ourselves. The group is made up of mothers, stepmothers, grandmothers, godmothers, aunts, spiritual mothers, confirmation sponsors, etc.”
The Millions of Monicas group at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Gluckstadt meets every Tuesday from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. All women are welcome to join in this sacred hour of intercessory prayer.
By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis, who died April 21 at the age of 88, gave new energy to millions of Catholics – and caused concern for some – as he transformed the image of the papacy into a pastoral ministry based on personal encounters and strong convictions about poverty, mission and dialogue.
U.S. Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell, chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church, announced that Pope Francis had died at 7:35 a.m.
“His whole life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and his church,” Cardinal Farrell said in a video announcement broadcast from the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, where Pope Francis lived. His gestures – from tenderly embracing the sick to repeatedly visiting prisoners – touched millions of hearts. But controversy raged over his denunciations of the excesses of unbridled capitalism, his warnings about the human contributions to climate change and his insistence on accompanying, not judging, gay people.
Newly elected Pope Francis, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, waves after praying at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome March 14, 2013. Pope Francis, formerly Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, died April 21, 2025, at age 88. (CNS photo/Alessandro Bianchi, Reuters)
With bronchitis and difficulty breathing, Pope Francis was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital Feb. 14. He was diagnosed with double pneumonia and a complex infection. He had returned to the Vatican March 23 to continue his convalescence.
God’s mercy was a constant theme in Pope Francis’ preaching and was so central to his vision of what the church’s ministry must embody that he proclaimed an extraordinary Holy Year of Mercy for Dec. 8, 2015-Nov. 20, 2016.
Elected March 13, 2013, Pope Francis was the first pope in history to come from the Southern Hemisphere, the first non-European to be elected in almost 1,300 years and the first Jesuit to serve as successor to St. Peter. In the first three years of his papacy, he published three major documents: “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”), a detailed vision of the program for his papacy and his vision for the church – particularly the church’s outreach and its response to challenges posed by secular culture; “Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home,” on the environment; and “Amoris Laetitia” (“The Joy of Love”), his reflections on the discussions of the synods of bishops on the family in 2014 and 2015. Holiness was the topic of his March 2018 apostolic exhortation, “Gaudete et Exsultate” (“Rejoice and Be Glad”) in which he insisted being holy is not boring or impossible, and that it grows through small, daily gestures and acts of loving kindness.
Following in the footsteps of his predecessors, Pope Francis was an untiring voice for peace, urging an end to armed conflict, supporting dialogue and encouraging reconciliation. The pope described Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as “madness” and called on the world’s bishops to join him in consecrating Ukraine and Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. When Hamas militants attacked communities in Israel, killing scores of people and taking more than 200 people hostage in late 2023, and Israel retaliated by attacking Gaza, Pope Francis made repeated appeals for the return of hostages, a ceasefire to deliver humanitarian aid, and a real commitment to a negotiated peace.
Promoting peace, solidarity and respect for the Earth, the pope insisted people needed to recognize each other as brothers and sisters and issued an encyclical about that, “Fratelli Tutti, on Fraternity and Social Friendship.” He signed the text at the tomb of St. Francis of Assisi on the saint’s feast day, Oct. 4, 2020.
Pope Francis spent much of the first nine years of his pontificate pursuing two ambitious projects: revitalizing the church’s efforts at evangelization – constantly urging outreach rather than a preoccupation with internal church affairs – and reforming the central administration of the Vatican, emphasizing its role of assisting bishops around the world rather than dictating policy to them. On March 19, 2022, the ninth anniversary of the inauguration of his papacy, he finally promulgated “Praedicate Evangelium” (“Preach the Gospel”), his complete restructuring of the Roma Curia, highlighting its mission to serve the church’s evangelization efforts at all levels.
His simple lifestyle, which included his decision not to live in the Apostolic Palace and his choice of riding around Rome in a small Fiat or Ford instead of a Mercedes sedan, sent a message of austerity to Vatican officials and clergy throughout the church. He reinforced the message with frequent admonitions about the Gospel demands and evangelical witness of poverty and simplicity.
Although he repeatedly said he did not like to travel, he made 47 foreign trips, taking his message of Gospel joy to North and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina’s capital city, Dec. 17, 1936. He earned a chemical technician’s diploma from his high school and entered the Jesuit novitiate in March 1958. After studying liberal arts in Santiago, Chile, he returned to Argentina and earned his licentiate in philosophy from the Colegio San Jose in San Miguel.
The hands of Pope Francis, holding a rosary, are seen as he lies at rest in his coffin in the chapel of his residence, the Domus Sanctae Marthae, at the Vatican April 21, 2025. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)
He was ordained a priest Dec. 13, 1969, and after his perpetual profession as a Jesuit in 1973, he became master of novices at the Seminary of Villa Barilari in San Miguel. Later that same year, he was appointed superior of the Jesuit province of Argentina, a role in which by his own account he proved a divisive figure because of an “authoritarian and quick manner of making decisions.”
In May 1992, Father Bergoglio was named an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires. He was appointed coadjutor archbishop five years later and became archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998; Pope John Paul II named him to the College of Cardinals in 2001. As leader of an archdiocese with more than 2.5 million Catholics, Cardinal Bergoglio strove to be close to the people. He rode the bus, visited the poor, lived in a simple apartment and cooked his own meals. His international reputation was enhanced by his work at the 2007 assembly of the Latin American bishops’ council, CELAM, and particularly by his role as head of the committee that drafted the gathering’s final document on reforming and reinvigorating the church’s evangelizing efforts on the continent.
Cardinal Bergoglio was a known and respected figure within the College of Cardinals, so much so that no one disputed a respected Italian journal’s report that he received the second-highest number of votes on all four ballots cast in the 2005 conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI.
Eight years later, Pope Benedict retired. At the cardinals’ meetings prior to the 2013 conclave to elect his successor, the need to reform the Vatican bureaucracy was a common theme of concern.
Addressing the gathering, Cardinal Bergoglio warned against “self-referentiality and a kind of theological narcissism” in the church and argued the next pope “must be a man who, from the contemplation and adoration of Jesus Christ, helps the church to go out to the existential peripheries” to spread the Gospel. His election March 13 came on the second day of the conclave, on its fifth ballot. He chose the name Francis to honor St. Francis of Assisi, “the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and protects creation,” he said.
“Go out” was Pope Francis’ constant plea to every Catholic, from curial cardinals to the people in the pews. More than once, he told people that while the Bible presents Jesus as knocking at the door of people’s hearts to get in, today Jesus is knocking at the doors of parish churches trying to get out and among the people.
But he faced criticism for what many saw as a lack of consistency in dealing forcefully with the clerical sexual abuse crisis, especially when it came to holding bishops accountable for handling allegations and removing priests credibly accused of abuse.
And while his pontificate marked major progress in the Vatican’s attempts to reach an agreement with China’s communist government on the appointment of Catholic bishops, a provisional accord signed in September 2018, and renewed in 2020, 2022 and 2024, was denounced by critics as a betrayal of Catholics who risked their lives for refusing any cooperation with the communists.
Pope Francis smiles after celebrating the closing Mass of Italy’s National Eucharistic Congress at the municipal stadium in Matera, Italy, Sept. 25, 2022. The late pontiff, formerly Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, died April 21, 2025, at age 88. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)
Like his predecessors, Pope Francis was a strong defender of the sacredness of human life. Meeting Catholic physicians in November 2014, for example, he insisted that in “the light of faith and the light of correct reason, human life is always sacred and always of ‘quality.’ There is no human life that is more sacred than another” and no “human life qualitatively more significant than another.”
For Pope Francis, helping the defenseless also meant paying special attention to prisoners, victims of war and, particularly, Christians and other religious minorities persecuted for their faith.
When Islamic State forces and other terrorist groups began specifically targeting Christians and other religious minorities in Syria and Iraq, and later in North Africa, Pope Francis demanded the international community act.
He frequently cited figures that the number of Christian martyrs is greater today than in the first centuries of Christianity, and he insisted the international community cannot “look the other way.”
Cognia Accreditation visit for Diocesan Catholic Schools
Editor’s note: On Wednesday April 9, diocesan schools in the metro Jackson area received on-site visits from Cognia Accreditation. Accreditation by Cognia ensures that a school meets rigorous educational standards and is committed to continuous improvement, providing credibility and quality assurance for students, parents and educators.
MADISON – (Top) Dr. Michael Bratcher of Cognia observes Patricia Holder’s classroom at St. Anthony School. (Right) Thomas Caskey chats with Dr. Bratcher about how much he loves St. Anthony School. (Photos by Joanna Puddister King)
JACKSON – St. Richard Principal, Russ Nelson and Dr. Michael Bratcher enter into a STEM class taught by Melissa Muñoz. (Photo by Tereza Ma)MADISON – Dr. Bratcher conducted interviews with students at each area school. Pictured is his interview with middle and high-school students at St. Joseph School. (Photo by Madelyn Johnson)
JACKSON – (Above) Sister Thea Bowman School fifth grade students, Khamari Stevenson and Harry Chia greet Dr. Michael Bratcher before they took him on an informative tour of the school. (Right) All students pointed to the state of Kentucky where Dr. Bratcher is from. (Photos by Tereza Ma)
JACKSON – St. Richard students, Jonah Grant, Levi Ward, Jones Carr, Marilee Nelson, Raegan White and classmates observe chemical reactions during a science experiment. Students put the scientific principle that oil and water don’t mix to the test. (Photo by Mrs. Foggo)PEARL – Several youth assisted in leading a Palm Sunday procession at St. Jude parish. Pictured: Mary Rose Wolf, Abbygale Roberts, Mary Lynn Brannon and Alex Tucker, with Deacons Mark Bowden and John McGregor and Father Cesar Sanchez following. (Photo by Tereza Ma)PEARL – The youth group at St. Jude in Pearl led the Stations of Cross on Friday, April 4. (Photo by Tereza Ma)
By Nicole Olea WASHINGTON (OSV News) – Thirty-five years after her death, the witness of Sister Thea Bowman – a Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration, scholar, cultural advocate and joyful daughter of the church – continues to inspire a growing movement calling for her canonization.
Through keynote addresses, panel conversations, music and moving testimony, attendees at the Sister Thea Bowman Conference March 29 at The Catholic University of America in Washington reflected on how her life calls every member of the church to live boldly, faithfully and freely in Christ, and how her legacy challenges Catholics today to embrace a fuller, more inclusive vision of holiness.
Redemptorist Father Maurice Nutt opened the conference with a keynote titled “Servant of God, Sister Doctor Thea Bowman, FSPA: Unapologetically and Unabashedly Faithful and Free,” echoing the name of his 2019 biography of his former teacher.
Father Nutt described Sister Thea as a woman of “holy boldness” – captivating, anointed, joyful and radically committed to truth.
Kathleen Dorsey Bellow, director of the Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University of Louisiana, gestures as she speaks during a panel discussion at the Sister Thea Bowman Conference hosted by The Catholic University of America on March 29, 2025. The all-day conference on the life and legacy of Sister Thea, a candidate for sainthood. From left to right are Javier Bustamante, director of the university’s Center for Cultural Engagement, who moderated the panel discussion; Sister Sue Ernster, president of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, Sister Thea’s order; Kathleen Dorsey Bellow; and Father Michael Barth of the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity. (OSV News photo/Nicole Olea, Catholic Standard)
Born in Canton, Mississippi, Sister Thea became a Catholic as a child after being inspired by the witness of the Franciscan Sisters and the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity. At age 15, she entered religious life, becoming the only Black member of her congregation.
“Her father warned her, ‘Baby, they may not like you up there in Wisconsin,’” Father Nutt recalled. “But ever persistent, she retorted, ‘Daddy, I’m gonna make ‘em like me.’”
She would go on to earn a doctorate and teach at every academic level. Her time attending The Catholic University of America and earning a doctorate in English there, he said, was transformational – both academically and spiritually. Among her students and colleagues, Sister Thea was known for her attentiveness and empathy.
Father Nutt highlighted Sister Thea’s contributions to Catholic life during and after the Second Vatican Council. She embraced liturgical reform and integrated African American culture, music and spirituality into Catholic worship.
“She could love her friends and challenge her friends. She could love her church and challenge her church,” he said.
Diagnosed with breast cancer in 1984, Sister Thea continued traveling and speaking until her death in 1990.
“Donning her customary African garb, she would arrive in a wheelchair … but always with a joyful disposition,” Father Nutt said.
He recounted her now-famous 1989 address to the U.S. Catholic bishops, where she spoke about being both Black and Catholic, and challenged the Church to greater inclusion.
“She told the bishops she was trying to find her way back home, asking them to help her find her way back home to this Catholic Church,” Father Nutt said. “And then she invited them – yes, those bishops in all their dignity – to link arms and sing: ‘We Shall Overcome.’”
In her final days, Sister Thea was surrounded by prayer and care in her childhood home. “She died where she had been born,” Father Nutt said. “She wanted her tombstone to read: ‘I tried. I tried to love the Lord, and I tried to love them. I tried to tell their story.’”
Following the keynote, Father Nutt joined Catholic University’s president, Peter K. Kilpatrick, for a moderated conversation on Sister Thea’s enduring impact and the church’s ongoing call to racial justice and reconciliation.
Father Nutt urged Catholic institutions to move beyond symbolic gestures. “We need Black faculty – not just working in the cafeteria or sweeping the floors. We have scholars. You need more Black professors. You need Black faculty in your campus ministry, a place of welcome for Black students, to allow them to use their gifts and share with the whole university.”
During the Q&A, Sister Oralisa Martin, a theologian and former student of Sister Thea, stood to address the urgency of the moment. Founder and president of the ORACLE Religious Association based in Washington, Sister Oralisa in 1995 took private vows, accepted by the late Detroit Auxiliary Bishop Thomas J. Gumbleton.
Sister Thea, she said, “possessed a spirituality that, frankly, the church still needs to catch up to.”
Calling for collective renewal, she added, “We need a … real movement. We don’t yet know our collective power. But when we do – when we gather in the power of the Holy Spirit – we will rise.” “Why do we want her canonized?” she asked. “Because her life – before, during, and after canonization – shows us how to be the church.”
Sister Thea was given the title “Servant of God” when her sainthood cause was officially opened in November 2018. She is one of seven Black Catholics from the United States being considered for sainthood.
Among speakers on the first panel of the conference exploring the formative role of key religious communities and institutions in shaping the spirituality and leadership of Sister Thea was Sister Sue Ernster, president of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration.
She reflected on Sister Thea’s entry into religious life during the 1950s and the challenges she faced as the only Black woman in a predominantly white, Midwestern community.
“She came during segregation. She wasn’t allowed to ride with the white sister taking her to Wisconsin. But the sisters made arrangements so she could,” Sister Sue said, adding that Sister Thea endured that “because she felt called to serve.”
Kathleen Dorsey Bellow, director of the Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University, the nation’s Catholic historically Black college, described Sister Thea’s influence on generations of Black Catholic leaders.
“She helped form ministers. She loved Black children and taught them, ‘Black is good. It’s God’s gift to you,’” Bellow said. “She jumped in and did all she could. And now we have to do the work.”
Father Michael Barth, the former general custodian of the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity, recounted Sister Thea’s formation at Holy Child Jesus Parish in Canton. There, he said, she experienced firsthand the power of a faith community committed to justice and solidarity.
The second panel of the conference, titled “Personal Encounters: Testimony from Students and Colleagues,” reflected on Sister Thea’s impact on individuals who knew her as a teacher, mentor and friend.
“She became my unofficial seminary,” said Mgr. Raymond East, pastor of St. Teresa of Avila Parish in Washington. He was ordained as a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington in 1981. “She helped form many of us in what I call a beloved community.”
Ronny Lancaster, who studied under Sister Thea in 1971 at Catholic University, described her as a magnetic, fearless educator.
Sister Thea, he said, was a rare combination of joy and power, preparation and presence. She could disarm students with a smile – then break into song mid-lecture to drive a point home. “She made you feel OK. That was the power of her presence,” he said.
The final panel of the day examined how Sister Thea Bowman’s life offers a model for holiness and a call to recognize the witness of Black Catholics in the church.
“We always need more saints,” said Washington Auxiliary Bishop Roy E. Campbell Jr.. “Sister Thea’s life shows us this. She opened her heart, her mind, and her soul to the faith. She prayed with every fiber of her being. And she loved – with joy and boldness.”
Panelist Jeannine Marino, secretary for pastoral ministry and social concerns for the Archdiocese of Washington, concluded with a call to action: “We can do our part by continuing to tell Sister Thea’s story, promoting her holiness, and praying for her cause. Every effort counts.”
(Nicole Olea writes for the Catholic Standard, the news outlet of the Archdiocese of Washington.)
Pope Francis meets briefly with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, and his translator, in the papal residence, the Domus Sanctae Marthae, at the Vatican April 20, 2025. Pope Francis, formerly Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, died April 21, 2025, at age 88. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)
NATION WASHINGTON (OSV News) – President Donald Trump, officials in his administration, and other U.S. political leaders issued statements expressing condolences for Pope Francis after the pontiff’s death April 21 at age 88. “Rest in Peace Pope Francis!” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. “May God Bless him and all who loved him!” Trump also ordered flags be flown at half-staff in memory of Pope Francis at public buildings, military posts, naval stations and ships, and embassies. The pontiff’s death followed his stay in Rome’s Gemelli hospital earlier this year while he recovered from respiratory infections. The day before his death, Pope Francis gave his Easter blessing “urbi et orbi” (to the city of Rome and the world). He also held a meeting with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic, who also shared his condolences over the social media platform X on April 21. Former President Joe Biden, the nation’s second Catholic president, said on X: “Pope Francis will be remembered as one of the most consequential leaders of our time and I am better for having known him.” Pope Francis made his first – and only – trip in his life to the United States in September 2015.
DENVER (OSV News) – Organizers of the 2025 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage announced April 10 that public events are posted and registration is open for stops along the Drexel Route. The route begins May 18 in Indianapolis and spans over 3,300 miles to Los Angeles, arriving June 22. Eight young adult “perpetual pilgrims” will accompany the Eucharist through 10 states, 20 dioceses, and four Eastern Catholic eparchies, with events centered on prayer, Eucharistic adoration, and hope and healing. Named for St. Katharine Drexel, the pilgrimage aligns with the church’s 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope and offers a plenary indulgence to participants. Stops include a Missouri school founded by St. Katharine Drexel, a Tulsa hospice and a Texas prison. Special events will also honor victims of national tragedies. Organizers are anticipating over 10,000 attendees at the concluding Corpus Christi celebration in Los Angeles. Registration is free but required for most events. “We’re excited about continuing to start the fire of evangelization and mission that’s been so much of the heart of the Eucharistic Revival, this encounter and mission,” said Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, chairman of National Eucharistic Congress Inc., which is based in Denver.
WORLD LOURDES, France (OSV News) – A 72nd miracle has been confirmed at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in France, with the announcement bringing joy after a recitation of the rosary on the April 16 feast day of St. Bernadette Soubirous. The miracle involves Antonietta Raco, an Italian woman who suffered from Primary Lateral Sclerosis (PLS), a severe motor neuron disease. In 2009, during her pilgrimage to Lourdes, she experienced a miraculous healing after bathing in the waters of the sanctuary’s pools. Raco began moving independently, with symptoms of PLS disappearing entirely. Bishop Vincenzo Carmine Orofino of Tursi-Lagonegro officially declared the healing a miracle after extensive medical investigation. The International Medical Committee of Lourdes confirmed the healing as scientifically unexplained. This miracle comes just months after the 71st miracle, involving a British soldier from World War I. Lourdes, a site of pilgrimage for millions, has a rigorous process for recognizing miracles, and has over 7,000 reported cases of healing.
KYIV, Ukraine (OSV News) – Catholic and other religious leaders are condemning a Palm Sunday attack by Russia on a Ukrainian city that killed 34 – including two children – and injured 119. Two ballistic missiles launched by Russia earlier that same day struck the center of Sumy, a city in northeastern Ukraine located some 15 miles from the Russian border. “When we celebrate the feast of life, the enemy wishes to inflict its feast of death on us,” said Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, in an April 13 statement. The Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, the largest organization of religious leaders in Ukraine, also condemned the strikes, which took place amid both the Jewish holiday of Passover (April 12-20, 2025) and the Christian observance of Holy Week. Multiple world leaders also deplored the Palm Sunday attack. Ukraine President Voldymyr Zelenskyy called for a global response to the strikes, which followed a similar April 4 attack by Russia on a playground in his hometown of Kryvyi Rih. Nine children were among the 19 killed in that strike. “It is crucial that the world does not stay silent or indifferent,” said Zelenskyy in an April 13 post on X.cal Survey’s estimates. In neighboring Thailand, Bangkok city authorities said so far six people had been found dead, 26 injured and 47 were still missing, according to The Guardian. The tremor, followed by a 6.4 magnitude aftershock, caused buildings to collapse, including a historic bridge in the region. The earthquake’s impact was felt across neighboring countries, including Thailand and Bangladesh. Pope Francis expressed his sorrow, offering prayers for the victims and emergency responders in Myanmar and Thailand. Meanwhile, relief efforts are hindered by Myanmar’s ongoing civil war, with few resources reaching affected areas. Catholic churches in Mandalay and beyond were also damaged, with St. Michael’s Church among the hardest hit. In some regions, local communities are organizing relief efforts as state response remains limited.
MANAGUA, Nicaragua (OSV News) – In Nicaragua, Catholics celebrated Palm Sunday under intense government scrutiny, as police and paramilitaries surrounded Managua’s cathedral and restricted Holy Week activities to church grounds. The regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo has banned public religious processions for the third straight year – allowing exceptions only for clergy aligned with the government. Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes of Managua led Mass inside the cathedral, focusing his homily on forgiveness despite the visible intimidation. Meanwhile, exiled Bishop Silvio Báez assured the faithful online that the government “cannot prevent the crucified one from revealing his victory” through acts of justice and solidarity. Church leaders report increasing harassment: clergy are monitored, muzzled, and even spied on during Mass. Some priests now avoid preaching altogether to evade arrest. Over 220 religious have been exiled or blocked from returning. Despite the crackdown, observers say the regime remains fearful of the church’s moral authority – and the enduring faith of the Nicaraguan people.
By Kate Scanlon WASHINGTON (OSV News) – The U.S. bishops on April 10 told congressional lawmakers they support bipartisan legislation that would ease some immigration restrictions on religious workers from other countries, allowing them to stay in the U.S. while they wait for permanent residency.
The legislation, titled the Religious Workforce Protection Act, was introduced in the Senate by Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Jim Risch, R-Idaho, and in the House by Reps. Mike Carey, R-Ohio, and Richard Neal, D-Mass.
If signed into law, it would permit religious workers already in the U.S. on temporary R-1 status with pending EB-4 applications to stay in the U.S. while waiting for permanent residency, Collins’ office said. All five of those members are Catholic.
“When Maine parishes where I attend mass started losing their priests, I saw this issue creating a real crisis in our state,” Collins said in an April 8 statement. “Recently, three Catholic parishes in rural Maine – Saint Agatha, Bucksport, and Greenville – were left without priests for months because their R-1 visas expired while their EB-4 applications were still pending.”
Father Charles Gnanapragasam, a priest from India, chats with well-wishers following a “Keep Our Priests” rosary rally at St. Mary Church in East Islip, N.Y., April 29, 2024. The U.S. bishops on April 10, 2025, told congressional lawmakers they support bipartisan legislation, the Religious Workforce Protection Act, that would ease some immigration restrictions on religious workers from other countries, allowing them to stay in the U.S. while they wait for permanent residency. (OSV News photo/Gregory A. Shemitz)
The National Study of Catholic Priests – released in 2022 by The Catholic University of America’s Catholic Project – indicated 24% of priests serving in the U.S. are foreign-born. A majority of these were ordained outside the U.S., while others are foreign-born priests who came to the U.S. as seminarians, were ordained in the U.S. and are also subject to visa renewals.
“Our bill would help religious workers of all faith traditions continue to live and serve here in the United States while their applications for permanent residency are being fully processed,” Collins said. “Many Mainers and Americans cannot imagine their lives without the sense of community and services their local religious organizations provide – with this legislation, I hope they never have to.” Kaine likewise said in a statement, “I first started hearing about churches losing trusted priests through my Parish, St. Elizabeth’s in Richmond, where we have had priests who were immigrants, and often have visiting priests, some of whom are immigrants as well.”
“But as it turns out, this problem is not unique to Virginia – it’s impacting religious congregations of many faiths, all across the country,” he said.
Bishops Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, Texas, Barry C. Knestout of Richmond, Virginia, James T. Ruggieri of Portland, Maine, and Earl K. Fernandes of Columbus, Ohio, were among the religious leaders who offered statements of support for the bill in press releases from Collins and Kaine’s offices, alongside representatives of evangelical Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Hindu organizations.
In an April 10 letter to members of Congress, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and head of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, as well as Bishop Seitz, who is chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration, urged lawmakers to pass the legislation to “to ensure communities across our nation can continue to enjoy the essential contributions of foreign-born religious workers who lawfully entered the United States on a nonimmigrant religious worker (R-1) visa.”
They said that there are many Catholic priests, women religious, and laypersons working in Catholic ministries in that category.
“Some parishes, especially those in rural or isolated areas, would go without regular access to the sacraments, if not for these religious workers,” the bishops said. “Additionally, dioceses with large immigrant populations rely on foreign-born religious workers for their linguistic and cultural expertise. We would not be able to serve our diverse flocks, which reflect the rich tapestry of our society overall, without the faithful men and women who come to serve through the Religious Worker Visa Program.” They said, “Simply put, an increasing number of American families will be unable to practice the basic tenets of their faith if this situation is not addressed soon. Likewise, hospitals will go without chaplains, schools will go without teachers, and seminaries will go without instructors.”
The bishops urged lawmakers to cosponsor “this vital measure and to work toward its immediate passage, thereby furthering the free exercise of religion in our country for the benefit of all Americans.”
(Kate Scanlon is a national reporter for OSV News covering Washington. Follow her on X @kgscanlon.)
By Justin McLellan VATICAN CITY (CNS) – With his death April 21, Pope Francis marked yet another first in the history of the Catholic Church: he became the first pope to open the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica without living to close it.
The pope opened the Holy Door Dec. 24, 2024, marking the beginning of the Holy Year 2025, a tradition normally celebrated in the church every 25 years as a time of spiritual renewal and pilgrimage. His death four months later means the Holy Door will be sealed by his successor – an unprecedented moment in the modern history of Jubilee celebrations.
Only once before had a Jubilee begun under one pope and concluded by another. In 1700, Pope Innocent XII, already gravely ill, gave his blessing for the start of the Jubilee he had declared in 1699 but was unable to preside at the opening of the Holy Door. He died in September 1700 and it fell to Pope Clement XI, elected later that year, to close the Holy Door and conclude the Jubilee.
Pope Francis pauses in prayer on the threshold of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Dec. 24, 2024, after he opened it and inaugurated the Holy Year 2025. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)
There have been other instances in which a Jubilee was proclaimed by one pontiff and carried out by another.
In 1389, Pope Urban VI declared the following year to be a holy year by changing the cycle of Jubilee celebrations to be observed every 33 years. His death that year meant the Holy Year 1390 was presided over by Pope Boniface IX.
A similar situation occurred when Pope Paul II proclaimed the Holy Year 1475 and laid out the requirement of visiting Rome’s four major basilicas, but he died before the Jubilee began and it was presided over by Pope Sixtus IV.
Pope Julius III presided over the Holy Year 1550 proclaimed by his predecessor, Pope Paul III, and Pope Pius VI presided over the Holy Year 1775 proclaimed by his predecessor Pope Clement XIV.
Yet Pope Francis became the only pope to personally open the Holy Door to inaugurate a holy year without closing it himself.
He previously opened and closed the Holy Door of the basilica during the extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy he called in 2015. The pope was also the first to open a holy door outside the Vatican, opening the Holy Door of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Bangui, Central African Republic, that year.
In December 2024, he opened the Holy Door at the church in Rome’s Rebibbia prison complex as a sign of hope to incarcerated people.
A few days before Pope Francis was elected in March 2013, he told his fellow cardinals, “I have the impression that Jesus is locked inside the church and that he is knocking because he wants to get out!” Among his last gestures as pope, he left the door to the world’s largest church wide open.
MADISON – St. Joseph Catholic School’s high school, student-produced newscast “Bruin News Now” was named the state’s Newscast of the Year and the seventh-grade student-produced newscast “JV Bruin News Now” was named the state’s Middle School Newscast of the Year. Both awards were among 25 that St. Joe received at the Mississippi Scholastic Press Association spring convention Friday, March 28, 2025, on the campus of the University of Mississippi. Pictured, back row from left: Elizabeth Vanderloo, Colby Jones, Mary Alice Foster and Amari Alexander. Fourth row: Macon Ogburn, Audrey Young, Davis Hammond and Emma O’Brien. Third row: Camp Hlavac, Jason Paul Buckley, Sawyer Helms, Jonathan Warnock and Luke Jones. Second Row: Turner Brown, Alex Hood and Noah Sanders. Front row: Landry Erwin, Sofia Liberto, Thierry Freeman, McKenzie Cummings, Kaitlyn Evans and Addyson Russell. (Photo courtsey of school)
