With more than two decades of youth and young adult ministry experience under his belt, Dr. Ansel Augustine considers his new role with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Subcommittee on African American Affairs one of bridge building between not just clergy and laity, but between older and younger generations of Catholics.
Author: John Lavenburg
How J.D. Vance’s Catholic Faith Influences His Politics
With former President Donald Trump choosing J.D. Vance as his vice-presidential running mate and assuming President Joe Biden stays in the race, one thing is certain about the next iteration of the executive branch: A Catholic will be first or second in command.
KofC to Cover Mosaics by Father Rupnik Pending Abuse Investigation
After a review process, the Knights of Columbus announced that they would cover with fabric the mosaic artwork of Father Marko Rupnik in worship spaces at the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington and the Holy Family Chapel at the Knights’ headquarters in New Haven, Connecticut.
U.S. Bishops Say ‘Instrumentum Laboris’ on Synod on Synodality is ‘Rooted in Charity’
With a focus on the different relationships in the Church, the recently published working document for the final gathering of the Synod of Bishops on Synodality presents the American faithful an opportunity to reflect, says U.S. Bishops’ Conference synod lead.
Synod of Bishops on Synodality Detail Topics for Final Gathering
The recently published working document for the final gathering of the Synod of Bishops on Synodality focuses on the different relationships in the Church and presents the American faithful with an opportunity to reflect, says the U.S. Bishops’ Conference synod lead.
Death Row Exoneration Shows U.S. Capital Punishment Is ‘Broken’
A Catholic organization that advocates against the death penalty is calling for an end to the “broken system of capital punishment” to ensure innocent people aren’t executed in the future following the 200th death row exoneration in the United States since 1973.
Texas Judge Calls Attorney General’s Attempt to Close Catholic Shelter ‘Outrageous’
An El Paso judge has denied Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s attempt to shut down a Catholic migrant shelter that operates in the city — a decision that the local bishop is calling “an important moment for religious freedom.”
U.S. Bishops Fund Ordinations in Haiti As ‘A Sign of Hope’
With the help of donations from the U.S. Bishops’ Conference and the Vatican, Archbishop Max Leroy Mésidor of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, plans to forge ahead through a time of violence and instability and hold an early August ordination ceremony for two new auxiliary bishops.
House Appropriations Bill Could Have ‘Dire Consequences,’ Says Aid Group
With billions of dollars in cuts, the U.S. bishops’ international humanitarian aid agency says the House of Representatives State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2025, could have “dire consequences” for people in need worldwide.
St. Louis Archdiocese Documents History of Slavery by Clergy in Pre-Civil War Era
A new report on the history of slavery in the Archdiocese of St. Louis details how many people were enslaved by the archdiocese’s first three bishops as well as 11 diocesan priests and seven other clergymen who ministered there in the 19th century.