Soon after the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals granted a stay of execution for death row inmate Melissa Lucio on April 25, the bishops of Texas commended her religious conversion while lamenting a flawed justice system that resulted in her “dubious” conviction.
Author: John Lavenburg
Puerto Ricans Decry SCOTUS Decision Denying Them Disability Benefits
Father Camacho told The Tablet his family’s story to illuminate the need for people in Puerto Rico to receive SSI benefits and the hardships people go through without them, after the Supreme Court on April 21 declined to mandate that Congress extend federal disability benefits to residents of Puerto Rico.
Temporary Church Steels Faith of Parish After Destructive Tornadoes
It’s been about four months since the Resurrection Parish community in Dawson Springs, Ky., relocated into a 20-by-20 foot steel shed after a tornado destroyed their church, and parishioner Rhonda Mills says there are still Masses where a wave of emotion comes over everybody for the simple reason that they’re worshiping together.
Texas Migrants Bound For Capital Need More Help: Catholic Charities
Catholic Charities DC is trying to give a “welcoming, Christ-like response” to migrants arriving in the nation’s capital on buses from Texas, but the head of the organization says there are concerns about a lack of leadership and assistance from the government, and what will happen if the buses arrive through the summer.
Ukrainian Refugee Family Taken in by Queens Parish Adjusts to New Lives
About a month ago, Eugene and Elizabeth Desyuk lived under the sounds of emergency sirens and slept in the corridor or basement of their Ukrainian home, fearful of an attack from Russian forces. On Monday, they were learning the alphabet and playing with toys alongside their new classmates at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy.
New Director of Eucharistic Congress Shares His Vision
The newly appointed executive director of the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress, Tim Glemkowski, said he envisions the event as a powerful moment of “unity and communion as a Church, that leads to a renewed mission in a public witness,” which changes lives and hearts, and propels the Church into the future.
Catholic Churches in Western Ukraine Offering Material, Spiritual aid to Those Fleeing War
On a recent trip to Ukraine, Magda Kaczmarek remembers a priest telling her that even though half of the church’s parishioners have fled, they maintain about the same number of faithful, with the addition of internally displaced Ukrainians — including non-Catholics.
‘Father Stu’ Chronicles Rollercoaster Journey From Boxer to Priest
When Mark Wahlberg dove into the story of Father Stuart Long, he said what stood out was the way a previously agnostic man and his family — resistant to God after the death of their brother and son — were transformed by the Catholic faith.
Catholic Leaders React to New State-Level Abortion Legislation
Catholic leaders in Colorado and Oklahoma reacted with dismay and praise for their state legislatures earlier this week as the former enshrined the right to abortion into state law, and the latter passed a near-total abortion ban.
Immigration Advocates Praise Decision to End Title 42 Border Policy
When Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso got the news that the federal government will soon terminate Title 42, a controversial border policy, he said he began “thanking God.”