Even with multiple lawsuits pending that create an uncertain future, St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School in Oklahoma — the nation’s first state-funded religious school — has begun accepting applications for K-12 education set to begin this August.
Author: John Lavenburg
Brooklyn Priest, Home From Mission, Wants Faithful to ‘Give Hope’ to Haitian Migrants
On the last day of Father Juan Luxama’s recent mission trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico, he witnessed the arrival of a boat of 45 Haitian migrants, who then piled into a local Catholic shelter. Witnessing their new reality, he said, moved him.
Catholic Agencies Are a ‘Bulwark Against Human Trafficking’ at Border, Bishop Seitz Says
In Bishop Mark Seitz’s initial response to an attempt by the state of Texas to shut down a Catholic migrant shelter in El Paso, he noted how the situation highlights the challenge such organizations face balancing federal and state responses with their own mission to serve.
Haiti Bishops Condemn Homicides, Witch-Hunts, Other Acts of Violence
Amid a period of turmoil and uncertainty, the Catholic bishops of Haiti are calling for an end to “all acts aimed at reducing Haiti to rubble and ashes,” and for renewed support from the international community to help foster peace and reconciliation.
Bishop Says VP Harris Should Visit an Organization at ‘Service of Life,’ Not Abortion Clinic
On the day Vice President Kamala Harris visited an abortion clinic in Minnesota, a first for a U.S. vice president, the head of the U.S. bishops’ conference Committee on Pro-Life Activities said she should have instead visited an agency or organization at the service of life.
Archbishop: Crisis in Haiti is ‘Complicated’ and ‘Very Delicate’
In response to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ deploying hundreds of additional officers and soldiers to the state’s southern coast to “protect” against Haitian migrants, Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami says “Haitians are not an ‘invasive species,’ and shouldn’t be treated as such.”
Court Blocks Texas Attorney General’s Move to Shut Catholic Migrant Shelter
A district judge in Texas has temporarily blocked an attempt by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to shut down a Catholic migrant shelter in El Paso, allowing the shelter to operate as normal while the standard civil process plays out.
Catholic Religious Sisters Work to Stop Human Trafficking
There’s a saying in Nigeria, recalls Sister Patricia Ebegbulem, that “if you will act, and I will act, [human] trafficking will end.” It’s a saying she recently invoked as a message to the world that every country, and every person, has a role to play to end the practice.
Chicago Archdiocese to Cut Government Contracts, Reduce Staff
As part of a new strategic plan, Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Chicago has decided to transition out of 75 government contracts amid what the organization’s leadership has labeled an “increasingly complex and uncertain government funding environment.”
2024 Laetare Medal Winner Claire Babineaux-Fontenot Called ‘Beacon of Hope’
Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, the chief executive of the nation’s largest nonprofit working to feed the hungry nationwide, will receive the 2024 Laetare Medal from the University of Notre Dame, one of the oldest and most prestigious honors given to American Catholics.