President Joe Biden and Pope Francis spoke by phone Oct. 22 to discuss the conflict in Israel and Gaza and facilitating a path to “durable peace” in the region, according to the press offices of both leaders.
National News
‘The Exorcist’ 50th Anniversary: Power of Faith Revisited by Local Documentarian
John Larkin would not watch “The Exorcist” when he was a kid. He was in his pre-confirmation studies at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Scarsdale when the original 1973 film was re-released in 2000, and its reputation was so frightening that he couldn’t bring himself to see it.
Massachusetts Catholic Charities Worry as Shelter Capacity Limits Loom
When Catholic Charities Boston president and CEO Kelley Tuthill considers new Massachusetts shelter capacity limits that go into effect next month, she said she thinks about a situation that arose on Sunday, Oct. 15, when three families showed up unannounced seeking help.
Nobel Literature Prize Winner Is Hailed as ‘Very Much a Catholic Writer’
Jon Fosse, a Norwegian novelist, poet, and playwright who converted to Catholicism from atheism 11 years ago, was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature Oct. 5 “for his innovative plays and prose which give voice to the unsayable.”
CRS Warns of ‘Unprecedented Suffering’ in Gaza if Aid Isn’t Allowed in Immediately
Following an Oct. 18 announcement from Israel and President Joe Biden that humanitarian aid will be allowed into Gaza from Egypt, the president and CEO of Catholic Relief Services is calling for the implementation of a plan to do so immediately.
Ukrainian Brothers’ Music Calls For Peace in War-Torn Country
When the Knights of Columbus held an awards ceremony on the eve of its recent 141st Supreme Convention, guests were treated to a performance by the Celtic folk band Scythian.
Viva Arch Vegas! Sin City Gets Blessed as an Archdiocese
At a Mass celebrating Las Vegas becoming the 33rd U.S. archdiocese, Cardinal Christophe Pierre told those in attendance that the growth of Catholicism in Sin City is the outcome of synodality, that is, “women and men working together on the shared journey of faith.”
Advocates Hail Settlement With Separated Migrant Families; Decry the Practice as ‘Torture’
After the Biden administration reached a settlement with thousands of migrants who were separated from their families at the U.S.-Mexico border by the Trump administration, Catholic immigration advocates want people to never forget what was done to these families.
Illinois Man Who Killed Palestinian Boy, Wounded Mother is Catholic Parishioner
An Illinois man accused of murdering a Palestinian boy and stabbing his mother because they were Muslim is a member of a local Catholic parish.
Diocese of Fairbanks, Alaska, Celebrates Ordination, Installation of New Bishop
Archbishop Andrew E. Bellisario of Anchorage-Juneau Oct. 12 encouraged the new shepherd of Fairbanks, Alaska, to “be a bishop in motion, going to your people throughout this boundless land.”