For the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics and for millions of other people as well, the Catholic Church’s 2025 was primarily about the death of Pope Francis and the election of Pope Leo XIV.
National News
Jerusalem Patriarch: Holy Land Needs World’s Prayers, Support Amid ‘Disaster’
Since the October ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war, people in Palestine are living in abject ruin, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa said at a news conference in Plymouth, a western suburb of Detroit.
Trump Marks Feast of Immaculate Conception, a Day ‘Special to Our Catholic Citizens’
In a Dec. 8 statement marking the feast of the Immaculate Conception, President Donald Trump called it “a Holy Day honoring the faith, humility, and love of Mary, mother of Jesus and one of the greatest figures in the Bible.”
In New Interview, President Trump Says He Is Open To Meeting With Pope Leo XIV
President Donald Trump said in a wide-ranging interview with Politico published Dec. 9 that he would be open to meeting with Pope Leo XIV and responded to the pontiff’s pushback to his immigration policy.
St. Francis de Sales Students Help Decorate Christmas Tree at White House
New York State is represented on a Christmas tree at the White House thanks to sixth graders from St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy.
Chicago Priest Walks 900 Miles to Give Voice to Immigrant Families
Chicago priest Father Gary Graf walked more than 900 miles to amplify the voices of immigrant families living in fear, culminating his two-month pilgrimage at the Statue of Liberty and calling for compassion, dignity, and justice.
Canadian Missionary Warns New Yorkers About Euthanasia’s ‘Slippery Slope’
Benjamin Turland, a Catholic missionary in Canada, warns New Yorkers against supporting laws that legalize euthanasia. He has first-hand experience: both his grandmothers chose to die via euthanasia, which is legal in Canada.
Mother Cabrini’s Legacy Enshrined Among 700 Relics at Newark Parish
A New Jersey parish houses nearly 700 relics thanks to Eric Lavin, a young devotee of Mother Cabrini who has spent years building one of the nation’s largest parish collections.
Nigerians Like Trump’s ‘CPC’ Move, But Wary of Saber-Rattling
President Donald Trump has put Nigeria back on the list of Countries of Particular Concern, pleasing the West African nation’s local diaspora.
Diocese of Brooklyn Youth Embrace Pope Leo’s Message of Hope at National Catholic Youth Conference
13 young Catholics from the Diocese of Brooklyn who traveled to this year’s National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC), held in Indianapolis from Nov. 20 to Nov. 22. The group included seven young Catholics from St. Mary of Nazareth and six from the VBCC.