Close to a foot of rain fell in just under 12 hours in parts of the Greater Houston area as Hurricane Beryl pushed into the southeast Gulf Coast of Texas when it made landfall near Matagorda, Texas, in the early morning hours of July 8.
National News
Republican Party Platform Softens Language on Abortion, Same-Sex Marriage
A Republican Party platform, overwhelmingly approved by a committee on July 8, has softened the party’s language on abortion for the first time in more than four decades.
Catholic Convert Says Traveling National Eucharistic Pilgrimage Feels Like God ‘Rolling Out the Red Carpet’
Marina Frattaroli describes herself as the National Eucharistic Revival’s “first convert,” after a related social media post led her to a website describing the church’s teaching on Jesus’ true presence in the Eucharist.
At 69, Indiana Woman Deepens Her Faith Traveling Eucharistic Pilgrimage’s Seton Route
As she talked with the grieving woman, Jan Pierson believed this was another moment when God had led her to where he wanted her to be — which is exactly why the 69-year-old Indiana woman has looked past the challenges and has embraced her once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take part in the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage.
President Biden Says It Would Take ‘The Lord Almighty’ to Get Him to Drop Out of Presidential Race
President Joe Biden said he had a “bad night” due to a cold in his first televised interview since his performance at a debate raised concerns about his physical and mental ability heading into the general election campaign.
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.
Archaeologists Discover Ancient Relic Believed to Be Tied to Moses and the Ten Commandments
Archaeologists excavating the site of a church in southern Austria have unearthed a marble shrine containing a relic they believe may be tied to Moses receiving the Ten Commandments.
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.”
Wisconsin Supreme Court Says Order Against Pro-Life Advocate Violated First Amendment
The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled unanimously June 27 that an order blocking a pro-life advocate from speaking to a Planned Parenthood worker violated his First Amendment free speech rights and should be overturned.
Iowa Bishops Praise State Supreme Court’s Decision Lifting Injunction on Abortion Ban
Iowa’s three Catholic bishops praised the state Supreme Court’s ruling that lifted an injunction on a state’s abortion ban after six weeks of pregnancy.