The U.S. surgeon general June 25 issued an advisory declaring gun violence a public health emergency, citing “the urgent threat firearm violence poses to the health and well-being of our country.”
National News
Oklahoma Supreme Court Calls Proposed Catholic Charter School Unconstitutional
Oklahoma’s Supreme Court on June 25 rejected a proposed Catholic charter school that would have been the first publicly funded religious school in the country.
Montana’s Catholic Bishops Oppose Abortion Ballot Measure That Gained Required Signatures
In late June, Montana organizers had collected enough signatures to advance a ballot initiative to expand abortion access in the state although officials still need to verify the signatures and the secretary of state’s office must certify the measure before it is placed on the November ballot.
DeSales Media Wins 33 Awards at Catholic Media Conference; Nuestra Voz Named Spanish Publication of the Year
DeSales Media Group won 33 awards this year at the Catholic Media Conference on June 21 in Atlanta. The Catholic Media Association’s annual conference took place June 18-21 with more than 300 participants from around the country and Canada. The group represents more than 200 publications and 90 communications offices throughout the United States and Canada.
Catholic Anti-Death Penalty Group Urges Texas, Oklahoma to Stop Upcoming Executions
Two executions — one in Texas and one in Oklahoma — scheduled for the end of June will be the eighth and ninth executions to take place this year in the United States. They would also be the second executions in each state this year, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
St. Louis Archdiocese Documents History of Slavery by Clergy in Pre-Civil War Era
A new report on the history of slavery in the Archdiocese of St. Louis details how many people were enslaved by the archdiocese’s first three bishops as well as 11 diocesan priests and seven other clergymen who ministered there in the 19th century.
Matt Maher, Lourdes Musical, Diverse Artists to Perform at the National Eucharistic Congress
As the National Eucharistic Revival calls Catholics to enter into the Lord’s great love for them in the Eucharist, musical performers from a variety of backgrounds will invite those at the National Eucharistic Congress to faith-filled worship through song.
Supreme Court to Hear Challenge to State Law Banning Transgender Interventions for Minors
The Supreme Court on June 24 agreed to hear a challenge to a Tennessee state law banning certain types of medical or surgical gender reassignment procedures for minors who identify as transgender, the high court’s first major step toward weighing in on the controversial issue.
New Study Says 69% of Massgoers Believe in Real Presence; Measuring Belief Called Tricky Task
A new study suggests that Catholic belief in the Real Presence may be higher than previous data indicated — but measuring that belief accurately remains a tricky task for researchers.
Second Anniversary of Dobbs Decision Is Day for Thanksgiving, Reflection, Bishop Says
The two-year anniversary June 24 of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade is a time to “reflect on where we have been and where we are going,” said the chairman of the U.S. Catholic bishops’ pro-life committee.