The rich symbolism of darkness to light is not lost on Mark Steigerwald, vice president of the Cathedral Candle Company in Syracuse, New York, a fourth-generation family business that is one of the leading suppliers of church candles in the U.S.
National News
Wisconsin High Court Rules a Catholic Charities Unit Is Not Exempt From Unemployment Tax
Wisconsin’s Supreme Court, in a divided ruling mid-March, said that because the work that a state Catholic Charities’ agency does is not primarily religious, it does not qualify for a religious exemption to the state’s unemployment tax.
Supreme Court Won’t Hear Appeal From Catholic Parents of Transgender Teen Taken by State of Indiana
The U.S. Supreme Court declined, without comment, March 18 to take up an appeal by an Indiana Catholic couple whose child was removed from their home when they did not accept the teen’s transgender identity.
Paulists Revamp Ministries, Showing Need to ‘Triple the Ask’ for Religious Vocations
An order of priests is revamping its ministries due to a downturn in vocations. According to the congregation’s communications director, the move highlights the church’s need to “triple the ask” for young men to consider religious life.
As Abortion Pill Case Approaches Supreme Court, Bishops Call for Prayers to End Abortion
In response to the upcoming Supreme Court case about access to the commonly used abortion pill, mifepristone, the U.S. bishops are calling on Catholics across the country to pray for an end to abortion.
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.
In a First, Vice President Kamala Harris to Visit an Abortion Clinic
Vice President Kamala Harris plans to visit a Minnesota clinic March 14 that performs abortions and provides reproductive care as one of the stops on her nationwide “Fight for Reproductive Freedoms” tour.
Major U.S. Nitrogen Gas Manufacturers Ban Use of Their Products for Executions
Three of the largest manufacturers of medical-grade nitrogen gas in the U.S. have barred their products from being used in executions, the British daily newspaper, The Guardian, reported.
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.
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.”