Edition of Monday, September 28

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle presided over the beatification Mass for Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen on Sept. 24, 2026, at the Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Acting as the papal envoy for Pope Leo XIV, Tagle led the ceremony for the American archbishop, who was recognized for his missionary work through radio and television.

During the homily, Tagle stated that Sheen’s blessedness came from a Christ-centered mission defined by humility and care for the poor rather than his widespread fame. Tagle recalled Sheen describing himself as a porter who simply helped lead people to the door of God’s house. The ceremony was attended by approximately 50,000 worshippers from 49 states and 10 countries, including 89 bishops, 1,000 priests, 250 deacons, and 850 seminarians.

In an apostolic letter, Pope Leo XIV described Sheen, an Illinois native, as an untiring preacher of the Gospel through modern communications and a pastor driven by missionary zeal. Sheen, who gained popularity through the television program "Life Is Worth Living" between 1952 and 1957, received an Emmy Award in 1953. He served as the bishop of Rochester, New York, starting in 1966, before continuing his ministry until his death in December 1979.

Bishop Louis Tylka of the Diocese of Peoria announced that St. Mary Catholic Church in El Paso, Illinois, will join the first parish in the world named for Blessed Fulton J. Sheen. The new parish will be formed by merging St. Mary with St. John Parish in nearby Benson.

The newly created Blessed Fulton J. Sheen Parish is scheduled to take its name on Dec. 9, the first feast day observance for the new blessed. While the parish will carry the new name, the individual church buildings will retain their original names.

Bishop Tylka made the announcement on Sept. 26 following a Mass of Thanksgiving at St. Mary, the site where Sheen was baptized in 1895. Bishop John O. Barres of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York, celebrated the Mass. Barres, who serves as chairman of the board of trustees of The Pontifical Mission Societies, USA, was himself baptized by Sheen.

Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass at the Place de la Concorde in Paris on September 26, 2026, addressing a crowd of approximately 800,000 people. Attendees lined the Champs Elysees from the Arc de Triomphe to the square to participate in the liturgy.

During his homily, the pope urged the people of France to find true happiness and peace by following Jesus. He described Christ as the source of living water capable of satisfying a deep human thirst for meaning, truth, fulfillment, and communion with God. He encouraged families, young people, and the wider Christian community to share the Gospel in places experiencing loneliness or spiritual dryness.

Six altar servers with Down syndrome assisted during the Mass. Participants waited for hours, sometimes in drizzling rain, to attend the event.

Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington called on Americans to support undocumented immigrants and oppose mass deportation policies during a Mass on Sept. 27 at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle. Speaking at a service for the 112th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, the cardinal said the nation must stop ignoring the suffering of immigrants and fight the evil being carried out in the country's name.

McElroy criticized government actions, including raids on schools, nursing homes, and parking lots, describing them as a war on undocumented immigrants who have contributed to the nation's economy and culture. He also noted the suffering of children who have been detained and separated from their families. The cardinal urged citizens to either convince political representatives to stop these practices or replace them.

The Mass was sponsored by the Archdiocese of Washington Office of Cultural Diversity and Outreach. Before the liturgy, a multilingual rosary was prayed in English, Spanish, Tagalog, Amharic, and Haitian Creole. Concelebrants included 18 priests from the archdiocese, Auxiliary Bishops Juan R. Esposito and Robert P. Boxie III, and retired Auxiliary Bishop Roy E. Campbell Jr.

Cardinal Marcello Semeraro presided over the beatification of three priests at the Basilica of San Petronio in Bologna. The ceremony honored Ubaldo Marchioni, Elia Comini, and Martino Capelli, who were killed by the SS during the Monte Sole massacre in 1944.

During the Mass, Semeraro, the prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, said the priests chose to stay with their pastoral communities rather than save themselves. He described their decision as an expression of pastoral love and faithfulness. Semeraro noted that the men freely renounced their safety to share the fate of the people entrusted to them.

The three priests were killed during an event that resulted in 770 deaths. Semeraro stated that the blood of the martyrs does not cry out for revenge but proclaims Christ, describing their lives as being brought to fullness through love.

Pope Leo XIV issued a message for the 112th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, calling on the Church and society to protect vulnerable migrant children. The theme for the day, which the Church celebrated on September 27, is "Even just one of these children."

The Pope identified minors as the most vulnerable group in global migration movements. He noted that millions of children and adolescents are forced to flee their homes due to war, poverty, violence, and environmental disasters. He stated that the number of displaced minors continues to grow, leading to immense economic, political, and military consequences.

In his message, the Pope highlighted several specific hardships faced by these children, including those who have lost family members, witnessed violence, or endured long periods of separation from their parents. He also noted the traumatic conditions faced by minors traveling with their parents and the difficult situations of those separated from their families during repatriation.

The Diocese of Požega celebrates the feast of the archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael according to its own liturgical calendar.

The feast honors the archangels as titular patrons for several locations and institutions within the diocese, including Dubočac, Stara Gradiška, and Stražeman. The St. Raphael Hospital serves as a titular site, while Strmac celebrates the feast of St. Michael the Archangel.

Pope Leo XIV called on religious leaders in Metz to pursue a disarmament of words and hearts during the final day of his trip. Speaking in the city, the pope rejected the use of violence or oppression in the name of religion and stated that engaging in dialogue does not diminish a person's own identity.

Religious representatives signed a commitment to dialogue following his remarks.

Cardinal Luis Tagle received a first-class relic of Blessed Fulton Sheen during the beatification Mass in St. Louis. James Fulton Engstrom, the teenager whose 2010 miraculous recovery led to Sheen's beatification, presented the relic to Tagle, who served as the main celebrant.

The relic is Sheen's mandible, the bone that forms the chin and lower jaw. Bishop Louis Tylka of the Diocese of Peoria, Sheen's home diocese, said the choice of the jawbone is significant because of Sheen's ability to preach, teach, and communicate the faith. Engstrom was declared dead for 61 minutes after birth before being healed through Sheen's intercession.

The National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB) communications office published a clarification note on Sunday, September 27, to address false information circulating on social media regarding the institution and the current electoral process.

The CNBB stated it did not produce, authorize, or participate in creating or spreading false information related to the elections. The conference noted it is not part of any political party or candidacy. According to the statement, the institution's comments on the elections stem from its pastoral mission and public principles regarding human dignity, the common good, democracy, and freedom of conscience.

The note expressed repudiation for the use of false information regardless of who it benefits or harms. The CNBB added that accusing the institution of participating in disinformation without proof unfairly targets the organization and undermines the responsibility required during an election.

Pope Leo XIV will pray the Rosary with hundreds of children on October 1 at the Lourdes Grotto in the Vatican Gardens. The Pope intends to join the children in prayer for peace and unity, connecting with families, schools, and parishes worldwide.

During the Angelus in Lourdes on September 27, the Pope invited the faithful and Christian communities to pray the Rosary throughout October to ask for an end to war and the establishment of peace. He also encouraged people to commit to dialogue, reconciliation, and acts of mercy.

This appeal supports a global campaign by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) called One Million Children Praying the Rosary. The initiative began in Caracas, Venezuela, in 2005 and has operated for over 20 years. ACN invited the Pope to join the children in this prayer and to share the request with the wider Church.

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the Holy See's special envoy for humanitarian issues, is in Moscow for a three-day mission from September 28 to September 30.

The cardinal is participating in institutional meetings to advance discussions regarding prisoners of war and children who were transferred from their original territories. This mission follows his visit to Ukraine in July.

Evangelization Lab provides parishes, dioceses, and Catholic organizations with tools to reach people through digital spaces. Founded by José Manuel de Urquidi in Dallas, the organization conducts research, experiments, and missionary training to help users move from online interactions to local sacramental life.

One initiative involves training diocesan staff and parish members to use their digital presence to foster interpersonal communication. Digital missionary Katie Ruvalcaba said the goal is to use the internet to lead people into a sacramental relationship with Christ and the Church.

The organization responds to papal teachings regarding technology, including Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical *Magnifica Humanitas*, which calls for the humane use of technology as a tool for evangelization.

Pope Leo XIV said wars are senseless and urged Russia and Ukraine to begin negotiations.

Speaking to journalists during his flight from Metz to Rome following his trip to France, the pope criticized the economic interests that sustain global conflicts. He noted that while a small number of people profit from the arms industry, those billions of dollars could instead be used to address issues like world hunger. Pope Leo XIV stated that the Church will continue to speak out by proclaiming the Gospel.

Pope Leo XIV met with seven survivors of clergy sexual abuse in Lourdes on September 27 to acknowledge the institutional failures that allowed the crisis to persist. The Vatican reported that the pope met with the four men and three women both individually and as a group to express closeness to those suffering from the wounds of abuse.

Following the meeting, five survivors – Véronique Garnier, Olivier Mardi, Jérôme Guillement, Bertrand Virieux, and Jean-Marie Delbos – spoke at an invitation-only press conference. Delbos, 80, who was abused as a child at the Notre-Dame de Bétharram boarding school and left the Church six decades ago, said the pope embraced him during their encounter.

Survivor Jérôme Guillement stated that the pope recognized the systemic nature of the crisis and the institutional failures involved. Guillement, who leads a survivors' panel for French Catholic schools, urged the pope to focus on prevention through cultural change rather than through training modules or procedures. Véronique Garnier added that the pope listened deeply and understood that France has not yet moved past these systemic problems.

Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades consecrated the University of Notre Dame to the Sacred Heart of Jesus during an evening Mass on Sept. 25. This ceremony marked the first time in the university's 184-year history that such a consecration has occurred.

Following the Mass, the faithful processed with the Eucharist to a statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus located at the center of the Indiana campus. During the prayer of consecration, the bishop and university leaders prayed for strength to love selflessly and for an end to divisions.

In his homily, Bishop Rhoades stated that the human heart seeks a joy that only God can satisfy, though sinfulness often obstructs the search for truth. He warned that technology, specifically artificial intelligence, can cause harm if it is not directed toward human flourishing. He noted that a Catholic university must reject dehumanizing technocratic paradigms in favor of Catholic social teaching. Bishop Rhoades concluded that the mission of the Church is to build the kingdom of God through truth, justice, and peace, using the Sacred Heart of Jesus as the image of that mission.