Catholic news today

Out of the Cold programs across Toronto are preparing to open for their 39th year as winter temperatures approach.

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Toronto is finalizing plans for Synergy Toronto 2026, a gathering for Catholic leaders in health, education, and social services.

Rudy Fernandes writes editorials regarding Catholicism and its graces for the Greater Toronto Area and other regions.

The bishop of Knoxville, Tennessee, told The Pillar that adding prayers to the Mass is not appropriate. He stated that a plan to limit the St. Michael prayer and other public devotions before and after Mass in the diocese is intended to respect Catholics who wish to pray silently in parish churches.

The bishop said he hopes priests will provide good catechesis regarding these changes to prayer and the liturgy of the Church.

JD Flynn and Ed Condon discuss a coaching decision in a preview episode of The Pillar Podcast.

K.E. Colombini of The Catholic Thing suggests that the resurgence of traditional liturgical practices should extend to the betrothal rite.

Colombini notes that while Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI facilitated a renewed interest in the Traditional Latin Mass of the 1962 Roman Missal, other devotional traditions have also seen a return. The author observes that many Catholics who grew up after the Second Vatican Council have sought out these older forms of worship.

The article mentions that some engaged couples are now opting for short betrothal rites at parishes or oratories that offer the traditional Mass. Colombini contrasts these traditional rites with modern marriage preparation requirements, such as weekend retreats or specific community service, which the author suggests can sometimes exceed reasonable expectations.

An article by James Katende for The Southern Cross discusses how global conflicts, natural disasters, and societal shifts relate to preparations for the end times.

The Vesper Club in Nashville provides a social space for young adults to build friendships and community alongside their faith.

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia Office for Child and Youth Protection will host a free one-hour virtual workshop on Nov. 20 at 1:00 p.m. to help professionals support grieving children and adolescents. The webinar, titled Walking Alongside: Becoming a Grief-Informed Ally for Children and Teens, is scheduled in recognition of Children’s Grief Awareness Month.

The session is intended for educators, counselors, administrators, and other professionals working with young people. Presenters Kelly Petersohn, a bereavement specialist, and Sarah Behm Guillén, director of the Eluna Resource Center, will discuss how grief affects different age groups. They will also share practical support strategies and resources for families navigating loss.

Actor Chris Pratt shared details of a private audience with Pope Leo XIV during an appearance on the NBC program “TODAY” on October 20.

Pratt asked the pope how he could pray for him and how to share the love of Christ with others while remaining faithful to the Gospel. Pratt did not disclose the specific answers provided by the pope.

Catholic Answers Live released an audio episode examining the evaluation and approval levels of various Marian apparitions, including Kibeho, Akita, Fatima, and Zeitoun.

The program explains the methods the Church uses to evaluate reported apparitions. It addresses how Catholics can draw spiritual lessons from these events while remaining aligned with Church doctrine and authority. The episode provides specific segments on the apparitions in Kibeho, Akita, Fatima, and Zeitoun.

Middle school students at St. Dominic School in Northfield painted landscapes and wildlife silhouettes onto snowplow blades. The city of Northfield delivered the blades to the school campus for the project. Art teacher Tiffany Matlock guided the students as they created depictions of night skies and sunsets.

The project is part of a long-standing partnership between the school and the city. According to a school news release, the collaboration dates back to at least 2013, when students participated in a project called A Moving Museum by painting blades inspired by famous artists. This year's project coincides with the 100th anniversary of St. Dominic School.

Catholic Charities Twin Cities will host a pop-up voting event at its Higher Ground Minneapolis campus on Oct. 24 from noon to 3 p.m.

The event is intended to provide housing residents and shelter guests with easier access to voting. While the pop-up is located at the Catholic Charities campus, which includes an emergency shelter and three apartment facilities, the event is open to any voter in Minneapolis.

Catholic Answers Live released an episode discussing how the Church evaluates and classifies reported Marian apparitions. The program examines the official categories used to judge visions and whether Catholics are required to believe in them.

The discussion includes specific cases such as La Salette, Medjugorje, and Father Michel Rodrigue. The episode explains how the Church distinguishes approved devotions from private revelations to discern authenticity and protect the faithful.

The Shrine Church of St. Bernadette in Dyker Heights opened its doors on Oct. 19 to allow the faithful to venerate first-class relics of St. Bernadette. The relics arrived as part of the Journey of Grace tour, a 140-stop program organized by the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes that began in September and will conclude next August.

Housed in a 24-karat gold-plated reliquary, the first-class relics consist of actual body parts. The collection includes strands of hair, fragments of her fifth and sixth ribs, kneecaps, a sample of muscle from her right femur, and fragments of other muscle and skin.

Father Jeremy Canna, pastor of the Shrine Church of St. Bernadette, said the presence of these relics provides people an opportunity to get closer to the saint. St. Bernadette reported apparitions of the Virgin Mary in a grotto in Lourdes in 1858.

Couple to Couple League International will present its first Guadalupe Award to María Alejandra Martinez Balderas and Xavier Balderas of Holy Family parish in St. Louis Park. The Cincinnati-based nonprofit established the award as it marks its 55th anniversary of providing natural family planning education.

The Balderas are being recognized for more than 20 years of expanding Spanish-language natural family planning instruction. They began practicing fertility awareness in 2001 and became instructors in 2003. The couple serves couples in the United States and Canada in both English and Spanish, and they teach in other countries through online programs.

Executive director Katie Zulanas stated that the couple represents the organization's mission of married couples sharing their experience and faith with others. While Alejandra later joined the professional staff of Couple to Couple League International, the couple continues to serve as volunteers.

Father Dan Haugan, pastor of Lumen Christi in St. Paul, recorded his first hole-in-one during a game on Oct. 12.

The event occurred on the 110-yard, par three, sixth hole at Inver Wood Golf Course in Inver Grove Heights. Father Haugan reported that his initial drive was low to the ground. He and two partners watched the ball hit the edge of the rough, strike the pin, and fall into the cup.

Father Haugan, 50, noted that he had never had a hole-in-one in his life. He cited the statistical odds for an amateur golfer on a par three course as 12,500 to 1.

Archbishop Gervas John Nyaisonga of Mbeya, Tanzania, took the oath of office as Chancellor of the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) on Thursday, October 22. During the ceremony at the university graduation square, the Archbishop pledged to safeguard the institution's Catholic identity and remain in communion with the Catholic Church.

Bishop Charles Sampa Kasonde, the Bishop of Solwezi in Zambia and the outgoing Chancellor, presented the Archbishop for the oath. Bishop Kasonde stated that the Chancellor serves as the ecclesiastical authority representing the Holy See and AMECEA at the university.

The role involves providing leadership and guidance to advance the university's mission and core values. Bishop Kasonde noted that the office requires a commitment to academic excellence, integrity, and the pursuit of truth. He expressed confidence that Archbishop Nyaisonga would help strengthen academic standards and promote research and innovation at the institution.

Catholic influencer Damián Rodríguez has identified six popular beliefs that he says are incompatible with Catholic teaching. In a video shared on social media, Rodríguez warned that people may adopt New Age ideas or superstitions without realizing they conflict with the faith.

Rodríguez stated that believing the universe can grant wishes, using the law of attraction to manifest outcomes, and relying on good-luck charms are practices that do not align with the faith. He also identified horoscopes, astrology, and the belief that speaking words can force reality to change as incompatible practices. Rodríguez noted that while sacramentals like rosaries or crucifixes are used in the Church, they do not function as luck-bringing objects but instead direct the faithful toward God. He explained that Christian prayer involves trusting in God's will rather than attempting to manipulate reality.

Archbishop Gervas John Nyaisonga called on students, staff, and graduates to practice integrity and service during a graduation ceremony for the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). The ceremony celebrated the 2026 graduating class from CUEA, Hekima University College, Marist International University College, and the university's affiliate seminaries.

Archbishop Nyaisonga, the Archbishop of Mbeya, Tanzania, also assumed office as the new Chancellor of the university. He noted that the institution was founded in 1984 to evangelize society through education. He stated that the university must maintain its mission while addressing modern challenges such as artificial intelligence and social media.

During his address, the Chancellor referenced Pope Leo XIV’s call for Catholic education to instill a passion for the truth in students. He urged the graduates to act as ethical leaders within their professional fields.

Bishop Charles Kasonde stated that lay Catholics are the primary force behind the Church's mission during a visit to the Mombasa Archdiocese in Kenya. Speaking on the 100th anniversary of World Mission Sunday, the Bishop of Solwezi Diocese in Zambia noted that because the laity constitutes the majority of the Church, their voluntary work carries the Church's mission forward.

Bishop Kasonde observed that many faithful members perform their duties without pay or reward. He noted that the high level of contributions to the Pontifical Mission Societies in Mombasa serves as a motivation for this work. He encouraged all baptized Christians to use their talents to make Christ known within their communities.

The Bishop described World Mission Sunday as a time to renew the commitment of every Christian to evangelize. He said that God prioritizes a person's willingness to respond to his call over their specific abilities.

The Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) commissioned its 2026 graduating class during a Thanksgiving Mass held on the eve of the university's 45th graduation. More than 3,000 students participated in the rite, which included a candle-lighting ceremony where representatives received lights from the Paschal candle to symbolize their mission to carry faith and knowledge into their communities and workplaces.

The Mass also included the investiture of Archbishop Gervas Nyaisonga of Mbeya, Tanzania, as the new Chancellor of CUEA and the installation of Rev. Prof. Elias Omondi Opongo, SJ, as Vice-Chancellor.

During the commissioning, Archbishop Nyaisonga blessed the students and encouraged them to use their education as a tool for service to the Church and humanity. He urged the graduates to pursue truth and justice in their future professional and personal lives.