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This small diocese is leading the country in vocations to the priesthood

Priests bow during the consecration at the opening Mass at SEEK25 in Salt Lake City on Jan. 1, 2025. / Credit: Kate Quiñones/CNA

CNA Staff, Feb 12, 2025 / 15:30 pm (CNA).

The small Midwestern diocese of Wichita, Kansas, continues to lead the nation in many metrics related to priestly vocations, according to a new report from Vocation Ministry, a Texas nonprofit that supports vocations programs in parishes and schools. 

The report, which serves as an update to a major 2023 study conducted by the same ministry, concludes that smaller, more connected dioceses seem to have an edge when it comes to fostering local vocations. 

“The challenges of priestly ministry — whether serving small, tight-knit communities or large, diverse parishes — highlight the importance of intentional engagement, pastoral adaptability, and resource allocation,” the report reads.  

“The richness of immigrant communities, the dedication of religious and extern priests, and the creative energy of priests committed to youth ministry all serve as reminders that the Church possesses the tools to meet these challenges,” it says.

“However, addressing the realities of declining vocations and overburdened clergy will require innovative approaches and a renewed commitment to building environments where all vocations can flourish.”

The report classifies dioceses by population into four tiers. Tier 1 dioceses have more than 750,000 Catholics; Tier 2 dioceses have 350,000 to 750,000 Catholics; Tier 3 dioceses have 100,000 to 350,000 Catholics; and Tier 4 dioceses have fewer than 100,000 Catholics.

The Tier 4 dioceses with a small Catholic population had the largest ratio of priests to parishioners — and also the highest rate of men entering the priesthood. In contrast, the dioceses with the largest Catholic populations fared the worst, with the lowest ratio of priests to parishioners, and also the lowest vocation rate. 

Not a single Tier 1 diocese has enough seminarians to maintain current priest levels, the 2025 report says. 

Vocation Ministry listed the “top four” dioceses in each tier for the number of men entering seminary between 2014-2023, as well as the number of ordinations each year, ranking the dioceses by the percentage of priests it ordains in a typical year compared with the number needed to maintain its priestly ranks.

In the biggest category, Tier 1, the top dioceses for seminarians were Dallas, which reached 69% of the rate needed to maintain current priestly numbers, followed by Philadelphia, Newark, and Atlanta — though the latter three had percentages only in the 50s. 

In Tier 2, two Ohio dioceses — Cincinnati and Columbus — took the top spots, while Denver and Washington D.C. were not far behind. All were over 85%.

In Tier 3, Wichita greatly exceeded every other diocese with a rate of 195%, but all of the top four dioceses in this section showed stellar figures: Nashville, Kansas City-St. Joseph, and Grand Rapids had 111%, 106%, and 104% respectively. 

In the smallest tier of dioceses, all the top dioceses for seminarians were located in the Great Plains: Bismarck and Fargo in North Dakota, along with Lincoln and Tulsa. 

Vocation Ministry also laid out the 16 dioceses that ordain priests at the highest rates, relative to the number of priests needed in the diocese — since not all men who enter the seminary are ordained priests. 

Wichita again took the top spot overall, ordaining to the priesthood on average 255% of the necessary number of men to maintain its own ranks. 

Joining Wichita among the ranks of dioceses that ordain more men than they need were Paterson, New Jersey and Arlington, Virginia, along with Nashville, Springfield in Illinois, and Grand Rapids, among several others. 

Using a metric called the Priestly Availability Index (PAI), which measures how accessible priests are to potential seminary candidates, the report notes that priests who are spread thin, as many are in larger dioceses, are less likely to be able to take the time to make themselves available to invest in young men who may be interested in the priesthood. 

“Priests serving smaller communities often have the unique opportunity to build close, personal relationships with parishioners, fostering a deeper sense of trust and connection. However, the challenges of such ministry can be significant,” the report says. 

“With limited or no staff support for administrative or liturgical tasks, these priests must rely heavily on volunteers, adding to their responsibilities. Additionally, many Tier 4 priests travel long distances to administer sacraments across multiple parishes, which can strain their time and energy, making it difficult to sustain those vital personal connections that are so integral to effective pastoral care.”

Discussing the characteristics of dioceses seeing growth in vocations, the report highlights a strong emphasis on parish-level promotion of vocations among dioceses seeing growth.

Parishes find success in inviting seminarians to share their stories, organizing “Come and See” weekends to encourage men to visit the seminary, targeted youth and young adult programs aimed at demystifying vocations, and service opportunities for youth. 

The report also says recognizing the family as the "seedbed of vocations” (quoting Pope St. John Paul II) and promoting Catholic marriages and education are key, as strengthening one kind of Catholic vocation tends to help all the others too. 

“Priests play a pivotal role in nurturing vocations within their parishes, but this effort requires the collaboration of families, educators, and the broader Catholic community,” it says.

‘This is the greatest factor’

In a Feb. 6 column, Wichita Bishop Carl Kemme highlighted the diocese’s prominent place in Vocation Ministry’s study and said he thinks the diocese can attribute some of its vocations success to “a closeness of the priests to our people. Our people, by and large, appreciate their priests and express their love and support of them.”

The diocese holds an annual retreat for prospective seminarians, and has a “multifaceted vocation promotion program” that includes outreach on university campuses throughout the state, Kemme noted. 

Kemme also highlighted the diocese’s active and dedicated Serra Clubs, which help support priestly vocations through scholarships and prayer, strong Catholic schools and homeschools that emphasize Catholic identity, an “unusually high” Sunday Mass attendance in the diocese; and the example of many young priests.

Above all, Kemme said the vocation boom can be attributed to Christ in the Eucharist, devotion to whom has been promoted within the diocese for decades. 

“Adoration chapels abound in our diocese, with many of them offering perpetual adoration, inviting everyone — regardless of age — to consider adoration as a time to encounter the Risen Christ in the Eucharist,” the bishop said. 

“This has been in place now for more than 40 years. I sincerely believe this is the greatest factor in our recruiting efforts. Many young men have told me that they heard the Lord speak to them about a vocation to the priesthood in adoration.” 

Vatican to project Chinese artist's portraits of inmates on prison exterior

The artist Yan Pei-Ming was photographed in his Paris studio in 2016. / Credit:Alfred Weidinger|Flickr|CC BY 2.0

Vatican City, Feb 12, 2025 / 14:20 pm (CNA).

A Chinese artist’s paintings of inmates living inside one of Rome’s most well-known prisons will be projected on the prison building’s exterior and displayed in a new exhibit space near the Vatican as part of 2025 Jubilee initiatives.

The 64-year-old Yan Pei-Ming is a contemporary artist who has been living in France since 1981. He is known for his “epic-sized” portraits of figures such as Chairman Mao, St. Pope John Paul II, Bruce Lee, and Barack Obama.

Pei-Ming’s latest portrait series, 27 prisoners living inside Regina Coeli Prison, will be displayed on the side of the prison building. The works, created at the request of the Vatican’s education and culture dicastery, will be the inaugural exhibit of a new art space on Via della Conciliazione, the main street leading to St. Peter’s Basilica.   

One of the portraits from a collection by Yan Pei-Ming depicting 27 prisoners living inside Regina Coeli Prison, which will be displayed on the prison's facade Feb. 15, 2025. Credit: Photo courtesy of The Dicastery for Culture and Education.
One of the portraits from a collection by Yan Pei-Ming depicting 27 prisoners living inside Regina Coeli Prison, which will be displayed on the prison's facade Feb. 15, 2025. Credit: Photo courtesy of The Dicastery for Culture and Education.

The Vatican will highlight the work of contemporary artists during the 2025 Jubilee Year and beyond with the new exhibit space, called “Conciliazione 5,” to be inaugurated Feb. 15, during the Jubilee of Artists and the World of Culture.

The Vatican has planned a slew of events for the Feb. 15-18 Jubilee of Artists, including the opening of the contemporary art space, Sunday Mass with Pope Francis, and the first-ever visit by a pope to the film studios of Cinecittà.

The Vatican expects more than 10,000 people from across the wider art and cultural environments — hailing from over 100 countries and five continents — to participate in events over the four days.

The curator of the Yan Pei-Ming exhibit at “Conciliazione 5,” Cristiana Perrella, told journalists on Wednesday that Pei-Ming created the 27 inmate portraits in a matter of 20 days late last year in a studio in Shanghai. Due to time constraints, the painter worked from photos and also asked for information about the prisoners’ lives. 

The portraits, Perrella said, help us to remember that inmates “are not the crime they have committed, that people’s meanings are not in this — they are paying for a crime they have done — but ... the people who live in the prison are alive, they have thoughts and dreams. And Pei-Ming’s work helps us to remember all that, to look at the prison community with a different perspective. And that precisely is the strength of art, the strength of this project.”

“The theme of hope, strongly felt by Pope Francis, intersects humanity in places of hardship,” Lina Di Domenico, the head of the prison administration department of Italy’s Ministry of Justice, said on Feb. 12.

“The faces portrayed by artist Yan Pei-Ming,” she said, “projected on the facade of Regina Coeli, will allow everyone to ‘see’ a cross-section of the humanity that lives beyond those walls, to approach a world as unknown and obscure to most as that of penal enforcement.”

Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça said at a Feb. 12 press conference the purpose of the Jubilee Year initiatives is to cultivate a dialogue on hope: “To question how contemporary art can convey hope by reaching out to sensitive human places. To search together for spiritual and artistic expressions that can serve as grammars and poetries of hope for the contemporary time.”

Concern for prisoners is strongly connected to the 2025 Jubilee and its theme of hope. For the first time, Pope Francis designated a jubilee Holy Door within a prison, opening the door on Dec. 26, 2024, in Rome’s Rebibbia Prison Complex.

Regina Coeli Prison, one of Rome’s most well-known prisons, is just over half a mile from the Vatican.

Originally the site of a 17th-century convent, from which it gets its name, the Regina Coeli Prison was constructed in 1881 by the Italian government after the country's unification. A women’s prison called the Mantellate was later built nearby, also on the site of a former convent.

In 2018, Pope Francis celebrated Holy Thursday Mass at the prison, washing the feet of 12 inmates. The prison was also visited by St. John XXIII in 1958, by St. Paul VI in 1964, and by St. John Paul II in 2000.

Another notable person to visit the prison was Mother Teresa, now St. Teresa of Calcutta, who attended Mass with some of the inmates in May 1994.

The second artist to be featured in the “Conciliazione 5” gallery space, Perrella said, will be an Albanian who immigrated to Italy in the 1990s. The artist’s exhibit will be on the theme of “journey” in the context of migration, the art curator said.

Pope Francis appoints three new bishops to U.S. dioceses

L-R: Cincinnati Archbishop-elect Robert Casey, Sioux City Bishop-elect John Keehner, Norwich Bishop-elect Richard Reidy. / Credits: Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Diocese of Sioux City, Diocese of Worcester.

CNA Staff, Feb 12, 2025 / 13:45 pm (CNA).

The Vatican on Wednesday announced that Pope Francis had appointed three new bishops to dioceses in the United States. 

The Archdiocese of Cincinnati and the Dioceses of Sioux City and Norwich all received new appointments, the Holy See said in a press statement.

All three of the retiring or retired prelates tendered their resignations to the Vatican upon their 75th birthdays in accordance with Church law.

Auxiliary bishop of Chicago to lead Cincinnati

Francis on Wednesday accepted the resignation of Cincinnati Archbishop Dennis Schnurr, the Vatican said, and appointed Chicago Auxiliary Bishop Robert Casey to take his place in that archdiocese. 

Schnurr has served as the Cincinnati archbishop since 2009. He had briefly served as coadjutor archbishop there and was the bishop of Duluth from 2001 to 2008. 

Casey was born in Chicago on Sept. 23, 1967. He studied at Niles College Seminary at Loyola University, graduating in 1989 with an English degree. He received a Master of Divinity from the University of St. Mary of the Lake in 1994. 

Ordained on May 21, 1994, in the Archdiocese of Chicago, he served at several parishes before being appointed by Pope Francis as an auxiliary bishop of Chicago in July of 2018. He was episcopally consecrated on Sept. 17 of that year. 

In a press statement on Wednesday Casey said he accepted the appointment “with gratitude and humility.”

“As archbishop, my primary role will be one of discipleship,” he said. “Entrusted with proclaiming the joy of the Gospel, I answer the call of Christ to accompany all in the archdiocese on the journey of faith, so that together we may deepen our love for God and neighbor.”

Schnurr, meanwhile, said that Casey “is highly regarded by the people and priests he serves, and I am pleased such a good man will be shepherding the people of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.”

Ohio priest will head to Sioux City

The pope also accepted Sioux City Bishop Ralph Walker Nickless' resignation, the Vatican said, and appointed Father John Keehner, a parish priest in the Diocese of Youngstown, to the Iowa bishopric. 

Born Nov. 19, 1965, in Youngstown, Keehner studied at Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus and received a master’s degree in biblical studies from Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary of the West in Cincinnati. He went on to receive a licentiate in canon law from the Angelicum in Rome. 

Ordained a priest in Youngstown on June 12, 1993, Keehner has served at numerous parishes there, as well as on the diocesan tribunal and as rector of Saint Columba Cathedral. 

Massachusetts vicar general to lead Connecticut diocese

The Vatican also announced that Monsignor Richard Reidy, presently the vicar general of the Diocese of Worcester, has been appointed the bishop of the Diocese of Norwich, Connecticut. 

That diocese has been overseen by Hartford Archbishop Christopher Coyne since the retirement of Bishop Michael Côté on Sept. 3, 2024. 

Reidy was born on May 30, 1958, in Worcester. He studied at the College of the Holy Cross and received a J.D. at Boston College in 1983. 

He studied further at Saint Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore and in Rome at the Pontifical North American College and received a doctorate in sacred theology from Pontifical Gregorian University and a master’s degree from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas. 

Ordained on June 25, 1994, he served at several parishes in Worcester, as vicar general and moderator of the curia, and as defender of the bond for the diocesan tribunal.

He also received a licentiate in canon law from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. in 2010. 

Coyne told media that he was “confident that [Reidy] will be an excellent shepherd for the people of the Diocese.”

Cardinal Tobin announces new review to probe Seton Hall president’s knowledge of abuse allegations

Cardinal Joseph Tobin, archbishop of Newark, New Jersey. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/ACI Prensa

CNA Staff, Feb 12, 2025 / 10:45 am (CNA).

Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark this week announced an independent review to reexamine previous reports related to the actions of Monsignor Joseph Reilly, who was recently appointed president of Seton Hall University despite being accused in a previous investigation of mishandling sex abuse allegations.  

In a Feb. 10 statement, Tobin announced an independent review by the law firm Ropes & Gray into internal reports to determine if Reilly acted appropriately when he was informed of abuse allegations, and if information was properly communicated to authorities — including to Tobin himself.

Seton Hall in August of 2018 launched an independent review of accusations, first detailed in a CNA report, of sexual abuse and harassment against seminarians at Immaculate Conception Seminary and Saint Andrew’s College Seminary, both part of Seton Hall. Reilly was rector and dean of the seminary from 2012 until 2022.

A 2019 summary of the investigation results, released by the university, reported that the university’s reporting policies “were not always followed at Immaculate Conception Seminary and St. Andrew's Seminary, which resulted in incidents of sexual harassment going unreported to the University.” The summary report did not name Reilly by name.

A December 2024 investigative piece by Politico NJ, however, reported that despite the full investigation report concluding that Reilly knew of at least three sexual abuse allegations during his time as rector of Immaculate Conception Seminary and failed to report them, the university's board of regents unanimously appointed Reilly as president in April of 2024 and Tobin publicly expressed confidence in Reilly’s leadership.

Reilly’s appointment occurred despite a special university task force committee, formed to carry out disciplinary actions, citing Reilly for failure to report abusive conduct and in 2020 recommending his removal from Seton Hall boards and leadership, Politico reported.

Reilly subsequently stepped down as dean of the seminary to take a yearlong sabbatical but returned to the university in 2023 as vice provost for academics and Catholic identity. In 2024, he was unanimously appointed as the university’s new president. 

Acknowledging disgraced former Newark archbishop Theodore McCarrick’s "inexcusable actions and shameful behavior" and the need to heal the wounds from the past, Tobin—who as archbishop serves as president of Seton Hall’s board of regents and chair of the board of trustees—said “questions have been raised” recently about previous independent review reports concerning Reilly, who is not himself accused of abuse. 

Tobin continued that the new investigation will examine “how the findings of these reports relate to Monsignor Joseph Reilly, including whether they were communicated to any and all appropriate personnel at the Archdiocese and Seton Hall University and Monsignor Reilly, and if so, by what means and by whom.”

“I have not placed a timetable on this review by Ropes & Gray, nor have I restricted the firm from exploring any relevant facts or avenue of investigation. A transparent review of the facts will best serve the interests of all involved and of those who have voiced a call for it,” the cardinal concluded.

Pope Francis at Wednesday audience: ‘Let us do penance for peace’

Pope Francis greets visitors at his general audience at the Vatican, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Rome Newsroom, Feb 12, 2025 / 10:16 am (CNA).

Pope Francis held his general audience in the Vatican on Wednesday despite bronchitis affecting his breathing, with the Holy Father urging people to pray and do penance for peace in the world.  

Making the effort to use his own voice at the end of the audience, the pope earnestly pleaded with Catholics to “do our best” to bring an end to all conflicts. 

Pope Francis is hugged by a young visitor at his general audience at the Vatican, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. Credit: Vatican Media
Pope Francis is hugged by a young visitor at his general audience at the Vatican, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. Credit: Vatican Media

“Let us pray for peace, let us even do penance for peace,” the 88-year-old pontiff told pilgrims inside the Paul VI Audience Hall.  

Expressing particular concern for the people of Ukraine, Israel, Palestine, Myanmar, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Holy Father reminded his listeners that “war is always a defeat.”

“I am thinking about many countries at war,” the pontiff shared with his listeners. “We were not born to kill but to make people grow.” 

The pope asked Father Pierluigi Giroli on Wednesday to read his catechesis on his behalf, after briefly explaining to hundreds of pilgrims that bronchitis is still preventing him from comfortably using his voice at gatherings. “I hope that next time I can,” Francis said. 

Reading the pope’s catechesis on St. Luke’s Gospel, Giroli said: “God does not come into the world with high-sounding proclamations, he does not manifest himself in clamor, but begins his journey in humility.”

“The shepherds thus learn that in a very humble place, reserved for animals, the long-awaited Messiah is born and is born for them, to be their Savior, their Shepherd,” he continued. 

Pope Francis blesses a mother and her unborn child at his general audience at the Vatican, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. Credit: Vatican Media
Pope Francis blesses a mother and her unborn child at his general audience at the Vatican, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. Credit: Vatican Media

Noting the shepherds’ openness to receive the news of the coming of Jesus, the pope’s catechesis emphasized that it is “the humblest and the poorest who are able to welcome the event of the Incarnation.” 

“Brothers and sisters, let us also ask for the grace to be, like shepherds, capable of wonder and praise before God,” the pope shared in his prepared remarks.

“Let us ask the Lord to be able to discern in weakness the extraordinary strength of the Child God, who comes to renew the world and transform our lives with his plan full of hope for all humanity,” he added.

DRC bishops stress need for ceasefire, dialogue, and human dignity

Pope Francis met the Catholic bishops of the Democratic Republic of Congo on his final day in Kinshasa on Feb. 3, 2023 / Elias Turk/CNA

ACI Africa, Feb 12, 2025 / 10:15 am (CNA).

The leadership of the Justice, Peace, and Development Commission (JPDC) of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM-JPDC) is appealing for action for victims of violence in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

In a Feb. 8 statement, which the second Vice President of SECAM and Chair of SECAM-JPDC, Bishop Stephen Dami Mamza of Nigeria’s Yola Catholic Diocese, signed, the group also appealed for an immediate cease-fire.

“As Christians, we cannot remain indifferent to this tragic situation experienced by thousands of people, including women and children, who are forced to move without any glimmer of hope on the horizon for the moment concerning the cessation of hostilities,” the SECAM-JPDC statement said.

“We are deeply troubled by the numerous losses of life, as well as the looting and destruction of property that have caused widespread suffering and significantly disrupted the lives of countless individuals and families in the region,” the bishops said, inviting “all people of goodwill to [hear] the cry for help by the people of DRC, through the voice of their religious and civil leaders.”

The bishops said there is a dire need for food, water, shelter, and medicines in the region, “especially for those people caught in the middle of the fight.” 

SECAM-JPDC commended humanitarian agencies that have not only provided aid but also made attempts “to cool down the present animosity between the parties involved in the conflict.”

“We join in the call for an immediate cease-fire, reinforcement of the existing peace deals related to the conflict, and especially an immediate embargo on the arms deals that are fuelling the conflict,” SECAM-JPDC said.

Reflecting on St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, the bishops underlined the importance of peace, saying, “It is through this divine peace that we are called to foster reconciliation and harmony among our communities.”

“During this time of turmoil, we urge all parties involved to seek dialogue over division, understanding over enmity, and solidarity over strife. We believe that a pathway to lasting peace can be forged through sincere and open dialogue,” SECAM-JPDC said.

The group’s leadership advocated for the fostering of human dignity and rights of every individual  “as we collectively seek a future defined by justice and compassion.”

It urged local leaders, national authorities, the regional economic and political structures, the African Union (AU), and international organizations to “continue and intensify their engagements in and facilitation of the initiatives that promote conflict resolution, dialogue, and respect of the life and the dignity of the human person.”

“Let us not forget the power of prayer and community as we stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters affected by this conflict,” the bishops said in their statement.

“May our shared commitment to peace and justice reflect our faith as we work toward a brighter and more harmonious future for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the entire Great Lakes region.”

This article was originally published by ACI Africa, CNA's African news partner, and has been adapted for CNA.

Vatican to host its first Summit on Longevity in March

St. Peter’s Basilica. / Credit: Bohumil Petrik/CNA

ACI Prensa Staff, Feb 12, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

The first Vatican Summit on Longevity will take place on March 24, bringing together experts and world leaders to explore the most advanced scientific discoveries and reflect on the fundamental ethical values ​​that guide research in this field.

The summit will take place in the context of the 2025 Jubilee in the auditorium of the Augustinianum Conference Center in Rome in a meeting that will bring together scientists, Nobel laureates, and world leaders to address one of the crucial challenges of our time: promoting healthy, sustainable, and integral aging.

The idea for the meeting came from Alberto Carrara, president of the International Institute of Neurobioethics, and Viviana Kasam, president of BrainCircle Italy, who passed away in October 2024. The event is sponsored by the Pontifical Academy for Life, whose president, Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, will open the event.

The Vatican Longevity Summit will not be an isolated event but the first step of an ambitious global project led by the Vatican in collaboration with international scientific and academic institutions.

According to a statement from the Pontifical Academy for Life, this project aims to promote a model of longevity that does not simply increase lifespan but enriches it in terms of quality, dignity, and sustainability, integrating science, ethics, and spirituality.

Furthermore, in line with shared ethical and anthropological principles, the International Institute of Neurobioethics aims to develop an interdisciplinary platform to foster dialogue between scientists, philosophers, bioethicists, and policymakers.

Integral human longevity will be the central theme of future activities, the statement said, with the aim of building a society that values ​​all stages of life and promotes intergenerational solidarity.

“This summit represents not only a scientific reflection but [also] a call to consider aging as an ethical responsibility and an extraordinary opportunity for innovation for the common good,” the statement said.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Eucharistic procession a ‘breakthrough’ in Ireland

Thousands of people walk prayerfully together through the streets during a Eucharistic procession in Derry, Ireland, on the feast of St. Brigid, Feb. 1, 2025. / Credit: EWTN Ireland

Derry, Northern Ireland, Feb 12, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

On the recent feast day of St. Brigid in Ireland, thousands of people walked the streets together in a joyful celebration of prayer that has attracted global interest. The Come Follow Me Procession on the feast of one of Ireland’s patron saints was organized by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal (CFR) and a group of lay Catholics.

Father Antonio Maria Diez de Medina, CFR, has encouraged an active interest in Eucharistic processions in Ireland. Credit: EWTN Ireland
Father Antonio Maria Diez de Medina, CFR, has encouraged an active interest in Eucharistic processions in Ireland. Credit: EWTN Ireland

“We want to bring Our Lord Jesus to people who no longer go to church, those who are lost or those who have no hope. There is a lot of darkness here, and when we lift Jesus high, we know that hearts are changed,” said Father Antonio Maria Diez de Medina, CFR, who has encouraged an active interest in Eucharistic processions in Ireland. 

Holding the procession on the feast of St. Brigid was no accident, Diez de Medina explained to CNA. “There is a tendency to make her into a New Age saint or a goddess and part of it was to correct that,” he said.

“We need to carry Our Lord Jesus in our hearts, and I really believe there is a new fire, a new hope, and a new song,” he said.

Banner of St. Brigid in the Eucharistic procession in Derry, Ireland, Feb. 1, 2025. Credit: EWTN Ireland
Banner of St. Brigid in the Eucharistic procession in Derry, Ireland, Feb. 1, 2025. Credit: EWTN Ireland

Roisin Doherty, another organizer, said: “We are looking today to see Jesus come alive on the streets in public witness so that people will come to know Jesus Christ the King and his Eucharistic heart beating on the streets. This today is a breakthrough; Jesus is here, and Ireland is coming back to God.”

Worshippers of all ages took part in the Eucharistic procession, singing and bearing religious statues, banners, and flags with images of Jesus, St. Brigid, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and Derry’s own Sister Clare Crockett.

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in Guildhall Square, Derry, Ireland, Feb. 1, 2025. Credit: EWTN Ireland
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in Guildhall Square, Derry, Ireland, Feb. 1, 2025. Credit: EWTN Ireland

The procession halted for adoration in Guildhall Square, a moving and powerful setting that was the scene of many past Catholic civil rights protests.

Prayer intentions included an end to abortion, euthanasia, and war; the healing of families from sin, division, addictions, and suicide; and the triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. 

“There can be a fear of expressing your faith, of hiding your Catholic identity, so we bring him to those who are lost, those who have given up on the Church, those who no longer go to church,” Diez de Medina said. “Really, we become his hands and feet when we bring him out onto the streets and venerate him.”

The Eucharistic procession was featured in a segment on “EWTN News Nightly,” which can be viewed below.

Pope makes surprise festival appearance with peace plea

Pope Francis waves to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for his Wednesday general audience on Dec. 4, 2024. / Credit: Vatican Media

CNA Newsroom, Feb 11, 2025 / 21:20 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis made a surprise appearance via video message at Italy’s premier musical event on Tuesday, telling participants at the 75th Sanremo Music Festival that music represents a message of peace capable of uniting diverse peoples.

Speaking from his residence at Casa Santa Marta in an unscheduled appearance, the pontiff praised music’s unique ability to transcend barriers.

“Music is beauty, music is an instrument of peace. It is a language that all peoples speak in different ways, reaching everyone’s heart,” the pope said in his message broadcast at the Teatro Ariston.

The Holy Father specifically addressed the plight of children affected by global conflicts.

“Many children cannot sing life — they weep and suffer because of the many injustices in the world, because of many wars, because of conflict situations,” Francis said. “Wars destroy children. Let us never forget that war is always a defeat.”

Francis concluded his message by meditating on music’s power to promote harmony among peoples.

“Music can help people live together, opening hearts to harmony and the joy of being together, with a common language of understanding that commits us to building a more just and fraternal world,” the pope said.

The Sanremo Music Festival, Italy’s most prominent song competition, has been held annually in the Ligurian coastal city since 1951. This year’s edition marks its 75th anniversary.

The festival traditionally serves as Italy’s selection platform for the Eurovision Song Contest and has launched the careers of numerous Italian music stars.

U.S. bishops ask Pope Francis for prayers to build better immigration system

Archbishop Timothy Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, speaks at the USCCB fall plenary assembly Nov. 14, 2023. / Credit: USCCB video

CNA Staff, Feb 11, 2025 / 18:44 pm (CNA).

The president of the U.S. bishops’ conference has responded to Pope Francis’ letter to the bishops regarding the country’s latest drive to deport unauthorized immigrants, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding human dignity and the goal of building a humane system of immigration.  

Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, and president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) thanked Pope Francis for his “prayerful support” and asked for the Holy Father to pray for the U.S. to improve its immigration system, protect communities, and safeguard human dignity.  

“Boldly I ask for your continued prayers so that we may find the courage as a nation to build a more humane system of immigration, one that protects our communities while safeguarding the dignity of all,” Broglio wrote

The letter was in response to Pope Francis’ Feb. 10 letter in which the Holy Father urged the U.S. to evaluate the justness of its policies in the light of human dignity and emphasized the inherent dignity of migrants. 

Broglio, in turn, highlighted the importance of centering the issue on Christ. 

“As successor to St. Peter, you call not only every Catholic but every Christian to what unites us in faith — offering the hope of Jesus Christ to every person, citizen and immigrant alike,” Broglio wrote on behalf of all the country’s bishops. “In these times of fear and confusion, we must be ready to answer our Savior’s question, ‘What have you done for the least of these?’”

Pope Francis in his letter proposed that a “rightly formed conscience” would disagree with associating the illegal status of some migrants with criminality, while at the same time he affirmed a nation’s right to defend itself from people who have committed violent or serious crimes. Additionally, the Holy Father weighed in on the Catholic concept of “ordo amoris” — “rightly ordered love” — which was recently invoked by Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert, in the ongoing debate over the country’s refugee and immigration policies.

Broglio also directly addressed ongoing concerns around the U.S. government’s role in charitable aid. Noting the recent funding pause by the U.S. government, Broglio urged the U.S. and the faithful to support Catholic charity and relief organizations. 

“We all turn to the Lord in prayer that families suffering from the sudden withdrawal of aid may find the strength to endure,” Broglio continued. “With you, we pray that the U.S. government keep its prior commitments to help those in desperate need.”

Under the Trump-Vance administration, the U.S. has paused its funding to most national and international charities. This includes Catholic organizations such as Catholic Relief Services and Catholic Charities, which have since urged the administration to resume funding

Meanwhile, the U.S. bishops’ conference last week laid off 50 staff members in its migration and refugee services office, citing a delay in reimbursements from the federal government.

“We also turn to the people of God to ask their mercy and generosity in supporting the Catholic Relief Services national collection this Lent as well as the ‘on the ground’ work of local Catholic Charities organizations so that the void might be filled with the efforts of all,” Broglio wrote. 

Broglio concluded by highlighting the importance of fraternity, especially in the jubilee year.  

“As we struggle to continue our care for the needy in our midst and the desire to improve the situation in those places from which immigrants come to our shores, we are ever mindful that in them we see the face of Christ,” Broglio wrote. “In this jubilee year, may we build bridges of reconciliation, inclusion, and fraternity.”