Daily Readings

The Iona Institute has found the number of Catholic baptisms in Ireland declined by 29.6% from 2015 to 2025.According to an Aug. 18 press release, the “two big drivers of the decline are falling births and rising secularism,” with birth rates accounting for about 60% of the decline. “In a way the figures are not ... read more

Today the Church celebrates the Memorial of St. Pius X, Pope (1835-1914). Joseph Sarto was born in humble circumstances at Riese, a small village in Venetia, on June 2, 1835. He was successively curate, parish priest, bishop of Mantua, Patriarch of Venice -- offices to which his keen intelligence, hard work, and great piety caused ... read more

The bishop of Tarbes and Lourdes in France, Jean-Marc Micas, has revoked the authorization for priests of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) to celebrate Mass or the sacraments at the Lourdes Shrine.In an Aug. 13 statement, the French prelate explained that his decision is based on the Vatican decree of excommunication declaring the ... read more

The Church celebrates the Memorial of St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153). Bernard was born near Dijon and died in Clairvaux, France. He was of a noble family and received a careful education in his youth. With his father, brother and thirty noblemen he entered the Benedictine monastery of Citeaux. Two years later he led a ... read more

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit on Aug. 18 upheld a Maryland judge’s order blocking a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) policy that would have loosened limits on immigration enforcement at or near houses of worship while the case proceeds.The plaintiffs, including the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Sikh Temple Sacramento, and several Quaker ... read more

VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV has highlighted the importance of sacred music in the liturgy, calling for the Church’s musical heritage to be preserved while fostering healthy inculturation of local traditions.“For this reason, the composer of sacred music is called to know and preserve the musical heritage of the Church, allowing it to inspire ... read more

Today is the Optional Memorial of St. John Eudes (1601-1680). John was born in Ri, France and died in Caen, France. Despite the prevailing rigors of Jansenism, he received First Communion when only a child. He studied in Paris and was ordained a priest in 1625. He soon became an outstanding missionary among his plague-stricken ... read more

Around 15,000 faithful gathered on Saturday, Aug. 15, at the Holy Places of Chalchihuites in the Mexican state of Zacatecas to commemorate the centenary of four martyrs killed during the Cristero War.Archbishop Joseph Spiteri, apostolic nuncio to Mexico and representative of Pope Leo XIV in the country, presided over the celebration that concluded the centenary ... read more

The Archdiocese of Quebec in Canada will pay out an eight-figure sum as part of a major class action lawsuit that has played out there over the last several years.The archdiocese said in a press release that the agreement was ratified on Aug. 12 by Quebec Superior Court Judge Danye Daigle. The law firm Dufresne ... read more

Twelve Polish pilgrims died and 10 were seriously injured when their bus crashed in Hungary on Aug. 16. They were returning from a pilgrimage to the Marian shrine at Medjugorje in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Others among the roughly 60 people on board suffered minor injuries, and an investigation into the crash has been launched.The tragedy ... read more

Today in the Roman Martyrology is the commemoration of St. Agapitus (d. 259), a martyr of Palestrina, not far from Rome. His cult, which is very ancient, was particularly popular in the eternal city where Felix III (492) caused a church to be built in his honor. Ancient inscriptions show clearly the great confidence placed ... read more

On Saturday, Aug. 15, the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Catholic Church in Poland dedicated the largest statue of the Virgin Mary in Europe during a Mass celebrated by Bishop Krzysztof Wętkowski of Włocławek.The monument stands 55.6 meters (182 feet) tall from ground level to its highest point. It was ... read more

Upon turning 100, Father Ricardo Bello Mato, a priest from Santiago de Compostela, Spain, talked about what heaven means to him.“It‘s like a dwelling place around the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. A space filled with the immensity of God, God’s children living together, seeing God’s wonderful, creative power in the cosmos,” the ... read more

Three bishops took part in a traditional pilgrimage in Nitra, Slovakia, over the weekend to mark the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The largest event of its kind in the area, the pilgrimage dates back to the 18th century, with pilgrims first marching up the local hill of Calvary in 1766, ... read more

Pope Leo XIV will make a pastoral visit to the Republic of San Marino on Aug. 22, becoming only the third pontiff to visit the country after Pope Benedict XVI and St. John Paul II.During his visit, the pope will meet with authorities, lead Eucharistic adoration, and meet the faithful gathered before traveling to the ... read more