US & Canada

Thousands of young people gathered at Rate Field, home of the Chicago White Sox Major League Baseball team, on Saturday, June 14, for a joyful celebration organised by the Archdiocese of Chicago to honour the recent election of their native son, Pope Leo XIV. In a video message, the newly elected Pope, formerly Archbishop of Chiclayo, Peru, expressed gratitude and encouragement to the young people... Read More

Archbishop José H Gomez led prayers for those "hurting" in the wake of ongoing federal immigration sweeps and clashes between protestors and law enforcement in Los Angeles and other cities at a special Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels on Tuesday. Pablo Kay Editor-in-Chief of the Los Angeles Diocesan paper Angelus writes: The noon Mass was part of a designated "Day of Prayer for Pe... Read More

The following is a statement from Pax Christi USA in response to the current unrest unfolding in Los Angeles and across the country, particularly as a result of the raids from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. We are also concerned about the upcoming parade scheduled to be held in Washington DC on Saturday, June 14, purportedly in celebration of the US military. Pax Christi USA, the ... Read More

Commenting on events in Los Angeles yesterday, when the armed National Guard was sent to suppress demonstrations against ICE raids, the Archbishop of Los Angeles, Archbishop Jose Horacio Gomez said: "I am troubled by today's immigration enforcement raids in Los Angeles, and I am praying for our community. I pray tonight that everyone involved will exercise restraint and calm. We all agree that we ... Read More

The city of Chicago, Pope Leo XIV's hometown, is preparing to celebrate his election with a day of prayer and music. The meeting, which will take place in Chicago's Rate Field, is described by the Archdiocese of Chicago - hosting the event - as one of faith, unity, and community spirit. In a post on X the Archdiocese wrote: 'Join us at Rate Field - Home of the @WhiteSox for a once-in-a-lifetime ce... Read More

The Most Reverend John C Wester, Archbishop of Santa Fe, has issued the following statement on the ongoing humanitarian crisis and recent events in Gaza, entitled: 'The Human Cost of War: A Moral Call to Action.' Since the first attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7, 2023, the situation has reached tragic levels beyond anyone's worst fears. The horrific massacre of innocent Israelis and the sub... Read More

President Donald Trump has shared an artificially enhanced photo of himself on X, dressed as a pope, wearing a cross and mitre with his forefinger raised. The Catholic Bishops of New York State responded with this statement: "There is nothing clever or funny about this image, Mr. President. We just buried our beloved Pope Francis and the cardinals are about to enter a solemn conclave to elect a ne... Read More

Vancouver's Filipino community is in mourning and shock after a man drove an SUV into the Lapu-Lapu traditional Filipino Festival, killing eleven people, including a five year old child and injuring many more. Archbishop Emeritus J Michael Miller CSB, who is currently administering the diocese, said in a letter to parishes: "I was deeply saddened to hear of the tragic events that took place yester... Read More

The annual street Stations of the Cross for Peace and Justice in Washington DC on Good Friday is to focus on injustices of the Trump administration. Sponsors - who "cast the story of Jesus' final days in a contemporary context and meditate on the social sins of our own times" - include the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, Franciscan Action Network, Churches for Middle East Peace and Leadershi... Read More

EL PASO, Texas - Just days into the second term of US President Donald Trump, millions of Americans watched live as his administration went on the attack against the country's Catholic hierarchy over its objections to Trump's plan for mass deportations of immigrants and refugees, legal and illegal alike. While apparently directed at the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), the individual who... Read More

Father Arul Carasala, parish priest of the church of Saints Peter and Paul in Seneca, a city in the north east of Kansas, was shot dead by a man on Thursday, April 3, while in his rectory. According to initial reconstructions, the shooter was an elderly man unknown to the parishioners and is now in custody. The reasons for the attack, which are being investigated by the police, are still unknown. ... Read More

Two religious Sisters were among those brutally killed when an armed gang ran riot near Haitian capital Port-au-Prince on Monday (31st March). Sisters Evanette Onezaire and Jeanne Voltaire sought refuge in a house as the gang attacked the prison and other public buildings in Mirebalais, 30 miles north-east of Port-au-Prince. Gang members found the Sisters' hiding place and shot them dead. A young ... Read More

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Department of Migration and Refugee Services, in collaboration with the National Association of Evangelicals, World Relief, and the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, has released a report entitled: 'One Part of the Body: The Potential Impact of Deportations on American Christian Families.' This compreh... Read More

El Paso, Texas - The protective figure of the Virgin of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, looms large above the fear-filled west Texas city of El Paso these days. And well she should. The massive mosaic of the Mother of God stands four stories tall, attached to a soon-to-be opened affordable housing bloc named 'Nuestra Senora' (Our Lady), just five minutes from the international border with Me... Read More