Church at Work in South Africa

The following article was written by Fr. Lawrence Otieno, who is based in a remote part of the North Western area of South Africa. Fr. Lawrence is writing about the benefits to their parishes from support given through Restore God’s Kingdom Follow the link to help with Fr. Lawrence’s parish and other projects

Over 2000 years ago, the Lord sent the apostles to go to all nations, baptize and make them his disciples, (cf Mt 28: 19-20). His message is still relevant and serves as an invitation to all Christians to participate in the mission with an aim of bringing the light of the gospel to all corners of the Earth.

At St. Ann Parish, covering 17 villages, in a remote part of North West of South Africa, primary evangelization is the order of the day. Many people around the municipality do not practice their faith while others have no idea of Christ and the Church.

Food support provided to Christians in need

Few who know Christ and are practicing the faith are elderly. Some of them are homebound due to frailty that comes with age. I reach out with joy to the people of God with aim of inviting them to missionary discipleship and to enable them to meet with Christ, in his word, the sacraments and in the community of faith. I travel to mission stations to meet and lead them in Sunday and weekday masses visit the sick, the elderly and offer food to families in great need.

Most of the families are headed by the elderly grandparents providing for their families from the little monthly government grants. However, when they are sick or pass on, hopes of family members are gone. Their families struggle a lot to get food and other basic needs. Therefore, regular reaching out to them, praying with them, offering material support, listening to their stories restores their hope. 

I am grateful to the Lord for unnumbered blessings received in the efforts put in place to continue with the initial foundation of the Church in this area. Regular reaching out to his people is bearing fruits.

Fr. Lawrence with newly baptized members of the church

I am witnessing this in the number of adults who request and receive the sacraments of baptism, in those who welcome me in their homes, in the words of gratitude expressed by families in need for support given.

Additionally, I am seeing it in those who support the missionary work and in those who return to me and to the church to express their sincere thanks for visiting and listening to them when they are facing challenges in the journey of life. May the Lord continue to inspire us to bring the good news to all.

Fr. Lawrence Otieno. 

To read more about Restore Gods Kingdom and to help with the work of Fr. Lawrence and his parishioners, click here.

Pope Warns Macron About 'Failing His Duty'

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On his first day in Paris, Pope Leo XIV warned Emmanuel Macron about ‘failing his duty’ as President by not showing an interest in Catholicism.

FRANCE 🇫🇷

'A President who claims to be uninterested in the church and Catholics would be failing in his duty'

Pope Leo XIV to Emmanuel Macron in Paris pic.twitter.com/Nbuy8yHqjr

— Catholic Arena (@CatholicArena) September 25, 2026

He said:

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I would like once again to thank you for this meeting. Indeed, to echo the words spoken by Your Excellency to the Bishops of France in 2018, it serves to show how “a Church that claims to be uninterested in temporal matters would not be fulfilling her vocation; and that a President of the Republic who claims to be uninterested in the Church and in Catholics would be failing in his duty.” [3]  Be assured of my fervent prayers for your great nation.

Fulton Sheen is now BLESSED

Fulton Sheen is now BLESSED Fulton Sheen, after Mass in Saint Louis.

BLESSED Fulton J. Sheen 🇮🇪 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/0lBqYFw8E5

— Catholic Arena (@CatholicArena) September 24, 2026

Cardinal Tagle with incense at the relic of Blessed Fulton Sheen pic.twitter.com/RCtO4JRfFq

— Catholic Arena (@CatholicArena) September 24, 2026

The incredible closing procession at the Beatification Mass for Blessed Fulton Sheen

Buíchos le Dia pic.twitter.com/KKWBDjs3xs

— Catholic Arena (@CatholicArena) September 24, 2026

The Amazing Prophecy Made When Fulton Sheen was an Altar Boy

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The Catholic University of Lueven was in the news this week for a huge controversy involving Islamic prayers being read during Mass

But there is an even more important story of relevance to the coming week, the beatification of one of its most famous alumni, Fulton Sheen

The story of how Sheen ended up studying in Louvain, then one university instead of the split between Dutch and French speaking now, is an amazing one that involves a prophecy by a bishop after a young Sheen suffered a major mishap while an altar boy in Saint Mary's Cathedral in Peoria, Illinois

Sheen recalls in his autobiography 'Treasures in Clay' a story from when he was around 8 years old and was serving Mass for Bishop John Lancaster. Sheen's Irish American mother was in attendance and the young Sheen was nervous at the prospect of serving Mass for such an esteemed figure as Bishop Spalding

When it came to the offertory, Sheen picked up the cruet containing wine to give to the bishop for the consecration. As he picked it up to present it, he dropped it accidentally. The cruet hit the marble floor of the sanctuary, shattering into pieces. Sheen said that it resembled an 'atomic explosion' and left him 'frightened to death'. In the silence of what ensued, Sheen told himself that he was in for a scolding, even for a permanent ban from altar serving.

The bishop called him over after Mass and as Sheen expected the worst, the bishop instead asked him a question. 'Where will you go to school?' Sheen assumed that he meant High School and answered, 'The Spalding Institute'. The bishop said 'no, later in life'. Before Sheen could answer that part, Spalding to Sheen to give a message to his mother.

The message was that Sheen would do two things

1) Study in Louvain (which Sheen had never heard of)

2) Sheen would someday be a bishop just as Spalding was

As fate would have it, Sheen indeed studied at Louvain in the 1920s, where he was awarded a PhD and earned a reputation not just for his intellect, but for his phenomenal preaching skills also.

He was appointed a bishop in 1951, fulfilling Spalding's prediction.

Sheen went on to become the 20th century's most popular Catholic television preacher, with an audience of millions.

During one of his talks, Sheen compared his experience with that of another. Sheen told the story of a an altar boy in Yugoslavia who dropped a cruet also. Instead of being treated with kindness, this altar boy was slapped and told never to return. The altar boy, Sheen tells us, later grew up to be Yugoslavia's Josip Tito.

Sheen spoke often of his time at Louvain, and it was always in admiration for the education that he received there:

​'Regardless of how long I live, I will never be able to express the depth of my gratitude to this great university for the brilliance of its teaching, the inspiration of its leadership and the development it gave to the human mind'

When Fulton Sheen Predicted Stalin's Death

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In late February 1953, Irish American and anti Communist Archbishop Fulton Sheen retold the death of Julius Caesar to an audience of millions on his Life is worth Living show, substituting Caesar with Josef Stalin and other characters with other Soviet leaders.

He finished by saying 'Stalin must one day meet his judgement'

Days later, Stalin took a heart attack and died soon after on March 5th.

Fulton Sheen's EPIC 'False Compassion' Speech

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One of Blessed Fulton Sheen’s finest speeches.

'False compassion is a pity shown not to the family of the murdered, but to the murderer'

This is Fulton Sheen's most prophetic speech

He goes off on the 'throat slashers' 'perverts' 'degenerates' who have made the decent man 'practically off the reservation' pic.twitter.com/aM7ktfzr65

— Catholic Arena (@CatholicArena) September 23, 2026

Donald Trump Releases Statement on Fulton Sheen

US President Donald Trump has released a statement on the Beatification of Fulton Sheen:

Melania and I join all those celebrating the life and legacy of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen—the Catholic priest who pioneered the use of media to speak the truth, preach the Gospel, and bring many souls closer to Christ.  Today, Archbishop Sheen will become the first-ever American-born bishop to be beatified by the Catholic Church.

Born on the plains of central Illinois at the twilight of the nineteenth century, Fulton Sheen was blessed with extraordinary intelligence, good humor, and eloquence.  After his ordination to the priesthood, he spent more than two decades teaching, lecturing, and broadcasting on the radio before he was consecrated Auxiliary Bishop of New York in 1951.  With a growing reputation as a world-class preacher and evangelist, he then launched his renowned national television series, Life Is Worth Living, which soon captivated the entire country.

On his show, Archbishop Sheen lectured before a live audience on an array of theological, philosophical, and political topics.  Dressed in striking priestly robes and armed with only a chalk stick and blackboard, he quickly emerged as a primetime sensation—boldly bringing the teachings of Christianity to a world threatened by the titanic forces of communism.

Archbishop Sheen shocked the entertainment industry by besting American legends like Milton Berle and Frank Sinatra in weekly ratings, winning an Emmy award for Most Outstanding Television Personality, and appearing on the cover of Time magazine.  For years, his sharp wit and piercing intellect filled millions of American living rooms and converted thousands—including national politicians, Hollywood celebrities, and communist leaders—to the Catholic faith.  His program attracted an estimated 30 million weekly viewers, ultimately becoming one of the most watched religious programs in the history of television.  Through it all, Archbishop Sheen used his platform not for his own sake but to strengthen our Nation with the good news of the Gospel.

In the 1960s, against the rising tide of anti-God extremism in American culture, Archbishop Sheen turned to the camera to identify a “new type of violence that’s sweeping our country, our schools, and our streets.”  This violence, he warned in his later career The Fulton Sheen Program, “involves destruction of everything that is in the past.”  He continued, “Our Nation is too full of those that are crying, “Down… Down with schools.  Down with the churches.  Down with teachers.  Down with government.  Down with the police.  Can you build anything down?” he implored the Nation.  “You cannot… Let’s begin now to use the word ‘Up.’  Up from all of this filth.  Up from this violence… Up—up to God.”

Sheen was later appointed as the Bishop of Rochester, New York, and the titular Archbishop of Newport, Wales.  In October 1979, Pope John Paul II, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, embraced Archbishop Sheen in Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, telling him, “You have written and spoken well of the Lord Jesus.  You are a loyal son of the Church.”  Archbishop Sheen died just two months later while praying in his private chapel.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s legacy endures in homes, churches, and communities all across our country.  Countless Americans still watch recordings of his broadcasts and read his books.  The Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Museum in his native Illinois attracts thousands of visitors every year.  And today, as thousands of Americans gather in St. Louis, Missouri, for his Beatification Mass, we pray that Archbishop Sheen’s heroic commitment to nourishing the soul of our country will inspire others to follow his example and lift our Nation upward and ever higher to God.

Fulton Sheen's Maynooth Warning on Communism

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During one of his many speaking tours of Ireland, Fulton Sheen spoke at the National Seminary of Maynooth.

His 1936 talk saw him give a stern warning on the dangers of Communism, then ravaging Europe:

It is our apologetic business to take account of those forces. We must get down to the workers and train the masses, get down to the proletariat and build a strong active Christian body.

The world of the future will have only two capitals, Moscow and Rome; only two temples, the Kremlin and St. Peter's; two tabernacles, the Eucharist and the rotted body of Lenin; two sanctuary lamps, the Red Flag and the Eucharistic; two hymns, the Panis Angelicus and the Internationale.

But there can be only one victory. If Christ wins we win and if Christ loses—but Christ cannot lose.

BREAKING: Latest on Poland Attack

The latest on today’s massacred at a Benedictine Abbey in Jaroslaw

• 3 priests, 2 lay people stabbed

• 1 priest dead

• Priest was murdered while hearing confessions

• 31 year old Ukrainian who travelled over border from Germany has been arrested

• A nun reported 'The man who barged in with a knife simply started killing. It was a random man. We don’t know him. He looked like a madman, in shorts and a short-sleeved shirt, even though it was cold today'

POLAND 🇵🇱

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has released a statement on social media in the wake of the slaughter of priests in Jarosław:

'The murderer from Jarosław is in the hands of the Polish Police. Procedures are ongoing. The perpetrator is a Ukrainian citizen. He will… pic.twitter.com/Kexfdr4JnG

— Catholic Arena (@CatholicArena) September 24, 2026

POLAND 🇵🇱

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has released a statement on social media after a Ukrainian crossed from Germany to Poland and murdered two priests, stabbing others also at a Benedictine Abbey:

'A horrific crime at the Benedictine Sisters' Abbey in Jarosław,… pic.twitter.com/VuOrMNi278

— Catholic Arena (@CatholicArena) September 24, 2026

Jedna z sióstr Benedyktynek o ataku ukraińskiego nożownika:

- Jesteśmy ogromnie wzruszone tą sytuacją, bo to jest taki zamach na naszą tożsamość, na nasze bezpieczeństwo, na dobro, które się tutaj dzieje.

- Zaczęło się od agresji słownej napastnika, gdzie no właśnie... niech… pic.twitter.com/qOpJrc5xya

— Pan_komentator (@PanP23929) September 24, 2026

TVP zaczyna produkować swoją wygodną narrację:

- Atak ukraińskiego nożownika w Jarosławiu miałby być prowokacją ze strony Rosji, aby nastawić Polaków przeciwko Ukraińcom

- Jest to część wojny hybrydowej Rosji z naszym krajem

Przecież to są jakieś absurdalne teorie spiskowe.… pic.twitter.com/42ruO3eDgH

— Pan_komentator (@PanP23929) September 24, 2026

Ukrainian Crossed Border from Germany to Kill Priests

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More details have emerged from the tragedy in Poland.

The 31 year old Ukrainian man who carried out a mass stabbing is believed to have crossed the border from Germany only this morning.

Two priests are now dead. One more is in serious condition.

Jedna z sióstr Benedyktynek o ataku ukraińskiego nożownika:

- Jesteśmy ogromnie wzruszone tą sytuacją, bo to jest taki zamach na naszą tożsamość, na nasze bezpieczeństwo, na dobro, które się tutaj dzieje.

- Zaczęło się od agresji słownej napastnika, gdzie no właśnie... niech… pic.twitter.com/qOpJrc5xya

— Pan_komentator (@PanP23929) September 24, 2026

Two Priests Killed in Attack at Polish Abbey

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There is shocking news today from Poland.

Two priests have been brutally stabbed to death by a 31 year old Ukrainian at a Benedictine Abbey in Jaroslaw.

In total, 5 people were stabbed.

The man arrested is a Ukrainian.

Another priest remains in serious condition.

He was described as being a ‘mad man’.

Reports also say that he had crossed the border from Germany only in the same day.

Fulton Sheen's Speech to the Legion of Mary

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The following speech by Fulton Sheen was delivered in 1976 in Ireland and printed in The Christian Voice

We reproduce it here courtesy of the Legion of Mary, the world’s largest lay apostolate, on the even of Sheen’s beatification in Saint Louis.

"In you I meet the organisation which is closest to my heart, my favourite group, the Legion of Mary.

You are the only organisation in the world that ever anticipated the Vatican Council. The only one! You just go through your works and see how far ahead you are of the Council and with the Church.

First, you are a lay organisation devoted to the apostolate, though the apostolate was reserved for the clergy. So you swept back 20 centuries. Read over the list at the close of the Epistle to the Romans and you will see that you have brought up to date the apostolate of the early Church. Also, in the Acts of the Apostles, it is in the third Act whereby the Church becomes established in a certain house; first a catechist works among the group finally the Church itself. That is the way you anticipated the Vatican Councils.

The second and more important still is that you belong to the out ministry. We priests belong to the in ministry. That's not what God in-tended but that's what happened. We wait for people to come to us and we build bigger and bigger rectories. We are failing because we are an in ministry, waiting. You were from the beginning an out ministry, commissioned to do the same sort of thing as Our Blessed Lord did — walking up and down alleys. How else would he have met the woman taken in sin; up and down alleys, marketplaces, along gutters, watching children at play, visiting wakes and funerals, seeing people wounded along highways, going into houses, and finding a mother-in-law sick. Is that the reason Peter denied Our Lord. because he cured his mother-in-law? Peter never got mad at Our Lord for having done that. She got up and served everyone!

so you have been going out into the world. We have priests anxious to go out into the world. They have the spirit of Christ. We are not prepared to do that until we have that spirit. In this, you again have anticipated the Council.

Third, you anticipated it even in relation to the Blessed Mother. This may seem strange but it's not. Your service is dedicated to building up the Church. It is not just merely the devotion to Our Lady, it is the devotion to Our Lady as the Mother of the Church. At the Council, we voted on the question of whether or not to give a new title to Our Lady. Our Lady has many as you know. It was decided not to give her another title. Two weeks later Pope Paul read his Encyclical letter on the Blessed Mother as the Mother of the Church. He gave her a new title. That's the mother you love and who is your patroness.

You are a small group — you have to be. Remember this: The Holy Spirit never works with majority, only with minorities. You are the only present effective apostolate we have in the world. I told our local group here about the role of the Legion of Mary in the missions: with which I am very familiar. I remember coming out of a big cathedral in Nairobi, Africa, like one in the inner city parish that seats 2,000 and has 100 on Sundays. About 80 women came out — women of the Legion of Mary. They had 40 praesidia in one parish. A leper came along the road wearing basketball knee pants. His legs were off at the knees. He is a member of the Legion of Mary and makes 40 converts a day, because of his suffering.

In China there is no organised Church. The underground Church exists solely through the Legion of Mary. So effective it is, there, that the Chinese will even interrogate some of your Legionaries and insist that they show them where Mary is hiding. 'You have a leader in Shanghai somewhere; where is she?' This is how real the spirit of Mary is.

My good Legionaries, that is what you are. From what I have told you, you know how much esteem and affection I have for you. I say you have anticipated the Vatican Council — the future apostolate of the Church, and you are only at the beginning, just the beginning. Pray often to the Holy Spirit that your zeal will spread and that others will have the courage to do it.

I consider it an honour, really an honour, to be in the midst of you. Just as sometimes oil gets outside of a bottle by osmosis, so too, by rubbing up against you, I hope to get some of your spirit."

Fulton Sheen at a Legion of Mary meeting in Dublin with Frank Duff, 1969

French Priest Faces Backlash After Passionate Homily

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Political tensions in France have been getting more and more intense for the past decade.

The huge protests by the Yellow Vests, cut short by Covid, coupled with a spate of high profile terrorist attacks and mass immigration, have created a serious political upheaval.

It is widely regarded that the election of a ‘far right’ figure such as Marine Le Pen is an inevitability, although Le Pen's ‘far right’ credentials seem to apply to Islamic migration and little else.

A resurfaced this week showing a military chaplain in Carcassone delivering a hard hitting sermon.

The homily was given almost a year ago to the 3e RPIMa (3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment).

Father Romain Ghandour, the chaplain, railed against the political establishment and also warned against the fact that if they did not defend France and its culture, someone would take their place.

The latter part has sparked panic in France, with left wing politicians like Jean-Luc Mélenchon calling for criminal proceedings to take place.

The controversy comes with Pope Leo XIV due to visit France next week.

Archbishop of Canterbury in Bid Laden Controversy

This past week saw the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001.

It was a sombre occasion, though marked respectfully through various events and recollections of the victims.

Unfortunately for Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally, the date saw her associated with an apologist for the last person one would want to be associated with from that date. Yes, Osama Bin Laden.

The interfaith award was given to Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi for his work in Pakistan, though it has no transpired that he made comments that were interpreted as praising Osama Bin Laden.

The award has now been rescinded, but the damage is done. There are even growing calls for her to resign as a result.

Good grief… this is borderline resignation stuff, surely? Hard to imagine a dumber, more offensive thing to do on that day.

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) September 17, 2026

Pope's Call for Prayer for Water Creates Internet Storm

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Pope Leo XIV is, compared to his predecessor, quite lowkey in how he approaches pronouncements and positions.

Apart from a few soundbites about the War in Iran and deportations in the USA, he has rarely made international headlines for his utterances.

That is not to say that his words do not often cause ripples in Catholic circles.

A post this week for the Month of Creation did just that.

Let us #PrayTogether for a just and sustainable management of water, a vital resource, so that everyone may have equal access to it. #PrayerIntention @clicktopray_en @vaticanIHD https://t.co/rCmSKkqM3b pic.twitter.com/AxWCRT8Z9c

— Pope Leo XIV (@Pontifex) September 1, 2026

While a very normal thing to pray for in light of the church’s universal composition, some were completely incensed.

Much easier to post slop like this than discuss abortion. https://t.co/jXLcR2KaOC

— Cernovich (@Cernovich) September 2, 2026

Can we just devote our prayers and ourselves to Our Lady of Sorrows this month like proper Catholics and stop with the environmental Marxism stuff?

Please. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/HgcNaEBbzq

— Bree Solstad (@BreeSolstad) September 2, 2026

Others came to the pope’s defence.

You can tell when someone hasn't experienced having water come out of the sink looking like iced tea. Or spent three weeks without running water at home. Or had to shower in the rain. Or gotten sick because water is so bad that not even boiling it was enough to make it safe. https://t.co/DR6XUMkzTG

— Edgar Beltrán (@edgarjbb_) September 3, 2026

Bad water destroys our bodies and minds. Being a traditional Catholic is not “Go to Latin Mass and just drink the government’s hormonal cocktail tap water.”

The Pope praying and advocating for clean water is righteous and good and I support him. People mocking the pope for this… pic.twitter.com/WaW7p8hjIV

— Dr Taylor Marshall™️ (@TaylorRMarshall) September 3, 2026

Bishop Barron to Appear on Theo Von Podcast

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Bishop Robert Barron had a tough start to 2026, appearing alongside White House religion guru Paula White in a bizarre prayer ritual in February, on the same week that the Iran War started.

However, he is still a huge figure in US and international media.

Barron will appear on an upcoming podcast episode with Theo Von, one of the world’s most popular podcast hosts.

Von is particularly popular with young men, with millions of men in the 25-35 bracket listening to his show.

Bishop Barron and Theo Von? I can confirm that this is happening. pic.twitter.com/WzEqAR64DY

— FrSteveGrunow (@FrSteveGrunow) September 2, 2026

I see my CEO has let the cat out of the bag. https://t.co/qavbBXj0Cy

— Bishop Robert Barron (@BishopBarron) September 3, 2026

Donegal Church Targeted in Summer of Vandalism

Donegal Live has reported on a summer of shocking vandalism at a Catholic Church in Bundoran.

The report comes amid a long running trend of law and order breaking down under the 15 year rule of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, with international headlines recentlyover child criminals driving the wrong way along the motorway.

News reports say that Our Lady Star of the Sea church in Bundoran has been targeted by ‘gangs of youths’ who vandalised the toilets, breaking pipes and leaving condoms strewn everywhere. There are also reports or fires and vulgar graffiti.

Mel Gibson's Amazing Crucifixion Gesture

In September 2026, the classic film The Passion of the Christ will be re released in cinemas across the world.

It comes ahead of the release of The Resurrection films next Easter.

There are many amazing stories about the film, including Jim Caviezel being struck by lightning while on the Cross, the conversion of the actor who played Judas and many more.

One amazing story that many people are unaware of is that it was Mel Gibson himself who is seen hammering the nails into Christ in the crucifixion scene.

Gibson said that he felt it was fitting that he do it over someone else, as he wanted to show that he was a sinner and it was his sins that put Jesus on the Cross as much as anyone else’s.

Pope Condemns Drug Use

Pope Leo XIV spoke today with the Pontifical Commission for Latin America on Addiction-Related Situations in Latin America in a private audience in the Vatican.

The pope made some hard hitting remarks about the need for families to be a bulwark against the scourge of drug use:

There is no better defence against drugs than a good family.

Today, we bear witness to the pain of many broken families, whether due to drug use, violence, the criminal recruitment of a child, poverty or the lack of opportunities that push people to the margins of society. Saint John Paul II asked us to make the Church “the home and the school of communion”. And Pope Francis reminded us that Jesus wants us to “touch human misery, to touch the suffering flesh of others”. Herein lies the very heart of the mission you are carrying out: that the Church may be a family, especially embracing those who suffer.

Finally, I would like to express a wish to you: that the Church may be a family for all those who have been left by the wayside. Like the Good Samaritan, who became a neighbour to the fallen man, let us not pass by; let us build a Church that stops, draws close, is moved with compassion, binds wounds, nourishes and becomes a home’

You can read his full comments here

https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/speeches/2026/august/documents/20260827-incontro-cal.html

Another Church in Canada Hit by Arson

The pandemic of church arson attacks may have slowed, but it has not ended.

Saint Simon Church in New Brunswick is the latest to be targeted, in what Mayor Bernard Thériault has called the worst tragedy to ever hit their community.

At 3.30am, the Fire Brigade received a phone call about the disaster, rushing in vain to attempt to save it.

Videos from the scene show the steeple collapsing, leaving the church completely destroyed.

68 year old Gilles Mallet has been arrested for arson.