Just in time for the elevation to the papacy of Pope Leo XIV, the American-born cardinal who was for many years a missionary in Peru, the Walters Art Museum is displaying a rare treasure of the Catholic Church in colonial Peru.

Walking through the serene green spaces of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs in Auriesville, N.Y., it is hard to imagine the scene that greeted St. Isaac Jogues and St. René Goupil at the same site in 1642.

The Jubilee Year — proclaimed by Pope Francis under the theme “Pilgrims of Hope” — officially opened Dec. 24, 2024, and will continue through Jan. 6, 2026. Rome remains its ceremonial heart, but Malta offers something distinct: a pilgrimage experience rooted in local tradition and marked by contemplative encounters.

With a deep-rooted faith and a passion for connecting people to these holy sites, Peter Bahou’s journey from a student with a love for adventure to the driving force behind a unique travel experience is one of inspiration.

The liturgical music tradition of polyphony with its blend of melodies and harmonies should lift people’s spirits as it subtly transmits a message about diversity and unity, Pope Leo XIV said.

The famed Sacré-Coeur, or Basilica of the Sacred Heart, which Émile Zola called a “stone host placed on the open wound of the city,” celebrates the 150th anniversary of the laying of its first stone.

In a quiet but powerful move, Vatican News has begun removing artwork by Father Marko Rupnik — the once-renowned mosaicist now accused of abusing over two dozen women — from its website. His mosaics, long used to mark major feast days online, were recently replaced or left blank — a shift many survivors say is long overdue.

A video of Brazilian nuns beatboxing and dancing hip-hop, a scene taken from a local TV show and defined by celebrities like Whoopi Goldberg as “a real life ‘Sister Act,'” went viral on May 28, with millions of views all over the world.

Workers spent about two weeks planting and rearranging evergreens, flowers and plants to complete a gigantic botanical reproduction of Pope Leo’s shield on the sloped lawn in front of the Vatican’s governing office.

As details of Pope Leo’s past life come to light one thing, many are struck by his Chicago roots and his Chicago-ness.