Born in hardship, sung in hope: the quiet, powerful origins of ‘Silent Night’ December 24, 2025By Katarzyna Szalajko OSV News Filed Under: Arts & Culture, Christmas, Feature, News, World News As Christmas approaches and “Silent Night” begins to fill churches and homes across the world, it is worth remembering how unlikely its beginning truly was.
A dream of Bethlehem community: A house for the poor in village where St. Francis staged first Nativity December 23, 2025By Katarzyna Szalajko OSV News Filed Under: Christmas, News, World News For almost 30 years, Father Miroslaw Tosza, a priest of the Diocese of Sosnowiec in southern Poland, has lived in the Betlejem (Bethlehem) community in Jaworzno — a house shared by people who have lost jobs, families, homes, health, sobriety and, very often, trust in anyone at all. Now, he dreams of establishing a retreat house for his poor in Greccio.
Baltimore native Weigel honored for defense of human dignity in the face of aggression December 1, 2025By Katarzyna Szalajko OSV News Filed Under: News, Religious Freedom, The Catholic Difference, War in Ukraine, World News American theologian and author George Weigel was honored Nov. 30 with the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church’s Blessed Omelyan Kovch Award at the National Opera House in Lviv, Ukraine.
Major German Christmas market reopens with ‘security’ and ‘preserving tradition’ as main goals November 20, 2025By Katarzyna Szalajko OSV News Filed Under: Advent, Christmas, News, World News Christmas markets — long considered the lively heart of Advent in Germany — are facing new uncertainty this year as towns grapple with tighter security rules and rising public anxiety.
Red Wednesday: A global stand for persecuted Christians will see 600 churches lit up in red November 19, 2025By Katarzyna Szalajko OSV News Filed Under: News, Religious Freedom, World News As night falls across continents on Nov. 19, more than 600 churches and landmarks will light up in red, reminding the world that Christian persecution remains a stark global reality.
Bishop: Survival of Christian communities in Nigeria depends on security, justice November 11, 2025By Katarzyna Szalajko OSV News Filed Under: News, Religious Freedom, World News Faith is a matter of life and death in northern Nigeria, said Bishop John Bogna Bakeni of Maiduguri.
It’s Holywins: European Catholics offer a joyful alternative to Halloween October 31, 2025By Katarzyna Szalajko OSV News Filed Under: News, World News, Youth Ministry Across Europe, Catholic families are turning Halloween into a celebration of light, life and holiness. Known as “Holywins” — a play on “Holy” and “Halloween” — the movement began in Paris in 2002 and has since spread to Poland, Belgium, Italy, Spain and beyond.
Pianist’s sign of the cross goes viral as he enters world’s famous Chopin piano competition October 20, 2025By Katarzyna Szalajko OSV News Filed Under: Arts & Culture, News, World News In the charged silence before his performance at the 2025 Chopin Competition in Warsaw, Polish pianist Piotr Pawlak did something both simple and profound.
From satanist to saint: Meet Bartolo Longo, who gave world the shrine of Our Lady in Pompeii October 16, 2025By Katarzyna Szalajko OSV News Filed Under: News, Saints, World News When pilgrims gather in St. Peter’s Square on Oct. 19 to witness the canonization of Blessed Bartolo Longo, along with six other blesseds, they will see not just the elevation of a new saint, but a story of a radical conversion.
Why St. Thérèse continues to inspire believers today — especially those who suffer October 5, 2025By Katarzyna Szalajko OSV News Filed Under: Consecrated Life, Feature, News, Saints, World News St. Thérèse is often seen as a “sweet saint of roses,” a childlike figure whose holiness seemed effortless. Yet behind this image was a young Carmelite who embraced the demands of cloistered life, endured spiritual darkness, and suffered from tuberculosis, dying at just 24.
Rosary can change the world, pontifical charity urges before a million children pray September 30, 2025By Katarzyna Szalajko OSV News Filed Under: Feature, Marian Devotion, News, World News, Youth Ministry This October, over a million children around the world will lift their voices in prayer as pontifical charity Aid to the Church in Need marks the 20th anniversary of its One Million Children Praying the Rosary campaign. What began in 2005 as a small gathering in Venezuela has grown into a global movement reaching across every continent.
Polish prelate calls for peace after ‘reckless’ Russian drone attack violates country’s airspace September 10, 2025By Katarzyna Szalajko OSV News Filed Under: News, War in Ukraine, World News Several Russian drones entered Polish airspace in the morning hours of Sept. 10, and were shot down by Polish military, with debris falling in eastern and central Poland.
