Conversion of heart needed to end wars, heal Earth, pope says August 20, 2026By Junno Arocho Esteves OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News The social and ecological devastation wrought by war represents not just a political failure, but a moral crisis rooted in a divided heart in need of conversion, Pope Leo XIV said.
New associate eastern vicar appointed to succeed Monsignor O’Connor August 20, 2026By Catholic Review Staff Catholic Review Filed Under: Eastern Vicariate, Feature, Local News, News Conventual Franciscan Father Donald Grzymski will succeed Monsignor Jay O’Connor as eastern vicar of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, with the transition set to take place next year, Archbishop William E. Lori announced Aug. 18.
Colombia: Bogotá archdiocese launches ‘spiritual first aid’ mission to quake-hit cities August 20, 2026By Junno Arocho Esteves OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, World News Dozens of clergy from the Archdiocese of Bogotá embarked on a five-day pastoral mission to cities in Colombia devastated by the Aug. 10 earthquake.
Come to the Water: Eucharist boat procession along the Bayou Teche celebrates faith, history August 20, 2026By Jaymie Stuart Wolfe OSV News Filed Under: Eucharist, Feature, News, World News Since its beginnings more than a decade ago, the Fête-Dieu du Teche — a Eucharistic procession of boats organized by Father Michael Champagne and the Community of Jesus Crucified in the Diocese of Lafayette, Louisiana — has become one of Louisiana’s most vibrant annual festivals.
Josephites elect new superior general August 20, 2026By George P. Matysek Jr. Catholic Review Filed Under: Feature, Local News, News, Uncategorized After several years as the order’s vicar general, Father Bomberger, 82, was elected in late July to succeed the late Bishop John H. Ricard as leader of the society. He will serve the remainder of Bishop Ricard’s term, which ends in June 2027, when a new superior general will be elected.
Ahead of beatification, the women behind Archbishop Sheen’s missionary work remember hidden labor August 19, 2026By Ines San Martin OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Saints, World News For almost two decades, behind Archbishop Sheen’s extraordinary reach stood a largely unknown group of women who opened thousands of letters, recorded donations, thanked contributors, and helped transform his words into material support for missionaries and young churches around the world.
Why some Catholic schools are going low-tech in the age of AI August 19, 2026By Zoey Maraist OSV News Filed Under: AI, Feature, News, Schools, World News Last year, the parochial school stopped providing digital devices to students, instead offering occasional computer time through shared computer carts. “We’ve found kids have actually learned more, they are retaining more,” he said. “I think we learn better from human beings than we do from machines.”
Sacred music must be ‘dignified,’ reflecting the mystery being celebrated, pope says August 19, 2026By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News Singing and playing music during the liturgy is an integral and necessary part of the celebration, which means it is much more than something “decorative,” Pope Leo XIV said.
Threatened harvest and daily harassment rattle West Bank’s last Christian village August 19, 2026By Judith Sudilovsky OSV News Filed Under: Conflict in the Middle East, Feature, News, World News For the past three months, Israeli settlers have been bringing their sheep herd up to the Kaabnah family compound just outside Taybeh village twice a day like clockwork, in the morning and in the evening.
Hispanic leaders learn to build a stronger ministry together August 18, 2026By Aline Behar Kado Special to the Catholic Review Filed Under: Feature, Hispanic Ministry, Local News, News Twenty years ago, Wednesday night Mass in Spanish at Christ the King in Glen Burnie drew about 10 people. Today, the Hispanic community there and at neighboring St. Bernadette in Severn fills three crowded Masses every weekend – a surge of growth that has brought new energy and new growing pains to the pastorate’s ministries.
Florida Catholic bishops push back on state AG’s threat to participation in school voucher program August 18, 2026By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, World News The Catholic bishops of Florida issued a staunch defense of their ability to determine policies for Catholic schools after Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier sent them a letter demanding that Catholic schools in the Sunshine State adopt religious exemptions to vaccine requirements or risk their ability to participate in the state’s school voucher program.
USCCB’s education director reflects on Catholic school landscape as school year begins August 18, 2026By Kimberly Heatherington OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Schools, World News With a new school year on the horizon, OSV News asked John DeJak, director of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat of Catholic Education, to provide an overview of Catholic education in America. As a former teacher and administrator who has served in both diocesan and independent schools since the late 1990s, DeJak is uniquely positioned to assess the state of the nation’s approximately 5,800 Catholic schools, which educate nearly 1.7 million students. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
