‘People are hungry for the Lord,’ says catechist as record numbers prepare to join Church March 20, 2026By D. Hunter Reardon The Catholic Virginian Filed Under: Lent, News, World News, Worship & Sacraments After the Rite of Election, the catechumens are called “the elect” until they are baptized at the Easter Vigil Mass.
Trump issues presidential messages for feast of St. Joseph, St. Patrick’s Day March 20, 2026By OSV News OSV News Filed Under: News, Saints, World News President Donald Trump issued two messages marking prominent Catholic feast days, the feast of St. Joseph on March 19 and St. Patrick’s Day on March 17.
Catholic hoops at the highest level take over this year’s March Madness March 19, 2026By John Knebels OSV News Filed Under: Colleges, Feature, News, Sports, World News Catholic universities have quietly taken over March Madness, blending history, talent, and the kind of coaching that shapes every game into an unpredictable contest.
UK church leaders, pro-life advocates say Britain now has ‘most extreme’ abortion legislation March 19, 2026By Junno Arocho Esteves OSV News Filed Under: News, Respect Life, World News Religious leaders and pro-life advocates are raising alarms about changes to abortion laws in Britain after the House of Lords advanced legislation that would remove penalties for women who terminate their pregnancies.
Pope Leo XIV calls bishops to Rome to discuss marriage and family in October March 19, 2026By Courtney Mares OSV News Filed Under: Bishops, Marriage & Family Life, News, Vatican, World News Pope Leo XIV announced March 19 that he is asking the presidents of all bishops’ conferences around the world to convene in Rome in October to renew and deepen the Church’s discussion on marriage and family in light of “Amoris Laetitia.”
Annunciation shooting showed online violent radicalization at work, expert says March 19, 2026By Gina Christian OSV News Filed Under: Gun Violence, News, World News More than six months after the deadly mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, a law enforcement investigation remains ongoing — but security analysts report that a cluster of violent online communities played a role in the attacker’s motivation.
Parishes from Archdiocese of Baltimore help Haiti in time of crisis March 19, 2026By Katie V. Jones Catholic Review Filed Under: Feature, Local News, Missions, News The Archdiocese of Baltimore entered a partnership with the Diocese of Gonaïves in Haiti in 1997, encouraging parishes to form relationships with Haitian parishes and schools through spiritual, financial and hands-on support. Annual visits were once common, with parishioners traveling to Haiti to assist with projects and participate in Mass.
Easter boom: U.S. dioceses say rise in new Catholics may point to regional ‘revivals’ March 19, 2026By Kimberly Heatherington OSV News Filed Under: Easter, Feature, News, World News, Worship & Sacraments While the religiously unaffiliated are on the rise globally, something curious is also happening: Some dioceses have reported significant upticks in adults preparing to enter the Catholic Church this Easter.
Registration opens for National Eucharistic Pilgrimage’s public events March 18, 2026By OSV News OSV News Filed Under: America's 250th anniversary, Eucharist, Feature, Local News, News Registration for public events during the 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage opened March 18, revealing abundant opportunities for Catholics to join the nine “perpetual pilgrims” traveling the East Coast route from Florida to Maine that culminates in an Independence Day weekend celebration in Philadelphia and includes a stop in Baltimore.
Cardinal Pizzaballa: Using God’s name to justify war is ‘the gravest sin’ March 18, 2026By OSV News OSV News Filed Under: Conflict in the Middle East, Feature, News, World News Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa said the use of God’s name to justify war is a grave sin, stressing that God is present with those who suffer and die in conflict, not with those who exploit religion for political ends.
Bishops hail Scottish lawmakers for rejecting assisted dying; UK faces pivotal abortion vote March 18, 2026By OSV News OSV News Filed Under: News, Respect Life, World News Scottish Catholic bishops welcomed Parliament’s decision to reject the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill March 17 — a move shelving a measure that would have allowed eligible adults “to lawfully request, and be provided with, assistance by health professionals to end their own life.”
Communion of faithful, not just clergy, shares role in safeguarding faith, pope says March 18, 2026By Josephine Peterson Catholic News Service Filed Under: News, Vatican, World News All baptized Christians share in the Church’s mission and, guided by the Holy Spirit, are fit for renewing and building up the Church, Pope Leo XIV said at his weekly general audience.
