Marking Ukraine’s Independence Day, Pope Leo XIV pledged his prayers for the Ukrainian people in a message to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and encouraged Catholics to respond to Ukrainian religious leaders’ request for prayers for peace Aug. 24.

Catholic legislators are called to enact laws that reflect love of God and love of neighbor, Pope Leo XIV told an international group of lawmakers.

Bishop James D. Conley of Lincoln, Neb., expressed concern Aug. 22 about “safeguarding human dignity” of detainees after the state’s governor announced plans for a migrant detention center dubbed “Cornhusker Clink.”

The beatification cause for Sister Annella Zervas, a Benedictine sister from Minnesota, will formally begin this fall, Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of Crookston, Minn., announced Aug. 20.

A new statue depicting Blessed Carlo Acutis is a message that conveys to the world that the Catholic Church is not an old institution but a young and vibrant church with a relevant message for today’s culture, said the statue’s sculptor.

The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops on Aug. 21 said it sent a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., asking him to stay the Aug. 28 scheduled execution of Curtis Windom and commute his sentence to life imprisonment without parole.

Even as Christians continue the dialogue aimed at restoring their unity, they are called to work together to bring peace and reconciliation to a deeply divided world, Pope Leo XIV said.

An active shooter at Villanova University reported late afternoon Aug. 21 was a “cruel hoax,” a university official said less than two hours after the initial scare that led to a campus lockdown.

Holy Trinity Parish, known for its social outreach, started a job loss support group after these parishioners expressed their concerns about the federal government job cuts.

Pope Leo XIV turns 70 on Sept. 14 and some of his closest friends in the Chicago-area will mark the day with him in mind, quietly.