With Paralympic Games closing in Paris Sept. 8, more than a monthlong Olympic adventure is over. But the spirit of the Games will resonate in the French Catholic Church for much longer — thanks to the disabled who participated in church initiatives with great enthusiasm.

The 53rd edition of the International Eucharistic Congress began Sept. 8 in Quito, Ecuador, with a strong call to build fraternity as a way of healing the wounds of a world full of fractures and violence.

The faith that sustained the hope of the people of Timor-Leste in their struggle for independence should be a resource now as the country tries to cope with social, economic and environmental problems, Pope Francis said.

In Papua New Guinea, the term “wantok” means people who share a language and culture, and that is what Christians should be, Pope Francis said, but only in the sense of sharing the language and culture of love.

Pope Francis flew 600 miles to a remote outpost of Papua New Guinea to spend an afternoon with a group of missionaries — many from Argentina — and with their people.

The Archdiocese of Santa Fe has installed a plaque near the entrance of the Pastoral Center in Albuquerque “as a solemn acknowledgment and remembrance” of all victims of clergy sexual abuse, both living and deceased, within the archdiocese.

River flooding forced the temporary closure of the famous grotto at the shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in southern France.

Voters in states with abortion referendums on the ballot in November broadly appear poised to approve the efforts to codify abortion protections, according to polls of those contests.

This November, New Yorkers vote on Proposition 1 — a constitutional amendment that its Catholic and pro-life opponents warn could undercut parental rights and increase access to abortion on demand.

Parishes around the United States have heard Pope Francis’ call and responded in force. From Cleveland to Seattle, parishes are moving toward the Holy Father’s vision of a more sustainable church and world.