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.

More than 90 bishops from different parts of the Pan-Amazon region gathered in Bogotá, Colombia, Aug. 17-20 to take a fundamental step in the implementation of some of the Amazon synod’s proposals.

A federal judge on Aug. 20 partially blocked Texas from enforcing a law requiring public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments, finding the law violated the First Amendment.

At a time when many governments seem unable promote peace, justice and development for all, Christians must be prophetic, reaching out to others and daring to try something new, Pope Leo XIV said.

A federal appeals court temporarily blocked Aug. 18 a federal land transfer to a copper mining giant that would lead to the destruction of a site considered sacred by Indigenous peoples. But President Donald Trump said Aug. 19 his administration would continue to pursue that land transfer.