LAHORE, Pakistan — White bedsheets for Muslim worshippers were laid on the grassy lawn outside the Dominican Peace Center in Punjab an hour before the annual interfaith iftar — the fast-breaking meal during Ramadan.
The aroma of crispy pakoras (fritters), dried dates, rose-flavored Rooh Afza, and dahi bhallay (lentil dumplings in yogurt) drew guests to the dining tables after they finished reciting their iftar prayers in Lahore, the provincial capital.
Dominican Father James Channan, director of the center, has hosted such interfaith gatherings for 25 years in a country where religious tensions have periodically turned violent.
Dominican Father James Channan speaks at a combined International Women’s Day and interfaith iftar program at the Dominican Peace Center in Lahore, Pakistan, on March 8, 2026. | Credit: Kamran Chaudhry
“Table friendships are very important in our context. People attending such forums highlight them on social media, reaching millions,” he told EWTN News at the sidelines of the program, timed with International Women’s Day on March 8.
“The combined meals and prayer services have helped curb trends of church attacks that followed U.S. wars in Muslim countries.”
Pakistani Christians have faced multiple terrorist attacks since October 2001, after the United States — seen by many Pakistani Muslims as a Christian nation — launched its military campaign in Afghanistan.
“It’s a bitter past. Churches and Christian settlements were considered soft targets. The ongoing conflicts are not crusades; they are wars of interest,” Channan said.
Interfaith meals continue despite unrest
Interfaith gatherings continued this year even as protests against U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran left 26 dead in Pakistan.
Church leaders joined clerics in prayers for peace and shared meals at mosques, church premises, and hotels across six dioceses and one apostolic vicariate, as Middle East air travel disruption and rising fuel prices added regional tension.
Many Pakistanis view the United States and Western Europe as Christian nations, and some militant groups target local Christians as linked to these “Christian countries.”
Communal tensions have also erupted locally. In May 2024, a mob attacked 74-year-old Christian Nazir Masih over alleged blasphemy in Sargodha. He later died of his injuries. In August 2023, violence in Jaranwala destroyed 26 churches and 80 Christian homes following allegations of Quran desecration.
In a Feb. 17 message, Archbishop Joseph Arshad of Rawalpindi-Islamabad invited Christians and Muslims to offer special prayers for peace as Lent and Ramadan coincided this year. He encouraged people of both faiths “to visit one another, exchange greetings with respect, and unite in serving vulnerable segments of society.”
Joint events across Pakistan
In Multan, over 82 participants attended a Feb. 28 iftar jointly organized by the Catholic Commission for Inter-Religious Dialogue and Ecumenism; Saiban-e-Pakistan, a state peace initiative; and the Centre of Excellence on Countering Violent Extremism.
A day earlier in Lahore, Channan and four Catholic priests attended the fast-breaking event at the Badshahi Mosque, the country’s second-largest mosque. He presented a framed photo of Abdul Khabeer Azad, the mosque’s “khateeb” (prayer leader), who met Pope Leo XIV in October 2025 at the “Christian-Muslim Dialogue and Daring Peace” conference in Rome organized by the Community of Sant’Egidio.
Guests share the interfaith iftar meal at the Dominican Peace Center in Lahore on March 8, 2026. | Credit: Kamran Chaudhry
Among 120 guests at the Dominican iftar was Muslim speaker Shehzad Qaiser. The event, held in collaboration with groups including the Seventh-day Adventist Church, highlighted ongoing social challenges.
The head of external affairs at Sundas Foundation, which supports patients with blood disorders, agreed that Christians face discrimination in some offices and some Muslims refuse the food prepared by Christians.
“It is very important to share our common practices, joys, and sorrows. Religious leaders have the duty to raise awareness. Sadly some mistake local Christians as ‘kafir’ (infidels),” Qaiser said.
“During Ramadan, people distribute free meals to everyone without asking their religion. Blood donors don’t discriminate either. This is the real spirit of Ramadan and Lent.”
“The Chosen” and “House of David” were among the many winners at the 33rd annual Movieguide Awards, which aired March 5.
The annual Movieguide Awards celebrates TV shows and movies that, according to its website, “reflect Christian values, biblical truth, and messages of redemption, hope, and faith” and “stories that uplift families, strengthen believers, and point hearts toward Christ.”
“House of David” and the star of the show, Michael Iskander, took two awards home. The new hit series won the Faith and Freedom Award for Television — which honors programs that “celebrate independence, faith in midst of oppression, individual dignity, and freedom” — for its Season 2 episode titled “The Truth Revealed.”
Jon Erwin, creator, writer, and producer of the series, said in his acceptance speech that being at the awards show reminded him of Psalm 34: “Magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.”
“This really does feel like something that we’re all doing together and have been doing it for a long time,” he said to the faith-based creators in attendance. “I do feel like there’s something in the air in L.A.”
He explained that the show uses an old sound stage in Culver City, California, that was first used for Cecil B. DeMille’s — the filmmaker best known for “The Ten Commandments” — 1927 movie “King of Kings.”
“So, I feel like there’s a bit of a reclaiming of ground going on in our industry and I think we’re back in a big way,” Erwin said.
Iskander, who portrays King David in the series, won the Grace Award for Television for an actor, which is given to an actor whose performance is exceptional and “best contribute to the world’s understanding of God’s love.”
Michael Iskander, the actor who portrays King David in “House of David,” gives his acceptance speech for winning the Grace Award for Television for an actor at the 33rd annual Movieguide Awards on March 5, 2026. | Credit: Movieguide®/Chris Schmitt
In his acceptance speech, Iskander thanked his family, especially his mother, “for sticking by my side … but most importantly I want to thank God, who’s been my anchor and my sail and my light in the darkness. He’s been everything to me and I owe it all to him. He’s brought me out of so much and wherever he takes me, I want to go.”
He added: “I’ve been thinking a lot about why David is being highlighted so much in today’s culture. David is a guide for us and he shows us that no matter how far away we may stray from Christ, he is going around and looking for us and he’s calling us by name and all we have to do is just say ‘yes.’ All we have to do is just listen to his voice and say, ‘Yes Lord, I will follow you.’ So, I want you to know that God doesn’t see how weak or small you may look or how grand or strong you may look; he sees into your heart.”
“The Chosen: Last Supper — Part 2” was awarded the Epiphany Award for Inspiring Movies, which recognizes a movie that is “both inspirational and redemptive and can lead us to a closer and personal relationship with a kind, loving, and forgiving God.” Despite being a TV show, “The Chosen: Last Supper — Part 2” was released in theaters as a cinematic event.
Other winners included “Light of the World,” which won for Best Movie for Children; “BAU: Artist at War,” which tells the true story of an artist who survives a World War II concentration camp, won the Faith and Freedom Award for Movies; and “Sarah’s Oil” took home the award for Best Movie for Mature Audiences, among several others.
CHATTOGRAM, Bangladesh — In Bangladesh’s bustling port city of Chattogram, where thousands of internal and international migrants struggle daily for survival, a 67-year-old Catholic sister has become their strongest defender.
Sister Zita Rema of the Salesian Sisters of Mary Immaculate is known across the city as the “Mother of Migrants,” a title she has earned through decades of tireless service to the poor, the displaced, and the forgotten.
Born in the Diocese of Mymensingh, Sister Zita now leads the Migrant Desk of the Archdiocese of Chattogram. The local Catholic community includes about 3,000 faithful, among them migrant workers and expatriates from India, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Nigeria, Uganda, and South Korea. Alongside them live more than 5,000 internal Christian migrants working in garment factories, shipbreaking yards, bicycle workshops, oxygen plants, beauty parlors, and other sectors. Many face discrimination, unsafe labor conditions, financial insecurity, and emotional isolation. To all of them, Sister Zita offers a compassionate presence.
“Migrants carry heavy burdens,” she said. “I walk with them so that no one feels abandoned.”
Her ministry is a daily journey through crowded streets, workers’ quarters, and factory neighborhoods. She visits homes after long work shifts, prays with families, counsels the distressed, and advocates for those facing harassment or injustice. Many call her “Ma” — a sign of deep affection.
Sister Zita Rema (pictured on the right) and two other sisters travel by boat to conduct pastoral work in Chattogram. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Sister Zita Rema
Sister Zita is often among the first to respond when tragedy strikes. On March 4, 2023, an explosion at the Seema Oxygen Plant in Sitakunda killed seven workers, including two Catholics, and injured 25 others.
“I went to the hospital immediately,” she recalled. She spent days helping secure treatment, comforting families, and negotiating compensation. Her advocacy resulted in more than 1 million taka (about $8,300) paid by the factory owner and the government. “Without Sister Zita, we would not have received justice,” said Mickey Nokrek, whose son died in the blast.
The hardships of migrants extend beyond accidents. Many families cannot afford the cost of transporting a deceased relative’s body back home. “It can cost 10,000 to 30,000 taka,” Sister Zita said. She mobilizes parish committees to raise the necessary funds so that families can bury their loved ones with dignity.
Sister Zita is also deeply involved in preventing human trafficking. She helped rescue seven Christian children taken to a madrasa in Dhaka under false promises of education and pressured to convert. She has intervened for young women in beauty parlors who were facing abuse, helping them seek legal remedies. “Every person deserves safety and dignity,” she said.
Health care is another cornerstone of Sister Zita’s mission. Many migrant women, especially those who are pregnant, seek her guidance. The Migrant Desk works with two part-time doctors who offer free consultations. She also connects patients to affordable diagnostic centers and has introduced a small insurance pool: Each member contributes 100 taka, and the fund supports anyone hospitalized.
Economic instability has made life worse for many workers. The Russia-Ukraine war has slowed operations in shipbreaking yards, reducing daily wages to 300 taka only — and only when work is available. Sister Zita regularly counsels workers and provides school materials for their children. “Without support, they lose hope,” she said.
Sister Zita Rema teaches catechism to children. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Sister Zita Rema
One migrant who found refuge in her mission is Papia Nokrek, a beautician who suddenly lost her housing due to rising rent. “Sister gave me shelter when I had nowhere to go,” she said. “She truly is a mother to migrants like me.”
Despite working in a Muslim-majority nation, Sister Zita said she has never faced hostility. Her cross silently communicates her Catholic identity. “My witness is through love,” she said.
Bus staff greet her respectfully as “Ma,” and she continues to teach catechism and prepare Catholics for the sacraments of reconciliation, the Eucharist, and confirmation each year.
As International Women’s Day is marked globally on March 8 with the theme “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls,” Sister Zita said the struggle for safety remains urgent. “Women and children still fear leaving their homes alone,” she said. “My hope is for a Bangladesh where every woman can walk freely, without fear.” Each year, she organizes a program for migrant women to give them a platform to share their struggles and strengthen their unity.
Sister Zita’s concerns reflect the harsh realities women face in Bangladesh. According to the human rights group Ain o Salish Kendra, 749 rapes were reported from January to December 2025, including 569 single rapes and 180 gang rapes. In addition, 193 women were victims of sexual harassment. For Sister Zita, these numbers underscore the urgency of protecting women’s rights and dignity.
Looking back on her decades of service, she said she feels fulfilled. “For 20 years, I have walked with migrant workers, listened to their stories, cried with them, and prayed with them,” she said. “Their love has blessed my life. I thank God for choosing me for this mission.”
Ireland group calls for inquiry into deaths of 108 babies born alive after abortion
An advocacy group in Ireland is calling for an inquiry into the deaths of 108 babies who were born alive after attempted abortions in Ireland
In a story published March 1 and authored by Ireland’s Life Institute and others, the institute cited figures released by Ireland’s Health Service Executive (HSE) from 2019 to 2023.
"Were these babies simply left to die and were they denied the life-saving interventions that might have saved them?” asked Life Institute spokesperson Sandra Parda.
“We need answers, we need transparency,” Parda said. “Looking at the evidence, clearly these babies are then simply being left to die, yet everything is shrouded in silence and secrecy.”
Deputy Mattie McGrath, who obtained the numbers after requesting them from the HSE, said he was "gravely concerned about any approach that reduces transparency around perinatal outcomes.”
Woman forced to induce labor while in prison sues Illinois
A former inmate from Illinois filed a lawsuit against the state prison because they allegedly forced her to give birth via induction rather than spontaneous labor.
At about seven months pregnant, Amy Hicks was convicted of an illegal drug offense. Two weeks before her due date, in early 2024, she underwent induction due to prison requirements.
Labor is usually induced only if there is a health concern for the mother or baby. Women will often elect to avoid induction because it can increase pain and lead to higher intervention rates such as C-sections, among other concerns.
The lawsuit, argued by the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, alleges that the prison’s requirements violate the state’s Reproductive Health Act, an amendment that created a right to abortion in the state law. The federal lawsuit names Gov. JB Pritzker’s Illinois Department of Corrections, the prison’s medical provider, and Wexford Health Sources, among others.
Wyoming Senate passes heartbeat act
The Wyoming Senate passed a Heartbeat bill to protect unborn children from abortion when their heartbeats are detectable.
The act prohibits “procedures that terminate the life of a child with a detectable heartbeat” with some exceptions.
The bill now moves to the governor’s desk; If signed, the act would immediately take effect.
Indiana court blocks protections for unborn children on religious freedom claims
An Indiana court blocked a law protecting unborn children under religious freedom claims on March 6.
The American Civil Liberties Union, on behalf of the advocacy group Hoosier Jews For Choice and anonymous women, claimed the law violated religious freedom by preventing women from aborting their children.
Lawsuit alleges Virginia abortion rights ballot initiative is invalid
A lawsuit dated March 6 alleges that a Virginia ballot initiative to create a right to abortion is invalid.
District 3 Supervisor for the Bedford County Board of Supervisors Charla Bansley claimed in the lawsuit that the House of Delegates missed mandated procedural steps, making the ballot initiative invalid.
The 35-page lawsuit claims that Virginia’s House of Delegates failed to send it to all circuit court clerks so they could post it for public inspection three months prior to the 2025 House of Delegates elections.
North Dakota trains physicians to understand new protections for unborn children
A training for doctors required by a North Dakota law recently became available, part of a recent law passed to enforce laws surrounding abortion.
The online training is required after the legislature passed a bill requiring training for physicians on how to apply the state’s laws protecting unborn children in various scenarios.
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America to campaign in Ohio
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and Women Speak Out PAC launched a seven figure campaign in Ohio to elect pro-life legislators.
The organizations announced on March 2 that they are dedicating $3.25 million to campaign in support of US Senator Jon Husted, who is running against former US Senator Sherrod Brown and plan to canvas 500,000 houses.
The Ohio campaign is part of SBAʼs $80 million investment for the 2026 midterm cycle across the nation.
Pope Leo XIV on Sunday appealed for peace as violence and fear continue to spread in Iran and across the Middle East, praying in particular for Lebanon and warning that the conflict could widen.
Speaking after the Angelus on March 8, the pope said “deeply disturbing news continues to arrive from Iran and the entire Middle East.”
“In addition to the episodes of violence and devastation as well as the widespread climate of hatred and fear, there is also the concern that the conflict will spread and that other countries in the region, including beloved Lebanon, may again sink back into instability,” he said.
“We lift up our humble prayer to the Lord, so that the thunderous sound of bombs may cease, weapons may fall silent, and a space for dialogue may open up in which the voice of the people can be heard,” the pope said. He added that he was entrusting that intention to the Virgin Mary, “that she may intercede for those who suffer because of war and lead hearts along the paths of reconciliation and hope.”
Before the Marian prayer in St. Peter’s Square, Leo reflected on the day’s Gospel and said that “since the first centuries of the Church’s history, the dialogue between Jesus and the Samaritan woman, the healing of the man born blind and the resurrection of Lazarus illuminate the path of those who, at Easter, will receive Baptism and begin a new life.”
“These great Gospel passages, which we read beginning this Sunday, are intended for the catechumens to help them on their journey to become Christians,” he said. “At the same time, these passages are heard once again by the entire community of believers to help them to be more authentic and joyful Christians.”
Referring to Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman, the pope said: “Indeed, Jesus is the response to our thirst. As he suggested to the Samaritan woman, the encounter with him stirs in the depths of each person ‘a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.’”
“How many people in the entire world are searching even today for this spiritual spring!” he said.
Quoting the diary of Etty Hillesum, a Dutch Jewish writer who died in Auschwitz during World War II, Leo said: “‘Sometimes I am there too. But more often stones and grit block the well, and God is buried beneath. Then he must be dug out again.’”
“Dear friends, there is no energy better spent than that dedicated to freeing our heart,” the pope said. “For this reason, Lent is a gift: we are starting the third week and now we are able to intensify the journey!”
He went on to reflect on the disciples’ reaction in the Gospel: “His disciples came [and] they were astonished that he was speaking with a woman.” The Master, he said, had to prompt them: “‘Do you not say, “Four months more, then comes the harvest”? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting.’”
“The Lord still says to his Church: ‘Lift up your eyes and recognize God’s surprises!’” Leo said. “In the fields, four months prior to the harvest, one sees practically nothing. But there, where we see nothing, grace is already at work and its fruits are ready to be gathered.”
“The harvest is great: perhaps the workers are few because they are distracted by other activities,” he continued. “Jesus, on the other hand, is attentive. According to custom, he ought to have simply ignored that Samaritan woman; instead, Jesus speaks with her, listens to her, and shows her respect — without a hidden agenda and without disdain.”
“How many people seek in the Church this same sensitivity, this availability!” the pope said.
“And how beautiful it is when we lose track of time in order to give attention to the person we are encountering, as we see in this passage,” he added. “Jesus was so spiritually nourished by God’s desire to reach people on the deepest levels that he even forgot to eat.”
Leo said that “the Samaritan woman becomes the first of many female evangelizers.” Because of her testimony, “many from her village of despised and rejected people came to meet Jesus, and also in them faith bubbled forth like pure water.”
The pope also marked International Women’s Day, observed March 8, saying: “We renew our commitment, which for us Christians is based on the Gospel, to recognize the equal dignity of man and woman.”
“Unfortunately many women, from childhood onwards, are still discriminated against and suffer various forms of violence,” he said. “In a special way, I offer to them my solidarity and my prayers.”
This article was originally published by ACI Stampa, CNA’s Italian-language news partner, and has been translated and adapted by EWTN News.
Pope Leo XIV continued his pastoral visits to parishes on the outskirts of Rome Sunday, traveling to the Santa Maria della Presentazione parish in the Torrevecchia neighborhood, where he encouraged Catholics to ensure parish activities reflect a Church that “cares for her children.”
The pope arrived at the parish at 4 p.m., when he was welcomed by Cardinal Vicar Baldo Reina and the pastor, Father Paolo Stacchiotti. The warmest welcome, however, came from catechism students, young people, and families from Rome’s 13th municipal district.
It has been more than 40 years since a pope last visited Santa Maria della Presentazione parish. The previous papal visit was made by St. John Paul II in 1982.
The pastor said the neighborhood faces significant challenges but is also marked by strong community bonds.
“This is not an easy neighborhood,” Stacchiotti said. “But the crime reports do not do justice to the good that exists here. This is a united community, full of generous people who do not hold back in helping one another.”
The visit marked Leo XIV’s fourth to a Roman parish since mid-February. Parishioners welcomed him with banners, songs, and warm handshakes.
“We will give the pope an icon made by consecrated women who have lived in Bastogi for 30 years,” the pastor said. “It is a copy of the Madonna Pellegrina that travels around the neighborhood during the month of May. It is not a precious gift, but it is a symbol of our parish.”
Before Mass, the pope stopped on the parish sports field to greet children and families amid banners reading “we give our hearts,” balloons, and a festive atmosphere.
During his visit to the parish complex, Leo XIV also met with people with disabilities and the sick. In the parish hall he greeted about 60 people experiencing various forms of vulnerability before celebrating Mass at 5 p.m.
In his homily, reflecting on the Gospel account of Jesus and the Samaritan woman, the pope emphasized the connection between God’s closeness and the life of faith.
“In this journey, the closeness of God and our life of faith are deeply intertwined: by renewing in each of us the grace of Baptism, the Lord calls us to conversion, even as he purifies our hearts with his love and with the works of charity he invites us to perform,” the pope said.
“The thirst for life and love of the Samaritan woman is our thirst: the thirst of the Church and of all humanity, wounded by sin but even more deeply inhabited by the desire for God,” he continued.
Leo XIV noted that the Gospel narrative shows the woman’s gradual recognition of Jesus — first as a man, then a prophet, the Messiah, and finally the Savior — and how encountering Christ transforms her into a witness to others.
“Standing beside him and enjoying his company, the Samaritan woman becomes in turn a source of truth,” he said. “The new water of God’s gift has begun to spring up in her heart, and she feels immediately driven to return to her village, finally free from shame and eager to make known to everyone her liberator, Jesus.”
The pope also addressed the social difficulties facing the parish’s neighborhood.
“I know well that your parish community lives in an area with many challenges,” he said. “Situations of marginalization are not lacking, nor material and moral poverty.”
“Many are waiting for a home, a job that ensures a dignified life, and safe places where they can meet, play, and build something beautiful together,” he said.
Encouraging the faithful to respond to these realities with pastoral charity, the pope pointed to the Eucharist as the heart of Christian community life.
“Starting from the Eucharist, the beating heart of every Christian community, I encourage you to ensure that parish activities become a sign of a Church that — like a mother — cares for her children, without condemning them, but rather welcoming them, listening to them, and supporting them in the face of danger,” Leo XIV said.
Before the Mass, the pope also spoke informally to young people and children gathered on the sports field, many of whom are preparing for their first Communion.
“Jesus will come to your home, into your heart, into your life,” he told them. “We must all be ready to open the door to find Jesus who is waiting for us.”
He also encouraged them to pray regularly and to speak to God about their worries and daily difficulties.
Finally, the pope spoke to the children about the importance of peace and reconciliation.
“Make peace with your friends when there are difficulties or differences of opinion,” he said. “Reject all forms of violence and hatred, things that cause division, and try to be promoters of peace and reconciliation in today’s world.”
At the end of the celebration, the pope met with the parish pastoral council and priests before returning to the Vatican.
This article was originally published by ACI Stampa, EWTN News’ Italian-language partner agency, and has been translated and adapted by EWTN News.
Tzu Ping Liu is an international student from Taiwan at the University of Florida who will be entering the Catholic Church this Easter — all thanks to a post he made on Facebook Marketplace and an unlikely friendship.
Liu — who goes by the first name of Davis — is a 30-year-old, second-year graduate student who is part of the Taiwanese military and came to the United States, accompanied by his wife, to study aerospace engineering. In need of some friends when he arrived, he took to Facebook Marketplace — a platform used to buy and sell items — to find them.
Robert Manoogian, a 20-year-old sophomore at the University of Florida who is studying mechanical engineering, came across Liu’s post looking for friends and decided to reach out and invite him to attend “Mass and Meal” with the Catholic Gators on campus.
“He came just to the meal part the first two times and then he started asking who Jesus was and then came into Mass with me and then he printed out a pamphlet on his own of the Mass in Mandarin and then the Mass in English as well,” Manoogian told EWTN News.
“I was trying to understand the process, like all the Mass, what they’re doing right now,” Liu added.
He explained that in Taiwan the primary religions are Buddhism and Taoism. Due to this, he had never been introduced to Christianity before arriving in the United States.
“When I first went to Mass with Robbie, I was really shocked because what I saw was all the students praying very deeply,” he recalled. “I have never seen this in Taiwan … So this really made me very curious about this religion. So I started looking on the internet, trying to know more about Jesus.”
He shared that he began to read a book given to him by Manoogian on salvation history, which he called “logical” in comparison to the religions in Taiwan.
“In Taiwan there’s a lot of gods and every god has his independent story and it didn’t connect to each other. So it becomes very confusing. It’s like chaos,” he explained. “Then when I read the books that Robbie gave me, I found all this logical. In Genesis, God created humans and then something happens from the prophets and then Jesus comes to the Earth and saves the humans. It’s all logical. So I was very curious about this story.”
Liu recalled the moment he knew he wanted to enter the Catholic Church. During winter break, he was struggling with doubts of whether or not he really wanted to get baptized and become a Catholic. He shared that on the Sunday before classes resumed, he attended Mass and the Gospel reading that day was on the baptism of Jesus.
“During Mass, the Father explained that even though Jesus was without sin, he chose to stand with the sinner. So it’s like he was walking the path of obedience to set an example for us. And it really hit me straight to my heart,” Liu said. “So this is a miracle that I can’t explain. It’s like God was speaking directly to me and then gave me the answer.”
Now Liu is a part of OCIA — the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults — and will be entering the Church this Easter with Manoogian by his side as his sponsor.
Tzu Ping Liu (Davis) and Robert Manoogian with Bishop Erik T. Pohlmeier of the Diocese of St. Augustine, Florida, after the Rite of Election, which took place on Feb. 28, 2026, at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Robert Manoogian
Manoogian added that Liu has also started sharing his testimony during Thursday evening dinners with other students who speak Mandarin and have never been introduced to Christianity, which has been “very powerful to witness.”
Liu shared that despite his wife being “shocked” by the news of him becoming Catholic, she was supportive and he is hopeful she will one day join the Church as well.
As for Manoogian, this experience has been one-of-a-kind and has strengthened his own faith by walking with someone whose only knowledge of Jesus was that he was born in a manger.
“It’s been like this big brother, little brother moment in a sense because I’m Davis’ big brother in the faith, in a sense, as a sponsor, but then he’s ahead of me in the same engineering classes that I’m taking. And so it’s like this weird dynamic that works out perfectly, that’s led to just a great friendship as well,” Manoogian said.
He added: “And it’s definitely deepened my faith because I feel sometimes people are like, ‘Oh, like how did you get Davis so interested in the faith?’ And I didn’t really do anything, you know? I just told him who Jesus was and then it was kind of planting that seed and it wasn’t me at all in a sense, which has been really cool to see.”
“A lot of the time we’re so focused on the right things to say to people on evangelization, but at the end of the day, it’s just introducing the idea and then God works through them and sparks their interest. So, it’s definitely grown my faith as well.”
Reflecting on their experience as a whole, Manoogian said: “I think that God can use any source, any moment in your life, any place in your life, to spread the Gospel — through something like Facebook Marketplace or even just in class — and the constant spreading of the Gospel to a stranger in the slightest way, like an invitation to Church, can change the trajectory of someone’s whole life.”
Thirteen-year-old Fernando Bejarano Calvo — the second of seven children — felt the desire to become a priest in preschool. “He started talking about the seminary when he was 6,” recalled his mother, Nerea Calvo.
At first, she thought it was just a passing childhood whim. “We thought he was saying it somewhat unconsciously,” she explained in a phone conversation with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. However, that early vocational fervor remained burning in his heart. In fifth grade, at the age of 9, he entered the minor seminary in Toledo, Spain.
Fernando Bejarano Calvo serves at Benediction. | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Bejarano Calvo family
“We neither pushed him nor held him back,” explained his father, also named Fernando. “It’s not our decision, it’s his,” he added.
This seminary isn’t very different from other schools, except that it operates as a boarding school and places great importance on spiritual life. Prayer marks the hours of the day, during which academic formation is also very important.
“They have their teachers, their school hours, and when school is over they have their time for prayer and various activities,” Nerea explained.
Fernando Bejarano Calvo participates in a procession. | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Bejarano Calvo family
Fernando returns home one weekend a month and receives visits from his family every Sunday. “We talk to him every day. Even though they live at the seminary, obviously it’s not like the family suddenly disappears,” his father emphasized.
In any case, his mother doesn’t deny that the physical separation has an emotional cost: “It’s a kind of heartbreak, so to speak, that is both beautiful and difficult, but you share it with other families.”
Fernando Bejarano Calvo with his parents and sister at the seminary. |Credit: Photo courtesy of the Bejarano Calvo family
At the seminary — which has just celebrated its 100th anniversary — they have found a support network among parents and formators. Nerea experiences it as a gift: “You don’t lose your son, you gain 40 more, and 40 more families.”
An unexpected gift during the papal audience
This family accompanied their son Fernando and 46 other young men from the minor seminary in Toledo to an audience with Pope Leo XIV at the Apostolic Palace on Feb. 28 — along with other families whose sons have also experienced an early vocation.
Pope Leo XIV shows his affection for Fernando Bejarano Calvo and the other children during an audience at the Vatican. | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Bejarano Calvo family
“We had been waiting for this moment for many months. We wanted to receive what the Holy Father had in store for the seminarians and also for the families who accompany them,” the boy’s father explained.
For the young men of St. Thomas Villanova Minor Seminary in Toledo, this pilgrimage was especially significant, as it coincided with the centenary celebration of the diocesan institution, whose patron saint, an Augustinian friar, holds a very special place in the heart of Pope Leo XIV.
The 46 minor seminarians from Toledo, Spain, make their way to Rome with their formators. | Credit: St. Thomas Villanova Minor Seminary in Toledo
At the end of the meeting, the pope greeted the family and held the youngest of the siblings, whom they had named Leo (León in Spanish) after the pope. Nerea’s husband, Fernando — to whom she has been married for 17 years — already had the name in mind. “I already had the name,” he said. “I hadn’t thought about it like some strategy. It was simply clear to me.”
The boy was born after a difficult pregnancy, which his mother offered for the Church, vocations, and the pontificate of the new pope.
“I was vomiting from Day 1 until the very last day. It was very difficult. I practically didn’t leave the house except to go to Mass. Very confined, very limited,” Nerea recounted.
The pope thanked them “for praying for the Church” and blessed the little boy in an unexpected gift that extended to their entire family.
Pope Leo XIV holds the youngest of the seven siblings in the Bejarano Calvo family, León. | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Bejarano Calvo family
Bishops, formators, seminarians, and family members from other Spanish seminaries — Alcalá de Henares and the Interdiocesan Seminary of Catalonia and Cartagena — participated in the audience.
Among them was the rector of the Conciliar Seminary of the Immaculate Conception and the Holy Children of the Diocese of Alcalá de Henares, Father Luis Eduardo Morona Alguacil, who shared with ACI Prensa that the meeting was “an experience of catholicity” and “a moment of great inner joy.”
Currently, the diocesan seminary he directs has seven seminarians, representing a diversity of ages and backgrounds. “There’s a bit of everything; there are young men, and then most are between 25 and 35 years old. Almost all of them have already had professional experience and university studies.” He indicated that all of them maintain a close connection with the Diocese of Alcalá de Henares, either by coming from its parishes or by having been mentored by diocesan priests.
Seminary rector Father Luis Eduardo Morona Alguacil (left) with Bishop Antonio Prieto Lucena, bishop of Alcalá de Henares. | Credit: Diocese of Alcalá de Henares
‘A much-desired experience’
The trip to Rome had been long awaited. According to the rector, the audience had already been requested and granted during Pope Francis’ pontificate, but it could not take place due to the worsening of his illness. “It was at that time that he was already hospitalized and with a fairly advanced illness, and he was unable to receive us,” he recalled.
A year later, the meeting with Leo XIV finally took place. “It was an experience, as always when one goes to Rome, to be with the pope, an experience of catholicity, of savoring and experiencing the mystery of the Church and of being close to the successor of Peter,” he said.
Morona also highlighted the ecclesial communion dimension of the meeting, given the presence of several Spanish seminaries.
‘Deeply moved’
According to the rector, the seminarians returned “deeply moved by the depth and essence of what the pope told them.” The central theme of the papal address was the call to cultivate a supernatural vision of reality, especially during their formation.
Pope Leo XIV meets with the seminarians of the Diocese of Alcalá de Henares at the Vatican. | Credit: Diocese of Alcalá de Henares
“They were rereading the address and overjoyed to know that the pope prays for them,” explained the rector, who emphasized the impact that Leo XIV’s personal presence had on the seminarians.
After the address, the pope approached the different groups and listened to each one. “He is a man who listens; you can tell he is paying attention when you are speaking to him, that he is attentive to what you are saying. That is something that also surprised them,” Morona recounted. Several seminarians were able to give the pope personal letters and small gifts in an atmosphere he described as “a very beautiful sense of ecclesial communion.”
Ordinations in April and the visit to Spain
The audience took place at a particularly significant time for the seminary of Diocese of Alcalá de Henares, which is preparing for the ordination of several deacons. When the rector informed the pope, Leo XIV asked: “But before or after my visit to Spain?”
“He had his visit to Spain in mind; it’s something he must have in his heart and mind,” the rector noted.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
A group of high schoolers from a Maryland boys' school found themselves in the crosshairs of international conflict in the Middle East this week, turning what was meant to be a brief layover in Abu Dhabi into a multi-day ordeal amid escalating hostilities between Iran, Israel, and the United States.
The group — 18 seniors and two faculty members from The Heights School in Potomac, Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C. — had departed on the afternoon of Feb. 27 for a cultural exchange trip to Thailand.
The voyage was part of the school’s yearly Crescite Trips, where students in grades 9-12 participate during the first week of March in local seminars as well as domestic and international trips intended for the students’ growth.
The group was scheduled for a two-hour layover in the United Arab Emirates after their 12-hour flight when regional airspace slammed shut following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and Iranʼs retaliatory missile barrages.
Initially, all flights were cancelled, but soon the airport was closed and had to be evacuated. According to Aidan Korn, a student on the trip, the group was seated at the gate for their next flight when they learned it had been suspended because “the war had begun.”
“It was scary at first. We were sitting by a giant window at the gate and all of our phones started going off at the same time. I saw texts from friends in the U.S. asking if I was alive,” he said. “We saw military men running with guns through the airport.”
Korn said the two faculty chaperones, Justin Myers and Dan Sushinsky, told them to get away from the windows and seek shelter in the airport bathroom. They learned later that a drone was intercepted above the airport, and the debris killed one person and injured several others.
Myers and Sushinsky, both seasoned teachers as well as college counselors at The Heights, immediately called headmaster Alvaro de Vicente, who told EWTN News he called “everyone I know to help” the boys.
The teachers “did an incredible job keeping the boys calm, safe, and engaged,” said de Vicente. He described the men as “real pros in handling a situation no teacher can prepare for.”
“This is not what we do. We donʼt prepare for this!” he said.
Bryson Begg, another senior on the trip, agreed, telling EWTN News that the teachers were "incredible. Their number-one priority was our safety. They cared for us so much.”
Begg described a “confidence” that Myers and Sushinsky emanated that they would all get home safely. “We had this sense that they’ve got it.”
The teachers instructed the boys to be cautious and not to post anything on social media that could compromise their security, Korn said.
Myers told EWTN News the situation felt chaotic at first, as thousands of people with canceled flights tried to find hotels using airline-provided vouchers. Initially, the group was split up and assigned to different hotels, which they deemed unacceptable, so he and Sushinsky decided to stay the night in the airport, hoping a flight would open up while they waited.
The airport was then closed and everyone was ordered to evacuate. After several hours, with the help of several airport employees, Myers said they were able to find a hotel for all 20 of them. When they boarded the bus, again amidst the chaos of thousands of evacuating travelers, the driver asked Myers where the hotel was, and they figured out the directions there together.
Myers said either he or Sushinsky was on the phone almost constantly with the State Department, parents, de Vicente, Heights alumni who lived in the area, and the U.S. embassy.
Myers, who has taught at The Heights for over 30 years and has led many trips, told EWTN News it was “an unusually good group” of boys. "All of our top students were on this trip. They were very brave.”
“They were probably not as scared as they should have been! And now that they’re home safe, they’re saying it was the best trip ever!” he laughed.
Once at the hotel, he and Sushinsky held group meetings at set times each day, where they ate together, played games, prayed the rosary, and told funny stories. The leaders also made themselves available at set times each day to talk with any boys who wanted to.
Begg said the teachers made sure the boys kept their bags packed and ready to go at all times in case they had to rush to the airport to catch an available flight out.
Korn told EWTN News the hotel’s doors were initially zip tied shut, but as the days went on, they were occasionally allowed to venture outside briefly. On one of these occasions, Begg said he was praying the rosary when warning sirens went off, and the hotel staff urgently called him back inside.
“Most of the time it felt perfectly safe,” Myers said. “We saw some drones a couple of times; saw them intercepted, mostly at night. We’d watch the news and they’d make it worse than it is. They kept showing the same building being hit.”
“It was not like what was being shown on TV. People in the city were going about their daily lives.”
Nevertheless, the boys spent most of their time indoors eating (“The hotel had really nice food,” said Korn), working out at the gym, watching movies in the presidential suite, where two of the students were staying, and even playing hide and seek throughout the hotel.
Thanks to a Heights alumnus who lives there, the group (with all the parents’ permission) was able to go to the beach one day, and on a desert excursion to an oasis, where they rode camels, according to Begg.
‘An overwhelming feeling of comfort’
By 4:30 a.m. on Feb. 28, Karen Korn, Aidan’s mother, told EWTN News she was awakened by the dozens of notifications on her phone from the boys as well as other parents.
“I’m so humbled by and grateful to the amount of people that reached out to us, who were praying,” she said. “I truly believe that was what got us through. It’s unbelievable how many people were praying.”
“We had people praying 24 hours a day; priests at every church around us that had holy hours and said Masses for them … even outside of this area.”
She described “an overwhelming feeling of comfort” knowing how many prayers were being said for the young men. While praying on Sunday, she said she saw an image of Jesus wrapping his arms around the boys, keeping them safe.
‘Men fully alive’
Begg, who has attended The Heights since 3rd grade, credited de Vicente for working “tirelessly to help us.”
“He is the pinnacle of what a Heights man is. ‘Men fully alive’ is our motto, and he’s the epitome of that. He’s strong in his beliefs, and cared for us so much. He waited in the airport for hours before we arrived. It was incredibly heartwarming to see that.”
Heights Headmaster Alvaro de Vicente greets students upon their return to the United States from the United Arab Emirates, Thursday, March 5, 2026 | Credit: The Heights School
“He was right at the front of the group of parents at the airport with a big smile on his face, welcoming us home. We all shook his hand.”
De Vicente said he was “thankful to the United Arab Emirates government” for hosting the boys, providing them the hotel and transportation. He also said he was "thankful to our government for being able to get them out.”
The boys left on a charter flight — one arranged by the U.S. State Department filled with other American families — and returned safely to Dulles Airport on the afternoon of Thursday, March 5.
Aidan Korn hugs his parents, Karen and Jason Korn, at Dulles Airport in Virginia upon his safe return, Thursday, March 5, 2026 | Credit: Courtesy of the Korn family
The Heights School, an independent day school for grades 3-12, teaches boys “with a Christian spirit and in accord with the teachings of the Catholic Church” and the Personal Prelature of Opus Dei “provides chaplains for the school and oversees its program of classes in Catholic doctrine,” according to its website.
Over the years, the school has drawn politically conservative families, including the sons of prominent politicians such as former senator and presidential candidate Rick Santorum as well as Maggie Gallagher, president of the National Organization for Marriage, among others.
The Diocese of El Paso will file for bankruptcy amid more than a dozen lawsuits over allegations of sexual abuse, Bishop Mark Seitz said this week.
In a message to the Texas diocese on March 6, Seitz said the diocese is facing “18 pending lawsuits” for alleged sexual abuse that occurred between 1956-1982.
The alleged abuse occurred “long before society or the Church was aware of the presence and extent of child abuse taking place within its institutions” and “long before the Diocese implemented the strong child protection policies and practices that exist today to guard against these crimes,” Seitz said in the message, which was accompanied by a video posted to YouTube.
Seitz said he decided to have the diocese file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after consultation with priests and diocesan officials as well as “prayerful consideration.”
He described it as “the most prudent course of action” because “there are now financial claims pending against the diocese that exceed our means.”
The diocese will work “to equitably compensate those who have been harmed, and to carry on the essential ministries of the Church in our diocese so we can continue to meet the needs of all who rely upon the Church,” Seitz said.
Describing diocesan resources as “very limited,” the bishop said the bankruptcy filing will allow the diocese to streamline its abuse compensation plan into one process overseen by the bankruptcy court, allowing the diocese to “move forward on stable financial ground.”
Apologizing for the abuse inflicted on victims by diocesan officials, Seitz said the process will be a “difficult journey,” though he said the diocese will “continue to serve the Lord with all our hearts through whatever trials may come.”
El Paso is the first diocese in Texas to file for bankruptcy over abuse claims. The southern U.S. state is home to 13 dioceses and two archdioceses.
