The Archdiocese of Philadelphia this week opened a new perpetual adoration chapel, one that Archbishop Nelson Pérez said is meant to draw “Catholics and non-Catholics for prayer before Christ” 24 hours a day.
The Sacre Coeur Perpetual Adoration Chapel was opened on the property of St. Denis Church in Havertown on the western edge of the city. Pérez was the principal celebrant at the Mass during which the site was dedicated an archdiocesan shrine.
In his homily the archbishop called attention to the liturgyʼs first reading from the Book of Deuteronomy, in which Moses tells the Israelites that God “set his heart on you and chose you.”
Pérez said the description of “the heart of God” grants “a very human attribute to a divine being.”
Christ himself “is the very incarnation, the visible being, the manifestation of the very heart of God,” Pérez said.
The prelate also noted the example of the 17th century nun St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, who was responsible for spreading the devotion of the Sacred Heart through the Western Church.
“She had an incredible heart for the Lord from a very, very, very young age,” the archbishop said. “And at a young age, she promised Our Lady that she would consecrate her life to the heart of Christ.”
“She had a big heart,” Pérez continued. “Big hearts feel deeply. The biggest heart of them all is actually the heart of Christ, the heart of all hearts right from which all our hearts flow.”
The archbishop predicted that the faithful “will come from all over the place” to the Sacre Coeur chapel, where they will “speak to the heart of Christ so beautifully present in the Most Blessed Sacrament.”
“And at that moment — watch out,” he said. “Watch out. Because God will do what God will do.”
Sacred space will ‘hopefully bring people to the Lord’
The chapel came about in large part because of the work of Ward and Kathy Fitzgerald, two Philadelphia residents who several years ago identified the need for such a site in the city.
Ward, the CEO of the I Am the Vine Foundation — a capital charity initiative — told “EWTN News Nightly” on June 12 that his wife Kathy had realized that “there were 12 parishes in Philadelphia within about a three mile radius that did not have perpetual adoration.”
“The vision was to make a place that was beautiful and comfortable,” he said. “[W]e not only want people to be at peace when theyʼre talking to the Lord because of the beauty around them, [but] we also want to attract people that arenʼt [part of] the Church today.”
“We felt that an adoration chapel was a way to bring meditation [and] conversation with the Lord without technically participating in the sacraments,” he said. “And many people that are either members of the Church and donʼt participate in the sacraments, or theyʼre not members of any church … still their hearts are restless.”
At the dedication on June 12, Archbishop Pérez commended Ward and Kathy for their “big hearts” after their work to bring the chapel to life.
“What a gift,” he said. “God will do what God will do, and only God knows right in his big, enormous heart what will happen in that chapel — how people will be touched, conversations will be had, [and] hearts will be healed.”
The arrest marks a significant breakthrough in investigations into the killing that shocked both the local community and the Catholic Church.
In a June 10 press briefing, the Officer Commanding Police Division (OCPD) for Marakwet East, Zablon Okoyo, identified the suspect as Meshack Kilimo and said he was apprehended through intelligence-led operations.
“Luckily enough, we managed to arrest one suspect by the name Meshack Kilimo. It is unfortunate that this one guy is also part of the reformed bandits that we have managed to tame. But of course, you know, human beings have different traits and characters. As for him, he has not changed,” Okoyo said.
He explained: “We used our wits and managed to arrest the fellow yesterday. As we are talking today, he is supposed to be arraigned before the law courts by our Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) department.”
According to a June 10 report by The Star, a Kenyan publication, Kilimo was “arrested after he shot dead another man using an arrow during a quarrel over clan land in the same Kerio Valley area.”
In the June 10 press briefing, Okoyo said investigations remain active and are being led by the DCI in Kenya.
“We shall prosecute the case accordingly, according to the witnesses and the evidence that we have gathered,” he said, and added: “The case of the late Father Alois is within the DCI. The DCI opened a case and is still very active. Now that the suspect has been apprehended and presented before the magistrate, I believe all avenues will be opened.”
The police commander cautioned that investigators are still examining whether the evidence collected directly links the suspect to the murder of the priest.
“If at all, the evidence that has been adduced and collected and placed in the active case of the late Father will connect to him, then I think it is a case that is going to come up very soon. But I canʼt preempt as of now because the officers handling the case are with the suspect right now before the court,” Okoyo said in the press briefing.
Bett, a priest of Eldoret Diocese, died from gunshot wounds after being ambushed by armed assailants at Kabartile Village in Mokoro Location, Elgeyo Marakwet County. He was serving as pastor of St. Matthias Mulumba Tot Parish at the time of his death.
In a statement issued on the day of the attack, Kenyaʼs National Police Service (NPS) said preliminary investigations indicated that the killing was not related to cattle rustling or banditry, despite the regionʼs long history of armed criminal activity and intercommunal conflict.
Bett was laid to rest on June 3, 2025, at Holy Family Parish in Nandi County, the day after his funeral Mass at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral of Eldoret Diocese.
Since the priestʼs murder, security operations in the Kerio Valley have intensified as authorities continue efforts to restore stability in the region, The Star reported on June 10.
According to the report, government officials have confirmed recovering more than 500 firearms through the ongoing amnesty and disarmament program, and that hundreds of former bandits have undergone rehabilitation.
Speaking recently on the broader security situation in Kerio Valley, Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration Kipchumba Murkomen attributed persistent insecurity in the region partly to environmental degradation.
Murkomen said shrinking grazing land, drying rivers, and declining natural resources have intensified competition among communities and contributed to cattle rustling, banditry, and violence.
He argued that lasting peace would require not only security operations but also environmental restoration and sustainable economic opportunities for young people through initiatives such as tree planting, rehabilitation of water sources, agroforestry, beekeeping, and ecotourism.
This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.
Following its summer 2026 general meeting, the Irish Bishops’ Conference voiced its deep concern about the attack on human life and the wider violence and social disorder that has taken place in Belfast and across Northern Ireland this past week.
The civil unrest followed a brutal knife attack in Belfast carried out by a Sudanese national. Footage of the incident has been widely circulated globally and on social media. Bishop Alan McGuckian, SJ, of Down and Connor said: “My thoughts and prayers are firstly with Stephen Ogilvie, who sustained life-changing devastating injuries in a brutal and horrific attack.”
Referring to the rioting, intimidation, and vandalism toward immigrant people that followed, he said: “So many newcomers make an outstanding contribution to our communities, including our parishes. They are our friends. Shame on all those who have sought to mobilize, agitate, weaponize, and politicize the fear and concerns of others over the last few days. All of us have a responsibility to de-escalate societal tension rather than stoke the flames of racism.”
Lebanese priest says ‘situation drastically deteriorating’ for Christians
Father Youssef Semaan, parish priest of Kfour, Nabatieh District, in Lebanon, said the situation for Christians remaining in the country is continuing to worsen.
“Every week is more dangerous than the last. The situation has become unbearable,” Semaan said, according to a press release from Aid to the Church in Need on Thursday.
The priest, who was forced to leave Kfour due to safety reasons, said he has managed to return on two occasions. He said many Christians have been faced with the difficult decision to “stay and risk their lives or abandon our land without any guarantee that we will ever get our houses or our goods back.”
In Kfour, the Christian population has dropped from 120 to around 12, ACN noted. “We still have hope,” Semaan said. “But hope itself is not enough. It has to be based on solid foundations that allow us to rebuild and go on living. We are human after all.”
Zimbabwe bishops consecrate nation to Mary, a ‘model of courage’ in difficult times
Members of the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference (ZCBC) have consecrated the Southern African nation to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, entrusting the country to her maternal protection and presenting her as a model of faith, hope, courage, and love amid ongoing challenges.
In his homily, ZCBC president Bishop Raymond Tapiwa Mupandasekwa said the bishops identified Mary as a fitting patroness for Zimbabwe, saying: “The act of surrender to God is indeed an imitation of this Holy Virgin. She is the woman who not only shows her total surrender to God in faith, but she is also a woman of great hope. At the foot of the cross she stands. A great sign of courage in a very difficult moment.”
Legislation threatening the seal of confession in France fails
A provision in a bill proposed to the French National Assembly that would have compelled priests to violate the seal of confession to report instances of abuse against minors has failed.
The bill, aimed at preventing and combating violence in schools in the wake of a sex abuse scandal at a Catholic boarding school in southern France, was adopted on June 1 without the proposed clause that would have removed exemptions for priests from mandatory reporting of information regarding sexual abuse heard during the sacrament of confession.
The French Bishops’ Conference expressed “grave concern” ahead of a debate on the bill, noting several articles in the bill that “call into question several fundamental freedoms,” including the right to secrecy under the seal of confession.
Christians in Tyre face new wave of uncertainty
The Christian community in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre is watching recent developments with growing concern after the area was included in an Israeli evacuation warning for the first time, ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, reported Thursday.
Church leaders fear that any military escalation could have lasting consequences for one of Lebanon’s oldest Christian communities, which has already endured years of economic hardship and emigration.
Melkite Greek Catholic Archbishop Georges Iskandar called for urgent efforts to protect civilians and preserve the city’s historic and religious character, warning that further instability could accelerate the decline of the local Christian presence.
Victims of clergy abuse in Australia clash with diocese over memorial
A group representing victim survivors of clergy abuse has announced its agreement with the Diocese of Ballarat in Australia to build a memorial for victims “null and void” after an alleged communication breakdown with the diocese.
“Throughout the memorial process, we have sought to engage with Church representatives in a respectful, transparent, and constructive manner. We have acted in good faith and demonstrated a genuine willingness to work collaboratively towards memorials at both sites: St. Patrick’s Cathedral and St. Alipius Old Boys School,” the Ballarat and District Survivors Memorial Committee said in a June 6 Facebook post. “Regrettably, we do not believe the same level of transparency and good faith has been demonstrated by the Church during these negotiations.”
British National Trust reopens 420-year-old Catholic lodge
Lyveden, a three-story Tudor lodge in Northamptonshire, England, known for its Catholic symbolism, has been reopened following conservation work.
“Weʼre very excited to open Lyveden Lodge after 18 months and welcome visitors back inside this remarkable building,” Matthew Glasgow, senior building surveyor, said in a BBC News report on Friday. “While further conservation work will be needed in the coming years, the completed repairs mean visitors can once again enjoy this extraordinary unfinished vision of Sir Thomas Tresham.” Conservationists conducted repairs to the lodge’s stonework, replaced timber, and restored its Elizabethan garden.
Constructed in the 16th century by Sir Thomas Tresham, a practicing Catholic who faced persecution for refusing to attend Anglican church services during the late 1500s and early 1600s, Lyveden is built in the shape of a Greek cross and features references to Christian numerology, according to the National Trust’s website.
Rebaptisms raise questions in Syria’s Maronite community
Reports that several Maronites in the Latakia countryside of Syria joined Protestant groups and underwent “rebaptism” have sparked discussion within the local Church about the challenges facing parish life in the region.
The situation came to light in the village of Ain Halaqim, where community members pointed to years of pastoral difficulties, including the absence of a resident priest and limited opportunities for ongoing catechesis, ACI MENA reported Friday.
Rather than focusing solely on the individuals who left, many local voices are asking broader questions about how the Church can better accompany the faithful, especially in communities affected by economic struggles and migration.
Pro-life advocates defend unborn babies with Down syndrome
Pro-life advocates are defending unborn children with Down syndrome after a YouTuber told the world that he and his wife aborted their child who had been diagnosed with the condition.
YouTube creator Jesse Ridgway went viral for posting about how he and his wife decided to abort their unborn baby after they learned the child would likely have Down syndrome. Advocates on X reacted by sharing posts celebrating the worth of individuals with the medical diagnosis.
"Down syndrome shouldn’t mean a death sentence,” Live Action Founder and President Lila Rose said.
SBA Pro-Life America posted in response to Ridgway’s post: “This is so sad and awful. We CANʼT stand silently by.”
“Research shows 99% of people with Down syndrome are happy with their lives, and their families love them,” the pro-life group continued. “Families deserve truthful information & support. People with Down syndrome deserve to live. They should never be targets for discrimination, inside the womb or out. Period.”
“Babies with Down syndrome arenʼt a ‘glitch.’ Theyʼre a blessing.” Live Action posted. “Yet 67-80% of these beautiful babies are killed for their disability before they are born."
Study: Women aren’t informed on emotional, physical impact of abortion
Women want information on abortion symptoms and the emotional impacts associated with the procedure, but they often aren’t given it, according to a recent peer-reviewed study.
The study by scholars associated with the Charlotte Lozier Institute found women experience significant informed consent gaps when they are given abortion drugs.
The researchers found that three in 10 women report experiencing unexpected levels of pain and bleeding.
“Because they didn’t know what was ‘normal,’ many women turned to the internet for information about abortion side effects like excessive pain and bleeding, help processing difficult emotions, and urgent reassurance during the abortion process,” the study read.
Tessa Cox, senior research associate at the institute and one of the authors of the study emphasized the risks associated with this lack of medical information-sharing.
“The stakes are too high for informed consent to be treated as a formality,” Cox said in a statement.
Fourteen attorneys general call for clean water protections from abortion drugs
Fourteen attorneys general called on the federal government to track water pollution from abortion pills this week.
The attorneys general asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to track pollution from the drugs dumped into the U.S. water supply. They argued that “loosened regulations” have “increased the number of chemical abortions occurring in the home,” resulting in “tons of chemically tainted medical waste being flushed into American waterways.”
Students for Life President Kristan Hawkins, who spearheaded the movement, called the request “commonsense.”
“Because of negligent FDA policy and the failure to enforce the Comstock Act, more than 50 tons of chemically tainted blood, placenta tissue, and human remains go into our waterways every year. With infertility on the rise, we need to know: what is the extent of the damage?” Hawkins said in a statement shared with EWTN News.
The letter was signed by attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas.
Head of Knights of Columbus awarded for ‘building up a culture of life’
The Sisters of Life, a religious organization centered around affirming the life of every human being, gave an award to the head of the Knights of Columbus, Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly, for his life-affirming work.
Kelly received the John Cardinal O’Connor Award on on June 5 at the annual Friends of the Sisters of Life Gala in Rye, New York.
“His Eminence John Cardinal O’Connor was a towering pillar of the pro-life movement,” Kelly said in a press release. “With an unshakable resolve, he dedicated so much of his ministry as bishop to proclaiming the sanctity of every human life, made in the image and likeness of God.”
“Speaking for the Knights, we will keep doing everything we can to support the Sisters of Life, and to protect vulnerable mothers and their children,” Kelly said. "As we prepare for the work ahead, we take comfort in the knowledge that Jesus Christ will continue to guide us.”
Alabama attorney general launches legal challenge against abortion drug companies
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall issued cease-and-desist letters to six companies that have been allegedly illegally distributing abortion drugs.
According to a June 9 press release, the companies were providing chemical abortion drugs in Alabama, where abortion is illegal.
“These companies are not only breaking the law, they are deceiving Alabama consumers about the very real dangers of these drugs,” said Marshall in a statement. “That stops now.”
The letters were sent to abortion drug providers across the United States, as well as one company based in the United Arab Emirates. Several companies were based in California or New York, which have “shield laws” designed to protect abortion companies.
SAN CRISTÓBAL DE LA LAGUNA, Spain — For the first time during his apostolic journey to Spain, which concluded Friday, Pope Leo XIV raised his voice with unusual force.
He did so in Tenerife, speaking against human traffickers: those who charge staggering sums to help migrants cross the ocean and those who enslave them mercilessly.
“For every life lost, every family deceived, every body subjugated, every woman threatened, every worker exploited, you will have to appear before divine justice,” the pope said.
“Break those chains and free those you hold in bondage,” he added. “Return what has been taken and make amends as much as you can.”
Then, in a cry reminiscent of Pope Francis’ 2014 appeal to members of the Mafia, Leo declared: “Stop. Repent.”
To those who profit from the suffering of others, he also left open the door of return to God.
“Repent while there is still time,” he said, “for God’s mercy can reach even the most hardened sinner, but it enters only through the narrow gate of truth, justice, and conversion.”
The remarks came during the pope’s meeting with organizations working for the integration of migrants in the Plaza del Cristo de La Laguna, in the capital of Tenerife, before some 4,000 people.
In this final day of his trip, Leo held a second encounter focused on the reality of migration, underscoring the importance he has given the issue throughout his visit.
Pope Leo XIV listens during a meeting with organizations working for the integration of migrants in Tenerife, Canary Islands, on June 12, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News
The pope offered several keys for migrants so they do “not … remain forever trapped in the role of victims.”
Speaking to “dear migrant brothers and sisters,” Leo said that part of their journey is “to open yourselves with trust to the community that welcomes you, to learn its language, to respect its laws, to get to know its customs, to participate in communal life, and to offer your gifts with gratitude.”
He also addressed Catholics directly, as he had done the previous day in Las Palmas, asking “that integration not be reduced to a social undertaking, however necessary that may be.”
The pope warned of what he called a “silent shipwreck” that can take place after migrants arrive: “Being left alone in a city, without a voice, without ties, work, or a sense of security, and exposed to those who take advantage of vulnerability.”
“Integration means preventing that second shipwreck,” he said.
Leo said integration must take place “without diluting their identity or closing their hearts to the encounter,” adding that “every welcoming society has responsibilities toward those who arrive,” while those who are welcomed also discover that dignity “flourishes when it becomes a duty and a sincere desire to build together with others.”
Before the final Mass that brought his apostolic journey to Spain to a close, the pope asked the faithful not to forget the many migrants from Latin America, the Philippines, and other parts of the world who are already a living part of the community.
“Let yourselves also be evangelized by them,” he said, “for they surely bring with them gifts that Providence has wished to send to you through those who are integrating.”
His predecessor, Pope Francis, summarized the Church’s approach to migration in four verbs: welcome, protect, promote, and integrate. Leo made that vision his own, insisting that integration cannot be reduced to a merely social task.
“Those who come to our parishes need bread, shelter, language assistance, work, and protection,” he said. “They also must find a community capable of offering paths to knowing Jesus Christ through the witness of life and word, while always respecting the conscience and freedom of each person.”
During the encounter, the pope listened to the testimony of Mbacke, a young Senegalese man who arrived as a child, completely alone.
“I have learned alongside my classmates in all the training activities we have: Spanish, cooking, agriculture, masonry, carpentry, repairs, computer skills, sewing, etc., and in my particular case, basic training in Spain,” he said, thanking the Canary Islands’ El Buen Samaritano Foundation, linked to the Parish of Santa María de Añaza in Tenerife, for giving him a family.
“Thank you for receiving young people like me who arrive alone, without family, and who are only looking for an opportunity to start over,” he added.
His testimony put a face on the drama of migrant minors who cross borders without a parent or guardian. For some who have no family, turning 18 can mean “only the street,” once they leave Spain’s child protection system.
Among those waiting for the pope on this final day was Mamadu, 33, originally from Mali. He arrived 15 years ago, still a child. Today he is fully integrated and speaks Spanish perfectly. He told ACI Prensa that he wanted to see the pope and give him a T-shirt he displayed proudly.
Leo also heard from a Venezuelan migrant priest who has served for seven years on El Hierro, the westernmost and southernmost island in the Canary archipelago. The island, the smallest and least populated of the main Canary Islands, has recorded some of the highest migrant arrivals in recent months: Since March 2023, it has received 50,244 immigrants despite having just 11,600 residents.
“There were days and nights when I wanted to stay in the comfort of my house, but I thought: What would Our Lord do?” the priest said. “And I renewed the service being asked of me. And there, amid pain and suffering, there was always some reason for hope, some smile, some grateful face that gave more than enough reason for our commitment.”
The Holy Father also listened to harrowing accounts, including that of Khalid Allad, a 24-year-old Moroccan who, like many others, reached the Canary coast in 2020.
“My journey in a small boat was not easy at all,” he said. “I tried twice. In the first attempt, 20 people died.”
Although his father forbade him from trying again, he set out a year later.
“Although I was afraid, I decided to leave again, this time without his permission,” he said.
Once in Tenerife, he began a new life thanks to the Don Bosco Foundation.
“They offered me a place to live, taught me Spanish, helped me read and write better, and gave me the confidence to move forward,” he said through tears.
Thalia Johana Saldarriaga Diago, a Colombian immigrant who, thanks to Caritas, not only recovered her independence but also became a volunteer helping others in similar situations, also spoke at the meeting.
“In this way,” the pope said, recalling her witness, “yesterday’s stranger can be today’s brother and neighbor.”
The encounter took place as the European Union entered a new and stricter era in migration policy. The Migration and Asylum Pact, the result of years of negotiations among member states, officially entered into force Friday, promising to strengthen control of external borders, speed up asylum procedures, and increase returns of people without the right to remain in EU territory.
After this effort to put a human face on the drama of migration, and before returning to Rome with an expected delay, the pope celebrated a large outdoor Mass at the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass at the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, on June 12, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News
In his homily, Leo cited Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’ as he reflected on Tenerife’s “tourist vocation” and the island’s contact with visitors from many countries.
“How important it is, especially for those who allow themselves to be guided by the Gospel, not to reduce everything to commerce and profit,” the pope said.
Spain is a global tourism powerhouse, but its success has caused growing tensions in destinations like those the pope visited this week: Madrid, Barcelona, Las Palmas, and Tenerife.
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.
The journey toward holiness is fulfilled in union with Christ’s perfect heart — a holiness that cannot be lived in isolation, Pope Leo XIV said in a message for the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests.
“Cherish your priestly fraternity: Seek one another, listen to one another, and support one another. The priest who isolates himself slowly fades away; the priest who walks alongside his brothers grows,” the pope said in the June 12 message.
The World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests takes place every year on the solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, which in 2026 is celebrated on June 12.
The Sacred Heart, Leo said, “is the ‘place’ where holiness is manifested as closeness and tenderness. The priest’s holiness, then, is embodied in humble and courageous nearness, in being all things to all people, and in keeping the gate of the sheepfold open so that many can enter and find pasture and rest.”
“For this reason, we are called to a relationship with God that does not distance us from others but brings us closer to everyone — shaping patient and tender hearts, capable of closeness, compassion, and listening,” he added.
Pope Leo said it is “through the union of our imperfect hearts with Jesus’ pierced heart, our journey toward holiness is fulfilled. It is no longer we who live but Christ who lives in us. Such holiness cannot be lived in isolation.”
Reflecting on the mystery of the Lord’s pierced heart, the Holy Father emphasized that holiness is not an abstract ideal but a share in God’s own holiness.
“When he calls us to be holy as he is holy, he indicates that the path we must follow involves being fashioned after his own heart. And for us, dear brothers, this call is particularly radical,” he said, addressing his fellow priests.
The holiness asked of priests, Leo continued, is of a trustful abandonment transformed by the Holy Spirit: “Yet it is precisely here that the great paradox of our priestly life emerges. We are called to share in God’s own holiness, but we carry this treasure in earthen vessels.”
Reflecting on the imperfect, human side of the priesthood, the pontiff noted that “we are limited and imperfect, often weak and weary, and at times wounded. How can such a vulnerable human heart respond to such a high calling? The priest lives this tension. Yet at the same time, he must recognize that he finds peace in the open side of the Lord Jesus.”
“Our humanity is not compartmentalized,” he said. “Prayer, ministry, relationships, weariness, joys, and failures — even time or love that apparently seems wasted — all become privileged places where God reveals himself and his infinite love.”
He urged priests to renew the grace of their ordination through the daily celebration of the Eucharist, prayer, meditation on the word of God, and humble service to others.
“A priestly life that is steady and configured to Jesus’ heart is a credible sign of unity, peace, and mercy. Thus, in an age marked by division and fear, we must be builders of peace and witnesses of the tenderness of the Good Shepherd who knows how to gather the scattered and heal the wounded,” he said.
In his message, Pope Leo invited priests to daily renew their “Here I am” before Christ’s pierced heart and to remember the words of the Curé of Ars, St. John Vianney, who loved to say that “the priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus.”
“This love is a pledge and a guarantee that, if we surrender and offer ourselves completely, nothing of us will be lost,” the pontiff said.
An image of Our Lady of Guadalupe from Mexico arrived in the Philippines on June 11, marking the start of a six-month nationwide pilgrimage that Church leaders hope will strengthen people’s faith.
Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo of Kidapawan, spiritual director of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Philippine Pilgrimage, led the reception and blessing of the pilgrim image at Malacañang Palace in Manila in the presence of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.; first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos; papal nuncio Archbishop Charles Brown; Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso; and other government officials, clergy, and lay faithful.
Marcos and the first lady hosted the reception and blessing, formally launching the Philippine Pilgrimage 2026.
Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo of Kidapawan, far left; first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., sixth and seventh from left; papal nuncio Archbishop Charles Brown; and others gather after the blessing of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe at Malacañang Palace in Manila on June 11, 2026. | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Presidential Communications Office
The occasion highlighted the Philippines’ deep Marian devotion and its participation in the Novena Intercontinental Guadalupana, a worldwide spiritual preparation for the 500th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe to St. Juan Diego. She appeared on four occasions on Dec. 9–12, 1531: three at the hill of Tepeyac and a fourth before Juan de Zumárraga, then the first bishop of Mexico and a Spanish Basque Franciscan prelate.
The replica of the Mexican Marian icon and an image of St. Juan Diego, a Nahua peasant and Marian visionary, are considered a source of inspiration for many around the world.
The pilgrimage forms part of a global initiative promoting prayer, evangelization, and unity among Catholics across different nations.
The image, a replica of the original enshrined at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, embarks on a pilgrimage across the Philippines, visiting more than 50 churches.
In a social media video, Bagaforo invited the faithful to join the nationwide pilgrimage, calling it a “moment of grace” and an opportunity to pray for hope, peace, and blessings amid today’s challenges.
Cardinal Jose Advincula, archbishop of Manila, will hold a special Mass at the Manila Cathedral on June 13, formally opening the pilgrimage, before the image visits more than 50 cathedrals, shrines, and parish churches across the country.
The image will also be present during the 132nd Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Plenary in Ozamiz City on July 3–10 before its permanent installation at the Manila Cathedral in December.
Bishops call for a spiritual journey
In a June 3 pastoral letter, the CBCP urged Catholics to take part in the spiritual journey and renew their relationship with Jesus through Mary.
According to Archbishop Gilbert Garcera of Lipa, the CBCP president, churches hosting the pilgrimage will recite the Act of Consecration and Entrustment to Our Lady of Guadalupe during all Masses while the image is present.
“During this pilgrimage, the Act of Consecration and Entrustment to Our Lady of Guadalupe shall be recited in all Masses in the churches to be visited,” he said.
The pilgrimage hopes to inspire Filipinos to come closer to Jesus and to deepen their devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
“This visit aims to bring us, Filipinos, closer to Our Lord Jesus Christ and our Blessed Mother,” Garcera said.
Advincula named the pilgrim image “Madre Peregrina de Guadalupe,” or “Pilgrim Mother of Guadalupe,” underscoring Mary’s role as a mother who journeys with the faithful.
Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo of Kidapawan, spiritual director of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Philippine Pilgrimage, takes part in the blessing of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe at Malacañang Palace in Manila on June 11, 2026, in the presence of government officials, Church leaders, and other guests. | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Presidential Communications Office
According to event organizers, the pilgrimage would deepen devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe and prepare Filipino Catholics for the 500th anniversary celebrations in 2031.
The Philippines is home to more than 93 million Catholics and has the third-largest Catholic population globally, after Brazil and Mexico. In the Asian context, it is the largest Catholic nation, followed by East Timor.
Pope Pius XI declared Our Lady of Guadalupe the “Celestial Patroness of the Philippines” in 1935. In 2001, the CBCP declared Dec. 12 an obligatory memorial, and in 2002 it recognized her as the “Pro-Life Patroness of the Philippines” in response to the global movement to entrust the plight of unborn children to her intercession.
“I am glad to know that the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is on a pilgrimage in the Philippines. It will strengthen people’s prayer, Marian devotion, and spiritual renewal,” Janice Castro, an elementary school teacher from the Diocese of Cubao, told EWTN News.
Pope Leo XIV departed Spain for Rome on June 12, finishing a weeklong trip to the European country marked by meetings with national leaders and bishops and a historic Mass at the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia.
The Holy Father spent time in Madrid and Barcelona before finishing his visit in the Canary Islands off the coast of Europe. Throughout his weekʼs trip he also met with civic groups, including those that minister to migrants, and visited a prison in Barcelona.
The visit finished with the papal plane suffering a malfunction forcing the pope to deboard before takeoff. He ultimately left for Rome on the king of Spainʼs personal airplane after the king personally offered him the use of the aircraft.
Hereʼs a look at the popeʼs final days in Spain before his return to the Holy See:
Pope Leo XIV departs Barcelona for the Grand Canary Islands at Josep Tarradellas Barcelona/El Prat International Airport, June 11, 2026. | Credit: Vatican MediaPope Leo XIV arrives in the Grand Canary Islands, June 11, 2026. | Credit: Vatican MediaPope Leo XIV meets with members of humanitarian groups working with migrants in Spain’s Grand Canary Islands, June 11, 2026. | Credit: Vatican MediaPope Leo XIV greets a boy in a wheelchair in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain, June 11, 2026. | Credit: Vatican MediaPope Leo XIV meets with Catholics and religious leaders at the Cathedral of St. Anne in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain, June 11, 2026. | Credit: Vatican MediaPope Leo XIV meets with Catholics and religious leaders at the Cathedral of St. Anne in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain, June 11, 2026. | Credit: Vatican MediaPope Leo XIV holds a baby in Gran Canaria, June 12, 2026. | Credit: Vatican MediaPope Leo XIV meets with migrants in the Plaza del Cristo de La Laguna, Tenerife, June 12, 2026. | Credit: Vatican MediaPope Leo XIV waves at crowds during a meeting with organizations that assist with migrant integration, at the Plaza del Cristo de La Laguna, Tenerife, June 12, 2026. | Credit: Vatican MediaPope Leo XIV waves to crowds before Mass at the Port of Santa Cruz in Tenerife, June 12, 2026. | Credit: Vatican MediaThousands of Catholics gather for a papal Mass with Pope Leo XIV at the Port of Santa Cruz in Tenerife, June 12, 2026. | Credit: Vatican MediaPope Leo XIV elevates the Eucharist during Mass at the Port of Santa Cruz in Tenerife, June 12, 2026. | Credit: Vatican MediaPope Leo XIV boards the papal airplane at Tenerife International Airport, June 12, 2026. | Credit: Vatican MediaPope Leo XIV leaves the plane he was to take back to Rome on June 12, 2026, from Tenerife, Spain. A malfunction on the plane forced the Holy Father to depart the aircraft unexpectedly. | Credit: Vatican MediaPope Leo XIV boards the king of Spain’s airplane on June 12, 2026, in Tenerife, Spain. | Credit: Daniel Ibañez/EWTN News
PHILADELPHIA — Affirming that the right to religious freedom is “the cornerstone of any just society,” Pope Leo XIV praised the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty for more than 30 years of “great efforts to defend this right” in a message to the organization delivered on June 11.
The Holy Father offered the commendation to participants at the 2026 Canterbury Medal Gala, an annual event held by the nonprofit law firm that represents clients defending their religious liberty in court. The message, dated June 4, was read by Philadelphia Archbishop Nelson Pérez.
“By ensuring that all men and women are free to act in conformity with the dictates of their conscience and to practice their faith openly, without coercion or fear, you work to safeguard the inviolable dignity of the human person,” Pope Leo XIV said in his message to the group, which was read by Philadelphia Archbishop Nelson Pérez on June 11, 2026. | Credit: Courtesy of Becket Fund
Leo noted that the defense of “religious liberty as an integral part of upholding dignity” acquires “particular significance as the United States of America prepares to celebrate the 250th anniversary of its foundation.”
Reflecting on the history of his American homeland, Leo said: “Indeed, we can recognize in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence an expression of the truth regarding the human person. Namely, the innate dignity of every man and woman, created by God in his own image and likeness, and the rights that stem therefrom.”
Speaking directly on the efforts of the Becket Fund, the pope said the organization works “to safeguard the dignity of the human person” by “ensuring that all men and women are free to act in conformity with the dictates or their conscience and to practice their faith openly, without coercion or fear.”
“As you continue this noble task, it is my hope that every individual will embark upon the pursuit of truth sincerely and without fear,” the Holy Father said, adding that “the Scriptures tell us that truth itself has a name, Jesus Christ (cf. Jn 14:6), and that God will undoubtedly aid those who search for him with all their heart (cf. Jer 29:13).”
2026 Canterbury medalist
At the event, William P. “Bill” Mumma — the longtime board chairman of the Becket Fund and former CEO of Mitsubishi UFJ Securities, Japan’s largest financial services company — was awarded Becket’s highest honor, the Canterbury Medal.
The medal draws its name from one of history’s most dramatic religious liberty standoffs, that which occurred between Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas à Becket, the law firm’s namesake, and King Henry II of England.
William P. “Bill” Mumma, left, receives the 2026 Canterbury Medal, accompanied by Becket Fund President and CEO Mark Rienzi and Mary Rice Hasson, wife of Becket Fund founder Kevin J. “Seamus” Hasson and a distinguished scholar in her own right at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. | Credit: Courtesy of Becket Fund
Mumma served as the Becket Fund’s full-time volunteer CEO from 2011 to 2021 and continues to serve as the organization’s board chairman. In his remarks accepting the award, Mumma said that religious liberty "has to be defended.”
“The last 50 years have taught us not to take it for granted,” Mumma continued. “I urge all of you to redouble your commitment to this noble cause.”
Past Canterbury medalists include the late Nobel Peace laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel; Cuban poet and former political prisoner Armando Valladares; Orthodox rabbi of the oldest Jewish congregation in the U.S., Rabbi Dr. Meir Soloveichik; First Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints President Dallin H. Oaks; and 62nd Chaplain of the U.S. Senate Barry C. Black.
With Philadelphia’s Independence Hall forming a backdrop as he spoke to the gathering at the National Constitution Center, current Becket President and CEO Mark Rienzi noted that “religious freedom is at the heart of the American story.”
For 250 years, Rienzi said, U.S. religious freedom “has enabled people of differing and conflicting beliefs to live together in peace."
“Becket exists to ensure that each new generation of Americans can write its own chapter of that story. We look forward to carrying our mission into America’s next 250 years,” he said.
The solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus falls on the Friday after the Corpus Christi octave, which in 2026 is on June 12. What exactly is the meaning behind this feast day? Below are answers to some common questions.
Why do Catholics venerate the Sacred Heart of Jesus?
“Devoting ourselves to the Sacred Heart is one of the easiest, fastest, and most pleasant ways to grow in holiness,” Father Ambrose Dobrozsi, a priest of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, told EWTN News.
“Many saints have done many things to grow close to Jesus Christ, but no way is more sure and more pleasing to him than to consecrate ourselves to his Sacred Heart through the Immaculate Heart of his mother,” he added.
Where does devotion to the Sacred Heart come from?
The story behind the modern iteration of the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, however, begins on Dec. 27, 1673, at a monastery belonging to the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary (Visitandines) in eastern France.
There, a nun named Sister Margaret Mary Alacoque began experiencing visions of the Sacred Heart. Those visions continued for 18 months.
During her visions, Sister Margaret Mary learned ways to venerate the Sacred Heart of Christ.
These devotions included the concept of a Holy Hour on Thursdays, the creation of the feast of the Sacred Heart after Corpus Christi, and the reception of the Eucharist on the first Friday of every month.
As with many mystics, many people were skeptical of Sister Margaret Mary’s claims of visions. Her confessor, the then-Father Claude La Colombière, SJ, (now St. Claude La Colombière) believed her, and eventually, the mother superior of her community began to believe as well.
The first feast of the Sacred Heart was celebrated privately at the monastery in 1686.
Sister Margaret Mary died in 1690 and was canonized by Pope Benedict XV on May 13, 1920.
Initially, the Vatican was hesitant to declare a feast of the Sacred Heart but did allow the Visitandines to celebrate a Mass special to this day. As the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus spread throughout France, the Vatican granted the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to France in 1765.
In 1856, after much lobbying by French bishops on behalf of the feast of the Sacred Heart, Pope Pius IX designated the Friday following the feast of Corpus Christi as the feast of the Sacred Heart for the entire Latin-rite Church.
On May 25, 1899, Pope Leo XIII promulgated the encyclical Annum Sacrum, which consecrated the entire world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This encyclical was written after a nun, Sister Mary of the Sacred Heart, sent two letters to the pope requesting that he consecrate the world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Sister Mary of the Divine Heart wrote the letters, she said, after Jesus made the request to her. Pope Leo XIII called this encyclical and the subsequent consecration the “great act” of his papacy.
“Finally, there is one motive which we are unwilling to pass over in silence, personal to ourselves it is true, but still good and weighty, which moves us to undertake this celebration. God, the author of every good, not long ago preserved our life by curing us of a dangerous disease,” Leo XIII wrote.
“We now wish, by this increase of the honor paid to the Sacred Heart, that the memory of this great mercy should be brought prominently forward, and our gratitude be publicly acknowledged.”
But why consecrate the world — or anyone — to the Sacred Heart of Jesus? What does that mean?
Pope Leo XIII described the act of consecration as one that will “establish or draw tighter the bonds which naturally connect public affairs with God,” which was especially needed for the world at the turn of the century.
“While many see religion as unnecessary in a world with more and more technology and resources, swearing allegiance and consecrating ourselves to Christ the King in his Sacred Heart shows that humanity still needs and longs for a compassionate and all-powerful God,” Dobrozsi, the Cincinnati priest, told EWTN News.
“In a society where some live in decadence and prideful luxury while others are destitute, the burning love of Christ’s Sacred Heart reminds us that the fires of his mercy are also fires of justice. And when the culture, and so many of us, feel hopeless that we could ever change after falling to sins of the flesh, the heart of Our Lord beats with powerful love, eternally declaring that true charity has triumphed over sin and death,” he added.
These are the promises the Sacred Heart of Jesus made to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque:
1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life. 2. I will give peace in their families. 3. I will console them in all their troubles. 4. I will be their refuge in life and especially in death. 5. I will abundantly bless all their undertakings. 6. Sinners shall find in my heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy. 7. Tepid souls shall become fervent. 8. Fervent souls shall rise speedily to great perfection. 9. I will bless those places wherein the image of my Sacred Heart shall be exposed and venerated. 10. I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts. 11. Persons who propagate this devotion shall have their names eternally written in my heart. 12. In the excess of the mercy of my heart, I promise you that my all powerful love will grant to all those who will receive Communion on the first Fridays, for nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance: They will not die in my displeasure, nor without receiving the sacraments; and my heart will be their secure refuge in that last hour.
This story was first published on EWTN News on June 19, 2020, and has been updated.
