The Atlantic City, New Jersey, Rescue Mission’s leader said the nation must confront mental‑health drivers of homelessness after a Vatican call for action.
“What we’ve come to understand is that mental illness has really come to the forefront as a very big factor in those who are experiencing homelessness,” , told “EWTN News Nightly” on Aug. 7.
“Over the years itʼs been addiction, both alcohol and narcotic kind, and then just traumatic family events, death of a loved one, things like that,” he said. “But the largest number in recent years is really dealing with mental health.”
The Atlantic City Rescue Mission is one of the nationʼs oldest homeless outreach centers, providing shelter, meals, addiction recovery, job training, mental health services, and long-term support for individuals experiencing homelessness.
“Weʼre the largest shelter in southern new Jersey,” Brown said. “An interesting note, during COVID, we were the only shelter that actually remained open during the whole time of COVID. So we really have seen it all.”
The Vatican released a message July 30 urging the United Nations to include the homeless in efforts to create sustainable cities, stating that the “persistence of homelessness should trouble the conscience of the international community.”
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s annual Point-In-Time (PIT) report, 745,652 people were homeless in the U.S. in 2025, including 266,320 people living on the street on a single night in January 2025. While the total number of homeless people in the U.S. has increased by 27% since 2013, the number decreased by 3% from 2024 to 2025.
Ultimately, when addressing the underlying causes of homelessness, Brown emphasized the need to provide hope to those who arrive at the mission.
“When someone steps through the doorway into the mission, itʼs their worst day,” he said. “Our job is to serve them as weʼve been called to be servants to the poor and servants to the homeless, which is to really provide them with hope.”
“If we just feed and house and donʼt share the Gospel, weʼve really done an injustice to that individual. So thatʼs paramount,” Brown said.
Chiclayo, Peru, Bishop Edinson Farfán Córdova announced that in the coming months his diocese will begin the cause for the beatification and canonization of Monsignor Juan Tomis Stack.
Tomis, an American missionary priest who was born and raised in Bridgeport, Connecticut, dedicated more than two decades of his life to northern Peru and has been cited by Pope Leo XIV on various occasions as a major inspiration for his own missionary vocation.
The announcement was made on Aug. 4 during Farfán’s homily for the feast of St. John Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests. At the Mass, Farfán highlighted the witness of the man who founded Chiclayo’s St. John Vianney Parish and asked the faithful to entrust the upcoming process to God.
“Everyone in our diocesan Church of Chiclayo knew Father Juan Tomis. I want to ask that we learn from him. If all goes well and the Lord accompanies and blesses us, the process for his beatification and canonization will begin before long,” the prelate stated.
The bishop also highlighted that Tomis left his home country to dedicate his life to the most needy in Peru.
“How beautiful that he was born in those lands. He came from the United States to serve these communities in Santa Cruz — in the highlands — and later in our beloved Chiclayo, which holds him so dear. I pray, through the intercession of St. John Vianney, that we may begin this process with joy, gratitude, and hope,” Farfán added.
The news comes just days after the presentation of the Spanish edition of the book “Bridgeport to Peru,” originally written in English in 1989 by Monsignor Stephen M. DiGiovanni under the title “Bridgeportʼs Peru.”
The Spanish-language edition of the book “Bridgeport to Peru.” | Credit: Jesús Ángeles
During the book’s presentation, organized by the Friends of Father Juan Tomis group, journalist and researcher Larcery Díaz explained that the translation “was born as a tribute of gratitude to mark the centennial of the birth of the man who was the guide and spiritual father to all the inhabitants of this area: Monsignor Juan Tomis Stack,” he stated.
Díaz recalled that it all began in 1963, when Bridgeport Bishop Walter Curtis, inspired by the Second Vatican Council, decided to send missionary priests to Latin America.
“The book tells us a story that began with a courageous ‘yes,’” Díaz noted. Among those first volunteers was “a young, enthusiastic priest of Slovak descent, filled with faith: Father Juan Tomis.”
The researcher recounted that the priestʼs early years were marked by enormous challenges in the province of Santa Cruz, Cajamarca.
The missionaries encountered a population lacking electricity and potable water, nearly impassable roads, high rates of childhood malnutrition, and strong resistance to any pastoral or social change.
In the face of these challenges, Tomis spearheaded road construction, fostered priestly vocations, helped build a clinic to care for the poorest, and worked to recover Church property that had been illegally occupied.
“Upon arriving during a cold winter, the missionaries faced a reality very different from what they had envisioned. Yet, it was their perseverance that allowed the seed of the Gospel to bear fruit on Peruvian soil,” Díaz noted.
In 1967, the mission relocated to Chiclayo, where Tomis founded St. John Vianney Parish, a community that, as Díaz recalled, he never wanted to turn into merely an institution.
“He did not want just an institution, but a ‘parish family.’ His tools were active charity and human kindness,” he explained.
From there, he spearheaded initiatives that remain etched in the memories of thousands of Chiclayo residents: the Useful Vacations program for children, the establishment of Scout troops, medical clinics, libraries, religious song festivals, and fondly remembered televised Masses.
“Father Juanʼs work transformed Chiclayo. That is undeniable,” the journalist affirmed.
His dedication was also recognized by the Holy See: In 1979, Pope John Paul II bestowed upon him the title of monsignor.
Presentation of the book “Bridgeport to Peru” in Chiclayo, Peru. | Credit: Jesús Ángeles
Tomis passed away on June 29, 1986. His funeral drew a crowd of some 20,000 people who accompanied the procession through the streets of Chiclayo, one of the largest outpourings of affection the city has ever seen.
“The outpouring of people from the entire community was spontaneous,” Díaz recalled, reading from an article he wrote 10 years after the priestʼs death.
“I can still see the thousands upon thousands of white handkerchiefs fluttering in the wind, bidding him a final farewell, Díaz recalled. “He was a priest who came to fulfill his duty, always bringing a delicate touch of tenderness, a warm spirit of love for his neighbor, and an unwavering devotion to the needy and the downtrodden,” he continued.
The journalist noted that Tomis “sowed love because he loved love, the hallmark of Christianity” and affirmed that his legacy lives on through the pastoral, social, and educational initiatives he spearheaded in Chiclayo.
At the conclusion of the book’s presentation, Díaz summarized the priestʼs impact in a sentence that takes on special significance today, following the announcement of his future cause for beatification.
“Today, as we open these pages, we do not merely read a historical chronicle; we reconnect with the friend, the teacher, and the guide. This book stands as a testament to how the love of God, when translated into service, can change the history of a community.”
This storywas first publishedby ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as attorney general, Todd Blanche, said he would protect pro-life states from outside actors that seek to undermine their policies if he is confirmed for the role.
Blanche, who is currently the acting attorney general nominated to replace former Attorney General Pam Bondi, made the commitment during a July 30 phone call with pro-life leaders, which was leaked online.
The nominee specifically said he intends to protect pro-life states from outside organizations that mail chemical abortion drugs into pro-life states where the drugs are illegal. Some states, such as New York and California, have enacted policies or laws to prevent prosecutions of abortionists who engage in that practice.
“If states have said we are … going to protect the unborn and we’re going to protect every life from the moment of conception, we’re putting practices and policies in place so that other states and other organizations can’t attack that and they can’t do things like they’re doing with mailing in mail-order drugs and things like that,” Blanche said on the call.
“It’s a process that takes a lot of time, and that’s why it’s been 19 months and we don’t have complete victory yet, but we will have victory and victory will be soon and it will be permanent and that’s the important thing [for] everybody [to] remember,” he said.
Blanche said this will be part of the administration’s efforts “to get permanent solutions so that the Dobbs decision becomes permanent in every single state.” The Dobbs decision reversed Roe v. Wade and allowed states to restrict abortion.
He said he is also working with agencies and the White House to reverse “the pro-abortion work” of former President Joe Biden’s administration.
To be elevated to the position officially, Blanche needs to be confirmed by a simple majority in the Senate.
Kansas voters reject referendum
Voters in Kansas overwhelmingly rejected a referendum that had support from pro-life leaders in the state, with 61.4% opposed and only 38.6% in support of it.
The referendum itself was not about abortion. Rather, it would have made the state’s Supreme Court justices democratically elected. In 2019, the Kansas Supreme Court ruled that the state constitution guarantees a right to abortion, and pro-life advocates saw the proposed change as an opportunity to combat that interpretation.
Kansans for Life Executive Director Peter Northcott told “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly” on July 30 that the Kansas Supreme Court “is one of the reasons why abortions have tripled over the last five years” and the amendment would have allowed “the opportunity to have a fair day in court.”
3 Planned Parenthood locations in Michigan shut down
Planned Parenthood of Michigan announced it will close three locations, citing a loss in federal funding as the cause. The locations closing are in Lansing, Livonia, and Warren.
“We have to reshape how we deliver care so Planned Parenthood of Michigan can continue serving patients for generations to come,” Paula Thornton Greear, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Michigan, said in a statement.
“That means concentrating our resources at regional access points and procedural sites and continuing to expand virtual care across Michigan,” she said.
Chemical abortions in Missouri
A Planned Parenthood affiliate in Springfield, Missouri, has begun to offer chemical abortions at its location.
Sam Lee, the executive director of Campaign Life Missouri and a Catholic deacon, called the development “very distressing news” in a statement.
“Because of the passage of the amendment in 2024 and the ruling by Judge [Jerri] Zhang last month, it’s clear that Planned Parenthood is greatly expanding their abortion activity, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they start doing abortions at even more clinics in Missouri,” he said.
Lee said this news shows that it is “essential” that the people of Missouri pass Amendment 3, which would repeal the 2024 referendum that established a state-level constitutional right to abortion.
Archbishop Ronald Hicks of New York celebrated his first public Mass since undergoing eye surgery in July.
Hicks returned to St. Patrickʼs Cathedral to serve as the principal celebrant at the profession of vows of the Sisters of Life on Aug. 6, the feast of the Transfiguration. The day also marked the six-month anniversary of his installation as archbishop of New York.
After only being able to celebrate Mass privately following surgery, “it was a great joy to be back at the main altar and to share that beautiful occasion with the Sisters of Life, their families, and friends,” Hicks wrote in a statement.
After returning from a pilgrimage to Rome in the beginning of July, Hicks was diagnosed with a detached retina in his left eye. He underwent surgery involving “a vitrectomy, two sutures to reattach the retina, and the insertion of a gas bubble,” to aid the healing process.
The surgery was successful, but the archbishop has been in a quiet recovery period since, he said.
“Thanks be to God, my eye and vision continue to heal from the surgery. I am deeply grateful for the excellent medical care I have received,” Hicks said. “Following doctors' orders, I have been taking things slowly during my recovery. As many of you know, that is not always easy for me.”
While the gas bubble is in his eye, Hicks shared he is unable to travel by airplane but will “gradually and carefully” add public Masses and other responsibilities to his schedule.
“I look forward to being with you more frequently in the weeks ahead,” he said.
“This period of recovery has also been a gift. It has provided more time than usual to sit quietly before the Lord in prayer. In the stillness, I have been reminded once again how much we all depend on Godʼs grace each day,” he wrote.
“During these weeks, I have also been praying for you and your intentions, and will continue to do so,” he said. “Please, also, continue to pray for me. Your prayers are the greatest gift you can offer me at this time, and I am deeply grateful for each one.”
“May the Lord Jesus, who healed the sick, restored sight to the blind, and brought hope to those in need, bless you with light, peace, and love,” he concluded.
The historic settlement agreement between Texas Children’s Hospital, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and the state of Texas has been fully executed, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said this week.
Under the terms of the settlement agreement, first announced by Paxton’s office in May, Texas Children’s, the largest children’s hospital in the United States, said it would no longer provide “gender-transition” interventions, including puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones, to minors, per Texas law.
“This historic settlement is a resounding defeat for the radical gender ideology that has preyed on Texas children under the guise of ‘care,’” Paxton said in a press release Aug. 5.
Per the executed agreement, Texas Children’s “will pay a total of $10 million to resolve these claims,” with $8,576,000 going to the state of Texas. It will also fund, for five years, a detransition clinic offering free restorative medical care to patients who previously underwent such procedures. The clinic must open by the end of October.
“Texas Children’s has agreed to pay millions back to Texas,” Paxton said. “The detransition clinic, which is the first of its kind, must open within months. Activist doctors who harmed children have been fired.”
The agreement also required the permanent termination and revocation of privileges for five physicians who performed these interventions.
The hospital is permanently barred from rehiring or credentialing the doctors and must implement new compliance measures, including bylaw changes that will automatically revoke privileges for any physician who violates Texas law prohibiting such procedures on children.
“This settlement sends an unmistakable message,” Paxton said. “If you put radical ideology over childrenʼs health, my office will go after you. We will continue to lead the way in stopping the far-left’s radical gender agenda.”
The settlement agreement resolves a yearslong investigation of the hospital by the DOJ and the state of Texas that began after whistleblower allegations surfaced claiming the hospital had continued performing sex-change procedures on minors in secret even after state lawmakers made such procedures illegal.
The Justice Department said in May that the Houston-based hospital had agreed to pay millions in civil penalties and damages for allegedly falsely billing Medicaid and other insurers for “pediatric sex-rejecting procedures.”
The federal government had alleged that the hospital violated the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the False Claims Act, and federal fraud and conspiracy laws.
Following the publication of a directive by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott that transgender procedures on minors that could be considered “child abuse” under existing state law, Texas Children’s announced in 2022 that it would cease “sex-change” therapies and procedures, citing concerns that these practices were potentially illegal.
In 2023 Texas passed a law that explicitly banned puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and gender-transition surgeries for minors under 18.
Nevertheless, at least three doctors associated with Texas Children’s — Richard Roberts, David Paul, and Kristy Rialon — continued to perform “sex-rejecting” procedures on children throughout 2022 and 2023, according to whistleblower evidence published by Christopher Rufo, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute.
Rufo claimed that Rialon had been performing surgeries on minors ranging in age from 15 to as young as 1.
Calling the settlement “historic,” Paxton said in May that it “will ensure that the deranged child mutilators who hurt our kids are fired and held accountable.”
According to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, the DOJ “will use every weapon at its disposal to end the destructive and discredited practice of so-called ‘gender-affirming care’ for children.”
The Department of Justice noted that Texas Children’s cooperated with the investigation and took proactive steps that contributed to the resolution. The claims resolved in the settlement remain allegations, with no determination of liability.
“I am grateful that Texas Children’s wants to be part of the solution and no longer the problem,” said Brett Shumate, assistant attorney general for the Civil Division.
A Catholic legal group criticized President Donald Trump’s executive orders to restrict birthright citizenship, and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is reviewing and monitoring them.
The executive orders issued Aug. 6 direct the government to stop allowing foreign visitors to enter the United States on short‑term visas for the purpose of giving birth and impose a narrower limit on birthright citizenship after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a broader attempt to end citizenship for children born to people in the country temporarily or unlawfully.
One executive order would end automatic birthright citizenship for the children of parents who are not U.S. citizens and engage in a commercial transaction or fraudulent activity to ensure the mother is inside U.S. territory to give birth. It also would end birthright citizenship for a child born of a parent considered an “alien enemy,” including members of terrorist organizations.
A second executive order titled “Ending Birth Tourism” authorizes federal departments to implement rules that prevent the entry of pregnant foreign women seeking to give birth in the United States and allow removal if they enter the country. The order refers to noncitizens entering the U.S. for the purpose of giving birth on American soil and efforts from a foreign national to coordinate such entries.
Under existing State Department guidance, consular officers can deny a B‑1/B‑2 visitor visa if they believe the applicant’s primary purpose is to give birth in the U.S. to obtain citizenship for the child.
Anna Gallagher, executive director of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC), criticized the birthright citizenship executive order in a statement to EWTN News.
“The Supreme Court has already spoken: birthright citizenship is guaranteed by the Constitution,” Gallagher said.
“This latest attempt by the Trump administration to circumvent settled law only creates needless fear and uncertainty for immigrant families,” she added. “Catholic social teaching calls us to uphold the dignity of every person and welcome the stranger — not seek new ways to exclude them.”
The USCCB has not taken a clear position on the executive orders yet, but it is monitoring how they are enforced and potential judicial proceedings.
“The USCCB supports the application of constitutional principles and the rule of law in a manner consistent with the God-given dignity of every human person,” USCCB spokesperson Chieko Noguchi told EWTN News.
“We’re reviewing the executive orders and will continue to monitor for administrative actions taken and possible judicial proceedings concerning their implementation,” she said.
In June, the Supreme Court ruled the 14th Amendment of the Constitution protects automatic birthright citizenship with few exceptions. The protection extends to children who are born to people who are in the country unlawfully.
Although the majority opinion did not directly address “birth tourism,” it did clearly say birthright citizenship applies to the children of parents who are “unlawfully or temporarily present” in the country.
The “birth tourism” concern appeared in the dissents authored by both Justice Samuel Alito and Justice Clarence Thomas.
Alito, in his dissent, wrote that he believed the majority’s opinion protects birthright citizenship to “the children of ‘birth tourists,’” though saying he does not not agree with the ruling.
Thomas wrote in his dissent that people have taken advantage of birthright citizenship through “birth tourism” and said there are companies that “collect large fees from wealthy foreigners to facilitate their trips to give birth in the United States.”
However, in the majority opinion, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that words like “temporary” and “lawful” do not appear in the citizenship clause of the 14th Amendment: “For a simple reason: they did not matter.”
Ashley Feasley, a legal expert for the Immigration Law and Policy Initiative at The Catholic University of America, told EWTN News she believes the executive orders are “an attempt to undermine” the Supreme Court.
“Although they will almost certainly face legal challenge, in the interim they will place a profound burden on some of the most vulnerable migrants, pregnant women, and on the officers who work diligently to defend our borders,” she said.
“Requiring Department of Homeland Security officials to interrogate women, many of whom have legal visas, about their pregnancies, even turning them away from ports of entry without clearly defined criteria for doing so, risks harming both woman and unborn child and diverts DHS officers' attention from the vital missions of border security and trade facilitation,” Feasley said.
Attacks by Israeli settlers against the population of Taybeh have intensified significantly in recent months, according to the local parish priest, Father Bashar Fawadleh, who also urged the faithful worldwide to not forget this small Christian enclave in the Holy Land.
Taybeh is the modern name of the biblical town of Ephraim, which the Lord Jesus visited shortly before his passion (see John 11:54). In addition to being the only remaining entirely Christian village in the region, it is also globally renowned for its beer.
“The situation in Taybeh has deteriorated drastically in recent months,” Fawadleh said in a statement sent to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. “We are facing settler attacks almost daily, repeated incursions onto private property, the destruction of agricultural land, restrictions on movement due to road closures, military barriers, checkpoints, and growing fear among the population,” the parish priest indicated.
Fawadleh explained that this week, settlers broke into a Christian family’s property, a situation he described as “very alarming.” The home, which had recently been prepared for the family to move into, has become a target of repeated attacks by settlers.
“Settlers have entered the property several times, cut the fence, and even brought their sheep inside the house and onto the surrounding grounds. This is not an isolated incident. It is part of a pattern of intimidation intended to make Palestinian families feel unsafe and to force them to abandon their homes and land,” he stated.
The parish priest reported that the affected family is out of danger, as they were not in the home at the time of the attacks. However, he lamented the immense psychological suffering they have endured.
“Imagine preparing your home for your future, only to find strangers repeatedly entering it without fear or accountability,” he said.
“In addition, several new settler outposts have been established around the village, increasing pressure on our community and putting the future of the Christian presence in this land at risk,” Fawadleh added.
A message to Christians around the world
“We ask you not to forget us,” the priest said. While highlighting the miraculous power of prayer, he noted that Taybeh needs more from Christians worldwide. “We ask you to raise your voices, speak the truth, visit us, and stand with the Christian community of the Holy Land,” he emphasized.
He pointed out that the solidarity of Christians across the globe “gives us hope” and “reminds us that we are all one body in Christ.”
“Together, we can help protect these Christians — living witnesses and ‘living stones’ in the land where our faith was born and where the first generation of Christianity was raised up. May God bless you all and keep you safe. Keep praying, and continue the work and the struggles you are engaged in. We are praying for you, too,” Fawadleh concluded.
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.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo reiterated the invitation to Pope Leo XIV to visit the country during a meeting she held with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who assured her that the pontiff “is very eager to come.”
Parolin visited Mexico from Aug. 4–6, a trip that, according to a statement from the country’s bishops, “rekindles” the hope of “counting on the presence and direct blessing of His Holiness Leo XIV in our Mexican homeland.”
As part of his activities, the Vatican secretary of state met with the president on Aug. 5 at the National Palace, the seat of the Mexican government. After the meeting, Sheinbaum reported on social media that among the topics discussed was Magnifica Humanitas, the pope’s first encyclical.
“The pope’s calls for peace, fraternity, and closeness to the most vulnerable represent a humanitarian vision that is indispensable at a time when the world needs to strengthen dialogue, solidarity, and cooperation among nations,” she stated.
Peru, Argentina, and Uruguay: The pope’s priorities
Speaking about her meeting with Parolin during her morning press conference on Aug. 6, the president said that one of the topics addressed was the possibility of the Holy Father visiting Mexico.
According to Sheinbaum, Parolin told her that Pope Leo first wants to visit Peru, Argentina, and Uruguay, as these are countries “that Pope Francis did not visit.” She also indicated that the Holy Father has a “special relationship” with Peru “because he lived there for many years.”
The Holy See confirmed that Leo XIV will make an apostolic journey to Peru, Uruguay, and Argentina from Nov. 6–17.
A visit possible after 2027 elections
Sheinbaum said the pontiff “obviously could not come to Mexico during the electoral period,” so his visit would have to wait until after the midterm elections of 2027.
Mexico will hold federal and state elections on June 6, 2027. At the federal level, the 500 seats in the Chamber of Deputies are up for grabs, while in 17 states a total of 19,609 positions will be renewed, including 17 governorships and 1,098 local legislative seats.
“We continue to extend the invitation to him,” Sheinbaum said. “They told us ‘yes,’ that ‘he really wants to come to Mexico,’ … but there is still no established date.”
Sheinbaum indicated that during the meeting she and Parolin also discussed some initiatives developed jointly by the Mexican government and the Catholic Church, among them the program “Yes to Disarmament, Yes to Peace,” which promotes the exchange of firearms for economic incentives. They also talked about the restoration of historic churches.
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 deacon in the Archdiocese of Baltimore has been removed from ministry after he was arrested by law enforcement on charges of sexually soliciting a minor.
The Harford County Sheriff’s Office said Deacon Kenneth Goedeke was arrested after arranging a meeting with what he believed was a 15-year-old boy.
Harford County Sheriff Jeff Gahler said in an official statement on Aug. 6 that the 45-year-old Goedeke had been communicating with an undercover detective rather than an underage boy. He was charged with two counts of soliciting a minor.
Gahler in the statement said he was “angry” and “disgusted” but added that he was “deeply thankful” to detectives for “intervening before a child was harmed.”
In a separate statement on Aug. 6, the Archdiocese of Baltimore confirmed Goedeke’s arrest and said it had “removed Goedeke’s faculties to function as a deacon and suspended him from ministry and employment” pending the results of the investigation.
The archdiocese said the charges were “not related to anyone at the parishes or schools” where Goedeke served. He was ordained as a deacon in 2023, the archdiocese said, and he passed a “thorough employment screening” including background checks and a fingerprint criminal history check.
In his statement, Gahler expressed “anger and resolve, and an unwavering commitment to the safety of our children.”
He urged parents to talk to their children not only about Goedeke’s arrest but “about the broader dangers posed by trusted adults who misuse their positions and by online predators who target our youth.”
Under Maryland law, Goedeke faces up to 30 years in prison and fines of up to $75,000.
Aug. 7 marks the 90th anniversary of the day when militiamen from the Popular Front, one of the factions in the Spanish Civil War, fired upon the monument to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, before which King Alfonso XIII in 1919 had consecrated Spain.
The original monument, the work of architect Carlos Maura and sculptor Aniceto Marinas, was built on the Cerro de los Ángeles, the geographical center of Spain, and was funded through public subscription, although the statue itself was donated by the count of Guaqui, Juan Marino de Goyeneche.
The monumental complex, standing 92 feet tall, consisted not only of the central figure of Jesus Christ but also of two sculptural groups representing, respectively, sanctified humanity and humanity journeying toward holiness.
The first group featured St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, St. Augustine, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Teresa of Jesus, Blessed Bernardo de Hoyos, and St. John the Evangelist, among others. The second group comprised figures representing the path of charity, virtue, and the love essential for conversion and sanctification.
Its inauguration, originally scheduled for 1918, was postponed due to the Spanish flu pandemic until May 30, 1919. It was then that, in the presence of the government, the apostolic nuncio, Archbishop Francesco Ragonesi, and a large group of bishops and cardinals, Alfonso XIII pronounced the formula for the consecration of Spain to the Sacred Heart: “Spain, the people of your heritage and predilection, bows reverently today before that throne of goodness raised for you in the heart of the peninsula. Reign in the hearts of men, in the bosom of our homes, in the minds of the wise, in the halls of science and letters, and in our laws and national institutions.”
At the foot of the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue, in 1919 King Alfonso XIII pronounces the formula of consecration of Spain to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. | Credit: Public domain
Tried, shot by firing squad, and blown up with dynamite
The Spanish Civil War broke out on July 18, 1936. Just five days later, five young men who had remained near the monument to defend it against potential desecration were killed.
On Aug. 7, the first Friday of the month, Popular Front militiamen staged a mock summary trial of Jesus; after passing sentence, they fired upon the monument while shouting, “Aim with hatred! Fire with rage!”
They subsequently attempted to topple and demolish the monument using various tools, including cables and sledgehammers, but failed. They then decided to blow it up with dynamite. They subsequently dragged the head of the Christ figure behind a horse to further humiliate the image.
The site, renamed Cerro Rojo (Red Hill), was retaken by Nationalist forces on Nov. 6, 1936, which was another first Friday of the month. Troops under the command of Gen. José Enrique Varela attended a Mass of reparation officiated by a military chaplain.
New monument
Following the end of the Civil War in 1939, reconstruction of the site began in 1944. This coincided with the 25th anniversary of the consecration of Spain, an occasion for which the Holy See had granted a jubilee year.
The sculptor of the original work was engaged for the 38-foot-tall statue of the Sacred Heart, which stands atop an 85-foot pedestal.
The inscriptions that appear on the foundation of the monument to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Spain. | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Diocese of Getafe
Four sculptural groups by Fernando Cruz were placed around the base. The first group, representing “Missionary Spain,” features Isabella the Catholic, Christopher Columbus, Hernán Cortés, and St. Junípero Serra.
The second group, representing “Spain: Defender of the Faith,” includes Bishop Osio of Córdoba, Don Pelayo, Diego Laínez, John of Austria, and Blessed Anselmo Polanco, a bishop martyred during the war.
The third group, dedicated to the Church militant, consists of figures representing charity, virtue, and love. The final sculptural ensemble, representing the Church triumphant, reproduces the saints from the original monument.
The new monument, inaugurated in 1965, is located on the site of the original, the ruins of which are preserved on the other side of the complexʼs large esplanade. Ten years later, a sanctuary was inaugurated featuring a temple carved into the rock.
This storywas first publishedby ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
