The Connecticut Catholic Public Affairs Conference achieved “successes we were happy about” during the 2025 Connecticut Legislative Session, according to Deacon David Reynolds, the Conference’s associate director for public policy.  “Legislation dealing with abortion, transgender rights and immigration reflected the conflict between existing state law and the recently revised federal laws and regulations,” he says. “The good news is the Conference’s efforts to stop harmful legislation in the areas of abortion and gender-affi...

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Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass for the Solemnity of Pentecost in St. Peter's Square on June 8, 2025. In his homily, he emphasized the significance of the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian. | Credit: Vatican Media   Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass for the solemnity of Pentecost in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday with international pilgrims belonging to new Church movements, associations, and communities celebrating this year’s Jubilee Year of Hope in Rome. Emphasizing the significance of the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian, the Holy Father n...

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Three teen brothers from Ireland have turned their admiration for Blessed Carlo Acutis into a movie called “Lego Movie — The Incredible Life of Carlo Acutis.” | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Flynn family   Three teen brothers from Ireland have turned their admiration for Blessed Carlo Acutis into a Lego movie about the life of the soon-to-be canonized teenage Italian Catholic who died from leukemia at the age of 15. The short film called “Lego Movie — The Incredible Life of Carlo Acutis” is now available on YouTube under the...

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WASHINGTON - With broad support from multiple committees of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), a number of bishop-chairmen have written a letter to the U.S. Congress offering ethical principles and policy recommendations on artificial intelligence. Grounded in the Church’s concern for human dignity and the common good, the letter outlines how AI development and uses should serve all of humanity. “Artificial intelligence is rapidly shaping the future of our society,” said Bishop William D. Byrne, chairman of the USCCB’s Commi...

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The Council of Nicaea in 325 as depicted in a fresco in Salone Sistino at the Vatican. | Credit: Giovanni Guerra (1544-1618), Cesare Nebbia (1534-1614) e aiuti, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons   In the summer of A.D. 325, more than 300 bishops gathered in Nicaea — located in modern-day northern Turkey — to promulgate a common Christian creed, settle Christological disputes that arose from the Arian heresy, and promote unity in the Church. The first ecumenical council, known as the Council of Nicaea, is still accepted as authoritative by the Ca...

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  Kristyn Figbie, communications coordinator for St. Francis of Assisi Parish in New Britain, designs a Sunday bulletin that takes a more graphic approach to information with browsable tables and photos that capture the vitality of the parish community. Photo by Shelley Wolf   Parishes within the archdiocese are always looking for better ways to engage parishioners. To meet parishioners’ information needs and grab their attention, two parishes recently overhauled their Sunday bulletins with fresh new designs, more graphics and photos, and enhanc...

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Pope Leo XIV greets the faithful in St. Peter's Basilica, May 31, 2025. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA   In his first prayer intention video of his papacy, Pope Leo XIV has asked the faithful to pray that the world might grow in compassion during the month of June. “Let us pray that each one of us might find consolation in a personal relationship with Jesus, and from his heart, learn to have compassion on the world,” the pope said in a video released June 3. The video also includes an original prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to which the m...

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My dear friends in Christ, Thank you all very much for your very warm welcome of me as your new Bishop.  As I meet with priests, deacons, and parishioners and make my way around the Diocese to parish Masses, Confirmations, school visits, Holy Hours, and dinner events, I am reminded how fortunate I am to be with you in our diocese.  Thank you for all you do. I am also acutely aware that all the good I hope to do together with you for God and His people depends utterly on God's grace. To that end, I am endeavoring to keep in mind the necessity of prayer...

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The official website of the Vatican for the first time has been refreshed since it was created in the 1990s, prominently featuring multimedia content and online links to other Vatican offices and ministries. A banner image of a waving Pope Leo XIV against a simple light blue background can now be found spread across the top half of the revamped Holy See website’s homepage published earlier this week.  Replacing the outdated dropdown mega menus found in the older version of the Holy See’s homepage is a large, clickable “Magisterium” button ...

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Pope Leo XIV speaks in front of the famous icon at the Shrine of the Mother of Good Counsel in Genazzano, Italy, on Saturday, May 10, 2025. | Credit: Vatican Media   Pope Leo XIV is now granting apostolic blessings to the faithful around the world, a spiritual gesture that can be officially requested through the Vatican’s Apostolic Almoner’s Office. These blessings, printed on parchment, are a well-established tradition in the Catholic Church and are available for significant moments in Christian life such as the sacraments of baptism, confirm...

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