According to official shrine sources, over the course of 2025, the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida, in the interior of São Paulo state, Brazil, welcomed 10,486,118 pilgrims, according to statistics released in the first week of January 2026; a 15 percent increase compared with 2024, when 9,057,885 faithful made the journey to Brazil’s principal Marian sanctuary.
The Shrine is dedicated to Our Lady of Aparecida (Nossa Senhora Aparecida), the principal patroness of Brazil. The devotion traces back to October 1717, when three fishermen (Domingos Martins Garcia, João Alves, and Filipe Pedroso) cast their nets in the Paraíba do Sul River after a fruitless day of fishing. They miraculously recovered a small, dark clay statue of the Virgin Mary in two pieces (body first, then head), after which their nets filled with fish. This event was seen as a miraculous sign, and the statue became known as Our Lady of Aparecida (“the Appeared One”).
Finland’s first new Catholic school, the Helsinki Catholic School, is set to open in August 2026, following the national curriculum with Catholic values and welcoming students of all beliefs, marking a significant development for the growing Catholic community in the nation.
While there are no existing Catholic schools, Finland provides Catholic religious education in public schools when requested by parents in a municipality request it, alongside other faiths like Lutheranism and Orthodoxy. Catholic parishes also provide catechesis and sacramental preparation (like First Communion).
Note: the word ”first” in some announcements online is not to be understood historically but only in the sense that there is no other catholic school in Finland at the moment. There were a few (but very small) catholic schools already a hundred years ago, and a famous one, the English School was founded in 1945, and remained Catholic until 1995.
The curriculum will follow the Finnish national curriculum, but incorporates Catholic values and a distinct Catholic curriculum for moral/cultural education. Admission is open to all children, regardless of faith, with participation in religious activities being voluntary. The aim is to provide a faith-based education within Finland’s secular system, starting with preschool and grades 1-3.
This new school addresses the needs of a growing Catholic population and fills a gap in faith-based education, as Finland’s strong public system traditionally emphasizes secular education.
In Île-de-France, three new churches are TO BE BUILT, carried by the Chantiers du Cardinal, which have been supporting the development, renovation, and enhancement of the RELIGIOUS HERITAGE of Île-de-France for nearly 100 years.
• The Saint-Colomban church in Val d’Europe, in Seine-et-Marne.
• The Sainte-Bathilde church in Chelles, in Seine-et-Marne, whose inauguration is scheduled for March 2026.
• The Saint-Joseph-the-Benevolent church in Versailles.
Île-de-France is a region in north-central France. It surrounds Paris.
In a Dec. 2 statement released by Bishop Michael F. Olson of the Diocese of Fort Worth, Texas, he announced “with profound joy and gratitude to God” that the Vatican had “granted permission for the establishment of a Discalced Carmelite Monastery in Northern Cooke County, Texas, in the Diocese of Fort Worth.”
Calling the news “a moment of extraordinary grace for our local Church,” Bishop Olson explained that the new Carmelite monastery, “the Carmel of Jesus Crucified, will be a place where the beauty of contemplative life radiates outward into the world. Through prayer, silence, work, and sacrifice, the Discalced Carmelite nuns will accompany the faithful and intercede for the needs of our communities.”
The six nuns will come from Carmelite monasteries connected to the Christ the King Association of Discalced Carmelite Monasteries….a federation of Carmelite monasteries across the country. Along with those nuns are expected to come two women in formation for religious life, he said.
The Monastery will begin its life in Texas with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, scheduled for December 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, at a temporary monastery location.
We will bring more details once the location is finalized.
Note: This follows the controversy when The Discalced Carmelite Nuns in Arlington, Texas (also in the Diocese of Fort Worth) faced a major dispute with the Fort Worth Diocese, leading to their dismissal from religious life by Bishop Michael Oson, who cited “their own actions,” while the nuns’ supporters formed a foundation to own their monastery, making the nuns tenants, to remove property contention, though the diocese stated they never claimed the property, creating an ongoing situation where the nuns are now linked with the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) and the bishop urged Catholics to avoid the monastery.
As you already know, The Holy See considers that the society of St. Pius X (SSPX) has broken away from communion with the Catholic Church. Although the 1988 excommunication of the four SSPX bishops was remitted in 2009, the SSPX bishops and priests were still unable to exercise any episcopal or priestly ministry in the Catholic Church.
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Vatican news agency Fides reported on November 8, 2025 that the Catholic Church in Japan, in collaboration with European religious groups, is set to establish a new pilgrimage route in southern Japan to honor the first Christian missionaries and the “hidden Christians” who preserved their faith despite centuries of persecution.
The general route of the pilgrimage will be between Kagoshima and Nagasaki that touches upon the sites of early Christian missionaries such as Francis Xavier, Luis de Almeida, and Alessandro Valignano. The pilgrimage aims to rediscover and enhance the spirituality and cultural and scenic beauty of a heritage invaluable to the history of the Church.
The town of El Cobre in the eastern province of Santiago de Cuba was one of the hardest hit by hurricane Melissa in October 2025. Home to some 7,000 people, it is also the site of the Basilica of Our Lady of Charity, the patron saint of Cuba.
The hurricane made landfall in eastern Cuba on October 29 about 20 mi (30 km) east of Chivirico, with sustained Category 3 winds of 120 mph (195 km/h). No deaths were reported after the Civil Defense evacuated more than 735,000 people across eastern Cuba ahead of the storm. Residents were slowly starting to return home as of November 1. Heavy equipment began to clear blocked roads and highways and the military helped rescue people trapped in isolated communities and at risk from landslides.
The Conference of Catholic Bishops of Cuba called Melissa’s impact “a catastrophe of enormous proportions” and noted that this disaster adds “to the already difficult daily reality of our people.”
The prelates asked for “everything” for the victims: food, clothing, mattresses, household items, and shelter, “especially for the many elderly people living alone and all those who are naturally experiencing this time with sadness and discouragement.”
Finally, they appealed for solidarity “from Cubans in other parts of the world and throughout the country, to all those who with goodwill want to and are able to help us.”
Story courtesy of Catholic News Agency ( first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
As announced in 2023, World Youth Day 2027 will be held in Seoul, South Korea. Pope Leo XIV has set the dates to be August 3 through 8, 2027 and the theme is “Take courage! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).
South Korea has experienced a remarkable transformation from poverty to prosperity…..from authoritarianism to democracy. It went on to become an economic powerhouse in Asia. For example, imports from South Korea to the U.S. totaled $131.5 billion in 2024. China draws that figure at $438 billion, but it is still a large amount for such a small country (the population of China, at 1.4 billion, is roughly 27 times the population of South Korea).
South Korea represents a unique blend of faith, culture, and global influence, making it a fitting location to host World Youth Day that can help bridge the gap between the Global South and the Global North, as well as between East and West
The Catholic Church in Korea is vibrant, although it is still a minority religion, with about 11% of the population, it is characterized by its harmonious coexistence with diverse religious traditions. Unlike many other Asian countries, Korea was not colonized by Western imperialist powers; instead, it was colonized by Japan, an Asian imperialist power, in the first half of the 20th century and ruled the country until the end of World War II in 1945.
Pope John Paul II visited South Korea twice. His first visit was in 1984 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Korean Catholic Church, during which he canonized 103 Korean martyrs. His second visit was in 1989 to attend the 44th International Eucharistic Congress.
Crowds at Pope Francis’ visit to South Korea 2014
Pope Francis visited South Korea in August 2014 as part of the 6th Asian Youth Day, marking his first trip to Asia.
The Mass celebrated by Pope Francis in Daejeon drew an estimated crowd of 800,000.
South Korea, particularly Seoul, is seen as a gateway to East Asia, and those organizing and hosting World Youth are expecting a “radiant beacon of unity embracing the rich culture of East Asia”.
The event provides an opportunity to showcase Korean culture and faith to the world.
The location has geo-political implications as well, since the Communist government of North Korea (backed by Communist China) will certainly be dis-pleased at such an event on their doorstep. The de-militarized zone between North and South Korea remains a potential flash point, and it should be remembered that the Korean War ended with an armistice on July 27, 1953. An armistice is a formal agreement to stop fighting, but it doesn’t necessarily signify the end of a war. It’s a ceasefire that allows for negotiations towards a lasting peace, but in the case of Korea, those negotiations have never resulted in a peace treaty.
If the crowds at the 2025 “Pilgrims of Hope” Youth Jubilee 2025 in Rome are anything to go by (over one million in attendance), this will be a huge event. Even secular news sources like the Associated Press (AP) and CBS News noted the enthusiastic participants in the Youth Jubilee 2025.
These events inspire us to have an optimistic outlook for the future of The Church.
Israel said Thursday that it “deeply regrets” a deadly strike on Gaza’s only Catholic church, the Church of the Holy Family, which killed three people. The Israel Defense Forces acknowledged it hit the church “mistakenly“.
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which has jurisdiction for Roman Catholics in Gaza, said the Holy Family Church was struck by Israel on Thursday morning. The church has become a shelter for the enclave’s tiny Christian community amid the 20-month war.
The office of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “Israel deeply regrets that a stray ammunition hit Gaza’s Holy Family Church. Every innocent life lost is a tragedy.”
“Israel is investigating the incident and remains committed to protecting civilians and holy sites,” the office added in a statement. The Israel Defense Forces acknowledged it hit the church “mistakenly“.
Pope Leo received a phone call from Netanyahu on Friday, following the strike, the Vatican said, in which the patriarch expressed the importance of protecting places of worship. During the phone call, which Netanyahu’s office is yet to comment on, Leo renewed his calls for a ceasefire to be reached by the warring sides in Gaza, a statement said.
Pope Leo “again expressed his concern for the dramatic humanitarian situation of the population in Gaza, whose heartbreaking price is paid especially by children, the elderly and the sick,” according to the statement.
When the early morning shell hit the church, about 600 men, women and children had been sheltering there, including about 50 people with disabilities and ill children cared for by the Missionaries of Charity, .
Pope Leo also telephoned Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, July 18, telling him, “It is time to stop this slaughter,” Vatican News reported.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, together with Theophilos III, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, were leading a delegation into Gaza to bring hundreds of tons of humanitarian aid into the enclave and show their support for Gaza’s Catholics, according to a statement from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. This is highly unusual, given Israel’s tight control over access to the Territory.
The two expressed “the shared pastoral solicitude of the Churches of the Holy Land and their concern for the community of Gaza,” according to a statement from the Jerusalem Patriarchate.
As they were crossing the border, Pope Leo telephoned the Cardinal to “express his closeness, love, prayer, support and desire to do everything possible for there to be not only a ceasefire but also an end to this tragedy,” the cardinal told Vatican News.
“Pope Leo said repeatedly that it is time to stop this slaughter, and that what has happened is unjustifiable, and that we must ensure there are no more victims,” he said.
The Vatican press office said the pope also told the Cardinal that he intends to do “everything possible to stop the needless slaughter of innocents.”
“With the patriarch (Cardinal Pizzaballa), the pope turned his thoughts to all the innocent victims, those of yesterday’s attack and all those of this time of sorrow in the Holy Land and throughout the Middle East,” the press office said in a brief statement. The pope also asked the Cardinal about those who had been injured in the attack and their condition, it said.
Pope Leo then telephoned Father Carlos Ferrero, the provincial superior of the Institute of the Incarnate Word — the religious order to which Father Romanelli belongs — to express “his closeness to those in the community — faithful and religious — who were with him.”
The pope “assures everyone of his prayers and unceasing commitment to peace, the only way that protects humanity on all sides,” it said.
Everyone in Gaza “will not be forgotten, nor will they be abandoned,” the patriarchate said in a written statement July 18.
The two expressed “the shared pastoral solicitude of the Churches of the Holy Land and their concern for the community of Gaza,” according to a statement from the Jerusalem Patriarchate.
The Israel Defense Forces acknowledged it hit the church “mistakenly.
Born in 2010, James Engstrom had a true knot in his umbilical cord that tightened during labor and cut off his oxygen supply, resulting in his stillbirth.
His parents asked for the intercession of Fulton J. Sheen, and after remaining without a pulse for 61 minutes, the baby started breathing, which doctors said was not explainable by medical science.
The Vatican-approved miracle fulfills one of the requirements for the beatification of Sheen and brings him one step closer to Sainthood.
Blessed Pier Georgio Frassati will be declared a Saint by Pope Leo XIV on September 7th, 2025. A second miraculous healing attributed to his intercession was recognized by Pope Francis in a decree on Nov. 25, 2024.
Editors note: To be declared a saint in the Catholic Church, two miracles are generally required, attributed to the intercession of the candidate after their death. (In the case of martyrs, only one miracle is needed). The process for becoming a saint involves beatification, where one miracle is proven, followed by canonization, which requires a second miracle.
The first miracle attributed to the intercession of Pier Georgio Frassati:
The healing of Domenico Sellan: Domenico was 40 years old in 1933 and suffering from a tubercular disease of the spine, was paralyzed and nearing death. A priest visited him on December 28, 1933, and brought him a small prayer card of Pier Giorgio (whose cause for canonization was opened soon after his death). Domenico was miraculously cured and lived another 35 years.
The second miracle attributed to the intercession of Pier Georgio Frassati:
The healing of Juan Gutierrez: Juan Gutierrez, 38, was a seminarian of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles at St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, California. Juan tore his Achilles tendon while playing basketball with other seminarians in 2017.
The day after getting an MRI for his torn tendon, he became concerned about the long, painful recovery as well the expenses that would be incurred. Juan headed for the seminary chapel “with a heavyheart”.
As he prayed, Juan felt inspired to make a novena to Pier Giorgio Frassati. A few days into the novena, Gutierrez went into the chapel to pray when nobody was there. As he prayed, he recalled feeling an unusual sensation around his injured foot.
“I was praying, and I started to feel a sensation of heat around the area of my injury. I honestly thought that maybe something was catching on fire, underneath the pews,” Juan recalled at a press conference on Dec. 16, 2024. Juan remembered from his experiences with the charismatic renewal movement that heat can be associated with healing from God. He found himself gazing at the tabernacle, weeping.
“That event touched me deeply,” Juan said.
He was not only touched spiritually, but he was also healed physically. Incredibly, he was able to walk normally again and no longer needed a brace!
Juan was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in June 2023 and is now Father Juan Gutierrez.
