St. Luke Roman Catholic Church

The Catholic bishops are backing a suit by a coalition of Apache Stronghold, a coalition of Native Americans and their supporters, in their lawsuit against the federal government. The lawsuit argues that their freedom of religion was violated when the federal government announced its intention to sell formerly protected land in Arizona to a mining company. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Becket

CNA Staff, Aug 19, 2025 / 10:34 am (CNA).

A federally protected Arizona site that has been the location of Native American religious rituals for centuries is temporarily blocked from sale to a copper mining company as legal disputes over the transfer continue to play out in federal court.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit said in a brief ruling on Aug. 18 that the Oak Flat site in Pinal County would not be transferred to Resolution Copper, a British-Australian multinational company, while emergency petitions against the sale are considered by federal judges. The transfer was set to take place Tuesday.

The three-judge panel said it took “no position on the merits of the motions” to halt the sale but that it was expediting the court schedule of the appeals. Briefs in the case will be due starting Sept. 8, the ruling said.

The 11th-hour block comes as what could be the last reprieve for a coalition of Native Americans and other advocates who have worked to halt the Oak Flat site’s transfer to the multinational mining company.

The nearly 7-square-mile Oak Flat parcel in the Tonto National Forest has been viewed as a sacred site by Apaches and other Native American groups for hundreds of years and has been used extensively for religious rituals.

The yearslong effort to stop the sale, led by the coalition group Apache Stronghold, has received backing from a broad swath of religious liberty advocates, including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Knights of Columbus, who have argued that federal religious freedom law prohibits the sale of the site to the mining company. 

For decades the federal government protected it from development, but the Obama administration in 2014 began the process of transferring the land to Resolution Copper, whose mining activities will largely obliterate the site.

In May of this year the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal from Apache Stronghold regarding the transfer. Justice Neil Gorsuch at the time argued that the high court “should at least have troubled itself to hear [the] case” before “allowing the government to destroy the Apaches’ sacred site.”

Maria Dadgar, the executive director of the Inter Tribal Association of Arizona, told the Arizona Republic after the Aug. 18 ruling that Native American groups “have been on these lands now called Arizona since time immemorial.”

“We are hopeful with the news from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and welcome the opportunity to make our case for the continued protection of Oak Flat,” she said.

Apache Stronghold founder Wendsler Nosie said in a statement to CNA on Tuesday that the group was “deeply grateful” for the appeals court’s block.

“This decision is a vital step in protecting our spiritual lifeblood and religious traditions from destruction,” he said. “While the fight is far from over, this ruling gives us hope and time to continue our battle in the courts and to persuade the Trump administration to protect Oak Flat as a sacred place for future generations.”

Father Ralph O’Donnell, bishop-elect of Jefferson City, Missouri. / Credit: Diocese of Jefferson City website

Vatican City, Aug 19, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV has named Father Ralph O’Donnell of the Archdiocese of Omaha, Nebraska, as the new bishop of Jefferson City, Missouri. He will succeed Archbishop Shawn McKnight, who in May was installed as archbishop of Kansas City, Kansas.

Bishop-elect O’Donnell has most recently served as pastor of St. Margaret Mary Parish in Omaha.

Born on Aug. 31, 1969, in Omaha, he earned a bachelor’s degree in religious studies from Conception Seminary College and a master of divinity degree from the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary. He later obtained a master’s degree in spirituality from Creighton University.

Ordained a priest in 1997, O’Donnell has served in various pastoral and administrative roles, including vocations director, seminary vice rector, and executive director of the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat for Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations (2015–2019).

null / Credit: UVgreen/Shutterstock

Philadelphia, Pa., Aug 19, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Aurora Pomales still remembers the feelings after her grandmother died.

The grief was real and disorienting. After all, it was her grandmother who had taught her how to pray, how to love the Mass, and how to be Catholic, even after she herself had pulled away from the Church.

“I remember waking up and thinking, OK,” Pomales said. “I need to go to confession today. I need to start praying my rosary. I need to start going to Mass.”

That quiet decision marked the beginning of her return to the Catholic faith — a process that would eventually lead her to create a ministry aimed at serving an often-overlooked population: single Catholic women.

Blessed Emilina, the ministry Pomales founded, is named after a little-known 12th-century French saint, Emilina of Boulancourt, who is the patroness of single Catholic laywomen. The ministry was created specifically for women who are single, not married or engaged, not in religious life, but who are nonetheless striving to live fully for Christ.

Pomales’ inspiration came from her lived experience. As a single woman trying to return to the Church, she began looking for community — but everything she found seemed to be for wives, moms, or women preparing for marriage.

“I felt like I didn’t see myself anywhere,” she said. “I was trying to grow closer to God, but it was lonely.”

This was reinforced when she joined an online Catholic group and suggested creating content for single women. The group’s founder replied: “Well, what would content for single women even look like?”

“That’s when it clicked for me,” Pomales said. “I wasn’t just feeling lonely — I felt like no one even wanted to make space for us.”

Rather than walk away, she stepped forward on a mission based on her lived experience.

From heartbreak to healing

Pomales’ return to the Church wasn’t immediate or easy. At the time of her grandmother’s death in 2020, she was in a serious romantic relationship — one that didn’t align with her deepening desire for Christ.

“I thought that was going to be my forever relationship,” she said. “But I felt pulled in two directions: Stay in this relationship that’s pulling me away from the Lord, or leave it and walk with Jesus.”

She chose Christ. But the cost was real.

“While I was happy to be back in the Church, it was very lonely,” Pomales said.

It was the foundation from her grandmother, though, that made it possible to embark on this new path, she said. That foundation and the questions it stirred led her to begin dreaming of something more — something that could serve women like her.

“I knew other women were out there who might not have had that foundation, and if they didn’t feel welcome, they might just walk away,” she said.

The turning point came when the parochial vicar at her parish, St. Helena in Philadelphia, encouraged her to attend the Given Forum, a national leadership conference for young Catholic women.

Soon after, she began developing the blueprint for Blessed Emilina. The saintly woman had once been rejected by a religious order but continued to live a holy, single life of deep prayer and penance. Emilina walked barefoot in the snow, offered her suffering for the Church, and became known for her gift of prophecy.

“I’m obsessed with her now,” Pomales said with a laugh. “She’s kind of everything I want to be. She made the most of her singleness — not as a backup plan, but as a calling.”

The Blessed Emilina group offers retreats, monthly gatherings, local pilgrimages, and simple events like “paint and sip” nights. The ministry is open to single Catholic women of all ages and walks of life.

“Too often, we’re alone, so the idea of Blessed Emilina is to help women realize that your singlehood can be your path to sainthood,” Pomales said.

A quiet witness, a growing movement

Pomales’ sister Jeannine Days said she has watched her younger sibling grow from a quiet, imaginative child into a confident woman unafraid to lead.

“She was always very shy, very smart. And now she’s just blossomed,” Days said. “She’s nurturing, gentle, honest — and passionate. She really loves the Lord, and she wants to bring others to him.”

Days, who has children of her own, said Pomales brings hope not only to the women in her ministry but also to their family as well.

“My daughters look up to her, and the women in Blessed Emilina — you can see the spark that happens between them,” Days said. “That moment when they realize, ‘I’m not alone.’ That’s the Holy Spirit.”

A future for the Church — and for hope

Pomales dreams of taking Blessed Emilina nationwide and even international.

“I think the future of the Church lies in the capable hands of single Catholic women,” she said. “We have time. We have energy. We can serve.”

But more than that, she wants women to know that being single is a not consolation prize.

“There’s so much rhetoric around what a Catholic woman should be — married with lots of children, or in a convent,” she said. “But there are women who don’t fit that, and we need to stop making them feel like they’re failing.”

She remembers one moment early in her journey, scrolling through a Catholic women’s forum, when she saw a post from a single woman in her 30s.

“She wrote, ‘I just need someone to tell me I’m not failing as a Catholic woman.’ And I thought, this is why I’m doing this. That shouldn’t feel like failure.”

Through Blessed Emilina, she wants women to know that their singleness isn’t just valid, it’s sacred — and an opportunity. “This is the time when we can be closest to the Lord, and you have that time to give to your community,” she said.

Pomales also hopes her story of starting a new organization will inspire others to take risks and find their way.

“This experience has taught me that in those moments where you feel like you don’t belong, that’s actually the Lord calling you to make that space for people like you,” she said.

For more information, contact Aurora Pomales at blessedemilina@gmail.com or on Facebook.

This story was first published by Catholic Philly and has been reprinted by CNA with permission. It is part of “Faces of Hope,” a series of stories and videos from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia “highlighting the work of those who make the Catholic Church in Philadelphia the greatest force for good in the region.” 

A mosque in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 2024. / Credit: eyetravelphotos/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 18, 2025 / 16:04 pm (CNA).

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has released a report examining the religious liberty implications for women and minorities in Afghanistan four years after the Taliban’s takeover. 

“Religious freedom conditions in Afghanistan continue to decline dramatically under Taliban rule,” the USCIRF wrote in an Aug. 15 report examining the Taliban’s Law on the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice one year after its enactment. “The new morality law reinforces a systematic and overt erasure of religious freedom in Afghanistan and facilitates the ongoing repression of religious minorities.”

According to the USCIRF, the morality law “impacts all Afghans” but “disproportionately affects religious minorities and women, eradicating their participation in public life and systematically eliminating their right to [freedom of religious belief].”

The August 2024 law contains 35 articles and centers on mandating the Taliban’s interpretation of Islam and sharia law. Authorities are granted “broad powers to arrest, detain, and monitor Afghans who are perceived to have violated its provisions,” the USCIRF noted.

Among the 35 articles is the criminalization of adherence to any religion apart from Sunni Islam. According to the USCIRF: “Non-Muslims are forced to practice in secret or risk arrest and torture.”

The report quoted the Taliban’s minister for the propagation of virtue and prevention of vice, Khalid Hanafi, as saying Hindus, Jews, Christians, and Sikhs are “worse than four-legged animals” for holding “beliefs that go against sharia and the Quran.”

All Afghan women — Muslim or otherwise — under the morality law are mandated to cover their entire body and face. They are also barred from leaving their homes without a male guardian. The law “characterizes women’s voices as intimate and therefore something to be concealed.” As such, Afghan women are barred in public from speaking, singing, or reciting the Quran. 

“While the morality law impacts all Afghans, it disproportionately affects Afghan women and girls. As of 2025, Afghan women and girls are still barred from attending school beyond age 12. The education ban, coupled with the morality law, makes it impossible for Afghan women and girls to participate in public life, including religious expression,” the report stated. 

“The requirement of a male guardian, reinforced under the morality law, has created significant barriers for Afghan women,” the report continued, noting that Afghan widows who may not have any male relatives are especially impacted.  

The Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, which was reestablished for societal reform shortly after the Taliban took over in 2021, oversees all enforcement of the Taliban’s morality law.

According to USCIRF, there are approximately 3,330 male enforcers employed in 28 of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan.

Heightened surveillance, arbitrary arrests and detention, forced conversions, physical assault, death threats, and torture are used as tactics by enforcers across the country, the USCIRF stated, citing a U.N. report that as many as 50 Ismaili Muslims were forced to convert to Sunni Islam and that one Ismaili man was killed in the Badakhshan Province.

The man “was severely tortured prior to his death,” the USCIRF said, further noting that “while in Taliban custody, individuals’ ethnic or religious identity influenced the severity of torture inflicted, including for Christians and Hazaras.”

Members of the Catholic nonprofit Strangers No Longer and others march to the Detroit ICE headquarters in July 2025. / Credit: Tom Tomala, Strangers No Longer

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 18, 2025 / 14:34 pm (CNA).

Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Detroit Field Office recently met with a Catholic migrant aid group and a Democratic lawmaker to discuss questions about whether ICE is prioritizing deporting violent criminals and concerns about agents wearing masks during raids.

Acting field office director for Detroit ICE, Kevin Raycraft, and other ICE officials invited Catholics — including leaders of the nonprofit Strangers No Longer — to the Detroit headquarters on Aug. 12 after Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Michigan, intervened to secure a meeting.

Strangers No Longer first requested the meeting in July by marching from Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church to the ICE headquarters with several hundred demonstrators, many of whom were Catholic. The leaders had hoped to meet with Raycraft and deliver a letter outlining their concerns.

Thanedar told CNA the leaders “weren’t allowed to enter the ICE facility” in July and “that letter was not accepted by ICE” at the time. 

Thanedar was later able to arrange the August meeting, which included a priest, several nuns, and leaders of Strangers No Longer, who presented their letter and spoke with ICE agents for about an hour.

In its letter, the group expressed concerns about “face masks and the lack of identification” by agents during raids, along with “actions carried out without a federal warrant.” The group also alleged a lack of “communication with local law enforcement” before operations are carried out.

Strangers No Longer further criticized “the arrest of individuals who have committed no felony” and alleged that ICE “appears to be targeting men for incarceration and expedited removal, leaving women and children (many of whom are U.S. citizens) behind to ‘fend for themselves.’”

“This pattern of separating families is having a devastating impact on those left behind,” the letter added.

Victoria Kovari, one of the organizers of the July demonstration who attended the meeting, told CNA that the agents “were very respectful” and listened to “these stories … [about] how it’s impacting our community” but did not give any indication they would make any adjustments to immigration enforcement.

“We wanted this to be a dialogue,” Kovari said. “We wanted them to understand us and we want to understand them.”

Kovari said she spoke to ICE about cases in which agents arrived in unmarked vehicles wearing masks and carrying rifles to arrest people who “hadn’t committed any violent felonies.” She also spoke about parishioners who hadn’t committed any felonies “being picked up” by ICE for deportation.

“We really hope that they focus these [enforcement] priorities on the more difficult cases of gang members, drug cartel [members], drug dealers, violent offenders, and [work] with our local law enforcement,” she added.

“That’s what would really help our communities,” Kovari said.

Thanedar similarly told CNA the ICE agents “listened to us” and offered to help connect Strangers No Longer with some detainees, but that there was no indication they would make policy changes.

“Their response remained that these people — anybody that has broken the law — [ICE] will go after, and they were not willing to commit to prioritizing the hardened criminals and the people who are gang members, like the president has said,” he continued.

“What we are seeing lately is ICE is focusing more on migrants that have been working 20 years in the hospitality industry, working as cooks, doing landscaping, [and doing] work that makes our lives better,” Thanedar alleged.

Kovari added that Raycraft told the organization that many criticisms of ICE are based on “media manipulation,” which she said made the conversation more difficult.

CNA reached out to Detroit ICE, the national ICE headquarters, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for comment but did receive a response by the time of publication.

In a July 22 op-ed in the Detroit News, three weeks before the meeting, Raycraft addressed some of the concerns raised in the Strangers No Longer letter.

Raycraft said agents “identify themselves with visible markings, badges, or other identifiers” but “do not wear uniforms or drive marked vehicles.” He contested that assaults on agents have increased by about 830% and “our officers wear masks to protect their families.”

The op-ed states that agents follow the law when making arrests. He said the law allows for “the issuance of warrants upon a finding of probable cause that someone is [unlawfully] present” and works with courts to obtain warrants for other criminal matters. It adds that agents do not need to display the warrants.

Raycraft also said that ICE “routinely coordinates with local law enforcement agencies” and that they “know where to reach us … if there is an issue regarding communication.”

Catholic apologist Alex Jurado, known as Voice of Reason on social media. / Credit: Courtesy of Alexandro Jurado

CNA Staff, Aug 18, 2025 / 14:04 pm (CNA).

Breaking his silence one month after facing several allegations, Catholic influencer Alex Jurado in a video message shared to his YouTube channel on Aug. 17 admitted to inappropriately messaging women. 

On July 13, the Protestant website Protestia published a report alleging that “whistleblowers within the Catholic community” had revealed sexually explicit texts Jurado allegedly sent to an underage teenage girl when he was 20 years old. The site further alleged that Jurado had sent “sexually explicit messages” to several other women.

In his video message, Jurado denied the accusations regarding the inappropriate sexual relationship with an underage teenage girl saying: “This is not true. This is false.”

He explained further that law enforcement has been actively involved in an investigation related to these claims and that the investigation is ongoing. 

Jurado then addressed the claims made regarding the sexually explicit messages sent to multiple other women — those of whom were not underage. 

“As the public saw, I, on multiple occasions, fell into sin and gave into the desires of my flesh. And I regret to say that that is indeed true. I did fall into the sin of lust,” Jurado admitted. 

He added: “I really regret to say that in these moments of weakness, I led others into sin. And of course that’s wrong, of course that is repulsive, and it’s something that I am guilty of.”

The content creator went on to apologize to those women involved as well as all those who read the leaked messages “and were rightly disgusted by them because they were disgusting.”

“I’m going to have to spend the rest of my life in prayer and in penance to make reparation for all of the damage I’ve caused because I’ve caused a lot of damage,” he said.

On July 16, Jurado was barred from public events in his local Church amid the ongoing investigation.

Bishop Artur Bubnevych of the Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix issued a statement to the clergy of his eparchy stating that Jurado, “a regular attendee at one of our parishes,” is prohibited from “any activity or involvement … occurring in any facilities of or events being sponsored by the Eparchy of Phoenix until further notice.”

“We will cooperate fully with any authorized investigations which may occur in this matter,” the bishop wrote in his statement, a copy of which was obtained by CNA.

Jurado began his Voice of Reason social media ministry in 2023. The influencer has over half a million followers across his social media platforms including TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. 

His content is primarily apologetical, sharing and defending the faith and engaging with other non-Catholic points of view. As a Byzantine Catholic, he also promotes the Eastern rites of the Catholic Church.

Archbishop Borys Gudziak. / Credit: Screenshot from United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 18, 2025 / 13:34 pm (CNA).

At the United States-Russia summit, leaders failed to face “the fundamental moral and geopolitical questions” regarding the war in Ukraine, said Archbishop Borys Gudziak, adding that “until they do Ukrainians will be paying the ultimate price.”

On Aug. 15, U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Alaska to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine. While the leaders described the meeting as “constructive,” it ended without a resolution.

The following day, Gudziak, who serves as the metropolitan archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia, released a “blunt” statement on the controversial summit.

“A genocidal war criminal — who speaks explicitly about his aggressive intentions to re-conquer the countries that freed themselves from the atheistic Soviet yoke — was welcomed on American territory and given red carpet treatment,” Gudziak said in his statement.

“The desultory discussions did not lead to a single concession on the part of the aggressor,” Gudziak wrote. “Having ordered another barrage of deadly bombings on the day of the summit he was allowed to stand together with the president of the United States before a press conference backdrop ‘Pursuing Peace.’”

He added: “The worst did not happen, those standing for freedom and the innocent citizens of Ukraine were not sold out — but the cause of freedom, justice, and peace was not advanced.”

Gudziak ended his statement with a spiritual reflection. 

“There is a great illusion that the mighty of this world determine history, decide our fate. They do indeed have an impact, more often than not negative,” Gudziak said. “But the truth is that we are in the Lord’s hands and his truth will prevail.”

“And as David stands against Goliath, we’ve seen one miracle after another. And that miracle is the life, resilience, and solidarity of the little ones who are willing to risk everything for the truth — the truth of human dignity, the truth of God-given freedom, and the truth that evil will not prevail.”

Prior to the meeting, Trump told Fox News: “I won’t be happy if I walk away without some form of a ceasefire.” But following the summit, Trump changed his mind after speaking with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine and other European leaders. 

He wrote in a post to Truth Social: “It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a peace agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere ceasefire agreement, which oftentimes do not hold up.”

Trump is scheduled to further discuss the matter with Zelenskyy on Aug. 18 at the White House.

The American Life League has found that Planned Parenthood has received nearly half a billion dollars from pro-life states. / Credit: American Life League, Flickr CC BY-NC 2.0

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 18, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Planned Parenthood affiliates based in pro-life states rake in close to a half-billion dollars from various sources in annual revenue, which includes millions of dollars in taxpayer funds, according to a new report.

The revenue data, which was unveiled by the Catholic nonprofit American Life League (ALL) on Aug. 18, found that the financial performance of Planned Parenthood affiliates in pro-life states is nearly identical to the performance of affiliates in pro-abortion states.

Planned Parenthood still has 11 affiliates that represent 81 facilities in states that have heavily restricted abortion following the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. The average annual revenue for an affiliate in a pro-life state is more than $41.2 million, which means those affiliates combine for more than $450 million in annual revenue.

The abortion giant has more than 41 affiliates operating in states that have few restrictions on abortion, which represent 418 facilities. The average affiliate revenue in these states is nearly $43.4 million, which is only slightly higher than the ones in pro-life states. The affiliates in these states combine for nearly $1.8 billion in revenue.

Funding sources vary but include government and private grants, private donations, and client payments for services.

According to Planned Parenthood’s annual report for July 2023 through June 2024, about 40% of its revenue came from taxpayer funds, which accounted for nearly $800 million.

Long-standing federal law prohibits taxpayer funding for most abortions. Yet, until the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was signed into law, Medicaid funds could broadly cover non-abortive services at abortion facilities.

President Donald Trump signed the bill to prevent Planned Parenthood from receiving federal Medicaid reimbursements for non-abortive services for one year, but a court blocked that provision and ordered the government, which is appealing the ruling, to continue payments for now. 

Most pro-life states still allow affiliates to obtain state Medicaid funds, but the Supreme Court this year allowed South Carolina to enforce its ban on Medicaid reimbursements for Planned Parenthood. This has led pro-life lawmakers in some states to consider bills to ban affiliates from receiving payments.

The report notes that after recent closures, 29 Planned Parenthood facilities operate in Texas, a state that prohibits abortion in most cases, and 17 continue to operate in Florida, which prohibits most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. In Texas, Planned Parenthood affiliates received nearly $130.8 million in annual revenue and in Florida they received nearly $67.8 million.

Mississippi is the only pro-life state in which there is not a single Planned Parenthood affiliate operating, according to the report. Of states ALL considers to be pro-abortion, neither Wyoming nor North Dakota have a Planned Parenthood affiliate.

ALL National Director Katie Brown Xavios told CNA that it’s unclear what services these affiliates are making most of their money from but that “we know they’re still raking it in.”

She noted that even where abortion is restricted, each state includes some exceptions for when someone can obtain an abortion. In some cases, it includes a “health of the mother exception,” which she said is the exception that is “exploited the most.” 

Xavios said abortionists often use a broad definition of what constitutes a health risk, which can include depression or financial struggles, adding that that type of exception is the “easiest one to check that box for, to find an exception for.”

“Even in a state that is ‘pro-life,’ … abortions are still happening,” she added.

Xavios urged states to eliminate “all of the exceptions that let Planned Parenthood slip through the cracks,” saying they “have to start taking seriously total abortion bans” — a stance that no state has taken up to this point. 

“[States need to] take very seriously a total protection for human life and do something about the abortion pill being mailed,” she added.

Xavios noted that there has been some good news, with three Planned Parenthood affiliates shutting down recently in Texas amid fears of federal funding losses. She noted that a potential loss of funds, if a court reinstates the Medicaid reimbursement ban, “is contributing to a lot of facilities closing in certain states.”

However, she said that the freeze, which is currently in a state of partial legal suspension with ongoing litigation, is only in place for one year and “Planned Parenthood may find a way to subsidize that income that they’re losing and we may see these clinics reopen in a year.”

Xavios also said states need to enact laws that prevent affiliates from receiving state Medicaid reimbursements.

Father Jason Wallace (top center) with Archdiocese of Denver seminarians. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Archdiocese of Denver and Vianney Vocations

Denver, Colo., Aug 18, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The Archdiocese of Denver asked parishioners to share the names of young men they thought would make good priests.

The result? More than 900 names. 

But names aren’t the only outcome of the Called By Name campaign, which launched in May.

The monthslong campaign — a collaboration between the Denver Archdiocese and Vianney Vocations, a group that supports vocations efforts in Catholic dioceses around the U.S. — has also sparked a “real openness” to vocations in the hearts of young men in the community, said Denver Vocations Director Father Jason Wallace.

The campaign, he told CNA, has “created a culture” in which speaking about vocations is becoming “more acceptable.”

“It’s not something like, ‘Oh, that’s something somebody else does,’ or you have to receive a vision by an angel to be a priest,” he said.

After the campaign, Wallace noticed that some young men who hadn’t wanted to become priests felt a call to look at priesthood more seriously.

“Even men that I’ve already known who before were not open to it, all of a sudden are like, ‘Hey, Father, can we set up a meeting?’” Wallace said.

The call to priesthood is “life-changing,” Wallace noted, and confirmation from your community can be that final push.

“All of a sudden, their name gets submitted and they get a letter from [the] archbishop,” Wallace said. “They’re like, ‘Wow, somebody else actually saw in me what I had an inkling could actually be true.’”

Denver Archbishop Samuel Aquila shared his gratitude and excitement for the potential future priests.

“Thanks to the dedicated witness of my brother priests and the prayerful support of our archdiocesan faithful, we received more than 900 names of young men who could make good, happy, and holy priests here in northern Colorado,” the archbishop said.

“I am grateful that our faithful recognized this pastoral potential in so many young men in our archdiocese,” he added.

The nationwide priest shortage affects dioceses everywhere. Seminarian enrollment in the United States has been on a decadeslong decline as fewer young men seek out the priesthood and the number of active priests in the U.S. continues to dwindle. In 2025, about 400 men were set to be ordained to the priesthood in the U.S.

The need is great in Denver, according to recent data shared by the archdiocese. 

“Our archdiocese needs more priests to shepherd, to father, our parish communities by offering the sacraments, especially the most holy Eucharist, and calling each of us to deeper conversion and encounter with Jesus Christ,” Aquila said.

The archdiocese, which serves about 600,000 Catholics, has only 148 archdiocesan priests in active ministry. More than a third of the archdiocese’s parishes are served by only one priest.

“This percentage would be much higher were it not for the generous priests from other parts of the country and world who make up for our shortfall of vocations,” read the data analysis by Denver Catholic, the archdiocesan news outlet.

Less than half of Denver’s priests were ordained for the archdiocese, and only 14% were born in Colorado.

But amid this, Denver has seen growth. Vocations are blooming in Denver this year in spite of the priest shortage. Dioceses around the U.S. tell a similar story — more seminarians are cropping up.

This year’s seminary class of 23 men was the largest in recent memory, according to Wallace — nearly doubling last year’s class size.

Wallace credits vocations as the fruit of faithfulness throughout the diocese — from the priests to the archbishop, from youth groups to Catholic schools, from parish ministry to Catholic families.  

“When you go to get a crop, you could say you have one person that sows the seed, another person who cultivates the seed, and then somebody who has to reap and gather,” he said.

When asked why this year made a record-breaking class, Wallace didn’t know whom to credit — except, maybe, the Lord.

“We live in the mystical body of the Church, and this year is a jubilee year,” he reflected. “And in jubilee years, traditionally, is it time for forgiving offenses and sharing your prosperity and blessing people with special graces.” 

“So perhaps Our Lord is blessing us in that regard with a lot of men for the seminary,” he continued.

The archbishop and Wallace have each sent a personal letter to the 900 men. The campaign isn’t over yet, and Wallace anticipates another 100 names. 

Aquila shared his enthusiasm for his own vocation to the priesthood and for the campaign.

“The priesthood is a beautiful vocation, a pure gift, and I am grateful to the Father for calling me to be his priest and his bishop,” he said.

“I pray that these 900 men — and many more — will draw near to Jesus Christ, the vine, and abide in relationship with him,” the archbishop continued. 

The men are invited to attend a “Come and See” at the seminary later this month, where the archbishop will give a talk and the men will have the opportunity to meet the rector of the seminary and spend time with the seminarians. Of the men the archdiocese reached out to, more than 70 signed up.

In a culture that tries to be “self-sufficient,” these young men are pursuing what God created them for, Wallace said.

“One thing that stands out to me is how open these young men are and how sincere they are about discovering what God created them for,” he said.

Aquila offered his prayers for the young men as they are discerning their vocations and asked the faithful to join in with him.

“As they come to know the Lord more personally, may he guide them to consider what is being asked of them,” Aquila said.

The Called By Name campaign will also continue in the form of discernment groups as well as other resources offered by the archdiocese.

“Please pray with me that they might respond faithfully, generously, and courageously — all so that, in Jesus Christ, all might be rescued and have abundant life, for the glory of the Father,” Aquila said.

Mary Ann Wilson conducts a children’s choir during Mass at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Ann Arbor, Michigan. / Credit: Martin Barillas

Ann Arbor, Michigan, Aug 17, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The setting: a suburban Michigan parish.

The agenda: a crash course in Gregorian chant as well as posture, breathing, and other elements of sacred choral music.

The attendees: youth ages 8 to 18.

Canticle Chant Camp was held at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Ann Arbor, Michigan, from July 28 to Aug. 1 and was attended by more than 40 children and teens. The camp ended with a sung Mass.

The instructor was veteran choral director and educator Mary Ann Wilson. 

Wilson, who holds degrees in music, was trained in opera and Gregorian chant in Europe and has taught for nearly 30 years. She told CNA that she enjoys sharing “the glories of Gregorian chant, which uniquely fosters a sense of peace and joy that connects the whole person to God.” 

Referring to sacred music, she added: “It’s important to pass down this tradition. Beautiful sculpture, paintings, architecture, and stained-glass windows can last hundreds of years: All of them help us to pray. But music, once it is performed, is gone. It’s an offering to the Lord in real time. And if we don’t hand it down with every generation, we lose it.”

Wilson is president of the nonprofit apostolate Canticle.org, founded “to draw souls to Jesus Christ through the beauty of sacred music.” She has served as a parish music director and has led choirs singing Gregorian chant and renaissance polyphony. Since 2010, she has led the “Chant Camp” program at dozens of parishes and schools. She also trains teachers, choir directors, and cantors to lead camps themselves and foster sacred music.

In addition, Wilson is a consultant to the Benedict XVI Institute, which seeks to instill a sense of the sacred in the arts and worship throughout the country. She said she has received encouragement from Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco, a board member of the institute, in her quest to promote traditional liturgical music.

During the camp, Wilson did a deep dive into the prayers and structure of the sung Mass. Her directive: “Everybody can sing something, and nobody sings everything.”

Students learn the “Kyrie” and “Sanctus,” for example, while the more experienced get practice in more difficult chants. “What they learn is to sing together as their offering during the Mass.”

Practice in traditional hymns such as “All Glory, Laud, and Honor” and Gregorian chant adapted to English were also on the bill.

Wilson said she feels blessed to share her expertise with youth. 

She recalled that while studying musical performance and pedagogy at San Diego State University, she gained an appreciation for the beauty of the Church’s tradition of polyphonic singing. “I found myself singing polyphonic Masses at a secular university,” she observed, adding: “This music is for everybody.” 

Jeanne Marie Gerig, organist and music director at St. Thomas, told CNA that the canticle camp is just the beginning of an expanding parochial music program, especially for children. Gerig, a convert who was inspired to enter the Church because of its sacred music, said that while the parochial school has its own music program, home-schoolers and parents from other parishes are also seeking enrichment for their children.

“They will learn different settings of the Mass because every season should sound different. Easter should sound different, Christmas should sound different, and not just look different,” she said. “They will learn to read music, sing it, and sing in Mass.”

“Parents welcome the opportunity for kids to become more knowledgeable about singing music that is part of our heritage and used for liturgy,” Gerig said.

Gerig is an active member of the Catholic Music Association of America and continues to consult at parishes around the country, supported by offering online courses in Gregorian chant offered by the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music of California. She told CNA that she is especially pleased to offer such instruction to young people.

“By learning music, they can serve God and their community and contribute to the liturgy in a meaningful way, and help others to pray and worship,” she explained, adding that the goal is to offer the chant camp every summer. She hopes that the canticle camp will spark interest in the parish’s Laudate Youth Choir and the Pueri Cordis Jesu schola.

The parish’s choir directors also support these chant-based initiatives.

Hannah Bingham, a trained music educator and recent convert, told CNA that she will be directing three singing ensemble options for the Laudate Youth Choir, grouped according to age from 8 to adulthood.

“It’s open to any youth in the area who want to use their voice to glorify God,” she said, referring to nearby parishes where youth choirs haven’t been established. “We want to expose them to Masses at different parishes. We hope for a unifying and uplifting experience, not only spiritually but also building friendships and community.”

University of Michigan music major Lucia Skrobola will lead Puer Cordis Jesu, a schola choir for ages 8 to 18 focusing on Gregorian chant and Latin polyphonic hymns for the Mass in the extraordinary form at the parish. She said participants will sing at Mass monthly and at festivals.

“Gregorian chant is the prayer of the Mass. I’ve come to realize how beautiful it is and that it brings out the reverence of the liturgy in a way other music does not,” she said.