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We March with Selma event. / Credit: Via Flickr CC BY NC 2.0Washington D.C., Jan 20, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).Sister Mary Antona Ebo was the only Black Catholic nun who marched with civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, Alabama, in 1965."I'm here because I'm a Negro, a nun, a Catholic, and because I want to bear witness," Ebo said to fellow demonstrators at a March 10, 1965, protest attended by King.The protest took place three days after the "Bloody Sunday" clash, where police attacked several hundred voting rights demonstrators with clubs and tear gas, causing severe injuries among the nonviolent marchers. Sister Mary Antona Ebo died Nov. 11, 2017, in Bridgeton, Missouri, at the age of 93, the St. Louis Review reported at the time.After the "Bloody Sunday" attacks, King had called on church leaders from around the country to go to Selma. Archbishop Joseph E. Ritter of St. Louis asked his archdiocese's human rights commission to send representatives, Ebo recou...

We March with Selma event. / Credit: Via Flickr CC BY NC 2.0

Washington D.C., Jan 20, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).

Sister Mary Antona Ebo was the only Black Catholic nun who marched with civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, Alabama, in 1965.

"I'm here because I'm a Negro, a nun, a Catholic, and because I want to bear witness," Ebo said to fellow demonstrators at a March 10, 1965, protest attended by King.

The protest took place three days after the "Bloody Sunday" clash, where police attacked several hundred voting rights demonstrators with clubs and tear gas, causing severe injuries among the nonviolent marchers. 

Sister Mary Antona Ebo died Nov. 11, 2017, in Bridgeton, Missouri, at the age of 93, the St. Louis Review reported at the time.

After the "Bloody Sunday" attacks, King had called on church leaders from around the country to go to Selma. Archbishop Joseph E. Ritter of St. Louis asked his archdiocese's human rights commission to send representatives, Ebo recounted to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in 2015.

Ebo's supervisor, also a religious sister, asked her whether she would join a 50-member delegation of laymen, Protestant ministers, rabbis, priests, and five white nuns.

Just before she left for Alabama, she heard that a white minister who had traveled to Selma, James Reeb, had been severely attacked after he left a restaurant and later died from his injuries.

At the time, Ebo said, she wondered: "If they would beat a white minister to death on the streets of Selma, what are they going to do when I show up?"

In Selma on March 10, Ebo went to Brown Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church, joining local leaders and the demonstrators who had been injured in the clash.

"They had bandages on their heads, teeth were knocked out, crutches, casts on their arms. You could tell that they were freshly injured," she told the Post-Dispatch. "They had already been through the battleground, and they were still wanting to go back and finish the job."

Many of the injured were treated at Good Samaritan Hospital, run by Edmundite priests and the Sisters of St. Joseph, the only Selma hospital that served Blacks. Since their arrival in 1937, the Edmundites had faced intimidation and threats from local officials, other whites, and even the Ku Klux Klan, CNN reported.

The injured demonstrators and their supporters left the Selma church, with Ebo in front. They marched toward the courthouse, then were blocked by state troopers in riot gear. She and other demonstrators knelt to pray the Our Father before they agreed to turn around.

Despite the violent interruption, the 57-mile march drew 25,000 participants. It concluded on the steps of the state capitol in Montgomery with King's famous March 25 speech against racial prejudice.

"How long? Not long, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice," King said.

King would be dead within three years. On a fateful April 4, 1968, he was shot by an assassin at a Memphis hotel.

He had asked to be taken to a Catholic hospital should anything happen to him, and he was taken to St. Joseph Hospital in Memphis. At the time, it was a nursing school combined with a 400-bed hospital.

There, too, Catholic religious sisters played a role.

Sister Jane Marie Klein and Sister Anna Marie Hofmeyer recounted their story to The Paper of Montgomery County Online in January 2017.

The Franciscan nuns were walking around the hospital grounds when they heard the sirens of an ambulance. One of the sisters was paged three times, and they discovered that King had been shot and taken to their hospital.

The National Guard and local police locked down the hospital for security reasons as doctors tried to save King.

"We were obviously not allowed to go in when they were working with him because they were feverishly working with him," Klein said. "But after they pronounced him dead we did go back into the ER. There was a gentleman as big as the door guarding the door and he looked at us and said, 'You want in?' We said yes, we'd like to go pray with him. So he let the three of us in, closed the door behind us, and gave us our time."

Hofmeyer recounted the scene in the hospital room. "He had no chance," she said.

Klein said authorities delayed the announcement of King's death to prepare for riots they knew would result.

Three decades later, Klein met with King's widow, Coretta Scott King, at a meeting of the Catholic Health Association Board in Atlanta where King was a keynote speaker. The Franciscan sister and the widow of the civil rights leader told each other how they had spent that night.

Klein said being present that night in 1968 was "indescribable."

"You do what you got to do," she said. "What's the right thing to do? Hindsight? It was a privilege to be able to take care of him that night and to pray with him. Who would have ever thought that we would be that privileged?"

She said King's life shows "to some extent one person can make a difference." She wondered "how anybody could listen to Dr. King and not be moved to work toward breaking down these barriers."

Klein would serve as chairperson of the Franciscan Alliance Board of Trustees, overseeing support for health care. Hofmeyer would work in the alliance's archives. In 2021, both were living at the Provinciate at St. Francis Convent in Mishawaka, Indiana.

For her part, after Selma, Ebo would go on to serve as a hospital administrator and a chaplain.

In 1968 she helped found the National Black Sisters' Conference. The woman who had been rejected from several Catholic nursing schools because of her race would serve in her congregation's leadership as it reunited with another Franciscan order, and she served as a director of social concerns for the Missouri Catholic Conference.

She frequently spoke on civil rights topics. When controversy erupted over a Ferguson, Missouri, police officer's killing of Michael Brown, a Black man, she led a prayer vigil. She thought the Ferguson protests were comparable to those of Selma.

"I mean, after all, if Mike Brown really did swipe the box of cigars, it's not the policeman's place to shoot him dead," she said.

Archbishop Robert J. Carlson of St. Louis presided at her requiem Mass in November 2021, saying in a statement: "We will miss her living example of working for justice in the context of our Catholic faith."

A previous version of this article was originally published on CNA on Jan. 17, 2022.

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Former U.S. President Donald Trump walks on stage to deliver the keynote address at the Faith & Freedom Coalition's Road to Majority Policy Conference at the Washington Hilton on June 22, 2024 in Washington, DC. / Credit: Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty ImagesCNA Newsroom, Jan 20, 2025 / 06:29 am (CNA).Pope Francis sent a message to Donald Trump on the occasion of his inauguration as the 47th president of the United States on Monday, offering prayers for "wisdom, strength and protection" in the exercise of his duties and invoking blessings upon the "beloved American people".In the message, released by the Holy See Press Office on Jan. 20, the pontiff expressed hope that under Trump's leadership, the American people would "prosper and always strive to build a more just society.""Inspired by your nation's ideals of being a land of opportunity and welcome for all, it is my hope that under your leadership the American people will prosper and always strive to build a more just ...

Former U.S. President Donald Trump walks on stage to deliver the keynote address at the Faith & Freedom Coalition's Road to Majority Policy Conference at the Washington Hilton on June 22, 2024 in Washington, DC. / Credit: Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images

CNA Newsroom, Jan 20, 2025 / 06:29 am (CNA).

Pope Francis sent a message to Donald Trump on the occasion of his inauguration as the 47th president of the United States on Monday, offering prayers for "wisdom, strength and protection" in the exercise of his duties and invoking blessings upon the "beloved American people".

In the message, released by the Holy See Press Office on Jan. 20, the pontiff expressed hope that under Trump's leadership, the American people would "prosper and always strive to build a more just society."

"Inspired by your nation's ideals of being a land of opportunity and welcome for all, it is my hope that under your leadership the American people will prosper and always strive to build a more just society, where there is no room for hatred, discrimination or exclusion," Francis wrote.

The pope acknowledged the "numerous challenges" facing the human family, including "the scourge of war," and asked God to guide Trump's efforts in "promoting peace and reconciliation among peoples."

The message concluded with the Holy Father invoking "an abundance of divine blessings" upon President Trump, his family, and "the beloved American people."

One day earlier — on Sunday — Pope Francis criticized potential plans for mass deportations in the United States during a wide-ranging Italian television interview.

"If this is true it is a disgrace because it makes the poor unfortunate who have nothing pay the price of imbalance. This is not how things are solved," the pope said on Italian broadcaster Nove's "Che tempo che fa" program on Jan. 19, speaking about plans to deport immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally.

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During his Angelus address on Jan. 19, 2025, at the Vatican, Pope Francis thanked those who mediated the latest ceasefire in Gaza and expressed his hope that all hostages "may finally return home and embrace their loved ones" and for the opening of humanitarian corridors into Gaza. / Credit: Vatican MediaVatican City, Jan 19, 2025 / 10:35 am (CNA).Pope Francis on Sunday thanked the mediators who brokered the latest ceasefire deal in Gaza, which came into effect on Jan. 19. After praying the Angelus with thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square, the Holy Father said the ceasefire is an "important result" for the city, which has endured more than one year of fighting since Israel declared war on Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. "In recent days it was announced that the ceasefire in Gaza will come into effect today. I express my gratitude to all the mediators. It is a good job to mediate so that peace is made. Thank you to the mediators!" the pope exclaimed on Sunday."...

During his Angelus address on Jan. 19, 2025, at the Vatican, Pope Francis thanked those who mediated the latest ceasefire in Gaza and expressed his hope that all hostages "may finally return home and embrace their loved ones" and for the opening of humanitarian corridors into Gaza. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Jan 19, 2025 / 10:35 am (CNA).

Pope Francis on Sunday thanked the mediators who brokered the latest ceasefire deal in Gaza, which came into effect on Jan. 19. 

After praying the Angelus with thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square, the Holy Father said the ceasefire is an "important result" for the city, which has endured more than one year of fighting since Israel declared war on Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. 

"In recent days it was announced that the ceasefire in Gaza will come into effect today. I express my gratitude to all the mediators. It is a good job to mediate so that peace is made. Thank you to the mediators!" the pope exclaimed on Sunday.

"I hope that what has been agreed will be respected immediately by the parties," he added.

Thousands gather in St. Peter's Square to pray the Angelus with Pope Francis on Jan. 19, 2025. After the prayer, the Holy Father thanked the mediators who brokered the latest ceasefire deal in Gaza, saying he hopes the agreement "will be respected immediately by the parties.
Thousands gather in St. Peter's Square to pray the Angelus with Pope Francis on Jan. 19, 2025. After the prayer, the Holy Father thanked the mediators who brokered the latest ceasefire deal in Gaza, saying he hopes the agreement "will be respected immediately by the parties." Credit: Vatican Media

During his Angelus address, the Holy Father also expressed his hope that all hostages "may finally return home and embrace their loved ones" and for the opening of humanitarian corridors into Gaza.    

"I pray a lot for them and for their families," he told his listeners on Sunday. "I also hope that humanitarian aid will reach the people of Gaza, who so urgently need it, even faster and in large quantities."

Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, Francis has consistently called for the release of all Israeli and Palestinian hostages and urged leaders to advance "dialogue, reconciliation, and peace."  

"Both the Israelis and the Palestinians need clear signs of hope: I trust that the political authorities of both of them, with the help of the international community, may reach the right solution for the two states," he said. 

After praying the Angelus with thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square on Jan. 19, 2025, the Holy Father said the ceasefire in Gaza is an
After praying the Angelus with thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square on Jan. 19, 2025, the Holy Father said the ceasefire in Gaza is an "important result" for the city, which has endured more than one year of fighting since Israel declared war on Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. Credit: Vatican Media

In addition to those suffering in Palestine and Israel because of war, the Holy Father also reminded people to "pray always" for those in Ukraine, Myanmar, and other countries ravaged by conflict and violence. 

Speaking on the significance of the Jubilee Year of Hope and the recent release of more than 550 Cuban prisoners, the Holy Father also reiterated the need for "gestures of great hope" to extend to those in jail.

"I hope that in the coming months, we will continue to undertake initiatives of this type, which instill confidence in the journey of people and populations," he said on Sunday.

To mark the octave of Christian unity — which began on Jan. 18 and concludes on the Jan. 25 feast of the conversion of St. Paul — the Holy Father prayed: "Let us not cease to invoke from God the precious gift of full communion between all the Lord's disciples."

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Pope Francis addresses pilgrims gathered for Mass on the solemnity of the Epiphany on Jan. 6, 2025, in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNACNA Newsroom, Jan 19, 2025 / 22:26 pm (CNA).Pope Francis criticized potential plans for mass deportations in the United States under President-elect Donald Trump during a wide-ranging Italian television interview on Sunday."If this is true it is a disgrace because it makes the poor unfortunate who have nothing pay the price of imbalance. This is not how things are solved," the pope said on Italian broadcaster Nove's "Che tempo che fa" program on Jan. 19, speaking about plans to deport immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally.  The U.S. bishops said in November they would speak out forcefully if President Trump does advance the proposal in a way that undermines human dignity. There are an estimated 11.7 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S., according to July 2023 statistics from the Center for Migr...

Pope Francis addresses pilgrims gathered for Mass on the solemnity of the Epiphany on Jan. 6, 2025, in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

CNA Newsroom, Jan 19, 2025 / 22:26 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis criticized potential plans for mass deportations in the United States under President-elect Donald Trump during a wide-ranging Italian television interview on Sunday.

"If this is true it is a disgrace because it makes the poor unfortunate who have nothing pay the price of imbalance. This is not how things are solved," the pope said on Italian broadcaster Nove's "Che tempo che fa" program on Jan. 19, speaking about plans to deport immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally.  

The U.S. bishops said in November they would speak out forcefully if President Trump does advance the proposal in a way that undermines human dignity. 

There are an estimated 11.7 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S., according to July 2023 statistics from the Center for Migration Studies.

Pope announces female president for Vatican City

Francis also announced that Sister Raffaella Petrini will become the first female president of the Vatican City State governorate this March, elevating her from her current position as Secretary General.

"The work of women in the Curia has progressed slowly but effectively. Now, we have many," Pope Francis said during the televised conversation.

The appointment of Sister Petrini will take effect following the retirement of Cardinal Fernando Vérgez Alzaga from his current position as President of the Governorate.

"Women manage better than we do," he asserted, reported ACI Stampa, CNA's Italian language partner agency.

The appointment follows that of Sister Simona Brambilla as Prefect of the Dicastery for Consecrated Life.

Call for peace and Jubilee hope

The Holy Father also addressed ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, Palestine, and Israel during the interview. "War is always a defeat," the pontiff proclaimed, emphasizing the vital importance of negotiations and peace-building efforts.

Reflecting on the current Jubilee Year, Pope Francis stressed that pilgrimages to Rome's Holy Door must be undertaken with genuine religious intent: "If you come to Rome and visit the Holy Door as a tourist, without a religious purpose, it serves no purpose."

The interview marked the pope's third appearance on the program.

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During his Angelus address on Jan. 19, 2025, at the Vatican, Pope Francis thanked those who mediated the latest cease-fire in Gaza and expressed his hope that all hostages "may finally return home and embrace their loved ones" and for the opening of humanitarian corridors into Gaza. / Credit: Vatican MediaRome Newsroom, Jan 19, 2025 / 10:35 am (CNA).Pope Francis on Sunday thanked the mediators who brokered the latest cease-fire deal in Gaza which came into effect on Jan. 19. After praying the Angelus with thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square, the Holy Father said the cease-fire is an "important result" for the city, which has endured more than one year of fighting since Israel declared war on Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. "In recent days it was announced that the cease-fire in Gaza will come into effect today. I express my gratitude to all the mediators. It is a good job to mediate so that peace is made. Thank you to the mediators!" the pope exclaimed on Sund...

During his Angelus address on Jan. 19, 2025, at the Vatican, Pope Francis thanked those who mediated the latest cease-fire in Gaza and expressed his hope that all hostages "may finally return home and embrace their loved ones" and for the opening of humanitarian corridors into Gaza. / Credit: Vatican Media

Rome Newsroom, Jan 19, 2025 / 10:35 am (CNA).

Pope Francis on Sunday thanked the mediators who brokered the latest cease-fire deal in Gaza which came into effect on Jan. 19. 

After praying the Angelus with thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square, the Holy Father said the cease-fire is an "important result" for the city, which has endured more than one year of fighting since Israel declared war on Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. 

"In recent days it was announced that the cease-fire in Gaza will come into effect today. I express my gratitude to all the mediators. It is a good job to mediate so that peace is made. Thank you to the mediators!" the pope exclaimed on Sunday. 

"I hope that what has been agreed will be respected immediately by the parties," he added.

Thousands gathered in St. Peter's Square to pray the Angelus with Pope Francis on Jan. 19, 2025. After the prayer, the Holy Father thanked the mediators who brokered the latest cease-fire deal in Gaza saying he hopes the agreement "will be respected immediately by the parties.
Thousands gathered in St. Peter's Square to pray the Angelus with Pope Francis on Jan. 19, 2025. After the prayer, the Holy Father thanked the mediators who brokered the latest cease-fire deal in Gaza saying he hopes the agreement "will be respected immediately by the parties.". Credit: Vatican Media

During his Angelus address, the Holy Father also expressed his hope that all hostages "may finally return home and embrace their loved ones" and for the opening of humanitarian corridors into Gaza.    

"I pray a lot for them and for their families," he told his listeners on Sunday. "I also hope that humanitarian aid will reach the people of Gaza, who so urgently need it, even faster and in large quantities."

Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, Francis has consistently called for the release of all Israeli and Palestinian hostages and urged leaders to advance "dialogue, reconciliation, and peace."  

"Both the Israelis and the Palestinians need clear signs of hope: I trust that the political authorities of both of them, with the help of the international community, may reach the right solution for the two states," he said. 

After praying the Angelus with thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square on Jan. 19, 2025,, the Holy Father said the cease-fire in Gaza is an
After praying the Angelus with thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square on Jan. 19, 2025,, the Holy Father said the cease-fire in Gaza is an "important result" for the city which has endured more than one year of fighting since Israel declared war on Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. Credit: Vatican Media

In addition to those suffering in Palestine and Israel because of war, the Holy Father also reminded people to "pray always" for those in Ukraine, Myanmar, and other countries ravaged by conflict and violence. 

Speaking on the significance of the Jubilee Year of Hope and the recent release of more than 550 Cuban prisoners, the Holy Father also reiterated the need for "gestures of great hope" to extend to those in jail.

"I hope that in the coming months, we will continue to undertake initiatives of this type, which instill confidence in the journey of people and populations," he said on Sunday.

To mark the octave of Christian unity — which began on Jan. 18 and concludes on the Jan. 25 feast of the conversion of St. Paul — the Holy Father prayed: "Let us not cease to invoke from God the precious gift of full communion between all the Lord's disciples."

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Catholics attend Mass via the Apostleship of the Sea Ministry in Honolulu, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. / Credit: Deacon Marlowe SabaterCNA Staff, Jan 19, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).A recently launched ministry in Hawaii is bringing the Church to fishermen and other seafarers whose long hours and remote work renders them an "invisible part of the body of Christ."Honolulu Bishop Larry Silva launched the Hawaii Apostleship of the Sea Ministry out of the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa late last year. He put Deacon Marlowe Sabater, ordained in January of last year, in charge of the new program.Catholics attend Mass via the Apostleship of the Sea Ministry in Honolulu, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. Credit: Deacon Marlowe SabaterIn an interview with CNA, Sabater said the initiative was created specifically to minister to seafarers, who make up a considerable portion of the Hawaiian economy. Seafarers "include foreign fishermen working for the Hawaii longline fishery and crew from cruise and cargo ships,...

Catholics attend Mass via the Apostleship of the Sea Ministry in Honolulu, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. / Credit: Deacon Marlowe Sabater

CNA Staff, Jan 19, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

A recently launched ministry in Hawaii is bringing the Church to fishermen and other seafarers whose long hours and remote work renders them an "invisible part of the body of Christ."

Honolulu Bishop Larry Silva launched the Hawaii Apostleship of the Sea Ministry out of the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa late last year. He put Deacon Marlowe Sabater, ordained in January of last year, in charge of the new program.

Catholics attend Mass via the Apostleship of the Sea Ministry in Honolulu, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. Credit: Deacon Marlowe Sabater
Catholics attend Mass via the Apostleship of the Sea Ministry in Honolulu, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. Credit: Deacon Marlowe Sabater

In an interview with CNA, Sabater said the initiative was created specifically to minister to seafarers, who make up a considerable portion of the Hawaiian economy. Seafarers "include foreign fishermen working for the Hawaii longline fishery and crew from cruise and cargo ships," the deacon said. 

Sabater pointed to St. Paul's words in 1 Cor 12:12 in which the evangelist wrote: "As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ."

"The seafarer is an invisible body part that is out of sight [and] out of mind," he said. The Vatican's Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development "calls for us to minister and advocate for their rights and dignity."

The ministry is currently in its infancy, the deacon noted, and is working to spread the program to various parishes. At present the ministry offers evangelization and fellowship to fishermen at the Port of Honolulu via the services of two priests and two deacons. 

"The ministries also provide the material needs of seafarers, such as clothing and food for their work and daily consumption," he said. The Catholic apostleship partners with a similar ministry at Waipio Community Baptist Church, he noted.

This is not the only Catholic ministry that brings the sacraments to those who work long hours on the water. The Archdiocese of Seattle partners with several other Christian churches in that city to care for maritime workers from around the world.

As in Hawaii, Catholic seafarers in Seattle are able to access the sacraments, including the Eucharist, through the ministry. It also offers practical services such as SIM cards for cellphones and transportation to shopping near the shore. 

Sabater said the Hawaii program is currently focused on longline fishermen in Honolulu itself. "In the future, we will expand to ministering to crew members onboard cruise and cargo ships," he said. 

The ministry plans to partner with the Apostleship of the Sea, a professional association of Catholic maritime ministers.

Seafarers "play a significant role in providing food for our table, transporting our goods, and catering to our enjoyment at sea," the deacon said.

But "their pastoral needs are hampered by the nature of their work and the conditions of their labor," he added.

"We are called to serve every member of the human family," Sabater said, "including those who spend a significant amount of time out at sea risking their lives to serve, fish, entertain, deliver, and make life easier for us."

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On Feb. 3, 2025, at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Father John Yongli Chen will celebrate an evening Mass in Mandarin, his native language, in recognition of the Chinese New Year. Chen is pastor of St. Ann Parish in Ortonville, Michigan. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Fr. John Yongli ChenAnn Arbor, Michigan, Jan 19, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).This year, Jan. 29 marks the Lunar New Year, a 15-day annual celebration in China and Asian communities that begins with the new moon and falls somewhere between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20 on Western calendars. Many Chinese Catholics celebrate by attending Mass to thank God for blessings received and a parish in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is preparing to do just that.On Feb. 3 at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, Father John Yongli Chen will celebrate an evening Mass in Mandarin, his native language, to welcome in the Chinese New Year. A dinner and live traditional Chinese music will follow at the parish, which is in the Diocese of Lan...

On Feb. 3, 2025, at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Father John Yongli Chen will celebrate an evening Mass in Mandarin, his native language, in recognition of the Chinese New Year. Chen is pastor of St. Ann Parish in Ortonville, Michigan. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Fr. John Yongli Chen

Ann Arbor, Michigan, Jan 19, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

This year, Jan. 29 marks the Lunar New Year, a 15-day annual celebration in China and Asian communities that begins with the new moon and falls somewhere between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20 on Western calendars. Many Chinese Catholics celebrate by attending Mass to thank God for blessings received and a parish in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is preparing to do just that.

On Feb. 3 at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, Father John Yongli Chen will celebrate an evening Mass in Mandarin, his native language, to welcome in the Chinese New Year. A dinner and live traditional Chinese music will follow at the parish, which is in the Diocese of Lansing.

Chen is pastor of St. Ann Parish in Ortonville, Michigan, and was invited by Father William Ashbaugh, pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle, to celebrate the New Year Mass with the Chinese community there.

The symbols of the Lunar New Year, including the animals of the Chinese zodiac, are incorporated into Masses. Dance, gifts, and prayers for the dead also characterize the celebration.

Chen was ordained in China in 2011 and became pastor of St. Ann in 2023. He began his seminary studies in Xinjiang and completed them at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. He holds a doctorate in theology from St. Paul University in Ottawa, Canada, and taught theology and philosophy at the National Seminary in China.

In an interview with CNA, Chen said life for Catholics and other Christians in China can be difficult. Describing the process known as sinicization, or government control of Church functions, he said this means "everything is under the guidance of communist ideology. My family must apply for a permit to go to church. Officials register them and decide whether to allow them permission."

Chen recalled that in China, he and other students and faculty were forced to participate in a Mass celebrated by an illicitly ordained bishop of the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, which is controlled by China's communist government but not recognized by the Catholic Church. When Chen refused to comply with communist mandates, his teaching career at the National Seminary in Beijing was terminated by the rector, who forced him to leave.

Recognizing the difficulties believers face in Xinjiang, his home province, and elsewhere in China, Chen lamented he cannot serve his countrymen. "I came from the other side of the world where the government persecutes religion. But don't feel sorry for me. Be thankful as we suffer with Christ and celebrate our faith and Church that we share," he said.

Chen said his parents and grandparents were faithful Catholics even though churches were scarce in Xinjiang. "We saw churches only in pictures while I was growing up," he said, adding: "We prayed as a family and celebrated Mass in our 'house church' at home about six times a year. There were no parish churches, but we would sometimes go to other homes for worship."

"That is what made us what we are today, and I want to share my experiences and the understanding of my faith with others," he said.

Dr. L. Gregory Bloomquist of St. Paul University, who directed Chen's thesis at St. Paul University, lauded his former student, writing that because of the priest's persecution, he came to embody St. Paul, "becoming a child, as Jesus taught, in order to become like Christ and thus, in Father John's case, a true father."

Ann Arbor has a significant Chinese community, largely because of the campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, which attracts students and professionals from around the world. 

St. Thomas Parish sponsored an Alpha course for Chinese inquirers in the fall of 2024, which Chen attended in November. This will be followed by a course in Scripture and then confirmation of catechumens at Easter. 

St. Thomas parishioner Monica Cai, whose husband, Dr. Peter Cai, practices medicine in Ann Arbor, said she and her husband have celebrated the Lunar New Year with his Christian parents ever since they married 15 years ago. "It's a lot like Thanksgiving," Cai said.

An American cradle Catholic and home-schooling mother, Cai said they always start the celebration and family reunion with prayer.

"Last year was the first time we celebrated a new year Mass with a large group of Chinese Catholics. Before the Alpha course, we didn't know many Chinese people. We learned that there is a Chinese Catholic community that we didn't know about. So we are really grateful to Alpha because it is a treasure trove of relationships that we wouldn't have had otherwise."

Chinese and Vietnamese expatriates, as well as other communities, celebrate the Lunar New Year. In Chinese neighborhoods in the U.S., including San Francisco, the day is marked by parades, feasting, and family reunions. Originally, what is also known as the Spring Festival was intended to honor ancestors and Chinese deities. This year will be the Year of the Snake.

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The Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center. / Credit: Father David SteffyCNA Staff, Jan 18, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).Catholic leaders in the Holy Land expressed cautious optimism this week that pilgrims will be able to return to the region amid a new ceasefire and hostage release agreement in Gaza, which is expected to go into effect on Sunday.While welcoming the ceasefire as a crucial step to end violence and address urgent humanitarian needs, the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land (ACOHL), which includes bishops, exarchs, and eparchs from across the region, emphasized in a Jan. 16 statement that lasting peace requires addressing the root causes of the conflict."Genuine and lasting peace can only be achieved through a just solution that addresses the origin of this long-standing struggle. This requires a long process, a willingness to acknowledge each other's suffering, and a focused education in trust that leads to overcoming fear of the other and the justification of viol...

The Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center. / Credit: Father David Steffy

CNA Staff, Jan 18, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Catholic leaders in the Holy Land expressed cautious optimism this week that pilgrims will be able to return to the region amid a new ceasefire and hostage release agreement in Gaza, which is expected to go into effect on Sunday.

While welcoming the ceasefire as a crucial step to end violence and address urgent humanitarian needs, the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land (ACOHL), which includes bishops, exarchs, and eparchs from across the region, emphasized in a Jan. 16 statement that lasting peace requires addressing the root causes of the conflict.

"Genuine and lasting peace can only be achieved through a just solution that addresses the origin of this long-standing struggle. This requires a long process, a willingness to acknowledge each other's suffering, and a focused education in trust that leads to overcoming fear of the other and the justification of violence as a political tool," the Catholic leaders wrote.

The leaders said they "eagerly await" the return of pilgrims to the holy places in the Holy Land. Visitation to the Holy Land by foreign pilgrims, a vital part of the livelihoods of many of the region's Christians, dropped sharply following the October 2023 start of the war.

"The holy places are meant to be places of prayer and peace, and we long for the day when pilgrims can visit them again in safety and spiritual joy," the ordinaries said.

Several of the most significant sacred sites in the Holy Land, including the churches of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, the Annunciation in Nazareth, and the Nativity in Bethlehem, have been designated as pilgrimage sites for the Church's 2025 Jubilee Year, raising hopes that pilgrims may flock to them once again after more than a year of greatly diminished crowds.

"Despite the pain we have suffered, we continue to look to the future with unwavering hope. May this ceasefire inspire new efforts for dialogue, mutual understanding, and lasting peace for all. At the beginning of the jubilee year dedicated to hope that does not disappoint, we read in this event a sign that reminds us of God's faithfulness."

Late Friday, Israel's full Cabinet approved the ceasefire and hostage release deal, which also includes provisions for a major influx of humanitarian aid and was brokered by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt. Under the first 42-day phase of the deal, Hamas forces are expected to release 33 women, children, elderly, and wounded Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian women and children.

Catholic tour operators eager to return to region

In the United States, Catholic pilgrimage leaders also expressed optimism, saying their partners on the ground in the Holy Land are hopeful that the ceasefire will hold and perhaps even end the war. 

Steve Ray, a Catholic convert and speaker who has visited the Holy Land more than 200 times and runs a pilgrimage service, told CNA that the service is planning its next Holy Land pilgrimage for March and hopes to have "time to get the message out" to prospective pilgrims.

Steve Ray, front-center in black hat, leads a pilgrimage group to the Holy Land that left the region just prior to the start of the Oct. 7, 2023, conflict. Credit: Courtesy of Steve Ray
Steve Ray, front-center in black hat, leads a pilgrimage group to the Holy Land that left the region just prior to the start of the Oct. 7, 2023, conflict. Credit: Courtesy of Steve Ray

Ray said many Christians on the ground in the Holy Land that he has heard from are optimistic about the ceasefire and eager to rebuild their livelihoods through a rebounding of visitation to the region.

However, Ray said the perception of continued danger is still keeping Americans away from Holy Land pilgrimages, despite what Ray described as a relatively safe security situation in Israel for tourists, even amid the fighting in Gaza. Ray said he hopes the ceasefire will hold and that prospective pilgrims will be inspired to give the Holy Land another look.

"People are going to want to wait and watch for a while," he said. "Americans are going to want to know it's safe."

Milanka Lachman, founder of Tennessee-based 206 Tours, told CNA that she, too, perceives optimism from her partners in the Holy Land about the staying power of the current ceasefire.

206 Tours operates Catholic pilgrimages in 33 countries, with the Holy Land as its No. 1 destination, sending approximately 100 groups per year, Lachman said, but the COVID-19 pandemic followed by the current conflicts has "really crushed our partners and guides in the Holy Land."

That said, "I believe that this is it … I believe that the war is over," Lachman told CNA by email.

"Our plan now is to let several thousand pilgrims whose scheduled pilgrimages were affected over the past years as well as our priests and group leaders know that we plan to resume this summer with our regularly scheduled departures … and that we will take any group requests from November 2025 on," she said.

Milanka Lachman and her husband, Charles, with Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem. Credit: Photo courtesy of Milanka Lachman
Milanka Lachman and her husband, Charles, with Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem. Credit: Photo courtesy of Milanka Lachman

While noting that she cannot guarantee anyone's safety in the Holy Land — no one can — Lachman encouraged Catholics in the U.S. to consider a trip, in part as a way of supporting the region's Christians.

"Let's go back to the Holy Land, and God please make the Israel-Hamas peace deal last," she concluded.

Pilgrims on a pilgrimage organized by 206 Tours kneel in the Church of the Primacy of Saint Peter in Tabgha, Israel. Credit: Photo courtesy of 206 Tours
Pilgrims on a pilgrimage organized by 206 Tours kneel in the Church of the Primacy of Saint Peter in Tabgha, Israel. Credit: Photo courtesy of 206 Tours

Father David Steffy, LC, an American priest who directs the Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center, a famous refuge for pilgrims to the Holy Land, told CNA he is hopeful that the ceasefire "will encourage tour agencies to start organizing trips again."

While usually welcoming large numbers of American pilgrims, Steffy said lately the center has had only a few pilgrim groups visiting, mainly from the Philippines, Korea, and other Far East countries. They recently welcomed a group of about 30 Americans, the largest such group in "the last several months." Many major U.S. airlines still are not flying to the Holy Land, he noted.

He reiterated, as he did when speaking to CNA in October 2023, that the dearth of pilgrims has caused great suffering for the Christian community who work in the tourism industry, including employees of the Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center.

"The strain on families and the local economy has been devastating, especially for the local Christian community," Steffy told CNA.

"We are encouraging pilgrim groups to return and His Beatitude Cardinal [Pierbattista] Pizzaballa [the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem] often speaks about the role pilgrims play in helping the Holy Land recover and heal from the consequences of the war and hostilities of the past year. We expect that by September perhaps visiting groups of pilgrims will be about 60% of what would be normal."

Terra Dei, a pilgrimage tour operator with 14 employees in the Holy Land since 2013, saw a precipitous drop in visitation after the start of the Gaza conflict, with at least 75 pilgrim groups canceling their reservations after October 2023 and 70 groups canceling for 2024.

José Manuel Gude, a business developer for Terra Dei based in Jerusalem, told CNA by email that the group has already received messages from "previous customers or from people willing to come" on pilgrimage about how the ceasefire might change the security situation. Similar to Ray, he said Israel itself, and the holy sites, were very secure even before the ceasefire, but foreign pilgrims — especially Catholics, he says — remain wary.

"Most [people] have the idea that a pilgrimage to the Holy Land now is dangerous and will not come until a ceasefire is signed," Gude said.

"It is understandable because what they see in the news are images of the war and it may seem that the whole country is a battlefield, when in reality life in Israel goes on totally normal."

Gude echoed Lachman by saying he hopes Catholics will view a Holy Land pilgrimage with a "sense of mission," as a way of supporting the Christians in the region who depend so highly on pilgrim groups. 

"[It] is precisely now when their presence is [most] needed among the local Christian community, which takes care of the holy sites and employs in the religious tourism sector an important proportion of its population, especially in Bethlehem," he said.

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Members of the Episcopal Conference of Benin. / Credit: Episcopal Conference of BeninACI Africa, Jan 18, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).Members of the Episcopal Conference of Benin (CEB) have appealed for calm ahead of the West African country's 2026 general elections.In a statement issued at the end of their four-day plenary assembly that ended Jan. 10, Benin's Catholic bishops said that diversity in opinions should be a "source of strength" for the country's democracy and called for unity amid what they describe as "diverse interests and political differences in the country.""As our country heads towards the general elections of 2026, the bishops of Benin once again make an urgent appeal for the political atmosphere to be eased," they said in their statement shared with ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa, on Jan. 14."Diversity of opinions and parties should never be a source of division, but rather a source of strength for our democracy," CEB members added. "Indeed, beyond parti...

Members of the Episcopal Conference of Benin. / Credit: Episcopal Conference of Benin

ACI Africa, Jan 18, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Members of the Episcopal Conference of Benin (CEB) have appealed for calm ahead of the West African country's 2026 general elections.

In a statement issued at the end of their four-day plenary assembly that ended Jan. 10, Benin's Catholic bishops said that diversity in opinions should be a "source of strength" for the country's democracy and called for unity amid what they describe as "diverse interests and political differences in the country."

"As our country heads towards the general elections of 2026, the bishops of Benin once again make an urgent appeal for the political atmosphere to be eased," they said in their statement shared with ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa, on Jan. 14.

"Diversity of opinions and parties should never be a source of division, but rather a source of strength for our democracy," CEB members added. "Indeed, beyond partisan interests and political differences, what unites us as Beninese people is much stronger than what could divide us."

Scheduled for April 2026, Benin's general elections are to include municipal, legislative, and presidential votes. Presidential candidates must submit their applications by October 2025, six months before the election.

President Patrice Talon, currently serving his second and final constitutional term, has reportedly said that he does not intend to amend the constitution to seek reelection.

Benin's Catholic bishops have urged political leaders, opinion-makers, and all Beninese citizens to commit themselves resolutely to a spirit of sincere dialogue, mutual listening, and national reconciliation.

In their latest statement, they stressed the importance of a climate of peace and trust, which they say is essential to guarantee the smooth running of the country's planned elections.

"This climate must be underpinned by inclusive governance and fair management of electoral processes so that everyone feels part of the construction of our common future," they said, inviting everyone, whatever their position or political affiliation, "to demonstrate great responsibility and sincere commitment to serving the supreme interest of the nation."

Reminding the Beninese of the country's motto, "Fraternity, Justice, Work," CEB members said: "This unity, rooted in our shared history and cultural heritage, is the foundation on which we must build a strong and prosperous nation."

The bishops prayed that the peace of Christ will enlighten the hearts and guide the actions of all those in charge of the destiny of Benin.

The bishops further expressed their closeness with families bereaved by the loss of soldiers killed in the jihadist attack that took place on Jan. 8 near the triple border between Benin, Niger, and Burkina Faso.

A jihadist formation from Burkina Faso reportedly attacked the border post, killing at least 28 Beninese soldiers. The attack was claimed by the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims, which is affiliated with al-Qaida.

In their collective statement, the bishops noted that the soldiers who were killed "fell at the front in the performance of their duty" and implored: "May the God of infinite mercies welcome their souls into his light and console the hearts that have been tested by this tragedy."

Meanwhile, Benin's bishops have expressed their concern about the growth of cybercrime in the country, which they say attracts many young people with "the promise of easy profits."

"In their quest for easy money, many young people continue to swindle, posing a permanent threat to the security and peace of mind of our peaceful citizens," CEB members said, expressing their "urgent call to conversion" and reminding youths in Benin that ill-gotten gains never pay off.

The Catholic Church leaders invited educators at various levels — parents, chaplains, and youth group leaders — to assume their full responsibility and to work each according to his or her charisma and specific mission so that urgent measures can be taken to save the young people, who they say are "on the road to perdition."

The bishops also urged the country's authorities to strengthen legal and technological measures to eradicate cybercrime while promoting digital education and the responsible use of technology.

This story was first published by ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa, and has been adapted by CNA.

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U.S. Supreme Court. / Credit: PT Hamilton/ShutterstockWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Jan 17, 2025 / 19:00 pm (CNA).The United States Supreme Court agreed to hear a case that will determine whether parents have a right to opt their children out of public school coursework that promotes homosexuality, transgenderism, and sexual content.Catholic, Orthodox, and Muslim parents are suing the Montgomery County, Maryland Board of Education over a policy that prohibits parents from opting their children out of coursework that promotes gender ideology to children as young as 3 or 4 years old.Supreme Court justices will likely hear the religious freedom case this spring.The parents, who are represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, have argued that the board's refusal to allow opt-outs violates their First Amendment right to direct the religious upbringing of their children. The parents argue that the concepts promoted in the coursework conflict with their religious beliefs."The S...

U.S. Supreme Court. / Credit: PT Hamilton/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jan 17, 2025 / 19:00 pm (CNA).

The United States Supreme Court agreed to hear a case that will determine whether parents have a right to opt their children out of public school coursework that promotes homosexuality, transgenderism, and sexual content.

Catholic, Orthodox, and Muslim parents are suing the Montgomery County, Maryland Board of Education over a policy that prohibits parents from opting their children out of coursework that promotes gender ideology to children as young as 3 or 4 years old.

Supreme Court justices will likely hear the religious freedom case this spring.

The parents, who are represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, have argued that the board's refusal to allow opt-outs violates their First Amendment right to direct the religious upbringing of their children. The parents argue that the concepts promoted in the coursework conflict with their religious beliefs.

"The School Board has pushed inappropriate gender indoctrination on our children instead of focusing on the fundamental areas of education that they need to thrive," Grace Morrison, who serves on the board of the Kids First association, said in a statement.

"I pray the Supreme Court will stop this injustice, allow parents to raise their children according to their faith, and restore common sense in Maryland once again," Morrison said.

One book called "Pride Puppy!" teaches preschool children the alphabet with a story about a homosexual pride parade, which introduces children to words like "drag queen," "leather," and "zipper." It also introduces young children to Marsha B. Johnson — a drag queen, gay rights activists and temporarily a prostitute.

The lawsuit was filed in May 2023.

The school district decided in October 2024 to remove "Pride Puppy!" and one other book from the school curriculum, but kept them in libraries. Numerous other books that promote gender ideology still remain in the mandatory curriculum for all students. 

"Cramming down controversial gender ideology on three-year-olds without their parents' permission is an affront to our nation's traditions, parental rights, and basic human decency," Eric Baxter, vice president and senior counsel at Becket, said in a statement.

"The Court must make clear: parents, not the state, should be the ones deciding how and when to introduce their children to sensitive issues about gender and sexuality." Baxter added. 

The parents are not seeking to have the books banned from the school, but rather are asking for the opportunity to opt their children out of the coursework.

A survey released by Becket earlier this week found that 77% of Americans believe parents should be able to opt their children out of public school coursework that promotes concepts of gender identity and sexuality that conflict with the religious beliefs of the parents. Only 23% of people disagreed with opt-outs.

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