David Ryall, director of Jesuit Refugee Service UK, urged Catholics gathered for the Association of Provincial Bursars conference to walk in solidarity with refugees.
In his keynote speech, "Refugees and Migration in the U.K.: A Catholic Response to People Seeking Sanctuary," Ryall underscored the important role those working for Catholic organizations play in helping to "turn generosity into something practical and sustainable," according to an Oct. 13 report from Independent Catholic News.
Ryall further highlighted the importance of commitment to the preservation of human dignity and necessary reforms that should be made in the asylum system in the United Kingdom. The conference took place Oct. 5–7.
Priest in India arrested for molesting 5 minor boys
A Catholic priest in India has been arrested on charges of sexual assault against five minor boys.
Father Siprian Pinto of St. Vincent Ferrar Church at Valencia, Mangaluru, was arrested after one of the victims' families filed a complaint at the Mangaluru South Police Station on Oct. 15, according to a report from The Hindu.
The victim alleged that Pinto touched him inappropriately on several occasions and that when he confided in four of his friends about the sexual assault, they said they experienced the same thing, the report said. The boy's parents approached the bishop, who instructed them to file a complaint. An investigation is now underway, according to the report.
Maronite bishop appointed in Mexico
Father Milad Yaghi, a Lebanese priest serving in Houston, has been appointed by Pope Leo XIV as bishop of the Maronite Catholic community in Mexico, ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, reported Oct. 12.
Yaghi will serve in the Diocese of Our Lady of Martyrs of Lebanon in Mexico, and his episcopal ordination is scheduled for Feb. 2, 2027, in Harissa, Lebanon.
Yaghi was born in 1964 in the town of Shalifa Bekaa, Lebanon, and has served as a mentor for Christian youth in the country and as the personal secretary for the Maronite bishop of Our Lady of Lebanon in Los Angeles.
Father Elias Suleiman, superior general of the Lebanese Maronite Missionaries, expressed gratitude to Pope Leo XIV and to the Synod of the Maronite Bishops for choosing Yaghi to take care of the Mexican diocese.
Mauritius having 'very difficult time' amid violent unrest
Bishop Jean Michaël Durhône of the Diocese of Port-Louis in Mauritius has appealed for peace and nonviolence as the Indian Ocean island nation grapples with violent protests.
"I am a brother of Mauritius, a brother of the people of Rodrigues, and a brother and sister of everyone living in Mauritius, a country that is going through a very difficult time," he said in a message on Oct. 13, ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, reported.
"We are witnessing a situation of suffering and anger," he said of the unrest following demonstrations that erupted last week over water shortages and living costs and escalated after police shot and injured a 27-year-old woman on Oct. 9.
"We must take this situation seriously and ensure that people remain safe," Durhône said. "There are many people of goodwill working for peace. We are trying to bring everyone together so that peace can return to the country, a peace built on a commitment to non-violence."
Caritas conference in Cyprus highlights global survey on migrant children
Caritas Italy and Caritas Cyprus hosted a three-day meeting in Nicosia on "Migration in the Eastern Mediterranean: Challenges, Responsibilities, and European Perspectives," with protection of migrant children as one of the event's central themes.
"We believe migration policies must be accompanied by safe and legal pathways, as well as effective systems for reception and integration. Here in Cyprus, the need to look beyond borders — and not only political ones — could not be more evident," Paolo Valente, deputy director of Caritas Italy, said in an Oct. 7 press release.
Cecilia Nicoletti of Caritas Internationalis presented a global survey of 73 Caritas organizations on the topic of migrant children, which found "many are under 14 and are fleeing conflict, violence, persecution and the effects of climate change, at a time when the principle of non-refoulement is increasingly disregarded," according to the release. The conference also included sessions on migration routes, integration, and global migration.
Asia-Pacific Augustinians hold congress on digital evangelization
The Asia-Pacific Augustinian Conference (APAC) held its Mission Congress 2026 Oct. 5–11 on evangelizing in the digital age, missionary identity, and "interior tourism."
The congress took place at the pastoral center of the Archdiocese of Saigon in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, according to a Licas News report. Joseph Ðinh Ð?c Ð?o, bishop emeritus of the Diocese of Xuân L?c, called participants to view digital tools as "secondary to the interior disposition of the evangelizer," the report said. "If you do not have Christ in your heart, you cannot preach and share Him."
Father Augustine Huyn Tran, OAD, prior of the Discalced Augustinian Saigon Community, called for missionaries to stay rooted in their spiritual heritage while also using technology to serve their efforts to carry out real-life conversions.
During the opening Mass of the congress, Father Andrew Batayola, OSA, president of APAC, encouraged delegates to practice "interior tourism" by exploring the depths of their hearts through deliberate spiritual journey.
Chaldean Catholics gather in Rome for special Mass
Chaldean Catholics from Iraq and communities around the world gathered at St. Peter's Basilica for a Mass celebrated by Patriarch Paul III Nona.
With Aramaic hymns, traditional clothing, and Chaldean flags, the celebration brought together believers from different countries," ACI MENA reported Oct. 15. In his homily, Nona emphasized that true Christian unity comes through Christ while respecting each community's identity and traditions.
Chaldeans came to the event from Australia, Canada, the United States, and several European countries, as well as from Iraq, Egypt, and Syria.
Tanzanians urged to pray for founding president's canonization
Bishop Lazarus Vitalis Msimbe of Morogoro, Tanzania, has presented Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere as a role model for leaders, urging intensified prayers for the canonization of the country's first president.
"Let us continue praying for Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere," he said in a homily on Oct. 11, ACI Africa reported. "Twenty-seven years have passed since his death, but the process of declaring him a saint has already begun."
Nyerere, whose cause was initiated in 2005, served as prime minister of Tanganyika from 1961 to 1962 and as its president from 1962 to 1964. Following the union that established Tanzania in 1964, he became the East African nation's first president, serving until 1985. He died in 1999 at the age of 77.
"Some leaders, when defending a position and encountering opposition, eventually back down. However, Mwalimu Nyerere did not retreat from upholding the principles he believed were right and essential for the country's development," the bishop said.
UK bishops merge 3 dioceses
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales has concluded its consultation process with three dioceses merged at the request of Pope Leo XIV and the Dicastery for Bishops.
"The priests and deacons of the three dioceses engaged positively and constructively with the discussions about the possibility of a unified diocese being established by the Holy Father," the bishops said in the conclusion of the consultative report on the merging of the Leeds, Middlesbrough, and Hallam Dioceses, released Oct. 14.
Bishop Marcus Stock of Leeds said in the report that "the unification of the three dioceses would help to strengthen the mission of the local Church, support the work of evangelization more strategically, and provide greater opportunities to fulfill our responsibility to reach out to the poor and disadvantaged within our region."
