US & Canada

The Hope Border Institute and the Diocese of El Paso, led by Bishop Mark Seitz, announced yesterday an expansion of humanitarian support for migrants and asylum seekers in Ciudad Juárez through the Border Refugee Assistance Fund. Working in partnership with Jesuit Refugee Service Mexico and Derechos Humanos Integrales en Acción (DHIA), the initiative will provide emergency shelter, health care, ... Read More

The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops (FCCB) has appealed to Governor Ron DeSantis to stay two executions scheduled for next Tuesday, July 28, 2026. James Duckett is scheduled to be executed at noon for the 1987 murder of eleven-year-old Teresa McAbee. Dominick Occhicone, Jr is scheduled to die at 6pm for the 1986 murder of Martha Artzner. Occhicone also received a life sentence for the murde... Read More

This year the Feast Day of Saint Anne along with her husband Saint Joachim takes place on July 26, 2026. Saint Anne is the Patron Saint of Canada sharing that distinction with Saint Joseph, who is the primary saint of the country. She's also the Patroness of the Province of Quebec. French Canadian voyageurs and early fur traders held a deep devotion to Saint Anne, frequently praying to her for saf... Read More

On September 24, 2026, Archbishop Fulton J Sheen will be beatified in a Mass at The Dome at America's Center in St Louis, Missouri, presided over by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle. In preparation for this event, Canadian journalist Francisco Ruffolo reflects on his life. Venerable Servant of God Archbishop Fulton Sheen was both amazing and prophetic and well ahead of his times. He was really the firs... Read More

Pope Leo offered words of encouragement in his letter to the Conference of Major Superiors of Men (CMSM) in the United States, celebrating its 70th anniversary during the 2026 National Assembly, taking place in Phoenix, Arizona, with the theme, 'One in Christ: Communal Life Today.' Thanking God for the graces received over the past seven decades, he encouraged them "to continue offering a united, ... Read More

Twelve Provincial Ministers, representing the vast majority of male US Franciscan Religious, have made a direct appeal to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, to help stop the rising violence against Christians and other Palestinians in the Holy Land. In their appeal, dated June 16, 2026, the leaders specifically request that Mr Rubio "use all diplomatic leverage ... Read More

Pope Leo XIV sent a video message for the conclusion of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage in the United States and encouraged participants to draw from the Eucharist a source of renewal and unity. "May the Eucharist continue to be a source of renewal and unity for the United States and may it give the Church in the country the strength to evangelise and continue serving society," Pope Leo XIV s... Read More

Pope Leo expresses his prayers for all Americans in a letter commemorating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America, which falls today, July 4th, 2026 - with the hope that "the Spirit of 1776 continue to inspire hope and unity as the United States of America moves into the future." In the text, the US-born Holy Father reflected on the principles that have shaped the Un... Read More

As the United States prepares to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, on 4 July, Doctors Against Genocide (DAG) and Priests Against Genocide - USA (PAGUSA) sent a letter today to members of Congress calling for immediate action to end the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and uphold the founding ideals the nation is celebrating this year. The letter, signed by physicians a... Read More

Catholic bishops in Ohio have released a statement in preparation for America's 250th anniversary and as Haitians in Ohio await a Supreme Court ruling on their Temporary Protection Status. They wrote: "We reflect upon the promises of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and to worship God free from government intervention. We take seriously the truth that our rights come from God and recog... Read More

This year, 2026, marks the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the Martyrs Shrine in Midland, Ontario, Canada. It also marks the 400th anniversary since Jesuit Father Jean de Brebeuf landed in Huronia, the Land of the Hurons (now the Wendat First Nation) in 1626, to establish a mission. Over the next 23 years they learnt the local languages, studied the local history and culture and made many con... Read More

As the United States saw a sharp rise in executions of people on death row in 2025, the Executive Director of Catholic Mobilizing Network calls for US Catholics to uphold the Church's teaching on human dignity, from conception to natural death. In 2025, US states executed 47 men and women on death row, more than double the average number of executions over the past 10 years. "This is a marked, tra... Read More

US Catholic bishops from the dioceses of Tucson, Phoenix, Santa Fe, El Paso, among others, will be holding Border Mass 250, a binational gathering of faith, solidarity, and recognition of the contributions of immigrants in the context of the 250th anniversary of the United States at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 272 N Rodriguez St, Nogalez, Arizona, on Friday, 26 June. Border Mass 250 will foc... Read More

On June 11, 2026, as part of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the US bishops (USCCB) will consecrate the United States of America to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Catholics around the country are encouraged to join the bishops in celebrating the consecration of their nation to the Sacred Heart. The act of consecration initiative will be celeb... Read More