(OSV News) -- "You are not alone," said Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez of Philadelphia -- the son of Cuban exiles -- addressing migrants in a July 23 pastoral letter on immigration.

The archbishop assured migrants that "the Church is a community of faith, and the divine person of Christ, who was forced to flee his homeland as a child, holds you in his compassionate arms."

Archbishop Pérez's letter -- posted in both English and Spanish to CatholicPhilly.com, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia's media outlet -- adds to a growing chorus from U.S. Catholic prelates who have expressed grave concerns over the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration to the U.S.

The archbishop's reflection follows a Jan. 30 statement in which he called for "serious and carefully thought out immigration policy reforms … that will blend dignity, mercy, and justice."

Following through on a campaign pledge, President Donald Trump has sought to purge the nation of what Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has called "criminal" and "illegal aliens."

Among the administration’s efforts are terminating protected status for migrants from several conflict-wrought nations; fully or partly banning travel to the U.S. from several nations; ordering Immigration and Customs Enforcement to meet daily arrest quotas of 3,000; halting visa interviews for foreign students; attempting to end birthright citizenship; and deporting individuals without permanent legal status in the U.S. to third countries in defiance of court orders.

While the administration claims to target criminal actors in its sweeps, several high-profile arrests and deportations have impacted individuals with no demonstrated criminal record. Some 71.5% (40,643) of the 56,813 held in ICE detention as of July 13 have no criminal conviction, other than entering the U.S. without permission, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University. The TRAC team also noted that "many of those convicted committed only minor offenses, including traffic violations.

Among those who have so far spoken out against the Trump administration's iron-fisted approach are Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. military archdiocese, who is president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, who called for prayer and for restraint amid violent clashes in that city over immigration arrests; Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami, whose archdiocese is home to large expatriate Haitian and Cuban communities and who recently led prayer outside the controversial Alligator Alcatraz migrant detention facility located in the Venice Diocese; and San Diego Bishop Michael M. Pham, who was born in Vietnam and fled to the U.S. as a 13-year-old refugee in 1980, along with his older sister and younger brother.

"Recent news reports detailing the arrest of immigrants throughout the country, including the Philadelphia region, have produced a great deal of fear and unleashed a broad range of other emotions. These events have impacted the migrant community in deeply troubling ways," said Archbishop Pérez in his July 23 letter.

"I am witnessing your sorrow with great sadness and concern as are people of goodwill from all walks of life," he said, adding, "As the son of immigrants, I have found recent events particularly heartbreaking."

The 64-year-old archbishop said in a February 2020 Spanish-language interview with Telemundo 62, "Yo digo que fui hecho en Cuba, pero desempaquetado en Miami" ("I was conceived in Cuba, but born (literally, 'unpacked') in Miami").

His parents, David and Emma Pérez, had fled Cuba, where in 1959 the dictatorship of President Fulgencio Batista fell to what would become the first communist regime in the Western hemisphere under Premier Fidel Castro. Shortly after their arrival in Miami, the Pérez family relocated to northern New Jersey, where the future archbishop, born in 1961, was raised.

In his July 23 letter, Archbishop Pérez highlighted Catholic social teaching on immigration, which seeks to balance three interrelated principles -- the right of people to migrate in order to sustain their lives and those of their families, the right of a country to regulate its borders and control immigration, and a nation's duty to regulate its borders with justice and mercy.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church also instructs that "the more prosperous nations are obliged, to the extent they are able, to welcome the foreigner in search of the security and the means of livelihood which he cannot find in his country of origin" (Catechism, 2241).

"As Catholics, we believe our eternal homeland is heaven, and that as citizens of earth, the dignity of every person means everyone should have a safe place to live, with the opportunity to work for a just wage," said Archbishop Pérez in his pastoral letter. "Many of you came to the United States seeking new opportunities far away from oppressive regimes and endured difficult and dangerous circumstances to start life anew here."

He said, "Your presence and your contributions to society through hard work and upright living are a blessing to our country and to our Church."

"No one should be forced to live in fear of unjust persecution," he said.

"I encourage you to remain close with the members of your parish communities and the priests who provide you with pastoral care," said Archbishop Pérez.

That exhortation comes as at least two U.S. dioceses have publicly addressed fears of immigration arrests at parishes. Bishop Alberto Rojas of San Bernardino, California, issued a July 8 dispensation from the Sunday Mass obligation for those with a genuine fear of ICE raids. In May, the Diocese of Nashville, Tennessee, released a message, disseminated to diocesan parishes, reminding the faithful that according to the church’s own teaching and canon law, they are not required to attend Sunday Mass if they fear for their well-being.

"We recognize that our country is rightly safeguarded by law enforcement officials. They uphold the common good by protecting all of us from human trafficking, the exploitation of children, and any other criminal offense against human dignity," wrote Archbishop Pérez. "At the same time, we strongly advocate for immigration policies that guarantee the protection of life, liberty, and property of all those who call the United States of America home, natural born citizens and those working toward citizenship alike."

Noting that "there is no instant solution to the challenges pervading immigration policy," he said, "I urge everyone in parish communities to unite through prayer and social unity with the immigrant faithful under the leadership of parish pastors."

Archbishop Pérez concluded his letter with a prayer for migrants and for the nation as a whole.

"The Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph cared for the child Jesus in the mystery of the flight into Egypt and their intercession is with us today. I pray with you and for you that you experience the protection of God," he said. "May our Lord bless our country with peace and inspire comprehensive immigration reform that respects the law and provides meaningful opportunities for all those who wish to call the United States of America their home."

WARSAW, Poland (OSV News) -- Thousands of young Poles made their way through the streets of Czestochowa July 19, singing and praying as they approached the Jasna Góra Marian shrine.

This year's annual pilgrimage and camp were not just traditional summer gatherings of the community. It marked the 25th anniversary of the Foundation "Dzielo Nowego Tysiaclecia" (Work of the New Millennium), a vibrant "living memorial" to St. John Paul II, supporting talented youth from underprivileged backgrounds.

Mass, celebrated by the apostolic nuncio to Poland, Archbishop Guido Filipazzi, was at the heart of the celebration, who reminded the young gathered that "gratitude to God and to others is of enormous importance in our lives, especially in a cultural context like ours, where people often feel completely autonomous and self-sufficient."

Cultivating gratitude toward God "helps us not to waste his gifts" and "inclines us to reciprocate the love with which he surrounds us," Archbishop Filipazzi said. "I encourage you to thank God for the gift of this foundation and for the people through whom this work could arise and continue."

The foundation, called "The Work" in Poland was envisioned in response to St. John Paul's call to support young people and promote a "culture of life." Following the pope's pilgrimage to his homeland in 1999, Polish bishops launched the initiative to help talented youth from smaller towns and rural areas, providing not only scholarships but also a spiritual formation.

Over the past 25 years, the foundation has provided more than 10,000 scholarships to students, shaping not only their educational paths but also nurturing their faith and civic responsibility.

"This is a community for life," said Father Dariusz Kowalczyk, president of the foundation."

Many of our alumni now have children -- many children, actually -- and they represent a wide array of professions. Some came from truly difficult beginnings, broken families and challenging environments. Today, they are grateful for having been part of a community that offered them a new perspective, rooted in faith and in the example of St. John Paul II," Father Kowalczyk told OSV News.

The priest believes that the figure of John Paul remains fundamental in forming young people today, particularly those from broken or struggling homes.

"Karol Wojtyla lost his mother, brother and father. At the age of 21, he was completely alone, without immediate family. Sociologically, he would have been a perfect candidate to fail in life," said Father Kowalczyk. "But he didn't. What made the difference was his deep connection to God and the church. This universal truth enabled him to survive fascism, communism, and personal tragedy."

"Many young people tell me, 'I live from one meeting to the next,' because encounters with the foundation community give them the strength to continue," he added. "The end of the scholarship program doesn't mean the end of their bond with us -- it lasts a lifetime."

Jacek Laszczak, a military academy student in Wroclaw, shared that the foundation made his dream of becoming a soldier possible. Coming from a modest family, the costs of training and equipment would have been a burden. "Of course, the foundation is not only financial help," he said. "It is formation, community and meeting people who aim for great goals."

Kasia Stalmach, a law student and active volunteer in hospice and emergency services, emphasized how the foundation motivated her to pursue excellence while serving others. "The formation and contact with other scholarship receivers make me a better person," she said. "I am grateful to be part of this wonderful family and to be a 'Living Memorial' of this extraordinary man, St. John Paul II."

Daria and Rafal Dobosz, now married with three sons, met at a foundation camp in 2008. "We are enormously grateful to God for the help we received," they shared. "We gained education, good professions, each other, and the invaluable experience of participating in a living church community."

Another married couple of "The Work" -- Dorota and Kamil Polomscy -- say they owe their meeting -- and now 10 years of marriage -- to the foundation. It was during the summer camps for scholarship holders, amid shared prayer and teamwork, that their friendship grew into a vocation. The scholarship allowed them to leave their small town for high school, followed by university, without financial fear, leading Kamil to a career in finance and Dorota to become a certified translator.

"The foundation was a place where we grew in faith, built lasting friendships and found each other," they said.

The foundation now looks toward strengthening its alumni association, recognizing that now-professionals and parents, continue to seek community, faith formation, and opportunities to give back. "They need it, and they want it," Father Kowalczyk emphasized. "And this is our mission going forward," he told OSV News.

"Gratitude is fundamental," Archbishop Filipazzi told the youth at the foundation's jubilee Mass, which came some days ahead of the Youth Jubilee in Rome July 28-Aug. 3. "Do not waste the gifts you have received," the nuncio said.

Father Kowalczyk added: "This place proves that faith can build a community that endures and transforms lives."

ROCKVILLE, Md. (OSV News) ─ Because Catholics believe that all people are created in the image and likeness of God, the faithful need to extend care to people beyond our national borders and help migrants within our national borders, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said in a July 20 homily.

Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, who also leads the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, was the principal celebrant and homilist at the opening Mass for the Knights of Peter Claver’s 109th annual Senior National Convention held July 20-23 at a conference center in the Washington suburb of Rockville.

Speaking before a congregation of about 1,000 people, Archbishop Broglio reflected on Jesus’ visit with sisters Mary and Martha as recounted in Luke 8:15.

Archbishop Broglio recounted visiting military installations all over the world, and the different ways that hospitality is practiced, since in many cultures, there are people like Martha who worry about the comfort of their guests and the details of hospitality. Her sister, Mary, however, knew that Jesus was no ordinary guest.

"Choosing the best part -- letting him speak," Archbishop Broglio said of Mary’s decision to be closer to Jesus during his visit to their home.

"Like Abraham, we cannot ever know the mystery of God," he said. "Some elements of mystery will only be revealed in heaven."

Archbishop Broglio later said in his homily that Catholics are not free to "pick and choose" which parts of Catholic teaching they favor, while discarding others. He referred to strong dissension that some American Catholics have expressed in recent months about the U.S. bishops’ advocacy for migrants living in the U.S.

The Knights of Peter Claver was founded in 1909 by four Josephite priests and three laypeople in Mobile, Alabama, at a time when Black men were not permitted to join other Catholic fraternal organizations. It was incorporated in 1911. The Junior Knights were authorized in 1917 and recognized as a division of the National Council in 1935. The Ladies Auxiliary was authorized in 1922 and recognized as a division of the National Council in 1926. The Junior Daughters were established in 1930.

Today, there are nearly 14,000 active Knights of Peter Claver, as well as Ladies Auxiliary members and Junior Division members, who can join when they are 7 years old. All of the organization's divisions, senior and junior, held their national conventions back to back this year.

One of the unique aspects of the Knights of Peter Claver, in addition to being a predominantly Black Catholic organization, is that an entire family may join the organization.

"This is the future of who we are, the entire family," Supreme Knight Christopher Pichon said to the gathered assembly at the end of Mass. He expressed his hope that religious and priestly vocations could come from the Knights of Peter Claver.

"I love the community," said DeMia Pressley, a parishioner of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Alexandria, Virginia. She attended the Mass accompanied by her son and daughter, who are active in the Junior Division while attending Blessed Sacrament School in Alexandria.

She became a Catholic in 2007, and her husband, Shawn, is a Knight of Peter Claver. The family has attended Knights of Peter Claver conventions in Norfolk, Virginia, and New Orleans.

She told the Catholic Standard, Washington's archdiocesan news outlet, that she appreciates how her children can get to know other Catholic boys and girls through the fraternal organization, and noted that it’s good to see "people of all ages and people coming from all over" the country, since the Knights of Peter Claver have councils in 36 states.

Ella Hardy, a member of the Ladies Auxiliary for 28 years, also from Lafayette, said that the Knights of Peter Claver have helped in disaster recovery in Louisiana, and they also visit and pray with the elderly and help the needy.

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This story was originally published by the Catholic Standard, the news outlet of the Archdiocese of Washington, and distributed through a partnership with OSV News. William Murray writes for the Catholic Standard.

(OSV News) -- Abortions in Ireland spiked in the space of just five years, government figures have revealed.

Statistics released by the Department of Health in Ireland showed that 10,852 abortions were performed in Ireland in 2024 -- representing a 62.8% increase over the 6,666 abortions performed in 2019, when a law permitting abortion on demand in Ireland came into effect following a 2018 referendum on legal abortion.

The latest figure is a record high for Ireland, a 8.16% surge over the 10,033 abortions carried out in Ireland in 2023.

Bishop Kevin Doran of Elphin and Achonry said in a July 18 statement emailed to OSV News that the Irish government "has done nothing to reduce the numbers of abortions … and seems not to care why women choose abortion, or what happens to them afterwards," adding that "abortion harms women and babies alike."

"In a world in which freedom of conscience and the right to peaceful protest are widely promoted and recognized, Irish healthcare professionals are penalized if they refuse to refer their clients for abortion, and citizens risk criminal prosecution if they engage in peaceful protest, even though the Garda Siochana (National Police) said that they did not need this legislation," he said.

"People who seek to uphold the right to life feel quite disenfranchised in Ireland," Bishop Doran continued. "In many constituencies in Ireland in the last General Election, there was no candidate who clearly opposed abortion as a matter of principle. The good news, however, was that most of the Oireachtas Members (members of parliament) who had consistently voted against abortion, were re-elected."

The bishop added: "Most of the same arguments that were used to legitimize abortion seven years ago, are now being used to justify a change in the law to allow assisted suicide and euthanasia. When we said this in the past we were ridiculed, but it is absolutely clear now how right we were."

David Quinn, the founder and chief executive of the Iona Institute, which promotes Christianity in Ireland, said assurances given to Irish voters by former Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar that legal abortion would be rare have turned out to be false.

"This is not the case at all," he said in a July 18 statement sent by email to OSV News.

"What does he think now, and what does the present government think?" he continued. "They have been completely silent about it."

"But I doubt if they will ever admit that the number is unacceptably high, even from a pro-choice point of view," Quinn said. "The whole thing is a tragedy."

Quinn added that the figures proved that the now-repealed Eighth Amendment of the Irish Constitution, which until the referendum protected the lives of unborn children, "saved many, many lives."

Enacted in 1983, the amendment granted the unborn a right to life equal to that of the mother, effectively creating a near-total ban on abortion.

Catherine Robinson of the Right to Life charity said in a July 15 statement that the increase in abortions in Ireland has been dramatic.

"Less than a decade ago, unborn babies' lives were protected by law in Ireland," she said in the statement posted on the Right to Life website.

"Now, according to the latest data," lives "are being ended at a rate of over 10,000 per year."

The referendum paved the way for the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act which allowed Irish women access to abortion.

In 2018, the year before the law came into effect, a total of 2,879 Irish women traveled to the U.K. to have abortions.

A further 32 abortions were reported to have taken place in Ireland under the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act, taking the total number of abortions for Irish residents in 2018 to 2,911.

Of the abortions performed in 2024, a total of 10,711 (98.7%) were not carried out to protect the health or life of the mother or because of any condition likely to lead to the death of the unborn baby.

The largest number of abortions occurred in January 2024 (1,056) and the fewest were performed in August 2024 (849).

There were a total of 48,984 abortions in Ireland from the start of 2019 to the end of 2024, according to data from the Department of Health.

The figures were released days after U.K. government statistics revealed that nearly 1 in 3 conceptions in England and Wales now ends in abortion.

MIAMI (OSV News) -- Florida's senior bishop is pressing local, state and federal authorities for permission to bring Catholic pastoral care to the already infamous Alligator Alcatraz immigrant detention center.

Opened in early July at a time of political uproar over alleged abusive practices at several federal immigration detention centers, Alligator Alcatraz is situated at Dade Collier Training and Transition Airport some 55 miles west of Miami's downtown.

Miami Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski has said he and the archdiocesan prison ministry staff have repeatedly been denied access to the facility thus far, including during an impromptu visit to the region that the archbishop made there July 20 with more than 20 members of the "Knights on Bikes" club of the Knights of Columbus in Florida.

"Visiting the prisoner is one of the corporal works of mercy and the church has always done that -- but in this particular circumstance it almost seems to be an intentional effort to dehumanize these people," Archbishop Wenski told The Florida Catholic newspaper of Miami July 22.

"Offering Mass is an opportunity to humanize the detainee, to elevate their dignity and also to assure them that they are not forgotten by God. That is why prison ministry is important in any context of people being detained or deprived of their freedom, especially in this context," Archbishop Wenski said.

He added that he has reached out to local elected officials, along with the director of the Tallahassee-based Florida Catholic Conference and others, in order to request prison ministry privileges at Alligator Alcatraz, but that the situation has been clouded by confusion as to what state or federal body is responsible for operations there.

"I am still waiting for a response," the archbishop said. "Our Deacon Edgardo Farias (who heads prison ministry in the archdiocese) is ready and willing to schedule something when someone contacts him."

"We also have Michael Sheedy at the Florida Catholic Conference reaching out to state officials and Congressman Carlos Gimenez has continued to reach out on our behalf. But we have been getting the runaround so far," Archbishop Wenski said.

Sheedy is executive director of the Florida Catholic Conference.

U.S. Rep. Gimenez (R-FL) represents Florida's 28th congressional district, which is located just south of Alligator Alcatraz but does not include the facility. The immigrant detention center is located within Florida's District 26, represented by U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, also a Republican.

The archbishop's July 20 attempt to visit the detainees there was an impromptu decision tacked on to a previously scheduled motorcycle charity ride to nearby Everglades City as part of an outing that group had planned following Mass at a local parish. Archbishop Wenski, who is an avid motorcyclist, said the group stopped for prayers after being informed they could not access the facility.

"We got a place to park and we prayed the rosary together, finishing about five decades by noon. It was a moving experience for the Knights and for myself," the archbishop said, adding that although he didn't get inside, "I saw the pictures that were in the media when the president and the governor went through there. But we only got to the access road to the prison and the Florida Highway Patrolman told us we couldn't go further. We parked our bikes and said the rosary out there, but the detainees were not even aware that we were there."

In a July 21 report, the New York-based Human Rights Watch alleged that overcrowding and other conditions at several Florida-based immigration detention centers were in violation of international and U.S. human rights standards. Mentioned were Krome North Service Processing Center near Miami, the Broward Transitional Center in Fort Lauderdale and the Federal Detention Center in Miami.

At times in March, Krome, the United States' oldest immigration detention facility, detained more than three times its operational capacity of inmates. As of June 20, the number of people in immigration detention at the three Florida facilities was at 111% of the levels before President Donald Trump's inauguration, the report alleges.

"Detainees in three Florida facilities told Human Rights Watch that ICE detention officers and private contractor guards treated them in a degrading and dehumanizing manner. Some were detained shackled for prolonged periods on buses without food, water, or functioning toilets; there was extreme overcrowding in freezing holding cells where detainees were forced to sleep on cold concrete floors under constant fluorescent lighting; and many were denied access to basic hygiene and medical care," the report reads.

Archbishop Wenski said he was able to visit Krome detention center on Easter Sunday after an initial refusal and that he celebrated two Masses there for some 160 inmates who were broken into two groups.

"There were more than 1,000 people at Krome and, I don't know how they picked who got to go to Mass or not, but I had a representative group at each Mass because when I talked with them, they were from almost every country in Latin America and a couple countries in Africa," the archbishop said. "It should not be an irresolvable problem; detention facilities have had pastoral services -- even when they have Haitian detainees down in Guantanamo (Bay Detention Facility in Cuba) we had priests visiting."

With some church leaders encouraging their immigrant populations to consider staying home if they feel in danger by attending Sunday Mass, Archbishop Wenski said his own pastors are reporting a mixture of responses from parishioners but that thus far "the U.S. government has not invaded any church to my knowledge; they have said so themselves -- that they have not gone into any church."

He added that there are better ways to manage U.S. immigration policy other than strictly enforcement and removal.

"We have to look beyond just enforcement only," he said. "We have to look at other ways of regularizing the status of some of these populations -- people who are not criminals and who are hardworking people trying to create a future of hope for themselves and their children.

"President Trump says he wants to control the borders and he has done that; he wants to remove the bad actors and he is doing that. He also says he wants the best economy in the world -- but you can't have the best economy in the world without counting on the labor-force participation of immigrants. Otherwise, how are you going to maintain the growth of the economy?"

VATICAN CITY (CNS) ─ More than half a million young people from 146 countries are set to arrive July 28 for the start of the weeklong Jubilee of Youth, which will include a special Jubilee dedicated to Digital Missionaries and Catholic Influencers.

While 68% of attendees will be from Europe, young people will be coming from four other continents and from war zones and areas of serious conflict, Archbishop Rino Fisichella, a pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, said July 23.

"Essentially, this moment of celebration and joy also aims to embrace all young people around the world, indicating that it will be a genuine moment of peace and peace-building in the world," he said at a Vatican news conference.

"I am thinking in particular of the Christian young people of Ukraine, the Middle East, Syria, Gaza and Iran," said Lamberto Giannini, Rome's prefect, who coordinates maintaining law and order in the city.

The seven-day event during the Jubilee of hope will be "in communion with all of them, because it is for them above all that hope is offered today, and not just any hope, but as we have been taught, the hope that does not disappoint," he said.

The Vatican news conference featured representatives of the Italian national, regional and local governments, as well as police and civil protection authorities.

They provided many details about what is slated to be the largest of all the jubilee celebrations scheduled for the Holy Year, which has drawn nearly 17 million people so far, the archbishop said.

The high points will be walking through the Holy Door at St. Peter's Basilica, and the Aug. 2 evening prayer vigil and Aug. 3 Mass with Pope Leo XIV in Rome's Tor Vergata residential neighborhood, which lies about eight miles southeast of the city center.

The week will also feature about 70 cultural, artistic and spiritual events -- organized by multiple bishops' conferences and Catholic groups and associations -- throughout the city, including the exposition of the relics of Blesseds Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis for veneration.

There will be an opportunity Aug. 1 for participants to receive the sacrament of reconciliation at Rome's Circus Maximus, where more than 1,000 priests will take turns throughout the day offering confession in multiple languages, Archbishop Fisichella said.

The main events at Tor Vergata will begin on stage after 2 p.m. Aug. 2 with presentations, then entertainment featuring the Spanish dancer Sergio Bernal Alonso and numerous bands such as Matt Maher, Il Volo and The Sun.

Pope Leo will arrive by helicopter for the prayer vigil at 8:30 p.m. and three young people -- from the United States, Mexico and Italy -- will ask the pope questions in their respective languages.

After camping out on the grounds of the venue, young people will celebrate Mass the next morning with the pope, who "always gives a mandate, that is, he sends the young people on a mission," Archbishop Fisichella said.

The city has refurbished the giant open-air venue for the vigil and Mass, including three recommended routes participants will walk to get there. While bus, train and subway services will all be beefed up, people will have to walk the last three miles on foot, he said.

Stations will be set up all along the routes offering assistance and water, but pilgrims are being asked to make sure they have comfortable shoes, a hat, sunscreen and a plastic water bottle for refills, and to label their items and not bring valuables.

With past experience as their guide, scores of embassies and consulates in Rome have been contacted to prepare them to help expedite services for their citizens, said Fabio Ciciliano, head of the country's civil protection department. Thousands of passports and ID cards were lost during World Youth Day in Rome in 2000.

There will be 2,660 stations for drinking water, more than 2,700 chemical toilets and many services for the disabled, including a special "quiet" area at the venue.

Four large mist cannons, which are normally used to control dust during demolitions and can shoot water as far as 100 yards, will be positioned throughout the venue to cool people. Dozens of mobile units with smaller cannons will also make the rounds, spraying mist to offer relief in the expected heat. Temperatures typical for this time of year are in the low 90s.

Registered pilgrims will be getting one food package at Tor Vergata Aug. 2 after they go through security, providing dinner for that night and breakfast and lunch the next day. Gluten-free meals will also be available.

"We hope they're not so hungry that they'll eat the breakfast and lunch for dinner, too," the archbishop said, suggesting attendees bring extra food with them.

He encouraged participants to download the special pilgrims' guide at https://www.iubilaeum2025.va/e... and to download the official app, Iubilaeum25.

The Dicastery for Communication released the Vatican Vox app, which will offer simultaneous translations in five languages at Vatican-sponsored jubilee events, and Vatican Radio will provide translations and commentary in eight languages.

The city's mayor, Roberto Gualtieri, encouraged people to connect with their AI assistant, Julia, who speaks 80 languages, on WhatsApp, Messenger, Telegram and the web.

Sr. Shirley Ann Cushing, OP, formerly known as Sister Blanche Marie, died on Friday, July 18, 2025, at the Dominican Life Center in Adrian, Michigan. She was 97 years of age and in the 78th year of her religious profession in the Adrian Dominican Congregation.

Sister Shirley was born in Detroit, Michigan, to Frank and Blanche (Réaume) Cushing. She graduated from St. Theresa High School in Detroit and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Siena Heights College (University), Adrian, a Master of Arts degree in English from DePaul University, Chicago, Illinois, and a Master of Religious Education degree in Religious Education and a Doctor of Law degree in Law, both from the University of Detroit (now University of Detroit Mercy).

Sister Shirley ministered in education for 20 years in Chicago and Oak Park, Illinois; Detroit, Michigan; Shaker Heights, Ohio; and Tokyo, Japan. Sister Shirley served three years as Postulant Mistress and three years as Juniorate Director for the Congregation. She ministered one year as pastoral minister at St. Lawrence in Utica, Michigan, and seven years as the Adult Education Resource Director at St. Edmund in Warren, Michigan. Sister Shirley then served seven years as a staff attorney in the senior unit for Lakeshore Legal Service, Inc. in Mount Clemens, Michigan, and seven years as the attorney manager for the legal program at Macomb County Department of Senior Services in Mount Clemens. Sister moved to the Dominican Life Center in 2021.

Sister Shirley was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers, William Cushing and Father Frank Cushing; and her sisters, Dorothy Cushing, Mary Blanche Trudeau and Sister Virginia Cushing, also an Adrian Dominican. Sister is survived by other loving family and her Adrian Dominican Sisters.

Visitation will be held from 6:30-7:00 pm on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in the Gathering Space of St. Catherine Chapel. The Vigil Prayer will be held at 7:00 pm Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in St. Catherine Chapel. A Funeral Mass will be offered in St. Catherine Chapel at 10:30 am Thursday, July 24, 2025. Prayers of Committal will be held in the Congregation Cemetery. Memorial gifts may be made to Adrian Dominican Sisters, 1257 East Siena Heights Drive, Adrian, MI, 49221.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by Anderson-Marry Funeral Home, Adrian.

Sister ministered in Michigan 42 years:

• St. Gabriel HS, Detroit (1957-58): High School Teacher
• St. Ambrose HS, Detroit (1964-65): High School Teacher
• ADS Motherhouse, Adrian (1965-68): Postulant Mistress
• ADS Motherhouse, Adrian (1968-71): Juniorate Director
• St. Lawrence, Utica (1973-74): Pastoral Minister
• St. Edmund, Warren (1974-81): Resource Dir – Adult Educ
• Lakeshore Legal Service, Inc, Mount Clemens (1984-91): Staff Attorney
• Macomb Co. Department of Senior Services, Mt. Clemens (1991-2010): Attorney Mgr: Legal Program

Obituaries for clergy and religious who have lived or served in the Archdiocese of Detroit may be emailed to dcobits@aod.org. Obituaries are printed as they are submitted, but may be edited for grammar and style. Detroit Catholic reserves the right to refuse or edit any submissions.

JERUSALEM (OSV News) – An Israel Defense Forces investigation concluded that the strike on the Holy Family Parish compound on July 17 was the result of an accidental mortar round that veered off course during "operational activity" by IDF troops in the area of Gaza City, the IDF said in a July 23 statement.

Three elderly people were killed and 10 injured in the strike.

The statement – posted on IDF's Telegram channel July 23 – noted the damage to the church structure and the injured, but made no mention of the three elderly civilians who were killed. Two severely injured victims of the attack have been transferred to Israeli hospitals for medical treatment.

"Following the incident, guidelines for opening fire near religious buildings, shelters, and other sensitive sites were further clarified," it said. "The IDF directs its military strikes solely at military targets and works to mitigate harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure as much as possible, including religious institutions. The IDF regrets any harm caused to civilians," it added.

The Latin Patriarchate said it had learned about the completion of the inquiry only through the press and reiterated that the findings "underscored the grave dangers" involved in carrying out "military operations in the vicinity of religious and civilian sites."

"They once again highlight the vital importance of upholding the principles of international humanitarian law," the patriarchate said in a statement sent to journalists July 23 and signed by spokesman Farid Jubran.

While the IDF stated it had "facilitated entry" of humanitarian aid into Gaza at the request of the patriarchate, the patriarchate clarified – amid ongoing confusion – that although it received authorization to deliver food and medical supplies to the Holy Family compound, the aid had not yet been transferred.

"Upon completion of the necessary dispatch and access procedures, and once the aid reaches its destination, it will be distributed to support the residents of the compound and the surrounding neighborhoods," the patriarchate said in its statement.

During a July 22 press conference, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, who visited the Gaza Strip and Holy Family Parish July 18-20, called on U.S. President Donald Trump and other world leaders to be "proactive and to take an important role in order to stop this devastation" to put an end to the 22-month-long war.

"It is time to end this nonsense, end the war and put the common good of people as the top priority," he said.

"Christ is not absent from Gaza," Cardinal Pizzaballa told journalists. "He is there – crucified in the wounded, buried under rubble and yet present in every act of mercy, every candle in the darkness, every hand extended to the suffering."

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The relics of two saints-to-be – Blesseds Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis – will be in Rome for veneration during the Jubilee of Youth July 28-Aug. 3, according to worldyouthday.com.

The Church of San Marcello al Corso will become a "Blessed Carlo Acutis Center" to host talks, prayer, Masses and the veneration of the first-class pericardium relic of the young blessed, it said.

Visitors will also be invited to write their prayer intentions on cards, which will be taken to his tomb in Assisi, Italy, according to Catholic Christian Outreach, which organized the initiative.

The coffin with Blessed Frassati's body will be brought from his tomb in Turin, Italy, to Rome's Basilica of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, near the Pantheon, for veneration, the website said. The initiative will include a series of talks and Masses organized by the Dominican Order; Blessed Frassati was a member of the Dominican Third Order.

Both blesseds will be proclaimed saints during a canonization ceremony at the Vatican Sept. 7.

The canonization of Blessed Acutis, a teenager known for his devotion to the Eucharist and creating an online exhibition of Eucharistic miracles, had originally been scheduled for April 27 during the Jubilee of Teenagers, but it was postponed following the death of Pope Francis in April. The late pope had also intended to proclaim Blessed Frassati, who was known for his life of service and charity, a saint during the summertime Jubilee of Youth.

The U.S.-based John Paul II Project will be providing support by having young adult alumni of its project programs keep watch over Blessed Frassati's body, according to a July 18 press release.

Alumni will also be serving as missionaries in three locations for events that are free and open to the public, it said.

The events in English will include talks, Eucharistic adoration vigils, street evangelization, serving the homeless, and "assisting pilgrims in the veneration of the body of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati," it said.

"The Centro San Lorenzo, located next to St. Peter’s Basilica and home of the original WYD cross, is their base for most activities," it said. There will be opportunities for confession and to see "an exhibit on St. John Paul II and a Marian shrine inspired by Pier Giorgio."

The full program is at jp2project.org/youth-jubilee-mission.

Mary Jo Crowley was unmarried when she gave birth to Marco DeCapite in 1969; now, her son wants to help other moms in need

DETROIT — When Marco DeCapite lost his birth mother in September 2024, he wanted to find a way to honor her legacy and her choice to choose adoption.

DeCapite’s birth mother, Mary Jo Crowley, was unmarried when she gave birth to DeCapite in 1969 in Crittenton Hospital in Detroit, and shortly afterward he was adopted by his parents, Armando and Marjorie DeCapite.

Decades later, DeCapite knows and appreciates the sacrifices that were made on his behalf — both by his adoptive parents and by his birth parents — and says those sacrifices shaped him into the person he is today.

DeCapite’s mother, Crowley, grew up in Owosso and graduated from Michigan State University. After graduation, she moved to Germany and stayed with a family she knew from previous trips.

She had a relationship with one of the sons in the family, and upon returning to the United States, discovered she was pregnant.

She discussed her situation with the father and decided to give the child up for adoption through a program run by the nuns at Crittenton Hospital for unwed mothers who were unprepared to raise a child.

Armando and Marjorie DeCapite of Bloomfield Hills were looking to adopt, and a few days after Marco was born, he was given over to his adoptive parents and raised in a loving home.

“Both my sister and I were adopted through the program; in fact, my sister happened to be the last one adopted before that wing was closed,” DeCapite said. “My parents had been childless, wanting to have children, and had this opportunity to adopt and called about me and then subsequently my sister two years later. So basically, at birth, within a week of being born, I was adopted.”

DeCapite didn’t meet his birth mother until he was 23, starting out his career and wanting to see whether there was any information he could find concerning family medical history or genetics.

“My parents were coached on adopting and encouraging me and said if I was ever interested in searching and learning about my birth parents, they would support me,” DeCapite said. “I had no real interest in meeting my birth parents. I knew I had to wait until I was 18 to really dive into it, but graduating from college, starting a job, I was getting curious about my history.”

The adoption agency had long since closed, so all the records were transferred to the State of Michigan.

“When I started looking into it, I got a bit of the runaround, but I finally got ahold of a summer intern who was working in the archives for the state, and she said she would look into it,” DeCapite said. “She called me back on my birthday, my 23rd birthday, so 1992, and she said, ‘I’ve got some great news for you. Give me a call back.’

“When I finally got ahold of her, and she says, ‘I’ve got your adoption story. It’s a great story, one of the best I’ve ever read.’ And even better, my birth mother had signed a letter of consent to release identifying information,” DeCapite said.

Crowley was living near Philadelphia, and DeCapite was working for General Motors at the time when some company restructuring had him working at a plant of his choice for two weeks. They gave him three options: Lordstown, Ohio; Lansing; and Wilmington, Delaware, just a short drive from Philadelphia.

DeCapite put in for the Wilmington plant, taking it as a sign that he was meant to meet his birth mother. Bringing a friend in tow, they arrived at the address he was given, only to find his mother’s former spouse.

The man said DeCapite’s mother had moved two blocks away. They got to the new address, but she wasn’t home, so DeCapite had a neighbor tell her that he was in town and gave a phone number to the hotel where he was staying.

“I’m waiting in this hotel for her to call, and she called me up and was just very sweet,” DeCapite said. “She said she was hoping to have this phone call sometime with me and wanted to me to know if I had any questions. She was worried I’d be angry with her for giving me up for adoption. I said, ‘Not at all. I’m just so blessed that you chose to give me life, and there’s nothing for me to be angry about.’”

DeCapite went on to build a rapport with his birth mother, and later, his birth father in Germany. They maintained contact with each other, and DeCapite’s birth mother was around to see the birth of his own children.

They are special, if not familial, relationships.

“It’s a different relationship than with my mother, and you know, it’s a sensitive topic for a mother,” DeCapite said. “My mom was so encouraging of me to seek out my birth parents, but when it comes to it, there is a threatening feeling that comes with those emotions and me learning to navigate those emotions. I was very protective of my mom, because she is my mother, she is the one who raised me, saw me through my formative years, and my parents’ love poured out on me.

“It’s a unique, special relationship (I had with my birth mother), because I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her,” DeCapite added. “My parents know and recognize their faithfulness to her for having me. So it’s been a blessing.”

Meeting his birth parents allowed DeCapite to learn more about himself and delve a bit into the nature-versus-nurture side of his personality. He said he shared his birth father’s love for tennis, and his birth mother was a librarian for the Philadelphia Enquirer and New Jersey Star, digitizing the publications’ archives, appealing to DeCapite’s career in computers and helping parishes digitize their sacramental records.

“In many senses, I got a more complete picture of my identity, but even more so, my identity as a child of God, because He had a hand in all of this,” DeCapite said.

DeCapite honored his mother’s choice by starting the Mary Jo Crowley Crisis Pregnancy Endowment Fund, which supports the Heart of Christ Clinic in Detroit, offering medical care and support to mothers and infants, and the Christ Medicus Foundation, which aims to build up the Heart of Christ Clinic’s Catholic identity and provide bioethical training.

“I’m just grateful the opportunity to not only meet my birth mother and the fact that she chose to bring me to life — a life that the Holy Spirit has blessed — and setting up this fund is a way more people can learn about her story, her sacrifice, and help women who find themselves in similar situations,” DeCapite said.

DeCapite said it is all the more special that more people will learn his mother’s story and have the opportunity to help women choose life.

“I just really felt the Holy Spirit calling on me to honor her, who made the big sacrifice of bringing me into the world,” DeCapite told Detroit Catholic. “She gave me the gift of life that is so precious, and I recognize what she went through at that age and in that time, being unmarried and finding herself pregnant. When many women in those circumstances feel they don’t have a choice, she knew she had a choice and chose life for me.”

Since the reporting and writing of this article, DeCapite's mother, Marjorie DeCapite, passed away July 4. DeCapite has been invited to share and celebrate the lives of both of his mothers at the Heart of Christ Clinic Gala, 6-9 p.m., Sept. 11, at St. John's Resort, 44045 Five Mile Road, Plymouth. Visit www.heartsclinic.org for more details.

Michigan Catholic Conference hopes scholarship-granting organizations could help families afford Catholic education

LANSING — Michigan Catholic public policy experts are hopeful that the nation's first federal K-12 scholarship tax credit will make it easier for Michigan families to afford Catholic and other nonpublic schools, as well as assist children attending public school with affording tutoring and other wrap-around services.

New federal law allowing for the creation of scholarship-granting organizations, to which taxpayers can contribute and claim a federal tax credit of up to $1,700 per taxpayer, could allow more families to access a Catholic education, said Paul Stankiewicz, policy advocate for the Michigan Catholic Conference.

The scholarship-granting organizations (SGOs) can, in turn, grant scholarships to families making up to 300% of the area median gross income to cover academic expenses such as tuition, fees, academic tutoring, special needs services, books, supplies, uniforms and technology.

“This is a tax credit for people who donate to what are known as scholarship-granting organizations, so if you make a donation to an SGO, you get a tax credit as a donor,” Stankiewicz told Detroit Catholic. “The SGO, in turn, would give out scholarships to students at non-public schools if a family so wishes to send their child to a non-public school.”

Stankiewicz emphasized the program is not a voucher program, but a tax credit program that allows taxpayers to direct their tax payments to where they see fit to support education.

“This program will benefit students who attend public schools and nonpublic schools,” Stankiewicz said. “Families whose income is 300% above the poverty line would qualify for a scholarship that SGO could give you to pay for tuition at a private school. At a public school, you could use it for tutoring, school supplies, textbooks or a home computer or wrap-around support outside the classroom.”

The SGO established to facilitate the scholarship money must be 501(c)3s that serve 10 or more student in more than one school.

The SGOs must spend 90% of income on qualified scholarships and must have accounts exclusive for qualified contributions from taxpayers. The contributions may not be earmarked for specific students; however, siblings of students who have received scholarships in the past are prioritized.

“An SGO must serve more than 10 kids and be at more than one school, so you can’t self-designate a particular school like, say, Divine Child or Gesu. It would have to be a collection of schools,” Stankiewicz said.

States must opt into the program by Jan. 1, 2027, so how — and if — Michigan might participate is yet to be determined, Stankiewicz said.

Michigan’s constitution currently prohibits vouchers or tax subsidies to support students attending a nonpublic school. However, federal funding and tax credits are a different story, Stankiewicz said.

“The state constitution mentions tax credits and vouchers and deductions, but that’s regarding state funding, not federal funding,” Stankewicz said. “The U.S. Supreme Court ruled some years ago that in the case of tax credits, it never was government money. Instead, this is a way to encourage private investment in education in community schools, whether they’re public or nonpublic.”

Stankewicz said the implementation of SGOs in the state would allow Catholic school supporters more options to support Catholic education and create greater access to Catholic education for low- and medium-income families.

“This is certainly going to be helpful,” Stankewicz said. “300% of the poverty line takes in a large chunk of the middle class. So this will help families with paying for tuition at a non-public school or helping a child attending public school who requires additional tutoring — this will help with those expenses.

“Families who receive these scholarships will be able to use them in whatever way they think is best,” Stankewicz said. “It helps families that are struggling to afford our Catholic schools to stay there, and it helps public school families with the assistance their child needs for their education as well.”