Sacred Heart Catholic Church

A DACA protest sign is waved outside of the White House on Sept. 5, 2017. / Credit: Rena Schild/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Nov 6, 2025 / 14:45 pm (CNA).

The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops expressed its solidarity this week with immigrants in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in Texas ahead of the implementation of a federal court order that will impact the immigrants’ legal status.

In a statement released Nov. 4, the Texas bishops called the looming implementation of the court ruling in the case Texas v. United States “unprecedented and disruptive.” The bishops said the ruling’s implementation will target “law-abiding people,” many of whom are “some of the most upstanding individuals” in “our communities.”

In the Texas v. United States case, Texas sued the federal government, claiming that DACA was illegally created without statutory authority, as it was created through executive action rather than legislation passed by Congress.

In January, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals largely upheld the U.S. district court’s declaration that DACA is unlawful but narrowed the scope to Texas, separating deportation protections from work authorization. This means, in theory, that DACA’s core shield against removal could remain available nationwide for current recipients and new applicants, while work permits might be preserved for most — except in Texas. 

On Sept. 29, the U.S. Department of Justice proposed how the appellate court’s order should be implemented. According to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), implementation of the district court’s order is expected at some point after Nov. 24. 

In their statement, the Texas bishops blamed political “unwillingness” to address immigration reform over the years for the “terribly broken immigration system” that has led to the current situation, which is “fomenting fear [and] severing relationships.”

“The present distress in our country regarding immigration is the result of decades of unwillingness on all sides to enact reasonable and meaningful immigration reform,” the bishops wrote, “reform which respects both national security needs and the human right of each person to work and raise a family in peace.”

“We will continue to work with people of goodwill to encourage compassionate outreach to those in dire predicaments and a humane reform of our terribly broken immigration system,” the bishops wrote.

The Texas bishops noted that they “are pastors of ICE agents and DACA recipients” and said the 5th Circuit’s ruling will “only exacerbate fear and distrust, pit community members against one another, and cause significant economic disruption for many communities.”

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Department of Migration and Refugee Services also called attention to the ongoing federal court developments expected to affect the program’s beneficiaries in Texas in an advisory at the end of October.

“Anyone eligible for DACA should consider the consequences of moving to or from Texas,” the USCCB update states, pointing out that relocation could trigger revocation of employment authorization with just 15 days’ notice.

For Texas’ approximately 90,000 DACA recipients — the second-largest population after California’s 145,000 — the implications could be stark, according to the U.S. and Texas bishops. 

Andrew Arthur, a former immigration judge and a fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, told CNA in October that the key takeaway from the USCCB’s update is a “warning” to DACA recipients “who live in Texas.”

Under the looming order, if it is implemented according to the U.S. government’s proposals, DACA recipients who live in Texas could receive “forbearance from removal” (deferred deportation) but lose “lawful presence” status, disqualifying them from work permits and benefits such as in-state tuition or driver’s licenses. 

Launched in 2012 through executive action by President Barack Obama, DACA offers work authorization and temporary protection from deportation to undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as minors. 

The first Trump administration tried to end the program but was blocked from doing so in 2020 by the U.S. Supreme Court. While President Donald Trump has indicated a willingness to work with Democrats on the status of DACA beneficiaries, the program continues to be subject to litigation, with the latest developments centering on the Texas v. United States case.

To be eligible for DACA, applicants must have arrived before age 16, resided continuously since June 15, 2007, and been under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012. There are approximately 530,000 DACA participants nationwide according to KFF, formerly known as the Kaiser Family Foundation. KFF estimates that up to 1.1 million individuals meet DACA eligibility criteria.

“We want to say unequivocably to all our immigrant sisters and brothers, and in a particular way to those who arrived as children: We have heard your cries. We are with you in these difficult days,” the Texas bishops wrote.

Residents help move food supplies at a community center before distribution to the Whitehouse community in Westmoreland, Jamaica, one of the areas most severely affected by the passage of Hurricane Melissa, on Nov. 2, 2025. / Credit: Ricardo Makyn/AFP via Getty Images

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 6, 2025 / 14:15 pm (CNA).

Catholic leaders and agencies have mobilized to help communities left devastated after Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica.

The Category 5 hurricane swept through the Caribbean with sustained winds of 185 miles per hour and claimed up to 50 lives after making landfall on Oct. 28. Jamaica suffered the largest impact, but neighboring nations also experienced immense effects including flash flooding and landslides.

In Jamaica, practically no buildings along the country’s southern coast remain intact. Areas have experienced structural failures, immense roof damage, floods, power outages, and communication disruptions. Families have a long road to recovery after many lost loved ones, property, possessions, and livelihoods.

To help communities suffering from Hurricane Melissa’s aftermath, Catholic agencies are on the ground supporting relief efforts and fundraising across the globe to provide aid. 

Providing aid 

Dominican friars with St. Martin’s Missions, an initiative that supports communities in Jamaica and Grenada, are working to help communities most affected. Father Bede Mullens, OP, one of the friars working in Jamaica, told CNA they are based in Kingston, “which mercifully was left largely unscathed by the hurricane.”

“Nonetheless, some of our poorer parishioners in August Town, an impoverished neighborhood, did lose roofs, walls, and in one case pretty much the whole house,” Mullens said. With the help of donations from across the globe, St. Martin’s will purchase and provide materials for repairs and food.

Mullens explained that “after recent panic-buying, some food items are hard to come by, and food prices on the whole are set to go up in the coming months, as the part of the island hardest hit is a major agricultural area.”

This Friday, Nov. 7, the friars will distribute 300 meals to students at the University of the West Indies in Mona, Jamaica, and to several less-well-off parishioners. Mullens said: “We are trying to arrange sponsorship from local benefactors for students in need to receive support for food and personal hygiene items.”

Across the island the friars have been able to contact some parishes near Montego Bay, which suffered great damage. “One of the churches is currently operating as a shelter with just half a roof,” Mullens said.

The friars have also coordinated provisions of basic building materials and essentials including water and baby food that will be transported to Sacred Heart Church near Montego Bay and St. Agnes Church in Chester Castle.

When the roads reopen and the friars are able to make contact with more parishes in other areas, they plan to also assist their rebuilding efforts and support the local community needs.

“There is, of course, a massive need for material assistance, but for us it is very important that St. Martin’s bears witness to our worldwide solidarity in the body of Christ,” Mullens said. “We belong to a Church that is at once truly Catholic and truly one, at once global and personal.”

Franciscan Friars Charities (FFC), the charitable arm of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe, activated the Franciscan Relief Fund to help the people in western Jamaica recover from extensive damage.

“The friars in Negril have quickly mobilized to assess the community’s needs after the storm,” FFC said in a statement. “Each day they ground their hearts in faith through morning prayer and daily Mass before heading out into the community to provide vital services.”

The friars are serving warm meals daily at St. Anthony Kitchen, a soup kitchen in Negril. They anticipate a significant increase in the number of people coming to the kitchen, expecting approximately 400 to 500 people a day.

The friars are cleaning the Revival Health Clinic, which provides basic medical care, and are looking into creating a mobile clinic to visit remote areas. They are also visiting parishioners, many of whom have lost their homes, and providing them with immediate relief including water and food.

“Communicating with our friars in Negril has been difficult because there’s no electricity and the cellular services are down,” said Brother Jim Bok, OFM. “There’s just unbelievable destruction. It’s going to take years to recover. A tremendous amount of outside support will be needed to help deal with it.”

Organizations respond with action 

Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach, an Illinois-based organization that partners with organizations, hospitals, and clinics around the world, is working directly with Food for the Poor and other organizations transporting and distributing aid.

After learning there was an urgent need for diapers, Mission Outreach’s warehouse team mobilized to send out 4,000 it had available. It also shipped out a 40-foot container to Jamaica filled with requested medical supplies and equipment.

A number of Catholic relief organizations including Cross Catholic Outreach (CCO) and Catholic Relief Services (CRS) are fundraising to send food, medicines, and housing supplies to ministry partners in Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Cuba.

CCO said it is “sending shipments of recovery supplies to the Compassionate Franciscan Sisters of the Poor and will airlift medical supplies into Montego Bay when conditions are safe enough to do so.” It is also working to help the Diocese of Mandeville to rebuild St. Theresa Kindergarten, which was destroyed in the storm.

CRS is working to help on the ground with “a team of 100 staff in Haiti and local partners in Jamaica and the region,” the organization reported. “CRS and the Catholic Church are committed to walking with families through every phase of recovery — from immediate relief to long-term rebuilding. ”

The U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs will coordinate with the Catholic Church to distribute $3 million in humanitarian assistance. The funds will go directly to helping those impacted in eastern Cuba by the devastation of Hurricane Melissa.

Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts speaks with CNA in an interview. / Credit: Jack Haskins/EWTN News

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 6, 2025 / 13:45 pm (CNA).

Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts has issued an apology following his controversial defense of Tucker Carlson’s interview with Nick Fuentes. 

“Leadership requires owning the moments where we fall short — then using them to reset, refocus, and recommit,” Roberts said in a video statement posted on X Nov. 6. The apology followed remarks made during a Heritage Foundation town hall that were leaked to the media. 

The Heritage Foundation and its president began receiving backlash after, in an Oct. 30 video, Roberts defended Carlson against “cancellation” for an interview he conducted with Fuentes, a white nationalist, self-described fan of Stalin and Hitler, and Holocaust denier, who has said women “want to be raped” and argued in favor of segregation and racism against African Americans. Carlson drew heavy criticism for failing to challenge Fuentes on his views, including at one point in the interview when Fuentes said he was a “fan” of Stalin. 

Roberts said in a video message on social media Oct. 30 that “the venomous coalition attacking [Carlson] are sowing division” and that “their attempt to cancel him will fail.”

“My use of the phrase ‘venomous coalition’ was a terrible choice of words,” Roberts said, referring to the video statement that went viral last week. “It caused justified concern — especially among friends and allies who know how seriously Heritage has fought, and continues to fight, against the rise of antisemitism.”

Roberts later posted a written statement decrying Fuentes’ views, which he said he abhorred. 

In his latest statement, the former president of Wyoming Catholic College also emphasized the importance of speaking out against antisemitism, “no matter the messenger.” 

“Heritage and I will do so, even when my friend Tucker Carlson needs challenging,” he said.

null / Credit: RomanR/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Nov 6, 2025 / 13:15 pm (CNA).

A staffer at the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph in Missouri allegedly stole more than $150,000 while serving as the leader of a diocesan scholarship program, officials have alleged.

Federal prosecutors claim that Jeremy Lillig engaged in wire fraud to steal from the diocesan Bright Futures Fund, which offers tuition assistance for students in diocesan schools.

Bishop James Johnston Jr. said in a Nov. 5 letter to the diocese that Lillig had been arrested by law enforcement pursuant to a warrant from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Missouri.

Lillig was last employed by the diocese in October 2023, Johnston said. The diocese became aware of the alleged theft “shortly after his departure,” after which they reported it to law enforcement including the FBI.

“This news is, I’m sure, unsettling to many within our diocesan family, and, like you, I was shocked to learn of such a gross violation of the trust and integrity that is essential to any institution, especially one upheld by Catholic teachings,” the bishop wrote.

Johnston said the diocese has conducted a full audit of its finances to determine the extent of the alleged theft. In addition, the diocese has strengthened security and oversight of the Bright Futures program.

“In everything we do, we strive to be faithful stewards of the resources and generous gifts with which we are entrusted and which help sustain our many services and ministries,” the bishop wrote in the letter.

The Kansas City Star reported on Nov. 5 that Lillig pleaded not guilty to the charges. His trial is set for March 16, 2026.

Lillig reportedly worked as director of stewardship for the diocese in addition to his role at the scholarship fund.

Prosecutors accused him of having diverted diocesan funds to purchase hundreds of Visa gift cards over the course of about five years.

In 2015 Lillig had been hailed by the local magazine the Independent as a “rising star of philanthropy,” with the outlet describing philanthropic giving as an “ingrained part of his professional, civic, and personal life.”

He faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted.

Michael Iskander as King David in Season 2 of “House of David.” / Credit: Jonathan Prime/Prime

CNA Staff, Nov 6, 2025 / 12:45 pm (CNA).

Earlier this year, a new series telling the story of King David, one of the best-known kings of Israel, was released on Prime Video and garnered over 40 million views worldwide. “House of David,” produced by the faith-based studio The Wonder Project, is now in its second season. 

While the first season focused on the anointing of David and his defeat against Goliath, the second season sees David go from shepherd boy to warrior as a commander of King Saul’s army. 

Michael Iskander, the actor who portrays King David in the series, recently sat down with CNA for an exclusive interview and discussed the new season and David’s transformation.

“I really, really love this season,” he said. “I’m extremely proud of it and proud of the work that we'’ve done this time because it is truly a transformative season.”

He added: “In the time of David people asked, ‘How is this guy going to defeat Goliath?’ He’s just a youth … He’s a shepherd.’ In the same way this time around in this season, people are questioning, ‘How is this guy going to be a commander? How is he going to lead Saul’s armies?’ But we see that transformation that God takes him on. We see that complete switch in demeanor, complete switch in confidence, in his build. He’s a different man by the end of the season than he is at the beginning and it’s really indicative of how much God can work in our lives if we let him.”

Iskander, a recent convert to Catholicism, pointed out that this season is one of war, bloodshed, romance, and drama as well as “much more biblical material that I think is going to be really informative for people.”

One of the actor’s favorite aspects of the season is the deeper look into the friendship between David and Jonathan, one of King Saul’s sons.

“We really dive into the friendship between David and Jonathan this season and that friendship is one of the the only kind of main friendships that we see in the Old Testament between two guys,” he explained. “And it’s really a model for us as men today of how do we express love for one another? How do we show friendship? What is true friendship? What does love and friendship look like?”

As for what he hopes people are taking away from the show, Iskander hopes that “people take away the point of the story, which is that everything about David … is about the heart. What does your heart look like? I hope people ponder this question: ‘Do we love God? Do we love him as much as we should?’”

He added: “Christ says ‘To lay one’s life for another, that is the greatest love we can show.’ Are we willing to lay down our lives for Christ in the same manner that David did? David was put in so many life-threatening situations because of God and God led him through. Are we willing to trust him to lead us through those same challenges?”

“Ultimately above this, do we love God? That is the most important question,” he said. “So, I hope people ask themselves that question. And I hope it inspires them to go on a deeper faith journey. And, for me, I ultimately hope it inspires them to grow closer to Christ.”

Season 2 of "House of David" is streaming now on Prime Video with a Wonder Project subscription. 

Watch an exclusive clip from “House of David” Season 2 Episode 7 below:

Nancy Pelosi with Vatican Secetary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin. / Credit: Vatican Media

CNA Staff, Nov 6, 2025 / 12:15 pm (CNA).

Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leader who has served in Congress since the late 1980s, announced on Nov. 6 that she will not seek reelection once her current term expires, ending a 50-year-long career in politics including roughly four decades in the nation’s capitol.

In a video address to residents of the city of San Francisco, which she represents in Congress, Pelosi said she has “truly loved serving” the constituents of the California city.

“That is why I want you, my fellow San Franciscans, to be the first to know, I will not be seeking reelection to Congress,” she said. 

“With a grateful heart, I look forward to my final year of service as your proud representative,” she said in the address. 

Pelosi first assumed congressional office in 1987. She notably served as the first female Speaker of the House from 2007–2011.

She began her career in Democratic politics in 1976 when she was elected as a member of the Democratic National Committee. She headed the California Democratic Party from 1981–1983. 

Catholic identity

Pelosi has described herself as “very Catholic,” styling herself in 2022 as “devout, practicing, all of that,” though her professed Catholicism has long been at odds with her staunch, decadeslong support of abortion. 

In 2022 Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone announced that Pelosi should not be admitted to holy Communion in the Archdiocese of San Francisco and should not present herself to receive the Eucharist until she publicly repudiates her support for abortion, which the Catholic Church teaches is a grave sin. 

A longtime backer of LGBT politics, Pelosi has also criticized the U.S. bishops for what she has claimed is “very negative, anti-LGBTQ stuff,” including regarding surgical or chemical techniques that aim to exchange or simulate the sex characteristics of a patient’s body for those of the opposite sex.

“[S]ome of it is stirred up by some of the more conservative leaders in the Church,” she alleged in 2023.

Pelosi has been married to her husband, Paul, since 1963. They have five children.

null / Credit: Ivonne Wierink/Shutterstock

ACI Prensa Staff, Nov 6, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

Catholics in the United States will have an opportunity to support more than 21,000 retired priests and men and women religious from various orders during the weekend of Dec. 13–14 with the annual collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious.

According to a statement from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), this collection, organized by the National Religious Retirement Office (NRRO), “helps provide critical financial assistance to eligible religious institutes caring for their retired members.”

For decades, consecrated men and women in the U.S. have served in multiple ministries — schools, hospitals, parishes, and social service organizations — often with little or no compensation. Today their communities face a serious imbalance between the rising costs of elder care and limited resources.

In 2024, religious over the age of 70 outnumbered the young by nearly 3 to 1, and only 4% of communities reporting to the NRRO indicated they had sufficient funds for retirement.

Since its creation in 1988, the fund has been “a lifeline for our aging religious leaders, but the need remains urgent,” the USCCB pointed out. Last year, the fund raised $28.1 million, while the annual cost of care exceeded $1 billion.

The average annual cost per person is $56,600, and specialized care costs $96,000. In contrast, the average Social Security benefit for a religious leader is just $9,090, less than half the average benefit for a layperson.

In light of this reality, NRRO Director John Knutsen noted that “for decades, the faithful service of these religious has touched countless lives, including my own.”

“Through your generosity, we can help ensure they are cared for with the dignity they so rightly deserve, while also living out the values ​​of compassion and solidarity that unite us as disciples of Jesus,” he urged.

Knutsen also emphasized the gratitude owed to religious communities for their members: “Supporting our aging religious is a profound opportunity to show gratitude for their lifetime of service, and we hear all throughout the year how deeply thankful they are for that support.”

Since 1988, the fundraising campaign has distributed more than $1 billion to religious institutions across the U.S., sustaining daily care for the elderly, building up retirement funds, and funding educational programs on geriatric care and long-term planning.

The USCCB noted that “every gift makes a difference, providing retired religious with the care and dignity they deserve.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

null / Credit: Photographee.eu/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Nov 6, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Claim: Laws requiring minors to notify their parents if they are getting an abortion “threaten young people’s health and safety and undermine their human rights,” claims a report by the Human Rights Watch.

CNA finds: CNA finds a strong pro-abortion bias in the report. Experts say parental notification laws help protect girls from predators and put girls in a better situation by ensuring family support. 

Breakdown: Parental notification laws vary across states, but most require the abortion provider to notify a parent before the abortion takes place, unless it’s a medical emergency or the minor obtains a court order.

For instance, in Colorado, a written notice must be delivered to the parent’s home by someone from the abortion clinic, a sheriff, a clergy member, or other person. The law contains a built-in exemption if the minor is in an abusive home.

Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Montana, and New Hampshire all have notification laws with judicial bypass options. States such as Florida, Illinois, Michigan, and Minnesota have parental consent laws, which require the parent to approve the abortion before it takes place.

Women seeking abortion face a variety of challenges, often including coercion or pressure from others in their lives. Several studies have found that women have a higher likelihood of mental health struggles after an abortion.

The U.S. Catholic bishops require every diocese to have mental health and counseling resources for women who have had abortions in an initiative known as Project Rachel. 

In the Archdiocese of Denver, Rachel’s Vineyard Colorado operates healing programs, support, and care for women who have gone through abortions. 

Lori Frank, executive director of Rachel’s Vineyard Colorado, told CNA that abortion is “an emotional, moral, and spiritual trauma.”

“Many women feel shame, guilt, and regret after experiencing abortion, and they often do not have mental health support,” Frank said. 

Rachel’s Vineyard Colorado sees women who struggle with post-abortive problems including depression, grief, emotional numbness, anxiety, panic attacks, nightmares, eating disorders, drug and alcohol abuse, and other challenges including spiritual and relationship difficulties.  

Frank noted that abortion can be especially harmful to minors, especially because “youth generally have fewer resources to draw upon with unexpected pregnancy.” 

“As a society, we need to provide real loving support to women of all ages when they are pregnant and help them understand the real risks of abortion as well as the support they need overall in their lives during this time,” she said. “Using abortion as a quick fix is not the solution.” 

Several experts expressed concerns for girls who may be in abusive or dangerous situations, such as an abuser using abortion to cover his crimes. 

Dr. Ingrid Skop, a spokesperson for the Charlotte Lozier Institute and an OB-GYN, told CNA that notification laws protect minors from a variety of concerns, including “abortion coercion or pressure from an abuser.”

“Sadly, the damage from coercive abortions goes beyond the brutality of the abortion itself,” Skop said, citing a study documenting mental health impacts on women who are pressured to abort. 

“Parents must be aware if their daughters are in abusive relationships or engaged in risky sexual behavior so they can intervene to prevent negative, long-term consequences on their health and well-being,” Skop said.

“Parents, who know their daughters best, are critical to help and support them in the midst of such a substantial, life-changing decision,” Skop said. 

Christina Francis, who heads the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, emphasized the importance of safeguards around abortion. 

Francis told CNA that “removing regulations on chemical abortion pills” makes them more “easily accessible to abusers.” 

“Eliminating parental involvement only deepens that risk,” she added. 

“Parental notification laws protect minors, not threaten them,” Francis said. “Involving parents in critical decisions involving their children’s health ensures truly informed consent and excellent care.”

Michael New, senior associate scholar at Charlotte Lozier Institute and assistant professor of practice at The Catholic University of America, also noted that these laws can help prevent abuse. 

“Parental involvement laws may prevent child predators from sexually abusing minor girls — since many child predators use abortion to cover up their sexual misconduct,” New told CNA. 

In addition, the report by Human Rights Watch “has a strong pro-abortion bias,” New said. 

According to New, the report “ignores a substantial body of academic research which shows that pro-life parental involvement laws improve health outcomes.”

In addition, “the report relies largely on anecdotal evidence from health care providers, attorneys, people working for abortion funds, and public health researchers,” New said.

What about dysfunctional families? 

Parental notification laws provide an option for a judicial bypass, meaning that minors, if they seek it, can be exempt from the requirement. 

In addition, some states provide explicit exemptions for minors in abusive homes or allow another adult to be notified instead of a parent if the minor wishes. 

Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk, neuroscientist and senior ethicist at the National Catholic Bioethics Center, said that “underage mothers should not be expected to navigate, by themselves, serious matters of their health and the health of others who depend on them, like their unborn child.” 

“They need support and assistance in what is a very fear-filled moment when they discover they have become pregnant,” Pacholczyk told CNA. 

Pacholczyk noted that underage girls who are pregnant may face difficult situations at home. 

In some cases, the mother of the daughter “will encourage her daughter to get an abortion,” while in other cases “she may believe she cannot tell her mom about her unexpected pregnancy without facing severe consequences” and “might fear being kicked out of the house” or damaging family relationships.

But Pacholczyk noted that eliminating parental notification only increases dysfunctionality in a home and distances underage girls from their much-needed support systems.

“It is also important to note that in many instances, the fears of the young girl may not be rooted in reality, and she may be surprised to learn how her parents are actually more open than she imagines to her new situation,” he said.

Pacholczyk recommended that parental notification be done “in a roundabout manner” through counselors or pregnancy resource centers so as to connect the girl and her family with resources such as adoption services, support, and even temporary living quarters if needed.

“The clinic’s staff have a vested financial interest in seeing the abortion take place and really should not act as mediators between the underage girl and her family,” he said.

“Parental involvement and support … should be the default position we seek to promote as a caring and civilized society,” Pacholczyk said.

The verdict: Parental notification laws protect girls from abuse and enable parents to support their daughters in a difficult time in their lives, as the decision they make could go on to affect their mental health and well-being in the future.

The Spalding Institute in the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois, is being transformed into “The Fulton J. Sheen Experience,” an expansion of the Sheen museum, which has been open since 2008.  / Credit: “EWTN News Nightly”/Screenshot

CNA Staff, Nov 6, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The Diocese of Peoria in Illinois on Oct. 19 broke ground for a cultural center honoring Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. The Spalding Institute is being transformed into “The Fulton J. Sheen Experience,” an expansion of the Sheen museum, which has been open since 2008. 

The new center has an estimated construction cost of $9 million to $11 million, all of which is being raised from private donations. Visitors will be able to see interactive exhibits, artifacts, and large archives of television and radio work from the archbishop’s life. 

“We are thrilled to transform the historic diocesan high school building into this new facility,” Bishop Louis Tylka of Peoria said in a press release. “We believe this project will draw even more visitors to the city to grow in their knowledge and love of the man who is arguably Peoria’s greatest son and through his witness draw closer to Jesus Christ.”

Currently, the Sheen museum draws roughly 4,000 visitors a year. The new center is predicted to increase tourism with roughly 11,000 to 15,000 visitors a year.

“Archbishop Fulton Sheen was not only a son of Peoria but a voice for the Church that touched millions across the world,” Tylka said. “With the Fulton J. Sheen Experience, we are creating a place where visitors can encounter his faith, vision, and enduring witness. This center will inspire future generations to live boldly for Christ, just as he did.”

Monsignor Jason Gray, executive director of the Fulton Sheen Foundation, told “EWTN News Nightly” in an interview that the event was a “great day for the development of the Sheen cause.”

The cause for the beatification of Sheen was paused in 2019 due to concerns raised about his tenure as bishop of Rochester, New York (1966–1969), especially in light of the New York state attorney general investigation into diocesan handling of abuse cases. After careful research and a presentation to the then-Congregation for the Causes of Saints, it was deemed Sheen handled them correctly.

“For a long time, we’ve been working on the cause itself and trying to bring that forward, but today was about making sure that we can perpetuate the cause,” Gray said. “We want to keep the legacy of Fulton Sheen alive. It’s so important that we welcome people who want to come and express their devotion to Sheen.”

He explained that people from all over the world come to visit the museum, and they’re running out of space to be able to accommodate all those who wish to visit. 

Due to this issue, Gray said he believes that “it’s important that we provide a larger facility to really allow people to get to know Sheen better and through Sheen to encounter Jesus Christ.”

Dolores Sheen, a niece of Sheen, was also in attendance at the groundbreaking ceremony. She called the event “very exciting.”

“I’m behind them expanding because there’s so much that still needs to come out and be in that museum. And of course, the fact that it was the place where he walked. I think that’s very important,” she added. 

Dolores Sheen is married to Sheen’s nephew John and spent time with the beloved archbishop on several occasions. She recalled spending Sheen’s 80th birthday with him and the numerous times they spent time together as a family. 

“I’d call him and I’d say, ‘Bishop, what do you want to do?’ He’d always say, ‘I want to be with family. I want to be with family,’” she recalled. “So we’d gather the family together, that was in Peoria, the cousins, and we would just have a wonderful, wonderful day.”

“I feel honored that I can share some of these things in regard to him, that he was just very real. He was just a very down-to-earth person.”

As for her hopes for the new center, Dolores said she hopes visitors see that “the bishop was very much in love with Christ and Mary.”

Gray added that he hopes visitors appreciate Sheen’s “personal insight into Jesus Christ and the way in which he would pray and be united with him in prayer. We want people to discover that and what a precious gift that is to the Church.”

A Catholic delegation attempts to bring Communion to detainees at the Broadview, Illinois, immigration facility and was not admitted Nov. 1, 2025. / Credit: Bryan Sebastian, courtesy of Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 5, 2025 / 18:58 pm (CNA).

A Chicago-based federal judge on Wednesday ordered the Trump administration to maintain strict cleanliness and hygiene requirements for migrants detained at an Illinois facility.

The court also ordered the administration to provide detainees with access to legal representation.

The temporary restraining order entered Nov. 5 by Judge Robert W. Gettleman, who was appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in 1994 by President Bill Clinton, did not address the plaintiff’s concerns about a lack of religious accommodations, including the ability to receive holy Communion.

Gettleman’s order Nov. 5 directed the administration to provide adequate food, water, and hygiene practices to detainees along with prescribed medications.

“Plaintiffs and members of the putative class have suffered, and are likely to suffer, irreparable harm absent the temporary relief granted,” said the order, which will be in effect until a Nov. 19 status hearing.

Gettleman required detainees to be provided with soap, towels, toilet paper, oral hygiene products (including toothbrushes and toothpaste), and menstrual products.

The order said: “Defendants shall provide each detainee with at least three full meals per day that meet the U.S. recommended dietary allowance … Defendants shall provide each detainee with a bottle of potable water with each meal and bottled water upon request free of charge.”

It specified that papers provided to detainees “should include an accompanying Spanish translation.”

‘Squalid living environment’

The judge’s order followed an hourslong hearing on Nov. 4 featuring argument between lawyers for detainees and Trump administration attorneys, and testimony from former detainees at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Broadview facility located at 1930 Beach St.

On Oct. 30, the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, together with the MacArthur Justice Center — a self-described nonprofit civil rights law firm based in Chicago — filed a civil suit (Moreno Gonzalez v. Noem) in federal court alleging detainees at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Broadview facility faced overcrowded, “inhumane” conditions, insufficient nutrition, inadequate medical care, lack of privacy, and a squalid living environment.

“The food provided to detainees is insufficient and lacks nutrition,” according to the complaint filed last week by lawyers for several detainees. “At most, detainees receive two to three small, cold sandwiches per day.”

The detainee’s lawyers say in their lawsuit: “The physical conditions are filthy, with poor sanitation, clogged toilets, and blood, human fluids, and insects in the sinks and the floor.” The complaint says overcrowding, “unhygienic conditions, lack of medical care, and deprivation of adequate food” has turned the Broadview ICE facility into “a breeding ground for illness to spread.”

“The toilets are filthy and often get clogged, resulting in urine and dirty water on the floor where detainees are forced to sleep,” according to the detainees’ attorneys in their complaint.

The lawyers argued the ICE Broadview facility was designed to serve only as a short-term (roughly 12 hours) “holding facility” where people are briefly held for processing before being moved to a longer-term detention facility. But in the wake of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration in the Chicago area, the federal government, including the Department of Homeland Security and ICE, “are now warehousing people at Broadview for days on end,” the detainees’ attorneys said. “The consequences have been dire, and wholly predictable,” including a lack of adequate access to legal representation.

“Everyone, no matter their legal status, has the right to access counsel and to not be subject to horrific and inhumane conditions,” said Alexa Van Brunt, director of the MacArthur Justice Center’s Illinois office and lead counsel on the suit, in an Oct. 31 statement.  

The complaint also alleges the detainees have been unconstitutionally denied access not only to their attorneys but also to faith leaders and members of clergy, “who have provided religious services at Broadview for years but are now denied the ability to provide pastoral care under defendants’ command.”

“For many years, faith leaders and members of the clergy … provided pastoral care to individuals detained inside Broadview,” the detainees’ lawyers told the court.

“Now, no one is allowed inside Broadview. Faith leaders seeking to provide religious services are blocked from providing Communion and spiritual support to detainees, even from outside.”

Catholic leaders in Chicago sought to bring holy Communion to Broadview detainees Nov. 1. Auxiliary Bishop Jose María García-Maldonado and others were not admitted despite requesting access weeks in advance and attempting to follow U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s guidelines.

Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday said the spiritual rights of migrants in detention must be considered by government authorities. “I would certainly invite the authorities to allow pastoral workers to attend to the needs of those people,” the pontiff said. “Many times, they’ve been separated from their families for a good amount of time. No one knows what’s happening, but their own spiritual needs should be attended to.”

On Oct. 1, Pope Leo said being “in agreement with the inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States, I don’t know if that’s pro-life.”

The Homeland Security Department’s Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin responded to the detainees’ lawsuit and told CNA that the Broadview facility was a “field office,”  not a “detention facility.”

She added: “Illegal aliens are only briefly held there for processing before being transferred to a detention facility. Religious organizations are more than welcome to provide services to detainees in ICE detention facilities.”

McLaughlin said the Broadview facility had recently been the target of numerous attacks and vandalism by anti-Trump administration protesters that presented many public safety dangers, including assaults on law enforcement officers, throwing tear gas cans, slashing tires, firearms possession, and blocking the entrance of the building.

“ICE staff has repeatedly informed religious organizations that due to Broadview’s status as a field office and the ongoing threat to civilians, detainees, and officers … they are not able to accommodate these requests at this time,” she told CNA, adding: “Even before the attacks on the Broadview facility, it was not within standard operating procedure for religious services to be provided in a field office, as detainees are continuously brought in, processed, and transferred out.”

McLaughlin wrote on the X that “religious organizations have ALWAYS been welcome to provide services to detainees in ICE detention facilities. Religious leaders may request access to facilities through proper channels and have those requests approved.”

Tyler Arnold contributed to this story.