Catholic Nutshell News: Friday 6/12/26
What Catholics should know: Our nation concecrated to Sacred Heart; Christian harassment cases rise in Israel; More leave than are converted; & DOJ backs Catholic coach suing university
Fridays, "Living that coconut kinda life."
Your 5-minute Catholic briefing for busy faithful. Today's sources: National Catholic Register, EWTN News, OSV News, Zeale, Bishop Barron, & Aleteia. (Catholic Nutshell is a FREE subscription service for faithful, hopeful, & curious Catholics willing to exercise their Catholic News Muscle)
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Zeale News
US bishops in prayer as they consecrate nation to Sacred Heart
By McKenna Snow, June 11, 2026
The White House issued a presidential message on June 11 supporting the U.S. bishops’ consecration of the nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. “Today, Melania and I join in prayer with Catholic Bishops gathered in Orlando, Florida, as they consecrate the United States of America to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the occasion of our 250th year of American Independence — a powerful moment in our national story and a poignant reminder that America has always been guided by the loving hand of God,” Trump’s message began. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is performing the consecration during their Spring Plenary Assembly this week. June 12 — the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart — marks the anniversary of a historic turning point toward the end of the communist regime, the statement noted. The President’s message also emphasized the importance of recommitment to defending the nation’s spiritual identity and protecting the country against ideologies that currently threaten it.
Related: 5 ways to foster devotion to the Sacred Heart - by Leonard J. DeLorenzo, OSV News, June 11, 2026
OSV News
Christian harassment cases rise in Israel
By Judith Sudilovsky, June 9, 2026
There has been a sharp rise in reported harassment against Christians in Israel, according to new data presented June 4 by the Religious Freedom Data Center. Founder Yisca Harani said more than 88 incidents have already been documented this year, including 63 in the second quarter alone, putting 2026 on pace to exceed last year’s total of 181 cases. “We have surpassed all our numbers, and we haven’t reached the end of June yet,” she said. Most of the incidents, which include spitting and verbal insults, vandalism and desecration of graves, tombstones, statues and crosses, and defacement of signs and graffiti, have taken place in Jerusalem’s Old City, on Mount Zion and near the Armenian Patriarchate — located on one of the routes to the Jewish Quarter, said Harani, a Jewish-Israeli Christian scholar. There have also been cases of harassment, vandalism, and arson at Christian holy sites in northern Israel, she said.
Aleteia
Catholics converts: The story behind the numbers
By Caitlin Bootsma, June 12, 2026
A surge of converts to Catholicism has been in the news lately, but what do the numbers really tell us? The Pew Research Center recently released the results of a comprehensive study of converts to Catholicism in the U.S. The study reports that converts to Catholicism account for 1.5% of U.S. adults. Of approximately 267 million American adults, about 4 million converted to Catholicism at some point in their lives. Converts make up 8% of American Catholics in the United States today; the other 92% are “cradle Catholics,” people born into the Catholic faith. According to the study, many more people have left Catholicism than have joined it, with a ratio of 8.4 people leaving for every one person who has converted. The study also found that the majority of people who switch religions do so before the age of 30. Converts come from a wide variety of religious backgrounds, but the vast majority (59%) come from Protestantism. Another 9% come from other self-identified Christian origins, such as Orthodoxy and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism).
National Catholic Register
Pope Leo entrusts his pontificate to Our Lady of Montserrat
By Victoria Cardiel/EWTN News, June 10, 2026
Pope Leo XIV visited the rugged silhouette of the Montserrat mountain range in Catalonia on June 9. Montserrat, whose name in Catalan means “serrated mountain,” is home to a Benedictine abbey. It rises to over 4,000 feet on the west side of the Llobregat River. In 1025, Abbot Oliba, then superior of the monastery of Ripoll, founded a smaller monastery on the mountain of Montserrat at a site where a small hermitage dedicated to the Virgin already stood. The first image of the Virgin — known in Catalan as “La Mare de Déu de Montserrat” — was discovered in the year 880 by children tending a flock in a cave after seeing a light on the mountain. The image of Mary currently venerated is a 12th-century Romanesque wooden sculpture, just over 3 feet tall, depicting the Blessed Virgin Mary with the Child Jesus. For centuries, faithful from all walks of life have passed through this sanctuary, praying the rosary bead by bead, because Mary, “Mare de Déu,” as the pope said, “is fundamental in the life of every Christian.”
EWTN News
DOJ backs Catholic coach in suing over COVID vaccine mandate
By Daniel Payne, June 11, 2026
Nick Rolovich first sued Washington State University in 2022 after he was dismissed from the school in 2021 for refusing to be vaccinated. He is now being backed by the U.S. Department of Justice in his lawsuit against a public university that fired him for refusing to take a COVID-19 vaccine. In his lawsuit, Rolovich said the university failed to uphold its contract with him when it fired him for refusing the shot. The suit alleged that the firing was without “just cause” and that the school violated its contract by dismissing him over the dispute. Rolovich said he “drew upon his study of the Bible, personal prayer, personal experience, personal study, advice from others, advice from a Catholic priest, and the teachings of the Church in concluding that his conscience precluded him from receiving any available COVID-19 vaccine.” A federal district court ruled against Rolovich in 2025. On June 10, the coach and his legal team appeared before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit to argue the case.
The CRUX
Ethnic violence in India escalates, with Christians on both sides
By Nirmala Carvalho, June 12, 2026
The bodies of six tribal Naga Christians abducted last month were discovered earlier this week after an intense search. The bodies were discovered in the Kangpokpi district of Manipur State, which borders Nagaland State to the south. The victims’ remains — including those of at least two pastors — were reportedly mutilated and dismembered, sparking massive protests across Naga-inhabited areas. The last 14 Kukis were released on June 9, following a federal government assurance to work out ways to end hostilities that claimed lives on both sides. The Naga peoples are ethnically Tibeto-Burman groups native to northeastern India and northwestern Myanmar, while the Kuki people also live across much of the same area. The death of six Naga men is feared to further escalate tensions among predominantly Christian Kuki and Naga communities, who were already in conflict over the past two months, say local sources.
Religion News Service
Pope Leo tells human traffickers to ‘repent’ or face God’s judgment
By Claire Giangravè, June 12, 2026
Pope Leo XIV issued a stark warning to human traffickers, telling them to “repent” or face the judgment of God, during a speech to charity workers for the integration of migrants on the Spanish island of Tenerife on Friday (June 12). “I wish to address a clear message to those who take advantage of people’s desperation, to those who organize death routes, traffic in human beings, withhold documents, exploit workers, threaten women, deceive families, and turn the suffering of others into a business. Stop. Repent,” Leo said. The pope said that God hears the suffering of trafficking victims and that the money gained by their exploitation “will bring neither peace, nor honor, nor a future.” He said traffickers “will have to appear before divine justice,” urging them to free and make amends to those they harmed.
Zenit News
The largest congress of Catholics gathers 5,000 in Vilnius
By Valentina di Giorgio, June 3, 2026
For six days this week, Vilnius is becoming a meeting place for the global Catholic community as thousands of pilgrims, clergy, community leaders, and visitors gather in the Lithuanian capital for the 6th World Apostolic Congress on Mercy (WACOM). The congress, organized by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization, is being held in Lithuania for the first time and runs from 7-12 June under the theme “Building the City of Mercy.” The congress officially opened on June 7 and has brought together more than 5,000 participants from 52 countries, making it one of the most significant international Catholic events of the year. The Divine Mercy devotion has become one of the most widespread expressions of modern Catholic spirituality. Today, the image is present in Catholic churches worldwide, while the original painting remains in Vilnius, at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in the Old Town.
Keep informed - 6/12/26 news for Catholics
Snippets from Big Pulpit, EWTN, & the Loop
Big Pulpit
Tito Edwards Catholic site: June 12, 2026
The Big Pulpit website is a news aggregator that gathers quality insights and analysis on the Catholic Church worldwide.
God Isn’t Waiting for You to Be Worthy: A Priest’s Advice to Men Considering Seminary – Church Pop
Three Key Moments From Leo’s Voyage to Madrid – Fr. Raymond J. de Souza, M.P.A., M.Phil., S.T.L.
The Moment Spain Realized Leo XIV is Still Catholic – Javier Villamor
Comparing the New & Old Papal Nuncios is Like Night & Day – Fr. Allan J. McDonald
EWTN News
EWTN’s top headlines — June 12, 2026
EWTN News provides reliable, free, up-to-the-minute news affecting the Universal Church, with updates on the Holy Father's words and the Holy See.
Migrants in Tenerife tell Pope Leo XIV: We do not ask for privileges or compassion - By Victoria Cardiel - At Las Raíces reception center in Spain’s Canary Islands, the pope heard testimonies from migrants who risked their lives crossing the Atlantic and urged a more humane response rooted in dignity.
Pope tells Catholics to pray for those who ‘have lost their lives at sea’ in Canary Islands visit - By Victoria Cardiel - Referring to the sea surrounding the island, he said it represents the difficulties of life, quoting St. Augustine: “No one is able to cross the sea of this world unless borne by the cross of Christ.”
Cardinal Koch: ‘Today there are more martyrs than in the early centuries of the Church’ - By Walter Sánchez Silva - “Martyrdom truly belongs to the heart of Christianity,” said the Swiss prelate, who made his remarks in late May during the annual pilgrimage for persecuted Christians organized by the Swiss branch of ACN at the Einsiedeln Benedictine Abbey.
Zeale / Loop / CatholicVote
Zeale is CatholicVote, hosting the LOOP
Over half a million people receive the LOOP news rundown six days a week. Zeale is the new home of the LOOP. Zeale is a project of CatholicVote, America’s top Catholic advocacy organization leading the fight for faith, family, and freedom.
'CATHOLICS VOTE' GROUP RALLIES CATHOLICS FOR DEMS - A progressive organization has launched what it calls a “first of its kind” national campaign to turn out Catholic voters in competitive congressional districts ahead of the 2026 midterms – with the aim of rallying support for Democratic candidates. CatholicVote's Joshua Mercer criticized the campaign, pointing to the many ways in which the Democratic Party has pitted itself against the Church. "Catholics won't be fooled again," he said. READ
ADMIN RECOVERS HORRIBLY ABUSED MIGRANT KIDS LOST UNDER BIDEN - In a shocking announcement that included reports of serial child abuse, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said June 11 that federal agencies have located more than 146,000 of the unaccompanied migrant children that the Biden administration lost track of after they entered the U.S. READ
EUROPEAN WATCHDOG CLOCKS SPIKE IN ANTI-CHRISTIAN ATTACKS - A European religious freedom group recorded 37 verified anti-Christian incidents across 11 countries in the last month alone, including a sharp rise in arson-related attacks targeting churches, parish buildings, and religious items. READ
June 12, 2026 - USCCB Daily Mass Readings
You can listen HERE — or read HERE:
Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Today’s Catholic commentary:
Catholic365
The strange religious meaning of flies
By Gary Sullivan, July 2, 2024
It’s that time of year when we are getting a stray fly in our house here and there. Nothing gives me more pleasure than stalking them with my fly swatter and then, kaboom...dead! I hate flies. So annoying, so persistent, so gross when they land on me or my food. I’m pretty sure everyone hates flies. I mean, flies feast on carcasses, open wounds, and excrement. They seek to bury their eggs in anything moist, decaying, and rotten. They spread germs, and sometimes they’re loud. Why Lord? Why flies? Actually, they do serve a purpose: they help break down trash and excrement. But there's even an esoteric, supernatural purpose that flies serve as symbols and signs of evil. The fly was regarded by the ancient Jews in particular as impure and demonic. "Extremely annoying when one is eating and since it persistently returns even after being driven away it is the emblem of evil desire. The evil spirit lies like a fly at the doors of the human heart."
The PILLAR
‘I’m happy to be here’ says new Nuncio, unlike the U.S.’s last man
By Ed. Condon, June 10, 2026
Arriving from his previous posting at the United Nations, the Milanese Archbishop Gabriele Caccia succeeded Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the decades-long-serving Frenchman, who turned 80 this year. The pope’s new man in Washington sang the praises of continuity yet struck an audibly different tone. His words appeared like a study in contrast to his predecessor’s style and even substance. The previous nuncio had an often fractious relationship with the conference itself and its members, and often used his addresses to issue blunt criticisms of the Church in the United States and the bishops themselves. His successor, instead, introduced himself by quoting Alexis de Tocqueville on America's potential to become the epicenter of global Catholicism, while remarking on the election of the first American Pope. Apart from not mentioning synodality at all, while Pierre seasoned his speeches with quotes from Gaudium et Spes, the pastoral constitution of the Second Vatican Council, Caccia offered the bishops the gift of a pocket edition of Lumen Gentium and Dei Verbum, the council’s dogmatic constitutions.
Aleteia
Have you heard of ‘Summer Lent’?
By Philip Kosloski, June 1, 2026
Most of us are very familiar with Lent and the various fasting requirements for the penitential period leading up to the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection at Easter. Outside of Lent, there are a variety of fasting customs and traditions practiced by Catholics around the world. In recent years, there has been much online talk about “St. Michael’s Lent,” a 40-day preparation for the feast of St. Michael the Archangel, inspired by a practice from the life of St. Francis of Assisi. Similarly, there exists a period of fasting in the Eastern Church that many call “Summer Lent,” which follows the celebration of Pentecost. It’s a unique time of fasting, one that has deep roots in apostolic tradition. The Eparchy of Phoenix explains that, "The Apostles’ Fast or 'Summer Lent' is a summer fast that begins after All Saints Sunday (following Pentecost) and concludes on June 29, the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. It commemorates the Apostles’ preparation for their missionary work after Pentecost.”
Bishop Barron
The weight of your own sense of self-sufficiency
By Bishop Robert Barron, June 12, 2026
Friends, in today’s Gospel, the Lord offers to relieve our burdens: “Take my yoke upon you . . . and you will find rest for yourselves.” Jesus almost always speaks in paradoxes, and this is another one. “I will put a yoke on you.” Now, if I am burdened, the last thing I want is a yoke that will make my life more burdensome.
But here’s the paradox: What is it that makes our lives heavy and weighed down? Precisely the burden of our own egos, the weight of one’s own self. When I am puffing myself up with my own self-importance, I’m laboring under all that weight. Jesus is saying, “Become a child. Take that weight off your shoulders and put on the weight of my yoke of my obedience to the Father.” Here’s how it works: If you have two animals yoked together when they’re both pulling, they are doing each other’s work. Jesus is saying that if your life is heavy and burdensome, it’s probably because you are caught up under the weight of your own sense of self-sufficiency.
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