Catholic Nutshell News: Friday 7/31/26
Catholics should know: Children & phones & reading test scores; Choirs of angels singing constantly; Catholic priest sues U.S. over visa; & 'Pray that child back to God'
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
Phone ownership in children linked to lower reading test scores
By Zeale News, July 30, 2026
Elementary school children who owned cell phones received lower total scores on a timed reading-comprehension test than children without phones in a new University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) study, although having a phone nearby during the test did not hurt performance. Published July 23 in the journal Behavioral Sciences, the study examined 106 Los Angeles County children in a younger group that was mostly composed of third graders and an older group that was mostly composed of sixth graders. After controlling for grade level, researchers found a modest but statistically significant negative correlation between phone ownership and total reading-comprehension scores (r = −.223, p = .026), meaning children who owned phones tended to receive lower scores. Students answered an average of 89% of questions correctly with their phones present and 87% without them.
OSV News
Russian attack leaves 8 dead in Ukraine
By Junno Arocho Esteves, July 31, 2026
An overnight July 30 onslaught of Russian missiles and drones struck Ukraine, leaving eight people, including several children, dead and dozens wounded in the aftermath. In a statement posted on his official Telegram channel July 30, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched more than 70 missiles and over 280 drone strikes across the country. In a message released several days before the attack, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Kyiv-Halych, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, condemned similar strikes by Russia, including a July 19 attack that struck a residential neighborhood. He also said a missile struck a residential building in Radushne, located in the Dnipropetrovsk region, killing “parents and three children.” Rescuers, he noted, were able to pull two children from the rubble.
Aleteia
Do heaven’s choirs of angels sing constantly?
By Daniel Esparza, July 31, 2026
On the evening of Wednesday, July 29, Pope Leo XIV sat in the gardens of Borgo Laudato Si' at Castel Gandolfo and listened to 164 children from Uganda, the Holy Land, and Italy sing for peace. Andrea Bocelli sang alongside them, including a rendition of “Panis Angelicus” and, as a closing piece, “Amazing Grace.” In his greeting to the children, the Pope drew a direct line between beauty, music, and encounter with God. “Music has the remarkable ability to bring different voices together in unison, where each one contributes something unique to the whole,” he said. “In this sense, choir becomes an ideal symbol of harmony and cooperation.” He connected this to Scripture: “It is significant that Sacred Scripture and the Liturgy of the Church speak of ‘choirs of angels and saints’ when describing the joy of heaven — not because they are literally singing all the time, but because united in love they behold God together and find in him the fullness of happiness.”
Catholic Exchange
Saint of the day, 31 July: St. Ignatius of Loyola
By Catholic Exchange, July 24, 2026
St. Ignatius of Loyola was born in 1491 in the Basque region of Spain. As a young man, he dreamed of fame and honor as a soldier, but his life changed forever after a severe leg injury in battle in 1521. During his long recovery, Ignatius read the lives of Christ and the saints, which stirred in him a deep desire to serve God. He dedicated himself to prayer, penance, and pilgrimage, eventually discerning a call to guide others in the spiritual life. Ignatius founded the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) in 1540, a religious order dedicated to education, missionary work, and defending the faith. He authored the Spiritual Exercises, a framework of prayer and discernment that continues to guide countless people in their relationship with God. St. Ignatius died in 1556 in Rome and was canonized in 1622. He is honored as the patron saint of retreats and spiritual discernment.
EWTN News
Catholic priest sues U.S. government over visa and residency
By Tyler Arnold, July 31, 2026
A Nigerian-born Catholic priest serving in the Diocese of Des Moines, Iowa, sued the federal government after facing delays in processing his request for permanent residency, which has culminated in the expiration of his religious work visa and work authorization. Father Sylvester Okoh, who was serving in the diocesan hospital ministry under an R-1 religious worker visa, can remain in the country as he awaits government action. Yet, because the priest lost his work authorization amid the delays, he is unable to perform his duties in the diocese. When reached for comment, Okoh referred EWTN News to his lawyer, Alexander Smith, who said his client has done everything by the book, has not broken any laws, and “just wants to get back to work.” Smith said there “are no court orders as of yet,” and his application is still pending. He said “we are confident that the government and the court” will recognize the delay is “unreasonable” and ensure his application is processed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
The Pillar
Detroit diocese grows, but also shrinks
By Brendan Hodge, July 27, 2026
Like many US dioceses, the Archdiocese of Detroit is going through a parish consolidation process. In the preparation, the archdiocese has provided the data diocesan leaders are assessing as they make these decisions about the closure or merger of parishes. The documents provide interesting insights into some hard realities of Catholic life in the Archdiocese of Detroit — much of which is likely similar to the circumstances in other U.S. dioceses, especially in traditional heartlands of American Catholicism. The diocese is growing older, not younger, pointing to the fact that funerals are now more common than baptisms in the archdiocese. The population of the Archdiocese of Detroit has actually slightly grown from 2000 to 2024, from 4.3 million residents to 4.4 million. At the same time, the number of parish-registered Catholics has declined, from 1.4 million in 2000 to about 900,000 today, according to the archdiocesan data.
Christian Science Monitor
For the US and Iran, war aims have changed beyond recognition
By Ned Temko, July 30, 2026
The Iran war is over. That confident assertion was first made by President Donald Trump just 10 days after the war had begun with a relentless U.S. bombing and missile campaign in unprecedented military coordination with America’s closest Middle East ally, Israel. And this week, it became clear that Mr. Trump’s claim turned out to be right. Only not at all as he had intended. Not as he had hoped. For as he sat down in the White House for his first face-to-face talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since they launched the first airstrikes five months ago, the conflict had changed beyond recognition. The war, which they began with the jointly declared hope of toppling the authoritarian Islamic regime in Tehran and permanently closing off Iran’s path to a nuclear weapon, is indeed over.
Agenzia Fides
Women religious & Church networks stand alongside victims
By Fides News Agency, July 30, 2026
According to the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), 50 million people worldwide are living in conditions of modern slavery as human trafficking generates an estimated 236 billion dollars in illicit profits every year. Faced with a form of slavery that continues to evolve and take on new forms of exploitation, Church networks and religious communities are renewing their commitment to prevention, accompaniment and the defense of the dignity of victims of human trafficking. On the occasion of the World Day Against Human Trafficking, on July 30, Church networks note that behind this phenomenon lie the stories of people marked by poverty, violence, lack of opportunities and situations of extreme vulnerability. Children, women, migrants and displaced persons continue to be targeted by criminal organizations, which use deception, fraudulent job offers, threats and new digital tools to recruit their victims.
Keep informed - 7/31/26 news for Catholics
Snippets from Big Pulpit, EWTN, & the Loop
Big Pulpit
Tito Edwards Catholic site: July 24, 2026
The Big Pulpit website is a news aggregator that gathers quality insights and analysis on the Catholic Church worldwide.
1. Ross Douthat Leaves, Joins 60 Minutes – Peter J. Wolfgang, J.D., at Catholic Culture
2. Overnight, Funeral Rites Got Corrupted Until These Became Normal – Fr. Allan J. McDonald
3. Does It Feel to You as if Something Is Building to an Explosive Point? – Fr. Z’s Blog
4. The Catholic Left in a Nutshell – Donald R. McClarey, J.D., at The American Catholic
EWTN News
EWTN’s top headlines — July 31, 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.
Pope Leo XIV issues new constitution, allowing non-cardinals to lead Vatican City State - By Ishmael Adibuah - The new laws, making up the Fundamental Law of Vatican City State, were published on July 31. They replace the 2023 constitution by Pope Francis, which emphasized papal authority over the sovereign state.
Pope confirms second Chinese bishop in a week under Vatican-Beijing agreement - By Victoria Cardiel - The Holy See and China have not maintained diplomatic relations since 1951, following the rise to power of Mao Zedong’s communist government. Chinese Catholics subsequently became divided between the state-controlled Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association and an underground Catholic community that remained loyal to Rome.
Michigan hospital will change LGBT policies, pay fired physician assistant $400,000 after lawsuit - By Daniel Payne - Valerie Kloosterman, a Christian, had worked at the hospital for 17 years starting in 2004. She was fired in August 2021 after she refused to use LGBT pronouns and make referrals for transgender-related “transition” drugs and surgeries, according to a 2022 lawsuit filed in U.S. district court.
The Loop
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.
BISHOPS MOBILIZE CATHOLICS AS ABORTION-PILL FIGHT HEATS UP - Archbishop Paul Coakley and Bishop Daniel Thomas called Catholics nationwide to pray and act against abortion pills through October, with a full campaign launching August 18 to target pharmacies, distributors, and drugmakers.
LEFT-WING ‘AUTONOMOUS ZONE’ SEIZES MADISON STREETS - A left-wing encampment formed after the fatal police shooting of Corey Ruiz has declared itself the Corey Ruiz Autonomous Zone Encampment (CRAZE), using staffed checkpoints, vehicles, furniture, and a makeshift spike strip to block two city blocks. Madison is keeping the streets closed “until further notice,” while nearby businesses report lost customers and police avoid the camp.
SEN. BRITT JOINS FIGHT TO RESTORE ABORTION-PILL SAFEGUARDS - Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., joined 90 Republican members of Congress in backing Louisiana’s bid to restore in-person dispensing for mifepristone, arguing Biden-era mail-order rules violated federal law and put women at risk. The case centers on a woman who says an abusive former boyfriend obtained the drug by mail and coerced her into taking it.
July 31, 2026 - USCCB Daily Mass Readings
You can listen HERE — or read HERE:
Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Priest
Today’s Catholic commentary:
Catholic365
Pray that child back to God
By Marianne Giltner, July 31, 2024
Nothing is more tender to the eyes and ears of God than a sincere, heartfelt prayer for a child. So many of them need it. It doesn't matter if that child is 10 years old or 50 years old. After all, we are all children of God. The path can be strewn with thorns or laid with roses. The struggles are in everyone's lives. The children, like us adults, need those extra prayers or sentiments to help with those struggles. Protection of those prayers is immense. They are an extra shield of Hope that one can give when discernment might be blinded by the world's direction to choose things that are not of God. Our precious children are just that. Precious. Precious in our sight and the sight of God. St Monica prayed for many years. Many other Saints prayed for humanity. God tests us and those tests are beautiful fragrant flowers that can blossom, especially when someone prays for us or we pray for each other.
Catholic Culture
Jesuits getting a questionable reputation on doctrine
By Peter Swindal, July 30, 2026
“Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16), Our Lord Jesus Christ commanded the Twelve Apostles. Perhaps no saint in the history of Christianity has understood this command as deeply as St. Ignatius of Loyola, whose feast we celebrate tomorrow. To many orthodox and faithful Catholics, it is apparent that something has gone horribly wrong with the Society of Jesus in the present day. Perhaps we should look no further than their vocations. The number of men who make their first vows, taken at the conclusion of a two-year novitiate and which typically precede about a decade of further formation before priestly ordination, has plummeted to catastrophically low levels. Less simple to pin down is the sense that many faithful Catholics have that many modern-day Jesuits seem to undermine the teachings of the Church, yet in a way that evades an easy condemnation.
National Catholic Register
The LeBron James Mass photo was fake after all
By Zelda Caldwell, July 29, 2026
When Father James DeGrassa posted a photo on Instagram of himself posing with LeBron James in front of the altar at his parish just north of Philadelphia, he knew his parishioners would get that it was a joke and that the photo was just an AI-generated fake, he told the Register. “I’m like, ‘Don’t people realize it’s a joke? He’s not even in the area yet,’” Father DeGrassa said. What Father DeGrassa couldn’t have imagined is that the post would soon go viral, reaching 4 million people, most of whom were not familiar with the Philadelphia native’s sense of humor. The day before, the sports-mad city had greeted the news that the NBA great would be signing with the Philadelphia 76ers in predictable fashion: Everyone went nuts. On social media, AI photos of James patronizing local businesses were everywhere. “I started seeing everybody posting pictures of him. ‘Oh, he’s at our deli,’ or ‘Oh, he’s having our cheesesteak,’” the pastor of Queen of Peace Catholic Church explained. “I jumped on the hype.”
Bishop Barron
The Church is Jesus’s mystical body
By Bishop Robert Barron, July 31, 2026
Friends, in today’s Gospel, on his return to Nazareth, the Lord identifies himself as a prophet. Jesus is not just one more in a long line of prophets but rather the personal and perfect embodiment of the transformative speech of God. As Pope Benedict XVI puts it in Verbum Domini, “Now the word is not simply audible; not only does it have a voice, now the word has a face, one which we can see: that of Jesus of Nazareth.” Therefore, we are not surprised that the Gospels consistently portray Jesus’s words as irresistibly powerful. At the tomb of his friend, “he cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’” and “the dead man came out.” Precisely because Jesus is the divine Word, what he says is. Origen of Alexandria said that just as all of Jesus’s acts were like words, so all his words were like acts. The Church, which is Jesus’s mystical body, is the privileged bearer of his word to the world down through the ages until the Lord returns. This is why the Church continues to unleash transformative power.
Image of Coconut by Celio Nicoli from Pixabay
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