Catholic Nutshell News: Friday August/15/25
Topics include: Protestant questions about Our Lady; Parishioners ordered to stand down; Suicide triggers 15 fired nurses; & ‘Material comfort’ can dull the conscience
Fridays, "Living that coconut kinda life."
Today's sources: National Catholic Register, Catholic News Agency, Word on Fire, CatholicVote, Agenzia Fides, & Missio Dei. (Catholic Nutshell is a FREE subscription service for faithful, hopeful, & curious Catholics willing to exercise their Catholic News Muscle)
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Catholic News Agency
‘Crushed by the Woman’: Protestant questions about Our Lady
By Francesca Pollio Fenton, August 14, 2025
EWTN’s “Crushed by the Woman” — set to air on the Aug. 15 solemnity of the Assumption at 5:30 p.m. ET — answers common questions Protestants ask regarding the Blessed Virgin Mary. The 30-minute program features a lineup of notable Church figures who explore the beliefs Catholics hold regarding the Blessed Mother and the many misconceptions non-Catholics have about her. The program addresses questions such as: Does devotion to Mary take away from Jesus or offend Our Lord? What does the angel Gabriel’s “Hail, full of grace” greeting mean? Is the assumption of the Blessed Virgin contrary to the Bible? Why do Catholics pray to Mary? Why do Catholics say Mary did not have other children? How is Mary our perfect mother? Father Dwight Longenecker, a fundamentalist ordained an Anglican priest before converting to Catholicism, and Mark Miravalle, from Franciscan University of Steubenville and president of the International Marian Association, are joined by several other Church leaders to provide answers to these questions.
The Pillar
After changing locks, parishioners ordered to stand down
By Jack Figge, August 14, 2025
When Catholics at Holy Rosary Portugal Cove-South in Newfoundland heard their church was being sold as part of an archdiocesan bankruptcy filing and abuse settlement, they teamed up to find a way to stop the sale of the church. They changed the locks on the church building and hung signs that proclaimed “potential buyers are not welcome,” to deter a potential sale. The Archdiocese of St. John’s in Newfoundland has said that it holds title to the property and has the legitimate right to complete a sale of its church. In May of this year, a Canadian Supreme Court judge sided with the archdiocese, which had brought a lawsuit against the historical society. The unusual saga surrounding Holy Rosary includes another community in the same archdiocese fighting to keep another church open, which is also named Holy Rosary. The other community - Holy Rosary Portugal Cove — St. Phillips - has opted to challenge the archdiocese canonically, and thus far has succeeded.
CatholicVote
Hospital fires 15 nurses after a young girl died by suicide
By Mary Stroka, August 14, 2025
Fifteen nurses at a hospital in Spokane, Washington, were fired in the aftermath of the suicide of a 12-year-old girl in April, The Spokesman-Review reported Aug. 8. According to administrators at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center & Children’s Hospital, the nurses “improperly accessed” the girl’s private medical records, and the nurses were fired for “patient privacy violations,” the hospital wrote in the statement provided by spokesperson Jen York, but the nurses — who have filed a grievance against the hospital via their union — say they’re facing retaliation for talking to the media after the girl’s death, the article reported. The girl, Sarah Niyimbona, died April 13 when she jumped off the fourth floor of a parking garage after she left a monitored room at the hospital, where she had been receiving care since January for self-harm, The Spokesman-Review reported in May.
National Catholic Register
75 years after dogma declaration of Mary’s Assumption
By Father Joseph Thomas, August 15, 2025
During another Jubilee Year, 75 years ago, Pope Pius XII solemnly proclaimed the dogma of the Assumption. Pius XII — whom the Church now honors as “Venerable” in recognition of his heroic virtue — stated that at the end of her earthly life, Mary “was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.” The dogma of the Assumption has formed part of the common belief of pastors and the faithful from ancient times. At the same time, in formulating this doctrine, the Church has also come to recognize the deep significance that this teaching has for modern society. Pius XII sent a letter to all the bishops of the world, asking them to inform the Holy See of the “devotion of your clergy and people. Following an overwhelmingly favorable response, the Pope would go on to make the dogmatic declaration on Nov. 1, 1950, with the apostolic constitution Munificentissimus Deus.
Aleteia
NFL players came together in prayer, end game, after serious injury
By Christine Rousselle, August 10, 2025
What the NFL's Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions did during the game on Friday, August 8, is incredible. After Morice Norris, a cornerback on the Detroit Lions, was seriously injured during the fourth quarter, both teams came together to pray for his recovery and run out the clock. The ball was snapped with about 14 minutes left in the quarter, and instead of playing out the game, the players made a prayer circle to pray for Norris' recovery. After approximately six minutes, the game was officially suspended by the NFL. Earlier, Norris' head collided with a player on the Falcons. He was immediately knocked unconscious and was taken off the field by an ambulance. In a press conference after the game, Lions Coach Dan Campbell praised the Atlanta Falcons' coach, Raheem Morris, calling him a "class act" for agreeing to end the game and let the clock run out.
Agenzia Fides
Sudan, agriculture and pastoralism also affected by war
By Agenzia Fides, August 13, 2025
The war in Sudan, which broke out in 2023, has led to one of the largest humanitarian crises of our time. The conflict between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the regular army has impacted all aspects of life in the country. Pastoralism and agriculture are among the economic sectors most affected by the conflict, which has exacerbated pre-existing problems and difficulties. Pastoralism shapes the economy of the entire Sahel region, from east to west, as a method of livestock farming also linked to the identities of local cultures. It is normal for pastoralists to cross various borders to move their herds from one country to another. Those pastoralists who were able to do so found refuge in other countries, such as the Central African Republic, thanks in part to the Transboundary Pastoralism Agreements signed with the African Union to regulate this phenomenon among the region's states.
CRUX
Pope Leo warns ‘material comfort’ can dull the conscience
By Crux Staff, August 15, 2025
Material comfort and a certain complacency can dull the conscience, Pope Leo XIV said during his homily for the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary, the Mother of God. He noted that every human story, even that of the Mother of God, “is brief on this earth and comes to an end. Yet nothing is lost. When a life ends, its uniqueness shines even more clearly. The Magnificat, which the Gospel places on the lips of the young Mary, now radiates the light of all her days. One single day — the day she met her cousin Elizabeth — contains the seed of every other day, of every other season. And words are not enough; a song is needed, one that continues to be sung in the Church ‘from generation to generation’, at the close of every day,” he said.
Our Sunday Visitor
Ways to celebrate Mary’s assumption outside Mass
By Maria Cintorino, August 15, 2025
The doctrine that Mary was assumed body and soul into heaven stems from apostolic tradition, with St. John Damascene, a sixth-century Church Father, teaching that God preserved Mary’s body from death’s state by “transferr(ing her) to (her) heavenly throne.” Treat the day — a holy day of obligation in the United States — as a Sunday by worshipping God and breaking from your normal work routine. Ensure you attend Mass. Commemorate this custom by relishing your local body of water. Plan a festive meal. Recite the Glorious Mysteries and ponder the fourth mystery: the Assumption. Prepare for the solemnity by creating a Marian altar — a space to honor Mary — in your home. Place a Marian statue or image in a prominent spot, surround her image with flowers and candles.
Big Pulpit, CNA & ChurchPOP for 8/15/2025
Big Pulpit
Tito Edwards Catholic site: August 15, 2025
The Big Pulpit website is a news aggregator gathering quality insight & analysis on the Catholic Church worldwide.
Did “Vatican II” Really Trigger A Decline In Catholic Practice? – Jeffrey A. Mirus, Ph.D., at CCltr
Pope Leo XIV’s Vatican Picks? – Edgar Beltrán at The Pillar
The Dormition or the Assumption of Mary? – Hilary White at The Sacred Images Project
Our Lady is Transforming Young Men – Constance T. Hull at Catholic Exchange
Catholic News Agency
CNA’s top headlines — August 15, 2025
Catholic News Agency provides reliable and free up-to-the-minute news affecting the Universal Church, with updates on the words of the Holy Father and the Holy See.
From Rome to Alexandria: Catholic Youth Jubilee continues its mission in Egypt - Aug 14, 2025 - By Souhail Lawand - The Latin Church in Alexandria, Egypt, has launched its own Catholic Youth Jubilee after the Jubilee of Youth in Rome.
Longtime anti-euthanasia activists awarded USCCB’s ‘People of Life’ award posthumously - Aug 14, 2025 - By Francesca Pollio Fenton - Longtime anti-euthanasia activists Rita and Mike Marker were honored Aug. 11 at the 2025 “People of Life” awards.
Vatican publishes regulations on the awarding of public contracts - Aug 14, 2025 - By Tessa Gervasini - The Vatican issued an update to its public procurement regulations to streamline steps in the Holy See’s contracting processes.
ChurchPOP Trending
ChurchPOP provides fun, informative, and authentically Catholic news and culture - August 15, 2025
'I'll Build My Own': How Mother Angelica’s Fearless Faith Built EWTN From a Garage Studio - When TV executives told her “no,” Mother Angelica turned to God — and built the world’s largest Catholic network from a humble garage.
'This is the Hour for Love' — A Global Invitation to Adore, Pray, and Give Pope Leo the Most Precious Birthday Gift - What greater gift could we give the Successor of Saint Peter than the sight of the entire Church kneeling together for peace.
Digital Missionaries Present Pope Leo XIV with 400-Year-Old Restored Crucifix - The piece, carved from pine wood and discovered in an antique shop, was half-destroyed before its restoration.
Nutshell reflections for 8/15/25:
USCCB Daily Reflection: AUDIO - August 15, 2025
Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Aleteia
Eastern Catholics fast before August 15
By Philip Kosloski, August 14, 2025
In the Catholic Church, there is a spiritual principle that states you should “fast before you feast.” This is most evident in the season of Lent, when Catholics are asked to observe two days of fasting and to abstain from meat on Fridays. The Church has historically designated a variety of other times when Catholics are encouraged to prepare for a feast with fasting. Eastern Catholics (as well as Eastern Orthodox) maintain these traditions to the present day as part of their culture. One example is the “Dormition fast,” which occurs two weeks before the feast of the Dormition of Mary on August 15 (Roman Catholics celebrate the Assumption of Mary on the same day). Many early Christians referred to it as the “Sleep of Mary,” or “Dormition of Mary” (from the Latin domire, meaning to sleep).
Crisis Magazine
Beware of Traditional Catholic burnout
By Kennedy Hall, August 15, 2025
Numerous Catholics have discovered Catholic Tradition in the last few years, many of them because of the lockdowns in 2020 that forced Catholics to think outside the box if they wanted to have access to sacraments. In addition, in 2020, liturgies were streamed online. Traditional parishes and chapels around the world have been bursting at the seams with new parishioners, and the Latin Mass and all that is associated with it continues to gain steam. Virtually everyone who discovers Tradition will come to understand the gravity of the crisis in the Church and learn about things like the Third Secret of Fatima and a host of topics otherwise. Eventually, the honeymoon phase of finding Catholic Tradition wears off, and we transition from a phase of overwhelming discovery to a phase of implementing and living newfound devotions and rituals in our lives. This is when things get hard.
Word on Fire
The prophetic witness of disability
By Mark Bradford, August 15, 2025
In an article called “Disability, Vocation, and Prophetic Witness,” the theologian John Swinton asks and answers the question, “What does it mean to be a disciple with a vocation when you do not have the intellectual capacities that religion often demands for participation in the faith?” Swinton is a Scottish theologian and chair in Divinity and Religious Studies at the University of Aberdeen, where he founded the Center for Spirituality, Health, and Disability. The question is an engaging one because it pokes at a bias in many Christian religious traditions that the pursuit of the intellectual life is the pathway for understanding God and is what qualifies you to have something worthwhile to contribute to Christian theological discourse, as if there were no other way to know God and participate in a life of faith. I think Jesus would disagree.
Missio Dei
250 AD, the Virgin Mary was proclaimed ‘Mother of God’
By Judson Carroll, August 15, 2025
The earliest Marian or prayer to The Blessed Virgin Mary, for which we have evidence, was written in Greek. In Greek, the Blessed Virgin Mary is called “Θεοτοκος”, the “Bearer of God”. The prayer was found on a fragment of papyrus that dates all the way back to approximately 250 AD, two centuries before the Third Ecumenical Council, the Council of Ephesus, in which the Virgin Mary was proclaimed “Mother of God”: Beneath thy compassion, we take refuge, O Mother of God: do not despise our petitions in time of trouble, but rescue us from dangers, only pure one, only blessed one. If we are to become like Christ and His Apostles, we must develop a deep love for the Mother of God. The closer we draw to her, the closer we come to her Son.
Image of Coconut by Celio Nicoli from Pixabay
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