Catholic Nutshell News: Monday 8/25/25
Topics include: ‘Super Neighbor’ program; Saint Joseph started public schools; One million Catholics in Southern Arabia; Very little changed on the abortion front
“Worth your weight in walnuts”
Today's sources are Catholic News Agency, Graphs about Religion, OSV, Aleteia, Fides, National Catholic Register, & Christian Post. (Catholic Nutshell is a subscription service for faithful, hopeful, & curious Catholics willing to exercise the Catholic News Muscle)
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Catholic News Agency
Amid federal cuts, ‘Super Neighbor’ program kicks in donations
By Tessa Gervasini, August 24, 2025
As federal budget cuts halt programs for people in need, Catholic Social Services (CSS) in Columbus, Ohio, is encouraging volunteers to step up and become community heroes. Modeling the good Samaritan, people are being invited to join the new “Super Neighbor” initiative to lend a hand to others in need, starting with seniors in need. “You don’t have to wear a cape to show up and be a super neighbor,” president and CEO of CSS, Kelley Henderson, told CNA. As the program kicks off, the organization is calling on people who want to “make an impact by being present, showing up, and serving with the love of Christ.” CSS is a Catholic Charities member agency for the Diocese of Columbus. It works with 168 other agencies across the country to support the needs of the local ordinary, but also works on national policy issues, national funding, and advocacy work.
Aleteia
Friend of Galileo started the first public schools
By Larry Peterson / Kathleen N. Hattrup, August 25, 2025
We think of public schools as free schools funded by the state to provide education for all children, in contrast to private schools. But public schooling as we know it is not credited to a government, but to a saint: Joseph Calasanz. Calasanz opened the first free school in Europe, and his ministry was directed mainly to the poor. His inspiration came little by little, as he found God guiding him not only in his prayer, but also in his dreams. The testimony of a parish priest in Rome inspired him. The curriculum was “piety and letters,” meaning the children were learning mathematics and science. This, too, was a new concept: the mixing of “secular” subjects with religion. Father Joseph’s friendship with Galileo was presented as evidence of his wayward beliefs and used as “evidence” to condemn his “unorthodox” curriculum. Joseph’s free school for the poor immediately grew to over a thousand students.
Vatican News
Church in Thailand equips seminarians for deaf ministry
By Chainarong Monthienvichienchai, LiCAS News, August 25, 2025
The Catholic Church in Thailand is stepping up efforts to strengthen pastoral care for the Deaf, beginning with a training program for seminarians at Fatima Minor Seminary in the Archdiocese of Thare-Nongseng in the northeast of the country. Fr. Peter Bhuravaj Searaariyah, Director of Pastoral Ministry for the Deaf of the Diocese of Chanthaburi and of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Thailand, led the training program from August 22–24. The sessions introduced seminarians to basic pastoral approaches for ministering to the Deaf, religious sign language terminology, participation in Thai Sign Language (TSL) Mass, and reciting the Liturgy of the Word in sign language. Fr. Peter stressed that pastoral care for the Deaf requires more than language skills. “Many Deaf people live in isolation and feel excluded from opportunities hearing people take for granted.”
The Pillar
One million Catholics in 16 parishes in Southern Arabia
By Edgar Beltrán, August 20, 2025
The Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia announced August 19 that the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments had approved designating Saint Peter, Saint Paul, and Our Lady of Arabia as patron saints of the region. The vicariate, which is of the Latin rite, covers the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, and Oman, and has 69 priests serving more than one million Catholics in 16 parishes, many of them members of large immigrant communities from the Philippines, India, and Sri Lanka. Our Lady of Arabia was already the patron saint of the Vicariate of Northern Arabia, and Pope Leo elevated the Church of Our Lady of Arabia in Kuwait to a minor basilica in July 2025, making it the first in the Arabian Peninsula.
Our Sunday Visitor
Beatification cause begins for Minnesota Benedictine sister
By Maria Wiering, August 21, 2025
The beatification cause for Sister Annella Zervas, a Benedictine sister from Minnesota, will formally begin this fall, Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, announced Aug. 20. Bishop Cozzens said a Mass opening the cause’s diocesan phase will be held Oct. 9 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Crookston. The Mass was scheduled after Bishop Cozzens received a declaration of “nihil obstat” from the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, indicating that the Holy See sees nothing standing in the way of advancing the cause for Sister Annella, who died in 1926 at 26 years old after cheerfully and faithfully suffering a terrible skin condition that ravaged her body. The diocesan phase will also include consideration of any “favors” or miracles attributed to her intercession, as well as the establishment of a historical commission aligned with the norms of canon law.
Graphs about Religion
Very little has changed on the abortion front
By Ryan Burge, August 25, 2025
Looking back on the 2024 election, Democrats believed it was going to be a prominent issue. In 2022, the Supreme Court had overturned almost fifty years of precedent in its Dobbs decision and basically handed the issue of abortion regulation to the states. President Biden made it well known that one of his priorities in his second term, and Vice President Harris elevated abortion access as a centerpiece of the 2024 race. In 2024, the share who would allow abortion on demand had risen marginally to 60%. All that upheaval, all those court cases, all that campaign rhetoric, only to barely move the needle. And when it comes to a complete ban, that number has held steady at around 20% until it noticeably dropped to 13% in the 2024 survey. The Republican Party is often perceived as being the ‘pro-life’ alternative. That’s not at all supported by the data. In fact, it’s hard to really make a broad statement about how GOP voters think about abortion.
Christian Post
BET has made ‘black entertainment [one of] debauchery’
By Jon Brown, August 24, 2025
John Amanchukwu told The Christian Post that revival may be burgeoning in the black community. He believes interest is waning in what he described as the debauchery afflicting much of black pop culture. Amanchukwu, an author and preacher from North Carolina, wrote the 2022 book Eraced: Uncovering the Lies of Critical Race Theory and Abortion, suggesting the Left has done much to alienate many black men, especially, a trend manifested in the 2024 presidential election. Amanchukwu spoke on his podcast in favor of Black Entertainment Television (BET) indefinitely suspending its Hip Hop Awards and Soul Train Awards after 38 years. "They've done a terrible job in depicting the black community in the right way. They've made black entertainment [one of] debauchery, lasciviousness, scantily-clad women, rump-shaking, violence, crime, and a brothel culture."
National Catholic Register
Where is Catholicism growing in the US?
By Jonah McKeown, August 24, 2025
As the number of Catholics in the U.S. has grown by 40% in the past 40 years — from 48 million to 67 million — new hubs of Catholic life have emerged — ranging from booming major metro areas to smaller communities that are punching well above their weight on vocations. Several dioceses in the South and the West, centered on growing cities, have gained literally hundreds of thousands of Catholics in recent decades, to the point where some of those dioceses have found themselves lacking the infrastructure to accommodate the new crush of parishioners. In 1980, nearly 70% of the nation’s Catholics lived in the Northeast or Midwest. By 2000, that percentage was 58%. And by 2019, it was just 47%, Church statistics show. A Georgetown University 2021 study shows that over the past 40 years, the South and Western U.S. have experienced a Catholic population “boom,” in contrast to a population “bust” in the Northeast and Midwest.
CatholicVote
Pope challenges assumption of those who are saved
By Hannah Hiester, August 24, 2025
In his Angelus address on the afternoon of Aug. 24, Pope Leo reflected on passing through the “narrow gate” in Luke’s Gospel. He explained that it represents the difficult or self-sacrificial decisions that come with maintaining authentic faith. Jesus’ words “are meant primarily to challenge the presumption of those people who think they are already saved, who perform religious acts and feel that is all that is needed. They have not realized that it is not enough to perform religious acts unless they change hearts,” Pope Leo continued. “The Lord does not want worship detached from life. He is not pleased with sacrifices and prayers, unless they lead to greater love for others and justice for our brothers and sisters.” Pope Leo said that Jesus loved “to the point of walking through the ‘narrow gate’ of the Cross.”
CNA, Agenzia, & ChurchPOP for 8/25/25
Catholic News Agency
CNA’s top headlines — August 25, 2025
The Catholic News Agency provides reliable, free, and up-to-the-minute news affecting the Universal Church, emphasizing the words of the Holy Father and the happenings of the Holy See to anyone with internet access.
Zelenskyy shares letter from Pope Leo XIV on Ukraine’s Independence Day - Aug 24, 2025 - By Courtney Mares - A letter from Pope Leo XIV assured Zalenskyy of prayers for Ukrainians suffering in the war and urged that “the clamor of arms may fall silent and give way to dialogue.”
Alone at Mass, she found her calling to help others face addiction - Aug 24, 2025 - By Samuel Ruxton - Nina Marie Corona’s Afire Ministries now brings hope and healing to those who suffer from addiction’s deepest wounds.
Nigeria Church official calls for justice in 2022 Pentecost Sunday attack - Aug 24, 2025 - By Abah Anthony John - The national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Nigeria, Father Solomon Zaku, cautioned against granting bail to the accused, warning that such a move would “deepen the pain of victims’ families” and weaken confidence in Nigeria’s justice system.
Agenzia Fides
News of the Pontifical Mission Societies for 8/25/25
Fides has become an excellent center for collecting and producing material information on the missionary world through current news, photographs, mission studies, and missionary work.
ASIA/PAKISTAN - Discrimination and abuse in prisons: a report by the Commission for "Justice and Peace" - Lahore (Agenzia Fides) – Christian and Hindu prisoners in Pakistani prisons suffer abuse and discrimination related to or aggravated by the fact that they do not profess the Muslim faith.
AMERICA/ECUADOR - "I must be a missionary": Sister Maria Troncatti will be proclaimed a Saint during World Mission Sunday 2025 - Quito (Agenzia Fides) – "I must be a missionary" is the promise that characterized the entire work of Italian nun Maria Troncatti, a missionary of the Salesian Sisters, who will be proclaimed a Saint by Pope Leo XIV.
OCEANIA/PAPUA NEW GUINEA - Migrants and Refugees: Catholics committed to helping vulnerable communities living in the country - Port Moresby (Agenzia Fides) – Aid and support for refugees in Papua New Guinea will be provided through various projects supported by the Episcopal Conference of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.
Focus
Catholic Podcasts to review
Suggested by FOCUS - which brings the hope and joy of the gospel to college campuses, forming Catholic missionaries rooted in Church teaching, prayer, Scripture, and evangelization.
Poco a Poco Podcast - Hosted by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, this podcast offers heartfelt insights into spiritual growth and the beauty of walking with Christ “little by little, for anyone feeling spiritually stuck or longing for authentic encouragement in their faith journey.
The Bible in a Year - Hosted by Fr. Mike Schmitz, this podcast takes you through the Bible with daily episodes and pastoral insights. For beginners to Bible scholars who want Scripture presented as soul-stirring and straightforward. Also check out The Catechism in a Year and The Rosary in a Year!
The Word on Fire Show - Hosted by Bishop Robert Barron and Brandon Vogt, this podcast dives into the intersection of faith, culture, and theology. For intellectual Catholics and seekers who love deep dives into faith and culture.
Nutshell reflections for 8/25/25:
USCCB Daily Reflection AUDIO - August 25, 2025
Monday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time
The Obscure, Forgotten, and Undiscovered
Fr. James Connor, friend of Thomas Merton, goes to his rest
By James K. Hanna, August 21, 2025
I recently learned of the death of Trappist monk James Connor, 97. I’ve written several times here and in Crisis magazine about Thomas Merton and a few years back had the distinct pleasure of spending time with Father James, one of his close confreres—one degree of separation, as a friend noted. He studied under Merton, chose him as his confessor, later worked closely with him during his time as undermaster of novices, and credits their friendship as a great influence on his monastic life and theological direction. To get a flavor for his personality (and his sense of humor), here’s a video where he offers reflections on his years of monastic life—including a story about Merton and a novice’s bottle of gin.
National Catholic Register
Life-destroying drugs constitute two-thirds of U.S. abortions
By Tom McFeely, August 25, 2025
Two years on in the post-Dobbs era, it’s clear that the pro-life movement is continuing to lose ground due to the ever-expanding availability of the abortion pill. That’s because these life-destroying drugs now constitute nearly two-thirds of U.S. abortions — and because they can be distributed by mail even in states like Texas that passed near-total bans on abortion in the wake of Dobbs. The pro-abortion-rights Guttmacher Institute estimated the number of U.S. abortions climbed to 1,033,000 in 2023, its highest level in more than a decade, despite the enactment following Dobbs of near-total bans in 12 states and substantially increased restrictions in several others. Of this total, 63% were chemical abortions.
George Weigel
Xi Jinping is not interested in accommodating the Catholic Church
By George Weigel, August 20, 2025
In the run-up to the Great Jubilee of 2000, Pope John Paul II created a Commission on the New Martyrs, whose report suggested that more Christians had been killed in odium fidei (in hatred of the faith) in the twentieth century than in the previous nineteen centuries of Christian history combined. A recognition of the martyrs of our time, John Paul hoped, would strengthen the faith of Catholics as we marked the two thousandth anniversary of the Incarnation. Following his book in 2000, The Catholic Martyrs of the Twentieth Century: A Comprehensive World History, Robert Royal continues with The Martyrs of the New Millennium: The Global Persecution of Christians in the Twenty-First Century. His nuanced chapter, “White (and Red) Martyrs in Red China,” should be required reading in the Vatican, a root-and-branch re-appraisal of the last pontificate’s China policy. Xi Jinping is not interested in accommodating the Catholic Church, but rather in destroying it through a process of “Sinicization” that empties Catholic faith of its Christian content.
Catholic Culture
Amazon region’s bishops lament clericalism, fear of synodality
By Catholic World News, August 25, 2025
At the conclusion of a five-day meeting in Bogotá, Colombia, the bishops of the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA) issued a Spanish-language message entitled “CEAMA, a sign of hope: Five years after the Amazon Synod.” CEAMA stated that the bishops “pointed out certain resistances present in this process: fears of change towards a synodal Church, attitudes of clericalism, authoritarianism, or lack of missionary audacity. Faced with these challenges, they reaffirmed their desire to continue building a prophetic, close, and missionary Church.” “The meeting renewed CEAMA’s commitment to be a Church centered on baptism, walking alongside the peoples, listening to their ancestral wisdom, and decisively taking on the care of our common home in the face of the climate crisis,” CEAMA added. The bishops had received pointed guidance from Pope Leo XIV, who asked them to announce Jesus Christ “with clarity and immense charity.”
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