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National Catholic Register
Catholic churches use Tap Technology to capture donations
By Matthew McDonald, October 1, 2026
“So you can get a Coke and a Snickers, but you can’t give to Jesus this way?” Cory Howat, executive director of the Catholic Community Foundation of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, told the Register, referring to making credit card payments on the go. “The Church has to figure this out.” Enter credit-card-tap collection baskets, now available at a handful of Catholic churches nationwide. The innovation takes the generations-familiar collection basket and adds a tap-to-pay terminal for donations via credit card, debit card, and even cellphone. Howat said collections are up $36,000 since the parish started using the baskets in December 2025. Jesuit Father Anthony McGinn, the pastor, was skeptical at first. “I thought it would be awkward. Some members of the parish council convinced me it was well worth taking a chance on,” Father McGinn told the Register. More than 1,700 miles to the northwest, collections are up 13% at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Fresno, California, since credit-card-tap collection baskets first appeared there in July 2025, said Deacon Pete Marquez, the parish’s business manager.
EWTN News
Observatory scholar says Earth may be rarer than once believed
By Emma R.C. Lyons, October 3, 2026
Christopher Graney, an adjunct scholar at the Vatican Observatory, suggests Earth may be far less ordinary than scientists once believed, saying decades of research have revealed a universe filled with diverse worlds rather than countless Earth-like planets capable of supporting intelligent life. “From a modern astronomy perspective, Earth is not an ordinary place. Doesn’t mean that there’s no other planets like Earth elsewhere in the universe, but the universe is certainly not full of worlds like Earth.” For much of modern history, astronomers believed Earth was unremarkable and that many Earth-like worlds populated the universe, Graney said. However, Graney debunks this theory and argues for a more realistic approach to our solar system. Graney dismissed theories that the Vatican is concealing evidence of alien life, saying such stories are “a lot more dull” in reality and that any life elsewhere in the universe is likely too far away to have reached Earth.
Aleteia
The Vatican opens an exhibition on preserving knowledge
By V. M. Traverso, October 3, 2026
Since the invention of the printing press in 1440, the Holy See has actively pursued the dissemination, protection, and promotion of printed knowledge. While many of us probably think protecting knowledge mostly involves cultural initiatives like promoting literacy and expanding access to education, protecting books also requires a practical strategy to ensure the physical integrity of these sources of knowledge. Paper, parchment, and bindings can be damaged by humidity, fire, tiny bugs that feast on cellulose, and, of course, wear and tear from human use. During the Middle Ages, monastic librarians saved ancient manuscripts from mold, bugs, fire, and humidity through painstaking work. Pope Nicholas V first opened the papal book collections to scholars in the mid-15th century, establishing the Vatican library as a place of universal knowledge exchange. In 1555, Pope Paul IV expanded the library staff to include a new role: the book restorer (restauratore), whose task was to repair damaged paper, fix bindings, and mend torn pages.
The Pillar
Rome’s gathering Middle East crisis: Patriarch in trouble
By Ed. Condon, Updated October 2, 2026
All the bishops of the synod of the Syriac Catholic Church were recently invited to vote on the proposed removal of their patriarch, Ignatius Youssef III Younan. That meeting, the first called under the norms of a new law issued by Pope Leo just weeks ago, was denounced as unlawful by the patriarch — and he has good grounds for arguing that it is. At the moment, the whole event is a kind of Schrödinger’s Synod; we aren’t exactly sure whether it went ahead, in what form, who came, or what, if anything, was decided or voted on. On the one hand, the patriarch is making a very public case that he is the target of a malicious and personal palace coup, blessed by the Vatican’s prefect for Eastern Churches. On the other, Vatican officials have noted serious dysfunctions at the top of more than one Eastern Church for several years now, and allowing the new papal law to fail or be openly discredited at its first use would be a… sub-optimal outcome for Rome.
OSV News
Catholic education leaders applaud proposed rules on tax credit
By Gina Christian, October 2, 2026
Catholic education leaders are applauding proposed regulations for the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit, which incentivizes private contributions to K-12 scholarships benefiting students in public, charter, or private schools, including religious. On Oct. 1, the U.S. Treasury Department and the IRS jointly announced the proposed regulations for the program (also known as the Education Freedom Tax Credit), which was enacted in 2025 and is set to launch Jan. 1. According to the two federal agencies, some 96% of children in participating states would be eligible to receive funds. The “transformative” tax credit “will create opportunities for families to access much-needed resources to expand their options for choosing the best tools and learning environment for their children,” said Bishop David M. O’Connell of Trenton, New Jersey, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Catholic Education, in an Oct. 2 statement.
Zeale
ICE made almost no interior arrests in 4-year period under Biden
By Zeale News Team, October 2, 2026
Under then-President Joe Biden, federal immigration enforcement came to a near standstill in the U.S. interior, according to a new report from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG). Between 2021 and 2024, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took “few enforcement actions using targeted leads concerning foreign nationals who overstayed or otherwise violated their nonimmigrant visa terms of admission,” the Sept. 29 report confirmed. “As a result, foreign nationals who potentially posed threats to the United States remained at large despite their illegal status,” it continued. A “nonimmigrant” visa is any temporary visa — such as a business, work, tourism, or student visa — and comes with a date by which the visa holder must leave the U.S., in addition to terms of conduct the visa holder must abide by during his stay.
Zenit
Practicing Catholics report happier marriages and sex lives
By ZENIT Staff, October 1, 2026
At a time when marriage rates are falling, religious practice is declining, and many Americans report increasing loneliness, a new study has identified a striking countertrend: Catholics who regularly attend Mass report substantially higher levels of marital happiness and sexual satisfaction than Catholics who practice their faith less frequently. Its central finding is not simply that religious people marry more often. It is that, among married Americans, active religious practice is associated with a different marriage experience. 79% of churchgoing Catholics describe their marriages as very happy, compared with 66%of nonreligious husbands and wives. Among practicing Protestants, the figure is 74%. The researchers define churchgoing as attending Mass or religious services at least two or three times a month. The report says frequent religious attendance among Americans fell from 49% in 1972 to 32% in 2024. Among self-identified Catholics, weekly Mass attendance has fallen from 44% in the 1970s to 18% today. Catholic weddings have fallen from 415,000 in 1970 to 109,000 in 2024, a 74% decline
Pima Asia News
Sri Lanka toughens penalties for child exploitation
By Melani Manel Perera, October 2, 2026
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya has announced two new measures to boost child protection during national celebrations of World Children’s Day. Government action is set to focus on protecting children from exploitation and abuse, as well as addressing new threats linked to the use of digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI). The first measure addresses child labor. Under the Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children Act, the fine for employing children in hazardous activities has been raised from 10,000 to 100,000 Sri Lankan rupees. This move aims to strengthen efforts to combat the economic exploitation of minors. The second course of action is centered on the physical and emotional protection of children. Amarasuriya emphasized the need to reinforce the regulatory framework and protection systems against cyberbullying, misleading content, and other pressures that can compromise the psychological well-being of youth.
Related: Catholic bishop in Angola decries child abduction, exploitation risks in border region - By João Vissesse, EWTN News. October 3, 2026
Keep informed - 10/3/26 matters for Catholics:
Snippets: EWTN News, aciafrica, & Word on Fire
EWTN News
EWTN’s top headlines — October 3, 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.
New film depicts the transformative power of Eucharistic adoration - By Francesca Pollio Fenton - A new movie is bringing the transformative power of Eucharistic adoration to the big screen. “Adore Him: He Is Here” uses firsthand accounts of real encounters, transformation, and depictions of salvation history to portray God's powerful love found in the Blessed Sacrament.
From civil union to sacred bond: California diocese celebrates marriage convalidations - By Julia Torres - For many Catholic couples who were married civilly, the desire to fully participate in the sacramental life of the Church and receive the Eucharist remains a deep longing. In response, the Diocese of San Jose, California, led by Bishop Oscar Cantú, has launched a landmark convalidation initiative under the California bishops’ “Radiate Love” campaign.
Brazilian court rules posts making false claims about conservative candidate must be removed - By Monasa Narjara - Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court ruled on Sept. 30 to uphold the removal of false social media posts linking conservative Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, a Liberal Party candidate for president, to an alleged initiative to strip Our Lady of Aparecida of her title as the patroness of Brazil.
aciafrica
aciafrica’s top headlines — October 3, 2026
ACI Africa was founded in 2019 to provide free, up-to-the-minute news affecting the Catholic Church in Africa, with particular emphasis on the Holy Father's words and the Holy See's activities.
Grief as 15 Parishioners Headed to Kenya’s Subukia Shrine for National Prayers Perish in Road Accident - By Agnes Aineah - Fifteen pilgrims from Kenya’s Catholic Archdiocese of Mombasa who were headed to Subukia National Marian Shrine in the Catholic Diocese of Nakuru have died in a grisly road accident.
Spiritan Superior General Calls for Communities Where All Feel at Home, Warns Against Tribalism and Racism - By ACI Africa Staff - The Superior General of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans/Holy Ghost Fathers/CSSp.) has called for communities where members of every cultural background feel welcome.
Caritas Official Calls On Sierra Leonean Government to Act as EU Cuts Aid over Convicted Cocaine Kingpin - By Agnes Aineah - The Executive Director of Caritas Freetown has called on the Sierra Leonean government to promptly investigate allegations that the West African country has refused to arrest and hand over European cocaine kingpin Jos Leijdekkers.
Word on Fire
Fresh insights from the Word on Fire Institute - October 3, 2026
Word on Fire reaches millions every year by effectively sharing the Gospel via podcasts, videos, books, articles, Scripture studies, and Gospel meditations.
The Politics of Envy and Contentment - Henry T. Edmondson III - In these precarious times, it is important to understand envy and embrace its opposite: contentment. Envy is a grave challenge to an individual’s well-being and to a society's health. Part of Marxist doctrine encourages envy—if not, social change can’t occur.
Not Made for the Machine: Thoughts from the ‘Better Way Forward for Women’ Convention - Nora Kenney Mittiga - Some of Erika Bachiochi's points, a legal scholar and founding editor of Fairer Disputations, particularly on what market forces, technological advances, and the sexual revolution have done to women, were superb. She observed that these conditions have primed women to mistrust their own power. But after decades of feminism promoting women’s empowerment, she asked, how can that be?
Potentiality and Sexual Ethics - Henry Long - As college freshmen across the country begin their first weeks of classes, contentious debates around sexual ethics will arise in dorms, dining halls, and classrooms. Many social conservatives will arrive at predominantly liberal campuses ill-equipped to defend their moral convictions.
October 3, 2026 - USCCB Daily Mass Readings
You can listen HERE — or read HERE:
Saturday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s Catholic commentary:
National Catholic Register
‘Stigmata’ showcases intriguing spiritual phenomenon
By Joseph Pronechen, October 3, 2026
On Sept. 17, 1224, while praying on Mount La Verna in Italy, St. Francis of Assisi received the stigmata — the first known case of someone receiving all or some of the wounds, marks, or pains corresponding to those of the crucified Jesus Christ on a person’s body. The stigmata remained with Francis until his death in 1226. This phenomenon has always fascinated people, both inside and outside the Catholic Church. Investigating stigmata today, Michael O’Neill, known as “The Miracle Hunter,” shines a new light upon stigmata and stigmatists in the 2026 EWTN documentary Stigmata. The documentary is fascinating, with layers of revelation. Throughout Stigmata, the film includes not only original photographs and footage of some stigmatists, but also several dramatizations of incidents from their lives. The film focuses on three major figures: St. Francis of Assisi, Padre Pio, and Rhoda Wise of Canton, Ohio, whose cause for canonization opened in 2016.
First Things
Vatican II didn’t kneel to modernity
By Thomas G. Guarino, October 1, 2026
In his weekly catecheses on Vatican II, Pope Leo is now discussing Gaudium et Spes, one of the more controversial conciliar documents. Critics charged that, by revising its earlier condemnations of modernity, the Catholic Church bent its knee to the world. Indeed, Gaudium et Spes does alter certain nineteenth-century teachings. This is so much the case that Joseph Ratzinger famously stated that the document is nothing less than “a revision of the Syllabus of Pius IX, a kind of counter-syllabus.” Describing Gaudium et Spes as a “counter-syllabus” clearly shows discontinuity between Vatican II and elements of the prior tradition. While the Syllabus sought to distance the Church from the pomps of liberal modernity, Gaudium et Spes sought to emphasize the similarity between the Church and the quest for truth and justice in contemporary society. In this understanding, the Catholic Church possesses the fullness of divine revelation. Others “participate” in this fullness with varying degrees of intensity.
The Imaginative Conservative
The angels’ angle is the right angle!
By Joseph Pearce, October 1, 2026
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could see and meet our guardian angels? Wouldn’t it be a joy if they could show us and tell us what our world looks like from their perspective? It is not just that they could give us another perspective on the world in which we live, or even a better perspective; it is that they could give us the true perspective. They could show us that the only true angle from which to look at our world, and for that matter the only true angle from which to look at ourselves, is from the heavenly angle. To see the world from heaven is to see the world as it really is. The angels’ angle is the right angle! To see time from the perspective of eternity is to see what is temporary from the perspective of what is permanent. To see love from the perspective of eternity is to see that which falters and gives itself sparingly from the perspective of the Love that never falters and which gives itself unsparingly.
The Catholic Thing
Pascal on the good use of illness
By Casey Chalk, October 2, 2026
The great seventeenth-century French polymath Blaise Pascal made impressive contributions to math, science, and philosophy before his thirtieth birthday – including creating a calculator that has been called the first “computer.” The horse-drawn carriage system that he developed for the city of Paris earned him recognition as the father of public transportation. Yet as he was making these incredible contributions, Pascal was suffering a painful, progressively debilitating illness, with intense migraines, hypersensitivity to light and sound, severe abdominal pains, dental abscesses, and eventually partial paralysis. After four years of this torment, he died in 1662. During that period Pascal wrote “Prayer Asking God for the Good Use of Illness,” a striking and spiritually penetrating Catholic reflection on human suffering. Pascal’s Prayers, a new book by philosophy professor William C. Hackett, features the prayer and illuminating commentary, and offers a valuable counterweight to modern America's obsessions with health and longevity.
Image of Coconut by Celio Nicoli from Pixabay
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