Catholic Nutshell News: Thursday 7/23/26
What Catholics should know: Christian presence squeezed in the Holy Land; Lapse in federal funds affects agencies; Monastery guesthouse more than a hotel; & Parish pays public school lunch debt
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Your 5-minute Catholic briefing for busy faithful. Today's sources include Aleteia, EWTN News, National Catholic Register, The Pillar, Zeale News, John Eldredge, and ChurchPOP. (Catholic Nutshell is a subscription service for faithful, hopeful, & curious Catholics willing to exercise the Catholic News Muscle)
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Zenit
Christian presence in the Holy Land is being squeezed
By ZENIT Staff, July 22, 2026
In the Holy Land, the crisis facing Christians is no longer confined to one battlefield, one political dispute or one act of violence. It is unfolding simultaneously through insecurity, displacement, economic pressure, legal uncertainty and the slow erosion of the conditions that allow communities to remain rooted in the land where Christianity was born. In Taybeh, the last entirely Christian Palestinian town in the West Bank, the immediate fear is physical. The parish priest, Father Bashar Fawadleh, says Israeli settlers have been building what witnesses describe as a new outpost on Jabal Al-Massis, an area belonging to the town. The site lies in Area B under the Oslo arrangements, where civil administration is entrusted to the Palestinian Authority and security responsibilities are shared with Israeli authorities. The priest warns that an outpost only a short distance from homes could make daily life more dangerous, intimidate children and discourage farmers from reaching their land and poultry farms.
Related: Why 800 million Evangelical Christians stand with Israel in an age of rising antisemitism, Greg Denham, Jerusalem Post, JULY 12, 2026
Our Sunday Visitor
Catholic agency struggles amid lapse in federal funds
By Simone Orendain, July 22, 2026
A legal aid ministry of the Diocese of El Paso, Texas, that serves tens of thousands has exhausted its reserves after seven months of not receiving payment from the federal government for its program that represents unaccompanied immigrant children. “They’ve been completely depleted by the current situation,” Melissa Lopez said July 20. She is executive director of Estrella del Paso, which used to be Diocesan Migrant and Refugee Services, or DMRS, the provider of legal services in West Texas and New Mexico for clients mainly from Latin America. DMRS started out as a collaboration between the El Paso Diocese and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in response to the 1986 amnesty program for those in the country without authorization. The agency’s government subcontract to provide legal representation to unaccompanied minors came under a congressional mandate. The ministry originated in 1990 and was renamed Estrella del Paso in 2023.
Crux
Vatican denies rumors of Rupnik acquittal
By Christopher R. Altieri, July 22, 2026
The Vatican on Wednesday denied rumors a verdict had been reached in the Church trial of Father Marko Rupnik, a notorious former Jesuit and a celebrity artist-priest, days after rumors of the disgraced cleric’s acquittal began circulating in Rome. “Reports concerning any deliberation by the judges handling the case of Father Marko Ivan Rupnik are entirely unfounded,” reads a statement from the press office of the Holy See shared with journalists on Wednesday. The statement comes just one day after a lawyer representing five of Rupnik’s accusers released a withering critique of the Church’s efforts to provide justice in the case, complaining of procedural irregularities and impenetrable opacity. Rupnik’s victims have been waiting for years – some of them for several decades – to see justice done on their alleged abuser, who has received extremely lenient treatment from Vatican authorities and very nearly escaped justice entirely.
Related: Rupnik trial still ongoing, reports of acquittal are baseless, Elise Winland, Zeale, July 22, 2026
Related: Trial of former Broome bishop, Christopher Saunder, begins, The Pillar, Jul 22, 2026
The Pillar
Satirical youth-led ‘Cockroach movement’ supported by bishops
By Luke Coppen, July 22, 2026
India’s bishops have condemned alleged police brutality during a march in Delhi by supporters of the country’s youth-led Cockroach movement, a satirical political party in the country that has become the center of a now serious political and social conflict. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India — which represents the nation’s Latin Catholic, Syro-Malabar, and Syro-Malankara bishops — expressed solidarity July 21 with thousands of protesters who gathered in the capital in defiance of police orders to demand the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The demonstrators were affiliated with the Cockroach Janta Party, a parody political party founded in May in response to comments by India’s Chief Justice Surya Kant appearing to liken unemployed youth who embrace activism to cockroaches. Delhi Police have rejected allegations that they responded to the protests with excessive force. The Cockroach Janta Party exploded in popularity online after it was launched in jest by political communications strategist Abhijeet Dipke.
Aleteia
Monastery guesthouse offers more than a hotel
By Daniel Esparza, June 23, 2025
The Santuari del Miracle is a Benedictine monastery perched in the Catalan countryside outside Solsona, in the geographic heart of Catalonia. A small community of monks from Montserrat has been running it since 1901, following the apparition of the Virgin to two young shepherds named Celdoni and Jaumet in 1458. The Miracle is quieter, smaller, and considerably less impressive than Montserrat, the great Benedictine motherhouse an hour south. The guesthouse rooms are simple. The wi-fi is intermittent. The bells ring for the Divine Office whether you are ready or not. This is what makes it worth going. A hotel organizes itself around your preferences. A monastery organizes itself around the opus Dei — the work of God, the sevenfold rhythm of prayer that has structured monastic time since Benedict codified it 15 centuries ago. As a guest, you are invited to enter that rhythm, not to impose your own.
National Catholic Register
When people say Jesus had brothers and sisters
By Kathy Schiffer, December 22, 2021
“Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are his sisters here with us?” (Mark 6:3) Did Jesus have brothers and sisters? Some people think the Gospel of Mark seems to say so. And not only in the Gospel of Mark. In Luke 8:19-21, the topic comes up again. While Jesus is speaking to a crowd, someone tells him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.” The Catholic Church rejects such claims — which fly in the face of the Church’s dogmatic teaching about the perpetual virginity of Mary. It’s not uncommon to refer to someone as your “brother” when there is no physical blood relationship. We Christians are all “brothers in Christ.” The term “brother” may refer to someone with whom you share a blood relationship. In the Scriptures, the same is true. The Greek term for “brother” (adelphos), may refer not only to blood relatives, but also to distant cousins or, more widely, to others with whom one shares a spiritual bond.
Zeale News
Catholic Charities sues Michigan officials for ‘religious targeting’
By Elise Winland, July 22, 2026
Catholic Charities of Ingham, Eaton, and Clinton Counties, which is in Michigan, filed a federal lawsuit June 26 accusing state officials of excluding its counseling center from two publicly funded treatment programs because of the organization’s Catholic beliefs opposing abortion and contraception. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, names Attorney General Dana Nessel and former Department of Health and Human Services Director Elizabeth Hertel as defendants. It accuses the state of violating Catholic Charities’ constitutional rights by revoking the organization’s Cristo Rey Counseling Center’s designation as a provider of specialized substance abuse treatment for women because of its religious policies. According to the complaint, Cristo Rey had participated in the Women’s Specialty Services and Enhanced Women’s Services programs for more than a decade without complaints, failed audits, or deficiencies in the care it provided.
EWTN News
Maryland parish pays public school lunch debt for entire county
By Katherine Matt, July 22, 2026
A Catholic parish in Frederick, Maryland, is putting the Churchʼs call to care for the poor into action by eliminating school lunch debt for students across the county, building on years of providing weekend meals to children in need. Since 2014, St. Katharine Drexel Parish has partnered with Yellow Springs Elementary School to provide weekend meals for students who depend on free or reduced-price lunches during the school week. Parish volunteers say the ministry grew out of a desire to ensure children would not go hungry when school was not in session. This spring, the parish expanded that outreach by donating $11,800 to Frederick County Public Schools, paying off outstanding school lunch debt for every family in the district. “We recognized that this is a bigger issue than just one elementary school,” Brian McCrohan, pastoral associate at St. Katharine Drexel Parish, told EWTN News. “With the cost of inflation and grocery budgets being stretched, families who may not qualify for free meals are still having a hard time making ends meet.”
Keep informed - 7/23/26 news for Catholics
Snippets from OSV, EWTN News, & ChurchPOP
OSV News
OSV’s seasoned reporters - July 23, 2026
OSV News — information service and evangelization partner that enables dioceses to connect and boost engagement with the faithful by sharing timely, trustworthy, and accurate content about what is happening in the Church and the world.
Violent extremist’s sentencing a call to protect kids online, says Catholic legal scholar, July 22, 2026 - by Gina Christian - The recent sentencing of a convicted online child predator to a 40-year prison term and renewed safety warnings from federal officials mark a call for parents to double down on protecting their kids in the digital sphere, said a Catholic legal scholar.
Florida Catholic bishops urge DeSantis to stay two executions set for July 28, July 22, 2026 - by Kate Scanlon - James Duckett was convicted for the 1987 rape and murder of 11-year-old Teresa McAbee. Dominick Occhicone Jr. was convicted for the 1986 murder of Martha Artzner. Occhicone also received a life sentence for the murder of Raymond Artzner.
Peru: Historic churches severely damaged following earthquakes - July 22, 2026 - by Junno Arocho Esteves - According to Peru’s National Civil Defense Institute, at least five people were killed and 32 wounded after two earthquakes measuring magnitudes of 5.1 and 3.7 struck July 18 in the Chupaca province, located roughly 186 miles east of the Peruvian capital of Lima.
EWTN News
EWTN’s top headlines — July 23, 2026
EWTN provides reliable, free, up-to-the-minute news affecting the Universal Church, emphasizing the words of the Holy Father and the activities of the Holy See, and is available to anyone with internet access.
Young Catholics at Eastern African assembly welcome opportunity to engage directly with bishops - By Nicholas Waigwa - Young Catholics participated in the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA), welcoming the opportunity to engage directly with Catholic bishops at the event, and said they appreciate the bishops’ efforts to strengthen youth participation in the life and mission of the Church in the region.
5 things to know about St. Bridget of Sweden, mystic and mother - By Kate Quiñones - On July 23, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast day of St. Bridget of Sweden, a mystic of the Middle Ages who was a wife, mother to a large family, lady-in-waiting to a queen, and founder of a religious order that still exists today.
House panel clashes over Delaney Hall conditions amid accounts of detainee mistreatment - By Katherine Matt - Republicans insisted reports of medical neglect, spoiled food, and blocked oversight were “false narratives,” while Democrats pointed to deaths in ICE custody and allegations of substandard care.
ChurchPOP Trending
ChurchPOP provides fun, informative, and authentically Catholic news and culture - July 23, 2026
“We publish inspiring daily stories, fun and shareable faith-centered infographics, prayers, Church history, and more.”
How a Woman Became the Apostle to the Apostles and First Witness of the Resurrection - Mary Magdalene is celebrated on July 22 — and since 2016, her day is a full feast in the Church, like the apostles. The Gospels mention her at least a dozen times, more than many apostles. She’s often identified with three women in the Gospels: Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany, and the “sinful woman” who anoints Jesus’ feet.
St. Michael the Archangel Showed this Beauty Mogul Hell, Now He is a Priest… According to Fr. Borba, St. Michael showed him not only the state of his soul but its eternal trajectory. Borba says the archangel granted him an interior grace: “He then gave me the grace of looking at my soul. It was kind of like an illumination of conscience.”
One Day After Baptizing 175 People, This Young Priest Was Gunned Down - Father Crépin Martial Monga, vicar of St. John the Baptist Parish in Zémio in the Diocese of Bangassou, was a 36-year-old Catholic priest known for his peace initiatives in the Central African Republic. He was killed by gunmen just one day after baptizing 175 people.
July 23, 2026 - USCCB Daily Mass Readings
You can listen HERE — or read HERE:
Thursday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s Catholic commentary:
Exaudi News
‘There is someone who is helping me’
By José Miguel Ponce, July 22, 2026
While millions watched the World Cup final, hanging on every play, Luis de la Fuente, manager of Spain’s national team, was experiencing one of the most important moments of his sporting career. On his shoulders rested the responsibility of leading a group of players who represented the hopes of an entire nation. But beyond the tension of the encounter, there was also an invisible dimension. Fuente said on several occasions that he tries to live his life supported by faith and trust in God. After the World Cup final, Rodrigo Hernández Cascante, “Rodri,” told the media: “I am very Christian, and I am sure that there is someone there — Helping me.” The midfielder explained that his success is not only the result of effort, but that he attributes his ability to overcome difficult moments in his career to divine help, declaring: “There is someone who is helping me from the start.” Rodri was named best player of the tournament (Golden Ball) after guiding Spain to victory against Argentina in the final.
Our Sunday Visitor
Immigrants get absorbed in the U.S. ‘Success trap’
By M. L. Kramer, June 23, 2026
Across America, Catholic neighborhoods that were once the heart of immigrant life are fading away. Parochial schools have closed, convents have emptied, and dioceses from Boston to St. Louis have consolidated parish communities that once seemed permanent. What was unimaginable only a generation ago has become almost routine. In 2010, the Diocese of Cleveland shuttered or merged 50 parishes in a single stroke. Churches that once packed the sidewalks with Corpus Christi processions and Angelus bells that echoed across entire neighborhoods because the Church held a claim on reality that society couldn’t ignore. Now they sit abandoned or half-empty, surrounded by streets their own parishioners had long since left behind. But those explanations miss the dark punchline of the situation: Cleveland’s ethnic parish system collapsed because it actually worked. The “American” parts of town didn’t feel welcoming. Consequently, the local church became the heartbeat of everything. They wanted to be 100% American.
Zeale
HHS launches AI initiative targeting chronic disease
By Elise Winland, July 23, 2026
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced July 22 that it will use artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced computing to accelerate biomedical research into chronic disease, pediatric cancer, and drug development. “America will lead the next generation of medical discovery by harnessing the power of artificial intelligence,” HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a department press release. “We are mobilizing the nation’s best researchers to uncover the root causes of chronic disease, accelerate lifesaving breakthroughs, and help Make America Healthy Again.” According to the release, the initiative includes the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-led Bio Genesis Mission, which aims to cut in half the time it takes for scientific discoveries to reach patients.
Wild at Heart
Are you playing proof-text poker with Genesis?
By John Eldredge, July 23, 2026
We have lived for so long with a “propositional” approach to Christianity; we have nearly lost its true meaning. As Mary Stewart Van Leeuwen says, “Much of it hinges on your view of scripture. Are you playing proof-text poker with Genesis plus the Gospels and Paul’s epistles, with everything else just sort of a big mystery in between — except maybe Psalms and Proverbs, which you use devotionally? Or do you see scripture as being a cosmic drama — creation, fall, redemption, future hope — dramatic narratives that you can apply to all areas of life?” (Prism interview) For centuries prior to our Modern Era, the church viewed the gospel as a Romance, a cosmic drama whose themes permeated our own stories and drew together all the random scenes in a redemptive wholeness. But our rationalistic approach to life, which has dominated Western culture for hundreds of years, has stripped us of that, leaving a faith that is barely more than mere fact-telling.
Image of peanuts by Nicole Köhler, from Pixabay
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