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Zeale News
Major hospitals will end gender ‘transition’ procedures for minors
By Elise Winland, September 23, 2026
At least six major hospital systems have agreed to stop providing gender “transition” drugs and surgeries to children and to make payments to the federal government under agreements with the Trump administration, according to announcements from the Department of Justice (DOJ). In a Sept. 18 press release, the DOJ said New York University (NYU) Langone Hospitals and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) had reached agreements resolving federal investigations into their treatment and billing practices. They will stop administering puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to minors and performing gender “transition” surgeries on them. NYU will also pay $8.5 million, while UPMC will pay $950,000. “The Department of Justice is fighting to protect our nation’s children and working tirelessly to reach agreements with hospitals to end so-called ‘gender affirming care’ for minors,” Attorney General Todd Blanche said in the release.
Our Sunday Visitor
Vatican history commission working to preserve truth in the AI age
By Jay Sorgi, September 23, 2026
Pope Leo XIV has added one of America’s leading Catholic educators, Philadelphia-based Francesco Cesareo, with expertise in the connection between history and the faith, to a key pontifical commission at the Vatican focused on preserving truth, at a time when the Holy Father is warning of how a failure to accurately understand history could lead to a politically and technologically more dangerous future for the world. “It’s very much a research-oriented commission that helps to advise the Holy Father and the Curia when it comes to questions of historical importance,” said Cesareo, an adjunct professor of history at both St. Charles Borromeo Seminary and Villanova University, Pope Leo’s alma mater. “The work of the commission is to preserve and to nurture historical truth and then to pass it on to the next generation.” Cesareo is the sole American on the Vatican committee as of Sept. 23. He is also the president emeritus of Assumption University in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Related: Amid doomsaying on AI, Leo XIV looks before – and beyond – regulation - By Christopher R. Altieri, Crux, September 20, 2026
Religion News Service
A major Muslim charity cuts ties and changes its name
By Ulaa Kuziez & Bob Smietana, September 22, 2026
Islamic Relief USA, a humanitarian organization with a $150 million annual budget, rebranded itself as the “Islamic Development and Empowerment in America” after members of Congress threatened to have its tax-exempt status revoked. The change follows a messy break with Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) involving a lawsuit filed by Islamic Relief USA and countercharges by IRW. It culminated this month when IRW announced it had expelled its former American partner, claiming the affiliate “damaged the work of the entire federation.” They alleged that the groups have links to designated foreign terrorist groups and were “sowing chaos” in their support for pro-Palestinian protests. Committee Chairman Jason Smith, a Missouri Republican, alleged in a September 2025 letter that because of its ties to IRW, Islamic Relief USA had “engaged in conduct that appears to provide support for a designated terrorist organization and other conduct designed to incite chaos in a way that is contrary to the public good.”
National Catholic Register
France: Leo will find an ancient church experiencing new life
By Bishop Matthieu Rougé, September 17, 2026
While papal visits to the “eldest daughter of the Church” were once common — St. John Paul II, for instance, made no fewer than eight apostolic visits between 1980 and 2005 — Leo’s upcoming journey will be the first time a pope has come to France on an official state visit since Benedict XVI in 2008. Pope Francis visited French cities on three separate occasions. But as he made clear, these visits aimed to promote broader themes — European unity in Strasbourg, collaboration between Mediterranean nations in Marseilles, and the world of devotion in Ajaccio — not to focus on France itself, consistent with his commitment to prioritizing countries on the peripheries. France is a strange country. It is undoubtedly one of the most deeply Catholic countries in the world due to its roots and history, but it is also one of the most secularized, governed by a particularly uncompromising system of strict secularism. It is important to fully seize the opportunity offered by this apostolic visit to highlight the relevance of the Gospel for France today.
Aleteia
Famous priest’s group wants millions to pray October peace Rosary
By Philip Kosloski, September 22, 2025
Pope Leo XIV has repeatedly urged the world to pray for peace, calling all Catholics to dedicate their prayers for peace in the world. In response to this call, Holy Cross Family Ministries (HCFM) launched last year an initiative, “Global Rosary for Peace,” which had great success in gathering a large number of people around the world in praying for peace. HCFM’s founder, Venerable Patrick Peyton, was a big promoter of the Rosary during his life and once said, “The Rosary has saved the world in the past; it will save the world now by saving the family.“ He is best known for popularizing the saying, "The family that prays together, stays together." According to the official website, October 22, the feast of St. John Paul II, has been set for the Global Rosary for Peace, but Catholics are invited to take part in a several-week journey of preparation that is underway.
Vatican News
Two Christian schools reopen in Syria after decades of closure
By Beatrice Guarrera, September 22, 2026
Two schools have been reopened in the Syrian Christian villages of Knaye and Yacoubieh, after nearly six decades of closure. The Franciscan friars of the Custody of the Holy Land inaugurated these schools on Sunday, 20 September, in the presence of local civil and religious leaders. "The Franciscan friars in northern Syria, within the Orontes mission, have always opened schools and taken charge of education in the villages. The friars originally opened that school back in 1958, but it was taken from us in 1972," Father Khukaz Mesrob, parish priest of Knaye, told Vatican News. "We always hoped for the best, that the children would eventually return.” Following the fall of the Assad government, refugees living in the buildings finally moved out, allowing full-scale renovation work on the educational facilities to kick into high gear. "With the help of church associations, the NGO Pro Terra Sancta, the Custody, and the friars, we managed to restore 80% of the schools, both of which share the name Terra Santa," said Mesrob.
Zenit
Despite progressive stance, German Church contributes financially
By Joachin Meisner Hertz, September 21, 2026
The Catholic Church in Germany directed €537 million toward international aid last year, sustaining projects ranging from pastoral work and education to healthcare, peacebuilding and agriculture across some of the world’s most vulnerable regions. The funding is considerable, particularly because the reported total does not include numerous projects financed independently by parishes, Catholic associations and schools. The geographical distribution of the funding shows where German Catholic aid is most heavily concentrated. Africa and the Middle East received €189 million, making them the largest regional beneficiaries. Asia and Oceania followed with €129 million, while Latin America and the Caribbean received €122 million. Projects were also supported in Eastern Europe. Almost half of the funding—48.1%—came from donations and collections, underscoring the role of individual Catholics in sustaining international projects.
EWTN News
New book explains why Fulton Sheen was ‘America’s Apostle’
By Tyler Arnold, September 23, 2026
With the beatification of Archbishop Fulton Sheen televised today, a new book on the life and legacy of the evangelist and television and radio show host explains why he was “America’s Apostle.” Allan Smith, founder and director of the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Mission Society of Canada, published the book “America’s Apostle” on Sept. 15, just ahead of the archbishop’s beatification on Sept. 24. “[Sheen] was a brilliant communicator; he had immense gifts on television, radio, as a writer, as a poet,” EWTN News’ Matthew Bunson said. “But all of that was geared toward proclaiming Jesus Christ in exactly the same way that a good apostle should.” Sheen began his media career as a priest, hosting an hour-long radio show called “The Catholic Hour” in 1930 until he was consecrated an auxiliary bishop in New York in 1951 and transitioned to television, hosting “Life Is Worth Living.” At its peak, Sheen’s radio show reached about 4 million people weekly, and his television show reached about 30 million people.
Related: EWTN to offer extensive coverage of Fulton Sheen beatification - By Francesca Pollio Fenton, EWTN News, September 14, 2026
Keep informed - 9/24/26 news for Catholics
Snippets from OSV, EWTN News, & ChurchPOP
OSV News
OSV’s seasoned reporters - September 24, 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.
‘Pivotal’ Archbishop Sheen ‘opened the door to the evangelization of the world,’ says Bishop Barron - by Gina Christian - Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen — the 20th-century theologian, evangelizer and Catholic communications pioneer — “opened the door to the evangelization of the world,” said Bishop Barron.
Canonization cause officially opens for pioneering Minnesota priest - Msgr. Joseph Francis Buh has been granted the title “servant of God,” with a Sept. 22 Mass opening the cause for his canonization. The Slovenian immigrant priest heroically ministered and evangelized in northern Minnesota beginning in the late 1860s until his death in 1922 at age 88.
Canadian Catholics stand with Jewish brethren following synagogue attack in Ontario - A gunman targeted an eastern Ontario synagogue on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year in Judaism. A police officer who was stationed outside the Sons of Jacob synagogue in Belleville to protect the congregation inside on the evening of Sept. 20 was wounded in the shootout and remained hospitalized Sept. 23.
EWTN News
EWTN’s top headlines — September 24, 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.
Survey finds immigration enforcement activity at schools, courthouses - By Kathleen Murphy - More than 145,000 U.S.-citizen children have had a parent booked into immigration detention since January 2025, according to the Catholic Legal Immigration Network.
A shared frontier faith: Border cities El Paso and Ciudad Juárez remember Cristero War - By David Ramos - Catholics on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border are preparing for a special event that seeks to “revive the witness” of those who lived through the religious persecution of a century ago and rekindle “our commitment as Christians,” Lorena Tabares explained to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.
Planned Parenthood miscoding claim prompts watchdog’s call for federal inquiry - By Amira Abuzeid - Do No Harm — a nonprofit that says it works to keep identity politics out of medical education — which also campaigns against diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, says in a Sept. 22 letter that Planned Parenthood and its affiliates may be coding visits in ways that make youth hormone prescriptions appear routine.
ChurchPOP Trending
ChurchPOP provides fun, informative, and authentically Catholic news and culture - September 24, 2026
“We publish inspiring daily stories, fun and shareable faith-centered infographics, prayers, Church history, and more.”
A 7-Year-Old Who Dreams of the Priesthood Gets to Serve as “Pastor for a Day” - A young boy’s dream of becoming a priest came to life at Saint Katharine Drexel Catholic Church. Second-grader Greyson joined the parish team for a full day of parish life alongside Fr. Matt, learning about Mass, office work, and the many day-to-day responsibilities.
‘God Was Looking After Us’: Congressman Praises God For Saving His Life in a Plane Crash - After the plane struck Lake Wausau, U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany and pilot Leonard Boltz climbed onto the aircraft and remained there as it began to sink.
St. Hildegard was mixing Pumpkin Spice flavors centuries before Starbucks - The cappuccino takes its name from the Capuchin friars; Trappist monks have brewed beer in monasteries for centuries; and the Carthusian monks of France are famously associated with Chartreuse. It also seems that a female Doctor of the Church was making history with pumpkin-spice flavors centuries before they ever trended.
September 24, 2026 - USCCB Daily Mass Readings
You can listen HERE — or read HERE:
Thursday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s Catholic commentary:
National Catholic Register
Quebec: The dead end of the partisan Church
By George Weigel, September 23, 2026
For the Catholic visitor, the Gaspé Peninsula is also noteworthy for the names of the villages along the river and estuary, the great majority of which honor the saints: Notre-Dame-du-Portage, Notre-Dame-des-Neiges, Saint-Simon, Saint-Fabien-sur-Mer, Sainte-Flavie, Saint-Joseph-de-Lepage, Saint-Ulric, Sainte-Félicité, Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, and so forth. The most prominent feature in many of these coastal villages is a stone church with a high steeple and a shimmering tin roof, mute testimony to the fact that Québec was once — and not all that long ago — one of the most intensely Catholic parts of the continent. I say “mute” testimony because it is difficult to find one of those churches open. In 1930, the Catholic Church in Québec was joined at the hip to the provincial government, for which it ran the province’s schools, hospitals, and social services. Then came Québec’s “Quiet Revolution” in the 1960s, which shattered the tight bond between Church and state. The Church in Québec has never recovered.
Zeale
Supreme Court declines to intervene in surrogate custody dispute
By Elise Winland, September 23, 2026
The U.S. Supreme Court decided Sept. 22 not to stop a California court from recognizing a California couple as the legal parents of an infant carried by surrogate mother McKenna West, who refused their request to abort the child after he was diagnosed with a serious yet treatable heart defect. Justice Elena Kagan, who handles emergency matters in the 9th Circuit, denied the application without explanation or referral to the full court. The decision leaves in place lower-court orders recognizing Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed as the boy’s parents. After receiving the diagnosis, Gilkar and Ahmed asked West to get an abortion, but West refused, saying that the boy’s life “doesn’t have a price tag on it.” She later traveled to Texas, where she gave birth to the boy Aug. 12 in Dallas. Her attorneys asked the Supreme Court to stay the California parentage judgment while she prepared a petition asking the justices to review the case.
Christian Post
Younger churchgoers say some biblical truths ‘obsolete’
By Michael Gryboski, September 24, 2026
Protestant churchgoers in the United States appear increasingly willing to reject some biblical truths, with young adult attendees under 30 most likely to say some of those truths are becoming “obsolete,” according to a recent survey from Lifeway Research. In its report, published Tuesday, Lifeway highlighted the survey. More than a quarter of respondents (28%) agreed with the statement "that as culture changes, some biblical truths become obsolete," up from 24% in 2019. The younger a churchgoer was, the more likely he or she was to agree that culture change makes some truths in the Bible “obsolete.” Among respondents ages 18 to 29, 54% agreed with the statement, compared with 40% of those ages 30 to 49, 19% of those ages 50 to 64, and 13% of those 65 and older. At the same time, 91% agreed that "they can read a passage of the Bible and usually understand how it is relevant to them," matching the 90% figure recorded in 2019.
Wild at Heart
God is willing to place us in mortal danger
By John Eldredge, September 24, 2026
When we were young, most of us loved adventure. Something about the unknown draws us, which is why we like stories so much. But I like to leave the theater at the end of the play, knowing the characters on stage or screen have resolved the dilemma of evil. Like Peter, Susan, Lucy, and Edmund, to find ourselves not as spectators but as central characters in the play itself is somewhat daunting. The stakes are truly high, sometimes literally life or death, and God rarely, if ever, yells, "Cut!" just as the dangerous or painful scene descends upon us. No stunt doubles come onto the set to take our places. Many of us feel that we have been playing these kinds of scenes ever since we were children. We wonder if the hero will ever show up to rescue us. Like Indiana Jones's love interests in the movies, we find ourselves caught up in an adventure of heroic proportions with a God who both seduces us with his boldness and energy and repels us with his willingness to place us in mortal danger, suspended over pits of snakes.
Image of peanuts by Nicole Köhler, from Pixabay
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