Catholic Nutshell News: Wednesday 6/24/26
Catholics should know: US protection for Haitians; Key post-Dobbs challenge; HHS and ‘sexually explicit’ content; & Pope Leo very different from Pope Francis
“Here was an almond tree in bloom before me”
Your 5-minute Catholic briefing for busy faithful. Today's sources are the Zeale News, National Catholic Register, EWTN News, The Pillar, Aleteia, and OSV News. (Catholic Nutshell is a subscription service for faithful, hopeful, & curious Catholics willing to exercise the Catholic News Muscle)
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EWTN News
U.S. bishops call for action on US protection for Haitians
By Tessa Gervasini, June 22, 2026
Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami and bishops across Ohio are calling for extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians living in the United States and are urging a more permanent solution to care for refugees. In April, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation, H.R. 1689, that would extend TPS for Haitians for three more years, which is “a critical lifeline for those desperate to avoid returning to the chaos on the island nation,” Wenski said in a column for the Archdiocese of Miami. Senate consideration is next. TPS is an immigration status granted to eligible foreign nationals from designated countries that are unsafe to return to due to ongoing conflict, environmental disasters, or other extraordinary conditions. In 2025, then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem terminated the TPS designation for migrants from Syria, Haiti, and other countries.
OSV News
Abortion pills remain key post-Dobbs challenge
By Kate Scanlon, June 24, 2026
On the fourth anniversary of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. bishops and pro-life leaders pointed to abortion pills as among the key challenges for the cause of protecting the right to life of unborn children. The Supreme Court issued the Dobbs ruling on June 24, 2022, in a case involving a Mississippi law banning abortion after 15 weeks, where the state directly challenged the high court’s previous abortion-related precedents in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. In the years since that ruling, efforts to restrict or protect access to abortion have stalled in Congress. Individual states have moved to either restrict abortion or expand access to it in the wake of the Dobbs ruling. However, multiple reports have found that the rate of abortions in the U.S. has increased since the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe.
Related: Abortion ballot measures put pressure on Republicans ahead of midterms -By Elise Winland, Zeale News, June 23, 2026
National Catholic Register
Two Opus Dei members died trying to save a friend are honored
By Matthew McDonald, June 22, 2026
When a fellow Opus Dei member was struggling in cold water beneath a roaring waterfall last summer, Matt Schoenecker and Matt Anthony jumped in and tried to save him. All three men died. Now, Schoenecker and Anthony have been recognized at the national level for their selflessness and bravery, posthumously receiving the Carnegie Medal for heroism. “They deserve it for sure,” said Lourdes Creus, sister of Val Creus, the 59-year-old man Schoenecker, 50, and Anthony, 44, tried to save. “I’m forever indebted to them. I think about them all the time.” The three men were numeraries (celibate lay members) of Opus Dei, a Catholic organization founded in 1928 by St. Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975) to help laypeople become holy through ordinary work. It’s unclear what happened, though observers believe the cold water and swift current likely played a role.
Zeale News
HHS to terminate $67 million for ‘sexually explicit’ content
By Elise Winland, June 23, 2026
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is preparing to terminate $67 million in teen pregnancy prevention grants after a department review found that many programs used curricula the Trump administration described as “sexually explicit,” “age-inappropriate,” and “medically inaccurate” for minors, according to documents the Daily Signal cited in a June 23 report. The action, expected to be announced June 26, would affect 53 of 67 active grants awarded during the Biden administration under the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program. The programs promoted content including pornography, instructions on how to obtain an abortion without parental consent, support for “gender identity” concepts beyond male and female, and condom demonstrations for middle and high school students. One high school curriculum, “Positive Prevention Plus,” defined “gender identity” as a person’s “deeply felt sense” of being male, female, or “something in between.”
The PIllar
Pope Leo’s return to regular consistories differs from Francis
By Ed. Condon, June 22, 2026
The expectation is that Leo will make an extraordinary consistory again part of the annual Roman calendar, giving the world’s cardinals a chance to meet with the pope and each other. After years of Pope Francis choosing not to summon the college for extraordinary consistories at all, retaining only perfunctory ordinary meetings to formally elevate new cardinals, Leo has, to some extent, the chance to reinvent the wheel. Francis convened only three extraordinary consistories during his pontificate and even limited the ordinary sessions to a minimum, effectively wanting to discontinue them altogether. In comparison, Leo’s publicly stated intention to make the consistories’ annual events is a kind of monument to collegiality. And, unlike Francis, Leo does not appear to be looking for, or interested in, a hand-picked representation of the larger body, either to function as a private sounding board or a kind of para-curial cabinet.
Vatican News
Pro-life movement slowly growing in Russia & Kazakhstan
By Sr. Wiera (Elena) Isachenko, SMCB, June 23, 2026
On November 18, 1920, the USSR became the first country in the world to legalize abortion on request. According to Johnston’s Archive, more than 260 million abortions were performed during the 70 years of Soviet rule. The widespread legality and accessibility of the procedure contributed to the emergence of a so-called “abortion culture” within society. The consequences of abortion began to enter public discussion in Russia in the late 1990s, though largely confined to religious and psychological circles. In 2011, a mandatory “week of silence” was introduced—a mandatory waiting period before an abortion, intended to give women a chance to reconsider their decision. In Russia and Kazakhstan, “Rachel’s Vineyard” retreats — deeply personal grieving and the experience of God’s mercy in a supportive environment— have flourished thanks to the combined efforts of clergy and laypeople who have chosen the protection of life as their life's calling.
Graphs about Religion
Evangelicals stand alone favoring America’s Christian culture
By Ryan Burge, June 18, 2026
The question cuts right to the heart of something Americans have been arguing about for a very long time: How important is it for the United States to have a culture based on Christian religious beliefs? The share of Americans who say that it’s “extremely” important for the United States to have a culture based on Christian religious beliefs is only 16%. Evangelicals are, without question, the outlier on this one. Nearly 70% chose the very/extremely important options, and fewer than 10% said it was not at all or not too important. A huge canyon exists between evangelical Protestants and the other two leading types of Christians: non-evangelical Protestants and Catholics. When you compare all three types of Christians who never attend church to those who go about once a month, there’s no statistical difference in the share who chose the “extremely” important option.
The Jerusalem Post
Palestinian-American wins New York State Senate primary race
By Esther Davis, June 24, 2026
Aber Kawas, a Palestinian-American who ran on a platform of democratic socialism and defunding “Israel’s genocide in Gaza,” won the Democratic primary for the New York State Senate race in Queens on Tuesday. Kawas became the first Palestinian Muslim woman elected in New York state after receiving New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s endorsement. She was born and raised in New York to Palestinian parents. Kawas' win in the primary elections comes off the back of Mamdani's three major primary wins in his attempt to remake the Democratic Party into a democratic socialist force. Her "Not On Our Dime!" campaign, alongside Mamdani, aims to stop New York-registered organizations from giving money to Israel and says "strategies of genocide" in the West Bank and Gaza are "egregious horrors" committed by Israel, and notably fails to mention October 7 when talking about the number of Palestinians killed since October 2023.
Related: UN independent report says Israel targeted children in Gaza, committing genocide - By Elise Winland, Zeale, June 23, 2026
Keep informed - 6/24/26 news for Catholics
Snippets from Loop, Aleteia, & The Pillar
CatholicVote: Zeale’s LOOP
Read daily news and political impact stories at the “LOOP”
Elections and politics matter. The LOOP gives you daily gems on the news that seek “to renew our country and culture.” CatholicVote’s advertised mission is “To inspire every Catholic in America to live out the truths of our faith in public life.”
TRUMP ADMIN GETS TWO BORDER SECURITY VICTORIES IN COURTS - The Trump administration saw two immigration enforcement victories yesterday, as the Supreme Court ruled that green card holders can lose their admission status based on pending criminal charges and the D.C. Circuit cleared the way for nationwide expedited removal of noncitizens. READ
WHAT STARMER'S RESIGNATION MEANS FOR LIFE - United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s resignation as Labour Party leader and prime minister removes a longtime supporter of assisted suicide and could affect renewed parliamentary fights over end-of-life care and abortion in Britain, according to Right to Life UK. READ
A PASTORAL NEED: FSSP-RUN CHAPLAINCY COMING TO ARLINGTON - The bishop of Arlington, Virginia, recently announced the establishment of a chaplaincy led by priests of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP) to support those wanting to attend the Traditional Latin Mass. READ
Aleteia News
Aleteia’s headlines — June 24, 2026
Aleteia (aleteia.org) is an online publication distributed in six languages (English, French, Spanish, Polish, Portuguese, and Slovenian). Aleteia reaches more than 10 million readers per month.
New honors for most prominent Vatican woman - Theresa Civantos Barber - 06/23/26 - Sister Becquart served the French Catholic scouting movement, campus ministry, and the National Service for the Evangelization of Youth and Vocations (SNEJV) of the French Bishops’ Conference. She was celebrated with an honorary doctorate from Australian Catholic University.
School shooting in Philippines leaves 3 dead - Simone Lorenzo-Peckson - 06/23/26 - At 9 a.m. on Monday, June 22, two male students opened fire at San Jose National High School in Tacloban, Leyte, a coastal province, 175 kilometers (some 100 miles) northeast of Cebu City. School shootings in the Philippines are extremely rare.
Jérôme Lejeune Foundation’s joyful visit to the Vatican - Cyprien Viet - 06/23/26 - 10 children with Down syndrome were present, accompanied by their parents. They symbolically represented the nearly 14,000 families supported by the foundation’s clinics in France, Spain, and Argentina.
The Pillar
Pillar Stories from the May calendar, 6/24/26
The Pillar offers a news summary and a capsule take on Catholic News. Here are news stories from the past few weeks in the Pillar Post:
Fr. Estevan Wetzel is the director of prison ministry and restorative justice in the Diocese of Phoenix, Arizona - He recently ministered to Catholic death row inmate Leroy McGill and celebrated Mass for him on the morning of his execution. It was, Wetzel said, a “weird” and solemn experience — both similar and unlike what he had done previously as a priest.
Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia’s judgment about the irrelevance of the John Paul II Institute as it was originally constituted is not supported by what’s happened since 2017. Since Paglia recrafted the JPII as an academy for social sciences, the institute itself has foundered, we’ve been told, with cratering enrollment and an increasingly precarious financial position.
“That was clearly offsides.” I learned recently that the norm explaining soccer’s ‘offsides’ rule is more than 1,000 words long. While the idea seems simple enough, and FOX even has a good graphic for it, any thousand-word rule admits of exceptions.
June 24, 2026 - USCCB Daily Mass Readings
You can listen HERE or read HERE:
Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
Today’s Catholic commentary:
Crisis Magazine
Priests among the enveloping chaos
By Fr. John A. Perricone, June 24, 2026
Little over a week ago, Fr. Joseph lay upon the sanctuary floor of St. Cecilia’s Cathedral in Omaha, Nebraska. He lay there like a corpse, outstretched with face upon the floor. While immobilized by this prostration of abandonment, the Solemn Litany of the Saints rolled over his ears like the gentle waves of the ocean. Then a remarkable moment came. He rose to his feet and knelt before a Successor of the Apostles, who then laid his hands upon his head. At that instant, the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit leapt down from His throne, as at Pentecost. The Divine Comforter then breathed new life into him. Joseph Falciano ceased to be.And Fr. Jospeh Falciano appeared. You would not be remiss in being reminded here of the Book of Genesis, in its opening chapters. “There, God took the dust of the earth and breathed upon it. And Adam appeared.”
The Catholic Weekly
Aussie digital influencers evangelizing Catholicism
By Callum Hussein, June 23, 2026
For centuries, Catholics have been at the forefront of mass communication technology. Think of Gutenberg’s printing press or the magazine apostolate of St. Maximilian Kolbe. But on the internet? Catholics are quietly making their mark, even in Australia. The Catholic Weekly recently spoke to two young influencers about their digital mission journeys. “John is Catholic” is one of Australia’s best-known Catholic influencers, amassing millions of views across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. His page was inspired by a conversation with his then-seminarian brother and fellow digital evangelist, now Fr Sam French. They both saw a need to nourish “the people that are already part of the church.” “There’s definitely a place for evangelization, but I like to focus more on people who are already Catholic and need extra motivation to be more zealous, ambitious, and active in their faith, in their prayer life and community,” said John.
The Obscure, Forgotten, and Undiscovered
The 350 year old parish ‘up north’
By James K. Hanna, June 22, 2026
Last week we made a trip “up north,” as Michiganders call it, to Mackinac Island. On the island, we discovered Saint Anne’s Catholic Church, the nation’s oldest, dedicated to Saint Anne, founded as a parish a long, long, long time ago—356 years! The presence of Roman Catholicism in the Straits of Mackinac is only surpassed by the presence of Native Americans. Ancestors of the current Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, who settled in the region thousands of years ago, believed that Mackinac Island was the sacred center of the universe. The Jesuits established their mission in 1670, beginning the Christian presence on the island. The birch bark chapel was first located on the island, then moved to St. Ignace, on the north shore of the straits, then Mackinac City, on the south shore of the straits, and finally back to the island, across the ice, in 1779.
Catholic 365
Today in history 6/24: Happy Birthday Jesuits!
By The Catholic Nurse, June 24, 2025
In early 1537, Ignatius of Loyola and Parisian companions traveled to Venice, hoping to sail to Jerusalem. War blocked the routes, so they turned instead to prayer, study, and discernment. On June 24, 1537, most of the group—including Ignatius, Francis Xavier, and Peter Faber—were ordained as priests in Venice. This moment transformed their informal brotherhood into a sacramental mission. They spent the next 18 months preaching, serving the poor, and deepening their spiritual lives. St Ignatius experienced a decisive mystical vision during this period: Christ and the Eternal Father called him into service. In 1540, Pope Paul III formally approved their new community as the Society of Jesus. The June 24 ordinations were not just a clerical milestone—they were the ignition point of a global apostolic movement.
Image of Almonds by Monfocus from Pixabay
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