Pope Francis' widely-anticipated autobiography 'Hope' hits bookshelves in 80 countries this Jubilee, and includes narrated memories, anecdotes, photos, and elements offered personally to readers. Read More

In a message sent to Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans, Pope Francis expresses his ‘spiritual closeness’ to those affected by the recent terrorist attack in the southern US city. Read More

All her life, Hilda Wiltz has been preparing to assume leadership of the Knights of Peter Claver Ladies Auxiliary. In July, that dream became reality when the 63-year-old Rayne native was sworn in as the 15th Supreme Lady of the Catholic fraternal organization’s women auxiliary. Founded in the early 1900s, the Ladies Auxiliary has more than 8,000 women members across the United States, with courts in South America and Africa, as well as four collegian units, including Xavier University and Southern University. Read More

From BlackCatholicMessenger.com: Up the parkway from Washington, a different kind of election took place on Tuesday at the Baltimore Waterfront Marriott Hotel, where Archbishop Shelton Fabre of Louisville was elected chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development. The ballot was one of several for committee positions in the USCCB, which was holding the first of two livestreamed public sessions during its fall general assembly. The domestic justice chair is currently held by Archbishop Borys Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia. Read More

n this interview with Vatican News, Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the Archbishop of Washington, D.C., speaks about the meaning of synodality, the Church’s mission, and the work of the Holy Spirit in the Church today. By Christopher Wells Synodality, says Cardinal Wilton Gregory, “is the effort of people listening to one another and believing that the Holy Spirit is prompting those conversations, that the Holy Spirit is the one who plants the hopes, the dreams, the fears... And in the midst of those conversations, I think synodality means that out of those conversations will come a vision and a wisdom that will open up the horizons for tomorrow.” Speaking with Vatican News on the sidelines of the General Assembly of the Synod, the Archbishop of Washington, D.C., highlighted both the diversity and the atmosphere of the ecclesial gathering. Read More

DetroitCatholic.com — Forty years ago, 10 Black bishops from the United States wrote a letter to African-American Catholics that has reverberated ever since. On Sept. 15, Black Catholics from the Archdiocese of Detroit gathered at the Solanus Casey Center in Detroit to revisit and celebrate the groundbreaking pastoral letter, "What We Have Seen and Heard," and discuss its implications for the U.S. Church today. Published on Sept. 9, 1984, the landmark document focused on evangelization, calling on the Black Catholic community in the United States to be missionaries amongst themselves and share their gifts, culture and faith at large. Read More

BlackCatholicMessenger.com - The Diocese of Jackson has published an update on the canonization cause of Servant of God Thea Bowman, one of seven African Americans currently on the path to sainthood in the Catholic Church. The information was released in the diocese’s newspaper on Sept. 9 in response to a request from Jackson’s Director of Catholic Schools, Karla Luke. Bowman’s canonization cause, begun in 2018 by Bishop Joseph Kopacz, received approval from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops the same year and has since involved research on her life and work. This is part of the diocesan phase of the process, which for Bowman is reportedly halfway complete. Read More

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – The Knights of Peter Claver Ladies Auxiliary (KPCLA) is proud to announce the election of Most Esteemed Hilda L. Wiltz as the new Supreme Lady. A distinguished member of the Knights of Peter Claver for 38 years, Supreme Lady Wiltz hails from Rayne, Louisiana, affectionately known as the “Frog Capital of the World.” Throughout her illustrious tenure with KPCLA, Supreme Lady Wiltz has demonstrated unwavering dedication and leadership. She has been a member of the Meritorious 4th Degree Ladies of Grace for 27 years and has held various significant roles within the organization. Most recently, she has served as the Vice Supreme Lady as well as the National Lay Board Member. Her exceptional contributions have been recognized with several prestigious awards, including the 2021 KPCLA Silver Medal of Merit Award and the 2022 Cartagena Award. Read More