OSV News

Although there was a significant increase in executions in the U.S. in 2025, a smaller number of new death sentences was imposed, a new report from the Death Penalty Information Center found.

Slightly more than half of U.S. adults surveyed still identify with their childhood religion. For Catholics, retention rates tend to be significantly lower than for other faiths, according to Pew.

Pope Leo XIV said he is "deeply saddened" by the attack on Australian Jews at a celebration of the first day of Hanukkah. Sydney's archbishop and U.S. prelates also condemned the "horrific" shooting and offered prayers.

Auxiliary Bishop Kevin Kenney of St. Paul and Minneapolis and Fr. Christopher Collins from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul led the prayer service, which was held as federal officials conducted an immigration enforcement effort in the Twin Cities.

Bishop Bruce Lewandowski of Providence offered prayers for "all affected by this tragedy" in the wake of a Dec. 13 shooting at Brown University that left two students dead and nine others injured.

The Black and Indian Missions Office originated in 1874 as the Bureau of Catholic Missions, with wider goals added in subsequent years. 

Bishop Mark O'Connell told people wounded by the church: "Let me gently show you Jesus who loves you with an everlasting love. His light is never overcome by darkness, and He is your Messiah as truly as he is mine."

A prayer service outside the Washington headquarters of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Dec. 12 paid homage to Mary and showed support for "our immigrant brothers and sisters," organizers said.

Amid immigration raids in Louisiana, dozens gathered at a New Orleans church for a candlelight vigil, praying for both those detained and for law enforcement officials. The Dec. 9 service was held at Holy Name of Jesus Church in New Orleans, located on the campus of Loyola University.

As Dec. 12 approaches, millions of pilgrims are converging on the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, one of the most visited Marian shrines in the world. The feast honoring the Virgin of Guadalupe — celebrated across the Americas and in the Philippines — is again drawing crowds far beyond Mexico's borders.

Getting to know more deeply the people of Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis since a fatal shooting Aug. 27 during an all-school Mass has made clear how important prayer has been in keeping them together, Archbishop Bernard Hebda said Dec. 6.

Saying it is possible both to uphold justice and to exercise mercy, Florida's Catholic bishops have urged Gov. Ron DeSantis to stay executions scheduled for Dec. 9 and Dec. 18.

Amid immigration detention sweeps in Louisiana — part of an ongoing nationwide campaign by the Trump administration — Bishop Michael Duca of Baton Rouge has issued a dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass for those concerned for their safety.

On a cold, wintery day, with the congregation gathered around Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis and Auxiliary Bishops Kevin Kenney and Michael Izen outside the main doors of Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, the rite of reparation began Dec. 6 that restored the space for worship.

 "In recent years, despite strong leadership and ongoing investment, Franciscan Media has encountered the same challenges facing Catholic and Christian publishing ministries," the outlet formerly known as St. Anthony Messenger said.

"I told the Holy Father of this terrible pain, and yet feeling a sense of peace and hope remembering how much God loves me," Melvine Khoury, a Maronite Catholic, said. "It cannot compare to Jesus' suffering on the cross."

"I give thanks to God who has sustained me through this journey," Cardinal Robert McElroy said. "And I give thanks to all of you who have prayed to God for my healing. I believe those prayers were what led to this wonderful outcome."

"As Catholics, we believe that every person is beloved by God and created in his image," said Bishop Daniel Garcia. "Each child of God has value and dignity."

As the church commemorates 60 years since the closing of Vatican II, here are seven key issues and documents that serve as its legacy for future generations.

Despite an uptick in executions in the U.S. in 2025, opponents of the death penalty lauded decreases in new death sentences and waning public support for the practice during comments at a Dec. 3 press event announcing a new coalition called the U.S. Campaign to End the Death Penalty.