Prince of Peace Parish

Vatican City, Sep 1, 2025 / 14:38 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV celebrated the Mass for the opening of the general chapter of the Order of St. Augustine on Monday evening, invoking the Holy Spirit to guide the religious community’s Sept. 1–18 assembly.

Nearly 100 Augustinian priests from around the world, who are participating in this year’s chapter, attended the pope’s Mass held inside the Basilica of St. Augustine in Rome’s city center. 

Religious sisters belonging to Augustinian orders also attended the Mass. Though the sisters will not participate in the chapter, the Holy Father extended his invitation to them to pray for the “gift of the Holy Spirit” and the “gift of listening” for the fruits of the religious assembly.  

During the Sept. 1 homily, Pope Leo — who wore red vestments for the votive Mass dedicated to the Holy Spirit — invited his confreres to focus on “listening, humility, and unity” and respond to God’s grace during the period of prayer and discernment within the order.

“The Holy Spirit speaks, today as in the past,” he said. “He does so in the ‘penetralia cordis’ and through the brothers and the circumstances of life.” 

“This is why it is important for the atmosphere of the chapter, in harmony with the centuries-long tradition of the Church, to be an atmosphere of listening: of listening to God and to others,” he continued.

Reflecting on the teachings of St. Augustine, the Holy Father said the Church doctor highlighted the need for unity and collaboration among Christian faithful for the “common good.” 

“Each single believer was speaking in all languages; and now the unity of believers is speaking in all languages,” he said, quoting St. Augustine. “And so even now all languages are ours, since we are members of the body in which they are to be found.” 

“Live these days, therefore, in a sincere effort to communicate and to understand, and do so as a generous response to the great and unique gift of light and grace that the Father of heaven gives you by summoning you here, specifically you, for the good of all,” he added.

While encouraging his brothers to “openly share what they have” during the 18-day chapter, he emphasized the importance of doing so with humility.

“Let no one think they have all the answers,” Leo said Monday.  

“Only in this way will the Spirit be able to teach and remind us of what Jesus said, inscribing it in our hearts so that its echo may spread from them, in the uniqueness and unrepeatability of every beat,” he added. 

In his reflection on the “miracle of Pentecost,” Pope Leo said St. Augustine observed that the Holy Spirit is the “protagonist” who creates unity amid diversity. 

“Just as spiritual people … take pleasure in unity, so worldly people are ever ready to wrangle,” the Holy Father said, referring to St. Augustine’s writings. 

“The time you can be sure you have the Holy Spirit is when you consent through sincere charity firmly to attach your minds to the unity,” he continued.

Vatican City, Sep 1, 2025 / 13:00 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV has voiced his support for the Sept. 1 celebration of the World Day of Prayer for Creation, an ecumenical initiative encouraged by Pope Francis.

“It is more important and urgent than ever,” Leo said during his Sunday Angelus message on Aug. 31. “This year’s theme is ‘Seeds of Peace and Hope.’”

Pope Francis in 2015 established the day of prayer for creation as a universal celebration in the Catholic Church. It had been commemorated by other Christian churches since 1989.

Also known as “Creation Day,” the day of prayer marks the start of a monthlong “Season of Creation,” which ends on Oct. 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. 

“In the spirit of the ‘Canticle of Brother Sun,’ composed by [St. Francis] 800 years ago, we praise God and renew our commitment not to ruin his gift but to take care of our common home,” Leo said at the Aug. 31 Angelus.

In a message for the World Day of Prayer for Creation 2025, released earlier this year, the pope emphasized “that the destruction of nature does not affect everyone in the same way. When justice and peace are trampled underfoot, those who are most hurt are the poor, the marginalized, and the excluded.”

He also criticized the reduction of nature into a bargaining chip and commodity to be bartered for economic or political gain.

“God’s creation turns into a battleground for the control of vital resources. We see this in agricultural areas and forests peppered with landmines, ‘scorched earth’ policies, conflicts over water sources, and the unequal distribution of raw materials,” the pontiff said. 

“These various wounds are the effect of sin,” he said. “This is surely not what God had in mind when he entrusted the earth to the men and women whom he created in his image.”

In July, Pope Leo approved new Mass prayers to support the Church’s appreciation for God’s creation. The “Mass for the Care of Creation” was inspired by Pope Francis’ environmental encyclical Laudato Si’, which marks 10 years this year.

Bishops in some countries plan to celebrate the new Mass formulary to mark the World Day of Prayer for Creation. 

Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, president of the commission for social action of the Philippines bishops’ conference, said: “We started promoting Creation Day back in 2003, so it has become immensely popular.”

“This year, for the first time in history, we have a Mass formulary — the Missa pro custodia creationis — that allows us to celebrate Creation Day around the altar, with tailored liturgical texts for the occasion. Our bishops’ conference is animating all parishes across the Philippines to mark the day with the new Mass,” he told The Feast of Creation, an initiative coordinated by the World Council of Churches.

In a press release for Creation Day, the Feast of Creation said the day has roots in ancient Orthodox liturgical tradition from the fifth century: “It is a day to praise God as creator, commemorate the mystery of creation in Christ, and inspire Christians to care for the created world.”

Vatican City, Sep 1, 2025 / 11:51 am (CNA).

With “deep gratitude and relief beyond words,” the humanitarian organization Nos Petits Frères et Sœurs (Our Little Brothers and Sisters, or NPH, by its Spanish acronym), confirmed the release of eight hostages who had been held captive since Aug. 3 in Haiti.

Among them were a 3-year-old boy and Irish lay missionary Gena Heraty, who has dedicated her life to children with disabilities in Haiti for more than 30 years.

Heraty, 58, is the director of NPH’s special needs programs and a leader in working with children in the chronically stricken Caribbean country since 1993. She is also responsible for the St. Helena orphanage, run by NPH and located in Kenscoff, about six miles southeast of the capital, Port-au-Prince.

The kidnapping took place on Aug. 3 when an armed group broke into the facility and forcibly took several employees and the 3-year-old child. All of them have since been released after weeks of great tension and uncertainty.

In a statement released through NPH, Heraty’s family confirmed that the missionary and the other hostages had been released: “We are relieved beyond words. We are deeply grateful to everyone, in Haiti and internationally, who has worked tirelessly during these terrible weeks to ensure their safe return.”

NPH confirmed that the freed hostages “are safe, receiving medical and psychological care, and are with their loved ones.” One of the organization’s staff members emphasized: “Despite everything that happened, Gena has always remained strong. As soon as she returned, she went straight to greet the children. Everyone was crying; the children and the staff were waiting for her with open arms.”

“The global outpouring of concern, love, prayers, and solidarity shown by friends, neighbors, communities, colleagues, and even people with no connection to us has been an immense source of comfort and support,” he said.

However, “although we are thankful for her return today, we know the recovery process will be long.”

The release comes following Pope Leo XIV’s call for the immediate release of the hostages during the Angelus on Aug. 10.

There are currently no known ransom demands, nor has the armed group responsible for the kidnapping been identified. The Haitian newspaper Le Nouvelliste reported that gang members are believed to have been responsible for the attack.

Gang violence and kidnappings are also common in other areas in and around Port-au-Prince, where, according to the U.N., armed groups control about 85% of the city.

In the first six months of 2025, according to U.N. figures, nearly 350 people were kidnapped in Haiti.

Vatican City, Sep 1, 2025 / 11:05 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV expressed his condolences for the more than 800 dead left by the earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan on Sunday night, with a magnitude of 6 on the Richter scale, also causing widespread destruction.

According to local authorities, more than 800 people died and 1,500 were injured, especially in the districts of Nurgal, Sawkay, Watapur, Dara Pech, and Chapi Dara.

“Deeply saddened by the significant loss of life caused by the earthquake in eastern Afghanistan, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV offers fervent prayers for the souls of the deceased, the wounded, and those still missing,” read the telegram sent on behalf of the pontiff.

The telegram, signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, stated that the pontiff entrusts “all affected by this disaster to the providence of the Almighty.”

The pope also expressed “his heartfelt solidarity in particular with those who mourn the loss of loved ones and with the emergency personnel and civil authorities involved in rescue and recovery efforts.”

The main quake, recorded around midnight, was followed by two magnitude 5.2 aftershocks. The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the epicenter was located 27 kilometers (16.7 miles) east of Nangarhar province, at a depth of eight kilometers (about five miles), which normally amplifies the destructive power.

Mud and stone houses facilitated the collapse

According to the Afghan news agency Khaama Press, the earthquake destroyed several entire villages because the epicenter was close to the surface and many homes were built with stone and mud.

For now, rescue teams continue working to locate survivors among the rubble, although they say operations are being hampered by landslides that have blocked key roads.

Deputy information minister and Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid wrote on his social media account X that “local officials and residents are involved in the rescue efforts, and all available resources will be used to save lives.”

Vatican City, Sep 1, 2025 / 09:47 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Monday welcomed members of the Opera San Francesco per i Poveri (“St. Francis’ Work for the Poor”) to the Vatican, thanking the society for its witness of charity according to the Franciscan tradition.

“When you see a poor person,” the Holy Father said, recalling the words of St. Francis of Assisi, “you are placed before the mirror of the Lord and his poor Mother.”

“Likewise, in the sick, know how to see the infirmities with which Jesus took on himself,” he added.

Each year, the Opera San Francesco per i Poveri provides a wide variety of services to more than 30,000 people. Their charitable works include managing cafeterias and health clinics as well as providing job counseling and psychological support for those in need.

Thanking the society for nearly 70 years of service, Pope Leo highlighted the spirit of fraternity and faithfulness that continues to guide its members since its foundation.

“Your institution has been committed to ‘ensuring assistance and hospitality to people in need and ... promoting the comprehensive human development of the person in accordance with Christian tradition, especially Franciscan tradition, the doctrine of the Church, and its magisterium," Leo said, quoting the society’s statutes.

Several men and women, wearing white shirts with the society’s logo and the phrase “a helping hand to man every day,” had the opportunity to individually greet the Holy Father in the Vatican’s Clementine Hall following his short address.

Describing the Milan-based society’s founder Venerable Fra Cecilio Maria Cortinovis as a “humble doorman” with a generous heart, Pope Leo said the Lord answered his prayers by placing other generous people alongside him in order to better serve the poor.

“Thus began the beautiful adventure of which all of you are witnesses and protagonists today,” he said.

To celebrate the “story of charity” born from the faith of Cortinovis, Pope Leo told the Franciscan society to be faithful to the three “fundamental aspects of charity” outlined in their statues: to assist, to welcome, and to promote.

“Assisting means being present for the needs of others,” he said. “And in this regard, the quantity and variety of services you’ve managed to organize and offer to those who turn to you over the years is impressive.”

“This is accompanied by welcoming, that is, making room for others in our hearts and lives, offering time, listening, support, and prayer,” he added.

Emphasizing the teaching of Pope John Paul II on the dignity and creativity of each person, Pope Leo advised his listeners to help others to discover God and their own vocation in life.

“And so we come to the third point: promoting,” he said. “Here, the selflessness of giving and respect for the dignity of people come into play, so that we care for those we encounter simply for their good, so that they can grow to their full potential and proceed on their own path, without expecting anything in return and without imposing conditions.”

The Holy Father imparted his blessing at the end of the private Monday audience and assured them of his prayerful accompaniment.

“Thank you for what you do and for the witness you give by your journey together!”

CNA Staff, Sep 1, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

A recent study found that the rate of mental-health-related hospitalizations doubled for women who had abortions compared with women who gave birth. 

The study, published this summer in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, compared abortions with other pregnancies in hospitals in Quebec, Canada, between 2006 and 2022, tracking data on women for up to 17 years.

The study, which compared more than 1.2 million women who gave birth in Quebec hospitals with more than 28,000 women who had abortions, found that “rates of mental-health-related hospitalization were higher following induced abortions than other pregnancies.” 

Abortion was associated with a number of mental-health-related difficulties including hospitalization for psychiatric disorders, substance use disorders, and suicide attempts, the study found.

This association was especially high for women who were younger than 25 years at the time of their abortions, as well as for patients who already had an existing mental illness.

The risk of mental health hospitalization was highest within five years of the abortion. The risk decreased gradually after the five-year point, but only after 17 years did the risk begin “to resemble” pregnancies carried to term, according to the study.

Tessa Cox, senior research associate at the think tank Charlotte Lozier Institute, said the study was “particularly powerful.” 

“This recent study out of Canada, which has more comprehensive health care data than the U.S., adds to a mounting body of research suggesting that abortion can harm women’s mental health,” Cox said.

“The abortion industry downplays the evidence, so the fact that this new study included more than a million women and took prior mental health and other related factors into account makes it particularly powerful,” she told CNA.

“Women deserve to have all the facts — and women and men who have been harmed by abortion need to know that forgiveness and healing are possible,” Cox said.

Another scholar called the study “robust,” noting that it followed the data over an extended period of time and had constants that enabled the information to be more accurate.

Michael New, senior associate scholar at the Charlotte Lozier Institute and assistant professor of practice at The Catholic University of America, noted that the study “provides strong statistical evidence that abortion increases the risk of a range of mental health problems.”

New said the study had many strengths, including its large sample size, the way it tracked women over an extended period of time, and how the authors analyzed data from an extended period of time.

This method was rare, according to the study, which noted that “large population-based studies with long-term follow-up are rare yet necessary to understand the mental health needs of women post abortion.”

New called this study’s results “robust,” noting that this study stands firm against criticism that similar studies have faced.

The study is one of several that have investigated correlation between mental health challenges and abortion.

“While other research has found that women who obtain abortions are likely to suffer from mental health disorders, critics of these studies have argued that women with mental health problems are more likely to obtain abortions in the first place,” New said.

“Most importantly it holds constant whether or not the women in the study had been hospitalized with mental health problems in the past,” he said of the Canadian study.

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Pope Leo XIV celebrates Holy Mass at the Church of St Augustine in Rome, for the opening of the General Chapter of the Augustinian Order, urging his brothers and sisters to pray for the gift of listening, being humble and promoting unity.

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Rome Newsroom, Sep 1, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

As Pope Leo XIV prepares to proclaim Blessed Carlo Acutis a saint in Rome on Sept. 7, thousands of miles away at the foot of Michiru Mountain in Malawi, students at a Catholic high school bearing his name are preparing a celebration of their own.

“Our students look up to him as a model in their faith,” Grace Matumba, a leader in campus ministry at Carlo Acutis Catholic High School in Blantyre, Malawi, told CNA. “He was a young man who gave his life for Christ.”

The high school, which opened in 2022 with just 90 students, has since grown to accommodate 300, with boarding facilities for girls and a dedicated computer lab. It forms part of a Catholic education complex that includes a nursery, primary, and college — each under the patronage of modern Catholic figures such as Mother Teresa, John Paul II, and now Acutis, who will soon be the Church’s first millennial saint.

From African cities to American suburbs and from Australia to Wales, schools named after the Italian teenager known for his Eucharistic devotion and computer savvy are multiplying rapidly. More than a dozen schools already bear his name, many of which will soon be undergoing a name change from “Blessed” to “St. Carlo Acutis.”

Virtual schools embrace digital saint 

In the Diocese of Madison, Wisconsin, Blessed Carlo Acutis Academy is a virtual Catholic school that serves students in grades 5–12 across 11 largely rural counties, where Catholic high schools are scarce. 

Assistant Superintendent Therese Milbrath said the online structure has been a blessing for diverse families. “We have home-school families who reach out and say … ‘Math has gotten to the point where I can’t teach it to my child anymore,’” she said. Others include students with autism who find it easier to focus outside a classroom, military families on the move, and even an ambitious young hockey player looking for more ice time.

“It’s interesting because we’re just seeing a lot of different needs pop up,” Milbrath said. “The bulk of our students are in the Diocese of Madison, but we do take students from outside of the diocese.” 

While virtual, the school named for the Church’s first computer-coding saint remains distinctly Catholic: Live sessions begin with prayer, religion is required every semester for full-time students, and Catholicism is infused throughout the curriculum. 

The Archdiocese of Miami has gone a step further with the Carlo Acutis Virtual Academy, or CAVA, the country’s first archdiocese-sanctioned online Catholic school that is Cognia-accredited, meaning it meets rigorous, internationally-recognized standards of education. Offering K–12 education, CAVA was inspired by the life and legacy of Acutis and his use of technology in “recognizing its potential to spread the message of faith to the digital generation.” 

“We bring students closer to one another and closer to Jesus,” the virtual academy states in its mission. 

Australia looks to Assisi

On the other side of the globe, Carlo Acutis Catholic Primary School in Melbourne, Australia, opened in 2025 — just months before Acutis’ canonization. Founding Principal Damian Howard traveled 10,000 miles to Italy to meet Acutis’ mother in Assisi while planning the school.

“That took me on a journey of a lot of discovery in terms of finding out about Carlo, coming up with the colors of the school … navy and red, which were his favorite colors, and also just happens to be the colors of the town flag of Assisi,” Howard said.

The school’s design echoes the brickwork of the Assisi church where Acutis is buried, St. Mary Major. Howard said the school’s values — faith, service, generosity, and courage — were chosen to mirror the life of the young Italian who once stood up to bullies and cared for the homeless.

“We’re indelibly entwined with Assisi and with Carlo’s story, our little school all the way out here in Australia,” Howard said.

The new school already has 110 students, with an 80-person waiting list, and plans to expand to 550 students in coming years. Acutis’ family even gave the school a first-class relic of their son for the school chapel.

School openings coincide with canonization 

In the United States, the Chesterton Academy of Blessed Carlo Acutis in Grand Junction, Colorado, is scheduled to open this fall as part of the Chesterton Schools Network. Inspired by Acutis’ joy-filled embrace of faith and technology, local Catholic families said they had long dreamed of a high school but only found the way forward after the pandemic.

In Alberta, Canada, Blessed Carlo Acutis Catholic High School in Camrose opens its doors Sept. 2. The Elk Island Catholic Schools district says the name will soon change to “St. Carlo Acutis” once the canonization is official.

Acutis has also become a unifying figure as Catholic schools consolidate under his patronage. Bishop Louis Tylka of Peoria, Illinois, announced that three Catholic schools will merge this fall as the Academy of Carlo Acutis, following a process that allowed students themselves to propose and vote on potential names.

In Santiago, Chile, four schools serving 4,500 students are uniting under the new Carlo Acutis Educational Network, while in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, a Catholic school created from the merger of several campuses has already made a pilgrimage from the United Kingdom to Rome in the hope of attending his canonization in April before it was rescheduled due to the death of Pope Francis.  

Elsewhere, Catholic schools in Argentina, Mexico, Italy, and even a joint Catholic-Anglican academy in England have adopted his name. In Cheshire, England, the Blessed Carlo Acutis Catholic and Church of England Academy became the first joint-faith school to take on his patronage. In the Philippines, St. Peter the Apostle School has recently launched the Blessed Carlo Acutis Artificial Intelligence Immersive Learning Center.

Coming soon 

Looking ahead, Edmonton Catholic Schools in Edmonton, Canada, is building a $51 million Carlo Acutis Catholic High School for 1,300 students, due to open in fall 2026.

Catholics in Houston’s Bay Area are fundraising $50 million for a new Catholic high school projected to welcome its first freshman class in 2027 with a mission to be “unapologetically Catholic” and “academically excellent.”

“Our auxiliary bishop, Bishop Italo Del’Oro, introduced us to Blessed Carlo after he read our mission statement where we emphasize being a school ‘centered on the Eucharist,’” Maria Jose Valladares, the vice president of the Houston school’s board of directors, told CNA.

As the canonization approaches, schools across the globe are preparing for a simple but significant update — changing their names. Uniforms, letterheads, and signage will all soon bear witness to the Church’s first computer-coding saint.

“There’s a lot of changes that will have to be made, but how exciting that we can call it St. Carlo Acutis Catholic Primary School,” Howard said.

At Carlo Acutis Catholic High School in Malawi, celebrations of Acutis’ canonization will kick off with a special Mass and culminate in the performance of a school play about the life of their patron saint. “Carlo Acutis is an inspiration to many people, especially the youth,” Matumba said.

“We are extremely excited for the upcoming canonization,” Valladares in Houston said. “We consider ourselves privileged to have a patron that our students will be able to directly relate to and emulate — from his love for his friends to his temperance with video games to his devotion to the Blessed Sacrament.”