OSV Newscast

Thanks for listening! Let us know what you think. God bless!

Gina Christian of OSV News catches you up on the Catholic stories of the day for February 12, 2025. In this episode: The Vatican announces a number of bishop retirements and new appointments in the U.S. A number of religious groups have filed suit in federal court against new Trump administration policies lifting restrictions on immigration arrests in houses of worship and other sensitive locations. A new report from Mission Eurasia calls for Russia to be designated a state sponsor of terrorism, based on Russia's relentless--and deadly--persecution of Christians in occupied areas of Ukraine. Experts call for a "back to basics" approach to foster more priestly and religious vocations. St. Teresa of Kolkata's Sept. 5 feast day is now part of the General Roman Calendar. Pope Francis calls on Catholics to do their all to implore God for peace, saying that "war is always a defeat." Tune in and visit us online at osvnews.com.

Thanks for listening! Let us know what you think. God bless!

Gina Christian of OSV News catches you up on the Catholic stories of the day for February 11, 2025. In this episode: Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, NJ orders a new investigation into Seton Hall University's reports on disgraced former cardinal Theodore McCarrick. Exiled Nicaraguan Bishop Rolando Álvarez of Matagalpa speaks of hope and liberation in a television interview after his long detention under the Ortega regime, which has cracked down on the Catholic Church in Nicaragua. The Archdiocese of Detroit welcomes a new shepherd, Bishop Edward Weisenburger of Tucson, Arizona, who will succeed retiring Archbishop Allen Vigneron. Legatus, an international network of Catholic business leaders, held its annual summit last week to explore how members can be true ambassadors of Christ in the marketplace. Some 10,000 gathered at Lourdes to mark the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes and the World Day of the Sick. Tune in and visit us online at osvnews.com.

Thanks for listening! Let us know what you think. God bless!

Gina Christian of OSV News catches you up on the Catholic stories of the day for February 10, 2025. In this episode: Caritas Internationalis calls the Trump administration's cuts to USAID "reckless," saying they will endanger millions worldwide. The next National Eucharistic Congress will take place in 2029, with regional events from 2026-2028. Beloved Chicago Bears' owner and devout Catholic Virginia McCaskey dies at age 102. An annual pilgrimage in Bangladesh venerating St. Anthony of Padua draws 40,000 Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims. Actor Giavani Cairo told OSV News that playing the Apostle St. Jude Thaddeus on the hit show "The Chosen" has made him a better person, while deepening his faith. Tune in and visit us online at osvnews.com.

Thanks for listening! Let us know what you think. God bless!

Gina Christian of OSV News catches you up on the Catholic stories of the day for February 7, 2025. In this episode: In-person Sunday Mass attendance is back to pre-pandemic levels -- but it's still just at 24%, according to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University. The former head of Catholic Relief Services says Trump administration moves to end USAID, which funds CRS humanitarian projects helping millions worldwide, "could actually be deadly." Pope Francis calls for a global effort to end human trafficking, ahead of tomorrow's International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking. As National Marriage Week begins, Bishop Robert Barron says marriage is "a source of hope" and an "antidote for loneliness." Sister Clare Crockett, an Irish nun who died in the 2016 Ecuador earthquake, is now officially on the first steps towards canonization. Tune in and visit us online at osvnews.com.

Thanks for listening! Let us know what you think. God bless!

Gina Christian of OSV News catches you up on the Catholic stories of the day for February 6, 2025. In this episode: President Donald Trump announced plans to investigate "anti-Christian bias" in the federal government, and to launch a presidential commission on religious liberty. He also moved to ban athletes identifying as transgender from sports programs funded by Title IX. A student at a  Catholic high school in England was stabbed by a fellow teen, with the Catholic community lamenting his death and coming together in prayer. Black Catholics in Altadena, California are drawing on their faith to rebuild after the LA wildfires, and one pastor notes that renewal is important not only for them but for the wider community. Tune in and visit us online at osvnews.com.

Thanks for listening! Let us know what you think. God bless!

Gina Christian of OSV News catches you up on the Catholic stories of the day for February 5, 2025. In this episode: Pope Francis expresses his sorrow over Sweden's worst mass shooting. Vice President JD Vance defends US foreign aid cuts while speaking at the International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington, D.C. Outstanding Catholic education leaders are recognized by the National Catholic Educational Association. Congo's Catholic bishops are urging peace on all sides amid a devastating conflict in the city of Goma. Pope Francis encourages faithful to look to Mary, who went in haste to her pregnant cousin Elizabeth, as a model of love that goes forth to the world. Tune in and visit us online at osvnews.com.

Thanks for listening! Let us know what you think. God bless!

Gina Christian of OSV News catches you up on the Catholic stories of the day for February 4, 2025. In this episode: Pope Francis suppresses the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, a controversial lay movement that was the subject of a Vatican abuse investigation. Experts look at child safety net prospects under the new Trump administration. A ski resort in California now has a large statue of Mary watching over the slopes. A bishop in Ukraine shares with OSV News how gestures of solidarity and support give hope to war-weary Ukrainians as Russia's full-scale invasion hits the three-year mark. Amid the Jubilee Year, hope is the theme of the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. Tune in and visit us online at osvnews.com.

Thanks for listening! Let us know what you think. God bless!

Gina Christian of OSV News catches you up on the Catholic stories of the day for February 3, 2025. In this episode: Pope Francis assembles experts at the Vatican for a children's rights summit. Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez of Philadelphia calls for prayers after a medical jet crashes in that city, killing 7 -- including a pediatric patient on board -- and injuring at least 22. An exorcist priest and podcast co-host is accused of misdemeanor battery against a child, charges his attorney calls unfounded. A regional director for the Catholic Near East Welfare Association says humanitarian conditions are deteriorating in Gaza despite the Israel-Hamas ceasefire. Parishes are gearing up for World Marriage Day on February 9. Tune in and visit us online at osvnews.com.

Thanks for listening! Let us know what you think. God bless!

Gina Christian of OSV News catches you up on the Catholic stories of the day for January 31, 2025. In this episode: The U.S. Catholic bishops have designated Our Lady of Martyrs in Auriesville, New York -- the birthplace of St. Kateri Tekakwitha --as a national shrine. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. faces grilling from lawmakers on the issues of abortion and vaccines during confirmation hearings for his nomination to the Trump administration. Parishes in Colombia are aiding victims of clashes between the government and guerrillas. A retired Peruvian cardinal denies abuse allegations and says he wasn't able to properly defend himself from Vatican restrictions. Pope Francis tells members of the Roman Rota that in discerning the validity of marriages and their possible annulments, tribunal members are part of the church's work of the saving souls. Tune in and visit us online at osvnews.com.

Thanks for listening! Let us know what you think. God bless!

Gina Christian of OSV News catches you up on the Catholic stories of the day for January 30, 2025. In this episode: Catholic bishops, Pope Francis and other faith leaders call for prayers after a deadly aviation collision in the nation's capital. The Xavier Society for the Blind, which provides resources for visually impaired Catholics, celebrates 125 years of service. France's Catholic prime minister looks to advance palliative care by separating the issue from assisted dying. Experts share how to walk with those wounded by the Catholic Church. Pope Francis urges seminarians from Valencia, Spain to embrace the suffering of those impacted by deadly floods in October 2024. Tune in and visit us online at osvnews.com.