Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Church

CNA Staff, Apr 28, 2025 / 15:26 pm (CNA).

The second season of the hit online EWTN series “James the Less” will be released on Tuesday, April 29. 

The first season introduced viewers to James Little, a student fresh out of college desperate for a job. James is an atheist. However, a help wanted sign on the church bulletin board catches his eye and entices him to interview for the position: handyman. He accepts the position at St. James the Less Church and starts to encounter Catholicism. Soon, James finds his ideals challenged by the no-nonsense pastor Father Lambert Burns and through his romantic pursuit of parishioner Anne-Marie.

Director of Studio Operations for EWTN Stephen Beaumont told CNA that the idea for the series came from his desire to “create a series of short videos about a character growing in virtue.”

“The idea for the title came from a Mass I attended at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, probably in 2019.  I was in Rome on business and decided to attend a daily Mass at St. Peter’s. At St. Peter’s, there are always pilgrimage groups having Masses at the many side altars, and I ended up participating in a Mass with a group from a parish in England called St. James the Less,” he explained. “That name interested me, because you usually hear ‘St. James the Lesser’ or ‘St. James the Younger.’ Also, it reminded me of a saints book I got for my first Communion, which listed the apostle as St. James the Less. I thought it would work well as the title.”

Season 2 will consist of five episodes and viewers “will learn more about Anne-Marie and why she gets upset every time she sees the medallion. There will also be some new characters introduced, and most of all, you will see development of the relationship between James and Anne-Marie,” Beaumont shared. 

James is played by Catholic artist and missionary Tanner Kalina. He has been a part of ministries such as FOCUS, Ascension Presents, NET, and others. He also hosts a podcast with several of his friends called “Saints Alive.”

While playing James, it has inspired Kalina “to look at the faith with fresh eyes,” he told CNA in an interview.  

“He’s reminded me of how attractive our faith is and how we need to do a better job of owning it,” he said. “There’s so many people out there in James’ shoes who are aching for what we have as Catholics.”

“It’s been a great joy and a testament to the goodness and creativity of God. He’s so good,” Kalina added. “After I left Hollywood a number of years ago for ministry, I didn’t know if I’d ever have the chance to act again. When this fell in my lap, it felt like God was saying, ‘I see you. I know you. I love you. Enjoy!’”

Kalina shared that in Season 2 viewers will also see “what happens after James opens his heart ever so slightly to our Eucharistic Lord.”

When asked what he hopes people are taking away from the series, Kalina said: “I honestly just hope people are enjoying it. It’s just good ol’ wholesome fun, which is hard to find nowadays without an agenda attached.”

“Primarily it is a romantic comedy, and a fish-out-of-water story, so most of all, we hope that people will find it entertaining,” Beaumont added. “There are some teaching moments along the way, but these moments flow naturally from the characters and the situations.”

The series will not be broadcast on television. Watch exclusively on EWTN’s YouTube channel:

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Vatican City, Apr 28, 2025 / 11:09 am (CNA).

At the upcoming papal conclave, set to begin May 7, the College of Cardinals will include several notably young members who have traveled to Rome from across the world, from Mongolia to Australia. 

Among the 135 cardinals who are eligible to vote in a conclave, 15 of them are under the age of 60. 

Historically, the age of cardinals participating in papal conclaves has varied. One of the youngest was Cardinal Alfonso Gesualdo di Conza, who attended the 1565–1566 conclave at the age of 25.

In more recent times, during the 2013 conclave, Cardinal Baselios Cleemis Thottunkal, major archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, was the youngest cardinal elector at 53. In the upcoming conclave, there are six cardinals the same age or younger. 

The five youngest cardinals lead sees in Australia, Mongolia, Portugal, and Canada as well as a dicastery of the Roman Curia. Two of them are Eastern-rite Catholics. Three were made cardinals in the last consistory before the conclave. 

Here are the five youngest cardinals who will help select the next pope:  

Cardinal Mykola Bychok, 45 

Born on Feb. 13, 1980, in Ternopil, Ukraine, Bychok felt the call to the priesthood at the age of 15. He joined the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (the Redemptorists) in 1997, inspired by their missionary zeal. His service has been extensive, including roles as a missionary in Russia, parish priest, and provincial bursar in Ukraine as well as vicar of the Ukrainian Catholic Parish of St. John the Baptist in Newark, New Jersey.

In January 2020, Pope Francis appointed him as the eparchial bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Sts. Peter and Paul in Melbourne, Australia. His episcopal consecration took place on June 7, 2020. Bychok has worked to foster community among the Ukrainian diaspora in Australia and to increase youth engagement within the Church.

On Dec. 7, 2024, Pope Francis elevated him to the College of Cardinals, making him the current world’s youngest cardinal.

Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, 50 

Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, born on June 7, 1974, in Cuneo, Italy, has been a Consolata missionary in Mongolia since 2003. He was ordained a priest in 2001 and appointed apostolic prefect of Ulaanbaatar in 2020.

Pope Francis created him a cardinal on Aug. 27, 2022, making him the youngest member of the College of Cardinals at the time at age 48. He welcomed Pope Francis to Mongolia in 2023 as the first pope to ever visit the country. Marengo is fluent in Mongolian, Italian, and English. 

Cardinal Américo Manuel Aguiar Alves, 51 

Cardinal Américo Manuel Aguiar Alves, born on Dec. 12, 1973, is the bishop of Setúbal, Portugal. Before entering the priesthood, Aguiar had a brief political career, serving as a town councilor under the Socialist Party. He was ordained a priest at the age of 27 in 2001 and went on to serve in roles such as vicar general and communication director for the Diocese of Porto. He became the auxiliary bishop of Lisbon in 2019 and gained recognition for his leadership in organizing the 2023 World Youth Day in Lisbon, which drew over 1.5 million attendees.

Pope Francis made him a cardinal in late 2023. 

Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, 51 

Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, born on Aug. 11, 1973, in Kerala, India, is a Vatican diplomat and Syro-Malabar archbishop. His diplomatic career included assignments in various countries, including Algeria, South Korea, Iran, Costa Rica, and Venezuela. In July 2020, Koovakad returned to Rome to work as an official in the Secretariat of State. He was responsible for organizing Pope Francis’ international travels from 2021 to 2024.

The pope elevated Koovakad to cardinal on Dec. 7, 2024, and appointed him as prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue in January. 

Cardinal Francis Leo, 53 

Cardinal Francis “Frank” Leo, born on June 30, 1971, in Montreal to Italian immigrant parents, is the current archbishop of Toronto. He was ordained as a priest for the Archdiocese of Montreal in 1996. Leo holds a doctorate in systematic theology with a specialization in Mariology from the University of Dayton. He served as the general secretary of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops from 2015 to 2021 and was appointed archbishop of Toronto in 2023, an archdiocese with a population of about 2 million Catholics.

Pope Francis made Leo a cardinal in December 2024. 

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