Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Church

Vatican City, Sep 13, 2025 / 11:30 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV has approved new measures to promote the hiring of people with disabilities in the Vatican, saying their condition does not prevent them from serving in Church institutions.

The updated regulations require Vatican offices to welcome and support employees with disabilities, including by providing accommodations where needed, “since the condition of disability does not preclude suitability for work,” the new provision states.

Health requirements for job candidates have also been revised. Instead of demanding perfect health, the focus will be on whether a person is fit for the specific duties of the job, with certification provided by Vatican health services.

The changes apply both to the Holy See and to Vatican City and take effect immediately. They follow another papal decision in August expanding family benefits for employees, including paternity leave and extra support for parents caring for children with disabilities

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The Feast of the Exaltation of the True Cross is September 14. It recalls when St. Helena (mother of Constantine) discovered the True Cross of Our Lord after a search throughout the Holy Land, and on September 14 in the year 320, it was venerated, with great jubilation and fitting exaltation. In honor of this Read More…

Make the Exaltation of the Cross a deeply personal feast

Vice President JD Vance (R) second lady Usha Vance (C) and Erika Kirk deplane Air Force Two while escorting the body of Charlie Kirk on Sept. 11, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. / Credit: Kirk, Eric Thayer/Getty Images CNA Newsroom, Sep 13, 2025 / 10... [...]

Kendrick Castillo, who died in a school shooting in 2019 and whose cause for canonization has been opened in the Diocese of Colorado Springs. / Credit: Photo courtesy of John and Maria Castillo Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 13, 2025 / 10:00 am... [...]

Students for Life of America President Kristan Hawkins. / Credit: “EWTN News in Depth”/Screenshot Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 13, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA). In the wake of the assassination of Charlie Kirk on Sept. 10 at a Utah college campus, K... [...]

Appointed in December 2024 by Donald Trump to represent the United States at the Vatican, Ambassador Brian Burch was received by Pope Leo XIV on September 13, 2025. This Catholic father-of-nine from Chicago, the Pontiff’s hometown, presented the Holy Father with his credentials, as is the protocol for new ambassadors. Read about Burch here:

Pope meets with US ambassador to Holy See

I have never been a fan of the well-intentioned saying, “Everything happens for a reason ….”  Every time I hear it, I cringe and quickly replace it with Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose.” This triumphant verse is Read More…

Minnesota school shooting heroes: a reminder to hope

The late Cardinal Estanislao Karlic. / Credit: Courtesy of Archdiocese of Paraná ACI Prensa Staff, Sep 13, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA). The Archdiocese of Paraná in Argentina has published the spiritual testament of Cardinal Estanislao Karlic one mon... [...]

When a holy person dies and is later canonized a saint, the Church has a custom of distributing relics so as to promote veneration of that individual. Relics are material items that are connected to a saint and are sorted into three “classes.” A first-class relic is all or part of the physical remains of Read More…

Holy beard! St. Maximilian Kolbe’s only 1st-class relic

Vatican City, Sep 13, 2025 / 07:35 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Saturday morning received Brian Burch, the new U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace for the formal presentation of his letters of credence.

Burch, 50, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Aug. 2 in a 49-44 vote. He was nominated by President Donald Trump in December 2024 and succeeds former ambassador Joe Donnelly, who served under the Biden administration.

In a statement following his confirmation, Burch said he was “profoundly grateful” to the president and Senate for the opportunity to serve, and asked for the prayers of Catholics across the United States “that I may serve honorably and faithfully in the noble adventure ahead.”

A native of Phoenix, Arizona, Burch is married and the father of nine children. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Dallas in 1997 and began his career in business before moving into Catholic nonprofit leadership. From 2005 until his confirmation this year, he was president of CatholicVote Civic Action and the CatholicVote Education Fund, organizations dedicated to promoting Catholic engagement in public life.

During his time with CatholicVote, Burch became a nationally recognized figure in Catholic political advocacy, encouraging American Catholics to participate in the democratic process and to defend religious liberty and the sanctity of life. CatholicVote’s new president, Kelsey Reinhardt, said in August that the group “joyfully celebrates” his confirmation, praising his 17 years of leadership.

On the occasion of his confirmation, Burch noted a point of personal significance for him in his new role. “In a remarkable coincidence, or what I prefer to attribute to providence, Pope Leo XIV is from Chicago, which is also my hometown,” he said.

Burch emphasized the enduring importance of the U.S.–Holy See relationship, describing it as “one of the most unique in the world,” and highlighting the Catholic Church’s “global reach and moral witness” as vital to America’s diplomatic mission to promote peace, human dignity, and prosperity.

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