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Stained glass reflection on stone floor

Women and men in religious communities mark milestone anniversaries

The Catholic Spirit is honored to highlight members of men’s and women’s religious communities who are celebrating milestone jubilees of 10, 25, 50, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, and 80+ years this year, and who are serving or who have served in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
Nation + World
Search teams continue searching for flood victims in front of the main building at Camp Mystic in Kerr County, Texas, July 7, 2025, in the aftermath of deadly flooding. Flash floods in Texas killed more than 100 people over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, including girls attending a summer camp, and left others still missing.

Walking, suffering with Texas flood victims crucial, says San Antonio archbishop

Deadly July 4 flash floods in western Texas have so far claimed at least 107 lives, including those of 27 children at a Christian summer camp.
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German Advent Calendar

Therese Geuer Mueller helped bring liturgy — and Advent wreaths — into people’s lives

Motherhood was the primary vocation for Therese Geuer Mueller. The holder of a doctorate in economics and sociology, Mueller preferred to be addressed as Mrs. Franz Mueller. She resisted outside employment and restricted her writing to the evenings after her five children were in bed, at least while they were young. This experience with motherhood and as a wife became the chief gift she shared as she became active in helping Americans bring the liturgy into their homes in the 1940s and 1950s.
Search teams continue searching for flood victims in front of the main building at Camp Mystic in Kerr County, Texas, July 7, 2025, in the aftermath of deadly flooding. Flash floods in Texas killed more than 100 people over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, including girls attending a summer camp, and left others still missing.

Walking, suffering with Texas flood victims crucial, says San Antonio archbishop

Deadly July 4 flash floods in western Texas have so far claimed at least 107 lives, including those of 27 children at a Christian summer camp.
Pope Leo XIV addresses the Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod during a meeting at the Vatican June 26, 2025.

Synod office provides guidelines to help local churches, bishops implement synodality

Local churches and bishops worldwide will be instrumental in helping implement the proposals and foster the spirit of the 2024 final document of the Synod of Bishops on synodality, the Vatican synod office said.
Pope Leo XIV invites the faithful to pray for the gift of discernment in the July edition of The Pope Video, produced by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network together with the Diocese of Brooklyn.

Pope’s prayer intention for July: That the faithful might again learn how to discern

Pope Leo XIV's prayer intention for July is for expanded formation in discernment.
Pope Leo XIV waves after arriving in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, July 6, 2025. The pope will stay in Castel Gandolfo for his customary retreat through July 20.

Pope opens up about papal vacation, first encyclical, appointments and tennis

Pope Leo XIV began his summer break July 6 at Castel Gandolfo, where he’ll stay through July 20. But don’t expect the Holy Father to simply relax.
A worker looks on June 23, 2025, as a statue of St. Paul, the first of the 16 now-renovated statues that adorn the roof of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, is lifted by a crane, marking the last phase of reconstruction of the cathedral's roof, damaged by the April 2019 fire.

Notre Dame prepares to reopen towers’ tour with return of famed statues of saints to rooftop

Symbolic lifting of the statues surrounding the spire of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris marked the beginning of one of the last phases of the roof reconstruction before the towers of the Parisian icon will reopen to the public on Sept. 20.
Tom Llamas, "NBC Nightly News" anchor and managing editor, is pictured on the news program's set in an undated photo. A Miami native and a Cuban American, Llamas was named successor to Lester Holt as the anchor of "NBC Nightly News" on March 5, 2025. Holt's final broadcast was May 30 and Llamas officially took over on June 2. A Catholic, Llamas is the first Latino anchor of an American nightly news broadcast.

NBC’s Tom Llamas says Catholic education deepened his faith, pushed him to always do his best

When Miami native Tom Llamas was named "NBC Nightly News" anchor following the retirement of Lester Holt, one of the first phone calls he placed was to the rector/president of his high school alma mater.
Stained glass reflection on stone floor

Women and men in religious communities mark milestone anniversaries

The Catholic Spirit is honored to highlight members of men’s and women’s religious communities who are celebrating milestone jubilees of 10, 25, 50, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, and 80+ years this year, and who are serving or who have served in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
Brother Ralph Cordero

Celebrating 25 years: Jesuit Brother Cordero finds his true calling

In 1990, when Jesuit Brother Ralph Cordero graduated from Ohio State University, College of Optometry, he felt that his dream to be a doctor had come true. Upon returning to his hometown of Lorain, Ohio, Cordero opened his own optometric practice.
Sister Mary Anne Schaenz

Sister Mary Anne Schaenzer Celebrating six decades of sharing the love of Christ

For Sister Mary Anne Schaenzer, the past 60 years have been a wonderful gift. She was 20 years old when, on July 17, 1965, she took her first vows with the School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND), followed by her final vows in the summer of 1970.
Greg Aitchison

Losing weight, leaning on God: Richfield dad creates dream job

Greg Aitchison, 43, has been working as a health coach for two years now, offering a faith-based approach to sharpening the body, mind and soul. He has successfully grown his business, developing a brand with the tagline “Happy, Healthy and Holy” (happyhealthyandholy.org) and managing a dozen regular clients. He and his wife, Kate, belong to Our Lady of Grace in Edina and have four children ages 6 to 15.
Faith
Priest, small, in front of an illuminated cross

The priest as humble servant

A priest is a humble servant, not a high and mighty ruler. Jesus explained this when his Apostles were striving for positions of power: “You know that those recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant” (Mk 10:42,43). Jesus operated out of this mindset as he went on to say, “The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve” (Mk 10:45; see also Mt 20:25-28). Priests use their office as a platform to guide and teach, not control or dominate. Their service is given freely for the benefit of others, not for personal advantage (see Lk 14:12,14).

Five loaves and two fish

Vestments worn by priests

Commentary
German Advent Calendar

Therese Geuer Mueller helped bring liturgy — and Advent wreaths — into people’s lives

Motherhood was the primary vocation for Therese Geuer Mueller. The holder of a doctorate in economics and sociology, Mueller preferred to be addressed as Mrs. Franz Mueller. She resisted outside employment and restricted her writing to the evenings after her five children were in bed, at least while they were young. This experience with motherhood and as a wife became the chief gift she shared as she became active in helping Americans bring the liturgy into their homes in the 1940s and 1950s.

The apostolate of the laity

Even now, the ship will hold

Why I am Catholic
Practicing Catholic

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