CNA—In a strongly worded open letter, Catholic cardinals and bishops from around the world are calling on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to “repudiate” and “apologize” for the “intentionally hateful mockery” of the Last Supper during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. In addition, “the undersigned commit to a day of prayer and…
CNA—Bob Newhart, a cultural giant who is credited with pioneering modern stand-up comedy and spoke openly of his lifelong Catholic faith, died this week. He was 94. The native Illinoisan passed away at his Los Angeles home on Thursday, his publicist said. The actor had suffered from several brief illnesses prior to his death. Growing…
CNA/newsRel—The new film “Jesus Thirsts: The Miracle of the Eucharist” scored big at the box office, grossing $2,141,273 and landing at the No. 1 spot in per screen average for all three days of its initial release. According to Fathom Events, the film’s distributor, the movie is Fathom’s highest-grossing documentary of 2024 and is currently…
CNA—A new film depicting the incredible true story of Irena Gut Opdyke, a Polish Catholic nurse who risked her own life to hide Jews persecuted by Nazi Germany during World War II, debuts in theaters across the country April 15-16. The young Catholic nurse at the heart of the story: Irena Gut “Irena’s Vow” is…
Update on Jimmy Lai. The Catholic University of America (CUA) in Washington, D.C., has installed a drawing of the Crucifixion by imprisoned Hong Kong Catholic and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai. Father Robert Sirico, a supporter and friend of Lai’s, said during the installation ceremony on Thursday that the sketch is a testimony “not just of…
“Friends, the Capuchin friars welcomed a broken man into their home, their routine, and their lives,” says Bishop Barron. “In showing Christ’s tender love and mercy to Shia LaBeouf, they saw a man reinvigorated and ultimately welcomed into the fullness of the Church.” “It’s a beautiful story, modeled time and again throughout the ages by…
CNA—Mexican actor, producer, and founder of the Viva México Movement, Eduardo Verástegui ,registered Sept. 7, 2023, as an independent candidate for the presidency of Mexico in the 2024 elections. According to electoral regulations, after expressing his intention to run for president to the National Electoral Institute (INE), Verástegui must gather, in no more than 120…
CNA—Mexican-born actor and filmmaker Eduardo Verástegui said he considers the success of his film “Sound of Freedom,” which opened in U.S. theaters on July 4, a miracle. “Sound of Freedom” is a film from Angel Studios that narrates the first mission of American federal agent Tim Ballard, played by Catholic actor Jim Caviezel, who also…
Well worth watching, here is a short, meaty, inspiring and down-to-earth interview with Jim Caviezel, who stars in the new box office hit movie, Sound of Freedom. He talks about the true story upon which the movie is based, the horrific amount of child trafficking going on in the U.S. today—shocking—and behind the scenes of…
“Sound of Freedom,” an anti-human-trafficking film starring Jim Caviezel and made by Catholic filmmakers Eduardo Verastegui and Alejandro Monteverde, had a massively successful opening day in which it reached number one at the box office, beating out Disney’s fifth “Indiana Jones” installment, and raking in $14.24 million. “Sound of Freedom” had an overall production budget…
Mark Your Calendars for the worldwide premiere of THE HONG KONGER: JIMMY LAI’S EXTRAORDINARY STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM, to be shown on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, at 8:00 pm ET . Sign up here to get notified of the worldwide premiere next Tuesday: https://www.acton.org/jimmylai Here is where to watch the premiere next Tuesday at 8pm ET: …
Can A Dream of a Statue that Recognizes the Dignity of the Human Person Through “Mother and Child” Come True in Today’s America? Some years ago my wife Pat and I were at a Legatus Summit in Florida and on display there were pictures of the beautiful sculptures by internationally known sculptor Timothy Schmalz. We…
CNA—In the late summer and fall of 2016, central Italy was devastated by several powerful earthquakes. Numerous historic churches and buildings were destroyed in the quakes — including one of the oldest monastic complexes in Italy, the Abbey of Sant’Eutizio, whose bell tower and church roof collapsed. One of the Benedictine abbey’s artworks, a crucifix…
Chuck Gaidica has been in the TV business for more than 40 years, telling the stories of Detroiters as a well-known figure in the community. But on a blustery fall evening at Holy Trinity Parish in Port Huron, Michigan, about 60 miles northeast of Detroit, the award-winning newsman reported on a story on which he…
Rome-CNA—Natalia Tsarkova, official portrait artist to the popes for more than 20 years, likes to work from real life. “I am so meticulous about details. I have to see and touch and feel everything,” she said. But for her latest painting, a portrait of Benedict XVI in his life as pope emeritus, some objects could…
CNA—Catholic artist Timothy P. Schmalz calls Padre Pio his favorite saint. And so, when he learned that four of his sculptures would honor the Italian mystic on his feast day—Sept. 23—he was overjoyed. “I thought a couple years ago about that moment in my life where Padre Pio gave me that peace and comfort and…
Enjoy THE TEXAS TENORS : God Bless the U.S.A. More about The Texas Tenors, from Wikipedia (including their footnote references): The Texas Tenors are a three-time Emmy Award-winning classical crossover, trio vocal group formed in 2009 by country singer JC Fisher, pop singer Marcus Collins and opera singer John Hagen. They were a…
Precious Lord, take my hand Lead me on, let me stand. I am tired, I am weak, I am worn Through the storm, through the night Lead me on to the light Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home. When my way grows drear Precious Lord linger near When my life is almost…
The fresh, new, engaging movie FATIMA continues to expand to many more movie theaters across the nation. Find a theater near you here. Home viewing is still possible for a limited time, click here to learn more. In this powerful and uplifting drama based on historical events, a 10-year-old shepherd and her two younger cousins…
