Announcement made at Mass celebrated by New York bishop Blessed Sheen baptized

Bishop John O. Barres of Rockville Centre (center), chairman of the board of directors of The Pontifical Mission Societies, U.S.A., celebrates Mass at St. Mary’s Church in El Paso, Ill., Sept. 26, 2026, with Bishop Louis Tylka of Peoria. Blessed Fulton J. Sheen was baptized at St. Mary’s on May 12, 1895, and Bishop Barres was baptized by Blessed Sheen decades later in New York. (OSV News photo/Gretchen R. Crowe)

EL PASO, Ill. (OSV News) — St. Mary Catholic Church in El Paso, Illinois, will become part of the first parish in the world named for Blessed Fulton J. Sheen, Bishop Louis Tylka of Peoria announced Sept. 26 following a Mass of Thanksgiving at the parish where Blessed Sheen was baptized.

According to Bishop Tylka, St. Mary’s Church in El Paso is slated for merger with St. John Parish in nearby Benson. The newly created parish will be named Blessed Fulton J. Sheen on Dec. 9, the first observance of Blessed Sheen’s feast day.

The Sept. 26 Mass in Blessed Sheen’s hometown had another special significance. Offered two days after Archbishop Sheen became “blessed,” it was celebrated by an American bishop baptized by Blessed Sheen.

Bishop John O. Barres of Rockville Centre, New York, chairman of the board of trustees of The Pontifical Mission Societies, U.S.A., celebrated the Mass at what was Bishop Sheen’s hometown parish for about the first five years of his life.

‘Here … Fulton Sheen became a new creation’

Bishop Barres celebrated Mass in the “new” church, consecrated in 1899, but Sheen was baptized in the “old” St. Mary’s Church, on the site of the current parish hall adjacent to the new sanctuary, four years earlier on May 12, 1895.

“One-hundred-thirty-one years later, and immediately after his beatification, it is good that we are here,” Bishop Barres said during his homily. “For here, at St. Mary’s, in the sacrament of baptism, Fulton Sheen became a new creation. Here, original sin was washed away and new life in Christ was bestowed. Here is where the Holy Trinity entered his soul, where the adventure of holiness — the lifelong joy of following the Lord Jesus — was placed before him and where the call to mission — to be an ambassador of Christ — was conferred.”

The Mass was one of several Masses of thanksgiving offered in the days following the beatification of Blessed Sheen Sept. 24 in St. Louis. The majority of the Masses took place at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Peoria, where Blessed Sheen is entombed. But this special Mass, celebrated by this particular bishop, was a more intimate, personal affair. With approximately 50 people present, and a large portrait of Archbishop Sheen hanging in the sanctuary, Bishop Barres recounted how Blessed Sheen’s parents were married at St. Mary’s parish, saying, “undoubtedly the atmosphere of (their) home was Christian.”

Beatification celebration continues

Joining Bishop Barres was Bishop Tylka, who said it was a “great joy” to be at the parish where Blessed Sheen was baptized with Bishop Barres on this day.

“We continue this great celebration,” Bishop Tylka said. “It’s now beatification day, plus two. We have many more to go to continue to celebrate this wonderful, heroic witness.”

In his homily, Bishop Barres said that these days continue the celebration of one “who lived well the upward call of Christ during his 84 years on earth.”

“We rejoice that one who responded to grace, who was docile to the Holy Spirit, who entrusted his gifts and talents to the Lord, who served wholeheartedly as a priest and bishop, who persevered through adversity and faithfully carried the cross, and who boldly lived the missionary mandate is now counted among the Blessed,” Bishop Barres said.

“We praise God that Blessed Fulton Sheen kept the light of Christ burning brightly,” he continued. “So, as we celebrate and contemplate the arc of his life, it is indeed right to return to where grace began, to come back here to St. Mary’s and to offer this Mass of thanksgiving with the successor of apostles of the Diocese of Peoria.”

A baptism and commission

The event was an emotional one for Bishop Barres. Thanking his parents for “enlarging my heart and showing me the vastness of the mission field” while delivering his homily, Bishop Barres paused for several seconds to collect himself before recounting the impact his parents had had on his life and ministry.

He also reflected on the event of his own infant baptism, imagining Blessed Sheen’s “riveting voice saying, ‘I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,’ as he poured water over my head in the presence of my parents, godparents, four older sisters and family friends.”

Blessed Sheen baptized Bishop Barres in 1960 at St. Augustine Church in Larchmont, New York, while Bishop Barres’ father, Oliver Barres, worked under Archbishop Sheen as a writer for the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. From 1950 to 1966, Archbishop Sheen served as the national director for the organization, which supported the Church’s worldwide mission work and evangelization and is now part of The Pontifical Mission Societies.

“Providentially, in a certain sense, he was not only baptizing me but sending me out as a future successor of the apostles and diocesan bishop on Catholic worldwide mission,” Bishop Barres said in his homily.

“As we know, the logic of the sacrament of baptism for every member of the faithful is the call to holiness and mission,” he added.” For a Catholic bishop who was baptized by Blessed Archbishop Sheen, that call carries a particular and humbling responsibility: to be a Spirit-driven instrument of Catholic evangelization.”

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Sathvaro matrimonial site for the Gujarati Christian community Launches an APP Today!

August 31, 2026 admin Leave a comment

Sathvaro matrimonial site for the Gujarati Christian community Launches an APP Today!

By Grace of God, since 2022, Sathvaro has been helping connect the Gujarati Christian community for meaningful relationships, marriage, and a Christ-centered family life.

More than 50 couples have found their life partner through Sathvaro!

Now, the Sathvaro App makes it even easier to take the next step toward finding a wedding partner and building a lifelong marriage.

Please download, share, and keep Sathvaro in your prayers!

ગુજરાતી ક્રિશ્ચિયન મેટ્રિમોનિયલ એપ હવે Android અને iPhone બંને પર ઉપલબ્ધ છે!

ઈશ્વરની કૃપાથી, 2022થી સથવારો ગુજરાતી ખ્રિસ્તી સમાજને અર્થપૂર્ણ સંબંધો, લગ્ન અને ખ્રિસ્ત-કેન્દ્રિત પારિવારિક જીવન માટે યોગ્ય જીવનસાથી સાથે જોડવામાં મદદ કરી રહ્યો છે.

50થી વધુ યુગલોએ સથવારો દ્વારા પોતાના જીવનસાથી શોધ્યા છે!

હવે Sathvaro App સાથે લગ્ન માટે યોગ્ય જીવનસાથી શોધવાની અને જીવનભરનું દાંપત્ય જીવન શરૂ કરવાની દિશામાં આગળ વધવું વધુ સરળ બન્યું છે.

Android માટે: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.sathvaro.app

iPhone માટે: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sathvaro/id6800072779

Sathvaro — જીવનસાથીની શોધથી જીવનભરના સંબંધ સુધી.

કૃપા કરીને App Download કરો, Share કરો અને Sathvaro ની સેવાને તમારી પ્રાર્થનાઓમાં યાદ રાખો!

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Neville D’Souza: The Catholic Football Hero Whose Bandra Ground Now Faces the Whistle of Demolition – Catholic Connect

August 19, 2026 admin Leave a comment

Neville D’Souza: The Catholic Football Hero Whose Bandra Ground Now Faces the Whistle of Demolition – Catholic Connect

Mumbai, August 19, 2026: For generations of Indian football lovers, the name Neville D’Souza has belonged to one of the country’s most remarkable sporting stories. Now, the football ground in Bandra Reclamation that bears his name faces an uncertain future, with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) proposing to change the site’s reservation for a convention and exhibition centre.

The controversy has brought in protest from the public. But behind the dispute is the story of a remarkable sportsman whose achievements helped place Indian football on the international stage.

From Hockey to Football

Neville Stephen Joseph D’Souza was born on 3 August 1932 and died on 16 March 1980, aged 47.

His sporting journey began with field hockey. He represented St Xavier’s High School and St Xavier’s College in Bombay before playing for Tata Sports Club. During a 1952 tour of East Africa, he scored an extraordinary 34 goals in 17 matches. He also represented Bombay in the National Hockey Championship.

Football eventually became his calling. D’Souza played for Goans Sports Club and Tata Sports Club before joining Caltex SC. With Caltex, he was part of the team that won the 1958 Rovers Cup, defeating Mohammedan Sporting 3–2 in the final.

The Olympic Hero of Melbourne

D’Souza’s defining achievement came at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, when India reached the semi-finals and finished fourth — still the country’s best Olympic result in men’s football.

In the quarter-final against Australia, D’Souza scored a sensational hat-trick. He became the first Asian footballer to score a hat-trick at the Olympic Games, finishing the tournament with four goals in three matches and as joint top scorer.

India eventually lost to Yugoslavia in the semi-final, but D’Souza had already secured his place in Indian sporting history. His international career also included appearances in the Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament, including a goal against Pakistan in 1953.

A Goan Catholic Sporting Legacy

D’Souza was born in Assagao, Goa, to Jose and Alina D’Souza. His journey from Goa to Bombay reflected the close sporting links between the two places and the important role played by the Catholic community in nurturing sport.

His education at St Xavier’s High School and St Xavier’s College placed him within a Catholic educational tradition that valued discipline, character and sporting excellence. These institutions helped shape generations of young athletes, and D’Souza’s career became one of their most remarkable sporting stories.

His Catholic identity was also rooted in family life. He married Lyra D’Souza, and they had three children — Nigel, Liesel and Fleurel. His brother Derek D’Souza also represented India in football.

After Neville’s death, Lyra remained an important keeper of his memory, recalling the footballer whose achievements had once made him a household name among Indian sporting followers.

His story is therefore not only about medals and goals. It is also the story of a husband, father and brother whose family and community were part of the life behind the sporting legend.

A Ground in His Name

The Neville D’Souza Football Ground at Bandra Reclamation became a fitting tribute to his contribution to Indian football.

The ground has hosted Mumbai Football Association competitions involving men’s, women’s and youth teams, giving thousands of aspiring footballers a place to train and compete.

For many young players, Neville D’Souza is no longer simply a name from India’s sporting past. His name is attached to the place where they play.

That makes the ground a living memorial.

When a Tribute Becomes a Battleground

In June 2026, the BMC Improvements Committee approved a proposal to alter the reservation of the approximately 8,450-square-metre site, changing its designated use from a sports ground and playground to an exhibition or convention centre.

Footballers, coaches, parents and residents have strongly opposed the proposal, pointing to Mumbai’s shortage of football grounds. The Mumbai Football Association has warned that losing the facility would deprive thousands of players of an important venue.

The Bombay High Court has also moved up the hearing of a petition challenging the proposal, while civic officials have argued that the land was originally intended for a public convention facility.

More Than a Patch of Grass

The debate is ultimately about more than land. It is about what Mumbai chooses to remember.

Neville D’Souza’s journey — from a Goan Catholic family and Bombay’s sporting institutions to the Olympic stage — represents an important chapter in India’s sporting history.

A convention centre may serve a civic purpose. But a football ground gives children somewhere to play, young athletes somewhere to dream and communities somewhere to gather.

The ground may be threatened by demolition. Neville D’Souza’s legacy should not be.

The goalposts may one day disappear and the floodlights may fall silent. But the story of the footballer who scored an Olympic hat-trick for India should remain.

The ground may be erased from the map, but Neville D’Souza should never be erased from the memory of Indian sport.

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Poland inaugurates Europe’s tallest statue of the Virgin Mary – EWTN NEWS

August 18, 2026 admin Leave a comment

Poland inaugurates Europe’s tallest statue of the Virgin Mary – EWTN NEWS

The statue of the Virgin Mary erected in the Polish town of Konotopie stands 55.6 meters (182 feet) tall. Made of concrete and steel beams, it is the tallest Marian sculpture in Europe. | Credit: Wojtek RADWANSKI/AFP via Getty Images

Rising to a height of over 180 feet from ground level, the statue of Our Lady of Mercy exceeds in height the Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil and the Christ the King statue in Poland.

On Saturday, Aug. 15, the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Catholic Church in Poland dedicated the largest statue of the Virgin Mary in Europe during a Mass celebrated by Bishop Krzysztof Wętkowski of Włocławek.

The monument stands 55.6 meters (182 feet) tall from ground level to its highest point. It was built in the town of Konotopie and funded by married couple Grażyna and Roman Karkosik, for whom it represents a “personal vow of thanksgiving for the recovery of their health and lives,” according to Euronews.

Its height exceeds that of the famous Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, which measures 38 meters (125 feet) from its base; it is also taller than the Christ the King of the Universe statue in Świebodzin, Poland, which stands 52.5 meters (172 feet) tall when measured from the mound upon which it rises.

According to Vatican News, the statue depicts Our Lady of Mercy and is located near a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, which serves as a pilgrimage site. The bishop of Włocławek highlighted this during the blessing ceremony, noting that the site where the new monument stands “is no ordinary place; it is a place sanctified by the prayers of pilgrims.”

Construction followed the design of sculptor Adam Jakub Matejkowski. The pedestal is surrounded by eight pillars in the form of a crown. Additionally, pilgrims can go up to a terrace at a height of 15.3 meters (50 feet), from where the image of Mary itself rises.

In his homily, the prelate emphasized the importance of lifting oneʼs gaze toward heaven, especially in these times when many people “keep their eyes fixed solely on the earth and focus exclusively on themselves.”

Regarding the name of the new sculpture, Wętkowski noted that St. Faustina Kowalska, to whom Christ revealed his divine mercy, was born in Świnice Warckie, also within the Diocese of Włocławek, where she was baptized and received her first Communion.

“Here in Konotopie, Mary, in the image we see, welcomes us all; she leans toward us and opens her arms to invite us to lift our gaze upward, toward God and heaven,” Wętkowski noted.

The ceremony began with the recitation of the rosary and concluded with a shower of red rose petals dropped from two helicopters hovering over the monument.

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Israel and Jordan Prepare to Receive Millions of Pilgrims for 2000th Anniversary of Jesus’ Baptism – Biblegateway

August 11, 2026 admin Leave a comment

Israel and Jordan Prepare to Receive Millions of Pilgrims for 2000th Anniversary of Jesus’ Baptism – Biblegateway

Biblegateway – Julie R. Neidlinger: Though still four years off, preparations are underway for a major milestone for Christians around the world.

Two thousand years ago, John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan River (Matthew 3:13–17), and we’ll be able to celebrate that moment together on the banks of the very river where Jesus was identified as God’s Son and started his public ministry.

This is more than a blip on a religious calendar; depending on your faith tradition, it symbolizes repentance, renewal, rebirth, and resurrection. It’s the moment we hear the Father speak, watch the Spirit descend, and witness the Son revealed.

Yet while it is clearly a spiritual event, this anniversary is also a geopolitical event.

Though the exact date of Jesus’ baptism is not known, the year 2030 is widely accepted by governments and Christian leaders as a commemorative date for planning. Both Israel and Jordan have taken the lead to be ready for the event, but in different ways.

Israel Appoints Special Envoy to Christian World

The Israeli side of the Jordan River baptism site, known as Qasr el-Yahud, has only been open to tourists since 2011, when it became part of a national park after landmines were cleared and the area developed to handle tourism.

Acknowledging that Jesus’ baptism is of “profound spiritual significance” for over two billion Christians, Israel announced in July that it is preparing for millions of Christian pilgrims from around the world to descend on the holy site.

Just three months earlier, Israel’s Foreign Ministry, hoping to build bridges with Christians around the world, created a special envoy dedicated to outreach. By appointing a Christian to lead, Israel is sending a clear response to several scandals that had dampened the country’s relationship with Christian leaders in recent months. The hope for the special envoy was not only to increase dialogue with Christian churches and leaders globally, but also to coordinate their efforts with other Israeli government agencies to make the baptism pilgrimage safe.

Jordan Improving Infrastructure Around Jesus’ Baptism Site

On the other side of the River, Jordan has been busy as well.

King Abdullah II started the process in late 2022, directing the government to fully support the baptism-site initiatives through improvements to local infrastructure, such as shops, walking trails, and hotels. Earlier this year, in a meeting with leaders from the Orthodox and Catholic churches, he reiterated his support for making pilgrimage to the site possible while assuring them that any improvements made to the site would not violate the sacred nature of the place.

Jordan seems to be leveraging the event not just to cement their status as a place for religious tourism and interfaith access, but as a kind of national identity using the UNESCO status of “Bethany Beyond the Jordan (Al-Maghtas),” the traditional location of Jesus’ baptism. They have surveyed 34 Christian or Biblical sites, and will launch a digital platform with the baptism site as the central focus of the project, all with the goal of making religious tourism easier.

Both Countries Hope to Recover From Tourism Losses

Just as Jesus’ baptism was a turning point in his earthly ministry, it may be a turning point for the two nations preparing for its anniversary.

The same place Jesus emerged from the Jordan River is the place we now find the intersection of Christian pilgrimage, diplomacy, religious access, and tourism in the midst of tumultuous times.

First, the pandemic hurt tourism, with numbers only beginning to recover when the Israel-Hamas war began. Both events have hurt tourism for both Israel and Jordan. Israel’s tourism numbers are down about 80% since the October 7 attack, while Jordan is facing a similar struggle at many of its tourist sites. The 2,000th anniversary of Jesus’ baptism looms large, not just for Christians, but for nations struggling to recoup those losses in a region that remains questionable to many travelers.

Religious leaders and government officials are working hard to keep the focus on the importance of spiritual pilgrimage instead of politics. In the meantime, they are focusing on outreach to Christians around the world, preparing them over the coming four years, while internally building the safety and infrastructure necessary to convince millions of followers of Christ to follow his footsteps to the edge of the Jordan River.