National News
Justice Anthony Kennedy to retire from Supreme Court
Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy announced June 27, the last day of the Supreme Court's current term, that he is retiring July 31.
Joyful prayer, hard work, conga line produce plan for Hispanic life
Almost 180 delegates hailing from 11 archdioceses and dioceses came to Portland to share ideas that emerged from their love of God and their regional Encuentro process for Hispanic Catholic ministry.
‘Blessings’ of parish twinning, how to expand mission is conference focus
The program establishes long-term twinning relationships between Catholic parishes in the U.S. and parishes in Haiti and Latin America.
Gomez: ‘No more excuses’ for Congress’ failure to fix immigration system
Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles called on Congress to "fix our broken immigration system" in his homily during the archdiocese's annual "Mass in Recognition of All Immigrants" June 24.
High court rules against unions in dues case; USCCB had backed labor
UPDATED - By a 5-4 majority, the Supreme Court declared that one of its rulings from 1977 was "wrongly decided" and overruled it, in a case on whether public-sector unions could continue to make nonmembers pay fair-share fees.
Court upholds Trump’s travel ban, says directive within president’s scope
UPDATED - The court's much anticipated decision in the last case it heard this term reversed a series of lower court decisions that had struck down the ban as Illegal or unconstitutional.
‘Laudato Si” provides motivation, framework for schools’ green projects
The encyclical, which has acquired a reputation as the "environmental encyclical," has made Catholic universities more aware of their connections to and impact on the natural world.
Juvenile admits to setting fire that damaged historic Minnesota church
New reports said that an early morning fire March 14, 2016, damaged about 30 percent of the 118-year-old Romanesque Revival-style church. The main altar, handmade in Germany, was destroyed.
As Romero image inadvertently released, canonization details emerge
The image has a blue background with a white aura around Blessed Romero's head. The portrait shows the fourth archbishop of San Salvador with a golden halo, and the prayer card has the words "St. Oscar Arnulfo Romero, bishop and martyr" below.
Supreme Court says law on crisis pregnancy centers violates free speech
UPDATED - In a 5-4 ruling, the high court struck down a California law requiring pregnancy clinics to advise women on abortion services. Doing so compelled the centers "to speak a particular message," the court said.