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Pope Leo XIV made a private visit on July 20 to the Abbey of Montecassino, where St. Benedict of Nursia is buried.As announced by the Holy See Press Office, the pontiff made the trip while on vacation at Castel Gandolfo, where he will remain from July 5-27. At Montecassino, he prayed at the tomb of...

Image: Saint Camillus de Lellis in facade of church Santa Maria Maddalena | photo by Livioandronico2013 Saint of the Day for July 18 (1550 – July 14, 1614) Saint Camillus de Lellis’ Story Humanly speaking, Camillus was not a likely candidate for sainthood. His mother died when he was a child, his fa...

Image: Stained glass window at Saint Mary MacKillop shrine, Penola South Australia | photo by Pru.mitchell Saint of the Day for July 19 (January 15, 1842 – August 8, 1909) Saint Mary MacKillop’s Story If Saint Mary MacKillop were alive today, she would be a household name. It’s not that she sought t...

Image: Statue of Saint Apollinaris in Santa Maria del Suffragio, Ravenna | José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro Saint of the Day for July 20 (d. c. 79) Saint Apollinaris’ Story According to tradition, Saint Peter sent Saint Apollinaris to Ravenna, Italy, as its first bishop. His preaching of the Good News wa...

Image: Saint Francis Solanus statue at Howard University School of Divinity | photo by Jim McIntosh Saint of the Day for July 17 (March 10, 1549 – July 14, 1610) Saint Francis Solano’s Story Francis came from a leading family in Andalusia, Spain. Perhaps it was his popularity as a student that enabl...

A new report highlights the growing mental health challenges that seminarians face and the need for better psychological care in seminaries. The report, from the University of Notre Dame’s McGrath Institute for Church Life, also calls for bishops to focus on the quality of seminarians, rather than t...

Pillar paid subscribers can listen to Ed read this Pillar Post here: The Pillar TL;DRHappy Friday friends,I am supposed to be going on vacation this evening, through at least next week. I say supposed to be because the plans are a bit up in the air right now.My version of a break consists of repairi...

Vatican peace envoy Cardinal Matteo Zuppi returned to Ukraine this week for a four-day humanitarian mission.Cardinal Matteo Zuppi lays flowers at the Wall of Remembrance of the Fallen for Ukraine in Kyiv on July 15, 2026. Credit: Screenshot from @12porte YouTube channel.Zuppi, the president of the I...

In 2026, the Church in the United States saw 9% fewer priestly ordinations than it had 10 years earlier.According to the best numbers available, 342 men were ordained diocesan priests for U.S. dioceses this year. While that number represents a slight uptick from years prior, it also signifies a decl...