The Vatican has stepped in to save an 850-year-old French abbey from being sold. Founded in 1169, Notre-Dame-du-Pré Abbey in Valmont, Normandy, was home to Benedictine monks and, more recently, nuns. But in 2022, the last sisters departed due to age and declining health, leaving the historic monastery's future uncertain. A dispute emerged within the Church. A Vatican-appointed apostolic commissioner, tasked with overseeing the dissolution of the religious community, supported selling the abbey to an outside organization. Bishop Jean-Luc Brunin of Le Havre opposed the sale, insisting that the property should retain its religious purpose. In July 2026, Rome sided with the bishop, clearing the way for the abbey to remain in ecclesiastical use, according to Tribune Chrétienne. An endowment fund is now envisaged to manage the vast estate, comprising 15 hectares of land and 8,000 square metres of buildings. Four religious communities have already expressed interest in settling there. A decision …थप
The consecrated life was once taught to be a very holy vocation. But since Vatican II this has changed. No small wonder the monasteries and convents are empty.
𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟐𝐭𝐡, 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐮𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲 Homily in the Hispanic Day, . The sermon is given by Father Alberto Ezcurra (RIP). The audio is in Spanish, but you can activate English subtitles by pressing "Translate." A summary in English is also available.
In France, Leo XIV told different audiences what they want to hear: reassuring conservatives while also offering a positive interpretation of the French Revolution's ideals. Polish priest and philosopher Andrzej Kobyliński observed talking to Jan Pospieszalski on October 6 about Leo XIV's France trip: “The various statements during this pilgrimage were addressed to different groups in France. In a sense, everyone got what they wanted. There were statements affirming the value of tradition, but there were also very positive words about the interpretation of the slogan ‘Liberty, Equality, Fraternity.’" And: "There was not a single critical remark - which also surprised me greatly - about the heart of the dispute. That is, concerning the Enlightenment project and the legacy of the French Revolution. That was completely missing."
Pope Leo XIV Arrives At Gemelli Hospital In Rome Ahead Of Surgery To Remove Lung Nodule LIVE UPDATES: Pope Leo arrives at Gemelli … Prayers pour in: Cardinal Baldassare Reina will lead a rosary for the pope at Gemelli on Tuesday evening, as bishops from the U.S. to Australia, the Philippines and Ecuador join his Augustinian order and his former diocese in Peru in prayer. More From Forbes: forbes.com/home_europe/
Terrifying!! A Massive Echinus geyser eruption at Yellowstone has scientists worried. Yellowstone is changing — but not in the way many headlines suggest. In 2026, Echinus Geyser returned to a pattern of recurring activity after years of relative quiet. Its September 15 eruption was part of a broader period of renewed hydrothermal activity across Yellowstone. At the same time, scientists were documenting something far more concerning: repeated hydrothermal disturbances and explosions at Biscuit Basin. On September 27, 2026, a small collapse pool formed after the June 13 Biscuit Basin hydrothermal explosion produced another significant explosion. Just after 8:12 PM MDT, boiling water, steam, mud, and rocks were thrown at least 100 feet, or approximately 30 meters, into the air. The event was captured by nearby seismic, acoustic, and camera monitoring equipment. So what does this mean for Yellowstone? Could another hydrothermal explosion happen? And does Echinus Geyser's renewed activity …थप
The irony: Glasgow's archdiocesan newspaper entitled Flourish - meaning “to thrive” or “to blossom” - announces plans to halve the archdiocese's roughly 80 parishes and close 24 churches. Under the front-page headline “We Must Face Up to Reality”, the October issue of Flourishdetails the largest parish restructuring in Glasgow's history. Many mergers and closures are expected within five years, others within a decade. The proposals were approved by Archbishop William Nolan and his council of priests. Since Nolan took office in 2022, the number of active priests has fallen by a third. Most are over 60, while only ONE priest is under 45. Archdiocesan communications director Ronnie Convery warned that, on current projections, Glasgow could have just eight active priests in twenty years. #newsHbkzquamnc
FIFA’s Trump Tower Deal: 7 Years, $4 Million, One Mostly Unused Office nytimes.com/…10/13/world/europe/fifa-trump-tower-… The deal is another sign of how Gianni Infantino, the leader of soccer’s global governing body, has sought closer ties to President Trump. By Tariq Panja Tariq Panja has covered FIFA for almost two decades. Oct. 13, 2026, 12:00 a.m. ET Leer en español About a year before the World Cup, FIFA held a splashy opening for its latest office, a 17th-floor suite in Trump Tower. President Trump’s son Eric Trump said his family’s organization was “honored” to host the global soccer body. FIFA signed a more than seven-year lease, worth about $4 million, according to two officials directly involved in the deal and documents reviewed by The New York Times. The suite mostly sits empty. The terms of the deal, which have not been previously reported, raised concern among some senior FIFA officials about renting space in a Trump-linked building, in a high-tax state, without a clear …थप
Leo XIV’s Amoris Laetitia meeting: “Families that fall short of the ideal of marriage can manifest Christian virtues”. Today, Véronique Lonchamp addressed the Vatican meeting marking ten years of Amoris Laetitia. She is responsible for family ministry at the French Bishops’ Conference. She said that attitudes such as fidelity [!] and mercy can be manifested in any family seeking to live the Gospel, even when “its situation does not fully correspond to the Christian ideal of marriage.” Lonchamp also listed “pastoral” initiatives that have emerged in France over the past decade under the influence of Amoris Laetitia. Her list included: “The contribution of couples to the development of diocesan guidelines for accompanying separated or divorced persons or those who have entered a new union.” Lonchamp did not specify which dioceses were involved or what the guidelines contain. #newsSdnabbqteu
Mary Jane Miller has given words for us to cry out and reflect, in unison or alone, with gratitude, repentance, compassion, and guidance for Mother Earth's preservation. The ancient traditions for prayer and contemplation have been passed from generation to generation and are still of grave importance today. Prayers for the Earth are recitations of love and reflection, they can be said alone or in a group. They are powerful, they nurture the soul, fuel the heart, and uplift the spirit. We often focus on human needs: the sick, isolated, aged, imprisoned, and those in peril. Adding our devotion and respect for God's plan revealed on Earth may be prudent.
Wednesday, 24th September 1913 Detective Black Not Blamed For Fighting, The Atlanta Georgian The Atlanta Georgian, Wednesday, 24th September 1913, PAGE 5, COLUMN 2. Chief Beavers received a letter Tuesday morning from George Bodeker, of Birmingham, defending Detective John Black in the latter's recent trouble at Birmingham. Bodeker asserts that Black was not to blame for the fight he had with his prisoner, and declares that the people and police department of Birmingham and do not censure the detective. PAGE 6, COLUMN 1 DENTON DENIES LURING GIRLS FROM HOME Rearrested as Kidnaper After Re- lease on Habeas Corpus From Charge of "Suspicion." John L. Denton, the Atlanta contractor who was arrested Tuesday on charges preferred by the parents of two girls he was said to have taken to Birmingham with him won his fight for liberty in habeas corpus proceedings before Judge Bell at noon Wednesday. But following his release he immediately was placed under arrest on a warrant charging him with …थप
The appeal against the decree of excommunication of the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X (FSSPX) is ongoing – no further details disclosed. On October 13, the FSSPX published a communiqué stating that the appeal against the July excommunication has been pursued, in accordance with the procedures established by the canon law of 1983. “Through these actions, the bishops of the Society intend to exercise the right recognized by the Church, requesting an examination of the legal and doctrinal objections they have raised against the documents of July 2.” Pending a response from the “competent authorities” regarding these proceedings, the FSSPX will maintain the discretion required by the nature of these procedures. #newsEabeiftheh
What moved me was not only the egg tempera craft, the egg yolk and ground earth somehow turned into the divine, though that alone is its own quiet miracle. It was your nerve. In the third section you do the thing almost no one in this tradition dares. You paint women back into the icons that left them out, into Pentecost, into the Last Supper, into the rooms where they surely stood and were simply never shown.
Le pape Léon XIV opéré d’un nodule au poumon Le pape Léon XIV, âgé de 71 ans, doit subir ce mardi 13 octobre 2026 une intervention chirurgicale à l’hôpital Gemelli de Rome pour retirer un nodule pulmonaire. Détectée lors d’examens de routine à un stade très précoce, cette lésion est décrite par le souverain pontife comme étant bien localisée. Son hospitalisation devrait durer environ une semaine. Ses rendez-vous officiels ont été annulés jusqu’au 20 octobre. MAXPPP
Cardinal Joseph Zen has welcomed Bishop Athanasius Schneider’s reflections on a “hostile takeover” within the Catholic Church. “Thank you, Bishop Schneider, for sharing such an interesting anecdote and your reflections,” Cardinal Zen wrote on X on October 11. Zen was referring to Schneider’s recollection of a conversation between the two prelates, during which Zen revealed that his favourite Gregorian chant was the Introit for Sexagesima Sunday: “Exsúrge, quare obdórmis, Dómine?” - “Arise, why sleepest Thou, O Lord?” Bishop Schneider recalled how Zen had explained that the melody places particular emphasis on Exsúrge — “Arise!” — conveying an urgent appeal for divine intervention. Schneider also recounted an incident in Rome in which Cardinal Zen had attempted to persuade another cardinal on an important matter concerning the Church. When the other cardinal remained stubborn and unimpressed, Zen began singing the same Gregorian chant directly to him: “Wake up, why are you sleeping? Wake up!” …थप
13.10.2026 THERE IS A BIG SHIFY IN THEOLOGY IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON An injustice was done to Michael Voris and the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary at the St. Benedict Center in New Hampshire. 13.10.2026 THERE IS A BIG SHIFY IN THEOLOGY IN …
Columbus absolutely did "discover America" if you understand the provenance of the word. We probably should say "the Americas" to clarify this statement nowadays, as we use "America" to refer to the United States. Education is not her strong point.
Brett Pike @ClassicLearner Colorado reported that 10,000 students have been pulled out of public school to homeschool. This is happening all over the country, and the crazy thing, in my anecdotal experience as the homeschool guy, so many of the parents are public school teachers. Makes you think.
The Sun King’s Tragic Refusal October 16, Memorial of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque Dear brothers and sisters, we find ourselves in the 17th century—the *Grand Siècle* (the "Great Century")—when France reached the pinnacle of its political, military, and cultural influence in Europe. This golden age conventionally spans from 1610 to 1715, covering the reigns of Louis XIII and, above all, his son Louis XIV, the Sun King. Yet, all that glitters is not gold. Indeed, behind the splendor of the flourishing fields of literature, theater, philosophy, science, and the visual arts; behind the magnificence of the Palace of Versailles—where the King, nobles, and high clergy lived in a gilded bubble (representing 2% of the population); and behind the wealthy, educated upper bourgeoisie—bankers, merchants, and lawyers (representing 13% of the population)—lay the tragic reality of artisans and, above all, the vast mass of peasants and rural laborers. Their standard of living was extremely precarious,…थप
Homily in the Hispanic Day, . The sermon is given by Father Alberto Ezcurra (RIP). The audio is in Spanish, but you can activate English subtitles by pressing "Translate." A summary in English is also available.