St. John the Beloved

Many roads lead to St. John the Beloved Catholic Church, a parish in the Diocese of Arlington and the spiritual home for thousands of Christians in Virginia.

[Catholic News Service @CatholicNewsSvc]

Pope Leo has advanced the sainthood cause of Fr Edward Flanagan, founder of Boys Town. The Irish-born priest, who died in 1948, devoted his life to the care of disadvantaged boys. (CNS photo)

[Peter's Barque @petersbarque]

"Jesus Wept." — Hope Doesn’t Cancel Grief
📝

The shortest sentence in all of Scripture is two words.

Jesus wept.

The Church gives us the raising of Lazarus on the 5th Sunday of Lent — right before Holy Week. Before palms. Before the Passion. Before the empty tomb.

And before the command, “Come forth,” there are tears.

Jesus knew Lazarus would rise.
He knew death would not have the final word.
And that’s exactly why the tears matter.

He does not weep from ignorance.
He weeps because He has entered fully into our condition.

He sees the grief.
He sees what death does to love.
He sees the rupture sin tore into creation.
And He does not stand above it untouched.

Christianity is not the story of a God who shrugs and says, “Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”
It is the story of a God who says, “I will step into this with you.”
Hope doesn’t cancel grief.
Foreknowledge doesn’t cancel compassion.
Divinity doesn’t cancel humanity.

God does not save from a distance.

He enters the tomb.

And then He calls us out.

🎶 "Jesus Wept." — a Lent track for Scripture nerds, converts, cradle Catholics, and anyone who needs to remember that God-with-us includes tears.
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[ChurchPOP @Church_POP]

The new largest Lego set (by piece count) will be Architecture's Sagrada Família, coming in at 12,060 pieces and retailing for $600 USD.

La Sagrada Família in Barcelona, Spain, has been under construction since 1882, with its main structure scheduled to be completed in 2026. It will be the tallest church in the world.

Is this a set you want to add to your collection?

[EWTN News @EWTNews]

The Holy See has officially informed Bishop Louis Tylka of the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois, that the cause for the Venerable Servant of God Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen can proceed to beatification, according to an announcement from the diocese.

“The next step in the process is the celebration of the beatification, in which Fulton Sheen would be declared Blessed,” Tylka said. “Archbishop Fulton Sheen was one of the greatest voices of evangelization in the Church and the world in the 20th century. I have long admired his lifelong commitment to serve the Church as a priest, rooted in his deep devotion to the Blessed Mother and the Eucharist.”

“As he journeyed through the different stages of his life, his ability to share the Gospel and truly relate to people drew countless souls into an encounter with Jesus — one that transformed not only his life, but more importantly, the lives of those he touched.”

“In his later years, particularly through his work for the Missions, Archbishop Sheen helped us recognize that the Church is meant for all people. He reminded us that as members of the Church, we are called to serve everyone, especially those most in need and those longing to hear and experience the Gospel, wherever they may be in the world,” he said.

Tylka thanked the Holy See, his brother bishops, clergy, and laypeople for the collaboration and prayers that led to Sheen’s beatification, which will be “a special blessing for the Church in the United States, where he was a powerful evangelist on radio, television, and in personal appearances.”

The Diocese of Peoria is working with the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints at the Vatican to determine the details for the upcoming beatification.

Peter John Sheen was born in El Paso, Illinois, on May 8, 1895, and was called “Fulton” in honor of his mother’s maiden name. Sheen was ordained a priest of the Peoria Diocese on Sept. 20, 1919. On June 11, 1951, he was consecrated as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New York and remained in the position until 1966. He was then named the bishop of Rochester, New York, until his retirement in 1969 at the age of 74.

Tylka has previously called Sheen a “trailblazer” due to his Emmy-winning television show “Life Is Worth Living.” The show aired on television from 1952 until 1957, discussing morality and Catholicism.

Sheen “reached millions of people because of [the show],” Tylka said. “He was so far ahead of his time in that reality that we take for granted today.”

Sheen died due to heart disease on Dec. 9, 1979, the feast of St. Juan Diego.

Although Sheen is to be beatified, the process leading to the milestone has been marked by many challenges and delays.

The televangelist’s cause for canonization was first opened in 2002 under the leadership of the Diocese of Peoria, and from then on he was referred to as a servant of God. Pope Benedict XVI declared him venerable in June 2012.

On March 6, 2014, the board of medical experts who advise the then-Congregation for the Causes of Saints unanimously approved a reported miracle attributed to his intercession. Parents of a stillborn baby, James Fulton, prayed through the intercession of Sheen and their son miraculously recovered.

On June 17, 2014, the seven-member theological commission that advises the congregation unanimously agreed with the medical team’s finding.

In September 2014, Sheen’s cause was suspended due to an ownership dispute of his remains. The suspension was announced “with sadness” in a statement by then-bishop of Peoria Daniel R. Jenky, president of the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation.

Explaining how the Holy See “expected that the remains of Venerable Sheen would be moved to Peoria where official inspection would be made and first-class relics be taken,” the statement said that the Archdiocese of New York had denied Jenky’s request to move the body to Peoria.

Finally in March 2019, a New York appeals court unanimously ruled that the earthly remains of Sheen could be moved to St. Mary’s Cathedral in Peoria. The following June, his body was transferred to St. Mary’s Cathedral after three years of litigation, helping to clear the way for the archbishop’s sainthood cause to go forward.

Pope Francis approved of the miracle attributed to the intercession of Sheen on July 5, 2019. Sheen was set to be beatified on Dec. 21, 2019, but the beatification experienced a delay.

Bishop Salvatore Matano of Rochester reportedly requested the delay of Sheen’s beatification due to concerns that he could be named in the final report of an ongoing investigation into clergy sex abuse in New York.

The situation was later cleared up and it was reported the delay was not related to the 2007 allegation that Sheen witnessed and covered up an act of clerical sexual abuse. The Diocese of Peoria issued an announcement that said “it has been demonstrated definitively that [Sheen] was an exemplary model of Christian conduct and a model of leadership in the Church. At no time has his life of virtue ever been called into question.”

The diocese said the beatification would be delayed so that more time can be given to examine Sheen’s life. It further called the delay “unfortunate,” because “there continue to be many miracles reported through Sheen’s intercession.”

Despite the delays, proponents of the beatification continued to work to advance the cause. In May 2025 Tylka reiterated his intention to advocate for the beatification process with Pope Leo XIV.

https://t.co/uCLFY2OWUj

[U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops @USCCB]

Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist, pray for us!

[U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops @USCCB]

Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us!

[U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops @USCCB]

At their November General Assembly, the U.S. bishops approved the consecration of the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart in June 2026, as part of the Church’s commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the United States.

The initiative will include prayer resources, a novena leading up to the solemnity, and opportunities for dioceses and parishes to engage the faithful through adoration and works of mercy.

Through this act of consecration, the bishops seek to renew devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to recognize the kingship of Christ, perfecting the temporal order with the spirit of the Gospel.

[U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops @USCCB]

Today the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) announces the election of new leadership. Our prayers accompany the newly elected President and Vice President as they embark on a three-year term, committed to advancing the mission of the Church in the United States. #USCCB25

[Bishop Michael F. Burbidge @BishopBurbidge]

It is not always easy to forgive someone who has hurt or betrayed you. Yet, it is always possible by calling upon God’s grace and remembering how many times he has forgiven you. Be reconciled with the Lord and one another and you will know peace.

[U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops @USCCB]

Saint Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church, pray for us!

[St. John the Beloved @StJohnMcLean]

Congrats to DJO Field Hockey winning the WCAC Championship!

[U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops @USCCB]

May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

[Bishop Michael F. Burbidge @BishopBurbidge]

Pope Leo XIV has proclaimed St. John Henry Newman a Doctor of the Church and also co-patron of Catholic education, alongside St. Thomas Aquinas.

St. John Henry Newman is a wonderful example for all Christians, and especially for Catholic educators, and his life is a testament to how all may come to God and his Church by responding earnestly to our natural desire to seek after truth and happiness.

This great saint reminds each of us that all knowledge and wisdom lead us to God, who is eternally good, eternally true, and who desires our happiness now and forever.

[U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops @USCCB]

Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us!

[Bishop Michael F. Burbidge @BishopBurbidge]

May we be united in prayer for those who lost their lives in the tragic violence at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan. We pray for their eternal rest, for comfort to their families, and for healing and peace for the entire community.

[Bishop Michael F. Burbidge @BishopBurbidge]

St. Vincent de Paul reminds us not to judge the poor or anyone by external appearances. Instead, we are to see Christ in them and to imitate his kindness, compassion, and generosity, especially to those who need our help and support.

[Bishop Michael F. Burbidge @BishopBurbidge]

Padre Pio offers us sound and practical advice on how to approach any given day: “Pray, hope, and don’t worry!” He says worrying is useless if we are convinced that, at every moment, we are under God’s protection and within his loving embrace. May that reality bring you peace!

[Vatican News @VaticanNews]

It's canonization day for Blesseds Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis!

[Bishop Michael F. Burbidge @BishopBurbidge]

We cannot give ourselves peace and joy. St. Augustine reminds us that these gifts can only be found in the Lord Jesus and a relationship with him. Until then, our hearts will always be restless. It is never too late to return to the Lord and his loving embrace.

[Catholic News Agency @cnalive]

Pope Leo XIV said Sunday that Jesus calls Christians to enter through the narrow gate and challenges the presumption of those who assume they are already saved. https://t.co/SmGazOqUoY