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Archbishop Samir Nassar, left, and Archbishop Bernard Hebda bestow blessings after the June 29 evening Mass of the solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul.  JOE RUFF  |  THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Archbishop Hebda, Archbishop Nassar celebrate solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul

Archbishop Samir Nassar closed his June 24-30 visit from Damascus, Syria, to the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis by celebrating the solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul with Archbishop Bernard Hebda June 29 at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul.
Nation + World
Maria Burud, left, of Madison, Wis., is pictured in a file photo holding a pro-life sign next to demonstrators for legal abortion outside the Supreme Court building in Washington. On July 2, 2025, Wisconsin's Supreme Court struck down the state's 176-year-old abortion ban in a 4-3 ruling. (OSV News photo/CNS file, Peter Lockley)

Wisconsin Supreme Court strikes down 176-year-old abortion ban

Wisconsin's Catholic bishops said that state's top court issued a "tragic ruling" by striking down a ban on abortion Wisconsin had in place since 1849.
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Maria Burud, left, of Madison, Wis., is pictured in a file photo holding a pro-life sign next to demonstrators for legal abortion outside the Supreme Court building in Washington. On July 2, 2025, Wisconsin's Supreme Court struck down the state's 176-year-old abortion ban in a 4-3 ruling. (OSV News photo/CNS file, Peter Lockley)

Wisconsin Supreme Court strikes down 176-year-old abortion ban

Wisconsin's Catholic bishops said that state's top court issued a "tragic ruling" by striking down a ban on abortion Wisconsin had in place since 1849.
Lacy Apfelbeck

Founder of healing ministry leads prayer group at Extreme Faith Camp

Lacy Apfelbeck, founder of Edge of the Red Sea Ministries — a Christian nonprofit based in St. Francis that helps families and individuals find physical, emotional and spiritual healing — believed it was a God moment when Extreme Faith Camp in Trego, Wisconsin, needed volunteers.
Jacqueline Lucca

Aspiring Ham Lake writer believes the writing process gives glory to God

Growing up, Jacqueline Lucca told stories to her younger siblings and friends. She was constantly sharing stories with others. Now, she has written two books that might be close to being published. She is a parishioner at St. Paul in Ham Lake.
Archbishop Samir Nassar, left, and Archbishop Bernard Hebda bestow blessings after the June 29 evening Mass of the solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul.  JOE RUFF  |  THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Archbishop Hebda, Archbishop Nassar celebrate solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul

Archbishop Samir Nassar closed his June 24-30 visit from Damascus, Syria, to the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis by celebrating the solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul with Archbishop Bernard Hebda June 29 at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul.
Archbishop Samir Nassar addresses about 50 Basilica of St. Mary parishioners and supporters of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ eight-year partnership with the Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Damascus. The leader of the archeparchy spoke at the Basilica in Minneapolis June 26 as part of a weeklong visit to the archdiocese. COURTESY JANICE ANDERSEN  |  BASILICA OF ST. MARY

Damascus archbishop: As Syrian Church continues to diminish, there are signs of hope

The persecution of Christians in Syria, such as the suicide bombing that killed 25 at a Damascus Orthodox church in June, is not common, said Archbishop Samir Nassar of the Maronite Archeparchy of Damascus at a June 26 talk at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis.
Damson Idris and Brad Pitt star in a scene from the movie "F1 the Movie." The OSV News classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

F1 the Movie — PG-13 (A-ll)

'Tis the season for popcorn pictures and the slick but shallow sports drama "F1 the Movie" (Warner Bros.) fits the bill. While acceptable for grown-ups, however, this fictional glimpse into the world of Formula One is not apt fare for impressionable youngsters.
Claire Souilliart of Calais, France, stands in a garden June 14, 2025, near Stacy, Minn., after recounting her claims of two miraculous visits from Sister Annella Zervas, a Minnesota Benedictine whose cause for canonization may open soon, leading her to be cured of a blood disorder.

French woman hopes sharing mystical encounter with Minnesota Benedictine helps sainthood cause

In the early night of Oct. 25, 2024, Claire Souilliart, a devout 32-year-old living in Calais, France, experienced an intense pain in her chest.
Marcin Przeciszewski, longtime president of Poland's Catholic Information Agency, KAI, is seen Oct. 2, 2024, in Warsaw, Poland. The lay Catholic spoke with OSV News after confirming his resignation in a June 26, 2025, statement, accusing Poland's bishops of "effectively liquidating" his agency with a plan to fold KAI into a centralized "Bishops' Conference Media Group," removing "any possibility for journalistic autonomy."

Longtime head of Polish Catholic news agency resigns, as bishops seek tighter control

The veteran head of one of Europe's largest Catholic news agencies has resigned in protest over proposed church media reforms, accusing his country's bishops of acting illegally and reviving "solutions known from totalitarian times."
Pope Leo XIV greets Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Kyiv-Halych, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, in the library of the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican May 15, 2025.

Pope to Ukrainian Greek Catholics: ‘God will have the last word,’ ‘life will conquer death’

Amid Russia's war on Ukraine, the faith of Ukrainians is being "sorely tested," but God "will have the last word, and life will conquer death," said Pope Leo XIV.
A U.S. Border Patrol vehicle patrols along the border wall, following the establishment of a 260-mile military zone along the southern U.S. border in New Mexico and Texas as part of the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration, in Sunland Park, New Mexico

ANALYSIS: ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ portends ‘unprecedented’ impact on immigrant families, workers

It was one of the most contentious issues of the 2024 U.S. presidential election, and now it's an estimated $170 billion component of the Senate version of the Trump administration's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act": immigration enforcement and deportation.
Kennedy Hurrle, a kindergartner at Transfiguration Catholic School in Oakdale, receives ashes from her principal, Sue Berthiaume, during Ash Wednesday Mass for students and parishioners at Transfiguration church in this Feb. 14, 2024, photo. Taken by Dave Hrbacek of The Catholic Spirit, the photo won first place for spot news photography at the annual Catholic Media Conference June 24-27 in Phoenix.

Archdiocese’s Office of Communications wins 23 awards at Catholic Media Conference

First place for news writing on a regional event by a non-weekly newspaper and first place for best podcast series were among 23 awards and honorable mentions received by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Office of Communications June 27 at the annual Catholic Media Conference (CMC) in Phoenix.
Faith
Priest, small, in front of an illuminated cross

The priest as humble servant

A priest is a humble servant, not a high and mighty ruler. Jesus explained this when his Apostles were striving for positions of power: “You know that those recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant” (Mk 10:42,43). Jesus operated out of this mindset as he went on to say, “The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve” (Mk 10:45; see also Mt 20:25-28). Priests use their office as a platform to guide and teach, not control or dominate. Their service is given freely for the benefit of others, not for personal advantage (see Lk 14:12,14).

Five loaves and two fish

Vestments worn by priests

Commentary
Bishop Robert E. Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minn., speaks during the July 20, 2024, revival night of the National Eucharistic Congress at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

‘We are in this together’: Recent Supreme Court rulings support parents in their vocation

Three recent decisions by the Supreme Court of the United States reflect the need to protect children when it comes to issues of human sexuality, now more than ever.

The apostolate of the laity

Even now, the ship will hold

Why I am Catholic
Practicing Catholic

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