null / Thomas Lefebvre (CC0 1.0).

CNA Newsroom, Jan 20, 2025 / 22:07 pm (CNA).

On Jan. 20 Catholic News Agency’s official X account, @cnalive, was compromised, and used to publish scam-related posts on the platform. 

The EWTN News digital media team is actively taking complete control of the account.

EWTN News is working with the X Support team. We will notify you when the problem has been resolved.  

In the meantime, all users are asked to refrain from clicking on any strange links or posts that may be made in this time. 

We apologize for the inconvenience.

This is a developing story.

Cardinal Gianfranco Ghirlanda, SJ, takes possession of his titular church in Rome, the Church of the Gesù, on Dec. 8, 2022. / Credit: Daniel Ibanez/CNA

ACI Prensa Staff, Jan 20, 2025 / 17:20 pm (CNA).

The Sodality of Christian Life confirmed on Monday that Pope Francis has decided to dissolve the society of apostolic life without going into further details about how the process will be carried out.

The Sodalitium Christianae Vitae (SCV, by its Latin acronym) issued a statement following the news published on Saturday by Infovaticana, according to which Cardinal Gianfranco Ghirlanda supposedly announced the dissolution to its members gathered for the general assembly that is taking place in Aparecida, Brazil.

The general assembly began on Jan. 6 and will end Jan. 31. Ghirlanda is attending in his capacity as consultant for the process of revising the constitutions of the Sodalitium and is its delegate for formation, a task entrusted to him by the Vatican in 2019.

In its statement on Monday, the SCV said: “On Jan. 18 of this year, the website ‘Infovaticana’ published the news that the Holy Father had dissolved our society of apostolic life. The main information about what occurred was true, but it contained several inaccuracies.”

In its text, the Sodalitium does not indicate what the inaccuracies are but clarifies that the leak to the press of this “confidential” information did not come from Ghirlanda but from two members of the sodality who violated “the confidentiality of the case” and who have been expelled from the assembly.

“The assembly recognizes as its own only the news from its official communications; therefore, the assembly disassociates itself from all other news that has come out or may come out from the press related to the assembly, to the Sodalitium, to the Holy Father, in whom we trust and whom we obey, to Monsignor Jordi Bertomeu Farnós, and to Cardinal Gianfranco Ghirlanda, SJ,” the SCV stated.

According to Infovaticana, the decree of dissolution “refers to the immorality of the founder, Luis Fernando Figari, as an indication of the nonexistence of a founding charism, and therefore, the lack of ecclesial legitimacy for the permanence of the institution.”

Figari was expelled from the SCV by Pope Francis in August 2024. The Holy See had already sanctioned him in 2017 and banned him from having contact with any member of this society after it was proven that he committed sexual abuse and the abuse of power.

According to Infovaticano, the Vatican supposedly appointed Bertomeu, a member of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, as commissioner responsible for the dissolution process. The Spanish priest was part of the special mission that the pontiff sent to Peru in July 2023 to investigate the accusations against members of the Sodalitium.

The SCV was founded in Lima, Peru, in 1971 and currently is also present in Italy, the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica and Ecuador.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

U.S. President Donald Trump delivers his inaugural address after being sworn in as the the 47th president of the United States in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. / Credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jan 20, 2025 / 16:50 pm (CNA).

President Donald Trump credited God with his survival of two assassination attempts and promised to bring the United States into a “golden age” that “increases our wealth” and “expands our territory” during his inaugural address on Jan. 20.

After referring to his inauguration day as an American “liberation day” from the past four years of President Joe Biden, Trump expressed his hope “that our recent presidential election will be remembered as the greatest and most consequential election in the history of our country.”

The newly inaugurated president invoked God several times during his speech, including his belief that God saved him from the assassination attempts on his life.

“Those who wish to stop our cause have tried to take my freedom and indeed to take my life,” Trump said.

“I felt then — and believe even more so now — that my life was saved for a reason,” the president said before invoking his campaign slogan: “I was saved by God to make America great again.”

Trump vowed that “the golden age of America begins right now” and outlined his plans for economic success, stronger border security, and American expansionism as part of his “America First” agenda. 

“From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world,” the president said. “We will be the envy of every nation and we will not allow ourselves to be taken advantage of any longer. During every single day of the Trump administration, I will very simply put America First.”

Announces ‘two gender’ policy

Trump promised to immediately sign executive orders to expand immigration enforcement, permit businesses to drill for oil on American land, and end the government’s efforts to “socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life.”

The president said that under his leadership, the government will forge a “colorblind and merit-based” society and promised that “it will … be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male and female,” which received loud applause from most attendees. 

Trump said his executive orders will establish the “complete restoration of America and the revolution of common sense.”

“We will not forget our country, we will not forget our Constitution, and we will not forget our God,” the president said.

In his speech, Trump vowed to end “the vicious, violent, and unfair weaponization of the Justice Department and our government.”

During his campaign, the president has criticized the Department of Justice (DOJ) for the criminal and civil cases against him and his supporters. He has also criticized the Richmond FBI’s proposed spying on traditionalist Catholics and the DOJ prosecutions of pro-life protesters under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.

America First agenda

Trump contended that there is a “crisis of trust” in the government due to high rates of illegal immigration, inflation-driven high costs of goods, dissatisfaction with the government response to recent hurricanes and wildfires, and ongoing foreign wars abroad.

However, he told Americans that “from this moment on, America’s decline is over.”

“Our liberties and our nation’s glorious destiny will no longer be denied and we will immediately restore the integrity, competency, and loyalty of America’s government,” Trump said.

In one of his first acts, the president said he “will declare a national emergency at our southern border,” which will ensure “all illegal entry will immediately be halted and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came.” 

Trump promised to send the military to the southern border to repel the “disastrous invasion of our country,” said he would reinstate his “Remain in Mexico” policy, end “catch and release,” and designate Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.

The president said his administration will immediately work to “rapidly bring down costs and prices” and blamed inflation on overspending by the government and energy policies. He said he will declare a national energy emergency to ensure businesses can “drill, baby, drill” and “export American energy all over the world.” He vowed to save “our auto industry” by ending environmental regulations that mandate electric vehicle production.

Trump envisioned an American foreign policy that measures success not simply based on winning battles but by the “wars that we end” and the “wars we never get into.” He said he intends to be a “peacemaker and a unifier” but also a leader who “expands our territory.”

Trump has recently expressed strong interest in making Greenland a part of the United States in addition to sending American astronauts to Mars.

“Ambition is the lifeblood of a great nation and right now our nation is more ambitious than any other,” Trump said when outlining his vision for the country.

“To every parent who dreams for their child and every child who dreams for their future: I am with you, I will fight for you, and I will win for you. We’re going to win like never before,” Trump emphasized.

Flag of Mozambique. / Credit: hyotographics/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Jan 20, 2025 / 16:20 pm (CNA).

A major U.S. HIV/AIDS relief program is facing potential blowback amid reports that the program was used to fund abortions in southeast Africa.

Idaho Republican Sen. Jim Risch said in a statement last week that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently revealed that funds for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) were spent on abortions in Mozambique.

PEPFAR was launched in 2003 during George W. Bush’s first term. The U.S. Department of State says the program is “the largest commitment by any nation to address a single disease in history.” It works to treat AIDS patients and prevent infections of HIV as well as supporting countries to achieve “HIV epidemic control.”

The program says it has saved more than 25 million lives since its inception. But it is also barred from using funds to help procure abortions. The 1973 Helms Amendment to the Foreign Assistance Act bars federal funds from being used to bankroll abortion in foreign countries. 

Reuters reported that “three U.S. officials” briefed Congress last week on reported violations of that rule in Mozambique. Specifically, “four nurses performed a total of 21 abortions since January 2021,” according to the news wire. 

Risch in his statement said the “future of the PEPFAR program is certainly in jeopardy” given the reported violations. 

“I will not support one dollar of American money going towards abortion anywhere in the world, and I will do all I can to ensure this never happens again,” Risch said. He called for the CDC to be investigated over the allegations. 

Risch was not the only congressional figure to call for an investigation. Florida Republican Rep. Brian Mast in a statement described the reported violation as “disgraceful and unacceptable.” 

“The State Department and CDC must investigate to ensure that not one penny of PEPFAR goes toward abortion,” Mast said. 

Democrats called for more oversight of the program while hailing its years of work in addressing the AIDS crisis. Reps. Rosa DeLauro and Lois Frankel said in a joint statement that the violation “appears to be an isolated incident in Mozambique” and that it should not “undermine the overwhelming success and integrity of PEPFAR’s mission.” 

“A commitment to compliance and transparency is an absolute requirement, and we have seen swift actions by program administrators to address this issue,” they said. “By strengthening oversight and reaffirming our commitment to PEPFAR, we can protect the global progress this program has achieved.”

In a statement last week, meanwhile, PEPFAR said it identified the reported violation and “took immediate corrective action with the partner” in Mozambique. 

The organization said it was “implementing new, additional preventive measures, including requiring an annual signed attestation by PEPFAR-funded clinical service providers to ensure compliance with U.S. funding restrictions.” 

The group said it would work with both the Mozambique government and “all PEPFAR partner countries” to ensure future compliance.

On its website, the U.S. Embassy in Mozambique says the country has the second-largest HIV epidemic in the world with upwards of 2.2 million Mozambicans infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. HIV is the “leading cause of mortality for Mozambicans over the age of 5,” the embassy says. 

PEPFAR has “managed to make significant progress towards the response to HIV/AIDS,” the organization says, with efforts including millions of HIV tests, the delivery of antiretroviral medication, and interventions with pregnant women to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission, among other measures.

Archbishop of New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan delivers the invocation during the inauguration ceremony before Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th U.S. president in the U.S. Capitol rotunda in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2025. / Credit: SAUL LOEB/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jan 20, 2025 / 15:50 pm (CNA).

Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York and Father Frank Mann of the Diocese of Brooklyn opened and closed the prayers of invocation and benediction, respectively, at the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

Dolan kicked off the prayers of invocation and was followed by the Rev. Franklin Graham, son of the late renowned American evangelist Billy Graham and current head of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

In his prayer Dolan, who was also tapped to offer the invocation at Trump’s 2017 inauguration, called on Americans to pray that the incoming administration be guided by and aligned with the will of God and for the new president, especially, that he be instilled with wisdom.

“We, blessed citizens of this one nation under God, humbled by our claim that in God we trust, gather indeed this inauguration day to pray for our president Donald J. Trump, his family, his advisers, his Cabinet, his aspirations, his vice president,” Dolan prayed.

As the inauguration also fell on the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday in the United States, Dolan also invoked the memory of the slain civil rights activist, stating: “Observing the birthday of the Rev. Martin Luther King, who warned: ‘Without God, our efforts turn to ashes.’”

Calling especially upon God for the gift of wisdom, Dolan prayed: “If wisdom, which comes from [God] be not with him, he shall be held with no esteem. Send wisdom from the heavens that she may be with him, that he may know your designs.”

“Please, God, bless America,” he concluded: “You are the God in whom we trust, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.”

Following Dolan, Graham centered his prayer on gratitude, saying: “We come to say thank you, O Lord our God! Father, when Donald Trump’s enemies thought he was down and out, you and you alone saved his life and raised him up with strength and power by your mighty hand.” 

Graham prayed in particular for continued safety for Trump and his wife, Melania. 

Notably, Graham also prayed for Vance, that he may stand beside Trump and “hold his arms up like Aaron held up the arms of Moses in the midst of battle.” 

“We know that America can never be great again if we turn our backs on you,” he concluded. “We ask for your help. We pray all of this in the name of the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, your Son, my Savior, and our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Amen.” 

After Trump and Vance were sworn in, African-American Pastor Lorenzo Sewell and Rabbi Ari Berman offered two of the three prayers of benediction. 

Referencing Trump’s near-assassination, Sewell centered his benediction on gratitude, declaring: “Heavenly Father, we are so grateful that you gave our 45th and now our 47th president a millimeter miracle.”

Also referencing Martin Luther King Jr., Sewell continued: “We pray that you use our president so that we will live in a nation where we will not be judged by the color of our skin but by the content of our character.” 

Berman prayed that Trump and Vance would unite the nation “around our foundational biblical values of life and liberty of service, of sacrifice, and especially of faith and morality, which George Washington called the ‘indispensable supports of American prosperity.’”

“May our nation merit the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s blessing,” he stated, “that like a tree planted by water, we shall not cease to bear fruit; may all of humanity experience your love and your blessing, may it be thy will, and let us say amen.” 

Father Frank Mann offers closing benediction

Lastly, Mann of the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York, concluded the prayers of benediction, offering a particularly personal prayer for the new president, with whom he is personally acquainted.

“As our president and vice president embrace their newly appointed roles,” he said, “we humbly implore that your everlasting love and wisdom will envelop them and grant them the clarity of mind to navigate the challenges that lie ahead and the compassion to serve all citizens with fairness and integrity.”

As CNA reported last week, Mann, who is a retired diocesan priest, originally struck up what the Tablet called an “unlikely friendship” with Trump after he came across the grave sites of Trump’s parents in a Queens cemetery.

“It was slightly overgrown,” Mann told the Tablet. “I thought this shouldn’t be. This is a historic site. So, I went and bought a weed whacker and some decorations and fixed up the plot.” The priest then sent a photo of the graves to the president.

When Trump learned of the priest’s actions, he called Mann personally saying the two should meet up. They have continued to remain in contact since, with Trump reportedly seeking Mann’s advice on winning the Catholic vote in this past election.

Mann concluded his prayer by giving special thanks for Trump’s parents, Mary and Fred Trump.

“Without [them], this day would never be the miracle that has just begun,” he reflected. “From their place in heaven, may they shield their son from all harm by their loving protection and give him the strength to guide our nation along the path that will make America great again.” 

Imam Husham Al-Husainy, who had previously been scheduled to offer a Muslim benediction at the ceremony, did not appear at the event. The Dearborn, Michigan-based Husainy had generated controversy for his past expressions regarding Hezbollah and Iran.

Cardinal Felipe Arizmendi is bishop emeritus of the Diocese of San Cristóbal de las Casas in Mexico. / Credit: Mexican Bishops’ Commission on Seminaries and Vocations

Puebla, Mexico, Jan 20, 2025 / 15:20 pm (CNA).

Cardinal Felipe Arizmendi, bishop emeritus of the Diocese of San Cristóbal de las Casas in Mexico, acknowledged the influence of organized crime in some areas of the country, thus partially backing recent statements by U.S. President Donald Trump on the lack of security in the country.

“It’s disturbing that a foreigner claims that organized crime rules our country,” Arizmendi said in an article shared with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. “Even though our authorities maintain the opposite, there are facts that confirm that this is what is happening in some places and sectors.”

The cardinal’s comment comes days after controversial statements by Trump, who earlier this month said that in Mexico “they are basically run by the cartels.”

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum rejected Trump’s claim, insisting that “in Mexico, the people rule.”

Influence of organized crime

Arizmendi, who was created a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2020 and led the Diocese of San Cristóbal de las Casas from 2000–2017, alluded to several aspects that, according to him, reflect criminal influence.

In the area of ​​local politics, the cardinal pointed out that public opinion is that in the last elections the criminals “authorized who could run for office. And once their candidates are elected, they demand a million-dollar monthly fee or to hold strategic positions” in the government.

“Municipal presidents [similar to county executives], local police, and other low-ranking officials must submit to their orders. They are not collaborators or accomplices, but they are oppressed by those who govern the region,” he charged.

Regarding the economy, Arizmendi said he has “firsthand data” that confirms that criminal groups “impose the price of almost everything, from tortillas and eggs to construction materials. This makes everything more expensive, and there is no one who can avoid and control it.”

Livestock traders “must buy the animals from whom these leaders order and at the price they impose,” he said, adding that something similar occurs in the timber industry, where members of organized crime “determine which trees must be cut down, and they are the ones who market the wood, which passes freely along our roads.”

Regarding extortion, the cardinal explained that businessmen “must pay them a fee; otherwise, they expose themselves to all kinds of reprisals, such as having their businesses burned down and those who refuse are murdered.” This widespread practice creates an atmosphere of fear and submission among local merchants and businessmen, according to the prelate.

Call to action

The cardinal urged the authorities, the Catholic Church, and civil society to “attack the causes of this violence by offering education, work, and social supports.” However, he warned that for many criminals, “what matters is to get as much money as they can.”

Arizmendi concluded by asking for prayer “that our authorities may be enlightened and do something more effective for social peace.”

Mexico is in a period of transition as Sheinbaum was sworn in as Mexico’s new president on Oct. 1, 2024, replacing Andrés Manuel López Obrador, during whose six-year term 199,621 homicides were recorded, the highest level in the modern history of Mexico.

The surge in violence occurred under the previous administration’s controversial policy of “hugs, not bullets” against organized crime. This approach attempted to combat drug cartel violence by addressing the root causes of the drug trade, such as poverty, and softened the use of force by the military and police. 

As the Sheinbaum administration begins, Arizmendi said “there seems to be a change in the federal strategy to combat these crimes.” 

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th president of the United States by Chief Justice John Roberts as Melania Trump holds the Bible during the 60th presidential inauguration in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. / Credit: Morry Gash/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jan 20, 2025 / 12:35 pm (CNA).

In tandem with the inauguration of President Donald Trump, the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., is preparing to offer visitors an up-close glimpse of a uniquely personal element used during the presidential swearing-in ceremony.

Museum of the Bible Chief Curatorial Officer Robert Duke told CNA that beginning Tuesday, Trump’s personal Bible, which First Lady Melania Trump held while Trump took the oath of office on Monday, will be added to the set of U.S. presidential inauguration Bibles currently on display at the museum.

Given to him in 1955 to mark his Sunday Church Primary School graduation, Trump’s personal Bible is a 1953 Revised Standard Version published by Thomas Nelson and Sons in New York, according to the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee.

It is embossed with his name on the bottom corner of the front cover and is signed by church officials on the inside alongside an inscription with the details of when it was presented to him.

Trump was also sworn in with the revered Lincoln Bible, which he also used during his 2017 inauguration. The Lincoln Bible is unique in that Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama, and Trump are the only presidents to have used it for their swearing-in ceremonies.

“The Bible’s played such a pivotal role in the history of presidential inaugurations,” Duke said. “So we thought, for this year, it’d be great on our first floor to have a mini exhibit on the inauguration.”

In addition to the Trump and Lincoln Bibles, other Bibles featured in the exhibit include the one used by the late President Jimmy Carter. His Bible is opened to Micah 6:8: “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good, / And what does the Lord require of you? / To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God,” which he quoted during his 1977 inaugural address.

“We also have on display the Grover Cleveland Bible,” Duke pointed out, noting that Cleveland “was the only other president that had four intervening years between their two presidencies.”

Meanwhile, newly sworn-in Vice President JD Vance used a family Bible that belonged to his maternal great-grandmother, which had been given to him in 2003 on the day he left home for the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in South Carolina, according to the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee.

Holy Name Cathedral in the Archdiocese of Chicago. / Credit: Edlane De Mattos/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Jan 20, 2025 / 11:55 am (CNA).

The Archdiocese of Chicago has removed two priests from active ministry as it investigates sex abuse allegations leveled against both of them.

The archdiocese announced the development on Saturday, writing to 14 different parishes at which the two priests, Father Matthew Foley and Father Henry Kricek, served over a series of years.

The allegation against Foley involved claims of abuse when he was assigned to St. Agatha Parish (now renamed St. Simon of Cyrene Parish) “approximately 30 years ago,” the archdiocese said, while those against Kricek concerned alleged abuse at St. John Bosco Parish “approximately 40 years ago.”

Both allegations involved abuse of a minor, the archdiocese said. Both priests have been removed from ministry while the archdiocese investigates the claims.

The archdiocese has reported the allegations to civil authorities and has offered the accusers access to the diocesan victim assistance ministry.

“After the civil authorities have finished their work, the archdiocese will complete its investigation and report the results to our Independent Review Board,” the archdiocese told parishioners of the respective priests.

Both priests have “strenuously” denied the allegations against them, the archdiocese said in its letters while noting that “those accused are innocent until proven otherwise.”

In November the archdiocese announced that archdiocesan priest Father Martin Marren, who had previously been accused of abuse of a minor, had been restored to ministry after the archdiocesan Independent Review Board “found that there [was] not a reasonable cause” to believe the allegations.

In September the archdiocese removed from ministry Father Martin Nyberg after allegations that he molested a child during a recent penance service that allegedly took place at a youth retreat. Nyberg denied the claims. That investigation is still underway.

Approximately 3,000 people came together for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles’ 11th annual OneLife LA event on Jan. 18, 2025. While previously held as a walk through the streets of Los Angeles, OneLife LA was moved to the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown L.A. due to unhealthy air caused by the region’s wildfires and the acute need of police in other parts of the city. / Credit: Photo courtesy of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles

Los Angeles, Calif., Jan 20, 2025 / 10:15 am (CNA).

Approximately 3,000 people gathered for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles’ 11th annual OneLife LA on Saturday. While previously held as a walk through the streets of Los Angeles, the event was moved to the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown L.A. due to unhealthy air caused by the region’s wildfires and the acute need of police in other parts of the city.

Unlike the Walk for Life West Coast in San Francisco, which has its exclusive focus on ending abortion, OneLife LA lists a wide range of focus areas: pro-life issues, homelessness, human trafficking, end-of-life care, foster care and adoption, the environment, the disabled, and “racism immigration.”

The purpose of this year’s event, according to organizers, was to “unite in a sacred space as a family of God in prayer, healing, and hope as the devastating wildfires continue through Southern California.”  

Speakers and performances began at 2 p.m followed by a Requiem Mass for the Unborn celebrated by Los Angeles Archbishop José Gómez.

Two families who lost their homes in the Los Angeles wildfires were featured at the event, joining the procession into the church. The Gonzalez family carried a cross and the Magallon family carried a statue of the Blessed Mother, which survived amid the rubble when their home burned down.

Diana and Rodrigo Gonzalez shared with attendees the story of how they lost their Altadena home they purchased just a year ago. “I was proud of that house,” Rodrigo told CNA. “It was on a large lot, a wooded, green area. It had a lot of history: I could show you the place nearby at JPL Laboratories where Albert Einstein and Robert Oppenheimer walked and talked about the atom bomb.”

The family celebrated Epiphany on Jan. 7 and a local priest blessed the home. Due to its higher elevation, the property was swept by Santa Ana winds reaching 100 mph and authorities shut off the power in an effort to reduce the likelihood of sparking a fire. The couple fled with some of their belongings.

Rodrigo Gonzalez and his father-in-law made their way back to the Altadena home on the morning of Jan. 8. Rodrigo recalled: “I have never seen anything like it. On multiple streets houses were on fire, downed trees and power lines. There was hardly a fireman around anywhere, but some residents were doing what they could to douse the blazes.”

The Gonzalezes tried to save their house — ultimately 20 of 22 homes on their block would burn — but with water pressure near zero and no fire department personnel to be seen, they ultimately had to surrender their home to the flames.

“We are stunned and shocked, but also moved by the generosity of so many who have offered to help. And our faith has played an invaluable role in helping us get through this,” they said.

They expressed gratitude to OneLife LA for offering them a venue in which to share their story, noting that before moving to Altadena, the cathedral had been their home parish.

“When the archbishop invited us to offer the gifts at the Requiem Mass, it was like I heard Jesus say, ‘I didn’t abandon you.’ That was a message I needed to hear,” Diana Gonzalez said.

Listen to his voice

Gómez, joined by the auxiliary bishops of the archdiocese, welcomed those in attendance in English and Spanish. He observed that while it was difficult “trying to understand God’s will,” it was still “our challenge to try to listen to his voice.”

“God loves us with a love beyond telling,” he assured those gathered, and despite the devastation, “in everything God is working for the good of those who love him.” The fires are an important reminder, he continued, that “life is fragile … what we can lose, we can lose in a moment.” Our goal must be to “support one another, sacrifice for one another, take care of one another.”

Among the other speakers was Sister Maria Goretti of the Sisters Poor of Jesus Christ, a religious community headquartered in Brazil. She, along with her other sisters and local volunteers, feeds and offers support to the homeless and immigrants in the Skid Row area of downtown L.A. While sister touched on her work on Skid Row, her central message was one of hope amid the fire devastation.

“The gift of hope gives us encouragement amid the most difficult circumstances,” she said.  

Sister Maria Goretti has been a regular OneLife LA participant for years but said this was her first time addressing the group.

“It continually amazes me how many people, particularly young people, turn out in support of life, especially that of the unborn,” she said. “These participants are the light of Christ for those who are in darkness, this year especially those who have lost their homes.”

Another woman, Desiree Gentile, shared her story at OneLife LA of being abandoned by a 17-year-old mother, placed in foster care, and then adopted by a loving family. She described herself as an “abortion survivor; my mom chose life.” That choice, she said, “gave me a chance to fulfill my purpose. There is a reason for me.”

With her upbringing Gentile said she developed a strong Catholic faith, saying: “You’re not always intended for the family that birthed you. You’re intended for God.”

Two religious items drew attention during the OneLife LA event. The first was the Magallon family’s Marian statue, and the second was a tabernacle from Corpus Christi Parish in Pacific Palisades. Although the entire church was destroyed by fire, the tabernacle remained largely unscathed.  

Also recognized at OneLife LA was Maryvale, a San Gabriel Valley charity that provides child and family services for the underserved of the region and was the recipient of a Dr. Tirsio del Junco 2025 grant.

The 11th OneLife LA can be viewed here.

Pope Francis on Jan. 20, 2025, named Austin, Texas, Bishop Joe Vásquez as head of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. / Credit: Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston

Vatican City, Jan 20, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

In an important move for the Catholic Church in Texas on Monday, Pope Francis named Austin Bishop Joe Vásquez to replace 75-year-old Cardinal Daniel DiNardo as head of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.

DiNardo, who was made a cardinal in 2007 and who led the U.S. bishops’ conference as president from 2016–2019, turned 75 — the standard retirement age for Catholic bishops — in May 2024.

The 67-year-old Vásquez is returning to the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, where he served as an auxiliary bishop from 2002–2010. The bishop is coming back to the archdiocese almost exactly 15 years after moving 160 miles to the northwest to lead the Diocese of Austin.

The Mexican-American bishop also served as apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Tyler from November 2023 to December 2024, after Pope Francis removed Bishop Joseph Strickland. 

The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston serves 1.7 million Catholics in 146 parishes across 10 counties in southeastern Texas. Houston is the fourth-largest city in the U.S.

According to the archdiocese, the local Church is multicultural, with members coming from every continent. Liturgies are held in 14 different languages.

Vásquez, whose seminary education included five years in Rome studying at the Pontifical Gregorian University, was ordained a priest for the Diocese of San Angelo in 1984.

He grew up the oldest of six children in the small town of Stamford in west-central Texas.

Vásquez has served as a consultant to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities and as lead bishop for Region X for the V National Encounter for Hispanic/Latino Ministry (V Encuentro).