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Bishop Louis Tylka of the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois, announced at the end of a Mass celebrated on Saturday the first-ever parish named for Blessed Fulton Sheen.
The combined parish of St. Mary in El Paso, Illinois — where Sheen was baptized — and St. John in Benson, Illinois, will be the first parish in the world to be named after the new blessed. While the buildings themselves will retain their original names, the new parish name will take effect on Dec. 9, Sheen’s feast day, Tylka said.
“This has been a remarkable week of firsts for the Diocese of Peoria and the universal Catholic Church,” Tylka said in a statement released later on Sept. 26. “We have celebrated Archbishop Fulton Sheen becoming the first American-born bishop to be declared Blessed. For the first time, we have heard his name invoked as a Blessed in the Eucharistic Prayer. For the first time, we have prayed the Collect given to the Church for his feast. And today, I have the great joy of announcing another first: the establishment of the first parish in the world named Blessed Fulton Sheen Parish.”
The Sept. 26 Mass — celebrated by Bishop John Barres of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York, who was baptized as a baby by Sheen — was one of many celebrated in thanksgiving for the beatification of Sheen, who was declared “blessed” on Sept. 24 in St. Louis.
“There is something profoundly fitting about this new parish carrying his name,” Tylka continued in the statement. “It was at St. Mary Church in El Paso that Fulton John Sheen was baptized. There, his life in Christ began. From those waters of Baptism flowed a remarkable life of faith, priesthood, preaching, teaching, missionary discipleship and evangelization that eventually touched millions of people around the world.”
A person must be proclaimed “blessed” by the Church before a parish can be named after him or her, Tylka explained to EWTN News’ Mark Irons on Saturday outside of St. Mary’s Church. Tylka said he signed the decree to name the parish after Sheen on Friday morning, less than 24 hours after Sheen’s beatification.
“It’s great,” Tylka said when asked by Irons what he thought about having the parish named after Sheen. “This is where he was baptized, this parish church — which will still be St. Mary’s Church, but it is St. Mary’s Church of Blessed Fulton Sheen Parish — to know that connection, that we’re continuing on that faith that God has given to us that he witnessed so well, just immense pride and certainly for the folks here … to be able to know that theirs is the first parish to ever honor the blessed.”
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Sheen, despite his humble origins in small-town Illinois, aspired to great things as an academic and as a communicator of the Catholic faith. On Thursday, before a crowd of more than 50,000 at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis, the farm-boy-turned-mass-media star was declared “blessed” after the reading of a decree signed by Pope Leo XIV, a fellow Midwesterner.
Via his decree, Pope Leo announced Blessed Sheen’s feast day will be on Dec. 9, the anniversary of his death. His feast day is expected to be on the calendar of the Catholic Church in the United States.
Sheen was born in Illinois in 1895 and ordained a priest of the Diocese of Peoria in 1919. He later became an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of New York and then bishop of Rochester, New York.
His international fame was largely due to his ability to use the new forms of media of his time to proclaim the Catholic faith.
Through his television program “Life Is Worth Living,” broadcast during the 1950s, Sheen brought reflections on faith, morality, and the meaning of life into millions of homes, becoming one of the most recognizable Catholic figures on American television.
Mark Irons and Jonah McKeown contributed to this report.
This story was updated at 4:02 p.m. ET on Sept. 26, 2026, with the statement from the Diocese of Peoria/Bishop Tylka and comments to Mark Irons.
The most comprehensive overview.
Ter gelegenheid van de honderdste geboortedag van Leo J. Elders s.v.d. in 2026 organiseert de Leo J. Elders Stichting een bijzonder symposium gewijd aan Sint-Thomas van Aquino.
Hoofdspreker is Thomas Joseph White O.P., rector magnificus van de Pauselijke Universiteit van Sint-Thomas van Aquino (Angelicum) te Rome. Daarnaast zullen ook andere vooraanstaande sprekers bijdragen aan dit symposium.
Tijdens deze bijeenkomst zal tevens de geheel herziene editie worden gepresenteerd van Elders’ tweedelige hoofdwerk: De metafysica van Sint-Thomas van Aquino in historisch perspectief, dat verschijnt bij uitgeverij Betsaida.
Datum: donderdag 29 oktober 2026
Locatie: Ariënsinstituut, Keistraat 9, 3512 HV Utrecht
Tijd: 13.00 - 18.00 uur
Sprekers:
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Centenary Leo J. Elders - Symposium St. Thomas Aquinas
On the occasion of the centenary of the birth of Leo J. Elders S.V.D. in 2026, the Leo J. Elders Foundation is organizing a special symposium dedicated to Saint Thomas Aquinas.
Keynote speaker Thomas J. White
The keynote speaker will be Thomas Joseph White, O.P., Rector Magnificus of the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome. Several other distinguished speakers will also contribute to the symposium.
During this event, the fully revised edition of Elders’ two-volume major work, The Metaphysics of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Historical Perspective, to be published by Betsaida, will be officially presented.
Speakers
Het WJD-kruis komt naar Utrecht!
Wees welkom bij twee bijzondere avonden van gebed, geloof en ontmoeting. Samen bidden we voor vrede, onze katholieke jongeren en de Kerk. Iedereen is van harte welkom, dus neem gerust vrienden mee!
Donderdag 29 oktober
St. Augustinuskerk, Oudegracht 69, Utrecht
18.30u – Rozenkrans voor de vrede
19.00u – Heilige Mis
19.45u – Borrel
Donderdag 5 november
St. Augustinuskerk, Oudegracht 69, Utrecht
18.30u – Rozenkrans voor katholieke jongeren
19.00u – Heilige Mis met kardinaal Eijk
19.45u – Aanbidding
Kom samen met ons bidden en vieren!
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WYD Cross On Tour - Archdiocese Utrecht
The WYD Cross is coming to Utrecht!
You are warmly invited to two special evenings of prayer, faith and fellowship. Together, we will pray for peace, Catholic youth and the Church. Everyone is welcome, so feel free to bring your friends!
Thursday, 29 October
St. Augustine Church, Oudegracht 69, Utrecht
6:30 PM – Rosary for Peace
7:00 PM – Holy Mass
7:45 PM – Drinks and fellowship
Thursday, 5 November
St. Augustine Church, Oudegracht 69, Utrecht
6:30 PM – Rosary for Catholic Youth
7:00 PM – Holy Mass with Cardinal Eijk
7:45 PM – Eucharistic Adoration
Come and join us for these special evenings of prayer and community!
Meer info:Following the successful lecture by Cardinal Eijk on the Sacrament of Confession, Study Association Ad Interim is pleased to invite you to another substantive event — this time in Tilburg.
On Thursday 29 October, Studium Generale of Tilburg University is organising the English-language symposium Religion and Power in Trump’s America, in cooperation with the Catholic Study Network, CRiPS and Study Association Ad Interim.
Yale sociologist Philip S. Gorski and US politics expert Kenneth Manusama will discuss the growing entanglement of religion and politics in the United States. What does the rise of Christian nationalism and the ideal of a ‘Christian civilisation’ mean for democracy, pluralism and political power?
The symposium will be moderated by Dr Nora Kindermann of the Tilburg School of Catholic Theology, followed by a Q&A.
Details
Thursday 29 October 2026
3.45–5.15 p.m.; doors open at 3.30 p.m.
Black Box, Esplanade Building, Tilburg University
Language: English
Admission is free; registration is required
Afterwards, there will be an opportunity to continue the conversation over drinks at Grand Café Esplanade.
Warning
The chance that Trump (or the MAGA movement and the interweaving of religion and power surrounding it) will be treated “fairly” at this symposium - in the sense of balanced, neutral, or with room for a positive or defending interpretation - is rather small.
www.sv-adinterim.com/nieuws/symposium-religie-en-macht-in-trumps-amerika
Dawn La Valle Norman
Inspired by Pierre Hadot’s work on (ancient) philosophy as a way of life, the next Sedes Sapientiae Symposium looks at how both Mary and Marian devotion can be understood as embodying this conception of philosophy as a way of life. Did Mary surpass Zeno and Epicurus, Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius in living the philosophical life from the cradle to the cross? Is Marian devotion at its heart, or at least potentially, a form of ’stoicism for the masses’?
The Symposium will take place October 30th-31st, 2026 in Leuven, Belgium. Registration deadline is October 15th!
Speakers
www.sedessapientiae.be/2026-mary-and-philosophy-as-a-way-of-life
Halloween is a very well known holiday and I’m sure you all know it. What you might not know is that this day comes from the Catholic tradition as the day before All Saints: hence the name All Hallow’s Eve, over time shortened to Halloween.
As such, we as the CCD want to reclaim this heritage and celebrate this day by commemorating the many of saints in our Church. We are therefore going to meet on Saturday, October 31st, starting at 19:30 for a prayer event in the Maria van Jessekerk. We will have Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, with Music and finishing with Night Prayer (compline). After the prayer, we will gather in the Jozefzaal for some community time.
You are all invited to come! Let’s celebrate this day together and discover more about the variety of saints who can inspire us in the way we live our lives.
Hope to see many of you there!
Meer info:On the night of 31 October to 1 November, the Amsterdam Catholic Student Chaplaincy invites you to spend time with Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament - whether for a few minutes, an hour, or the whole night!
As the world celebrates Halloween, we will gather in prayer and Eucharistic Adoration, offering this night in reparation for the sins of sacrilege, occultism and satanism committed against the Holy Eucharist throughout the world.
“Could you not watch one hour with Me?” (Matthew 26:40)
Let us spend this night close to Christ, keeping watch with Him and preparing our hearts for the Solemnity of All Saints.
“Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who stand by night in the house of the Lord!” (Ps 134:1)
Meer info:The Krijtberg Youth community in Amsterdam is organizing every last Sunday of the month a meeting called ”Come and see”: it is the opportunity to create room in our thoughts and hearth beyond our prejudices and ideals about our society and faith through the involvement of our live presence, dialogue, feelings and action. We live this as a community, so that we can also discover the presence of our brothers and sisters as a gift of God to come closer to Him.
This Sunday, November 1st, the first meeting will take place, starting with the Holy Mass at 12.30 (in Dutch and English), and bearing the title ”Who are you o God, and who am I?”.
Program
12:30 - Holy Mass (Dutch & English)
13:30 - Lunch prepared by Living Stones
15:00 - Activity part I
17:00 - Break
17:20 - Activity part II
18:45 - Conclusion
You are all invited to join, regardless your prior experience with our community: just Come and see!
And, more importantly, please pray for us and this event , so that the Holy Spirit may guide us in being always God’s workers for His harvest.
Pax et bonum!
Meer info:Het WJD-kruis komt naar Utrecht!
Wees welkom bij twee bijzondere avonden van gebed, geloof en ontmoeting. Samen bidden we voor vrede, onze katholieke jongeren en de Kerk. Iedereen is van harte welkom, dus neem gerust vrienden mee!
Donderdag 29 oktober
St. Augustinuskerk, Oudegracht 69, Utrecht
18.30u – Rozenkrans voor de vrede
19.00u – Heilige Mis
19.45u – Borrel
Donderdag 5 november
St. Augustinuskerk, Oudegracht 69, Utrecht
18.30u – Rozenkrans voor katholieke jongeren
19.00u – Heilige Mis met kardinaal Eijk
19.45u – Aanbidding
Kom samen met ons bidden en vieren!
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WYD Cross On Tour - Archdiocese Utrecht
The WYD Cross is coming to Utrecht!
You are warmly invited to two special evenings of prayer, faith and fellowship. Together, we will pray for peace, Catholic youth and the Church. Everyone is welcome, so feel free to bring your friends!
Thursday, 29 October
St. Augustine Church, Oudegracht 69, Utrecht
6:30 PM – Rosary for Peace
7:00 PM – Holy Mass
7:45 PM – Drinks and fellowship
Thursday, 5 November
St. Augustine Church, Oudegracht 69, Utrecht
6:30 PM – Rosary for Catholic Youth
7:00 PM – Holy Mass with Cardinal Eijk
7:45 PM – Eucharistic Adoration
Come and join us for these special evenings of prayer and community!
Meer info:Kingsmen Nederland houdt regelmatig reizen die uitdaging, vriendschap en bezinning samenbrengen.
De trektochten voor mannen bestaan uit een serie van drie Quest trektochten die over een periode van drie jaar gedaan kunnen worden. Elke volgende tocht is uitdagender op fysiek, geestelijk en voorbereidend gebied. Tijdens de Quest is er dagelijks stille tijd en is er een inleiding of getuigenis aan de hand van een dagthema. De mannen gaan persoonlijk aan de slag met prikkelende vragen.
Kingsmen
KingsMen is een mannenbeweging gebaseerd op katholieke principes. De beweging probeert mannen bewust te maken van hun “man-zijn” en hun rol in het leven, familie en maatschappij door het organiseren van activiteiten die mannen “wakker schudden” en terug brengen naar de essentie van het man-zijn. KingsMen daagt je uit om uit je comfort zone te stappen.
Op zaterdagmorgen 14 november 2026 is zr. Nathalie Becquart, ondersecretaris van het Vaticaanse Synodesecretariaat, te gast tijdens een ontmoeting met katholieke vrouwen in de Bergkerk in Amersfoort.
Onder het thema Zoveel talenten die richting geven staat de vraag centraal hoe vrouwelijk talent, verantwoordelijkheid en leiderschap in de Kerk verder kunnen worden erkend en versterkt.
De bijeenkomst wordt georganiseerd door het Netwerk Katholieke Vrouwen, het Katholiek Vrouwendispuut, het VKMO en de Landelijke Werkgroep Synodaliteit. Aanmelden is vereist; het aantal plaatsen is beperkt.
Details
The fourth EMMAUS RETREAT for WOMEN in The Netherlands will take place in Helvoirt, during the weekend starting the November 20th and it is organised by ”Emmaus-Amsterdam” with support of OLVK Amsterdam.
The retreat allows time to disconnect from our daily activities, all the things of this world that weigh us down and prevent us from personal reflection, our path through life and the world around us. Often, we don’t allow ourselves enough time to explore the questions about our existence, about our relationship with God, but we sense that there must be more to life than just ’this’.
The Emmaus Weekend is especially tailored to give us this time for peace, tranquility and reflection. This Catholic Retreat is designed to be a path to encounter ourselves, as we really are, listening to others who are walking their distinct paths themselves.
The first Emmaus retreat ever took place in the catholic parish of St. Louis, Miami, over 40 years ago. It has spread all over the world since. This is your opportunity to experience this wonderful gift!
Subscription - If you’d like to join, we warmly invite you to sign up early to ensure your place and also to help us with the preparations.
The DominicanSisters of Saint Cecilia Sittard are giving a retreat vor single Catholic women ages 18-30 wishing to explore a religous vocation.
(06) 1070 3699
Kingsmen Nederland houdt regelmatig reizen die uitdaging, vriendschap en bezinning samenbrengen.
De trektochten voor mannen bestaan uit een serie van drie Quest trektochten die over een periode van drie jaar gedaan kunnen worden. Elke volgende tocht is uitdagender op fysiek, geestelijk en voorbereidend gebied. Tijdens de Quest is er dagelijks stille tijd en is er een inleiding of getuigenis aan de hand van een dagthema. De mannen gaan persoonlijk aan de slag met prikkelende vragen.
Kingsmen
KingsMen is een mannenbeweging gebaseerd op katholieke principes. De beweging probeert mannen bewust te maken van hun “man-zijn” en hun rol in het leven, familie en maatschappij door het organiseren van activiteiten die mannen “wakker schudden” en terug brengen naar de essentie van het man-zijn. KingsMen daagt je uit om uit je comfort zone te stappen.
Je bent van harte uitgenodigd voor Nightfever.
Programma
19.30 uur - Heilige Mis
20.00 uur - Nightfever
Tijdens de Nightfever is er aanbidding. We gaan ook de straat op om mensen uit te nodigen een kaarsje te komen aansteken.
Er is een priester aanwezig voor biecht en/of een gesprek.
Locatie
Oude Molstraat 35, Den Haag
(Willibrordushuis / kapel)
Iedereen is welkom. Kom gerust binnen, steek een kaarsje aan, bid mee of blijf even stil.
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You are warmly invited to Nightfever.
Programme
7:30 p.m. - Holy Mass
8:00 p.m. - Nightfever
During Nightfever there will be Adoration. We will also go out into the street to invite people to come and light a candle.
A priest will be available for confession and/or a conversation.
Location
Oude Molstraat 35, The Hague
(Willibrordushuis chapel)
Everyone is welcome. Feel free to come in, light a candle, join in prayer, or simply stay for a quiet moment.
Meer info:Van 27 december tot 2 januari komen jongeren (18-35 jaar) uit heel Europa samen om de stad te ontdekken, in gesprek te gaan, te bidden en elkaar te ontmoeten.
De Europese ontmoeting van Taizé in à Âódà º (Polen) belooft een bijzondere editie te worden. De stad ligt in een land met een rijke religieuze geschiedenis en een sterke katholieke traditie, maar ook met een lange geschiedenis van religieuze diversiteit.
Al in 1573 werd in Polen de Confederatie van Warschau ondertekend, een document dat religieuze vrijheid garandeerde in een tijd waarin West-Europa geteisterd werd door godsdienstoorlogen tussen katholieken en protestanten. Hierdoor kende Polen eeuwenlang een relatief hoge mate van religieuze tolerantie.
In Poolse steden ontstonden grote Joodse gemeenschappen, en tijdens de Poolse delingen (1795–1918), toen Polen onder Russische, Pruisische en Oostenrijkse heerschappij stond, kwamen ook protestantse en orthodoxe invloeden het religieuze landschap verrijken.
Vandaag de dag is Polen nog steeds een van de meest katholieke landen van Europa. Ongeveer 85–90% van de bevolking identificeert zich als katholiek, terwijl kleinere orthodoxe, protestantse en andere religieuze gemeenschappen aanwezig blijven.
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During the evening prayer on 30 December, at the Accor Arena (Bercy) in Paris, Brother Matthew announced that the next, 49th European Meeting of Young Adults, will take place in à Âódà º, a city located in the very heart of Poland.
à Âódà º is a city of women who, for nearly 200 years, drove its development through their hard work in the textile factories, and who, during the difficult years of communism, had the courage to fight independently for their rights.
It is a city shaped by four cultures and four traditions: Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox and Jewish. The inhabitants of à Âódà º live ecumenism in their daily lives, building their hospitality and openness on unity in diversity and on dialogue.
Meer info:www.taize.fr/en/the-pilgrimage-of-trust-continues-from-paris-to-lodz
www.rkkerk.nl/jongkatholiek/jongerenreizen/europese-taize-jongerenontmoeting
3-Days of snow shoe trekking in the Alps, near Chamonix, France
11th-15th February 2027
18-35 yr mixed
This long weekend will involved 3 days trekking into the mountains near Chamonix, France (or other region if weather is bad there). The route will be different to last year’s. Thursday night and Sunday night we’ll stay in a simple hut. Friday and/or Saturday nights we’ll be camping in tents, depending on conditions.
Winter snow treks are a lot of fun... plenty of snow, and the wonderful atmosphere of forest and mountains in the quiet winter. We’ll have time for experiencing nature and seeking together about a topic concerning life’s challenges and the Catholic faith (the theme will be announced). On our trek we’ll have times of prayer and reflexion.â
âSleeping bags, sleeping mats and jackets, all designed for staying warm in sub-zero temperatures, will be provided for each member of the group since temperatures usually drop below zero at evening and during the night. During the day, temperatures are usually above zero your own regular hiking wear will be adequate. Waterproof/resistant hiking boots are required.
âThis trek is open to anyone interested in experiencing nature and thinking together.
Cost: € 125
Travel info: Please arrive on the evening of Thursday 11th and plan to leave on the morning of Monday 15th. Arriving earlier and leaving later is possible but please get in touch. The nearest airport is Geneva and those travelling there or to train stations near Chamonix can be picked up in our minibus.
Meer info:3-Days of snow shoe trekking and survival skills near Chamonix, France
18th-22nd February 2027 18-35 yr Men
This will be a survival trek in the mountains near Chamonix (or other region if weather is bad there). The route will be different to last year. Thursday night and Sunday night we’ll stay in a simple hut. Friday and Saturday nights we’ll be sleeping in self-made snow shelters or igloos, learning survival skills to do with staying warm, understanding winter terrain and navigating without the aid of GPS, in daylight and at night. Each participant will take the lead at intervals, putting his newly learnt navigational and leadership skills into practise.
It will also be a lot of fun as winter treks involve plenty of snow, the wonderful atmosphere of forest and mountains in the quiet winter, and the buzz that comes from covering mountainous ground on foot.
We’ll have time for experiencing nature and seeking together about a topics concerning life’s challenges and the Catholic faith.
âSleeping bags, sleeping mats and jackets, all designed for staying warm in sub-zero temperatures, will be provided for each member of the group since temperatures usually drop below zero at evening and during the night. During the day, temperatures are usually above zero your own regular hiking wear will be adequate. Waterproof/resistant hiking boots are required.
This trek is open to men aged 18-30, interested in experiencing nature and pursuing understanding.ââ
Cost: € 125
Travel info: Please arrive on the evening of Thursday 11th and plan to leave on the morning of Monday 15th. Arriving earlier and leaving later is possible but please get in touch. The nearest airport is Geneva and those travelling there or to train stations near Chamonix can be picked up in our minibus.
The group size will be around 10 people.
Meer info:We have to be very grateful to God for the number of blessings and graces received during the amazing Youth Days 2026! All left with a big smile and a blessed heart, which is obviously a sign of the Holy Spirit.
Numerous young people (almost 200!) came from various countries. The biggest group was from the hosting country: the Netherlands! But many youth travelled from several countries: Slovakia, Switzerland, England, Ireland, Scotland, Luxembourg, Belgium, Germany, Iceland, Poland and Lithuania. Thank you for coming!
Unfortunately, His Eminence Cardinal Eijk could not be present due to health issues. But we were very blessed to have more special guests: Monsignor Rob Mutsaerts, Father Agustin Ambrosini, the various families and many more.
We are looking forward to next year’s Youth Days! So, save the date: 15-18th of July in Helvoirt!
Meer info:For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.
Find answers that inspire you to keep moving forward. Discover more, deepen your connection with God, and allow yourself to be continually amazed.
There is nothing I lack.
There are many great Catholic resources available. We have gathered the best ones for you.
In Me, you will always find rest.
In Me, you will find more than you ever dared to dream.
We have selected churches for you that offer an English Mass
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