Archbishop Rino Fisichella, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization and the Holy See’s official point man for the Jubilee, gives a round-up on the Holy Year during a press conference at the Vatican on Monday, January 5.

Read all

 

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- An estimated 33 million visitors and pilgrims came to the Vatican to celebrate the Jubilee Year, exceeding early forecasts, officials said at a news conference at the Vatican Jan. 5.

Archbishop Rino Fisichella, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization's section for new evangelization and chief organizer of the 2025 Holy Year, said the figure is based on estimates from a study by Roma Tre University, online registrations for the Holy Year, and the number of people who passed through the Holy Doors of Rome's major basilicas and attended papal events. 

By the time the Holy Year ends Jan. 6, he said, at least 33 million people will have taken part, which breaks down to more than 90,000 people a day. The period with the most pilgrims in Rome was during the Jubilee of Young People from July 21 to Aug. 10, which registered more than 13 million people. 

Early estimates had expected that the Jubilee Year would bring 30 million to 35 million visitors to the Vatican. The city saw about 22 million people come to Rome in 2024, Roberto Gualtieri, mayor of Rome, said during the news conference. 

Based on data collected solely from registered pilgrims, visitors from the United States ranked second only to Italy, accounting for nearly 13 percent of the total number of registered visitors, Archbishop Fisichella said. Pilgrims from more than 185 countries participated in the Jubilee Year.

"It is inevitable that such a milestone also brings with it an assessment of this year, which in many respects has been extraordinary. Begun under Pope Francis, the Jubilee concludes under Pope Leo XIV," the archbishop said in Italian. "The funeral and the new election were added to the entire Jubilee program, showing the whole world the ability to act with determination and confidence amid an exceptional series of events."

Archbishop Fisichella thanked Rome's officials for their hard work in supporting the inflow of visitors, and said that the increase also led to increased visitor rates across the city's tourist sites.

Gualtieri agreed, saying it was a year of unprecedented tourism across the city. To accommodate the Jubilee Year and the influx of visitors, construction crews completed 110 projects across Rome, including the restoration of historic squares, monuments and holy sites. 

Lamberto Giannini, Rome's prefect, who coordinates maintaining law and order in the city, said that city and Vatican teams worked together to complete the many construction projects "without serious accidents or workplace injuries and with extensive oversight to prevent mafia infiltration -- something clearly possible given the scale of the investments."

Vatican leaders have already begun planning the next Jubilee Year, which will take place in 2033 to commemorate the 2,000th anniversary of the death and resurrection of Jesus.

"The journey, therefore, is not finished," Archbishop Fisichella said. "This was only a significant step, preparing the way for another event of grace that must be planned with foresight and a strong awareness of an upcoming global event."
 

WASHINGTON - Catholics nationwide are invited to pray “9 Days for Life,” an annual Respect Life novena starting Friday, January 16.

In the Catholic Church, a ‘novena’ consists of prayers over nine successive days, and this particular novena is an opportunity for prayer and penance in observance of the annual Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children on January 22.

All are invited to sign up! Participants may access the novena or subscribe to receive the daily prayers by email or text message in English at 9daysforlife.com or in Spanish at respectlife.org/9-dias-por-la-vida. 

Sponsored by the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the novena began in 2013 in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade—the Supreme Court decision that made abortion legal throughout the United States. While the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization returned the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives at federal and state levels, continuing efforts are needed to protect children and their mothers from the tragedy of abortion. This is the fourteenth year the novena is taking place. Since the novena began, it has reached hundreds of thousands of people in over one hundred countries spanning six continents.

The overarching intention of the novena is the end to abortion. Each daily prayer intention highlights a related topic and is accompanied by a reflection, educational information, and suggested daily actions. A resource kit is available, featuring the daily prayer intentions and reflections, in both English and Spanish. A press kit is also available.

For additional information and updates throughout the novena, please follow us on Instagram (@USCCB), Facebook (@USCCB), TikTok (@USBishops), Threads (@USCCB), Bluesky (@usccbofficial.bsky.social) and X (@USCCB).

###

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- After praying the Sunday Angelus, Pope Leo XIV said he was following the developments in Venezuela with "deep concern," in light of the United States' military operation that led to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro over the weekend.

"The good of the beloved Venezuelan people must prevail over every other consideration," the pope said Jan. 4 from the papal studio window overlooking St. Peter's Square.

"This must lead to the overcoming of violence, and to the pursuit of paths of justice and peace, guaranteeing the sovereignty of the country, ensuring the rule of law enshrined in its constitution, respecting the human and civil rights of each and every person, and working together to build a peaceful future of cooperation, stability and harmony, with special attention to the poorest who are suffering because of the difficult economic situation." 

Pope Leo also met Jan. 5 with Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the papal nuncio to the United States, who serves as the pope's personal ambassador and top Vatican diplomat in the country.

The Catholic bishops' conference of Venezuela issued a statement Jan. 3 on social media, calling for prayers and standing in solidarity with those who were injured in the attack and families of those who died.

"In the face of the events that our country is experiencing today, let us ask God to grant all Venezuelans serenity, wisdom and strength," the bishops' statement said in Spanish.

"We call on the people of God to live more intensely in hope and fervent prayer for peace in our hearts and in society, and we reject any type of violence," they continued in a second post. "May our hands be open for encounter and mutual help, and may the decisions that are made always be for the good of our people."

On Jan. 3, President Donald Trump ordered an early morning raid in Caracas, during which U.S. special forces captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and struck several military bases.

The operation left political uncertainty for the South American country. Trump said in a Jan. 3 news conference that a U.S. group will work with "the people of Venezuela" to determine next steps.

"We're going to rebuild the oil infrastructure, which will cost billions of dollars. It'll be paid for by the oil companies directly," he told the press at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

"We're going to have a group of people running it until such time as it can be put back on track, make a lot of money for the people, and give people a great way of life, and also reimbursement for people in our country that were forced out of Venezuela," he said.

Trump signaled the United States was prepared to maintain a long-term role in Venezuela's governance if necessary, saying the U.S. is "ready to go again if we have to. We're going to run the country right."

In her first speech as Venezuela's interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, the vice president and oil minister, responded to the operation, saying the U.S. violated international law and that Maduro remains president. 

ACI Prensa Staff, Jan 5, 2026 / 04:00 am (CNA).

Every Jan. 5 the Church celebrates the feast of St. John Neumann, Redemptorist missionary, fourth bishop of the city of Philadelphia, and organizer of the first Catholic education network in the United States.

John Nepomucene Neumann was born in Bohemia, now the Czech Republic, in 1811. He attended school in Budweis and years later, in 1831, entered the seminary in that same city.

Upon completing his preparation for the priesthood, he presented himself to his diocese but suffered an unexpected setback. The local bishop had fallen ill and priestly ordinations in his diocese were suspended until further notice.

Neumann, eager to serve the Lord, wrote letters to the bishops of the neighboring dioceses, but none of them wanted to accept him. Despite the obstacles, the saint was not discouraged.

To earn his living, he went to work in a factory where he met a few Americans from whom he learned some English. Later, he contacted some bishops in the United States. Neumann had a missionary soul and was ready to move to America.

Priest and missionary in North America

The archbishop of New York agreed to receive and ordain Neumann, so he left his family and friends to embark on the adventure of proclaiming the Lord in a distant land. After being ordained in the U.S., Neumann joined 36 other priests who were to assist the almost 200,000 Catholics living in the U.S. at the time.

The newly ordained was entrusted with the administration of a parish. The first pastoral difficulty he faced was the vast territory entrusted to him: His parish stretched from Ontario, Canada, to Pennsylvania.

Given the immense need, Neumann spent most of his time visiting villages and towns. He had to cross inhospitable territories, walk long distances in extreme cold and sweltering heat, and trek high mountains and majestic landscapes — all in order to watch over his flock and to assist those in need.

These were long years of providing catechesis, administering the sacraments, and celebrating the Eucharist. It was common to see Neumann preach both in churches and in abandoned huts. He even preached outside taverns, refuges for impenitent souls.

Neumann often had to celebrate Mass in dining rooms and kitchens.

Redemptorist

With time and continued difficulties, the missionary priest discovered the need for the support of a religious community. He knew the Redemptorists well so he applied to join the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. When the time came, he took his vows at the congregation’s house in Baltimore in 1842.

Neumann was noted for his piety and kindness as well as his versatility in understanding and accompanying his parishioners, most of whom were European immigrants. Neumann knew up to six languages, so it was not difficult for him to communicate with Catholics who did not speak English well.

In 1847, he was appointed visitator of the Redemptorists in the United States. At the end of his service, the Redemptorists were ready to form an autonomous “province or religious province,” which became a reality in 1850.

Promoter of Catholic education in the U.S.

Neumann was then ordained bishop of Philadelphia, and from that city he organized the diocesan system of Catholic schools, becoming a great promoter of religious education in the country. He also founded the congregation of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis, dedicated to teaching in schools, and was the promoter of the construction of more than 80 churches throughout the country.

Neumann was a simple man, short in stature and reportedly good-natured. Although he never had robust health, he carried out great pastoral and literary activity. He wrote many articles in magazines and newspapers, and published two catechisms and a history of the Bible for schoolchildren.

Once, in one of his articles, he wrote: “I have never regretted having dedicated myself to the mission in America.”

On Jan. 5, 1860, when he was just 48 years old, he suddenly collapsed in the street and went home to the Lord. He was beatified in 1963 and canonized in 1977 by Pope Paul VI.

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

At least 114 people have lost their lives in the past week as Sudan's army and paramilitary forces clash in Darfur, according to local medical sources.

Read all

 

The United Nations says its humanitarian aid plans for Yemen are only 25 percent funded, despite increasing needs and the near-collapse of the health system.

Read all

 

At the Holy Innocents BPSS Centre, in the rural town of Timau in Kenya, religious sisters and lay professionals work together to help people battling addiction and mental health challenges. Known in the community as the “Friends of the Drunkards,” the sisters combine faith, science, and compassion to heal wounded lives and restore hope where society had once given up.

Read all

 

Jan 4, 2026 / 18:00 pm (CNA).

Catholic college athletes attending the SEEK 2026 conference in Columbus, Ohio, considered how holiness is built: Not through spotlight moments but through quiet sacrifice, daily fidelity, and offering what little they have to God.

Some 26,000 attendees have gathered through Jan. 5 in Columbus, Denver, and Fort Worth, Texas, for the conference organized by  FOCUS, a Catholic group that sends missionaries to college campuses and parishes to invite students and young adults to a relationship with Jesus Christ.

The message about holiness anchored a Varsity Catholic event, a branch of FOCUS ministry for college athletes. The session featured Washington Nationals pitcher Trevor Williams and recently retired Atlanta Braves pitcher J.J. Niekro, who shared personal stories of faith, perseverance, and the ways small sacrifices shape both athletics and spiritual life.

The event was sponsored by NOVUS, a Catholic athletic brand founded by brothers Garrett and Nick Bernardo, both of whom played baseball at the University of Maine. The company encourages athletes to push throughout their trials and “claim their crown,” inspired by James 1:12: the promise of a crown for those who remain faithful to God.

Unseen holiness

Williams, the primary speaker, reflected on the Gospel account of the widow’s offering from Mark 12:41-44 in which a poor widow gives two small coins while the wealthy contribute from their surplus.

“Jesus sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury,” Williams read. “Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow also came and put in two small copper coins, worth a penny. Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow put in more than all the others. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.’”

He urged athletes to see their daily sacrifices as similar offerings — small, consistent acts of faith that may go unnoticed but have profound spiritual value. Drawing on his baseball experience, he compared Christian sacrifice to the often-overlooked fundamental of bunting, a play that advances the team without fanfare.

“Bunting is the ‘hardest easy’ thing to do on a baseball field,” Williams said. “As soon as that 95-mile-per-hour fastball comes at your face, every instinct says, ‘Bail.’ But if you set your angle and commit, you’ll get that bunt down.”

Williams connected that principle to daily prayer, fasting, and other small sacrifices. “You’re telling me all I have to do is wake up 15 to 20 minutes earlier and pray? That’s hard — but it’s pretty easy,” he told the audience. “As athletes, we understand sacrifice with training, practice, and busy schedules. But when we sacrifice for the Lord, we don’t always see an immediate return. That’s why it’s harder.”

He also highlighted saints who exemplified quiet heroism, including Blessed Miguel Pro, a Jesuit priest martyred in Mexico, and St. Carlo Acutis, a teenager who combined ordinary interests with extraordinary devotion.

“ St. Carlo loved video games,” Williams said, “but he made small sacrifices so he could pray and go to Mass. Small acts of love and sacrifice were offered by him daily.”

Williams emphasized that holiness often unfolds in unseen ways, much like the sacrifice bunt.

“No bunt I ever laid down was on ESPN highlights,” he said. “The game just moved on. But the runner advanced, and someone else got the RBI. There’s heroism in hidden moments!”

Priorities of faith

Niekro, who introduced Williams, shared a personal witness shaped by loss and faith. The son of Astros Hall of Famer Joe Niekro and nephew of Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro, he reflected on losing his father, uncle, and grandfather within months during his childhood.

“At a very young age, I was stripped of all the major father figures in my life,” Niekro said. “What I kept returning to was my Catholic faith — especially Ignatian spirituality.”

After years of injuries and surgeries, Niekro retired from professional baseball in August 2025. He credited his faith for giving him perspective on life and priorities. “My model for life became very simple,” he said. “Wake up and love Christ.”

He recalled a moment shared with his uncle, who was sick at the time, that reshaped his understanding of success.

“He looked me in the eyes and said, ‘J.J., I would trade my entire Hall of Fame career to spend one more hour with my family,’” Niekro said. 

Reflecting on Williams and Niekro’s talks, Garrett Bernardo said the event underscored the importance of helping athletes root their identity in Christ rather than in statistics or performance.

‘Don’t miss the sign’

“One of the biggest challenges to collegiate athletes is identity,” Bernardo said. “There’s a real temptation to believe that your performance determines who you are. But when you’re rooted in something constant — like knowing you’re a son or daughter of Christ — that provides great peace.”

Bernardo said bringing normally busy athletes together during SEEK offered a rare opportunity for encouragement and reflection. “When you can get everyone in a room together, share a message, and inspire one another, it’s really powerful,” he shared. “This experience has fueled me as a former college athlete, and I know it’s going to fuel them as well.”

For Williams, he expressed his hope for the students present that they would remember the widow’s offering and the metaphor of the “two pennies.”

“When you’re empty, let your prayer be simple,” he said. “Lord, all I have is two pennies. You have to do the rest.”

“Don’t miss the sign,” he added. “Just execute the bunt.”

The Epiphany of the Lord All the nations of the earth will adore the one King.  Christ blesses us as we close out the Christmas season.  The magi represent us as we are dismissed to go out to the rest of the world.