Dec 31, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

2025 was the Jubilee Year of Hope — and the news often seemed determined to put that promise to the test. But from conversions to hidden acts of heroism, miracles amid the ashes, and powerful gestures from Pope Leo XIV, these eight stories show why this extraordinary year can truly be remembered as a time when hope shone bright.

1. Tabernacle survives Los Angeles wildfires

In Pacific Palisades, California, Corpus Christi Catholic Church burned to the ground during the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, but firefighters found the tabernacle completely intact amid the ashes, with the Blessed Sacrament preserved. The image of the untouched tabernacle quickly went viral, becoming a powerful sign of Christ’s presence and hope for a parish community that had lost almost everything.

2. ‘I only kneel before God’: A martyr in Myanmar

In Myanmar, Father Donald Martin Ye Naing Win was killed on Feb. 14 after reportedly refusing to kneel before armed men, declaring: “I only kneel before God.” His last words and martyrdom spread across Catholic media as a stark witness that fidelity to Christ is worth more than life itself, even amid violent persecution.

3. Three priest brothers care for their mother with Alzheimer’s

A moving story from Brazil showed three priests — Father Sildo César da Costa, Father Sérgio Luís da Costa, and Father Silvano João da Costa — who are brothers, taking turns caring for their elderly mother suffering from Alzheimer’s. Their hidden, daily sacrifice offered a living catechesis on the Fourth Commandment and reminded many that priesthood and family love are not opposed but can be beautifully united in humble service.

4. Large family devoted to Sacred Heart walks away from serious crash

A large Catholic family, consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, survived a serious car accident without losing a single member. They publicly thanked the Lord and the Virgin Mary for their protection, renewing interest in enthroning the Sacred Heart in homes and in trusting God in moments of danger.

“It all happened in a matter of seconds,” José María Mayoral, the father of the family, who lost control of the car and crashed into the median, then into the right guardrail, and finally rolled over before coming to a stop, told ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner.

According to Mayoral, several truck drivers and families who witnessed the accident stopped to help. “They all agreed on one thing: It was a miracle that no one was hurt,” he added.

For the family, the explanation was clear: Their devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus was not just a tradition “but a living and profound trust.”

He shared that after this experience his mission became even more clear: “Continue spreading this devotion, continue to trust him, and continue to testify that, even in the midst of danger, his love is the safest refuge.”

5. Marriage restored through St. John Paul II’s theology of the body

The testimony of Carmen García and Carlos Mejía recounted how their deeply wounded marriage was healed through the catecheses of St. John Paul II and the Proyecto Amor Conyugal apostolate — a program being taught to married couples throughout dioceses in Spain that teaches the true meaning of marriage based on St. John Paul II’s “theology of the body.”

Their story shows that when couples embrace God’s plan for marriage, even relationships marked by atheism, infidelity, or deep wounds can be renewed and transformed.

6. Pope Leo XIV’s strong words for marriage and the family

During the Jubilee of Families, Children, Grandparents, and the Elderly, Pope Leo XIV said during his homily on June 1 that marriage is “not an ideal but the measure of true love between a man and a woman” and called families “the cradle of the future of humanity.” His clear and hopeful teaching inspired parishes and movements to deepen catechesis, accompaniment, and defense of the family in a confused cultural climate.

7. Historic ecumenical moments in England and Rome

For the first time in 500 years, a pope and the king of England prayed together in the Sistine Chapel, as Pope Leo XIV and King Charles III led an Ecumenical Prayer for the Care of Creation on Oct. 23. This was historic as it marked the first time since the Protestant Reformation that a reigning British monarch and a pope have prayed together during a royal state visit to the Vatican.

In another historic gesture, more than 50 Catholic priests processed into Canterbury Cathedral to celebrate Mass in honor of the feast of the Translation of St. Thomas Becket on July 7, reconnecting England with its ancient Catholic roots and offering a powerful sign of reconciliation and remembrance. This historic event drew over 800 Catholics — the largest congregation to be in the cathedral since the Reformation — blending faith, history, and culture in a powerful tribute to England’s Catholic roots.

8. Saints and miracles

The beatification cause of Sister Clare Crockett — an inspirational young Irish religious sister who died in 2016 — officially opened on Jan. 12 in Madrid, Spain, formally recognizing her as a servant of God and drawing many young people to her joyful, radical witness.

Another story of hope was that of Antonia Raco, a 67-year-old Italian woman long affected by an incurable neurodegenerative illness who was announced as the 72nd official miracle taking place in Lourdes on April 16.

After bathing in the waters at Lourdes in 2009, Raco “began to move independently,” after which “the effects of the infamous illness immediately and definitively disappeared,” the Italian Diocese of Tursi-Lagonegro in Italy said in a statement.

“I had wanted to go to Lourdes since I was a child,” Raco recalled in a press conference on July 25. That wish came true in 2009, when she and her husband, Antonio, traveled to the shrine with the Italian pilgrimage association Unitalsi.

The experience, however, was not exactly as she had once imagined: She arrived in a wheelchair, already struggling to breathe and swallow.

On the second day, sanctuary volunteers brought her to the baths. “We prayed together. That’s when I heard a beautiful young female voice say three times: ‘Don’t be afraid!’”

Dec 31, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The past year has seen several notable Catholics pass away — from public officials to the vicar of Christ himself.

Here’s a rundown of some prominent Catholics around the world who left us in 2025:

Pope Francis (Dec. 17, 1936 — April 21, 2025)

The Holy Father, Pope Francis, passed away at 7:35 a.m. on Easter Monday, April 21, at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta. The 88-year-old pontiff led the Catholic Church for a little more than 12 years.

The first Latin American pope in history as well as the first Jesuit pope, Francis led the Church through significant canonical and catechetical reforms, urging the faithful to reach out and minister to those on the margins of society while preaching the mercy of God.

Upon his death he left the legacy of what Cardinal Kevin Farrell said was a life “dedicated to the service of God and his Church,” one that urged the faithful to “live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalized.”

Pope Francis was succeeded in the chair of St. Peter by Pope Leo XIV on May 8.

Mabel Landry Staton (Nov. 20, 1932 — Feb. 20, 2025)

Mabel Landry Staton, a trailblazing athlete who briefly set an Olympic record at the 1952 Summer Olympics, died on Feb. 20 at age 92.

Representing the United States at the Olympic games in Helsinki in 1952, Staton — known as “Dolly” after a nickname from her father — set a record in the long jump category at 19 feet 3.25 inches. Though the record only lasted for several minutes before New Zealand athlete Yvette Williams bested it, Staton would go on to win medals in the 1955 Pan American Games.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Staton served as a Eucharistic minister at St. Thomas More Church in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, as well as on the board of the Black Catholic Ministry of the Diocese of Camden.

According to the Inquirer, Staton “could still outsprint some of the local high school boys in her 70s.”

Alasdair MacIntyre (Jan. 12, 1929 — May 21, 2025)

Alasdair MacIntyre, a towering figure in moral philosophy and a Catholic convert credited with reviving the discipline of virtue ethics, died on May 21 at age 96.

His seminal 1981 work “After Virtue” reshaped contemporary moral and political philosophy, emphasizing virtue over utilitarian or deontological frameworks.

Known by many as “the most important” modern Catholic philosopher, MacIntyre’s intellectual and spiritual journey spanned atheism, Marxism, Anglicanism, and ultimately Roman Catholicism.

James Hitchcock (Feb. 13, 1938 — July 14, 2025)

James Hitchcock — a noted historian of the Catholic Church, popular author, and longtime college professor — died on July 14 at age 87.

Hitchcock was remembered by friends and colleagues as a man of prophetic insight who defended Church teaching and helped to make the Catholic intellectual tradition accessible for his students and readers.

Hitchcock taught history at Saint Louis University from the late 1960s until 2013. Some of the most popular of the dozen books he wrote include his one-volume “History of the Catholic Church: From the Apostolic Age to the Third Millennium,” published in 2012 by Ignatius Press.

Frank Caprio (Nov. 24, 1936 — Aug. 20, 2025)

Frank Caprio, who served as a Providence, Rhode Island, municipal court judge for nearly 40 years and came to be known as “America’s nicest judge,” passed away on Aug. 20 from pancreatic cancer.

Caprio gained worldwide fame for a lenient judicial style that blended justice, extreme empathy, and mercy when his courtroom was televised in a program called “Caught in Providence.”

The program began in 1999 and went viral in 2017, achieving hundreds of millions of views since then. The show was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award in 2021 and has a YouTube channel with nearly 3 million subscribers.

Caprio told EWTN News in February that he always kept in mind something his father, a hardworking Italian immigrant with a fifth-grade education, had impressed upon him: “What might seem like a small fine to some was something that many couldn’t afford.”

“Your case is dismissed” became Caprio’s signature phrase.

Thomas A. Nelson (March 1, 1937 — Aug. 16, 2025)

Thomas A. Nelson, the founder of TAN Books — a Catholic publishing house known for its books promoting traditional Catholicism in the post-Vatican II era — died Aug. 16 at age 88.

Nelson, who had previously worked as a teacher, founded TAN Books and Publishers Inc. in Rockford, Illinois, in 1967 and an accompanying printing plant in 1978. In addition to being Nelson’s initials, TAN is an acronym for the Latin phrase “Tuum Adoramus Nomen” (“Let Us Adore Thy Name”).

Under Nelson’s ownership, TAN became known for publishing orthodox Catholic books, including reprints of classic Catholic works on theology, Scripture, traditional devotions, the Traditional Latin Mass, and the lives of the saints as well as new titles on these subjects by contemporary authors.

Katharine, Duchess of Kent (Feb. 22, 1933 — Sept. 4, 2025)

The Duchess of Kent, who became the first senior British royal to be received into the Catholic Church since the 17th century, died on Sept. 4 at the age of 92.

Renowned for her natural charm, compassion for the sick and downtrodden, and commitment to serving others, the duchess was a much-loved and hardworking British royal whose popularity was enhanced by her own personal suffering and self-effacing nature.

She was received into the Church in January 1994 by Cardinal Basil Hume. Up until then, no senior royal had publicly been received into the Church since 1685.

Katharine spoke favorably of the Church’s moral precepts. “I do love guidelines and the Catholic Church offers you guidelines,” she once told the BBC. “I have always wanted that in my life. I like to know what’s expected of me.”

Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt (Aug. 21, 1919 — Oct. 9, 2025)

Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the beloved Catholic nun who became known across the country at the age of 98 as the chaplain of the Loyola University Chicago men’s basketball team, died Oct. 9 at the age of 106.

Sister Jean was born Dolores Bertha Schmidt on Aug. 21, 1919, to Joseph and Bertha Schmidt. She was raised in a devout Catholic home in San Francisco’s Castro District.

In 1937, she joined the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and took the name Sister Jean Dolores. In 1991, she joined the staff at Loyola Chicago and three years later became part of the basketball team, first as an academic adviser before transitioning to chaplain.

Sister Jean led the team in prayer before each game — praying for her players to be safe, for the referees to be fair, and for God’s assistance during the game.

She also admitted to praying for the opposing team, though “not as hard.”

Sister Mary Michael of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, PCPA (Feb. 25, 1931 — Nov. 10, 2025)

Sister Mary Michael of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, PCPA, died on Nov. 10 at age 94 after roughly three-quarters of a century of religious life.

Sister Mary Michael was the last of the original five nuns who, along with EWTN foundress Mother Angelica, began the Our Lady of the Angels Monastery in Irondale, Alabama.

Born Evelyn Shinosky on Feb. 25, 1931, to Joseph and Helen Shinosky, she entered Sancta Clara Monastery in Canton, Ohio, on Aug. 15, 1951, and received the habit and her new name the following May.

Her passing marked the end of an era at EWTN and at the monastery — one that saw both the launch of the global Catholic network and the expansion of the religious community to include the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery.

Paul Badde (March 10, 1948 — Nov. 10, 2025)

Paul Badde, author of many well-known books such as “Benedict Up Close,” “The Face of God,” and “The True Icon,” died on Nov. 10 at the age of 77 after a long illness. Badde was also a veteran contributor to EWTN and CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner.

Born in Schaag, Germany — a small village on the Lower Rhine — he studied philosophy and sociology in Freiburg as well as art history, history, and political science in Frankfurt. Before embarking on a journalistic career, Badde worked as a teacher for several years.

A founding editor of Vatican Magazine, Paul and his wife, Ellen, had five children.

Sister JoAnn Persch (June 27, 1934 — Nov. 14, 2025)

Longtime immigrant rights advocate Sister JoAnn Persch died on Nov. 14 at age 91.

Two weeks before her death, Persch attempted to bring Communion to detainees at the Broadview, Illinois, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility where for decades the Sisters of Mercy ministered to migrants and refugees. Officials denied her entry.

Persch and Sister Pat Murphy were founding members of the Su Casa Catholic Worker House in Chicago, serving refugees from Central America who were survivors of war, torture, and political persecution.

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

2025 was marked by the death of Pope Francis, the conclave, the election of Pope Leo XIV, and the beginning of a pontificate shaped by journeys, meetings, and calls for peace. All of this unfolds in the midst of the Jubilee Year of Hope, which is set to conclude on January 6. Let us take a look back at this Holy Year.

Read all

 

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The tenacious hope of people of faith, believing in a better tomorrow, keeps God's plan of salvation alive in the world, Pope Leo XIV said. 

They keep hope alive even though today, just like in the past, there are other kinds of plans unfolding, he said during an evening prayer service in St. Peter's Basilica Dec. 31. 

They include plans "aimed at conquering markets, territories and zones of influence. Weaponized strategies, cloaked in hypocritical speeches, ideological proclamations and false religious motives," he said. 

The pope, accompanied by dozens of cardinals and bishops, and thousands of visitors in the basilica, prayed vespers and then sang the "Te Deum" ("We praise you, oh God") in thanksgiving for the blessings of the past year. 

The prayer service was held less than a week before the official close of the Holy Year 2025, which was inaugurated by Pope Francis when he opened the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica during Christmas Eve Mass in 2024. Pope Leo was scheduled to close the door Jan. 6, the feast of the Epiphany, thereby officially marking the end of the Holy Year. 

"Let us thank God for the gift of the Jubilee, which has been a great sign of (God's) plan of hope for humanity and the world," Pope Leo said in his homily. 

In this plan, God has "reserved a special place for this city of Rome," he said. "Not because of its glories, not because of its power, but because Peter and Paul and so many other martyrs shed their blood here for Christ." 

"That is why Rome is the city of the Jubilee," he told the congregation, which included Rome's mayor, Roberto Gualtieri, who was seated in the front row. 

The birth of the Son of God "suggests a plan, a great plan for human history," the pope said, which will "sum up all things in Christ, in heaven and on earth." 

"Sisters, brothers, today we feel the need for a wise, benevolent, merciful plan," he said. "May it be a free and liberating, peaceful, faithful plan, like the one the Virgin Mary proclaimed in her canticle of praise: 'His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him.'" 

"The Holy Mother of God, the smallest and highest among creatures, sees things through the eyes of God: she sees that with the might of his arm, the Most High disperses the plots of the arrogant, overthrows the powerful from their thrones and raises up the lowly, fills the hands of the hungry with good things and empties those of the rich," he said. 

"God loves to hope with the heart of the least" and the meek, he said, "and he does so by involving them in his plan of salvation." 

"The more beautiful the plan, the greater the hope," he said. "And indeed, the world goes on like this, driven by the hope of so many simple people, unknown but not to God, who, despite everything, believe in a better tomorrow, because they know that the future is in the hands of the One who offers them the greatest hope." 

After the service, Pope Leo visited the Vatican Nativity scene in St. Peter's Square and prayed at the creche while the band of the Swiss Guard played Christmas carols. He then greeted the faithful gathered there, exchanging small talk and wishing people a happy new year. 

As 2026 approaches, Vatican News revisits some reflections by the Popes on this transitional period between the end of 2025 and the arrival of the new year.

Read all

 

On the third anniversary of Pope Benedict XVI’s death, Cardinal Kurt Koch, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, celebrates Mass in the Vatican Grottoes and recalls the German Pope’s desire for Christians to seek the face of God throughout our earthly lives.

Read all

 

At the final General Audience of 2025, Pope Leo XIV invites the faithful to give thanks for the past, seek forgiveness, and entrust the journey ahead to God’s mercy.

Read all

 

As global conflict reaches levels unseen since the Second World War, Pope Leo XIV’s Message for the World Day of Peace challenges a war-centred understanding of security. Neil Thorns, CAFOD’s Director of Advocacy, reflects on why redefining “realism” is now essential.

Read all

 

Dec 30, 2025 / 19:22 pm (CNA).

Catholic leaders in Bangladesh are mourning the death of Begum Khaleda Zia, an alumna of Catholic-run St. Joseph’s School who became the country’s first woman prime minister and maintained a lifelong bond with the Catholic community. She died Tuesday morning local time at age 80 at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka following a prolonged illness.

“She knew us and we had a good relationship with her,” said Bishop Gervas Rozario, vice president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Bangladesh. “She protected minorities when she was in power.”

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which she led for decades, announced her passing. “Amma (Mother) is no more,” acting chairman Tarique Rahman told senior leaders. The interim government, led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, declared a three-day state of mourning and a public holiday for her funeral, to be held Wednesday at the National Parliament grounds.

From ‘putul’ to prime minister

Khaleda Zia’s journey began in the classrooms of Catholic-run schools. Born in 1945 in Jalpaiguri, she spent her formative years at St. Joseph’s School in Dinajpur, where she was affectionately nicknamed “putul” (doll) by her principal, Sister Pia Fernandes.

Father Albert Rozario recalled a memory from her time as the president’s wife. When taking her son for an admission test at St. Joseph’s School in Dhaka, she waited outside the gate until the principal, realizing who she was, invited her inside.

Politics was not her chosen path. It was thrust upon her by tragedy following the 1981 assassination of her husband, President Ziaur Rahman. As the BNP reeled from the loss of its founder, party leaders turned to the grieving widow to unite them and carry forward his legacy.

She rose to the challenge, becoming BNP chairperson in 1984. The woman once nicknamed “doll” as a girl led the movement against the military dictatorship of Hussain Muhammad Ershad, earning a reputation as an “uncompromising leader.”

Her perseverance paid off with an electoral victory in 1991, making her the first woman prime minister of Bangladesh.

Supporter of Christians

Her tenure was defined by reforms. She restored the parliamentary system and instituted the caretaker government model to oversee elections — a system meant to ensure fairness. She introduced free education for girls up to grade 10 and stipend programs for rural female students, boosting enrollment and literacy.

“She played a significant role in increasing access to education, expanding opportunities for women and girls and strengthening basic social services,” Bishop Rozario noted.

Her political life included three terms (1991–1996, a brief period in 1996, and 2001–2006) and intense rivalry. She endured imprisonment on corruption charges in 2018, release in 2020, and was finally acquitted in 2025 after a legal battle. Through it all, she remained a central figure in the nation’s consciousness.

For the Christian community, she was an ally. Father Albert Rozario, who celebrated Christmas with her three times, remembered her inclusive spirit. “She used to say, ‘Christmas is not only for Christians, it is for people of all religions.’” That she died during the Christmas season has added a layer of resonance for many.

Her passing has drawn condolences from across South Asia. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi noted her “important contributions … to India-Bangladesh relations.” Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is traveling to Dhaka to pay his last respects alongside dignitaries from Pakistan, Bhutan, and the Maldives.

In a televised address, Chief Adviser Yunus captured the national sentiment: “Today, our entire nation stands still in deep grief and sorrow… With her death, the nation has lost a great guardian.”

Dec 30, 2025 / 15:56 pm (CNA).

During the year 2025, the participation of the faithful in audiences and liturgical celebrations at the Vatican reached a total of 3,176,620 people.

The Vatican released on Dec. 30 the attendance figures for liturgical celebrations in 2025, a year marked by the Jubilee of Hope, the death of Pope Francis, and the election in May of Pope Leo XIV.

Under the pontificate of Pope Francis, who died on April 21, a total attendance of 262,820 faithful was recorded. The largest crowds were at the Angelus, with 130,000 people, followed by the liturgical celebrations, which drew 62,000 faithful.

The general and jubilee audiences were attended by 60,500 people, while the total for special audiences was 10,320. The months with the highest attendance were January and February, especially for the Angelus and liturgical celebrations.

Pope Francis did not preside over any ceremonies or hold any meetings or audiences during the month of March due to his extended stay at Gemelli Hospital in Rome.

For Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate, which began on May 8, a total of 2,913,800 faithful attended various events. General and jubilee audiences had the greatest participation, drawing 1,069,000 people, followed by the Angelus, with 900,000 in attendance, and liturgical celebrations, which drew 796,500 faithful.

Special audiences brought together 148,300 people. The months with the highest attendance were September, October, and December, with October standing out for the large number of attendees at general audiences.

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