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Four religious sisters who were kidnapped while on their way to Mass August 21 have been released, according to their order. Sisters Johannes Nwodo, Christabel Echemazu, Liberata Mbamalu, and Benita Agu were kidnapped August 21 in Nigeria’s Imo state, located in the south of the country. After two days of seeking “intense prayer” for their “quick and safe release,” the Sisters of Jesus the Saviour announced the abductees’ “unconditional and safe release” in a statement August 23. The Sisters of Jesus the Saviour is a Nigerian order that cares for the poor, elderly, and sick. The order did not provide any details about who may have perpetrated the kidnapping. Kidnappings of Christians in Nigeria have multiplied in recent years, a situation that has prompted Church leaders to express serious concern about the security of their members and to call on the government to prioritize the security of its citizens.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252098/kidnapped-nigerian-religious-sisters-released
Father Stuart Long — the late Catholic priest recently featured in a film starring actor Mark Wahlberg — is one of seven finalists for a prestigious Catholic award called the Lumen Christi Award. The Montana boxer-turned-priest known for his dramatic conversion is the only finalist not alive today. Father Stu was diagnosed with a debilitating terminal illness around the time of his ordination in 2007, but it never deterred him from his ministry as a priest — even while in a wheelchair. The Lumen Christi Award, presented by the papal society Catholic Extension, honors “people who radiate and reveal the light of Christ present in the communities they serve.” Founded in 1905, the Chicago-based nonprofit says that it “works in solidarity with people in America’s poorest regions to build up vibrant and transformative Catholic faith communities.”
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252094/father-stu-honored-catholic-award-finalist-mark-wahlberg-movie
“Trigger laws” banning most abortions with limited exceptions are set to take effect in three states — Texas, Idaho, and Tennessee — on Thursday, August 25. When these laws go into effect, a dozen states in total will have banned abortion, most through “trigger laws” passed before the overturning of Roe v Wade on June 24. According to SBA Pro-life America, the laws going into effect could prevent as many as 69,000 abortions each year across the three states. Katie Glenn, SBAPLA’s state policy director, told CNA that the pro-life organization is “really excited that states can finally enact policies that reflect the values of their people.” The states in question all have provisions in their trigger laws stipulating that the laws would come into force 30 days after the US Supreme Court’s official judgment overturning Roe v Wade, the 1973 landmark decision that legalized abortion nationwide.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252097/abortion-trigger-laws-three-states-take-effect-this-week
Today, the Church celebrates Saint Bartholomew. Besides being listed as an Apostle, he is not otherwise mentioned in the New Testament, at least not under the name Bartholomew: many ancient writers and Catholic tradition have identified Bartholomew as Nathaniel in the Gospel of John. He presented as honest and innocent, a just man, who devotes much time to quiet reflection and prayer "under the fig tree” and has been awaiting the Messiah, the Holy One of God. Nothing is known for sure about the life of Bartholomew after the Ascension of Jesus, but tradition holds that he preached in the East and died a martyr's death in Armenia, being flayed alive for having won converts to the Lord Jesus.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-bartholomew-apostle-569