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Our Lady of Guadalupe proclaimed the Gospel in “mother tongue,” Pope Francis said Wednesday in a message that highlighted the important role mothers play in passing on the faith to the next generation. In his catechesis on evangelization on August 23, the pope spoke about how the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe in 1531 helped to spread the Gospel across the Americas, praising her as an inspired model of motherhood and inculturation. Pope Francis said the Virgin Mary always “consoles us, makes us go forward and thus allows us to grow, like a good mother who, while following in her son’s steps, launches him into the world’s challenges.” Pope Francis underscored the importance of Marian shrines and pilgrimage destinations, like the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, as places where the Gospel continues to be proclaimed today.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255164/pope-francis-like-our-lady-of-guadalupe-mothers-can-be-great-evangelizers-today
South Carolina’s Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that a law protecting unborn babies with detectable heartbeats from abortion is constitutional and can go into effect. The ruling ended a circuit court’s injunction that had temporarily blocked the Fetal Heartbeat and Protection from Abortion Act, which was signed by Republican Governor Henry McMaster in May. Planned Parenthood and Greenville Women’s Clinic had requested the injunction, claiming the law violates constitutional rights to privacy, equal protection, and substantive due process. The 4-1 ruling is a victory for pro-life legislators in the state, which passed a similar law in 2021. That law was blocked more than a year later and struck down by the state Supreme Court in January of this year.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255168/south-carolina-supreme-court-upholds-heartbeat-abortion-ban-life-is-winning
Irish-American Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York celebrated Mass at a “Mass rock” in Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland, during a pilgrimage on Monday. During the 16th and 18th centuries, under the Penal Laws, all expressions of the Catholic faith were prohibited in Ireland. Priests risked fines, imprisonment, and death for celebrating Mass. This forced priests to celebrate Mass outdoors, in secret locations, using rocks as makeshift altars. Many of these “Mass rocks” are still in existence today and serve as a symbol of the hardships Irish Catholics endured during British rule. During the Mass for the group of pilgrims, Dolan emphasized the importance of the Eucharist. Dolan will conclude the pilgrimage today by celebrating Mass on the 150th anniversary of the dedication of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in Armagh, Ireland, which took place on August 24, 1873. The Mass will take place on Sunday, August 27, at 11 am local time and is open to the public.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255167/cardinal-timothy-dolan-celebrates-mass-at-historic-mass-rock-during-pilgrimage-to-ireland
Today, the Church celebrates Saint Bartholomew, one of the Twelve Apostles, mentioned sixth in the three Gospel lists. 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. We are presented with the Apostle's character in a brief and beautiful dialogue with the Lord Jesus. He is a good Jew, 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.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-bartholomew-apostle-569
