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Pope, British King Share Historic Prayer in Sistine Chapel

By Currents News and Cindy Wooden

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Leo XIV welcomed Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla to the Vatican for a unique visit combining ceremonial flourishes and a historic moment of prayer in the Sistine Chapel.

According to Buckingham Palace, it was the first time since the Reformation in the early 16th century that the pope and a British monarch prayed together at an ecumenical service at the Vatican.

From the moment the royal couple arrived Oct. 23 in the San Damaso Courtyard of the Apostolic Palace, the high formality of the official visit was clear as a larger-than-usual contingent of Swiss Guards welcomed the king and queen, and the Vatican police band played the Vatican anthem and “God Save the King,” which is the British national anthem.

After a private meeting, Pope Leo and King Charles exchanged gifts: a mosaic of Christ for the king and an icon of St. Edward the Confessor for the pope. They also gave each other framed, autographed photos of themselves.

RELATED: Vatican Sends Relic of True Cross to Britain’s King Charles

But the two also exchanged top honors.

The king conferred on the pope the “Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath,” which traditionally is given to heads of state, and the pope conferred on the king the “Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Vatican Order of Pope Pius IX.” Pope Leo made Queen Camilla a dame of the same order.

Their majesties originally had planned to make the visit in April in conjunction with a formal state visit to Italy. While the Italian portion of their trip went ahead as scheduled, they only went to the Vatican briefly to greet Pope Francis, who died a few weeks later.

After the private meeting and exchange of gifts, Pope Leo and Anglican Archbishop Stephen Cottrell of York, the ranking prelate of the Church of England, led midday prayer in the Sistine Chapel with a focus on “care for creation.”

Pope Leo and Archbishop Cottrell sat in front of the altar under Michelangelo’s Last Judgment during the prayer service, while the king and queen sat slightly to one side.

Cantors from the Sistine Chapel choir were joined by adults from the choir of St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle and children from the choir of the Chapel Royal of St. James’ Palace in London.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, and Archbishop Leo Cushley of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, representing the Catholic bishops of Scotland, and the Rev. Rosie Frew, moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, joined the king and queen for the prayer service.

Briefing reporters about the visit, Archbishop Flavio Pace, secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, said the moments of prayer and the exchange of honors were clear signs of the progress made in Catholic-Anglican relations since the 1960s.

Pope Leo and King Charles left the Sistine Chapel together and went into the adjoining Sala Regia to meet business leaders and activists committed to fighting climate change and promoting sustainability.

The pope personally accompanied the king back to the San Damaso Courtyard where his “Bentley State Limousine,” an armored car used for formal visits, was waiting for him and the queen.

As is customary, the Vatican press office provided no information about the pope and king’s private discussion.

RELATED: Pope Leo XIV Becomes First Pontiff To Preside Over Swiss Guard Oath in 57 Years

However, in a meeting with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, and Archbishop Paul R. Gallagher, foreign minister, the press office said, “matters of common interest were discussed, such as environmental protection and the fight against poverty.”

“Particular attention was given to the shared commitment to promoting peace and security in the face of global challenges,” the statement said. And “recalling the history of the church in the United Kingdom, there was a shared reflection on the need to continue promoting ecumenical dialogue.”

After leaving the Vatican, King Charles and Queen Camilla went to Rome’s Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls and walked through the Holy Door, prayed at the tomb of St. Paul and attended another prayer service.

With the approval of Pope Leo, King Charles was recognized as a “royal confrater” of the basilica, a decision made by U.S. Cardinal James M. Harvey, archpriest of the basilica, and Benedictine Abbot Donato Ogliari, head of the monastery of St. Paul Outside the Walls.

In return, Buckingham Palace said, “with the approval of the king, the dean and canons of the College of St. George Windsor have offered that Pope Leo XIV become ‘Papal Confrater’ of St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle and the pope has accepted.”

“These mutual gifts of ‘confraternity’ are recognitions of spiritual fellowship and are deeply symbolic of the journey the Church of England — of which His Majesty is Supreme Governor — and the Roman Catholic Church have traveled over the past 500 years,” the palace said in a statement.

Catholic News Headlines for Thursday 10/23/2025

Parishioners at St. Patrick Church in Brooklyn have walked through the same heavy doors for more than 100 years, but in 2025 a landmark grant is helping to restore the historic entryways.

Pope Leo XIV and King Charles III prayed together in the Sistine Chapel, marking the first time since the Reformation that the pope and a British monarch prayed together at the Vatican.

Investigators in Paris are still working to find the thieves behind the Louvre museum heist – they’re looking for four suspects who stole more than $100 million worth of precious jewels.

New York Landmarks Conservancy Grant Opens a New Door at St. Patrick’s Church in Brooklyn

 By Jessica Easthope

For 100 years the faithful of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn have walked through the front doors of St. Patrick’s Church on 4th Avenue to encounter Christ. But after a century, even those with the strongest faith have a hard time getting them open.

“For the elderly people, I do open them, they need it. They can’t do it themselves,” one parishioner explained.

“Very, very heavy, very heavy,” another told Currents News. “I mean, I can open them, but I’m sure for older people it’s really a struggle. But they are very heavy.”

Enter Peg Horan and Kelly Kunz, a mother-daughter team of parishioners and members of the church’s grant committee.

“The hydraulics on the on the doors do not work. So, they’re very heavy. I mean, we almost joke around that we all have to help each other to get out of the church because we all have to kind of take the door to get out,” Peg said.

“Doors can be heavy, doors can open in, they can open out, doors are what lead us to Christ,” said Fr. Dowd.

Along with St. Patrick’s pastor, Fr. Brian Dowd, Peg and Kelly applied for a sacred sites grant with the New York Landmarks Conservancy, and they got it: $15,000 to restore the original metal-wrapped wood doors.

“They’re what we walk through during the best days of our lives, and sometimes the worst days of our lives and every day in between too,” Kelly said.

“St. Patrick’s has been a beacon here in Bay Ridge, not just to the Catholics, but to all members of the community,” said Fr. Dowd.

Fr. Dowd says the entire project will cost about $50,000 but through fundraising and weekly collections parishioners make up the difference, happily.

“I know that for my children’s future that they get to be a part of a thriving and wonderful St. Patrick’s community for the rest of their lives as well. And it can give them the gifts that St. Patrick’s has given me,” said Kelly.

“It’s uplifting to know that we’re always an environment that’s always changing, always improving,” Peg said.

New York Landmarks Conservancy’s president, Peg Breen says the historic church holds generational significance.

“St. Patrick’s really is an anchor in that community and for the people who go there, it holds memories,” she said.

People come and go, buildings change, but at St. Pat’s faith, community and the front doors were built to last.

“We can always count on St. Pat’s,” said Peg. “It’s our family.”

Fr. Dowd is hoping to have the restoration complete and to be welcoming parishioners through St. Patrick’s front doors again by Christmas.

TONIGHT AT 7: Century-Old Church Doors Get New Life in Brooklyn

By Jessica Easthope

For more than 100 years, parishioners at St. Patrick’s Church in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn have walked through the same heavy doors — but time took its toll. Now, thanks to two dedicated parishioners and a historic preservation grant, the iconic entryways are being restored to welcome future generations.

Queens Catholic Academy Students Walk to Raise Funds Aiding South Sudan Water Crisis

By Jessica Easthope

Students at St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Academy in Maspeth, Queens took to their schoolyard to raise awareness and funds for the water crisis in South Sudan, inspired by the semi-biographical book “A Long Walk to Water” by Linda Sue Park.

The novel, which details the struggles of accessing clean water in war-torn South Sudan, moved 5th through 8th graders and their teachers to take action.

“As I’m reading the book, I’m learning that there are people who are struggling, and that makes me want to help them more because they don’t have clean water,” said 7th grader Luca Berardi.

His classmate Olivia Gowalaka added, “It’s good to feel like we accomplished something. And that a well will be built and St. Stan’s helped do that.”

The students participated in a walk-a-thon, chanting “Walk for Water!” as they completed laps to raise money for Water for South Sudan, a nonprofit founded by one of the book’s protagonists that builds wells in the region. Sponsors donated per lap, helping the students raise $1,200.

According to UNICEF, 6.5 million people—60% of South Sudan’s population—lack access to clean drinking water.

Teacher Rosemarie Rosen emphasized the Catholic call to action: “As Catholics, we have to be stewards of the earth, and that means everybody. So I wanted them to see how other people live and that they could do something about it!”

She added, “It was just so nice to come together as a community. To do something for someone else, this wasn’t for St. Stan’s, this was for people they’ll never meet. They’ll never understand how they live. And yet they did it.”

The students see their efforts as a reflection of faith.

“Jesus obviously is like a model, and by helping people get water, I really think that’s something Jesus could have done,” Gowalaka said.

Berardi echoed, “All of us need to help each other, and we need to be one. And these people are dying because there are other people that have water and they don’t.”

With a goal of $5,000 to build one well, the students hope their walkathon inspires others to contribute.

Donations can be made by sending a check to St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Academy at 61-17 Grand Avenue, Maspeth, Queens, 11378, with “WATER” in the memo.

Their small steps aim to make a big impact, bringing hope and faith across borders to those in need.

Catholic News Headlines for Wednesday 10/22/2025  

After reading a novel about the struggle to access clean drinking water in war-torn South Sudan, students at a Queens Catholic academy have stepped up to raise money – and awareness – of the issue.

Pope Leo XIV received letters from victims of the Annunciation Church shooting in Minnesota – Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul-Minneapolis delivered them to the Holy Father while in Rome.

This week marks a grim anniversary for Catholics around the world: six months ago Pope Francis returned to the Lord.

Thousands Continue to Honor Pope Francis at His Tomb Six Months After His Passing

By Currents News

Six months after the passing of Pope Francis, thousands of faithful continue to visit his tomb at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome to pay their respects to the beloved “People’s Pope.”

Buried beside an image of the Virgin Mary, to whom he had a profound devotion, Pope Francis prayed at this basilica over a hundred times, including before papal trips, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and after leaving the hospital in March of 2024.

As the eighth pontiff to be buried at St. Mary Major, Pope Francis remains a deeply cherished figure, drawing long lines of visitors who sometimes wait hours to see his tomb.
Those who make the pilgrimage say the experience of spending time with the People’s Pope is well worth the wait.

Catholic News Headlines for Tuesday 10/21/2025  

A new bike lane meant to solve traffic problems in Brooklyn is creating traffic headaches — parishioners at St. Mary Star of the Sea Church in Carroll Gardens say New York City’s plan for protecting pedestrians isn’t working out.

The National Respect Life Novena will soon begin, and bishops across the U.S. are urging all Catholics to pray for babies in the womb.

First responders in Minneapolis have found company and comfort in a therapy dog who was with them as they treated those injured in the Annunciation Catholic School shooting earlier this year.

Father Ruskin Piedra Honored in the Diocese of Brooklyn With Street Renaming

by Marietha Góngora V. 

SUNSET PARK — On Oct. 19, the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish community gathered to honor the life and legacy of Father Ruskin Piedra, who was a steadfast champion for immigrants in more than six decades as a priest.  

Father Piedra, who died in December at the age of 90, came to the Diocese of Brooklyn, specifically the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, in the late 1990s to provide pastoral care to Hispanic parishioners. In 2003, he established the Juan Neumann Immigration Center, which continues to serve immigrants in need to this day. 

The basilica’s pews were full for a Mass to honor the late priest. Afterwards, everyone gathered at the corner of 60th Street and 5th Avenue to witness 60th Street be officially renamed “Padre Ruskin Piedra Way.” 

Amid music and gestures of celebration, those present, including Father Piedra’s family members, commemorated his life of pastoral service, which is remembered in large part through the Juan Neumann Immigration Center. 

Throughout the day, Father John Collins, provincial superior of the Redemptorists of the Baltimore Province, and other Redemptorist priests who shared in Father Piedra’s mission of serving those in need, accompanied the parish community in this heartfelt commemoration. 

The event was also attended by local authorities, community leaders, representatives of the parish council, and parish leaders.  

Councilwoman Alexa Avilés, whose support helped make the street renaming possible, told The Tablet that she hopes “every time people see his name there, they will remember his legacy, the values he lived by, and how, in these difficult times for the immigrant community in this country, it is increasingly important.” 

Rosemarie Vaquero said Father Piedra will be missed.  

“Everything he has done and everything he has always fought for will always be in our memory,” said Vaquero, who knew Father Piedra since 2004.  

RELATED: The Forgotten Church That Shaped Hispanic Ministry in the Diocese of Brooklyn

Anabelquis Díaz, a parishioner at the basilica who is working towards citizenship, said she remembers Father Piedra as “a very humble, very human person.”  

“I came looking for help to take citizenship classes a year and six months ago,” Díaz said. “I am preparing myself and, thank God, I have an interview with immigration soon, with the help of Father Ruskin and Professor Maribel.” 

Ana Victoria Landigua said she will remember Father Piedra for his joy and dedication to his community, noting that “helping migrants was his number one purpose.”  

Father Manuel Rodríguez-Delgado, a priest in residence at the basilica, said that Father Piedra “left a very deep legacy of charity, care for the poor, solidarity, help, and compassion.”  

Milagros Almonte, an assistant at the Juan Neumann Immigration Center, highlighted Father Piedra’s commitment to each immigration case.  

“He always took on the cases and never rested,” Almonte said. “He touched many lives, truly. Everyone who knew him will tell you something funny or tell you how much they miss him because he was an incredible person, and I am happy to have known him and worked with him.”