August 20, 2026

Memorial of Saint Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church

U.S. / Vatican News

U.S. and Vatican News provided in partnership with OSV News

‘Prayer is our number one weapon’ against Russian aggression, says papal nuncio to Ukraine

Archbishop Visvaldas Kolbakas, papal nuncio to Ukraine, shares with OSV News how prayer continues to sustain him amid Russia's intensified attacks in the war, which began in 2014 and accelerated in a 2022 full-scale invasion....

Conversion of heart needed to end wars, heal Earth, pope says

The Vatican released Pope Leo XIV's message for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation which will be celebrated Sept. 1. (SPANISH TRANSLATION of this story will be posted today.)...

Colombia: Bogot? archdiocese launches ‘spiritual first aid’ mission to quake-hit cities

Priests from the Archdiocese of Bogota, led by their bishop, Cardinal Luis Jos? Rueda Aparicio, embarked on a five-day mission to provide spiritual assistance to people living in cities affected by the Aug. 10 earthquake....

Come to the Water: Eucharist boat procession along the Bayou Teche celebrates faith, history

Twelfth Annual F?te-Dieu du Teche Eucharistic Boat Procession in Louisiana asks God?s blessing on America....

Why some Catholic schools are going low-tech in the age of AI

Apart from classical or Montessori schools, technology use, including 1:1 device programs, is commonplace at Catholic high schools. But as more and more studies come out showing the harms of heavy tech use in the...

Christendom professor provides families with blueprint for more intentional homes

A new book by John Cuddeback, professor of philosophy at Christendom College, aims to help readers craft better lives by reclaiming the household as the center of daily life....

Sacred music must be ‘dignified,’ reflecting the mystery being celebrated, pope says

Pope Leo XIV leads his weekly general audience Aug. 19....

Full text: Pope Leo XIV’s general audience given August 19, 2026

This is the text from Pope Leo XIV's Aug. 19, 2026, general audience given at St. Peter's Basilica. (In English and Spanish)...

Pope, bishops mourn death of Polish pilgrims returning from Medjugorje

Pope Leo XIV and the bishops of Poland and Hungary mourned the death of 12 Polish pilgrims in a tragic accident on their way home from Medjugorje...

Deadly school shooting sparks alarm in the Philippines

A shooting in a Jesuit-run school in the Philippines, which saw a student kill a fellow student before killing himself, sparked shock and reignited alarm over juvenile delinquency and campus security....

September feasts: Commemorating the Holy Cross and Our Lady of Sorrows

Each September the Church celebrates the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on Sept. 14, and the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows follows on Sept. 15. The pairing of these celebrations, even...

3 US-based leaders among 12 consultors named to Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development

Pope Leo XIV has appointed three U.S.-based consultors, all with ties to the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, to the Dicastery for Integral Human Development. They are among a dozen newly named consultors to...