Jesus of Nazareth is, a man, commended by God

 

We call this SoNoGo - South Park-North Park-Golden Hill & Our Mission: to see the baptized who live in SoNoGo worship in SoNoGo 

Saint Patrick Catholic Parish

The Catholic Church Explained

Father Gregory Ashe was the founding pastor of St. Patrick’s parish, beginning in 1921 and serving until 1925 when he was replaced by Father Thomas Healy, the parish’s second pastor, and first Augustinian.  Father Ashe eventually returned to Buffalo, New York to serve in parish work.  He died there in 1934.  Father Healy served as pastor of St. Patrick’s for a year and a half, after which he returned to Pennsylvania. He died a short time later in January 1927 at the age of 54.  Both Fathers Ashe and Healy were born in Ireland. The 1920s were good to San Diego and the community of North Park.  Businesses were thriving, new arrivals spurred development, and optimism was high.  Under Father Daley’s guidance, the parish decided to commit to the construction of a magnificent structure, Romanesque in style, using the best architecture and artistry available.  Frank Hope was contracted as the architect and the M.H. Golden company did the construction.  The contract was signed on October 15th, 1928, and work began almost immediately.  Amazingly, the church, the present structure, was finished by Easter Sunday, 1929, in just about six months, but it wasn’t dedicated until September 1929.  The cost of the structure was $37,000, and with all the interior additions the cost of the project was around $60,000.  Father Daley and the parishioners of St. Patrick’s were justifiably proud of their accomplishments.  The next step would be the construction of a school, and it probably would have gone forward but for one obstacle: the stock market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression.

Temperance is not repression of feeling

When we live hidden in Christ

 

April 16, 1521: German reformer Martin Luther arrives at the Diet of Worms

Russell Moore on why President Donald Trump’s AI Jesus controversy helps reveal what the church has become—and where it should go from here.

With the Strait of Hormuz restricted due to the Iran war, Christian aviation and relief groups face high fuel costs as they aid the most vulnerable.

The Hebrew midwives from Exodus can teach us anew about godly resistance and civil disobedience.

Church crises are real, but popular "exvangelical" discourse offers too pat a narrative to be helpful, says Yi Ning Chiu.

Behind the Story

From CT global correspondent Jill Nelson: While working on my article on the Iran war’s impact on global aid, I found arranging phone calls with Christian ministries during Holy Week challenging. One group responded, "With the short week (we’re out Friday and Monday) it’s a challenge tracking folks down." Other ministry leaders were in transit on their way to visit family.

Meanwhile, my husband and I were juggling our own travel logistics while visiting family in South Dakota. During a call with an aviation ministry on Good Friday, I could hear my husband in the background coordinating a rental car for our adult son, who had spent the night in a North Dakota airport and was facing yet another flight delay.

Despite the Holy Week sourcing obstacles, the story came together. Nearly all of the ministries I contacted looked into my detailed inquiries and found someone to speak with me. And my son drove six hours through an April snowstorm, arriving in South Dakota in time to bring several days of joy to his grandparents and extended family.

In Other News

Vice President JD Vance spoke at a mostly empty Turning Point USA rally, where young evangelical supporters criticized the war in Iran and Trump’s post portraying himself as Jesus.   A court ordered Air Canada to provide back pay to pilots who were put on unpaid leave after the company rejected their requests for religious exemption to the COVID-19 vaccine.  Jemar Tisby has gone into filmmaking, with a documentary on Christianity and immigration. April 16, 1521: German reformer Martin Luther arrives at the Diet of Worms, convinced he would get the hearing he requested in 1517 to discuss the abuse of indulgences and his "95 Theses." He was astounded when he discovered it would not be a debate, but rather a judicial hearing to see if he wished to recant his words.

Trump team ramps up religion in government

Chicago Theological Seminary stops admitting new students as financial pressure grows*
The Chicago Tribune: Brad Braxton, the school’s president, told the Tribune in a statement Tuesday that the seminary decided to cease admissions while it undergoes a “board-approved strategic planning process” that is focused on ensuring the school is able to continue its mission for “generations to come.”

 

More young men say religion is ‘very important’ to them, poll finds*
The New York Times: “I wanted something new and something traditional and something that felt holy,” one teenager said.
Religion News Service: Gen Z women are losing their religion

 

A California forest synagogue experiments with nature-based spirituality
Religion News Service: “There are people who want a Judaism that’s recognizable, and there are other people who want to do something that speaks to their ancestral roots but that also makes them feel alive and connected,” said Rachel Ruach-Golden, a synagogue board member. “We’re in between the tension of those two.”

 

Trump team ramps up religion in government — and employees are worried*
The New Republic: Federal employees warn that the “vibes are bad” thanks to Donald Trump’s administration increasing the presence of religion in the workplace.

 

Deliverance for oppressed and oppressor*
The Christian Century: The early Black church understood that the church is not just a place for worship — it is a launching pad for liberation.

Nearly 500 leaders will gather to read the entire Bible aloud

Lawmaker calls for allowing crucifix symbol on veterans’ headstones Nearly 50 lawmakers, including Rep. Greg Steube, R-Florida, are urging the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to make the change. PHOTOS: Pope Leo XIV continues papal trip in Algeria, Cameroon The Holy Father spent several days touring Algeria and meeting with Catholics and religious leaders before heading south to the Cameroonian capital of Yaoundé. Bishop Báez on Nicaragua: ‘The people’s wounds will be scars healed by the love of God’ The exiled auxiliary bishop of Managua pointed out that the wounds suffered today will be a reminder of a painful past, but like the wounds of the risen Christ will be made glorious. Historic Wisconsin parish loses roof during severe weather outbreak St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in East Bristol has stood in the community for over 130 years.

Nearly 500 leaders will gather in Washington, D.C., to read the entire Bible aloud A wide array of speakers including actors, lawmakers, and advocates will read the Bible from beginning to end to celebrate American faith ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Where Is the Outrage? A Response to the Knights of Columbus

 

I have read Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly’s statement of yesterday carefully. Several times. I wanted to be fair.

I cannot be.

The Knights of Columbus was founded in 1882 by Blessed Michael McGivney to defend the faith and stand with the Church in moments of crisis. For over 140 years the Knights have prided themselves on their fidelity to the Holy Father and their willingness to stand in the breach when the Church is under attack.

This was their moment. They failed it.

In fairness to Supreme Knight Kelly, I present his statement in full:

7 Signs Pope Leo XIV Is Truly a Son of Saint Augustine

  

Pope Leo XIV is the first Augustinian Pope in history — but what does that actually mean for his pontificate? In this video, we explore 7 concrete signs — drawn from his documents, speeches, and pastoral choices — that reveal how deeply Saint Augustine of Hippo has shaped Pope Leo XIV as a Pope. From his papal motto inspired by Augustine’s commentary on the Psalms, to his first Apostolic Exhortation focused on the poor, to his interpretation of today’s wars through the lens of The City of God — this is a pontificate with a distinctly Augustinian soul. We also look at one of his most significant recent gestures: his visit to Algeria, where he traveled to engage in interreligious dialogue, honor the memory of the Church in North Africa, and reconnect with the land of Augustine himself, who was bishop of Hippo (modern-day Annaba). This visit highlights the relevance of his Augustinian vision in today’s global and cultural context. Whether you know Augustine well or have never read a single line of his work, this video will change the way you see Pope Leo XIV — and the direction of his papacy.

Support for Trump among Catholics plummets

Trump Opens Another War Front: The Pope and the Vatican, Leo XIV Responds: «I Am Not Afraid of the Trump Administration»

Jorge Enrique Mújica

The Pope’s response did not adopt the same tone. During the flight to Algeria on April 13, the first leg of his third international Apostolic Journey, Leo XIV opted for a clear approach: avoiding personal confrontation and reaffirming the nature of his mission.

Support for Trump among Catholics plummets, according to a new poll conducted amid the war

Jorge Enrique Mújica

The Catholic vote, often decisive in American elections, is once again in motion—this time under the pressure of a conflict that has revived enduring questions about conscience, authority, and the cost of war

3 cardinals on a prime-time TV show in the U.S.: They discuss Trump, the Pope, just war, and the surge in conversions

Tim Daniels

Appearing on 60 Minutes, Cardinals Robert McElroy, Blase Cupich and Joseph Tobin offered a coordinated, if nuanced, critique of the current moment. Their intervention came against the backdrop of escalating U.S. military action under Donald Trump and the outspoken calls for peace issued by Pope Leo XIV

Easter Under Fire: A Fragile Truce Between Russia and Ukraine Collapses as Fighting Resumes

Joachin Meisner Hertz

The symbolism of the moment was difficult to ignore. Easter, the central feast of the Christian calendar, commemorates resurrection and renewal. Yet along the front lines of a war now entering its fourth year, it instead exposed the limits of religious gestures in the absence of political convergence

Which countries have the greatest religious diversity? Here is the map published in a major study

Jorge Enrique Mújica

This index, known as the Religious Diversity Index, does not measure the intensity of belief but the balance between groups. A score of zero would indicate total uniformity, while a perfect 10 would reflect an almost equal presence of all seven major categories used in the study: Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, adherents of other religions and those with no religious affiliation

Although there are no diplomatic relations, the President of the National Assembly of Vietnam invites Pope Leo XIV to visit the country

ZENIT Staff

The President of the National Assembly in Hanoi presented the Pope with a letter from the President, who is now firmly at the helm of power in Vietnam. It was precisely internal disagreements over the local political balance of power that had slowed down the preparations for the visit, which is so eagerly awaited by the Catholic community. Cardinal Parolin is due to visit soon to establish full diplomatic relations. The possibility of 2027, when the Pope is already expected in Seoul for World Youth Day.

Nicaragua: A Holy Week with Many Restrictions, But More Faith from Local Catholics

Rafael Manuel Tovar

Catholics in Managua attended the Stations of the Cross in the inner gardens of the Metropolitan Cathedral under police surveillance. After the Stations of the Cross, Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes, who never refers to the government or religious restrictions, estimated that 25,000 people gathered in the Cathedral square.

The 2026 Boom in Conversions to Catholicism: Statistics, Context, and Interpretations

Jorge Enrique Mújica

The current growth represents a recovery from recent lows rather than a return to historical highs

PHOTO GALLERY: Heralds of the Gospel Ordain 26 Priests and 31 Deacons Following the Vatican’s Lifting of Restrictions

ZENIT Staff

Yet the significance of the Caieiras ceremony cannot be understood without reference to the recent past. In 2019, the Vatican’s Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life imposed a series of disciplinary measures on the Heralds following an intervention whose details were never fully clarified publicly

This is what the letter says—the surprising and important letter that Leo XIV sent to the cardinals ahead of the Consistory in June 2026

ZENIT Staff

Letter from Pope Leo XIV to the cardinals ahead of the upcoming consistory in 2026

The quiet surge of alternative micro-colleges

Will Sister Mary Kay turn out the lights?*
The New York Times: An influential order of nuns decided to complete its mission when the last sister dies. The only question left is how to finish well.

 

Antisemitic attacks in 2025 caused highest number of deaths in 30 years, study finds
The Associated Press: Last year saw the highest level of deadly violence against Jews around the world in over three decades, with 20 people killed in antisemitic attacks, according to an annual study released by Tel Aviv University on Monday.

 

The quiet surge of alternative micro-colleges
ARC: Innovation in higher ed is building from the ground-up, combining the liberal arts with practical skills in both religious and secular contexts

 

Germany’s far-right targets church funding
Crux: The Alternative for Germany (AfD) introduced the bill amid conflict between the far-right group and the German Christian establishment, with the Catholic bishops’ conference of the European country recently banning AfD members from working for the church and calling the party “unelectable.”

 

Church-state separation is a ‘lie,’ says Trump's Religious Liberty Commission chair
Religion News Service: “Church-state separation ensures we are all free to live as ourselves and believe as we choose, as long as we don’t harm others,” a church-state separationist countered.