Move over, evangelicals: Mainline Christians are the 2026 swing voter

Believe it or not, religion isn’t declining*
Washington Post: What is really happening? Rather than experiencing simple growth or decline, American religion is in a state of churn. Some sectors are falling fast, while others show phenomenal growth.

 

Move over, evangelicals: Mainline Christians are the 2026 swing voter
The Hill: Mainline membership decline is real. But decline has too often been confused with irrelevance. A church can become smaller and recover its voice.

 

Adam Hamilton addresses people nervous about voting for a pastor
The Topeka Capital-Journal: The UMC pastor says his experience as a minister will help him serve all people if elected to the Senate.

 

National credibly-accused clergy database unveiled as Chicago Diocese payouts exceed $400 million
OSV News: Attorneys for survivors unveiled what it called a national database of priests and clergy who have been credibly accused that survivors from around the country can look up.
Religion Unplugged: Protestant clergy abuse survivors build database

 

The unusual way my family celebrates Yom Kippur
Kveller: Most Jewish families go to synagogue; we lace up our hiking boots.

Mexican bishops demand ‘thorough investigation’ of priest’s murder

Postpartum depression: New e-book offers hope and healing for Catholic mothers

Dr. Gregory Popcak addresses the unique layer of spiritual guilt that Catholic mothers often experience when struggling with mental health post-childbirth.

Caritas Cuba to receive more humanitarian aid from U.S. in coming weeks

The U.S. government has been sending and continues to send millions of dollars of humanitarian aid to be distributed by Caritas Cuba, thus bypassing the communist regime.

Mexican bishops demand ‘thorough investigation’ of priest’s murder

The priest was found dead with gunshot wounds along a stretch of highway. The local bishop urged people not to speculate about the crime and denounced the ongoing violence in the country.

Oregon officials back off ‘gender ideology mandate’ for mom seeking to adopt

The legal settlement ensures that Jessica Bates’ religious views will not be a factor in determining whether she can adopt children.

God’s incredible love and mercy

 

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

New wesite: https://www.stpatrickschurchsd.org/ 

Saint Patrick Catholic Parish

The Catholic Church Explained

We, the church of Saint Patrick, in the community of North Park,

of the Roman Catholic Diocese and City of San Diego,

declare this to be our primary mission:

to come together to celebrate the Eucharist,

hear God’s word proclaimed,

give praise and thanksgiving to God,

and develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

We believe that by freely sharing our faith, talents, and treasures,

we discover Christ’s presence among us and bring Him to others.

We have a strong desire to give and receive love, service, peace, support,

and fellowship, within our families, our parish, our community, and the world.

Open to the power of the Holy Spirit, we pursue this mission faithfully and lovingly.

Some of us have too much time and have grown idle

Are you angry because others were treated generously?

 

U.S. bishops launch task force to promote human dignity

U.S. bishops launch task force to promote human dignity amid rise of artificial intelligence

The bishops said they are hoping to contribute to the “moral foundation” of rapidly developing AI models.

Bishop Robert Barron named to serve on U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom

Barron, who already serves as a member of the domestically focused Religious Liberty Commission, was appointed to the position by President Donald Trump.

Venezuela: Talks with opposition, oil deal, Delcy Rodríguez in New York, and the Church’s stance

Ongoing talks between the socialist regime and the opposition in Venezuela are making some progress while the Church is trying to contribute to the transition to democracy and freedom.

Jimmy Lai’s family, advocates press for his release before Xi-Trump meeting

“America understands, in its bones, that freedom dies with the last man willing to defend it and that the cost of not standing up for liberty is not felt until it is too late,” Sebastien Lai said.

The Unhoused Citizen

 

Written by John Sandy

In 2025 a record forty-five percent of Americans told Gallup they belonged to neither party, the highest share since the pollster began asking in 1988; Democrats and Republicans drew twenty-seven percent apiece. Both major parties now draw unfavorable marks from most Americans. Heading into this fall’s midterms, more than two hundred independents are running for Congress, by one Newsweek tally. The word that keeps surfacing in the coverage isn’t “moderate” or “swing voter.” It is “politically homeless.” Pollsters mean it as a demographic category. But I contend it is better heard as the description of a spiritual condition, one a Florentine had named seven centuries before Gallup.

Al Mohler reverses course, rejects blasphemy laws after controversy

Al Mohler reverses course, rejects blasphemy laws after controversy
Religion News Service: The longtime president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary said he erred in saying the government should be able to punish those who don’t believe God was part of America’s founding.

 

Why a lawyer who launched the Christian legal movement believes it’s gone astray*
The Washington Post: John Whitehead says the Christian legal movement is not what he envisioned when he launched the Rutherford Institute in 1982.

 

A battle for the soul of Chatham County* 
The Assembly: The county rejected a rezoning request for Summit Church’s planned campus outside Chapel Hill. It’s now a federal case, with religious-freedom groups and the U.S. Department of Justice weighing in.

 

Fresh evidence of C of E’s role in enslavement uncovered as church wrestles with reparations debate
The Guardian: The Register of British Slave Traders shows that clergymen financed a company that trafficked enslaved Africans on hundreds of voyages.

 

In Germany, right-wing ‘Christfluencers’ hope to follow the US religious right
Religion News Service: Radicalized by COVID-19 and anger over immigration, right-wing pastors like Tobias Riemenschneider in Germany hope to gain followers by promoting conservative Christian views and politics. They have looked to religious right leaders and conservative influencers in the US for inspiration.

Eastern Catholic Church can help Western medicine promote human flourishing.

Catholic doctors say both Eastern and Western spirituality are required to heal the whole person

The Catholic Medical Association at its 95th annual educational conference held in Phoenix Sept. 10–12 focused on how the Eastern Catholic Church can help Western medicine promote human flourishing.

Trump asks Cissie Lynch, granddaughter of Billy Graham, to be religious freedom ambassador

The author and radio host said it would be a “great honor and privilege” to serve if she is confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Cardinal Pizzaballa calls Christians in the Holy Land to make the cross a way of life

The Latin patrarch presided over Mass on the eve of the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Taybeh, calling on Christians to live the “logic of the cross” through love and self-giving.

U.S. religious freedom commission urges Trump to press for release of religious prisoners

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom made the plea ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Sept. 24 trip to Washington, D.C.

Conformed to Christ

 

Written by Fr. Gregory Waldrop, SJ

Before turning my attention to St. Paul, whose great letter to the Romans is the source for today’s second reading, I’d like to note the opening lines from our first reading, taken from the Book of Sirach: “Wrath and anger are hateful things. Yet the sinner hugs them tight.” These words should, I believe, appear onscreen whenever someone opens YouTube, TikTok, or any other purveyor of so-called “information” on the internet.