Franciscan Media

News & Commentary

Henadz Fiadynich, one of the prisoners recently released from Belarus, speaks during a press conference in Vilnius, Lithuania, Sept. 12, 2025. (OSV News photo/Kacper Pempel, Reuters)

Jailed Catholic priests ‘used as hostages’ in Belarus

September 19, 2025
Human rights campaigners have accused the Belarus government of using imprisoned Catholic priests as "hostages," as a Polish Carmelite became the latest detained for alleged espionage.
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Emotional LA sheriff details arrest of suspect in shooting death of Bishop O’Connell

February 21, 2023
LOS ANGELES (OSV News) — A 65-year-old Hispanic man was taken into custody the morning of Feb. 20 by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies as the prime suspect in the murder of Auxiliary Bishop David G. O’Connell of Los Angeles. ...
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Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop David G. O'Connell is pictured speaking with parishioners outside St. Frances X. Cabrini Church in Los Angeles July 19, 2015. According to local news reports, Los Angeles County sheriffs found him dead of a gunshot wound at his home Feb. 18, 2023, and his death has been ruled a homicide. An investigation was under way for a suspect and motive. A native of Ireland, he spent most of his four decades as a priest ministering in the inner city of Los Angeles. He was 69. Editors: This cutline has been updated to reflect new details about the bishop's death. (OSV News photo/CNS file, John Rueda, The Tidings)

LA’s ‘peacemaker’ Bishop David O’Connell dead at 69

February 19, 2023
Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop David G. O'Connell, a native of Ireland who spent most of his four decades as a priest ministering in LA's inner city, has died. He was 69.
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Michigan State University students place flowers at "The Rock" on campus Feb. 14, 2023, the day after after a mass shooting at the university in East Lansing. A gunman opened fire at at two university locations leaving three dead and five others critically injured. After an hourslong manhunt police found the shooter off campus dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. (OSV News photo/Matthew Dae Smith, Lansing State Journal USA TODAY NETWORK via Reuters)

Michigan shooting victims memorialized at parish vigils, live-streamed rosary

February 17, 2023
Tears were shed, words of consolation were shared, and memories were cherished the evening of Feb. 14 during two emotional prayer vigils to honor the memory of three Michigan State University students whose lives were cut short during a shooting ...
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Wiktoria Ulma is pictured writing at a table with her oldest daughter, Stasia. Józef and Wiktoria Ulma secretly gave shelter to eight Jews for almost two years in German-occupied Poland, hiding them from the murderous Nazi regime during the Second World War. The Ulmas are on the path to beatification with the Vatican declaring them martyrs Dec. 17, 2022. The Nazis killed the family and the Jews they were sheltering early in the morning March 24, 1944, right before Easter. (OSV NEWS photo/courtesy Polish Institute of National Remembrance)

Polish family murdered by Nazis to be beatified Sept. 10

February 16, 2023
Urszula Niemczak keeps a regular schedule...
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A woman claps during the Feb. 5, 2023, Mass for Black History Month at Holy Comforter-St. Cyprian Church in Washington. During the Mass, Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory called on Black Catholics and all people of color to "vastly improve our world with an understanding of the strength of character that resides within the souls of our people." (OSV News photo/Mihoko Owada, Catholic Standard)

National Black Catholic Congress XIII to be held in Washington area in July

February 15, 2023
During Black History Month in February, Catholics are being invited to register to attend this summer's National Black Catholic Congress, which over the years has made history of its own.
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Anglican Archbishop Justin Welby is displayed on a screen during the General Synod 2023 in London Feb. 9. The Church of England is planning to debate the introduction of liturgy that refers to persons of the Holy Trinity “in a non-gendered way” instead of using male pronouns. (OSV New/Toby Melville, Reuters)

Church of England plans to debate referring to God ‘in a non-gendered way’

February 14, 2023
The Church of England is planning to debate the introduction of liturgy that refers to persons of the Holy Trinity "in a non-gendered way" instead of using male pronouns.
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