Catholic Culture – St. Bernadette Soubirous (1844-1879). Bernadette, the oldest of six children, was born in Lourdes, France, in 1844. At the age of 14, between 11 February 1858 and 16 July 1858, Bernadette had 18 visions of the Immaculate Conception in a local grotto near the bank of the River Gave, near Lourdes. During the visions, Mary requested prayer and penitence, asked for the construction of a new church, and led Bernadette to a freshwater spring believed to have miraculous healing powers.

By Fred Lucas, The Daily Signal – Two mothers who lost their sons and another whose daughter remains permanently injured will testify before Congress on Thursday about how these tragedies—each involving illegal aliens—could have been prevented through stricter enforcement of immigration law… This forum could be uncomfortable for House Democrats who oppose enforcing immigration laws, said Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Oversight, which is holding the hearing.

By Kelli Keane and Cassy Cooke, Live Action News – This week, a CBS News report claimed that “The Trump administration has repeatedly alleged without citing evidence that the Civil Rights Division under former Attorney General Merrick Garland used the [FACE] Act to intentionally target conservative Christians who are morally opposed to abortion.”… Today, that evidence was presented by the Trump Administration in a report nearly 900 pages in length.

By Dan Hart, The Washington Stand – In a historic meeting hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, government officials from Israel and Lebanon met for direct talks for the first time in 33 years amid the Jewish state’s continued strikes against Hezbollah terrorist targets embedded deep within Lebanon’s southern territory. Experts say the talks could be the first step towards eliminating the Iranian terrorist proxy from the region.

By Ngala Killian Chimtom, Catholic World Report – Archbishop Bienvenu Manamika Bafouakouahou of Brazzaville has said that Pentecostal groups disrupt the Catholic Faith by offering “quick fixes” to life’s challenges… The mornings of Everdine Gilla’s childhood were defined by the rhythmic murmur of beads and the scent of incense. Raised in a devout Catholic home by her grandmother, the day did not begin until the Rosary was prayed… “It was routine,” Gilla recalls… “My grandmother would say, ‘Let’s pray the Rosary,’ and we would. I knew all the decades. I could say them in my sleep. But for me, it was just mechanical.” …

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – John 3:31-36 – 31 He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth belongs to the earth, and of the earth he speaks; he who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony; 33 he who receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. 34 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for it is not by measure that he gives the Spirit; …

By Elise Winland, Zeale – President Donald Trump on April 14 directly addressed Pope Leo XIV in another Truth Social post, drawing attention to the Iranian regime’s reported killing of thousands of protesters in the past two months… “Will someone please tell Pope Leo that Iran has killed at least 42,000 innocent, completely unarmed, protesters in the last two months, and that for Iran to have a Nuclear Bomb is absolutely unacceptable,” he wrote.

By Marie Brousseau, Catholic Exchange – Pope Benedict XVI was one of the 20th century’s most respected and renowned theologians and, I would opine, one of history’s greatest minds to grace humanity. Few men have been more involved on a global scale in propagating both faith and reason. I have no doubt that he will not only be canonized but will eventually be declared a Doctor of the Church, in God’s own time, after careful study of his entire personal and public life. I personally regard him as a holy genius, because of both his brilliant mind and his great love for God.

By Donald DeMarco, National Catholic Register – T.S. Eliot published The Waste Land in the year 1922 amid the ruins of World War I. The opening lines of this highly enigmatic poem are both disturbing and provocative: April is the cruellest month, breeding lilacs out of the dead land, mixing memory and desire, stirring dull roots with spring rain… We are currently witnessing unrest on a global scale that threatens to bring about another World War. In our own troubling time, as we approach the month of April, Eliot’s poem has additional meaning for us.  ….

By Scott McKay, The American Spectator – I know that it’s a sin against my own intelligence not to follow Mark Twain’s guidance in matters such as these… Twain said many wise things. Some of the wisest things attributed to him are now said not to have come from him at all. But I have my doubts about the doubters… One was “Don’t wrestle with pigs. You both get dirty and the pig likes it.”… The other has been offered in two versions — either “Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference” …

Patriot Post – “Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” —Benjamin Franklin (1789)

By Kate Quiñones, EWTN News – The Archdiocese of Dubuque is halting weekend Masses at more than 80 parishes across northeastern Iowa this summer as part of a reorganization plan… The reorganization, which began in September 2024 in response to declining numbers of priests and churchgoers, is now in its third and final phase. The archdiocese will be organized into 24 “pastorates,” or groups of parishes that work closely together and share resources and ministries. Merged parishes will not yet be closed and may still be used for liturgical celebrations such as funerals, weddings, and weekday Masses. …

By Antonio Graceffo, Gateway Pundit – Currently, more Christians are being systematically murdered in Nigeria than in all other countries of concern combined… In 2025, over 7,000 Nigerian Christians were murdered by Islamic militants, including Boko Haram, also known as JAS, Islamic State – West African Province (ISWAP), JNIM, an Al-Qaeda affiliate, and Fulani and Koyam militias. Countless others have been abducted and held for ransom or never returned. ….

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – John 3:16-21 – 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. 18 He who believes in him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. …

By Mary Rose, Zeale – In the latest episode of the Virtue of Patriotism video series, Cardinal Raymond Burke cautioned against efforts to dissolve national sovereignty in favor of global governance… He argued that proposals for a single global authority — often framed as instruments of peace — contradict the moral order established by God… “The family and the nation are not accidents of history nor products of ideology,” Cardinal Burke said. “They arise from the natural law and are indispensable for the attainment of the common good.”