Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish

Catholic bishops planting a tree at the premises of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Bangladesh in Dhaka, Aug. 14, 2020. / Sumon Corraya

Dhaka, Bangladesh, Sep 2, 2025 / 14:00 pm (CNA).

In Bangladesh, the call for “care for nature” in Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato Si’ has resonated deeply across religious lines. Christians, Protestants, and non-Christians alike have embraced its message, sparking environmental action in a country increasingly vulnerable to climate change.

Bangladesh, a coastal South Asian nation, faces frequent natural disasters — floods, cyclones, river erosion, and landslides — that claim lives and displace communities. Ranked as the ninth highest disaster-risk country globally, it sees hundreds of villagers migrating to cities each year due to river erosion and climate-induced hardship.

In response, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Bangladesh (CBCB) launched an ambitious initiative to plant one million trees nationwide.

The program began on August 14, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, with all bishops present at the CBCB Center in Dhaka.

“Planting trees remains one of the most powerful actions we can take to combat climate change, which is why our bishops prioritize it,” Father Tushar James Gomes, assistant secretary general of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Bangladesh, told Catholic News Agency.

“Laudato Si’ has significantly raised awareness about the importance of caring for our environment,” he added. “People now understand that protecting nature is not optional — it’s essential.”

Tushar emphasized that the Church is moving beyond tree planting. “We are working to declare parishes and organizations as ‘green and clean.’ Many church-run organizations are phasing out plastic bottles and single-use items. Though not yet 100% successful, the effort continues.”

The Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace has played a leading role in translating, promoting, and publishing Laudato Si’ in Bengali. Holy Cross Father Liton H. Gomes, secretary of the commission, told Catholic News Agency that public awareness about environmental care has grown significantly.

“There is now a strong sense of urgency,” he said.” Not only Christians, but also non-Christians who work with us or benefit from our services have shown solidarity with the message of Laudato Si’. They are planting trees and actively participating in environmental protection.”

The Church’s efforts also extend to socio-economic development, addressing another key theme of Laudato Si’ — care for the poor.

Gomes, a teacher and cooperative expert at Notre Dame College, said, “We’ve established cooperative societies in poor areas like Bandarban and Bagerhat to strengthen economic foundations.”

In border and hilly regions, where wild elephant attacks destroy homes and crops, the Church has provided financial aid. “Climate change is driving thousands of internal migrants to cities. Hundreds of people arrive in Dhaka daily, many of them climate victims. We’re trying to ease their suffering,” he added.

Catholic Hemanta Corraya, Secretary General of the Bangladesh Christian Association, shared that hundreds of trees planted under their leadership are now bearing fruit. “We’ve planted trees through our branches and at Dhaka Credit facilities,” he said. Hemanta also serves as president of The Christian Cooperative Credit Union Ltd., Dhaka, founded by American Holy Cross priest Father Charles J. Young.

“By planting trees, we’re working toward zero carbon emissions, aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goals 12 and 13,” Hemanta said. “The Holy Father’s Laudato Si’ is a significant guideline and inspiration for us. We welcome the Church’s initiatives and hope to continue contributing to a green and clean world.”

In the Rajshahi diocese, diocesan priest Father Sagor Corraya led the planting of 4,500 palm tree seeds in 2023-2024.

“Environmental awareness has grown. We’ve worked with schools and tribal communities like the Santals, who now actively plant trees,” he said. “Palm trees reportedly help prevent lightning strikes, which kill hundreds of people annually in Bangladesh.”

Father Sagor, director of the Rajshahi Pastoral Center, added, “We tell students: if the trees survive, the world survives. If the world survives, people survive.”

Interfaith workshops continue to strengthen the movement.

On June 27-28, 2025, a training on life and nature protection was held at the CBCB Center in Dhaka, attended by 90 participants, including Catholics and Protestants, organized by the Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace and World Vision Bangladesh.

Rev. David A. Das, pastor of Bethel Assemblies of God Church and secretary of the National Council of Churches in Bangladesh, told Catholic News Agency that they learned about Laudato Si’ from the Catholic bishops. “Climate change is our life-and-death issue. All churches and people of all religions are deeply concerned about preserving this world. Pope Francis’s call through Laudato Si’ was timely, and we expressed full solidarity.”

Das added, “We’ve played an effective role in our churches. Members have planted trees, cared for the environment, and supported the poor. This activity is ongoing. Such letters should have come earlier — then people would have become conscious sooner. This letter has had a global impact.”

Mazharul Islam, a Khatib of Kawranbazar Mosque in Dhaka, participated in one interfaith discussion. “I was impressed by the summary of Pope Francis’s letter. He called the earth ‘Mother Earth’ and urged us to care for it and the poor. If we do that, the world will be beautiful.”

He praised the Christian community’s leadership. “They’ve acted not only from religious belief but also from humanitarian and environmental responsibility. Their efforts in education, social development, and eco-friendly activities are exemplary. Spreading this vision across society can build a moral and sustainable future.”

“Our Islam also teaches us to protect the environment and help the poor,” Mazharul added. “We’re discussing these issues in our mosques.”

From tree planting to interfaith dialogue, Bangladesh’s Christian community is living out the spirit of Laudato Si’, proving that care for creation transcends religious boundaries — making it a shared human responsibility.

Crisis Response Canines dog Axel visits with community members in Minneapolis after the deadly Annunciation Church shooting there, Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025. / Credit: Gloucester Township Police

CNA Staff, Sep 2, 2025 / 13:40 pm (CNA).

Police from a New Jersey township brought a K-9 unit to the Minneapolis area as part of a supportive visit after the deadly shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church on Aug. 27. 

The shooting, which was carried out during a Mass for the parish’s parochial school, killed eight-year-old Fletcher Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moyski while injuring approximately 20 others. The killer took his own life after the shooting. 

In a Facebook post on Sept. 1, the Gloucester Township Police Department said that police Chief David Harkins initially reached out to Diocese of Camden Bishop Joseph Williams, who is from Minneapolis and was ordained in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis in 2002. 

The chief and the bishop coordinated for the police force’s K-9 “Crisis Response Canines” team to travel to Annunciation Catholic Church to "visit with the parishioners” in the aftermath of the shooting.

Photos shared on the police force’s Facebook page showed K-9 unit dog Axel, a Rottweiler, with members of the Minneapolis church community. 

“We are deeply grateful to have been asked by the bishop and his presbyterate to be present with the parishioners and community during this difficult time,” Crisis Response Canines said in the Facebook post. 

Crisis Response Canines is a nonprofit group that sends certified K-9 dogs throughout the country to comfort individuals who have experienced trauma or tragedy. 

The group says on its website that it has worked to “establish a nationwide network of canine crisis response teams who can be deployed immediately where they are needed most.”

Among the group’s recent deployments of dogs includes a fatal car accident in California, the Florida State University shooting in April, and a police line-of-duty death in Virginia Beach, Virginia in February. 

Father Augustine Amadu of Sierra Leone’s Catholic Diocese of Kenema was murdered on Aug. 30 while he was preparing to take on a new mission in the diocese. / Courtesy of the Catholic Diocese of Kenema

ACI Africa, Sep 2, 2025 / 13:05 pm (CNA).

A Catholic priest in Sierra Leone’s Diocese of Kenema was murdered Aug. 30 as he was preparing to take on a new assignment in the diocese.

According to the communication department of the Archdiocese of Freetown in Sierra Leone, Father Augustine Amadu, who served at Kenema’s Immaculate Conception Parish, was preparing for his Sunday, Aug. 31 farewell Mass when suspected robbers ended his life.

His next pastoral assignment would have been at St. John Kailahun Parish in the Kenema Diocese.

“We are saddened by the shocking news reaching us this morning (Sunday, Aug. 31) about the demise of Reverend Father Augustine Amadu who was stabbed to death by armed robbers at his parish house in Kenema Diocese,” the message said.

“Father Amadu was wrapping up his final days of his pastoral work at Immaculate Conception Parish, Kenema, preparing for his farewell Mass on Sunday before departing for his new assignment at St. John Parish, Kailahun after five years of devoted service.”

According to the Sierra Leonean Police (SLP), Amadu was attacked at night in the parish house where he lived alone. The authorities said in a statement on Aug. 30 that parishioners at Immaculate Conception Parish raised the alarm about the murder.

“At about 07:43 hours, the SLP received a report from a Catholic parishioner indicating that Rev. Father Amadu had been attacked overnight by unidentified armed men at his parish residence. The parish house, which the late priest occupied alone, was forcibly entered by the assailants through a damaged window,” read the police report.

“At this stage, it is unclear whether any property was taken away by the perpetrators,” the SLP reported, adding that the remains of Father Amadu had been taken for a post-mortem examination. 

According to the Sierra Leonean authorities, no suspects had been identified in the priest’s murder as of Aug. 30. The SLP said, however, that a number of parishioners and church authorities who reported for early morning service at the parish were assisting with the investigation.

“The Sierra Leone Police wishes to assure the public, particularly the Catholic community, that a full-scale investigation is underway to bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to justice,” the SLP said.

This article was originally piublished by ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa and has been adapted for CNA.

Pope Leo XIV greets the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square from the popemobile during his Wednesday general audience on Aug. 6, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

CNA Staff, Sep 2, 2025 / 12:32 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intention for the month of September is for our relationship with all of creation. 

In a video released Sept. 2, the Holy Father asked the faithful to pray “that inspired by Saint Francis, we might experience our interdependence with all creatures who are loved by God and worthy of love and respect.”

According to a press release, this month’s video was made in collaboration with the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.

In the video, Pope Leo recites an original prayer written specifically for this month’s prayer intention.

Here is Pope Leo’s full prayer:

Lord, You love everything You have created,
and nothing exists outside the mystery of Your tenderness.
Every creature, no matter how small,
is the fruit of Your love and has a place in this world.

Even the simplest or shortest life is surrounded by Your care.
Like St. Francis of Assisi, today we too want to say:
“Praised be You, my Lord!”

Through the beauty of creation,
You reveal Yourself as a source of goodness. We ask You:
open our eyes to recognize You,
learning from the mystery of Your closeness to all creation
that the world is infinitely more than a problem to solve.
It is a mystery to be contemplated with gratitude and hope.

Help us to discover Your presence in all creation,
so that, in fully recognizing it,
we may feel and know ourselves to be responsible for this common home
where You invite us to care for, respect, and protect
life in all its forms and possibilities.

Praised be You, Lord!
Amen.

The video prayer intention is promoted by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, which raises awareness of monthly papal prayer intentions.

The disciple John and Jesus in the new animated movie “Light of the World.” / Credit: Salvation Poem Foundation

CNA Staff, Sep 2, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

A new 2D-animated movie, told through the eyes of Jesus’ beloved disciple John, will be released in theaters on Sept. 5, taking viewers from the beginning of Jesus’ ministry to his passion, death, and resurrection. “Light of the World” is the first movie from the Salvation Poem Project, a nonprofit ministry and independent studio that crafts stories to share Jesus Christ with the world.

Brennan McPherson, producer of the film, told CNA in an interview that his team chose to tell the story from John’s perspective because he was likely the youngest disciple so they believe his perspective is the most relatable.

“Telling it from the perspective of a young teenager — young kids want to age up and they see themselves in that. Teenagers are going through those formative years, so they relate with it. And then adults know what that formative time in their life was like. So it made it more appealing to a full family,” he explained. 

He added that the filmmakers “wanted to show how the Gospel changed a young boy’s life and how it can still change our lives today.”

For the filmmakers — who also create other forms of faith-based media — projects such as this one are an “an act of worship.”

“We’re nerdy animation lovers, and we wanted to make a beautiful animated film that honored God, that told the truth about the Gospel, and that could be used as a tool to share our faith with people in a way that’s nonthreatening and that is not just compelling but genuine and respectful towards the audience,” McPherson said.

“What we’re trying to give people is an experience of the goodness of Jesus and let that resonate on a heart level so that they can fall in love with him,” he added. 

When deciding what parts of Jesus’ ministry to include in the film, McPherson explained that filmmakers were trying to answer the question “How do you tell the basic big fundamental beats that make the Gospel totally clear to someone who’s had zero background?” 

With this in mind, all of the choices “were through the lens of how do we make the actual structure of the story basically symbolize the Gospel itself, show the Gospel in action, as opposed to just telling us about it.”

He also emphasized the importance the filmmakers gave to “the biblical accuracy, the theological accuracy, [and] making it accessible for children.”

As for what he hopes viewers will take away from the film, McPherson said he hopes “that they will see Jesus is beautiful and fall in love with him and decide to follow him with their lives.”

“We wanted to give people a very clear emotional experience of the Gospel so that it just poured into their hearts. We’re so busy in this culture these days that it’s hard to get people to stop and really think about the claims of Jesus, really consider who he was and whether or not he was true,” he said. “And so this is our way of just basically like, ‘Hey, this is the most beautiful thing to us. That’s what we want to spend our time making art about, and we hope that you see what we see in it.’”

Pilgrims gather in St. Peter’s Square for a Mass and canonization of 14 new saints on Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

Birmingham, Ala., Sep 2, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

EWTN News and EWTN Studios will join forces in Rome from Sept. 3–7 to televise the canonizations of Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati. In addition to the canonizations, viewers who want an in-depth look at the life and legacy of these two young saints-to-be will have the opportunity to tune in to 12 EWTN special programs, including animated children’s programs. 

Here’s what you can expect:

Viewers can tune in to “EWTN News Nightly” and “EWTN News In Depth” for an exclusive preview of the canonizations. “EWTN News Nightly” airs at 6 p.m. ET and 9 p.m. ET, Friday, Sept. 5; and “EWTN News In Depth” airs at 5 p.m. ET and 10:30 p.m. ET the same day.

EWTN News correspondent Colm Flynn will host a one-hour special from the rooftop of EWTN’s Rome studio, which overlooks St. Peter’s Square. 

Father Patrick Briscoe, OP, EWTN News’ guest expert on Carlo Acutis; Acutis biographer and EWTN Vatican correspondent Courtney Mares; and EWTN Vatican correspondent Kristina Millare will provide commentary on the canonizations and share reflections on the impact of Pope Leo XIV’s first saints. This will air at 1 p.m. ET and 6 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 6, and 11 p.m. ET and 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 7.

In the half hour leading up to the canonization Mass and the half hour after it ends, EWTN News Vatican correspondents will conduct live interviews and candid reactions with pilgrims from around the world. This will air at 9:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 7, as well as 30 minutes after the Mass.

On Sunday, Sept. 7, Pope Leo XIV will preside over the Mass and canonizations of the two young blesseds from St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. This will air live at 3 a.m. ET and the encore presentation will be at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 7.

For those looking to get to know these two soon-to-be saints better, EWTN will be airing a plethora of programs on the lives of Acutis and Frassati:

“Hiking in Search of Pier Giorgio Frassati”

Join EWTN’s Colm Flynn and Father Vincent Bernhard, OP, on a pilgrimage with young men ages 18–30 who follow the footsteps of soon-to-be-saint Pier Giorgio Frassati in Turin, Italy. The group prays in the shrine of Oropa, climbs to and celebrates Mass in the iconic Monte Mucrone, and visits the personal rooms of Frassati before celebrating Mass with his remains in Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. The program premieres at 6:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Sept. 3, with encores at 10:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 7, and 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 9. 

“Giorgio — A Modern-Day Miracle Story”

The family of a comatose young adult finds the miracle they’ve been praying for after beseeching Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati’s heavenly intercession. The show airs at 11:30 a.m. ET on Thursday, Sept. 4.

“Sanctity Within Reach: Pier Giorgio Frassati”

Christine M. Wohar and Wanda Gawronska (Pier Giorgio Frassati’s niece) explore the soon-to-be-saint’s spiritual life. The program airs at 5:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, Sept. 4, and at 2:30 a.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 5. 

“Blessed Carlo Acutis — From London to the World”

An EWTN documentary on the London connection to Carlo Acutis featuring his mother, Antonia, and Father Alexander Sherbrooke, whose dynamic parish in Soho mirrors Carlo’s intense devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. The documentary airs at 5:30 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 5, and at 2:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 6. 

“I Am With You — A Documentary on Carlo Acutis”

Follow the life and witness of Carlo Acutis in this EWTN original documentary as his family, friends, and others discuss how Acutis continues to inspire people around the world. The documentary airs at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 6, and at 2 a.m. ET and 11 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 7. 

“To the Top — Pier Giorgio Frassati”

Filmed in Italy, this docudrama chronicles the life and spirituality of Pier Giorgio Frassati, an Italian activist who put his Catholic beliefs into practice to help the poor and downtrodden in his hometown of Turin, Italy. The program airs at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 6, and at 1:30 a.m. ET on Monday, Sept. 8.

“Pier Giorgio Frassati — Get to Know Him”

Filmed in Italy and Poland, this powerful drama examines the exemplary life of Pier Giorgio Frassati, a young, joyful saint whose devotion and charity to the poor inspire the laity. The show airs at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 7. 

“My Catholic Family: Blessed Carlo Acutis”

When the children pick Blessed Carlos Acutis for a school presentation, they discover a normal 21st-century boy who also helped everyone he could and promoted Eucharistic miracles. The program airs at 9:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 6.

“My Catholic Family: Pier Giorgio Frassati”

A man named Thomas and his wife, Helen, teach their children Alex and Sarah about the heroic life of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, the patron of youth. The show airs at 10 a.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 6.

Pope Leo XIV speaks at the Mass for the opening of the general chapter of the Order of St. Augustine on Sept. 1, 2025, at the Basilica of St. Augustine in Rome. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Sep 1, 2025 / 14:38 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV celebrated the Mass for the opening of the general chapter of the Order of St. Augustine on Monday evening, invoking the Holy Spirit to guide the religious community’s Sept. 1–18 assembly.

Nearly 100 Augustinian priests from around the world, who are participating in this year’s chapter, attended the pope’s Mass held inside the Basilica of St. Augustine in Rome’s city center. 

Religious sisters belonging to Augustinian orders also attended the Mass. Though the sisters will not participate in the chapter, the Holy Father extended his invitation to them to pray for the “gift of the Holy Spirit” and the “gift of listening” for the fruits of the religious assembly.  

During the Sept. 1 homily, Pope Leo — who wore red vestments for the votive Mass dedicated to the Holy Spirit — invited his confreres to focus on “listening, humility, and unity” and respond to God’s grace during the period of prayer and discernment within the order.

“The Holy Spirit speaks, today as in the past,” he said. “He does so in the ‘penetralia cordis’ and through the brothers and the circumstances of life.” 

“This is why it is important for the atmosphere of the chapter, in harmony with the centuries-long tradition of the Church, to be an atmosphere of listening: of listening to God and to others,” he continued.

Reflecting on the teachings of St. Augustine, the Holy Father said the Church doctor highlighted the need for unity and collaboration among Christian faithful for the “common good.” 

“Each single believer was speaking in all languages; and now the unity of believers is speaking in all languages,” he said, quoting St. Augustine. “And so even now all languages are ours, since we are members of the body in which they are to be found.” 

“Live these days, therefore, in a sincere effort to communicate and to understand, and do so as a generous response to the great and unique gift of light and grace that the Father of heaven gives you by summoning you here, specifically you, for the good of all,” he added.

While encouraging his brothers to “openly share what they have” during the 18-day chapter, he emphasized the importance of doing so with humility.

“Let no one think they have all the answers,” Leo said Monday.  

“Only in this way will the Spirit be able to teach and remind us of what Jesus said, inscribing it in our hearts so that its echo may spread from them, in the uniqueness and unrepeatability of every beat,” he added. 

In his reflection on the “miracle of Pentecost,” Pope Leo said St. Augustine observed that the Holy Spirit is the “protagonist” who creates unity amid diversity. 

“Just as spiritual people … take pleasure in unity, so worldly people are ever ready to wrangle,” the Holy Father said, referring to St. Augustine’s writings. 

“The time you can be sure you have the Holy Spirit is when you consent through sincere charity firmly to attach your minds to the unity,” he continued.

Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass for the Care of Creation at Castel Gandolfo on Wednesday, July 9, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Sep 1, 2025 / 13:00 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV has voiced his support for the Sept. 1 celebration of the World Day of Prayer for Creation, an ecumenical initiative encouraged by Pope Francis.

“It is more important and urgent than ever,” Leo said during his Sunday Angelus message on Aug. 31. “This year’s theme is ‘Seeds of Peace and Hope.’”

Pope Francis in 2015 established the day of prayer for creation as a universal celebration in the Catholic Church. It had been commemorated by other Christian churches since 1989.

Also known as “Creation Day,” the day of prayer marks the start of a monthlong “Season of Creation,” which ends on Oct. 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. 

“In the spirit of the ‘Canticle of Brother Sun,’ composed by [St. Francis] 800 years ago, we praise God and renew our commitment not to ruin his gift but to take care of our common home,” Leo said at the Aug. 31 Angelus.

In a message for the World Day of Prayer for Creation 2025, released earlier this year, the pope emphasized “that the destruction of nature does not affect everyone in the same way. When justice and peace are trampled underfoot, those who are most hurt are the poor, the marginalized, and the excluded.”

He also criticized the reduction of nature into a bargaining chip and commodity to be bartered for economic or political gain.

“God’s creation turns into a battleground for the control of vital resources. We see this in agricultural areas and forests peppered with landmines, ‘scorched earth’ policies, conflicts over water sources, and the unequal distribution of raw materials,” the pontiff said. 

“These various wounds are the effect of sin,” he said. “This is surely not what God had in mind when he entrusted the earth to the men and women whom he created in his image.”

In July, Pope Leo approved new Mass prayers to support the Church’s appreciation for God’s creation. The “Mass for the Care of Creation” was inspired by Pope Francis’ environmental encyclical Laudato Si’, which marks 10 years this year.

Bishops in some countries plan to celebrate the new Mass formulary to mark the World Day of Prayer for Creation. 

Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, president of the commission for social action of the Philippines bishops’ conference, said: “We started promoting Creation Day back in 2003, so it has become immensely popular.”

“This year, for the first time in history, we have a Mass formulary — the Missa pro custodia creationis — that allows us to celebrate Creation Day around the altar, with tailored liturgical texts for the occasion. Our bishops’ conference is animating all parishes across the Philippines to mark the day with the new Mass,” he told The Feast of Creation, an initiative coordinated by the World Council of Churches.

In a press release for Creation Day, the Feast of Creation said the day has roots in ancient Orthodox liturgical tradition from the fifth century: “It is a day to praise God as creator, commemorate the mystery of creation in Christ, and inspire Christians to care for the created world.”

Among those freed is Irish lay missionary Gena Heraty, director of NPH’s special needs programs. / Credit: Courtesy of NPH

Vatican City, Sep 1, 2025 / 11:51 am (CNA).

With “deep gratitude and relief beyond words,” the humanitarian organization Nos Petits Frères et Sœurs (Our Little Brothers and Sisters, or NPH, by its Spanish acronym), confirmed the release of eight hostages who had been held captive since Aug. 3 in Haiti.

Among them were a 3-year-old boy and Irish lay missionary Gena Heraty, who has dedicated her life to children with disabilities in Haiti for more than 30 years.

Heraty, 58, is the director of NPH’s special needs programs and a leader in working with children in the chronically stricken Caribbean country since 1993. She is also responsible for the St. Helena orphanage, run by NPH and located in Kenscoff, about six miles southeast of the capital, Port-au-Prince.

The kidnapping took place on Aug. 3 when an armed group broke into the facility and forcibly took several employees and the 3-year-old child. All of them have since been released after weeks of great tension and uncertainty.

In a statement released through NPH, Heraty’s family confirmed that the missionary and the other hostages had been released: “We are relieved beyond words. We are deeply grateful to everyone, in Haiti and internationally, who has worked tirelessly during these terrible weeks to ensure their safe return.”

NPH confirmed that the freed hostages “are safe, receiving medical and psychological care, and are with their loved ones.” One of the organization’s staff members emphasized: “Despite everything that happened, Gena has always remained strong. As soon as she returned, she went straight to greet the children. Everyone was crying; the children and the staff were waiting for her with open arms.”

“The global outpouring of concern, love, prayers, and solidarity shown by friends, neighbors, communities, colleagues, and even people with no connection to us has been an immense source of comfort and support,” he said.

However, “although we are thankful for her return today, we know the recovery process will be long.”

The release comes following Pope Leo XIV’s call for the immediate release of the hostages during the Angelus on Aug. 10.

There are currently no known ransom demands, nor has the armed group responsible for the kidnapping been identified. The Haitian newspaper Le Nouvelliste reported that gang members are believed to have been responsible for the attack.

Gang violence and kidnappings are also common in other areas in and around Port-au-Prince, where, according to the U.N., armed groups control about 85% of the city.

In the first six months of 2025, according to U.N. figures, nearly 350 people were kidnapped in Haiti.

Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass for more than 1 million young pilgrims at the University of Rome Tor Vergata in Rome’s outskirts on Aug. 3, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibanez/CNA

Vatican City, Sep 1, 2025 / 11:05 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV expressed his condolences for the more than 800 dead left by the earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan on Sunday night, with a magnitude of 6 on the Richter scale, also causing widespread destruction.

According to local authorities, more than 800 people died and 1,500 were injured, especially in the districts of Nurgal, Sawkay, Watapur, Dara Pech, and Chapi Dara.

“Deeply saddened by the significant loss of life caused by the earthquake in eastern Afghanistan, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV offers fervent prayers for the souls of the deceased, the wounded, and those still missing,” read the telegram sent on behalf of the pontiff.

The telegram, signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, stated that the pontiff entrusts “all affected by this disaster to the providence of the Almighty.”

The pope also expressed “his heartfelt solidarity in particular with those who mourn the loss of loved ones and with the emergency personnel and civil authorities involved in rescue and recovery efforts.”

The main quake, recorded around midnight, was followed by two magnitude 5.2 aftershocks. The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the epicenter was located 27 kilometers (16.7 miles) east of Nangarhar province, at a depth of eight kilometers (about five miles), which normally amplifies the destructive power.

Mud and stone houses facilitated the collapse

According to the Afghan news agency Khaama Press, the earthquake destroyed several entire villages because the epicenter was close to the surface and many homes were built with stone and mud.

For now, rescue teams continue working to locate survivors among the rubble, although they say operations are being hampered by landslides that have blocked key roads.

Deputy information minister and Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid wrote on his social media account X that “local officials and residents are involved in the rescue efforts, and all available resources will be used to save lives.”