The Church in Indiana

Cardinal Frank Leo, the archbishop of Toronto and papal legate, will preside over the beatification of five Spanish Franciscan missionaries in Savannah on October 31, 2026.

The martyrs, identified as Pedro de Corpa, Blas Rodríguez de Cuacos, Miguel de Añón, Antonio de Badajoz, and Francisco de Veráscola, were killed in September 1597. They were killed in the territory of Spanish Florida, which corresponds to the present-day coast of Georgia, while defending the Christian view of marriage as a lifelong union between one man and one woman.

The friars traveled from Spain to evangelize indigenous peoples in the Americas. Cardinal Leo noted that the missionaries lived humbly among the Guale people.

The University of Notre Dame has cleared Elizabeth Greenop of anonymous online sexual assault allegations and rehired her as an assistant director of residential life. Karen Kennedy, associate vice president of residential life, stated that a thorough investigation found no evidence to support the alleged misconduct.

Greenop previously served as the rector of McGlinn Hall, a women's residence on campus. She was removed from that position and placed on leave in August while the university conducted its investigation. The allegations against her were posted in June and July to an Instagram account called shareyourstory.notredame, which is not affiliated with the university.

Greenop filed a civil defamation suit in August in St. Joseph County, Indiana, Superior Court against 10 defendants identified as Jane and John Doe. That legal proceeding continues as she begins her new role at the university.

The Catholic Legal Immigration Network, known as CLINIC, hosted an interfaith summit on Oct. 29 and 30 to identify shared approaches to serving immigrant communities. The event in Washington brought together scholars, legal practitioners, advocates, and faith leaders from Catholic, Jewish, and Protestant traditions. CLINIC executive director Anna Gallagher noted that the various traditions share teachings regarding hospitality, justice, compassion, refuge, and responsibility.

The summit addressed a period of difficulty for immigration advocates. A joint report from the National Association of Evangelicals, World Relief, the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Migration and Refugee Services estimated that more than 10 million Christians in the U.S. would be vulnerable to deportation under policies implemented in 2025. The report stated that 61% of those vulnerable Christians are Catholic, and more than one in six Catholics could face deportation themselves or see a family member deported unless laws or policies change.

During the dialogue, the Rev. Enid Almanzar, board chair at the National Latino Evangelical Coalition, stated that migration is a central part of the biblical narrative.

Civil rights leader and labor activist Dolores Huerta died Oct. 28, 2026, from cancer at age 96.

Huerta co-founded the United Farm Workers union with Cesar Chavez. Her career included decades of advocacy for farmworkers, migrants, women, and the economically marginalized.

The Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend described Huerta as a woman of faith and a defender of human dignity who inspired many Hispanic leaders.

Pope Leo XIV has submitted a mail-in ballot for the 2026 midterm elections in Illinois, the Holy See Press Office announced Oct. 30. The Vatican stated the pope is exercising his right to vote as a United States citizen.

Kim Fladhammer, chief of staff for the Will County clerk’s office, confirmed that Robert Francis Prevost, the pope's name prior to his election, is on the list of individuals who requested a mail ballot. Records indicate the request was placed on Oct. 3. The pope is a citizen of both the United States and Peru and is registered to vote at an address in New Lenox, Illinois.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement noting that the pope is setting an example of civic responsibility. The bishops stated they encourage Catholics to inform their consciences and uphold human dignity when preparing to vote.

If he casts his ballot, the pope will be the first pontiff to vote in a United States election. Voting records show he has participated in several previous elections, including Democratic primaries in 2008 and 2010, Republican primaries in 2012, 2014, and 2016, and general elections in 2012, 2014, 2018, and 2024.

Pope Leo XIV sent a message of support to an interfaith immigration policy summit on Oct. 29. The virtual summit, hosted by the Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC), runs through Oct. 30.

The event brings together scholars, legal practitioners, advocates, and faith leaders from Catholic, Jewish, and Protestant traditions to identify commonalities in their service to immigrant communities. In his message, the pope thanked CLINIC and various church communities for working to uphold the dignity of refugees and migrants. He expressed concern that vulnerable people are often placed in situations where their human rights are stripped away and encouraged participants to help citizens overcome indifference toward these individuals.

Anna Gallagher, executive director of CLINIC, described the pope's message as a meaningful charge for the start of the gathering. She stated that the summit serves as an opportunity for participants to learn from one another and strengthen their work to help communities respond more faithfully to those in need.

Lisa Koester, a 64-year-old resident of Imperial, Missouri, said the lung cancer diagnosis of Pope Leo XIV has helped strengthen her Catholic faith. Koester told OSV News that sharing the same diagnosis with the pope made her feel less alone in her illness.

A former smoker, Koester had undergone regular lung screenings for eight to ten years. Following a recent screening, her physician, Dr. Nirmal Veeramachaneni of Saint Louis University and SSM Health, ordered a PET scan. Koester received the results in late August, which revealed a localized mass. She underwent surgery to treat the mass before it could spread to the chest wall.

Koester said her family resolved to face the diagnosis with courage, viewing the illness as part of God's plan.

Pope Leo XIV will hold an audience with representatives from Villanova University and the University of Notre Dame during the Eternal City Tip-Off on Nov. 1. The event features a college basketball doubleheader to open the season in Rome.

CatholicTV will begin airing a new documentary series titled “Black Catholics: Footsteps to Sainthood” on Nov. 2. The half-hour program, which airs on the Archdiocese of Boston’s CatholicTV network, features six African American Catholics with sainthood causes in the United States. The series is scheduled to run during Black Catholic History Month in November.

The first episode focuses on Father Augustus Tolton, the first publicly recognized African American priest to serve in the United States. The episode uses a combination of live acting and artificial intelligence to depict his life. Father Tolton, the son of enslaved Black Americans, escaped from Missouri to Quincy, Illinois, during the Civil War. Although he received a Catholic education in Illinois, he was unable to attend a domestic seminary due to racism in the U.S. Church and instead studied at the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome. He served Black Catholic parishes in Chicago until his death from heatstroke in 1897.

A report released Oct. 28 by the Catholic social justice lobby Network found that undecided Catholic voters act as a swing voting bloc that reliably participates in elections.

The study, conducted by Untold Research, focused on participants who identified as Catholic and undecided for the upcoming elections. Most respondents lived in Michigan. The report found that only 4% of these undecided Catholic respondents failed to vote in any of the previous three presidential elections.

Laurie Carafone, executive director of Network, said the organization commissioned the report to understand the issues and factors that motivate Catholic voters who remain uncommitted close to an election.

While the report describes these voters as dependable in their attendance at the polls, it notes they lack predictability in their candidate choices. Nearly three-quarters of the respondents reported having voted for both former President Barack Obama and President Donald Trump.

The Ruth V. K. Pakaluk Foundation has suspended its petition to the Bishop of Worcester to formally open the cause for the beatification and canonization of Ruth Pakaluk. In a statement on its website, the foundation said the decision is based on considerations that extend beyond Pakaluk's life or witness.

The Vatican had previously granted the Diocese of Worcester permission to proceed with the cause in late September 2025. At that time, Pakaluk was named a Servant of God.

Pakaluk was a convert and pro-life activist who died in 1998 at age 41 after a battle with cancer. She was a mother of seven and served on the board of Massachusetts Citizens for Life. She and her husband, Michael Pakaluk, met while studying at Harvard University before embracing the Catholic faith.

More than 130 clergy, catechists, and lay leaders from the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston recently completed a two-day training session on disability and mental health. The training, held in partnership with the National Catholic Partnership on Disability, included representatives from approximately three-quarters of the archdiocese's parishes.

The program addresses challenges such as suicide, trauma, family stress, and disability inclusion. This training expanded from the Hope and Healing initiative led by Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, which originally focused on mental health literacy for priests. The expansion follows requests from parish staff and ministry leaders for more training.

Melissa Alvarez, the associate director of faith formation for persons with disabilities, said the training is a step toward welcoming all persons with disabilities into the life of the Church.

A national survey of 2,401 adult Catholics in the United States found that 39% of respondents have experienced racial discrimination. The report, "Experiences of Race, Diversity, and Racism: A National Survey of Adult Catholics," was released Oct. 26 by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate.

The survey indicated that 60% of adult Catholics believe racism exists within their local community. Within the Church, 10% of those polled reported experiencing racial discrimination within their parish community, and 11% reported such experiences within Catholic education.

Reported rates varied by group. Indigenous Catholics reported that 75% have experienced lifetime discrimination, with 15% in parishes and 23% in Catholic education. Black Catholics reported 66% lifetime discrimination, with 26% in parishes and 26% in Catholic education. Hispanic Catholics reported 54% lifetime discrimination, with 15% in parishes and 16% in Catholic education. Among Asian, Pacific Islander, and Native Hawaiian Catholics, 54% reported lifetime discrimination, with 11% in parishes and 14% in Catholic education. Non-Hispanic white Catholics reported the lowest levels at 29%.

Researchers Mark M. Gray and Ali Mumbach conducted the survey between May 15 and June 30. Gray noted that the results suggest a connection between adult faith formation and an understanding of Church teachings regarding racism.

The Sisters of Providence celebrated the 20th anniversary of the canonization of St. Theodore Guérin on Oct. 11 in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana. The anniversary included a pilgrimage, a picnic, and a special Eucharistic liturgy.

During the liturgy, representatives from each of Indiana's five dioceses received first-class relics of the saint. Recipients included Msgr. Fred Easton for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis and Mary Gen Blittschau for the Diocese of Evansville.

St. Theodore Guérin was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican on Oct. 15, 2006. Born in Brittany, France, in 1798, she joined the Sisters of Providence in 1823. She arrived in Terre Haute in 1840 to serve on the Indiana frontier, where she established nearly a dozen schools and two orphanages. The school founded by her community remains active today as St. Mary-of-the-Woods College.

Archbishop Jeffrey S. Grob of Milwaukee issued a public apology on October 25 regarding a video of a prayer session with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office. The Archbishop stated the White House publicized the encounter without the consent of the participants.

The meeting took place on October 22, involving Archbishop Grob and 11 other bishops. Archbishop Grob said the group attended the meeting to discuss issues such as immigration enforcement, religious worker visas, and human dignity. He noted the participants were told the discussion would be private and that there might be an opportunity to pray privately with the president.

The video, which shows the bishops praying over the president, was released by a White House communications advisor shortly before the November 3 midterm elections. Archbishop Grob said the meeting was not an endorsement of the president, his policies, or his political party. He expressed regret for any confusion or disappointment the footage caused his community.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops stated the meeting was not organized by or affiliated with the conference. Bishop James R. Golka of Denver also addressed the event, stating that praying for public officials is a long-standing Catholic practice and does not constitute an endorsement of a specific candidate or party.

Archbishop James Golka of Denver led a group of Catholic bishops in prayer for President Donald Trump during a meeting in the Oval Office on Thursday, October 22. The meeting, organized by White House Faith Director Jenny Korn as part of an ongoing dialogue with religious leaders, lasted three hours.

The bishops discussed religious freedom, school choice, family tax credits, religious visas, and policies related to the protection of life. During the prayer, Archbishop Golka thanked God for the nation, the government, and the presidency, while asking for divine blessings upon the president.

Other participating bishops included Abdallah Elias Zaidan of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon in Los Angeles, Edward Burns of Dallas, James Wall of Gallup, Joseph Naumann, Archbishop Emeritus of Kansas City, William Joensen of Des Moines, Jeffrey Grob, Archbishop of Milwaukee, and Michael Barber, S.J., Bishop of Oakland.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops stated it did not organize the meeting. The Archdiocese of Denver noted that praying for those in authority is a Church practice and does not constitute an endorsement of a specific candidate or political party.

Archbishop Christophe Z. el-Kassis, the Holy See's permanent observer to the United Nations, warned against the militarization of outer space during a UN First Committee discussion on Oct. 21. In a statement delivered during the 81st session of the General Assembly, the archbishop called for a ban on all space weapons to prevent an arms race beyond Earth.

The archbishop noted that current international law lacks a sufficiently strong framework to counter the threat of space militarization. He stated that humanity cannot afford to extend existing global conflicts and mistrust into space. Archbishop el-Kassis highlighted a growing reliance on outer space for communications, navigation, and scientific research, noting that the global space economy exceeded $685 billion in 2025.

The UN First Committee focuses on international security, global disarmament, and threats to peace. The archbishop described the preservation of space for peaceful purposes as a collective responsibility to serve the common good.

A divided panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled Oct. 20 that a multifaith coalition may continue its legal challenge to a Trump administration policy regarding immigration enforcement. The ruling reverses a previous decision by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, which had found that the coalition lacked standing to challenge the policy.

The lawsuit, filed in 2025 by more than two dozen religious organizations, contests the rescission of long-standing restrictions on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions at sensitive locations. The policy change reduced protections for sites such as houses of worship, schools, and hospitals, allowing arrests at these locations unless exceptions for national security or public safety apply.

Kelsi Brown Corkran, lead counsel for the plaintiffs and director for the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection at Georgetown Law, stated that the decision recognizes the harm caused to religious communities when DHS rescinded protections that had been in place for over three decades. The coalition represents 27 Jewish and Christian denominations and organizations.

The Catholic University of America has launched a study to investigate why some priests leave public ministry within a few years of ordination. University official Sara Perla stated that the research addresses a perception among some bishops and Catholic leaders that more men are leaving the priesthood in their early years. The study seeks to determine if this perception is supported by data and what factors contribute to these departures.

The research initiative is funded by the Knights of Columbus. Lead researcher Brandon Vaidyanathan, a sociology professor and director of the university's Institutional Flourishing Lab, said the project will deepen understanding of the reasons behind these decisions. He is collaborating with Stephen Cranney, a data scientist and lecturer in the university's global studies department, as well as sociologists Maureen Day from Villanova University, Joseph Davis from the University of Virginia, and Caitlin Fitzgerald from the University of Notre Dame.

The study will use quantitative and qualitative methods to analyze anonymized data from priests ordained for United States dioceses between 2006 and 2025. The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University will compile the data set. The university expects to release the results in the fall of 2027.