PAPAL PRAYER INTENTION JULY 2025
Let us pray that we might again learn how to discern, to know how to choose paths of life and reject everything that leads us away from Christ and the Gospel.
Monday, June 30, 2025
The first Saint of July; known as the Apostle of California
St. Junipero Serra
Feastday: July 1
Patron: of Vocations
Birth: 1713
Death: 1784
Beatified: Pope John Paul II
Canonized: September 23, 2015, Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C., by Pope Francis
Junípero Serra, originally named Miguel José, was born on November 24, 1713, in Petra, Majorca, Spain. His parents, Antonio Nadal Serra and Margarita Rosa Ferrer, were farmers. Baptized at St. Peter's Church in Petra on the same day, Junípero would go on to become a renowned figure in the history of California.
In his early years, Serra attended the primary school run by the Franciscans in Petra. At the age of 15, his parents entrusted him to a cathedral canon in Palma, where he began attending philosophy classes at the Franciscan monastery of San Francisco.
Serra took his first step toward religious life when he became a novice at the Convento de Jesús near Palma on September 14, 1730. A year later, on September 15, he made his profession and chose the name Junípero in honor of St. Francis' companion. Serra pursued his studies in philosophy and theology at the Convento de San Francisco. The exact date of his ordination to the priesthood remains unknown, but it is believed to have occurred in December 1738. In 1742, he earned his doctorate in theology from the Lullian University in Palma. Shortly after, in January 1749, he was appointed the primary professor of theology at the university and was called to serve as an Indian missionary in America.
Accompanied by Francisco Palóu, Serra set sail for America on April 13, 1749. They arrived in Vera Cruz, Mexico, on December 7, 1749. Instead of using the provided horses, Serra chose to walk the 250 miles from Vera Cruz to Mexico City. On January 1, 1750, they reached San Fernando College, having spent the previous night at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Within six months, Serra responded to an urgent call for volunteers for the Sierra Gorda missions. He joined the mission and spent his time between 1750 and 1758 overseeing the construction of a church, promoting religious and economic development, and learning the Otomí language to effectively teach the Pame Indians. Serra's leadership led to the building of mission churches in the other four towns as well.
Afterward, Serra was assigned to the college of San Fernando, where he held various positions, including choir director, master of novices, college counselor, and confessor. He also preached missions as a home missionary in different cities in Mexico. In 1767, he was appointed the president of the ex-Jesuit missions of Baja California.
Serra's enthusiasm and dedication to spreading the faith led him to volunteer for expeditions to Upper California in 1768. He embarked on the journey and reached Loreto on April 1, where he oversaw the establishment of 15 missions, from San José del Cabo to Santa María. Serra's efforts continued as he founded nine missions in Upper California, including San Diego, San Carlos, San Antonio, San Gabriel, San Luis Obispo, San Francisco, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Clara, and San Buenaventura. He also participated in the founding of Presidio Santa Barbara.
Throughout his missionary work, Serra faced health challenges, including leg and foot issues, which required him to be carried on a stretcher during certain parts of his journey. Despite his physical afflictions, he dedicated the next 15 years of his life to evangelizing in Upper California.
Serra passed away on August 28, 1784, at Mission San Carlos, where he was buried in the church he had constructed. By the end of 1784, the number of baptized Indians at the first nine missions had reached 6,736, with 4,646 Christianized Indians residing in them.
Junípero Serra was known for his zeal, optimism, and devotion to his converts. He fought for the freedom of the Church against royal interference and played a significant role in the establishment and expansion of missions in California. His beatification process began in 1934 and concluded in 1949. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on September 25, 1988, and later canonized by Pope Francis on September 23, 2015. Junípero Serra is widely recognized as the Apostle of California, with numerous monuments and memorials commemorating his legacy along the Camino Real.
Catholic Bishops, leaders sign dueling letters to protest, and even praise the One Big Beautiful Bill?
In rare move, Catholic leaders issue dueling letters criticizing GOP budget bill
(RNS) — The US Conference of Catholic Bishops took a firm but mixed approach to the bill, while other Catholic leaders signed an interfaith letter asking senators to oppose the bill.
Aleja Hertzler-McCain and Jack Jenkins
June 27, 2025
(RNS) — In an unusual display of public disagreement among U.S. Catholic hierarchy, bishops signed on to two competing letters to lawmakers on Thursday (June 26) regarding the Republican-led federal budget proposal containing a massive funding expansion for immigration enforcement, with each letter exhibiting different levels of criticism of the bill.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the umbrella organization that typically represents U.S. prelates in political matters, took a firm but mixed approach to the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” in a letter. Building off of a separate statement from late May that expressed a combination of praise and concern about the bill, USCCB leaders began their new letter by stating they are “grateful for provisions that promote the dignity of human life and support parental choice in education” in the budget, such as efforts to curtail public funding for abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood.
But the letter also included a lengthy critique, urging senators — who are set to vote on the bill as soon as Friday — to “make drastic changes to the provisions that will harm the poor and vulnerable.” The letter breaks down the USCCB’s opposition to proposed cuts to food assistance programs, health care initiatives such as Medicaid and clean energy incentives.
In a statement released alongside the letter, conference President Archbishop Timothy Broglio, who leads the Archdiocese for the Military Services, referred to Pope Leo XIV to argue that politicians should “promote and protect the common good.” The budget proposal, he said, “does not answer that call.”
“It takes from the poor to give to the wealthy,” Broglio’s statement read. “It provides tax breaks for some while undermining the social safety net for others through major cuts to nutrition assistance and Medicaid. It fails to protect families and children by promoting an enforcement-only approach to immigration and eroding access to legal protections. It harms God’s creation and future generations through cuts to clean energy incentives and environmental programs.”
However, in a different letter released on the same day, a coalition of other Catholic bishops joined with a U.S. interfaith group in going a step further by explicitly asking senators not to vote for the bill.
“From our various faith perspectives, the moral test of a nation is how it treats those most in need of support. In our view, this legislation will harm the poor and vulnerable in our nation, to the detriment of the common good,” the interfaith leaders wrote.
The letter’s 42 signers include Cardinals Robert McElroy of Washington, D.C., and Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey and other Catholic bishops; Imam Jamal Rahman of the Interfaith Community Sanctuary of Seattle; Washington; Rabbi Daniel Weiner of Seattle; and Episcopal Bishop Philip LaBelle of Olympia, Washington, among top signatories.
In addition to Catholics, Episcopalians, Muslims and Jews, the letter included leaders from the Evergreen Baptist Association, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the New Mexico Conference of Churches, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the National Latino Evangelical Coalition.
Although interfaith letters about legislation are common, it is unusual for a group of U.S. Catholic bishops to sign on and for prelates to join an effort that supersedes the declarations of the USCCB.
The interfaith letter criticized how the budget bill would continue to fund President Donald Trump’s ongoing immigration crackdown, which has been widely opposed by religious groups across the U.S. In the letter, leaders said the bill “provides tens of billions of dollars to the government to undertake a mass deportation campaign which will separate US families, harm US-citizen and immigrant children, and sow chaos in local communities.”
They also warned the funding “will be used to target faith communities” because of a Trump policy change allowing immigration enforcement in houses of worship. They wrote they have already witnessed a reduction in attendance at their services because of the “threat of enforcement.”
Just this month, apparent immigration enforcement actions occurred in California at least two Catholic churches and a Disciples of Christ church — actions activists and faith leaders said likely would not have happened had the Trump administration not altered existing policy. The change is currently the subject of a lawsuit filed against the Trump administration by dozens of religious groups, including several represented among the signers of the interfaith letter, such as the Episcopal Church.
In the letter, the interfaith leaders also raised concerns about increased funding for a border wall they “believe will drive migrants into the most remote regions of the border and lead to an increase in migrant deaths,” and about cuts to health care and food assistance, citing a Congressional Budget Office estimate that the bill “transfers wealth from those in the bottom 10 percent of income to those in the top 10 percent of income in our nation.”
Instead, they advocated for legal avenues for immigration and a way for undocumented immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for years to legalize their status.
The interfaith letter echoes Catholic immigration advocates who have expressed frustration with USCCB leadership for not condemning the budget bill completely, given the large increases in funding for immigration enforcement. The version of the bill that passed the House of Representatives quadruples U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s budget and increases immigration detention capacity by 800%.
Kevin Appleby, the USCCB’s former migration policy director and current senior fellow for policy at the Center for Migration Studies, a New York institute that studies migration and policies, told Religion News Service earlier this month the bill “will fuel mass immigration raids like we’ve never seen.”
“If the bishops fail to oppose that bill, then they’re facilitating these raids,” he said.
The interfaith letter comes on the heels of an editorial penned earlier this month by Archbishop John Wester, who oversees the Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe, in which the cleric called on bishops to do more to oppose a bill he said “betrays the poor.” In an RNS interview earlier this month, Wester, who signed the interfaith bill, said he believes people were hoping bishops would come out stronger against the bill and that he planned to encourage fellow bishops gathering for a mid-June USCCB retreat in San Diego to join him in speaking out.
“I think the bill is robbing from the poor to give to the rich,” Wester said. “It’s the opposite of the Robin Hood effect.”
Bishop John Stowe, a signer of the interfaith letter who oversees the Catholic Diocese of Lexington in Kentucky, said he and other religious leaders felt compelled to make their voices heard.
“The treatment of immigrants or those profiled as immigrants is unconscionable and we must do everything we can to stop this cruelty, not provide additional funding at the expense of needed health care and social services,” Stowe said in a text message Friday morning.
Organizers say the interfaith letter is the beginning of a larger collaboration. The Rev. Gabriel Salguero, a signatory who leads the National Latino Evangelical Coalition, is promoting the letter alongside other efforts, including radio ads in both English and Spanish, to counter the bill.
“This is not the pro-life, pro-family, pro-worker vision of our faith,” Salguero says in the ad, referring to the bill.
The interfaith letter’s Catholic signatories feature several bishops who were placed in prominent positions by Pope Francis or saw recent promotions by Pope Leo XIV, but who have not been promoted as leaders in the USCCB.
In one of his final letters before his death, Francis wrote a letter to the U.S. bishops condemning the Trump administration’s approach to immigration policy, which included a disavowal of the theology that Vice President JD Vance has used to justify a mass deportation campaign.
Some observers have argued the U.S. bishops’ failure to elevate those in favor at the Vatican within the USCCB is a sign of opposition to Francis’ teaching. Cardinal Tobin of Newark, a top signatory on the letter, lost a 2022 bid for the USCCB’s No. 3 position as secretary despite cardinals typically having an advantage in such races. Other Catholic bishops among the signatories, like McElroy and Seattle Archbishop Paul Etienne, were among those Francis chose as delegates for the Synod on Synodality, or recently received promotions to higher offices, such as San Diego Bishop-elect Michael Pham and Detroit Archbishop Edward Weisenberger.
While Leo has had less time to make his close allies known, the interfaith letter suggests a coalition of Francis-aligned bishops believe the USCCB is not doing enough to meet the moment.
Shifting the USCCB’s more buttoned-down, conservative-leaning approach to public advocacy may prove difficult. Even when the conference has opposed Trump’s immigration policies, it has often done so on its own terms: earlier this year, when a group of religious organizations collectively sued the administration over its decision to halt to the refugee resettlement program, the USCCB filed a separate solo lawsuit rather than join the other faith groups.
But as pressure mounts, the USCCB’s go-it-alone approach may already be changing. In March, the conference partnered with evangelical groups to release a report noting that about 1-in-5 Catholics and 1-in-12 Christians are at risk of deportation or losing a member of their household to deportation with the current policies in place.
And despite their differences, both letters add to growing faith-based pushback to the budget proposal. Over the past two months, the Rev. William Barber and other religious leaders have been repeatedly arrested in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda while praying against it. Multiple groups of religious leaders have also rallied on Capitol Hill and on the U.S. Capitol steps, protesting and praying with activists and Democratic lawmakers to decry the proposed legislation.
Pope Leo XIV has meeting with religious sisters
Pope Leo XIV to religious sisters: Ask, 'Is God my everything?'
Pope Leo XIV urges religious sisters in Rome for their General Chapters or the Jubilee to stay rooted in Christ and to ensure that God, in every way, remains their everything.
By Deborah Castellano Lubov
"Saint Augustine, speaking of the primacy of God in the Christian life, affirms that, 'God is everything, your everything. If you are hungry, God is your bread; if you are thirsty, God is your water; if you are in darkness, God is your light that never fades; if you are naked, God is your everlasting garment.” Indeed, we would do well to ask ourselves: to what extent are these words true for me? How much does the Lord satisfy my thirst for life, love or light?'"
Pope Leo XIV made this observation when receiving the Daughters of Divine Charity, Sisters of the Order of Saint Basil the Great, Augustinian Sisters of Amparo, and Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Hearts, in the Vatican on Monday.
Rootedness in Christ
In his remarks, the Holy Father noted, that "this rootedness in Christ is what led those who went before us – men and women like us, with gifts and limitations like ours – to do things they perhaps never thought they could achieve."
Moreover, the Pope marveled, it enabled them to sow seeds of goodness that, enduring throughout the centuries and across continents, have now reached practically the entire world, "as your presence here demonstrates."
Inspired by holiness
He recalled that some of the nuns were present due to their General Chapter, and others for their Jubilee pilgrimage, while stating in both cases, they have come to the tomb of St. Peter "in order to renew their love for the Lord and your fidelity to the Church."
While noting their Congregations were founded at different times and in distinct circumstances, the Holy Father recalled that their histories "share a common thread that can be seen in the light of such great historical witnesses to the spiritual life as Augustine, Basil and Francis, whose asceticism, courage and holiness of life inspired your founders to foster new ways of serving others."
This, he said, is evident in their care for the weakest, including children, poor girls and boys, orphans, migrants, and more recently for the elderly and the sick as well as many other ministries of charity.
Faced with important choices
"Your response to the challenges of the past and the vitality of your present," Pope Leo XIV highlighted, "make clear that fidelity to the ancient wisdom of the Gospel is the best way forward for those who, led by the Holy Spirit, undertake new paths of self-giving, dedicated to loving God and neighbor and listening attentively to the signs of the times."
With this sentiment, Pope Leo reminded them of their important responsibility.
"You are faced with important choices that will determine your future, that of your sisters and of the Church Herself," he highlighted, stressing that, "For this reason, it seems most appropriate to conclude by reiterating, for all of us, the beautiful hope expressed by Saint Paul in addressing the Christians of Ephesus.
St. Paul had said, "I pray that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."
Finally, before imparting his Apostolic Blessing, Pope Leo thanked the religious sisters for their work and fidelity and prayed the Blessed Mother accompany them.
Pope Leo XIV: never use hunger as a weapon of war
Pope: ‘Hunger must not be used as an weapon of war’
Pope Leo XIV sends a message to the 44th session of the FAO Conference, and condemns the use of hunger as a weapon of war and expenditures on arms production instead of eradicating poverty.
By Devin Watkins
The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization is holding the 44th Session of the FAO Conference in Rome from June 28 to July 4.
Pope Leo XIV sent a message to participants, as the FAO marked its 80th anniversary of its founding to combat food insecurity and malnutrition.
In his message, the Pope said the Church supports all efforts to end the “scandal of global hunger,” recalling Jesus’ care to feed the crowds who had come to hear Him speak.
“We realize that the true miracle accomplished by Christ was to show that the key to defeating hunger lies more in sharing than in greedily hoarding,” he said.
Many people, he lamented, still suffer cruelly and yearn for their needs to be met, as hunger and malnutrition continue despite the excess production in certain parts of the world.
“We are now witnessing, with deep sorrow, the inhumane use of hunger as a weapon of war,” said the Pope. “Starving civilian populations is a very cheap way to wage war.”
Most conflicts are now fought by armed civilian groups instead of regular armies, he added, pointing out that tactics like burning crops and blocking humanitarian aid weigh heavily on defenseless civilians.
When conflict breaks out, farmers are unable to sell their produce and inflation skyrockets, leading millions of people to suffer from famine and food insecurity.
Pope Leo called for the international community to take action and set clear boundaries so that perpetrators are held accountable.
“Political crises, armed conflicts, and economic disruptions play a central role in worsening the food crisis,” he said. “They hinder humanitarian aid, undermine local agricultural production, and deprive people not only of access to food, but also of the right to live a life of dignity and opportunity.”
Selfishness and indifference, added the Pope, must be set aside on behalf of dialogue and mutual understanding, so that peace and stability allow societies to build resilient agrifood systems.
At the same time, climate change and food systems are closely intertwined, meaning mistreatment of one deeply impacts the other.
“The social injustice caused by natural disasters and biodiversity loss,” he said, “must be reversed to achieve a just ecological transition, one that places both the environment and people at the center.”
He called for ecosystems to be protected through coordinated climate action in a spirit of solidarity, since our world’s resources must be employed so that everyone is guaranteed food security and nutritious diets.
Pope Leo XIV lamented that financial resources and innovative technologies are being diverted to arms production and weapons trade.
“As a result, questionable ideologies are being promoted, while human relationships grow cold, corroding communion and driving away fraternity and social friendship.”
In conclusion, Pope Leo invited everyone to be “artisans of peace, working for the common good” by setting aside sterile rhetoric and engaging with the issue of hunger with firm political will.
“To achieve this noble goal,” he said, “I wish to assure you that the Holy See will always serve the cause of harmony among peoples and will not grow weary of contributing to the common good of the family of nations, especially with regard to those most afflicted and those who suffer from hunger and thirst.”
Sunday, June 29, 2025
The final Saints for June are the first Martyrs of Rome
First Martyrs of Rome
Many martyrs who suffered death under Emperor Nero. Owing to their executions during the reign of Emperor Nero, they are called the Neronian Martyrs, and they are also termed the Protomartyrs of Rome, being honored by the site in Vatican City called the Piazza of the Protomartyrs. These early Christians were disciples of the Apostles, and they endured hideous tortures and ghastly deaths following the burning of Rome in the infamous fire of 62. Their dignity in suffering, and their fervor to the end, did not provide Nero or the Romans with the public diversion desired. Instead, the faith was firmly planted in the Eternal City.
Pope Leo prays for special intentions after the Angelus today
Pope prays for Bangui school tragedy victims and appeals for peace through diplomacy
Pope Leo XIV expresses closeness to all those affected by a stampede at a High School in the Central African Republic, assuring his prayers for the victims. He also appeals for a diplomatic solution to the wars afflicting the globe.
By Linda Bordoni
“I assure my prayers for the community of the Barthélémy Boganda High School in Bangui, in mourning for the tragic accident that caused numerous deaths and injuries among students,” Pope Leo XIV said after the Angelus address in St Peter's Square.
“May the Lord comfort the families and the entire community,” he prayed.
At least 29 students were killed and more than 260 were injured in a stampede at the school in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic.
An electrical explosion reportedly triggered panic among more than 5,000 students sitting their final exams. Most of the victims died at the scene. At least 260 people were injured and are being treated in various hospitals, the country's Ministry of Health said.
The incident occurred on Wednesday when power was being restored to an electrical transformer within the school premises after it malfunctioned.
'May weapons fall silent'
Before concluding his Angelus address, the Holy Father turned his thoughts to the many peoples across the world who are suffering from war, and he appealed for renewed diplomatic efforts.
"Brothers and sisters, let us continue to pray that weapons may fall silent everywhere and that peace may be pursued through dialogue," he said.
Pope Leo thankful for support of Peter's Pence
Pope Leo XIV thanks faithful for support of Peter’s Pence Collection
On the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Pope Leo XIV expresses gratitude for the faithful’s support of the Peter’s Pence collection, highlighting its significance as a sign of communion with the papacy.
By Linda Bordoni
Speaking after the Angelus prayer on Sunday, 29 June, Pope Leo XIV highlighted the spiritual and ecclesial significance of the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul by thanking the faithful worldwide for their participation in the Peter’s Pence collection and extending heartfelt greetings to pilgrims in Rome for the feast of the city’s patron saints.
“Today also marks the celebration of the Peter’s Pence collection, a sign of communion with the Pope and participation in his apostolic ministry,” the Pope said. “I warmly thank all those who, with their offering, support my first steps as the Successor of Peter.”
Observed annually, the collection enables the Pope to fund charitable works, provide disaster relief, and support vulnerable communities around the world.
Feast of Rome’s patron saints
Greeting pilgrims and citizens of Rome, Pope Leo also extended a special message to the priests who serve in its parishes, offering gratitude and encouragement for their pastoral work.
“I want to send a heartfelt thought to the parish priests and all the priests working in the Roman parishes, with gratitude and encouragement for their service,” he said.
Metropolitan Archbishops
The Pope also had words of welcome for pilgrims from various countries accompanying the Metropolitan Archbishops who received the Pallium during the morning Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica.
In particular, he said to those from war-struck Ukraine: “I always pray for your people.”
The Pallium, a liturgical vestment conferred on the new Archbishops, signifies their communion with the Bishop of Rome and their pastoral responsibility as shepherds within the Church’s hierarchy.
Quo Vadis initiative
Pope Leo also praised the Quo Vadis initiative, a spiritual pilgrimage through key sites in Rome connected to Saints Peter and Paul, as an opportunity to deepen knowledge of the Church’s foundations and grow in devotion to the Apostles.
“I bless all those participating in the event called ‘Quo Vadis’, through the Roman sites linked to the memory of Saints Peter and Paul,” he said. “I thank those who have worked with dedication to organise this initiative.”
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