July 31, 2020 WASHINGTON – Catholic schools, especially those serving urban areas have been disproportionately impacted in the ongoing fallout of the novel coronavirus. Three bishop chairmen of committees of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) have sent a letter to Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA), the chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, requesting support…

July 29, 2020 WASHINGTON – The United Nations designated July 30 as the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons in 2013 to raise awareness of the devastating impact human trafficking has on women, men, and children and to promote survivors’ rights and human dignity. The international day is observed annually in the United States and…

July 22, 2020   WASHINGTON — Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Religious Liberty, and Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, issued the following statement in response to reports of increasing incidents…

Brian T. Olszewski, Janna Reynolds, The Catholic Virginian “Necessity is the mother of invention.” – Plato For parishes in the Diocese of Richmond, one of the “inventions” to surface as a result of COVID-19 was the use of technology in order to stay connected with parishioners once Bishop Barry C. Knestout suspended the celebration of public Masses on…

Statement of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace on the 75th Anniversary of Hiroshima and Nagasaki August 6 and 9 mark the 75th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the first, and one hopes the last, times that atomic weapons are employed in war. Since Pope St….

Diocesan celebration includes ordinations of priests, deacon   Brian T. Olszewski, The Catholic Virginian   It was the 200th anniversary of the day on which the Diocese of Richmond was founded — one of the first seven dioceses in the United States. That alone was to be celebrated this day with representatives from parishes throughout the…

July 10, 2020   WASHINGTON –  Following the publication of a national news story on Catholic churches receiving loans through the Paycheck Protection Program, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, issued the following statement in response:   “The…

Brian T. Olszewski, The Catholic Virginian   The Chrism Mass in the Diocese of Richmond was finally celebrated. Scheduled for April 6, the Monday of Holy Week, but postponed due to state-imposed restrictions for church gatherings due to COVID-19, the Mass was celebrated by Bishop Barry C. Knestout on Friday night, July 10, at the Cathedral…

July 8, 2020 WASHINGTON – The Little Sisters of the Poor recently went to the Supreme Court of the United States again to defend their community against attempts to force Catholic religious to cooperate with immoral activities, and again, the Supreme Court has recognized their right to religious freedom. By a vote of 7-2, the…

Bishop Knestout will celebrate the Chrism Mass on Friday, July 10, 2020, 6 p.m., at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Richmond. The Chrism Mass celebrates the ministry of our diocesan priests. They are invited to renew their commitment of service during Mass and receive the prayers and support from the faithful. Bishop Knestout…