At the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops general assembly today Bishop Lopes was elected to serve as chairman-elect of the USCCB Committee on Divine Worship.

On October 7, 2021, Bishop Lopes will celebrate a Pontifical Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Philadelphia with Most Reverend Nelson J. Pérez, Archbishop of Philadelphia, homilist, celebrating St. John Henry Newman. All are welcome to attend.

Each year the faithful gather at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., to pray for our country. This year, Bishop Lopes will deliver the keynote address. Tomorrow morning EWTN will broadcast the Prayer Breakfast live beginning at 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

With sadness that is lightened by our hope in the resurrection, we wish to inform you that Father John Cornelius, a retired priest of the Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter, died September 8, 2021. The funeral Mass will take place on Monday, September 13, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Cleburne, TX. Father Cornelius was ordained a Catholic priest for the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter in January of 2013 and assigned as Administrator of Saint Alban’s, Rochester, New York. He retired in December of 2014. He served in ordained ministry for the Episcopal Church from 1990 until his retirement in 2010 while rector of the Episcopal parish in Warrensburg, New York. His ministry assignments as an Episcopalian included parishes in Florida, New York, Texas, and Rhode Island. He is survived by his wife of nearly 42 years, Sharyl, three daughters, Virginia, Sarah, and Rebecca, and two grandchildren. Please remember his family and all who mourn in your prayers.

This week in Texas a law protecting the unborn from abortion, once a heartbeat is detected, went into effect. For the first time since Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court has allowed a prolife law to remain while litigation proceeds in lower courts. We celebrate every life saved by this legislation. Read the full statement.