News - June 2020 RSS Feed

WASHINGTON – Today, the Supreme Court of the United States issued its decision in the case of Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, which challenged a decision by the Montana Supreme Court to invalidate a tax credit scholarship program because families benefiting include those who choose to send their children to religiously-affiliated schools.

WASHINGTON – Following the U.S. Attorney General’s decision to set new federal execution dates for four federal death row inmates beginning July 13, 2020, and the decision by the Supreme Court of the United States declining to hear their appeal, USCCB chairman called on the Administration to reverse course on presiding over federal executions for the first time in 17 years.

WASHINGTON– Today, the Supreme Court of the United States announced its decision in an abortion case out of Louisiana, June Medical Services v. Russo.

WASHINGTON – Bishop Michael C. Barber, S.J of Oakland, chairman of the Committee on Catholic Education for the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), has joined a coalition of more than 150 interfaith and civil society organizations calling on the U.S. Congress to provide immediate federal aid to benefit low-income students in non-public schools.

WASHINGTON - Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami, the acting chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee for Religious Liberty has encouraged Catholics to pray and uphold religious liberty at home and abroad during Religious Freedom Week 2020.

METUCHEN – When sin entered the world, the mirror image of God was shattered, said Metuchen Bishop James F. Checchio at a June 19 prayer service for racial harmony, peace, justice and healing of the nation, which was held at the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi.

Speaking to a group of young black people, all Catholic high school students in the Diocese of Metuchen, the Most Rev. James F. Checchio, Bishop of Metuchen, said, “I’m here to listen to you.”

We have been alerted once again that many parishioners of the Diocese have been targeted by fraudsters and it’s not just happening in New Jersey. The alert indicates that the scammers are probably using information found on church websites or in online parish bulletins to trick parish members into parting with their cash.

As the national unrest in the wake of the tragic death of George Floyd and the outrage over racism in our country continues, I am grateful to the Holy Father for his prayers yesterday – for the Church in St. Paul and Minneapolis, our entire country, the repose of the soul of George Floyd and “all those others who have lost their lives as a result of the sin of racism."

In his pastoral concern, Bishop Checchio has directed a time of sustained prayer during this month of June, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to bring racial harmony, healing and peace to our nation. I invite you to join us tomorrow, and every Friday in the month of June, at 5:00 PM for an evening of prayer.

Come Holy Spirit! Just like the Apostles gathered in the Upper Room on that first Pentecost, we prayed this past weekend with expectant faith for the coming of the Holy Spirit to renew the Church and the face of the earth once again!