Browsing News Entries

St. Grimbald: Saint of the Day for Tuesday, July 08, 2025

Benedictine abbot also called Grimwald, invited to England by King Alfred in 885. Grimbald arrived in England and declined the see of Canterbury, preferring to remain a monk. He became the abbot of New Minster Abbey at Winchester appointed by King Edward the Elder. Grimbald is credited with restoring learning to England.

Côte d’Ivoire: Sisters of Our Lady of Peace celebrate Diamond Jubilee

The Congregation of religious sisters of Our Lady of Peace in Ivory Coast this week concluded celebrations marking its 60 years of foundation with Holy Mass presided over by Cardinal Ignace Bessi Dogbo, Archbishop of Abidjan.

Read all

 

Sr. Becquart: New Synod document to foster exchange of gifts among local Churches

Sister Nathalie Becquart, Undersecretary of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops, speaks to Vatican News about the new document "Pathways for the Implementation Phase of the Synod," highlighting the realization of synodality within the local Churches, as well as the exchange of gifts among them.

Read all

 

After 12 years, locals welcome pope back to his summer home

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (CNS) -- After more than a decade without its most famous vacationer, the quiet town of Castel Gandolfo once again counts the pope among its summer residents.

Pope Leo XIV became the 16th pope to reside in the papal summer residence when he moved there July 6, following the recitation of the Angelus in St. Peter's Square.

"This afternoon, I will travel to Castel Gandolfo, where I intend to have a short period of rest," the pope told pilgrims gathered in the square. "I hope that everyone will be able to enjoy some vacation time in order to restore both body and spirit."

The Apostolic Palace is pictured from the main square in Castel Gandolfo, Italy.
The Apostolic Palace is pictured from the main square in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, July 1, 2025, as the small town prepared for Pope Leo XIV’s first official visit for his customary July retreat. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

The tradition of popes escaping the summer heat of Rome for the cooler Alban Hills began with Pope Urban VIII in 1626. While Pope Benedict XVI spent nearly three months in the papal villa during the summer of 2012, his successor, Pope Francis, chose not to stay there, opting instead for his Vatican residence at the Domus Sanctae Marthae.

In 2016, Pope Francis converted the papal property into a museum, opening the villa and gardens to the public.

That decision transformed the character of tourism in the town, said Marina Rossi, a local resident who has operated a mosaic workshop along the town's main drag for more than 30 years.

"During the week there wasn't this flow of people," she told Catholic News Service July 1, since the popes only presented themselves publicly to pray the Angelus on Sundays. "Instead, by opening the palace and the pontifical villas, the type of tourism has changed," shifting from frugal pilgrims to paying visitors. As a result, "the last 12 years were good for us."

Still, she said, the return of a pope is "fantastic."

"It's an important showcase" for the town, Rossi said. "We're happy, yes."

Lake Albano, which formed inside a volcano, is seen from Castel Gandolfo, Italy.
Lake Albano, which formed inside a volcano, is seen from Castel Gandolfo, Italy, July 1, 2025. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

Rossi, an artist, said she and others had considered creating a portrait of the pope, adding, "Yes, it's an idea we've had; right now, we are doing stuff a bit different, more simple, because making a portrait is not the most 'sell-able' right away."

Assunta Ferrini, who manages Sor Capanna, a restaurant right off the square at the foot of the papal palace, said the town has not lacked tourists in the pope's absence.

"The tourists came, many of them," she told CNS. "But to have a pope return is always an honor for the town, that he comes here to meet us."

At a local coffee shop, barista Stefano Carosi echoed that sentiment. "To have the pope here among us after so long is a beautiful thing," he said. "We've waited for it for so long."

Without the steady presence of Pope Francis, he added, the town was "without that spark, that light, but now it seems like these 12 years have flown by and we hope that everything may return as before."

The pope returns to Castel Gandolfo

The pope returns to Castel Gandolfo

After praying the Angelus in St. Peter's Square, Pope Leo XIV departed the Vatican July 6 and made his way to Castel Gandolfo -- a small hilltop town about an hour southeast of Rome.

Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks continue for a second day in Qatar

As the peace talks continue in Qatar, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu travels to Washington D.C. to meet with US President Trump to further discussions.

Read all

 

History and art of Pope’s summer residence in Castel Gandolfo

As Pope Leo XIV becomes the 16th Successor of Peter to take his summer holidays in Castel Gandolfo, we explore the town near Rome that has hosted the papal summer residence since the mid-1600s.

Read all

 

Bl. Ralph Milner: Saint of the Day for Monday, July 07, 2025

English martyr. He was born at Stocksteads, Hampshire, and was a convert. He was arrested the day he received his first Communion. A husbands man by trade, Ralph was allowed a leave from prison and aided priests and Catholics. He was executed at Winchester on July by being hanged, drawn, and quartered for giving assistance to Blessed Roger Dickenson. He was beatified in 1929.

Cardinal Tolentino appointed to Zayed Award judging committee

The Prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education will be among the judges of the 2026 Zayed Award for Human Fraternity. "I look forward to reviewing nominations," he says, "and to becoming familiar with so many people who are making a difference around the world.”

Read all

 

Vatican offers new guidance for Synod’s implementation phase

The General Secretariat of the Synod releases “Pathways for the Implementation of the Synod”, which provides “an interpretive key for understanding the implementation phase of the Synod on Synodality.”

Read all

 

San Antonio Archbishop prays for families of flood victims as death toll rises

As the death toll from floods in central Texas rises to 82, Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller of San Antonio visits a Catholic church offering care and assistance to those affected.

Read all