WASHINGTON - Catholics in dioceses across the United States are invited to support the Church’s mission of evangelization by contributing to the U.S. bishops’ Catholic Communication Campaign at Mass on the weekend of May 16-17.

This annual collection supports efforts to proclaim the Gospel through digital media, social platforms, and Catholic news coverage, helping the Church reach people where they are—especially in an increasingly online world.

“Throughout my ministry as a parish priest, a chaplain to university students, and now as a bishop, I have seen how deeply people—especially the young—are shaped by digital media,” said Bishop William D. Byrne, chairman of the Committee on Communications for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). “If we hope to share the Gospel effectively, we must be present in digital spaces, offering clarity and sharing the mercy and truth of Jesus Christ.

When Catholics give to the Catholic Communication Campaign, half of their gift remains in their diocese to support local communications efforts, while the other half supports national initiatives. Some dioceses choose a different date, and those who wish to give but are unable to do so at Mass may donate online at #iGiveCatholic to support the USCCB’s national communication efforts. 

Because of this support, the bishops of the United States are able to engage millions of people each day through social media, video, and other digital platforms.

Some of the projects supported by the Catholic Communication Campaign include:

• Daily Mass readings and related resources on the U.S. bishops’ website, which reach hundreds of millions of people each year and are increasingly shared across digital platforms to support prayer and formation: bible.usccb.org/.
• In-depth coverage of Pope Leo XIV, his ministry and travels by the Catholic News Service bureau in Rome, providing trusted Catholic journalism to audiences in the United States and beyond.
• A series of roundtables on Catholics and mental health, featuring bishops and clinical experts. These valuable discussions can be viewed on the USCCB website at: www.usccb.org/committees/laity-marriage-family-life-and-youth/roundtable-discussions-mental-health.
• Livestreamed coverage of the bishops’ plenary assemblies, allowing the faithful to witness the bishops gathered in fraternity to address pastoral priorities and proclaim the Gospel with a unified voice.
• Social media content across the U.S. bishops’ platforms reaches hundreds of millions of users each year, bringing the work of the conference and the voices of bishops directly to Catholics and people of goodwill in engaging, accessible formats.

“When you give to the Catholic Communication Campaign, you shed light on the work of the Church and help the Church to shed the light of Christ on everyone,” Bishop Byrne said.

For more information: www.usccb.org/committees/catholic-communication-campaign

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WASHINGTON – Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Bishop Larry Silva, 76, from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Honolulu, and has appointed Reverend Michael T. Castori, SJ, as Bishop-elect of Honolulu. Father Castori is a member of the Society of Jesus, a religious order, and currently serves as rector of the Arrupe Jesuit Residence at Seattle University in Seattle, Washington.

The resignation and appointment were publicized in Washington, D.C. on May 6, 2026, by Monsignor Većeslav Tumir, chargé d’affaires, a.i., of the Apostolic Nunciature in the United States.

The following biographical information for Bishop-elect Castori was drawn from preliminary materials provided to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops:

Father Castori was born on October 21, 1960, in Sacramento, California. He received a bachelor’s degree in classics from Harvard University (1982); a master’s degree in philosophical resources (1991); a master of divinity from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley (1998); and studied Hebrew languages at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1999). He received a Ph.D. in near eastern religions from the University of California, Berkeley (2008), and a licentiate in sacred theology from Fordham University (2009).

He was ordained to the priesthood on June 13, 1998. Father Castori’s pastoral assignments include: ministry to the homeless through St. Ignatius parish in Baltimore, Maryland for the Jesuit Volunteer Corps (1984-1985); Catholic chaplaincies at Crouse-Irving Memorial Hospital in Syracuse, New York (1987-1989), St. Barnabas Hospital in Bronx, New York (1989-1991), and Suva Prison in Fiji (1991-1994). He served in pastoral ministry over the summer at St. Anthony of Padua parish in Nuku’alofa, Kingdom of Tonga (1995) and St. Teresa of Avila parish in Ha’apai, Kingdom of Tonga (1997), and was chaplain to the Tongan Catholic communities in northern California from 1996 to 2024. He also served in Catholic chaplaincy at San Quentin State Prison in California (1997-2005); in pastoral ministry at Mission Santa Clara and Campus Ministry at Santa Clara University (2008-2013); and he was associate pastor at All Saints parish in Hayward, California (2014-2024).

Bishop-elect Castori’s teaching experience includes: instructor for the Collegiate Program at St. Ignatius House of Studies in Guam (1985-1987); instructor at Assumption High School in Majuro, Republic of Marshall Islands (1989); lecturer in philosophy at Pacific Regional Seminary in Suva, Fiji (1991-1994); assistant professor in the department of religious studies at Santa Clara University (2008-2013); and assistant professor at East Asian Pastoral Institute in Ateneo de Manila in the Philippines (2011). He served as a member of the presbyteral council of the Diocese of Oakland from 2015-2024, and as a member of the diocese’s priest personnel board from 2019-2024. From 2021 to 2025, he was vicar for clergy for the Diocese of Oakland. Bishop-elect Castori has served as rector of Arrupe Jesuit Residence at Seattle University since 2025. He speaks English, Spanish, Hebrew, Greek, Latin and Tongan.

The Diocese of Honolulu is comprised of 6,435 square miles in the State of Hawaii.

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Dominic Savio was born on April 2, 1842 in the village of Riva in northern Italy. His father was a blacksmith and his mother a seamstress. He had nine brothers and sisters. His family was poor but hardworking. They were devout and pious Catholics. When he was just two years old, Dominic's family returned to their native village of Castlenuovo d'Asti, (Today, Castlenuovo Don Bosco) near the birthplace of John Bosco. Bosco would himself later be canonized as a Saint by the Church and became a ...

Bishop of Arles, France, and friend and relative of St. Honoratus. He was born to a noble family in Lorraine and was successful, although he gave up his secular career to join St. Honoratus at Lerins Abbey. When Honoratus died after being named the bishop of Arles, Hilary was chosen as his successor in 429. He was known for his austerities, his aid to the poor, and for ransoming captives. On two occasions Hilary became embroiled in controversies with Pope St. Leo I the Great, but they were ...

The St. Florian commemorated in the Roman Martyrology on May 4th, was an officer of the Roman army, who occupied a high administrative post in Noricum, now part of Austria, and who suffered death for the Faith in the days of Diocletian. His legendary "Acts" state that he gave himself up at Lorch to the soldiers of Aquilinus, the governor, when they were rounding up the Christians, and after making a bold confession, he was twice scourged, half-flayed alive, set on fire, and finally thrown into ...

St. James the Less, the author of the first Catholic Epistle, was the son of Alphaeus of Cleophas. His mother Mary was either a sister or a close relative of the Blessed Virgin, and for that reason, according to Jewish custom, he was sometimes called the brother of the Lord. The Apostle held a distinguished position in the early Christian community of Jerusalem. St. Paul tells us he was a witness of the Resurrection of Christ; he is also a "pillar" of the Church, whom St. Paul ...

St. Athanasius, also known as Athanasius the Great and Athanasius the Confessor, was a bishop and doctor of the church. He is called the "Father of Orthodoxy," the "Pillar of the Church" and "Champion of Christ's Divinity." Athanasius became one of the most dedicated opponents of the heresy of Arianism. Much of his life was a testimony to the divinity of Jesus Christ. Born in either 296 or 298 in Alexandria, Egypt to a prominent Christian family, Athanasius received a wonderful education in ...

WASHINGTON – Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Bishop James A. Tamayo, 76, from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Laredo, and has appointed Reverend John Jairo Gomez, as Bishop-elect of Laredo. Father Gomez is a priest of the Diocese of Tyler and currently serves as the vicar general of the diocese. The resignation and appointment were publicized in Washington, D.C., on May 1, 2026, by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

The following biographical information for Bishop-elect Gomez was drawn from preliminary materials provided to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops:

Father Gomez was born on December 15, 1975, in Colombia. He received his master of divinity from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas (2009), and a licentiate in canon law from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome (2012). He was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Tyler on May 23, 2009.

His parish assignments after ordination include: pastor at Holy Cross parish in Pittsburgh, Texas (2012-2017); pastor at Christ the King parish in Kilgore (2017-2018); and pastor at St. Charles in Frankston (2018-2020). His assignments for the Diocese of Tyler include: judicial vicar (2014-2015); member of the diocesan presbyteral council (2014 to present);; member of the diocesan college of consultors (2015 to present); member of the board of directors for Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Tyler (2015 to present); member of the diocesan review board (2017 to present); member of the East Texas Catholic Foundation Board of Directors (2017 to present); member of the board of directors for the diocesan priest retirement plan (2017-2022); diocesan director of the Pontifical Mission Societies (2017 to present); member if the Catholic Association of Diocesan Directors of Hispanic Ministry (2022 to present); delegate of the apostolic administrator (2023-2025). He served as vicar general and moderator of the curia for the Diocese of Tyler from 2015 to 2023 and has also been serving in the role again from 2025 to present. 

Bishop-elect Gomez is a native speaker of Spanish.

The Diocese of Laredo is comprised of 10,905 square miles in the State of Texas.

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WASHINGTON – Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Most Reverend Mark E. Brennan, 79, from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, and has appointed Most Reverend Evelio Menjivar-Ayala, currently auxiliary bishop of Washington, as his successor. 

The resignation and appointment were publicized in Washington, D.C. on May 1, 2026, by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

Bishop Menjivar-Ayala’s biography may be found here.

The Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston is comprised of 24,041 square miles in the State of West Virginia.

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Even though Pope Leo XIV is not visiting the United States this year, the popemobile is!

The white, custom-built Hyundai vehicle will go on a 13-city tour of the U.S., covering 3,700 miles from New York to California.

Dubbed the "Hopemobile," Pope Francis wanted the popemobile to be used after his death to benefit those who are poor and vulnerable.

This week it was given to Cross Catholic Outreach, the U.S.-based Catholic relief and development organization, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.  

Archbishop Luis Marín de San Martín, head of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity, handed the keys over to CCO's president, Michele Sagarino, who said they will use the popemobile to create moments of encounter, prayer and action to help children affected by war.

"At a moment when the country is reflecting on its history, this is an opportunity not just to serve, but to witness, to evangelize, to bring faith into the public square and to invite people into a deeper encounter with the Catholic faith, and a greater compassion and care for the vulnerable around the world," she said in a statement to CNS. 

The initiative, called "American Catholic Heroes: The Road Trip for Hope," will run from June to July and coincide with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence in 1776.

Cross Catholic Outreach has invited Michael Iskander, the actor who played King David in the streaming series, House of David, to drive the popemobile. The Catholic prayer app, Hallow, will film a video series to premiere on YouTube.

CCO plans to raise money for children around the world who have been affected by war, and to highlight different "heroes of the faith" who devoted their lives to the Gospel. 

Over the past 25 years, Cross Catholic Outreach has received upwards of $4 billion worth of donations, which have gone to support hundreds of programs in more than 90 countries. They have been assisting the Vatican dicastery for many years, particularly in material aid for Ukraine.