The LOOP
The Friday Loop - January 3, 2025
POPE BLESSES VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS OF NEW ORLEANS ATTACK
Pope Francis this week expressed solidarity with those affected by the attack in New Orleans. “As a pledge of peace and strength in the Lord, the Holy Father sends his blessing,” stated a Thursday telegram addressed to Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans. Officials are investigating the incident as an act of terror.
BIDEN DOJ SPENT OVER $100 MILLION PUSHING DEI IN SCHOOLS
The Department of Justice (DOJ) under the outgoing Biden administration poured over $100 million into pushing far-left causes such as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in schools across much of the country. The information was obtained via an investigation conducted by the parental rights group Parents Defending Education.
HOW TO GET PLENARY INDULGENCES DURING JUBILEE YEAR
The Vatican has released a statement explaining to the faithful how to obtain plenary indulgences during the Jubilee Year of 2025. This year, the faithful can obtain up to two plenary indulgences per day for the souls of the faithful departed. Here’s how.
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LOUISIANA HIGH SCHOOL MOURNS ALUMNUS KILLED IN ATTACK
St. Thomas More High School in Lafayette, Louisiana, is mourning the death of alumnus Tiger Bech, one of 15 people killed in the suspected terrorist attack on New Year’s Day.
JERUSALEM PATRIARCH: ONLY JESUS CAN PROVIDE PEACE
Jesus offers the only way to achieve true peace — not just “truces and compromises” — in a world marked by violence and conflict, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem said this week. Without accepting Christ, “we will hardly have the means to interpret these difficult times,” Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa said.
STUNNING NEW VATICAN LIGHTING SYSTEM TO BE INSTALLED
Rome’s utility group Acea recently announced that a new state-of-the-art lighting system for the 140 statues atop the Colonnade of St. Peter’s Square will be installed as part of several initiatives planned for the Jubilee of Hope this year. The lighting project involves 280 LED projectors designed to highlight the intricate details of the “Council of Saints.”
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A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION: GETTING STUDENTS OUT OF THE BASEMENT
Coeur du Christ Academy announces the goal of a $1.25M match in 2025 for their new campus buildout. Support classical, Catholic education in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and don’t forget to add #beasaint to your New Year’s resolutions!
PARENTS: HOMESCHOOLING, PRIVATE SCHOOLS ARE ANSWER TO DEI
Homeschooling and private education are among the only long-term answers parents have to the increasing influence of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies in public schools, according to Sheri Few, foundress and president of United States Parents Involved in Education (USPIE).
8 NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION IDEAS FROM ST. JOSEMARIA ESCRIVA
Opus Dei founder St. Josemaría Escrivá is often called “the patron saint of the ordinary.” His most famous book “The Way” contains much of his most famous advice on the spiritual life. CatholicVote’s Grace Porto has selected eight passages to help you form your resolutions for the new year.
IF DAD DOESN'T GO TO MASS
Think about this interesting series of facts. Children whose mother attended church and whose father did not have the lowest rate of church attendance as adults. But children whose father attended and whose mother did not have the highest attendance! How does this make sense? This article explains just how critical a father’s spiritual leadership is for the spiritual lives of children.
CATHOLIC 101
Central to our faith is the Eucharistic celebration and our reception of Holy Communion. But recent national surveys have indicated that only 30% of American Catholics believe in the True Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Here are nine proofs that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist.
SAINT OF THE DAY
The patron saint of Paris, St. Genevieve (422-512) stayed true to her consecration to Christ and devoted her entire life to fasting, prayer, and asceticism. As she got older, she began to experience miraculous visions. Genevieve is also said to have helped turn away a would-be invasion of Paris by Attila the Hun by leading a movement of prayer and fasting among citizens.
DAILY PSALM
“All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.” (Psalm 98:3)
DAILY READINGS
Today's Mass readings.
BEAUTY
“Saint Genevieve as a child in prayer” (1874-1876) by French artist Pierre Puvis de Chavannes was created as a study for a series of paintings intended for the Panthéon in Paris. The Panthéon was originally meant to be a church dedicated to the holy patroness of Paris. VIEW