The LOOP

The Thursday Loop - September 25, 2025

ONE DEAD, TWO INJURED AT DALLAS ICE SHOOTING

A gunman opened fire at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Dallas yesterday morning, killing one detainee and wounding two others. Authorities reportedly identified the suspected shooter as 29-year-old Joshua Jahn, who died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. President Donald Trump said the attack was "the result of the Radical Left Democrats constantly demonizing Law Enforcement.”

CALLS TO DROP DURBIN HONOR CONTINUE TO GROW

Two more Catholic bishops have joined the growing number of voices urging Cardinal Blase Cupich to rescind a planned Lifetime Achievement Award for pro-abortion Sen. Dick Durbin, scheduled to be presented by the Archdiocese of Chicago Nov. 3.

POPE INVITES FAITHFUL TO DAILY ROSARY THIS OCTOBER

Pope Leo XIV yesterday made a special invitation for Catholics to pray the rosary every day throughout October for peace, which is traditionally observed by the Church as the month of the Rosary. Here are the beautiful roots of the tradition of dedicating October to the Rosary, reaching back to the 16th-century Battle of Lepanto.

ALIGN YOUR CATHOLIC VALUES WITH YOUR FINANCIAL GOALS

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VANCE BLAMES DEMOCRATS FOR RISING VIOLENCE

Vice President JD Vance delivered a fiery speech yesterday in Concord, North Carolina, condemning political violence and tying recent high-profile crimes to what he called Democrats’ “soft-on-crime” policies and escalating rhetoric.

ONE MILLION CHILDREN JOINING TOGETHER IN PRAYER

On Oct. 7, the Feast of the Holy Rosary, one million children around the world will lift their voices in prayer for peace. Aid to the Church in Need says the annual campaign inspires young hearts to trust Our Lady and discover the joy and power of prayer.

GOOGLE REVERSES BIDEN-ERA ACCOUNT BANS

Google announced it will reinstate YouTube accounts that the Biden administration "pressed" it to ban over COVID-19 content. The company said the previous administration "created a political atmosphere that sought to influence the actions of platforms."

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CATHOLIC EXPERT: COULD CHARLIE KIRK BE RECOGNIZED AS A MARTYR?

Religious liberty journalist Marco Respinti has raised a question reverberating among Christians: Can Charlie Kirk be recognized as a martyr by the Catholic Church even though he was not Catholic? To explore it, he asked Father Fabio Arduino, an Italian priest and expert on martyrdom, to weigh in.

PARENTS CHALLENGE DIOCESE'S ROLE IN SCHOOL LAWSUIT

As the North Carolina Supreme Court prepares to hear a closely watched parental rights case Oct. 29, new court filings reveal that the parents at the center of the lawsuit are challenging the involvement of the Diocese of Charlotte, arguing that their constitutional claims are irrelevant and misleading.

NOT TO BE MISSED

Here are the stories we couldn’t fit in today’s LOOP: • Annunciation shooting victim Sophia Forchas is defying odds with a “miraculous” recovery. • How Charlie Kirk's death is inspiring Nigerian Christians. • Pope Leo reminds the faithful that no darkness is beyond Christ's reach.

DON'T GIVE EXTREMELY LITTLE

Here are some heart-piercing words from Pope Leo about the need to share Christ with the poor as we also meet their basic needs: "It is not two loves, but rather one and the same, that moves us to give both material bread and the bread of the Word." Without giving the fullness of Christ, we in fact give "extremely little," he says. What happens when we give one without the other?

CATHOLIC 101

When she was young, Victoria Cardona signed the chastity vow card, went to the talks, and the books on purity. But she later admitted, "none of this prepares you for the moment you look into the eyes of the man you’ve fallen in love with." That's when she realized she didn't truly understand chastity — and here’s what she learned.

SAINT OF THE DAY

Today the Church celebrates Saint Hermann Contractus, born in 1013 in Swabia. He overcame a physical disability with extraordinary perseverance, becoming a Benedictine monk, poet, mathematician, astronomer, and composer of the Salve Regina and Alma Redemptoris Mater.

DAILY PSALM

"The Lord takes delight in his people." (Psalm 149)

DAILY READINGS

Today's Mass readings.

'MANCHESTER'S MOTHER TERESA'

Venerable Elizabeth Prout, who served England’s poorest in the aftermath of the Industrial Revolution, shows Christians how to uphold the dignity of the sick and elderly and witness Christ's love with hope and service.