The LOOP
The Thursday Loop - October 9, 2025
POTENTIAL DC BOMBER TARGETED CATHOLICS, SCOTUS JUSTICES
The New Jersey man arrested Oct. 5 on the steps of St. Matthew’s Cathedral in Washington, D.C., had hundreds of explosives and a manifesto suggesting he was targeting Catholics and Supreme Court Justices, according to a police affidavit reported by multiple outlets.
MAN ARRESTED FOR 'MALICIOUSLY' STARTING PALISADES FIRE
Federal authorities yesterday announced the arrest of a 29-year-old Florida man accused of deliberately starting a small brush fire that grew into January’s deadly Palisades blaze in California. If convicted, the suspect may face up to 20 years in prison.
WOULD-BE KAVANAUGH ASSASSIN SAYS HE'S 'TRANS,' MEDIA PLAY ALONG
A Wall Street Journal commentary published Oct. 6 criticized what it called a media “charade” surrounding the would-be assassin of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, pointing out that journalists and court officials falsely portrayed the assailant as a “transgender” woman.
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PATRIARCH OF JERUSALEM: PRAY FOR PEACE IN GAZA
"By now, everyone is sadly aware of what has happened in Gaza: continued massacres of civilians, starvation, repeated displacement, limited access to hospitals and medical care, lack of hygiene, without forgetting those who are being held against their will,” said Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. He also spoke of hopes for peace, calling on Catholics to dedicate Oct. 11 to prayer for that intention.
YOUNGER ADULT MEN LEADING IN CHURCH ATTENDANCE!
In a reversal of a decades-long trend, the numbers of churchgoing Millennials and Gen Zers are outpacing those of older adults, according to the latest data. What's more, men are now more likely than women to attend church, another trend reversal.
'TEXT WITH JESUS' APP HAS A DARK SIDE
Text With Jesus, a popular AI chatbot app that responds to users’ input with messages inspired by the Bible, has drawn criticism from many Christians, especially for allowing users to “chat” with Satan.
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CALLING ALL PRO-LIFERS
Support pro-life and pro-family causes just by using your phone!
ARCHBISHOP: 'THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS' NOT USELESS
Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez wrote Oct. 7 that the common secularist dismissal of prayer as having no power to change the world is tied to a worldview that “misunderstands the truth of both prayer and action, and the deeper meaning of Jesus’ saving work in the world.”
NIGERIA'S ANGLICAN LEADER CONFRONTS PRO-LGBT FEMALE ARCHBISHOP
The leader of the Anglican Communion’s Church of Nigeria spoke out Oct. 6 on behalf of his ecclesial community, which is strongly against the Church of England's recent decision to appoint a woman who supports same-sex “marriage” to be the next archbishop of Canterbury.
NOT TO BE MISSED
Here are the stories we couldn’t fit in today’s LOOP: • Called out: Should this district attorney apologize to the pro-lifer dismissed from court after being attacked? • The Capuchin habit of Padre Pio is coming to the US! • Pope Leo has released his first "motu proprio," regulating Vatican investments.
CATHOLIC MOM: WHAT'S WITH TAYLOR SWIFT'S PROFANITIES?
A Catholic mom is asking what many parents are thinking: Why does Taylor Swift swear so much in her music now, especially with so many young fans still listening? “As a Catholic, a mom, and someone who likes a good sing-a-long… what’s with all the swearing, Tay?”
CATHOLIC 101
Pope Leo reflected yesterday on Christ’s humility, love, and quiet patience toward those who do not recognize Him right away after His Resurrection but then are filled with hope and joy upon realizing it is Him. The Pope said that Christ walks similarly alongside every person today.
SAINT OF THE DAY
Today the Church celebrates Saint John Leonardi, a 16th-century man who initially worked as a pharmacist but eventually accepted God’s call to become a priest. He later founded the Order of the Mother of God, which is still active to this day. Pope Benedict XVI declared him the patron saint of pharmacists, calling him a “luminous priestly figure” who recognized that mankind “stands in extreme need of Christ.”
DAILY PSALM
"Blessed are they who hope in the Lord." (Psalm 40)
DAILY READINGS
Today's Mass readings.
WITNESS
In Poland, Catholic men were recently seen kneeling in public, praying the Rosary — a powerful that's now sparking a movement across Europe.