The LOOP
The Saturday Loop - February 7, 2026
NATION'S BIGGEST SCHOOL CHOICE PROGRAM LAUNCHES
Texas’ universal school choice program garnered several thousand applications as soon as it launched Feb. 4, making it the most successful first day of a school choice program in U.S. history, according to Texas officials. “CatholicVote is proud to have rallied so much support for these principles, paving the way to this pivotal victory for all American families," said CatholicVote Vice President of Advocacy Joshua Mercer.
STUDENT PAPER EDITOR CONFRONTS NOTRE DAME
The editor-in-chief of a University of Notre Dame student newspaper has issued a letter condemning the university’s appointment of abortion advocate Susan Ostermann to a leadership post, calling the decision “astonishing” and “a slap in the face to every woman” at the Catholic institution.
POPE MARKS OLYMPIC GAMES WITH PRAISE FOR SPORTS
Pope Leo issued a letter yesterday marking the beginning of the Winter Olympics in Italy, offering insight into "the relationship between victory and defeat." He wrote that sport "teaches us a deeper understanding of life, in which success is never definitive and failure is never the last word."
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COURT UPHOLDS TRUMP IMMIGRATION DETENTION POLICY
"A divided federal appeals court upheld on Friday the Trump administration's policy of placing people arrested in its immigration crackdown in mandatory detention without an opportunity to be released on bond," Reuters reported.
CATHOLIC NFL STAR ENTERS PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME
Former Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly, a Catholic, has been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026. Kuechly spoke last year at an annual banquet for Room At The Inn, a Catholic maternity shelter in Greensboro, North Carolina, that provides resources to unhoused pregnant women and single mothers, helping them choose life for their unborn children.
UNKNOWN VANDAL DESTROYS MARY STATUE IN NEW YORK
A statue of the Blessed Mother was found smashed and lying face down in the snow at a New York Catholic church, in what parishioners and police suspect is another act of vandalism in a string of such incidents that have plagued the area since last year.
EXCLUSIVE: BISHOP INTRODUCES NEW SERVANT OF GOD
Bishop David Ricken of the Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin, recently declared a new servant of God whom he says catechists can look to for inspiration as they share Christ with others. In this exclusive interview with Zeale News, Bishop Ricken discusses the life and legacy of Adele Brice, the 19th-century Belgian immigrant to whom Mary appeared in the northeastern area of the state.
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PRIORITIZE FAITH, FAMILY, & FINANCES
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VIRGINIA LAWMAKERS DEFEAT ASSISTED SUICIDE BILL
A Virginia Senate committee voted Feb. 5 to block legislation that would have legalized assisted suicide for terminally ill patients with fewer than six months to live. Ahead of the 8-7 vote by the Senate Education and Health Committee, the Medical Society of Virginia had switched from a neutral position on the issue to opposing assisted suicide. Family physician and former president of the society Thomas Eppes testified before the lawmakers: “Our profession needs to stand with patients from cradle to grave.”
CATHOLIC BABY NAMES FOR WINTER
Welcoming a little one this season? Here are some names inspired by winter and rooted in the Catholic faith.
HOMEMADE HONEY GRANOLA
You can master this classic childhood snack with just a few pantry staples.
SAINT OF THE DAY
Orphaned at a young age, St. Richard (1197–1253), though born to wealth, preferred a life of study and prayer. He was eventually elected a bishop. Richard was also the father of three saints: Willibald, Winnebald, and Walburga.
SATURDAY'S PSALM
"Lord, teach me your statutes." (Psalm 119)
SATURDAY'S READINGS
Today's Mass readings.
SUNDAY'S PSALM
"The just man is a light in darkness to the upright." (Psalm 112)
SUNDAY'S READINGS
Sunday's Mass readings.
ANSWER TO TRIVIA
"It's a Wonderful Life," starring Jimmy Stewart, was the first movie Pope Leo mentioned when asked to list his favorite films. He also mentioned "The Sound of Music," "Ordinary People," and the Italian film "Life is Beautiful."
THE DEEP
Are Gen Z women ditching the Pill? Hormonal birth control was sold as liberation, but girls today are questioning everything. From brain changes and mental health risks to cancer links and fertility disruption, new studies are raising serious red flags. In this episode of, Erika breaks down the real, documented harms of hormonal contraception – and why women are starting to reject it.
