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| TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 |
| KAVANAUGH AND ACCUSER TO TESTIFY Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and accuser Christine Ford will testify at a Senate Judiciary Committee public hearing Monday. President Trump said: “I wish the Democrats could have done this a lot sooner. But with all of that being said, we want to go through the process … and hear everybody out. If it takes a little delay, it’ll take a little delay.” READ |
| DOJ: ALLEGATION IS NOT A FEDERAL CRIME The alleged sexual misconduct against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh “does not involve any potential federal crime,” said a Justice Department spokesman Monday evening. READ |
| DEMS FILE LAWSUIT ON KAVANAUGH DOCS Six Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee filed a lawsuit in federal court to force the National Archives to turn over documents related to Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. READ |
| REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the United States would accept 30,000 refugees in 2019, down 15,000 from this year. After taking office, President Trump lowered the refugee cap from 110,000 refugees per year to 50,000, and then lowered it 45,000, the lowest mark since 1980. READ |
| TRUMP RELEASES TEXTS President Donald Trump moved to release all text messages relating to the Russia investigation, including those from former FBI Director James Comey. READ |
| STOP THE FDA’s ‘BARBARIC’ RESEARCH 85 members of the U.S. House sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration calling on the agency to stop the ‘abhorrent’ purchasing of aborted fetal tissue for research. The FDA gave a $15,900 contract to Advanced Bioscience Resources (ABR) in July for “fresh human fetal tissue,” which would be transplanted into mice in order to create human-like immune systems for research purposes. READ |
| 4 HOPES FOR THE BISHOPS MEETING Msgr. Charles Pope says the victims of abuse, and all those scandalized by it, deserve the bishops’ very best efforts. “A sad result of this scandal and the way it has been handled has been the destruction of the trust that the faithful should be able to have in their leaders. Without this trust, teaching authority and leadership have no foundation,” said Msgr. Pope. READ |
| +CHAPUT ON SCANDAL “Despite all the crises in the Church, despite all the failures and sins of her leaders, despite all our distractions and weaknesses and indifference as a people, God guides the world. He informs and sustains it with his Love,” writes Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia. READ |
| CHINA, THE VATICAN, AND McCARRICK There are reports that the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China could be close to signing an agreement on the appointment of bishops in the Communist country. Catholic News Agency looked into the role that Archbishop Theodore McCarrick played on relations with China. McCarrick visited the country 8 times over the last two decades. READ |
| SAINT NO LONGER HONORED Stanford University moved to remove references to St. Junipero Serra from two dormitories as well as the university’s own mailing address on Serra Mall. Stanford took issue with the Spanish missionary’s treatment of Native Americans. Pope Francis declared Junipero Serra a saint in 2015. READ |
| SAINT QUOTE “For Jesus Christ I am prepared to suffer still more.” -Saint Maximilian Kolbe |
| SAINT OF THE DAY Saint Joseph of Cupertino is most famous for levitating at prayer. Already as a child, Joseph showed a fondness for prayer. After a short career with the Capuchins, he joined the Conventual Franciscans. Following a brief assignment caring for the friary mule, Joseph began his studies for the priesthood. His tendency to levitate during prayer was often times a cross. READ |
| DAILY READINGS “Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.” (1 Cor 11:26) READ |
| CONTRITION After removing his episcopal ring, Bishop Knestout of Richmond removes other symbols of his office as an act of humility during the Mass of Atonement. The bishop then prostrated himself before the cross and altar to signify contrition, reverence, deep anguish for the suffering Christ, grief, and sorrow. READ |