Because the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary falls on a Saturday, it is not a Holyday of Obligation this year.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Besides the immediate considerations of trying to stay healthy, to mourn the dead and protect others, the coronavirus pandemic should be prompting Christians to reflect on their faith, Pope Francis wrote.

The American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: “A person will worship something, have no doubt about that.” Emerson’s quote points to the human need for worship and religion. In the absence or denial of organized religion, human beings will naturally form organizations and movements with religious qualities. These will have their own rites, beliefs and hierarchy. The growing religious movement today is called “Cancel Culture.”

WASHINGTON — The chairman of the U.S. bishops’ domestic policy committee said the federal emergency “bridge loans” that dioceses, parishes and other Catholic entities applied for provided a lifeline, allowing “our essential ministries to continue to function in a time of national emergency.”

The Vatican has approved the merger of St. Charles Borromeo parish in Woonsocket with neighboring All Saints Parish in a decree dated July 16, 2020.