Angelus News | June 12, 2026

ANGELUS

A POPE’S PROMPT

Leo XIV’s call to safeguard

humanity in the age of AI

June 12, 2026 Vol. 11 No.12

ANGELUS

June 12, 2026

Vol. 11 • No. 12

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ON THE COVER

JACOB POPCAK

With his new encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, Pope Leo XIV

has weighed in on the global debate on artificial intelligence

(AI) with a theological warning to “safeguard our humanity” as

the technology threatens to upend aspects of our daily lives.

Our coverage begins on Page 22 with an interview with AI

expert and philosopher Father Philip Larrey, followed by an

essay on Page 26 from theologian Kenneth Craycraft on the

deeper issue addressed by Leo in the document.

THIS PAGE

OSV NEWS/YARA NARDI, REUTERS

Pope Leo XIV greets a religious sister after leading

a worldwide rosary for peace at the Grotto

of Our Lady of Lourdes in the Vatican Gardens

May 30. The rosary united Marian shrines across

continents in simultaneous prayer to close the

Catholic Church’s month of devotion to the

Virgin Mary, as war continues to rage in parts of

the Middle East, Asia, and Eastern Europe.

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Pope Watch.................................................................................................................................... 2

Archbishop Gomez..................................................................................................................... 3

World, Nation, and Local News.......................................................................................... 4-6

In Other Words............................................................................................................................. 7

Father Rolheiser............................................................................................................................ 8

Scott Hahn................................................................................................................................... 32

Events Calendar......................................................................................................................... 33

10

CONTENTS

New LA priest trio’s special bond on display at festive ordination Mass

@AngelusNews

angelusnews.com

lacatholics.org

14

20

Meet the three men from LA’s new priest class of 2026

Artesia church’s Portugal-inspired mural has ‘fishers of men’ theme

Sign up for our free, daily e-newsletter

Always Forward - newsletter.angelusnews.com

28

30

Grazie Christie on treating social gatherings as apostolate

Heather King: How ‘The Rest is History’ is winning me over

June 12, 2026 • ANGELUS • 1

POPE WATCH

The keys to an encyclical

The following is a compilation of seven

key excerpts from the Holy Father’s new

encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, promulgated

May 22, 2026.

Humanity, created by God in

all its grandeur, is today facing

a pivotal choice: either to

construct a new Tower of Babel or to

build the city in which God and humanity

dwell together. Each generation

inherits the task of shaping its own era,

of guiding history to become a place

where the dignity of every person is

safeguarded, justice is promoted, and

fraternity is made possible. Yet every era

also runs the risk of creating an inhumane

and more unjust world. (1)

Building for the common good means

accepting the limits and weakness of

humanity without considering them

an error to be corrected. … All too

often, we place our hope in unlimited

“upgrades,” in forms of progress that exacerbate

inequalities, and in immediate

solutions incapable of healing people’s

wounds. (12)

Technological innovations, including

artificial intelligence, are not neutral,

for they can either foster participation

and justice or exacerbate inequality,

control, and exclusion. For this reason,

they must be evaluated by asking a

crucial question: Do they truly help

individuals and peoples to become

more humane and fraternal, while respecting

our common home and future

generations? (85)

We cannot be satisfied with merely

calling for the moralization of machines

— the so-called “alignment” of

AI with human values — without also

having the courage to insist on a further

condition: the possibility of openly

discussing the ethical frameworks

involved and subjecting them to shared

standards of social justice. Otherwise,

those who control AI will impose their

own moral vision, which will become

the invisible infrastructure of these

systems. (107)

Small but highly influential groups

can shape information and consumption

patterns, influence democratic

processes, and steer economic dynamics

to their own advantage, undermining

social justice and solidarity among

peoples. It is essential that the use

of AI, especially when it touches on

public goods and fundamental rights,

be guided by clear criteria and effective

oversight, grounded in participation

and subsidiarity. (108)

The key issue is not the use of

technology as such, but the vision that

underlies it. If the human being is

treated as something to be perfected or

surpassed, it becomes easier to accept

that some lives are less useful, less

desirable or less worthy. In the name of

progress, “necessary sacrifices” may begin

to be justified, placing the burden

on the most vulnerable in pursuit of a

supposed optimization of the species.

(117)

J.R.R. Tolkien described our responsibility

in this way: “It is not our part to

master all the tides of the world, but to

do what is in us for the succour of those

years wherein we are set, uprooting the

evil in the fields that we know, so that

those who live after may have clean

earth to till.” The civilization of love

will not arise from a single or spectacular

gesture, but from the sum total of

small and steadfast acts of fidelity that

serve as a bulwark against dehumanization.

(213)

Papal Prayer Intention for June: Let us pray that sports be

an instrument of peace, encounter, and dialogue among

cultures and nations, and that they promote values such as

respect, solidarity, and personal growth.

2 • ANGELUS • June 12, 2026

NEW WORLD OF FAITH

ARCHBISHOP JOSÉ H. GOMEZ

Priests of the new industrial revolution

On May 30, Archbishop José H.

Gomez ordained new men to the priesthood

at the Cathedral of Our Lady of

the Angels. The following is adapted

from his homily.

Brothers, today you are anointed

with the Holy Spirit, the same

Spirit that filled Jesus Christ in

that synagogue at Nazareth at the start

of his mission, the same Spirit that

filled the prophets of Israel throughout

salvation history.

And as the Father sent his only Son

into this world to proclaim his love and

salvation, now Jesus is sending you into

the world to continue that beautiful

mission.

Jesus says to you today: “It was not you

who chose Me, but I who chose you

and appointed you to go and bear fruit

that will remain.”

Brothers, you will be the priests of the

new Catholic revival that we see growing

here in Los Angeles and elsewhere

in our country.

This new revival — so many young

people and families coming into the

Church, so many people coming back

to the Church — is a beautiful sign that

God’s Spirit is still living and active and

working in our world.

It is both a sign and a responsibility for

the whole Church, and especially for

the priests. We have to care for these

new souls in our midst.

We have to encourage them, strengthen

them, increase their faith, and

deepen their friendship with Jesus.

But brothers, Jesus is also sending you

out into the world in a time marked

by deep social, cultural, and economic

transformations.

You will be priests during a time of a

new industrial revolution, as our Holy

Father Pope Leo XIV tells us.

The revolution of artificial intelligence

(AI) is about more than technology and

the economy. AI will change the way

our people see the world. It will cause

them to question what is real and what

is not; it will challenge their beliefs and

understandings about what it means to

be human.

As priests in this new world, you are

being anointed and sent out like the

prophet in the first reading — to bring

“good news” and “liberation” to people

whose hearts are divided and captured,

to people who are confused and

oppressed.

We need to bring them the truth that

will set them free so that they can see

the beauty of God’s plan for their lives,

the beauty of God’s plan for the world’s

redemption.

St. Peter tells us today that the priest

must be a shepherd who walks with

his people as a model of the “chief

Shepherd,” Jesus Christ.

A good shepherd knows his people.

He knows their struggles and dreams.

So, stay close to those you serve, my

brothers. Bring them hope. Bring them

Jesus.

The saints teach us that no matter

how much the world changes, the cross

stands firm. Today the cross remains

the one true sign in this world that

Jesus Christ is Lord of history and that

every soul is precious to him. The cross

remains the sign that every person has

a magnificent dignity and is worthy of

his blood.

Jesus says: “No one has greater love

than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s

friends.”

Every Eucharist you celebrate is a

remembrance of this great love that he

showed by laying down his life on the

cross for us.

More than anything in these troubled

times, people are longing to know that

God loves them.

They are longing to be set free —

delivered from their sins, from their fear

of death, from the power of evil. They

long for the salvation that only Jesus

can bring.

So, my dear brothers: proclaim Jesus.

In your words and by your example.

The great mission of the Church in

our time is to lead the men and women

to discover God again — to meet the

living God who shows his human face

to us in Jesus Christ.

The God who created us and loves us,

the God who shares in our humanity

and invites us even now to share in his

divinity.

Jesus is calling you to be leaders in

this great mission. “I have called you

friends,” he says to you today. I pray that

you will allow these beautiful words of

Our Lord to shape your hearts and your

priesthood.

And I pray that you will be united

in fraternity with your brother priests,

praying together, studying together,

breaking bread together.

Pope Leo tells us that in the One

Christ we are one. So let all of us in the

AI will challenge our people’s beliefs and understandings

about what it means to be human.

Church strive for unity and fraternity in

the service of Jesus.

We entrust your priesthood to holy

Mary, Queen of the Angels and Mother

of Priests. May you stay close to her and

always know the warmth of her love.


WORLD

■ Czech saint’s

skull recovered

encased in

concrete

The skull of a Czech saint

was recovered encased in

cement May 15, three days

after the relic was stolen.

St. Zdislava of Lemberk

was a 13th-century Dominican

laywoman who was

given in marriage to a rich

nobleman as a teen and

The skull of St. Zdislava of Lemberk. | POLICE OF THE CZECH

REPUBLIC

was very generous to the poor. Canonized by St. Pope John Paul II in 1995,

she is known as the patroness of difficult marriages and people ridiculed for

their piety. A glass reliquary containing her skull at the Basilica of St. Lawrence

and St. Zdislava, north of Prague, has drawn pilgrims for centuries.

Police arrested Mladá Boleslav, a 35-year-old man, who confessed to the

theft, saying the remains “would not find peace” if they continued to be

displayed.

“We know he wanted to sink it in the river today to bid farewell in this

way,” the local police chief, Petr Rajt, told reporters. “If we had failed to

detain the man yesterday, the skull would probably never be found.”

After being extracted from the concrete, the relic was set to be returned to

the church during a May 30 pilgrimage.

■ Choose forgiveness

over vengeance, Nigerian

archbishop says

A Nigerian archbishop has urged victims of

anti-Christian violence to choose forgiveness

over vengeance as the country faces rising

instances of lethal attacks.

“I know they are hurting and traumatized, but

as children of God and people of faith, I want

to encourage the victims of this violence, both

those of Palm Sunday and the recent killings

in Gassa, to embrace forgiveness rather than

seeking vengeance,” Archbishop Matthew

Ishaya Audu, archbishop of Jos told ACI Africa

May 20. “Vengeance is for God.”

At least 27 Christians were killed in a Palm

Sunday attack in March in Audu’s archdiocese.

One day after his remarks, terrorists killed

five in the nearby Archdiocese of Kaduna and

abducted 10 others.

Since 2009, Boko Haram has executed

terrorist attacks against Christian communities.

In recent years, armed Fulani herdsmen, who

are predominantly Muslim, have also attacked

Chrstian communities.

■ Executions on the rise

across the world

Last year saw the highest recorded

number of executions globally, Amnesty

International reported May 17.

The organization recorded 2,707 people

were executed across 17 countries,

the highest since it began tracking the

statistics in 1981. Iran committed the

greatest number of recorded executions

at 2,159, double their 2024 statistics.

The United States nearly doubled its

number of executions, up to 47 from

25.

“This alarming spike in the use of

the death penalty is due to a small,

isolated group of countries willing to

carry out executions at all costs, despite

the continued global trend toward

abolition,” Agnès Callamard, Amnesty

International’s secretary general, said in

a statement.

The report excludes thousands of

executions which the organization believes

were committed by the Chinese

government but that are not officially

reported.

A reunion made by prayers — Pope Leo XIV greets Ignacio Gonzálvez at his residence in Castel Gandolfo, Italy,

on May 12. The Spanish teenager had traveled to the Youth Jubilee in Rome in August 2025 with his community

of the Neocatechumenal Way when he was diagnosed with aggressive lymphoma, prompting his parents to

move to Rome so the boy could be treated in Bambino Gesu Hospital, where the pope visited him. “I told him I’m

cured, thank God I’m well, and I’m waiting for him in Madrid,” Ignacio said after meeting the pope . | OSV NEWS/

VATICAN MEDIA/CATHOLIC PRESS


NATION

■ Daily pastoral visits resume at

Chicago detention facility

After nearly a year attempting to gain regular access

to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Facility in Chicago, clergy — including Catholic

priests — have resumed daily pastoral visits to incarcerated

migrants.

Pastoral visits had been restricted to once a week

under the Department of Homeland Security’s

immigration crackdown last year, which triggered a

lawsuit from the Coalition for Spiritual and Public

Leadership (CSPL). A federal judge issued a preliminary

injunction April 7 ordering the government

to establish guidelines with CSPL for daily pastoral

visits while litigation continued.

An agreement was finalized May 14 with daily visits

beginning the following day.

■ Florida: Third National

Eucharistic Pilgrimage kicks off

The third National Eucharistic Pilgrimage embarked

from St. Augustine, Florida, May 24.

The pilgrimage, which was organized to mark the

250th anniversary of the United States, began at the

Mission Nombre de Dios, where Father Francisco

López de Mendoza Grajales celebrated the first

Catholic Mass on what is now U.S. soil on Sept. 8,

1565.

From the mission, the pilgrimage proceeded to

the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche, then

Jacksonville, farther north to the quiet beach town

on Amelia Island, and

by boat to the Diocese

of Savannah, Georgia.

It will continue for six

weeks up the East Coast,

ending in Philadelphia

for the Fourth of July.

Bishop Erik T. Pohlmeier of St. Augustine,

Florida, kneels in front of a

rustic altar at the National Shrine of

Our Lady of La Leche where he had

placed the Blessed Sacrament May

24. | OSV NEWS/JEAN GONZALEZ,

FLORIDA CATHOLIC MEDIA

A man of his time — Bishop John H. Ricard, one of the most influential Black Catholic

voices in the U.S. during a time of important conversations about race, civil rights, and the

Church’s role in confronting injustice, died May 20 at age 86. Born in Louisiana, Ricard was

a Josephite priest before becoming an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Baltimore

(1984 to 1997) and later, bishop of Pensacola-Tallahassee, Florida (1997-2011). He was

elected superior general of the Josephites in 2019 and reelected in 2023. | OSV NEWS/

MIHOKO OWADA, CATHOLIC STANDARD

■ Two bishops attend

‘Rededicate 250’ prayer rally

Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, and Cardinal

Timothy Dolan, retired archbishop of New York, both spoke at

a May 17 prayer rally on the National Mall.

“Rededicate 250: A National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise & Thanksgiving,”

was held as part of ongoing celebrations for the nation’s

250th anniversary. Primarily Protestant-themed, it was organized by

Freedom 250, a public-private partnership with the White House.

“What the founders knew from their Christian formation is that all

people, despite their enormous inequalities, are equally children of

God and therefore equal in dignity,” Barron said.

“Going back to the days of the Revolutionary War, our very way of

life has been defined in part by a few key principles: prayer, trust,

worship, the Sabbath, loyalty to family, freedom of religion, the power

and strength of democracy, the principle of subsidiarity, devotion

to the common good,” Cardinal Dolan said.

Multiple members of the Trump administration, including Vice

President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, were also

present at the event, sparking some criticism that the administration

was inappropriately blurring the line between church and state.


LOCAL

■ Vatican accepts retirement of

LA Auxiliary Bishop Aclan

Pope Leo XIV accepted the resignation of Los

Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Alejandro “Alex” Aclan

after having reached the standard retirement age

for bishops.

Aclan had served as auxiliary bishop since 2019,

and served as episcopal vicar for the archdiocese’s

San Fernando Pastoral Region until suffering a

stroke in August 2022 that required an extensive

recovery.

Bishop Albert Bahhuth, who was named an

auxiliary bishop for Los Angeles by Pope Francis

one year later, replaced Aclan as episcopal vicar in

2023.

Aclan submitted his letter of resignation to Pope

Leo upon turning 75 on Feb. 9, 2026, as required

for every bishop by canon law.

“Bishop Aclan has been a good faithful servant,”

said Archbishop José H. Gomez in a statement.

“He loves the Lord and he loves the people entrusted

to his care. He is a good friend and trusted adviser,

and I know his life will continue to be beautiful

and fruitful in his retirement.”

More on Bishop Aclan’s retirement and legacy

will appear in a forthcoming issue of Angelus.

Altadena’s rebuilder — Father Gilbert Guzmán, center, pastor at Sacred Heart Church in

Altadena, was honored with a “Spirit of Caring” award by Catholic Charities of Los Angeles San

Gabriel Region’s 40th annual Volunteer Recognition Dinner on May 13. Guzmán was honored

for his leadership, especially in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire. Also pictured are Auxiliary

Bishop Brian Nunes, left, episcopal vicar of the San Gabriel Pastoral Region, and James Lo Coco,

right, Catholic Charities board member. | SACRED HEART CHURCH

■ St. Francis hospital

refurbishes mosaic

featuring namesake

ST. FRANCIS MEDICAL CENTER

St. Francis Medical Center

in Lynwood was finalizing the

restoration of a historic mosaic

of St. Francis of Assisi that’s been

a symbol of the hospital for the

past 70 years.

Originally hand-cut, assembled,

and installed on-site by

artist Joyce Clark in the late

1950s or early ’60s, the passage

of time had weathered the

mosaic, prompting hospital staff

to order the restoration.

Done by Spectra Restorations

in Pomona, the mosaic was

chemically washed, damaged or

missing tiles were replaced, the surface received a protective finish, and

a new plaster border was installed.

The restoration was also done in conjunction with the expansion of

the medical center’s Behavioral Health Unit.

“The renewal of the St. Francis of Assisi mosaic represents our philosophy

of caring for the whole person — body, mind, and spirit,” St.

Francis Medical Center CEO Clay Farell said.

■ California governor offers

security grants in wake of

mosque shooting

Following the May 18 deadly shooting at the

Islamic Center of San Diego, California Gov.

Gavin Newsom announced the awarding of $80

million to 343 statewide nonprofit organizations

and faith-based groups for security improvements

to protect against violence.

Some of the awardees included schools and

institutions within the Archdiocese of Los Angeles,

including Our Lady of the Rosary of Talpa

Church in Boyle Heights, Santa Rosa de Lima

Catholic School in San Fernando, and Mayfield

Senior School in Pasadena.

The funding will help groups enhance their

security through things such as alarm systems,

cameras, reinforced doors and gates, and improved

lighting.

“Hate and violence have no place in California,”

Newsom said in a statement. “By investing

in critical security upgrades, we are leading the

nation in protecting places of worship and highrisk

communities, strengthening preparedness,

and ensuring every Californian can gather safely

and without fear.”


V

IN OTHER WORDS...

Letters to the Editor

Don’t forget Msgr. Barry

Your article about Congress left out a key figure in the growth of the

Religious Education Congress: Msgr. John F. Barry, the director from

1973 to 1983. During his time, Congress experienced its greatest growth and the

most changes. He offered the first workshops and liturgies in Spanish. He also

introduced liturgies that represented various ethnic groups. The greatest changes in

Congress occurred during his directorship. In 1983, he left the Office of Religious

Education to become pastor of American Martyrs Church in Manhattan Beach,

where he is still serving.

— Msgr. David Sork, Long Beach

A unique vocation story

Thank you for the beautiful story of “e.l.f. Cosmetics” founder Scott Borba’s journey

to the Catholic priesthood on AngelusNews.com via EWTN News.

Nothing is more uplifting and inspiring than the testimony of someone who has

been radically changed by surrendering to the Lord. We can all learn from these

stories, or be reminded, that God’s plan for our lives is better than our own plan.

We can also be amazed at the fascinating ways the Lord calls men to the priesthood,

and what a wonderful gift the priesthood is. God bless all the generous men

who have given up everything to follow Jesus.

— Marilyn Boussaid, St. James Parish, Redondo Beach

Y

Continue the conversation! To submit a letter to the editor, visit AngelusNews.com/Letters-To-The-Editor

and use our online form or send an email to editorial@angelusnews.com. Please limit to 300 words. Letters

may be edited for style, brevity, and clarity.

Prayers, please

“Your Holiness, is that really

you?”

~ Father Diego Semeraro, an 81-year-old Italian

priest, in a May 29 OSV News article on him

fainting in St. Peter’s Square and Pope Leo XIV

rushing to his aid.

“God is a fan of humanity

— not sports teams.”

~ Father Danny Grover, a Catholic priest in

Oklahoma City, in a May 29 Religion News Service

article on how NBA playoff teams embrace faith.

“That beloved city, of

course, birthed Pope Leo

XIV.”

~ Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, in a press

briefing following his May 28 audience with the

pope, in which they discussed the pontiff visiting

the Windy City.

“Respect for each person

does not mean giving up

the truth about marriage.”

~ Archbishop Wiesław Śmigiel, chairman of the

Family Council of the Polish Bishops’ Conference,

in a May 22 statement against Poland issuing samesex

marriage certificates.

Now that the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has three new priests, there’s one thing that they ask of you: Pray for them!

The archdiocese’s digital team produced a video with the new priests stating why the community’s prayers are so

important for them. | ISABEL CACHO

To view this video

and others, visit

AngelusNews.com/photos-videos

Do you have photos or a story from your parish that you’d

like to share? Please send to editorial@angelusnews.com.

“If something this beautiful

can be made from

centuries-old wood, why

do we keep throwing away

materials?”

~ Pirjo Kääriäinen, a textile artist and designer, in a

May 21 Popular Science article on a 17th-century

shipwreck woven into a dress.


IN EXILE

FATHER RONALD ROLHEISER, OMI

Oblate of Mary Immaculate Father

Ronald Rolheiser is a spiritual

writer; ronrolheiser.com

Science and Christian faith: Friends not foes

During most of the 2,000 years

that Christianity has existed it

has not been friends with science,

and science has not been friends

with it. From the Church condemning

Galileo, to the Enlightenment thinkers

declaring faith “a spent project,”

science and Christian faith have been

more foe than friend. Happily, this has

changed.

Today Christian theology has been

able to not only accept the legitimate

findings of science, but it has been able

to integrate them healthily into a vision

of salvation history. As a salient example

of this we might look at the theological

synthesis given us by Pierre Teilhard de

Chardin (1881-1955).

Teilhard was a prominent scientist, a

paleontologist recognized internationally

for his scientific work. He was also a

person of exceptional faith, a mystic, a

Jesuit priest, and a gifted spiritual writer.

At the time he was doing his scientific

work and writing his first theological

treatises, the concept of evolution was

still almost universally rejected by all

the Christian churches, who saw it as

in opposition to the story of creation in

Genesis. Indeed, the Roman Catholic

authorities forbid Teilhard to publish

his theological writings, and for several

decades his theological writings were

circulated only privately among his

Jesuit colleagues. Eventually, with

the advent of Vatican II and a general

(cultural and religious) softening of

resistance to the concept of evolution,

Teilhard’s theological treatises were

allowed by Church authorities to be

published; albeit they still came with a

warning label as dogmatically unsafe.

What is that worldview? To my mind,

it is one of the great syntheses of science

and Christian faith that has yet been

written. In essence, what Teilhard did

was to take the findings of science,

particularly the concept of evolution,

and meld it with a Christian vision of

salvation history to produce a framework

within which to more deeply

understand science, the Christian faith,

and the place of Christ in history.

In brief, he fused, as a perfect fit,

the scientific notion of creation and

evolution (what we might today call the

Big Bang hypothesis) with a Christian

vision of salvation history and the place

of Christ in that history.

Here, in brief, is his synthesis: God

is love and 15 billion years ago, God

created the universe (ex nihilo) out of

love. However, God didn’t create it as a

finished product, as described in Genesis,

but as a cosmic infant that would

evolve and grow through some billions

of years to reach maturity.

Biblically, initial creation, as described

in Genesis, was a “formless void.” In an

evolutionary view, it took more than six

days for human beings to appear; it took

14 to 15 billion years. And creation unfolded

this way: After the initial creation

(the Big Bang), God, at the center of

everything, began to draw all things to

himself through love, and through billions

of years, as creation responded to

that invitation, it increased continually

in complexity, consciousness, and unity,

moving freely in love toward God.

And this went through four stages,

always with God at the center, drawing

creation into the mystery of love:

First, geology, earth, rocks, and water

formed (“Geogenesis”). Second, from

these, eventually life comes forth (“Biogenesis”).

Third, some millions of years

later human beings with self-reflective

consciousness and free will emerge

(“Noogenesis”). But, for Teilhard, there

is still a fourth stage, the coming of

Christ (“Christogenesis”).

For Teilhard the birth of Christ is the

penultimate culmination (spiritually

and cosmically) of the evolutionary

process. The unfolding of evolutionary

history eventually brings us Christ, not

just as the historical Jesus but also as

a cosmic reality. For Teilhard, Christ

is both a person and a cosmic structure

within the universe which, like

the person of Jesus, invites everything

(humans, animals, plants, rocks, water)

to an “omega point,” namely, to a community

of love inside of God.

This might sound complex, but

perhaps it can be explained more

simply by folding Teilhard’s vision of

creation into the early Christian hymn

in Ephesians, 1:3-10. Here science and

Christian faith (not least about the centrality

of Christ) blend seamlessly:

“Praise be to the God and Father of

our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed

us in the heavenly realms with every

spiritual blessing in Christ. For he

chose us in him before the creation of

the world to be holy and blameless in

his sight. … In love he predestined us

for adoption to sonship through Jesus

Christ … God has given us the wisdom

to understand fully the mystery, a plan

he was pleased to decree in Christ. A

plan to be carried out in Christ, in the

fullness of time, to bring all things into

one in him, in the heavens and on

earth.”

Salvation history and evolutionary history

both point to the unfolding mystery

of how God is bringing all things into

unity through Christ. Teilhard wonderfully

folded the cosmic history of this

planet into the mystery of Christ.

Science and Christian faith are

friends, not foes.


New priests Father Shengda

“Martin” Zhu, Father Jerick

Alenton, and Father David Zamora

celebrate after the May 30

ordination Mass. | JOE GARCIA III

THE JOYFUL

THREE

Celebrating their ordinations with

family and friends, LA’s trio of new

priests see an exciting future ahead.

BY MIKE CISNEROS

E

very class of newly ordained

priests in the Archdiocese of

Los Angeles has some kind of

bond, formed through an experience

that most couldn’t understand.

The 2026 class, the smallest class in

years, clearly shares a special solidarity

and joy in how close they have

become.

“I always joke about it: If I met them

outside, I would never be their friend

because our personalities are very

different,” said now-Father Shengda

“Martin” Zhu. “Yet I think through

our formations, we really bonded together

by understanding where we are

coming from, but also understanding

where we are and to share the difficulties,

but also share the joys together.

So there is a genuine friendship.”

Zhu, Father Jerick Alenton, and

Father David Zamora were the three

men ordained during a May 30 Mass

at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the

Angels in front of hundreds of their

family members, friends, loved ones,

and supporters.

After ordination classes of eight new

priests in 2022, 2023, and 2025, plus

a substantial 11 in 2024, this year’s

moment felt more intimate.

The Mass began with the trio

processing down the aisle one by one

before taking their place on the side of

the altar, hands clasped in a prayer position.

They were followed by dozens

of priests in attendance, bishops, and

finally, Archbishop José H. Gomez.

As with past ordinations, there were

signs of each man’s culture and heritage:

The first reading was proclaimed

in Cebuano as part of Alenton’s

The three men lay prostrate on the altar during

the ordination Mass at the Cathedral of Our

Lady of the Angels. | ISABEL CACHO

10 • ANGELUS • June 12, 2026

Filipino background, while the

second reading was done in Spanish

in honor of Zamora. The responsorial

psalm and several songs were sung in

Chinese for Zhu.

Following the Gospel, the three

priests-to-be were called to stand

for the Election of the Candidates,

answering “present” in their native

language. Archbishop Gomez formally

asked Father Leon Hutton, rector

at St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo,

whether the three men had been

found suitable for ordination.

They received the first of many

standing ovations.

In his homily, Archbishop Gomez

pointed to the record number of

converts coming into the Catholic

Church, both locally and nationwide

— the Archdiocese of Los Angeles

had more than 8,000 for Easter this

year — and said priests specifically

had a responsibility to shepherd these

new believers.

“It is both a sign and a responsibility

for the whole Church, and especially

for the priests,” Archbishop Gomez

said. “We have to care for these new

souls in our midst. We have to encourage

them, strengthen them, increase

their faith, and deepen their friendship

with Jesus.

“As priests in this new world, you are

being anointed and sent out like the

prophet in the first reading, to bring

good news and liberation to people

whose hearts are divided and captured,

to people who are confused and

oppressed. We need to bring them the

truth that will set them free so that

they can see the beauty of God’s plan

for their lives.”

After the Promise of the Elect, in

which the three knelt in front of Archbishop

Gomez, the men then prostrated

themselves face-down in front of

the altar as those in the pews sang the

Litany of Saints.

Later, other priests helped the trio

put on their new stoles and chasubles,

and the men received anointing of

their hands and a

final kiss of peace

from Archbishop

Gomez, signifying

that they had

officially been

ordained as priests.

Father Shengda “Martin”

Zhu is vested with

his stole and chasuble

as a priest for the first

time. | JOE GARCIA III

Archbishop José

H. Gomez imposes

hands on Father

Jerick Alenton during

the ordination.

| ISABEL CACHO

June 12, 2026 • ANGELUS • 11

Archbishop José H.

Gomez offers Father David

Zamora the kiss of peace

in officially recognizing the

three as newly ordained

priests. | JOE GARCIA III

The three newly ordained

priests give blessings

to Archbishop José H.

Gomez and the other

bishops. | ISABEL CACHO

They were seated among the throng of

their now-brother priests.

They received a lengthy standing

ovation.

Archbishop Gomez and the other

bishops received blessings from the

new priests, who then went to their

families in the pews to do the same,

with hugs thrown in for good measure.

Zamora had a particularly lengthy

group hug with his family, wiping

away tears as he went back to his seat.

“Just gratitude and love,” Zamora

said, reflecting on the moment.

“They’ve just supported me all this

time, and I think that it was just a

moment where it was not something

just for me, but it reminded me that it

was for the whole Church.”

Following the Mass, those in

attendance waited on the cathedral’s

outdoor plaza to receive first blessings

from the newly ordained priests.

As he looked out at the three long

lines stretching out with those waiting

to be blessed, Zhu was especially

thankful to his family and loved ones

who came all the way from China and

the East Coast.

“I’m very grateful to see all the

people I have journeyed with, and

The three newly ordained priests smile as Archbishop

José H. Gomez and the crowd in attendance give

them a standing ovation. | JOE GARCIA III

12 • ANGELUS • June 12, 2026

have been supporting my formation

in many different ways,” he said. “Just

being there for their prayers and their

living, how they live their life, has

been impacting me and supporting

me to be in this vocation.

“Now it’s time to go to work.”

Standing off to the side were Zhu’s

parents, Yong and Liping, along with

his aunt, Zhen Zhen, who was the

one responsible for his adopted name,

Martin. As the story goes, when Zhu

came to the U.S., speaking no English,

he wanted to be called Matthias,

which was his saint name at baptism.

“My aunt looked at it and said the

name is too difficult,” Zhu said.

“Nobody’s called Matthias here. Just

use Martin. I was like, ‘OK, here I am,

Martin.’ ”

And now Zhu is the next in a line

of Chinese Catholic leaders in their

family, including his great uncle,

who’s a bishop.

“What we wish as a family for Martin

is for him to follow in the footsteps

of his forebears,” Zhen Zhen said in

Chinese. “And most of all, to follow

God’s will and follow the path that he

has chosen, and stay faithful.”

Miguel Zamora, Father David’s dad

and a deacon at Our Lady of Grace

Church in Encino, was looking forward

to his son’s first Mass, where they

would stand at the altar together.

“That was one of my prayers always

that one day God would give us that

blessing to serve both on the altar,

he as a priest and me as a deacon,”

Miguel Zamora said. “So that’s going

to be a blessing.”

For Alenton, who has wanted to

be a priest since he was practically

an infant, there was a relief that the

waiting to fulfill his dream was over,

and enthusiasm for what’s ahead for

his priesthood.

“Ever since I was a kid, I always

wanted to become a priest. Now it’s

finally here,” he said. “All I can ask

for is prayers, and hopefully remain

faithful to God, and the ministry has

given me now. So it’s excitement,

looking forward to what will happen

next, but trusting in God’s providence

and grace.”

Mike Cisneros is the associate editor

of Angelus.

June 12, 2026 • ANGELUS • 13

Father Jerick Alenton laughs during

an interview at the Queen of Angels

Center for Priestly Formation in Torrance

on April 20. | ISABEL CACHO

JERICK VINCENT

M. ALENTON

Age: 29

Hometown: Cebu City, Philippines

Home parish: St. Clare of Assisi Church,

Santa Clarita

Parish assignment: St. Cornelius Church,

Long Beach

BY MIKE CISNEROS

ou could say that Father Jerick

Y

Alenton was meant to be a

priest, even as an infant.

When Alenton was a baby,

his family participated in the tradition

where they laid out objects, and whatever

he crawled over to and selected,

that would be his likely profession.

Alenton chose a rosary.

Later on in school, when other students

were drawing pictures of dogs,

trees, and ice cream, Alenton was

drawing crosses and Jesus.

If anyone asked what he wanted to

be when he grew up, he always said a

priest.

“I remember playing Masses with

the kids in my neighborhood,” said

Alenton, 29, who was born and raised

in the Philippines. “We would make

orange juice as our wine and we had

little red crackers that looked like a

host. And we would use that for Communion.

I was able to memorize the

prayers for Mass and even remember

trying to make a homily.”

Because his parents both worked

abroad (his mother in the United

States, his father in Dubai), Alenton

was raised largely by his grandmother

and uncle. That often left him sad and

lonely, jealous of other kids who had

their parents around. But ultimately,

he appreciated their sacrifice.

“My mom would always say you’re

lucky that you

didn’t have to go

to the rice fields

to pick up weeds

or to get your

feet wet in the

paddies and bend

Father Jerick Alenton

with his grandmother

who helped raise

him and teach him

the Catholic faith. |

SUBMITTED PHOTO

14 • ANGELUS • June 12, 2026

over and plant the rice itself,” Alenton

said. “She would always remind me

we did it because we didn’t want you

to experience what we experienced

growing up, and we just wanted you to

grow up basically as a kid and to only

worry about school and nothing else.”

But in his grandmother, he found a

kind of devotion that would go on to

shape his faith. She taught him prayers

in both Spanish and Latin, often reading

from a book that Alenton would

memorize. Before he left for the U.S.,

he asked for a copy of the prayer book,

and his grandmother hand-copied a

version for him, something he still has

to this day.

“She really introduced me to the

faith and helped me develop the

faith,” Alenton said about his grandmother,

who died in 2022. “She

would take me to church, to attend

Mass, join processions, and then join

novenas.”

When he was around 9 years old, his

mother petitioned him to come to the

U.S. and California, where she was

living in Santa Clarita. The culture

shock and expectations were evident

immediately.

“My whole view of the U.S. was tall

buildings like downtown LA or New

York,” Alenton said. “But once we got

out of LAX, I was like, ‘Oh, this is it. It’s

all mountains and there’s nothing.’ ”

In middle school, Father Raymond

Marquez asked his classroom who

wanted to be a priest and everyone in

the class pointed at Alenton. He was

invited to a “Come and See” discernment

and vocations retreat.

In high school, Alenton met Father

Bao Nguyen, who helped him apply

to the seminary. On the day of his

prom, he found out that he had been

accepted.

“I really felt happy that this is it,”

Alenton said. “I’m actually studying to

become what I always wanted when I

was a little kid.”

At some point in his formation,

Alenton decided that he wanted to

return to the Philippines, especially

to be with his grandmother again.

But then the COVID-19 pandemic

hit and he was stuck in the U.S. He

decided that was a sign of God to help

minister to those immigrants who

might come to the U.S. and experience

a culture shock like he

did.

“I can minister to them, help

them navigate with their new

experience because I experienced

that,” Alenton said.

“God brought me here to the

U.S., finished everything here,

my high school and college.

This is where he wanted me

to be.”

As he prepares for his

priesthood, he has worries and

anxieties like anyone else, but

he tries to impart to others that

you can dialogue with Jesus

and that he’s always near.

“Usually I carry a little image

of Santo Niño, the child Jesus,”

Alenton said. “And if I get

nervous, I would just hold that

in my pocket and touch it and

say, ‘You’re here next to me, so

help me out now.’ It’s that idea

that he’s always there, in difficult

situations, kind of reminds

me that it’s not just me doing

ministry, it’s him, basically, and

he’s just using me.”

Father Jerick Alenton, front center, following his first Mass at St.

Clare of Assisi Church in Santa Clarita after becoming a deacon. |

SUBMITTED PHOTO

June 12, 2026 • ANGELUS • 15

Father David Zamora smiles during




DAVID

ZAMORA

Age: 26

Hometown: Lancaster

Home parish: Sacred Heart Church, Lancaster

Parish assignment: Our Lady of Lourdes Church,

Northridge

BY MIKE CISNEROS

hen Father David Zamora

W

was in high school thinking of

potential careers, he thought

he wanted to be a doctor.

That obviously didn’t happen, but

as he was lying prostrate on the altar

during the ordination Mass for him

to become a transitional deacon in

2025, he said he heard God say that he

wanted Zamora to “be an instrument

of healing.”

So he’ll end up being a doctor after

all, just the spiritual kind.

Looking back, Zamora’s vocation

seems a natural fit, considering how

much time he spent in church growing

up. Born in South Gate, the family

later moved to Lancaster, where Zamora

did about everything you could

do at Sacred Heart Church: He was

confirmed there, taught OCIA classes,

16 • ANGELUS • June 12, 2026

was a sacristan, lector, and an extraordinary

minister of holy Communion,

plus also involved in a prayer group.

“I was at church pretty much every

day and I don’t mean that like it was

a brag,” said Zamora, 26. “It was the

place where I felt like it was home.

“I felt like it was in my element when

I was around God, when I was at

church, when I was doing his work.”

Zamora said he felt called by God

at a young age, but like many others

before him, he didn’t fully understand

what it meant. Being one of six kids

born to loving and devout parents, at

first he thought he was being called to

be a husband and have a family of his

own.

But as he really started thinking of

careers in high school, he kept coming

back to God.

Father David Zamora, second from right,

holding his younger brother, poses with his

family after Mass at Sacred Heart Church in

Lancaster in 2016. | SUBMITTED PHOTO

“I think I was trying to appease God

and say, ‘I’ll give you this much’ until

I realized he said, ‘I want all of you.

I want everything,’ ” Zamora said. “I

didn’t realize how freeing it was to say

yes.”

Another guiding light came in the

form of the seminarians who would

intern at Sacred Heart, many of them

having had full careers before discerning

a vocation to the priesthood.

“They had basically all the things that

I thought I wanted and that wasn’t cutting

it,” Zamora said. “Only God was

enough to really satisfy that longing

that they had.”

So at 17, right out of high school, he

entered the seminary.

When he first joined, he thought it

was going to be rigid, with nothing

but prayer and school. But as he

learned, there were a lot of fun times,

a necessary bonding of a brotherhood,

and plenty of spiritual lessons along the

way.

Being introduced to the spirituality of

his fellow seminarians helped Zamora

ask himself a key question: Who is

Jesus to me?

“That was so formative for my discernment

because that’s ultimately what I

want to do as a priest is let people know

that Jesus wants to know who they are

in a very unique way.”

Zamora also received an example

in how to say yes to God in a familiar

place: His own father, Miguel, who

began the diaconate formation program

a year before his son entered the

seminary and is now a deacon at Our

Lady of Grace Church in Encino.

“Before he was ever a deacon, as a

father he did a very great job of making

sure that my spiritual needs were met,

but also that I lived out my life as a

good Catholic man,” Zamora said. “He

was a good example, a constant man

of prayer, a man of constant love and

devotion to the Church.”

Besides being able to borrow his

father’s vestments — “I think I’m the

only one in my class that has all the

Dalmatic colors,” Zamora said — he’s

looking forward to something else he

can share with his dad.

“I think the joke is that when he

asks for the blessing to proclaim the

Gospel, you go up to the priest and you

say, ‘Your blessing, Father,’ ” Zamora

said. “And I’m

going to say, ‘Of

course, father.’

I’m going to give

him a blessing in

return.”

Zamora believes

he’s meant to be

a priest in a city

and an archdiocese

with so

much diversity

and unique facets

to the universal

Church. Nowhere

was that

more evident

for him than

at St. Philomena

Church in

Carson, where

Zamora did his

internship. He

was struck by the

many cultures there, especially the

Filipino ministry.

“And it wasn’t just Filipino,” Zamora

said. “There were Samoan, African

American, Spanish-speaking. And I

Father David Zamora plays his guitar during the World Youth Day pilgrimage in 2023. |

SUBMITTED PHOTO

think that huge diversity that we had at

St. Philomena just really inspired me

to say I’m not a priest for one group, it’s

for everybody. I’ll learn whatever it is I

need to in order to work with them.”

June 12, 2026 • ANGELUS • 17

Father Shengda Zhu speaks during




SHENGDA

ZHU

Age: 28

Hometown: Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China

Home parish: St. Thomas Aquinas Church,

Monterey Park

Parish assignment: St. John Vianney Church,

Hacienda Heights

BY MIKE CISNEROS

Catholic in China is rare. A

A

cradle Catholic in China is

even rarer.

So what do you call a cradle

Catholic from China who’s being ordained

a priest thousands of miles away

in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles?

That’s Father Shengda “Martin” Zhu.

Zhu, 28, came to the United States at

age 12, largely because his father wanted

him to have a better life, a better

education, and religious freedom.

But when he was a senior in high

school, the world got to him — mostly

fueled through what he was seeing on

social media — and he began questioning

the meaning of life. A close

friend told him, “You’re no longer the

Martin I remember.”

“That’s when I started really realizing,

OK, those ideologies have shaped

me, made me become someone I

don’t want to be,” Zhu said. “Then

I tried to kind of reshape myself and

reorient myself. And then I have to

ask a very serious question: Why am I

Catholic?”

He was a cradle Catholic, his family

had been persecuted in China for

their faith, yet Zhu had to know for

himself.

So he dove into learning as much

as he could about his Catholic faith,

including reading the Catechism of

the Catholic Church cover to cover,

studying the Second Vatican Council,

and examining papal encyclicals.

After satisfying himself that, yes, he

wanted to still be Catholic, he asked

himself another question: “Lord,

what do you want me to do for the

Church?”

Father Shengda Zhu

poses at age 7 in the

Marian garden at his

home parish in China.

| SUBMITTED PHOTO

18 • ANGELUS • June 12, 2026

The answer was to go to the seminary.

No, he thought, I can’t do that. I’m

an only child. My mom wants grandchildren.

It’s important in his culture

to carry on the last name. He didn’t

think his dad would approve.

So he asked God for a sign. He got it.

Still not believing, he asked God for a

second sign. He got it.

Foolishly thinking this was all still

coincidence, he asked for a third sign.

“In Chinese, we have a saying, which

means you cannot pass the third time.

It’s like, final. It’s like if you make a

mistake the third time, that’s it. And

surely, the Lord gave me the third sign.

OK, here I am, Lord.”

Now he had to somehow convince

his father.

He wrote a list of about 25 to 30

reasons why he had to try going to the

seminary, but he said if his dad said

no, he wouldn’t go to the seminary.

Yet when the moment came, his dad

was calm. Zhu never had to use his list

of reasons.

“My parents generally are not

like typical Asian parents who are

very strict, very demanding, or plan

everything for you,” Zhu said. “My

family’s philosophy is always that

as long as you try your best, we will

support you. And with that being said,

going to seminary is a part of doing

your best and if you fail, you fail. It’s

OK. We’ll be there for you.”

In college, he had earned an associate’s

degree in computer science,

but found that he liked the seminary

better.

What was difficult for Zhu was

saying goodbye to seminarians who he

admired but discerned they weren’t

called to the priesthood. Bidding

farewell to them brought yet another

question for him: Why am I still here?

“Is it because I’m smarter than them?

Surely not,” Zhu said. “Am I better

than them? Surely not.”

“With the help of close friends in the

seminary and my spiritual director,

they guided me to see where the Lord

really calls me and really calls them

too. And to overcome that, I think

that’s probably the most challenging

part in my formation.”

Zhu is looking forward to the

priesthood in Los Angeles, especially

because of the very freedom of religion

his father was

seeking.

“A culture shock

for me is I didn’t

know it’s so easy

to go to a Catholic

church here,”

Zhu said. “Basically

every block,

there’s a church,

no matter if it’s a

Catholic church

or our Protestant

brothers and

sisters.

“For us to go

to church [in

China], you have

to change a few

buses to get to

the church. And

we don’t have

that many Masses. A church here can

have seven Sunday Masses. That was

not a reality for me.”

As he prepares to begin his priesthood,

whether he’s successful or not,

will depend on asking himself yet

another question.

Father Shengda Zhu offers Communion

during his diaconate ordination

Mass in 2025. | JOHN RUEDA

“The same question I asked the Lord

from the very beginning, when I asked

him, Lord, what do you need me to

do? And I think that’s the first question

to get me started and that question

will keep me going for the rest of my

priesthood.”

June 12, 2026 • ANGELUS • 19

A PIECE OF PORTUGAL

The story of Artesia’s

immigrant roots is told

through a dazzling

new tile mural on a

parish’s façade.

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY

BY KIMMY CHACÓN

Years before Los Angeles County

became a sprawling metropolis,

the village of Artesia was part of

an area known as “Dairy Valley.” Immigrants,

especially from Portugal, settled

there and worked on dairy farms. For

decades, Holy Family Church was their

spiritual home.

Nowadays, the parish serves a much

more diverse congregation that includes

immigrants from the Philippines and

Mexico. But when pastor Father John

Cordero, MMHC, began thinking of

a way to pay tribute to his parish’s rich

history, his imagination traveled back to

Portugal.

“In Portugal, there are plenty of

churches where the entire façade is

covered in tiles,” explained Father Luis

Proença, SJ, a native of Portugal who

has served at Holy Family for more

than 30 years. “Inside and outside,

everything is decorated — usually in

blue and white.”

More than a year ago, Cordero approached

Proença with an idea: What if

we bring a tile panel from Portugal?

From there, what started as a tribute to

the parish’s history grew into something

bigger: a vision for renewing the church

façade with traditional tilework.

Proença, who teaches at Loyola Marymount

University’s School of Film and

Television, reached out to colleague

José García Moreno, who serves as

director of the Academy of Catholic

Thought and Imagination at LMU.

Moreno’s work includes the largescale

installation “Anima Mundi: The

Soul of the World” at the university’s

chapel. Familiar with his work, Proença

José García Moreno poses in front

of the new Portuguese-inspired

tile mural that he created for Holy

Family Church in Artesia.

shared images of the artist’s installations

with Cordero, along with photos of the

chapel.

“Father John was inspired by what he

saw,” Proença recalled. From there,

he introduced the two men and the

project got underway.

For Proença, the mural reflects the

spiritual identity of the parish itself. He

describes the spiral woven through the

design as “a creation that doesn’t close

on itself,” but instead as “all revolving,

all creation, and all renewal.” It represents

the diversity of their parish.

The intertwined fish moving through

the spiral symbolize the interconnectedness

of the community. “We all come

from different backgrounds, different

roots,” Proença said.

To him, the spiral expresses “the

spiritual creation that the Holy Spirit

brings us together as one community.”

The medium’s lasting quality strengthens

that concept. The façade panels

were designed to endure. “Three

hundred years from now, people can

20 • ANGELUS • June 12, 2026

still look and see those panels,” Proença

said.

In a Facebook post, Father John

Cordero wrote that the mural’s theme

follows the Gospel call to “make disciples

of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).

“This is particularly meaningful for

our multicultural parish made up of

immigrants from different peoples of

the world,” he noted.

Blending the imagery of the apostles’

mission to be “fishers of men,” Cordero

explained the mural, in which fish from

around the world are brought together

in the Eucharist, which appears on the

far-left side of the wall. The mural was

made of printed tiles designed to resemble

traditional mosaics and extend

across the entire vestibule wall.

Frank Faria, a Portuguese parishioner

since the 1960s who was ordained a

permanent deacon two years ago, sees

the mural as a fitting way to tell the

parish’s story.

“We have three deacons,” he said,

jokingly referring to them as “the three

P’s — the Filipino, the Panamanian,

and the Portuguese.”

For Faria, Cordero’s intention was

clear. “Father John’s wish was to make

it a tribute to the Portuguese community,”

honoring the families who helped

establish Holy Family nearly a century

ago and who “have always been a part

of the church.”

The use of traditional Portuguese tiles

reinforces that connection. Cordero

specifically wanted tiles the same size as

those used in Portugal, tying the church

visually and culturally to its origins.

At the same time, Moreno’s work is

rooted in searching for new ways of

creating.

“I’m constantly trying new things, but

they all come from the same roots of

experimentation — who I am, and how

technology helps me become a vessel

for it,” said Moreno.

That sense of experimentation

carried into the making of the mural

itself. He compares the process to

“building up a Lego,” working with

massive digital files that had to be

broken apart and reassembled piece

by piece.

Even with those technical challenges,

his intention remained simple:

“How can I make beautiful things

that can help people contemplate, in

their own way, their own spirituality?”

Moreno said.

For Faria, the style also feels familiar

beyond the church itself, noting that

“many of our Portuguese neighbors

have little mosaic tile images on their

actual houses.”

Since it was first unveiled just after

Easter, Cordero has come across some

visitors becoming visibly moved by the

José García Moreno looks over the new tile mural

he created at Holy Family Church in Artesia,

which has a “fishers of men” theme.

mural.

“When you hear that, you realize

you’re impacting someone profoundly,

but also that it [the art] doesn’t

belong to you anymore,” said Moreno.

Kimmy Chacón is a freelance journalist

and graduate of the Columbia University

Graduate School of Journalism.

She lives in Los Angeles.

June 12, 2026 • ANGELUS • 21

Pope Leo XIV shakes

hands with Christopher

Olah, co-founder of the

U.S. artificial intelligence

company Anthropic, during

the presentation of

Magnifica Humanitas at

the Vatican’s Synod Hall

May 25. | OSV NEWS/

YARA NARDI, REUTERS

SILICON VALLEY

MEETS JESUS?

One of the Catholic Church’s leading experts

on AI weighs in on Magnifica Humanitas.

BY PABLO KAY

Few documents from a successor

of Peter in modern times have

generated as much media reaction

as Magnifica Humanitas (“Magnificent

Humanity”), Pope Leo XIV’s

long-awaited encyclical on Catholic

social teaching in the age of artificial

intelligence (AI).

And few people are as familiar with

the relationship between the Vatican

and Silicon Valley — where much of

AI technology is being developed —

as Father Philip Larrey, a philosophy

professor at Boston College who has

spent the last several years introducing

tech executives to Church leaders,

including Pope Francis.

Larrey spoke to Angelus about his

thoughts on Magnifica Humanitas, his

biggest worry about the direction of AI,

and why Silicon Valley has been slow

to react to the document so far.

To you, what is the most novel feature

of this encyclical?

The framework that Leo establishes

to talk about the dignity of the human

person and what makes us human.

This document is more about the

social doctrine of the Church than it is

about AI.

The first two chapters are about the

social doctrine of the Church, and the

fifth one is on war, so there are really

only two chapters on AI, and they’re

not terribly specific. They talk about

technology and its dominance and

things like that.

I think that’s because before the

pope can talk about the relationship

between human beings and AI, he

needs to present what the view of the

Catholic Church is about the human

person. Of course, he’s also doing that

because he framed this as a sequel

of Rerum Novarum, Pope Leo XIII’s

encyclical on capital and labor.

What are a few other misconceptions

about MH?

Some critics have said that Pope

Leo XIV is a Luddite who’s afraid of

technology, others that he’s a philo-tecnologist

who’s gung-ho on all this stuff,

who’s saying “Let’s do more.” Neither

are true.

He’s very cautious about how we use

22 • ANGELUS • June 12, 2026

these tools. I think that the genius of

Pope Leo is that he strikes a balance:

on the one hand, he understands that

AI can threaten humanity and human

flourishing, but also that AI is here to

stay, and we have to learn how to use

it.

The fact that he had Christopher

Olah, the co-founder of Anthropic, next

to him when he presented the document

speaks very loud at how Pope

Leo is trying to reach out to the tech

industry and especially the leadership.

Olah’s appearance at the presentation

got a lot of attention. But judging

from his remarks that day, there

are still obvious differences between

his vision and the pope’s. For example,

Olah seemed to suggest that AIs

may be showing signs of introspection.

Is this gap too wide to bridge?

The relationship between Anthropic

and the Vatican goes back about two

years. If you read the 80-page constitution

of Claude

(Anthropic’s chatbot),

you’ll see the

acknowledgements

include Archbishop

Paul Tighe from the

Vatican’s Dicastery for

Culture and Education

and Brian Patrick

Green of the University

of Santa Clara.

Remember that a few

months ago, Olah’s

colleague, Anthropic

founder Dario

Amodei, said he can’t

rule out that Claude is

conscious, and backtracked

on eliminating

a previous version of

Claude because it may

be conscious, and it

may be against the

dignity of the machine

to do that now. That

assumes that these

machines are already

in some sense selfaware,

and I disagree

with that on a philosophical

level. But it

is part of the culture at

Anthropic.

I think we can get a

bridge, simply because the more development

we see in the AIs, the less and

less they’re going to seem conscious

and self-aware. I think it’s going to

work itself out. At least that’s my hope.

To be self-aware is something which

is specifically to the human being. It’s

because of the immortal soul, and this

goes back to Aristotle, who wasn’t even

a Christian. He was a pagan but he

understood that. Centuries later, St.

Thomas Aquinas said it takes a man,

a woman, and God in order to create

a soul.

So we’ll see. I’ve learned the worst

thing you can do is tell someone in

Silicon Valley they can’t do something.

If you tell them a machine will never

be conscious, well, that’s what they’re

going to try and do.

Pope Leo XIV admires a “robot dog” he was presented

with following his weekly general audience in St.

Peter’s Square at the Vatican May 27. | OSV NEWS/

ELISABETTA TREVISAN, VATICAN MEDIA

Reactions to

Magnifica

Humanitas

“Magnifica Humanitas

is not only about AI; it

refounds and ratifies

social teaching as a

primary mode of the

Church’s engagement

with the world.”

~ Joshua Hochschild, First Things

“Homogeneity, efficiency,

and productivity are

not what human life is

about: Our calling isn’t to

operate like computers,

but to do exactly what

computers cannot,

which is to love.”

~ Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic

“Leo’s text is not

just interesting

and important. It’s

exhilarating. More to the

point: It’s what people of

faith need now.”

~ Fran Maier, Acton Institute’s Religion &

Liberty Online

June 12, 2026 • ANGELUS • 23

“It’s likely that many of

the 21 million people

who viewed [Pope Leo’s

X post about Magnifica

Humanitas] are not

focused on Catholic

doctrine. What is clear is

that the pope has found

a voice by speaking

more clearly than their

own democratic leaders

about the challenges

they are facing.”

~ Surbhi Gupta and Christin El-Kholy, New

Lines Magazine

“It offers what our

moment urgently

needs: a vocabulary and

framework of principles

equal to the questions

before us.”

~ Kim Daniels, Initiative on Catholic Social

Thought and Public Life, Georgetown

University

“The test for the papacy

and for Catholicism,

or for any religion in

this strange new world,

is how much church

comes to seem like a

natural place to look for

answers [for ordinary

people using AI].”

~ Ross Douthat, The New York Times

What have you heard from your

contacts in Silicon Valley about the

encyclical so far?

Nothing. And I’m sorry to say that, but

I think a lot of them are just going to

ignore it. One reason is that it’s not an

easy document to read: it’s very long,

it’s filled with quotations from other

popes, and written in the style which

I call Vaticanese, which has a specific

vocabulary and a way of saying things

that I think people in Silicon Valley just

are going to miss.

Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s on

their radar. I wish it were, and maybe

we can help put it on their radar.

I wish there were more people like

Sam Altman or Elon Musk or Mark

Zuckerberg alongside Olah at the

introduction. I’m sorry to name names,

but these are very important people in

the construction of AI and will probably

become even more important as we go

on. So the fact that Pope Leo wanted

to incorporate and encourage the presence

of leadership in the tech industry,

I think is amazing. It was a great role for

him to play.

Leo identifies a few aspects of our lives

that AI threatens to upend. Which of

them is the most concerning?

All of them! One that’s especially

concerning is the inherent difficulty

of establishing emotional or romantic

relationships with AI.

Another concern that he raises is the

A copy of Pope

Leo XIV’s first encyclical,

Magnifica

Humanitas: “On

Safeguarding the

Human Person in

the Time of Artificial

Intelligence,”

is seen during a

presentation on the

document at the

Vatican May 25. |

CNS/LOLA GOMEZ

labor market and the jobs that will be

lost to AI, which is already happening

and is going to keep happening. But to

be fair, you have to admit that people in

the AI industry have been warning us

about this for a long time — five or six

years, at least. So if this catches you unaware,

it’s kind of your own fault. We’ve

been hearing voices that are telling us

that this is coming, and we have to get

ready.

Probably the biggest concern is the

spiritual, and what AI does to the

human being, in terms of alertness

and long term development. Some

psychologists are saying that children’s

brains are being altered because of AI.

In higher education, there’s a lot of

discussion on whether, or how, to allow

students to use AI and make sure that

that’s done in a good way.

This is not an easy argument. I’m on

the steering committee at Boston College

for the use of AI, and it’s a thorny

topic. But let’s not bury our heads in

the sand: a lot of students use AI.

MIT released a study recently saying

that a greater increase in the use of AI

corresponds to a greater decrease in

cognitive ability. You may think that

makes perfect sense, but now we have

the empirical evidence. That helps us

as educators to persuade students to not

use it as often as they do.

Pablo Kay is the editor-in-chief of

Angelus.

24 • ANGELUS • June 12, 2026

Unemployment and work insecurity

Major areas of concern

about AI in

Magnifica

Humanitas

Intolerance for human weakness and suffering

Weaponization as instrument of war

Impact on environment

Loss of genuine relationships and spiritual life

Global race for technological dominance

Concentration of control over

private lives in the hands of a few

June 12, 2026 • ANGELUS • 25

Pope Leo XIV greets people as they hold up cellphones as

he enters St. Peter’s Basilica for an audience with Holy Year

pilgrims in Rome on June 14, 2025. | CNS/LOLA GOMEZ

The ancient wisdom in

Magnifica Humanitas

How should Catholics

deal with AI? Pope Leo

XIV wants to address

another question first.

BY KENNETH CRAYCRAFT

In his song “If We Were Vampires,”

American songwriter Jason Isbell

compares human relationships with

hypothetical human interactions as if

the narrator and his lover were never to

face physical death — as if they were

vampires (Section 1).

“If we were vampires and death was a

joke/We’d go out on the sidewalk and

smoke/Laugh at all the lovers and their

plans/I wouldn’t feel the need to hold

your hand,” the narrator sings.

By the end of the song, the narrator

realizes that human finitude is not a

problem to be overcome, but rather

a good to be embraced. “Maybe time

running out is a gift/I’ll work hard ’til

the end of my shift/and give you every

second I can find/And hope it isn’t me

who’s left behind.”

Isbell is suggesting that the knowledge

we are finite and dependent compels

us toward human interactions and relationships

that we might not otherwise

pursue. Put another way, we are both

naturally limited and naturally dependent

upon the company of other human

persons.

Over the course of his 42,300-word

encyclical Magnifica Humanitas

(“Magnificent Humanity”), Pope Leo

XIV shows a deep understanding of the

profound implications of this realization

— and of the ways that unmoored

artificial intelligence (AI) is largely

built on its denial.

Among other themes, the goodness

of human limitations and dependency

are not faults to be overcome,

but rather opportunities for authentic

human flourishing. Conversely, the

denial of dependence embedded in

AI and transhuman theories leads to

dehumanization.

The new ‘new things’

As expected, Leo’s first encyclical is

framed as a modern successor to Pope

Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum (“Of New

Things”), promulgated in May 1891

during another moment of epochal

change. Back then, the “new things”

Leo XIII discussed were not the

Church’s teachings and doctrines, but

the effects of the rapid development

of industrial technology. The Church

needed to apply its ancient wisdom to

the new problems and challenges of

technological and industrial change,

especially when new economic,

social, and political theories were

promising a substitute to religion.

Like Leo XIII, our current pope

applies the Church’s historic teaching

to the challenges posed by rapidly

changing technological development.

While the challenges are new, the

teaching is as venerable — and no less

applicable — now as it was in 1891.

I believe the most important message

of this encyclical lies in its response to

the story that AI and digital tech-

26 • ANGELUS • June 12, 2026

nology try to tell us about human

limitations and weaknesses. Magnifica

Humanitas suggests that like modern

architects of the Tower of Babel, AI

theoreticians and engineers are often

possessed of the hubris that they can

build a tower to God and thus to immorality,

omniscience, and omnipotence.

But these prideful assertions are

a denial of the finitude and contingency

of human beings.

“We cannot consider AI to be morally

neutral,” the pope explains. “In

reality, every technical tool embodies

choices and priorities through what it

measures, ignores, and optimizes, and

how it classifies people and situations”

(Section 104).

Therefore, he continues, “ethical

discernment cannot be limited to

asking whether we are using a system

for good or bad purposes; it must also

examine how that system is designed

and what vision of the human person

and society is embedded in the data

and models that guide it” (104).

What is a person?

The most important consideration

in any discussion of AI is the nature

of the human person and, therefore,

what things work toward the advancement

and flourishing of the person.

Like Leo XIII in 1891, the answer

to the question, “What is a human

person?” is the guiding principle for

all technological advancement and

utilization. Rerum Novarum explained

that the employer must “respect in

every man his dignity as a person”

(20). In my view, Leo XIV’s development

of this idea in his discussion

of “transhumanism” in Magnifica

Humanitas is the most important contribution

of the new encyclical.

“From the perspective of the

Church’s Social Doctrine,” he writes,

“the key issue is not the use of technology

as such, but the vision that

underlies it” (118). Is it the vision of

Babel, in which we think we can overcome

human finitude and contingency,

but discard compassion, empathy,

and vulnerability? Or is it a vision that

recognizes the inherent contingency

and finitude of human beings?

Finitude and contingency are not

problems to be overcome, but realities

to be embraced, says Leo XIV.

“It is precisely within our limitations”

that we learn “compassion, as well as

a sincere concern for the needs of others;

a generosity that can emerge even

in the midst of darkness and failure;

spiritual experience and the worship

of God” (119).

“Even when limitations are experienced

as inner suffering, human

wisdom teaches us not to deny or

suppress it, but to integrate it” (120).

Echoing Jason Isbell, the pope

writes: “To eliminate suffering entirely

would mean, in the end, extinguishing

love and desire as well” (120).

Thus does Leo XIV strike at the

flawed presumption of AI and transhuman

ideology: that finitude, dependence,

and contingency are enemies

to be overcome rather than gifts to be

embraced.

“Finitude, when truly accepted,

does not diminish us but opens us

to recognizing the face of God and

others,” he explains. It is precisely in

our “experience limits — vulnerability,

suffering, and failure — we can

recognize the inviolable dignity of

every person, both our own and that

of others” (122).

Leo doesn’t deny the goodness of

technology, including AI and other

forms of digital technology. But these

tools are not morally neutral. They are

built by, and around, the moral choices

of their designers. If the underlying

ideology is one of “overcoming” the

natural interdependency of human

flourishing, it will produce human

degradation.

While “it is right to strive to alleviate

the suffering that marks human life”

(118), such technology must be rooted

in, and at the service of, the truth

about the human person — limitations

included.

“Humanity flourishes not despite

limitations, but often through them,”

Leo writes.

What is the essence of Leo’s wonderful

encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas?

The answer is the same as it was at

Babel in Genesis 11: God is God, and

we are not Him.

Kenneth Craycraft is a professor of

moral theology at Mount St. Mary’s

Seminary and School of Theology in

Cincinnati.

“It is not a fire sermon;

it is not a cri de coeur;

it is not even, by any

reasonable definition,

‘anti’ AI.”

~ Matthew Walther, The Lamp

“Leo XIV does not

merely proclaim that

‘another world is

possible’: He calls on us

to build that other world,

even if he does not offer

a recipe.”

~ Church historian Alberto Melloni, Le Monde

“For all the explicit and

widely shared concerns

Leo names throughout,

there is a through line

of genuine love for

humanity and what

we can do at our best

— including with the

machines at our side.”

~ Nitish Pahwa, Slate Magazine

“In contrast to today’s

cacophonous public

‘discourse,’ Leo XIV

speaks with an adult

voice: a voice appealing

to our highest aspirations

rather than pandering to

our worst prejudices or

most virulent fears.”

~ George Weigel, The Washington Post

June 12, 2026 • ANGELUS • 27

WITH GRACE

DR. GRAZIE POZO CHRISTIE

The happy hour apostolate

My husband and I have always

been very social people. We

like our home to be busy

and welcoming — the kind of place

that people feel comfortable dropping

into without an invitation and without

fanfare. Our children have been heard

describing our house as a train station,

and not always in a complimentary

way.

But that is how we like it, and as we

have grown more mature and (I hope)

less worldly, our social engagements

have become not only more numerous

but of better quality. These days we

not only want to bathe in the warmth

of human connection, but we want

opinions are exchanged

and minds meet to duel

or agree are of eternal

importance.

Imagine a dinner party

full of clever conversation

and interesting personalities.

But the overall tone is

cynical, the details gossipy,

the comparisons invidious,

the themes shallow and

coarse. The guests will go

home with hearts a little

harder and minds a little

darker. They will walk

away, if not in sin, then

more likely to slip and fall

into it when the enemy

extends a tantalizing offer.

Now imagine the

opposite: a lively and

cheerful dinner where the

absent are talked about

affectionately instead of

being torn limb from limb.

Where hard experiences

SHUTTERSTOCK are brought up, not to be

sensational but to bring

hope to others. In this good

all our activities to leave us, and our gathering, you won’t hear boasting or

friends, in a better spiritual state. In people being condescending — but

short, we consider every occasion an you will see them treating one another

opportunity for apostolate.

courteously, sincerely, and generously.

If that sounds puritanical and boring, Almost anything can be talked about,

let me assure you it is not. Apostolate even the most complex subjects, when

is perfectly compatible with a glass it is done with sensitivity and decency.

or two of wine, as well as moving the From this dinner, the guests leave

sofa and coffee table to make room for better than when they entered, and a

dancing.

step closer to the kingdom of heaven.

Over the years, we have come to Besides gathering the right combination

of people around our table and

believe that there are no spiritually

neutral encounters. Every interaction,

no matter how brief, leaves the channels, we have made other experi-

steering the conversation into happy

participants a step closer to heaven or ments in our apostolate of friendship.

the opposite pole. So that in the hands Recently, we launched one under the

of a Christian, social occasions where title “Cocktails and Commandments.”

28 • ANGELUS • June 12, 2026

Dr. Grazie Pozo Christie is a mother of five

who practices radiology in the Miami area.

This one has been tremendously

successful and has a spin-off and a

waiting list.

We invited 10 couples to our house

for a bimonthly happy hour featuring

a full bar and a short talk on one

of the Ten Commandments. Then

we moved on to open discussion of

keeping the Sabbath, or honoring

father and mother, or what it means

to covet a neighbor’s goods. There is a

huge thirst, it turns out, for serious and

thoughtful discussion about the most

important things.

Every one of those couples, just

like my husband and me, are facing

the daily difficulty of ordering their

lives aright, understanding their true

responsibilities, and rising to meet

them. In our discussion, we treat the

Commandments as the enabling

principles of a meaningful and noble

life in which man exists in proper

relationship with his Creator and those

around him. The couples have begun

to understand the Commandments

not as a set of arbitrary rules but as a

gift from a loving and attentive God

who knows his creatures and what will

make them flourish.

Ideas, stories, and questions fly across

the room, and the conversations are

fascinating. One short “Thou shall

not…” statement is packed with layer

upon layer of meaning. In the allotted

hour-and-a-half, we barely scratch the

surface of each happy rule. There have

been beautiful moments in which

someone, with great simplicity, shares

their own experience of the peace that

comes from forgiving a difficult father,

or someone else tells of their desire

to put the Lord above all things and

how impossible this is to achieve. We

help one another and encourage one

another. We leave the gathering better

— much better — than we entered it.

Perhaps you are thinking that it must

be a stodgy and boring set that would

sign up for Cocktails and Commandments.

To the contrary! These are

fun people, just like your friends and

acquaintances. When you treat your

social life as your apostolate, I promise

that you will enjoy yourself more, not

less. And you may gain heaven in the

process.

DESIRE LINES

HEATHER KING

The blokes making history great again

Dominic Sandbrook (left) and

Tom Holland, hosts of the

podcast “The Rest is History.” |

©THE REST IS HISTORY

I

will be the first to admit that history is not my strong

suit.

“In fourteen hundred and ninety-two, Columbus sailed

the ocean blue,” is the one date I remember from grade

school.

Then there’s the Norman Conquest of 1066 — that was

from high-school French — except now I’m not quite sure

what the Norman Conquest is, or was.

I’d be hard put to place major events like The War of the

Roses, The Sack of Rome, and the Dissolution of the Ottoman

Empire in chronological order. Towering figures like

Oliver Cromwell, Alexander the Great, and Anne Boleyn

I know only by the barest outline. The Siege of Carthage?

Ummm. Hadrian’s Wall? Sorry.

It’s not that I’ve never tried. I’ve read wonderful books,

for example, about Custer’s Last Stand (Evan S. Connell’s

“Son of the Morning Star” [1984]), the Vietnam War

(Frances FitzGerald’s “Fire in the Lake” [1972]), and

the murder of Tsar Nicholas II and his family (“The Last

Days of the Romanovs: Tragedy at Ekaterinburg” by Helen

Rappaport [2010]).

The problem, I’ve

always thought, is

that I have no overarching

framework in

which to place these

events.

Recently, however, I

came across a wildly

popular podcast

called “The Rest is

History.” And now,

finally, everything’s

coming together!

The hosts are English

(I now know the

difference between

English and British,

because they did a

podcast on it): Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland.

Tom is skinny, impulsive, enthusiastic, a terrible interrupter

and talker-over, wholly lovable, and a scholar of classical

antiquity and ancient Rome whose best-known book seems

to be “Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade

the World” (Basic Books, $19.49).

Dominic is rotund, droll, a confirmed atheist, playfully

anti-woke, wholly lovable, and a well-known author, essayist,

BBC presenter, and radio personality whose area of

expertise is post-war British history (1950s-1980s).

They’re both incredibly smart, articulate, witty, well-educated,

and well-read.

When asked the secret of their success by The Daily

Telegraph in 2024, Dominic replied: “First and foremost,

because I think people are bored with history being told in

a hand-wringing, pious, judgmental, and moralistic way

— they want it brought to life by people who are genuine

enthusiasts and love the past.”

Part of the fun is hearing the English lingo. Crikey. Bonkers.

Blimey. All that “carry-on.” “Get rid,” as in, Covet the

Aztecs’ silver?: Get rid! Queen fails to bear son-heir: Get

30 • ANGELUS • June 12, 2026

Heather King (heather-king.com) writes memoirs, leads workshops,

and posts on Substack at “Desire Lines: Books, Culture, Art.”

rid! “Thanks, gents,” a guest might sign off.

Another part of the fun consists in their differing viewpoints.

Tom slavers over Lord Byron — Dominic, while

acknowledging the poet’s cultural and artistic import,

admits to “Byronphobia.”

Tom considers John Lennon to be of high historical

interest, complex, part of the “perfect story” of the Beatles.

Dominic calls him “a deadbeat father.”

Tom is constantly (very reasonably) introducing Christianity

as a cause, or effect: Dominic rolls his eyes. “No one

believes in that balderdash any more — do they?” he asks.

“This might be …what do they say, problematic?” Tom

observes as they waded into a piece on the male-dominated,

macho, Wild West. “Problematic? Please!” Dominic

shudders. “Tom, you’re triggering me!”

They poke fun at each other, but they move on right

away: no mindless, time-sucking, one-upmanship or faux

humor. No political or ideological agenda. They did a

whole piece on Brexit, before the vote, never saying which

side they were on.

They recount the most horrific

deeds of “empire,” including the

British Empire, with very little

editorializing. They’re here to tell

history, not to scold, virtue-signal, or

enforce groupthink. I listened to five

or six episodes on the French Revolution,

which I personally consider a

horrific event but which they never

wholly condemned nor even slightly

celebrated.

They did another episode, wondering

in fact whether empire can ever

actually be a good thing. Empire on

one side; barbarism on the other —

makes a person wonder.

Another fascinating series was

on Belgian King Leopold’s late

19th-century grab of the Congo,

which he pretty much made his

personal property and fiefdom, using

savagely enforced local slave labor to

harvest ivory and rubber.

In one episode, they explored the

question, “What are the lessons of

history?” and basically concluded

that there are none. I couldn’t agree

more. From a salvation history

viewpoint (which obviously is

emphatically not their viewpoint),

it’s fascinating to hear over and over again of war, pillage,

plunder, rape, slavery, betrayals, and power-grabs.

History is in one way what happens after The Fall. We

seem destined, or doomed, not to learn from our mistakes,

but rather to make the same ones over and over again.

Briefly, I thought perhaps I’d come up with some novel

theory, then learned that Nietzsche had beat me to it with

his philosophical concept of “eternal recurrence”: the idea

that time repeats itself in an infinite loop, and that exactly

the same events will continue to occur in exactly the same

way, over and over again, for eternity.

Except! The idea of eternal recurrence need not be true

with respect to the individual soul, as opposed to the soul

of a nation, or ideology, or empire.

That’s attributable to the one event — the Incarnation —

that happened only once and can never happen again.

As history attests, the prince of darkness rules the world —

for now. What a “pivotal event” it will be when the world

learns that he has no power over Christ (John 14: 27–31).

June 12, 2026 • ANGELUS • 31

LETTER AND SPIRIT

SCOTT HAHN

Scott Hahn is founder of the

St. Paul Center for Biblical

Theology; stpaulcenter.com.

The living heart of Jesus Christ

On the feast of the Sacred

Heart, the Church

calls us to look again at

the center of the Gospel — not

an idea, not a program, not

even merely a moral teaching,

but the living heart of Jesus

Christ.

The devotion can sometimes

seem sentimental in our age.

We see holy cards bordered

with roses and flames, and we

forget the shocking scene from

which the devotion actually

springs. It comes from Calvary.

St. John’s Gospel tells us that,

after Jesus died upon the cross,

“one soldier thrust his lance

into his side, and immediately

blood and water flowed out”

(John 19:34). Christians have

contemplated that moment

for 2,000 years. The Fathers of

the Church saw in the blood

and water the sacraments

themselves: the Eucharist and

baptism pouring forth from the

side of Christ. The Church is

born from the open heart of

Jesus.

Earlier in the Gospel, Jesus

had promised: “Out of his

heart shall flow rivers of living

water” (John 7:38). John tells us he was speaking of the

Holy Spirit. At the cross, the promise is fulfilled. Christ

gives everything. He pours himself out completely —

blood, water, Spirit, love.

That is why devotion to the Sacred Heart has endured

through every century and culture. It reminds us that

Christianity is not primarily about rules or institutions, but

about divine love made visible. The heart of Jesus reveals

what God is like.

And what is God like? He is self-giving. He is merciful.

He is wounded for our sake. He loves to the very end.

St. Thomas Aquinas added another beautiful insight. He

“Christ Showing His Sacred Heart,” holy card.. | WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

said that the heart of Christ

is also revealed in Sacred

Scripture. Before the Passion,

the meaning of Scripture remained

partly veiled. But after

Christ’s suffering, death, and

resurrection, the Scriptures

were opened. The disciples

could finally understand how

everything pointed to him.

Thus the Sacred Heart gives

us two great gifts: the sacraments

and the Scriptures. The

Eucharist and the Word. The

two tables from which the

Church feeds her children.

That is why the Mass remains

the privileged place where

we encounter the Sacred

Heart. There Christ opens the

Scriptures. There he gives us

his Body and Blood. There our

hearts are set aflame, just as the

disciples’ hearts burned on the

road to Emmaus.

Christian teaching has been

described as “one heart setting

another on fire.” That is the

mission of every Catholic parent,

teacher, priest, catechist,

and disciple. We cannot pass

on what we do not first receive.

If we want to bring Christ to

a thirsty world, we must first drink deeply from the living

water that flows from his heart.

And our world is thirsty indeed.

Beneath all our technology, distractions, anxieties, and

noise is a deep human longing for love that does not fail.

The Sacred Heart answers that longing. It tells us that no

one has ever loved more than Jesus Christ.

On the feast, then, let us draw near again to that wounded

and glorious heart. Let us meet him in the Scriptures.

Let us meet him in the Eucharist. Let us allow his love to

transform our own hearts, so that his living water may flow

through us into a world dying of thirst.

32 • ANGELUS • June 12, 2026

■ FRIDAY, JUNE 5

Summer Workshop for Catechists: San Pedro Region.

Holy Family Church, 1122 E. Robidoux St., Wilmington,

6:30-9 p.m. Learn creative ideas to practice prayer with the

children in your ministry. Workshops held in Spanish and

English. Visit lacatholics.org/events.

■ SATURDAY, JUNE 6

Discover Consecrated Life for Single Women: Father

Kolbe Missionaries of the Immaculata. FKM Center, 531

E. Merced Ave., West Covina, 8:30 a.m. Mass at St. Christopher

Church, 9:15 a.m.-2 p.m. event at FKM Center,

includes lunch. For women ages 18-39. Call Jillian Cooke

at 626-917-0040 or email FKMs@kolbemissionusa.org for

more information and registration.

Marriage Preparation Session. St. Maximilian Kolbe

Church, 5801 Kanan Rd., Westlake Village, 8:45 a.m.-5

p.m. Engaged couples and those already in a civil union

are welcome to attend. All sessions require in-person

attendance of both bride and groom for the full eight-hour

session. Cost: $150/couple. Visit familylife.lacatholics.org.

Permanent Diaconate Ordination. Cathedral of Our

Lady of the Angels, 555 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, 9 a.m.

Celebrant: Archbishop José H. Gomez. Ordination Mass

will be livestreamed.

Summer Workshop for Catechists: San Gabriel Region.

Sacred Heart Church, 344 W. Workman St., W. Covina, 9

a.m.-12 p.m. Learn creative ideas to practice prayer with

the children in your ministry. Workshops held in Spanish

and English. Visit lacatholics.org/events.

Bereavement Summit. St. Bruno Church, 15740 Citrustree

Rd., Whittier, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Open to bereavement

ministers, those interested in accompanying or who work

with the grieving. Topics include: Catholic Church teachings

on death and burial, mandated reporting and VIRTUS

training, funeral liturgical rites, end-of-life issues, pre-planning,

mortuary and cemetery, Spanish-speaking track, and

more. Cost: $75/person, includes all materials, supplies,

resources, continental breakfast, snacks, and lunch. Register

to bereavement.ministry@yahoo.com with name and

phone number by May 19. Payment made through Zelle to

562-631-8844.

Free Citizenship Workshop for Permanent Residents.

Our Lady of Grace Church, 5011 White Oak Ave., Encino,

9 a.m.-1 p.m. Includes free application preparation and

form completion, and free citizenship classes. Call Our

Lady of Grace Church at 818-342-3686 or email BeACitizenNow@gmail.com.

Summer Workshop for Catechists: San Fernando Region.

St. Catherine of Siena Church, 18115 Sherman Way,

Reseda, 3-6 p.m. Learn creative ideas to practice prayer

with the children in your ministry. Workshops held in

Spanish and English. Visit lacatholics.org/events.

Corpus Christi Procession. Holy Angels Church, 370

Campus Dr., Arcadia, 5 p.m. Mass, followed by 9th annual

Corpus Christi procession, with prayer and Benediction

and four stations. All are welcome. Wear cultural dress.

Email ereyes@holyangelsarcadia.org.

■ TUESDAY, JUNE 9

Memorial Mass. San Fernando Mission, 15151 San

Fernando Mission Blvd., Mission Hills, 11 a.m. Mass is

open to the public. Limited seating. RSVP to outreach@

catholiccm.org or call 213-637-7810. Livestream available

at CatholicCM.org or Facebook.com/lacatholics.

■ WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10

Mass and Rescue Rosary. St. Anthony Church, 2110 N.

San Antonio Ave., Upland, 6-7 p.m. confessions, 7 p.m.

Mass. For fallen-away children and loved ones. Celebrant:

Father Michael Barry. Mary’s Crusade of Prayer for the

Restoration of Catholics (CPR) is dedicated to praying for

those who have drifted from their faith.

■ THURSDAY, JUNE 11

St. Padre Pio Mass. St. Anne Church, 340 10th St., Seal

Beach, 1 p.m. Celebrant: Father Al Baca. For more information,

call 562-537-4526. This will be the last St. Padre Pio

Mass at St. Anne’s Church in Seal Beach.

St. Barnabas Feast Day Mass & Celebration. St. Barnabas

Church, 3955 Orange Ave., Long Beach, 6:30 p.m. Mass

followed by fellowship and potluck. Visit stbarnabaslb.org.

■ FRIDAY, JUNE 12

23rd Annual Sacred Hearts Conference. Holy Name of

Mary Church, 724 E. Bonita Ave., San Dimas, 6-9 p.m., Saturday,

June 13, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Speakers: Father Robert Elias

Barcelos, OCD, Father Michael Barry, SS.CC., and Amber

Araujo. Cost: $40/person. Text Lenie at 951-743-7189 for

questions and registration.

■ SATURDAY, JUNE 13

K of C #3449 Car Wash. St. Barnabas Church, 3955 Orange

Ave., Long Beach, 8 a.m.-12 p.m. Cost: $12/car, $14/

truck or SUV. No RVs or motorhomes. Includes exterior

wash, tires, and interior vacuum. Visit stbarnabaslb.org.

Retirement: Safe and Soulful. Mary & Joseph Retreat

Center, 5300 Crest Rd., Rancho Palos Verdes, 9 a.m. Workshop

for a solid plan for safety, meaning, and purpose in

retirement, to those already retired or thinking about it.

Cost: $50/person. Visit maryjoseph.org.

45th Memorial Mass for Servant of God Father Aloysius

Ellacuria, CMF. San Gabriel Mission, 427 S. Junipero Serra

Dr., San Gabriel, 10 a.m. Bilingual Mass will be celebrated,

followed by a graveside blessing and refreshments. Email

moralese@claretians.org.

25th Jubilee of Founding: Friars of the Sick Poor of Los

Angeles. St. Euphrasia Church, 11779 Shoshone Ave.,

Granada Hills, 11 a.m. Presider: Cardinal Roger Mahony.

Call Brother Richard Hirbe, FSP, at 562-822-6499.

Comedy Night. St. Timothy Church, 10425 W. Pico Blvd.,

Los Angeles, 7 p.m. Proceeds benefit Habitat LA and

Knights of Columbus. Cost: $45/person, includes one

drink. Visit sttimothyla.org/knights-of-columbus.

■ SUNDAY, JUNE 14

Fil-Am Breakfast. St. Barnabas Church, 3955 Orange Ave.,

Long Beach, 8 a.m. until sold out. Cost: $12/plate. Hosted

by the Filipino-American Association. Visit stbarnabaslb.

org.

Grand Opening and Blessing of Msgr. Timothy Crean

Hall. Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church,

2640 E. Orange Grove Blvd., Pasadena, 11 a.m. Mass of

Thanksgiving and Blessing of the Shrine of Our Lady of

Guadalupe, 12:15 p.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony and

blessing of the hall. Celebrant: Auxiliary Bishop Brian

Nunes. Light lunch and presentation to follow. Call 626-

792-1343.

Items for the calendar of events are due four weeks prior to the date of the event. They may be emailed to calendar@angelusnews.com.

All calendar items must include the name, date, time, address of the event, and a phone number for additional information.

June 12, 2026 • ANGELUS • 33

Angelus News | June 12, 2026 | Vol. 11 No. 12

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