Father Rodolfo Martinez-Guevara. / Credit: Ventura County Sheriff’s Office

CNA Staff, Oct 11, 2024 / 13:55 pm (CNA).

A priest in California has pleaded no contest to charges of possessing hundreds of images of child sexual abuse material, with his conviction coming just over a year after his arrest. 

The Ventura County district attorney’s office said in a press release on Thursday that Father Rodolfo Martinez-Guevara “pled no contest to one felony count of possession of child sexual abuse material.” He had been associated with several churches, including Our Lady of Guadalupe in Oxnard, California. 

As part of that plea, the 39-year-old priest also admitted that he possessed “over 600 images of child sexual abuse material, including images and videos of prepubescent minors under the age of 12.”

Martinez-Guevara was arrested in September 2023. In announcing the priest’s plea this week, District Attorney Erik Nasarenko said Martinez-Guevara “betrayed the law and the trust placed in him as a religious leader.”

“Child sexual abuse material preys on the most vulnerable members of our society, and we will continue to ensure that anyone who engages in such heinous crimes is held accountable, no matter their position or title,” the prosecutor said.

The priest is a member of the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit. The religious congregation said in a statement following Martinez-Guevara’s plea that his crimes “[do] not reflect the values of our congregation, and we are deeply saddened by his actions.”

“Our hearts go out to all the victims who were hurt and whose lives were harmed in this horrendous way,” the institute said.

Martinez-Guevara’s “canonical process of loss of clerical state will move forward” following the guilty plea, the group said. 

Investigations into Martinez-Guevara were initiated in April 2023 after reports were made to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. A task force of multiple law enforcement agencies participated in the investigation. 

The priest is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 9 in Ventura County. 

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles told media last year that Martinez-Guevara was “not a priest of [the archdiocese]” but had possessed “faculties to minister” there. After his arrest he was “removed from ministry by the archdiocese and his order,” the statement said.

“The archdiocese stands against any sexual misconduct and is resolute in our support for victim-survivors of any misconduct,” the statement added.

The Missionaries of the Holy Spirit currently have members in several dozen communities in multiple countries, though the majority are in Mexico. Priests with the group are also located in Italy, Colombia, and Spain. 

Father Rodolfo Martinez-Guevara. / Credit: Ventura County Sheriff’s Office

CNA Staff, Oct 11, 2024 / 13:55 pm (CNA).

A priest in California has pleaded no contest to charges of possessing hundreds of images of child sexual abuse material, with his conviction coming just over a year after his arrest. 

The Ventura County district attorney’s office said in a press release on Thursday that Father Rodolfo Martinez-Guevara “pled no contest to one felony count of possession of child sexual abuse material.” He had been associated with several churches, including Our Lady of Guadalupe in Oxnard, California. 

As part of that plea, the 39-year-old priest also admitted that he possessed “over 600 images of child sexual abuse material, including images and videos of prepubescent minors under the age of 12.”

Martinez-Guevara was arrested in September 2023. In announcing the priest’s plea this week, District Attorney Erik Nasarenko said Martinez-Guevara “betrayed the law and the trust placed in him as a religious leader.”

“Child sexual abuse material preys on the most vulnerable members of our society, and we will continue to ensure that anyone who engages in such heinous crimes is held accountable, no matter their position or title,” the prosecutor said.

The priest is a member of the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit. The religious congregation said in a statement following Martinez-Guevara’s plea that his crimes “[do] not reflect the values of our congregation, and we are deeply saddened by his actions.”

“Our hearts go out to all the victims who were hurt and whose lives were harmed in this horrendous way,” the institute said.

Martinez-Guevara’s “canonical process of loss of clerical state will move forward” following the guilty plea, the group said. 

Investigations into Martinez-Guevara were initiated in April 2023 after reports were made to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. A task force of multiple law enforcement agencies participated in the investigation. 

The priest is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 9 in Ventura County. 

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles told media last year that Martinez-Guevara was “not a priest of [the archdiocese]” but had possessed “faculties to minister” there. After his arrest he was “removed from ministry by the archdiocese and his order,” the statement said.

“The archdiocese stands against any sexual misconduct and is resolute in our support for victim-survivors of any misconduct,” the statement added.

The Missionaries of the Holy Spirit currently have members in several dozen communities in multiple countries, though the majority are in Mexico. Priests with the group are also located in Italy, Colombia, and Spain. 

Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia. / Credit: Kate Veik/CNA

CNA Staff, Oct 11, 2024 / 13:25 pm (CNA).

Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, recently urged Catholics to treat gambling with caution, reminding the faithful that the Church opposes any gambling that puts a person’s financial stability at risk. 

The impetus for Burbidge’s remarks, made on the Arlington Diocese’s “Walk Humbly” podcast, is an effort by some lawmakers to allow residents of Northern Virginia to vote to create a new casino in Fairfax County near Washington, D.C. 

The plan has proved contentious — in part because of fears of decreased property values and increased crime around the casino — and a vote is not expected to happen until 2025 if at all. 

“Addiction is a threat to our freedom … I don’t see the need for casinos in Northern Virginia. But that’s up to the community and elected officials to decide,” Burbidge said on the Oct. 7 podcast. 

“We all like good fun, and we like to enjoy ourselves, and things like that. That’s fine,” the bishop acknowledged. 

“But never when we’re using the resources God has given us, our hard-earned money, [in] places that could put ourselves and family in great need. So just be vigilant, everyone. Just be prayerful.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that “games of chance,” such as card games and wagers, are not “in themselves contrary to justice” (No. 2413).

Gambling becomes morally unacceptable, however, when it deprives a person of “what is necessary to provide for his needs and those of others.” 

“The passion for gambling risks becoming an enslavement,” the catechism notes, adding that cheating at games and making unfair wagers constitute “grave matter, unless the damage inflicted is so slight that the one who suffers it cannot reasonably consider it significant.” 

Burbidge advised Virginia lawmakers to carefully consider whether a new casio will “cultivate virtue” in the commonwealth. 

“Lawmakers, please don’t forget this — all legislation should make liberty the priority, understood as the freedom of all persons to pursue what is good and virtuous,” the bishop said. 

“So let’s pray on this. Let’s think about it and how we might always work towards progress in virtue and improving our communities.”

The Virginia controversy over the casino comes amid a push in recent years to expand gambling options, particularly sports betting, in numerous states. Made easy and accessible online and on smartphone apps, sports betting has exploded in popularity since a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling opened the door to states legalizing it. 

Americans spent nearly $120 billion on sports betting in 2023, up 27.5% from 2022 and a new record, according to the American Gaming Association’s Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker. The sports-betting industry has been widely criticized for its deleterious effects on those who take part, especially the young.

Notably, Missouri is poised to become the 39th state to legalize sports betting if its citizens approve the practice in the November general election.

Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia. / Credit: Kate Veik/CNA

CNA Staff, Oct 11, 2024 / 13:25 pm (CNA).

Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, recently urged Catholics to treat gambling with caution, reminding the faithful that the Church opposes any gambling that puts a person’s financial stability at risk. 

The impetus for Burbidge’s remarks, made on the Arlington Diocese’s “Walk Humbly” podcast, is an effort by some lawmakers to allow residents of Northern Virginia to vote to create a new casino in Fairfax County near Washington, D.C. 

The plan has proved contentious — in part because of fears of decreased property values and increased crime around the casino — and a vote is not expected to happen until 2025 if at all. 

“Addiction is a threat to our freedom … I don’t see the need for casinos in Northern Virginia. But that’s up to the community and elected officials to decide,” Burbidge said on the Oct. 7 podcast. 

“We all like good fun, and we like to enjoy ourselves, and things like that. That’s fine,” the bishop acknowledged. 

“But never when we’re using the resources God has given us, our hard-earned money, [in] places that could put ourselves and family in great need. So just be vigilant, everyone. Just be prayerful.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that “games of chance,” such as card games and wagers, are not “in themselves contrary to justice” (No. 2413).

Gambling becomes morally unacceptable, however, when it deprives a person of “what is necessary to provide for his needs and those of others.” 

“The passion for gambling risks becoming an enslavement,” the catechism notes, adding that cheating at games and making unfair wagers constitute “grave matter, unless the damage inflicted is so slight that the one who suffers it cannot reasonably consider it significant.” 

Burbidge advised Virginia lawmakers to carefully consider whether a new casio will “cultivate virtue” in the commonwealth. 

“Lawmakers, please don’t forget this — all legislation should make liberty the priority, understood as the freedom of all persons to pursue what is good and virtuous,” the bishop said. 

“So let’s pray on this. Let’s think about it and how we might always work towards progress in virtue and improving our communities.”

The Virginia controversy over the casino comes amid a push in recent years to expand gambling options, particularly sports betting, in numerous states. Made easy and accessible online and on smartphone apps, sports betting has exploded in popularity since a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling opened the door to states legalizing it. 

Americans spent nearly $120 billion on sports betting in 2023, up 27.5% from 2022 and a new record, according to the American Gaming Association’s Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker. The sports-betting industry has been widely criticized for its deleterious effects on those who take part, especially the young.

Notably, Missouri is poised to become the 39th state to legalize sports betting if its citizens approve the practice in the November general election.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols celebrates a Pontifical Votive Mass of the Blessed Sacrament at Corpus Christi Church, Maiden Lane, London, Sept. 11, 2021. / Credit: Mazur/cbcew.org.uk

London, England, Oct 11, 2024 / 12:10 pm (CNA).

Clergy and parishioners of dioceses across the United Kingdom are hearing from their bishops in advance of a vote next month to legalize assisted suicide. 

A pastoral letter authored by Bishop Mark Davies of Shrewsbury will be delivered across the diocese, making him the latest prelate to express alarm at the prospect of assisted suicide becoming available in England and Wales.

Although the threat of such legislation has always been present in Westminster, specific parliamentary time has now been allocated to the latest bill, which is expected to be debated and voted upon by members of Parliament on Nov. 29. If the bill is ratified, it is anticipated that it will be given enough parliamentary time to become law.

The “Choice at the End of Life Bill” is sponsored by Kim Leadbeater, the Labour member of Parliament for Spen Valley, West Yorkshire, and will receive a nominal first reading in the House of Commons on Oct. 16 before its second reading on Nov. 29.

The new Labour prime minister, Keir Starmer, has expressed his support for a change in the law, but Davies warned in his letter that the current age is an “especially dangerous” one in which to legalize assisted suicide.

“As we see populations aging across Western countries with a diminished number of younger people to support them, this is an especially dangerous moment for politicians to open the door to euthanasia: the medical killing of the sick, the disabled, and the elderly. We already hear of a social duty to end our lives when we become a burden to others. This is not the kind of society in which we would wish to grow old or become vulnerable,” Davies wrote.

He continued: “If medical professionals, now sworn to protect the lives of patients, become those who assist in killing and suicide, how will our relationship change to those we look to for help and care? This is, indeed, a dark and sinister path on which we could be embarking before Christmas 2024.”

The bishop’s letter ends with a plea to Catholics to contact their representatives and ask them to reject proposals to change the current law, which currently prohibits assisted suicide and makes it punishable for up to 14 years in jail.

The leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, archbishop of Westminster, has made his own intervention regarding the controversial legislation.

In a pastoral letter dated for this weekend, Nichols writes: “As this debate unfolds, then, I ask you to play your part in it. Write to your MP. Have discussions with family, friends, and colleagues. And pray. Please remember: Be careful what you wish for; the right to die can become a duty to die; being forgetful of God belittles our humanity.”

Back in September, Bishop John Sherrington, who represents the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales on life issues, warned that the debate on assisted suicide would likely be renewed and urged Catholics to unite in prayer.

In a statement released on Sept. 6, Sherrington said: “The Catholic Church accompanies those suffering and nearing the end of their lives with hope and affection but also reminds them that their life is precious until the very last breath.”

“This is the work that hospices and other health care institutions and hundreds of thousands of individual carers undertake every day, helping the terminally ill and dying to leave this world whilst preserving their dignity. They truly provide assistance to those who are dying.”

When members of Parliament vote on Nov. 29, it will be the first time they have voted on similar legislation since 2015, when assisted suicide was defeated by 330 votes to 118.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shakes hands with Pope Francis during a meeting at the Vatican on Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Oct 11, 2024 / 10:25 am (CNA).

Pope Francis met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a private audience at the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace on Friday morning, assuring the political leader of his and the universal Church’s continuous prayers for the people of Ukraine.

The pope gifted Zelenskyy a bronze relief of a small bird beside a flower with the engraved message “La Pace E’ Un Fiore Fragile” (“Peace is a fragile flower”), as well as a copy of his “Message for Peace.”

Zelenskyy also received two books from the Holy Father including the 2020 “Statio Orbis“ and “Persecuted for the Truth: Ukrainian Greek Catholics Behind the Iron Curtain.“ 

In turn, Zelenskyy gifted the Holy Father an oil painting depicting the scene of a massacre that took place in the Ukrainian city of Bucha from the perspective of a young girl named Marichka. More than 630 civilians were killed in the Russian attack.

The Oct. 11 meeting is the fourth meeting the Ukrainian president has had with the Holy Father since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022. The last meeting between the two leaders took place in June when Zelenskyy was in Italy for the G7 Summit.

Since February 2022, Pope Francis has regularly used his general audiences and Angelus addresses to express his concern for the victims of the ongoing conflict in the region, calling for an end to the violence, access to humanitarian aid, and the release of prisoners.

The Ukrainian leader also met with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, secretary for relations with states and international organizations, to discuss the “state of the war,” humanitarian issues, and pathways that could lead to “just and stable peace” in Ukraine.

Last month, Parolin met with Russia’s Commissioner for Human Rights Tatiana Moskalkova via a Sept. 16 video conference to discuss the need to safeguard international human rights conventions, with the prelate thanking her for her role in securing the release of two Redemptorist priests. 

During his special June 29 Angelus address for the feast day of Sts. Peter and Paul, Pope Francis expressed gratitude for the release of the two Ukrainian Greek Catholic priests: “I give thanks to God for the freeing of the two Greek Catholic priests. May all the prisoners of this war soon return home.”

Pope meets with head of Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church  

On Thursday, the Holy Father also met with the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, who is participating in this year’s session of the Synod on Synodality as a representative of Eastern-rite Churches.  

Shevchuk has asked all people to support the suffering people of Ukraine with their solidarity, prayers, and humanitarian aid.

“Nearly 6 million Ukrainians will face a food crisis this winter. We need to feed the hungry,” he said in a Vatican News report.

Catholics join in prayer for the 2019 International Week of Prayer and Fasting at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. / Credit: IWOPF

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 11, 2024 / 09:25 am (CNA).

Catholics around the world are gathering for the commencement of the 32nd annual International Week of Prayer and Fasting (IWOPF) under the theme “Conquering the Darkness: Triumph of Mercy, Hope, and Healing.”

This year’s event will kick off on Saturday, Oct. 12, with an in-person conference at St. Mary of Sorrows Church in Fairfax, Virginia, followed by a three-day virtual speaker series. Relics of St. Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio) and Blessed Carlo Acutis will also be available for veneration on Saturday. 

IWOPF is a grassroots movement joined by various pro-life groups and the Legion of Mary that invites Catholics and Christians around the world to pray and fast for peace, the conversion of all peoples, the sanctity of marriage, building a culture of life, and for all priests and vocations. 

It has received two apostolic blessings from St. John Paul II and one from Pope Francis, along with support from St. Teresa of Calcutta as well as from EWTN foundress Mother Angelica.

This is the first year that International Week of Prayer and Fasting events are not taking place at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. Flynn told CNA that the basilica was only available in early November and many of the participants did not want to be in D.C. so close to the presidential election on Nov. 5. 

“I didn’t want to change it,” IWOPF co-founder Maureen Flynn said. “But sometimes things happen — things happen for a reason.” 

“So we’re just trusting the Lord, and we’re just encouraging everybody [for] nine days, from Oct. 12–20, [to] really to pray for our country in a big way, pray for the elections, pray for our leaders, our families, and for peace in the world,” she said. “Because as you know, we just read the news, and we really need prayer.” 

Flynn co-founded the movement with her husband, Ted, and friend John Downs in 1989 after Flynn had been struck by an article in the Washington Post that featured two grandmothers who she said had been “bragging about being pro-abortion.”

“I remember thinking, ‘Oh, my gosh, how can these grandmothers be pro-abortion, be for the killing of the innocent?’” Flynn told CNA. The incident inspired her to organize a day of prayer. However, Downs encouraged her to organize a week of prayer instead, insisting that one day “is not enough.” 

Although the movement started with the sole intention of praying for the unborn, Flynn recalled that “as the time went on, there were all these other issues that kept coming up: We began to pray for our families, our children, our leaders. It expanded. Now we have five goals over 32 years.” 

The movement particularly emphasizes the power of the rosary, Flynn told CNA, “to stop wars, for healing in families, and for healing of addictions.” 

“Our Lady has told us we need to use weapons of prayer and fasting because we’re dealing with diabolical forces, and things are ratcheting up in that way as far as evil,” Flynn continued.

“And so we need to use the treasures of the Church, what Our Lord and Our Lady has told us, of the good weapons today.”

While the in-person event will be held in Fairfax, anyone can sign up to view the talks online for free. The talks will be available for up to a year if viewers purchase an all-access pass. Speakers for the event include film producer Jim Wahlberg and Bishop Emeritus Robert J. Baker of Birmingham, Alabama.

Flynn encouraged families to think of ways they can participate in a week of prayer and fasting independently.

“The key is to participate somehow,” she said, recalling that when her kids were younger, their family would have smaller meals, such as soup, during the week, offering it up for the unborn or for families that are struggling.

“They remember that,” she said of her children. “It was a way that we could participate.”

Catholics join in prayer for the 2019 International Week of Prayer and Fasting at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. / Credit: IWOPF

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 11, 2024 / 09:25 am (CNA).

Catholics around the world are gathering for the commencement of the 32nd annual International Week of Prayer and Fasting (IWOPF) under the theme “Conquering the Darkness: Triumph of Mercy, Hope, and Healing.”

This year’s event will kick off on Saturday, Oct. 12, with an in-person conference at St. Mary of Sorrows Church in Fairfax, Virginia, followed by a three-day virtual speaker series. Relics of St. Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio) and Blessed Carlo Acutis will also be available for veneration on Saturday. 

IWOPF is a grassroots movement joined by various pro-life groups and the Legion of Mary that invites Catholics and Christians around the world to pray and fast for peace, the conversion of all peoples, the sanctity of marriage, building a culture of life, and for all priests and vocations. 

It has received two apostolic blessings from St. John Paul II and one from Pope Francis, along with support from St. Teresa of Calcutta as well as from EWTN foundress Mother Angelica.

This is the first year that International Week of Prayer and Fasting events are not taking place at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. Flynn told CNA that the basilica was only available in early November and many of the participants did not want to be in D.C. so close to the presidential election on Nov. 5. 

“I didn’t want to change it,” IWOPF co-founder Maureen Flynn said. “But sometimes things happen — things happen for a reason.” 

“So we’re just trusting the Lord, and we’re just encouraging everybody [for] nine days, from Oct. 12–20, [to] really to pray for our country in a big way, pray for the elections, pray for our leaders, our families, and for peace in the world,” she said. “Because as you know, we just read the news, and we really need prayer.” 

Flynn co-founded the movement with her husband, Ted, and friend John Downs in 1989 after Flynn had been struck by an article in the Washington Post that featured two grandmothers who she said had been “bragging about being pro-abortion.”

“I remember thinking, ‘Oh, my gosh, how can these grandmothers be pro-abortion, be for the killing of the innocent?’” Flynn told CNA. The incident inspired her to organize a day of prayer. However, Downs encouraged her to organize a week of prayer instead, insisting that one day “is not enough.” 

Although the movement started with the sole intention of praying for the unborn, Flynn recalled that “as the time went on, there were all these other issues that kept coming up: We began to pray for our families, our children, our leaders. It expanded. Now we have five goals over 32 years.” 

The movement particularly emphasizes the power of the rosary, Flynn told CNA, “to stop wars, for healing in families, and for healing of addictions.” 

“Our Lady has told us we need to use weapons of prayer and fasting because we’re dealing with diabolical forces, and things are ratcheting up in that way as far as evil,” Flynn continued.

“And so we need to use the treasures of the Church, what Our Lord and Our Lady has told us, of the good weapons today.”

While the in-person event will be held in Fairfax, anyone can sign up to view the talks online for free. The talks will be available for up to a year if viewers purchase an all-access pass. Speakers for the event include film producer Jim Wahlberg and Bishop Emeritus Robert J. Baker of Birmingham, Alabama.

Flynn encouraged families to think of ways they can participate in a week of prayer and fasting independently.

“The key is to participate somehow,” she said, recalling that when her kids were younger, their family would have smaller meals, such as soup, during the week, offering it up for the unborn or for families that are struggling.

“They remember that,” she said of her children. “It was a way that we could participate.”

The Catholic Association of Propagandists (Advocates) has launched a new billboard campaign with the aim of “dismantling the stereotypes of the black legend against Hispanic heritage” and extolling those who “at the risk of losing their lives, embarked on the adventure of reaching the New World with one main objective: to spread Christianity.” / Credit: Courtesy of The Catholic Association of Propagandists (Advocates)

Madrid, Spain, Oct 11, 2024 / 08:00 am (CNA).

The Catholic Association of Propagandists (Advocates) (ACdP) in Spain has launched a campaign on the discovery and evangelization of America titled “1492: Neither Genocidal Nor Slave Owners — They Were Heroes and Saints.”

With more than 200 posters distributed on marquees and billboards in more than 60 Spanish cities, the campaign was created with the aim of “dismantling the stereotypes of the black legend against Hispanic heritage.”

The campaign extols the accomplishments of those who “at the risk of losing their lives, embarked on the adventure of reaching the New World with one main objective: to spread Christianity,” a statement from the organization explained.

The ACdP emphasized that with this initiative it “pays tribute to those who brought the promotion of human dignity — which has its origin in the Catholic faith — to Indigenous peoples, subjected to the oppression of bloodthirsty empires.”

The association seeks to “combat the so-called ‘black legend’ spread for centuries against the remarkable Spanish accomplishment.”

The posters and billboards show a QR code that links to a video that, in a humorous tone, simulates a television contest in which a promoter of the “black legend” and a citizen of a Latin American country participate.

The simulated TV contest dismantles one by one the main stereotypes about the arrival of the Spanish in the Americas and the spread of the Christian faith by the Catholic monarchs Queen Isabel of Castile and her husband, King Ferdinand of Aragón.

Among other points, the episode points out that Spain never had “colonies” but “viceroyalties” and that on the cultural level, 100 of the 140 United Nations World Heritage sites in Latin America are of Spanish origin. It also points out that by 1538 more than 30 universities had already been founded and that by 1574 the Bible had been translated into more than 12 native languages.

The fact that Spaniards freely intermarried with the Indigenous, resulting in mixed-race societies, was contrasted with the widespread expulsion and extermination of Indigenous peoples by other European powers in North America. The episode also pointed to the enormous economic cost that Spain incurred to maintain its presence in America, much more than what was obtained from the natural resources of the new continent.

Last year, on the occasion of Hispanic Heritage Day, the ACdP also publicized a video that summarizes the history of Spain in two minutes, from the appearance of the Virgin Mary to the apostle St. James in Zaragoza to modern times.

These and other campaigns are part of a strategy developed by the ACdP in recent years to highlight the positive impact of Catholic values ​​in society.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

University of Mary students gather to celebrate the Blessed Mother’s birthday at the school’s grotto. / Credit: Mike McCleary/University of Mary

CNA Staff, Oct 11, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Amid low enrollment at academic institutions across the country, Catholic colleges and universities with strong Catholic identities have bucked the trend, boasting high enrollment for fall 2024.

College enrollment has been declining since 2010 by approximately 12%. Enrollment at private four-year colleges decreased by 54% from 2010 to 2021. Meanwhile, enrollment nationwide declined by 7% from 2019 to 2022.

But at 11 Catholic colleges, enrollment is up, some with record enrollment rates. What these thriving colleges have in common is a “strong Catholic identity,” according to the Newman Guide, an education resource for Catholics by the Cardinal Newman Society. CNA caught up with some of these Catholic schools to ask their leaders why they believe their schools are thriving.

University of Mary (North Dakota)

University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota, had its largest incoming class for its second year straight, the media relations specialist for “UMary,” Tom Ackerman, told CNA. This fall, enrollment increased from 3,805 students in 2023 to 3,861 students.

UMary Vice President for Public Affairs Rachael Brash credited the growth to UMary’s “authentic” Catholic identity.

“When you are mission-centric in everything that you do for students, it shows,” Brash told CNA. “It goes in direct opposition to what’s happening in so many parts of our culture today.” 

UMary has 24-hour-a-day adoration at its Benet Chapel and offers eight different Catholic student groups, including the Knights of Columbus and FOCUS. 

“I think that the students, prospective students, and their families are seeking authenticity,” she said. “At the University of Mary, what we hear the most out of our students is that we are who we say we are. And that’s why I think so many places, including the University of Mary, are succeeding in bucking against that trend of declining enrollment. It’s because we have kept ourselves ordered correctly and understanding who we’re serving.”

“We want our students to feel like they come home when they come to our campus,” Brash said of UMary. 

“We have an environment where we want students to flourish throughout the whole of their life,” Brash said. “And so our students come prepared, not just with the current relevant skill sets and the newest technology, but the ability to understand the world and interact in it in a way that is true to both our mission, but that’s true to serve them throughout the whole of their life.” 

Belmont Abbey College (North Carolina)

Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, North Carolina, just outside Charlotte, announced its fourth-highest enrollment rates in the college’s history. The college had a 2% increase in enrollment since last year, with 1,687 students enrolled, including in-person and online undergraduate and graduate students.

Belmont Abbey College as well as UMary both feature maternity programs for student mothers. Belmont’s maternity program for pregnant college students is known as MiraVia. UMary’s St. Teresa of Calcutta Community for Mothers program made headlines last year after its first student mom graduated with her daughter.

“It’s providing these young mothers with a great opportunity to go to school and get their bachelor’s degree,” Brash said of UMary’s program. “But we’re equally as blessed to have these young children on our campus and for students to be babysitting them and for these mothers to be helping each other and for their opportunity to go to a job here on campus.”

“We talk about being pro-life, and of course, you know this, that in our culture, that’s talked mainly about abortion and end of life,” she said. “But for life, so much of it happens between birth and death.”

Franciscan University of Steubenville (Ohio)

Franciscan University of Steubenville (FUS) in Ohio has hit its 10th consecutive year of record-breaking enrollment, John Romanowsky, director of marketing and media relations, told CNA. FUS welcomed its largest-ever incoming class of 812 students. The university has a total of 3,977 students enrolled in both its in-person and online programs. 

At least four Masses are offered daily on campus, often with standing room only, Stephen Hildebrand, vice president for academic affairs and a theology professor at FUS, told CNA last December. 

FUS has continued its growth by launching a Washington, D.C., program this fall for students that prioritizes evangelization, formation, and bringing a Catholic perspective to the capital.

The Catholic University of America (Washington, D.C.)

The Catholic University of America (CUA), America’s oldest Catholic research university, experienced slight growth in enrollment amid challenges, Vice President for University Communications Karna Lozoya told CNA. 

“Like many Catholic universities nationwide, this enrollment cycle presented challenges in first-time fall enrollment due to the well-documented FAFSA delays and the resultant cost uncertainty,” Lozoya said. “Despite these obstacles, we are pleased to report a slight increase in overall student enrollment.”

CUA has had increased interest in applications as part of “an upward trend in interest we’ve seen over the past several years,” Lozoya noted.

Ave Maria University (Florida)

Ave Maria University in Florida also had record-high enrollment in fall 2024 while increasing its GPA standards for applicants.

“Students want to come here,” Susan Gallagher, vice president of marketing and communications, said, “especially when they visit and see the Ave joy — joy in the truth.” 

Ave Maria also has the highest percentage of Catholic students in more than a decade, at 93%. 

University of Dallas (Texas)

Another university that has seen increased enrollment is the University of Dallas, where freshman enrollment was up significantly over last year, with a class of nearly 400 — a 14% increase from last year, Clare Venegas, vice president of marketing and communications, told CNA. 

“Our strong Catholic identity coupled with the academic rigor of our curriculum are both key reasons students cite for choosing UDallas,” Venegas said.

University of St. Thomas, Houston (Texas)

University of St. Thomas, Houston, another Catholic university in Texas, also welcomed a record-breaking undergraduate class this fall, with 683 freshmen and more than 200 new transfer students, according to Sara Nevares Johnson, dean of admissions.

She said the school has been taking steps to increase enrollment and development. 

“At the University of St. Thomas, we’re witnessing a growing desire among students to develop holistically — in mind, body, and spirit,” Nevares Johnson told CNA. “Our year-over-year increase in inquiries and applications reflects a rising interest in pursuing a liberal arts education right here in the heart of Houston, standing in contrast to the national trend of declining university enrollment.”

“Rooted in the traditions of the Basilian Fathers, our mission resonates with students seeking a deeper understanding of their purpose and place in the world,” she said.

Benedictine College (Kansas)

A liberal arts college in a small city of 10,000 has been growing for the past 20 years. Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, has seen “another year of record enrollment, with 2,213 full-time undergraduates,” Benedictine College’s Director of Marketing and Communications Stephen Johnson told CNA. 

“This is a continuing trend of positive enrollment growth over the past 20-plus years,” he added. 

Benedictine is seeing growing freshmen classes as well as “large increases” in transfer students, Johnson noted.

Benedictine highlights Catholic values such as being “Christ-centered” and community- and faith-oriented, according to its website.

The small but mighty

Most liberal arts colleges are on the small side, with numbers in the thousands, compared with public universities, which can reach tens of thousands. Some Catholic liberal arts colleges are designed for an even smaller number of students. In spite of being small by design, these colleges are still setting records.

Thomas More College of Liberal Arts (New Hampshire)

The Thomas More College of Liberal Arts in New Hampshire, which keeps its student body intentionally small, hit its largest number of students this year: 98, the college president, William Edmund Fahey, told CNA. The college’s student body has more than doubled since 2009.

Fahey said the college is “at the point at which we will need to run a building campaign so as to house the increase.”

Christendom College (Virginia)

Another school that is intentionally small but growing is Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia. Christendom reached its enrollment cap for the past four years, instituting a waiting list each year. 

“We had to institute a waiting list for the fourth year in a row this year, due to the continued high demand for a Christendom education,” Christendom Director of Communications Zachary Smith told CNA. “In fact, over the past 10 years, Christendom has grown by 40%, helping us to achieve our cap of 550 students.”

“We keep the school intentionally small in order to keep class sizes smaller,” Smith explained. “This fosters more discussion in the classroom and better connections between students, their peers, and their professors.”

Thomas Aquinas College (California and Massachusetts)

Another intentionally small school, Thomas Aquinas College, has expanded to two campuses to grow. “TAC” keeps its student body intentionally small given its Socratic style classes and focuses on a tight-knit community. TAC has two campuses, one in California and one in New England. 

The two campuses combined hit record-high enrollment this fall at 566 students, Christopher Weinkopf, the college’s executive director for college relations, told CNA. The California campus was near capacity, at 372 students, and the New England campus has its largest student body yet, at 194 students, about a 13% increase since last year, according to Weinkopf.  

“These numbers are very much in keeping with the overall trend: California has been at maximum capacity for years, and the number of students on our New England campus has nearly quadrupled since its launching in 2019, in keeping with our campus growth plan,” Weinkopf explained. 

John Paul the Great Catholic University (California)

John Paul the Great Catholic University in California is another school that focuses closely on a small number of students, with 288 students enrolled this year. Known as “JPCatholic,” the university focuses on creative arts and business innovation. The school has seen growth in the past year, despite uncertainty. 

“The flawed new FAFSA rollout caused great uncertainty to college-bound students in 2024, and this impacted JPCatholic,” James Crowell, mission advancement officer at JPCatholic, told CNA. “Despite this, JPCatholic had a 1% increase in fall student enrollment over 2023.”

“We are a niche school, so our focus is a small number of kids but the highest quality of education,” he added.

JPCatholic has also recently added a fashion program and plans are underway to double the school’s academic space through its new creative arts academic complex.

Other Newman Guide schools including Wyoming Catholic College are known for their Catholic identity but did not respond with enrollment data in time for publication.

This story was updated on Oct. 11, 2024, at 5:42 p.m. ET with information on John Paul the Great Catholic University.