WASHINGTON - As the Supreme Court takes up the plea of religious ministries to uphold their fundamental right to offer comprehensive health coverage consistent with their religious convictions, Archbishop William E. Lori, Chairman of USCCB's Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty, is inviting everyone to join in prayer.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) will vote on a new introductory note and limited revisions to the 2007 version of "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship," the USCCB's quadrennial statement on political responsibility, at the bishops' annual Fall General Assembly in Baltimore, November 16-18. The document, which is issued about a year before each U.S. presidential election, will feature proposed new language around issues of public concern for Catholics.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. bishops will vote on a proposed formal statement, "Create in Me a Clean Heart: A Pastoral Response to Pornography," at the annual Fall General Assembly, November 16-19, in Baltimore. The statement's development has been directed by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth (LMFLY), in collaboration with other USCCB Committees and offices, as well as additional experts.

ROME - The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) will meet, November 16-19, in Baltimore for their annual Fall General Assembly. The bishops will hear addresses by Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, USCCB president, and Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganó, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

WASHINGTON DC - Leadership of the Catholic Church in the United States has introduced its first mobile app: USA Catholic Church. Designed to draw Catholics closer to their faith by providing access to Church information on all screens and devices, this is the only app that brings together information from all Catholic sources: parishes, dioceses, the U.S. bishops and even the Vatican. Not only will the app include religious news, daily Scripture readings and local parish content, it will feature exclusive, in-depth coverage of Pope Francis' September visit to the United States.

WASHINGTON, DC - Pope Francis will bless a five-foot tall wooden cross, known as "the Cross of the Encuentros" in Philadelphia later this month. The cross symbolizes the journey of faith of Hispanic/Latino Catholics in the United States. The blessing will take place Saturday, Sept. 26, upon his arrival to Independence Mall.

WASHINGTON - Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley, OFM Cap., archbishop of Boston and chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), responded September 1 to Pope Francis' letter allowing all priests worldwide "to absolve of the sin of abortion those who have procured it and who, with contrite heart, seek forgiveness for it."

WASHINGTON - Families, parishes, schools and other Catholic groups can participate in National Bible Week, November 15-21, with resources provided in English and Spanish and available on the website of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The theme of the observance is "The Bible: A Book for the Family/ La Biblia: Un Libro para la Familia."

WASHINGTON - Cardinal Seán O'Malley, OFM Cap., archbishop of Boston and chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), responded, July 29, to recent videos showing leaders from Planned Parenthood discussing the provision of fetal organs, tissues, and body parts from their abortion clinics.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Archbishop George J. Lucas of Omaha, Nebraska, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Committee on Catholic Education, applauded recent action by the Senate and the House to reauthorize the Elementary Secondary and Education Act (ESEA). The Senate passed the Every Child Achieves Act (S. 1177), July 16. The House of Representatives passed the Student Success Act (HR 5), July 8. Both bills contain significant improvements for providing equitable services for students and teachers in religious, private and independent schools.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The bishops chairing two committees of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) renewed the bishops' opposition to the death penalty in a message, July 16. The message commemorated the 10th anniversary of the bishops' Catholic Campaign to End the Use of the Death Penalty and their accompanying message, "A Culture of Life and the Penalty of Death."

WASHINGTON - Pope Francis' apostolic journey to the United States is "a source of joy and gratitude," said the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in response to the release of the full visit schedule by the Vatican, June 30. Pope Francis will visit Washington, New York and Philadelphia, September 22-27. His visit will include addresses to Congress and the United Nations, the canonization of Blessed Junípero Serra and will culminate in his participation in the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia.

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Supreme Court decision, June 26, interpreting the U.S. Constitution to require all states to license and recognize same-sex "marriage" "is a tragic error that harms the common good and most vulnerable among us," said Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

WASHINGTON - Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), responded to the shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, with "grief and deep sadness," June 19. He said the Catholic community "stands with all people who struggle for an end to racism and violence, in our families, in our places of worship, in our communities and in our world."

ST. LOUIS, MO. (CNA/EWTN News) - Alice Heinzen was with her dad and siblings on a ski trip when she froze on top of what looked like a treacherous mountain path. Her dad was waiting at the bottom, and so were her other siblings - who had all fallen down along the way.

ST. LOUIS - The U.S. bishops, gathered for their annual Spring General Assembly, voted on and approved a draft of their priorities for the 2017-2020 strategic plan and the "Program of Priestly Formation, 5th edition." They also voted on English translations of the Old and New Testament Canticles.

ST. LOUIS, MO. (CNA/EWTN News) - With Pope Francis' encyclical on ecology and the environment to be released next week, the U.S. bishops are reflecting on possible themes of the upcoming document.

ST. LOUIS - The U.S. bishops approved a statement on race relations delivered by Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, of Louisville, Kentucky, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), at their annual Spring General Assembly, June 10.

WASHINGTON - Catholics are called to uphold the dignity of all people, including migrants, the poor, victims of trafficking and people with illnesses and disabilities, says the theme for Catechetical Sunday 2015, "Safeguarding the Dignity of Every Human Person." Resources for parishes to use in conjunction with Catechetical Sunday, September 20 this year, are available online.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) will gather for their annual Spring General Assembly, June 10-12, in St. Louis. Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, USCCB president, will present a summary to the bishops on the consultation of U.S. dioceses for the 2015 Synod on the Family. Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, OFM Cap., will give an update on the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, which Pope Francis will attend on his September Apostolic Journey to the United States.

WASHINGTON— The National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for Mariners and People of the Sea will be celebrated May 22. The day is observed in conjunction with National Maritime Day in the United States, which has been celebrated since 1933, to recognize merchant mariners and others in the maritime industry.

WASHINGTON—A few days before the U.S. Supreme Court hears oral arguments on the rights of states to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman, more than 30 religious leaders representing diverse faith communities throughout the United States have reaffirmed their shared commitment to marriage and religious freedom. An open letter entitled "The Defense of Marriage and the Right of Religious Freedom: Reaffirming a Shared Witness" was issued to all in positions of public service on April 23.

Bishop Richard J. Malone will talk about family life and marriage as one of two keynote speakers at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast (NCPB), Thursday, May 7, at the Marriott Marquis in Washington, D.C. Texas Governor Greg Abbott is also scheduled to speak.

WASHINGTON—Thousands of people across the United States will be welcomed into the Catholic Church at this year's Easter vigil, April 4, including a retired Marine captain who appeared on the cover of National Geographic, a woman from The Gambia now living in the Pacific Northwest and a woman from Pittsburgh whose faith journey has drawn her own mother back to the Church.

WASHINGTON—A variety of resources to help Catholics observe Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday, this year February 18, is being provided by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

WASHINGTON—James L. Rogers has been named executive director of Public Affairs for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

WASHINGTON—Two recently enacted laws in the District of Columbia are "unprecedented assaults upon our organizations" and "violate the freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom of association protected by the First Amendment and other federal law," said representatives of a number of national and local organizations, including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), in a February 5 letter to Congress.

Originally published as an eBook, Fifty Shades of Grey has become a phenomenon, selling more than 100 million books worldwide, spawning two sequels and is now the subject of a film adaptation starring Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson set for release Feb. 13.

Catholic Schools Week is celebrated in the Diocese of Buffalo and nationally January 25 - January 31. Several Catholic bishops from throughout the United States recorded their thoughts on Catholic education.

WASHINGTON—Cardinal Seán O'Malley, Archbishop of Boston and chairman of the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities, welcomed passage of the "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2015" (H.R. 7) by the U.S. House of Representatives. "By passing this legislation, the House has taken a decisive step toward respect for unborn human life, reflecting the will of the American people," he said.

WASHINGTON—The U. S. Supreme Court granted a request, January 16, to review the November 2014 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit upholding the constitutionality of marriage laws in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee.

WASHINGTON—Over 10,000 pilgrims, many of them youth from schools around the nation, are expected to gather in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception to pray for an end to abortion at the Opening Mass of the National Prayer Vigil for Life, Wednesday, January 21, at 6:30 p.m., the eve of the annual March for Life. The vigil coincides with the 42nd anniversary of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision on January 22, 1973, which legalized abortion nationwide. Since the decision was handed down, an estimated 56 million abortions have been performed legally in the United States.

WASHINGTON—The visit of Pope Francis to Philadelphia in September 2015 for the World Meeting of Families will be a "joyful moment," said Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Pope Francis made his intention to travel to the United States public, November 17, in an address to the Colloquium on the Complementarity of Man and Woman at the Vatican.

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis has released an online version of the "United States Catholic Catechism for Adults" (USCCA). The free, online resource is available in English and Spanish.

BALTIMORE—Bishop Richard J. Malone of Buffalo, New York, chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth, invited the U.S. bishops to a 2015 Lay Ecclesial Ministry Summit. He made the invitation during the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Fall General Assembly, November 11, in Baltimore. The gathering will take place June 7, 2015, to mark the tenth anniversary of the bishops' statement "Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord" (2005), just prior to the USCCB Spring General Assembly in St. Louis.

WASHINGTON—Drawing on the teachings of Pope Francis, the theme of the 2015 Catholic Social Ministry Gathering, February 7-10 in Washington, will be "To Go Forth: Encountering Christ in the Heart of the World." The gathering brings together hundreds of Catholics from across the country who work in ministries at parishes, dioceses and college and university campuses. The theme is meant to echo Pope Francis' apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium, and observe the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council's Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, Gaudium et Spes.

BALTIMORE—The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) chose a new secretary-elect of the Conference and the chairmen-elect of five committees and new members of the board of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC), during the bishops' annual fall General Assembly, November 11-14, in Baltimore.

WASHINGTON—The chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth, Bishop Richard J. Malone of Buffalo, New York, and the chairman of the USCCB's Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage, Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of San Francisco, expressed serious disappointment at the October 6 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court not to consider current cases that strike down laws upholding marriage as between one man and one woman.

A new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) "confirms the U.S. bishops' longstanding concern about abortion coverage" in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), said Cardinal Seán O'Malley of Boston, chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

JERUSALEM—A delegation of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, led by Bishop Richard E. Pates of Des Moines, Iowa, visited the Gaza Strip, September 14. The bishops celebrated Mass with the local Christian community, talked to residents and surveyed the destruction of the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas militants. They also met the staff of Catholic Relief Services, the bishops' international relief agency, who have been working to provide disaster relief to those impacted by the violence.