The Church of St. Luke

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Even though Pope Leo XIV is not visiting the United States this year, the popemobile is!

The white, custom-built Hyundai vehicle will go on a 13-city tour of the U.S., covering 3,700 miles from New York to California.

Dubbed the "Hopemobile," Pope Francis wanted the popemobile to be used after his death to benefit those who are poor and vulnerable.

This week it was given to Cross Catholic Outreach, the U.S.-based Catholic relief and development organization, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.  

Archbishop Luis Marín de San Martín, head of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity, handed the keys over to CCO's president, Michele Sagarino, who said they will use the popemobile to create moments of encounter, prayer and action to help children affected by war.

"At a moment when the country is reflecting on its history, this is an opportunity not just to serve, but to witness, to evangelize, to bring faith into the public square and to invite people into a deeper encounter with the Catholic faith, and a greater compassion and care for the vulnerable around the world," she said in a statement to CNS. 

The initiative, called "American Catholic Heroes: The Road Trip for Hope," will run from June to July and coincide with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence in 1776.

Cross Catholic Outreach has invited Michael Iskander, the actor who played King David in the streaming series, House of David, to drive the popemobile. The Catholic prayer app, Hallow, will film a video series to premiere on YouTube.

CCO plans to raise money for children around the world who have been affected by war, and to highlight different "heroes of the faith" who devoted their lives to the Gospel. 

Over the past 25 years, Cross Catholic Outreach has received upwards of $4 billion worth of donations, which have gone to support hundreds of programs in more than 90 countries. They have been assisting the Vatican dicastery for many years, particularly in material aid for Ukraine. 
 

 

WASHINGTON – Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Bishop James A. Tamayo, 76, from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Laredo, and has appointed Reverend John Jairo Gomez, as Bishop-elect of Laredo. Father Gomez is a priest of the Diocese of Tyler and currently serves as the vicar general of the diocese. The resignation and appointment were publicized in Washington, D.C., on May 1, 2026, by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

The following biographical information for Bishop-elect Gomez was drawn from preliminary materials provided to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops:

Father Gomez was born on December 15, 1975, in Colombia. He received his master of divinity from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas (2009), and a licentiate in canon law from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome (2012). He was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Tyler on May 23, 2009.

His parish assignments after ordination include: pastor at Holy Cross parish in Pittsburgh, Texas (2012-2017); pastor at Christ the King parish in Kilgore (2017-2018); and pastor at St. Charles in Frankston (2018-2020). His assignments for the Diocese of Tyler include: judicial vicar (2014-2015); member of the diocesan presbyteral council (2014 to present);; member of the diocesan college of consultors (2015 to present); member of the board of directors for Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Tyler (2015 to present); member of the diocesan review board (2017 to present); member of the East Texas Catholic Foundation Board of Directors (2017 to present); member of the board of directors for the diocesan priest retirement plan (2017-2022); diocesan director of the Pontifical Mission Societies (2017 to present); member if the Catholic Association of Diocesan Directors of Hispanic Ministry (2022 to present); delegate of the apostolic administrator (2023-2025). He served as vicar general and moderator of the curia for the Diocese of Tyler from 2015 to 2023 and has also been serving in the role again from 2025 to present. 

Bishop-elect Gomez is a native speaker of Spanish.

The Diocese of Laredo is comprised of 10,905 square miles in the State of Texas.

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WASHINGTON - Pope Leo XIV has appointed Reverend Gary R. Studniewski and Reverend Robert P. Boxie, III, as auxiliary bishops of the Archdiocese of Washington. Bishop-elect Studniewski is a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington and currently serves as pastor of the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Washington, D.C. Bishop-elect Boxie is a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington and currently serves as chaplain to Howard University in Washington, D.C. 

At the same time, the Holy Father accepted the resignation of the Most Reverend Roy E. Campbell, 78, from the Office of Auxiliary Bishop of Washington. The appointments and resignation were publicized in Washington, D.C. on May 1, 2026, by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

The following biographical information for Bishop-elect Studniewski and Bishop-elect Boxie was drawn from preliminary materials provided to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops:

Bishop-elect Gary R. Studniewski 

Bishop-elect Studniewski is a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington and currently serves as pastor of the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Washington, D.C. He was born on May 8, 1957, in Toledo, Ohio. He received an Army commission through the ROTC program at the University of Toledo in 1979, completing a Bachelor of Education degree in Biology. He served in various artillery assignments in the 82d Airborne Division Artillery (1980-1981), and then in the 3d Infantry Division Artillery, United States Army Europe (1983-1986), and from 1987 to 1989 he served in the Army’s Personnel Command in Alexandria, Virginia.

In 1989 Father Studniewski left active duty to enter seminary, and studied at the Pontifical North American College in Rome (1990-1995), earning both a Bachelor of Sacred Theology and Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. He was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington on June 24, 1995.

Bishop-elect Studniewski served as military chaplain from 1995-2014, retiring with the rank of colonel. His pastoral assignments in the Archdiocese of Washington have included: Assumption parish in Washington (2014-2016); St. Francis Xavier parish in Leonardtown, Maryland (2016-2017); St. Peter’s parish in Washington (2017-2022); and the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament (2022 to present).

Bishop-elect Robert P. Boxie, III

Bishop-elect Robert P. Boxie, III is a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington and currently serving as chaplain to Howard University in Washington. Father Boxie was born on September 18, 1980, in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He earned a Bachelor of Engineering from Vanderbilt University (2002), a Juris Doctor from Harvard University (2007), and studied at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, earning a Bachelor of Sacred Theology (2015) and a Licentiate in Sacred Theology (2017) from the Pontifical Gregorian University. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 25, 2016.

Father Boxie’s pastoral assignments include: parochial vicar at St. Francis of Assisi parish in Derwood, Maryland (2016); and parochial vicar at St. Joseph parish in Largo, Maryland (2017-2020). Since 2020, he has served as chaplain at Howard University in Washington. Bishop-elect Boxie has also served as professor in the Archdiocese of Washington’s permanent diaconate program since 2018 and has been an assistant vocations director for the archdiocese since 2016.

The Archdiocese of Washington is comprised of 2,104 square miles in the District of Columbia and the State of Maryland.

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A parish staff member and former teacher speaks about the athletic champion’s strong Catholic roots, active participation in parish activities, and generosity to the Church.

The Dicastery for the Clergy struck down Buffalo Bishop Michael Fisher’s “assessment allocation decrees” after appeals from the parishes.

The Dicastery for the Clergy struck down Buffalo Bishop Michael Fisher’s “assessment allocation decrees” after appeals from the parishes.

A Rhode Island man claims he was misled by Church leaders about Peter’s Pence, the ancient offering to the Holy See.

A Rhode Island man claims he was misled by Church leaders about Peter’s Pence, the ancient offering to the Holy See.

Among the key findings are ancient lists of chapters considered the oldest known for St. Paul’s epistles, which differ notably from the current division of these texts.

Bishops said mandating insurance coverage for IVF and other assisted reproductive technologies violates human dignity, threatens religious freedom, and ignores restorative medical alternatives.