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A Madonna above the water

The statue stands about 6 feet tall on the Scoglio del Diavolo, or “Devil’s Rock,” a dangerous submerged shoal just south of Tinetto Island in the Gulf of La Spezia. From a boat, the figure can seem to emerge directly from the sea: the Virgin is depicted with her hands folded, facing the open waters.

The statue was installed on August 17, 2003, the feast day of Portovenere’s Madonna Bianca, as part of an initiative from volunteers connected with Stella Maris, the church serving the Port of La Spezia. In 2008, the statue was damaged by a storm, later recovered, and returned to its place as a sign of protection over the gulf.

Yet Stella Maris is not only devotional. Her placement also marks the shallow waters beneath her, alerting sailors of the long posed risk to passing vessels.

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Stella Maris “Star of the Sea”

The title Stella Maris is one of the Church’s oldest and most beloved Marian invocations. For centuries, Catholics — especially those whose lives depend on the sea — have turned to Mary as a spiritual guide amid uncertainty, danger, and distance from home.

For fishermen, sailors, and families living along Italy’s coast, the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary reminds them that the Mother of God may accompany those who leave shore, guide them through storms, and bring them safely home.

Connection to the Madonna Bianca of Portovenere

The modern statue also belongs to Portovenere’s much older Marian story. According to local tradition, devotion to the Madonna Bianca grew after an event in 1399. During a plague, a local man named Lucciardo prayed before a faded parchment image of the Virgin and Child. The image was said to have become luminous and regained its color; the people later attributed the event with the end of the plague. The icon, believed in tradition to have arrived by sea inside a cedar log with relics in 1204, is preserved at the Church of San Lorenzo.

That history helps explain why the sea statue resonates so strongly. The Stella Maris near Tinetto and the Madonna Bianca venerated in Portovenere are not the same object, but both express the town’s enduring Marian identity: a people of the coast entrusting their village, its waters, and those who travel upon them to the care of the Virgin Mary.

More than a viral image

In Portovenere, Mary is not portrayed as distant from daily life. She is present at the edge of the sea: a guardian for sailors, a warning at a dangerous shoal, and a reminder of the hope Christians place in the one they call the Star of the Sea. While the world learns of this statue through social media, the locals have always known she is there to help protect them.

Brother Leo Mary, MFVA, of the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word with EWTN recorded a video for the community’s Instagram page explaining the importance of good quality sleep.

In the video, Brother Leo says, “Father Angelus would tell us, 70% of our sins come from not sleeping enough. If you think about it, when you get irritable and cranky, it’s usually because you haven’t gotten enough sleep.

“So he said, ‘When in doubt, take a nap.’

“There was a lady that told me she went to confession to Father Angeles, and he said, ‘For your penance, take a nap.’

“‘She said, ‘I’ve never heard that before.’

“And yet, we need our sleep, and each person is different, so you need to know how much sleep you need. And so for me, I’m gonna take a nap.”

In conclusion, Brother Leo then humorously drops down on the bed.

Watch the video below:

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As of this writing, the Instagram video generated almost 45,000 views, 3500 likes, and nearly 100 comments.

Here’s what some users said about the video:

Nana Amobi Adoma said, “Very sweet [Brother]. I tried a nap when I was having a bad headache and it is a miracle. Just woke up from a nap and then saw your reel. Thank you.

Frances Dunham also wrote, “Amen! I have always guarded my sleep. When I don’t get my eight, I definitely am not at my best. Thank you [Brother]!”

“Absolutely 150 [percent] truth,“ Jae M. Oglesby added. “I notice that when I’m tired, everything irritates me. I’m restless and agitated. My mindset changes to negatives and the pity party begins. Then temptation kicks in and my armor feels too heavy. I’d remove it thinking I could carry on with a little less weight, wrong choice every time.

“I’ve learned that having some good food and a nice nap makes everything way better. God is truly amazing.”

How much sleep do we need?

Medical experts agree with Brother Leo’s comments about the importance of sleep.

While they may not mention the susceptibility to sin, the signs of sleep deprivation include irritability, crankiness, bad decision-making, and more.

According to WebMD, the average adult needs between seven and nine hours of sleep per night. However, this can vary depending on age and state in life.

Remember, our bodies are also temples of the Holy Spirit, and we must care for them. This includes sleep!

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body.” (1 Cor. 6:19-20)

The celebration took place at the historic St. Mary's Syro Malabar Metropolitan Cathedral in Changanassery in the state of Kerala, in southern India.

The grooms were twin brothers Akhil K. Thomas and Nikhil K. Thomas, who married twin sisters Magi Mary Thomas and Maria Mary Thomas, surrounded by their family and friends.

One of the details that drew the most attention was that the ceremony was officiated by twin priests Father Anto Pezhumkattil and Father Ajo Pezhumkattil, from the Diocese of Kanjirappally. The altar servers were also twin brothers: Jeron James and Johon James.

A Dream Born in Childhood

According to the families’ accounts to local media, Magi and Maria had dreamed since childhood of celebrating a wedding surrounded by other twins. When preparations began, they set out to find twin priests who could celebrate the Mass.

After searching, they found Fathers Anto and Ajo Pezhumkattil through a church in Kothanallur, known for frequently bringing together twins.

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The sisters said that both they and their parents hoped that dream could become a reality, and they believe it was Jesus Christ who made every detail of the celebration possible. The priests, meanwhile, accepted the invitation immediately and said it would be a ceremony they would always remember.

Not Kerala’s First “Twin” Wedding

This is not the first time Kerala has hosted a wedding of this kind. In 2015, St. Francis Xavier Church in the Thrissur district was the site of another celebration involving twin brothers Dilraj and Dilkar and twin sisters Reema and Reena. That ceremony was officiated by twin priests Reji and Roji, and even the page boys and flower girls were twins.

Mann, who is 54 years old, grew up in a traditional Catholic household and still identifies as Catholic though she keeps her personal religious beliefs mostly private.

A moment of hope

The actress recalled being invited to Rome with people from the film industry in November 2025 for a conversation with Pope Leo about cinema, hope, and the responsibility of artists. The Vatican audience brought together dozens of actors, directors, and producers, whom the pope encouraged to use film as a force for human connection, inclusion, and hope. 

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She said while chuckling, the Holy Father invited them to talk business and “​I ​think, ​like, ​get ​us ​in ​line.”

When it came time to greet him personally, however, Mann said she had not prepared any remarks.

“I was so nervous,” she told the Today Show. “My mind went blank… And what I said wasn’t that good but it was sincere.”

Still, the actress said she offered a simple message:

“Hello, I’m Leslie, and I’m here to spread hope.”

Pope Leo replied, “Okay, we will do it together.”

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‘A really special moment’

Mann was all smiles as she retold the brief exchange, describing it as “a really special moment.” Her husband, filmmaker Judd Apatow, also attended the Vatican gathering and said Pope Leo’s reflection on hope and cinema had been “beautiful and very inspiring.”

Cinema as a source of hope

Pope Leo’s meeting with entertainment figures highlighted his view of cinema as more than entertainment. In his address, he described film as an art form that can engage the human heart, give voice to those on the margins, and “set hope in motion.”

For Mann, that message became personal in a short, unscripted exchange: a nervous introduction, a promise to spread hope, and an invitation from the pope to do it together.

It is not just a colorful variation of the traditional rosary. Each decade has a special meaning—and it is a beautiful invitation to pray for the Church throughout the world.

The colorful World Mission Rosary was designed in February 1951 by Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, who will be declared Blessed on September 24.

At the time, Archbishop Sheen served as national director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, now known in the United States as the Pontifical Mission Societies. He unveiled the rosary during an episode of his radio program, The Catholic Hour.

“We must pray, and not for ourselves, but for the world,” Sheen said. “To this end, I have designed the World Mission Rosary.”

A Decade for Every Continent

While most rosaries have five decades of the same color, the World Mission Rosary uses five different colors to represent the places where the Church continues to proclaim the Gospel.

Here is what each color means:

• Green represents Africa and its forests and grasslands.
• Blue represents Oceania and the waters surrounding the Pacific islands.
• White represents Europe, the home of the Holy Father.
• Red represents the Americas and the fire of faith brought by missionaries.
• Yellow represents Asia and the light of the rising sun.

In this way, every decade becomes a prayer for a different part of the world.

As Catholics pray the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, or Glorious Mysteries, they can unite their intentions with missionaries, priests, religious sisters, catechists, families, and new Christians across the globe.

Archbishop Sheen wanted Catholics to remember that the Church is truly universal. The word “Catholic” means universal—and the Mission Rosary gives the faithful a simple, visible way to live that reality.

It reminds us that the Rosary is never only about our own needs. It is also a prayer for Christians suffering persecution, for people who have never heard the name of Jesus, for missionaries far from home, and for the Church’s work in every nation.

Sheen explained that this special rosary could support the Holy Father and the missionary work of the Church through both prayer and practical help for the world’s mission territories.

How to Pray the World Mission Rosary

You pray it exactly as you would any other rosary. The difference is the intention you bring to each decade.

As you pray, consider offering:

• The green decade for the Church in Africa.
• The blue decade for the Church in Oceania.
• The white decade for the Church in Europe and the Holy Father.
• The red decade for the Church in the Americas.
• The yellow decade for the Church in Asia.

The World Mission Rosary is a small but powerful reminder that, through prayer, Catholics can carry the needs of the entire world in their hands.

Get yours at: https://www.ewtnreligiouscatalogue.com/pearl-mission-rosary/p/ROSROSP101R 

The Instagram account Un Católico Bien reminded followers that, in difficult times, there is nothing like being heard “by a friend who has lived through the same thing you are going through today.”

“The saints are those friends who have felt the way you feel, and they are there to listen to you and intercede for you,” the account said.

If you are going through a difficult moment, perhaps you can relate to one of these four saints:

1. Sadness: St. John of the Cross

His own fellow religious imprisoned him. In a cell without light, he wrote Dark Night of the Soul, one of the most beautiful poems ever written. Darkness did not defeat him. It transformed him.

2. Being unable to forgive yourself: St. Peter

He denied Jesus three times on the night when Jesus needed him most. He went out and wept alone. Yet afterward, Jesus said to him: “Feed my sheep.” He did not cast him aside. He chose him again.

3. Loneliness: St. Teresa of Calcutta

She spent 50 years feeling alone, even from God. Her letters, published after her death, reveal decades of interior darkness. Yet she continued serving nonetheless. She said: “God has not called me to be successful. He has called me to be faithful.”

4. Anxiety: St. Ignatius of Loyola

At age 30, a cannonball ended his military career. He had to relearn who he was from the ground up. From that crisis came discernment: the art of distinguishing what brings peace from what brings fear. He did not remain in anxiety; he turned it into a method.

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Have you ever felt that you could relate to the life of a saint? Have you asked for their intercession to face a difficult moment? Let us know!

Here are just a few of the things that the Catholic Church has introduced to the modern world we live in today:

1. The Gregorian Calendar

The Gregorian calendar is the standard civil calendar used in most of the world, and it is named for Pope Gregory XIII, who promulgated it in 1582 as a reform of the older Julian calendar. Today, it organizes civil life in most countries around the world.

2. Hospitals as an institution

The Catholic Church helped pioneer organized care for the sick, especially through monasteries and religious orders that built and ran hospitals as acts of charity; this became the model for the modern hospital.. In modern times, Catholic sisters were especially influential in founding, financing, and managing hospitals, and in the United States they played a major role in building the health-care system. 

3. The Big Bang theory

The Big Bang theory was formulated by Belgian Catholic priest Georges Lemaître, also a physicist and astronomer. The Church has also generally presented the theory as compatible with Catholic teaching on creation rather than as a contradiction of faith.

4. The laws of genetics

The foundational work on heredity was done by Gregor Mendel, an Augustinian priest and abbot in the Catholic Church. Mendel’s experiments with pea plants led to the principles later called Mendelian inheritance, which became the basis of modern genetics. 

5. Earthquake intensity scale (Mercalli)

The Mercalli intensity scale was developed by Giuseppe Mercalli, an Italian Catholic priest and volcanologist. His scale measured the effects of earthquakes on people and buildings, and the modern Modified Mercalli scale still uses Roman numerals to describe intensity.

6. Electric batteries (dry cell)

Italian priest Giuseppe Zamboni developed one of the first dry batteries, a precursor to modern batteries, and the dry cell (the technology used for batteries) was invented by Georges Leclanché, a French Catholic priest and engineer.

7. The Stethoscope

René-Théophile-Hyacinthe Laënnec, the French physician who invented the stethoscope in 1816, was a devout Catholic, and his faith is often noted when writers explain the instrument’s historical context. Laënnec’s invention grew out of bedside observation and a simple paper tube experiment that let him hear chest sounds more clearly, and historians emphasize that his personal piety and charitable concern for patients informed his clinical work and reputation. 

8. Printed books and the Gutenberg Bible

The Catholic Church was one of the earliest and most important patrons, users, and preservers of book culture in Europe, especially through monasteries, scriptoria, and later Catholic publishing networks. The Gutenberg Bible was printed in the mid-15th century as a Latin Vulgate text central to Catholic Christianity, during a period when the Church remained the main custodian of Scripture in the West.

9. Musical scale Do–Re–Mi–Fa–Sol–La–Si

Benedictine monk Guido of Arezzo created the scale and a notation system still used to teach music today.

10. “Modern” European beer

Medieval monasteries, especially Benedictine and other monastic communities, played a major role in brewing, refining techniques, and preserving beer-making knowledge in Europe. The Catholic connection to modern beer is historical: monks brewed for sustenance, hospitality, and sometimes revenue, and their methods helped shape later commercial brewing.

11. Champagne

Catholic monasteries in the Champagne region played a major role in cultivating vineyards and refining winemaking, and the best-known figure in the story is Dom Pérignon, a Benedictine monk. Monk Dom Pérignon stabilized and improved sparkling wine from the region and became a key figure in its development.

12. The Lenten pretzel

Traditionally attributed to Italian monks as a Lenten bread; its twisted shape symbolizes arms crossed in prayer.

13. Ferrero Rocher chocolate

The founder of the famous chocolate Ferrero Rocher, Michele Ferrero, was a devout Catholic with a strong devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes, and the chocolate’s name is said to reference the Rocher de Massabielle, the rocky grotto where the Virgin Mary appeared to St. Bernadette.

14. Universities and higher education

Many of Europe’s earliest universities grew out of the Church’s intellectual life, with close ties to bishops, monasteries, and later Catholic religious orders. Catholicism helped preserve learning, train clergy and scholars, and create institutions where theology, philosophy, law, medicine, and the liberal arts could be studied systematically.

15. Cappuccinos

Blessed Marco d’Aviano, the Capuchin friar remembered for his role in the Battle of Vienna, is also part of the story behind cappuccino. Tradition holds that coffee found in the Ottoman camp was mixed with milk to make it more palatable, and the drink was named for the Capuchin habit, whose brown color it resembled. The story reflects how Catholic religious life helped shape European culture in unexpected ways.

16. The World Cup

The World Cup is part of a larger Catholic contribution to modern culture through the vision of Jules Rimet, a devout French Catholic who believed sport could serve human dignity, solidarity, and peace. Shaped by Catholic social teaching and a concern for the poor, he helped create FIFA and later launched the first World Cup as an international competition meant to bring nations together rather than drive them apart.

As you reach for a beer and a pretzel at a brewery, sip a cappuccino at a cafe, or settle in with a good book, it’s worth remembering just how many corners of modern life have roots in the Catholic Church.

From the classroom to the hospital, from the calendar on your wall to the music, science, and traditions that shape daily life, the Church’s influence has been far more woven into the modern world than many people realize.

Its program ranged from a solemn Mass celebrated by Cardinal Robert Sarah to a dynamic performance by Portuguese DJ Priest Padre Guilherme, who gained international recognition following his appearance at World Youth Day in Lisbon in 2023. 

“Our goal was to bring generations together and to show the beauty and richness of the entire Catholic Church,” said Piotr M. Pietrus, editor-in-chief of EWTN Poland and a co-organizer of the festival. - “There is room in the Church for different spiritualities, sensibilities and ways of expressing the joy of faith. Everyone should be able to find a place here. What unites us all is Jesus Christ, present in the Eucharist. Evangelization must remain faithful to the Gospel, but it should also be courageous, joyful and carried out with the highest level of professionalism.”

The festival aimed to show that Solemn Liturgy celebrated by Cardinal Sarah and joyful music by Padre Guilherme do not represent two competing visions of Catholicism. Rather, they reflected different ways of expressing faith within the same universal Church, whose center remains Jesus Christ. As Padre Guilherme said himself in the interview for EWTN Poland “Not everything old is outdated, and not everything new is good. We must discern."

The project had the blessing of the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, who prepared a special message for attendees and signed the festival’s poster.

Following Mass and Eucharistic adoration, the festival continued with music, testimonies, multimedia presentations and worship. The artists represented different generations and musical styles. They included Voice of Poland winner and national star Roxie, internationally acknowledged musician anMari, rapper Edzioo, versatile worship group Schola Adonai and many more. 

Since August 15th is Polish Armed Forces Day, there was also a patriotic performance by OT.TO, which honored and commemorated the anniversary of the 1920 Battle of Warsaw, remembered by Poles as the “Miracle on the Vistula” when a said intervention from heaven helped Polish soldiers stop the Soviet Army from advancing in Poland and Europe.

The festival ended with an explosion of joy during Father Guilherme’s performance. His electronic arrangements incorporated Christian songs, religious texts and excerpts from papal speeches. Thousands gathered near the stage, singing, dancing and raising their hands.

As one of the attendees wrote in his Instagram story “First and foremost, the concert was wonderful because we started with Holy Mass”.

The program also included a live connection with Korean youth preparing for WYD 2027 in Seoul, and a special message from Michael P. Warsaw, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of EWTN since Aug 15. marked the 45th anniversary of EWTN's first television broadcast.

The festival gained the attention of the secular media in Poland. They highlighted not only the festival’s attendance and atmosphere but also its professional organization.

The regional news outlet Trojmiasto.pl reported that the event demonstrated how religious music and the desire to experience faith in community can draw crowds comparable to those attending major commercial concerts at the same arena.

“We cannot offer the modern world a message of eternal importance in a careless or improvised way,” Pietrus said. “Professional production, modern technology and artistic excellence should serve the truth of the Gospel. They are instruments - Christ must always remain at the center.”

The event's patron saint is Saint Maximilian Kolbe and every ticket sold was a contribution to the production of a film about St. Maximilian Kolbe’s  legacy “Dream of Saint Maximilian” 

The “Simple Path to God - Be Like St. Maximilian” Festival was organized by 12 Stars film foundation, EWTN Poland and SMS z Nieba foundation.

The August 17 anniversary commemorates the return of the relics in 1126, an event that gave rise to Catania’s summer feast of its patron saint, known as Sant’Agata d’Agosto (in English, Saint Agatha in August).

This year, the Church in Catania recreated that historic homecoming. After a prayer vigil on the evening of August 16, the faithful began a pilgrimage before dawn, accompanying Saint Agatha’s relics back toward the cathedral as church bells rang throughout the archdiocese.

One of the most moving moments came when Saint Agatha’s skull was presented to the faithful by the Archbishop before being placed inside the Busto Reliquiario, the ornate reliquary bust in which it is traditionally venerated. Her other relics were returned to the scrigno, the silver reliquary casket.

Cardinal Parolin then solemnly crowned the reliquary bust of Saint Agatha as part of the ceremonies commemorating the nine-century anniversary.

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Who is Saint Agatha?

Saint Agatha was a young Christian virgin and martyr who lived in Sicily during the third century. According to early Christian tradition, she remained faithful to Christ despite imprisonment and severe torture during the persecution under the Roman Emperor Decius. She died around the year 251.

Her cult spread throughout the Christian world, and she became one of the Church’s most honored early female martyrs. Her name remains part of the Roman Canon of the Mass, where she is invoked alongside Saints Agnes, Cecilia, Lucy and other women who gave their lives for Christ.

A Martyr Still Loved 1,775 Years Later

For the people of Catania, that ancient history remains deeply personal.

Agatha has been venerated for centuries as the city’s patroness and protector. The faithful have traditionally turned to her in times of danger, particularly during eruptions of nearby Mount Etna. Each February, enormous crowds fill Catania for the feast commemorating her martyrdom.

The August feast recalls something different: the return of their saint.

Agatha’s relics were taken from Catania to Constantinople in 1040. According to Catanese tradition, two soldiers, Gisliberto and Goselmo, recovered them and brought them back to Sicily 86 years later. On August 17, 1126, the relics returned to Catania.

Nine centuries later, the faithful retraced that homecoming.

The display of Agatha’s relics, the ringing of the bells and the return of her skull to the reliquary bust reenacted the ancient event. For the citizens (“cittadini”, in Italian) of Catania, it was an expression of a devotion that has been handed down through generations.

Pope Leo XIV’s decision to send Cardinal Parolin as his Pontifical Legate also connected the local celebration with the universal Church.

As Cardinal Parolin crowned the reliquary of the third-century martyr, Catania marked 900 years since Saint Agatha came home, and showed that the devotion surrounding her has remained alive across the centuries.

The traditional cry of the faithful continues to express that bond:

“Cittadini, viva Sant’Agata!” — “Citizens, long live Saint Agatha!”

During her visit to Guatemala, the beauty queen toured La Merced Church, where she joined a group of children to sing “María, mírame” (“Mary, Look at Me”), a well-known song dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

“A little moment to sing together,” the official Miss Universe account wrote when sharing the video of the encounter on social media.

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The images went viral, surpassing one million views and receiving more than 84,000 likes. Many users highlighted Bosch’s beautiful gesture.

“What a precious moment. May God and the Virgin bless each one of those girls and shower them with blessings. ✨✨🙏🙏 And if SHE looks at us, HE looks at us. May God and the Blessed Virgin bless your path, @fatimaboschfdz. ✨🤍”

“What a beautiful video—it even gave me goosebumps. 😍🤍✨🫶🏻🙏🏻”

“I love those moments when @fatimaboschfdz shares her faith, especially when she does so surrounded by the purest hearts: girls and boys. You are such a great inspiration to many, Fati. 🥹🩷 May God always bless your life, your path, your message, and your purpose. 🙏🏻🤍✨”

It Is Not the First Time Bosch Has Publicly Shown Her Faith

Fátima Bosch’s gesture in Guatemala is not the first time the 2025 Miss Universe has openly spoken about her Catholic faith.

In an interview shared by Miss Universe, Bosch explained that being Catholic in the world of beauty means keeping “her feet on the ground” and remaining alert so as not to stray from her values and principles.

“It means always keeping your feet on the ground and being aware and attentive not to go down a path that will not add anything to my life, not to compromise my values or my principles, because God made my heart,” she said.

The Mexican model also noted that she lives in a world that can constantly pressure people to abandon their values and that, in her case, she has learned not to be swayed by others’ opinions.

“At no point in my life am I interested in impressing the world; the only one I am interested in impressing and making proud is God,” she said.

For Bosch, her faith is also what allows her to remember who she is when circumstances pressure her to become someone different.

“When you are clear about that, at the end of the day, the noise stops being so loud. You focus on what you have to do to become the person God dreamed of when He created you,” she explained.

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In addition, before being crowned Miss Universe 2025, Bosch shared a photograph of some of the items that accompanied her during the pageant: a painting of the Virgin Mary, an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and a rosary.

When she received the crown, Bosch made the Sign of the Cross and pointed toward heaven. After her victory, she publicly thanked God and shared a message that read: “Long live Christ the King.”