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By Almudena Martínez-Bordiú | Catholic News Agency

Pope Leo XIV has appointed a longtime confrere and friend, Nigerian priest Edward Daniang Daleng, OSA, as vice regent of the Prefecture of the Papal Household, the second-highest position in the Vatican office that organizes audiences with the pope.

The prefecture also takes care of the preparations related to papal ceremonies, the spiritual exercises of the Holy Father, and gatherings of the College of Cardinals and the Roman Curia. Furthermore, it handles the necessary arrangements whenever the Holy Father leaves the Apostolic Palace to visit places within Rome or Italy.

by David Karas, Correspondent | Catholic Star Herald

Composer, author and award-winning performer M. Roger Holland II has a background in classical music, with his primary instrument being the piano. In his studies of music, he spent time focusing on Gospel and liturgical music, rubbing shoulders with renowned liturgists and composers – and eventually writing his own Mass setting.

“As I got older, I realized there wasn’t much music available for the liturgy that reflected the culture and aesthetics of the Black community,” Holland said. “I therefore found it important to compose some myself, so that Black Catholics could worship and ‘sing the Mass’ in a manner that was authentic to us.”

By Katie Vasquez and Paula Katinas | NetTV

BEDFORD-STUYVESANT — Every Sunday, when Joseph Murray presses the keys of the pipe organ in the choir loft of Our Lady of Victory Church, he is part of a long line of musicians stretching back 130 years who have played the magnificent instrument.  

By Ralph McCloud | Network Lobby

I met Sr. Thea Bowman a couple of times. What is there to say about meeting a living saint? It was an honor? A joy? It strengthened my faith? 

Absolutely! 

Meeting Sr. Thea challenged me in my mission as a baptized believer. Her 1989 address to the U.S. bishops is a landmark event in Black Catholic History in the United States, and I try to revisit it every November, if not more often. 

November is Black Catholic History Month, an observance that coincides with the feast of St. Martin de Porres (November 3), and the birthday of St. Augustine (November 13). It begins with All Saints and All Souls Days, which evoke the reverence for ancestors in African history. For us, this cloud of witnesses isn’t merely watching. They inspire us, help us, and hold us accountable.