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Pew finds more Americans having positive views of religion’s role in society

By Hannah Hiester | Catholic Vote

  • 31% of U.S. adults say religion’s influence in society is increasing — up from 18% in 2024 and the highest share in 15 years, Pew Research Center found.
  • 59% of Americans now view religion’s influence on society positively, a steady rise from 52% in 2019 and 49% in 2022.
  • White evangelical Protestants, black Protestants, Catholics, Republicans, and older adults are among the most likely to say religion positively contributes to society.
  • For the first time since 2020, most Americans say they feel tension between their religious beliefs and mainstream culture, a view shared across nearly all major groups.

New levels of Americans say that religion is gaining influence in society, while the majority of adults say that religion has a positive influence on American culture, a recent Pew Research Center report discovered.

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“A Retreat with Thea Bowman and Bede Abram,” second edition written by Joseph A. Brown, SJ is released

On behalf of Father Joseph A. Brown, SJ, we are thrilled to share that One Subject Press has just published a second edition of his A Retreat with Thea Bowman and Bede Abram: Leaning on the Lord.

In classrooms, from stages, at the altar and at the pulpit, in celebrations of every kind, Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA. and Father Bede Abram, OFM Conv, were singing and dancing “canticles of praise.” Their songs and stories tell how African American men and women, many of whom were enslaved in America, forged an identity and a spirituality out of the Bible and their own African cultural forms. This seven-day retreat, imaginatively distilled from Sister Thea and Father Bede’s experiences, will enable others to “come out the wilderness, leaning on the Lord.”

This second edition of the retreat includes reflections by two Black Catholics belonging to a generation formed and inspired by Sister Thea’s and Father Bede’s witness—a Foreword by Dr. Cynthia Bailey Manns, one of four lay Americans who participated in the Global Synod, and an Afterword by Father Maurice J. Nutt, CSsR, a Redemptorist missionary preacher, spiritual director, and Thea Bowman biographer.

All peace to you.
Zach Czaia
Publisher, One Subject Press

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‘Motorcycle Queen’ Bessie Stringfield gets exhibit at Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee

By Nate Tinner-Williams | Black Catholic Messenger

The late Bessie Stringfield, whose motorcycle escapades gained her the title of “Motorcycle Queen of Miami,” is the subject of a new display at the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee featuring her personal effects—some which have never before been seen publicly.

The exhibit was announced in September, on the heels of a the award-winning 2024 documentary short exploring her life, “To Myself With Love: The Bessie Stringfield Story.”

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Pope Leo blasts elitism, indifference toward poor in first major document

by Justin McLellan | Vatican Correspondent
NCR News

Pope Leo XIV bluntly called out inequality and indifference to the plight of the poor in the first major teaching document of his pontificate.

“In a world where the poor are increasingly numerous, we paradoxically see the growth of a wealthy elite, living in a bubble of comfort and luxury, almost in another world compared to ordinary people,” the pope wrote. “We must not let our guard down when it comes to poverty.”

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What are Black Catholics hearing when church leaders praise Charlie Kirk?

by Gloria Purvis | America Magazine

After Charlie Kirk’s assassination last month, public figures faced immediate scrutiny over their reactions. Many people on the political right viewed any criticism of Mr. Kirk as tacit approval of his murder, while praise for his civic engagement became widespread.

In Catholic circles, two prominent bishops lauded his example: Bishop Robert Barron called him an “apostle of civil discourse,” and Cardinal Timothy Dolan compared him to St. Paul. They praised Mr. Kirk’s willingness to debate opponents and speak openly about his Christian faith. Ave Maria University announced that it would install a bronze sculpture of Jesus embracing Mr. Kirk on its campus. Personally, I experienced a Mass in which a priest praised Mr. Kirk without qualification during his homily.