January 3, 2024

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Each month Pope Francis shares a prayer intention as part of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network. The monthly prayer intentions express the Holy Father’s concerns for humanity and the mission of the Catholic Church. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256420/these-are-pope-francis-prayer-intentions-for-2024 Pope Francis was “deeply saddened” to learn of a devastating earthquake that struck western Japan on New Year’s Day, the Vatican said on Tuesday, with the pontiff extending his prayers and condolences to the country after dozens of deaths were reported. The reported 7.6-magnitude quake struck Ishikawa Prefecture in the western part of the country. More than 50 people were reported dead as of Tuesday morning, with reports of tens of thousands of homes having been destroyed in the tremor. In a telegram sent on behalf of Pope Francis, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, secretary of state of the Vatican, said the Holy Father “was deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and damage caused by the earthquake.” The pope “assures everyone affected by this disaster of his heartfelt solidarity and spiritual closeness, and prays especially for the dead, those who mourn their loss, and for the rescue of any persons still missing,” the telegram said. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256418/pope-sends-message-of-condolence-to-victims-of-deadly-earthquake-in-japan The Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) SEEK24 conference is underway this week in St. Louis with the attendance of more than 19,000 mostly young people from around the country and the world. The event, which is taking place at the former NFL stadium attached to the America’s Center Convention complex, aims to galvanize young people to deepen and share their Catholic faith. This year’s SEEK conference is bigger than 2023’s by almost every metric, according to organizers. The conference currently has 19,707 paid attendees registered, a 28% increase over last year. The conference continues all this week, wrapping up with a closing Mass on Friday morning. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256423/massive-attendance-enthusiasm-at-fellowship-of-catholic-university-students-conference Today, the Church celebrates the memorial of The Most Holy Name of Jesus.