LOOP: America mourns Charlie Kirk after assassination

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 NATION MOURNS CHARLIE KIRK  Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist and Turning Point USA co-founder who energized a generation of young voters, was shot and killed yesterday afternoon during a college event in Utah. "Today, our nation mourns not only the loss of a bold voice for truth, but a husband and father who leaves behind a wife and two little children," CatholicVote President Kelsey Reinhardt said.  READ TRUMP SPEAKS TO COUNTRY AFTER KIRK'S DEATH  President Donald Trump addressed the nation yesterday from the Oval Office about the murder of Charlie Kirk and called on all citizens "to commit themselves to the American values for which Charlie Kirk lived and died: the values of free speech, citizenship, the rule of law, and the patriotic devotion and love of God."  READ VANCE PAYS TRIBUTE TO VICTIMS OF 9/11  On the 24th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, Vice President JD Vance is set to visit Ground Zero in New York City, joined by his wife, Usha Vance, to mark one of the most solemn days in American memory. A practicing Catholic, Vance's presence echoes his previous visits to the site, underscoring the spiritual weight of the day.  READ AD: ALIGN YOUR CATHOLIC VALUES WITH YOUR FINANCIAL GOALS  Want a mutual fund that respects your pro-life, pro-family beliefs? All seven Ave Maria Funds share your Catholic values. They don't invest in companies that support abortion, pornography, or embryonic stem cell research, or make corporate contributions to Planned Parenthood. Learn more about Ave Maria, the nation's largest Catholic mutual fund family.  LEARN MORE SCHOOL SHOOTING IN COLORADO A student at Evergreen High School opened fire Wednesday, shooting two classmates before turning the gun on himself. One victim remains in critical condition, while the second suffered non-life-threatening injuries and is in stable condition. READ AD: LIVING IN ROME AS THE CHURCH CHOSE A NEW POPE Imagine studying in Rome during a papal conclave. One Christendom student experienced this once-in-a-lifetime moment firsthand and shares her reflections on living and studying in the heart of the Church with her classmates during the election of Pope Leo XIV. Read her incredible story from Christendom's Rome Semester. READ HER STORY POLAND DOWNS RUSSIAN DRONES Polish forces, backed by NATO jets, shot down multiple Russian drones that violated Poland's airspace, marking the first NATO military engagement in the Ukraine war. Trump wrote on social media following the attack, "What's with Russia violating Poland's airspace with drones? Here we go!" READ AD: RING! RING! RING!  Switch to Charity Mobile, the pro-life phone company that turns your phone plan into support for life! CLICK HERE 2 HISTORIC DIOCESES IN CHINA SUPPRESSED  The Vatican announced the suppression of two historic Chinese dioceses and the recognition of the newly established Diocese of Zhangjiakou, installing Bishop Giuseppe Wang Zhengui as its first bishop. The Zhangjiakou diocese was created by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 1980 but until now was not recognized by the Holy See.  READ POPE SAYS TO HAVE HOPE IN THE DARKEST HOUR  During his general audience yesterday, Pope Leo XIV meditated on Christ's final cry from the Cross, instructing the faithful to see it not as despair, but as a prayer of hope. "Jesus did not cry out against the Father, but to him," Pope Leo said. "And in this way, he showed us that our hope can cry out, even when all seems lost."  READ NOT TO BE MISSED...  Here are the stories we couldn't fit in today's LOOP: •    The Charlotte mayor secured the Democratic nomination for reelection amid scrutiny over the city's murder. READ •    Biden-era job numbers were revised down by nearly 1 million this week. READ •    A federal court ruled insurance policies don't need to cover "transgender" procedures.  READ THE ETERNAL WEIGHT OF A MEAL  Author Emily Stimpson Chapman just released a cookbook called "Around the Catholic Table," filled with 100 simple recipes and a dozen or so essays reflecting on the why, the what, and the how of messy Christian hospitality. "I believe cooking and welcoming people to our table has an everlasting weight that can be hard to fathom on this side of the veil," says Emily. Here's why hospitality has so much depth of meaning.  READ CATHOLIC 101  Hope is a profound virtue — one that reaches into the deepest recesses of our hearts. It often causes as much pain as it causes comfort. And we can easily become confused about the meaning of hope and how to have it. Here are two ways we can sin against this virtue and miss the deep joy it offers.  READ SAINT OF THE DAY  Today the Church celebrates Saint Jean Gabriel, born in France in 1802 to a pious family of eight children and ordained at 23. He was crucified on a cross on Sept. 11, 1839 — a death that strikingly resembles Christ's Passion. READ DAILY PSALM  "Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!" (Psalm 150)  READ DAILY READINGS  Today's Mass readings.  READ PRAY  Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen.  SHARE Paid for by CatholicVote Civic Action, a 501(c)(4) organization. Update your email preferences or unsubscribe here. CATHOLICVOTE  |  PO Box 3310  |  Carmel, IN 46082  |  (317) 669-6127