LOOP: Trump says he is designating Antifa a terrorist organization

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 TRUMP SAYS HE WILL LABEL ANTIFA AS A TERRORIST GROUP  President Donald Trump announced yesterday that he will designate Antifa a "major terrorist organization" and warned he will recommend investigations into anyone funding the movement. "I am pleased to inform our many U.S.A. Patriots that I am designating ANTIFA, A SICK, DANGEROUS, RADICAL LEFT DISASTER, AS A MAJOR TERRORIST ORGANIZATION," he said.  READ ANNUNCIATION CATHOLIC SCHOOL PARTIALLY REOPENS  Nearly three weeks after the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting in Minneapolis that left two children dead and more than 20 people injured, the school has begun a partial reopening.  READ LILA ROSE SAYS KIRK INSPIRED HER TO ATTEND ABORTION DEBATE AT YALE  After initially turning down an invitation to debate abortion at Yale University, pro-life advocate Lila Rose changed course this week — citing the recent assassination of Charlie Kirk as the reason she felt compelled to go. By the end of the night, the room swung pro-life. "We won," Rose said. "The room voted for the pro-life side. Yale organizer was shocked. Change is here."  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 3 POLICE OFFICERS KILLED IN PENNSYLVANIA SHOOTING  "Five police officers were shot and three were killed in a shooting in York County, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday, authorities said. The gunman, who has not yet been publicly identified, was killed by police," FOX News reported.  READ WISCONSIN SCHOOL DEDICATES PLAYGROUND TO ST. CARLO Sacred Heart Catholic School in Shawano, Wisconsin, this week unveiled its new playground dedicated to Saint Carlo Acutis. Saint Carlo Acutis Playground is the first place in the Diocese of Green Bay to bear the new saint's name and is one of the first in the world. READ PATEL QUESTIONED ON KIRK ASSASSINATION, EPSTEIN FILES During a nearly five-hour hearing yesterday, FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau is investigating more than 20 people with possible links to Charlie Kirk's suspected assassin. He also faced questions over FBI files tied to Jeffrey Epstein and warned about rising political violence in the country. 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 POPE CALLS FOR RESPECT FOR HUMAN LIFE IN GAZA  During his general audience yesterday, Pope Leo XIV issued an appeal for peace in Gaza, calling for an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages, and a return to negotiations grounded in humanitarian law. "I express my profound closeness to the Palestinian people in Gaza, who continue to live in fear and to survive in unacceptable conditions, forcibly displaced — once again — from their own lands," he said.  READ US BISHOPS EXPAND MENTAL HEALTH OUTREACH  Amid growing concern over mental health nationwide, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops launched a new initiative aimed at strengthening local outreach and support within Catholic communities.  READ NOT TO BE MISSED...  Here are the stories we couldn't fit in today's LOOP: •    The Federal Reserve has cut interest rates for the first time in 2025. READ •    This Christian singer lost followers mourning Kirk, then urged fans to turn to Christ. READ •    Catholic op-ed: Why Kirk's assassination shook Christians the hardest.  READ WILLA CATHER: CATHOLIC OR NO?  Willa Cather might be the most Catholic non-Catholic novelist. "Death Comes for the Archbishop" is not only the greatest book ever written about American Catholicism, says Bradley Birzer, it also might very well be the "Great American Novel." Many have assumed Cather was a practicing Catholic, but no. How was she able to grasp the essence of the faith — in all its beauties and in all its failings — so majestically?  READ CATHOLIC 101  Guilt moves us toward repentance and renewal. Shame drags us down into a pit from which we can't escape. Here are 5 Scriptural quotes that can help us cast off the shame that debilitates us.  READ SAINT OF THE DAY  Today the Church celebrates the life of Saint Joseph of Cupertino, a mystic who was perhaps most famous for his ability to fly. For the last 35 years of his life as a priest, he was unable to celebrate Mass in public because he would often, without being able to help it, be lifted up into the air when he went into an ecstatic state, which happened at nearly every Mass. READ DAILY PSALM  "How great are the works of the Lord!" (Psalm 111)  READ DAILY READINGS  Today's Mass readings.  READ AD: TIRED OF MEANINGLESS STANDARDIZED TESTS?  Classic Learning Test (CLT) offers exams that complement, not compromise, your Catholic education. The CLT "really tests for this understanding of truth, goodness, and beauty" — Bishop James Conley  EXPLORE MEANINGFUL EXAMS 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