LOOP: Israel to target Gaza Christians as 'terror supporters'

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2 ISRAEL SURROUNDS GAZA CITY, TARGETS CIVILIANS  Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz yesterday announced that the Israel Defense Forces had surrounded Gaza City and will treat all residents who remain there as "terrorists and terror supporters." The city is home to Gaza's Catholic and Orthodox churches, whose clergy and religious have vowed to stay put and care for the wounded and elderly who cannot travel.  READ CATHOLIC LEADERS WEIGH IN ON DURBIN AWARD  Several Catholic leaders, including the bishop of Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin's home diocese, have responded approvingly to the pro-abortion politician's decision to decline a controversial lifetime achievement award from the Archdiocese of Chicago.  READ WALMART WILL REMOVE FOOD DYES  Walmart announced yesterday it will eliminate a long list of synthetic dyes, artificial sweeteners, and fat substitutes from its several lines of store-brand foods. The move is among the most significant actions taken so far in relation to the Trump administration's "Make America Healthy Again" campaign.  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 DETRANSITIONER TELLS HIS STORY: 'I TRIED TO STOP THEM'  In an exclusive CatholicVote interview, a detransitioner reveals how doctors rushed him into hormones and surgeries he begged them to stop. Now, he's suing for malpractice — determined to expose the industry's lies.  READ CATHOLIC BEAUTY RESTORED IN NEW ENGLAND In Massachusetts, a retired architect and a recent college graduate are working together to design and create altars, confessionals, and other traditional ornaments to restore historic Catholic churches to their original beauty. READ ANALYSIS: DURBIN'S ABYSMAL RECORD ON ABORTION Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin's decades-long defiance of Church teaching underscores why many Catholics — including nearly a dozen bishops — say he should never have been considered for the Chicago Archdiocese's lifetime achievement award. READ AD: CALLING ALL PRO-LIFERS!  Support pro-life and pro-family causes — just by using your phone. CLICK HERE CATHOLIC LEADERS IN INDIA OPPOSE KILLER'S RELEASE  Catholic leaders in India are urging the nation's top court not to release a Hindu activist who was convicted of killing an Australian missionary and his two children by burning them alive in 1999. Granting remission to the killer would send the "wrong message to society that one can go scot-free even after committing such a heinous crime," one priest said.  READ LATIN MASS CELEBRATED AT VATICAN  The Traditional Latin Mass was celebrated at St. Michael's altar in St. Peter's Basilica this week — the first such liturgy at a main altar in over two years — just weeks before Cardinal Raymond Burke will celebrate it at the basilica's Altar of the Throne, and days before a major restriction takes effect in the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina.  READ NOT TO BE MISSED...  Here are the stories we couldn't fit in today's LOOP: •    The Anti-Defamation League removes its "extremism and hate" glossary after targeting TPUSA. READ •    A "transgender" sex offender faces charges for exposing himself in women's locker rooms. READ •    Study: Left-wing violence rises, now surpasses right-wing attacks.  READ BIRDWATCHING AND PRAYER  Having a hobby is pretty universally acknowledged to be good for us. For one woman, birdwatching started out as a simple pastime, but she soon discovered how a good hobby can become a "training ground for prayer." Here's how.  READ CATHOLIC 101  Saint Paul's call to "pray without ceasing" can seem impossible, yet by cultivating recollection and turning daily tasks into reminders of God's presence, we can persevere in prayer and grow closer to Him throughout the day.  READ SAINT OF THE DAY  Exactly three days after the Church celebrates the three angels named in scripture, we honor our own guardian angels, uniquely assigned to each of us by God. In the Gospel of Matthew, Christ says to his disciples: "See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father." READ DAILY PSALM  "The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart." (Psalm 19)  READ DAILY READINGS  Today's Mass readings.  READ PRAYER  October is the Month of the Rosary. A perfect time to pray for peace — in our hearts, our homes, and the world.  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