WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19

CV PRESIDENT WARNS OF RADICAL LEFT-ISLAMIST ALLIANCE CatholicVote President and CEO Kelsey Reinhardt warned Aug. 18 that radical left-wing groups and Islamist political movements are forming a growing alliance that she said seeks to weaken the foundations of Western civilization. READ

WNBA FANS THREATENED WITH EJECTION OVER T-SHIRTS; LEAGUE BACKTRACKS A mother and her teenage daughter were threatened with ejection from an Aug. 16 WNBA game unless they covered their XX-XY Athletics T-shirts supporting the view that only women should compete in female sports. The next day, the league acknowledged the incident “should not have happened.” READ

DEMS OUTLINE PLAN TO PUSH PRO-LGBT AGENDA ON AMERICANS Democrats and pro-LGBT groups are preparing a decade-long campaign to reverse public opposition to the “transgender” agenda by promoting personal stories intended to sway voters and investing millions of dollars in political campaigns. READ

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BABY GABRIEL UNDERGOES HEART SURGERY Baby Gabriel, whose surrogate mother carried him to term after refusing his biological parents’ request for an abortion, underwent the first of three planned heart surgeries Aug. 17. READ

OKLAHOMA CATHOLIC SCHOOL TRADITION GOES VIRAL An Oklahoma Catholic high school is marking 26 years of a first-day tradition centered on the bond between incoming freshmen and their parents. At Bishop Kelley High School in Tulsa, seniors surround cars carrying incoming freshmen and prevent the students from getting out until they give their parents a goodbye kiss. READ

PEW: MOST AMERICANS BACK DEATH PENALTY A new Pew survey found 66% of Americans support the death penalty for people convicted of murder, though most question its deterrent effect and acknowledge the risk of executing innocent people. READ

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MIAMI ARCHBISHOP RESPONDS TO VACCINE EXEMPTION DISPUTE Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami asserted in his latest column that Church teaching on vaccinations means the grounds for a religious exemption don’t exist for Catholic schools in the archdiocese, placing him at odds with Florida’s Catholic attorney general, who is threatening to withhold state funds for not allowing religious exemptions. READ

BISHOP SCHNEIDER WEIGHS IN ON SSPX CONSECRATIONS The Society of St. Pius X’s (SSPX) recent decision to consecrate bishops without papal approval presents a “rare dilemma” previously faced by a fourth-century Church Father and saint: choosing between preserving the clear tradition of the Catholic faith or being canonically recognized by the Pope, Bishop Athanasius Schneider wrote in a recent statement. READ

NOT TO BE MISSED... Here are the stories we couldn’t fit in today’s LOOP:

OB-GYN: Massachusetts pro-abortion law puts mothers at risk. READ
Idaho's attorney general vowed to appeal after a judge blocked portions of the state's pro-life law. READ
Iowa's dioceses are creating a statewide Catholic school scholarship program. READ

DISPLAYING PRINT PHOTOGRAPHS Beloved photos of friends, family, and other memories don't have to look kitschy or dated! Here's how to elegantly display photos that are important to you. READ

CATHOLIC 101 Venerable Fulton Sheen’s reflections on Mary’s “interior martyrdom” reveal the quiet strength of remaining beneath the Cross — and invite us to let sorrow deepen our love, enlarge our hearts, and open our wounds to grace. READ

SAINT OF THE DAY Saint John Eudes’ devotion to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary inspired him to preach throughout 17th-century France, serve plague victims, shelter vulnerable women, and strengthen priestly formation. READ

DAILY PSALM "The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want." (Psalm 23) READ

DAILY READINGS Today's Mass readings. READ

INCREDIBLE Poland just unveiled Europe's tallest statue of the Virgin Mary. The monument stands 182 feet tall from ground level to its highest point. WATCH & SHARE

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