Memorial Day 2026

How A Priest Turned Crimefighter

June 4th, 2026 - Happy feasts of Corpus Christi and St. Francis Caracciolo! Israel and Lebanon agreed yesterday to implement a U.S.-brokered ceasefire framework, contingent on Hezbollah ending its attacks. Iran simultaneously warned that renewed Israeli strikes on Beirut could trigger a “full-scale resumption” of the broader regional war. Speaking to the association of Catholic Colleges and Universities from the U.S., Pope Leo XIV said Catholic education offers an answer to the modern “fragmentation of knowledge.” Washington Archbishop Cardinal Robert McElroy just removed Monsignor Stephen Rossetti as an exorcist for the archdiocese after the priest publicly warned that many supposed UFO incidents are actually demonic activity. NIH Researchers have been Charged After Allegedly Smuggling Monkeypox Vials Into United States. President Trump is expected to announce today that his administration will put about $700 million towards bolstering the U.S. coal industry. Protests continue in England in the wake of Henry Nowak’s death. Questions have been raised about the policing at these protests, with one video appearing to show an officer repeatedly kicking a man in the head. Rise Right is a live morning program hosted by Sarah Cain & Jakob Martin Kraft, designed to help Catholics begin their day grounded in faith, clarity, and peace. The goal is simple: help listeners start their day well. Stay rooted in prayer, informed about the world, and able to face each day with joy and reason. RiseRight.org [https://thestationofthecross.com/riseright]

Who is the New Head of Vatican Communications?

June 3rd, 2026 - Happy feast of the Ugandan Martyrs! The Supreme Court ruled last night that Alabama lawmakers can revert to a GOP-backed congressional map in the upcoming midterm elections – striking down a federal court panel order that blocked the map. President Donald Trump reportedly called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “crazy” and blamed his aggression against neighboring countries for growing global hatred of Israel, according to Axios. The Wall Street Journal later confirmed and expanded on the leaked conversation. Israel has appointed a new Mossad Director, Belarus-born Roman Gofman. He has previously written a document stating that Israel should establish a military government in the Gaza Strip, and has criticized the IDF's reluctance to send ground forces into Gaza. After a May 31 fire damaged the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Memphis, Tennessee, police say they are now investigating the incident for possible arson. The FBI said yesterday that 35 people had been charged for narcotics and firearms offenses stemming from a yearlong federal operation in West Virginia while also unveiling a new nationwide summer crime-fighting initiative. Kash Patel announced, “We’re just getting started.” President Trump has rescheduled the White House Correspondent’s Dinner, despite the last assassination attempt against him. Rise Right is a live morning program hosted by Sarah Cain & Jakob Martin Kraft, designed to help Catholics begin their day grounded in faith, clarity, and peace. The goal is simple: help listeners start their day well. Stay rooted in prayer, informed about the world, and able to face each day with joy and reason. RiseRight.org [https://thestationofthecross.com/riseright]

The USCCB's Migrant Fixation + Henry Nowak's Killer Gets Life

June 2nd, 2026 - Happy feast of St. Elmo! Comedian Bill Cosby was denied his request for a new trial over his claim that the $60 million that he was ordered to pay to his rape victim was “excessive.” Vickrum Digwa has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years for the murder of Henry Nowak. Henry’s family is still requesting an investigation into the officers who arrested him instead of treating him as a dying victim. Pope Leo XIV has appointed Maria Montserrat Alvarado, President and Chief Operating Officer of EWTN News, as Prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication. The appointment will take effect Nov. 1, 2026. The Trump administration is abandoning the $1.8 billion fund that was intended to compensate people who were targeted by government "weaponization" under previous administrations, following a federal court order blocking the program. The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) is less than 10 days away from falling to its lowest level since August 1983, according to a top analyst. President Donald Trump said yesterday that Israel and Hezbollah had agreed to stop fighting and that U.S. talks with Iran were still ongoing, despite Tehran saying earlier it had suspended negotiations over Israel’s new offensive in Lebanon. The Vatican released an English-language audiobook of Pope Leo's first encyclical yesterday. The audiobook version of Magnifica Humanitas runs about five and a half hours in total. Rise Right is a live morning program hosted by Sarah Cain & Jakob Martin Kraft, designed to help Catholics begin their day grounded in faith, clarity, and peace. The goal is simple: help listeners start their day well. Stay rooted in prayer, informed about the world, and able to face each day with joy and reason. RiseRight.org [https://thestationofthecross.com/riseright]

Religious Freedom Takes a Blow from DOJ?

June 1st, 2026 - Happy feasts of St. Justin Martyr and St. John Baptist Scalabrini! Major evacuations are underway in southern Beirut as Israel ramps up military actions in Lebanon. The U.S. and Iran have traded strikes while the “ceasefire” officially continues. A potential peace deal is still reportedly in the works, with President Trump still holding off on a final decision. The Washington Nationals president of baseball operations Jason Sinnarajah, himself Catholic, apologized to Catholics during Friday night pregame coverage, stating that the team is "not anti-Catholic" and "horrified by the comments" caught on undercover video. President Donald Trump criticized Pope Leo XIV's meeting with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Saturday, writing in a Truth Social post that "someone should explain to the Pope" that the mayor is "useless" and that "Iran cannot have a Nuclear Weapon!" A federal judge temporarily halted the Trump administration's $1.78 billion "Anti-Weaponization Fund" from transferring money to victims of government “weaponization.” Pope Leo XIV welcomed representatives of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal to the Vatican, encouraging members to place their spiritual gifts at the service of the whole Church and urging them to pursue communion, charity, and mission rather than "self-promotion, or the pursuit of power or personal prestige." Rise Right is a live morning program hosted by Sarah Cain & Jakob Martin Kraft, designed to help Catholics begin their day grounded in faith, clarity, and peace. The goal is simple: help listeners start their day well. Stay rooted in prayer, informed about the world, and able to face each day with joy and reason. RiseRight.org [https://thestationofthecross.com/riseright]

Pope Leo: "Don't Water Down the Faith!"

May 29th, 2026 - Happy feasts of St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi and Pope St. Paul VI! California State Assembly passed the so-called ‘Stop Nick Shirley Act’ which will put journalists at civil risk for investigating fraud. A federal judge yesterday allowed President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to create federal voter lists and tighten rules for mail-in voting to remain in place for now, rejecting a request from Democrats to block the order. CatholicVote President Kelsey Reinhardt has sent formal letters to the Washington Nationals and the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division demanding answers over alleged religious discrimination against Catholic pitcher Trevor Williams. The Justice Department launched a criminal investigation into whether E. Jean Carroll committed perjury during litigation against President Donald Trump. A man has been charged with burglary and arson after authorities say he broke into a Catholic elementary school in Springfield, Missouri, damaged religious items, and set a fire inside the building. A 320-foot rocket built by Jeff Bezos-owned company Blue Origin exploded at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station during a "hotfire test" around 9 p.m. yesterday. Pope Leo warned yesterday not to water down Christianity in an attempt to evangelize.  Rise Right is a live morning program hosted by Sarah Cain & Jakob Martin Kraft, designed to help Catholics begin their day grounded in faith, clarity, and peace. The goal is simple: help listeners start their day well. Stay rooted in prayer, informed about the world, and able to face each day with joy and reason. RiseRight.org [https://thestationofthecross.com/riseright]