Latest news with #Archdioceseof
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
‘Blessing of the Fleet' ceremony held in New Orleans at start of Hurricane Season
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — The Archdiocese of New Orleans is doing its part to make sure New Orleans' first responders and their equipment are ready for hurricane season. This is the annual 'Blessing of the Fleet' event at the New Orleans Police Department's 'Special Operations Division' on Tchoupitoulas Street. NORD Splash Day summer kickoff Archbishop Gregory Aymond blessed first responders from multiple agencies. The archbishop also recognized the agencies for their response to other disasters throughout the year, including the New Year's Day terror attack on Bourbon Street. 'They're humans, and they risk their lives, like they did on Jan. 1 and throughout the hurricane season, especially after a hurricane. So we very much depend on them and expertise. We need them, and that's what we want to say today: we not only need you, but we pray for God's protection upon you and all that you do,' said Aymond. The blessing also marked the upcoming 20th anniversary of Hurricane Orleans police searching for suspect in St. Claude art heist Three arrested in St. John Parish drug bust OPSO discusses funding needs for jail repairs with city council 'Blessing of the Fleet' ceremony held in New Orleans at start of Hurricane Season NORD Splash Day summer kickoff Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Guardian
29-04-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
New Orleans Catholic diocese ordered to defend bankruptcy case from dismissal
In a major development for the second-oldest Catholic diocese in the country, a US bankruptcy judge has ordered the Archdiocese of New Orleans to appear in court in June and show why its five-year-old bankruptcy case should not be dismissed. Judge Meredith Grabill's order suggests little concrete progress has been made since 13 September 2024, when the archdiocese and a committee representing more than 500 clergy abuse claimants filed competing plans for settling the bankruptcy. Those two plans were worlds apart, with the church offering to pay the survivors an average of $125,000 per claimant and the committee seeking an average of about $2m per claimant. Grabill issued the order on Monday, just three days before the fifth anniversary of the archdiocese filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on 1 May 2020. The archdiocese sought the protection from mounting claims of child sexual abuse by priests and deacons spanning more than 60 years. Grabill wrote the church must appear 26 June to show why the case should not be dismissed, which would force the church to face potentially hundreds of separate lawsuits individually in civil court. The judge has expressed frustration with the lack of progress before, as the legal fees paid by the church to pursue bankruptcy protection ballooned to more than $41m. The church issued a statement saying there were still hopes for settlement talks. 'While our attorneys will work to formally respond to the court's order, we are pleased to have the opportunity to share our significant progress in negotiations to bring just and equitable compensation to the survivors and creditors while providing a sustainable path forward for the ministry of the Catholic Church to continue in our area,' the church statement said. 'Despite the unacceptable amount of time and money spent over the past five years, we believe resolution of these bankruptcy proceedings will be for the benefit of all survivors and creditors and the faithful of the Archdiocese of New Orleans,' it added. The two sides have met several times for mediation and the court has hired three outside experts to help resolve the wide gap between the two sides, but Grabill wrote in her order: 'The court views the two proposed plans on file as facially unconfirmable.' She added: 'The record in this case as it stands today shows that, after five years and millions of dollars expended, no coalition of parties has proposed a confirmable plan.' In the US, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline on 800-422-4453 or visit their website for more resources and to report child abuse or DM for help. For adult survivors of child abuse, help is available at In the UK, the NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331. In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or Bravehearts on 1800 272 831, and adult survivors can contact Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. Other sources of help can be found at Child Helplines International
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Las Vegas's Catholic community gathers ahead of Pope Francis's funeral
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Las Vegas parishioners celebrated and honored the life of Pope Francis ahead of his funeral Saturday. The Archdiocese of Las Vegas held a public memorial mass on Friday afternoon at the Guardian Angel Cathedral on the Las Vegas Strip. After the church joined together in song, Archbishop George Leo Thomas spoke to the congregation, whose pews were nearly filled. 'It means so much to be with other people who are feeling the same thing about our loss that we were lucky enough to experience,' Amy Ayoub, who attended the mass, said. Ayoub is a regular attendee at Guardian Angel Cathedral, but has not always been. She used to attend the church as a teenager, and thanks Pope Francis for bringing her back. 'I had left the church for quite a while, and to have a Pope that was so accepting of everyone, who just preached love, kindness, respect… that always made me feel like it was a place I could be welcomed back into.' Archbishop Thomas and other attendees also focused on applauding Pope Francis' inclusivity and acceptance. 'It was the first time we had a connection, especially the Latino families, the Latino people,' said Mercedes Hernandez, who also attended mass with her daughter. She continued, 'What we need to do now is follow his steps. That's what we need right now, with everything going on.' Pope Francis's funeral takes place tomorrow in Vatican City, where more than 200,000 people are expected to attend. Viewers can watch the funeral on 8 News Now. Coverage will start at 12:45 a.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
