Latest news with #Utah-born
Hamilton Spectator
4 days ago
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
First US center to train Catholics on canonization process to open in 2026
(RNS) — The first formation center for canonization in the United States is scheduled to open at St. Patrick's Seminary and University in Menlo Park, California, in early 2026. The Center for Sainthood, commissioned by San Francisco's Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone in an April 14 decree, aims to train sainthood enthusiasts on the inner workings of canonization. Announced earlier this month, the seminary's six-day, in-person certification course promises to teach 'how to honor deserving candidates and expedite their path to sainthood in the Vatican,' according to the center's website. Fifty years after the canonization of the first U.S.-born saint, Elizabeth Ann Seton, the founders of the center said they hope to ignite a stronger saintly American culture. As causes to canonize laypeople and Black American saints have sparked interest among Catholics, what's been missing is a better understanding of the yearslong process, the center's founders said. Michael McDevitt, a spokesperson for the new center who has worked on the cause of Servant of God Cora Evans since 2012, said fellow volunteers could have used training when they started her candidacy. The cause for the Utah-born Catholic convert, raised in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is now under review at the Vatican's Dicastery for the Causes of Saints. 'It seems complex in one sense because there's these many different steps, but once you learn how to move forward … it's not that it's difficult, it's just that it's unknown,' McDevitt told Religion News Service. ___ This content is written and produced by Religion News Service and distributed by The Associated Press. RNS and AP partner on some religion news content. RNS is solely responsible for this story. ___ Despite being eager to start causes, many volunteers are deterred by the process seeming out of reach, he said. For this reason, the center's course will focus on the work required at a diocesan level, before petitions are sent to Rome. It includes interviewing historians and theologians, as well as compiling proofs of miracles. McDevitt said he thinks the initiative could appease divisions among American Catholics. 'It'll help encourage people to come back who have drifted away,' he said. 'These are beautiful stories. These are wonderful people that are also ordinary.' Outside of Rome, where the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints offers a one-semester course on the topic in Italian, canonization remains obscure for most Catholics, explained Emanuele Spedicato, an associate professor of canon law at Rome's Pontifical Gregorian University. In February, Spedicato, the canon lawyer assigned to Evans' cause, will fly to California to teach the center's first cohort of 50 students. 'Outside of Rome and of Italy, where there is a stronger formation from the Vatican, the biggest challenge is really the formation of the people involved in a cause of canonization,' he said. The first part of the course will introduce participants to the Catholic Church's sainthood culture, highlighting how the canonization process has evolved from the ages of martyrs to present day. The training will also include the theological aspect of canonization and will detail the three reasons for which a cause can be started: a person dying in martyrdom, one exercising heroic virtues or one offering their lives in the exercise of their ministry. An entire day will be dedicated to miracles — 'a (key) element in a process of canonization' — Spedicato said. Miracles refer to events that occurred 'by the Grace of God through the intercession of a Venerable, or Blessed, which is scientifically inexplicable,' according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' website. For Kathleen Sprows Cummings, an American studies and history professor at University of Notre Dame in Indiana and the author of 'A Saint of Our Own: How the Quest for a Holy Hero Helped Catholics Become American' (2019), the St. Patrick's Seminary initiative signals an interesting shift in the American Catholic Church's approach to sainthood. After despairing about not seeing more American-born saint candidates and decades of volunteers vying for more attention to their causes, Sprows Cummings said faithfuls creating networks and working side by side is a new strategy. 'This is a sign that those days are over — that there's actually many candidates from the United States who are being considered, and that it's in their interest to cooperate rather than compete,' she said. 'It's not a zero-sum game. The popularity of some saints spills over into making others more popular.' The way American Catholics work on causes has also evolved, she noted. Instead of religious order members working full time on causes, now many involve part-time volunteers for whom training can be invaluable. And in recent years, a number of causes for lay Catholics have gained traction among Americans, she said, including those of 6 Black candidates. After George Floyd's murder by a police officer in Minneapolis in 2020, interest in the causes of Black candidates increased. 'In a time when the United States is trying to reconcile with the legacy of racism, and the Catholic Church is asking what its part was in that, these stories have a lot of appeal,' Sprows Cummings said. Waldery Hilgeman, the postulator, or person guiding the causes, for three Black saint candidates – Servant of God Julia Greeley, Mother Mary Lange and Venerable Henriette DeLille – will teach classes at the center alongside Spedicato. As Catholics, in America and across the world, await signs of what Pope Leo XIV's approach to saint-making will be, Sprows Cummings said she believes the pope will be compelled to walk in the steps of his predecessors, two 'energetic saint-makers,' as a number of causes are already underway at the dicastery. The new pope, she said, could potentially 'be very interested in … a broader representation of a diversity of the world's Catholics represented as saints.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
First US center to train Catholics on canonization process to open in 2026
(RNS) — The first formation center for canonization in the United States is scheduled to open at St. Patrick's Seminary and University in Menlo Park, California, in early 2026. The Center for Sainthood, commissioned by San Francisco's Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone in an April 14 decree, aims to train sainthood enthusiasts on the inner workings of canonization. Announced earlier this month, the seminary's six-day, in-person certification course promises to teach 'how to honor deserving candidates and expedite their path to sainthood in the Vatican,' according to the center's website. Fifty years after the canonization of the first U.S.-born saint, Elizabeth Ann Seton, the founders of the center said they hope to ignite a stronger saintly American culture. As causes to canonize laypeople and Black American saints have sparked interest among Catholics, what's been missing is a better understanding of the yearslong process, the center's founders said. Michael McDevitt, a spokesperson for the new center who has worked on the cause of Servant of God Cora Evans since 2012, said fellow volunteers could have used training when they started her candidacy. The cause for the Utah-born Catholic convert, raised in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is now under review at the Vatican's Dicastery for the Causes of Saints. 'It seems complex in one sense because there's these many different steps, but once you learn how to move forward … it's not that it's difficult, it's just that it's unknown,' McDevitt told Religion News Service. ___ This content is written and produced by Religion News Service and distributed by The Associated Press. RNS and AP partner on some religion news content. RNS is solely responsible for this story. ___ Despite being eager to start causes, many volunteers are deterred by the process seeming out of reach, he said. For this reason, the center's course will focus on the work required at a diocesan level, before petitions are sent to Rome. It includes interviewing historians and theologians, as well as compiling proofs of miracles. McDevitt said he thinks the initiative could appease divisions among American Catholics. 'It'll help encourage people to come back who have drifted away,' he said. 'These are beautiful stories. These are wonderful people that are also ordinary.' Outside of Rome, where the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints offers a one-semester course on the topic in Italian, canonization remains obscure for most Catholics, explained Emanuele Spedicato, an associate professor of canon law at Rome's Pontifical Gregorian University. In February, Spedicato, the canon lawyer assigned to Evans' cause, will fly to California to teach the center's first cohort of 50 students. 'Outside of Rome and of Italy, where there is a stronger formation from the Vatican, the biggest challenge is really the formation of the people involved in a cause of canonization,' he said. The first part of the course will introduce participants to the Catholic Church's sainthood culture, highlighting how the canonization process has evolved from the ages of martyrs to present day. The training will also include the theological aspect of canonization and will detail the three reasons for which a cause can be started: a person dying in martyrdom, one exercising heroic virtues or one offering their lives in the exercise of their ministry. An entire day will be dedicated to miracles — 'a (key) element in a process of canonization' — Spedicato said. Miracles refer to events that occurred 'by the Grace of God through the intercession of a Venerable, or Blessed, which is scientifically inexplicable,' according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' website. For Kathleen Sprows Cummings, an American studies and history professor at University of Notre Dame in Indiana and the author of 'A Saint of Our Own: How the Quest for a Holy Hero Helped Catholics Become American' (2019), the St. Patrick's Seminary initiative signals an interesting shift in the American Catholic Church's approach to sainthood. After despairing about not seeing more American-born saint candidates and decades of volunteers vying for more attention to their causes, Sprows Cummings said faithfuls creating networks and working side by side is a new strategy. 'This is a sign that those days are over — that there's actually many candidates from the United States who are being considered, and that it's in their interest to cooperate rather than compete,' she said. 'It's not a zero-sum game. The popularity of some saints spills over into making others more popular.' The way American Catholics work on causes has also evolved, she noted. Instead of religious order members working full time on causes, now many involve part-time volunteers for whom training can be invaluable. And in recent years, a number of causes for lay Catholics have gained traction among Americans, she said, including those of 6 Black candidates. After George Floyd's murder by a police officer in Minneapolis in 2020, interest in the causes of Black candidates increased. 'In a time when the United States is trying to reconcile with the legacy of racism, and the Catholic Church is asking what its part was in that, these stories have a lot of appeal,' Sprows Cummings said. Waldery Hilgeman, the postulator, or person guiding the causes, for three Black saint candidates – Servant of God Julia Greeley, Mother Mary Lange and Venerable Henriette DeLille – will teach classes at the center alongside Spedicato. As Catholics, in America and across the world, await signs of what Pope Leo XIV's approach to saint-making will be, Sprows Cummings said she believes the pope will be compelled to walk in the steps of his predecessors, two 'energetic saint-makers,' as a number of causes are already underway at the dicastery. The new pope, she said, could potentially 'be very interested in … a broader representation of a diversity of the world's Catholics represented as saints.'
Arab Times
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Arab Times
Americans convicted in Congo of botched coup attempt now face US charges
SALT LAKE CITY, April 10, (AP): Three Americans repatriated to the United States from Congo this week have been charged with participating in an elaborate coup attempt aimed at overthrowing the African nation's government last year, the U.S. Justice Department said Wednesday. A fourth man alleged by prosecutors to be an expert in explosives was also charged with aiding the plot. The criminal charges arise from the same set of allegations that led to three of the defendants being detained in Congo and receiving death sentences. The sentences were later commuted to punishments of life imprisonment before the men were ultimately transferred Tuesday into US custody to face charges in an American court. Their repatriation came amid efforts by Congolese authorities to reach a minerals deal with the US in exchange for security support to fight rebels in the country's conflict-hit east. A criminal complaint unsealed by prosecutors Wednesday follows a long-running FBI investigation and accuses the men of conspiring to provide weapons, explosives and other support to a rebel army that was formed to try to overthrow the government. Among the three Americans is 22-year-old Marcel Malanga, son of opposition figure Christian Malanga, who led the coup attempt that targeted the presidential palace in Kinshasa. The elder Malanga livestreamed from the palace during the attempt and was later killed while resisting arrest, Congolese authorities said. Prosecutors say the goal of the plot was to establish a new government known as New Zaire and install Christian Malanga as its president. The younger Malanga identified himself as the "Chief of Staff of the Zaire army' and acted as a leader of the rebel forces, court documents say. Christian Malanga, who was born in the Congolese capital of Kinshasa, had described himself on his website as a refugee who settled in the US with his family in the 1990s. The self-proclaimed leader of a shadow government in exile sold used cars and dabbled in gold mining before persuading his Utah-born son to join in the foiled coup. Christian Malanga was convicted in Utah of assault with a firearm in 2001 and had charges dismissed in several other criminal cases. Marcel Malanga, Tyler Thompson Jr., 22, and Benjamin Zalman-Polun, 37, were returned to the US Tuesday. They are expected to make their first court appearance in Brooklyn. The alleged explosives expert, Joseph Peter Moesser, 67, is set to appear in court in Salt Lake City on Thursday. Prosecutors say that as part of the plot, he provided explosives training and instructions at his Utah home and contributed weapons.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Americans convicted in Congo of a botched coup attempt now face US charges
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Three Americans repatriated to the United States from Congo this week have been charged with participating in an elaborate coup attempt aimed at overthrowing the African nation's government last year, the U.S. Justice Department said Wednesday. A fourth man alleged by prosecutors to be an expert in explosives was also charged with aiding the plot. The criminal charges arise from the same set of allegations that led to three of the defendants being detained in Congo and receiving death sentences. The sentences were later commuted to punishments of life imprisonment before the men were ultimately transferred Tuesday into U.S. custody to face charges in an American court. Their repatriation came amid efforts by Congolese authorities to reach a minerals deal with the U.S. in exchange for security support to fight rebels in the country's conflict-hit east. A criminal complaint unsealed by prosecutors Wednesday follows a long-running FBI investigation and accuses the men of conspiring to provide weapons, explosives and other support to a rebel army that was formed to try to overthrow the government. Among the three Americans is 22-year-old Marcel Malanga, son of opposition figure Christian Malanga, who led the coup attempt that targeted the presidential palace in Kinshasa. The elder Malanga livestreamed from the palace during the attempt and was later killed while resisting arrest, Congolese authorities said. Prosecutors say the accused wanted to establish a new government Prosecutors say the goal of the plot was to establish a new government known as New Zaire and install Christian Malanga as its president. The younger Malanga identified himself as the 'Chief of Staff of the Zaire army' and acted as a leader of the rebel forces, court documents say. Christian Malanga, who was born in the Congolese capital of Kinshasa, had described himself on his website as a refugee who settled in the U.S. with his family in the 1990s. The self-proclaimed leader of a shadow government in exile sold used cars and dabbled in gold mining before persuading his Utah-born son to join in the foiled coup. Christian Malanga was convicted in Utah of assault with a firearm in 2001 and had charges dismissed in several other criminal cases. Marcel Malanga, Tyler Thompson Jr., 22, and Benjamin Zalman-Polun, 37, were returned to the U.S. Tuesday. They are expected to make their first court appearance in Brooklyn. The alleged explosives expert, Joseph Peter Moesser, 67, is set to appear in court in Salt Lake City on Thursday. Prosecutors say that as part of the plot, he provided explosives training and instructions at his Utah home and contributed weapons. Thompson's attorney, Skye Lazaro, said Wednesday she did not yet have information to share. No attorneys were listed in court documents for the other three defendants. The men are charged with crimes including conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, conspiracy to bomb government facilities and conspiracy to kill or kidnap persons in a foreign country. Those charges, which taken together could result in lengthy prison sentences in the event of a conviction, could change if and when the defendants are indicted by a grand jury. Justice Department: Coup attempt was the result of a months-in-the-making plot The complaint provides the most detailed chronicle to date of the planned May 2024 overthrow of Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi. At least six people, including Christian Malanga, died when armed men in camouflage fatigues led an attack on the homes of the president and a deputy prime minister. The charging document makes clear that the alleged coup was the result of a months-in-the-making plot rather than a haphazard idea, with the men accused of recruiting friends in the U.S., acquiring drones and military-style weapons and also participating in extensive firearms training. The men are also alleged to have hijacked a bus and raided a Congolese police station to obtain weapons for the deadly attack. Malanga told a Congolese judge that his father threatened to kill him if he did not follow his orders. 'We're about to go take out some terrorists,' Malanga is alleged to have told a friend he was recruiting to go to Africa. The friend is not named in the complaint. Other friends told The Associated Press that Malanga had offered up to $100,000 to join him on a mysterious 'security job' in Congo. Prosecutors are seeking to keep all four men in jail as the case moves forward. 'The four defendants pose an extreme danger to the community and present an unmanageable risk of flight," the Justice Department said in a detention memo. It notes that Moesser, a longtime associate of Christian Malanga, faced allegations of criminal conduct years earlier when he was accused of trying to place explosive black powder on an plane departing from the Salt Lake City airport. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and was sentenced to a form of probation. Prosecutors say defendants include a drone specialist and bomb-making expert Thompson, a friend and former high school football teammate of Marcel Malanga in Utah, is identified in court documents as a drone specialist who prosecutors say shopped for a flamethrower attachment that he planned to use to 'light people on fire.' His family has said he flew to Africa for what they believed was his first vacation abroad, paid for by Christian Malanga. Witnesses observed Thompson and the younger Malanga conducting drone test flights and firing handguns and rifles at a shooting range near Salt Lake City before they left for Africa, according to the complaint. Moesser allegedly helped Thompson and Malanga install the flamethrower attachment and showed them how to use drones to drop pipe bombs. Messages obtained by investigators show Moesser conspiring with Christian Malanga to ship explosives and AR-15 rifles to Congo, the complaint said. Zalman-Polun reportedly traveled to Utah to help Malanga recruit soldiers for their rebel army. If the plot had been successful, Zalman-Polun would have become Christian Malanga's chief of staff or would 'work in finance' in the new administration, court documents say. The complaint also places three of the defendants at the scene itself, using images and posts from the men's social media accounts, including livestream videos that Christian Malanga recorded. ___ Tucker reported from Washington. Hannah Schoenbaum And Eric Tucker, The Associated Press
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Wrestling champion with Crouzon syndrome looks back on his 'hero's journey' in new documentary: 'The real flex' is 'being able to stand out'
For Ben Kjar, his unlikely path to wrestling glory while living with Crouzon syndrome was what he called a 'hero's journey.' Kjar, who was born with the genetic disorder that affects the growth of bones in the skull and results in a craniofacial difference, is the subject of the new documentary Standout: The Ben Kjar Story by director Tanner Christensen. The film premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival in Los Angeles on Feb. 23. The Utah-born athlete, 41, didn't always know he would be able to join a sport, much less become a state champion three times over and an NCAA Division I All-American. The fourth of seven children, Kjar was born 'almost lifeless,' his father Scott said in the film. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. 'He was struggling very hard for every breath,' his mother, Stana, said. Christensen, who grew up in the same small Utah town as Ben, documented the athlete's life in the film, which includes interviews as well as personal photos and home videos showing everything from a young Ben post-surgery to his struggle on the wrestling mat. 'He told the real story,' Ben told Yahoo Entertainment. 'What we see on social media are the highlights a lot of times, and we don't see the lowlights.' To maintain that authenticity, Christensen showed Ben's confidence being built up and knocked down throughout the documentary. Anything else would have 'just seemed manipulative.' Christensen also said he 'didn't want to get preachy with it.' So Christensen told the story chronologically, from Ben's difficult birth to where he is now — a happily married father of three. At 9 months old, Ben had his first surgery to make room for his growing brain. It was scheduled to take 10 to 12 hours. Stana thought this would be a 'breakdown moment,' one where she wouldn't be able to care for her son. Instead, she said in the film, 'I had just a blanket of warmth fall over me. Every day that he is with us, we'll do everything we can for him.' That's exactly what the Kjar family did. Instead of treating Ben like a delicate object who couldn't lead a normal life, they treated him like anyone else in the family — which included a supportive set of aunts, uncles and cousins who 'didn't recognize that he was different at all.' However, once they started noticing the looks from other kids and adults — and how it started to affect Ben — they realized they needed to find a way to build his self-confidence. 'You feel like you just want to fit in,' Ben told Yahoo Entertainment. 'For the majority of my life, I just wanted to be normal.' His parents enrolled him in everything from piano lessons to dance to a children's singing group. While they didn't put Ben in a corner or wrap him in bubble wrap, what they did avoid was sports. Doctors had warned them against contact sports, specifically because of potential head injuries. However, that's the path Ben ultimately wanted to take. When he accompanied his older brother to a wrestling tournament for middle-school-and-younger kids, Ben couldn't stay out of the action. While not officially in the tournament, Ben pulled kids from the sidelines and wrestled 'eight to 10' of them, according to the coach, who appears in the film. For that, Ben earned a special medal for wrestling the most people that night. 'And that gave me a sample of what it was like to feel just like noticed,' Ben said in the film. His parents eventually relented and allowed Ben to wrestle, acknowledging how it positively affected his confidence. The film chronicles just how hard he had to work at first to simply keep up. What the film also tackles, aside from sports, is the emotional trauma Ben had to endure as a child. To show that, Ben and Christensen made the choice to hire Colton Fielding, a child actor with Crouzon syndrome who both looked like Ben and had the same character and energy. 'You see him walking down the elementary [school] hall, we were just supposed to give a high-five,' Ben explained of his younger self in the documentary, 'and he gives a wind-up slam-dunk high-five.' Ben even sat down with Fielding's parents to say that his role was important 'to make a real impact.' The documentary would be filmed in such a way that the scenes wouldn't be at the expense of emotionally 'hurting your boy,' he told the actor's parents. There are heartbreaking moments of Fielding as a young Ben enduring bullying at school, and also from a father and two kids at the grocery store. At one point, he goes into his bathroom at home wanting to 'take his face off.' Ben said that to film the bullying scenes, they shot the angles separately, with the bullies' dialogue and actions being shot at a different time as Fielding's scenes. 'That's when Colton, the little Ben, was in another room so he wouldn't have to hear that and have that impact him,' Ben said. 'Secondly, the two kids — both the boy and the girl in the marketplace — are his blood brother and sister.' The film follows a 'hungry' Ben as he trains to be a middle school and high school wrestler despite his disadvantages: He was shorter than almost every opponent, small hands, short limbs, his uncle and coach Shandell Smoot say in the film. But Ben persisted, even saying in his sophomore year of high school that he would win the state championship three times. (He had a '3XSC' patch made for his letter jacket before he even won a single one.) Recruited by multiple schools, he eventually enrolled at Utah Valley University, where he won multiple victories and saw his face on banners around campus. It's where he also met fellow student Lacol Grant, who eventually became his girlfriend and then his wife. Their relationship was not without challenges, however. Through tears, Grant describes her mother's negative reaction when she and Ben told her parents they were getting married — a decision the family eventually accepted. Despite these struggles, Ben appreciates all the wins he's logged throughout his self-described 'hero's journey.' For him, what started out as wanting to be somebody else eventually became the pride in accepting his 'best self' and how he stood out. 'For the majority of my life, I literally just wanted to be normal. I just wanted to fit in,' Ben said. 'And if that isn't my biggest pet peeve today.' Today, as a motivational speaker, Ben has turned his attention to the 'unique individuals out there that are just praying and wishing that if your difference was just gone — like I was, like the little boy in the bathroom, if I could just take my face off — if that difference could just go away, then life would be better.' But, he asked, 'What if that wasn't the answer?' 'What's the real flex today?' he continued. 'The real flex is being 'you version 1.0,' having the internal peace, and then being able to stand out in your own right.'
