Religion
CATHOLIC STUDENTS AT PRINCETON UNIVERSITY FIND SOLACE IN DAILY MASS AND COMMUNITY
In the heart of Princeton University’s campus, a group of young Catholics attends Mass every weekday at noon, finding solace in their faith and community. The students gather at the Princeton University Chapel, a Gothic building that hosts interfaith services, concerts, and weddings throughout the academic year.
For Logan Nelson, a student who converted to Catholicism last year, the daily Mass is a source of comfort and strength. “I feel that people’s faith is so strong here,” Nelson said. “It feels like a home — even more so than my own house.” The Catholic community at Princeton is tight-knit and welcoming, with students from diverse backgrounds coming together to practice their faith.
When news broke of the election of the first U.S.-born pope, the Catholic students at Princeton were overjoyed. “It was electric,” Nelson said, describing the moment they heard the news. “There was uproar in the room when Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Prevost became the 267th pontiff.” The students hope that the new pope will help bring a revival to Catholicism in America.
According to Nelson, there’s a resurgence of Catholicism today, with people passionate about their faith. “You see people who are passionate about their faith,” Nelson said. “There’s a new wave coming, and we’re going to have more converts like me, who are coming from the ‘nones.'” The “nones” refer to people who are nonbelievers or unaffiliated with any organized religion, which comprise 30% or more of the adult population in the U.S.
For Ace Acuna, a Princeton alumnus, the election of the new pope brings hope for the future of the Catholic Church. “Something that did bring me a lot of hope is Pope Leo has a missionary background,” Acuna said. “In a world where in some places it might look like faith is on the decline, a church that’s willing to go out to the margins and evangelize and be on mission, that’s going to be so important.”
The Princeton University Chapel is a sacred space for Catholic students, providing a refuge from the busy and often secular campus life. “Princeton is a very busy place, and there’s a lot of noise both externally and internally,” Acuna said. “Sometimes you just want silence, and you just want a place where you can lay down your burdens.”
The Catholic community at Princeton is not isolated from the rest of the university, with students participating in sports teams, clubs, and other activities. According to Eric Gregory, a professor of religion at Princeton, the university has always had a vibrant and diverse religious community. “In a way, it’s either so secular or even post-secular that it’s not threatened by the Christian presence on campus,” Gregory said. “Religious students on our campus are not cloistered from campus. They’re also in sports teams, clubs, and the newspaper. They’re integrated.”
Pope Leo XIV has strongly condemned the escalating war involving Iran, describing the ongoing conflict as “atrocious violence” and calling on all parties to immediately halt hostilities.
Speaking during his weekly Angelus prayer at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City on Sunday, the pontiff appealed to leaders involved in the conflict to declare a ceasefire and pursue dialogue instead of continued military confrontation.
The appeal comes as the war widely reported to involve strikes by the United States and Israel against Iranian targets, entering its third week, leaving thousands of civilians dead or displaced across the Middle East.
“For two weeks, the peoples of the Middle East have been suffering the atrocious violence of war,” the Pope said, warning that violence can not bring justice, stability, or lasting peace to the region.
The Catholic leader expressed solidarity with victims of the conflict, particularly civilians who have lost loved ones or been forced to flee their homes. He emphasized the urgent need for humanitarian support for affected communities.
The Pope also raised concerns about the growing instability in Lebanon, where clashes between Israel and the Iran-backed group Hezbollah have worsened the humanitarian situation.
Calling for a diplomatic solution, the pontiff urged global leaders to pursue dialogue that could lead to lasting peace and stability in the Middle East.
Despite maintaining the Vatican’s traditional diplomatic neutrality, the Pope’s comments are seen as one of his strongest appeals yet for an end to the expanding regional conflict.
The Vatican has accepted the resignation of Bishop Emanuel Hana Shaleta of the Chaldean Catholic Diocese of St. Peter the Apostle in San Diego following his arrest on allegations of embezzling $250,000 from his congregation.
Bishop Shaleta, who had served the Chaldean Catholic community since 2017, pleaded not guilty to 16 counts of embezzlement and money laundering during a court hearing on Monday. According to San Diego Deputy District Attorney Joel Madero, the alleged offenses occurred in 2024 and were discovered after a church employee reported missing funds, local broadcaster KGTV reported.
Authorities detained Shaleta on March 5 at San Diego International Airport while he was attempting to leave the United States. His lawyer stated that the bishop had planned to travel to Germany.
Chaldean Catholics, while recognizing the authority of the Pope, follow an Eastern Christian liturgical tradition. Vatican statistics estimate approximately 71,000 Chaldean Catholics reside in the San Diego area.
The arrest and resignation have sent shockwaves through the local religious community, prompting calls for greater transparency and accountability in church financial management.
A shocking breach of protocol occurred during the secret conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV last May, a new book by veteran Vatican reporters reveals.
As 133 cardinals gathered in the Sistine Chapel for their first vote, which is typically safeguarded by signal-jamming equipment to prevent outside communications, security officials detected an active mobile phone signal inside the chapel.
In a scene the authors describe as “unimaginable even for a film,” one of the older cardinals discovered a cellphone in his pocket and handed it over to security. The book, The Election of Pope Leo XIV, does not identify the cardinal or suggests he had any motive for carrying the phone but notes he was “disoriented and distressed” by the incident.
The incident is unprecedented in the history of modern papal conclaves, which require cardinals to relinquish all communication devices to ensure the election process remains secret.
Pope Leo XIV, elected on the fourth ballot with 108 votes, became the first pope from the United States. The revelation of this security lapse provides a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into one of the world’s most secretive religious events.