Feast date: Nov 20

Saint Bernward served as the thirteenth Bishop of Hildesheim, Germany during the middle of the tenth century. His grandfather was Athelbero, Count Palatine of Saxony. After having lost his parents, Bernward was sent to live with his uncle Volkmar, who was the Bishop of Utrecht. His uncle enlisted the assistance of Thangmar, the pious and well-educated director of the cathedral school at Heidelberg, the help with Bernward's education.

Under the instruction of Thangmar, Bernward made rapid progress in Christian piety as well as in the sciences. He became very proficient in mathematics, painting, architecture, and particularly in the manufacture of ecclesiastical vessels and ornaments made of silver and gold.

Saint Bernward completed his studies at Mainz, where he was then ordained a priest. In lieu of being placed in the diocese of his uncle, Bishop Volkmar, he chose to remain near his grandfather, Athelbero, to comfort him in his old age. Upon his grandfather’s death in 987, he became chaplain in the imperial court, and the Empress-Regent Theophano quickly appointed him to be tutor of her son Otto III, who was only six years old at the time. Bernward remained at the imperial court until 993, when he was elected Bishop of Hildesheim.

A man of extraordinary piety, he was deeply devoted to prayer as well as the practice of mortification, and his knowledge and practice of the arts were employed generously in the service of the Church.

Shortly before his death in 1022, he was vested in the Benedictine habit. He was canonized by Pope Celestine III in 1193.

The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors organized “Building Communities that Safeguard Dignity,” a three-day workshop on abuse in religious institutes. Pope Leo sent a message to participants.

Father Krzysztof Gierat, CMF, an office head of the Dicastery for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life, warned that despite “impeccable protocols,” religious communities may have “ambiguous authorities, ‘informal’ hierarchies, aggression, unhealthy relationships, missed signals, and ignored conflicts,” according to Vatican News.

Sister Paola Panetta, president of the International Commission of Dominican Nuns, spoke about abuse in contemplative life and said that lack of email and the screening of mail makes it difficult for contemplative nuns to report sexual abuse, however rare.

“The lack of vocations can lead to blackmail or special concessions aimed at avoiding transfers,” she added. “Spiritual abuse can also occur from persons within, with dangerous sectarian tendencies.”

In its newly released annual report, the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe said that there were 2,211 anti-Christian hate crimes in Europe in 2024.

“This figure includes a significant rise in personal attacks, which increased to 274 incidents, and a sharp spike in arson attacks targeting churches and other Christian sites,” the organization found.

Pope Leo XIV received Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois in an audience yesterday.

The governor tweeted that “it was an honor for [my wife] and me to meet with @Pontifex—a son of Illinois—to express the pride and reverence of the people of this great state. Pope Leo XIV’s message of hope, compassion, unity, and peace resonates with Illinoisans of all faiths and traditions.”

Speaking at a symposium of Catholic leaders in Belém, Brazil—the site of COP30, the UN climate change conference—the president of the Episcopal Conference of the Pacific warned that “the islands of our region are at risk of being submerged in our time.”

“Deep-sea mining is adding another layer of destruction,” said Archbishop Ryan Jimenez of Agaña, Guam. “Our communities are already feeling the impacts of climate change. Typhoons and ocean warming are also real threats.”

Archbishop Jimenez—misnamed and mistitled by the Vatican newspaper as “Cardinal Ryan Rimenes”—added that “we bishops of the Pacific region are committed to caring for our common home and the islands that are our home.”

Reacting to immigration enforcement actions in Charlotte, North Carolina, the local bishop called for prayer and fasting.

“While I have no words to practically address the fear and uncertainty that many are feeling with the increased presence of federal immigration officials in the Charlotte metro area, I want to call upon all Catholics and people of goodwill to give witness to the message of Jesus,” said Bishop Michael Martin, OFM Conv.

Bishop Martin offered four suggestions: “reach out to those living daily with this uncertainty and assure them of our love and care for them”; pray and fast on November 21; “do not vilify federal agents who have been sent to our community”; and advocate for immigration reform.

“To those of you who are afraid to come to church, you are not obligated to attend Mass when you are inhibited from doing so by circumstances beyond your control, as the Church has always taught,” he added.

The Ukrainian Catholic hierarchy in the United States has issued a pastoral epistle for the pre-Christmas period of fasting (St. Philip’s Fast).

“Living through the fourth winter of a barbaric aggression, Ukrainians, members of our Church, bear witness to the profound woundedness of humanity, indeed, they’re experiencing it firsthand,” the prelates wrote. “We bear hidden grief and carry profound wounds. Into the midst of these wounds, Christ is born, and He brings with Him the promise that even in our anguish, hope can take root and healing can begin anew.”

The bishops added:

We are encouraged to fast not only from food but, importantly in our day, from the chatter of social media, those ‘likes’ and ‘shares’ that steal our inner peace, the pull of consumerism, and the endless distractions that fragment our attention ... We are called to return to the practices that attune our hearts to God’s closeness: personal prayer, attention to the Word of God, participation in the liturgical life of the Church, and silent contemplation.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, celebrated Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica for the Jubilee of Collaborators of Nunciatures.

Cardinal Parolin preached that perseverance in prayer “allows us to look beyond all boundaries, both material and spiritual; it allows us to overcome obstacles of adaptation, coexistence, loneliness, misunderstanding, and disappointment, because it brings into play the power and mercy of God, for whom nothing is impossible.”

Cardinal Parolin also spoke of the importance of “humility, performing gratuitous and hidden acts of kindness, helping those experiencing difficult times at home or in the office, and not hurting others with harsh words or bad examples.”

Bishops from Germany and Poland gathered in Wrocław, Poland, to mark the 60th anniversary of the exchange of letters of reconciliation between the episcopates.

Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda, president of the Polish Bishops’ Conference, said that “the Church of both nations dared to speak the language of the Gospel, not of politics. It dared to affirm that reconciliation is possible because God is greater than our fears, and the Holy Spirit crosses borders and walls.”

Bishop Georg Bätzing, president of the German Bishops’ Conference, said that “the Church in Poland and the Church in Germany are equally needed. When we speak with one voice, we can bring an ethical dimension to public debate, grounded in the Gospel. The effectiveness of our efforts depends on our cooperation and the unity of our witness.”

Major Archbishop Claudiu-Lucian Pop, the new head of the Eastern-rite Romanian Catholic Church (CNEWA profile), was enthroned at his cathedral in Blaj on November 15, less than two weeks after Pope Leo confirmed his election.

Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, the prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, attended the ceremony and said, “You are Eastern, you are a Church, and a suffering Church, in full communion with the Pope of Rome. You are our pride, our hope, our affection.”