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Catholic Relief Services was founded in 1943 by the Catholic Bishops of the United States to serve World War II survivors in Europe. Since then, it has expanded in size to reach more than 130 million people in more than 100 countries on five continents.

All of us over the years can recall at some point in our life the difference a religious made in our life, be it in a Catholic school, a religious education program or at our home parish. They were the ones who shaped our faith. Today, many of them are in their senior years, still active in their communities. But their communities are struggling to provide for them in their retirement years.

J. is facing some tough times. His trade is carpentry, but work has not been steady of late. M., his wife, is pregnant, and he knows the child is not his. But he loves his wife and has made up his mind to do what is best for her and the baby and for them as a family.

Today, Americans of all faiths will gather with family members at the table to celebrate a Thanksgiving feast, giving thanks to God for all they have been blessed with in their lives. Unfortunately, as with other religious-based holidays, our secular society has tried to turn Thanksgiving Day into just a day about football games, stuffing ourselves with turkey and pumpkin pie and ingraining in our minds that the Christmas gift-buying season is in full swing with several stores open today — rather than focusing on the true meaning this day has from its humble beginnings in Plymouth, Mass.

Another victory for our religious liberty and conscience rights was won last week when the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Treasury, and Labor released two updated rules concerning conscience protections for organizations and individuals in relation to the Obamacare contraception mandate.

“What are you fighting for?” is the catch phrase used by the University of Notre Dame in its public service announcements that air on NBC-TV during home games of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team. Each one highlights the efforts of the Notre Dame community in making the world a better place. And that catch phrase, “What are you fighting for?” most certainly portrays the efforts by students at the University of Notre Dame to block pornography sites on the university’s Wi-Fi networks

A new study, “Fiscal Effects of School Vouchers,” authored by Martin Lueken, reports that voucher programs across the country have saved taxpayers billions of dollars. He analyzed 16 voucher programs in nine states plus the District of Columbia. The conclusion: voucher programs have generated a “cumulative net savings to state and local budgets worth $3.2 billion from when they were launched to FY 2015.” This equates to $3,400 in savings per voucher recipient. In 2015 alone, voucher programs have saved taxpayers a whopping $408.5 million.

One of the most important stories never told by the mainstream media was that of Dr. Kermit Gosnell. In May 2013, a jury found Gosnell guilty in the murder of three babies that had been born alive at his Philadelphia abortion clinic. He was also convicted of involuntary manslaughter, 21 felony counts of illegal late-term abortion, and 211 counts of violating an informed-consent law.

In a few weeks, we will be able to exercise one of our most cherished rights as citizens of our nation, our right to vote. This is a mid-term election year with all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives up for election as are the six-year terms for 34 of the 100 seats in the U.S. Senate.

In the midst of the current Synod of Bishops on the topic of “Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment,” Pope Francis will canonize Blessed Pope Paul VI and Blessed Archbishop Oscar Romero on Oct. 14.

October is Respect Life Month and in this week leading to the celebration of Respect Life Sunday, Oct. 7, it was a boost to the pro-life movement to see the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cut its ties with a company whose business is to procure aborted baby parts for research.

Morris County has always been in the forefront of other state counties in preserving the important historic sites in its towns, some of which date back to the Revolutionary War. But last year, the N.J. Su­preme Court ordered Morris County to stop allowing participation in its historic preservation program by historic houses of worship.

Our nation and, more specifically, those of us who live in the metropolitan New York area, marked the 17th anniversary of the 9/11 Islamist terrorist attacks on the U.S. with prayers and sorrow at the massive loss of life that day in 2001 with our solemn vow “never to forget.”

Hero. It’s a word we hear less frequently these days when our world, our nation and our Church seem turned upside down. But it’s a word that certainly fits Father Vincent Capodanno, and his story needs to be told over and over again.

“In God We Trust” is the official motto of the United States of America. It has appeared on currency since 1864, and according to a 2003 joint poll by USA Today, CNN, and Gallup, 90 percent of Americans support the inscription “In God We Trust” on U.S. coins. But that did not deter a group of 29 atheists from clogging up our court system with a suit claiming that “In God We Trust” violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

When it comes to pro-life issues, Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) is always in the forefront of his fellow members in Congress in fighting to end any taxpayer funds being used to provide abortions. This month, he and 101 other congressmen sent a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar requesting new regulations to enforce the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) requirement that insurers participating in the ACA marketplace must collect a separate payment, or “abortion surcharge” if the plan covers elective abortion.

Three people who consistently answered the call of the Gospel of Life were recently honored with the 2018 People of Life awards. The awards were presented to Janice Benton, a proponent for disability rights; Msgr. Joseph Ranieri, an advocate for post-abortion healing; and the late James Hanson, who campaigned against medically assisted-suicide.

Most of us know that the crime of human trafficking is rampant around the globe, but think it’s not so much of a problem in the United States. But that’s just not the case. A new global report has found much higher rates of modern-day slavery here than previously believed — with the report stating that as many as 1 in 800 Americans is currently a victim of human trafficking.

At the recent Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom held at the State Department in Washington, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a declaration encouraging the global community to stand up for religious freedom. Known as the Potomac Declaration, it is a statement of principles on the meaning and value of religious freedom.

Starting Friday, Aug. 3, and continuing every Friday for nine weeks until Sept. 28, the faithful are invited to participate with Catholics nationwide in a weekly moment of prayer for the legal protection of human life.