Catholic bishops pray with President Trump

In addition to praying with Trump, topics discussed during the meeting included religious freedom, school choice, religious visas, and life policy.



The view of the White House from the South Lawn with the U.S. flag on April 18, 2026. | Credit: Ivan Ventura/Shutterstock

By Tyler Arnold

October 22, 2026 at 6:52 PM ET · 

Denver Archbishop James Golka and over half a dozen fellow U.S. Catholic bishops met with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Oct. 22.

White House Faith Director Jenny Korn told EWTN News the meeting was organized by the White House Faith Office “as part of our ongoing engagement with faith leaders of all denominations from across the country.”

In addition to praying with Trump, Korn said several topics were discussed during the meeting, including “religious freedom, the role of the White House Faith Office, school choice, religious visas, and life policy.”

Participants included Bishop Abdallah Elias Zaidan of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles; Bishop Edward Burns of Dallas; Bishop James Wall of Gallup, New Mexico; Archbishop Emeritus Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas; Bishop William Joensen of Des Moines, Iowa; Archbishop Jeffrey Grob of Milwaukee; and Bishop Michael Barber, SJ, of Oakland, California.

Before concluding the meeting, Golka and his brother bishops gathered around Trump at the Oval Office’s iconic Resolute desk to pray.

Catholics Worldwide Will Unite in Praying the Rosary on October 22 | EWTN News Nightly

Catholics Worldwide Will Unite in Praying the Rosary on October 22 | EWTN News Nightly

EWTN News and EWTN

Oct 19, 2026

The Global Rosary for Peace, an international prayer initiative, will bring together families, parishes, schools, religious communities, and individuals to pray for peace on October 22, 2026. Father Fred Jenga, president of Holy Cross Family Ministries, joins to share how many countries are participating, why the initiative is resonating globally, and why the feast day of Pope Saint John Paul II was chosen for the start of the initiative.

Inside the World Apostolic Congress on Mercy in Lithuania | EWTN News In Depth

Thousands Join First-Ever Worldwide Marian Procession in Northern Ireland | EWTN News Nightly

Thousands Join National Eucharistic Pilgrimage in Washington, D.C. | EWTN News In Depth

 

National Catholic Prayer Breakfast highlights: Letter from Pope Leo, talks by Michael Knowles, Jonathan Roumie

Jonathan Roumie speaks at 2026 National Catholic Prayer Breakfast. YouTube screengrab

By McKenna Snow


More than 1,000 people came together in Washington, D.C., March 19 for the annual National Catholic Prayer Breakfast to pray for the country, which was an effort commended by Pope Leo XIV in a letter to attendees.

Archbishop Joseph Naumann, archbishop emeritus of the Archdiocese of Kansas City, Kansas, read the Pope’s message at the event. According to EWTN News, which livestreamed the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast, the annual event began in 2004 in response to Pope Saint John Paul II’s “call for a new evangelization.”

The tradition of praying for one’s nation goes back to biblical times, Pope Leo noted, recalling that Saint Paul invited Christians to pray specifically for people in authoritative positions, “confident that their prayer, united to that of Christ, would be both powerful and effective.”

The Pontiff also recalled the history of the annual event and how Pope John Paul II asked the faithful “to re-evangelize cultures that were previously Christianized long ago, with methods that are appropriate to our own time.” This mission, Pope Leo said, cannot be separated from cultivating “a deep friendship with God in prayer,” emphasizing that spending time with Jesus daily with an open heart enables one to know Him and be transformed by His grace.

“It is in this light that I would like to reiterate the ongoing need for evangelization, and at the same time, invite you to persevere in a truly authentic and fruitful life of prayer,” Pope Leo continued.

Ireland's Catholics: Signs of Hope? | EWTN News

 

American Catholics launch crowdfunding effort to gift Pope Leo XIV papal tiara

A nonprofit hopes to generate enough small donations to construct a papal tiara for Pope Leo XIV as a gift from American Catholics.
Save this story



Amici Vaticani’s design for a papal tiara to gift to Pope Leo XIV. The newly established nonprofit launched a crowdfunding effort to construct a papal tiara that will contain Catholic and American symbolism, with the plan to offer it to the pope as a gift from American Catholics. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Maltese jeweler Gabriel Farrugia

By Tyler Arnold

March 2, 2026 at 6:00 AM ET

A newly established nonprofit launched a crowdfunding effort to construct a papal tiara that will contain Catholic and American symbolism, with the plan to offer it to Pope Leo XIV as a gift from American Catholics for the first pontiff from the United States.

“Historically, the majority of papal tiaras are gifts, usually from the home diocese of the pope or from religious [communities] they may be affiliated with,” Isaac Smith, a convert to Catholicism and the founder of Amici Vaticani, told EWTN News.

Smith said he was motivated to launch the project to provide Leo with a papal tiara based on the desire for “us, as Americans, to continue that tradition.” He said the first American pope is “such a historical milestone” for Catholicism in the United States.

The history of papal crowns dates back to at least the eighth century with the word “tiara” first used in the 12th century. A second crown was added to the tiara in the 13th century to symbolize that the pope holds authority in both spiritual and temporal matters.

Miami Archbishop Wenski on "Alligator Alcatraz" | EWTN News In Depth

Trump's Catholic Cabinet: Vance, Rubio, & Duffy Lead Faith-Driven Admini...